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DALLAS — On April 8, a 15-year-old girl from North Richland Hills went to a Dallas Mavericks game with her dad at the American Airlines Center.
She went to the bathroom right before halftime.
Surveillance footage showed video of her leaving the arena with a man that night.
A week and a half later, on April 18, police found the teen in a hotel room in Oklahoma City after her parents identified her through nude photos that had been posted online in sex advertisements.
"She was gone missing a total of 11 days," attorney Zeke Fortenberry said.
Fortenberry is representing the family in the ongoing case. Last week, he sent a letter to multiple parties he believes could have done things differently in the situation, possibly even preventing the situation from escalating.
"Our intent is to put [these organizations] on notice that we’re pursuing claims against them for their negligence and other causes of action," Fortenberry said.
In the release sent out by Fortenberry's office late last week, American Airlines Center, the Dallas Mavericks, the Dallas Police Department and the Oklahoma City hotel where the teen was found were all listed as parties that could have prevented the situation.
Fortenberry said the teen's father notified police at the game when he realized she was missing. But, according to Fortenberry, the father was told to report it to North Richland Hills Police, since that's where he lives.
The father said he was then told to go home.
He said he called North Richland Hills Police that night. Fortenberry said NRH police weren't able to help because, they said, the incident happened in Dallas.
"The family was frustrated," Fortenberry said. "After days of not getting any information from the Dallas Police Department and Dallas Police not taking any action, the family sought out the help of this agency in Houston.”
Fortenberry said the Houston-based human trafficking agency Texas Counter-Trafficking Initiative was able to use their face-recognition technology to help break open the case.
“That agency was able to help them locate the photograph of their daughter online within the same day," Fortenberry said.
That agency then contacted Oklahoma City Police, which is the agency that found the missing teen and arrested eight people in connection to the case.
"The Dallas Police Department never asked for a photo of the daughter," Fortenberry said.
In response to a request from WFAA, Dallas Police confirmed that an off-duty officer who was working the game on April 8 was notified that the teen was missing.
The department said the arena was searched, and shared this about protocol for these situations: "Texas Family Code(51.03 b. 3) dictates that missing juveniles are investigated as runaways unless there are circumstances which appear as involuntary such as a kidnapping or abduction. Those cases per code are to be filed where the juvenile resides."
North Richland Hills Police confirmed to WFAA that they received the report about the missing teen at 1:27 a.m., about six hours after the game started. The department said the teen was entered in the national missing person database by 3:24 a.m. on April 9.
Dallas Police said they helped North Richland Hills PD and created a bulletin for the missing teen that went out to the department on April 11.
Fortenberry said those efforts weren't enough.
“This girl was being sexually assaulted in a hotel room multiple nights," Fortenberry said. "Any time she could have been rescued from that sooner would have been better.”
Fortenberry is also targeting the hotel where the teen was found because, he said, there are multiple signs staff should have picked up on that indicated she was in danger.
"When a 40-something year old man walks in with a 15-year-old girl and rents multiple hotel rooms and then there is traffic coming in and out of those rooms, those are red flags," Fortenberry said.
Additionally, the letter was sent to the AAC and the Dallas Mavericks -- because, according to Fortenberry, the man the teen left with got into the game with a fake ticket that was sold to him by someone known by both organizations for selling fake tickets.
The Mavericks organization has not responded to a request for comment from WFAA.
But, on April 20, after the girl was found, the team released the following statement in conjunction with their arena: "The American Airlines Center (and the Dallas Mavericks) are grateful that the teenager has been found. Both entities will continue to cooperate with local and regional law enforcement on this case."
Fortenberry said he has not yet received a response from any of the parties to whom he sent the letter. But he said he hopes to hear back within the next month, so the situation can be settled without a lawsuit.
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https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/north-texas-teen-missing-dallas-mavs-game-oklahoma-city-sex-trafficking-sold-sex-advertised-family-says-many-people-couldve-stopped/287-1e1315f5-4e15-4fc0-a20c-4ee39d3a7071
| 2022-05-11T01:08:52
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https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/north-texas-teen-missing-dallas-mavs-game-oklahoma-city-sex-trafficking-sold-sex-advertised-family-says-many-people-couldve-stopped/287-1e1315f5-4e15-4fc0-a20c-4ee39d3a7071
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COLLIN COUNTY, Texas —
On Tuesday night, Rockhill High School in Frisco community members from Collin County will be attending a meeting with Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) officials.
The changes will affect about a six-mile stretch of Prosper and Frisco.
There is no denying it, thousands of people are moving to Texas, and in Collin County, the population is only growing.
TxDOT officials said they’ve been preparing for this change for years, but before they make any changes, they’re asking for the public to come forward with what they’re hoping for and what they envision.
WFAA spoke with Elizabeth Wheatley, who owns “Elizabeth Rose Visual Artistry” at Lux Suites in Frisco, off of Highway 380.
“The traffic is increasing,” said Wheatley.
With the heavy traffic on 380, and growing construction, Wheatley makes sure to set her appointments accordingly.
“I’ve now found the back roads, thank God for the backroads,” said Wheatley.
On average, she says getting from her house in Little Elm to work is about 10 minutes.
“A smooth ride would be 12 minutes,” said Wheatley.
But with so many families moving in, and businesses opening up in Collin and Denton counties, getting to work is getting harder.
“A lot of traffic, it’s about 20-25 minutes,” said Wheatley.
“The population is growing rapidly, and we know there is congestion on US 380, and as the population continues to grow, something needs to be done,” said Madison Schein, a spokesperson for TxDOT.
TxDOT officials are now proposing a big change for HWY 380 through Prosper and Frisco. The plan is to widen it from Teel Parkway, Champion Drive to west of Lakewood Drive in Denton and Collin counties.
The plan is to make this from a rural area of 380 to an urban area. They plan on putting up barrier walls, turn arounds, and on and off ramps.
“One thing we’re proposing today, is a continuous highway, which means there are no stop lights,” said Schein.
The plan is still in the very early stages, but the hope is to start making changes in the next five years.
For now, Wheatley will have to deal with the traffic, but the silver lining to the population boom is jobs.
“I see the bigger picture, and that’s jobs for people too,” said Wheatley.
TxDOT officials say they want the communities input. If you would like to leave a public comment visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/8L775TX.
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https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/txdot-public-meetings-on-proposed-changes-to-hwy-380-in-collin-denton-counties/287-16beb11f-dc8c-49d4-a75f-10a497dc7e0b
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Lendell Harris took the stand at his murder trial Tuesday to tell the jury how he came to shoot Alonzo Jones twice in the chest.
How on the morning of Sept. 5, he was getting ready to smoke marijuana with Jennifer Nguyen in the bathroom of the apartment where she lived with Jones when things took an abrupt turn.
"That's when the door burst open and Alonzo came in and he was mad," said Harris, 24, of Lincoln.
Jones, who had a child with Nguyen, unexpectedly had been sent home from work.
Harris said Jones started yelling a profanity at them. But Nguyen, who testified Friday, said all she heard him say was "What the f***" before grabbing Harris by the shoulders and pulling him into the living room.
Harris said he grabbed his .40 caliber Glock handgun from the bathroom counter and headed for the door to leave.
"Were you scared," his attorney, Michael Fitzpatrick, asked him.
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"A little. He was obviously extremely upset and honestly I don't blame him," said Harris, who was seeing Nguyen.
Harris said before he got to the door, Jones grabbed him, forcefully turned him around and threw him on the couch. He said Jones reached for his wrist, said "Gimme that s***," and tried pulling the gun away from him, both of his hands on the slide.
Harris said he saw the look on Jones' face and in his eyes and thought Jones wanted to kill him.
"That's when I shot," Harris said.
He pulled the trigger twice, causing Jones to fall onto him.
Jones, 28, was dead in less than a minute.
Harris said it all happened so fast he didn't realize he'd shot twice until later. He said he had to.
"Alonzo was trying to get my gun away from me. I had no other choice that day," he said. "I was holding onto the gun with both hands for dear life."
On cross-examination he admitted Jones didn't hit him or threaten him verbally, and Harris didn't put the gun in his pocket or unload it.
Nguyen told the jury she didn't hear any threats or see a scuffle, and it looked as if Harris was trying to leave. Once they got to the couch, she just heard the shots.
She said Jones had been standing over Harris. She was behind them and couldn't see their hands or the gun. Asked on cross-examination if Jones could have been going for Harris' gun, she said maybe.
"It all happened so quickly," Nguyen said, within 5 to 10 seconds from Jones coming in.
After the gunshots. Jones fell on top of Harris, who got out from under him and called 911, saying "there's been a murder. Hurry up," then left. He tried to flag down a police officer, before driving to the jail and saying he was there to turn himself in for murder.
He told the jury he's been at the jail since.
Prosecutors charged him with second-degree murder and use of a firearm.
Harris is arguing it was self-defense.
"I can't tell you how frustrating it's been for me to be sitting in jail for a crime that I'm innocent of," he told the jury.
Trial deliberations continue Wednesday morning.
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.
Reach the writer at 402-473-7237 or lpilger@journalstar.com.
On Twitter @LJSpilger
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https://journalstar.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/thats-when-i-shot-man-charged-with-murder-says-victim-reached-for-his-gun/article_282b2463-5547-5c2b-8216-bb984f221f91.html
| 2022-05-11T01:16:36
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SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A California legislator who is the wife of state Attorney General Rob Bonta disclosed Tuesday that she had an abortion as a 21-year old.
Democratic Assemblywoman Mia Bonta joins a growing number of public officials, celebrities and musicians who have discussed their experiences after a leaked draft opinion suggested that the U.S. Supreme Court could strike down the landmark Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion.
Speaking at a state Capitol event supporting reproductive rights, Bonta said she was coming out of Yale University and had obtained her first job when she learned she was pregnant. She was dating her future husband at the time -- Bonta says he held her hand when she made her choice.
"I had to weigh all of the decisions that came with that reality. And I chose to get an abortion. I chose to own my body," Bonta said. She added that her decision allowed her to break what she called "the cycle of poverty in my family."
If the Roe ruling falls "those choices and those decisions will not be available for women in places like Mississippi or Georgia or 20 other states," she added, calling the prospect "unfathomable."
Bonta, a Black Latina, called the potential court ruling "an attack on women of color."
She serves in the San Francisco Bay Area's 18th Assembly District, a seat her husband held before being appointed attorney general. The couple has three children.
The court's draft ruling could change, and a decision is not expected until the end of the court's term in June. California is seeking to expand abortion rights. Gov. Gavin Newsom wants the state to be a "refuge" for those seeking an abortion. One proposal in Legislature would cover costs for pregnant women to come from out of state.
WATCH ALSO:
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/california/california-lawmaker-abortion/103-47e7fb1a-453c-448e-8d2d-b58e672061cb
| 2022-05-11T01:22:13
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/california/california-lawmaker-abortion/103-47e7fb1a-453c-448e-8d2d-b58e672061cb
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STATELINE, Nev. — After a year-long endeavor, more than 25,000 pounds of litter was wiped out from the Lake Tahoe shoreline, according to a press release from Clean Up the Lake.
The Clean Up the Lake SCUBA team met its goal on Tuesday after cleaning out litter from 72 miles of Lake Tahoe waters. The project launched in May 2021, and has a team of 136 volunteer divers.
After 81 dive days with 189 separate clean-up dives, 626 cylinders of air used and nearly 25,000 pieces of litter, the effort was completed on May 10 when the dive team came full circle at Edgewood Tahoe, where they first began.
The extraordinary clean up initiative was led by the non-profit organization Clean Up the Lake and made possible by large contributions from a number of local entities, including a $100,000 donation from Tahoe Blue Vodka.
Now that the team has reached its most recent goal, its next step is to expand into cleaning other surrounding waters. This will include June Lake and Fallen Leaf Lake, both of which they are hoping to acquire enough funding to begin working on.
The team will also be returning to Donner Lake after its last clean up in 2020 to re-circle the waters for trash and and study invasive species.
Visit the Clean Up the Lake website to see how many pounds of trash the organization has cleared from Tahoe waters, report trash, volunteer, donate and for more information on future clean-up initiatives.
Watch more from ABC10: Clean-up event along American River Parkway hopes to spark action
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/lake-tahoe-cleanup/103-ec60d5d0-04a2-4b7b-b977-7a575498a08d
| 2022-05-11T01:22:19
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/lake-tahoe-cleanup/103-ec60d5d0-04a2-4b7b-b977-7a575498a08d
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SACRAMENTO, Calif. — On Wednesday, the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors will be discussing illegal firework fines and penalties for property owners.
An ordinance that places accountability for sales and for illegal fireworks on the property owners or people hosting events.
Sacramento County, Sacramento County Sheriff's Office, and the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District have done years of research on firework usage and illegal fireworks.
According to county code, unless permitted by the state, it is illegal for any person to gather or launch illegal fireworks at home or on other private property.
Launching illegal fireworks on your own property or other private property is considered a misdemeanor and a public nuisance, according to Sacramento County.
If the ordinance is approved by the Board of Supervisors, it would create new host responsibilities that include penalties with increasing fines and violations for people who have illegal fireworks on their property.
Authorities in Sacramento County say they are trying to prevent potential fires from happening this summer. If approved, the introduction of this ordinance will be continued to May 24 where the board could vote to adopt it. It would go into effect on June 24, before the July 4 holiday.
Anyone caught and identified could see citations and fines including, $1,000 for the first violation, $2,500 for the second violation within one year of the first violation, $5,000 for each additional violation within one year of the first violation and $10,000 for each violation that occurs within the American River Parkway due to its previous fire damage.
People can still support local stands that supply “safe and sane” fireworks. These fireworks are not launchable, are non-explosive and are tested and approved by the Office of the State Fire Marshal.
"It's easy to identify legal and illegal fireworks," said Kimberly Nava, spokesperson for Sacramento County. "All legal fireworks are called safe and sane. All legal fireworks that bear the State Fire Marshal seal are legal, safe and sane, and anything that goes up high, travels or explodes is illegal and dangerous."
WATCH MORE ON ABC10: Illegal Fireworks | How much you could be fined if caught using them
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/penalty-illegal-fireworks-board-of-supervisors-meeting/103-e4a95d41-382d-40f0-9977-054a1ab596c3
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/penalty-illegal-fireworks-board-of-supervisors-meeting/103-e4a95d41-382d-40f0-9977-054a1ab596c3
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SACRAMENTO, Calif. — As the Sacramento Environmental Justice Coalition celebrated this year's Earth Day with residents from South Sacramento's Fruitridge community, they wasted no time jumping into talks on environmental concerns.
Specifically, coalition leaders raised questions on the continued use of lead fuel at the nearby Sacramento Executive Airport—and the effect potential exposure can have on local residents.
The Environmental Protection Agency declared in January that piston-engine aircraft that operate on leaded fuel are "the largest remaining source of lead emissions into the air."
An interactive map generated by the Center for Environmental Health, a nonprofit based in Oakland combating lead emissions, uses data obtained from legal actions to identify areas near airports with potential for lead exposure.
Neighborhoods surrounding the airport were shown to be areas of potential exposure. According to the CDC, lead absorption can cause brain damage, negatively affect organs and other lead to long-lasting ailments.
"We definitely need local regulators to see, to study whether the traffic that's coming in and out of the Executive Airport is a problem," Herman Barahona with the Sacramento Environmental Justice Coalition told ABC10. "I'm getting radio silence."
The airport, used for charters, plane rentals, flight training and other general aviation services, has been operated by Sacramento County since 1967.
"(The airport) is in the middle of a residential neighborhood with more Black and Brown people," Barahona told ABC10. "South Sacramento is already impacted by so many issues and environmental degradation that's been going on for decades."
Concerns over lead are not new for the airport's neighbors. In 2014, the Mangan Rifle and Pistol Range just outside the airport was forced to close its doors in 2014 over concerns about tests showing high lead levels in the area.
A 2016 ABC10 report also detailed 11 houses near the range also testing for high levels of lead.
"We are aware of the concerns the residents in our communities have expressed and moving forward we will continue to communicate with them and remain transparent as we move away from avgas and toward a cleaner future," a Sacramento County Department of Airports spokesperson said in a recent statement to ABC10.
Campaign to address lead fuel use
Barahona said he took the lead in his coalition to start a concerted effort of educating community members on the airport's use of lead fuel.
The problem, Barahona said, is there's no real way of knowing the true impact lead emissions have on the surrounding communities without an environmental impact report.
Such a report must be ordered by local officials—thus Barahona said he's putting pressure on nearby agencies.
After learning lawmakers in Santa Clara County are taking active steps to phase out the use of lead fuel at their general aviation airport, Barahona said he filed a complaint with the Environmental Protection Agency in February to try and affect the same action in his county.
He also filed a formal complaint to Sacramento County supervisors regarding the lead fuel used by single-engine planes at the Executive Airport.
But other than the EPA confirming to Barahona the agency had passed on his complaint to the California EPA and the Department of Toxic Substances Control, no responses have come in.
With his online petition recently gathering more than 300 supporters, Barahona said he hopes to set the stage for the Sacramento Board of Supervisors to ban the use of lead fuel.
"They are very well aware of our petition," he said.
Pollution at small airports
When ABC10 asked the county's Department of Airports if it plans to enact policies regarding use of lead-fueled airplanes on its sites, a spokesperson cited an upcoming FAA initiative.
"Known as the Eliminate Aviation Gasoline Lead Emissions (EAGLE), this initiative is a public-private partnership between the federal government and industry stakeholders to transition to lead-free aviation fuel, known as avgas, for piston-engine aircraft by the end of 2030," the spokesperson told ABC10.
They described the initiative as a safe and practical path to a lead-free aviation system that meets the needs of all airplane fleets.
In January, the EPA announced it will see whether emissions from piston-engine aircraft using leaded fuel contribute to air pollution that endangers public health. The agency plans to issue a proposal for public review and comment later in 2022 and take final action in 2023.
Barahona told ABC10 that, for the Sacramento Environmental Justice Coalition, change cannot come quick enough.
"I lived in the Bay Area before I came here. I had no idea how bad it was here," Barahona said. "That's why I got into the work of putting a coalition together—to see if we can address these issues."
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/south-sacramento/lead-airport-pollution-sacramento/103-ba14305d-a293-40f6-a455-443341f56ff9
| 2022-05-11T01:22:32
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/south-sacramento/lead-airport-pollution-sacramento/103-ba14305d-a293-40f6-a455-443341f56ff9
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PULASKI COUNTY, ARKANSAS, Ark — A few central Arkansas shelters fear having to euthanize a lot of cats and dogs because of overcrowding. Little Rock Animal Village along with the Sherwood and Jacksonville animal shelters all posted on social media about their shelters being at full capacity.
The Sherwood Humane Animal Shelter posted on Facebook page an urgent notice that were zero available kennels and that adoption fees were waived for all sterilized animals.
The Little Rock Animal Village followed up a similar post by explaining that because there's no room, they're worried about now having to euthanize dogs.
"The Little Rock Animal Village is 110% FULL, a dozen new faces are coming in every day, and these three have somehow been there for months."
Betsy Robb is the Friends of the Animal Village organization president supporting the Little Rock shelter. She said the shelter is currently housing two dogs to one kennel.
"They're a municipal animal shelter. Legally they have very little control over the number coming into the shelter. So, if the number going out via adoptions or rescue pulls isn't matching that that's when they'll have make the really hard decisions," said Robb.
As a volunteer, Robb said she can't imagine being on staff and walking into the shelter everyday knowing there could be the possibility of putting an animal down due to lack of space.
It's hard on volunteers as well, but that's why they keep showing up to support.
Robb said spaying and neutering your pets is critical. A part of the reason for overcrowding comes from cats and dogs creating multiple litters which contributes to the homeless pet population being brought into the shelter.
The organization has a list of low cost options here.
Maumelle Friends of the Animals posted on their Facebook that a blue bucket full of 9 puppies were dumped on the side of a road.
"Please folks, go get your pets fixed! No excuses! Help us out here. Rescues and shelters can't take it anymore."
One of the best ways people can help right now, according to Robb is to foster. That would open up space in the shelter so that euthanizing the animals won't occur.
"It's just like dog sitting. Everything is provided for you. It's really not as challenging as you think. Yes, saying goodbye is hard as it should be, but it's really really rewarding. When you get that first adoption update pic of one of your fosters it just makes it all worth it," said Robb.
In Jacksonville, Animal Control director Jamie Parker is having to turn away two women who brought a puppy in to the shelter as a surrender.
A sign outside of the shelter reads: No Animals Brought Into Shelter Before Contacting Shelter Employee.
The women claimed that the original owner threatened to dump the puppy in the streets, because they no longer wanted it. They lived in Jacksonville, but the owner lived in Cabot.
Not only is the Jacksonville shelter getting full, but Parker had to explain they couldn't accept an animal outside of city limits.
Parker works as the supervisor of the Jacksonville Animal Shelter.
She said there's numerous reasons why the shelters are getting full.
"It's kitten season, so because they're not spayed or neutered we're getting a lot of litters. We get stray dogs that run loose that nobody every comes to reclaim. We give the owners five days, but they end up having to be adopted out. Meanwhile, they take up a kennel," said Parker.
She said they try to keep animals as long as they can, some even staying for up to a year.
"We only usually euthanize if they're not adoptable because they're too aggressive or unhealthy. Those were the only reasons. Here lately it's been touch and go," said Parker.
Touch and go meaning that there's been times when they've decided to euthanize one animal, when that same day someone will come in and adopt or foster, thankfully making space.
"I got an officer out there right now, fixing to pick up three strays that are loose. I have 50 full size big kennels, then I have a few smaller kennels. I'm trying to find foster for one of my mama dogs, and it's a really easy process," said Parker.
She said fosters would be supplied all of the food and medical bills until they can get them adopted.
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https://www.thv11.com/article/news/local/animal-shelters-fear-euthanizing-pets-overcrowding/91-0ced190e-5b46-4a1b-a3e6-f712fbba3cf6
| 2022-05-11T01:24:52
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https://www.thv11.com/article/news/local/animal-shelters-fear-euthanizing-pets-overcrowding/91-0ced190e-5b46-4a1b-a3e6-f712fbba3cf6
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MOUNTAIN HOME, Idaho — Supply-chain problems in November 2021 created a shortage of baby formula throughout the United States.
The problem is exacerbated by a formula recall among popular brands earlier this calendar year, according to nutrition specialist Leah Sallas at the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare's Women, Infants, Children (WIC) program.
"I've been with WIC for 16 years. I've never seen an issue like this before," Sallas said. "This has been [a problem] since February, and we're still having the same issues."
Idaho mothers, including MeKala Macmillan in Mountain Home, are growing accustomed to seeing store shelves with no available baby formula. It's been a problem for Macmillan over the last month and a half.
"There's not one grocery store in this town that has it on their shelves. And I would know, because I look every day," Macmillan said. "A lot of mothers are having this problem - everywhere."
With nowhere to turn locally, Macmillan's mother-in-law now ships the family baby formula from Colorado.
Urban areas in Idaho have more baby formula supply compared to remote and rural towns, according to Sallas. If the baby formula you use is not available, Sallas suggests transitioning to the closest formula that is available. Working through the process with your child's doctor is preferred.
Alternative solutions outside commercially proven formula is are not always safe, according to St. Luke's Children's dietitian Melissa Wallinga.
"Our number one priority is that babies grow and develop adequately, we don't want to do anything that could be a risk to them," Wallinga said.
Wallinga advises against the following:
- Creating homemade baby formula
- Diluting baby formula to make it last longer
- Using expired or recalled baby formula
- Using goat milk as an alternative
- Feeding your baby cow or dairy milk before they are 12 months old
Through conversations with manufacturers, there is no set timetable for when the baby formula supply on store shelves will once again meet demand.
"It's really important for families to not panic," Wallinga said. "Healthcare teams and manufacturers are working really hard to remedy this situation."
But with bare shelves in Mountain Home, Macmillan fears the shortage will get worse and reach a point where family in Colorado can no longer supply her with the baby formula she needs.
"And then what are we gonna do? It's really frustrating," Macmillan said.
Baby formula can be purchased directly from the manufacturer, according to Wallinga. Parents can order this online.
Watch more Local News:
See the latest news from around the Treasure Valley and the Gem State in our YouTube playlist:
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https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/baby-formula-shortage-idaho-mountain-home-mother-has-shipped-from-colorado/277-d649102b-903d-425e-a59f-2250faa9b31f
| 2022-05-11T01:26:46
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https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/baby-formula-shortage-idaho-mountain-home-mother-has-shipped-from-colorado/277-d649102b-903d-425e-a59f-2250faa9b31f
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TWIN FALLS, Idaho — The Twin Falls Police Department (TFPD) held a memorial for the late Officer Craig Bracken on Monday.
Officer Craig Bracken, 45, was shot and killed in the line of duty while attempting to make an arrest in 1939. He was the first and only loss in the line of duty in the department's history.
On May 8, 1939, Officer Bracken responded with his partner, Officer Ken Barclay, to a report of a stolen vehicle. Convicted felons Danny Williams and William Hale stole an automobile and robbed a service station before being stopped by the officers near the intersection of Washington Street and 4th Avenue West.
Officer Bracken approached the vehicle on the passenger side and was shot by Williams with a .38 caliber Harrington and Richardson revolver, hitting Bracken in his left side just below his heart.
The officers returned fire and Barclay was able to hit and wound both suspects. Barclay was joined by two citizens in chasing after the suspects who helped him to catch and detain Williams, but Hale was able to escape despite a gunshot wound to his head. He was caught the following day trying to hitchhike out of the area.
The men were later tried and convicted of grand theft, robbery and the murder of Craig Bracken.
Bracken had been with the TWPD for three years prior to his death and had previously served in the army during World War I. He left behind a wife and three small children.
In January of 2000, Bracken was posthumously awarded the Department's Medal of Valor.
Watch more Local News:
See the latest news from around the Treasure Valley and the Gem State in our YouTube playlist:
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https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/twin-falls-officer-honored-posthumously-craig-bracken/277-f8883215-77b6-4765-a435-8f603c2c6bdb
| 2022-05-11T01:26:53
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https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/twin-falls-officer-honored-posthumously-craig-bracken/277-f8883215-77b6-4765-a435-8f603c2c6bdb
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For the third consecutive time, five members of the Northern Arizona women's tennis team landed postseason honors from the Big Sky Conference.
In addition to four players landing on the All-Big Sky First Team, one on the Second Team and one earning honorable mentions, Gina Dittmann became Northern Arizona's first ever two-time Big Sky Conference Most Valuable Player.
Dittmann, also the only Big Sky player to earn first-team honors in both singles and doubles, finished the regular season on a 15-match win streak in singles play. Holding a 16-2 singles record in her sophomore season, Dittmann's only two losses came in matches against Pac-12 opponents from Arizona State and Arizona. In her season finale for the Lumberjacks, Dittmann once again earned a first-set victory over a nationally ranked opponent in the NCAA Tournament. Beating Cal's Haley Giavara, ranked No. 63 in the ITA Singles Rankings, 6-4 in her first set, Dittmann left her match unfinished and her winning streak remained intact.
Alongside partner Ava Neyestani, Dittmann also finished 12-1 in doubles with the duo's only loss coming in the NCAA Tournament to Cal's 90th-ranked doubles pairing of Jessica Alsola and Katja Wiersholm. Dittmann's full-season doubles record finished at 13-5, with the Lumberjacks pairing now ranking atop Northern Arizona's all-time doubles win percentage list. The two honors make it four total between singles and doubles through Dittmann's two seasons with the Lumberjacks, in addition to her pair of MVP awards and her conference freshman of the year honor.
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Along with her award last season and Chiara Tomasetti's in 2019, Northern Arizona has claimed the past three MVP awards.
Joining Dittmann on the conference's first team for singles was Sofia Markova, who earned her first career Big Sky honor in her debut season with the program. Finishing 13-4 overall in singles, Markova closed her season on an 11-match win streak. The sophomore finished 3-1 at No. 2, 9-2 at No. 3 and 1-1 at No. 4 in her first season, with the win streak including all three of her victories on court two.
Finishing her junior season 7-4 in singles and 5-5 in doubles, Mimi Bland landed second-team honors in singles and a first-team honor in doubles. Battling through injuries throughout the year, Bland still finished the conference schedule 4-1 in singles play -- with all five matches coming on court two. Paired with freshman Annabel Davis in doubles, Bland put together a 5-3 record -- with all eight matches at court one. Davis joined her doubles partner from their juniors careers in England in Flagstaff this season, with the two first reuniting on the court in February against San Jose State before Bland returned during conference play. The pair of awards pushed Bland to four total during her career after landing on the conference's first team for both singles and doubles last season.
Northern Arizona became the first program to place two doubles pairings on the first team since the awards began to be split in 2017.
Neyestani rounded out the singles honors, earning honorable mention with a 10-8 record overall and a 7-1 mark in Big Sky play. Finishing 4-3 at No. 5 and 5-0 at No. 6, Neyestani's honor was the second of her career in singles after placing on the second team as a freshman last year and third overall alongside her first-team doubles honor with Dittmann.
It is the eighth time in program history that Northern Arizona has had five different honorees, with 2013's six still as the most for a single season.
Men's tennis
The 19-9 Lumberjacks earned four All-Big Sky honors this season.
Eban Straker-Meads earned his second conference honors, being named to the All-Big Sky Singles Second Team. Straker-Meads' honor comes after a 14-9 season in singles play, including a 9-3 record at the No. 2 position.
Sophomore Dominik Buzonics earned a spot on the second team. He went 17-9 in singles, primarily playing at No. 3. The sophomore ended his season on a six-match win streak.
Highlighting the conference doubles honors for the Lumberjacks were Buzonics and Alex Groves, as well as Straker-Meads and Facundo Tumosa.
Buzonics and Groves found chemistry at No. 2 doubles to highlight an 18-8 doubles record, suffering just two losses within the conference schedule.
Straker-Meads and Tumosa went 12-10 at the No. 1 spot. The pair took down Denver's James Davis and Matt Summers, the 32nd-ranked pairing in the nation, early on to kick off their success as a duo this season.
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https://azdailysun.com/sports/local/nau-roundup-dittmann-leads-big-sky-tennis-honorees/article_acd87070-d08a-11ec-81d9-6f8432a76cc5.html
| 2022-05-11T01:38:44
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https://azdailysun.com/sports/local/nau-roundup-dittmann-leads-big-sky-tennis-honorees/article_acd87070-d08a-11ec-81d9-6f8432a76cc5.html
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The Ohio Supreme Court is again asking for the Ohio Redistricting Commission to show why they should not be held in contempt, after the commission on May 5 voted down maps drawn by outside consultants in a 5-2 party-line vote and reapproved maps in a 4-3 vote that have already been declared unconstitutional “only for use in the 2022 election.”
The court ordered any responses be filed no later than 9 a.m. on Thursday, with no extensions to be granted.
The currently approved maps are the third set out of four that the commission passed during the eight-month fight over new legislative districts. Those maps are likely to be imposed by a panel of federal judges for use in the Aug. 2 partisan primary for state seats if the commission is unable to pass maps not struck down by the state supreme court by May 28.
Shortly before the May 5 meeting, commissioners filed responses to a request for a new contempt hearing.
Sykes and Russo placed all blame on the Republican commissioners, saying they had asked Republican members repeatedly to schedule meetings well in advance of the deadline, but they refused until May 4. They asked the Democratic commissioners be left out of any contempt hearing because they tried to comply.
Senate President Matt Huffman, R-Lima and House Speaker Bob Cupp, R-Lima, who are no longer commission members, filed a joint response saying they can’t be held in contempt because the court order was issued to “the commission,” not individuals, and claimed the court didn’t have the authority to hold legislators in contempt, anyway.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose in separate filings argued they couldn’t be held in contempt for “legislative activity.”
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https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/local/ohio-supreme-court-again-asks-redistricting-commissioners-why-they-shouldnt-be-held-in-contempt/PFU7QSCL7FFGBOIQYH3SEKT57Y/
| 2022-05-11T02:03:51
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https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/local/ohio-supreme-court-again-asks-redistricting-commissioners-why-they-shouldnt-be-held-in-contempt/PFU7QSCL7FFGBOIQYH3SEKT57Y/
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Prayer event for explosion victims in Webster Parish to be held Wednesday morning
Members of the Webster Parish District Attorney's Office have organized a Community Prayer event for Reagan Hardaway, Chancey Hawk and Daniel Payne who were victims in the Monday morning explosion in Cotton Valley.
"This is just one way that we hope to be able to show our support and love for them," Jimbo Yocom, attorney with the Webster's DA Office said.
Webster Sheriff's Office received a call around 11:30 a.m. on May 9, to Marathon Tank Road. Upon arrival, they located three individuals who were seriously injured after a gas tank exploded.
Two were airlifted to Ochsner LSU Health, while the third one was transported by ambulance.
The prayer event will be held Wednesday, May 11 at 8 a.m. on the steps of the Webster Parish Courthouse.
More:Explosion fire in Webster Parish injures three
Webster Sheriff Jason Parker said that Hardaway suffered the most serious injuries, with burns over at least 65% of his body.
Hardaway and Hawk remain in critical condition, while Payne is listed in serious condition.
Yocom said, "people in this community, especially in the legal field, believe in the power of prayer, we believe that prayer can change things when you have nothing else to do, you can always pray. At this point there's a lot of helplessness being filled by the family, and by the friends of the family."
Makenzie Boucher is a reporter with the Shreveport Times. Contact her at mboucher@gannett.com.
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https://www.shreveporttimes.com/story/news/local/2022/05/10/community-holds-prayer-event-webster-explosion-victims/9717183002/
| 2022-05-11T02:04:07
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https://www.shreveporttimes.com/story/news/local/2022/05/10/community-holds-prayer-event-webster-explosion-victims/9717183002/
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Louisiana Supreme Court hears arguments on those convicted by 'Jim Crow' juries
The Louisiana Supreme Court will decide the fate of roughly 1500 people still in prison on verdicts that were deemed unconstitutional.
The court heard arguments in Reddick v. Louisiana on Tuesday afternoon, from attorneys from the Promise of Justice Initiative and the Louisiana State Attorney General's Office.
Reginald Reddick from Plaquemines Parish was convicted by a nonunanimous jury in 1997 after a 10-2 vote found him guilty of second-degree murder. He was then sentenced to life in prison.
“Our brother Reggie is not guilty. He has spent the last 30 in prison for something he did not do. We are hopeful that with the grace of God, Reggie is coming home to us. He lost his little girl to a fire, his son grew up without him. It has been very hard for all of us,” Charlene Reddick, his sister, said. “Our brother is a sweet person, he always cared about people. He is not a violent person. He never did what they claimed he did.”
"What we're looking at is, why were Louisianans deprived of their constitutional rights, black or white," said Jamila Johnson, Deputy Director of PJI and counsel for Reddick.
The Reddick case argued that more than 1,500 people who remain incarcerated as a result of nonunanimous jury verdicts should have access to a legal remedy.
More:Who gets a fair trial? Louisiana supreme court to decide fate of Jim Crow Jury convictions
These verdicts were nicknamed “Jim Crow Jury” convictions because of the role that they played in implicitly working to maintain white supremacy in Louisiana.
Shae McPhee, of the AG's office said, "In 2018, the people spoke to this issue. Mr. Reddick, was given a trial and he received a process that was due under the Constitution as it was understood at the time, and to allow him to continually relitigate the same issue just eats up the resources of the state."
"We actually don't have that large of a burden caused by these cases," said Johnson.
Justice John Weimer asked on multiple occasions if this was all or nothing.
"Justice Cavanaugh has a nice way of putting it, which I think is important to this court because it suggests this isn't going to happen very often," said Johnson. "This isn't a new rule that will lead to a retroactivity analysis that will come back often for this court. It is what he says our last Jim Crow law, and we can fix that here."
Read:How a Shreveport man continues to fight for those affected by Jim Crow jury convictions
“Today we carried the voices of hundreds of Louisianans to the place that can right a historic wrong—the Louisiana Supreme Court. Now we wait, in solidarity with those deprived of their constitutional rights because of this Jim Crow law, to see if the Court changes our collective future,” said Johnson.
Brandon Jackson who is out on parole after being convicted by a nonunanimous jury joined a group outside the Louisiana Supreme Court building where they gathered in prayer.
In the legislature:Bill creates possible parole path for Jim Crow non-unanimous jury convictions in Louisiana
Makenzie Boucher is a reporter with the Shreveport Times. Contact her at mboucher@gannett.com.
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https://www.shreveporttimes.com/story/news/local/2022/05/10/louisiana-supreme-court-hears-arguments-those-convicted-jim-crow-juries/9715821002/
| 2022-05-11T02:04:13
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https://www.shreveporttimes.com/story/news/local/2022/05/10/louisiana-supreme-court-hears-arguments-those-convicted-jim-crow-juries/9715821002/
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BEAVERTON, Ore. — The Beaverton Police Department (BPD) on Tuesday identified the 18-year-old driver involved in an April 27 crash that killed two Southridge High School students and severely injured three others, in addition to a Washington County deputy.
Investigators have said that the driver, identified as Xavier Denzel Rodriguez, was in a Nissan Altima with four of his schoolmates when he ran a red light at the intersection of Southwest Tualatin Valley Highway and Southwest Murray Boulevard just before 12:30 a.m. that morning.
The Altima slammed into the driver's side of a Washington County Sheriff's Office patrol car, occupied by Deputy Michael Trotter. Three of the students, including Rodriguez, were hospitalized in critical condition. Matthew Amaya, 17, and Juan Pacheco Aguilera, 16, did not survive the crash.
During a press conference on the day of the crash, Washington County Sheriff Pat Garrett described Trotter's condition as critical but stable and said he faces a "long road to recovery." Garrett said Trotter has been with the Washington County Sheriff's Office since 2013 and has been a full-time patrol deputy since 2015.
"His pelvis is destroyed," the deputy's wife, Heather Trotter, told KGW. "He had internal bleeding ... it's a fairly low prognosis that he will get full function in his left leg."
Rodriguez remains at a local hospital undergoing treatment for his injuries, BPD said. Authorities have not commented on his current condition, or those of the two injured students who have not been publicly identified.
Police are looking into Rodriguez for "traffic-related crimes," BPD said. The Washington County Major Crimes team and the Washington County Crash Analysis and Reconstruction Team (CART) are still conducting a criminal investigation. Anyone with information is asked to call 503-629-0111.
In the aftermath of the crash, at least two GoFundMe pages have been established for the victims. Aguilera's sister posted one in hopes that the community can support them with funeral expenses, and it's raised nearly $17,000 of a $10,000 goal. Another page supporting Trotter's recovery has raised more than $115,500 of an extended $100,000 goal.
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https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/beaverton-deadly-crash-southridge-high-deputy/283-05915e6b-fdfc-4bec-8fa1-3cea949031e2
| 2022-05-11T02:23:17
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https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/beaverton-deadly-crash-southridge-high-deputy/283-05915e6b-fdfc-4bec-8fa1-3cea949031e2
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PORTLAND, Ore. — Mt. Hood Skibowl in Oregon will keep cyclists off its forested trails this summer after losing a lawsuit from a man who said he slammed into a signpost and was paralyzed from the waist down.
A Multnomah County jury awarded $11.4 million to Gabriel B. Owens this spring after the cyclist’s lawyers said he hit a rut and collided with a wooden sign installed next to the double black-diamond Cannonball bike trail on July 31, 2016.
Owens, 43, settled the case for $10.5 million after the ski resort’s lawyers threatened to appeal the jury verdict, which could have tied up the money for years, according to Owens’ lawyer, Gretchen Mandekor.
The ski resort should have installed collapsible markers at the trail crossing, Mandekor said during the trial, likening the trail’s condition to “a speed bump on a highway” that caused the former pro-cyclist to lose control of his bike.
In an undated statement on its website, Mt. Hood Skibowl called the verdict “unprecedented” and said it would temporarily suspend mountain bike operations this summer.
“After 32 years without a serious mountain bike claim of any kind, the winds have shifted,” the company said. “Eliminating all risks with recreational activities — especially in downhill mountain biking through forests at high speed — is something that is just not possible.”
KGW spoke to local mountain biker John Mahoney about the decision. He said he normally bikes on the trails at Skibowl multiple times every summer.
"It's never a good thing when there's injuries in sports that you like, and safety is the number one thing," he said. "With that said there's always a risk.
As for the future, Skibowl vice president and general manager Mike Quinn said he's not sure what the future holds for the bike trails at the resort.
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https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/skibowl-bans-mountain-bikes/283-2a944a45-c640-4da9-b37b-3b819564a9f2
| 2022-05-11T02:23:23
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https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/skibowl-bans-mountain-bikes/283-2a944a45-c640-4da9-b37b-3b819564a9f2
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DALLAS — Intel is unveiling a number of newly developed semiconductors, with a range of technological goals and uses to boost productivity and public safety.
CEO Patrick Gelsinger headlined the "Intel Vision 2022" conference in Texas, emphasizing the increasing importance of technology, especially following challenges through the pandemic.
"When everything has been upended," Gelsinger said, "our status quo requires a new and fresh views."
Some of the newly revealed computer chips utilize artificial intelligence (AI) to help tackle big issues.
Argonne National Laboratory's Aurora super computer, for example, is being built with Intel chips that have the potential to make better climate predictions, improve manufacturing, discover new cancer treatments and enhance augmented virtual realities, such as Facebook's developing Metaverse.
RELATED: Intel commits to net-zero carbon emissions by 2040, joining other tech giants in climate promises
Connectivity was also a big push at day one of the Intel Vision 2022 event. Gelsinger explained developments by collaborating companies to 5G technology, with an emphasis on maintaining public health and safety.
"What happens if it all goes dark?" Gelsinger asked the room, as the lights went out, and recorded sirens played over the speakers. "When disaster strikes, we can lose access to our technology. In my house, we can barely live if the Wi-Fi's not working."
Other presenters at the conference shared how semiconductors that use AI can adapt on their own, learning new patterns to better detect cybersecurity threats and fraud.
Companies in attendance explained how they use Intel's AI technology to develop stronger software to prevent increasingly sophisticated fraud tactics.
Intel Vision 2022 continues Wednesday, entering day two.
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https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/technology/intel-ai-computer-chip-5g-texas-conference/283-19ade404-e23c-4d22-bc94-a7e99cf64521
| 2022-05-11T02:23:29
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The hotly contested race for the Republican nomination for governor has a new leader.
In a crowded field of Republicans, Jim Pillen surged to the lead for the first time in results updated at 9:35 p.m. Pillen had 31.9% of early returns to 31.4% for Brett Lindstrom, a difference of 500 votes.
Lindstrom had led from the first release of results on Tuesday evening.
Charles Herbster was third at 26.5% in the closely watched race.
With Nebraska voters as well as national political pundits watching, state election officials revealed the initial results shortly after polls closed at 8 p.m. and updated totals every few minutes. The results at 9:35 p.m. included 110,000 votes cast by Republicans in the governor's race, or about half the expected turnout.
Results will update throughout the evening and could swing rapidly as more returns come in from Omaha and Lincoln, as well as rural areas of the state that were strong supporters of President Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election.
Trump has endorsed Herbster and came to the state on May 1 in support of the cattle producer and businessman from Falls City.
Herbster, once considered the front-runner, saw his campaign rocked last month by accusations that he had improperly touched or groped a number of women.
Tuesday's results will likely tell how much voters weighed the allegations in deciding between Herbster and Pillen, a Columbus pork producer and University of Nebraska regent who is backed by Gov. Pete Ricketts.
Lindstrom, who is completing his eighth and final year in the Legislature, is likely hoping for a vote split three ways.
The Republican nominee will face state Sen. Carol Blood of Bellevue, the Democratic nominee, in November. In early returns, Blood had 90.2% of Tuesday's primary votes and was quickly declared the winner by The Associated Press.
House of Representatives
Early returns on Tuesday validated what most people already assumed, that the next several months will be filled with Mike Flood challenging Patty Pansing Brooks to replace Jeff Fortenberry as Nebraska's 1st District representative.
Both state senators, Flood pulled in 75.4% of early GOP returns, with Pansing Brooks picked by 89.2% of Democrats. They advance to the general election in November, but they will first square off in a general election in June to determine who will fill out the remainder of Fortenberry's current term.
As expected, Republican incumbents Don Bacon (District 2) and Adrian Smith (District 3) easily advanced through Tuesday's primary. Bacon will face state Sen. Tony Vargas of Omaha, who won the Democratic nomination on Tuesday.
State offices
Secretary of State Bob Evnen appeared headed for a second term, leading a contested Republican race on Tuesday. There are no Democrats in the field.
This is a developing story. Stay with JournalStar.com for updates.
Updated at 9:30 p.m.: Nebraska results for the 2022 primary election
Statewide races
U.S. House of Representatives
Legislature
Lancaster County races
Public Service Commission
Other Southeast Nebraska contests
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https://journalstar.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/elections/live-updates-pillen-pulls-closer-to-lindstrom-as-election-results-roll-in/article_9fca964a-810e-5cf5-b890-86d741051bf0.html
| 2022-05-11T02:47:56
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SAN CARLOS PARK, Fla. — San Carlos Park firefighters battled a truck fire Tuesday evening on US 41 & Island Park Road.
The driver of the silver Ford F-150 was able to get out of the vehicle just in time. No passengers were in the truck at the time of the fire.
The intersection was blocked while crews worked to put out the fire and clean up.
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https://nbc-2.com/news/local/2022/05/10/firefighters-respond-to-truck-fire-in-san-carlos-park/
| 2022-05-11T02:47:56
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https://nbc-2.com/news/local/2022/05/10/firefighters-respond-to-truck-fire-in-san-carlos-park/
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FORT MYERS, Fla. — If there’s one place in Fort Myers that was synonymous with crime, it was The Royal Palm Gardens Apartments on Blount Street.
“This location has been consistently the number one in calls for service in the entire city,” Fort Myers Police Chief Derrick Diggs told NBC2 anchor Peter Busch as they walked around the complex.
When Diggs was hired in 2016, the city was considered one of the most dangerous places in the country. Since then, violent crime in Fort Myers has dropped by 50 percent, and it all started with a different approach in places like Royal Palm Gardens.
“People didn’t trust the police. It was crime left and right,” said Officer Yvetta Dominique, who is assigned to the neighborhood.
She said Chief Diggs gave them a new directive.
“He’s not ‘Hey go out there and arrest people and give tickets. I want you to build relationships’ and that’s where we are now,” said Dominique.
Chief Diggs calls it community policing.
“It’s about being proactive, not just responding here when there’s problems. It’s about being here and working with the community before the problems occur,” said Diggs.
When there are problems, they’re usually detected first in the department’s Real Time Crime Center. Diggs and Peter took a tour inside and saw why it’s the central nervous system of the Fort Myers Police Department.
“A lot of the stuff they’re doing, they’re pushing out directly to our uniformed officers on the streets,” said Diggs as he points to dozens of surveillance camera feeds throughout the city.
In addition to the cameras, this is where they monitor the “Shot Spotter,” a technology that detects gunfire and immediately dispatches officers to a specific area.
Diggs said he has changed policing in Fort Myers from top to bottom.
“Even though our population has increased by a third since I’ve been here, our arrest numbers are down so we’re reducing crime,” he said.
And that has made life a lot easier for people like Royal Palm Gardens resident Sonya Hayworth, who finally feels safe where she lives.
“I ain’t stressing no more. I don’t have to hide and I can walk around like I want to,” said Hayworth.
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https://nbc-2.com/news/local/2022/05/10/fmpd-credits-community-involvement-with-drastic-drop-in-crime/
| 2022-05-11T02:48:02
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DALLAS — It’s a day of mourning and remembrance for Dallas officers who died in the line of duty.
”In life, there is no escaping grief. It comes for us all,” said Mayor Eric Johnson, City of Dallas.
For Noel Penton, grief came on February 13, 2021, when she got a call from her father-in-law.
”He said you need to wake up and get out of bed, something has gone wrong,” said Noel Penton, widow.
As she was driven by officers to Baylor Hospital, she prayed for her husband, Officer Mitchell Penton.
She saw her father-in-law at the hospital first.
”I just got to him and my legs gave out and I said you just have to tell me he’s ok.”
Dallas Police say Officer Penton was hit by a drunk driver.
”The doctors came in and said your husband came in with severe injuries and we have done all we could do, and that’s all I heard and I was just screaming and crying," she said.
Noel was five months pregnant when her husband was killed and he was the stepfather to her other little boy.
“We just stood next to the bed and cried,” said Noel Penton.
Months later on Father’s Day, Noel’s water broke. 24 hours later, baby Riggs was born.
”I think I was scared to have him and see his dad in him but not get to see his dad, but I honestly say it’s the biggest blessing," she said.
Noel says she and Mitchell’s love story was a fairy tale from the night they met country and western dancing. She recalls their first meal together at Whatabuger. She asked him to bring extra ketchup. She meant for her French fries. He thought it was for the burger.
“The burger had so much ketchup I couldn’t eat it. So we joked about it and he gave me a Whatabuger charm for my bracelet."
They were married less than a year later.
”His wedding ring was actually engraved with ‘always come home.’"
So on this Police Memorial Day, she wants people to remember the sacrifices her husband made, and the 91 other DPD officers who never made it home.
Four new names were added this year to DPD's memorial wall of officers who died of COVID: Reserve Officer David Ruiz, Sr. Cpl. Arnulfo Pargas, Ofc. Scott Harn and Ofc. Christopher Gibson.
It was the first in-person ceremony in 2 years.
"Life is precious and fragile and tomorrow is promised to no one," said Chief Eddie Garcia, Dallas Police Department.
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https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/widow-fallen-dallas-officer-5-months-pregnant-when-he-killed-she-tells-her-story/287-a17b5b4f-2bbe-41d9-b453-ce16bb64cd35
| 2022-05-11T02:48:07
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FORT MYERS, Fla. — Along Fowler Street in the City of Fort Myers, between First and Second Streets, there is a plaque marking the location of what was once a U.S. Military Cemetery in that spot, dating back nearly 200 years to the early days of Fort Myers.
Nowadays it’s a construction zone, but some locals, and even archaeologists from the Florida Public Archaeological Network are worried that there could still be history left to be uncovered.
“This is THE Fort of where Fort Myers gets its name, and this used to be a military cemetery,” said Natalie De La Torre-Salas, a Public Archaeologist from FPAN.
Based out of Fort Myers, she explained how the early days of Fort Myers and the cemetery are still shrouded in mystery.
“There are no records that delineate the extent of it, and there might be a second burial ground associated with a 19th century Methodist Church, and we don’t know where one starts, where one finished or where they overlap,” Torre-Salas said.
These days though, its a construction site, owned by Zimmer Development Company out of Wilmington, North Carolina. They plan to turn the plot into an apartment complex.
Recently though, artifacts, including several small, brightly colored glass beads were found in the disturbed soil.
Peter Galli, a Fort Myers native and local bead collector said the site is of particular interest. He even compared the beads found to other beads unearthed back in the 90s at a North Fort Myers site known as the “Durham Bead Site” on Barret Street.
“The most likely the beads were made in the 1500s, in Italy, and they were shipped over here as trade for the Native Americans,” Galli said.
Actual archaeologists, like Torre-Salas, said they can’t reliably authenticate or date beads like them.
Torre-Salas went onto to explain that archaeological discoveries like that have to be documented as they are found, including what layer of soil they were found in. That way, a more accurate idea of what time period they came from can be made.
However, she also mentioned that FPAN has been trying to see if Zimmer Development Company paid to have an archaeological survey done on the property before digging.
“It would be very important to have that archaeological report, if they did one before the construction happened. We have tried to ask county leaders, city leaders for the development report, but we still have not seen it.” she said.
On Tuesday, Zimmer Development did not respond to our requests for comment on the site.
The City of Fort Myers said they are looking into whether or not a survey was done, but that developers usually aren’t required to do them before digging.
Meanwhile, some fear that whatever history is still there, could soon be lost forever.
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https://nbc-2.com/news/local/2022/05/10/fort-myers-locals-fear-whats-to-come-of-areas-military-cemetery/
| 2022-05-11T02:48:08
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A 100-year-old World War II Army veteran from New Jersey died penniless and alone inside his Hackensack home, but a group of fellow veterans and a rumble of motorcycles made he wasn't alone as he was honored at his funeral Tuesday.
Dozens turned out in Paramus to say farewell to Eugene Dednam — a comrade they never met, but whom they won’t soon forget.
Dednam drove supply trucks to the front lines during the push against Nazi Germany, part of what was called the Red Ball Express. After returning home, he worked at Macy's in New York City. He never married or had children, and his funeral was delayed a month because he had no relatives left to claim him.
"Mr. Dedham was a person who pretty much stayed to himself. He was very reserved, very quiet in that regard. He liked to do things on his own," said neighbor DeShaun Hicks.
The Bergen County native lived in anonymity and was identified only by a thorough search by the medical examiner. The group of veterans made sure that in death, the quiet man made a big impression — and won't be remembered as anonymous.
Proud veterans stood at the ready, their sacrifices honored along with Dednam’s at a solemn service with all the honors due from a grateful county. Dednam was buried in his military uniform he so proudly wore so many decades ago.
"He wouldn’t talk too much about what happened but he was proud to serve, very proud to serve," said Hicks. "The world needed to see this, people need to see this, that people are coming together for one common cause, and that’s to honor people that are living and that passed away."
The fact that Dedham was African American in a segregated war for freedom was not lost on Bergen County’s Director of Veterans Affairs, who himself was an Army Ranger.
"A lot of them, including Mr. Dednam, he was a Black American and he didn’t get the respect he deserved when he was home, and probably when he was serving," said Hutchinson.
But he received plenty of respect on Tuesday. Besides being buried in his uniform, Dednam's other wish was to be buried next to his parents.
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/100-year-old-wwii-vet-from-nj-died-without-any-family-but-honored-by-dozens-at-funeral/3681180/
| 2022-05-11T03:27:31
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An NYPD officer was shot while in the Bronx Tuesday evening, according to two senior police officials.
The on-duty officer was shot in the arm while at the corner of Bathgate Avenue and Claremont Parkway in the Claremont section, two NYPD officials told NBC New York.
He was taken to Lincoln Hospital, where his condition was described as stable. The officer is expected to survive.
The suspect was also shot in the arm, and was in police custody at the hospital, a police official told NBC New York.
The incident was said to have begun as a traffic stop, according to police officials.
This is a breaking story, please check back for updates.
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/nypd-officer-shot-in-bronx-police-officials/3681297/
| 2022-05-11T03:27:37
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CALIFORNIA, USA — When asked if the Biden administration takes any responsibility for inflation, the president said the global supply chain disruptions due to the pandemic and the war in Ukraine are at fault, and that the Republicans in the gridlocked Senate are to blame for slowing down solutions.
Speaking at the White House less than six months before the elections, Biden acknowledged that he could “taste” the country’s dissatisfaction with Washington, particularly over rising prices, but he sought to channel the anger against the GOP.
“Look, I know you’ve got to be frustrated,” he said. "I know, I can taste it. Frustrated by high prices, by gridlock in Congress, by the time it takes to get anything done.
He said the slowdowns were due to "MAGA Republicans," a reference to former president Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” campaign slogan.
However, California Republican Assembly Leader James Gallagher said both President Biden and Governor Gavin Newsom own this crisis.
“The real path forward is what we propose. Let's cut it (the gas tax) for middle-class families right now. Let's cut their gas tax. That's the first thing we can do," he said. "Let's do a rebate here in California, where we have a $68 billion surplus, because we've taxed people too much. That's why we have that money. Give it back to them, so they can deal with these high costs that have been caused by the Biden administration. This is Biden inflation.”
The former chief economist of Wells Fargo and the U.S. Senate Banking Committee said there's lots of blame to go around. Fingers can be pointed in part at both the Trump and Biden administrations.
“Inflation basically started in 2020 and continued into 2021 on the basis of expansionary or fiscal policy," John Silvia said. "In other words, the federal government spent a lot of money.”
The good news is that he believes we could be at the peak of inflation right now.
“(That) so far has been totally ignored," he said about the good news. "And people are saying, 'well, inflation is high.' Yeah, it's high, but it's going down, and that's the trend that you really want to follow.”
He said we are seeing a downward trend in specific indexes, but he said it could still take two to three years for prices to go all the way back down to the prices people like to remember.
WATCH ALSO:
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/california/california-republicans-inflation/103-65dccd78-91ed-473b-84cf-a075d1772d35
| 2022-05-11T03:31:53
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/california/california-republicans-inflation/103-65dccd78-91ed-473b-84cf-a075d1772d35
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MODESTO, Calif. — A Modesto family is living a 24/7 nightmare where they fear one day they could be killed by a car crashing into their home.
"My first words to my husband was that's it. I am done. I am leaving this property. You can go with me or not," said homeowner Michelle Layton, a retired Modesto educator.
Layton is referring to the most recent accident at their home. It happened at 2:15 a.m. on April 30 when a car and pickup truck collided behind their home and landed in their back yard. One car actually broke through the wall of their hallway bathroom.
"There was a traffic signal all the way over by our patio," Layton said.
She said she calmed down, but the frustration comes after 10 years of living at their home on Fair Oaks Drive, where they say six accidents have landed on their property. Three have crashed into their home.
Layton described one crash four years ago when a truck rear ended another car that came from the front yard and went into their bedroom.
"(I) hollered at him, 'Call 911! They're in our house,'" Layton said.
Photos: A Modesto family's 24/7 nightmare
Fortunately, as she heard the accident happening, she was able to run out of the room before the car ended up inside.
"It's hard to see how upset she is. She is afraid to be asleep at night. She is afraid to be in her own house," said Amber Chipponeri, her daughter.
Chipponeri said even her three adult siblings with their own children are hesitant to visit because they fear they could all get hit by a vehicle.
She said a big reason why her parents purchased the home is because it has a big backyard where their grand children could play.
Chipponeri has become her parents advocate. She contacted the City of Modesto, who referred her to Caltrans since the main intersection around the home at busy Maze Blvd and Carpenter Road is in Caltrans' jurisdiction.
"She says that someone is going to find them dead, smashed in their house because she's afraid someone is going to come through the wall at night," said Chipponeri, referring to what her mother has told her.
Chipponeri requested a sound wall behind the home be extended to protect the property, but Caltrans responded in part by saying "a sound wall is to reduce noise along busy highways, they are not built to protect homes in those areas."
"I just want to make sure that it gets put out there and that someone does do something to help us," Layton said.
ABC10 contacted Caltrans and now the Traffic Safety Division for District Ten has started an investigation into what can be done to improve the situation for the Layton family.
WATCH ALSO:
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/modesto/modesto-family-car-accidents-home/103-c68f778e-6890-4754-82cf-b73082729efb
| 2022-05-11T03:31:55
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ROSEVILLE, Calif. — The owner of the House of Oliver in Roseville said he will fight the threat of a 30-day closure from the California Department of Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC) for defying COVID stay-at-home orders during the pandemic.
Restaurant owner Matthew Oliver has been a vocal opponent of California’s coronavirus policies. He said state officials are trying to make an “example” out of him. Oliver continued to operate amid the stay-at-home order during a time when restaurants were required to move to take-out or curbside pickup service only.
“We dared to asked questions,” Oliver said. “We dared to continue to employ our employees, to continue to pay our employees. We continued to keep outdoors open and serve our community.”
The ABC filed an accusation of violating state health orders against the House of Oliver's liquor license in December 2020, said John Carr, a spokesperson for ABC. He said the case is still pending.
The ABC cited more than 230 businesses across California for alleged violations of the coronavirus-related public health order since 2020.
Oliver said he plans to fight the penalty to the end. When asked if he’d close his restaurant if he loses an appeal, he said “we’ll see how it all works out.”
WATCH ALSO:
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/roseville/roseville-restaurant-30-day-closure-covid-rules/103-51e55ed3-377d-4da8-bbf5-cba15aadb76d
| 2022-05-11T03:31:55
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/roseville/roseville-restaurant-30-day-closure-covid-rules/103-51e55ed3-377d-4da8-bbf5-cba15aadb76d
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LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Inflation is impacting every single one of us, but the people with the least ability to cope are getting hit the hardest.
Many are having to reach out for help for the first time and Arkansas food charities said it's getting harder and harder to help.
Empty shelves are becoming more prevalent at the Arkansas Foodbank right now.
Eric Shelby, Chief Operating Officer, said there's a lot more going out than coming in.
"I would say we're in a little bit of uncharted territory right now," he said.
While prices continue to rise on nearly everything at the grocery store more Arkansans are turning to the food bank for help, but according to Shelby, it's getting harder to keep up.
"We've got a lot more food going out the door and a lot more need in the communities than we're able to source, right now," he said.
Shelby said their food supply is lower than it was pre-pandemic.
The non-profit is turning over their whole warehouse in about five weeks.
"I think we're starting to have some serious concerns about our inventory levels and what we can offer the pantries. It's been many years since we've been able to offer this little food to our pantries," he said.
Soaring oil prices are only making it worse. According to Shelby, their fuel bills have gone up 50%.
"That 5.50 a gallon for diesel and fuel is affecting every truckload of food that we get in here at the food bank. It's very expensive," he said.
Other charities across Arkansas are also feeling the pinch.
"In March we were distributing about 170, some odd meals a day, and then in April we were up to about 230, 250 a day," Jasmine Zandi said.
She runs the 'Be Mighty' program at CALS.
They feed hot meals to kids after school and during the summer months and, according to Zandi, they're already seeing more demand.
"Just over these past few months we have seen an increase just gradually over time, so we can expect a good bit of distribution over the summer," she said.
For CALS, Zandi said the bottleneck isn't supply, but manpower.
"This summer, not all of our branches are going to have the capacity to do breakfast and lunch, so that'll reach much fewer people than in years prior," she said.
The Arkansas Foodbank can use any and all donations, whether it's money or food. You can easily donate here.
You can find all the 'Be Mighty' program locations here.
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https://www.thv11.com/article/news/local/arkansas-food-banks-see-higher-demand-due-to-inflation/91-d87828ff-8908-47d6-be80-06c9c2d5ced8
| 2022-05-11T03:43:17
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A drive-thru-only Wawa — just the second in the state — could be coming to Lower Macungie Township.
For now, though, the development is stalled as the township planning commission tries to make sure the busy area it would be located in could handle the traffic.
The proposed 2,030-square-foot development would be built at the Trexler Business Center off Hamilton Boulevard and would be accessed from near South Commercial Center Drive.
Unlike other Wawa locations, this would be a standalone drive-thru with no convenience store or gas pumps. It would serve Wawa’s “built-to-order” dishes, such as breakfast, hoagies and coffee.
First Call
On their regular meeting Tuesday, planners met with three representatives of the drive-thru development project — Erich Shock of the firm Fitzpatrick Lents and Bubba, Michael Spiegel of Wawa Inc. and Harold Newton Jr. of the Newton Engineering Group P.C. — to discuss possible modifications for the development’s plans, including ways to make sure the drive-thru would be safe for traffic.
“We need to make sure there are no planning issues left,” Schock said.
The commission ultimately tabled the discussion for the next time.
Other concerns Wawa needs to address, according to Nathan Jones, the township director of planning and community development, are creating a street wall to protect nearby drivers from bright headlights while people are waiting at the drive-thru, landscaping the site for storm water protection, and making sure the lanes don’t result in traffic jams or block emergency services.
The only other drive-thru-only Wawa in Pennsylvania is in Falls Township, Bucks County, Jones said.
“We already have two other Wawas in the township — both are incredibly busy,” he said. “Obviously, there’s a regional draw for the use. This would likely be just as busy as the other existing Wawas.”
Jones said the commission and the development representatives will likely meet again in June, where they hope to finalize the plans as well as a recommendation to the township’s board of commissioners for possible approval.
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https://www.mcall.com/news/local/mc-nws-wawa-drive-thru-20220511-djuza6d7njgyflkwjyhkcqrfre-story.html
| 2022-05-11T03:45:58
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https://www.mcall.com/news/local/mc-nws-wawa-drive-thru-20220511-djuza6d7njgyflkwjyhkcqrfre-story.html
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| 2022-05-11T04:19:27
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AUSTIN, Texas — A wave of employees calling to unionize is flooding the country, including Texas, but what's causing it?
According to federal data, just under 4% of workers are members of unions here.
Within the past year, we've seen two local Starbucks locations, an Alamo Drafthouse and Integral Care employees all try to unionize in Austin. The groups are pushing for things like better pay and safer work environments.
So what's causing this shift? Experts say there are multiple factors, including inflation, rallying for social justice and unsafe working environments during the pandemic.
"One is what has happened since COVID," said Michael Z. Green, a labor law professor at Texas A&M University School of Law. "Two, you do have more support in the federal administration and the Biden administration. Then three, the new generation of workers who are coming into the workplace and taking this on as activists themselves."
Green said the influx of people moving to Texas also plays a role. He said, for example, California has more employee-centered laws.
"California is generally known as a state that has many more laws addressing worker protections," said Green. "So certainly if you have people who are migrating from states where they believe, where they've seen that in practice, it can certainly affect their beliefs."
Green said there's a misconception that people can't unionize in Texas. You can, but it may not be easy.
Texas is a right-to-work state, meaning an employee can't be forced to join a union to work somewhere. Green said that makes it harder to maintain a union. He noted in right-to-work states, unions still have to support employees who do not pay dues, which in turn hurts unions in those states.
Along with most states, Texas has an "at-will" employment policy. That means an employer can fire someone for pretty much any reason with a few exceptions, including being part of a union.
Trying to unionize, Green said, could create risks for employees.
"There has been a lot of data that shows once a union organizing campaign starts, a lot of the leaders of those campaigns are really at risk for losing their jobs," said Green.
Those are risks that Green said some local workers are willing to take to live comfortably.
We expect an update on the unionization efforts of those Austin businesses within the next few months.
On Tuesday, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to recognize House staff members' right to unionize after announcing an increase to their minimum pay.
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https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/austin-unionizing-texas-risks/269-7e1b53d3-e6ff-4735-97df-57de78dbf54a
| 2022-05-11T04:22:16
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https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/austin-unionizing-texas-risks/269-7e1b53d3-e6ff-4735-97df-57de78dbf54a
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PHARR, Texas — A rare pest never before seen at a U.S. port of entry was discovered this month at the Texas-Mexico border.
The Cochabamba sp., a leaf beetle usually found in Central and South America, hitched a ride in a shipment of fresh fruit at the U.S.-Mexico border, officials said. U.S. Customs and Border Protection said the insect’s travel pattern indicates it is migrating north.
CBP officers made the discovery on May 2 at the Pharr International Bridge, according to a release. A U.S. Department of Agriculture entomology laboratory confirmed the identification of the insect.
The beetles can cause agricultural and economic damage as their larvae skeletonize leaf surfaces and adults eat plant and tree leaves, causing damage to foliage.
“Our agriculture specialists help protect American agriculture and contribute to the nation’s economic security by denying entry to invasive species not known to exist in the U.S.” said Port Director Carlos Rodriguez, Hidalgo/Pharr/Anzalduas Port of Entry.
The shipment of mangosteen was refused entry and returned to Mexico.
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https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/texas/cochabamba-sp-beetle-pharr/269-cd7ba2ac-fa81-4474-bed2-b2eb14f87700
| 2022-05-11T04:22:22
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https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/texas/cochabamba-sp-beetle-pharr/269-cd7ba2ac-fa81-4474-bed2-b2eb14f87700
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Lancaster County will have a new public defender come November after Democratic challenger Kristi Egger beat the incumbent, her former boss, in the party’s primary election Tuesday.
Egger, who in January retired from the defender’s office after 33 years and filed to run against Joe Nigro, will face Trevin Preble, a Lincoln attorney who ran unopposed in the Republican primary, in November.
Egger, a political newcomer, won with 14,556 votes — just over 64% of ballots cast in the face — compared to Nigro's 8,088.
“Hard work pays off, by golly,” said Egger, whose team canvassed more than 10,000 houses in 80 precincts ahead of the election, adding that she would work just as hard in the general election, and if she wins, in the public defender's office.
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Strong support from early voters buoyed Egger's bid. She received 9,094 votes on early ballots, compared with Nigro's 5,359.
The two attorneys agreed on key issues — fighting mass incarceration and establishing a mental health court — but differed on leadership.
Egger argued the public defender needs to be present in the office and courtroom, painting Nigro as an absentee boss. Her victory ends Nigro’s stint as public defender after two terms.
Reach the writer at 402-473-7223 or awegley@journalstar.com.
On Twitter @andrewwegley
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https://journalstar.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/democratic-challenger-unseats-former-boss-in-lancaster-county-public-defenders-race/article_6abfb818-13b9-58e7-89d1-5460a52678a6.html
| 2022-05-11T04:23:43
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https://journalstar.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/democratic-challenger-unseats-former-boss-in-lancaster-county-public-defenders-race/article_6abfb818-13b9-58e7-89d1-5460a52678a6.html
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The hotly contested race for the Republican nomination for governor was decided earlier than many expected.
In a crowded field of Republicans, Jim Pillen surged to the lead for the first time in results updated at 9:35 p.m., and at 10:25, the Associated Press called the race.
Pillen, a University of Nebraska regent and pork producer from Columbus, will face state Sen. Carol Blood of Bellevue, the Democratic nominee, in the general election.
By 10:30 p.m., Pillen had 33.4% of early returns to 28.7% for Charles Herbster, a difference of 8,100 votes.
Brett Lindstrom, who had led from the first release of results on Tuesday evening, was at 27.7%.
With Nebraska voters as well as national political pundits watching, state election officials revealed the initial results shortly after polls closed at 8 p.m. and updated totals every few minutes. The results at 10:30 p.m. included 169,500 votes cast by Republicans in the governor's race, or more than half of the expected turnout.
In counties where voting was complete by 10 p.m., Pillen had carried 22 counties compared to 15 for Herbster and none for Lindstrom.
Pillen's apparent victory was due in part to strong support in rural areas of the state that were big supporters of President Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election.
Trump has endorsed Herbster and came to the state on May 1 in support of the cattle producer and businessman from Falls City.
But Herbster, once considered the front-runner, saw his campaign rocked last month by accusations that he had improperly touched or groped a number of women.
Tuesday's results were an indication of how much voters weighed the allegations against Herbster and turned to Pillen, who is backed by Gov. Pete Ricketts.
Lindstrom, who is completing his eighth and final year in the Legislature, had hoped for a tight split among the three leading vote-getters.
The Republican nominee will face Blood, who picked up 89.3% of Tuesday's primary votes and was quickly declared the winner by The Associated Press.
House of Representatives
Early returns on Tuesday validated what most people already assumed, that the next several months will be filled with Mike Flood challenging Patty Pansing Brooks to replace Jeff Fortenberry as Nebraska's 1st District representative.
Both state senators, Flood pulled in 75.4% of early GOP returns, with Pansing Brooks picked by 89.2% of Democrats. They advance to the general election in November, but they will first square off in a general election in June to determine who will fill out the remainder of Fortenberry's current term.
As expected, Republican incumbents Don Bacon (District 2) and Adrian Smith (District 3) easily advanced through Tuesday's primary. Bacon will face state Sen. Tony Vargas of Omaha, who won the Democratic nomination on Tuesday.
State offices
Secretary of State Bob Evnen appeared headed for a second term, leading a contested Republican race on Tuesday. There are no Democrats in the field.
This is a developing story. Stay with JournalStar.com for updates.
Updated at 11 p.m.: Nebraska results for the 2022 primary election
Statewide races
U.S. House of Representatives
Legislature
Lancaster County races
Public Service Commission
Other Southeast Nebraska contests
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https://journalstar.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/elections/live-updates-pillen-surges-to-lead-wins-closely-watched-republican-primary/article_9fca964a-810e-5cf5-b890-86d741051bf0.html
| 2022-05-11T04:23:50
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Sen. Mike Flood of Norfolk and Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks of Lincoln won their party nominations for eastern Nebraska's 1st District House seat Tuesday, setting the stage for a pair of upcoming battles between the two state senators.
They already are scheduled to meet in a special election June 28 to serve the final six months of former Republican Rep. Jeff Fortenberry's term in office and now will battle again in November after winning Tuesday's nominations to serve the following two-year term.
Pansing Brooks, a Democrat, and Flood, a Republican, were earlier chosen by their party governing bodies as nominees for the special election that will temporarily fill the House seat vacated by the resignation of Fortenberry following his conviction on charges of lying to the FBI about illegal foreign campaign contributions to his 2016 reelection campaign.
Flood, who returned to the Legislature in 2021 after previously holding office as a state senator for two terms from 2005 to 2013 and serving as Speaker of the Legislature for six years, is in the midst of a four-year legislative term.
If he is elected to the House in the special election, his legislative seat would be filled by a new state senator appointed by Gov. Pete Ricketts.
Pansing Brooks will complete her second four-year term at the end of the year and a new state senator representing Lincoln's District 28 will be elected in November to serve a four-year term.
If she is elected to Congress in June, the governor presumably could appoint a successor to serve the remaining six months of her legislative term.
Flood is an attorney and founder of News Channel Nebraska, a statewide media network that he formed after originally owning and operating radio stations in eastern Nebraska.
Pansing Brooks is also an attorney and has focused her legislative efforts on justice and human rights issues.
Because of election preparation deadlines, Fortenberry's name remained on Tuesday's ballot.
In metropolitan Omaha's competitive 2nd District, Sen. Tony Vargas won the Democratic nomination to challenge three-term Republican Rep. Don Bacon in the general election. Vargas represents South Omaha's largely Latino District 7 in the Legislature.
Patty Pansing Brooks (left), the Democratic nominee for the 1st Congressional District, talks with Katie Taddeucci of Lincoln during an election night party Tuesday at the Happy Raven in Lincoln.
Mike Flood speaks to supporters while his wife, Mandi, looks on during an election night party Tuesday at the Embassy Suites in Lincoln. Flood won the Republican nomination for the 1st Congressional District.
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https://journalstar.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/pansing-brooks-flood-win-party-nominations-in-1st-district-house-race/article_663ccb2b-baab-558f-bd19-e66e580bf433.html
| 2022-05-11T04:23:56
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https://journalstar.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/pansing-brooks-flood-win-party-nominations-in-1st-district-house-race/article_663ccb2b-baab-558f-bd19-e66e580bf433.html
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A financial adviser who ran an unsuccessful bid for Lincoln Airport Authority last year will face Lancaster County Treasurer Rachel Garver in November.
Tracy Refior beat Jasmine Gibson, a title clerk in the treasurer’s office, for the Republican nomination. Garver, a Democrat, is running for her second term.
Early returns showed Refior with about 46% of the vote, to Gibson's 33%.
Refior, 52, touted his experience as a small-business owner and a fiduciary, and said he would improve efficiency and bring better transparency, integrity and honesty to the office.
Gibson, 40, had said she would use her experience and knowledge of the office to improve service to customers.
The treasurer handles all deposits and tax receipts, and invests county funds; and the office handles all motor vehicle registration, titles and license plates and provides space for driver’s license examiners.
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Reach the writer at 402-473-7226 or mreist@journalstar.com.
On Twitter @LJSreist
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https://journalstar.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/republican-refior-bests-gibson-to-face-democratic-incumbent-for-lancaster-treasurer/article_01789e54-123b-576b-aa60-5d0ef54e6944.html
| 2022-05-11T04:24:02
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https://journalstar.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/republican-refior-bests-gibson-to-face-democratic-incumbent-for-lancaster-treasurer/article_01789e54-123b-576b-aa60-5d0ef54e6944.html
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Matt Schulte, who campaigned on being a strong conservative voice on the Lancaster County Board, appeared headed to unseat incumbent Deb Schorr, the longest-serving commissioner seeking her sixth term.
Schorr and Schulte ran nearly neck-and-neck in the early returns, but by about 10:15 p.m., Schulte had pulled ahead by about 900 votes. Panama Village Board Chairman Travis Filing, 47, came in a distant third.
“I feel very encouraged right now,” Schulte said, with about two-thirds of the Lancaster County precinct results counted. “We worked really hard. ... I feel like this is a good reflection of people wanting some change.”
The District 3 seat — which covers the southern part of the county — was the only primary contest for Lancaster County Board races, with three Republican candidates vying for the job.
No Democrats are running, so the Republican winner in the primary will be unopposed in November’s general election.
Schorr, who was first elected in 2002, said she felt good about keeping her campaign positive.
“We stayed positive on our message about property taxes and infrastructure,” she said. “Twenty years is a lot to look back on, but I’m very proud of my record of service.”
Schulte, 42, Campus Life executive director, served one term on the Lincoln Board of Education after being elected in 2015 and made an unsuccessful bid for county treasurer.
During the campaign, Schulte touted his conservative values in the face of what he said was a liberal city government, and used an 18-year-old vote on human services grants in an attempt to paint Schorr as a supporter of Planned Parenthood. She said she was pro-life and noted that she — along with the rest of the board at the time — did not approve a grant to Planned Parenthood.
Schulte said he was interested in juvenile justice issues, and limiting property tax growth and infrastructure would be among his priorities.
In District 1, which covers central Lincoln, incumbent Sean Flowerday of Lincoln, a Democrat, and Cameron Hall of Lincoln, a Republican, both advanced to the general election.
The same is true in the northwestern District 5, where Democrat Rick Vest of Lincoln, the incumbent, will advance along with Republican Jason Krueger of Lincoln.
Margaret Reist is a recovering education reporter now writing about local and county government and the people who live in the city where she was born and raised.
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https://journalstar.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/schulte-headed-to-beat-incumbent-schorr-for-lancaster-county-board-seat/article_6a1f0774-1625-5c67-b064-c6506dff2db2.html
| 2022-05-11T04:24:08
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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) – COVID-19 cases are on the rise again. According to the Alabama Department of Public Health, the seven-day positivity rate sits at 6.1 percent. About a month ago, that number was closer to two percent.
Dr. Wes Stubblefield from the Alabama Department of Public Health said officials are watching trends to determine the next course of action.
“COVID’s never gone away, COVID has continued, and we expect COVID to continue for some time if not indefinitely,” Stubblefield said.
It’s another reminder that we are still waiting to see how immune Alabama is to this next wave of the virus.
“This virus has fooled us multiple times in the past,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, Chief Medical Advisor to President Joe Biden said Tuesday to CBS News. “It really has to be at a low enough level that it does not disrupt society the way it has done so dramatically over the last two and a half years.”
Fauci said we are waiting for a time when there’s an uptick in infections, but the severity of hospitalizations and deaths stays low.
Stubblefield said right now, it is too soon to tell.
“Everyone needs to know their risk for infection, especially for severe infection,” Stubblefield said. “Most healthy people will not get severe infection, although some will, but some people are at high risk for severe infection even if they have been vaccinated and boosted, and those people need to take this very seriously.”
Cases have jumped from about 100 to 200 per day right now, but that is nowhere near what we saw in the middle of Omicron at 15,000 to 17,000 infections per day. Stubblefield said the positivity rate right now may be higher if people are using at home COVID tests.
“This is still out there,” Stubblefield said. “If you need to make a decision to protect yourself or others, then you need to feel empowered to wear that mask because we know that they work.”
If there is too much stress on healthcare system, Stubblefield said the CDC will be recommending masking and more precautions again.
CBS 42 also checked in with organizers at the World Games who said they are watching this closely with health officials across the world to keep health safety a priority.
They sent us the following statement:
“The World Games 2022 continues working with local, state, national and international officials and health experts to ensure the Games are safe and secure for the athletes, spectators, media and others who will attend. Working with these partners, we closely monitor the status of COVID-19 cases and will follow health and safety guidance of local public health authorities. All travelers to the United States are required to provide proof of vaccination and COVID protocols for all athletes, coaches and officials residing at the Athlete Villages are being finalized. In addition, masks will be available to all attendees who request masks. The World Games 2022 will utilize available funding for these and other important measures to protect public health.”
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https://www.cbs42.com/news/local/alabama-sees-bump-in-covid-19-cases-state-health-department-monitoring/
| 2022-05-11T04:40:16
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https://www.cbs42.com/news/local/alabama-sees-bump-in-covid-19-cases-state-health-department-monitoring/
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https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/police-search-for-suspects-in-philly-sex-assaults/3235010/
| 2022-05-11T04:49:04
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https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/police-search-for-suspects-in-philly-sex-assaults/3235010/
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Moraine Police officers involved in last week’s officer-involved shooting on Interstate 75 can be seen on body-worn camera footage released Tuesday pointing their firearms at the suspect, ordering him to drop a gun as traffic drives by the scene, then ultimately firing shots inside a vehicle that was already on its top.
The footage also shows an officer warning a paramedic that the man, later identified as 27-year-old Elijah Isham, had a gun, the officers requesting the fire department shut down the highway, an officer pepper-spraying the inside of the vehicle, an officer saying that Isham was smoking meth while holding the gun in his vehicle and what the officers said after firing the shots.
“He started pointing it towards me,” one officer says.
“He did,” the other replies.
“I did what I had to,” the first says.
The officers can then be seen approaching the vehicle, securing the gun and calling for medics.
The incident began when Moraine police and fire crews responded at around 6 a.m. on May 4 to a two-vehicle crash on I-75 North near Dryden Road. One vehicle was on its top and a second in a ditch.
The officers had checked once on Isham, who was inside the car on its top, and were waiting on the fire department. “As they came back around the car, one of them noticed that he had a gun,” said Police Chief Craig Richardson.
Credit: Marshall Gorby
Credit: Marshall Gorby
“The suspect had a gun, pointed the firearm at the officers, officers shot the suspect. The officers then immediately secured the weapon and called for the medics to come in and help,” Richardson said. “Officers attempted to engage the suspect for approximately 5 minutes. They gave him, we counted 41 commands over that 5 minutes to put the gun down, which he ignored.”
While officers were shouting commands, one asked if there were any less-lethal options on the scene. Moraine Sgt. Andrew Parish said the officers were looking for something like a bean bag round that would have immobilized Isham from a distance, but no options were available.
“Their commands were coming back with no response, so they were trying to get some response from this individual in order to further de-escalate,” he said.
Isham’s gun – which from police photographs released appears to be a reproduction Civil War-era Remington revolver – was later determined not to be loaded. Isham was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead a short time later.
The officers involved were identified as Sgt. Ken Lloyd and Officer Jerome Klemmensen. Lloyd is a 23-year veteran who is the midnight shift patrol sergeant, while Klemmensen is a 26-year veteran on the day shift. The officers involved are on paid administrative leave in accordance with department policy.
Montgomery County Coroner Kent Harshbarger said an autopsy was done over the weekend and Isham’s remains were released to a funeral home. He said toxicology testing will be done to supplement the physical examination.
Isham nationally known for designing knives
According to social media, Isham was nationally known as a knife maker who specialized in the “ergonometric” design of folding utility knives. Isham sold his knives under the business name Isham Bladeworks and had amassed a following of over 16,000 on Instagram.
Several posts published on Facebook memorialized Isham and his craft following his death.
“We lost perhaps the most original knife designer ever. Many of his designs looked like purely art knives — until you put it in your hand and found out it worked great. And while his designs varied wildly, you always recognized Elijah Isham’s hand at work,” one post reads. “He had dozens of knife designs being produced by some of the biggest and most prestigious knife manufacturers in the world.”
“This man was so special, and always had unique insight to knife design,” another post reads. “We always enjoyed talking knives and design each time we met. Elijah was always a joy to work with on collaborations, and we are proud to have some iconic designs to always remember him by.”
One post expresses confusion regarding Isham’s manner of death.
“He was known for his interesting knife designs, but I have never known of any controversy that he may have been involved in,” the post reads. “It’s a pretty strange story and kind (of) just out of nowhere.”
Multiple agencies continue investigations
The Ohio State Highway Patrol is investigating the crash, and the Tactical Crime Suppression Unit (TCSU) is handling the criminal investigation. Moraine police is conducting an internal investigation.
The TCSU is a task force formed by the cities of Centerville, Germantown, Kettering, Miamisburg, Moraine, Oakwood, Springboro and West Carrollton to pool resources and address issues in the region. Parish said Moraine Police does not have an officer investigating the police shooting.
“Those investigators are from other agencies within the task force,” Parish said.
Parish noted that in the footage, Lloyd can be seen with a camera around his neck as he was preparing to take pictures and document the crash scene before the gun was discovered. He said police officers are trained to always be aware of their surroundings.
The body camera footage also shows officers requesting the fire department shut down the highway as they had their guns drawn on Isham.
“At that point that was first and foremost, was to protect the public,” Parish said. “We still had traffic passing by the scene as those officers were trying to de-escalate and trying to get that gun out of play, so again that’s how we’re trained. We want to make sure that we secure the scene, protect the public in this, so case shutting down the highway was one of those first decisions made.”
Moraine Police implemented the body-worn cameras in July 2021, the sergeant said, and will be used to help officials as they investigate the incident.
“It depicts exactly what happened as it unfolded,” he said. “That’s how the policy was designed, the program was designed that way so that was can accurately show our interactions between our officers and the public. Both good and bad, it captures them all. It provides our investigators in this case with exactly what happened from the officer’s viewpoint.”
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https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/local/body-cams-show-deadly-i-75-encounter-with-police-famous-knife-designer/5GLI2SZMRNDTBAHCIIXX4L2AMM/
| 2022-05-11T05:06:40
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https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/local/body-cams-show-deadly-i-75-encounter-with-police-famous-knife-designer/5GLI2SZMRNDTBAHCIIXX4L2AMM/
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ROCKLIN, Calif. — Nearly two months after a driver struck and killed star Inderkum High School basketball player, Anthony Williams, 18, Rocklin police said the investigation is still open and the driver's identity will not be released.
Williams' cousin and guardian, Charles Carpenter, said police haven't been forthcoming on the investigation.
"I don't know why it's taking so long, but they told us that the police report was done but they won't release it to us," Carpenter said.
The news comes as public outrage begins to brew. Advocates with Justice for Anthony Williams said they believe the person behind the wheel is a Placer County executive, adding to speculation of a cover-up or even special treatment. They said that official should be held to higher standards, and they said the optics only sow public mistrust.
The group brought their concerns to Rocklin's City Council on Tuesday night.
"Is the color of Anthony's skin the result that has delayed this investigation? Or is it the high-profile status of the alleged driver?" one person said during public comment.
Erin Acosta said Williams was like a brother to her son. They had taken Williams in for a time. She said she spoke at the city council meeting to continue to applying public pressure on his case.
"Who was it? What happened? How did it happen? Was he speeding? Was he under the influence? Nothing. And his family just wants answers," Acosta said. "We're here to help them get those answers that we all require. We demand it."
The advocacy group said a waitress who aided Williams at the scene of the crash and a second person online identified the driver as a top administrator for Placer County. ABC10 could not independently confirm the identity of the driver. Requests to the alleged driver and the county went unanswered.
Advocates and Carpenter said the radio silence, even to media, is making this tragedy worse for them.
"It's just making us more mad and, you know, sad. That with the loss of Anthony that we can't find no answers as to what happened," Carpenter said.
Williams was killed on March 19 after a driver struck him on Lonetree Boulevard.
In collision investigations, even fatal ones, it is standard for law enforcement to only release the name of the driver if there is a DUI arrest or other crime. At the very least, agencies will release the age, gender and city the driver is from, according to a retired CHP sergeant.
"Anytime there is a tragic loss of life as a result of a vehicle collision, we take the time to conduct a complete investigation," said Rocklin Police Captain Scott Horrillo, in a written statement
No timeline has been set. Horrillo said, once a thorough investigation is complete, they anticipate the district attorney will review it.
Meanwhile, those who loved Williams said they'll keep fighting.
"If you hit someone, even if you hit them and it's an accident, there are still consequences. You don't just get to go back to work as business as usual," said Nia Cooper, part of the Justice for Anthony Williams group.
Advocates said, for them, it's not about blame. It's about justice for Williams, who had his bright future ripped away from him.
So far, no agency or department has denied the official in question was involved. Advocates said if the driver isn't who they allege it to be, they want to know who.
WATCH ALSO:
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/rocklin/anthony-williams-death-investigation/103-8c795e28-d7df-475b-ae9d-abe3d00bb288
| 2022-05-11T05:31:46
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/rocklin/anthony-williams-death-investigation/103-8c795e28-d7df-475b-ae9d-abe3d00bb288
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SACRAMENTO, Calif. — After about five years of not having seen their friend, 59-year-old Lisa Laviano, a friend filed a missing person report that San Luis Obispo Sherriff's detectives are investigating.
The detectives say Laviano's home in Santa Margarita had been vacant for years. All of her belongings were left undisturbed and her truck was still parked in the driveway of the residence.
Lavaino is believed to have moved to Washington State or even the Sacramento area, according to a friend.
However, deputies say all indications are that the 59-year-old is living in the Sacramento area, but they have not been able to locate her.
She was last contacted by Sacramento police in 2019.
Lavino is 5'3" tall, 125 pounds with brown hair, blue eyes and her nickname is "Lee."
If anyone has information on her whereabouts, please contact the San Luis Obispo Sheriff's Office at 805-781-4550.
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/sacramento/missing-woman-could-be-in-sacramento/103-5d916561-4ed5-4096-a007-9062f4ba9f8a
| 2022-05-11T05:31:52
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/sacramento/missing-woman-could-be-in-sacramento/103-5d916561-4ed5-4096-a007-9062f4ba9f8a
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A pedestrian was hospitalized late Tuesday night after they were struck by a vehicle in west Lincoln, according to police.
Lincoln Police Sgt. Eric Messersmith said the pedestrian was transported with injuries thought to be life-threatening, but said no update was available on the patient's condition.
The collision occurred around shortly before 9 p.m. Tuesday near West O and Northwest 20th streets, forcing closed a portion of West O Street in the area.
Police remained on scene investigating the crash site as of 11 p.m.
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.
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Incumbent state Sen. Rob Clements easily outpaced three challengers to win the District 2 primary Tuesday.
The Elmwood banker, insurance agent and tax preparer received 50% of the votes by midnight, with Janet Chung of Lincoln coming in second with 21%.
Both Clements and Chung will advance to the November general election, outpacing Sarah Slattery of Plattsmouth, who finished with 23%, and Schuyler Windham, who received 6%.
"I'm pleased with the results, especially since my district changed from what it was four years ago," Clements said Tuesday night.
Appointed to the Legislature by Gov. Pete Ricketts in 2017, Clements won election to a four-year term in 2018.
But during the 2021 redistricting effort, District 2 shifted from comprising all of Cass County and a portion of Sarpy and Otoe counties, to extending to the west into Lancaster County.
The district now stretches as far west as 70th Street between A and Van Dorn streets.
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Despite the changing district, Clements was leading when the early returns from Lancaster County were announced at 8 p.m., carrying 42.2% of the vote. His lead crept upward as more precincts finished their count.
"I've worked hard to get introduced (in Lancaster County) and had a good response," he said, but added the results were "somewhat surprising."
In District 26, which encompasses much of northeast Lincoln, Russ Barger and George Dungan III advanced to the general election.
Barger, a former assistant attorney general and hearing officer at the Nebraska Department of Labor, won with 41% of the vote to Dungan's nearly 37%.
Larry Weixelman received about 12% of the vote, while Bob Van Valkenburg earned 11%.
Neither Barger nor Dungan could be reached before press time.
In District 46, a former state senator and executive director of ACLU of Nebraska will square off against a Lincoln City Council chairman in the November election.
Danielle Conrad, who represented the district for two terms, won the primary with 43%, while James Michael Bowers finished with 39% of the vote.
James Herrold, a real estate agent, ran third with 18% of the vote.
"I'm incredibly grateful to the voters of north Lincoln who really understood my message of positive leadership, of experience, and who were eager to give me another opportunity to work on working family issues," Conrad said.
Lincoln City Councilwoman Jane Raybould received 64% of the vote in District 28 in the central part of the city, while former City Councilman Roy Christensen received 36%.
Both Raybould and Christensen will appear on the November ballot.
Two senators whose districts extend into Lincoln and Lancaster County were unopposed in the primary.
Nebraska Legislature, District 2, 26, 46
Nebraska Legislature
Forty-nine women and men serve in Nebraska's unique, one-house Legislature.
They are citizen legislators, their jobs considered part-time, and they meet for 90 working days in odd-numbered years and 60 working days in even-numbered years. The 108th Legislature will convene in January.
Senators are paid $12,000 a year, a salary set in the state Constitution that cannot be changed without a statewide vote.
Senators' duties include representing the people and best interests of their legislative districts; appropriating funds to further the state's progress; strengthening the state's productive capacity and creating new opportunities; and keeping a careful check and setting policy on the operation of state government.
The Legislature is nonpartisan, so senators do not run with party labels, although they do have party registrations, including Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, independent.
State senators are elected to four-year terms and after two consecutive terms must wait four years before running again. Of the 24 seats up for election this year 13 have no incumbents. In nine races, opponents face opposition.
In just two districts, the incumbents face no challengers. Both of those seats are in Southeast Nebraska: Myron Dorn of Adams in District 30 and Tom Brandt of Plymouth in District 32.
Five other Southeast Nebraska districts are on the ballot this year.
In District 2, incumbent Robert Clements of Elmwood faces challengers Janet Chung and Schuyler Windham, both of Lincoln, and Sarah Slattery of Plattsmouth. Only two will advance from the primary.
Four Southeast Nebraska districts will elect new senators. The candidates in those districts are:
District 24: Patrick Hotovy of York and Jana Hughes of Seward.
District 26: Russ Barger, George Dungan III, Bob Van Valkenburg and Larry Weixelman, all of Lincoln.
District 28: Roy Christensen and Jane Raybould, both of Lincoln.
District 46: James Michael Bowers, Danielle Conrad and James Herrold, all of Lincoln.
In districts with two candidates, both will advance to the Nov. 8 general election.
District 2: Janet Chung
Age: 60
Address: 9501 Eastview Road, Lincoln
Occupation: Marketing, management
Political party: Democrat
Website: JanetForNebraska.com
What experiences qualify you for this office?
I managed people and operations while working in commercial property management, telecommunications and a public utility. I demonstrated my ability to work with diverse groups while living in five different states, and towns like Kearney and Grand Island.
I volunteer on the Bryan Medical Center Board of Trustees and with Leadership Lincoln. I also served on the Board of Directors for Leadership Lincoln, Southeast Fire & Rescue Department, Asian Community and Cultural Center, American Red Cross and homeowner’s association.
Why do you want to be a state senator?
I’m running so I can help Nebraska families with job opportunities and public education. As a former public power employee, I believe in supporting our public services to better serve businesses and community needs. I’m committed to building a better Nebraska for everyone.
Do you support the nonpartisan aspect of Nebraska’s one-house Legislature or would you like to see it be changed into a partisan body? Why or why not?
I support Nebraska’s nonpartisan, one-house Legislature. Voters are likely to research and vote for the candidate based on their qualifications rather than party affiliation when the political party is not listed on the ballot. We should work together to help improve the lives for all Nebraska residents, regardless of political party.
What would be your priorities in terms of legislation?
* Support property tax relief and public education.
* Invest in workforce development, retention, and recruitment.
* Address the effects of extreme weather that threaten public health and safety.
* Champion access to health care services.
Would you be inclined to support the governor’s agenda or be more independent in determining your priorities and legislative agenda?
I look forward to working with a new governor. The Legislature should look for property tax relief, funding solutions for public schools, and breaking the cycle of poverty to the corrections system.
Would you support continuing the Legislature’s open access to the public and the news media, including media access to executive sessions of legislative committees and continued media presence on the floor of the Legislature? And why or why not?
I support the Legislature’s access to the public and news media on the floor of the Legislature. Executive sessions of legislative committees should be open to media. The decisions made by elected officials represent the voters; they should know what decisions their representatives are making.
District 2: Robert Clements
Age: 71
Address: P.O. Box 198, Elmwood
Occupation: Banker
Political party: Republican
Website: SenatorClements.com
What experiences qualify you for this office?
* My banking experience helps me evaluate and control government spending.
* My income tax preparation experience gives me insight into tax bills.
* I have been a community banker, independent insurance agent, and income tax preparer for 43 years. I can analyze budgets and spending proposals to look for inefficiency and waste.
Why do you want to be a state senator?
I want to continue to deliver tax relief, control state spending and support pro-family, pro-life values.
I am proud to have served District 2 for six years. Nebraska has given much to me and my family and I am committed to giving back through public service.
Do you support the nonpartisan aspect of Nebraska’s one-house Legislature or would you like to see it be changed into a partisan body? Why or why not?
I would not change the one-house Legislature, as it seems to be more agile and closer to taxpayers. Nebraska is the only nonpartisan Legislature in the U.S., and I would support having senators be elected by party affiliation. Showing party affiliation on the ballot would help voters know where candidates stand on issues. All senators already know to which party each of us belongs.
What would be your priorities in terms of legislation?
1. Lower inheritance taxes, which I passed in 2022.
2. Limit budget increases to 3% or less.
3. Support law enforcement funding, which I passed in 2022.
4. Support pro-life and pro-family values.
Would you be inclined to support the governor’s agenda or be more independent in determining your priorities and legislative agenda?
Gov. Ricketts and I share similar values. I support his agenda generally, but I still vote my personal convictions.
Would you support continuing the Legislature’s open access to the public and the news media, including media access to executive sessions of legislative committees and continued media presence on the floor of the Legislature? And why or why not?
The Nebraska Constitution says “All votes shall be viva voce. The doors of the Legislature and of the committees of the Legislature shall be open.” I support this provision and media presence on the floor.
District 2: Sarah Slattery
Age: 39
Address: 1010 Avenue F, Plattsmouth
Occupation: Professional chef and school nutrition director
Political party: Democrat
Website: slatteryforlegislature.com
What experiences qualify you for this office?
The fact that I’m a Nebraska citizen, living in District 2 and am over 21 years of age. Sure, I have years of public service and service industry experience under my belt, but I think it is important for everyone to know that you don’t have to be a “politician” to run for office. We need more regular folks in elected positions.
Why do you want to be a state senator?
I am running to be a voice for the working families in my district who have been overlooked for far too long. We should have a seat at the table where decisions about our lives are being made. Representation should not be reserved for the elite.
Do you support the nonpartisan aspect of Nebraska’s one-house Legislature or would you like to see it be changed into a partisan body? Why or why not?
I absolutely support the nonpartisan aspect of the unicameral. Division along political lines is not helpful to getting things accomplished in the Legislature. It is in all Nebraskans’ best interests for our elected officials to work together toward making beneficial change.
What would be your priorities in terms of legislation?
My priorities lie with ensuring that working families can thrive. That’s why ensuring that public education is fully and equally funded is one of my biggest concerns and causes. I work in a school, and schools need our support now more than ever.
Would you be inclined to support the governor’s agenda or be more independent in determining your priorities and legislative agenda?
I think that, while cooperation among the executive and legislative branches is a wonderful thing, they absolutely need to operate independently from one another. Senators are supposed to be working for the people in their district, not the governor.
Would you support continuing the Legislature’s open access to the public and the news media, including media access to executive sessions of legislative committees and continued media presence on the floor of the Legislature? And why or why not?
Definitely! The public has a right to see their elected officials in action. Continuing this access will help to grow the number of citizens engaged in the legislative process. Nothing good comes from closed-door meetings and behind-the-scenes negotiations when the rights of Nebraskans are on the line. We must continue to shine a light on these processes.
District 2: Schuyler Windham
Age: 29
Address: 8560 Fremont St., No. 65, Lincoln
Occupation: Lawyer
Political party: Libertarian
Website: schuylerfornebraska.com
What experiences qualify you for this office?
I’ve lived in Nebraska most of my life and am raising a family here. I’ve personally drafted successful legislation such as the Sexual Assault Protection Order which passed unanimously in 2017. I worked as a lawyer and lobbyist for a few years, so I know how to analyze bills. My skills and experience set me apart. I don’t need special interest lobbyists to hand me policies like the other candidates would. My background will help me represent my neighbors.
Why do you want to be a state senator?
When I was in high school, a woman stopped by my house campaigning to be a state senator. I ended up working as a legislative intern for her when I was in law school. I always wanted to help people through public service and I understand the unicameral well through my experience. I will use my skills as a policy lawyer to represent my neighbors with great care. I believe leaders should be for and of the people, not above.
Do you support the nonpartisan aspect of Nebraska’s one-house Legislature or would you like to see it be changed into a partisan body? Why or why not?
Having seen firsthand how senators work with one another in the unicameral, I appreciate that it is both one house and nonpartisan. The unicameral is generally efficient and allows Nebraskans an opportunity to testify on every bill. The nonpartisan nature of the unicameral allows senators to collaborate in more innovative ways on the floor and in committees while also working more independently from certain influences.
What would be your priorities in terms of legislation?
I will defend constitutional liberties, alleviate financial and regulatory burdens on families, local business and farmers, and work collaboratively on criminal justice reforms. I want Nebraskans to have more freedom and opportunity. I trust that you know what is best for you and your family whether it’s when you’re educating your kids, reducing taxes so you can allocate your own hard-earned money, reducing barriers so you can better run your local business or farm, or policies such as deregulating/decriminalizing marijuana.
Would you be inclined to support the governor’s agenda or be more independent in determining your priorities and legislative agenda?
I will be completely independent from the governor. We may align on some issues and we may contrast on other policies. A legislator’s job is to represent the people where a governor’s job is to execute the law. I will represent my neighbors in the unicameral to craft beneficial legislation and repeal or reform detrimental policies that are brought to me by my constituents and through my own judgment, not simply follow an agenda being pushed from the executive branch.
Would you support continuing the Legislature’s open access to the public and the news media, including media access to executive sessions of legislative committees and continued media presence on the floor of the Legislature? And why or why not?
Yes, absolutely. Transparency is necessary for well-informed Nebraskans. Public access to the legislative process is crucial to crafting policies of and by the people. Rural and working-class Nebraskans currently have the least access to the unicameral. The pandemic opened the doors to methods that I would love to expand on to welcome rural voices where normally a drive would take an entire day of someone’s time or that person would have to take unpaid time off work.
District 26: Russ Barger
Age: 50
Address: 7831 E. Avon Lane, Lincoln
Occupation: Attorney, entrepreneur
Political party: Republican
Website: BargerforLegislature.com
What experiences qualify you for this office?
Practicing law in state government, including my time as an Assistant Attorney General, gives me a jump-start on recognizing and innovating on policy issues. My agricultural background and businesses provide a unique perspective and understanding of Nebraska’s largest sector. My wife and I married and have grown our family in northeast Lincoln, living here for more than 20 years. Hopefully, age brings wisdom and perspective. Northeast Lincoln deserves better than it has received.
Why do you want to be a state senator?
The trajectory of local and national progressives is not good for our state and city. My skills and experience will bring common sense and conservative values back to northeast Lincoln. Despite a significant tax burden, our streets and educational options have not improved. Practicing law more than 20 years, and experience with state government, will allow me to give excellent representation.
Do you support the nonpartisan aspect of Nebraska’s one-house Legislature or would you like to see it be changed into a partisan body? Why or why not?
I will work in full cooperation with all the members of the Legislature. My plan is to examine each issue as it best fits my constituents' needs.
What would be your priorities in terms of legislation?
* Controlling government spending: Must establish metrics of success, not just budgets. Property taxes are relied upon too heavily.
* Protection of constitutional rights: First, Second and 14th Amendment rights need constant protection.
* Public safety: Because Nebraska is now a gambling state, our law enforcement needs the funds to address some problems gambling brings: Sex trafficking, drugs and gangs.
* Election integrity: Support mandatory Voter ID and paper ballots.
* Pro-life and pro-family: Stable marriages produce safer communities and better schools.
Would you be inclined to support the governor’s agenda or be more independent in determining your priorities and legislative agenda?
My district’s priorities will be paramount. If the governor’s agenda coincides with what helps my district, and the state, then we can work together.
Would you support continuing the Legislature’s open access to the public and the news media, including media access to executive sessions of legislative committees and continued media presence on the floor of the Legislature? And why or why not?
The Capitol’s inscription about the “watchfulness of the citizen” answers this question. Opaque government creates more distrust. Technology, and the open access it permits, allows citizen engagement like never before. If the media is somehow so disruptive that they stall the process, their disruption may need to be curbed. However, that seems unlikely to happen.
District 26: George Dungan III
Age: 33
Address: 5643 Walker Ave., Lincoln
Occupation: Lancaster County Public Defender
Political party: Democrat
Website: georgefornebraska.com
What experiences qualify you for this office?
My experience as a public defender makes me qualified for this office because it has shown me that far too often people do not have a chance to have their voices heard and don’t have a fair shot. This experience has shown me there’s a lot of work that needs to be done in reforming our criminal justice system and generally making sure that people have the resources they need to be productive members of our community.
Why do you want to be a state senator?
I’m running because I see that far too often people in northeast Lincoln haven’t always gotten a chance at fair pay, job opportunity, or even access to health care. I know the struggles people face and I will be a voice for working families and to make sure that people in northeast Lincoln have their voices heard and have every opportunity to succeed.
Do you support the nonpartisan aspect of Nebraska’s one-house Legislature or would you like to see it be changed into a partisan body? Why or why not?
I support the nonpartisan aspect of Nebraska’s unicameral. No matter what your political views are, we can all see the dysfunction happening in Washington. Nebraska’s nonpartisan unicameral allows us to set aside our differences on items that affect our everyday lives and get things done for Nebraskans. I am committed to maintaining the nonpartisan nature of our unicameral and will always put the needs of northeast Lincoln and Nebraska first.
What would be your priorities in terms of legislation?
My priorities would be to create and retain good-paying jobs in northeast Lincoln, support our public schools, ensure access to affordable health care, and promote public safety by reducing crime through youth education and employment, mental health services and investing in problem-solving courts, like drug courts. Additionally, I would like to ensure clean air and water, improving the overall quality of life in our state, and preserving the nonpartisan nature of the Legislature.
Would you be inclined to support the governor’s agenda or be more independent in determining your priorities and legislative agenda?
I would listen to my district and my constituents’ ideas and needs to determine my legislative priorities. I think it is important to remain independent and do what is best for the people in northeast Lincoln and Nebraska, not the agenda of the governor or any political party.
Would you support continuing the Legislature’s open access to the public and the news media, including media access to executive sessions of legislative committees and continued media presence on the floor of the Legislature? And why or why not?
I would support continuing the Legislature’s open access to the public and news media. I believe it is important that the Legislature have a high level of transparency and make its proceedings easily accessible for the public and media. This accessibility allows the public to remain informed and this makes it easier for people to have their voices heard on the issues that are important to them.
District 26: Bob Van Valkenburg
Age: 86
Address: 7921 Reno Road, Lincoln
Occupation: Business consultant; formerly medical supply business owner
Political party: Nonpartisan
Website: vansopinions.com
What experiences qualify you for this office?
My background includes working with men and women who served in our Legislature over decades when they worked together. I worked to pass a law that required the state to educate children to the maximum level. Years ago I drafted and nurtured into law responsible environmental legislation. If elected, I could “hit the ground running.” I am a military veteran who served my country for 31-plus years. I would like to represent people of all ages, including the unborn.
Why do you want to be a state senator?
If elected, I offer years of experience in dealing with the Legislature as well as relevant education and knowledge in the lawmaking process. I would work to make Nebraska a safer place to live and work and to leave for future generations an abundant supply of clear water and to create new well-paying jobs. I have a plan to actually reduce property taxes without reducing or eliminating vital services. This is my last opportunity to run for office.
Do you support the nonpartisan aspect of Nebraska’s one-house Legislature or would you like to see it be changed into a partisan body? Why or why not?
Nebraska’s one-house Legislature has proven to be more effective than that in other states. I strongly oppose changing what has worked successfully. While political parties play a significant role in motivating people to be candidates, once elected the members are not bound by party politics and platforms and can work together as responsible men and women without distracting party pressures. Hence, the members are accountable to the people they represent. “If it ain’t broken, don’t try to fix it.”
What would be your priorities in terms of legislation?
Accomplishing property tax relief in general and for retired people, for veterans and for handicapped folks in particular.
Lowering the cost of university and community college education so the next generation could afford continuing education.
Protecting the environment and assuring an abundant supply of clean water.
Assuring schools are places of education rather than indoctrination and getting government out of the private lives of our citizens and ensuring that all law-abiding citizens are treated equally in society and in workplaces.
Would you be inclined to support the governor’s agenda or be more independent in determining your priorities and legislative agenda?
While I would strive to work in harmony with the governor and his (or her) staff, I would independently attend to the needs and desires of the people in my district. I would strive to return to the legislative chamber a collegial attitude, working for the good of our state and its people.
Would you support continuing the Legislature’s open access to the public and the news media, including media access to executive sessions of legislative committees and continued media presence on the floor of the Legislature? And why or why not?
I would oppose the growing attempt to hide certain legislative matters from the public. The people’s “right to know” everything that is involved in and associated with the lawmaking process necessitates unlimited access of the working media to all sessions, venues and gathering of legislators. Media personnel who disrupted or compromised the works of the legislators would be dealt with on an individual basis. Legal matters involving personnel or security might be exceptions.
District 26: Larry Weixelman
Age: 65
Address: 7339 York Lane, Lincoln
Occupation: Marketing consultant and interim communications and project coordinator at Indian Center
Political party: Independent
Website: Facebook.com/WeixelmanForLD26
What experiences qualify you for this office?
Former officer with the Nebraska Army National Guard; partner or sole proprietor for three entrepreneurial efforts in Lincoln; 2010 graduate, University of Nebraska College of Business; board member, Indian Center.
Why do you want to be a state senator?
I have spent most of my adult life in multiple aspects of public service, arriving at an age where I can devote significant time to the office and the constituents I would represent, as well the rest of the state, as we navigate difficult questions about tax policy, funding models for education, workforce development and affordable housing. Creating additional revenue channels that can reduce regressive tax levels would be a priority, assuring equitable rates across income, sales and property taxes.
Do you support the nonpartisan aspect of Nebraska’s one-house Legislature or would you like to see it be changed into a partisan body? Why or why not?
While labeled as a nonpartisan body, there are key indicators that demonstrate the divide created by party affiliation. I respect current senators that are capable of supporting efforts that do not align with their platform, and fully support the continuation of Nebraska's one-house, nonpartisan structure.
What would be your priorities in terms of legislation?
1. Continue Sen. Lathrop's work on criminal justice and sentencing reform to alleviate a stressed corrections system.
2. Assure asset and earnings retention for Nebraska’s middle-income workforce by creating protected savings plans and secure home ownership.
3. Nurture rural growth by developing infrastructure that attracts development, entrepreneurial activity and educational opportunity. Food production and security are skilled jobs at every level.
4. Support early childhood education and affordable higher education that creates actively engaged Nebraska communities.
Would you be inclined to support the governor’s agenda or be more independent in determining your priorities and legislative agenda?
As a registered independent, I would review all legislation in a fair and judicious manner. I would certainly introduce legislation of my own undertaking that has the potential to create opportunities for all of Nebraska's inhabitants. Should the governor’s agenda have elements that aligned with the needs and requests of my district and had statewide potential for positive impact, it would certainly be considered.
Would you support continuing the Legislature’s open access to the public and the news media, including media access to executive sessions of legislative committees and continued media presence on the floor of the Legislature? And why or why not?
I fully support the public's right to media's proxy presence in legislative affairs. Journalistic review and unbiased public information have been, and remain, the Fourth Estate within our democracy. Having access to the forums that shape governance, and sharing information with members of the community that cannot attend sessions hosted in the middle of the work day or well into the late hours of the evening are as essential to good government as free and open votes are to elections.
Allowing open meetings on initial hearings for public input empowers every citizen of Nebraska, as well as individuals with explicit knowledge about proposed legislation, to shape the contours and possible approval of every bill.
District 46: James Michael Bowers
Age: 33
Address: 4206 Touzalin Ave., Lincoln
Occupation: School social worker, small business owner
Political party: Democrat
Website: BowersForNebraska.com
What experiences qualify you for this office?
In my daily work as a school social worker I have seen how good policy can save lives and how bad policy can harm neighbors. I have a track record of translating that experience into results while serving on the Lincoln City Council. I have passed the greatest number of initiatives and ordinances with bipartisan support all while serving during the pandemic. I have been tested and proven to do what is right for our city and state.
Why do you want to be a state senator?
Serving on the Lincoln City Council during the pandemic has demonstrated the importance of strong leadership in elected office. We need people in the Legislature who have worked on the front lines and can bring that experience to policy making. As a school social worker I’ve seen firsthand how Nebraska needs to improve access to health care, defend our public schools, keep children safe and protect seniors.
Do you support the nonpartisan aspect of Nebraska’s one-house Legislature or would you like to see it be changed into a partisan body? Why or why not?
The Nebraska Legislature should remain nonpartisan. It’s no secret that our nation is becoming more polarized. By keeping the Nebraska Legislature nonpartisan we are keeping our value of people over party. Nebraskans want to see their elected officials putting time and energy into fighting for them, not their political party.
What would be your priorities in terms of legislation?
My priorities would be defending public schools, improving access to health care and fighting for working families, children and seniors.
Would you be inclined to support the governor’s agenda or be more independent in determining your priorities and legislative agenda?
Independent. Nebraskans expect their elected officials to fight for them, not for the governor. I have a solid track record of finding bipartisan solutions while fighting for north Lincoln. Nebraskans want leaders, not followers.
Would you support continuing the Legislature’s open access to the public and the news media, including media access to executive sessions of legislative committees and continued media presence on the floor of the Legislature? And why or why not?
Yes. Transparency builds trust and accountability. Nebraskans expect their elected officials to be responsive and honest. News media provides an opportunity for elected officials to explain their positions, their work, and why elected officials vote the way they do.
District 46: Danielle Conrad
Age: 44
Address: 3818 Dudley St., Lincoln
Occupation: Attorney
Political party: Democrat
Website: conradforlegislature.net
What experiences qualify you for this office?
I was elected to the Legislature in 2006 and 2010 and will bring experienced, day one leadership. I served on the Appropriations, Audit, Redistricting and Retirement committees. I chaired the Innovation and Entrepreneurial Task Force. I twice led successful efforts to increase the minimum wage in the Legislature and by citizen initiative. I am hardworking, knowledgeable and passionate. I know how to take care of Lincoln, serve the people of Nebraska, and how to bridge divides to make a positive difference.
Why do you want to be a state senator?
I have the experience and expertise to be a day one leader who delivers for working families and north Lincoln. As a mom, wife, attorney and state senator, I am the only candidate that knows the people, process and issues requisite to fostering sound policy. I will draw upon my unique experience and relationships across the political spectrum to make a positive difference for working families, small business, public education, our seniors, our veterans and civil rights.
Do you support the nonpartisan aspect of Nebraska’s one-house Legislature or would you like to see it be changed into a partisan body? Why or why not?
I strongly support Nebraska’s nonpartisan unicameral. It serves our citizens well in transparency, responsiveness and independence. Protecting the nonpartisan unicameral is critical to honoring our state’s proud political history and rightly puts the people of Nebraska above any political party. Politics has become so divisive but instead of throwing up our hands we need to roll up our sleeves and ensure experienced leaders are elected to fight back against partisanship and to bring people together to find the best solutions.
What would be your priorities in terms of legislation?
My priorities in this campaign and if honored to be elected again include issues I have consistently delivered positive change on including tools to help working families succeed; protecting our great public schools; protecting seniors; making smart investments in education preschool through college so all Nebraskans have an opportunity to succeed; and tools to help small businesses succeed.
Would you be inclined to support the governor’s agenda or be more independent in determining your priorities and legislative agenda?
As a former state senator, I know how to foster collaboration to find common ground with the governor. However, the Nebraska Legislature must remain strong and independent with experienced leadership now more than ever to provide appropriate checks on the governor’s agenda. I am unafraid to speak truth to power and always prefer collaboration but will not waver on my principles or the best interests of Nebraska’s working families, public schools, or to give voice to our most vulnerable neighbors.
Would you support continuing the Legislature’s open access to the public and the news media, including media access to executive sessions of legislative committees and continued media presence on the floor of the Legislature? And why or why not?
A hallmark of good government is transparency and accountability in service to the people. I have worked to support the fundamental rights of a free press and opposed efforts to lessen accountability and transparency in legislative processes. I fully support efforts to make public participation more accessible and robust for all Nebraskans to foster civic engagement and ensure accountability.
District 46: James Herrold
Age: 36
Address: 1200 Hawkfly Road, Lincoln
Occupation: Real estate agent
Political party: Libertarian
Website: JamesHerrold.com
What experiences qualify you for this office?
I have leadership experience in the business world. My education in business and finance helps me understand budgets and financials. As a real estate agent, I negotiate on behalf of my clients. Those skills would translate well to negotiating on behalf of constituents. I grew up on a farm but have lived and worked in Lincoln for nearly 20 years making me well-suited to help bridge the “rural vs. urban” divide that often creeps into our state Legislature.
Why do you want to be a state senator?
Taking an active role in civic life is important to me. I am involved in my community in various ways, including being active in civic organizations, my kids’ school, and my church. Serving as a senator would be an extension of that involvement and help make meaningful change in state policy. I want to be a voice for those in the district who believe lower taxes, limited government and more personal liberty are the right way to move our state forward.
Do you support the nonpartisan aspect of Nebraska’s one-house Legislature or would you like to see it be changed into a partisan body? Why or why not?
I believe Nebraska’s unicameral is the model for other states.
Having a one-house legislature at the state level is more efficient — two houses would be redundant. The nonpartisan aspect is also important.
It takes some of the partisan divide out of our elections. It cultivates a more collegial atmosphere for senators to get necessary work done.
What would be your priorities in terms of legislation?
My top priority would be tax cuts and tax reform. With the $1.5 billion surplus we are expected to have at the end of the biennium, now is the time to focus on real relief that will make our state more competitive in terms of tax policy with the states around us. I would also focus on cutting burdensome red tape and bolstering the personal liberties that we saw largely eroded over the last two years of the pandemic.
Would you be inclined to support the governor’s agenda or be more independent in determining your priorities and legislative agenda?
I would be an independent voice representing District 46. I would never vote for or against a piece of legislation because it was or wasn’t a part of the governor’s — or any other political figure’s — agenda. I would never sponsor or prioritize a bill simply because it was in support of the governor’s agenda. I will support and prioritize bills that would benefit my constituents in north-central Lincoln.
Would you support continuing the Legislature’s open access to the public and the news media, including media access to executive sessions of legislative committees and continued media presence on the floor of the Legislature? And why or why not?
I support the “open access” nature of the Legislature. I believe strongly that testimony from citizens during hearings imparts senators with valuable knowledge when considering an issue. I believe in a free press, the right of the people to demonstrate peacefully, and their right to petition their government for the redress of grievances. Having open access to their elected officials gives the people greater avenues to express these rights and be effective while doing so.
Sen. Myron Dorn of Adams advanced in the District 30 race, while Sen. Tom Brandt of Plymouth will advance in the District 32 race.
Along with Clements, incumbent state senators across the state easily advanced from the primary Tuesday.
Omaha Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh (47%) ran ahead of two challengers in District 6, Christian Mirch (39%) and Elizabeth Hallgren (14%).
Likewise, Omaha Sen. Megan Hunt easily outpaced both challengers in District 8, earning more than two-thirds of the votes cast, over challengers Marilyn Asher and Katie Opitz.
Asher will also advance to the November general election.
Sen. Wendy DeBoer of Bennington received 350 more votes than challenger Lou Ann Goding to win the District 10 primary. DeBoer accounted for 53% of the vote total.
Former state Sen. Merv Riepe, who lost a reelection bid four years ago to Sen. Steve Lathrop, led three others seeking the District 12 seat with 46% of the vote. Lathrop did not seek reelection.
Riepe will face second-place finisher Robin Richards (20%) in the general election.
Sen. John Arch of Papillion (58%) will face Cori Villegas (25%) in the general election, while Sen. Ben Hansen (74%) easily outpaced Connie Petersen for the District 16 race.
Hansen and Petersen will have a rematch in November.
Reach the writer at 402-473-7120 or cdunker@journalstar.com.
On Twitter @ChrisDunkerLJS
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Jim Pillen speaks to supporters after winning the Republican gubernatorial nomination on Tuesday.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
University of Nebraska Regent Jim Pillen accepts the nomination for the Republican gubernatorial primary during an election night party at the Embassy Suites on Tuesday in Lincoln.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
University of Nebraska Regent Jim Pillen accepts the nomination for the Republican gubernatorial primary during an election night party at the Embassy Suites on Tuesday in Lincoln.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
University of Nebraska Regent Jim Pillen smiles to applause as he is named the winner of the Nebraska Republican gubernatorial primary during an election night party at the Embassy Suites on Tuesday in Lincoln.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
Republican gubernatorial nominee Jim Pillen talks with supporters at his election night party on Tuesday in Lincoln.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
Nebraska Republican gubernatorial candidate Jim Pillen (right) speaks the Nebraska Farm Bureau's Mark McHargue during an election night party at the Embassy Suites on Tuesday in Lincoln.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
Gov. Pete Ricketts talks about gubernatorial candidate Jim Pillen at an election night party on Tuesday at the Embassy Suites in Lincoln.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
A crowd of supporters cheer as Republican Jim Pillen takes the lead in the gubernatorial race during an election night party at the Embassy Suites on Tuesday in Lincoln.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
Joe Kelly, Jim Pillen's pick for lieutenant governor, gives an update on the race during an election night party at the Embassy Suites on Tuesday in Lincoln.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
Mark McHargue of the Nebraska Farm Bureau speaks during an election night party for Jim Pillen at the Embassy Suites on Tuesday in Lincoln.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
University of Nebraska Regent Jim Pillen (right) and his wife Suzanne Pillen wave to the crowd of supporters as he is named the winner of the Nebraska Republican gubernatorial primary during an election night party at the Embassy Suites on Tuesday in Lincoln.
KENNETH FERRIERA Journal Star
A crowd of supporters cheer on Jim Pillen as he takes the stage during an election night party at the Embassy Suites on Tuesday in Lincoln.
Jim Pillen, a Columbus pork producer and University of Nebraska regent armed with strong support from Gov. Pete Ricketts and most of the state's Republican establishment, rode within grasp of the GOP gubernatorial nomination Tuesday night.
With a steadily growing margin as the vote count moved westward, Pillen appeared to be developing an insurmountable lead.
The Associated Press called the race at about 10:30 p.m., and Pillen spoke to supporters gathered at the Embassy Suites in downtown Lincoln at about 11 p.m.
"Nebraska voters made it clear tonight that they value conservative leadership that represents their Christian, conservative values," Pillen said. "I want to thank all those across our great state who helped put our campaign over the top tonight. Tonight, we will celebrate a great victory. Tomorrow, it's back to work in the fight to keep Nebraska great."
Pillen outlasted state Sen. Brett Lindstrom of Omaha and Charles Herbster of Falls City, who had the endorsement of former President Donald Trump.
Trump came to Nebraska nine days before the election to urge Republican voters to support the cattle producer and businessman.
Herbster had served as Trump's chief agricultural policy adviser and became a familiar figure at White House events.
Lindstrom, who is completing his second term in the Legislature, led in the early counting, but Pillen steadily gained ground as the vote count mounted.
Pillen waged a determined ground game, skipping candidate debates halfway through the campaign to concentrate on appearances in towns and villages throughout the state.
Lindstrom, 41, offered "a new generation of leadership" that he argued would help Nebraska address its workforce development needs and become more attractive to younger generations.
Herbster came under intense attack in the final weeks of the campaign with the surfacing of allegations that he improperly touched or groped a number of women, including Sen. Julie Slama of Sterling, at public events.
Herbster, who poured more than $11 million of his own resources into his campaign, denied the allegations and has gone to court to dispute them.
Ricketts, who became deeply engaged in the battle to succeed him, said Herbster would be "a terrible governor" and later called upon him to withdraw from the race in the wake of the allegations of sexual behavior.
Former Sen. Theresa Thibodeau of Omaha was running fourth behind the leaders in the nine-candidate Republican field.
Sen. Carol Blood of Bellevue won the Democratic nomination and an opportunity to attempt to end a Republican winning streak that has stretched over nearly three decades.
Blood is serving her second term in the Legislature.
Ben Nelson was the last Democrat to be elected governor when he won a second term in 1994. Since then, Republicans have built a commanding voter registration advantage statewide.
Pillen maintained a conservative focus on tax relief coupled with personal devotion to "faith, family and pro-life principles" during his campaign, which ventured into all 93 counties.
Herbster had been viewed as the early front-runner in the crowded Republican primary race, and early polling confirmed that assessment. But both Pillen and Lindstrom made considerable gains in the closing weeks of the campaign.
Pillen operates Pillen Family Farms, a large pork production enterprise headquartered in Columbus.
Workforce development, housing, taxes, agriculture and expansion of broadband service in Nebraska have headed his list of priorities.
Nebraska Republicans will celebrate with their nominees Wednesday morning with a general election kickoff event at GOP state headquarters in Lincoln.
The two state senators already are scheduled to meet in a special election on June 28 to fill the final six months of former Republican Rep. Jeff Fortenberry's remaining term in office.
Clements, a banker from Elmwood received 50% of the vote, and will face Janet Chung of Lincoln in the November general election for the District 2 seat, which comprises Cass County and eastern Lancaster County.
University of Nebraska Regent Jim Pillen accepts the nomination for the Republican gubernatorial primary during an election night party at the Embassy Suites on Tuesday in Lincoln.
University of Nebraska Regent Jim Pillen accepts the nomination for the Republican gubernatorial primary during an election night party at the Embassy Suites on Tuesday in Lincoln.
University of Nebraska Regent Jim Pillen smiles to applause as he is named the winner of the Nebraska Republican gubernatorial primary during an election night party at the Embassy Suites on Tuesday in Lincoln.
Nebraska Republican gubernatorial candidate Jim Pillen (right) speaks the Nebraska Farm Bureau's Mark McHargue during an election night party at the Embassy Suites on Tuesday in Lincoln.
A crowd of supporters cheer as Republican Jim Pillen takes the lead in the gubernatorial race during an election night party at the Embassy Suites on Tuesday in Lincoln.
Joe Kelly, Jim Pillen's pick for lieutenant governor, gives an update on the race during an election night party at the Embassy Suites on Tuesday in Lincoln.
University of Nebraska Regent Jim Pillen (right) and his wife Suzanne Pillen wave to the crowd of supporters as he is named the winner of the Nebraska Republican gubernatorial primary during an election night party at the Embassy Suites on Tuesday in Lincoln.
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Matt Schulte, who campaigned on being a strong conservative voice on the Lancaster County Board, unseated incumbent Deb Schorr, the longest-serving commissioner seeking her sixth term.
Schorr and Schulte ran nearly neck-and-neck in the early returns but in the end Schulte pulled ahead by more than 1,200 votes. Panama Village Board Chairman Travis Filing, 47, came in a distant third.
“I feel very encouraged right now,” Schulte said, with about two-thirds of the Lancaster County precinct results counted. “We worked really hard . . . I feel like this is a good reflection of people wanting some change.”
The District 3 seat — which covers the southern part of the county — was the only primary contest for Lancaster County Board races, with three Republican candidates vying for the job.
No Democrats are running, so the Republican winner in the primary will be unopposed in November’s general election.
Schorr, who was first elected in 2002, said she felt good about keeping her campaign positive.
“We stayed positive on our message about property taxes and infrastructure,” she said. “Twenty years is a lot to look back on, but I’m very proud of my record of service.”
Schulte, 42, Campus Life executive director, served one term on the Lincoln Board of Education after being elected in 2015 and made an unsuccessful bid for county treasurer.
During the campaign, Schulte touted his conservative values in the face of what he said was a liberal city government, and used an 18-year-old vote on human services grants in an attempt to paint Schorr as a supporter of Planned Parenthood. She said she was pro-life and noted that she — along with the rest of the board at the time — did not approve a grant to Planned Parenthood.
Schulte said he was interested in juvenile justice issues, and limiting property tax growth and infrastructure would be among his priorities.
In District 1, which covers central Lincoln, incumbent Sean Flowerday of Lincoln, a Democrat, and Cameron Hall of Lincoln, a Republican, both advanced to the general election.
The same is true in the northwestern District 5, where Democrat Rick Vest of Lincoln, the incumbent, will advance along with Republican Jason Krueger of Lincoln.
Photos and Videos: Nebraska's 2022 primary election
Watch now: Republican nominee Jim Pillen addresses supporters
ELN Jim Pillen 5.10
Nebraska Republican gubernatorial candidate Jim Pillen mingles among a crowd of supporters during an election night party at the Embassy Suites on Tuesday in Lincoln.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
ELN Jim Pillen 5.10
Republican gubernatorial nominee Jim Pillen talks with supporters at his election night party on Tuesday in Lincoln.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
ELN Jim Pillen 5.10
Nebraska Republican gubernatorial candidate Jim Pillen (right) speaks the Nebraska Farm Bureau's Mark McHargue during an election night party at the Embassy Suites on Tuesday in Lincoln.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
ELN Jim Pillen 5.10
Mark McHargue of the Nebraska Farm Bureau speaks during an election night party for Jim Pillen at the Embassy Suites on Tuesday in Lincoln.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
ELN Jim Pillen 5.10
Joe Kelly, Jim Pillen's pick for lieutenant governor, gives an update on the race during an election night party at the Embassy Suites on Tuesday in Lincoln.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
ELN Jim Pillen 5.10
A crowd of supporters cheer as Republican Jim Pillen takes the lead in the gubernatorial race during an election night party at the Embassy Suites on Tuesday in Lincoln.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
ELN Jim Pillen 5.10
Gov. Pete Ricketts talks about gubernatorial candidate Jim Pillen at an election night party on Tuesday at the Embassy Suites in Lincoln.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
ELN Jim Pillen 5.10
Gov. Pete Ricketts talks about gubernatorial candidate Jim Pillen at an election night party on Tuesday at the Embassy Suites in Lincoln.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
ELN Jim Pillen 5.10
Jim Pillen speaks to supporters after winning the Republican gubernatorial nomination on Tuesday.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
ELN Jim Pillen 5.10
University of Nebraska Regent Jim Pillen accepts the nomination for the Republican gubernatorial primary during an election night party at the Embassy Suites on Tuesday in Lincoln.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
ELN Jim Pillen 5.10
University of Nebraska Regent Jim Pillen accepts the nomination for the Republican gubernatorial primary during an election night party at the Embassy Suites on Tuesday in Lincoln.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
ELN Jim Pillen 5.10
University of Nebraska Regent Jim Pillen smiles to applause as he is named the winner of the Nebraska Republican gubernatorial primary during an election night party at the Embassy Suites on Tuesday in Lincoln.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
ELN Jim Pillen 5.10
University of Nebraska Regent Jim Pillen (center) gives a thumbs-up to supporters after winning the Republican gubernatorial nomination.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
ELN Mike Flood 5.10
Mike Flood (center) raises his fist to applause after claiming the Republican nomination for the 1st Congressional District during an election night party at the Embassy Suites in Lincoln on Tuesday. His wife Mandi and son Brenden accompanied him on stage.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
ELN Mike Flood 5.10
Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts introduces state Sen. Mike Flood during an election night party at the Embassy Suites on Tuesday in Lincoln. Flood won the Republican nomination for the 1st Congressional District.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
ELN Mike Flood 5.10
A supporter of Mike Flood wears a pin for him and for gubernatorial candidate Jim Pillen during an election night party at the Embassy Suites on Tuesday.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
ELN Mike Flood 5.10
Mike Flood speaks to his supporters after claiming the Republican nomination for the 1st Congressional District during an election night party at the Embassy Suites in Lincoln on Tuesday.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
ELN Mike Flood 5.10
A supporter of Mike Flood wears a pin for him and sticker for voting during an election night party Tuesday.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
ELN Mike Flood 5.10
Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts introduces state Sen. Mike Flood during an election night party at the Embassy Suites on Tuesday in Lincoln. Flood won the Republican nomination for the 1st Congressional District.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
ELN Mike Flood 5.10
Mike Flood speaks to supporters while his wife, Mandi, looks on during an election night party Tuesday at the Embassy Suites in Lincoln. Flood won the Republican nomination for the 1st Congressional District.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
Watch now: Patty Pansing Brooks addresses supporters
Patty Pansing Brooks, 5.10
Patty Pansing Brooks (left), the Democratic nominee for the 1st Congressional District, talks with Katie Taddeucci of Lincoln during an election night party Tuesday at the Happy Raven in Lincoln.
JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star
Charles Herbster, 5.10
Supporters of Republican gubernatorial candidate Charles Herbster wait for election results Tuesday at Lincoln Station.
JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star
Charles Herbster, 5.10
A truck supporting the Republican gubernatorial candidate Charles Herbster is seen outside his election night watch party Tuesday at Lincoln Station.
JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star
Charles Herbster, 5.10
Supporters of Republican gubernatorial candidate Charles Herbster wait for election results on Tuesday at Lincoln Station.
JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star
Charles Herbster, 5.10
Supporters of Republican gubernatorial candidate Charles Herbster wait for election results on Tuesday at Lincoln Station.
JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star
Charles Herbster, 5.10
Lt. Gov. Mike Foley waits for election results at the watch party of Republican gubernatorial candidate Charles Herbster on Tuesday at Lincoln Station.
JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star
Charles Herbster, 5.10
Supporters of Republican gubernatorial candidate Charles Herbster wait for his speech Tuesday at Lincoln Station.
JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star
Charles Herbster, 5.10
Supporters of Republican gubernatorial candidate Charles Herbster wait for election results Tuesday at Lincoln Station.
JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star
Charles Herbster, 5.10
Republican gubernatorial candidate Charles Herbster gives a concession speech on Tuesday at Lincoln Station.
JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star
Charles Herbster, 5.10
Republican gubernatorial candidate Charles Herbster greets a supporter after his concession speech on Tuesday at Lincoln Station.
JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star
Charles Herbster, 5.10
Republican gubernatorial candidate Charles Herbster gives a concession speech on Tuesday at Lincoln Station.
JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star
Charles Herbster, 5.10
Republican gubernatorial candidate Charles Herbster gives a concession speech, on Tuesday at Lincoln Station.
JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star
Charles Herbster, 5.10
LINCOLN, NEB. - 05/10/2022 - Republican gubernatorial candidate Charles Herbster gives a concession speech, Tuesday, May 10, 2022, at Lincoln Station. JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star
JUSTIN WAN Journal Star
Charles Herbster, 5.10
Republican gubernatorial candidate Charles Herbster greets a supporter after his concession speech on Tuesday at Lincoln Station.
JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star
Election Day Voting 5.10
A voter makes their way into their precinct's polling location at American Lutheran Church on Tuesday in Lincoln.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
Election Day Voting 5.10
A woman casts her vote on May 10 in Lincoln, Nebraska.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
Election Day Voting 5.10
A man casts his ballot on May 10 in Lincoln, Nebraska.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
Election Day Voting 5.10
Terri Rotolo Hatch (right) helps a voter find their voting location at the Union at the University of Nebraska on May 10 in Lincoln, Nebraska.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
Election Day Voting 5.10
Tim Brox fills out his voting ballot at the Redeemer Lutheran Church offices on May 10 in Lincoln, Nebraska.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
Election Day Voting 5.10
Dave Hohbein places his vote at Lincoln North Star High School on May 10 in Lincoln, Nebraska.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
Reach the writer at 402-473-7226 or mreist@journalstar.com .
On Twitter @LJSreist
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| 2022-05-11T05:55:36
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https://journalstar.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/schulte-beats-incumbent-schorr-for-lancaster-county-board-seat/article_6a1f0774-1625-5c67-b064-c6506dff2db2.html
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George Thorogood got the ‘70s-’80s “Rock Party” going at about 6:30 p.m. Tuesday. Just over five hours later, “Renegade” rang through Pinnacle Bank Arena as Styx wrapped up the night of music that gave the audience of 4,200 almost exactly what it came to hear.
That was particularly true from Styx, which, minus a few songs, played the same set, albeit in a slightly different order, that the veteran rockers brought to the arena last year, when its show, like Tuesday’s, was moved inside from Pinewood Bowl.
As was the case last June, Styx was impressive Tuesday, very good, highly professional and fully engaged with each other and the audience. Particularly impressive was Tommy Shaw singing “Blue Collar Man (Long Nights),” a smokin’ version of “Rockin’ The Paradise” and the epic main-set closer “Come Sail Away” that found Lawrence Gowan singing while standing on his keyboard.
Bringing what the audience wanted to hear was acknowledged by REO Speedwagon’s Kevin Cronin, who in introducing “Back on the Road Again” said “We’ve been coming to Lincoln, Nebraska, since the early ‘70s. Every time we’ve come, we’ve brought a big helping of meat and potatoes rock and roll that you love.”
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REO, which immediately preceded Styx, did just that by rocking a 95-minute set of hits and a few deep tracks that showed, if nothing else, that, at 70 years old, Cronin is a helluva rock singer, whether he’s leading the band through a high-speed take on “Like You Do,” from 1972’s “R.E.O./T.W.O.” or playing keyboards and nailing the power ballad “Keep on Loving You.”
Styx and REO have been frequent Lincoln visitors over the past 40 years. Thorogood, however, hadn’t played here since the late ‘80s.
So his hourlong opening set brought a fresh blast of blues-drenched rock ‘n’ roll, as he and the Destroyers tore up their best known songs – a slide-guitar greasy cover of Hank Williams’ “Move It On Over,” a thundering take on Bo Diddley’s “Who Do You Love” and a “hangover” pairing of “I Drink Alone” and “One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer.”
By the time he wrapped things up with his signature “Bad to the Bone,” my thoughts were it had been far too long since he’d been to Lincoln and he needs to come back and bring his full “Rock Party” ASAP.
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https://journalstar.com/news/local/styx-reo-speedwagon-and-george-thorogood-throw-crowd-pleasing-rock-party-at-arena/article_600071a9-1902-5627-b48c-d569d27727c3.html
| 2022-05-11T05:55:42
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https://journalstar.com/news/local/styx-reo-speedwagon-and-george-thorogood-throw-crowd-pleasing-rock-party-at-arena/article_600071a9-1902-5627-b48c-d569d27727c3.html
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NAPLES, Fla. – Collier County Commissioners voted to bring back to the table the ordinance allowing medical marijuana dispensaries to operate.
If passed, the ordinance would allow dispensaries to open in unincorporated Collier County, wherever pharmacies are allowed.
Right now, if Collier County residents want to get their medical marijuana, they have to drive to another county.
“I see my friends and when they have to take that drive and come back, to me, it’s not, it’s just too much,” said Jessica Torres of Naples.
That’s why County Commissioner William McDaniel Jr. proposed to dust off the ordinance for reconsideration.
“I would like to see them be allowed within our community,” he said. “I think there’s way more good that comes from it than not.”
He isn’t alone on the thought.
“Yeah, I don’t see why not,” Johnny Vega of Naples said.
“Sure. It’s much needed,” Torres added.
Getting medical marijuana in Collier County isn’t easy. Right now, the closest drive it to Lee County. Many visit shops along Bonita Beach Road.
“Most of the people that live here, they have to go other places to get their medication,” Torres said.
Ever since medical marijuana was made legal by the state in 2017, Collier County has banned its sale.
“I don’t see why it’s a bad thing,” said Vega. “Everybody’s smoking anyways.”
There is one place it’s legal in the county and that’s on Marco Island. City law overruled the county ordinances in this case.
The vote on Tuesday afternoon brings the opportunity back up for another chance in unincorporated Collier County. That means everywhere outside of Naples and Marco Island city limits.
“I think it would just be ideal to have it here,” said Vega. “It’s local, it gives people jobs and stuff like that.”’
Speaking of jobs, business owners are chomping at the bits to open up in Collier County.
“Collier is a very prime market, especially for the age group that resides there,” said Co-Founder of the Caloosahatchee Cannabis Company Cole Peacock.
He owns a CBD story in Fort Myers. Naples is where he wants to be next.
“Yeah, 100%,” Peacock said. “It’s a very large market in the State of Florida. There’s a ton of money.”
Commissioner McDaniel talked about using tax revenue to fund programs in the county.
“Appropriate the sales tax money that’s generated from these dispensaries over to the mental wellness community,” he said.
There’s no timeline on when the law could be passed. Commissioners said it would be a few months before they have the chance to even vote on it.
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https://nbc-2.com/news/local/2022/05/10/medical-marijuana-dispensaries-one-step-closer-to-being-legal-in-collier-county/
| 2022-05-11T05:56:25
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https://nbc-2.com/news/local/2022/05/10/medical-marijuana-dispensaries-one-step-closer-to-being-legal-in-collier-county/
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An increase in mineral revenue is likely to provide some relief for residential taxpayers when it comes to the tax bill for Midland’s school district.
MISD in its budget workshop Tuesday forecasted that its maintenance and operation (M&O) tax rate is slated to drop from $0.9534 (per $100 valuation) to $0.8446 – an 11.41 percent decrease. At the same time, Midland Central Appraisal District officials estimated residential valuations across the district will increase generally around 4 to 5 percent (some areas may see more and others less). That should mean a tax bill decrease for the average residential taxpayer.
The reason for the decrease is an explosion of mineral revenue. Across MISD taxing district, mineral values from the prior year increased 80.8 percent. That compares to increases of 5.4 percent for commercial and residential real estate, 2.5 percent for commercial personal property and 0.75 percent for industrial personal property.
Overall, the district estimated that a property value change of 26.99 percent is expected (from $34.456 billion to $43.755 billion) in 2022-23. That is the largest yearly change going back to 2019-20 (38.68 percent). Last year, the change was -5 percent.
Being Midland ISD, when more money is expected from ad valorem revenue ($371.302 million total), a bigger check will be cut to Austin to redistribute to “poor” school districts. MISD officials reported Tuesday that “recapture” number is estimated at $172.34 million in 2022-23, which is an increase of nearly $45 million compared to the $128.385 projected this year.
MISD’s recapture payment means $282.79 million remains for expenditures, including $190.391 million that will be spent on salaries and benefits. That includes $1.896 million in raises for teachers (the starting teacher pay will increase to $58,500). The district also has earmarked $3 million for staff retention bonuses and $1.813 million to increase minimum support staff pay to 13.50 an hour and give other employees a 2 percent raise.
Other expenditure line items include $3.22 million for campuses, $41.66 million for departments and $37.216 million for partnerships. The district also noted that salaries are up nearly $13 million compared to 2021-22.
There is another budget workshop scheduled for June 7. Public hearings on the budget and proposed tax rate are scheduled for June 27 – the same day that the original budget for 2022-23 is scheduled to be adopted. The adoption of the tax rates is scheduled for September.
2021-22 vs. 2022-23
Total expenditures $400.350 million $455.137 million
Recapture $128.385 million $172.340 million
Salaries and benefits $177.549 million $190.391 million
Property values $34.456 billion $43.755 billion
M&O tax rate $0.9534 $0.8446
I&S tax rate $0.0702 expected to be similar
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https://www.mrt.com/news/local/article/MISD-sees-benefit-of-mineral-valuation-spike-17163524.php
| 2022-05-11T05:56:29
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https://www.mrt.com/news/local/article/MISD-sees-benefit-of-mineral-valuation-spike-17163524.php
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BOISE, Idaho — The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) declared Tuesday the first National Fentanyl Awareness Day. The agency said overdoses from the opioid is now the leading cause of death among Americans between 18-45-year-olds.
Across Idaho, state and local agencies have been putting out awareness campaigns about the growing crisis for months, like Gov. Brad Little's Esto Perpetua Task Force. However, a Boise recovery center would like to see more awareness of the resources and help for those dealing with drugs and addiction.
"What about our next generation that's walking into this crisis? How do we educate them? How do we make sure that they're okay?" said Michelle Hill, the director of First Impressions and administrative support for PEER Wellness Center.
Volunteers and employees at PEER Wellness Center see dozens of people walk through their building's doors every day. For the month of April, Hill said they saw about 3,000 people come in.
"Essentially what we do is we help people get the resources they need, the support they need in order to continue their recovery and their sobriety," said Cassie Ewing, a recovery coach.
Both Ewing and Hill got involved with the center through their own journeys in recovery. They said getting help at a time when they were struggling made them want to give back to others. They said they saw a need for more of this type of work.
"I loved it," Hill said. "I loved the environment, very welcoming. I just wanted to be more involved."
"When I had the opportunity to pay it forward and help people that were looking for and needed help or just needed to know that they weren't alone I jumped at the chance," Ewing said.
While they enjoy working and helping new people each day, the two said it's been hard to keep up sometimes because of the rise of fentanyl throughout the Gem State.
"Fentanyl came in quick and fast and its numbers are huge," Ewing said.
According to the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare's Drug Overdose Prevention Program, fentanyl was related to 21% of overdose deaths in 2020. Preliminary data from March showed the number of overdose deaths doubled in 2021 to 42%.
Ewing said at the Center they're handing out Narcan and drug tests to help those who may have overdosed in the past or know someone that has. While they encourage people to abstain from drugs, they said these tools can help save lives - especially because of how the drug is being packaged and produced.
"Fentanyl is sneaky and it's unpredictable and it's everywhere," Ewing said.
Hill said it's being disguised and hidden in different types of drugs. She said it started out in a pill form, but now it's coming in a powder form.
Hill has even had someone in her family that has accidentally overdosed on the synthetic opioid.
"You know, they struggled with their addiction and it ended up being cocaine, or what they thought was cocaine," Hill said. "They ended up doing it however they do it and it was fentanyl. He went gray instantly, his mouth went down and Narcan had to be administered three times before he came back to life. It is real and it is scary."
PEER Support Center said with more people coming through their center's doors, the number of those being exposed to fentanyl has risen too. Ewing said it's getting difficult for people to not find a drug that has been cut with it or has it in there.
"It's around and it's not so hard to make so that's why it's flooding," Ewing said.
"People that are addicts who have struggled their whole lives think they're doing one thing, and now they're getting something completely else," Hill added.
Both Hill and Ewing don't believe people around the state truly know how fast and dangerous this opioid and its impacts are spreading.
"It's not going anywhere. It's not this thing that only happens in big cities and other states, it's right here and it's taking over," Ewing said.
Volunteers and employees at PEER Wellness not only want to spread awareness of the dangers, but also the resources for those struggling.
"We're here to say recovery is possible. After four years [of recovery], my biggest fear is if I were to go back out that's what I'd be going back out to you just don't know," Hill said.
"You're not alone. Nobody's alone," Ewing said. "We're here for everybody."
PEER Wellness is 95% run by volunteers. They're open Monday through Friday from noon to 6 pm. Hill said when people contact them their goal is to get them connected to services within two to four hours.
To learn more about PEER Wellness Center or to volunteer, visit peerwellnesscenter.org or email joinus@peerwellnesscenter.org
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https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/youre-not-alone-boise-recovery-center-seeing-increase-fentanyl-idaho/277-1a1ab21b-4f76-4469-ac19-ecc8078a3be8
| 2022-05-11T06:20:16
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https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/youre-not-alone-boise-recovery-center-seeing-increase-fentanyl-idaho/277-1a1ab21b-4f76-4469-ac19-ecc8078a3be8
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A teenager was shot and killed after he was ambushed outside of a deli in the Bronx, according to police.
The shooting occurred around 8:15 p.m. at the store on the corner of West 170th Street and Ogden Avenue in the Highbridge neighborhood, police said.
The owner of the deli said he knew the 17-year-old victim and other members of his family, and that the teen was a "regular customer" at the shop. He said that "three or four kids" came in to the store behind the victim, and the attack went down just after he left.
Police said the teen was ambushed as he left the deli, with someone punching him in the face. He fought back, which is when the bullets started to fly as the deli owner said one pulled out a gun.
The victim was shot once in the chest, and was taken to the Lincoln Hospital in critical condition. He was later pronounced dead.
No arrests have been made, and police didn't release any information about potential suspects. The deli owner said that guns are a common sight in the neighborhood.
The shooting comes as Mayor Eric Adams and NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell are set to make an announcement about public safety Wednesday afternoon.
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/teen-shot-and-killed-outside-deli-in-bronx-police/3681367/
| 2022-05-11T06:28:45
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/teen-shot-and-killed-outside-deli-in-bronx-police/3681367/
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SACRAMENTO, Calif. — New homes built in California starting in 2026 need to be powered by all-electric furnaces, stoves and other appliances if California is to meet its ambitious climate change goals over the next two decades, according to a state pollution-reduction plan released Tuesday.
The roadmap by the California Air Resources Board sets the state on a path to achieve "carbon neutrality" by 2045, meaning as much carbon is removed from the air as is emitted. The state's timeline is among the most ambitious in the nation; Hawaii has a similar goal and some other states have a 2050 deadline.
California could reach its goals through a drastic transition away from fossil fuels that power cars, trucks, planes, ships, homes, businesses and other sectors of the economy. The board staff recommends the state cut the use of oil and gas by 91% by 2045 and use technology to capture and store carbon emissions from remaining sources.
The plan was put together by air board staff and it is not final; a public comment process will begin and the political appointees who make up the air board will ultimately decide whether to make any changes. The Legislature or other regulatory bodies would have to agree to put the various policies in place. The California Energy Commission, for example, sets building codes.
Still, state officials said the document represents an important step for California and the rest of the nation. California is the nation's most populous state and has the world's fifth largest economy compared to other nations. That economic power means the state's policy choices can drive major business changes, and other states often follow California's lead on climate policy.
"When final, this plan will serve as a model for other industrial economies around the world," said Jared Blumenfeld, secretary of the California Environmental Protection Agency.
But neither environmental justice advocates nor the oil industry were happy. Environmental groups blasted the plan for its reliance on carbon capture technologies, which they say allows oil refineries, cement plants and other industries to continue polluting in disadvantaged neighborhoods. They also pointed to a little-noted element of the plan that calls for the expansion of natural gas capacity as a failure by the air board.
"At a time when we need to be planning for a phaseout of fossil fuels, our top air regulators are instead planning for a massive expansion of dirty gas-fired power plants," Ari Eisenstadt, campaign manager for Regenerate California, said in a statement. The group is a partnership between the California Environmental Justice Alliance and the Sierra Club that advocates for clean energy.
The Western States Petroleum Association, meanwhile, decried the plan would mean more "bans, mandates and expensive regulations."
"Forcing people to pick certain jobs, certain cars, certain homes, and certain times to use energy is out of touch with how ordinary people live," WSPA President Catherine Reheis-Boyd said in a statement.
Changing how buildings and means of transportation are powered is at the center of the air board's plan. It suggests the state require all new homes to have electric appliances starting in 2026 and new businesses by 2029. For existing homes, 80% of appliance sales should be electric by 2030 and 100% by 2035. That would help ensure older homes transition to electric-powered appliances when owners need to upgrade.
Transportation, meanwhile, is the state's largest single source of greenhouse gas emissions. The state is already on track to require all new passenger cars sold to be zero-emission by 2035. The plan also recommends: All truck sales to be zero-emission by 2040, 10% of airplane fuel demands to be met with hydrogen or batteries by 2045, 100% of drayage trucks to be zero-emission by 2035, and 100% of passenger train sales to be zero-emission by 2030.
The plan would put significant new demand on the electric grid, requiring the state to rapidly scale up solar power and storage options, as well as hydrogen infrastructure including pipelines.
California's 2045 carbon neutrality goal stems from an executive order then-Gov. Jerry Brown signed in 2018. But the air board has been required to release a roadmap for achieving the state's climate goals every five years since 2008.
The last version of the plan explored how California will meet a state law requiring a 40% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 levels by 2030. Some observers of the process had called for a robust analysis of the state's progress toward the 2030 goal, including the role California's signature cap-and-trade program was expected to play.
But the 200-plus page document released Tuesday includes just a small section on the state's progress toward 2030 and does not directly lay out what level of emissions reductions are expected from the various programs the state already has in place. It says the role of cap and trade in achieving the state's goals will likely diminish. The program requires businesses to buy credits equal to how much carbon they want to emit, with the goal of spurring reductions overtime as the price of credits increase.
The air board won't assess whether changes are needed to reach the 2030 goal until after the scoping plan is finished, the plan said.
WATCH ALSO:
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/california/california-plan-cut-fossil-fuel-use/103-08c2a9d1-b64d-4169-a498-fc756544010a
| 2022-05-11T07:27:54
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/california/california-plan-cut-fossil-fuel-use/103-08c2a9d1-b64d-4169-a498-fc756544010a
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Dozens of vehicles in Manhattan were damaged over the span of hours Tuesday morning, according to police.
A man who was seen on surveillance video slashed tires on more than 40 cars, trucks and SUVs in across the borough, police said. By Tuesday evening, more than a dozen cars on West 15th Street between Seventh and Eighth Avenues in Chelsea still had flat tires.
Some didn't yet know their vehicles had damage, so officers left slips on their car to inform them.
"The whole entire block had one half of their cars completely flat," said Sarah Rona, who lives in the area. "People were out here on their backs changing their own tires."
Another woman said not only were her vehicle's tires slashed, but whoever did it also drew on the car with a knife.
Police confirmed some of the victims are firefighters who had their personal cars parked near the fire station on Eighth Avenue in Times Square.
"It’s worse than that honestly because it makes us fear for our safety, potentially. That’s a pretty violent act. It’s more than just nicking somebody’s windshield," said neighbor Rich Herbst.
News
Those who live in the area hope that someone recognizes the man seen in the surveillance video and calls police. Some of the victims are now left scrambling to find a way to pay for repairs.
Police said it’s not clear yet if the damage in Chelsea is connected to the damage in midtown.
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/dozens-of-vehicles-tires-slashed-cars-damaged-in-manhattan-police/3681490/
| 2022-05-11T07:59:42
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/dozens-of-vehicles-tires-slashed-cars-damaged-in-manhattan-police/3681490/
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PORTLAND, Oregon — One week before the Oregon primary, elections officials in Multnomah County are reporting 9% voter turnout with just over 50,000 votes counted. But those who haven't yet voted have a little more wiggle room. For the first time in an Oregon primary, mail-in ballots that are postmarked on Election Day will count.
The ballot return numbers are trending about the same as they were this time 4 years ago and 8 years ago, according to Tim Scott, director of elections for Multnomah County.
“That means we could end up right about in the 30% range — maybe a little lower, maybe a little higher,” said Scott.
The option to mail ballots on Election Day has been in place for years in Washington. Just remember to drop your ballot in the mail before letters are picked up on Election Day. You can also drop ballots at county collection sites until 8 p.m. on election night. It’s unclear if or how the new postmark option will delay election results.
“I don't really see much of a delay happening at all,” said Scott.
Historically, Scott said they receive about half of the county's ballots by mail — which means that by election night, they have results from about 65% percent of the vote. It's often enough to call a race, but not always.
“So if there's a close race, we're not going to know how it's going to play out for several days and possibly weeks,” said Scott. “And that's been the way it's been with vote-by-mail for many years.”
Other changes this primary can be found on Multnomah County’s ballots themselves. First, the envelope size is much bigger at 6 inches by 9 inches, and it's now printed with purple ink. Also, the ballots no longer include a secrecy sleeve — a move to save paper, money and processing time.
"Their vote is still private,” said Scott. "This is all through an approved process with the Secretary of State's Office. There's a privacy weave on the inside of everyone's return envelope so that people won't be able to see how they voted.”
Registered voters who haven’t received their ballots by now are encouraged to call their county elections office to request a replacement ballot.
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https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/oregon-primary-election-ballot-postmark-multnomah-county-privacy/283-c86d1898-fc76-44fa-ab67-0c9691440243
| 2022-05-11T08:54:39
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https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/oregon-primary-election-ballot-postmark-multnomah-county-privacy/283-c86d1898-fc76-44fa-ab67-0c9691440243
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Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley has teamed up with Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Representatives Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX), and David Joyce (R-OH) to introduce a bipartisan, bicameral resolution recognizing National Nurses Week.
The resolution honors and celebrates the important contributions of America’s nurses to safe, high-quality care and the invaluable role that nurses play in patient care every day and particularly in treating injured and sickpatients during wartime, natural disasters, and public health emergencies—including the COVID-19 pandemic.
“As the husband of a nurse, I’ve seen close-up how difficult their jobs are and how important they are to patients,” said Senator Merkley. “Like so many nurses in every corner of Oregon and all across the country, Mary has continued to serve throughout the COVID-19 pandemic—providing crucial care, support, and advocacy for families during some of their most difficult moments. This week, let’s all take a moment to appreciate and celebrate the nurses in our communities for their dedication and care, and recommit ourselves to doing all we can to provide them with the support they need to keep saving lives.”
“Nurses serve at the frontlines of our health-care system,” said Senator Wicker. “This resolution signals our immense gratitude for these hardworking professionals in our communities.”
“As the first Registered Nurse elected to Congress, I hold a unique understating of and appreciation for the sacrifices and contributions made by nurses in communities across the country,” said Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson. “It is necessary that we take this moment to recognize and thank our nurses for all that they do. That’s why I was proud to work with my colleagues to introduce this resolution marking and celebrating National Nurses week.”
“The past two years were a stark reminder that nurses don't just deliver life-saving care to their patients, they willingly put themselves in harm’s way to do so,” said Congressman Joyce, a Co-Chair of the Congressional Nursing Caucus. “As the proud husband of a nurse, I've seen this dedication and compassion firsthand and continue to be in awe of it. I’m proud to join my colleagues in celebrating National Nurses Week and ask everyone in Ohio to join me in thanking the health care heroes in our communities for all that they have done and continue to do.”
Nurses represent the single largest component of the health care professions, with an estimated 4 million registered nurses in the United States.
Today’s resolution recognizes the importance of nurses in providing quality care, conducting medical research, tailoring care to each community and individual needs, eliminating public health disparities, promoting healthy lifestyles, and more—especially as the world continues to navigate life through the COVID-19 pandemic.
The resolution recognizes the need to strengthen nursing workforce development and education, and calls upon all Americans to recognize, and celebrate National Nurses Week this year.
“During the unprecedented health care crisis of the past two years, nurses have needed support both here in Oregon and throughout the country. We thank Senator Merkley for being a champion for the nursing profession, defending and valuing patients, supporting our communities, and focusing on health care providers’ mental health and wellness. The introduction and progress of this resolution is appreciated by every nurse in our country and we are deeply grateful to Senator Merkley for his support,” said Tamie Cline, President-Elect, Oregon Nurses Association.
“While every year, we take the opportunity to celebrate the dedicated labor, service, and leadership of nursing professionals across the country, now more than ever Nurses Week calls on us to honor these champions of healthcare for stepping up to be with each one of us, from before our first breath until our very last…in our happiest of days and in our worst,” said Jonathon Baker, President, Oregon Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals AFT Local 5017.
In addition to Merkley and Wicker, the resolution is cosponsored by Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), John Boozman (R-AR), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Ben Lujan (D-NM), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), Steven Daines (M-MT), Tina Smith (DFL-MN), John Hoeven (R-ND), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Joe Manchin (D-WV), Thom Tillis (R-NC), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL).
In addition to Johnson and Joyce, the resolution is cosponsored by Representatives Sanford Bishop (D-GA), John Yarmuth (D-KY), Don Bacon (R-NE), Stephen Lynch (D-MA), Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Nanette Barragan (D-CA), Tom Suozzi (D-NY), Cindy Axne (D-IA), Bobby Rush (D-IL), Alma Adams (D-NC), Linda Sanchez (D-CA), Danny Davis (R-IL), Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA), John Larson (D-CT), Dean Phillips (D-MN), Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), Madeleine Dean (D-PA), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Michael San Nicolas (D-GU, At Large), Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), Tom O’Halleran (D-AZ), Jamaal Bowman (D-NY), Stacey Plaskett (D-VI, At Large), Scott Peters (D-CA), Debbie Dingell (D-MI), Sean Maloney (D-NY), David Cicilline (D-RI), Dwight Evans (D-PA), Mark Takano (D-CA), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL), Frederica Wilson (D-FL), Mondaire Jones (D-NY), David Trone (D-MD), Joe Wilson (R-SC), Peter Welch (D-VT, At Large), Judy Chu (D-CA), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), and Nydia Velazquez (D-NY).
The full resolution can be found here.
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https://theworldlink.com/news/local/merkley-wicker-johnson-joyce-introduce-bipartisan-bicameral-resolution-to-celebrate-national-nurses-week/article_6ab27338-d0ff-11ec-baf6-af4181d8c8bb.html
| 2022-05-11T09:49:35
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Coast Guard to practice for 'mass casualty incident' on board ferry
Residents might notice a commotion involving the Coast Guard and a lot of police boats off Narragansett on Thursday morning, but it's only a rescue drill.
Emergency responders will simulate fire on a ferry with 62 people on board, according to Melissa Carden, chief public affairs officer for the Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency.
The drill will take place from 8:45 until 11 a.m. about a half-mile offshore, near Whale Rock, Carden said. They won't set a boat on fire or put people in the water, but some 16 vessels will converge on the area for the drill, she said.
More:Will concerns about U.S. prison conditions block extradition of fugitive Nick Alahverdian?
Residents might also notice increased activity at Narragansett Town Beach's north parking lot, where a command post will be set up. "Victims" might be brought to the dock at State Pier 5 on Ocean Road.
The EMA said, "Responding to a mass casualty incident on the water is much more difficult than on land and this drill will ensure that state and local responders have trained to react to an incident of this magnitude, which could occur at any time on the busy waterways of Rhode Island."
In addition to the EMA and Coast Guard, participants will include the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management and the Narragansett Bay Marine Task Force. The task force is comprised by Narragansett Police and Fire, Providence Fire, Cranston Fire, Warwick Fire, Bristol Fire, Newport Fire, Jamestown Fire, Charlestown Rescue, Portsmouth Fire and East Greenwich Police and Fire.
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https://www.providencejournal.com/story/news/local/2022/05/11/coast-guard-drill-narragansett-emergency-practice-ferry-fire/9714889002/
| 2022-05-11T10:23:09
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https://www.providencejournal.com/story/news/local/2022/05/11/coast-guard-drill-narragansett-emergency-practice-ferry-fire/9714889002/
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STARKVILLE • Catherine Pierce tries to begin each of her classes with a question. Something like, but not specifically:
"Would you rather be a shepherd spy — a shepherd who is also a spy, not to be confused with shepherd's pie — or a super agent who is a dog but is really bad at math?"
This particular question came from Pierce’s son, Sam. She jotted it down several years ago, along with other interesting questions he's asked through the years, and posed it to her intermediate poetry students at Mississippi State University at the beginning of a recent class.
"My questions get weirder and weirder. Today was like the weirdest one yet," she said. "To their great credit, they just rolled with it."
The creative spirit Pierce brings to the classroom also serves her well while writing. She’s Mississippi’s current poet laureate and co-director of the creative writing program at MSU, where she tries to share her knowledge and love of poetry with others.
"I think poems work best when they come from a place of openness and willingness to try things as opposed to having to feel like 'I have to do exactly this, and if I don't do it exactly this way, then it's not going to be any good,'" Pierce said.
She feels poets should be "aware of and open to the joys and pleasures of language."
"Ultimately, writing should be a pleasure in some way," Pierce said.
The magic of language
From an early age, Pierce read anything she could get her hands on.
"I always really enjoyed words, whether they were in poems or not," Pierce said. "Language, in general, is always something that was magical to me."
Pierce grew up in Delaware and lived there until she went to college. In second grade, her class learned about haiku, a type of short form poetry that originated in Japan.
"I remember just being so delighted with it," she said. "It was so much fun to be able to make a picture out of words."
She’s written poems and stories ever since.
Her career in poetry and teaching happened organically.
She majored in English with a creative writing emphasis during her undergraduate studies at Susquehanna University in Pennsylvania, followed by an MFA in poetry from Ohio State University and, eventually, a Ph.D. from the University of Missouri.
During her time at Ohio State, she worked as a teaching assistant. Although early in life, Pierce didn’t plan on becoming a teacher — it wasn't even on her radar — as soon as she stepped into the classroom as an instructor, she knew she wanted to keep doing it.
As a teacher, one of Pierce's great joys is sharing poetry with students she affectionately calls "poetry skeptics” — those who think they don't like or just don't get poetry. Or maybe they've been told "this is what you have to do with a poem" and feel as if they can't crack the code.
These days, Pierce teaches an introductory creative writing class covering poetry and fiction at MSU, along with upper level poetry classes like intermediate poetry and craft of poetry.
She and her husband, Michael Kardos, moved to Starkville to work at Mississippi State in 2007. Along with Pierce, Kardos serves as co-director of MSU's creative writing program and is also a fiction professor. The couple has two sons, 11-year-old Sam and 8-year-old Wyatt.
In her classes, Pierce walks students through contemporary poems, pulling them apart to look within at the ways language and images are being used, all the while thinking about the many purposes poetry can serve.
In upper-level classes, Pierce focuses on helping students develop their aesthetic bravery as they're writing and think about their own voices as writers. She helps them discover what they're drawn to and what style they naturally gravitate toward.
The writing process and inspiration
Between teaching and raising a family, there are days when Pierce is too busy to sit down and write.
"There are days when I plan ahead to prioritize the writing, and there are days when I plan ahead and say, 'This is the day when I am just grading student work and taking my kids to dentist appointments,'" Pierce said.
It's all about finding the right balance. Giving herself permission to have non-writing days helps her to focus her attention solely on writing when the time comes.
Pierce has found that teaching poetry helps with her own writing. Class discussions link with what she's writing and vice versa.
"I try to make teaching as much of a conversation as it can be," Pierce said. "We're all figuring things out."
Since Pierce moved to Mississippi 15 years ago, the state's natural beauty has crept into her writing.
"I'm really drawn to the lushness of Mississippi and the intensity of the natural world here," Pierce said. "Everything is sort of dialed up to 11 in terms of the nature in Mississippi."
On walks with her kids and their dog, Roxy, Pierce pays close attention to the seasons, the flowers on the trees and the birdsong resonating overhead. From the size of the insects to the rapid growth of lawns in spring, Pierce has an eye for nature. But she's particularly interested in weather and climate.
Her third book is titled "The Tornado is the World," and her most recent book, "Danger Days," is a collection of poetry to "celebrate our planet while also bearing witness to its collapse."
"Like a lot of people living here, it's something that's on my mind a lot," Pierce said of the weather, which has increasingly affected her day-to-day life, as it has the lives of all Mississippians.
Serving as Mississippi's poet laureate
In April 2021, Pierce was named Mississippi's poet laureate. In that honorary position, she'll serve as an ambassador for poetry and the literary arts in the state through 2025.
"Poetry is for everyone" serves as a mission statement of sorts for her work.
"My goal is to try to increase access to poetry for people in Mississippi in ways that are meaningful for them," Pierce said. "I want to shine a light on a range of poems, poets and writers in general that we have in the state, that we've had in the state. We have such an incredible literary landscape here and I think it's really inspiring for people to know about that."
As part of her role as poet laureate, Pierce hosts The Mississippi Poetry Podcast. Each episode features a different Mississippi poet — like Aimee Nezhukumatathil or C. Liegh McInnis — reading a poem, sharing what inspired them to write it and offering advice for aspiring poets.
Each 15-minute episode is paired with a supplemental resource for educators and community groups.
"The podcasts are intended to be friendly, fun and lively and to help everyone, but especially younger people in our state, see that poetry is being written by Mississippians,” Pierce said. “Poetry is for everyone.”
She also writes a monthly column called "Poetry Break," with a goal of providing people with tools to try their hand at writing poetry.
"A lot of times, people feel cut off from poetry or think 'Well, it's not really something that I want to try or it's not something that I really should try. I'm not going to be any good at it,'" Pierce said. "I think a lot of times, all people need is a track to run on. They just need a place to start."
Pierce is also working with Tracy Carr, deputy director of library services for the Mississippi Library Commission, to put together "poetry walks" for libraries in Mississippi where people can walk outside and read a poem while doing so.
Pierce describes it as "a way to get poetry out into people's everyday lives so that it doesn't feel like something that's in a dusty book on a really tall shelf."
Poetry is everywhere, she said, for those who simply look and listen.
"It's something that's right here; it's for all of us," she said. "It's in the garden when we're walking, it's in the newspaper; and it's just around."
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https://www.djournal.com/news/local/poetry-is-for-everyone-mississippi-poet-laureate-catherine-pierce-wants-to-share-the-joy-of/article_0177c995-3b80-529d-b046-f70d68e8482d.html
| 2022-05-11T10:35:40
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More than 900,000 speeding tickets have been issued along the Roosevelt Boulevard since the start of a speed camera program in June 2020. And, the agency monitoring the program says there are signs that electronic speed monitoring is slowing drivers down.
According to a new Philadelphia Parking Authority (PPA) report, speeding violations are down more than 91% as of last November.
The release of the new data in the Roosevelt Boulevard Automated Speed Camera Annual Report came as the parking agency asked the city to make funding for the camera program permanent.
The speed camera program went into effect in June 2020 with the goal to decrease speeding and help prevent some of the tragic crashes that the Roosevelt Boulevard, a.k.a. U.S. Route 1, has become infamous for.
In the nine months or so of the speed cam program, more than 700,000 traffic tickets were issued, the PPA said. Then from Feb. 2021 to Feb. 2022 another nearly 225,000 fines were issued. The violations were mailed out after the PPA started using speed cameras at eight intersections.
When the program began in June 2020, about 1.66% of traffic volume was issued a citation, the PPA said. That number has steadily dropped to 0.07% of the nearly 13 million drivers using Route 1 in Northeast Philadelphia in February 2022, according to PPA data. The agency is still collecting numbers for the most recent months.
Roosevelt Boulevard, also known as U.S. Route 1, runs through Philadelphia from the Schuylkill River to the city's border with Bucks County. The 12-lane highway is particularly deadly for pedestrians over the last two decades, and the speed cameras were installed to lower the average speed of drivers.
Seeing success in slowing down drivers, the PPA is looking to expand the speed cam program.
They would like to add cameras to two new intersections, the West Roosevelt Boulevard between 7th and 9th streets and Roosevelt Boulevard near Summerdale and Pratt after NBC10 reported on a deadly crash that happened there in November 2021.
The program is set to expire in 2023 but the PPA is hoping the success will have the city allocate more money to keep it and expand it beyond just the Boulevard.
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https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/roosevelt-boulevard-speed-cameras-northeast-philadelphia/3235193/
| 2022-05-11T10:41:50
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https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/roosevelt-boulevard-speed-cameras-northeast-philadelphia/3235193/
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Clearwater Park marks 75 years of family fun in Lake Township
LAKE TWP. – Locals know the place as Clearwater Park, but for folks outside the area it's a popular stop in the Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park Camp-Resorts network.
The 46-acre campground is celebrating 75 years in business this year, with the past 20 years under the ownership of Mert and Charlene Yoder.
Located at the intersection of Hoover Avenue and Edison Street NW, the park features Stark County's largest swimming pool. It also has 175 camp sites — including 10 cabins — for recreational vehicles or tent campers.
It's all about family entertainment, Mert Yoder said.
"This whole place is based on families and nothing but," he said.
More:Bring on summer: Here's when 16 parks and resorts in Ohio will open this summer
The park opened in 1947. Originally owned by the Hostetler family, the park started with a mini-golf course followed by a large swimming pool. Families would come to Clearwater for mini golf and swimming, then pitch a tent to camp overnight and repeat the fun the next day.
"The camping was kind of an accident," Mert Yoder said.
Everybody loves Yogi Bear
Campers come for weekends, weeklong vacations and even the entire season, which runs from early May through the end of October. Erin Colston, the park's operations manager, said about 65 spaces are set up for season-long camping.
Many campers are from the area, with the majority driving about three hours or less to reach the park. But being part of the Jellystone network brings visitors from around the country. A few years ago, vehicles from 42 states visited the park during a single season.
Clearwater has been connected with Jellystone since 2013 and operates as the Akron Canton Jellystone Camp-Resort. The Cincinnati-based company approached Clearwater about joining the network and the arrangement has worked well for the park, Mert Yoder said.
Along with camping, swimming and mini-golf, the park offers an assortment of activities aimed at keeping children between the ages of 3 and 12 entertained. That includes visits with Yogi, Boo Boo and Cindy bear — cartoon characters made famous by Hanna-Barbera.
"Everybody loves the bear," Colston said of Yogi and his friends.
The Yogi Bear theme is featured throughout the park. For example, there is the Pic-A-Nic Basket where guests can get snacks, including homemade ice cream made by Charlene Yoder.
There is a family fun zone on the grounds that features archery, basketball, a bike track, playground and other activities.
While campers from outside the area frequent the park, it remains popular with locals, Colston said. Area residents visit to use the pool, get ice cream or play mini-golf. Memberships are available. Only campers and members can use the swimming pool on Saturdays.
The park has a management team of eight. While the Yoders help at the park, they leave key management duties in the hands of their staff.
During the summer months, with campers filling the park, staff numbers rise to more than 50. Many employees are high school students or teachers who have free time in the summer, Colston said.
Chamber business expo on Thursday
The Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce has its 2022 Business Expo on Thursday at the Kent State University Stark campus.
Local businesses will showcase products and services. Area restaurants are participating in the "Taste of Stark," sponsored by Spectrum.
The annual event, presented by AultCare, is from 4 to 8 p.m. in the Conference Center.
ProVia nets Energy Star award
Sugarcreek-based building material manufacturer ProVia has received the Energy Star award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy.
The agencies presented the 2022 Energy Star Partner of the Year–Sustained Excellence Award to the company. It's the 15th year that ProVia has received the award.
The award recognizes companies that lead their industry in production, sale and adoption of energy-efficient products, along with services and strategies. In addition to making energy efficient doors, the company follows multiple practices aimed at helping to keep the environment clean.
ProVia building products include entry doors, storm doors, patio doors, windows, vinyl siding, manufactured stone and metal roofing. The company has three facilities in Sugarcreek, along with sites in Strasburg, Baltic and Booneville, Mississippi.
New vehicle sales down
Sales of new vehicles continue to trail 2021 numbers, according to the Greater Cleveland Automobile Dealers' Association.
Northeast Ohio dealers sold 16,936 new vehicles in April, a 34% drop from the 25,667 sold a year ago. Through the first four months, dealerships in the 21-county region have sold 67,020 vehicles, a 22.6% drop from 86,609 sold in 2021.
The availability of new vehicles isn't keeping up with customer demand, said Louis A Vitantonio, the dealers' association president.
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https://www.cantonrep.com/story/news/local/2022/05/11/lake-townships-clearwater-park-marks-75-years-offering-family-fun-jellystone-camp-resort-yogi-bear/9651630002/
| 2022-05-11T11:03:37
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FORT WORTH, Texas — A person died after a driver who was eluding police crashed into their vehicle in Fort Worth late Tuesday night, officials said.
The crash happened shortly before midnight at the intersection of Trinity Boulevard and South Main Street, just south of Euless in far northeast Fort Worth.
Euless officers had tried to stop a vehicle that was heading east on Euless Boulevard, but the suspect drove away, police said.
The suspect then crashed into another vehicle on South Main Street, police said. The suspect tried to get away on foot but was arrested by police at the scene.
The driver of the other vehicle suffered serious injuries and died, police said. They have not yet been identified.
More information about the crash was not yet available Wednesday morning. Police were still investigating.
The name of the suspect has not been released. Police said he was taken into custody on a charge of evading arrest.
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https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/euless-south-main-boulevard-driver-killed-chase-suspect-crashes-into-them-fort-worth-texas/287-8a5ee100-9bf8-4ab8-a9a0-af85210b3727
| 2022-05-11T11:57:06
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https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/euless-south-main-boulevard-driver-killed-chase-suspect-crashes-into-them-fort-worth-texas/287-8a5ee100-9bf8-4ab8-a9a0-af85210b3727
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A man was found shot to death inside of a car next to Tacony Creek State Wednesday morning.
Officers were called to East Tabor Road and Bingham Street in the Olney section of Philadelphia just after 6 a.m.
Police discovered a man deceased in the driver's seat of a silver sedan parked along the sidewalk.
NBC10’s Miguel Martinez-Valle reported the driver door was open and a portion of a man's body could be seen. The back window was also shot out.
Surrounding the car were several shell casing markings.
Officers were knocking on doors of homes in the area, possibly trying to talk to neighbors and obtain surveillance video, Martinez-Valle said.
No arrests have been made.
Local
Breaking news and the stories that matter to your neighborhood.
Entering Wednesday, there were at least 169 homicides in Philadelphia in 2022. That's down 10% from the same time last year, which was ultimately the city's deadliest on record.
This is developing story. Check back for updates.
There are additional resources for people or communities that have endured gun violence in Philadelphia. Further information can be found here.
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https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/man-found-shot-dead-inside-car-near-tacony-creek-park/3235231/
| 2022-05-11T12:26:23
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https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/man-found-shot-dead-inside-car-near-tacony-creek-park/3235231/
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| 2022-05-11T12:26:25
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https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/massive-great-white-shark-ironbound-spotted-off-jersey-shore/3235249/
| 2022-05-11T12:26:28
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https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/massive-great-white-shark-ironbound-spotted-off-jersey-shore/3235249/
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It is a clear and coolish start this morning across Central Alabama. Temperatures are in the 50s and 60s.
Today will be sunny and hot as the ridge of high pressure builds a little more west into Alabama. High temperatures will be around 90°. This could be the first 90° days of the year! Make sure you find ways to stay cool and hydrated! This weather is perfect for the Pro AM of the Regions Tradition Golf Championship today at Greystone Golf and Country Club.
Tonight, a weak disturbance will move in from the north. This will make it partly cloudy and could bring parts of Central Alabama a few showers. Lows will be in the lower to mid 60s.
We will dry out on Thursday, and it will remain sunny as the ridge starts to build back to the west. We will be a little “cooler,” but will be very warm with high temperatures in the mid to upper 80s. Remember the average high temperature this time of year is only 81°, so we will be well above average.
The ridge starts to break down on Friday as an upper-level low along the Southeast U.S. Coast moves into Georgia/Florida. We will still have pleasant weather, but it will not be as hot. It will be mostly sunny to partly cloudy with a slight chance for a shower over Eastern Alabama. High temperatures will be in the lower to mid 80s.
Weekend Outlook: The low will move north on Saturday across Georgia and the Carolinas. An upper-level wave will move south across Mississippi and Western Alabama too. These features will make it partly cloudy on Saturday with a few showers or storms. High temperatures will be in the mid to upper 80s. Overall, the weather will not be too bad for the last two round of the Regions Tradition Golf Tournament this weekend.
A weak cold front will move toward Alabama from the west on Sunday. This will push the remnants of the low to the northeast and bring us a partly cloudy sky with a slight chance for a shower or storm. We will still be very warm with highs in the mid to upper 80s. The cold front will move into Central Alabama Sunday night and Monday, and then will stall across the Deep South. This could bring us a few more showers Sunday night and Monday.
Follow Us on Facebook: Chief Meteorologist Ashley Gann, Meteorologist Dave Nussbaum, Meteorologist Michael Haynes and Meteorologist Alex Puckett
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https://www.cbs42.com/news/local/we-could-be-around-90-today-across-central-alabama-then-back-to-the-80s-the-rest-of-the-week/
| 2022-05-11T12:27:17
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Backlash was swift -- and mounting -- after an accused turnstile jumper awaiting sentencing in a weapons case allegedly shot an NYPD officer in the Bronx following a chase Tuesday night, with the mayor saying he never should've been on the street.
The officer, whose name has not been shared publicly, was released from the hospital hours after being shot in the arm near Third Avenue and Claremont Parkway in the borough's Claremont section around 10:45 p.m. The suspected shooter, 25-year-old Rameek Smith, was shot in the head when officers returned fire.
Smith, who a senior law enforcement official said has a history of mental illness, was said to be in critical condition at a hospital as of Wednesday morning, police sources said. He has multiple previous arrests, including one for robbery on Staten Island in July 2016. Smith pleaded guilty and received five years probation in that case.
While on probation he was again locked up for criminal possession of a weapon after allegedly being caught with a gun while evading a subway fare at a Coney Island subway stop in March 2020. Cops questioning him allegedly found a 32-caliber handgun on him. That case is still open, police said, after Smith pleaded guilty in December and was released on his own recognizance. He is awaiting sentencing.
Mayor Eric Adams was outraged Smith was on the street with that case pending.
"This is what we're dealing with — a perpetrator with multiple arrests. The last arrest: criminal possession of a weapon. How was he found to have been carrying the weapon? Jumped the turnstile at the subway station, and had the weapon on him," the Democrat said at an early Wednesday press conference. "People want to ask why am I cracking down on fare evasions? That's why."
More on Gun Violence
The shooting came ahead of an announcement by Adams and NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell scheduled for Wednesday afternoon about public safety in the city.
"Our city is divided. The overwhelming number of New Yorkers are the good guys. A small number of violent people are the bad guys," Adams said.
He added that the officer who was shot, as well as that officer's father-in-law, are both on the neighborhood safety teams, which target illegal guns.
"You have family members in the city that are saying we're tired of living in violence, and they are up against those who believe we should be spending our attention protecting criminals. Who the hell will protect the innocent New Yorkers in this city?" Adams asked. "It is time for us to stop spending our energy protecting people who are committing crime and violence. This person has an extensive arrest history, he has made up his mind - he was not going to stop until he took the life of an innocent person."
Adams struck a hard pro-police line as he said he was "tired of the complaints about officers who are doing their job. We put these officers on the front lines, father and son on the front line...we spend more attention critiquing their actions. Let's critique the actions of those committing the crimes in this city."
He also criticized recent bail reform changes, blaming the number of shootings in the city on offenders being released after arrests. Seven police officers were shot in the first two weeks of 2022 alone. Two of them died. More have been wounded since.
In the latest case, the cop who was shot was one of two anti-crime officers, both members of the department's new public safety teams, patrolling in uniform and in an unmarked police vehicle, when they saw the suspect and approached him. He took off.
The officers ran after him, heading west before going up Bathgate Avenue during their block-and-a-half chase. That's when the man turned toward them and fired two shots, NYPD Chief of Detectives James Essig said at a press conference early Wednesday.
The officers returned fire, striking Smith in the head, according to police sources. He was listed in critical condition at St. Barnabas Hospital, police said. Cops haven't said how many times he was shot, but Smith's family said it appeared to be seven or eight times, with the critically injured man's brother saying police "blew his head off."
- They do not know why the suspect was stopped. The family says he’s regularly harassed by police simply because he has a record & was minding his business.
- Police have not released how many times the officer shot the suspect. The suspect’s brother said he was shot 7-8 times and they “blew his head off”.
The officer was taken to Lincoln Hospital after taking a bullet to the arm but was released within hours and is expected to make a full recovery.
A 9-mm Glock handgun was recovered at the scene. Officials said the firearm was stolen from Richmond, Virginia, in June 2021.
Smith is believed to have lived in a homeless shelter on Staten Island but had family members with addresses nearby in the Bronx. Those relatives say they don't know why cops tried to stop Smith in the first place. They allege he is regularly harassed by police because he has a record and that he was minding his own business Tuesday night.
Attorney information for Smith was not immediately available.
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/who-the-hell-will-protect-innocent-nyers-backlash-mounts-after-latest-cop-shooting/3681787/
| 2022-05-11T12:39:37
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/who-the-hell-will-protect-innocent-nyers-backlash-mounts-after-latest-cop-shooting/3681787/
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CLACKAMAS, Ore. (KOIN) — Following the Labor Day 2020 wildfires, Clackamas Fire developed a 20-person hand crew that mitigates the growth of wildfires locally. The crew is also sent elsewhere in Oregon and to other states.
Izak Hamilton, the spokesperson for the Clackamas Fire District, said Crew 30 — housed at Station 14 in Boring — means they can tackle the wildfire threats in the county without having to wait for other crews to come in.
“We have a building in the back and they are preparing for wildfire season right now,” Hamilton told KOIN 6 News. “They’re out right now doing a bunch of training, saw training, back burning. They’re training with … a couple helicopter companies that we’ve partnered with.”
The Oregon State Fire Marshal’s office said 80% of wildfires are human caused. Rain in the forecast and snow in the last month does not mean we are wildfire immune.
KOIN Coverage: Wildfires
“As far as the risk, we can’t say it’s less than last year or better than last year because you look outside, it’s wet and rainy. So we hope the risk is less than last year,” he said. “But the weather could change, the humidity goes away, the temperature goes away and in the matter of a week the risk goes back up.”
There’s really no start date for wildfire season because it’s always a threat.
“It’s common in our area for it to be raining one day and be dried out and 80 degrees the next. So realistically as far as preparing for wildfire season, you just never know and you want to be best prepared and at this point we’re ready because it’s been consistent.”
ClackCo Wildfire Preparedness 31-Day Challenge
Tips to help cut down on the threat of wildfire include:
- Keep dry fuel cut down and moved at least 30 feet away from your home
- Trim tree that are touching each other, allowing vertical and horizontal space
- Keep it tidy
Clackamas County is also hosting events to teach neighbors about defensible space and how to best protect themselves from potential wildfire danger.
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https://www.koin.com/local/clackamas-county/clackco-crew-30-preparing-for-wildfire-season/
| 2022-05-11T13:02:00
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https://www.koin.com/local/clackamas-county/clackco-crew-30-preparing-for-wildfire-season/
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PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Crews battled a large blaze at a Southeast Portland care home that left a number of residents displaced early Wednesday morning, officials said.
At 1:56 a.m. Portland Fire & Rescue tweeted that firefighters responded to a 3-alarm fire near SE Pardee Street and SE 122nd Avenue. Portland police were also called to the scene to help manage traffic.
While crews worked to put out the raging flames, TriMet buses arrived at the scene to keep residents out of the cold.
According to fire officials, all the residents made it out, and one person was rushed to the hospital with minor injuries.
Officials have not yet said what caused the fire. An investigation is underway.
KOIN 6 News reporter Emma Jerome contributed to this report.
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https://www.koin.com/local/multnomah-county/1-hurt-many-displaced-after-care-home-goes-up-in-flames/
| 2022-05-11T13:02:06
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https://www.koin.com/local/multnomah-county/1-hurt-many-displaced-after-care-home-goes-up-in-flames/
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For the year-end project of San Francisco State University’s video game composition class, the assignment was to help players find their way out of a hedge maze. The only clues revealing the correct path to the exit were of the musical variety. A wrong turn might result in a dissonant clash of violin harmonies, while a correct decision shifted the tone to an uplifting melody that sounded like something from a Danny Elfman soundtrack.
“Movie music is very linear, it goes from point A to point B, from the beginning to the end,” says 23-year-old Sydney Roberts, who commutes two hours from Livermore. “Video game music gives the illusion of linear music, but it’s very non-linear. The music follows what the player does, not what the story does.”
The hedge maze was an example of the unique functional challenges presented by music in games, which has in turn spawned a cottage industry of composers and sound designers hoping to find the professional musician’s holy grail: steady employment.
The SFSU course teaches young musicians about one of the most viable career paths in a profession that’s becoming less and less viable, especially in San Francisco. In a survey of 600 artists in general, the San Francisco Arts Commission found more than 70% had left SF or were about to be displaced. Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics states that there are 830 professionals working in the Bay Area under the categories of music directors, composers, musicians and singers (that’s not counting teachers), with the mean income level at $75,080 — an impressive salary in some cities, but low enough to qualify for affordable housing in San Francisco.
Within the gaming world, salaries for musicians are substantially higher, with an average national salary of $88,140 based on a 2021 survey of industry professionals. That said, only 6 out of 10 people working in gaming audio are employed by companies, with many opting instead for freelance work. As gaming industry revenue surpassed $200 billion in 2021, with expectations to grow to $435 billion by 2028, according to one market research firm, it’s becoming one of the few revenue musical income streams on the rise. But even with college-level training, a job is far from guaranteed.
Choose your fighter
Like any profession, working in the gaming industry requires specific training, and several Bay Area operations have popped up to help gigging musicians learn how to take their skills from the stage to “The Sims.” San Francisco State University’s program might be the most notable, as professor Steve Horowitz literally wrote the book on the industry and he also runs an online school called the Game Audio Institute.
Horowitz stumbled into the industry almost by accident. Early in his career, he was just a bass player who loved Frank Zappa and ran a recording studio in Emeryville. Then a serendipitous conversation led him to the world of game audio.
“A friend of mine came to town and he was like, ‘Have you ever thought about making your living writing music for games?’ And I was like, ‘No, I went to CalArts,’” he said, describing his music degree. “I was supposed to write music and die poor,” Horowitz said.
Eventually, Horowitz landed a full-time job as the audio director for Nickelodeon, where he worked as the audio director on games related to iconic franchises like “SpongeBob SquarePants,” “Dora the Explorer” and “Star Trek,” and now has 1,000 titles to his name (as well as releasing albums of his own music).
Now he’s made it a mission to help foster the next generation of video game composers. In the class students flex their composition and production chops, using the school’s pro equipment to record string sections, but also learn proficiency in video game creation engines like Unity, as well as the nuts and bolts of navigating the industry.
Once you start noticing how big a part music plays in gaming (say for instance, you find yourself stuck in a hedge maze in front of a group of strangers), it’s hard to ignore. Now when Horowitz plays a game like the Western adventure game “Red Dead Redemption,” he walks into the saloon and spends more time studying the piano player than trying to find missions.
“If you stay long enough, one piece ends and another starts. You see the layers of adaptivity put into these games to make the game play experience and the sound match, and give you music as information inside the game.”
Level One
Recent SFSU graduate Austin Smith, a 31-year-old who lives in the city, first fell in love with video game music via the “Final Fantasy” series.
“I grew up playing very beautiful experiences like ‘Final Fantasy XII.’ The music is just highly memorable and soulful. Those kinds of experiences stuck with me over the years, I would always go back and listen to that music,” he said. “This is legitimate music in these sort of silly-looking games. It’s a legitimate art form.”
Until video game composers land a full-time position, journeymen like Smith typically begin their careers doing freelance work while juggling second jobs. One of Smith's biggest gigs came through Strawberry Hill Music. Based in Novato, the studio was hired for the desktop RPG “Initial 2,” and Smith served as lead sound designer on the project alongside three other employees. The team produced about 26 tracks and more than 400 other sound effects. He was paid $30 per hour for the work, taking in roughly $4,000 for the project over the course of a few months. The work moves much quicker than more traditional musical pursuits like writing and recording an album, which appeals to Smith.
“With a lot of music tasks, they’re high commitment, meaning you may work on an album for a year. With sound design, it’s more an iterative process,” he says. “Sure, you’re working on the same project for as long, but you’re moving onto the next thing in a day, not sitting with the same album for 8 months."
Another route for fledgling composers are “game jams,” where indie game developers spend anywhere from 24 hours to a month hacking away at creating demos.
“I build my portfolio and personal experiences through these game jams,” Roberts says. “The last one, I was the music lead for it. So I ended up writing a Gregorian-esque sort of chant for it, because it was a medieval apothecary simulator.”
Final Fantasy
When most musicians begin their journey playing an instrument, they usually have dreams of performing onstage in a band rather than scoring a game. But for Alex Heselton — an SF resident who has spent much of the pandemic in London — the goal was always to hear her music on a small screen, specifically in video games.
“All I ever wanted to do since I was a kid was video game audio. Most kids want to be astronauts, or a doctor,” she says. “It was video game music that got me into playing, it was always in the back of my mind that that was the path I was trying to do.”
Like Smith, Heselton took inspiration from hours playing “Final Fantasy IX” as a child. She left high school early to attend a music conservatory in the north of England and eventually made her way to the Bay Area, but the siren song of tech was hard to ignore. She did a coding boot camp but couldn’t forget her drive to succeed in the music industry.
“Usually once people get in tech, they stay there. But I just couldn’t not do music,” Heselton said.
She then enrolled in the video game audio program at San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Those courses, as well as local networking meet-ups and a mentor who advocated for more women in gaming, helped her return to music and enter the industry as an audio generalist at EA with a starting salary around $80,000. Her career trajectory eventually leads to the position of audio director, which can pay up to $200,000 per year. This niche intersection between the tech industry and creative class helps musicians not only survive in SF, but thrive.
“As much as you can hate the tech companies, there is that pathway for musicians where you can make a living doing audio, and that frees you up to do your own craft in your space time,” Heselton says. She notes that most of her co-workers play in bands in their free time, with several metalheads who’ve been on the team for over a decade.
Over time, Heselton began to specialize in recording and coaching voice actors. That concentration proved versatile enough to transcend gaming, bringing her to a short tenure at Google on the team that developed Google Assistant. However she once again was pulled back into gaming and rejoined EA, albeit working remotely from London due to the pandemic (she plans to move back in the next few months). While helping direct the voice actors on “The Sims” — a game she played for countless hours as a kid — Heselton developed a greater appreciation for how a video game can be just as personal and transformative a piece of art as an album.
“I realized how impactful a game it can be. It’s such a queer-friendly game, so many people get to live out their true lives through it and have come to realize that they’re queer,” Heselton says. “That kind of opened my eyes. I’m not doing rocket science, but in a small way hopefully I’m having some good impact on the world.”
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https://www.sfgate.com/local/article/video-games-sustain-SF-musicians-17162324.php
| 2022-05-11T13:23:07
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https://www.sfgate.com/local/article/video-games-sustain-SF-musicians-17162324.php
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AUSTIN, Texas — A wave of employees calling to unionize is flooding the country, including Texas, but what's causing it?
According to federal data, just under 4% of workers are members of unions here.
Within the past year, we've seen two local Starbucks locations, an Alamo Drafthouse and Integral Care employees all try to unionize in Austin. The groups are pushing for things like better pay and safer work environments.
So what's causing this shift? Experts say there are multiple factors, including inflation, rallying for social justice and unsafe working environments during the pandemic.
"One is what has happened since COVID," said Michael Z. Green, a labor law professor at Texas A&M University School of Law. "Two, you do have more support in the federal administration and the Biden administration. Then three, the new generation of workers who are coming into the workplace and taking this on as activists themselves."
Green said the influx of people moving to Texas also plays a role. He said, for example, California has more employee-centered laws.
"California is generally known as a state that has many more laws addressing worker protections," said Green. "So certainly if you have people who are migrating from states where they believe, where they've seen that in practice, it can certainly affect their beliefs."
Green said there's a misconception that people can't unionize in Texas. You can, but it may not be easy.
Texas is a right-to-work state, meaning an employee can't be forced to join a union to work somewhere. Green said that makes it harder to maintain a union. He noted in right-to-work states, unions still have to support employees who do not pay dues, which in turn hurts unions in those states.
Along with most states, Texas has an "at-will" employment policy. That means an employer can fire someone for pretty much any reason with a few exceptions, including being part of a union.
Trying to unionize, Green said, could create risks for employees.
"There has been a lot of data that shows once a union organizing campaign starts, a lot of the leaders of those campaigns are really at risk for losing their jobs," said Green.
Those are risks that Green said some local workers are willing to take to live comfortably.
We expect an update on the unionization efforts of those Austin businesses within the next few months.
On Tuesday, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to recognize House staff members' right to unionize after announcing an increase to their minimum pay.
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/austin-unionizing-texas-risks/269-7e1b53d3-e6ff-4735-97df-57de78dbf54a
| 2022-05-11T13:40:37
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/austin-unionizing-texas-risks/269-7e1b53d3-e6ff-4735-97df-57de78dbf54a
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SAN DIEGO — Along some of California's busiest streets and highways, hanging about ten feet off the ground, stand iron-green colored bells. You've probably driven past a bell without noticing; most of them stand in what are now everyday spots, like the one next to a bus stop on Gilman Drive.
At UC San Diego, Associate Professor of History Dana Velasco Murillo goes through old documents at the Special Collections Library, studying the monuments and the Spanish missions that inspired them.
"The mission system started in the late 1700s," said Prof. Velasco Murillo. "The Spanish crown was trying to populate and settle California to make sure no other foreign powers would come in and try to poach this area.
That race to claim the land sparked the idea of the missions. Following the king's orders Franciscans gathered the Native American tribespeople, sometimes by force to the mission sites to convert them to their religion and impose Spain's ways of life.
"And they then would become the 'vecinos,' or what we would now call citizens or residents of California, giving this area a population base," said Velasco Murillo. "We're talking about a clash of life ways,"
It's a clash representing dark years in the histories of many of California's native tribes.
"For our tribe, it's shameful what they did," said Valentin Lopez, Chair of the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band in Central and Northern California.
Lopez says his ancestors faced the Spanish wave of colonization at two missions. Fast forward to the late 1800s and early 1900s, a time when California was in the middle of a population boom and an identity crisis.
"California was trying to create a kind of image or heritage for itself," Prof. Velasco Murillo explained. "So, they looked to what we call the 'Hispanic Past,'"
That, Velasco Murillo says, started a wave of innovation in architecture, street naming and more, in attempts to attract people to the state. The bells come out of this movement to "romanticize and nostalgist" that "Hispanic Past," said Velasco Murillo.
Throughout the years, several different groups put up the mission bells along "El Camino Real," a road supposedly linking all of California's missions, from San Diego on the south end to Sonoma County on the north end. That memorialization is where some tribes take issue.
"The bells represent slavery, brutality,” said Lopez. "We see them as equal to the confederate flag, the confederate statues,"
Lopez leads RemoveTheBells.org, a campaign to take the bells down.
CBS 8 Anchor Jesse Pagan asked Chair Lopez if other tribes feel the same way.
"Absolutely, absolutely," said Lopez. "For one of the bell removals we had in Santa Cruz, we invited other tribes to join us, and we had representative from a tribe in San Diego [and] from tribes in Los Angeles."
We reached out to several tribes in the San Diego area but did not hear back at the time of airing.
Lopez says his campaign has been successful in taking down some bells. Others have proven to be a challenge, with some arguing removing them and other symbols, like statues of Christopher Columbus would wash history away.
But even outside of the bells, there is a push to add the Native American viewpoint to the standing arc of history.
"We want to continue to teach about the missions, to give that context for what native peoples lived in," said Prof. Velasco Murillo. "But we want to make sure we're nuancing these institutions, we're not just romanticizing them. There's a real, genuine effort on the part of community members, scholars, people working at museums and archives to make sure those indigenous stories are told."
WATCH RELATED: Above Lake Murray in San Diego (May 2022)
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/californias-mission-bells-the-push-to-remove-them/509-0fab8d14-608c-4f2b-88ec-5e62a31f0691
| 2022-05-11T13:40:43
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DENVER — Surrounded by symbols and culture at her store, Truong An Gifts, Mimi Luong represents potential.
Her parents, who lived in Vietnam but were ethnically Chinese, fled the war in 1975 and came to Colorado with basically nothing. Her father and uncle started an Asian grocery store. Her mother started a video rental store that transformed into a gift shop. Then, they had an idea.
"They got all their money together and they decided: We have a lot of family with restaurants and businesses, small businesses, movies, supermarket. Why don’t we make a plaza?" Luong said.
Her family created the Far East Center at South Federal Boulevard and West Alameda Avenue. The shopping area is a place that the Asian American Pacific Islander community in Denver calls its own, Luong said.
On April 16, they came together when the City of Denver offered a formal apology for a violent riot on Oct. 31, 1880, that killed one man and injured hundreds of others in what was then Denver’s Chinatown.
"An apology in itself is empty unless it comes with action,” said Joie Ha, vice chair of Colorado Asian Pacific United (CAPU), which coordinated the event.
Where Chinatown was located in 1880 is now LoDo – a busy area of bars, restaurants, businesses and Coors Field. There’s no evidence that the area used to be a Chinatown, Ha said.
She said an ill-conceived plaque in LoDo on the "Chinese Riot" is offensive and located in the wrong place.
"It's important to note that this plaque, although with good intentions, gives a very one-sided and narrow view of what happened," Ha said.
She said it's reasons like this, and how the City of Denver handled race relations after the riot in 1880, that led to an apology from Mayor Michael Hancock.
"I, Michael B. Hancock, Mayor of the City and County of Denver, by virtue of the authority vested in me and on behalf of our city, do hereby sincerely apologize to the early Chinese immigrants and their descendants," Hancock said at an April 16 ceremony.
Ha said the apology is just the beginning. The City of Denver is also working on placing accurate historical markers regarding the riot and making plans for an Asian American museum.
Denver was the fifth city – and the first outside California – to make this sort of apology to Asian Americans.
"As [an] Asian American born in Colorado, I feel like this is just the beginning of history starting," Luong said.
Luong wants the Far East Center and the surrounding area on Federal from Alameda to West Mississippi Avenue to be officially recognized as "Little Saigon Denver" by the city with a more engaging relationship to celebrate the local Asian American Pacific Islander community.
"We are here, and our voices are getting heard," Luong said.
Photos from Denver's Asian American Pacific Islander community
Ha said this goes a long way toward improving relationships around Denver.
"It's important that we have these ethnic enclaves that provide a safe space for different communities of color, and Far East Center has been one for decades," Ha said.
It's been a safe space for Asians who have been in Colorado and for those who are coming in now, she said.
Su Baw is a refugee who fled her home country of Burma, also known as Myanmar, after decades of oppression of her people, who are known as Karen.
She first crossed the border to Thailand, where she lived in a refugee camp for 15 years before making it to the United States.
"Coming to Colorado, it's very difficult because I don't understand language, and then I used to live in jungle," she said.
She works at the Asian Pacific Development Center in Aurora, an organization that helps immigrant families adjust to life here. She’s also co-founder of a nonprofit organization called Project Kare to help other Karen in Myanmar and refugee camps.
"If we have more refugees coming, I will help them, whatever I can do, whatever I can help them," Su Baw said.
She and other refugees in Aurora are learning to break the language barrier.
"This affects ability for finding good jobs and quality health care," Su Baw said.
It affects their ability to build a new beginning, she said.
"I am happy to come here,” Su Baw said. “Freedom is here."
What is also here, Luong said, is support from a growing Asian American Pacific Islander community.
"Now that we have the connection, I think the refugees or the immigrants that come here will have a better and easier way of starting their new life," she said.
SUGGESTED VIDEOS: Voices of Change
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/denver-apology-1880-riot-asian-americans-want-more/73-7d0799ad-e6da-41c6-9f58-ed38cd200067
| 2022-05-11T13:40:49
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EVANSVILLE, Ind. — Evansville police released a series of videos Tuesday night, one showing dashcam video from the moment Alabama fugitive Casey White was arrested and another showing bodycam footage of jailer Vicky White being pulled from a vehicle after she shot herself when she was caught by U.S. Marshals.
The Vanderburgh County coroner confirmed Vicky White died Monday in an Evansville hospital, hours after she and inmate Casey White were captured by police and U.S. Marshals after a chase in the southwestern Indiana city.
Marshals were pursuing a vehicle driven by Vicky White when the marshals ran their vehicles into the fugitives' car to stop it.
When this happened, Vanderburgh County Sheriff Dave Wedding said Vicky shot herself. She was taken to the hospital with serious injuries and later died.
An Evansville police officer's bodycam footage, which was released on Tuesday, shows first-responders pulling Vicky White from the vehicle and giving her aid.
NOTE: Viewer discretion advised. The following videos may be disturbing for some viewers.
Casey, who was also injured, surrendered. He, too, was taken to the hospital. However, Wedding said his injuries weren't as serious.
Dashcam video from Evansville Police shows Casey on the ground, surrounded by police officers, who arrested him.
At a news conference Tuesday, Wedding said Casey and Vicky were carrying about $29,000 in cash, four handguns and an AR-15 when they were captured. He said Casey White told them the fugitives were prepared to have a shootout with police, even if it meant losing their lives.
According to Wedding, the fugitives had been in Evansville for approximately one week before they were captured.
In a bodycam video from May 4, an Evansville officer was sent to check out a suspicious vehicle at a local car wash.
Investigators later said they believe Casey and Vicky drove that truck was stolen in Tennessee and then driven about 175 miles to Evansville before the pair abandoned it at a local car wash.
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/evansville-police-body-camera-video-vicky-white-casey-white-arrest/531-b4133bfd-7aef-4722-9e4e-b2187a3bdac2
| 2022-05-11T13:40:55
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/evansville-police-body-camera-video-vicky-white-casey-white-arrest/531-b4133bfd-7aef-4722-9e4e-b2187a3bdac2
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DALLAS — On April 8, a 15-year-old girl from North Richland Hills went to a Dallas Mavericks game with her dad at the American Airlines Center.
She went to the bathroom right before halftime.
Surveillance footage showed video of her leaving the arena with a man that night.
A week and a half later, on April 18, police found the teen in a hotel room in Oklahoma City after her parents identified her through nude photos that had been posted online in sex advertisements.
"She was gone missing a total of 11 days," attorney Zeke Fortenberry said.
Fortenberry is representing the family in the ongoing case. Last week, he sent a letter to multiple parties he believes could have done things differently in the situation, possibly even preventing the situation from escalating.
"Our intent is to put [these organizations] on notice that we’re pursuing claims against them for their negligence and other causes of action," Fortenberry said.
In the release sent out by Fortenberry's office late last week, American Airlines Center, the Dallas Mavericks, the Dallas Police Department and the Oklahoma City hotel where the teen was found were all listed as parties that could have prevented the situation.
Fortenberry said the teen's father notified police at the game when he realized she was missing. But, according to Fortenberry, the father was told to report it to North Richland Hills Police, since that's where he lives.
The father said he was then told to go home.
He said he called North Richland Hills Police that night. Fortenberry said NRH police weren't able to help because, they said, the incident happened in Dallas.
"The family was frustrated," Fortenberry said. "After days of not getting any information from the Dallas Police Department and Dallas Police not taking any action, the family sought out the help of this agency in Houston.”
Fortenberry said the Houston-based human trafficking agency Texas Counter-Trafficking Initiative was able to use their face-recognition technology to help break open the case.
“That agency was able to help them locate the photograph of their daughter online within the same day," Fortenberry said.
That agency then contacted Oklahoma City Police, which is the agency that found the missing teen and arrested eight people in connection to the case.
"The Dallas Police Department never asked for a photo of the daughter," Fortenberry said.
In response to a request from WFAA, Dallas Police confirmed that an off-duty officer who was working the game on April 8 was notified that the teen was missing.
The department said the arena was searched, and shared this about protocol for these situations: "Texas Family Code(51.03 b. 3) dictates that missing juveniles are investigated as runaways unless there are circumstances which appear as involuntary such as a kidnapping or abduction. Those cases per code are to be filed where the juvenile resides."
North Richland Hills Police confirmed to WFAA that they received the report about the missing teen at 1:27 a.m., about six hours after the game started. The department said the teen was entered in the national missing person database by 3:24 a.m. on April 9.
Dallas Police said they helped North Richland Hills PD and created a bulletin for the missing teen that went out to the department on April 11.
Fortenberry said those efforts weren't enough.
“This girl was being sexually assaulted in a hotel room multiple nights," Fortenberry said. "Any time she could have been rescued from that sooner would have been better.”
Fortenberry is also targeting the hotel where the teen was found because, he said, there are multiple signs staff should have picked up on that indicated she was in danger.
"When a 40-something year old man walks in with a 15-year-old girl and rents multiple hotel rooms and then there is traffic coming in and out of those rooms, those are red flags," Fortenberry said.
Additionally, the letter was sent to the AAC and the Dallas Mavericks -- because, according to Fortenberry, the man the teen left with got into the game with a fake ticket that was sold to him by someone known by both organizations for selling fake tickets.
The Mavericks organization has not responded to a request for comment from WFAA.
But, on April 20, after the girl was found, the team released the following statement in conjunction with their arena: "The American Airlines Center (and the Dallas Mavericks) are grateful that the teenager has been found. Both entities will continue to cooperate with local and regional law enforcement on this case."
Fortenberry said he has not yet received a response from any of the parties to whom he sent the letter. But he said he hopes to hear back within the next month, so the situation can be settled without a lawsuit.
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/north-texas-teen-missing-dallas-mavs-game-oklahoma-city-sex-trafficking-sold-sex-advertised-family-says-many-people-couldve-stopped/287-1e1315f5-4e15-4fc0-a20c-4ee39d3a7071
| 2022-05-11T13:41:01
| 1
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/north-texas-teen-missing-dallas-mavs-game-oklahoma-city-sex-trafficking-sold-sex-advertised-family-says-many-people-couldve-stopped/287-1e1315f5-4e15-4fc0-a20c-4ee39d3a7071
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SAN DIEGO — The nationwide baby formula shortage continues with 43% of the top-selling formulas out of stock, according to the most recent data from Datasembly.
The impacts have reached the San Diego Food Bank as baby formula is going out much quicker than donations come in.
The food bank didn't have any baby formula in stock Tuesday evening.
"Our last pallet of formula went out our doors this afternoon so we are doing our best to find formula, not only throughout the state of California, but all the vendors we use throughout the country," said Casey Castillo, the San Diego Food Bank Interim CEO.
The San Diego Food Bank is one of three Diaper Banks in the state. This means they distribute things like diapers, wipes and baby formula to those in need, however baby formula is getting harder to come by.
"We are seeing less of those donations and certainly our nonprofit partners we work with are having a harder time acquiring it as well," Castillo said.
San Diego mother, Miriam Kieling is having a difficult time finding formula.
"It's very anxiety provoking," she said. "It's getting ridiculous."
Her four month old's hypoallergenic formula was already expensive but now it's nearly impossible to find.
"It's a constant hunt. I'm on Facebook like who wants to trade or who has got what?" I think it's getting worse. Target hasn't had it in stock for I don't even know how long," she said.
The formula shortage stemmed from supply chain issues and was then worsened with recalls. CVS, Walgreens and Target have all put limits on how much formula customers can buy at a time.
The Food and Drug Administration announced Tuesday it is working to increase imports and ease the review process to add more supply.
The San Diego Food Bank relies on baby formula donations to help people in need. You can find more information on how to donate, here.
WATCH RELATED: Tackling the teacher shortage | "It is time to hit the re-set button" (March 2022)
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/san-diego-food-bank-impacts-nationwide-baby-formula-shortage/509-b53cf2ec-53e8-44c8-833b-4016b818a320
| 2022-05-11T13:41:07
| 1
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/san-diego-food-bank-impacts-nationwide-baby-formula-shortage/509-b53cf2ec-53e8-44c8-833b-4016b818a320
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GREENBELT, Md. — A Florida man has pleaded guilty in connection with the theft of more than 2,600 checks intended for religious institutions in several states that were deposited into fake bank accounts, a federal prosecutor in Maryland said.
The guilty plea says that from June 2018 to January 2021, Vaduva and at least five others conspired to steal checks intended for religious institutions and deposit them into multiple fraudulent bank accounts. The checks were stolen from roadside mailboxes.
Vaduva and the co-conspirators deposited the stolen checks into bank accounts through ATMs, then withdrew money and spent the proceeds using debit cards.
During five months in 2020, Vaduva deposited or was part of the deposit of at least 49 stolen checks totaling more than $27,000 from churches in Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia into five fraudulently opened bank accounts. Vaduva was apprehended last September.
Vaduva faces up to 30 years in prison and five years of supervised release when he is sentenced on Aug. 8.
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https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/man-pleads-guilty-to-stealing-checks-intended-for-churches/2022/05/11/634725b0-d12e-11ec-886b-df76183d233f_story.html
| 2022-05-11T13:54:07
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https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/man-pleads-guilty-to-stealing-checks-intended-for-churches/2022/05/11/634725b0-d12e-11ec-886b-df76183d233f_story.html
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Lucy, a mini-pig, is seen with Dee Baddorf and Ronald Baddorf, Tuesday, May 10, 2022.
JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star
Lucy, a mini-pig, is seen with Dee Baddorf, Tuesday, May 10, 2022.
JUSTIN WAN Journal Star
Dee and Ronald Baddorf (from left) scratch Lucy, their mini-pig, Tuesday. The Baddorfs are hoping the Lincoln City Council will approve a waiver so they can keep Lucy at their Lincoln home.
JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star
Lucy, a mini-pig, is right at home in Dee and Ronald Baddorf's house.
JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star
Lucy, a mini-pig, is seen at the home of Dee Baddorf and Ronald Baddorf, Tuesday, May 10, 2022.
Margaret Reist is a recovering education reporter now writing about local and county government and the people who live in the city where she was born and raised.
Miss Lucy’s status in the Baddorf household is obvious even before one is welcomed inside: Figurines on the porch, a silver-snouted image on the welcome sign on the door.
And then, the most recent addition, a sign in their front yard that reads: Reasonable Accommodation Request, waiver of L.M.C. 6.04.290 “Keeping of Swine Prohibited.”
The sign also serves as notice of where Dee and Ronald Baddorf will be Monday: In the City Council chambers fighting to keep Miss Lucy.
Because the Juliana mini-pig has captured the hearts of her owners, despite the city ordinance that prohibits her living with them.
Lucy — they call her Miss Lucy because, says Dee, “she’s earned the title” — came into the Baddorfs' lives in February 2021.
Since then, they say, she’s been an emotional godsend who’s helped them both deal with post-traumatic stress disorder, and especially, helped Dee deal with severe depression and anxiety.
Both Baddorfs are military veterans. Dee was in the Army for 14 years and served tours in Iraq and Kosovo. Ronald retired from the Marines in 1995 but later spent time in Afghanistan training military personnel how to find explosive devices.
They moved to Lincoln from Arizona in March 2020 when Ronald got a job at the veteran’s center. Sitting in an office all day reviewing claims didn't suit him and he and Dee now both work for Midlands Packaging Co., a locally owned company they both love.
Dee had always liked pigs, and pictures of Juliana mini-pigs caught her eye. When she found someone selling them in David City, she convinced her reluctant husband to take a drive — just to see them.
Then they met Lucy — a black-and-white piglet small enough to hold in their hands.
“It was, like, love at first sight,” Dee said. “As soon as I held her and she put her little head on my neck, that was it.”
They didn’t know then — in February 2021 — that city ordinance prohibits people from keeping swine, so they brought Lucy home.
It made all the difference to Dee.
“Since that day life just changed,” she said. The animal is intuitive, nudges Dee with her snout when she senses her owner is feeling down. She makes Dee smile. Makes her laugh out loud.
“It’s just so good to see my wife laugh and smile like that,” Ronald said.
Lucy is also not so little anymore. The Baddorfs did their research before bringing her home — had her spayed at a young age, found a farrier to care for her hooves, got coconut oil to rub on her sensitive skin and bought pig food.
They didn’t learn until later that she needed less pig food than they’d been offering (and Lucy had graciously been accepting). So she grew. A lot.
She now weighs in at 150 pounds — still significantly smaller than your run-of-the-mill 300- to 700-pound pig — and is on a diet of fruit, vegetables, oatmeal and chicken. But she loves croissants. And Dee’s strudel.
She sleeps under the Baddorfs' bed (they had to raise it so she’d fit), plays with their cat Charlie, and Gizmo, their Shih Tzu. She sits in the baby pool outside, roots around the yard and loves being gently poked with a hot dog skewer. She has a mattress on the floor of Ronald’s office where she hangs out, and a couple of baskets full of stuffed toys.
Everything was fine, until Dee’s son’s dog snapped at Lucy in March. Dee thinks Lucy just startled the dog, but he’d been seriously abused and was unpredictable. So they decided to give the dog away. They took it to the Capital Humane Society, explained the situation — including that they had Lucy.
The next day, they got a call from Animal Control and had 30 days to take care of Lucy.
The city allows residents to get special permits for various kinds of fowl such as chickens, ducks and geese; and more restrictive permits are available for larger animals — but not pigs, said Steve Beal, the city’s Animal Control manager.
He’s not sure why pigs are singled out in city ordinance, though it calls them a nuisance. Service animals are different — but the American Disabilities Act says only dogs and small horses qualify as service animals.
The Baddorfs called U.S. Sen. Jeff Fortenberry’s office. They called the City Council. Four council members reached out to them, and James Michael Bowers told them to touch base with the city’s Human Rights Commission.
Through that process, they filed a reasonable accommodation request, and the council will hold a public hearing on the resolution Monday. The Baddorfs' neighbors have written letters of support — how the couple has fixed up the home since they bought it, how Lucy is not a bother.
They’ve got letters from their doctors confirming the emotional support Lucy offers and have provided documentation that they are disabled as defined by the federal Fair Housing Act.
This is the first such request in the decade Beal has managed the city’s animal control, and if the council passes the resolution, Lucy gets to stay.
Dee can’t sleep, she’s so worried about the outcome, and can't understand the reasoning, especially since they own their home. But she also thinks that it’s for the best that they found out about the ordinance and will — she hopes — be able to keep Lucy legally. Because they can't afford to move.
“I’m a strong believer that things happen for a reason,” she said. “I just don’t want to lose her.”
So she’ll make the case for the mini-pig that's not known any home but theirs, and hope for the best.
“I can’t imagine life without her,” Dee said. “She’s — for me — home.”
Margaret Reist is a recovering education reporter now writing about local and county government and the people who live in the city where she was born and raised.
In a crowded field of Republicans, Jim Pillen surged to the lead for the first time in results updated at 9:35 p.m., and at 10:25, the Associated Press called the race.
The Associated Press called the race at about 10:30 p.m., and Pillen spoke to supporters gathered at the Embassy Suites in downtown Lincoln at about 11 p.m.
A group of Native community members who opposed the development set up a prayer camp early Monday and had asked the mayor to veto the City Council's approval of the development.
The two state senators already are scheduled to meet in a special election on June 28 to fill the final six months of former Republican Rep. Jeff Fortenberry's remaining term in office.
Kristi Egger, who in January retired from the defender’s office after 33 years and filed to run against Joe Nigro, will face Trevin Preble in November's general election.
Dee and Ronald Baddorf (from left) scratch Lucy, their mini-pig, Tuesday. The Baddorfs are hoping the Lincoln City Council will approve a waiver so they can keep Lucy at their Lincoln home.
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https://journalstar.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/watch-now-lincoln-couple-fighting-to-keep-mini-pig-that-changed-their-lives/article_61fe7f2c-1d70-5537-adfc-985d56d9166a.html
| 2022-05-11T13:56:16
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https://journalstar.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/watch-now-lincoln-couple-fighting-to-keep-mini-pig-that-changed-their-lives/article_61fe7f2c-1d70-5537-adfc-985d56d9166a.html
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Jim Pillen, a Columbus pork producer and University of Nebraska regent armed with strong support from Gov. Pete Ricketts and most of the state's Republican establishment, claimed the GOP gubernatorial nomination Tuesday night.
With a steadily growing margin as the vote count moved westward, Pillen emerged with 33.1% of the vote, to 30.4% for Charles Herbster and 25.9% for Brett Lindstrom.
The Associated Press called the race at about 10:30 p.m., and Pillen spoke to supporters gathered at the Embassy Suites in downtown Lincoln about a half-hour later.
"Nebraska voters made it clear tonight that they value conservative leadership that represents their Christian, conservative values," Pillen said. "I want to thank all those across our great state who helped put our campaign over the top tonight. Tonight, we will celebrate a great victory. Tomorrow, it's back to work in the fight to keep Nebraska great."
Herbster of Falls City, who had the endorsement of former President Donald Trump, said he called Pillen prior to addressing supporters in the 11 o'clock hour.
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Trump came to Nebraska nine days before the election to urge Republican voters to support the cattle producer and businessman.
Herbster had served as Trump's chief agricultural policy adviser and became a familiar figure at White House events.
Lindstrom, who is completing his second term in the Legislature, led in the early counting, but Pillen steadily gained ground as the vote count mounted.
Pillen waged a determined ground game, skipping candidate debates halfway through the campaign to concentrate on appearances in towns and villages throughout the state.
Pillen painted a strong statewide showing, winning counties in the Panhandle, in the Sandhills, across south-central Nebraska and in eastern Nebraska, including a win in Lancaster County.
Lindstrom, 41, offered "a new generation of leadership" that he argued would help Nebraska address its workforce development needs and become more attractive to younger generations. He won in his hometown of Omaha.
Herbster, who won counties along Nebraska's northern tier and in Southeast Nebraska, came under intense attack in the final weeks of the campaign with the surfacing of allegations that he improperly touched or groped a number of women, including Sen. Julie Slama of Sterling, at public events.
Herbster, who poured more than $11 million of his own resources into his campaign, denied the allegations and has gone to court to dispute them.
Ricketts, who became deeply engaged in the battle to succeed him, said Herbster would be "a terrible governor" and later called upon him to withdraw from the race in the wake of the allegations of sexual behavior.
Former Sen. Theresa Thibodeau of Omaha was running fourth behind the leaders in the nine-candidate Republican field.
Sen. Carol Blood of Bellevue won the Democratic nomination and an opportunity to attempt to end a Republican winning streak that has stretched over nearly three decades.
Blood is serving her second term in the Legislature.
Ben Nelson was the last Democrat to be elected governor when he won a second term in 1994. Since then, Republicans have built a commanding voter registration advantage statewide.
Pillen maintained a conservative focus on tax relief coupled with personal devotion to "faith, family and pro-life principles" during his campaign, which ventured into all 93 counties.
Herbster had been viewed as the early front-runner in the crowded Republican primary race, and early polling confirmed that assessment. But both Pillen and Lindstrom made considerable gains in the closing weeks of the campaign.
In his speech to supporters, Herbster said the gubernatorial election was one of the “nastiest” elections in Nebraska’s history. And although he never specifically mentioned the allegations against him, Herbster said he was disappointed that the negativity likely had an impact on the results.
Asked how he came to congratulate Pillen after his backers attacked him during the race, Lindstrom said “it’s just part of politics sometimes.”
“I obviously don’t appreciate it, but I’m not going to respond that way and I never will," he said. "I’ll try to continue to do the right thing. And that was the right thing to do.”
Pillen operates Pillen Family Farms, a large pork production enterprise headquartered in Columbus.
Workforce development, housing, taxes, agriculture and expansion of broadband service in Nebraska have headed his list of priorities.
Nebraska Republicans will celebrate with their nominees Wednesday morning with a general election kickoff event at GOP state headquarters in Lincoln.
Omaha World-Herald reporters Sara Gentzler and Erin Bamer contributed to this report.
Reach the writer at 402-473-7248 or dwalton@journalstar.com.
On Twitter @LJSdon
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https://journalstar.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/watch-now-pillen-wins-hard-fought-republican-gubernatorial-nomination/article_790ca862-42f5-547b-b5ca-af04da3d83ff.html
| 2022-05-11T13:56:23
| 1
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https://journalstar.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/watch-now-pillen-wins-hard-fought-republican-gubernatorial-nomination/article_790ca862-42f5-547b-b5ca-af04da3d83ff.html
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https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/war-vet-serenaded-by-nj-neighbors-on-his-100th-birthday/3235379/
| 2022-05-11T13:57:56
| 0
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https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/war-vet-serenaded-by-nj-neighbors-on-his-100th-birthday/3235379/
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FORT WORTH, Texas — Every day, Felicia Davis fulfills her life’s passion.
Davis, the owner of Ready Set Jump Early Childcare Learning Center in Fort Worth, has served children in Fort Worth for five years. She calls it her mission.
“We need childcare like we need air. We need quality child care,” Davis said.
But the child care industry is facing a national crisis due to low wages and staffing issues.
“Right now, a lot of programs have closed classrooms because they can’t hire the educators,” said Kara Waddell, the CEO of Child Care Associates, one of the largest child development programs in North Texas.
Like many early child care learning centers, Davis’ center stayed open throughout the pandemic, but the problems persist.
“A lot of centers have closed, so now we’re faced with a lot more kids,” Davis said. “We need staff. We’re losing teachers left and right.”
Now, help is on the way.
On Tuesday, the Tarrant County Commissioner’s court offered a lifeline.
County leaders approved a $45 million investment for child care and early learning. The federal funds come from the American Rescue Plan Act.
The county and Child Care Associates will work together to determine the community’s needs and distribute funds.
Of the $45 million, $2 million will go toward strengthening child care businesses and quality, $15 million will go toward stabilizing quality child care and increase whole child supports and $28 million will be used to expand infant-toddler access and infrastructure for highest need families.
“This is a critical investment, not just in our families, but in our early educators,” Waddell said. “Our community took public funds and really took an innovative solution, one that’s child-centered and family centered… and took a chance to expand our infant- toddler care access in the community, it’s the most expensive care… it’s more expensive than attending a public university in Texas.”
Davis, whose center received COVID relief funding, said the newly-approved funding is a critical step toward solving staffing challenges.
“I’m excited," Davis said. "Cause we can do so much for the staff. We’ll be able to give them pay raises so that they’ll stay at our center.”
Her hope is to continue serving the children in her community and watch them grow.
“These kids will become our leaders for tomorrow,” Davis said. They need to know that they’re loved.”
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https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/fort-worth-daycare-tarrant-county-commissioners-just-approved-a-45-million-investment-in-child-care/287-c7c97e0f-d38e-4fe5-a533-3f752f10c0c2
| 2022-05-11T13:59:16
| 0
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https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/fort-worth-daycare-tarrant-county-commissioners-just-approved-a-45-million-investment-in-child-care/287-c7c97e0f-d38e-4fe5-a533-3f752f10c0c2
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A 54-year-old bodega worker on Staten Island was repeatedly bashed in the head with a glass bottle and choked unconscious by a robber who took $2,000 from the register and ran off, authorities said Wednesday.
According to police, the attacker walked into the Victory Boulevard store around 5 a.m. Tuesday and started beating up the worker. First, he hit him a few times with the bottle, then threw him into the ground and choked him until he blacked out, police say.
The man didn't regain consciousness until the suspect was gone. He sought assistance and was taken to a hospital, where he was treated for head lacerations.
Authorities released surveillance footage of the struggle (above). Anyone with information about him is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS.
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/glass-bottle-fists-fly-in-brutal-nyc-bodega-robbery-caught-on-camera/3681925/
| 2022-05-11T14:10:58
| 0
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/glass-bottle-fists-fly-in-brutal-nyc-bodega-robbery-caught-on-camera/3681925/
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Two women have been arrested following the discovery of fetal remains in the basement of a New Jersey home earlier this week -- and neither of them currently live in the house, apparently, authorities said Wednesday.
Nicole Tsentas, a 33-year-old from Emerson, and 36-year-old Amanda Walker of Wayne were arrested Monday on charges of disturbing and desecrating human remains in connection with the grim discovery the homeowners made the prior evening.
Cops were called to a home in the Passaic County township around 5:45 p.m. Sunday after the homeowners reported finding fetal remains in a storage container in their basement. The investigation that followed traced the birth back to July 2020.
According to investigators, Tsentas delivered the child at some point during that month. The baby, she said, wasn't moving or breathing so she took it home, wrapped it in a blanket and put it in her closet, authorities said she told them.
Tsentas confided to Walker about what happened at some point and Walker allegedly helped her move the fetus to the residents in Wayne, where it was put in a storage container in the basement. Walker's connection to the home wasn't immediately clear.
Tsentas asked for the storage container recently, though it's not clear when, and the residents discovered the remains when they went to get it for her, police said.
Autopsy results on the fetus are pending.
News
Both Tsentas and Walker are expected to appear in court later this week. Attorney information for the women wasn't immediately available.
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/shocking-turn-of-events-as-grim-find-in-nj-basement-yields-arrests-of-2-women/3681979/
| 2022-05-11T14:11:20
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/shocking-turn-of-events-as-grim-find-in-nj-basement-yields-arrests-of-2-women/3681979/
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BOISE, Idaho — It’s prom season and traditionally for schools all over the country, it’s a time to pick a prom queen and prom king.
But at Borah High, for the first time in school history, students elected a lesbian couple as prom royalty.
2022 prom queens Kembrie Souza and Madison Cummings are seniors at Borah, and have been dating for almost a year.
"We were still in shock that we won in general, and it wasn't like 'we are lesbians and we won,'" Cummings said. "It was more like 'we won,'"
After some time on the dance floor, Souza and Cummings say they realized it was much more than just the title of prom queens. They said this meant so much more to the LGBTQ community at Borah High School and the entire Gem State.
“They came up to us and they said this means so much, that you guys won this when originally wasn't a gay thing. It was a straight thing,” Cummings said.
Borah High School’s Prom Committee decided to change the name from prom queen and prom king to Prom Royalty to keep the titles gender-neutral.
"When the six nominees were announced, they sent us a separate form to ask for our name and preferred pronouns – like what we wanted to be called if we won,” said Souza.
Souza and Cummings hope this win will help open doors for future students to run for prom royalty.
"I think it's definitely a barrier that a lot of people that are in our situation, in a same-sex relationship, I think it scares them from even trying because on one hand, they might get a lot of backlash from classmates," Cummings said.
Although this year is one for the history books of Borah High School, both Souza and Cummings hope this will help normalize having same-sex prom royalty in the future.
"I think now that we've established that it can happen. People are going to be more likely be who they are on that form," Cummings said. "I think in later years, I think we are going to see that having the same-sex couple winning prom royalty is going to be a normal thing."
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https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/borah-high-same-sex-prom-royalty-history/277-4f0e3dea-1a04-4cfd-8ae1-52d882516d92
| 2022-05-11T14:32:45
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https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/borah-high-same-sex-prom-royalty-history/277-4f0e3dea-1a04-4cfd-8ae1-52d882516d92
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DALLAS — On April 8, a 15-year-old girl from North Richland Hills went to a Dallas Mavericks game with her dad at the American Airlines Center.
She went to the bathroom right before halftime.
Surveillance footage showed video of her leaving the arena with a man that night.
A week and a half later, on April 18, police found the teen in a hotel room in Oklahoma City after her parents identified her through nude photos that had been posted online in sex advertisements.
"She was gone missing a total of 11 days," attorney Zeke Fortenberry said.
Fortenberry is representing the family in the ongoing case. Last week, he sent a letter to multiple parties he believes could have done things differently in the situation, possibly even preventing the situation from escalating.
"Our intent is to put [these organizations] on notice that we’re pursuing claims against them for their negligence and other causes of action," Fortenberry said.
In the release sent out by Fortenberry's office late last week, American Airlines Center, the Dallas Mavericks, the Dallas Police Department and the Oklahoma City hotel where the teen was found were all listed as parties that could have prevented the situation.
Fortenberry said the teen's father notified police at the game when he realized she was missing. But, according to Fortenberry, the father was told to report it to North Richland Hills Police, since that's where he lives.
The father said he was then told to go home.
He said he called North Richland Hills Police that night. Fortenberry said NRH police weren't able to help because, they said, the incident happened in Dallas.
"The family was frustrated," Fortenberry said. "After days of not getting any information from the Dallas Police Department and Dallas Police not taking any action, the family sought out the help of this agency in Houston.”
Fortenberry said the Houston-based human trafficking agency Texas Counter-Trafficking Initiative was able to use their face-recognition technology to help break open the case.
“That agency was able to help them locate the photograph of their daughter online within the same day," Fortenberry said.
That agency then contacted Oklahoma City Police, which is the agency that found the missing teen and arrested eight people in connection to the case.
"The Dallas Police Department never asked for a photo of the daughter," Fortenberry said.
In response to a request from WFAA, Dallas Police confirmed that an off-duty officer who was working the game on April 8 was notified that the teen was missing.
The department said the arena was searched, and shared this about protocol for these situations: "Texas Family Code(51.03 b. 3) dictates that missing juveniles are investigated as runaways unless there are circumstances which appear as involuntary such as a kidnapping or abduction. Those cases per code are to be filed where the juvenile resides."
North Richland Hills Police confirmed to WFAA that they received the report about the missing teen at 1:27 a.m., about six hours after the game started. The department said the teen was entered in the national missing person database by 3:24 a.m. on April 9.
Dallas Police said they helped North Richland Hills PD and created a bulletin for the missing teen that went out to the department on April 11.
Fortenberry said those efforts weren't enough.
“This girl was being sexually assaulted in a hotel room multiple nights," Fortenberry said. "Any time she could have been rescued from that sooner would have been better.”
Fortenberry is also targeting the hotel where the teen was found because, he said, there are multiple signs staff should have picked up on that indicated she was in danger.
"When a 40-something year old man walks in with a 15-year-old girl and rents multiple hotel rooms and then there is traffic coming in and out of those rooms, those are red flags," Fortenberry said.
Additionally, the letter was sent to the AAC and the Dallas Mavericks -- because, according to Fortenberry, the man the teen left with got into the game with a fake ticket that was sold to him by someone known by both organizations for selling fake tickets.
The Mavericks organization has not responded to a request for comment from WFAA.
But, on April 20, after the girl was found, the team released the following statement in conjunction with their arena: "The American Airlines Center (and the Dallas Mavericks) are grateful that the teenager has been found. Both entities will continue to cooperate with local and regional law enforcement on this case."
Fortenberry said he has not yet received a response from any of the parties to whom he sent the letter. But he said he hopes to hear back within the next month, so the situation can be settled without a lawsuit.
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https://www.thv11.com/article/news/local/north-texas-teen-missing-dallas-mavs-game-oklahoma-city-sex-trafficking-sold-sex-advertised-family-says-many-people-couldve-stopped/287-1e1315f5-4e15-4fc0-a20c-4ee39d3a7071
| 2022-05-11T15:16:16
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https://www.thv11.com/article/news/local/north-texas-teen-missing-dallas-mavs-game-oklahoma-city-sex-trafficking-sold-sex-advertised-family-says-many-people-couldve-stopped/287-1e1315f5-4e15-4fc0-a20c-4ee39d3a7071
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by: Austin Franklin Posted: May 11, 2022 / 08:17 AM CDT Updated: May 11, 2022 / 08:17 AM CDT SHARE BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — The Area Agency on Aging of West Alabama joined CBS 42 Morning News to discuss National Older Americans Day. Watch the full interview in the video player above.
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https://www.cbs42.com/news/local/area-agency-on-aging-of-west-alabama-discusses-national-older-americans-day/
| 2022-05-11T15:21:29
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https://www.cbs42.com/news/local/area-agency-on-aging-of-west-alabama-discusses-national-older-americans-day/
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LINCOLN, Ala. (WIAT) — Firefighters were able to rescue dogs that had been caught in a house fire in Lincoln early Wednesday morning.
According to the Lincoln Fire Department, the homeowners were able to safely get out of the house due to working smoke alarms that alerted them to the fire. Firefighters were able to get the homeowners’ dogs out of the house as well.
No information has been released on what started the fire.
The East Providence Volunteer Fire Department assisted in putting out the fire.
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https://www.cbs42.com/news/local/dogs-rescued-from-house-fire-in-lincoln/
| 2022-05-11T15:21:35
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https://www.cbs42.com/news/local/dogs-rescued-from-house-fire-in-lincoln/
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Retired nurse Pam Lewis, 67, of Coquille, is one of three candidates running for Coos County Commissioner, position two. Lewis, non-partisan, faces Republicans John Sweet, the incumbent, and challenger Cristina Bettesworth in the May 17 primary election.
In a recent interview with the World, Lewis criticized Sweet's and co-commissioner Melissa Cribbins' handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, including their upholding of mask mandates. Lewis also believes more should have been done to keep businesses thriving.
She questions the division of labor among the county's three commissioners, whom each oversee multiple departments.
"[Sweet] has six departments that he covers. The others are covering 13 each," Lewis said. "He should be carrying his weight, and it doesn't appear that he is."
Lewis is also critical of Sweet's voting record, which she said appears to mirror Cribbins', and is critical of the commissioners' support of a proposed wind farm, which Lewis said is too risky for taxpayers, especially if it fails.
"If a failed investment falls on the people to pay that bill off, that's not looking out for the people," Lewis said.
Lewis, who had a rural upbringing in Coquille, supports conservative candidate Rod Taylor, who hopes to take the position three seat from Cribbins.
Lewis graduated from Coquille High School, married, began a family and volunteered for nearly 30 years as an EMT. She advanced her career by earning a nursing degree from Southwest Oregon Community College.
She describes herself as a hands-on problem solver who likes to be on the front lines. A woman of faith, a line in a devotional has stuck with her and shaped her life: "true religion that is pleasing to God is to take care of the widows and orphans and their distress."
That saying motivated her and her husband to adopt nine special needs children, with Lewis advocating for all 11 of her children in the classroom and the larger community.
"We brought in nine Black children. There were some challenges, some big challenges. But my philosophy for that was, 'It's time for my town to grow up.' I'm that person that says, 'somebody needs to do something, and I am somebody."
While Lewis raised children, she worked as an EMT, caring for the injured and ill in significant moments of need. Later, she did the same as an emergency room nurse and a home health nurse. Caring. Advising. Healing. Never seeking accolades, never breaking confidence.
The COVID-19 pandemic struck just as Lewis had transitioned out of the emergency room. She spent those first few months administering COVID-19 tests and showing others how to do it.
More recently, she provided care to individuals sick with the virus and who wanted treatments unavailable in hospital settings, like Ivermectin and Hydroxychloroquine.
"I've healed, I don't know how many people, with treatments that were not vaccines," Lewis said. "It was under the radar because we kept our mouth shut, and we went to people's homes, and we treated them, and they kept their mouth shut."
Lewis describes herself as "pro-medical choice," meaning she supports the right of people to make informed decisions for themselves about their care.
If voters elect her to office, Lewis said she'll look at ways to give families more options for educating their children, perhaps through a county school. She'd like to see campgrounds and parks more fully developed, the building permit process streamlined, and commissioner meetings scheduled at times more members of the public can attend.
She'd like to explore whether increased gun ownership could be an effective crime deterrent and supports developing the county's deepwater port.
"I see it [the port] as the big fix. It gives us industry. It gives people hope," Lewis said. "We have seven cities in the county. It gives them all a bigger tax base so that they can develop more industry, more motels, more tourism, more everything."
Whatever the challenge, Lewis said she'll bring the same in-the-trenches approach to elected office as she did to her decades-long role as a first responder.
"I served in the dark of night for 30 years so that I could do CPR, rescue you from a diabetic coma, get you out of a car because you were drunk and spilled your car," Lewis said, adding that not many people knew whom she helped or to what extent she helped them, due to healthcare privacy laws.
"I'm going to be that same kind of a commissioner. I'm going to be digging in the ditch, but I'm going to have to be transparent. I get to be transparent," Lewis said. "It's a different kind of leadership. It is tactile. It is active. It is unafraid. It is courageous leadership. And I intend to bring that to the commissioners."
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https://theworldlink.com/news/local/lewis-courageous-leadership-is-needed/article_7be30526-cfc1-11ec-875b-c711530680d3.html
| 2022-05-11T15:29:25
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https://theworldlink.com/news/local/lewis-courageous-leadership-is-needed/article_7be30526-cfc1-11ec-875b-c711530680d3.html
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John Sweet, Coos County's position two commissioner, is running for reelection in the May 17 primary. Sweet, a registered Republican, has held the position for ten years.
Sweet has said "continued efficient operation of our county and improving our public safety system" are his top priorities.
Sweet's opponents -- Pam Lewis, registered as nonpartisan, and Cristina Bettesworth, a registered Republican -- have both said a decade of service is long enough for any commissioner and that it's time for new ideas.
"I disagree with that. We've brought lots of new ideas to the county," Sweet told the World in a recent interview. "We're not totally dependent on tax money. We've found ways to be more efficient."
Sweet said that the county forest, which has increased by 2,000 acres, generates $3 million per year in revenue, noting that taxes bring in $6 million.
"We operate with the second-lowest county tax operating rate in the state," he said.
Sweet said that the county's public safety needs are numerous, and that understaffing in the prosecutor's office and jail, and a lack of jail capacity, are part of the problem.
"As a result of the lack of prosecution and jail space, there are just certain crimes that go unpunished, Sweet said. "If you're not able to prosecute or incarcerate, there are few deterrents."
He's exploring a way to bring in more funding to address those needs without a hit to taxpayers. Two levies - one for the county gas pipeline and one for the emergency radio communication system - are due to sunset in the next few years. Sweet believes a public safety levy proposed in their place could be a way to capture the needed revenue.
"If we can replace those two tax levies with a public safety levy, we can shore up our public safety system with no additional tax consequences," Sweet said.
Sweet, 82, has lived in Coos County his entire life. He graduated from Bandon High School and holds degrees in forestry and business administration from Oregon State University. Sixty years ago, he deployed to Germany as an army artillery soldier, assigned to patrol the Czechoslovakian-German border.
Sweet agrees with Melissa Cribbins, the other incumbent commissioner facing reelection, that the county's three commissioners have learned to work well together. That dynamic allows the county government to function well, get things done and is worth protecting, they've said.
"Like most teams, if you take one component out of it, you can weaken the team," Sweet said. "I think we have a very, very skilled board of commissioners and experience."
Sweet points to his work experience in timber and wood products, marine transportation, and agriculture, important industries to the county's economy. And he said his work with philanthropic organizations has kept him involved with social issues and civic affairs. In addition, through his terms on the boards of two banks, he learned gained finance and investment experience.
Sweet said during his tenure that the county has moved its public health and mental health departments into a modern building at no cost to taxpayers; solid waste services now operates on a surplus and is self-funding, where before it was taking $400,000 of taxpayer money to operate; a public safety levy surcharge at Bandon Dunes brought $1 million into the county, money that helped the county maintain operations at the jail; the county has established a hearings officer for minor violations to help relieve pressure on the courts; and, the county is looking within existing budgets to fund a county deputy assigned to code enforcement.
"I would think the experience we have and the track record we have far outweighs any call for new blood," Sweet said.
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https://theworldlink.com/news/local/sweet-experience-pays-off-in-county/article_f0973eaa-cfc1-11ec-9038-5b91d5f8deb5.html
| 2022-05-11T15:29:31
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https://theworldlink.com/news/local/sweet-experience-pays-off-in-county/article_f0973eaa-cfc1-11ec-9038-5b91d5f8deb5.html
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A Philadelphia police officer shot a man after he attacked officers inside a Nicetown-Tioga police station Wednesday morning, police told NBC10.
The incident happened inside in the 39th District on Hunting Park Avenue just after 9:15 a.m., police said.
Police said the 23-year-old suspect came to a window with a mask on. The officer behind the window, a seven-year veteran of the force, couldn't hear the man through the Plexiglass, police said. So, she opened a key-code protected side door of the room to speak to him.
“At which point this individual lunged into the operations room, right at the officer,” PPD Sergeant Eric Gripp said. “The individual was armed with a screwdriver and immediately began fighting with one of the officers in the operations room.”
A second officer joined in the scuffle and tried to grab the screwdriver, Gripp said. At that point, an officer performing administrative duties fired a gun, hitting the man once in the torso, police said.
Gripp said it all happened within 30 seconds.
The man shot was taken to the hospital where he was placed in critical condition, police said.
Local
Breaking news and the stories that matter to your neighborhood.
One of the officers has wounds to the back of his head and is stable at the hospital, Gripp said.
Another officer has an injured elbow, police said.
Gripp said the police department's internal affairs will investigate, which is the policy for shootings involving officers.
There isn't surveillance cameras in the area where the incident took place in the station, according to Gripp.
Gripp described the operations room of the 39th District as "the customer service window" for the public. It has Plexiglass with holes to talk through. It is also where officers answer phones and paperwork comes in.
“We’re very lucky this wasn’t worse than it was,” Gripp said.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/knife-wielding-man-shot-inside-philly-police-station/3235426/
| 2022-05-11T15:29:33
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https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/knife-wielding-man-shot-inside-philly-police-station/3235426/
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https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/officer-shoots-man-who-lunged-with-screwdriver-inside-police-station/3235585/
| 2022-05-11T15:29:39
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https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/officer-shoots-man-who-lunged-with-screwdriver-inside-police-station/3235585/
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A body has been found in the charred wreckage of a waste management facility in New Jersey following a raging five-alarm fire a day earlier that spewed thick columns of black smoke into the air, authorities confirmed Wednesday.
The victim has yet to be identified, but authorities say they believe it is the lone worker who was unaccounted for when the fire erupted on Julia Street in Elizabeth the prior afternoon.
No details about the person were known. The medical examiner is at the scene.
Authorities initially responded to the Julia Street blaze around 2 p.m. Tuesday. It quickly escalated to five alarms, enshrouding firefighters in oppressive smoke as they worked to douse the flames. A roof partially collapsed as well, the Elizabeth mayor said.
Firefighters could only contain the flames and keep people away, for their own safety. The fire was placed under control after about nine hours. Nearby homes were evacuated as the blaze raged, and machinery may have sparked the fire.
Many who live in the area were concerned about the air quality, especially considering what was burning. The facility is a bulk waste transfer station, for larger items like construction waste and furniture, according to officials.
News
The investigation is ongoing.
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/body-found-as-inferno-at-nj-waste-management-facility-spews-smoke-for-miles/3682167/
| 2022-05-11T15:42:32
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/body-found-as-inferno-at-nj-waste-management-facility-spews-smoke-for-miles/3682167/
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A man suspected of murdering a longtime civilian member of the NYPD who was found shot in the head in her Queens apartment Monday -- and shooting a neighbor who went to check on her -- was found dead in Brooklyn by apparent suicide, authorities confirmed Wednesday.
Pedro Cintron, 55, had been publicly identified as the man wanted in the killing of 51-year-old Migdalia Ortega, who was found shot in her third-floor apartment on Fresh Pond Road, near Palmetto Street, in Ridgewood on Monday. A 48-year-old neighbor who went upstairs to check on Ortega after hearing commotion was also shot -- twice.
Cintron was found dead between two cars on McKibbin Street in Brooklyn early Wednesday, police said. They said he had been seen pacing back and forth while holding a gun before he put it to his head and fired.
Cintron was the boyfriend of Ortega, and police have said the woman's death appears to have stemmed from some sort of domestic incident. She worked in information technology at NYPD headquarters for 11 years and had relatives on the force.
The neighbor Cintron allegedly shot is expected to survive, though she suffered bullet wounds to her abdomen and her shoulder and remains hospitalized, police have said.
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/man-eyed-in-nypd-aide-murder-found-dead-between-cars-in-brooklyn-cops/3682241/
| 2022-05-11T15:42:40
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/man-eyed-in-nypd-aide-murder-found-dead-between-cars-in-brooklyn-cops/3682241/
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PORTLAND, Ore. — At least 24 residents are displaced following a four-alarm fire that broke out at an adult care facility in Southeast Portland early Wednesday morning.
The fire started around 1:08 a.m. at the facility, called Hope N Care, on Southeast Pardee Street. Someone inside the building told 911 dispatch that there was a fire in the roof. Firefighters arrived and started to search the facility. They found several employees pulling residents out to safety. A total of 16 residents were evacuated from the front of the building and another eight people were pulled out from an attached two-story building.
One employee was taken to the hospital with minor injuries, but has been released. That employee told KGW that he pulled five or six residents out of the building and carried out some of them in his arms.
"I want to commend the heroism of the two on-site employees who risked their lives starting the initial evacuation of the residents under heavy fire conditions," said Portland Fire & Rescue Chief Sara Boone. "When firefighters arrived their number priority was the immediate rescue of every resident within the facility under worsening fire conditions. Because of their tactical decisions and valiant efforts, so many lives were saved and turned near tragedy into an incredible success story."
Holly Boggs lives in the neighborhood. She told KGW that she was about to water her plants when she saw the fire. Before first responders arrived, she tried to spray the fire with her hose and get residents to safety.
"Of course, they came and I was helping wheel people out, down and got them on the side," Boggs said. "Brought them some blankets and water. It was pretty bad. It was engulfed. It was just scary."
Portland Fire & Rescue said a portion of the roof collapsed around 1:44 a.m., but no firefighters were injured. Crews were able to get the fire under control at 2:25 a.m.
TriMet buses responded and helped residents stay warm as firefighters battled the fire. Medics and officers with the Portland Police Bureau also assisted in moving residents to a safe place.
Portland Fire & Rescue has not said what caused the fire.
This is a developing story and it may be updated when more information becomes available.
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https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/fire-southeast-portland-adult-care-facility/283-eb5a1acc-7520-45b1-a8d5-6d1a9e1b59cc
| 2022-05-11T15:47:25
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https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/fire-southeast-portland-adult-care-facility/283-eb5a1acc-7520-45b1-a8d5-6d1a9e1b59cc
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PORTLAND, Ore. — An emergency declaration aimed at streamlining Portland's effort to clean up streets went into effect on Wednesday.
Mayor Ted Wheeler signed the order and said the problems with trash, illegal dumping and graffiti have only gotten worse during the past two years of the pandemic. Through the emergency action, his office is activating the Public Environment Management Office, which will pull together all the city's decentralized cleanup services into a collaborative team.
"This is just common sense," said Wheeler during a State of the City address last week. "It puts one centralized command structure over 20 different city programs and eight different bureaus that are currently managed by five different members of city council."
According to the mayor's office, this is the fourth in a series of emergency declarations helping to address homelessness and livability issues in Portland. The latest action intends to improve cleanup of the city, unrelated to homelessness. It focuses on issues of trash, graffiti, illegal dumping, abandoned cars and other unsafe or unsanitary conditions across public spaces and interfaces.
Some Portlanders told KGW that trash has been a problem for a long time and they remain skeptical over whether Wheeler's plan will make a difference.
"It's a lot to take on. It's a huge project. We're not just talking one or two places," said Angie Toops, pointing out problem areas on Southeast Knapp Street. "They just dump it right here, or right here... it would be piles and piles and piles. It was disgusting. It was gross."
"[The mayor] decided we have an emergency trash situation. This should have been addressed the first day he was in office," said Todd Littlefield, who lives in the Lents neighborhood. "The city does not care. I've called the mayor's office three dozen times. I've talked to everyone in all those bureaus. These people they do nothing."
Sabine Urdes, the executive director of the East Portland Collective, said her team, and other groups like hers, have been working hard to address the problems by organizing trash pickups and working with everyone in the community.
"It's more than just about picking up the trash and making it look pretty. It's about getting to know one another," Urdes said. "So many groups and so many people are already making good efforts, and doing a lot of community building in the process."
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https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/trash-cleanup-debris-streamline-emergency-portland-wheeler/283-15be118c-4ab2-4a27-ae15-799625d3a1a3
| 2022-05-11T15:47:31
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https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/trash-cleanup-debris-streamline-emergency-portland-wheeler/283-15be118c-4ab2-4a27-ae15-799625d3a1a3
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A pedestrian was hospitalized late Tuesday night after they were struck by a vehicle in west Lincoln, according to police.
Lincoln Police Sgt. Eric Messersmith said the pedestrian, a 29-year-old woman, was transported with injuries thought to be life-threatening. Sgt. Chris Vollmer said the woman remained in critical condition Wednesday morning.
The collision occurred at 9:20 p.m. Tuesday near West O and Northwest 20th streets, closing a portion of West O Street in the area until 2 a.m. Wednesday.
Witnesses told police the woman was crossing West O near a crosswalk when she was struck by an eastbound vehicle, which was proceeding through a green light at the time of the crash, Vollmer said.
Neither drugs nor alcohol are thought to have played a role in the crash, Vollmer said. An investigation is ongoing.
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.
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https://journalstar.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/pedestrian-in-critical-condition-after-tuesday-night-crash-in-west-lincoln/article_185b70ae-c19f-502a-8020-0839d79fb323.html
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https://journalstar.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/pedestrian-in-critical-condition-after-tuesday-night-crash-in-west-lincoln/article_185b70ae-c19f-502a-8020-0839d79fb323.html
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DENTON, Texas — Rex Cauble was a millionaire cowboy who loved horses, hated drugs and cozied up to the elite, from the Texas governor to the president's sister.
At least that's how most of Denton viewed him before Nov. 29, 1978, when, about 350 miles to the south, a boat arrived on the Texas Coast with 20 tons of marijuana on board.
Cauble wasn't on the boat. But what transpired, as a result, ultimately sent him to federal prison.
Now, nearly 20 years after his death, Cauble's saga is heading to Hollywood.
HBO last week announced the network is developing "King Rex," a miniseries chronicling how, in the late 1970s, Cauble's "North Texas kingdom got itself smashed to pieces by a judge's gavel, the IRS and the FBI."
The series doesn't have an air date yet, but it does have a star. Henry Winkler will play the role of Cauble, with his Winkler's son, Max, set to direct the pilot.
The series could have easily held another catchy title: "Cowboy Mafia," the name given to Cauble's operation by Texas media.
In 1980, as Cauble's case worked through the courts, Texas Monthly's Lawrence Wright dove into the saga, penning a true crime article called "Rex Cauble and Cowboy Mafia."
And it was nothing short of a thriller.
The piece detailed Cauble's rise as a young oil wildcatter and eventual multi-millionaire; his ventures into high-priced quarter horses, including his famed Cutter Bill, a world champion cutting horse; and, ultimately, his friendship with Charles "Muscles" Foster, the alleged ringleader of the smuggling operation.
Foster never got convicted in the smuggling case; he was acquitted by reason of insanity. But it was Foster who was there in November 1978, when he and the other smugglers arrived at a dock between Port Arthur and Galveston, with an estimated $24 million in marijuana in tow.
The problem, that day, was the slew of law enforcement waiting on their arrival.
As Wright wrote for Texas Monthly, Foster and the smugglers "had been good as caught, really, before they ever left port."
Authorities were already investigating Cauble and were waiting to bust the smugglers when they returned from a 22-day trip at sea, as they traveled to Colombia and back.
The men and women on the boat were charged with drug crimes. And then authorities turned their attention toward Cauble, accusing the cowboy of running and funding the operation.
Cauble was charged under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) law, and his trial was held in 1982, in Tyler.
In his defense, Cauble relied on character witnesses, including Ruth Carter Stapleton, the evangelist sister of President Jimmy Carter, according to the Denton County Office of History and Culture.
John Connally, the former Texas governor and a friend of Cauble, also attended the trial in support.
But the jury found Cauble guilty on 10 counts of racketeering and he was sentenced to five years in prison for each count.
He was ordered to serve the sentences concurrently. After his release in 1987, he returned to North Texas, living in the Denton area until his death in 2003, at 89.
In the coverage of his death, his widow, Anna, defended her husband.
"If you have that much, and you are doing that much with your life and have that many employees, things happen," she said. "Up until the day he died, I would swear he did not do it."
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https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/henry-winkler-series-texas-rex-cauble-from-denton-to-hbo-the-tale-of-king-rex-his-cowboy-mafia-and-how-it-all-fell-apart/287-5f10b232-509e-4555-8bdd-ea84352f2b83
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NEW BRAUNFELS, Texas — The latest H-E-B location in New Braunfels features two new concepts for the store.
The new store on Walnut Avenue will feature a "Home by H-E-B" department and a new, two-story True Texas BBQ restaurant. The store will be 122,000 square feet.
The store will be the first to welcome the new home department, which will include many Texas brands and products. The department will feature home textiles, decor, furniture, leather goods and wood and antler art.
“We are thrilled to bring a new H-E-B store to New Braunfels, which introduces our customers to some exciting features and departments that are firsts for our company,” said Julie Bedingfield, H-E-B Public Affairs Manager.
The store will also feature the True Texas BBQ restaurant, which was named best barbecue chain in Texas by Texas Monthly. Indoor dining will be available on both levels of the restaurant.
“With an enhanced in-store experience and commitment to top-quality service and selection, this new store is tailored to serve the needs of this growing community and provide our customers with the best we have to offer," Bedingfield said.
The new store will operate seven days a week from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Other features of the new store include:
- Larger H-E-B Curbside area with more spots
- Nearly 30 check stands featuring self-checkout registers for quick customer service
- Meal Simple department with options for chef-inspired meals for simple meal planning
- Sushiya offering hand-made sushi made in-store daily
- Healthy Living department featuring bulk items, sports nutrition and more
- A bakery department featuring handmade artisan breads, cakes and Tortillería for fresh tortillas made in-house
- A large selection of craft and import beers and wines from around the world
- Full-service H-E-B Pharmacy (drive-thru coming soon)
- A produce section with expanded organic and Texas-grown selections and a large assortment of fresh-cut, ready-to-serve fruits, and vegetables
- Blooms floral department with certified floral designers
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https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/home-by-h-e-b-department-new-braunfels-location-h-e-b/273-32bf9921-7e13-498d-b5cf-a486b2866f74
| 2022-05-11T15:56:12
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https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/home-by-h-e-b-department-new-braunfels-location-h-e-b/273-32bf9921-7e13-498d-b5cf-a486b2866f74
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DENTON, Texas — Denton police are investigating an act of vandalism on a pregnancy resource center, and video shows how it happened.
Surveillance footage from the Loreto House center showed someone spray-painting graffiti on the building and its sign Saturday morning.
The graffiti read, "Forced Birth is Murder" and "Not a Clinic," according to a police news release.
Officers were called to the Loreto House on Saturday morning and saw the graffiti.
Footage from security cameras showed someone walking to the front of the building and spray-painting the door and wall. The person, who was wearing a mask, then walked toward the security cameras and spray-painted those as well.
Police were reviewing footage and still investigating the incident Tuesday. No suspect has been identified or arrested.
The Loreto House, located at 1100 N. Bonnie Brae Street in Denton, provides free pregnancy services, including tests, ultrasounds and parenting classes, according to its website. The center also provides information about abortion procedures and options in Texas.
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https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/texas-video-shows-vandal-spray-painting-forced-birth-is-murder-on-denton-pregnancy-center-police-say/287-c4263fc5-860a-492a-8c55-b219c9707669
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https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/texas-video-shows-vandal-spray-painting-forced-birth-is-murder-on-denton-pregnancy-center-police-say/287-c4263fc5-860a-492a-8c55-b219c9707669
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Benton Air Center in Redding closes, leaving status of popular Aviation Day up in the air
Benton Air Center at Benton Airpark in west Redding has closed, leaving the status of next month's Aviation Day at the airport up in the air.
Last week's closure does not affect the city-owned airport, which remains open for takeoffs and landings.
Pilots also still have access to fuel at the airpark, Redding Airports Manager Jim Wadleigh said.
The Airpark Café, the flight school and maintenance shop are closed.
And next month's popular Aviation Day, held each year on Father's Day at Benton Airpark, is in question. The free event features vintage and experimental aircraft on display.
Jim Bremer, local chapter president of the Experimental Aircraft Association, said his group is working with the Mt. Shasta 99s to put on a Father's Day event at the airpark.
"There are quite a lot of variables, as you know, so things are up in the air at this point, but we would like to do the event, if we can somehow make it possible," Bremer said.
EAA 157 and the Mt. Shasta 99s, a women's pilot group, for years put on Aviation Day. But in 2021, Benton Air Center owner Jim Ostrich took over the event, though the two nonprofit flying groups organized the pancake breakfast, Bremer said.
Both Bremer and Ron Lim, a local pilot who flies in and out of Benton Airpark nearly every day, said they did not know the air center was going to close.
Jim and Janet Ostrich had owned Benton Air Center for more than five years and moved to Redding from San Diego to take over operations, according to a Record Searchlight March 2016 article.
Reached at his office at the airpark Tuesday afternoon, Jim Ostrich declined to comment.
Wadleigh said Benton Air Center still has a contract with the city to operate at Benton Airpark. The contract runs through 2039.
"It is my understanding that there are some interested parties that are looking to buy the business. This is a business decision for BAC and if it is in fact sold, it would carry on and the city would have to consent to it," Wadleigh said in an email to the Record Searchlight.
Wadleigh did not know why Benton Air Center closed.
Redding Mayor Pro Tempore Mark Mezzano, who was talking to Jim Ostrich at the airpark Tuesday afternoon, said it would be good to get a new operator in sooner rather than later.
But it has to be the right fit, he added.
"The city has a lot of money invested in this airport," Mezzano said. "So, yeah, you've got to get the right person in here."
If Benton Air Center can't find a buyer, Wadleigh said the city would solicit bids for a new business to take over the operations.
"Ideally, it would be a business that could continue pilot training, aircraft maintenance, fueling operations, community events, café, etc.," he said.
Lim said the fueling services at Benton will eventually stop unless somebody comes in to take over the operations.
Should fuel operations halt at Benton Airpark, the city will find a qualified provider that in the interim can serve local pilots and other entities that use the airport, including the California Highway Patrol, Wadleigh said.
Benton Airpark does not have a control tower, so pilots talk to each other on a common frequency when landing and taking off.
“We take care of ourselves,” Lim said.
In addition to Aviation Day, the airpark is also home to community events like monthly car shows, movie nights and the annual Benton Air Faire in October.
Mezzano was working with Ostrich on this year's event and he was not hopeful that it would happen.
"We are not going to have that kind of time," he said. "How soon can you get somebody to come in and take it over?"
David Benda covers business, development and anything else that comes up for the USA TODAY Network in Redding. He also writes the weekly "Buzz on the Street" column. He’s part of a team of dedicated reporters that investigate wrongdoing, cover breaking news and tell other stories about your community. Reach him on Twitter @DavidBenda_RS or by phone at 1-530-225-8219. To support and sustain this work, please subscribe today.
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https://www.redding.com/story/news/local/2022/05/10/redding-california-benton-air-center-closes-aviation-june-2022-uncertain/9708498002/
| 2022-05-11T16:08:14
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What drought? California residents used more water in March than any month since 2015
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California's water use jumped dramatically in March, state officials said Tuesday, as one of the driest stretches on record prompted a wave of homeowners to start watering their lawns earlier than usual in defiance of Gov. Gavin Newsom's pleas for conservation amid a severe drought.
Newsom last summer asked residents to voluntarily cut water use by 15% compared to 2020 as climate change intensified a drought that threatened to drain the state's reservoirs to dangerously low levels. He encouraged people to water their yards less often, run dishwashers less and install more efficient appliances. Water conservation increased gradually through December, aided by some intense fall and early winter storms that reduced water demand.
But the first three months of 2022 have been some of the driest ever recorded. Water use increased slightly in January and February before exploding in March when compared to 2020 figures. Californians averaged 77 gallons per person per day in March, an 18.9% increase from March 2020. Since July, the state has cut its overall water use by just 3.7%.
Newsom responded on Tuesday by pledging to spend $100 million on a statewide advertising campaign to encourage water conservation. The campaign will include traditional radio and television spots while also paying people with large followings on social media to urge others to save water. He also promised to spend an $211 million to conserve more water in state government buildings by replacing plumbing fixtures and irrigation controls.
“Conservation actions are most impactful when they account for the diversity of conditions and supply needs around the state,” Newsom's office said in a statement. “We are hopeful these actions will significantly contribute to the state’s overall water reduction goals as outdoor watering is one of the biggest single users of water.”
In Los Angeles, Mayor Eric Garcetti announced residents and businesses would have to reduce outdoor landscape watering from three days per week to two. Irrigation makes up 35% of the city’s water use.
Drought cutbacks:Millions face unprecedented order to conserve water in drought-stricken California
Hot, dry weather looms:California braces for blackouts, warns of energy shortfall
A series of April storms have improved things slightly since March. Still, most of the state’s reservoirs are well below their historic averages. Those reservoirs rely on melting snow to fill up for the dry summer months but the statewide snowpack was at just 27% of its historic average as of April 1.
“This is what we have. This is what we're going to get. We can't expect anything significant past this date,” said Jeanine Jones, manager for interstate resources with the California Department of Water Resources.
Urban water use accounts for a relatively small percentage of California's overall water use when compared to agriculture. But the state's farmers have been suffering, too, as state and federal officials have reduced water allocations to zero in some places.
Demand for non-agriculture water is typically low in March, which comes near the end of the state’s rainy season. It can sometimes rain so much in March that it makes up for the rest of the year, a phenomenon officials have dubbed the “March miracle.”
State officials said 20% of the wells they monitor are reporting all-time low water levels, while nearly half of them have less than 10% of their historic averages. In some cases, the state is helping to haul water to small communities that don't have access to it. State officials said they were assisting 687 households through a small community drought relief program.
Some larger communities were also in danger. Lindsay, a city of about 13,000 people in Tula, was projected to run out of water on July 1. Federal officials approved an additional allocation for the city, which they now say will have enough water to last through February — provided they continue to conserve.
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https://www.redding.com/story/news/local/california/2022/05/10/california-drought-residents-used-more-water-in-march-2015-many-defy-pleas-conservation-newsom-plan/9722703002/
| 2022-05-11T16:08:20
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https://www.redding.com/story/news/local/california/2022/05/10/california-drought-residents-used-more-water-in-march-2015-many-defy-pleas-conservation-newsom-plan/9722703002/
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Wupatki National Monument is on course to see an expansion of backcountry trails and access following a “Finding of No Significant Impact” (FONSI) released by the National Park Service on Monday. The finding evaluated a new backcountry management plan for the monument.
The plan includes the creation of new opportunities for visitors, including guided and unguided backcountry trails. With the clearance provided by this finding, the next step is implementation. But monument administrators say that several obstacles remain. There is currently no projected timeline for when visitors can expect to benefit from expanded access within the monument.
Once densely populated by the 12th-century ancestors of contemporary Pueblo communities, Wupatki National Monument is considered one of the most archaeologically well-preserved areas in the Southwest. The monument borders also contain open, rugged landscape, dramatic geologic features, dark skies, and a diverse range of plant and animal species. In 2013 the National Park Service (NPS) determined that over 96% of the monument’s 35,000 acres had qualities that made them eligible for wilderness designation.
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“Because of that, we wanted to create a backcountry management plan that incorporated wilderness characteristics,” said Lisa Leap, resource stewardship and science manager for the Flagstaff area monuments.
Leap explained that the NPS mission of “enhancing visitor experience and education” motivated a backcountry management plan that would allow visitors to access the monument’s ample wilderness and experience firsthand what the wilderness has to offer — solitude, dark skies, unique soundscapes and more.
Currently, visitor use is concentrated at the monument visitor center and four primary frontcountry archeological areas: Wupatki Pueblo; Wukoki Pueblo; Citadel and Nalakihu Pueblos; and Lomaki and Box Canyon pueblos. In 2017, NPS initiated the process of implementing a new backcountry management plan that would allow visitors extended access to hiking in the areas of Kaibab House, Pronghorn Plateau, Kaibab Crossing and Crack-in-Rock.
For the past seven years, volunteer ranger Rick Ruess has been leading guided overnight hikes to Crack-in-Rock. He said that interest in the area is significant.
The hikes he leads routinely fill up.
“There’s usually a waiting list,” Ruess said.
Implementation of a new backcountry management plan requires a lot of background work, Leap said.
The new FONSI is the culmination of years of research, public civic engagement, communication with monument neighbors and stakeholders and tribal consultation.
“We went back to the drawing board after our first set of public comments in January 2020,” Leap said.
At that time, there was concern from the Navajo Nation, which shares a border with the monument, that new backcountry management would sever important access via Black Falls Crossing Road or have adverse impacts on cultural resources in the eastern portion of the monument. Leap explained that road access would not be impacted by the new plan, and that concerns over cultural resources led NPS to omit entire portions of expanded access in the monument’s eastern region.
“We just decided not to move forward with any work in that area,” Leap said.
Leap also explained that under the new backcountry management plan, most access would require a permit and include an educational prerequisite so that visitors have a better understanding of the landscape and archaeology they’re likely to encounter.
“We just want to make sure that people are educated,” Leap said. “It’s a great opportunity to educate people about seeing things on the ground and leaving them alone.”
This educational prerequisite should go a long way in protecting cultural resources, Ruess said.
In his experience, problems stem from people who “don’t live in the area,” and have no knowledge of the ancestral significance of the site that are most likely to cause damage.
“If you're an experienced hiker, knowledgeable and respectful, I don't see any problem,” Ruess said.
As a first-time visitor to Wupatki National Monument, Meghan White of Orange County, California, was excited to learn about the potential for expanded access in the future. She said that the capacity to get away from the visitor center could positively influence one’s relationship to the site.
“I personally think [backcountry access] makes you respect it a lot,” she said. “I really love and appreciate the fact that our nation keeps these lands.”
Backcountry access makes it easier to “transport yourself to the time when people lived here” said Margarita Cordoba, another monument visitor from northern California. She noted that even on a slow Monday, the density of people at the visitor’s center was emotionally distracting.
By comparison, she thinks that people who are motivated to “go further” into the backcountry are also those likely to be respectful of what they find.
“They’ll have the sensitivity,” she said.
According to Leap, alongside permitting and educational prerequisites, NPS will monitor trails and remain poised to close backcountry access in the event that any number of “triggers” are observed. Triggers could include “collection piling” of archaeology like pottery sherds, social trailing, or “barren cores,” where excess visitation has killed off vegetation.
“The preservation of cultural and natural resources is the predominant goal of this plan,” she said.
Even with the clearance granted by the FONSI, there is no estimate for when the monument backcountry plan and expanded access will come to fruition.
Leap said the need for robust monitoring and educational materials will also require increased staff.
Like many others, NPS is experiencing an employee shortage.
“We just do not have the staffing capabilities right now to extend any of our discovery hikes or to implement a permit system,” Leap said, adding that their needs are great — educational staff, law enforcement and natural resource staff are among the must-haves.
“We also want to incorporate tribal perspectives on these new areas,” said Leap, adding that NPS is working to cultivate a relationship with partner organizations on the Navajo Nation that would see Indigenous community members more directly involved in guiding and educating visitors to the monument.
But so far, there doesn’t seem to be a lot of personnel to spare.
“Their capacity is also limited,” she said. “But we're not going to stop pushing that issue because things can change.”
When asked about staffing obstacles, Leap pointed to the challenge of housing employees.
“One of the one of the things we're finding is that people can't afford Flagstaff,” she said.
Nonetheless, Leap feels good about the progress the FONSI signifies and isn’t interested in rushing implementation. She said it’s worth waiting to resolve staffing issues and “dial-in” other aspects of the backcountry management plan to make sure that the natural and cultural resources of Wupatki are adequately protected.
“Resource protection is our number one concern,” Leap said. “It always has been, and it will continue to lead the process forward.”
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https://azdailysun.com/news/local/backcountry-access-coming-to-wupatki-national-monument/article_ddc0b3ae-d09a-11ec-9eb6-5faa80cc606f.html
| 2022-05-11T16:52:54
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https://azdailysun.com/news/local/backcountry-access-coming-to-wupatki-national-monument/article_ddc0b3ae-d09a-11ec-9eb6-5faa80cc606f.html
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