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Flagstaff High School’s welding team came away with first-place finishes in the team and individual competitions at the SkillsUSA Arizona state championships April 19-20, earning a spot in the nationals event in June.
Seniors Sam Atkin, KC Dana and Gunner Price came won the welding fabrication team competition. They constructed a fireplace using an instruction template. Another senior, EJ Callander, placed first in welding by completing a series of exercises.
Due to the pandemic, it was all of the students' first time competing.
It went well, about how they expected, they said.
“I guess we went in there thinking we were going to win,” Dana said.
The competitors were judged on safety, teamwork, welding and construction, they said, with judges observing during the competition. One described the team fabrication competition as “you build a project, they give you the plans, you have to decipher them and do them in the correct order, do the right welds in the right areas."
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Teams were given four hours to build from the plans, and FHS finished its project with “just under an hour left.” Meanwhile, individuals had half an hour to do each of the five exercises for their competition, in addition to a written blueprint knowledge test.
They received the plans for the competition build about a month ahead of time, and prepared by building the model several times in FHS’s shop.
Practicing for the individual competition is a little more difficult, as the task is a series of exercises that isn’t revealed until the day of the competition.
“This one, you go into it and you don’t know what you’re doing in it,” Callander said.
USASkills’ website lists the station tasks in the welding competition as testing contestants on different aspects of welding. These include “measuring weld replicas, using weld measuring gauges; laying out a plate and using oxy-acetylene equipment to cut several holes that are checked for accuracy and quality; gas metal arc welding (GMAW) on steel making welds in various positions using short circuiting transfers; flux cored arc welding (FCAW) using a shielding gas, making welds in various positions and using a combination machine capable of providing the correct welding current for shielded metal arc (SMAW) and gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW). Competitors complete the steel project and weld an aluminum project in various positions using a variety of filler metals.”
Most of the team started welding because of people they knew. Dana’s brother had participated in the competition a few years ago. Atkin said he joined because “I’m very competitive and I like competing under pressure.”
In addition to the team needing a third member, Price said he joined “because it sounded like fun and my friends were doing this. I was like, 'Why not?'”
The team’s next competition will be nationals, which Dana said is “the same, just bigger…and a lot farther away.”
It will take place in Atlanta on June 20 and involve similar exercises the team experienced at the state competition.
On the bigger stage, however, the team must make their own plans, they said, deciphering a description given in the competition.
“There’s a lot more steps to this one,” Atkin said. “This one has a test, you have to make the plans. They give you the materials you need and they give you an idea of what they want.”
One thing they’ll be focusing on in their practice is Tungsten Inert Gas welding, also known as TIG welding, a process they described as “very tedious.”
“You’re doing three things at once, where everything else is just down to one," Atkins said.
“There’s a whole lot more hand-eye coordination because you’re working with a pedal, you’re holding the torch with one hand, you’re feeding the fill wire with the other,” Price added.
He added: “There’s a lot more prep beforehand -- you have to grind it out, you have to make sure your metal’s clean, you have to sharpen the tungsten, you have to make sure there's the right distance between the cap and the edges. …Half an inch can mess everything up.”
More about the competition and SkillsUSA can be found at azskillsusa.org.
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https://azdailysun.com/news/local/education/flagstaff-high-school-welding-team-heading-to-nationals-after-state-victories/article_e7d10fd8-cfd7-11ec-a1f1-0f3202b704a3.html
| 2022-05-11T16:53:01
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https://azdailysun.com/news/local/education/flagstaff-high-school-welding-team-heading-to-nationals-after-state-victories/article_e7d10fd8-cfd7-11ec-a1f1-0f3202b704a3.html
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NORTH PORT, Fla. — The North Port Police Department (NPPD) is honoring the loss of NPPD Chaplain Michael Saxton who passed away after a sudden medical event this week.
With great sadness we report another loss to the NPPD family & to the community. Police Chaplain Michael Saxton has passed away after a sudden medical event. Chaplain Saxton is also a retired Sgt. w/ the Department. Details on services will be announced soon. Love you Mike. pic.twitter.com/nyVTqbrISk
— North Port Police (@NorthPortPolice) May 11, 2022
Chaplain Saxton was a former Sgt. with the Department.
Details on the service will be announced soon.
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https://nbc-2.com/news/local/2022/05/11/north-port-police-chaplin-dies-after-sudden-medical-event/
| 2022-05-11T16:55:06
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https://nbc-2.com/news/local/2022/05/11/north-port-police-chaplin-dies-after-sudden-medical-event/
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Inflation may be soaring, supply chains remain snarled and the coronavirus just won't go away, but America's casinos are humming right along, recording the best month in their history in March.
The American Gaming Association, the gambling industry's national trade group, said Wednesday that U.S. commercial casinos won more than $5.3 billion from gamblers in March, the best single-month total ever. The previous record month was July 2021 at $4.92 billion.
The casinos collectively also had their best first quarter ever, falling just short of the $14.35 billion they won from gamblers in the fourth quarter of last year, which was the highest three-month period in history.
Three states set quarterly revenue records to start this year: Arkansas ($147.4 million); Florida ($182 million), and New York ($996.6 million).
The numbers do not include tribal casinos, which report their income separately and are expected to report similarly positive results.
But while the national casino economy is doing well, there are pockets of sluggishness such as Atlantic City, where in-person casino revenue has not yet rebounded to pre-pandemic levels.
“Consumers continue to seek out gaming’s entertainment options in record numbers,” said Bill Miller, the association's president and CEO. He said the strong performance to start 2022 came ”despite continued headwinds from supply chain constraints, labor shortages and the impact of soaring inflation.”
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The trade group also released its annual State of the States report on Wednesday, examining gambling's performance across the country.
As previously reported, nationwide casino revenue set an all-time high in 2021 at $53.03 billion, up 21% from the previous best year, 2019, before the coronavirus pandemic hit.
But the report includes new details, including that commercial casinos paid a record $11.69 billion in direct gambling tax revenue to state and local governments in 2021. That's an increase of 75% from 2020 and 15 percent from 2019. This does not include the billions more paid in income, sales and other taxes, the association said.
It also ranked the largest casino markets in the U.S. in terms of revenue for 2021:
The Las Vegas Strip is first at $7.05 billion, followed by: Atlantic City ($2.57 billion); the Chicago area ($2.01 billion); Baltimore-Washington D.C. ($2 billion); the Gulf Coast ($1.61 billion); New York City ($1.46 billion); Philadelphia ($1.40 billion); Detroit ($1.29 billion); St. Louis ($1.03 billion); and the Boulder Strip in Nevada ($967 million).
The association divides Pennsylvania's casinos into three separate markets: Philadelphia, the Poconos and Pittsburgh. Their combined revenue of nearly $2.88 billion would make them the second largest market in the country if judged as a single entity. It also counts downtown Las Vegas, and its $731 million in revenue, as a separate market.
Seven additional states legalized sports betting and two more added internet gambling in 2021.
The group reported many states saw gamblers spending more in casinos while visiting them in lower numbers compared to pre-pandemic 2019.
The average age of a casino patron last year was 43 1/2, compared to 49 1/2 in 2019.
Americans bet $57.7 billion on sports last year, more than twice the amount from 2020. That generated $4.33 billion in revenue, an increase of nearly 180% over 2020.
Internet gambling revenue reached $3.71 billion last year, and three states — New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Michigan — each won more than $1 billion online. West Virginia’s internet gambling market reached $60.9 million in revenue in its first full year of operation, while Connecticut’s two internet casinos reported combined revenue of $47.6 million after launching in October.
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Follow Wayne Parry on Twitter at twitter.com/WayneParryAC
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https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/us-casinos-had-best-month-ever-in-march-winning-5-3b/3235304/
| 2022-05-11T17:01:02
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https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/us-casinos-had-best-month-ever-in-march-winning-5-3b/3235304/
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A recall was issued for certain COVID-19 antigen rapid tests by Skippack Medical Lab for not being authorized for distribution in the U.S.
The Class 1 device recall for Skippack Medical Lab SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Rapid Test Kit (Colloidal Gold) is due to it being "distributed without FDA authorization or clearance for marketing and distribution in the US," according to the FDA.
The tests may also be called Skippack Medical Lab SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Rapid Test Kit, Lateral Flow COVID 19 Rapid Antigen Test, SKIPPACK COVID-19 Antigen Home Test, according to the FDA.
"SML Distribution LLC is recalling these tests because these tests were distributed to U.S. customers without authorization, clearance or approval from the FDA," the agency said. "In addition, SML Distribution LLC did not provide the FDA with adequate validation data to show that the test’s performance is accurate. This means there is a risk of potential false negative, false positive, or misinterpretation of results."
According to Skippack Medical Lab, the lots of the impacted rapid tests, their production and expiration dates:
The tests were distributed in New York, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Texas and Wyoming.
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According to the FDA, the company initially contacted customers who may have been impacted by the recall by phone between March 4 and March 12. Subsequently, on March 21, the firm followed up with emails to each affected distributor with subject line "IMPORTANT!!! Recall Notice" and a recall letter attachment.
Customers were asked by the company to immediately return all unused product, and were sent another email on March 25 which instructed them to not rely on the recalled tests for medical decisions, the FDA said.
Next steps to take if test was used
The FDA recommends certain steps to take:
- Test users and caregivers should talk to their health care provider if they tested with the Skippack Medical Lab SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Rapid Test (Colloidal Gold) and you have concerns about test results.
- Health care personnel are advised by the FDA to reconsider testing patients with an FDA-authorized test if they were initially tested with the Skippack Medical Lab SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Rapid Test (Colloidal Gold) in the last 2 weeks and you suspect an inaccurate result. If testing was performed more than two weeks ago, and there is no reason to suspect a current COVID-19 infection, retesting is not necessary.
- Customers with questions about the recall can contact SML Distribution LLC by e-mailing techsupport@smldistribution.com or calling 888-209-4406.
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/recall-alert-local/skippack-covid-antigen-rapid-tests-recalled-not-authorized-for-distribution-by-fda/3682425/
| 2022-05-11T17:13:59
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/recall-alert-local/skippack-covid-antigen-rapid-tests-recalled-not-authorized-for-distribution-by-fda/3682425/
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A new Whole Foods Market is scheduled to open in Manhattan's NoMad neighborhood next month.
The store, which will cover more than 54,000 square feet, will open June 1 at 63 Madison Ave. -- between 27th and 28th streets.
The new location’s product assortment features more than 1,000 local items from New York City and the surrounding area, according to the grocery chain.
The store will also feature a specialty department dedicated to celebrating cheesemakers and artisan producers, a full-service seafood counter as well as a full-service meat counter, more than 180 craft beers, a prepared foods section, bakery, and a wellness and beauty section.
Additionally, the new location will have on-site dining options, including Za’atar, a quick-service Mediterranean local, Nomad 63 by Whole Foods Market, a bar offering beer, wine, and bar bites, and a full-service coffee bar operated by Café Grumpy.
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/whole-foods-market-to-open-in-nomad-june-1/3682370/
| 2022-05-11T17:14:05
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/whole-foods-market-to-open-in-nomad-june-1/3682370/
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As baby formula shortage hurts SC parents, here's what to do to keep baby fed
Baby formula is becoming harder to find in the Upstate and nationwide largely due to a voluntary recall from a major manufacturer in Michigan. Some major retailers are limiting the amount shoppers can purchase while the Food and Drug Administration works to address the shortage.
Nearly 40% of popular baby-formula brands were sold out at retailers across the U.S. the last full week of April, according to an analysis by Datasembly, which assessed supplies at more than 11,000 stores. That's up from an already-high out-of-stock percentage of 31% two weeks earlier, USA TODAY has reported.
Parents are traveling to multiple stores and cities to find even basic formulas, according to Prisma Health pediatrician Dr. Blakely Amati.
And for those with babies on dietary restrictions or parents who can’t commit the time and money to searching, there’s an added layer of worry.
“Our fear — and what is already happening, honestly — is we're having to make decisions about babies that are on special formulas if it's OK to trial them off of them to get to make sure that they can get a formula that's more readily available,” Amati said.
How parents should work around the baby-formula shortage
To avoid the empty shelves many saw on paper-product aisles early in the COVID-19 pandemic, parents should not hoard baby formula, Amati said. “Inching along” is the best way to ensure formula is available to all babies, she said. Here's how:
- At most, keep one month’s supply on hand
- Use formula companies' online store-locator functions to find nearby options, and call ahead to check stocks
- Order online and have formula shipped to your home
- Search convenience stores, drug stores and specialty stores
- Call baby’s doctor and ask about available samples
- Check expiration dates before purchasing
- Buy alternate or generic versions of name-brand formulas if available
Here are pediatrician-approved substitutions for Similac formulas
Prisma Health offers this substitution advice for those who use the recalled Similac formulas:
► Similac 360 Total Care/Advance substitutions: Gerber Good Start Gentle, Enfamil Infant, Enfamil NeuroPro, Enfamil Enspire, Up&Up Advantage/Infant, Parent’s Choice Advantage/Infant
► Similac Soy Isomil substitutions: Gerber Good Start Soy, Enfamil Plant Based, Up&Up Soy, Parent’s Choice Soy
► Similar Neosure substitutions: Enfamil Enfacare
► Similac Sensitive/360 Total Care Sensitive substitutions: Gerber Good Start Soothe, Enfamil Gentlease, Up& Up Sensitivity, Parent’s Choice Sensitivity
► Similac for Spit-up substitutions: Enfamil AR, Parent’s Choice Added Rice Starch
► Similac Total Comfort substitutions: Enfamil Reguline, Up&Up Advantage Complete Comfort, Parent’s Choice Tender
► Similac Alimentum substitutions: Gerber Good Start Extensive HA, Enfamil Nutramigen, Up&Up Hypoallergenic, Parent’s Choice Hypoallergenic
► Similac Elecare substitutions: Nutricia Neocate Infant, Enfamil Puramino, Nestle Alfamino
Here's what to avoid during the baby-formula shortage plaguing the US
To make sure babies are getting the calories and nutrients they need to thrive, powdered formulas should always be prepared according to the included directions, Amati said.
Lack of proper nutrition can lead to multiple issues, including seizures and death.
- Don’t switch baby’s diet to include solids, dairy or other milk alternatives without consulting your medical provider
- Don’t water down formula
- Don't try to make powdered formula at home
- Don’t feel like you’re alone
"I think the main message is still that families need to stay in close contact with their pediatrician," Amati said. "Any formula is better than no formula. You know, don't just give up on it completely. We're here to help."
Stories like this are possible because of our subscribers. Please support journalism in Greenville and subscribe by visiting greenvillenews.com/subscribe.
– Caitlin Herrington, local reporter and lover of alliteration, covers government and growth in the Golden Strip. Get in touch with her at cherrington@greenvillenews.com and follow her on Twitter and Instagram @GVLnewsCat.
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https://www.greenvilleonline.com/story/news/local/2022/05/11/baby-formula-shortage-south-carolina-parents-what-buy-instead-replacements/9706182002/
| 2022-05-11T17:21:46
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https://www.greenvilleonline.com/story/news/local/2022/05/11/baby-formula-shortage-south-carolina-parents-what-buy-instead-replacements/9706182002/
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Vehicle accident sends one to the hospital and another to jail
Christopher Walker
Wichita Falls Times Record News
Wichita Falls police arrested a driver for allegedly driving intoxicated Tuesday afternoon.
According to police:
Just before 5 p.m., police responded to a two-vehicle accident on Kell Freeway over Kemp Boulevard. Officers on-scene said the wreck was caused by an allegedly intoxicated driver. One person was hospitalized with minor injuries, the other was arrested for DWI. A portion of the freeway was shutdown while the scene was investigated, and the debris was cleared.
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https://www.timesrecordnews.com/story/news/local/2022/05/11/vehicle-accident-sends-one-hospital-and-another-jail/9727768002/
| 2022-05-11T17:22:16
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https://www.timesrecordnews.com/story/news/local/2022/05/11/vehicle-accident-sends-one-hospital-and-another-jail/9727768002/
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LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Gas prices in Arkansas have hit a record-high average of $3.99 per gallon, the AAA said in a statement on Monday.
The state nearing four dollars is a 17-cent jump compared to last Monday and a whopping $1.26 more per gallon than this day last year.
The previous record of $3.97 was set in July of 2008.
"Volatility in the global crude oil market continues to be the main driving factor behind the recent spike in gas prices. Ongoing oil supply concerns from the Russian invasion of Ukraine and increasing demand for gasoline, along with diesel and jet fuel, is propping up oil prices above $100 per barrel. Crude oil prices account for about 60% of what drivers pay at the pump," the statement said.
Drivers in Texarkana are paying an average of $4.22 at the pump while people in Little Rock are paying $3.95 per gallon, similar to Northwest Arkansas (Fayetteville, Springdale, and Rogers) where the average price per gallon is one cent higher at $3.96.
Arkansas is still one of the cheapest price-per-gallon states, with only Georgia, Kansas, and Missouri paying less. The Natural State is tied at $3.99 with both Mississippi and Oklahoma.
Drivers in California are paying the most at $5.85 on average for a gallon of regular unleaded gas.
AAA also gave tips on how to save money on fuel, including the idea that bad driving costs more than just your safety.
How to save at the pump:
- Slow down and drive the speed limit. Higher speeds result in more aerodynamic drag.
- Avoid constant starts and hard accelerations. These actions greatly increase fuel consumption.
- Use cruise control on the highway to help maintain a constant speed and save fuel. Just don't use cruise control on slick roads—you could lose control of your vehicle.
- Minimize your use of air conditioning.
- Avoid extended idling to warm up the engine, even in colder temperatures.
- Maintain your car according to the manufacturer’s recommendations. Regular service will ensure optimum fuel economy.
- Make sure your tires are properly maintained and inflated to the correct level.
- When driving in town, adjust your speed to “time” the traffic lights. This reduces repeated braking and acceleration that consume additional fuel.
- When approaching a red light or stop sign, take your foot off the gas early and allow your car to coast down to a slower speed until it is time to brake.
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https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/local/arkansas-gas-price-record-high/91-c676d10f-9728-4cad-aaa5-52a2015c1222
| 2022-05-11T17:36:38
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https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/local/arkansas-gas-price-record-high/91-c676d10f-9728-4cad-aaa5-52a2015c1222
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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.5newsonline.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
| 2022-05-11T17:36:44
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https://www.5newsonline.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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A 40-year-old Lincoln man who ran from police during a traffic stop Tuesday was jailed after officers found a handgun, a knife and more than 30 grams of suspected methamphetamine in a backpack he'd been carrying, according to authorities.
Daniel Drews ran from officers at around 6:30 p.m. Tuesday after Lincoln-Lancaster County Narcotics Task Force investigators stopped the vehicle he had been riding in near 56th and Holdrege Streets, Sgt. Chris Vollmer said.
After a brief foot chase, officers apprehended Drews and found the knife, a .45 caliber handgun, 33 grams of suspected meth and 240 grams of marijuana, Vollmer said.
Police arrested Drews, previously a convicted felon, on suspicion of possession of a firearm and a deadly weapon by a prohibited person, possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver and possession of a firearm while violating a drug law.
The vehicle's driver, a 39-year-old woman, and a 42-year-old passenger were both arrested on suspicion of possession of a controlled substance.
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All three were taken taken to the Lancaster County Jail.
Tom Casady's list of the 10 most infamous crimes in Lincoln history
Crimes of the times
This is simply one man’s perspective from the early 21st century (first written in 2010). I had to make a decision about crimes that occurred at locations that are inside the city today, but were outside our corporate limits at the time they occurred. I chose the latter.
Before beginning, though, I have to deal with three crimes that stand apart: the murders of three police officers in Lincoln. I’m not quite sure how to place them in a list. They all had huge impacts on the community, and on the police department in particular. Because these are my colleagues, I deal with them separately and in chronological order.
Patrolman Marion Francis Marshall
Shot in the shadow of the new Nebraska State Capital, Gov. Charles Bryan came to his aid and summoned additional help.
Lt. Frank Soukup
Marion Marshall was technically not a Lincoln police officer, so Lt. Soukup was actually the first Lincoln police officer killed on duty. One of his colleagues who was present at the motel and involved in the gunbattle, Paul Jacobsen, went on to enjoy a long career and command rank at LPD, influencing many young charges (like me) and leaving his mark on the culture of the agency.
Lt. Paul Whitehead
In the space of a few months, three LPD officers died in the line of duty. Frank Soukup had been murdered, and George Welter had died in a motorcycle crash. Paul Whitehead's partner, Paul Merritt, went on to command rank, and like Paul Jacobsen left an indelible mark at LPD and the community.
No. 1: Starkweather
The subject of several thinly disguised movie plots and a Springsteen album, the Starkweather murders are clearly the most infamous crime in Lincoln’s history — so far. One of the first mass murderers of the mass media age, six of Charles Starkweather’s 11 victims were killed inside the city of Lincoln, and the first was just on the outskirts of town. I didn’t live in Lincoln at the time, but my wife was a first-grader at Riley Elementary School and has vivid memories of the city gripped by fear in the days between the discovery of the Bartlett murders and Starkweather’s capture in Wyoming.
The case caused quite an uproar. There was intense criticism of the police department and sheriff’s office for not capturing Starkweather earlier in the week after the discovery of the Bartletts' bodies. Ultimately, Mayor Bennett Martin and the Lancaster County Board of Commissioners retained a retired FBI agent, Harold G. Robinson, to investigate the performance of local law enforcement. His report essentially exonerated the local law officers and made a few vanilla recommendations for improving inter-agency communication and training.
Now I know that many readers are mumbling to themselves “how obvious.” Hold your horses, though. It’s not quite as obvious as you might think. I had two experiences that drove this fact home to me. The first was a visit by a small group of journalism students. Only one member of the class had any idea, and her idea was pretty vague. You need to remember that the Starkweather murders were in 1957 and 1958 — before the parents of many college students were even born.
The second experience was a visit by a Cub Scout den. I was giving the kids a tour of the police station one evening. We were in the front lobby waiting for everyone to arrive. As I entertained the boys, I told the moms and dads that they might enjoy looking in the corner of the Sheriff’s Office display case to see the contents of Starkweather’s wallet — discovered a couple of years ago locked up in the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office safe. After a few minutes, one of the confused fathers asked me who Starkweather was, and why it was significant.
No. 2: Lincoln National Bank
On the morning of Sept. 17, 1930, a dark blue Buick carrying six men pulled up in front of the Lincoln National Bank at the northwest corner of 12th and O streets. Five of the men entered the bank, while a sixth stood outside by the Buick, cradling a machine gun. Observing the unusual events, a passerby called the police. The officer who responded, Forrest Shappaugh, was casually instructed by the machine-gun-toting lookout to just keep going, which he wisely did. Returning with reinforcements, he found that the robbers had already made good on their getaway, netting $2.7 million in cash and negotiable securities.
Ultimately, three of the six suspects were arrested. Tommy O’Connor and Howard Lee were convicted and sentenced. Jack Britt was tried twice but not convicted by a hung jury. Gus Winkeler, a member of Al Capone’s gang, winged a deal with County Attorney Max Towle to avoid prosecution in exchange for orchestrating the recovery of $600,000 in bearer bonds. The following year, Winkeler was murdered in Chicago, the victim of a gangland slaying. The final two robbers were never identified.
The Lincoln National Bank robbery stood as the largest cash bank robbery in the United States for many decades. It precipitated major changes at the Lincoln Police Department. Chief Peter Johnstone was rapidly “retired” after the robbery, the department’s fleet was upgraded to add the first official patrol cars, the full force was armed and a shotgun squad was organized. Forty-four years later when I was hired at LPD, the echo of the Lincoln National Bank robbery was still evident in daily bank opening details, and in the Thomspon submachine guns and Reising rifles that detectives grabbed whenever the robbery alarm sounded at headquarters.
No. 3: The Last Posse
My first inkling about this crime came when I was the chief deputy sheriff. One of my interns, a young man named Ron Boden (who became a veteran deputy sheriff), had been doing some research on Lancaster County’s only known lynching, in 1884. I came across a reference in the biography of the sheriff at the time, Sam Melick, to the murder of the Nebraska Penitentiary warden and subsequent prison break. Melick had been appointed interim warden after the murder and instituted several reforms.
Several years later, a colleague, Sgt. Geoff Marti, loaned me a great book, Gale Christianson’s "Last Posse," that told the story of the 1912 prison break in gory, haunting and glorious detail.
To make a long story short, convict Shorty Gray and his co-conspirators shot and killed Warden James Delahunty, a deputy warden and a guard on Wednesday, March 13, 1912. They then made their break — right into the teeth of a brutal Nebraska spring blizzard. Over the course to the next few days, a posse pursued. During the pursuit, the escapees carjacked a young farmer with his team and wagon. As the posse closed in, a gunfight broke out and the hostage was shot and killed in the exchange, along with two of the three escapees.
There was plenty of anger among the locals in the Gretna-Springfield vicinity about the death of their native son, and a controversy raged over the law enforcement tactics that brought about his demise. Lancaster County Sheriff Gus Hyers was not unsullied by the inquiry, although it appears from my prospect a century later that the fog of war led to the tragedy.
Christianson, a professor of history at Indiana State University who died earlier this year, notes the following on the flyleaf:
“For anyone living west of the Mississippi in 1912, the biggest news that fateful year was a violent escape from the Nebraska state penitentiary planned and carried out by a trio of notorious robbers and safe blowers.”
Bigger news on half the continent than the sinking of the Titanic during the same year would certainly qualify this murder-escape as one of the most infamous Lincoln crimes in history.
No. 4: Rock Island wreck
The Aug. 10, 1894, wreck of a Rock Island train on the southwest outskirts of Lincoln was almost lost in the mist of time until it was resurrected in the public consciousness by author Joel Williams, who came across the story while conducting research for his historical novel, "Barrelhouse Boys."
The wreck was determined to be the result of sabotage to the tracks, perhaps an attempt to derail the train as a prelude to robbery. Eleven people died in the crash and ensuing fire, making this a mass murder, to be sure. G.W. Davis was arrested and convicted of the crime but later received a full pardon. The story was told in greater detail earlier this year by the Lincoln Journal Star.
A historical marker is along the Rock Island Trail in Wilderness Park, accessible only by foot or bike from the nearest trail access points about a half-mile away at Old Cheney Road on the north, or 14th Street on the south.
Here’s the big question that remains unanswered: Was there really significant evidence to prove that George Washington Davis committed the crime, or was he just a convenient scapegoat? The fact that he received a gubernatorial pardon 10 years later leads me to believe that the evidence must have been unusually weak. If he was railroaded, then my second question is this: who really pried loose the tracks with the 40-pound crowbar found at the scene?
No. 5: Commonwealth
On Nov. 1, 1983, the doors to Nebraska’s largest industrial savings and loan company were closed and Commonwealth was declared insolvent. The 6,700 depositors with $65 million at stake would never be fully compensated for their loss, ultimately receiving about 59 cents on the dollar for their deposits, which they all mistakenly believed were insured up to $30,000 through the Nebraska Depository Insurance Guaranty Corporation, which was essentially an insurance pool with assets of only $3 million.
The case dominated Nebraska news for months. The investigation ultimately led to the conviction of three members of the prominent Lincoln family that owned the institution, the resignation of the director of the State Department of Banking and the impeachment of the Nebraska attorney general and the suspension of his license to practice law. State and federal litigation arising from the failure of Commonwealth drug on for years.
At the Lincoln Police Department, the Commonwealth failure led to the formation of a specialized white-collar crime detail, now known as the Technical Investigations Unit. At the time, municipal police departments in the United States had virtually no capacity for investigating financial crime and fraud of this magnitude, and we quickly became well known for our expertise in this area. The early experience served LPD very well in the ensuring years.
No. 6: Candice Harms
Candi Harms never came home from visiting her boyfriend on Sept. 22, 1992. Her parents reported her as a missing person the following morning, and her car was found abandoned in a cornfield north of Lincoln later in the day. Weeks went by before her remains were found southeast of Lincoln.
Scott Barney and Roger Bjorklund were convicted in her abduction and murder. Barney is in prison serving a life term. Bjorklund died in prison in 2001. Intense media attention surrounded the lengthy trial of Roger Bjorklund, for which a jury was brought in from Cheyenne County as an alternative to a change of venue. I have no doubt that the trial was a life-changing event for a group of good citizens from Sidney, who did their civic duty.
I was the Lancaster County sheriff at the time, involved both in the investigation and in the trial security. It was at about this time that the cellular telephone was becoming a consumer product, and I have often thought that this brutal crime probably spurred a lot of purchases. During my career, this is probably the second-most-prominent Lincoln crime in terms of the sheer volume of media coverage.
No. 7: Jon Simpson and Jacob Surber
A parent’s worst nightmare unfolded in September 1975 when these two boys, ages 12 and 13, failed to return from the Nebraska State Fair. The boys were the victims of abduction and murder. The case was similar to a string of other murders of young boys in the Midwest, and many thought that these cases were related -- the work of a serial killer. Although an arrest was made in the case here in Lincoln, the charges were eventually dismissed. William Guatney was released and has since died.
No. 8: John Sheedy
Saloon and gambling house owner John Sheedy was gunned down outside his home at 1211 P St. in January 1891. The case of Sheedy, prominent in Lincoln’s demiworld, became the talk of the town when his wife, Mary, and her alleged lover and accomplice, Monday McFarland, were arrested. Both were acquitted at trial. The Sheedy murder is chronicled in a great interactive multimedia website, Gilded Age Plains City, an online version that builds upon an article published in 2001 by Timothy Mahoney of the University of Nebraska.
No. 9: Patricia McGarry and Catherine Brooks
The bodies of these two friends were found in a Northeast Lincoln duplex in August 1977. Their murderer, Robert E. Williams, was the subject of a massive Midwest manhunt during the following week. Before his capture, he committed a third murder in Sioux Rapids, Iowa, and raped, shot and left for dead a victim who survived in Minnesota. He is the last man to be executed in Nebraska, sent to the electric chair in 1997.
No. 10: Judge William M. Morning
District Court Judge William Morning was murdered in February 1924. He was shot on the bench by an unhappy litigant in a divorce case. His court reporter, Minor Bacon, was also shot, but a notebook in his breast pocket deflected the bullet and saved his life.
Many other crimes
Choosing Lincoln's 10 most infamous crimes was a challenge. Although the top two were easy, the picture quickly became clouded. We tend, of course, to forget our history rather quickly. Many of the crimes I felt were among the most significant are barely remembered today, if not completely forgotten.
Some readers will take issue with my list. In choosing 10, here are the others I considered, in no particular order. They are all murders:
-- Mary O'Shea
-- Nancy Parker
-- Charles Mulholland
-- Victoria Lamm and Janet Mesner
-- Martina McMenamin
-- Regina Bos (presumably murdered)
-- Patty Webb
-- Marianne Mitzner
I also thought about the five murder-suicides in which a mother or father killed multiple family members before taking their own life. Though tragic, these crimes did not command the same kind of attention as the others, perhaps because there was no lengthy investigation, no tantalizing whodunit, no stranger-killer, nor any of the details that come out in the coverage of a major trial.
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https://journalstar.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/lincoln-man-caught-with-handgun-33-grams-of-meth-after-fleeing-traffic-stop-police-say/article_71542f21-4097-5c1c-92cc-5b2b49b600a4.html
| 2022-05-11T17:37:44
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A resident was hospitalized and a dog died after a fire broke out at a converted house in northeast Lincoln early Wednesday morning.
Lincoln Fire and Rescue crews responded to the two-and-a-half story apartment building at 3:30 a.m. Tuesday, Capt. Nancy Crist said, as a Lincoln Police officer assisted a tenant out of the four-unit building.
Crist said the fire was contained to the apartment, a second-floor unit where the deceased dog was found. The unit's resident was transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
A second dog survived the fire, which caused $20,000 in damage to the structure and $2,000 to contents.
A Kansas City, Missouri, native, Andrew Wegley joined the Journal Star as breaking news reporter after graduating from Northwest Missouri State University in May 2021.
Police in November said the 36-year-old had a contusion on his head and labeled his death "suspicious," but his death has now been ruled accidental in nature.
The company alleged the man stole 6,000 pounds of copper wire and a flatbed trailer, wrongfully used the company's credit card, submitted false timesheets and directed employees to work at his Pleasant Dale home on the clock.
An Ohio man caused $7,500 in damage to vehicles parked near the Lincoln Amtrak station on Saturday afternoon after police said he was booted from a train.
An agreement will allow Lincoln police to use state facial recognition software to help identify possible suspects, a practice that concerns civil liberties groups.
The man walked to the side of her and grabbed the backpack that was attached to her walker with a carabiner, pulling the bag, the walker and the woman across the porch, police said.
The Nebraska Crime Commission, a panel of police and public officials who review revocations and oversee statewide law enforcement standards and compliance, made Mathew Bornemeier's revocation official on Friday.
Police later spotted the van driving near Alvo Road and North 14th Street, giving chase as the vehicle fled from officers before getting stuck in the mud on an access road, according to authorities.
The man entered the raceway and ran to the west grandstands, where a trooper deployed a taser and took the man into custody, the sheriff's office said.
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https://journalstar.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/northeast-lincoln-apartment-fire-leaves-one-person-hospitalized-dog-dead/article_5167e81d-4233-5765-837b-2d7a2d490b09.html
| 2022-05-11T17:37:50
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https://journalstar.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/northeast-lincoln-apartment-fire-leaves-one-person-hospitalized-dog-dead/article_5167e81d-4233-5765-837b-2d7a2d490b09.html
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A state senator and a former member of the State Board of Education advanced in the race for the District 7 seat on the University of Nebraska Board of Regents.
Sen. Matt Williams of Gothenburg, who is term-limited from the Legislature, won the primary race with 45.7% of the vote, according to the Nebraska Secretary of State.
Kathy Wilmot of Beaver City finished with 41.8%, easily outdistancing third-place Nolan Gurnsey of Sutherland, who received 12.8% of the vote total.
Both Williams and Wilmot will advance to the general election to represent 45 counties of western Nebraska.
Incumbent Regent Bob Phares of North Platte, who has served on the board since 2006, did not seek reelection.
Both candidates in the District 6 race, the only other seat up for election, advanced.
Incumbent Regent Paul Kenney of Amherst edged out challenger Julie Hehnke by 1,200 votes in the primary.
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Kenney, who has served one term on the board representing a large swath of land in central Nebraska extending from South Dakota to Kansas, received 51.4% of the vote to Hehnke's 48.6%.
Reach the writer at 402-473-7120 or cdunker@journalstar.com.
On Twitter @ChrisDunkerLJS
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https://journalstar.com/news/local/education/state-senator-former-state-board-of-ed-member-advance-in-regents-race/article_36d56edd-2514-5a81-a057-9e0a2b0077e4.html
| 2022-05-11T17:37:56
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https://journalstar.com/news/local/education/state-senator-former-state-board-of-ed-member-advance-in-regents-race/article_36d56edd-2514-5a81-a057-9e0a2b0077e4.html
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FERRIS, Texas — The city of Ferris, southeast of Dallas, has announced a unanimous approval for residents to receive free healthcare.
According to city manager Brooks Williams, funding for the "Access For All" solution won't come from taxpayers or Ferris' general fund. Instead, it'll be paid for with funding from the federal government's American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.
In a presentation to the Ferris City Council on Monday night, Williams detailed how healthcare could be improved for the city by using mobile and virtual healthcare services.
The city plans to partner with MD Health Pathways, a team of doctors, nurses and caretakers. That team will work with local EMA providers, fire stations, social services, faith-based groups and physicians to work on the "Access For All Program."
RELATED: Staying safe during the heatwave
Williams said the program will offer "convenience, consistency, and efficiency through a combination of telehealth, cloud-based data management, mobile healthcare team deployment, low-cost essential medication delivery, and patient advocacy.”
He also said "Access for All" is not a government-run program. Instead, it won't use insurance or interfere with the doctor-patient relationship.
"We are determined to not violate the free market of healthcare," Williams said, "but we are also focused on local solutions that meet the needs of our citizens."
"We believe this is a creative solution that shows if you care about people, you can honor the desire for limited government in the choices we make for ourselves while still providing valuable services for your citizens."
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https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/ferris-texas-access-for-all-free-healthcare/287-53bae7ad-9609-4249-ba92-bdeeeffc72e5
| 2022-05-11T17:47:10
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https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/ferris-texas-access-for-all-free-healthcare/287-53bae7ad-9609-4249-ba92-bdeeeffc72e5
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GRAPEVINE, Texas — A unique national arts and entertainment company announced Wednesday it has plans to open a new exhibition in North Texas.
Meow Wolf, which was founded in 2008, is opening a permanent "portal" in Grapevine Mills and is set to open in 2023. The company plans to reclaim the space of a former big-box retail store at the shopping center, unnamed but known internally as "Beyond Beyond and Beyond."
The exhibit name will be announced at a later date.
The company will also be opening a new spot in Houston in the Fifth Ward community. It is planned to open in 2024.
Meow Wolf is known for its immersive and interactive experiences aimed at transporting audiences of all ages into fantastical realms of story and exploration.
Texas is going to be a key part of the next phase of expansion for Meow Wolf, according to CEO Jose Tolosa.
"Opening a permanent exhibition in the largest and one of the most diverse states in the country has been on Meow Wolf’s radar for years, and we are excited to be formally underway," Tolosa said. "The opportunities this state has presented have already become the touchstones of a vibrant, arts-centric portal of imaginative creativity.”
Grapevine Mayor William D. Tate said he is thrilled to have Meow Wolf coming to his city.
“Our City is a premier destination for entertainment, and the interactive installation these artists will build at Grapevine Mills pairs perfectly with the high-quality restaurants, wineries, and family-friendly activities we have worked to place all over our fine city for decades," Tate said.
The company refers to these upcoming Texas locations as “portals", a reference familiar to those who have visited existing exhibitions. There has also been a Texas Portals campaign online in anticipation of this Lone Star State expansion.
“We are very excited to be bringing Meow Wolf to the Dallas market, adding to our already compelling array of retail and entertainment offerings at Grapevine Mills," said Mark Silvestri, President of Simon Development, in the press release. "The world-class creative team at Meow Wolf and their unique vision will continue to raise the customer’s experience at the center for years to come.”
Meow Wolf mentioned a number of criteria that led them to choose Texas, including diversity, with Houston ranked as the No. 1 most diverse city in America, according to the company's press release.
These two locations have been in the works for more than two years and were motivated by the cities' large, diverse populations. The love of a mall experience led them to Grapevine. Meow Wolf plans to work with hundreds of artists, both local to Texas and from their headquarters in Santa Fe, N.M., to create the next immersive experiences.
Meow Wolf said it is known for its inclusivity and support of historically marginalized communities, describing itself as a “social impact art project fueling a business and a business fueling a social impact art project.”
The company said its mission is to inspire creativity in people’s lives through art, exploration, and play.
Meow Wolf will begin recruiting artists and staff in the summer of 2022. The company encourages those interested in the hiring process to follow Meow Wolf channels: @meow__wolf on Instagram and @MeowWolf on Twitter. People can also visit meowwolf.com/careers or texasportals.com.
The exhibitions in Grapevine and Houston will be Meow Wolf’s fourth and fifth permanent exhibitions. Meow Wolf marked a high growth year in 2021, opening two new permanent installations in addition to upgrading and reopening their original installation, House of Eternal Return, in Santa Fe. Omega Mart opened in February in Las Vegas, Nev., and Convergence Station opened in September in Denver, Colo.
Meow Wolf has welcomed more than three million visitors across the three locations and recently renewed its certification as a B-Corporation, remaining the only certified B-Corporation in the themed entertainment industry.
In 2022 and 2020, Mew Wolf was recognized in Fast Company's list of the World's Most Innovative Companies.
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https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/meow-wolf-portal-north-texas/287-4dfba22f-5776-46e5-9ce4-bd1a9a40eb0f
| 2022-05-11T17:47:16
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https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/meow-wolf-portal-north-texas/287-4dfba22f-5776-46e5-9ce4-bd1a9a40eb0f
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DALLAS — Editor's note: The video above is a WFAA report from 2019 when Mason was released from prison after 10 months.
A Texas woman who was convicted of illegal voting and went to prison in 2018 should have her case re-examined by a lower court, according to the top appeals court in Texas.
Crystal Mason, of Rendon, voted in the 2016 presidential election, but she was on supervised release from federal prison for tax fraud. In Texas, felons can't vote until they complete their full sentence. She claimed she didn't know she was breaking the law.
On Wednesday, Texas’ highest criminal court ruled partially in favor of Mason. The Court of Criminal Appeals ruled that a lower court “erred” in failing to require proof that Mason knew it was a crime when she filled out a provisional ballot in the 2016 presidential election.
Mason's case was sent back to a lower court, the Second Court of Appeals in Fort Worth, for review and to re-examine the evidence.
Previous coverage:
Mason was sentenced to 10 months in federal prison for violating the terms of her release, WFAA reported. In September of 2018, with her journal and books in hand, she said goodbye to her family and began her prison term. She was released in 2019, but a state judge had also sentenced her to five years for the same thing. Mason has been appealing that state ruling ever since.
"I'm still fighting my state case, and I'm just so happy to be home," Mason told WFAA in 2019.
An appeals court upheld that ruling in 2020, but the Court of Criminal Appeals serves as a feather in Mason's cap.
Mason's case drew national attention in 2018, as many civil rights leaders and supporters of Mason said her punishment was too severe.
"Certainly the punishment is quite extreme,” Civil rights attorney Kim Cole told WFAA in 2018. “And do I believe it was racially motivated? Absolutely.”
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https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/texas/crystal-mason-voter-fraud-conviction-could-be-overruled/287-9e95bbc8-42cb-4f6e-92b1-a6c418e20cc8
| 2022-05-11T17:47:22
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https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/texas/crystal-mason-voter-fraud-conviction-could-be-overruled/287-9e95bbc8-42cb-4f6e-92b1-a6c418e20cc8
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Third-grade teacher Cristina Bettesworth, 40, is running for Coos County Commissioner, position two. She hopes to unseat incumbent John Sweet.
Sweet, a Republican, has held the office for ten years and faces Bettesworth, also a Republican, and Pam Lewis, nonpartisan, in the May 17 primary election.
Reducing crime is among her top priorities.
"I think that if he [Sweet] wanted to fix this problem, it would have been done over a decade ago," Bettesworth said in a recent interview. "I want to work for the community, so I have a better place for my neighbors, for my kids."
Bettesworth, who's worked as a teacher since 2005, said everywhere she turns, she witnesses crime. Recently, a stranger tried to get in the car with her and her children in a grocery store parking lot. At a local restaurant, drug needles littered the doormat. They've witnessed a burglary in their neighborhood. While driving, a pedestrian jumped in front of traffic and assaulted a driver in another car.
"This person was obviously high and had suitcases and everything on the road. It was scary," Bettesworth said.
Bettesworth graduated from Riverside High School, earned a bachelor of science in education from Eastern Oregon University, and a masters in administration from the University of Phoenix. She currently teaches at Highland Elementary School in Reedsport.
She grew up in rural Oregon, where her family operated a commercial farm. Hers is also a logging family, dating back to her great, great grandparents. She's also worked as a horse trainer but sold her equestrian estate and moved to Coos County, where her husband has long worked as a commercial fisherman.
"I've always wanted to live at the ocean, and my husband's always been a diehard angler. So this was really a great opportunity for us to sell our farm and move over here," Bettesworth said.
Bettesworth believes expanding the police force and increasing capacity at the jail will help lower crime by tackling more of the drug problems and domestic violence that harm the community and providing support to get struggling individuals rehabilitated. Her goal is a safer, more stable place to live, with good-paying jobs and quality, accessible housing.
The money to fund those initiatives could come from the port, which she said is underutilized.
"We gave up control of our port. We need to get that back. As soon as we can get that back, I think we're going to be able to get money," Bettesworth said.
She views the port as a gateway to several opportunities. Internationally importers could offload goods, which could help solve some of the global shipping crisis and allow the county to get items in more efficiently. If large ships can be hauled out, the boatyard could be rehabilitated. Finally, a well-located industrial park would attract new investment.
She'd also like to see more tourism. For example, building a dedicated pier for crabbing or capitalizing on the popularity of school sports.
"I noticed we had the state basketball playoffs here, and we saw over one million dollars infused into our economy just with tourism. It's baseball and track season now. Why don't our kids have extra baseball fields or a baseball complex, maybe like in Florence or Reedsport, so that we can get tourism here just through that simple act," she said.
She'd also look to community partnerships to strengthen efforts and bring the best minds to the table to address challenges.
"We have a tremendous amount of knowledge in our local area. And I think that if we work together and we could really bring about change, we could make some good stuff happen and gain traction," Bettesworth said.
Bettesworth said Coos County has it all: mountains to climb, fish to catch, rivers to float, oceanside campgrounds, and doing the work to improve it would go a long way.
"This place is a gem," she said. "I moved here for a reason. This is my favorite place on the Oregon coast. If we cleaned it up, we would really have something."
Sweet and commissioner Melissa Cribbins have said the incumbents work efficiently together and that electing new commissioners could disrupt that dynamic. For Bettesworth, it's a weak argument for re-election.
"Congratulations to whoever wins, but they should be able to collaborate and work with peers. That is an expectation of that position," she said.
Bettesworth said she's ready for the challenge of serving as commissioner. If elected, she said she'll give one hundred percent and believes her master's degree in administration and prior positions on public boards have given her a good foundation for success.
"I'm not a politician. I'm not a bureaucrat. I'm a schoolteacher at the end of the day. And I really, number one, want to see better change for the county. This is not something that I'm seeking out to benefit from in any other way than building a better county for my kids to live in," Bettesworth said.
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https://theworldlink.com/news/local/bettesworth-its-time-to-tackle-crime/article_6d5035b2-cfc4-11ec-8d68-5f6769c9337e.html
| 2022-05-11T17:57:30
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https://theworldlink.com/news/local/bettesworth-its-time-to-tackle-crime/article_6d5035b2-cfc4-11ec-8d68-5f6769c9337e.html
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Iva Maxine Irwin of Coquille, Oregon, passed away on February 17, 2022. She was born in Lincoln, Nebraska in 1939 and moved to Oregon with her family in 1947, attending schools in Riverton and Coquille, where she graduated in 1957.
A Celebration of Life for Iva is scheduled for May 22, 2022 at 1 pm at the VFW Hall in Bandon, Oregon.
Iva married Jackie Irwin in 1959, in a double ring ceremony with Calvin and Jody Irwin, a marriage that lasted 60 years, ending when Jackie passed in 2019.
She is survived by her children, Mitchell Irwin, Nichole and James Webb, Lynda and Ron Carns; grandchildren, Phillip, Logan, Zandrew and Mallory; many nieces and nephews. Iva was preceded in death by her parents, R.K. and Florence Hart, Walter and Rose Irwin; husband, Jackie; and her son, Michael Irwin.
Iva followed Jackie in his military career, spending time in Long Beach, California, Edwards AFB, Chanute AFB, Homestead AFB, finally returning to Coquille after Jackie retired from the Air Force in 1976.
During her children’s years in school, Iva was always busy organizing one event after another, including school sports, activities, time at the lake, and still found time to participate in bowling leagues with Jackie. Later year activities included traveling with Jackie to Washington, Idaho, Texas and everywhere in between to visit family and to explore new areas.
Iva was proud of having worked at Ritchie’s Bookkeeping, Rocketdyne, the Family Services center at Chanute and Homestead, the KWRO Radio Station, and finally providing day care services at her home in Coquille.
Iva was active in many clubs throughout the years, Den Mother to Cubscouts, Troop Leader to Brownies, AMVETs Auxiliary and the VFW Auxiliary.
Iva was always available to anyone who wanted to pass the time of day and made lifelong friends everywhere she went. Iva was loved and will be missed by all that knew her. We are all better for having known her.
In lieu of flowers, please send any donations to Bryan’s Home, 1520 Sherman Avenue in North Bend, OR. A charitable site to provide transitional housing to homeless Veterans and their families.
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https://theworldlink.com/news/local/obituaries/iva-maxine-irwin/article_babbff84-d140-11ec-a2ee-07d0fa7ad7b2.html
| 2022-05-11T17:57:31
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https://theworldlink.com/news/local/obituaries/iva-maxine-irwin/article_babbff84-d140-11ec-a2ee-07d0fa7ad7b2.html
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(NEXSTAR) – Who’s in the mood for an expensive beer?
These days, it feels like you can’t throw a rock without hitting a craft brewery, or at least hitting someone who has a very strong opinion on craft beer. The number of U.S. microbreweries, taprooms and brewpubs has exploded over the last decade, from roughly 2,000 in 2010 to more than 9,000 in 2021, according to the Brewers Association.
Despite a slight dip in production during the pandemic (and current supply-chain snags), most of these breweries on track to keep pre-pandemic levels of beer flowing, too.
“While the boom in breweries of a few years before has certainly slowed, the continued growth in small breweries shows the solid foundation of demand for their businesses and beers,” Bart Watson, the chief economist of the Brewers Association, said in an April press release.
With so much craft beer to consider, and so many brewpubs to choose from, it’s undoubtedly daunting to settle on a destination for a draft or two. But luckily, the analysts at Yelp have sorted through thousands of user-generated reviews to determine which breweries are best-rated in your neck of the woods.
One quick note: The following list is based on reviews that not only considered the taste of each brewery’s beer, but also the ambiance or service at each establishment’s taproom, if they indeed serve beer on the premises.
Good? Alright, let’s hop to it, then: The top craft brewery* in each state, based on Yelp reviews, can be found below:
- Alabama — Good People Brewing, in Birmingham
- Alaska — Devil’s Club Brewing, in Juneau
- Arizona — Front Pourch Brewing, in Phoenix
- Arkansas — Gotahold Brewing, in Eureka Springs
- California — Home Brewing, in San Diego
- Colorado — Broken Compass Brewing, in Breckenridge
- Connecticut — Fox Farm Brewery, in Salem
- Delaware — Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, in Minton
- Florida — Florida Keys Brewing, in Islamorada
- Georgia — Variant Brewing, in Roswell
- Hawaii — Stewbum & Stonewall Brewing Co., in Honolulu
- Idaho — Daft Badger Brewing, in Coeur D’alene
- Illinois — Begyle Brewing, in Chicago
- Indiana — Guggman Haus Brewing Co, in Indianapolis
- Iowa — Jubeck New World Brewing, in Dubuque
- Kansas — Central Standard Brewing, in Wichita
- Kentucky — West Sixth Brewing, in Lexington
- Louisiana — Bywater Brew Pub, in New Orleans
- Maine — Allagash Brewing Company, in Portland
- Maryland — Streetcar 82 Brewing, in Hyattsville
- Massachusetts — Samuel Adams Brewery, in Boston
- Michigan — Ore Dock Brewing Company, in Marquette
- Minnesota — Junkyard Brewing Company, in Moorhead
- Mississippi — Natchez Brewing Company, in Natchez
- Missouri — Rochester Brewing and Roasting Company, in Kansas City
- Montana — Bonsai Brewing Project, in Whitefish
- Nebraska — Pals Brewing, in North Platte
- Nevada — IMBĪB Custom Brews, in Reno
- New Hampshire — Schilling Beer, in Littleton
- New Jersey — Eclipse Brewing, in Merchantville
- New Mexico — Truth or Consequences Brewing, in Truth or Consequences
- New York — TALEA Beer, in Brooklyn
- North Carolina — Whistle Hop Brewing Company, in Fairview
- North Dakota — Drekker Brewing Company, in Fargo
- Ohio — Noble Beast Brewing, in Cleveland
- Oklahoma — Stonecloud Brewing Company, in Oklahoma City
- Oregon — Boneyard Beer, in Bend
- Pennsylvania — Brew Gentlemen, in Braddock
- Rhode Island — Crooked Current Brewery, in Pawtucket
- South Carolina — Low Tide Brewing, Johns Island
- South Dakota — Remedy Brewing, in Sioux Falls
- Tennessee — Southern Grist Brewing, in Nashville
- Texas — Ranger Creek Brewing & Distilling, in San Antonio
- Utah — Kiitos Brewing, in Salt Lake City
- Vermont — The Alchemist, in Stowe
- Virginia — Barley Naked Brewing Company, in Stafford
- Washington, D.C. — Other Half Brewing DC
- Washington — Georgetown Brewing Company, in Seattle
- West Virginia — Screech Owl Brewing, in Bruceton Mills
- Wisconsin — Vennture Brew, in Milwaukee
- Wyoming — Ten Sleep Brewing Company, in Ten Sleep
More information, and links to each brewery’s Yelp page, can be found at Yelp.com.
While the above breweries are certainly most popular with Yelp users, the sales figures of America’s top-producing craft breweries tell a different story. The most popular craft brewery in the U.S., in terms of sales volume, is Pennsylvania-based D. G. Yuengling & Son, followed by the Boston Beer Company of Massachusetts and the Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, according to the Brewers Association.
*Craft breweries, as defined by the Brewers Association, must produce less than 6 million barrels per year. To qualify for the category, no more than 25% of the company can be owned or controlled by a larger, non-craft brewer. The brewery itself must also hold a TBB Brewer’s Notice and be actively producing beer.
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https://www.cbs42.com/news/local/the-top-craft-breweries-in-every-state-according-to-yelp/
| 2022-05-11T17:58:42
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https://www.cbs42.com/news/local/the-top-craft-breweries-in-every-state-according-to-yelp/
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MODESTO, Calif. — A man was arrested in Southern California for the killing of Modesto DoorDast driver Andrew Satavu.
On Tuesday, Modesto police arrested 46-year-old Mario Esparza from Modesto on murder charges. The Modesto Police Department said 56-year-old Andrew Satavu was shot and killed while doing his job on April 18 along the 1600 block of Gardenia Road.
Video surveillance allowed police to identify Esparza as the suspect. At around 4:45 p.m. on Tuesday, officers pulled Esparza over on Interstate 405 near Carson, Calif.
Friends called Satavu a loving and energetic husband and father, who also took care of family members in Fiji.
"There's no reason, I mean, he was just doing his job, delivering food," Mario Sanchez, Satavu's friend, told ABC10 on April 20.
Previous Coverage:
ABC10: Watch, Download, Read
Watch more from ABC10: DoorDash driver shot, killed in Modesto was 'just doing his job'
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/modesto/modesto-doordash-driver-murder-suspect-arrested/103-1b0d80e7-9187-4fb4-a460-42d09d20e4cf
| 2022-05-11T18:18:57
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/modesto/modesto-doordash-driver-murder-suspect-arrested/103-1b0d80e7-9187-4fb4-a460-42d09d20e4cf
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RUPERT, Idaho — Chobani is putting $1 million towards the construction of the nation's largest research dairy, planned for the Magic Valley, as part of a push to push scientific research and sustainability forward.
The donation was made Wednesday to the University of Idaho-led Center for Agriculture, Food and the Environment (Idaho CAFE.)
"Sustainability is part of the fabric of Chobani. Caring for our people and animals, conserving resources, putting back what we take – this is how we operate, and this is how dairy farmers operate," said Hamdi Ulukaya, Chobani Founder and CEO. "As more and more people – consumers, investors, and regulators focus on sustainability, the dairy industry must be part of the conversation. The dairy industry has a deep history of commitment to and leadership in sustainability, which must be honored. This is why the University of Idaho's leadership to establish this comprehensive and groundbreaking CAFE project is so important, and why we are so proud to support it."
According to Chobani, the research dairy will be operated like a commercial farm and will be the site of "a variety of ongoing research experiments" overseen by U of I faculty and staff. The findings from the site's research will be immediately applicable to dairy farms in Idaho and around the Western U.S., officials said.
Idaho CAFE includes a 2,000-cow research dairy and 640-acre demonstration farm in Rupert, as well as a Jerome-based education center and a food science program developed with the College of Southern Idaho in Twin Falls.
"The Idaho CAFE project has been conceptualized for years but the need for this integrated research center is growing by the day," said Michael P. Parrella, Dean for the University of Idaho College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. "The dairy industry nationwide has set aggressive goals to become carbon neutral and maximize water quality and quantity among other environmental sustainability goals in the very near future. Chobani's investment in the Idaho CAFE research dairy highlights their partnership in this mission and pushes us closer to the finish line that is having this center operational and contributing to the cutting-edge research that develop environmental solutions for the dairy industry now and into the future."
Construction on the $22.5 million project is set to begin in June. The finished site will include facilities to house the milking and nutrient management operations.
The first stage of construction is set to wrap up next year, with U of I starting to milk cows at the Rupert location at that time.
Backers of the project tout Idaho CAFE as a way to combine research and education to support a sustainable future for Idaho's dairy, livestock, farming, and food production industries.
"Time and time again, Chobani has stepped up to invest in Idaho and the Magic Valley community. The Idaho CAFE project embraces the innovation happening across our agricultural sector," said Idaho Governor Brad Little. "Chobani's latest commitment to Idaho CAFE is an investment in Idaho's economy and, importantly, Idaho's current and future workforce. A strong dairy industry supports jobs and our Idaho way of life. We are grateful to the leadership and employees at Chobani for their continued pledge to excellence, which helps us in reaching our goal to make Idaho the place where our children and grandchildren choose to stay."
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/chobani-largest-research-dairy-idaho-cafe-cows/277-57850bc8-acd5-4c6a-be61-d472aa6745c7
| 2022-05-11T18:23:14
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https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/chobani-largest-research-dairy-idaho-cafe-cows/277-57850bc8-acd5-4c6a-be61-d472aa6745c7
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MERIDIAN, Idaho — The Meridian Police Department's Motorcycle Team just rolled out its new Harley Davidson bikes and is reminding the public how to safely share the road with cyclists.
The new Harley Davidson Electra Glide bikes are equipped with front and rear radar, as well as heated grips that allow officers to utilize them most of the year. The bikes were rolled out at the beginning of May as part of Motorcycle Awareness Month, to join the Meridian Police Department's vehicle fleet.
"As warm weather arrives, more motorcycles will be out on the road. Remember to look twice for motorcycles; for the motorcyclist, remember to make sure you're riding in the best spot to be seen by the other drivers on the road," Traffic Officer Jacob Simon said. "Being a defensive driver helps all the motorists out on the roadway arrive at their destination safely."
Since 2019, there have been four motorcycle-related fatalities in Meridian. The city has averaged 26 motorcycle collisions per year since 2015.
Motorcyclists can protect themselves using these tips:
- Wear high-visibility clothing while riding.
- Use Department of Transportation (DOT) compliant motorcycle helmets.
- Always drive sober.
- Do not split lanes.
Residents can help protect motorcyclists by:
- Always check your blind spots.
- Initiate your turn signal sooner than you normally would.
- Pay extra attention when switching lanes, making left turns, and during nighttime driving.
To reduce the number of fatalities and injuries, all road users should follow the safe riding and driving practices and stay alert when sharing the road.
For more information on motorcycle safety, visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website.
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/meridian-police-new-harley-davidson-bikes-idaho-road-safety-cyclists/277-33b0fa03-32bb-41bc-bbd2-75a7028bc821
| 2022-05-11T18:23:20
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https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/meridian-police-new-harley-davidson-bikes-idaho-road-safety-cyclists/277-33b0fa03-32bb-41bc-bbd2-75a7028bc821
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BOISE, Idaho — The City of Boise will direct an additional $6.5 million in federal rental assistance to families in Idaho's capital city.
The City Council on Tuesday afternoon approved the funding. The mayor's office said that through a partnership with Boise City-Ada County Housing Authority, the City has already provided $15 million in federal rental assistance to more than 3,200 households.
"Now, we can do even more," Boise Mayor Lauren McLean said in a news release. "As we move out of this pandemic, people still need help with their rent. This money means we can keep giving them that help through the end of this year."
Through the Emergency Rental Assistance Program, the funds will be directed to families in Boise making 80 percent of the average income for the area or less. An online application for assistance is available here.
Boise received its first round of ERAP funding in early 2021 to help people struggling to pay rent or utility bills because of the COVID-19 pandemic. ERAP funding comes in the form of grants from the U.S. Department of Treasury.
Rental assistance is one of several housing-related efforts in which the City of Boise is engaged. Others include financial incentives for the development of affordable rental housing and the Housing Land Trust, which involves the use of city-owned property to boost housing inventory for all income levels. One example is the MODA Franklin project now under construction. More information about the city's housing and neighborhood programs is available here.
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/more-rental-assistance-boise-city-council-approves-6-point-5-million/277-bacced9a-c4be-4b02-8106-4e9a1fe33101
| 2022-05-11T18:23:26
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https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/more-rental-assistance-boise-city-council-approves-6-point-5-million/277-bacced9a-c4be-4b02-8106-4e9a1fe33101
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MARCY, N.Y. – A fire in a cell in the residential mental health unit at Marcy Correctional Facility sent five workers to the hospital Wednesday morning.
A representative from the New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association says four corrections officers and a sergeant were rushed to the hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation.
It is not yet clear how the fire started.
More details will be released as they become available.
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https://www.wktv.com/news/local/4-corrections-officers-1-sergeant-sent-to-hospital-following-fire-at-marcy-correctional-facility/article_fda57426-d143-11ec-b605-f37d8878080d.html
| 2022-05-11T18:24:14
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https://www.wktv.com/news/local/4-corrections-officers-1-sergeant-sent-to-hospital-following-fire-at-marcy-correctional-facility/article_fda57426-d143-11ec-b605-f37d8878080d.html
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UTICA, N.Y. – Members of various local groups held a pro-choice rally outside of the Oneida County Office Building Wednesday morning in support of Roe v. Wade, a federal decision that protects women’s abortion rights.
Rallies have popped up across the country in anticipation of the U.S. Supreme Court overturning the decision, which would allow states to make more restrictive abortion laws.
Some of the protesters have been at it for days.
“This is day four for me for protesting, yes, this has been four days in a row of this. We are also…having a huge March in Utica this Saturday," said Monica Lewis.
As the country waits for the Supreme Court’s decision, new generations are joining those who have been rallying for abortion rights for decades.
"There's women here who have been doing this march years and years and years over time because it's jus ta constant battle women have to deal with; and forced pregnancy is violating the rights to privacy and it's just not fair and we shouldn't have to deal with this,” said Gabby Alexandra, one of the event organizers.
A march is planned for Saturday starting at noon at the YWCA of the Mohawk Valley on Rutger Street in Utica.
On Tuesday, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced $35 million in funding to support abortion services and expand access in New York.
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https://www.wktv.com/news/local/pro-choice-rally-held-in-utica-in-support-of-abortion-rights/article_9862fd3a-d149-11ec-baab-4f3e91889a01.html
| 2022-05-11T18:24:20
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https://www.wktv.com/news/local/pro-choice-rally-held-in-utica-in-support-of-abortion-rights/article_9862fd3a-d149-11ec-baab-4f3e91889a01.html
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An Al Jazeera correspondent who was shot dead on Wednesday during an Israeli raid in the West Bank was a highly respected journalist in the Middle East whose unflinching coverage was known to millions of viewers.
Abu Akleh’s name trended across Twitter in Arabic on Wednesday, setting social media alight with support for the Palestinians. Her image was projected over the main square in the West Bank city of Ramallah as mourners flooded the Al Jazeera offices there and her family home in east Jerusalem.
Al Jazeera and witnesses, including her producer who was shot in the back Wednesday, said she was killed by Israeli gunfire. Israel said it was unclear who was responsible, calling it “premature and irresponsible to cast blame at this stage.”
Abu Akleh’s coverage of the harsh realities of Israel’s military occupation was inextricably linked with her own experiences as a Palestinian journalist on the front lines. Her death underscores the heavy price the conflict continues to exact on Palestinians, regardless of their role as journalists.
Although she was also a U.S. citizen who often visited America in the summers, she lived and worked in east Jerusalem and the West Bank, where those who knew her said she felt most at home. A Palestinian Christian whose family was originally from Bethlehem, she was born and raised in Jerusalem. She leaves behind a brother and her parents.
In an Al Jazeera video released last year, Abu Akleh recalled the scale of destruction and “the feeling that death was at times just around the corner” during her coverage of the second intifada, from 2000-2005. “Despite the dangers, we were determined to do the job,” she said.
“I chose journalism so I could be close to the people,” she added. “It might not be easy to change the reality, but at least I was able to communicate their voice to the world.”
Abu Akleh joined Al Jazeera in 1997, just a year after the groundbreaking Arabic news network launched. Among her many assignments were covering five wars in Gaza and Israel’s war with Lebanon in 2006. She reported on forced home evictions, the killings of Palestinian youth, the hundreds of Palestinians held without charge in Israeli prisons and the continuous expansion of Jewish settlements.
Her longtime producer, Wessam Hammad, said Abu Akleh possessed an incredible ability to remain calm under pressure.
“Shireen worked all these years with a commitment to the values and ethics of our profession,” he said of Abu Akleh, who the network called “the face of Al Jazeera in Palestine.”
He and Abu Akleh were often caught in Israeli cross-fire during the many stories they covered together, he said. On one assignment, their car filled with tear gas and they struggled to breathe. When they would think back on these moments, he said Abu Akleh would laugh and marvel at how they managed to survive.
Images of the moments after Abu Akleh was shot in the head in the West Bank town of Jenin circulated online and were broadcast on Al Jazeera and other Arabic news channels. Wearing a helmet and a vest clearly marked “PRESS,” Abu Akleh’s body was shown lying face down in a patch of sand. A Palestinian man jumped over a wall to reach her as gunshots rang out, dragging her motionless body to a car.
In video from the West Bank hospital where Abu Akleh was pronounced dead, a male colleague was seen weeping at her hospital bed as others choked back tears. A female correspondent for Al Jazeera in the Gaza Strip wept on air as she reported from a vigil for the journalist.
Later Wednesday, Abu Akleh’s body, draped in a Palestinian flag and covered by a wreath of flowers, was carried through downtown Ramallah on a red stretcher. Hundreds chanted, “With our spirit, with our blood, we will redeem you, Shireen.”
An outpouring of condemnation came from governments around the world. The U.S. State Department called her death “an affront to media freedom.”
In an opinion piece online, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz lauded her bravery, saying, “Abu Akleh died a hero, doing her job,” and noted that she went to Jenin and other occupied areas that Israeli journalists “rarely if ever visited.”
It had started as another routine assignment for Abu Akleh. She’d emailed colleagues that she was heading to the Jenin refugee camp to check on reports of an Israeli military raid. “I will bring you the news as soon as the picture becomes clear,” she wrote.
“Generations grew up seeing her work,” producer Hammad, said. “People listened to Shireen’s voice and were influenced by her to study journalism so they could be like her.”
Abu Akleh’s niece, Lina Abu Akleh, described her as a “best friend” and “second mom”.
“She is someone that I was looking up to since I was a kid, watching all of her reports,” she told journalists from the family’s home. “I never thought this day would come where the news would be about her.”
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Follow Aya Batrawy on Twitter at https://twitter.com/ayaelb
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https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/slain-al-jazeera-journalist-was-icon-of-palestinian-coverage/2022/05/11/17fdbe40-d14f-11ec-886b-df76183d233f_story.html
| 2022-05-11T18:28:48
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MOULTRIE -- The 2022 Sunbelt Ag Expo Field Day is scheduled for July 21, and farmers are invited to attend to learn practical information from the region’s top agricultural scientists about the newest technologies that farmers can use to improve their operations.
The Sunbelt team will welcome farmers and professionals in the ag industry to a Driving Tour of the Darrell Williams Research Farm. The half-day event will take place at the 600-acre Darrell Williams Research Farm, located at the Expo show site at Spence Field in Moultrie. Registration is free for anyone who works in agriculture.
Visitors should arrive thru Gate 2 any time between 8-9 a.m. to begin the tour. Signs will direct those in attendance to a red tent, where they will register, receive a welcome bag including snacks, register for CCA credits, and begin the tour. They will never have to step out of their vehicle for this process.
Once registered, visitors will then drive through the tour path while viewing pre-recorded segments featuring university researchers and company vendors. In addition, farmers can choose to pull aside at stops that particularly spark their interest to further investigate plots and visit one-on-one with researchers.
“We have the unique ability to work with university and corporate researchers on our Darrell Williams Research Farm, where we continue to conduct cotton, peanut, corn, sorghum and forage research — all aimed at improving the farmer’s bottom line," Sunbelt Ag Expo Executive Director Chip Blalock said. "We look at the latest seed varieties, crop protection methods, soil fertility, irrigation and precision ag technology."
“Each year, our mission is to provide a place where research can be done to benefit all row crop and forage farmers — especially those who might not have the resources or land to just go out and try a new variety or technology on a hunch,” Sunbelt Ag Expo Farm Manager Cody Mitchell said. “This year is no different.
“We strive to have the best-looking farm around. We want the Expo farm to showcase what a farm should look like. We work hard all year to ensure that we make a lifelong impression on the guests who come to see us during Sunbelt Ag Expo in October. When they visit here, we want it to be an eye-opening experience that’s worth their time.”
There are a few tips visitors should keep in mind to enjoy a successful tour. Bring a friend to experience the event with you. Be sure to have a smartphone or tablet with you to view the research videos during the tour. Videos will be accessible using the Official Sunbelt Ag Expo app, web site, or YouTube channel. Connect your device to your vehicle Bluetooth before you arrive. Plan to chat with researchers and vendors at plots that specifically interest you. Prepare to explore and learn on the research farm, all while enjoying your comfortable vehicle.
UGA researchers, Extension Specialists, and ag chemical representatives conduct numerous trials at the Sunbelt farm for all major Southern agronomic crops. To view more specific Field Day details, download the Sunbelt Ag Expo app or visit www.sunbeltexpo.com.
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https://www.albanyherald.com/local/ag-expo-field-day-to-feature-updated-technology-research/article_1b59afee-d14b-11ec-9abe-6b6ca075b5a2.html
| 2022-05-11T18:35:06
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https://www.albanyherald.com/local/ag-expo-field-day-to-feature-updated-technology-research/article_1b59afee-d14b-11ec-9abe-6b6ca075b5a2.html
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Brooklyn-born rapper Casanova pled guilty Wednesday to federal drug and racketeering charges, admitting to a series of crimes committed while leading an interstate gang.
Casanova, born Caswell Senior, first surrendered to the FBI in late 2020. Prosecutors alleged he led the Untouchable Gorilla Stone Nation Bloods gang, and in that role directed a conspiracy that spanned from New York to Florida.
The U.S. Attorney's Office in Manhattan said Wednesday that Casanova admitted to a July 2020 shooting in Florida, an Aug. 2018 robbery in New York City, and to trafficking more than 100 kilograms of marijuana.
The rapper, best known for the 2016 cut "Don't Run," is due to be sentenced this coming December, at which time he faces a mandatory minimum of five years in prison and a maximum sentence of 60 years.
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/rapper-casanova-pleads-guilty-to-racketeering-drug-charges/3682680/
| 2022-05-11T18:45:04
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/rapper-casanova-pleads-guilty-to-racketeering-drug-charges/3682680/
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LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Gas prices in Arkansas have hit a record-high average of $3.99 per gallon, the AAA said in a statement on Monday.
The state nearing four dollars is a 17-cent jump compared to last Monday and a whopping $1.26 more per gallon than this day last year.
The previous record of $3.97 was set in July of 2008.
"Volatility in the global crude oil market continues to be the main driving factor behind the recent spike in gas prices. Ongoing oil supply concerns from the Russian invasion of Ukraine and increasing demand for gasoline, along with diesel and jet fuel, is propping up oil prices above $100 per barrel. Crude oil prices account for about 60% of what drivers pay at the pump," the statement said.
Drivers in Texarkana are paying an average of $4.22 at the pump while people in Little Rock are paying $3.95 per gallon, similar to Northwest Arkansas (Fayetteville, Springdale, and Rogers) where the average price per gallon is one cent higher at $3.96.
Arkansas is still one of the cheapest price-per-gallon states, with only Georgia, Kansas, and Missouri paying less. The Natural State is tied at $3.99 with both Mississippi and Oklahoma.
Drivers in California are paying the most at $5.85 on average for a gallon of regular unleaded gas.
AAA also gave tips on how to save money on fuel, including the idea that bad driving costs more than just your safety.
How to save at the pump:
- Slow down and drive the speed limit. Higher speeds result in more aerodynamic drag.
- Avoid constant starts and hard accelerations. These actions greatly increase fuel consumption.
- Use cruise control on the highway to help maintain a constant speed and save fuel. Just don't use cruise control on slick roads—you could lose control of your vehicle.
- Minimize your use of air conditioning.
- Avoid extended idling to warm up the engine, even in colder temperatures.
- Maintain your car according to the manufacturer’s recommendations. Regular service will ensure optimum fuel economy.
- Make sure your tires are properly maintained and inflated to the correct level.
- When driving in town, adjust your speed to “time” the traffic lights. This reduces repeated braking and acceleration that consume additional fuel.
- When approaching a red light or stop sign, take your foot off the gas early and allow your car to coast down to a slower speed until it is time to brake.
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https://www.thv11.com/article/news/local/arkansas-gas-price-record-high/91-c676d10f-9728-4cad-aaa5-52a2015c1222
| 2022-05-11T19:08:23
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https://www.thv11.com/article/news/local/arkansas-gas-price-record-high/91-c676d10f-9728-4cad-aaa5-52a2015c1222
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A 29-year-old Lincoln man died Tuesday morning after colliding head-on with a semi truck on U.S. 34 in Seward County, according to the sheriff's office.
Beau Connely was driving his Subaru Impreza west on the highway near 210th Road at around 7:50 a.m. Tuesday when he veered across the center line and collided with an eastbound semi, the sheriff's office said in a news release.
Connely was pronounced dead at the scene.
The sheriff's office is investigating the crash with assistance from the Nebraska State Patrol.
No citations have been issued. The sheriff's office did not identify the semi driver.
Connely's death marks the 89th fatality on Nebraska roadways this year, according to state data — a 29% increase over the five-year average year-to-date total.
A Kansas City, Missouri, native, Andrew Wegley joined the Journal Star as breaking news reporter after graduating from Northwest Missouri State University in May 2021.
Police in November said the 36-year-old had a contusion on his head and labeled his death "suspicious," but his death has now been ruled accidental in nature.
The company alleged the man stole 6,000 pounds of copper wire and a flatbed trailer, wrongfully used the company's credit card, submitted false timesheets and directed employees to work at his Pleasant Dale home on the clock.
An Ohio man caused $7,500 in damage to vehicles parked near the Lincoln Amtrak station on Saturday afternoon after police said he was booted from a train.
An agreement will allow Lincoln police to use state facial recognition software to help identify possible suspects, a practice that concerns civil liberties groups.
The man walked to the side of her and grabbed the backpack that was attached to her walker with a carabiner, pulling the bag, the walker and the woman across the porch, police said.
The Nebraska Crime Commission, a panel of police and public officials who review revocations and oversee statewide law enforcement standards and compliance, made Mathew Bornemeier's revocation official on Friday.
Police later spotted the van driving near Alvo Road and North 14th Street, giving chase as the vehicle fled from officers before getting stuck in the mud on an access road, according to authorities.
The man entered the raceway and ran to the west grandstands, where a trooper deployed a taser and took the man into custody, the sheriff's office said.
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https://journalstar.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/lincoln-man-killed-in-seward-county-crash-sheriffs-office-says/article_f8290a4d-a74b-5907-a5c1-cdd8c44b7aca.html
| 2022-05-11T19:22:00
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https://journalstar.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/lincoln-man-killed-in-seward-county-crash-sheriffs-office-says/article_f8290a4d-a74b-5907-a5c1-cdd8c44b7aca.html
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PORTLAND, Ore. — The city of Portland has settled with a group of people who sued over the way the city conducts homeless sweeps.
The class-action lawsuit, filed last year, alleged city contractors were illegally discarding the personal belongings of people living outdoors while dispersing homeless encampments, Oregon Public Broadcasting reported.
Plaintiffs said the city failed to properly document property that was removed, and failed to give people a reasonable opportunity to retrieve their belongings.
The city has now implemented a new set of rules dictating why, when and how campsites will be removed.
The lawsuit was dismissed as a result of the new policies; the plaintiffs were not seeking a monetary award. They were represented by the Oregon Justice Resource Center, along with Michael Fuller and the Underdog Law Office.
Under the new rules, the city will provide a 72-hour notice before dispersing an encampment that will include specific details about the area being cleaned up, along with instructions on where removed property will be available for retrieval.
During cleanup, city agents will give people in encampments at least an hour before removing any personal property. And the city is required to maintain a database of all personal property removed from the site.
The city has also agreed not to disperse any encampments during severe winter weather or excessive heat. And all agents performing campsite removal will be trained in crisis intervention.
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https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/homeless/portland-changes-homeless-sweeps-rules/283-ec3e5595-1106-40a3-ba66-9e8b6832c921
| 2022-05-11T19:22:24
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DALLAS — A college community is mourning the death of a cheerleader from North Texas, who died after posting a heartbreaking note on her Instagram page.
Student-athlete Arlana Miller, 19, was a freshman cheerleader at Southern University in Baton Rouge, La., and was found dead late on May 4. Miller, a DeSoto High School graduate, was pursuing a degree in agriculture, Southern University Director of Athletics Roman Banks said in a press release.
Images of Miller's final Instagram post started circulating online around the time of her death.
In her post, she mentioned that "I gave this life all the fight I had" and mentioned she hasn't been "okay for a while."
The post was later taken down a few days after Miller's death.
Banks said his department found out about this social media post on Thursday.
"Southern Athletics sends our sympathy to Arlana's family and friends," Banks said in the press release. "Our thoughts and prayers are with her family, rest of our department staff and student-athletes; and the entire SU community. Jaguar Nation is a close community and we grieve together during this difficult time. Arlana's teammates and coaches are also in mourning, and we are grateful for everyone who is helping and supporting the team."
Southern University cheerleading coach Floyd Sias said Miller made an impact on her team in a short time.
"She was extremely dedicated to her sport, a tremendously hard worker, and a warm and engaging young woman," Sias said. "She will be missed."
Southern University leaders said the University Counseling Center is offering its services to any students who may need support during this difficult time.
The university will have counseling available all day on the 3rd floor of the A.W. Mumford Fieldhouse for student-athletes and department staff, according to Banks.
The university also encouraged students to reach out to several crisis hotlines, if they need to, including 24/7 counseling services at 225-368-9602.
Miller's death comes amid the Mental Health Awareness Month, which is promoted by the National Alliance on Mental Illness. This year's goal of the awareness month is to amplify the message of "Together for Mental Health," according to the NAMI.
"Together, we can realize our shared vision of a nation where anyone affected by mental illness can get the appropriate support and quality of care to live healthy, fulfilling lives," the NAMI website said.
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a resource for individuals struggling or for those looking to help someone else. The number to call is 1-800-273-8255. Those who need emotional crisis support can also text HELLO to 741741 to speak with a trained listener 24/7. It is free and confidential.
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https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/college-cheerleader-dallas-dead-suicide-note-social-media/287-c596db88-10f6-4a54-981c-267cb896641a
| 2022-05-11T19:36:21
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A lawsuit against Midland County, former District Attorney Al Schorre and former Assistant District Attorney continues to grab national headlines.
Conservative columnist George Will offered his take on a lawsuit that stated, “For nearly 20 years, Petty served as several judges’ right-hand advisor, engaging in ex parte communications and surreptitiously drafting opinions and orders in the prosecution’s favor in more than 300 cases.”
The lawsuit is by a former Midlander who could not achieve her dream of being a registered nurse because of an arrest in 2000 and subsequent conviction. As Will wrote in his opinion article, “That dream died because of her felony conviction in Midland, Texas, where she grew up and had an astonishing encounter with the criminal justice system.”
The suit by Erma Wilson is another legal issue following Petty’s employment as an assistant district attorney and as a law clerk for Midland County district judges. Wilson was found guilty of possession of a controlled substance (crack cocaine) in a trial more than two decades ago. She alleges that then-District Judge John Hyde denied her motions before, during and after her trial in 2001, including motions to suppress evidence. Working for Hyde, according to the lawsuit, was Petty, “advising them on legal matters and drafting the judges’ orders and opinions.”
Will wrote, “The Wild West willingness of some Midland officials to ignore some elementary judicial norms is inexplicable. Something gave them a sense of impunity. This sense began to unravel when an Internal Revenue Service auditor wondered about Petty's financial relationships with two supposedly independent branches of Midland County's criminal justice system. But the misbehavior was not publicly disclosed until after Petty retired in 2019. He is no longer allowed to practice law in the state of Texas.
To read the Reporter-Telegram report on the lawsuit, go to https://www.mrt.com/news/local/article/Lawsuit-filed-against-Midland-County-former-ADA-17076338.php
To read George Will’s column about the Wilson’s situation, go to https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/05/11/texas-prosecutorial-impunity/
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https://www.mrt.com/news/local/article/Midland-under-microscope-for-past-judicial-17165872.php
| 2022-05-11T19:46:01
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TIFTON — Two commencement ceremonies in Gressette Gymnasium on Thursday will cap off the 2021-22 academic year at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College. For ABAC President David Bridges, it will mark his final graduation duties before he retires later this summer.
“Graduation days are my favorite days at ABAC,” Bridges said. “All the graduates have a chance to go out and make their mark in the world. They all have college diplomas from ABAC.
“We have said for years that students get more education for less money at ABAC, and our continued enrollment increases prove that students and their parents recognize that fact.”
A total of 315 graduates are expected to participate in the two ceremonies, one at 10 a.m. for the graduates of the School of Nursing and Health Sciences and the School of Arts and Sciences, and another at 2 p.m. for graduates of the School of Agriculture and Natural Resources and the Stafford School of Business.
With 16 years in the position, Bridges is the longest-serving president in the history of ABAC. He is also the current longest-serving president among the 26 colleges and universities in the University System of Georgia.
Tracy Brundage, president of Keystone College, has been selected to take the reins of the ABAC presidency on Aug. 1.
Stacker looks back at 30 iconic moments in sports that defined the 1960s. These include college basketball dynasties from the state of California, historic home runs that set records and won the World Series, and ingenious high jumpers who changed the way track-and-field sports were performed. Click for more.
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https://www.albanyherald.com/local/abraham-baldwin-agricultural-college-president-presides-over-final-commencement-ceremonies/article_d2b19ee8-d15c-11ec-bc3b-4315335bbca6.html
| 2022-05-11T20:12:03
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A one-time close ally of former New York Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin pled guilty to a litany of federal fraud and bribery charges, telling a court there was a 'quid pro quo' involving donations to Benjamin's campaign and money for a charitable organization.
Harlem real estate magnate Gerald Migdol made the admission in a court hearing in early April, the record of which was unsealed late Tuesday.
"(In) 2019, I entered into a quid pro quo agreement with Brian Benjamin, who was then a state senator. Specifically, he offered to obtain a $50,000 state grant for my charitable organization in exchange for campaign contributions that I agreed to give him and procure for him," Migdol said in a statement read in court, according to a transcript of the hearing.
"(From) at least 2019 through at least in or about 2021, I agreed with others to misrepresent and conceal the sources of certain contributions to Brian Benjamin's political campaign," Migdol went on to say.
Benjamin resigned as lieutenant governor on April 12 after being charged with bribery, fraud and conspiracy.
Prosecutors allege Benjamin schemed to get campaign contributions from Migdol in exchange for Benjamin using his influence to get a $50,000 grant of state funds for a nonprofit organization Migdol controlled.
Following news of his resignation, Benjamin's attorneys, James D. Gatta and William Harrington issued a statement calling his actions "laudable -- not criminal."
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"There has never been a federal case like this in America," the statement said. "Brian supported a $50,000 grant to Friends of Public School Harlem. Every dollar was to buy supplies for public school students in Harlem. There was nothing inappropriate about this grant."
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/ally-of-ex-lt-gov-benjamin-admits-quid-pro-quo-for-donations/3682532/
| 2022-05-11T20:16:23
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Two men -- a 71-year-old from New York City and a 31-year-old from Detroit -- have been arrested on murder charges in the death of a Bronx man who was found shot on a popular hiking trail in New Jersey last month, prosecutors said Wednesday.
Hikers discovered the body of Kelsey Steels in Eagle Rock Reservation, on the West Orange and Montclair border, on March 4. Few details were released until now, though apart from cursory information on the circumstances and the names of those arrested, prosecutors didn't elaborate much on the case in their update.
Those charged include Michael Verdel, also of the Bronx, and Posley Sulaiman, of Michigan. Prosecutors allege the two met up with Steels at Verdel's apartment in the city, then brought him across the river and killed him at Eagle Rock Reservation.
No information was provided about a possible motive and the link between the alleged killers wasn't immediately clear. No details were shared about their apparent connection to Steels either.
Verdel, referred to as "the rabbi" by those who know him, has been charged with murder, felony murder, conspiracy and robbery -- all first-degree offenses, prosecutors said. He's also accused of weapons crimes and has been extradited to New Jersey ahead of a detention hearing scheduled for Monday.
Sulaiman remains in custody at Rikers Island on a gun charge and is scheduled to appear in New York court later Wednesday. He faces the same counts in the New Jersey case as Verdel. Attorney information for either man wasn't known.
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/nyc-man-71-and-detroit-man-31-arrested-in-body-mystery-at-eagle-rock-reservation/3682766/
| 2022-05-11T20:16:29
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STOCKTON, Calif. — The family of Stockton police officer Jimmy Inn has spent the past year reflecting on the day he was killed in the line of duty on May 11, 2021.
Tela Inn, Jimmy’s wife, shared what happened that morning when he was killed. She said Jimmy, a six-year veteran of the Stockton Police Department, went home as he usually did on his break to see her and their seven-month-old son, Jacen.
“I kind of held Jacen at the door and I said ‘bye-bye’ and watched him get in the car,” Tela said.
Jimmy and his wife Tela met at the police academy and both worked for the Stockton Police Department.
“I left here [home] around 9:50,” Tela said. “I took Jacen to the babysitter and I was getting him out of the car and I heard a bunch of gunshots. I was in the Oak Park area and I texted him actually, and I texted him at 10:09.”
She said her husband never responded.
Inn was fatally shot on May 11, 2021, while responding to a domestic disturbance call.
“I kept driving to work and I was at a stoplight and on my screen, on my truck, and the number wasn’t saved but it was like 'this is the phone call,'” Tela said. “This is gonna be the worst phone call of my life.”
She said when she arrived at the hospital she had a feeling he didn’t make it.
“I think in my heart I knew he was already gone, and then just seeing a bunch of officers outside the hospital I just knew, you know,” Tela said.
Jimmy’s father, Phaly Inn, was at work.
“Police officer in Stockton got shot,” Phaly said. “No details besides that. I said 'OK' as a father, as a family, my heart was pumping right there.”
“The nurse came in and said they were doing everything they can, which I also know what that means 'cause I’m a cop,” Tela said. “They let me see him. Me only. I think only because they weren’t sure of how the whole situation would unfold and evidence. They wanted to preserve everything they can.”
In the days and weeks that followed, the Stockton community and people around the world came out to show their support through prayers, gifts, and presence.
“We all saw the community come together in a crazy unexpected way where hundreds and thousands of people lined the streets as we drove through the day of the funeral, and so many fundraisers in the months after that,” Roman Finch, Jimmy’s cousin, said. “It never ended. It showed how many people he touched and impacted.”
Jimmy’s death was hard to process for the Cambodian community who saw him grow up. His family volunteered at Wat Dhammararam Buddhist Temple.
“I used to see Jimmy there when we would volunteer every year,” Sophaline Mao, a family friend, said. “He was always smiling. He always had a big camera capturing photos and just a great big personality, you know, but he would just warm everybody up just such a friendly, outgoing, you know, young man. It really impacted the Cambodian community. I think we felt a sense of pride that, you know, he served his city and his community here in Stockton, like so well, and that he was so well loved.”
Jimmy’s impact on the community can still be seen today. Hundreds came out to the Honor Stockton Blue run wearing shirts in memory of Jimmy in April 2022, almost a year after he was killed.
“It was unbelievable but believable because it’s Jimmy and I don’t think he had one enemy in this world honestly, and I think that the people that knew or knew him from a call knew what kind of person he was, so that community came together to support another member of Stockton,” Tela said.
Grieving is different for each of Jimmy's family members. His sister Jessica tries to visit him where he’s buried. Although nearby, she says it’s a hard trip to make.
“I always try to go every month,” Jessica said. “It seems like an easy thing to do but it’s still hard for me to go because it’s another look at reality like, 'Hey, he’s not here anymore.'”
As they all reflect on one year, they remember Jimmy’s infectious smile, his love for his family, Star Wars, and all the memories they shared in his 30 years.
A few days before Jimmy was killed, he hosted a lunch at his home for his family on Mother’s Day.
“It makes it a little bit more special,” Jessica said. “Remember the little things and him saying 'where are you guys' and trying to get us there 'cause he really wanted to see us and hang out with us. He loved spending time with family.”
The family took a photo on that Mother’s Day. It’s the last photo they all have together.
“I think what upsets me because there are no more memories to create,” Tela said. “Only memories to remember.”
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End of Watch: Stockton Police Officer Jimmy Inn Memorial Service
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/abc10-originals/family-remembers-stockton-police-officer-jimmy-inn/103-3906f364-cb6a-497a-b585-bc1da169cd14
| 2022-05-11T20:24:58
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CALIFORNIA, USA — This story was originally published by CalMatters.
To boost COVID-19 vaccination rates among California’s low-income residents, last year the state launched a $350 million incentive program. But since then, the gap between those Medi-Cal members and the general population has actually grown wider.
While 84% of all Californians 5 years and older have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, only about 57% of those in Medi-Cal, the health insurance program for low-income residents, have done so as of April, according to the latest vaccination update from the California Department of Health Care Services.
That’s a gap of 27 percentage points, and it’s slightly bigger than the gap recorded last summer.
In September, the state rolled out a six-month incentive program for Medi-Cal health plans to boost Covid vaccination rates among their 14 million members. CalMatters compared those health plans’ most recently published vaccination rates to what they looked like in August of 2021, before the start of the incentive program, to see how much each plan’s vaccination rates had grown in that time. This comparison looks at the 12 and over age group because vaccines for younger children were not available last summer.
Between last August and this April, the most improved Medi-Cal plan, CalViva in Fresno, Kings and Madera counties, went from 42% to 54% vaccinated members ages 12 and over. The plan with the lowest gains, United Healthcare Community Plan in San Diego County, went from 46% to 48%. Five Medi-Cal plans still have Covid vaccination rates under 50% — although that’s an improvement from last summer, when 11 plans were under the half mark.
The fact that rates are trending up is a good thing, but the growing gap between Medi-Cal members and the general population is concerning, said Kiran Savage-Sangwan, executive director at the California Pan-Ethnic Health Network. “They’re not making the type of progress that one would hope for,” she said. “I think it’s possible that health plans may need to reevaluate their strategies.”
Data has persistently shown that people living in the poorest zip codes and enrolled in the Medi-Cal program are vaccinated at lower rates, leaving them more susceptible to serious disease from an infection. People who are not vaccinated are 8.6 times more likely to be hospitalized than those who have been vaccinated and boosted, according to the state’s public health department.
Through the incentive program, the state paid Medi-Cal plans some money upfront to roll out efforts to get more of their members vaccinated. The plans would then get additional dollars if they met certain targets, such as increasing vaccination among their homebound members and among Latino and African American members, who have been vaccinated at lower rates than other racial and ethnic groups.
The incentive program has now ended, and the state’s Department of Health Care Services is still analyzing data provided by the health plans to determine whether targets were met. “Final performance and financial data for the current program will be evaluated before considering whether a follow-up future program would be helpful,” Carol Sloan, a department spokesperson, said in an email.
In general, a health plan’s vaccination rate reflects that of the region it serves. For example, plans serving the Bay Area — where vaccination has typically been more popular— report higher Covid vaccination rates than those serving the San Joaquin Valley or the Inland Empire. But because vaccination rates in the valley were lower to begin with, Medi-Cal plans there saw the most growth in the six months of the state’s incentive program.
Officials at health plans interviewed for this story said that while they were already doing their own outreach to members prior to the incentive program, state dollars allowed them to ramp up those efforts and get creative.
Some plans increased the number of vaccination events — one even hired an event planner to redesign its pop-up clinics, bringing in balloon artists and bubblegum machines in hopes of attracting more people. Plans have offered Medi-Cal members gift cards and free days at a local museum in exchange for a vaccine. They’ve teamed up with celebrities on social media campaigns and partnered with local organizations like churches to set up clinics in zip codes with the lowest Covid vaccination rates. Plans also used the money to boost their efforts in combating vaccine misinformation via mailers and phone calls.
Dr. Takashi Wada, chief medical officer at Inland Empire Health Plan, which serves 1.5 million people in Riverside and San Bernardino counties, said a key component of its vaccination strategy was to pass on incentive dollars to the health providers they contract with. “Because we really wanted our providers to be talking to their patients about the importance of the vaccine…and administer the vaccine themselves,” he said.
The percentage of the plan’s providers administering the vaccines in their offices, rather than referring out, went from 40% to 60% during the six months of the incentive program, Wada said.
Still, despite the ongoing efforts and an improvement of about 8 percentage points since August, less than half of Inland Empire Health’s members 12 and older have received a shot.
“There are still absolutely opportunities (to grow), and that’s why we’ve been working so hard to come up with ways to try to make the vaccine more accessible and to gain trust,” Wada said.
Early in the vaccine distribution process, access was often cited as the primary challenge — supply was scarce, especially in the state’s rural or more remote areas. Now health plans hear a lot more about hesitancy due to mistrust, misinformation and political ideology, Wada said.
Jake Hall, deputy director of provider contracts at Kern Health Systems, which covers about 330,000 people in Kern County, said a common reason members give for turning down the vaccine is that they’ve already had a COVID-19 infection. Pregnancy is also another common reason, Hall said. Officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend vaccination for people who are pregnant and for those who’ve had a previous infection.
Officials at health plans with higher Covid vaccination rates said one of their focus points now is to increase vaccination among young children. As of mid-April, 28% of California children 5 to 11 enrolled in Medi-Cal had received at least one dose, according to the Medi-Cal data. By comparison, 40% of all children statewide in this age group had received a shot.
“I think in our community there has been a lot of support for getting kids vaccinated, but it’s short of a mandate. It makes it tricky,” said Christine Tomcala, chief executive officer at Santa Clara Health Plan.
Last month state legislators pulled back a bill that would have required vaccination for kids to attend school. That same day, the Newsom administration also postponed its proposed vaccine mandate for school children until at least July 2023.
In the coming months, health insurance plans will also face a change in their membership numbers as California expands Medi-Cal to undocumented people 50 and over — adding new people who might not yet be vaccinated.
Also, during the declared federal COVID-19 public health emergency, the state suspended efforts to verify Medi-Cal eligibility. Assuming the emergency declaration ends as expected this summer, about 2 million people are estimated to lose their Medi-Cal coverage if they no longer qualify for the program either because their income has increased or they’ve gained access to other types of health coverage in the last two years.
“We’re adding people who may not be vaccinated, but we could also be losing people who are, so it might look like we’re going backwards,” Tomcala said.
Update: A chart within this story has been corrected to reflect that Blue Shield of California’s Promise Health Plan does not cover Medi-Cal patients in Alameda County.
CalMatters COVID and health care coverage is supported by grants from the Blue Shield of California Foundation, the California Health Care Foundation and the California Wellness Foundation.
CALmatters.org is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics.
WATCH MORE ON ABC10: 60 beds will be added to the Center of Hope Emergency Shelter in Sacramento
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/california/calmatters/california-spent-millions-boost-covid-vaccine-rates-medical-members/103-49c6034e-5bab-4791-b0f4-725823b18752
| 2022-05-11T20:25:05
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SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Salvation Army’s Center of Hope Emergency Shelter celebrated a critical milestone, expanding to add 60 new beds to its downtown Sacramento shelter.
The nonprofit organization held a ribbon cutting ceremony on Wednesday morning with county officials, as their total bed capacity is now 140 beds. The goal is to get more people off the streets and back on their feet, specifically targeted at those staying near the American River Parkway.
The new beds are paid for thanks in part to a renewed partnership with Sacramento County through the end of 2024. The county awarded the Salvation Army with $2.5 million using American Rescue Plan funding. That money not only covers the new beds, but wrap-around services for their clients to get them back on their feet in an attempt to end the cycle of homelessness.
While 60 beds might not sound like much, the Salvation Army says 60 beds across a 30-month period can equal up to 1,500 more of our unhoused neighbors getting the help they need.
"And when you're looking at the total 10,000 or so unhoused in Sacramento County, 60 beds can equal 10 percent of that addressed in 30 months so we're excited because this has a real potential for change," Capt. Larry Carmichael, the Salvation Army's Social Services Officer, said.
A milestone which hit home for Sacramento County Supervisor Patrick Kennedy.
"I get up everyday plagued by this homeless situation and if I can play a small role in helping people, that's why I do what I do," Kennedy said. "This is not a political crisis, it's a humanitarian crisis."
The Salvation Army got some extra room for these beds after one of its partners, Wellspace Health, moved its medical beds to a larger site on Folsom Boulevard, increasing their capacity for post-acute care and in-turn, increasing the Center of Hope’s capacity, too.
"Today is just one more step toward making it better for people who are living on the streets," Kennedy said.
The Salvation Army says can take clients from unhoused towards self-sufficient housing and long-term stability within a 65-day window. The 60 beds unveiled on Wednesday have already been spoken for from a waitlist put together by the county’s outreach team.
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Sacramento's AAPI Night Market: Meet Nuny Cabating from Sweet Dozen
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| 2022-05-11T20:25:11
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Melbourne police officer resigns after multiple internal investigations, notice of termination
A Melbourne police officer resigned this week, after receiving a "notice of termination" in which he had the option to appeal the firing that was recommended in a recent internal investigation.
Officer Peter Dolci was the subject of multiple internal investigations over the span of four months, one of which occurred following a January traffic stop when he was pulled over on suspicion of drunken driving.
In the notice of his termination, Chief David Gillespie cited "multiple incidents of inappropriate conduct, rule violations, instances of poor judgment and dishonesty" as the reasoning for Dolci's termination.
Dolci, who's been working with the department a little over three years, was pulled over at about 12:24 a.m. Jan. 20 near the intersection of Babcock Street and Malabar Boulevard in Palm Bay after Palm Bay Officer Eddie Lutz observed him driving 70 mph in a 45 mph zone and drifting across the lane divider, according to a report from an internal investigation.
When stopped, Dolci showed Lutz his police identification, the report said. Lutz asked him if he or his passenger, another Melbourne police officer, had been drinking, saying he could smell alcohol. Dolci blamed the smell on his passenger.
When asked why he was speeding, Dolci said he had to use the restroom, the report said. He also said he was swerving because he and his passenger had been engaged in oral sex.
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Dolci was placed on administrative leave with pay Jan. 28, and an investigation into both officers began, conducted by Melbourne police's internal affairs unit, the report said.
During the investigation, Lutz, who has been with Palm Bay police since 2010 and primarily focuses on traffic enforcement and DUI investigations, provided a sworn statement, during which he described his interaction with Dolci and the other officer, the report said. He said he detected a "strong odor of alcoholic beverage emanating from within the vehicle," observed Dolci's eyes to be bloodshot and glassy and that he could smell alcohol on Dolci's breath when he exited the vehicle.
During Dolci's sworn statement, he denied this.
"I can't really tell you what (Lutz) saw," Dolci said. "What he saw is what he saw. I just know that I didn't have anything to drink, so I was very fatigued from the day. That was about it."
Dolci's passenger told investigators that she couldn't remember how much alcohol she and Dolci had consumed that night, but that she recalled Dolci last drinking from red Solo cups containing water or soda.
Lutz told investigators he "definitely thought (Dolci) had been drinking" but didn't have strong evidence that the officer was impaired. He had advised Dolci to call a friend for a ride home.
Lutz added that Dolci committed at least one traffic violation and described his driving as careless. The report did not say why Lutz did not give Dolci a citation.
When asked about Dolci's comments regarding his actions with his passenger, Lutz said he did not believe Dolci was telling the truth, as his "appearance indicated otherwise," the report said.
The passenger told investigators Dolci made the comment as a joke.
"That did not happen," she said. "He thought he was being funny."
While Dolci said he and the passenger were "messing with each other," he also said the comment was a joke because he knew Lutz and the other responding officer.
He added that he showed his police identification to Lutz to put him at ease and not to gain any special treatment, the report said.
On April 1, an internal review panel determined Dolci violated department policies of general conduct, conduct unbecoming and honesty, the report said. The panel recommended that the incident result in his termination "due to the ongoing, continued and recent violations of the same policies that resulted in progressive discipline."
On April 13, the panel recommended that his passenger did not violate any policies.
In Gillespie's notice of Dolci's dismissal, he wrote that three internal affairs reviews had been initiated in the course of four months because of Dolci's actions, the report said.
Twice in November, Dolci used sick leave inappropriately, once to visit an Orlando theme park and once to visit the downtown Melbourne area, the report said. He received a written reprimand and was suspended without pay for 52 hours, having violated departmental policies use of sick leave, honesty and conduct unbecoming.
In 2022, he was involved in two traffic stops in his personal vehicle, in which he showed "significant poor judgment and a disregard for basic standards of conduct expected of a police officer," Gillespie said, with one of these being the stop performed by Lutz and another being a traffic stop on Feb. 3, 2022.
On that date, he received a uniform traffic citation for speeding in Palm Bay, with an estimated speed of driving 70 mph in a 45 mph zone. This investigation found that he violated departmental policies general conduct and conduct unbecoming.
Finch Walker is a Breaking News Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Walker at 321-290-4744 or fwalker@floridatoday.com. Twitter: @_finchwalker
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https://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/local/2022/05/11/3-internal-investigations-4-months-lead-melbourne-officer-resigning/9721459002/
| 2022-05-11T20:33:52
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PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Forced from their neighborhoods by gentrification, some people were pushed into other parts of Portland, like the Jade District.
A colorful art exhibit is highlighting the history of the Jade District and the artists behind it hope it will educate people about the efforts to keep this neighborhood’s diversity intact.
Just off Southeast 82nd Avenue near Division Street is the Orchards of 82nd, also known as O82. Inside is a colorful art exhibit.
Artist Jose Camara-Lavadores created the piece, “a map of 82nd. I put a heart to kind of represent that it’s, you know, a part of the community. It’s like a beating part of it. It’s the most diverse area in Portland. … I also had kind of a dripping melting effect to kind of symbolize that it’s not perfect.”
He is one of several artists who collaborated on the exhibit through APANO, the Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon, located in the same building.
Roshani Thakore hopes it will show people how gentrification often force poorer and more diverse communities out, hurting neighborhoods like this one.
“We wanted to create spaces with community members to just start about education around history and see after knowing people’s history, like, what else can we do? What changes can we make so that these histories and stories aren’t lost?” Thakore said.
The exhibit also pushes to keep the culture of this community intact.
“You’ll notice a lot of east Asian businesses, grocery stores, residents, pretty much on 82nd avenue,” Thakore said.
Artist Grace Kwon sees this as a way to take in art and an important lesson at the same time.
“Each poster tells the story of the people who lived there and then the reason for their displacement or the reason for why these people find themselves in east Portland,” Kwan said. “It’s not a question, but it’s more like a call to action. So place the pin here if you want to join us in stopping gentrification.”
Camara-Lavadores said they “all kind of collaboratively came up with a definition of gentrification and we know that the city of Portland recently got jurisdiction of 82nd. We are a little concerned that some changes might happen that might exclude certain communities.”
The Portland City Council said control of 82nd Avenue will soon be transferred from ODOT to PBOT, specifically from Northeast Killingsworth to Southeast Clatsop.
PBOT will officially take over control of 82nd on June 1.
The city said it will use $185 million inn funding to improve this stretch of road — add street lighting, update signs and roadway striping and repaving the road.
When the changes take place, these artists hope more people will make sure they are changes that will benefit and preserve this community’s history and culture.
“I think it’s really important to make a note of the people that are present and not exactly try to push them away, but try to help them better to improve themselves,” Camara-Lavadores said.
At the end of the exhibit there is a “Don’t be a gentrifier – Neighborhood welcome kit.” The exhibit is open to the people who live at O82 or by appointment through roshani@apano.org
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https://www.koin.com/local/multnomah-county/art-celebrates-most-diverse-area-in-portland/
| 2022-05-11T20:34:56
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An Allentown police officer is charged in Carbon County with drunken driving after refusing a blood-alcohol test when an officer arrested him at the scene of a single-vehicle crash in February, court records say.
Joseph F. Krebs, 33, of Jim Thorpe is charged with driving under the influence and two traffic offenses stemming from the Feb. 26 crash on Packerton Dam Drive in Mahoning Township. Allentown police Chief Charles Roca said the city is aware of the incident but cannot comment on it because it is a personnel matter.
Krebs’ attorney, Eric Dowdle, said Krebs has served with distinction as a police officer.
“We look forward to getting to the bottom of these charges,” he said. A preliminary hearing is scheduled May 25.
According to charging documents filed March 18, a Mahoning police officer who responded to the crash about 7 p.m. found a pickup truck on its side in the yard of a home. The officer examined the scene and found the truck had crossed the center line and hit bushes and a telephone pole on the left side of the road before coming to rest in the yard, court records say.
The driver, identified as Krebs, told the officer that a deer had jumped out in front of him. The officer noted the odor of alcoholic beverages and that Krebs’ speech was slurred. When the officer asked Krebs how much he had to drink, Krebs said he had three beers, court records say.
First Call
When the officer asked Krebs to perform field sobriety tests, Krebs responded, “You’re seriously going to f--- me,” the officer said in an affidavit of probable cause, noting that Krebs repeated the statement numerous times during the arrest.
Krebs also asked the officer to “make it look good by cuffing him up and driving him away from the scene,” the officer’s affidavit says.
Dowdle said he would not speculate on the meaning of Krebs’ statements.
Court records say Krebs failed the sobriety tests, refused to take a portable breath-alcohol test and refused to submit to a blood-alcohol test.
Krebs was hired by the Allentown Police Department in August 2015. Krebs was one of three Allentown officers cited for heroism in 2019 when they used Tasers to arrest a knife-wielding man who told the officers they would have to kill him.
The Lehigh County district attorney’s office ruled in 2020 that Krebs was justified in using deadly force when he shot a man who fired a rifle at police from a house where he was barricaded. The man, who said he wanted police to kill him, survived, according to police.
Morning Call reporter Peter Hall can be reached at 610-820-6581 or peter.hall@mcall.com.
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https://www.mcall.com/news/local/allentown/mc-nws-allentown-police-officer-charged-dui-carbon-20220511-yu7jsjq3yjf5rjnyoorxrrxeqa-story.html
| 2022-05-11T20:36:17
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https://www.mcall.com/news/local/allentown/mc-nws-allentown-police-officer-charged-dui-carbon-20220511-yu7jsjq3yjf5rjnyoorxrrxeqa-story.html
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Misconduct allegations prompt changes in NK athletics, training in sexual harassment
NORTH KINGSTOWN — The interim school superintendent is reorganizing the athletic department and mandating new sexual harassment training for coaches following at least two allegations of coaches acting inappropriately with students, and the suspensions of two other department employees.
The changes, announced at a School Committee meeting Tuesday, come as authorities continue investigating the controversy over “naked fat-testing” by former boys high school basketball coach Aaron Thomas – and now the allegation of a middle school teacher accused of “stalking” a girl he coached.
Interim Supt. Michael Waterman placed on administrative leave the unnamed Davisville Middle School teacher on April 29 after learning the girl's parents had contacted the U.S. Attorney's Office, which is already investigating the Thomas affair.
Days later he announced two other School Department employees were also being placed on leave – one of whom, The Journal learned, was a school administrator and the other, another coach.
Waterman provided no details about the additional suspensions at that time other than to say in a statement that “recently, we have received new information from members of our school community about current North Kingstown School District employees.”
Waterman called for another independent investigation by lawyer Matthew Oliverio, who last year authored a report highly critical of school administrators' failure to monitor Thomas’ behavior. (Thomas has denied wrongdoing and has not been charged with any crime.)
Cracking down on electronic communications
As part of the athletic department’s reorganization, Waterman told the School Committee, the department would no longer tolerate coaches communicating with student athletes through private channels.
They would have to communicate through the School Department’s email system. And starting in the fall, the athletic department would also be using a new app for communications.
“I want the community to help us,” said Waterman. “If you see a conversation between a coach and your child and it’s not through the app or its not through a NKSD email, I want you to ask your child about it, but then I want you to also let us know.
“We want to make sure we are doing the right things,” he said. “These are some of the steps we are putting in place to ensure all of our communications are accountable and everything is happening on the up and up.”
Waterman said the schools would also hire an assistant athletic director to ensure the athletic director was “more involved” on a daily basis – more visible at athletic events and more open to parental concerns.
Training for coaches
Athletic Director Chris Cobain outlined new training all coaches would be required to take for their coaching certification.
The training would cover topics such as protecting children from inappropriate behavior and abuse, engaging with parents, and familiarity with Title IX, the federal law on gender equity in sports that more recently has also been the enforcement tool against sexual harassment.
Indeed, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has been asked to investigate the actions of Thomas, as well as the middle school coach, as possible Title IX violations.
“Inappropriate behavior is something that we obviously need to continue to work on, identify and hopefully curb,” Cobain said, ”so that they don’t continue for the future.”
Speaking ahead of several angry community members – who faulted the School Committee and its response to the various allegations -- School Committee Chairman Gregory Blasbalg said “the North Kingstown School Department is facing a challenging time. ... My school committee colleagues and I understand the concerns that people have.”
More:North Kingstown is a town divided since allegations against coach
But Blasbalg said the committee could not specifically comment on the allegations, as many residents would like, until all the internal and civil rights investigations – as well as a criminal investigation ongoing in the Thomas matter with the state attorney general – are completed.
“We must balance the need to make every facet of every investigation public against the rights of all individuals involved,” he said. “I understand this is frustrating for some members of our community, and indeed it is frustrating for me. However, we must be fair and rely on facts as opposed to rumor and conjecture.”
Email Tom Mooney at: tmooney@providencejournal.com
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https://www.providencejournal.com/story/news/local/2022/05/11/sexual-harassment-training-athletics-changes-coming-north-kingstown/9731451002/
| 2022-05-11T20:59:24
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https://www.providencejournal.com/story/news/local/2022/05/11/sexual-harassment-training-athletics-changes-coming-north-kingstown/9731451002/
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Wednesday production of "Oklahoma!" at the Lied Center for Performing Arts has been canceled.
The scheduled show in Lincoln was also called off on Tuesday after a member of the cast came down with an unspecified illness.
"Oklahoma!" performances at the Lied Center for Performing Arts were canceled Tuesday and Wednesday.
Courtesy photo
Following Tuesday's late cancellation, members of the Lied Center staff assured patrons that Wednesday's show would go on.
However, it was called off early Wednesday afternoon. The touring production company said that members of the cast had taken ill, while another was injured and couldn't perform.
"In the end, we simply do not have the people required to deliver (a) top notch, professional performance," said officials in a written statement.
This week's cancellations cast a damper on the homecoming of Mitch Tebo, a Lincoln native who was to perform for the first time inside the Lied Center.
"The Lied Center sincerely regrets that the scheduled performance of 'Oklahoma!' could not go on as scheduled and joins the production in apologizing for any disappointment or inconvenience," said Lauren Silverman Durban, the Lied Center's communications manager, in a written statement.
Ticketholders will receive an email with details on refunds.
The tour is to move on to Starlight Theater in Kansas City, Missouri, for weekend performances beginning Friday.
Top Journal Star photos for April
Lincoln’s Yu Sato (left) skates past Waterloo’s James Hong during a first-round playoff game, Monday, April 25, 2022. at the Ice Box. JAIDEN TRIPI, Journal Star
JAIDEN TRIPI Journal Star
Firefighters battle a fire in condensed cardboard at 440 J St. on Monday, April 25, 2022. JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star
JUSTIN WAN Journal Star
University of Nebraska - Lincoln students move through a scene of spring colors on Wednesday, April 27, 2022, on UNL's city campus. GWYNETH ROBERTS, Journal Star
GWYNETH ROBERTS Journal Star
A dying ray of light catches Nebraska starting pitcher Dawson McCarville as he delivers a pitch against Omaha during the first inning at Haymarket on Wednesday, April 27, 2022, in Lincoln. KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
KENNETH FERRIERA Journal Star
Lincoln High's Dajaz DeFrand runs during prelims of the 200-meter dash at the LPS Championships on April 27, 2022, at Beechner Athletic Complex. KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
KENNETH FERRIERA Journal Star
The game between Iowa and Nebraska gets reflected in the glasses of a fan Friday at Haymarket Park. JAIDEN TRIPI, Journal Star
JAIDEN TRIPI Journal Star
Defendant Kolton Barnes looks to the jury as he testifies in his murder trial Thursday, April 28, 2022, in Saunders County District Court in Wahoo. GWYNETH ROBERTS, Journal Star
GWYNETH ROBERTS Journal Star
Chris Vargas (left) and Xavier Vargas, 5, walk through the crowd after completing the 35th annual Mayor’s Run on Saturday, April 30, 2022, in Lincoln. JAIDEN TRIPI, Journal Star
JAIDEN TRIPI Journal Star
A cloud of dust obscures the vision of Malcolm's Hayden Frank as he slides in safely after stealing second base during the fourth inning against Raymond Central on Tuesday, April 26, 2022, in Malcolm. KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
KENNETH FERRIERA Journal Star
Items are being unpacked and stored in the warehouse at Food Bank of Lincoln's new building at 1221 Kingbird Road on Wednesday, April 27, 2022. GWYNETH ROBERTS, Journal Star
GWYNETH ROBERTS Journal Star
Athletes' shadows stretch along the stadium wall as fans watch the 200 meter dash at Beechner Athletic Complex on Thursday, April 21, 2022. KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
KENNETH FERRIERA Journal Star
Nebraska's Keonilei Akan dives for a short serve during the fourth set against Kansas at the Heartland Events Center on Saturday, April 23, 2022, in Grand Island, Nebraska. KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
KENNETH FERRIERA Journal Star
Lincoln Southwest's Taiyo Takahashi (bottom) and Cam Newell nearly collide with one another after a popfly in the fifth inning during a semifinal game of the Spartan Invitational at Sherman Field on Friday, April 22, 2022. KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
KENNETH FERRIERA Journal Star
The first group of runners round the second turn during the girls 1600 meter run at Beechner Athletic Complex on Thursday, April 21, 2022. KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
KENNETH FERRIERA Journal Star
Volunteer mechanics, Tom Langston (from left), Gabriel Bruguier, and Aaron Mack work on bike repairs on Thursday, April 21, 2022, at the Bike Kitchen. JAIDEN TRIPI, Journal Star
JAIDEN TRIPI Journal Star
The lobby of the new Scarlet Hotel, which recently opened, on UNL's Innovation Campus on April 20, 2022. KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
KENNETH FERRIERA Journal Star
A duo of bikers brave a ride in the rail underneath The N street bridge over the Rock Island Trail on Wednesday, April 20, 2022. KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
KENNETH FERRIERA Journal Star
Speaker of the Legislature Sen. Mike Hilgers cheers as his family is introduced on the last day of the legislature, Wednesday, April 20, 2022, at the Capitol. JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star
JUSTIN WAN Journal Star
Josh Vinson Jr., 5, winner of the first Josh Fight, sports a crown in his hair done by his dad, Josh Sr., on Monday, April 18, 2022, at Culture Cutz. GWYNETH ROBERTS, Journal Star
GWYNETH ROBERTS, Journal Star
Nebraska’s Caitlynn Neal (from left), Peyton Glatter, Ava Bredwell and Camyl Armendariz make their way to the dugout after Glatter hits a grand slam during a softball game Sunday between Minnesota and Nebraska at Bowlin Stadium. JAIDEN TRIPI, Journal Star
JAIDEN TRIPI Journal Star
BYU's Brock Watkins jumps over Nebraska baserunner Cam Chick as he steals second base off an overthrown ball during the ninth inning at Haymarket Park on April 16, 2022. KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
Adrian Saure rides his scooter through a small obstacle course during a bike safety event at Fredstrom Elementary School on April 14, 2022, in Lincoln, Nebraska. KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
Sen. Lou Ann Linehan (right), chairwoman of the Revenue Committee, shares a smile with Speaker Mike Hilgers (left) over their signed copies of LB873 as Sen. Mike Jacobson watches on Wednesday, April 13, 2022, in the Capitol Rotunda. GWYNETH ROBERTS, Journal Star
GWYNETH ROBERTS, Journal Star
A field is darkened after a wildfire, Tuesday, April 12, 2022, near Arapahoe, Neb. JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star
JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star
Waverly’s Millie Waldo collapses to the ground after her race in the girls 800 finals during the Waverly Invitational Monday at Waverly High School. JAIDEN TRIPI, Journal Star
JAIDEN TRIPI Journal Star
Construction crews move portions of a crane tower into place at the Atmosphere Lincoln development site on Monday, April 11, 2022, at North Ninth and P Streets. GWYNETH ROBERTS, Journal Star
GWYNETH ROBERTS, Journal Star
Lincoln Southeast's Immanuel Wayoro runs to the sideline to celebrate with his team after scoring against Lincoln High School the second half Seacrest Field on March 30, 2022, in Lincoln, Nebraska. KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
KENNETH FERRIERA Journal Star
Benjamin Bradley (center) and his brother Timothy (right) are pushed on the swings by Chloe Hoffman at Roberts Park on April 4, 2022, in Lincoln, Nebraska. As the moth of April begins, weather in Lincoln has slowly begun to warm up. Temperatures on Tuesday reached into the mid 60s. Lincoln residents took the warm afternoon to get out and spend their time outside or simply enjoy the sun. KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
KENNETH FERRIERA Journal Star
Majdal Elias (second left) stands trial for the death of 15-year-old Ali Al-Burkat, on the first day of the trial on April 4, 2022, in Lincoln, Nebraska. KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
KENNETH FERRIERA Journal Star
Dressed as the Easter Bunny, Jody Schmale opens their arms to embrace a very excited Kinsley Graves during an Easter egg hunt held at the the National Guard East Campus Readiness Center on April 2, 2022, in Lincoln, Nebraska. Operation Hidden Egg had kids searching high and low for goddies early Saturday. KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
KENNETH FERRIERA Journal Star
(L-R) Landyn Nolan and his brother Caedyn Nolan use their RC Rock Crawlers to clear a rocky outcrop placed at Trago Park on April 1, 2022, in Lincoln, Nebraska. The RC Rockcrawlers that the brothers bought are a popular hobby. KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
KENNETH FERRIERA Journal Star
Nebraska head coach Rhonda Revelle embraces Courtney Wallace after the final out of the game against Rutgers at Bowlin Stadium on April 2, 2022, in Lincoln, Nebraska. KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
KENNETH FERRIERA Journal Star
Waverly's Lqndon Oelke celebrates after batting in two runs and being safe on third during the eighth inning against Beatrice at Lawson Field on April 1, 2022, in Waverly, Nebraska. KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
KENNETH FERRIERA Journal Star
LINCOLN, NEB. - 04/09/2022 - Nebraska's Jarrett Synek (16) celebrates his touchdown during the second half of the Red-White Spring Game, Saturday, April 9, 2022, at Memorial Stadium. JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star
JUSTIN WAN Journal Star
LINCOLN, NEB. - 04/09/2022 - Nebraska's quarterback Casey Thompson looks to make a throw during the Red-White Spring Game, Saturday, April 9, 2022, at Memorial Stadium. JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star
JUSTIN WAN Journal Star
LINCOLN, NEB. - 04/06/2022 - Harrison Barnette (left), 16, a sophomore at Bridgeport, and Briana Johnson, 16, a sophomore at Boone Central, play a round of Connect Four during FFA convention, Wednesday, April 6, 2022, at East Campus. JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star
JUSTIN WAN Journal Star
LINCOLN, NEB. - 04/05/2022 - Children observe the Nebraska Legislature discussing LB873, a bill for tax cut package, Tuesday, April 5, 2022, at Nebraska State Capitol. JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star
JUSTIN WAN Journal Star
LINCOLN, NEB. - 04/09/2022 - Nebraska’s Jatrett Synek (16) (left) runs past Simon Otte for the touchdown during the Red-White Spring Game, Saturday, April 9, 2022, at Memorial Stadium. JAIDEN TRIPI, Journal Star
JAIDEN TRIPI Journal Star
LINCOLN, NEB. - 04/09/2022 - Nebraska’s Broc Bando (73) (middle) and his team enter to the field for the Red-White Spring Game, Saturday, April 9, 2022, at Memorial Stadium. JAIDEN TRIPI, Journal Star
JAIDEN TRIPI Journal Star
LINCOLN, NEB. - 04/08/2022 - Nebraska’s Luke Sartori dives for the ball to get the out during a baseball game Friday between. Rutgers and Nebraska at Haymarket Park. JAIDEN TRIPI, Journal Star
JAIDEN TRIPI Journal Star
LINCOLN, NEB. - 04/08/2022 - Rutgers’ Jared Kollar (47) pitches the ball during a baseball game Friday between. Rutgers and Nebraska at Haymarket Park. JAIDEN TRIPI, Journal Star
JAIDEN TRIPI Journal Star
LINCOLN, NEB. - 04/06/2022 - Lincoln East’s Molly Ruff (6) (left) and Lincoln Southwest’s Kayla Hassler jump for the header during a soccer game Wednesday between Lincoln East and Lincoln Southwest at Seacrest Field. JAIDEN TRIPI, Journal Star
JAIDEN TRIPI Journal Star
LINCOLN, NEB. - 04/01/2022 - Nebraska’s Mya Felder (left to right), Sydney Gray, Peyton Glatter, and Billie Andrews greet their teammate Brooke Andrews (back) after hitting a home run during the softball game Friday between Rutgers and Nebraska at Bowlin Stadium. JAIDEN TRIPI, Journal Star
JAIDEN TRIPI Journal Star
Lincoln, NE - 4/8/2022 - Ron Schultz (right), owner of Racquet Corner at 3119 O Street, restrings tennis racquets along with his dad Bob Schultz on Friday, April 8, 2022. GWYNETH ROBERTS, Journal Star
GWYNETH ROBERTS Journal Star
Lincoln, NE - 4/7/2022 - University of Nebraska Board of Regents members listen as Mark Riley (foreground), Associate Dean for research in the college of engineering, gives a tour of Othmer Hall on Thursday, April 7, 2022. GWYNETH ROBERTS, Journal Star
GWYNETH ROBERTS Journal Star
Lincoln, NE - 4/4/2022 - Lincoln Christian's Andrew Johnson (3) turns a double play after forcing out Maxwell-St. Pat's Isaac Irish (14) as teammate Tysen Workman provides backup in the second inning on Monday, April 4, 2022, at Lincoln Christian. GWYNETH ROBERTS, Journal Star
GWYNETH ROBERTS Journal Star
Lincoln, NE - 3/30/2022 - Kay, a one-month-old female giraffe, is fed Shadow Brook Farm goat milk from a bottle by giraffe keeper Jake Beiermann on Wednesday, March 30, 2022, at Lincoln Children's Zoo. GWYNETH ROBERTS, Journal Star
GWYNETH ROBERTS Journal Star
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https://journalstar.com/news/local/back-to-back-performances-of-oklahoma-canceled-at-lied-center/article_f0674faf-d71d-515b-9fc5-e0703e786122.html
| 2022-05-11T21:02:55
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https://journalstar.com/news/local/back-to-back-performances-of-oklahoma-canceled-at-lied-center/article_f0674faf-d71d-515b-9fc5-e0703e786122.html
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A jury Wednesday found a 24-year-old Lincoln man not guilty of second-degree murder or manslaughter and a gun charge in the shooting death of another man in a central Lincoln apartment last September.
Lendell Harris, visibly emotional, interjected a "thank you," after District Judge Kevin McManaman asked the presiding juror if what the bailiff had just read was the jury's verdict.
Then, Harris wiped away tears before leaning into his attorney, Michael Fitzpatrick, hugging him as they sat at the counsel table.
Outside the courtroom afterward, Fitzpatrick said Harris and his family feel horrible for what happened to Alonzo Jones on Sept. 5 at the apartment Jones shared with Jennifer Nguyen near 44th and O streets.
Jones returned home from work unexpectedly that morning to find Harris and Nguyen in the bathroom getting ready to smoke marijuana, Harris' gun on the counter. Both said Jones burst in the door and led Harris, who had grabbed his gun to leave, into the living room, where Jones shoved him onto the couch and stood over him.
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Harris said that's when Jones reached for Harris' gun and Harris fired twice.
Harris called 911, then went to the Lancaster County Jail and turned himself in.
Jones, 28, was dead in less than a minute.
"It was a very unfortunate case. They were both dating the same woman and it was just a horrible situation," Fitzpatrick said.
But, he said, the only witness in the room, Nguyen, gave conflicting accounts on the stand. First, she said she could see Jones' hands on Harris' shoulders right up until the shots were fired. Then she said she couldn't see either of their hands and that Jones may have been reaching for Harris' gun when Harris fired, as Harris testified Tuesday.
"The police and investigators did a fantastic job," the attorney said. "But when the one person in the room testifies one way and then another, it makes it impossible for a jury to reconcile that."
He called it a tragic case but said the system worked.
"In the United States of America we're allowed to defend ourselves," Fitzpatrick said.
In closing arguments a day earlier, Deputy Lancaster County Attorney Julie Mruz said you can't bring a gun to a fistfight.
"And in this case it's not even a fistfight. It's pushing," she said.
Mruz said Jones had come home to find an armed man in his apartment, and it was reasonable to think he was just trying to disarm Harris.
"Objectively, it was not reasonable to shoot Mr. Jones, in his own home, while Mr. Jones is unarmed," she said. "Mr. Harris brought the gun and the lethal force on himself."
Fitzpatrick countered, saying that the state had done a wonderful job of proving that Jones was killed.
"What they haven't been able to prove is ... it wasn't a justifiable killing. It wasn't a justifiable homicide," he argued.
The jury of five women and seven men got the case just after 4:30 p.m. Tuesday and returned with its verdict at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday.
Getting away with murder: Nebraska cold cases
Patricia Webb
Tina McMenamin
Ali Saleh Al-Saidi
Gina Bos
Ann Marie Kelley
Carl Bittner
K.K. Kody
Christi Nichols
Donald Bennett
Ernestine Ruschy
Eugene McGuire
Jay Durnil
Mary Heese
Gregory Moore
Irvin Settje
Jason Remsen
Jason Vesper
Brian Walker
Arthur Morley
Jay Blockson
Jeanne Kassebaum
William, Bernice and Barbara Peak
Jeffrey Snoddy
Joy Blanchard
Demetrius Simpson
Julie Derrick
Leah Rowlands
Letha Harley
Mary Cabral
Mary Cronin
Merlin Mosel
Mitchell Simon
Patrick Vostades
Rebecca Williams
Richard Chadek
Richard Lessley
Robert Beaudoin
Robert Heelan
Rudolfo Flores
Russell McKnight
Sandy Green
Sarah Neal
Tyrone Banister
Waddell Robinson
Charles Hanks
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/jury-finds-lincoln-man-not-guilty-of-murder-in-love-triangle-killing/article_f20f423d-47f5-59fe-9b29-a3d1892b4c64.html
| 2022-05-11T21:03:01
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https://journalstar.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/jury-finds-lincoln-man-not-guilty-of-murder-in-love-triangle-killing/article_f20f423d-47f5-59fe-9b29-a3d1892b4c64.html
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KELLER, Texas — History will be made this Friday for a North Texas native when she walks across the stage to graduate as the youngest law student at Southern Methodist University ever. She’s also set to become the youngest African American to graduate law school in the United States.
At 19, Haley Taylor Schlitz says her path to SMU’s Dedman School of Law was non-traditional. When she was in the 5th grade, she told SMU she struggled with not being acknowledged as a gifted student. Her parents noticed that she was beginning to act out and after seeing a pediatric psychologist, it was revealed that Taylor Schlitz needed to skip several grades after scoring extremely high on an intelligence test.
Her parents then decided to homeschool her to better meet her educational needs.
“Many girls and students of color are left out of our nation’s gifted and talented programs,” Taylor Schlitz said in an interview with SMU. “Society will lose out on the potential scientist who cures a major disease, the entrepreneur who starts the next Amazon and so much more. All because of their gender and/or skin color.”
Taylor Schlitz said she thrived at working at her own pace and by 13 she graduated from high school. At 16, she was accepted into nine different law schools across the U.S.
Taylor Schlitz has been passionate in using her voice to help move the needle in her community and to speak on public policies. In 2020, she was elected to serve as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention.
But the talented teen isn’t the only one in her family making a name for herself. In 2021, WFAA sat down with Taylor Schlitz, her brother Ian and Hana – who were also home-schooled, and both finished high school by the age of 13.
Ian earned a bachelor’s degree, graduating magna cum laude from The University of North Texas in Denton by 15. He began work on his MBA through Tarleton State and has started his own company, Kidlamity Gaming, which hosts video game tournaments for gamers between the ages of 8 and 17 years old.
Hana finished high school at 12 and is attending Texas Woman’s University in Denton.
Parents, Myiesha Taylor and William Schlitz, said they always wanted to teach their children to honor their brilliance and honor their Blackness.
They frequently tell their children:
“You’ve been blessed with this opportunity to shine. But, the real judgment of each of you is what do you do with this opportunity? That doesn’t mean you have to be Lebron James or President Biden. But, what impact do you make on the world?”
Now, Taylor Schlitz’s hard work has paid off and she will graduate on May 13. And what impact does she plan to make on the world? To work on education policy issues for an elected official or a nonprofit organization. Taylor Schlitz also wants to find a way to increase opportunities for gifted and talented girls and students of color.
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https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/19-year-old-north-texas-native-haley-taylor-schlitz-youngest-smu-law-student-to-graduate/287-87455dd0-732c-4322-b6ea-6db75ec6952c
| 2022-05-11T21:18:18
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https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/19-year-old-north-texas-native-haley-taylor-schlitz-youngest-smu-law-student-to-graduate/287-87455dd0-732c-4322-b6ea-6db75ec6952c
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FORT WORTH, Texas — An arrest has been made in the killing of two teenagers at a Valentine's Day party in Fort Worth, according to police records.
Dayran Montrice Hobdy, 18, was arrested Tuesday evening on a murder charge, according to a Fort Worth police incident report.
Hobdy on Wednesday was being held at the Tarrant County jail with his bond on the murder charge set at $350,000, according to online records. He also faces charges of evading arrest, possession of a controlled substance and unlawful carrying of a weapon.
Police were not releasing more information about Hobdy's arrest or where he was taken into custody.
He faces charges in the deaths of Simieon Joseph, 19, and Korey Smith, 13, who were killed at a house party in Fort Worth on Valentine's weekend.
The party was being held in the 1100 block of East Baltimore near East Allen Avenue and Evans Avenue.
Officers had responded to a shooting at this location and found Smith and Joseph wounded. They were taken to a hospital where Smith died. Joseph later died after being treated, police said.
Police have released few details about what happened. No motive has been released, and no suspect information was released until Hobdy's arrest in the case.
A man related to the woman who hosted the party told WFAA that a group of individuals, who weren't invited, arrived and that an argument led to shots being fired.
The man also said Smith and Joseph were innocent bystanders.
Joseph's parents, Melody and Dexter, spoke with WFAA in February, saying they were blindsided by the shooting.
"They didn't just take my son," Melody Joseph said. "They took a friend. I want them to catch whoever did this, and I want them to get the max penalty."
Joseph had been living with his family since graduating from Crowley High School in 2021.
His mother said that he had been focusing on music and wanted to push into the rap scene.
"He's not coming back," Dexter Joseph said at the time. "Somebody took his life, and that doesn't sit well with me."
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https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/simieon-joseph-korey-smith-dayran-hobdy-18-year-old-arrested-killing-of-2-teens-fort-worth-party/287-2ac65d8c-637b-4406-93cd-1c34d4136e21
| 2022-05-11T21:18:25
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https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/simieon-joseph-korey-smith-dayran-hobdy-18-year-old-arrested-killing-of-2-teens-fort-worth-party/287-2ac65d8c-637b-4406-93cd-1c34d4136e21
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https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/man-shot-after-attacking-officer-inside-philly-police-station/3236074/
| 2022-05-11T21:35:15
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https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/man-shot-after-attacking-officer-inside-philly-police-station/3236074/
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New York City’s mayor is calling on the Biden administration to yank the federal firearms license of a Nevada company that sells parts and kits for ghost guns, firearms without serial numbers that have been increasingly turning up at crime scenes around the U.S.
Mayor Eric Adams joined with gun control group Everytown for Gun Safety on Wednesday to publicly call for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to immediately revoke the license of a Polymer80, Inc., alleging the company has violated federal gun laws requiring background checks of purchasers and serial numbers, among other measures.
The ATF declined to comment. Polymer80 did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment.
The push comes as the Biden administration is working to crack down on sellers of ghost guns. A recently unveiled new rule will change the definition of a firearm and require federally licensed gun dealers to add serial numbers to ghost guns and unfinished parts of guns, and to run background checks on their buyers — just like they do for commercially made firearms. The rule is scheduled to take effect in August.
But Adams and Everytown contend that Polymer80’s sales could be considered violations of other federal guns laws already in effect and called on the ATF to revoke the company’s license.
In their letter, Adams and Everytown said they were “deeply concerned” that the company continues to keep its federal license “despite clear evidence of numerous willful violations” of the law.
The New York City Police Department linked a shooting last month in the Bronx that left a 16-year-old girl dead and two other teens injured to a ghost gun assembled from a Polymer80 kit, the city said.
Allowing it to keep the license “would also send a terrible message to bad actors in this industry and would be wholly inconsistent with the administration’s crackdown on ghost gun sellers and its ‘zero tolerance’ approach to wayward gun manufacturers and sellers,” the letter said.
Adams, a Democrat, has made cracking down on rising violent crime a chief focus of his new administration. He even hosted President Joe Biden in February as they pledged to work closely together to combat gun violence, with a particular focus on the proliferation of ghost guns. He is one of the co-chairs of Everytown’s group of mayors fighting illegal guns, and his communications director is the organization’s former chief public affairs officer.
The NYPD said thus far this year, it has taken about 200 ghost guns off the street, compared with 148 for the entire year in 2020. The weapons are a fraction of roughly 2,600 illegal firearms recovered in New York City this year.
Polymer80 has been targeted by other elected officials and law enforcement departments around the U.S., including the ATF, and Everytown.
Everytown last year joined the city of Los Angeles to sue Polymer80 for allegedly creating a public nuisance and violating the state’s business code. Two Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies badly wounded in an ambush shooting sued the company in August for making parts of a ghost gun used in the attack and the attorney general of Washington, D.C., has filed a lawsuit against the company, claiming it violated D.C. gun laws.
The ATF served a search warrant on the company in December 2020 as it investigated whether the company violated gun laws by making and selling gun kits. The company notes on its website that the kits do not fall under the federal definition of a firearm or firearm “frames or receivers.”
___
Associated Press writer Michael Balsamo in Washington contributed to this report.
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/nyc-mayor-eric-adams-calls-on-atf-to-yank-ghost-gun-kit-makers-license/3683147/
| 2022-05-11T21:47:35
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/nyc-mayor-eric-adams-calls-on-atf-to-yank-ghost-gun-kit-makers-license/3683147/
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Police are searching for a man they say raped a woman inside an elevator in a Bronx apartment building earlier this week.
According to the NYPD, at around 10 p.m. Monday, a 40-year-old woman was followed into a residential building in the area of Bolton Street and Lydig Avenue by a man she did not know. The man then proceeded to follow her into an elevator where he raped her at knifepoint and stole $112, police say.
The woman was taken to NYC Health+Hospitals / Jacobi after the attack.
Police shared images and surveillance video of the suspect.
Police urge anyone with information to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).
Copyright NBC New York
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/police-search-for-suspect-wanted-for-nyc-elevator-rape-at-knifepoint/3682883/
| 2022-05-11T21:47:39
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/police-search-for-suspect-wanted-for-nyc-elevator-rape-at-knifepoint/3682883/
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The MTA announced on Wednesday a number of new Long Island Rail Road schedule changes taking effect later this month in order to accommodate crews as they complete work on the Main Line Expansion Project and other projects, including the Jamaica Capacity Improvement project.
“It is always one of our goals to provide the most reliable service possible whenever we are performing major infrastructure work,” LIRR Interim President Catherine Rinaldi said in a statement. “These service adjustments accommodate the final stages of work as we reach the homestretch of completing the LIRR’s most transformative projects, the Main Line Expansion Project and East Side Access. The schedule modifications optimize availability for crews to complete tasks, while minimizing disruptions to scheduled service.”
The changes to the schedule impact both off-peak and peak services, according to the MTA. The service changes listed below are key changes effective May 23. However, there are additional changes and the MTA recommends checking the LIRR TrainTime app or the webpage Long Island Rail Road PDF Timetables (mta.info), for the most up-to-date changes.
PEAK CHANGES
According to the MTA, peak changes include:
- The 6:07 p.m. from Atlantic Terminal to Babylon has been restored;
- A new train departs Jamaica at 7:37 a.m., operating express to Atlantic Terminal, with connecting transfers from Hempstead, Babylon, Ronkonkoma and Oyster Bay Branch trains;
- The 6:09 p.m. train from Penn Station to Babylon will return to its normal schedule and stop at Rockville Centre, Baldwin, and Freeport only;
- The 7:12 a.m. train from Huntington to Penn Station will have an added Hicksville stop at 7:29 a.m.;
- The 6:21 p.m. weekday train from Penn to Ronkonkoma will now depart at 6:16 p.m.
OFF-PEAK
The MTA informed that off-peak changes include:
- Weekend service between Penn Station and Huntington will operate hourly. Connecting service to/from Port Jefferson will be every 2 hours. Eastbound trains to Huntington will depart up to 13 minutes later;
- Midday weekday Ronkonkoma Branch westbound trains will depart up to 25 minutes later. Overnight eastbound trains will depart up to 29 minutes earlier;
- Midday eastbound trains to Oyster Bay will depart up to 26 minutes earlier;
- The 8:06 a.m. train from Jamaica to Oyster Bay will now depart at 7:53 a.m.;
- A new weekday train departs Atlantic Terminal at 8:22 a.m. making all stops to Jamaica;
- The 11:21 a.m. train from Farmingdale to Penn station will be canceled;
- The 10:25 p.m. train from Penn Station to Huntington will be canceled. Customers should take the 10:37 p.m. train to Ronkonkoma and transfer at Hicksville for the Port Jefferson-bound train;
- The 11:14 p.m. train from Penn Station to Ronkonkoma will depart from Hicksville at 12:31 a.m. Customers should take the 11:39 p.m. train from Penn Station to Huntington to connect with this train;
- The 11:22 p.m. train from Huntington to Penn Station will terminate at Hicksville, where customers can transfer to the 11:48 p.m. train to Penn Station, with added stops.
The MTA also noted that summer-only trains on the Long Beach, Montauk, and Ronkonkoma branches will start again Memorial Day weekend.
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/mta-announces-new-lirr-schedule-changes-to-take-effect-may-23/3683045/
| 2022-05-11T21:47:46
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/mta-announces-new-lirr-schedule-changes-to-take-effect-may-23/3683045/
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BOISE, Idaho — St. Luke's Health System filed a lawsuit Wednesday against what they call a "coordinated campaign of harassment and intimidation" against its employees over a March protest at the downtown Boise hospital that prompted a temporary lockdown.
The defendants named in the lawsuit include Ammon Bundy, Diego Rodriguez, Freedom Man Press and other related entities.
St. Luke's says there was a "concerted effort to disrupt" hospital business by trespassing at both the Meridian and Boise hospital campuses and false statements related to a child protective services case. According to the lawsuit, the hospital and its staff were also attacked online attacks related to the case.
“It is important for us to stand up to the bullying, intimidation and disruption, and the self-serving and menacing actions of these individuals, for the protection of our employees and patients, and to ensure our ability to serve our community,” Chris Roth, president and CEO of St. Luke’s Health System, said.
According to the suit, the defendants called on their supporters to protest at St. Luke’s Boise, forcing ambulances to divert and the hospital to warn doctors, nurses, and other employees not to enter or leave the building.
“St. Luke’s has not been the only target of these individuals and believes that no one should be subject to such abuse. Inaction would signal this type of behavior is acceptable in our community. It is not,” Roth said.
In the lawsuit, St. Luke's says its aim is to stop the defendants from their ongoing harassment and to remove the defamatory and false statements they have posted and shared online and on other platforms.
St. Luke's is also seeking no less than $50,000 in monetary damages, or whatever sum is proven at trial, which the hospital has vowed to donate to Children at Risk Evaluation Service (CARES).
Watch more Local News:
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https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/st-lukes-ammon-bundy-protest-lawsuit/277-4152412f-67b4-4e41-a7bd-b0f15cbce473
| 2022-05-11T21:57:18
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https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/st-lukes-ammon-bundy-protest-lawsuit/277-4152412f-67b4-4e41-a7bd-b0f15cbce473
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CALIFORNIA, USA — A U.S. appeals court ruled Wednesday that California's ban on the sale of semiautomatic weapons to adults under 21 is unconstitutional.
In a 2-1 ruling, a panel of the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said Wednesday the law violates the 2nd Amendment right to bear arms and a San Diego judge should have blocked what it called "an almost total ban on semiautomatic centerfire rifles" for young adults. "America would not exist without the heroism of the young adults who fought and died in our revolutionary army," Judge Ryan Nelson wrote. "Today we reaffirm that our Constitution still protects the right that enabled their sacrifice: the right of young adults to keep and bear arms."
The Firearms Policy Coalition, which brought the case, says the ruling makes them optimistic other age-based gun bans will be overturned
Attorney General Rob Bonta did not immediately comment.
WATCH ALSO:
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/california/californias-under-21-gun-sales-ban-unconstitutional/103-ebac527a-99cf-4a8e-8c8b-2b0d9a220629
| 2022-05-11T22:22:22
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/california/californias-under-21-gun-sales-ban-unconstitutional/103-ebac527a-99cf-4a8e-8c8b-2b0d9a220629
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CALIFORNIA, USA — This story was originally published by CalMatters.
A racial equity organization is announcing a new fund that will help Native American communities preserve tribal history and further California’s effort to atone for its history of violence and wrongdoing against Native Americans.
The Decolonizing Wealth Project, an Indigenous and Black-led organization, will distribute $500,000 to California Indigenous communities and nonprofits. It’s to support storytelling and healing, said Carlos Rojas Alvarez, director of executive affairs and strategic initiative.
The money comes from the California Endowment, the Christensen Fund and from the fund supporting the Decolonizing Wealth Project, based in New York.
The Project has partnered with The California Truth & Healing Council, which Gov. Gavin Newsom established in 2019, he said, to “clarify the record – and provide their historical perspective – on the troubled relationship between tribes and the state.”
The Council on Truth & Healing is expected to release a report on the historical relationship between the state and California Native Americans by 2025. It may include recommendations to the Legislature about reparations or restoration of land for Native communities.
“California must reckon with our dark history,” Newsom said at the time. “We can never undo the wrongs inflicted on the peoples who have lived on this land that we now call California … but we can work together to build bridges, tell the truth about our past and begin to heal deep wounds.”
The country’s first such council, it is comprised of 12 members of Indigenous tribes from across the state and is led by the state’s Tribal Advisor Christina Snider, a lawyer and member of the Dry Creek Rancheria Band of Pomo Indians.
Newsom in his executive order issued a formal apology for the state’s history of violence, and disenfranchisement of Native Americans. He referred to the 1850 Act for the Government and Protection of Indians, which removed Indigenous people from their land and legalized separating families and enslaving them.
Now the Decolonizing Wealth Project has set a goal to “promote Native history and personal narratives as truth and to record the history, which clarifies and corrects the historical record that we have right now,” Alvarez said.
He added the group hopes to raise more than $5 million to provide grants to Indigenous communities across the state. Among other things, the funds would pay for digitizing tribal oral histories and documenting tribal land loss for research and for Land Back initiatives, an Indigenous-led movement to restore land to the original stewards.
“We’re really hoping it will reach Native American communities, tribes and families directly,” he said. “That can include applying for transportation, lodging, child care, meeting space, or any other barriers that they could face engaging in this important process.”
Indigenous tribes and nonprofits can begin applying for grants of $5,000 to $50,000 in two rounds, in July and October, Alvarez said.
“We believe that we have a unique and historic opportunity, given that California is a state that is leading the way on truth and healing with Native communities,” he said.
“We hope that not only will a rich and diverse group of California Native American communities engage with the process and shape it — including the recommendations that come out — but that they are resourced to do that. Hopefully it will be a catalyst for truth and healing processes across the country.”
CALmatters.org is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics.
WATCH MORE ON ABC10: Sutter's Fort State Historic Park to re-examine Native American history telling
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/california/calmatters/new-fund-favors-reparations-california-native-american-communities/103-3b1fb17f-1826-4ccc-bd09-27078e86067d
| 2022-05-11T22:22:28
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/california/calmatters/new-fund-favors-reparations-california-native-american-communities/103-3b1fb17f-1826-4ccc-bd09-27078e86067d
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SACRAMENTO, Calif. — This story was originally published by CalMatters.
A Central Valley district attorney has vowed to refile a murder charge against a woman whose case drew national attention for its possible implications for abortion rights, but the woman’s advocates believe the charges will never actually materialize.
Adora Perez was freed in March after nearly four years in prison on a guilty plea to manslaughter after she delivered a stillbirth while testing positive for methamphetamine.
On Monday, Kings County District Attorney Keith Fagundes dropped the remaining charges against her. Abortion rights proponents – including Attorney General Rob Bonta – celebrated the decision.
But Tuesday morning, Fagundes told CalMatters in a text message that he intends to refile charges against Perez – standard language for a prosecutor after dismissing charges without prejudice, meaning the charges can be refiled again later.
“The matter was dismissed without prejudice as we intend to refile,” Fagundes said. “Ms. Perez was put on notice today to maintain any exculpatory evidence she believes exists.”
Fagundes believes he has a right to file the murder charges under existing California law. Perez’s attorneys and Bonta disagree, contending that current law forbids such prosecutions.
But Fagundes has said in debates this year during his third run for office that a proposed law, AB 2223, would be the mechanism to prevent prosecutions of this kind.
“If a mother can’t be prosecuted for the death of her fetus, then why pass AB 2223?” Fagundes said in an April 8 debate, according to the Valley Voice.
AB 2223, by Oakland Democrat Buffy Wicks, would abolish the requirement that coroners investigate stillbirths. Proponents of the law say this would lead more people to seek prenatal care without fear of prosecution.
Under current law, all fetal deaths at or after 20 weeks, with the exception of abortions, are treated as “unattended deaths” in California, requiring a coroner to investigate. In 48 of 58 California counties, the sheriff is also the coroner, which means that law enforcement becomes involved and the person who is pregnant could face potential prosecution.
Perez’s story drew national attention for her rare plea in 2018 to manslaughter of a fetus – a charge that doesn’t exist in California law. Abortion rights advocates believe her case has broad implications for abortion access in California, potentially opening the door to criminal prosecutions of people seeking to terminate pregnancies.
A draft U.S. Supreme Court majority opinion recently published by Politico suggests justices are poised to strike down Roe vs. Wade, the landmark 1973 ruling that guaranteed the federal constitutional right to an abortion.
Fagundes’ statement that he plans to refile charges flies in the face of a directive from Bonta in January. The attorney general advised prosecutors, defense attorneys and police not to participate in criminal cases against mothers who miscarry or deliver a stillbirth.
“The loss of a pregnancy at any stage is a physically and emotionally traumatic experience that should not be exacerbated by the threat of being charged with murder,” Bonta said at the time.
Bonta’s office said Tuesday that they will contest future charges if they’re filed.
“As we’ve previously made clear in our legal alert, California law does not criminalize people for the loss of a pregnancy,” the attorney general’s office said in a statement. “The DA moved to dismiss the charge and the court dismissed.
“Should further action be necessary in the Perez case, we’re prepared to continue to weigh in where appropriate.”
Perez’s attorney, Mary McNamara, said on Tuesday that she doesn’t believe Fagundes will actually refile charges, and said the passage of AB 2223 would convince him that he cannot file murder charges against women who deliver stillbirths.
“I don’t think he’s going to refile, and his view is he’s not going to refile,” McNamara said. “We all agree AB 2223 would prevent this prosecution. The difference is, Bonta’s office and our (legal) team believe current law also prevents this kind of prosecution.”
Across the entire state in the last three decades, Fagundes is the only prosecutor who has charged women who miscarry with murder.
The debate over AB 2223 drew hundreds of anti-abortion activists to the Capitol in April when the bill cleared the Assembly Health Committee.
Fagundes has previously told CalMatters that he will continue to file murder charges against people who miscarry or deliver stillbirths and test positive for drugs if he feels the cases warrant prosecution.
CALmatters.org is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics.
WATCH MORE ON ABC10: Democratic lawmaker said she had abortion at 21 to avoid cycle of poverty | Top 10
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/california/calmatters/prosecutor-vows-refile-murder-charge-against-woman-delivered-stillbirth/103-9e88bd3a-8ef4-4e29-b95d-4e2eb8206ad9
| 2022-05-11T22:22:34
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/california/calmatters/prosecutor-vows-refile-murder-charge-against-woman-delivered-stillbirth/103-9e88bd3a-8ef4-4e29-b95d-4e2eb8206ad9
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CALIFORNIA, USA — This story was originally published by CalMatters.
California’s clean-air regulators on Tuesday unveiled a highly anticipated roadmap packed with strategies for tackling the climate crisis. But it falls short on a key component: the role that its signature environmental policy — cap and trade — will have in cutting greenhouse gas emissions.
The California Air Resources Board’s draft of its ambitious proposal, called a scoping plan, outlines policies that focus on reducing reliance on oil, capturing carbon dioxide emitted by industries and increasing dependence on renewable power sources, such as wind, solar and electric cars. The plan makes a bold commitment to eliminate 91% of oil used in the state by 2045.
The purpose of the plan is to fulfill state mandates that require reducing carbon dioxide and other climate-warming emissions 40% below 1990 levels by 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2045. The strategies would cost an estimated $18 billion in 2035 and $27 billion in 2045.
In their earlier version of the plan, adopted in 2017, air board officials had estimated about 38% of gas reductions would come from the state’s emissions-trading program, called cap and trade. According to the new plan, cap and trade will play a smaller role in meeting the state’s goals as it transitions to renewable energy.
But just six pages of the 228-page document address cap and trade, without providing a detailed analysis of how significant that role will be. That’s a problem, one expert said, because the modeling that air board staff used to make projections for each measure doesn’t provide any evidence of how cap and trade is working.
“They haven’t given us the basis for how much work cap and trade has to do over the next decade,” said Danny Cullenward, an economist and vice chair of the Independent Emissions Market Advisory Committee, a group of five experts who assess the effectiveness of the program. “Their projections show emissions that are significantly lower than what’s in the official emissions inventory. There’s not enough here to go on.”
In order to meet its goals, the state needs 27% less emissions reductions from cap and trade than what was initially expected in 2017, according to the plan.
Air board officials said they will be evaluating the cap-and-trade program in 2023 and providing more details after the plan is finalized and voted on by the board this summer.
They said they need additional data because of regulatory changes that went into effect in January 2021, which included reduced offsets and a new price ceiling for allowances.
“We need additional data — potentially another years-worth of data — into this new program before we go into that level of detail,” Rajinder Sahota, the board’s deputy executive officer of climate change and research, said in response to a CalMatters question during a press conference on Tuesday. “That also means that the scoping plan is not meant to be a design or a change to an existing program, it is meant to be a high-level planning document that serves as a guidepost.”
Cullenward disagreed, saying the staff shouldn’t need to wait because those regulations were written and available to the staff in 2018. Instead, he said, they’re “delaying the process.”
Too many allowances in the bank, critics say
The state’s landmark cap-and-trade program, which launched in 2013, has long been hailed as a crucial strategy to help California curb climate change. But it also has been widely criticized by legislators, analysts and environmentalists.
At a hearing in February, Ross Brown of the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office told lawmakers that the current design of cap and trade presents “a very real risk” that California’s climate goals will not be met. Sen. Bob Wieckowski, a Fremont Democrat who chairs the Senate’s environmental budget subcommittee, pressed the air board to be more transparent about cap and trade.
The program works by putting a price on carbon. The state sets caps on the volume of greenhouse gases that companies are allowed to emit, which reduce over time. Major polluters such as refineries and power plants must operate below those caps or buy and trade carbon credits, called allowances, from companies that already meet their limits.
The goal is to incentivize companies to reduce their carbon footprint. But one big problem stands in the way — the oversupply of allowances. For years, companies have been stockpiling allowances that environmental justice groups say undermines the notion that a price on pollution could reduce planet-warming emissions.
As of 2020, air board officials estimate that 310 million unused allowances were left, representing 5% of the total number since cap and trade first went into effect, according to the report.
Critics say that so many banked allowances is a problem because it could allow companies to keep polluting past the state limits in later years. That means those companies would have little incentive to cut emissions.
“Cap and trade began with too many allowances and millions more were given away,” said Marie Choi, who is the communications director for the Asian Pacific Environmental Network. “Offsets and allowance banking are essentially accounting gimmicks that enable big polluters to continue fueling climate disasters and concentrate even more pollution in working class communities of color while papering over their contributions to climate change.”
A plan to minimize job losses but slow climate gains
The new plan includes measures that would require a massive shift away from the state’s reliance on fossil fuels.
The air board’s plan relies on a strategy that aims to minimize job losses and costs while achieving net zero emissions by 2045 rather than earlier, as some options would have accomplished.
Air board officials in April recommended an option, known as Scenario 3, that has the least impact on the state’s economy rather than accelerating the pace of achieving carbon neutrality. Net zero emissions or carbon neutrality means achieving a balance between the greenhouse gases that are emitted and those that are eliminated or removed.
The state’s scoping plan aims for an 80% reduction of greenhouse gases below 1990 levels by 2050. Among its strategies are strengthening the low-carbon standard for fuels and increasing investments in engineered technologies that remove carbon from companies’ emissions.
The plan is designed to counter job losses in industries reliant on fossil fuels while promoting job growth in other industries as the economy increasingly is powered by renewable energy.
It emphasizes the transportation sector’s transition to clean energy as a crucial component to achieving its carbon goals and clean air standards, including the phase-out of new gas powered cars by 2035. If adopted by the board this summer, the mandate for 100% zero-emission car sales would be the first-of-its-kind and could set a nationwide standard.
Catherine Reheis-Boyd, president and CEO of the Western States Petroleum Association, which represents oil and gas companies, said the scoping plan places too heavily on mandates and regulations rather than beefing up market-based approaches to cut emissions.
Oil industry officials have expressed concern about the lack of charging stations for electric cars and other changes needed before the state can shift away from fossil fuels.
“The plan would impose more bans, mandates and expensive regulations that are designed to affect, as the report says, ‘every aspect of how we work, play and travel,’” she said in a statement. “A new scoping plan needs to take into account how Californians really live, and not rely on theory and infrastructure that does not exist.”
The public has 45 days to comment on the plan. A public hearing is scheduled for June 23, while the board is expected to vote on the plan in the fall.
CALmatters.org is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics.
WATCH MORE ON ABC10: Window to slow climate change and its impacts is rapidly closing
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/california/calmatters/state-new-climate-change-blueprint-strategies-tackling-fossil-fuels/103-e53200f2-b462-4950-a620-81daf87aac8e
| 2022-05-11T22:22:40
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/california/calmatters/state-new-climate-change-blueprint-strategies-tackling-fossil-fuels/103-e53200f2-b462-4950-a620-81daf87aac8e
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CALIFORNIA, USA — This story was originally published by CalMatters.
Californians emerged from the driest January, February and March on record with the biggest jump in water use since the drought began: a nearly 19% increase in March compared to two years earlier.
Despite the urgent pleas of water officials, California’s water use in March is the highest since 2015, standing in stark contrast to February, when residents and businesses used virtually the same amount of water in cities and towns as two years ago.
The massive increase shrank conservation gains since last summer, according to data released today by the State Water Resources Control Board: During the period from last July through March, Californians used 3.7% less water than during the same stretch in 2020.
The latest data is a rebuke of California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s request last July that Californians voluntarily cut back their water use by 15%. At the end of March, he ordered water systems to step up their drought responses statewide, but left the details to the locals.
The largest increases, nearly 27%, came in the Los Angeles basin and San Diego County, as well as the desert regions of southeast California that include Palm Springs and the Imperial Valley. Residents and businesses in southern Sierra Nevada communities used about 23% more water than in 2020, and the Central Coast followed close behind with a 20% rise. The only savings came in the North Coast region, which used 4.3% less water. Even the San Francisco Bay Area had a 2.5% increase.
While the data reflects water used by residents and industries statewide, it does not include agriculture, which accounts for roughly 40% of the total water used in the state.
The record dry spell came during what should have been some of the wettest months of the year, so residents resorted to more watering of their lawns and gardens, which soak up about half of the water used in cities and towns.
Beginning next month, about 6 million Southern Californians who are reliant on the state’s parched aqueduct and reservoirs will face unprecedented water restrictions from the Metropolitan Water District. The agencies and cities that provide their water must limit residents to outdoor watering once a week or reduce total water use below a certain target under a mandate issued by the Metropolitan Water District last month.
In response, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power today announced that all of its nearly 4 million customers will be limited to watering twice a week beginning June 1.
By March, some residents already faced aggressive drought rules from their water suppliers — with mixed results.
After San Jose residents failed to meet voluntary conservation targets, those who exceed mandatory limits now face surcharges.
In Southern California, the Las Virgenes Municipal Water District, which serves wealthy enclaves west of Los Angeles, found that water use steadily increased despite restrictions, with about half of residents regularly exceeding their water budgets, said spokesperson Michael McNutt.
At the end of May, the state water board will consider rules to ban irrigation of non-functional, decorative turf at businesses and other institutions. It will also vote on regulations implementing Newsom’s executive order requiring water systems to escalate their drought responses. Nearly 230 water systems have yet to reach the level of drought response the governor ordered, according to state data released today.
CALmatters.org is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics.
WATCH MORE ON ABC10: Where Northern California stands on its reservoirs and drought situation
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/california/calmatters/water-use-in-california-march-worst-month-19-percent-increase/103-f81cbc93-3ea5-43c5-927d-ee1a8876e26b
| 2022-05-11T22:22:47
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/california/calmatters/water-use-in-california-march-worst-month-19-percent-increase/103-f81cbc93-3ea5-43c5-927d-ee1a8876e26b
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LINCOLN, Calif. — Lincoln City Councilmember William Lauritsen was removed from all committee assignments at Tuesday night's city council meeting after allegedly slapping a local restaurant owner on April 25.
The Lincoln City Council voted 4 to 1 to censure Lauritsen, who was the lone dissenting vote against the censure. The censure removes Lauritsen from his appointments, meetings and other commitments.
The censure doesn't remove Lauritsen from the city council, that can only happen if the public initiates a recall process, which can be done by contacting the city clerk.
Lauritsen was accused of slapping Matthew Oliver, who owns businesses in Lincoln and Roseville, while attending California's 3rd Congressional District Candidate Forum on April 25. The incident was captured on Facebook live while Oliver asked Lauritsen questions about his thoughts on the forum.
Lauritsen said at the meeting he did not assault Oliver. He also alleged that other council members have received campaign contributions from Oliver and emphasized that he would not resign.
During the meeting, Oliver spoke and called for Lauritsen's resignation and for an apology. Councilmember Paul Joiner said since the incident he and other council members have been dealing with the ramifications of Lauritsen's actions.
"I have never seen an elected official act in such an outrageous manner," Joiner said, adding he didn't feel like there was an option besides considering censuring Lauritsen.
"We have all been put under pressure, incredible pressure, some of us more than others. And I think we have always acted in a very professional manner, regardless of what was going on internally to us. I wanted to see that from you as well Bill. And I haven't seen it. I haven't seen it here tonight, I didn't see it in our closed session, I haven't seen it in your interactions with others," Joiner said at the May 10 city council meeting.
Other city council members previously asked Lauritsen to resign following the incident, which he refused. In a statement, the city council members previously wrote they would "strongly endorse" Lauritsen being recalled and removed from office if the public chooses.
"No, I'm not going to resign," Lauritsen previously told ABC10. "If they wanted to reprimand me for jostling with Oliver that's fine, but saying they're going to take me off all committees and everything else, this is just too far."
Lincoln Mayor Holly Andreatta previously told ABC10 the councilman's actions were "very unfortunate, very horrific."
"What we all believe is that in the span of 15 minutes he just broke the trust that we have built because people are appalled and it doesn't matter who instigated, it doesn't matter if somebody was egging somebody on, it doesn't matter you cannot behave that way. And to physically strike somebody and then say a bunch of things — it's not acceptable, and it has done a lot of damage to all of the work that we have done over the last several years. So I'm upset about it," Lincoln Mayor Holly Andreatta previously told ABC10.
Read more:
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/lincoln/lincoln-city-council-william-lauritsen-matthew-oliver/103-571ddb33-5ffb-4746-a763-082d4a62fbb3
| 2022-05-11T22:22:53
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/lincoln/lincoln-city-council-william-lauritsen-matthew-oliver/103-571ddb33-5ffb-4746-a763-082d4a62fbb3
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SACRAMENTO, Calif. — ABC10 received 27 nominations in the English contest for the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences 51st Annual Northern California Area Emmy Awards and Gala.
"I am proud of the gifted journalists at ABC10 and their commitment and passion for sharing impactful stories that hold the powerful accountable and shed light on important issues that impact our community," Risa Omega, President and General Manager of ABC10, said.
ABC10 also won five of 15 Edward R. Murrow Region 2 Awards. ABC10 was recognized in the following categories:
- Continuing Coverage for "FIRE - POWER - MONEY: Crime and Politics"
- Excellence in Writing for "FIRE - POWER - MONEY: The French Laundry Connection"
- Investigative Reporting for "FIRE - POWER - MONEY: The French Laundry Connection"
- News Series for FIRE - POWER - MONEY reporting project
- Feature Reporting for "Women in Firefighting"
“The news team at ABC10 works hard every day to produce quality journalism that serves the greater Sacramento community," Jill Manuel, Director of Content at ABC10, said. "These awards and nominations confirm what I already know—the best storytellers in Northern California work at ABC10.”
Below is the full list of all of ABC10's 2022 Nominations. You can find the complete list of all Northern California nominees HERE.
- Special Achievement Award for Overall Excellence/News Excellence
- Risa Omega - President & General Manager
- Jill Manuel - Director of Content
- News Content in Breaking/Spot News - Multiple Reports
- “The Caldor Fire: The race to save Tahoe”
- Gonzalo Magana - Executive Producer
- Johnathon Bartell, Brandon Rittiman - Reporters
- Tyler Horst, Rory Ward - Photojournalists
- Continuing Coverage
- "Tracking the Caldor Fire"
- Luke Cleary - Reporter
- Andrea Esquetini - Photographer
- Investigative - Single Report
- “Secrets of the Camp Fire”
- Gonzalo Magana - Executive Producer
- Brandon Rittiman - Director
- Rory Ward - Photojournalist
- Courtney Horst - Photojournalist/Editor
- Investigative - Multiple Reports
- “Fire-Power-Money: How Gov. Gavin Newsom Protected PG&E”
- Gonzalo Magana - Executive Producer
- Mike Bunnell - Digital Producer
- Sabrina Sanchez - Social Producer
- Michael Duffy - Field Producer
- Brandon Rittiman - Director
- Tyler Horst, Victor Nieto, Rory Ward - Photojournalists
- News Feature - Light Feature (Single Report)
- “California's Only Riverboat Mailman”
- Johnathon Bartell, Reporter; Victor Nieto, Photojournalist
- News Feature - Serious Feature (Multiple Reports)
- “Journey to the U.S. | Stories from Afghan refugees”
- Andie Judson - Reporter
- Rory Ward - Photojournalist
- Arts/Entertainment - News or Short Form Content
- “Ordinary Sacramento”
- Tyler Horst - Reporter/Cinematographer/Editor
- Diversity/Equity/Inclusion - News or Short Form Content
- “Fighting flames & stereotypes | Being a woman in the mostly male world of firefighting”
- Andie Judson - Producer
- Rory Ward - Photojournalist
- Education/Schools - News or Short Form Content
- “California's only off-grid school”
- Johnathon Bartell - Reporter
- Rory Ward - Photojournalist
- Environment/Science - News or Short Form Content
- “After the Burn: California's Oldest State Park”
- Johnathon Bartell - Reporter
- Victor Nieto - Photojournalist
- Health/Medical - News or Short Form Content
- “Beware of Pop-Up COVID-19 Test Sites”
- Van Tieu - Reporter
- Historical/Cultural - News or Short Form Content
- “Behind Barbed Wire”
- Christopher Thomas, Reporter
- “The Hoopa Tribe's Boat Dance”
- Johnathon Bartell - Reporter
- Tyler Horst - Photojournalist
- “Behind Barbed Wire”
- Human Interest - News or Short Form Content
- “Beloved Vacaville custodian keeps elementary school COVID safe”
- Rory Ward - Photojournalist
- Public Affairs Program - News or Short Form Content
- “Camp Fire Victims in Limbo"
- Michael Duffy - Reporter
- Rory Ward - Photojournalist
- “Homeless crisis and who is responsible”
- Ananda Rochita - Producer
- “Camp Fire Victims in Limbo"
- Sports Story - Short or Long Form Content
- “Kid Bull Rider keeping Hispanic Legacy Alive”
- Johnathon Bartell - Reporter
- Rory Ward - Photojournalist
- Talent - Anchor - Weather
- “Meteorologist Carley Gomez in-depth weather: live and explainers”
- Carley Gomez - Meteorologist
- Talent - Reporter - Specialty Assignment
- “If the state government took deadly crimes as seriously as Brandon Rittiman does, this entry wouldn't exist”
- Brandon Rittiman - Investigative Reporter
- Talent - Program Host/Moderator/Correspondent
- “California Reopening Backroads”
- Johnathon Bartell - Program Host
- Live News Producer
- “Live Producing Late-Night News”
- Rachel Jacobs - Producer
- Writer - News
- “Fire-Power-Money: The French Laundry Connection”
- Brandon Rittiman - Writer
- Writer - Content
- Andie Judson
- John Bartell for “California Road Trip County by County Bartell's Backroads”
- Editor - News
- “Fire Power Money: The PG&E Police”
- Tyler Horst - Editor
- Photographer - Content
- “Rory Ward Photographer Composite”
- Rory Ward - Photojournalist
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/sacramento/abc10-wins-edward-r-murrow-awards-receives-emmy-nominations/103-4097268b-35c2-456d-82bf-61f56c3d4c31
| 2022-05-11T22:22:59
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/sacramento/abc10-wins-edward-r-murrow-awards-receives-emmy-nominations/103-4097268b-35c2-456d-82bf-61f56c3d4c31
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A public health alert has been issued for raw ground beef sold at Whole Foods because it could contain hard plastic.
The ground beef was produced April 20, 2022, and includes 16-oz. vacuum-sealed packages of “ORGANIC RANCHER ORGANIC GROUND BEEF” in both “93% LEAN 7% FAT” and “85% LEAN 15% FAT” varieties.
Affected products have a use by date of May 18, 2022 and establishment number “EST. 4027″ inside the USDA mark of inspection.
The alert was issued after consumers reported to Whole Foods that they found bits of hard, rigid plastic in the beef, and Whole Foods notified the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service.
There have not been any confirmed reports of illness or adverse reactions to the beef, and the products are no longer being sold in stores, but the FSIS said it is concerned the packages could still be in consumer’s refrigerators or freezers.
If you have packages involved in the alert, the FSIS said not to eat them, but to throw them away or return them to the store.
Consumers with questions about the alert can contact Adam Bushell, Quality Assurance Manager at NPC Processing Inc., at adamb@npcprocessing.com.
About the Author
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https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/local/public-health-alert-ground-beef-from-whole-foods-could-contain-hard-plastic/BPMK43RH5VHRBCPCP5XZXWOFKU/
| 2022-05-11T22:40:48
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https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/local/public-health-alert-ground-beef-from-whole-foods-could-contain-hard-plastic/BPMK43RH5VHRBCPCP5XZXWOFKU/
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PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – After a death investigation in Gresham on Tuesday, police announced a mother and her two children died in a murder-suicide.
The investigation began after officers conducted a welfare check at an apartment on Southeast 185th avenue around 7:45 a.m. Tuesday.
According to Gresham Police Department, 31-year-old Ashley Palmer and her children, ages six and eight, died from gunshot wounds.
Gresham police reminds the community that help is available if you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis .
Multnomah County Mental Health Call Center is available for those experiencing a mental health crisis at 503-988-4888.
Lines for Life is also available at 800-273-8255.
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https://www.koin.com/local/multnomah-county/mother-2-children-found-dead-after-gresham-murder-suicide/
| 2022-05-11T22:41:37
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https://www.koin.com/local/multnomah-county/mother-2-children-found-dead-after-gresham-murder-suicide/
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PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Mayor Ted Wheeler has signed another emergency order in an effort to clean up Portland.
Oregon Public Broadcasting reports the fourth declaration Wheeler has issued to address homelessness and livability issues goes into effect Wednesday. The three previously issued emergency declarations by Wheeler also will be renewed this week.
The mayor’s office says the newest declaration will deal with trash, graffiti, illegal dumping and abandoned cars.
During his State of the City speech Friday, Wheeler said it would streamline the city’s response by installing a “central command structure” over 20 city programs and eight bureaus that are currently overseen by five different city council members.
The order consolidates city programs that work on such clean-up efforts under Wheeler’s authority, allowing him to reprioritize the work.
The mayor has asked the city’s Bureau of Human Resources to help expedite the hiring of additional people to help meet the order’s goals.
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https://www.koin.com/local/multnomah-county/portland-mayor-signs-emergency-order-over-trash-graffiti/
| 2022-05-11T22:41:43
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https://www.koin.com/local/multnomah-county/portland-mayor-signs-emergency-order-over-trash-graffiti/
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FORT MYERS, Fla. — There were more than 108,000 hit and run crashes in Florida in 2021, according to Florida Highway Patrol. That number jumped 17% from 2020.
But behind the numbers are real people and their families. Many of them still grieving after losing a loved one in a hit-and-run crash.
“I used to sit there all the time when I’d hear this stuff and think that breaks my heart, but that would never happen to me. But it happened. My daughter was in the middle of the ditch walking..they’re never that safe,” said Christine Gray.
In 2020, Gray lost her daughter, Allana Staiano, in a hit-and-run crash in North Fort Myers. Her daughter’s killer, Courtney Gainey, is spending 30 years behind bars.
Gray acknowledged not all families get the closure she did.
“I think there will always be suffering,” said Phisch Ross.
Ross is the boyfriend of Anita Johnson who was hit and killed in January of 2020 while walking with her poodle. The driver, Rosalia Diaz, is still on the run.
“It’s very difficult. We know who she is and knowing she’s running out there enjoying freedom and her family and we’re missing a member of our family,” said Ross.
Florida Highway Patrol said in 2021, one out of every four drivers involved in a crash left the scene.
“I tell people all the time, if you’re ignoring the problem, then you’re part of the problem,” said Gray.
You can find a list of active hit and run cases county by county on FHP’s website.
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https://nbc-2.com/news/local/2022/05/11/families-of-hit-run-victims-spread-awareness-as-incidents-rise/
| 2022-05-11T22:42:30
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https://nbc-2.com/news/local/2022/05/11/families-of-hit-run-victims-spread-awareness-as-incidents-rise/
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FORT MYERS, Fla. — Florida Gulf Coast University opened the doors of its long-anticipated Water School on Wednesday as faculty begin to move into its labs and classroom space.
“We are surrounded by natural areas, which I do some research back there,” said Ella Guedouar an Environmental Science Master’s student, who chose to stay at the university because of the coming school. “It was a lot of anticipation for me to have this building come out.”
The new facilities for the school were first announced in 2019 and cost more than $57 million to build. After several years of construction, faculty and staff started the process of moving in samples and setting up lab space with subzero fridges and vent hoods ready for student researchers.
“So these represent 20 years’ worth of research here,” said Greg Tolley, Executive Director of the Water School at FGCU. “So part of it is the new equipment we’re getting and then part of it is just the space.”
The 4-story building has roughly 58 thousand square feet of research lab space and 23 thousand square feet of classroom space. Overall, it is the largest building on FGCU’s campus. The Water School was once spread between five locations, and now will be in one central location on FGCU’s campus with two additional off-campus research locations in Bonita Springs and Naples.
With more space and newer tools, Tolley expects staff and students can better study some of Southwest Florida’s biggest challenges like rising sea levels, freshwater pollution, and algae blooms.
“One of the projects that we’ve been talking about with new faculty members is actually maybe doing some clinical trials on how to treat people for red tide,” said Tolley.
“We have a place in the community, we give back to the community, we focus on local problems,” said Guedouar.
FGCU’s new and improved Water School facility is expected to see its first students later this year.
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https://nbc-2.com/news/local/2022/05/11/fgcu-water-school-opens-its-doors-after-three-years/
| 2022-05-11T22:42:31
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https://nbc-2.com/news/local/2022/05/11/fgcu-water-school-opens-its-doors-after-three-years/
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At first, it appears like a comet burning a copper flame past distant stars, glimmering on its downward trajectory into the unknown. But instead, we find ourselves in the darkest fathoms of the deep sea, observing one of the rarest creatures to ever be captured on film.
Last week the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute shared footage of a highfin dragonfish, Bathophilus flemingi, captured far below the California coast from a remote research vessel.
"In more than three decades of deep-sea research and more than 27,600 hours of video, we've only seen this particular species four times!" researchers at the MBARI tweeted alongside footage of the fish.
Closer inspection of dragonfish (family Stomiidae) reveal an HR Giger-like monstrosity, with enormous fanged jaws able to open wide, over 100 degrees, giving the apex predator the ability to consume prey 50% larger than itself, such as unsuspecting fish and crustaceans. An adult highfin dragonfish can grow up to six inches long.
"Some dragonfishes dangle a luminescent lure from their chins to entice prey," the MBARI says, "when a tasty morsel comes close, their big jaws open wide, and sharp teeth snap shut."
The rare highfin dragonfish seen last week is covered in an iridescent cloak of bronze scales. Most dragonfish, however, will never be seen, as they are pigmented with what the institute describes as some of "the blackest blacks known in nature."
While the species are believed to sometimes plunge down to 4,500 meters below the surface, the recent sighting was found at a depth of around 1,000 feet during an expedition on the Western Flyer — a large ship set up to deploy and control smaller remote vehicles that dive thousands of feet into the ocean.
Learn more about the strange, elusive creature here.
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https://www.sfgate.com/local/article/incredibly-rare-fish-filmed-off-california-coast-17166140.php
| 2022-05-11T22:57:16
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https://www.sfgate.com/local/article/incredibly-rare-fish-filmed-off-california-coast-17166140.php
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DALLAS — A mother in Dallas is asking for the community’s help in locating her missing daughter. Brendetta McDonald has been placing fliers in areas across Dallas and posting her daughter’s photo on a variety of social media sites.
McDonald said her 15-year-old daughter has been missing since April 27.
“Just come home baby," McDonald said as she cried. "Do whatever you’ve got to do to get home. I miss you."
The emotional mom said her daughter, Gabrielle McDonald, left the house after getting in trouble at school. Now the teen’s family is concerned about her safety since having no contact for two weeks.
McDonald and her family believe the teen may be trying to get home.
This is among 70 runaway and dozens of missing persons cases the Dallas Police Department is currently investigating. Detectives said they’ve been running Gabrielle’s name through different databases, trying to track her down.
In addition to the department's investigation, the family has also been doing some footwork of its own, trying to find leads.
McDonald said her family received tips Gabrielle has been spotted in several locations around Downtown Dallas and South Dallas.
McDonald also said running away is unlike her daughter. She said she is worried her daughter could be in danger.
“My biggest concern is that she’s held against her will, and she wants to come home, but she can’t come home," McDonald said. "She wants to come home. I know my baby wants to come home."
The family is asking anyone with information on Gabrielle McDonald and her whereabouts to call Dallas Police at 214-584-4255.
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https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/dallas-mother-help-finding-missing-daughter/287-71e15c0b-8cc1-4d21-ab35-0e212542b2b0
| 2022-05-11T22:59:44
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https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/dallas-mother-help-finding-missing-daughter/287-71e15c0b-8cc1-4d21-ab35-0e212542b2b0
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NORTH RICHLAND HILLS, Texas — Investigators are asking for the public's help in identifying and finding a driver involved in a road rage incident that sent another driver to the hospital, according to the North Richland Hill Police Department.
North Richland Hills Police's 911 center received a call around 9:45 pm Tuesday regarding a shooting incident on Loop 820 near Boulevard 26, near Randy Moresi Trail and North East Mall in North Richland Hills.
One of the drivers reported that a minor accident occurred on Airport Freeway in Hurst between their vehicle and the suspect's vehicle, a silver Chevrolet Malibu.
After the accident happened, the Malibu driver began shooting at the other driver, hitting the vehicle six times. That driver wasn't able to get a license plate number from the Malibu but was able to describe that the vehicle would have rear driver’s side damage from the minor crash.
The North Richland Hills Fire Department transported the driver shot at from the scene to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. That driver's condition is currently stable. Police have not released any specific details regarding either of these drivers as of Wednesday afternoon.
Loop 820 experienced a short lane closure while officers searched the roadway looking for physical evidence from the scene, officials said.
North Richland Hills Criminal Investigations is actively looking into the case and gathering any additional evidence that may be available from the area.
Police are asking anyone with additional information to call Criminal Investigations directly at 817-427-7052 or Tarrant County Crime Stoppers at 817-469-8477.
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https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/texas-driver-shoots-other-car-road-rage/287-d89ba4b5-c723-409d-8ba4-5703d0111fe0
| 2022-05-11T22:59:50
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https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/texas-driver-shoots-other-car-road-rage/287-d89ba4b5-c723-409d-8ba4-5703d0111fe0
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U.S. EPA investigating groundwater west of former Industrial Excess Landfill in Lake Twp.
LAKE TWP. – The U.S. EPA is testing groundwater west of the former Industrial Excess Landfill for a potentially carcinogenic contaminant.
The 30-acre former landfill is on the eastern side of Cleveland Avenue NW just south of Hilltop Street NW.
The U.S. EPA announced in a news release Wednesday that samples collected in January confirmed the presence of "1,4 dioxane" — a synthetic industrial chemical with varying health effects — and prompted the investigation.
"Preliminary data from private well samples collected in April show unacceptable levels of 1,4-dioxane at several properties," it states. "Based on the data, EPA directed the PRPs to immediately provide bottled water to the impacted residents and initiate hookups to the municipal water supply."
EPA spokeswoman Rachel Bassler said in an email that groundwater sampling mostly has been west and northwest of the former landfill and will continue throughout the area "until data indicates that wells are not contaminated."
Dioxane was used as a solvent stabilizer in manufacturing and can be found in dyes, greases and some consumer products, such as shampoos and cosmetics. It's often found at sites contaminated with chlorinated solvents or septic or hospital waste disposal sites, according to the EPA.
Akron's rubber industries as well as area hospitals and septic tank cleaning companies dumped waste in the Industrial Excess Landfill until it closed in 1980. Cleanup of the site was completed in 2004.
"As part of the cleanup, approximately 100 residential properties were connected to the municipal water supply in the early 1990s, the landfill was capped with enhanced vegetation, fencing was installed and deed restrictions were established," the release states. "EPA also requires the PRPs to continue long-term monitoring of landfill gas and the natural attenuation of contaminants in groundwater."
The EPA considers dioxane is considered an "emerging contaminant," which previously eluded detection because equipment and methods were not sensitive enough to detect it. There are no federal standards for dioxane cleanup.
A five-year review of the site published in 2021 states that dioxane was "tentatively identified" in seven groundwater monitoring wells in 2019 and warranted additional investigation.
Late last year, the EPA also expanded the fence around the site after detecting "potentially explosive landfill gas" at monitoring locations beyond the previous enclosure.
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https://www.cantonrep.com/story/news/local/stark-county/2022/05/11/u-s-epa-probing-groundwater-west-former-industrial-excess-landfill/9733992002/
| 2022-05-11T23:02:27
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https://www.cantonrep.com/story/news/local/stark-county/2022/05/11/u-s-epa-probing-groundwater-west-former-industrial-excess-landfill/9733992002/
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SEATTLE — Editor's note: The above video on unmarked graves found at the former St. Bernard’s Indian Residential School in Alberta, Canada originally aired March 2, 2022.
A first-of-its-kind federal study of Native American boarding schools that for over a century sought to assimilate Indigenous children into white society has identified more than 500 student deaths at the institutions, but officials say that figure could grow exponentially as research continues.
The Interior Department report released Wednesday expands to more than 400, including 15 in Washington state, the number of schools that were known to have operated across the U.S. for 150 years, starting in the early 19th century and coinciding with the removal of many tribes from their ancestral lands. It identified the deaths in records for about 20 of the schools.
“The federal and state governments of the United States have dealt tremendous loss and suffering to the Native and Indigenous people throughout generations, including the horrific and systematic erasure of their culture and their children,” Inslee said in response to the report.
The dark history of Native American boarding schools, where children were forced from their families, prohibited from speaking their languages and often abused, has been felt deeply across Indian Country and through generations.
Many children never returned home, and the Interior Department said that with further investigation the number of known student deaths could climb to the thousands or even tens of thousands. Causes included illness, accidental injuries and abuse, officials say.
“Each of those children is a missing family member, a person who was not able to live out their purpose on this Earth because they lost their lives as part of this terrible system,” said Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, whose paternal grandparents were sent to boarding school for several years as kids.
The agency is in the process of poring through thousands of boxes containing more than 98 million pages of records, with help from many Indigenous people who have had to work through their own trauma and pain. Accounting for the number of deaths will be difficult because records weren’t always kept.
A second volume of the report will cover burial sites as well as the federal government’s financial investment in the schools and the impacts of the boarding schools on Indigenous communities, the Interior Department said. It has so far identified at least 53 burial sites at or near boarding schools, not all of which have marked graves.
Tribal leaders have pressed the agency to ensure that any children’s remains that are found are properly cared for and delivered back to their tribes, if desired. The burial sites’ locations will not be released publicly to prevent them from being disturbed, said Bryan Newland, the Interior Department’s assistant secretary for Indian Affairs.
At a news conference Wednesday, Haaland choked back tears as she described how the boarding school era perpetuated poverty, mental health disorders, substance abuse and premature deaths in Indigenous communities.
“Recognizing the impacts of the federal Indian boarding school system cannot just be a historical reckoning,” Haaland said. “We must also chart a path forward to deal with these legacy issues.”
Haaland, who is Laguna, announced an initiative last June to investigate the troubled legacy of boarding schools and uncover the truth about the government’s role in them. The 408 schools her agency identified operated in 37 states or territories, many of them in Oklahoma, Arizona and New Mexico.
The Interior Department acknowledged the number of schools identified could change as more data is gathered. The coronavirus pandemic and budget restrictions hindered some of the research over the past year, Newland said.
The U.S. government directly ran some of the boarding schools. Catholic, Protestant and other churches operated others with federal funding, backed by U.S. laws and policies to “civilize” Native Americans. The federal government still oversees more than 180 schools in nearly two dozen states that serve Native Americans, but the schools’ missions are vastly different from the past.
The Interior Department report was prompted by the discovery of hundreds of unmarked graves at former residential school sites in Canada that brought back painful memories for Indigenous communities.
Download our free KING 5 app to stay up-to-date on news stories from across western Washington.
Haaland also announced Wednesday a yearlong tour for Interior Department officials that will allow former boarding school students from Native American tribes, Alaska Native villages and Native Hawaiian communities to share their stories as part of a permanent oral history collection.
Boarding school conditions varied across the U.S. and Canada. While some former students have reported positive experiences, children at the schools often were subjected to military-style discipline and had their long hair cut.
Early curricula focused heavily on outdated vocational skills, including homemaking for girls.
A U.S. House subcommittee on Thursday will hear testimony on a bill to create a truth and healing commission modeled after one in Canada. Several church groups are backing the legislation.
Deborah Parker, chief executive of the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition, tearfully recalled stories of a boarding school on the Tulalip reservation where she’s from that had a small jail cell and a basement where at least one girl routinely was chained to a heater and beaten. She said others hid to shield themselves from abuse.
“I am concerned when we begin to open these doors for our boarding school survivors to come forward and share their stories,” she said.
The boarding school coalition, which created an early inventory of the schools and shared its research with the Interior Department, praised Interior's work but noted the agency's authority is limited.
“Our children deserve to be brought home," Parker said. "We are here for their justice. And we will not stop advocating until the United States fully accounts for the genocide committed against Native children.”
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https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/local/us-native-american-boarding-school-deaths/281-ee4d7934-518a-46b8-a46e-f6c530a82d75
| 2022-05-11T23:03:15
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https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/local/us-native-american-boarding-school-deaths/281-ee4d7934-518a-46b8-a46e-f6c530a82d75
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The former national police chief of Honduras made an initial appearance in a New York courtroom Wednesday after his extradition to the United States to face criminal drug trafficking charges, a day after the former president of the Central America country pleaded not guilty to related criminal charges.
Juan Carlos Bonilla Valladares, 62, was detained without bail after a 10-minute proceeding before a magistrate judge in Manhattan federal court.
A lawyer who was appointed to represent him declined comment outside court.
Better known as “El Tigre,” or “The Tiger,” Bonilla Valladares served as the country’s top police official in 2012 and 2013. He was arrested March 9 after he was labeled by U.S. prosecutors as a co-conspirator of former President Juan Orlando Hernández and the president’s brother Tony Hernández.
A prosecutor said he was turned over to U.S. authorities before noon on Tuesday and arrived in the New York area last night. He faces drug trafficking and weapons charges.
“Former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez would not have risen to power and successfully benefited from massive drug proceeds had it not been for his expansive network of corrupt associates,” said Anne Milgram, administrator of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
“These associates, including Bonilla Valladares, likewise exploited their positions to traffic cocaine to the United States and violently protect other politically connected drug traffickers, all for their own personal gains,” she said in a release. “Bonilla Valladares further betrayed the Honduran people by using his law enforcement badge to cover for his crimes.”
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said the extradition of Bonilla Valladares “demonstrates that no one is exempt by virtue of their title or position of authority — even foreign Presidents and police chiefs — from criminal prosecution for contributing to the flood of illegal narcotics into this country that causes so much harm.”
U.S. charges against Bonilla Valladares were announced in April 2020 when authorities alleged that he used his law enforcement clout to protect U.S.-bound shipments of cocaine. Bonilla denied at the time being a drug trafficker.
He said then he would go wherever necessary to prove the accusations untrue and suggested drug traffickers were behind the accusations. He cited his long cooperation with the U.S. State Department as proof he was trusted by the U.S. government.
On Tuesday, a lawyer for Honduras’ former president made similar claims weeks after Hernández was extradited to New York to face charges that he received millions of dollars from 2004 to 2022 to support a drug trade that delivered hundreds of thousands of kilograms of drugs to the U.S.
Hernández, who led the Central American nation from 2014 through 2022, has denied charges including participating in a drug trafficking conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices. A trial was tentatively set for Jan. 17.
Attorney Raymond Colon said outside court Tuesday that he believed the former president was the victim of lies told by drug traffickers seeking to reduce long prison sentences. He also cited what he described as his client’s long support of U.S. agencies that pursue drug traffickers and his willingness to let them be extradited to the U.S.
The former president’s brother, Tony Hernández, is serving a life sentence after his October 2019 conviction in New York federal court on drug trafficking charges that prosecutors said amounted to state-sponsored drug dealing.
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/ex-honduras-police-chief-detained-after-ny-court-appearance-on-drug-charges/3683220/
| 2022-05-11T23:19:00
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/ex-honduras-police-chief-detained-after-ny-court-appearance-on-drug-charges/3683220/
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Update: Rescued Berkley ponies nursed back to health as they learn to trust people again
METHUEN — The Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals hopes to have six ponies from Berkley that allegedly suffered neglect ready for adoption on May 13.
MSPCA Angell Director of Adoption Services Michael Keiley said the Animal Rescue League took the ponies to the agency’s farm in Methuen from “a bad situation” that involved not being fed properly.
“Our role is to take them … and start them on a new journey in their lives,” he said.
The ponies have been under MSPCA care since Berkley horse breeder Gary Bolger was charged with 13 counts of animal cruelty by the Animal Rescue League.
He will be arraigned in Taunton District Court to answer the charges on May 18.
Animal Rescue League Lt. Alan Borgal reported nine ponies were rescued from Bolger’s farm, and investigators found three dead ponies and a dead horse at the site.
The agency is providing care for three ponies at a Dedham shelter.
Animal Rescue League spokesperson Mike Defina said the ponies' health conditions are improving at different rates.
"We need to ensure that they’re at an ideal weight and condition before placing them into new homes," he said.
Ponies recovering from lack of food
Keiley said the ponies being cared for at the MSPCA Angell farm “were quite thin” upon arriving.
“Most of our focus has been their low body weight,” he said. “The refeeding process is tricky because horses have a sensitive digestive system. That is true of most species. As we go through the refeeding process, we must avoid going too fast because that would create a downturn and jeopardize them. We got to a point where we established a feeding baseline and went from there.”
Keiley said the ponies are regaining weight, and “it’s impressive how many pounds they have put on.”
“It amazes me how our team and the veterinary staff that we bring in have attacked this issue and gotten them back on track,” he said.
“It was gut-wrenching to see how they were on the cusp of not being able to maintain themselves. It inspires me to see how they are brightening up with getting the resources they need and attention they deserve.”
Real estate report:Taunton home on County St., 1,840 sq. ft., sells for almost $500,000
Keiley said a few ponies gained weight “a little too quickly.”
“We peeled back the feeding a little bit for them,” he said. “The weight gain for the ponies has been mostly completed at this point.”
Ponies adjust to people
Keiley said the ponies went for a long time without human interaction until they were rescued.
“They came in pretty scared and stressed,” he said. “We could not do much with them or put halters on them.”
Keiley said five of the six ponies are getting used to being with people.
“We have one that is not wanting us to touch her,” he said.
Parking puzzle:Is downtown Taunton parking shortage a 'myth' or reality? Here's what we know
Keiley said the staff is taking “a gentle approach” toward the pony that is uneasy about people.
“It takes time and consistency,” he said. “The right approach is gentle, and that encourages her to accept some human interaction.”
Keiley said the ponies’ ages range from 4 to 15 years old.
Ponies being prepared for adoption
Keiley said MSPCA Angell hopes to have the ponies healthy enough for adoption following a veterinary exam on May 13.
“We plan to have them complete some required health tests and receive vaccinations,” he said. “If there are no red flags, we are prepared to send them on to their next life.”
Keiley said MSPCA Angell is looking for potential adoptive hopefuls that have experience caring for ponies and adequate equine resources.
“If anybody is interested, they should reach out to us and express interest,” he said.
Keiley said MSPCA Angell’s staff could discern a troubling situation in a potential adoptive hopeful.
“Our system wants to be sure they (animals) don’t get into another bad situation,” he said. “We have an experienced team that can converse with people and identifies any troubling situation.”
Keiley said most people who seek to adopt an animal from MSPCA “want to connect with our mission” and not hurt creatures.
“If there are any questions, we handle them individually,” he said.
People interested in adopting a pony can contact the MSPCA online at Nevins Farm Adoption Inquiry or by calling 978-687-7453.
Ponies are an Irish breed
Keiley said the ponies are Connemaras, a common breed in Ireland.
“The Connemara is named after a county in Ireland,” he said. “There are not many of them in the U.S. They have a big following, and many people care for that breed of ponies.”
Keiley said the MSPCA farm has a strong Irish theme because of the ponies' presence and eight Kerry cows that are common in Ireland.
“The Irish cattle were surrendered to us from Amherst,” he said. “It’s a rare breed.”
The MSPCA reported the cattle were surrendered to them by Shannon Rice-Nichols of Hadley on March 14 following an investigation.
MSPCA Law Enforcement charged Rice-Nichols with 35 counts of animal cruelty and she will be arraigned in Eastern Hampshire District Court to answer the charges on May 12.
MSPCA Law Enforcement Files 35 Charges of Animal Cruelty in “Endangered Breed”
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https://www.tauntongazette.com/story/news/local/2022/05/11/berkley-mspca-rescued-ponies-adoption-farm-horses-abuse-neglect-gary-bolger-animal-cruelty/9664881002/
| 2022-05-11T23:20:15
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https://www.tauntongazette.com/story/news/local/2022/05/11/berkley-mspca-rescued-ponies-adoption-farm-horses-abuse-neglect-gary-bolger-animal-cruelty/9664881002/
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My daughter is about to graduate high school and head to college. Like most young folks, she is excited about the upcoming freedom and adventures that await her. She decided to go to Georgia from a host of options. I am flying my Auburn War Eagle flag at half-mast indefinitely. I suppose I can still learn to bark like a dog, and I think I’ve mastered the beer drinking, so there is that. Pay back can be brutal, and I went to Auburn much to the dismay of my father, so I guess it is a family tradition.
Her biggest excitement appears to be the idea of decorating her dorm room. She has been shopping and looking and planning for weeks. Everything needs to match perfectly. The wall hangings should be just right. Each item is carefully considered, weighed out and vetted. If only we would scope out our presidential candidates so closely.
Now in comparison, as a member of the dying-out males species (true males are nearly extinct having begun a sharp decline once manscaping and male pedicures began), when I went to college not so much thought went into the endeavor. I arrived at my dorm room with about a week’s worth of clothes and some of the necessary toiletry items like toothpaste and soap. I had not one item to hang on the wall except a nearly nude poster of Raquel Welch. I still consider that work of art to be one of the finest decorations to ever adorn any living space. If only I had the dog’s playing poker painting, I’m sure I could have won some type of Better Homes and Gardens award.
I went to K-Mart and bought a set of plastic dishes, which I kept well into my late-20s and would still be using them if I had my way about things. I couldn’t have cared less if my sheets were purple and my bedspread plaid. I did not look for any knick-knacks to make my room homey. I guess part of the reason was because my dorm room was similar to a prison cell except smaller and without prison comforts. I had a communal bathroom for the entire dorm, and the shower was at one end with about eight shower heads. People could just mosey in at any time and view the activity.
Now, 18 years old is not the time of ultimate confidence in one’s body, and it could be unnerving to shower with three or four more guys around 9 in the morning. Of course, there was always one bank-walker who sashshayed around like he was in a nudist colony. For the unlearned, a bank-walker is the guy when everyone goes skinnydipping at the creek that decides to walk around on the bank for a while. This walk about usually indicates pride of ownership. I hate bank-walkers.
My actual room had no air conditioning, no stove, no refrigerator, and no TV. I did have a roommate that I had never met who proved without a doubt that ABAC would accept anyone into their college at that time, so long as they had a pulse and a tuition check. An old lady, the dorm mother, lived at the end of the dorm hall. We called her “Ma” to her face and a lot of other things when she was not around. Past 9 p.m., a nuclear bomb could have hit the main campus and she would not have so much as rolled over in bed.
But, alas, time changes all things, and now I want to move into my daughter’s hoped-for dorm room. It has all the features a man could possibly ask for, including a private shower and bathroom. I’m sure she will have it looking like the cover of Vogue magazine. And I guess it will be red and black. I think I’m going to need medications as I feel a case of the vapors coming on.
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https://www.albanyherald.com/local/t-gamble-daughter-carries-on-traditional-sins-of-the-father/article_65cb4780-d133-11ec-a249-a7d81fd0f95f.html
| 2022-05-11T23:23:47
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https://www.albanyherald.com/local/t-gamble-daughter-carries-on-traditional-sins-of-the-father/article_65cb4780-d133-11ec-a249-a7d81fd0f95f.html
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SC Legislature agrees to possible special session to discuss abortion if Roe is overturned
South Carolina legislators could possibly return later this year for a special session to discuss abortion bills should the U.S. Supreme Court overturn Roe v. Wade, allowing states to ban abortion.
The South Carolina House of Representatives agreed to a resolution on Wednesday, a day after the Senate passed the resolution.
The move comes after Politico published a draft opinion written by Associate Justice Samuel Alito and supported by a majority of justices that would overturn the landmark 1973 ruling that's protected abortion rights across the U.S. The opinion's authenticity was confirmed by Chief Justice John Roberts, but he cautioned that the opinion was not final.
In the state Senate, Sen. Richard Cash, R-Piedmont, was the lone Republican and only member from the Upstate to vote against the resolution. Cash was a sponsor of S 988, The Equal Protection for Unborn Babies Act, which would criminalize most abortions in the state if Roe v. Wade is overturned. The bill never came to a floor vote in the legislature.
"I've been trying to pass a trigger law that would ban abortion if Roe was overturned. In continuation of that effort, I simply offered an amendment yesterday that would allow us to take up a trigger law before the decision comes down and that amendment failed," Cash said.
"But I was not voting against the idea that we need to respond to the Supreme Court decision. I just think we need to respond before it's handed down."
Previous reporting:What a possible overturning of Roe v. Wade would mean for South Carolina
Should Roe v. Wade be overturned, 22 states currently have laws or constitutional amendments that would take effect immediately, as reported by USA TODAY.
For subscribers:Critics and proponents weigh possible impact of South Carolina's Fetal Heartbeat Bill
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster signed the "fetal heartbeat" bill into law in 2021 that bans most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. Planned Parenthood immediately sued, and in February, a federal appeals court upheld a lower court ruling that temporarily blocks enforcement of the law.
Alexis Hamilton and Sarah Sheridan contributed to this report.
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https://www.greenvilleonline.com/story/news/local/south-carolina/2022/05/11/roe-v-wade-supreme-court-south-carolina-legislature-special-session-abortion-ban/9730519002/
| 2022-05-11T23:34:15
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https://www.greenvilleonline.com/story/news/local/south-carolina/2022/05/11/roe-v-wade-supreme-court-south-carolina-legislature-special-session-abortion-ban/9730519002/
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https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/body-cam-shows-deputies-in-georgia-searching-through-dsu-lacrosse-teams-personal-items/3236266/
| 2022-05-11T23:41:49
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Seeking Peace in Philly
Searching for solutions to Philadelphia's gun violence crisis
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https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/seeking-peace-in-philly/kensington-residents-want-answers-amid-rising-violence/3236112/
| 2022-05-11T23:41:55
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https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/seeking-peace-in-philly/kensington-residents-want-answers-amid-rising-violence/3236112/
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Police have released additional details about the death of a 9-day-old baby in Page reported earlier this week.
The infant's mother, 33-year-old Jessica Seiser, and caretaker, 40-year-old Nancy Bell, were arrested on suspicion of child abuse Monday.
Bell brought the baby to the Page hospital shortly after 10 a.m. Friday, according to a probable cause statement filed in the Page Justice Court. Officials described the infant, who was pronounced dead at the hospital, as "severely neglected" and malnourished in the statement. Bell initially allegedly told officers she found the baby near a restroom at Lone Rock, Utah.
However, she later confessed that she was taking care of the baby for its mother, Seiser, according to police. Bell told investigators Seiser had the baby in her car on April 27 as "it would become known she was using drugs while pregnant" if she had the baby in the hospital, the report detailed. She asked Bell to take care of the baby for her as Bell was already breastfeeding her own baby and had "clean milk." Bell agreed and was taking care of both babies while living in her car.
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However, Bell told police Seiser's baby was difficult to feed as the child wouldn't latch on while breastfeeding and showed signs of being addicted to drugs.
Bell was staying in a parking lot with the two babies when she noticed Seiser's baby's condition became "dire," prompting her to take the child to the hospital.
Seiser later admitted to being the baby's mother to police, according to the probable cause statement, and that she gave the baby to Bell as she "did not want to have any attachment" with the child. She added that she didn't seek medical attention before or after the birth as she didn't want any connection with her baby, court records say.
Both women were booked into the Page holding facility Monday and have yet to be formally charged in Coconino County Superior Court.
Reporter Bree Burkitt can be reached at 928-556-2250 or bburkitt@azdailysun.com.
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https://azdailysun.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/section/records-9-day-old-baby-was-malnourished-showed-signs-of-drug-addition-at-death/article_3855e6de-d179-11ec-9526-a7e004c87871.html
| 2022-05-11T23:42:22
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https://azdailysun.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/section/records-9-day-old-baby-was-malnourished-showed-signs-of-drug-addition-at-death/article_3855e6de-d179-11ec-9526-a7e004c87871.html
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Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) specialists recently produced a soil burn severity (SBS) map for the 19,705-acre Tunnel Fire that categorizes the burned area into low, moderate and high burn severity.
According to the SBS map, the BAER team assesses that approximately 24% of the fire area was unburned, 67% had low burn severity, 8% experienced moderate burn severity, and less than 1% had high burn severity.
Soil burn severity is an evaluation of fire’s impacts on the soil, explained BAER team lead trainee Matt O’Neil.
Higher severity burns may indicate potential for extended recovery time and greater post-fire flood risk -- lower severity, less so. To evaluate soil burn severity, BAER scientists look at the soil structure, grade, organic matter content and other factors to determine how deeply the soils have been affected. One of the key factors BAER teams will look for is hydrophobicity, or the ability of soil to repel water.
The SBS map does not evaluate flooding risk, O’Neil clarified.
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“It will be Coconino County that has to make those risk assessments for the community,” he said.
According to deputy county manager Lucinda Andreani, the county is in the process of using SBS map data to model water and sediment flow in order to assess flood risk. The results of this modeling are forthcoming.
While the Tunnel Fire SBS map does not provide enough information to make any kind of risk assessment, O’Neil said that it does show some encouraging data. For the almost 70% of the area that has been assessed as low burn severity, “there's still a lot of protection at the soil surface,” he said. In the areas that experienced a low burn, “needles and grasses have been only partially consumed, and broken limbs and leaves are still relatively unchanged.”
It's a good sign overall, as there’s still some ground cover to provide a buffer between rain and soil.
“Precipitation will likely be broken up before it hits and really starts to move sediment,” O’Neil said.
A large area of low burn severity is also a positive indication of a relatively short recovery period.
“We expect to see recovery to pre-fire conditions within one to two years,” O’Neil said, adding that post-fire recovery of these areas could potentially benefit from the Tunnel Fire’s early ignition.
“One positive thing about this fire happening so early in the season is that we do expect to have time for there to be some natural recovery,” O’Neil said. “If we can get a couple of light showers, that will go a long ways towards helping those grasses recover before we get heavy monsoon rains.”
O’Neil reports that in some places “green sprouts” are already popping up in burned areas.
Creating the SBS map for the Tunnel Fire required a little more work than most, explained O’Neil.
SBS maps are produced by first taking satellite images to approximately assess burn severity. Then crews are sent out to “ground truth” the accuracy of that satellite assessment.
But the Tunnel Fire burned through volcanic areas -- such as lava flows and black cinders -- that could easily appear “burned” from a satellite.
“We were afraid that those dark cinders had thrown off the map and made the calibration for the satellite imagery really difficult,” O’Neil said. “We were really hesitant to trust this map until we got out there and did a lot of ground-truthing.”
The full SBS map and other data for the Tunnel Fire can be found at inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/map/8088/0/129244.
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https://azdailysun.com/news/local/forest-service-releases-tunnel-fire-soil-burn-severity-map/article_23657508-d0b3-11ec-aff3-cb5d90793ddb.html
| 2022-05-11T23:42:28
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https://azdailysun.com/news/local/forest-service-releases-tunnel-fire-soil-burn-severity-map/article_23657508-d0b3-11ec-aff3-cb5d90793ddb.html
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No. 5-seeded Coconino softball ended its season with a 3-1 loss to fourth-seeded Paradise Honors in the 4A Conference state tournament on Tuesday, losing a pitcher's duel in Phoenix.
Coconino freshman Kaitlyn Tso gave up just two hits and struck out 11 batters.
Paradise Honors scored all three of its runs in the third inning. Coconino responded with an RBI single in the fourth inning from junior Izabel Pozar, scoring sophomore Hannah Thornsley.
The Panthers finished their season with an overall record of 17-5 and won the Grand Canyon Region title with an 11-2 mark.
Boys golf
Northland Prep Academy finished its best season in team history with a fifth-place finish at the Division III state tournament in Tucson Tuesday, recording the best result the Spartans have ever had in the postseason.
After firing off a score of 313 on Monday, good for second place, the Spartans had a rough day Tuesday, shooting a 341 for a total of 657 across two days.
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Kendall McCain was Northland Prep's best scorer, finishing tied for 10th overall at 153.
"We're disappointed but we learned a lot and had a great year, and we will be there again next year ready to contend," Spartans assistant coach Kyle McCain said via text.
Basketball
The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) updated its high school basketball rules, clarifying its rules on cultural hair adornments for players on the court.
The NFHS now says that adornments made of hard material are permitted provided they are securely fastened close to the head and do not present an increased risk to the player, teammates or opponents.
“It was extremely important to the rules committee to create rules language that supported diversity of hair trends while minimizing the risk of injury to the athlete, teammates and opponents,” said Lindsey Atkinson, director of sports and liaison to the Basketball Rules Committee. “Creating educational tools through case plays and the annual NFHS Basketball Rules PowerPoint will be the focus of the committee.”
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https://azdailysun.com/sports/local/local-roundup-panthers-ousted-from-softball-playoffs/article_feedb608-d14e-11ec-815f-bf219d725500.html
| 2022-05-11T23:42:40
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https://azdailysun.com/sports/local/local-roundup-panthers-ousted-from-softball-playoffs/article_feedb608-d14e-11ec-815f-bf219d725500.html
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After a record-breaking performance on Friday night, Northern Arizona University distance runner Abdihamid Nur has earned his first career outdoor USTFCCCA National Men's Athlete of the Week award.
The Bowerman Award contender ran a 5,000-meter time of 13:06.32 at the Sound Running Track Meet in San Juan Capistrano, California on Friday to break Henry Rono's 44-year old NCAA collegiate record of 13:08.4. Rono's mark was the longest-standing collegiate track and field record and set the world record in 1978 as well.
Nur shares this week's spotlight with Kyle Garland of Georgia, who recently broke the NCAA decathlon record.
Pentathlon
Madeline Wilson did not disappoint on day one of the women's pentathlon at the Big Sky Championship Wednesday in Pocatello, Idaho, as she posted two personal best performances and finished with a total of 3,128 points to position herself in second heading into Thursday's competition.
As usual, Wilson excelled in the women's 100-meter hurdles and the high jump, beginning the day with a 100-meter hurdle heptathlon personal record of 14.22 to score 947 points and take an early lead. She then jumped 1.61 meters to match her heptathlon personal best height, and pick up 747 points.
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Heading into the shot put, Wilson held second place in the overall standings with 1,694 points, just behind Brianna Hagler of Idaho State with 1,746 points. Although Wilson did not have her strongest day in the ring, she still managed to throw 9.18 meters for an additional 476 points.
Moving into fifth place with a score of 2,170 points, she made up some ground with the 200-meter sprint.
In the day's final event, Wilson crushed the competition and sprinted a lifetime best 200-meter time of 24.24, earning 958 points to tally 3,128 total points and ultimately close the day in second place.
The women's heptathlon was set to resume Thursday with the long jump, followed by the javelin and the 800-meter run.
Football
A trio of former Lumberjacks earned varying professional opportunities over the past two weeks.
Carson Taylor and Matthew Kempton, members of the Lumberjacks this past fall, signed as undrafted free agents following the completion of the 2022 NFL draft.
Quarterback Case Cookus took over as the starter for the Philadelphia Stars of the USFL following his drafting into the league in February.
Taylor initially accepted an invite on May 1 to the Carolina Panthers rookie minicamp set for May 13-15, and he then accepted another invitation from the Chicago Bears a day later. The Bears have added him to their 90-man roster.
Finishing his Lumberjack career with 47 games played, fourth most in school history, Taylor totaled 19 sacks and 36 tackles for loss. The totals rank as the third most since 2000 and the third most all time respectively.
Kempton accepted an invitation to his home state Arizona Cardinals rookie minicamp on May 2. Kempton played in all 11 games during the fall season for the Lumberjacks, catching 29 passes for 214 yards and one touchdown. The score, coming from 7 yards out against Idaho on Oct. 30 was his first since Sept. 29, 2018.
After missing all but one game during the 2019 season, Kempton returned to play all 16 games across the final two seasons of his Northern Arizona career.
Lastly, Cookus made his first professional start on May 6 for the Stars as they defeated the Michigan Panthers, 26-25. Originally signing with the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent following the 2020 NFL draft, Cookus spent time on the rosters of the Denver Broncos, Minnesota Vikings and Las Vegas Raiders during 2021 before joining the Edmonton Elks for the remainder of the 2021 CFL season.
Drafted in the 12th round of the inaugural USFL draft on Feb. 22, Cookus served as the Stars backup for the first two games of the season. Entering in the second half of Week 3 against the New Jersey Generals, Cookus completed 13 passes for 146 yards and a touchdown. Starting for the first time since Nov. 23, 2019, the final game of his Northern Arizona career, Cookus led the Stars to their second win of the season by throwing for 190 yards on 22 of 30 passes to go with two touchdowns.
Cookus and the Stars will face the Birmingham Stallions, the lone remaining undefeated team in the league, on Sunday.
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https://azdailysun.com/sports/local/nau-roundup-nur-wins-national-track-athlete-of-the-week/article_c6746986-d14c-11ec-af04-8ff41815e42d.html
| 2022-05-11T23:42:47
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https://azdailysun.com/sports/local/nau-roundup-nur-wins-national-track-athlete-of-the-week/article_c6746986-d14c-11ec-af04-8ff41815e42d.html
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WHALEN, Minn. – The Fillmore County Sheriff’s Office dealt with a woman trapped in the Root River Wednesday afternoon.
The Sheriff’s Office says a downed tree created a swirl that trapped a 70-year-old woman. The Sheriff’s Office says the woman knew the river well but was almost pulled under the water and was in the water for less than an hour before being rescued.
Emergency services from Preston, Lanesboro, and Fillmore County responded and the Sheriff’s Office says the woman is fine.
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https://www.kimt.com/news/local/woman-rescued-after-being-trapped-on-the-root-river-in-fillmore-county/article_42a0d9b0-d178-11ec-bf66-a72f2beb967f.html
| 2022-05-12T00:03:23
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https://www.kimt.com/news/local/woman-rescued-after-being-trapped-on-the-root-river-in-fillmore-county/article_42a0d9b0-d178-11ec-bf66-a72f2beb967f.html
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Mohawk Valley Community College held a job fair for people interested in the hospitality industry, and Giotto Enterprises held a job fair looking for a few employees in manufacturing. Mark Cushman is the Vice President Organizational Development at Giotto Enterprises. He says getting a job here may be easier than you might think.
"It’s really a simple, simple equation. The opportunities are here, our doors are open for them, come on in. What do you have to lose?"
Giotto Enterprises is looking to hire 50 employees, but realistically don’t expect to fill all 50 positions right away. That’s why they’ll continue to have job hiring events in the future.
"We have competitive wages. We have fantastic benefits. We have a multitude of programs that our employees can take advantage of in terms of career growth and development."
Employers are providing plenty of benefits to entice future employees, but this company thinks they have something that’s hard to refuse.
"It goes beyond the basic hierarchy of needs. We want people happy. We want them to enjoy their earnings and have good earnings and all the benefits, but we want them fulfilled. That’s what makes us different from all of the other opportunities that someone could take advantage of."
To be competitive in the manufacturing industry they’ve opened the floodgates to opportunities, but to get a job here, what’s required of you?
"Give us a reason to invest in you, and that’s all you need to do. We will help you with the rest. Have a desire to learn. Have a desire to be a trusted partner in our organization, and you got a great job for a long, long time."
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https://www.wktv.com/news/local/what-are-employers-offering-and-what-are-employees-asking/article_79685282-d16b-11ec-a8e2-6b6bfd42a148.html
| 2022-05-12T00:07:15
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https://www.wktv.com/news/local/what-are-employers-offering-and-what-are-employees-asking/article_79685282-d16b-11ec-a8e2-6b6bfd42a148.html
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A 40-year partnership between Idaho Falls Public Library and Bonneville County is coming to an end this year as the county's library district board trustees recently decided to create a separate county library.
The library district plans to open a main library branch in or near Ammon this October. In a statement sent to the Post Register, the district said library services will continue to operate in the Iona and Swan Valley branches, with a goal to increase hours and services. The library district also plans to expand and provide additional branches on the west side of Idaho Falls and in Ucon in the future.
“We believe that libraries are the heart of any great community, and we are committed to providing county residents with excellent library services, programs, and resources. We ask for your patience as we expand our outreach and build our collection,” library district board trustee Rebecca Blackson wrote on the district’s website.
All branches will offer complete library services, including print and digital materials, and community-enriching activities such as story time, reading programs and free mini-classes. A conference room at the Ammon branch will be available. All Bonneville County Library District residents are eligible for a full-service library card and services will be paid through a flat rate tax of $61.50, issued to all county homeowners.
The decision to end the partnership came after Idaho Falls Public Library asked the county library district to pay $1.8 million for library services based on circulation data splits of county and city residents. This was about a $700,000 increase from the $1.1 million the county is paying under the current agreement, which ends Oct. 1.
Blackson wrote in an email to the Post Register the $61.50 rate will be reviewed in June and it could raise slightly, but nowhere near the $100 that county residents would have had to pay if the county accepted the city’s offer.
Idaho Falls library trustee Rod Rapp earlier told the Post Register the city is prepared to provide the exact same services to Idaho Falls residents that it currently provides.
City board trustees have calculated the loss of $1.1 million would bring a 42% reduction in the amount of services and purchasing cost the library is currently providing, but they believe they can account for that loss with the tax revenue the city collects, Rapp said.
The city of Idaho Falls is paying $2.3 million for the library's budget, which is 65% of the total budget.
Idaho Falls library trustees rejected the county’s offer to keep paying $1.1 million during its meeting on April 28. The two boards met during a joint meeting on April 7 and by the end of the meeting, both boards appeared to be willing to part ways.
“We love you. We want the best for you,” Idaho Falls library trustee Claire Pace told the county trustees during the joint meeting. “If that’s with us that’s great, but if it's not, then we wish you the best.”
Blackson said during the joint meeting that she thought both parties were right in their respective asking prices. Blackson was initially the only county trustee willing to accept the city’s $1.8 million offer, but the other trustees didn’t vote with her on Feb. 22.
Blackson also wrote in her email she believes the county can offer library services to its residents for less than what the city proposed. This also gives the county more autonomy over library operations, which was another reason why county trustees wanted to split from the city.
“This decision came after extensive deliberation, research, and consultation with other local libraries as well as the Idaho Commission for Libraries,” Blackson wrote in the email.
According to the county library district’s May 3 meeting minutes when the decision to split from the city was made, board trustees Karen Harris and Jennifer Crofts preferred to continue negotiations with the city and wait for a counteroffer before deciding to start an independent library, but they were outvoted by trustees Debra Haacke, Jenni Cragun and Blackson.
County residents who wish to continue using Idaho Falls Public Library after Oct. 1 will need to purchase a $120 nonresident library card. More information on the county library and updates can be found at bonnevillecountylibrarydistrict.lili.org/.
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https://www.postregister.com/news/local/county-library-district-parting-ways-with-city-of-idaho-falls/article_02725cfd-a9fc-5a3b-95e6-21c1525f1473.html
| 2022-05-12T00:09:12
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https://www.postregister.com/news/local/county-library-district-parting-ways-with-city-of-idaho-falls/article_02725cfd-a9fc-5a3b-95e6-21c1525f1473.html
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A new report from the National Education Association again ranks Idaho 51st out of all U.S. states and the District of Columbia in education spending per pupil.
The association published the report April 26. According to the report, Idaho spends $8,376 per pupil in fiscal year 2021, which is 58% of the national average of $14,360.
Luke Mayville, cofounder of Reclaim Idaho, said he was deeply disappointed but not surprised by the ranking.
“We’ve long known that Idaho is far behind other states in funding for education,” Mayville said. “Even some of the recent increases in education spending are not enough for us to catch up with neighboring states.”
Reclaim Idaho submitted nearly 97,000 signatures in support of a ballot initiative, called the Quality Education Act, that would increase education funding by $323 million The group says that is more than enough signatures to ensure the initiative will appear on the November ballot.
The association also ranked Idaho last in per-pupil spending in its previous report from 2018.
The 2022 report found Idaho’s average teacher salary of $51,817 is $27,571 less than Washington state's; $16,748 less than Oregon's; $8,417 less than Wyoming's; $6,350 less than Nevada's; $5,409 less than Utah's and $1,316 less than Montana's.
Overall, Idaho’s average teacher salary ranks 45th in the nation. The average starting salary of $39,842 for teachers ranks 29th nationally.
For 2020-2021, the national average salary for public school teachers was $65,293, the NEA report said.
In an April debate among Republican candidates for Superintendent of Public Instruction, incumbent Sherri Ybarra acknowledged the state was last in funding but said the state Department of Education is making strides to fix that. She said her two previous terms were focused on student achievement, which she helped raise statewide and now she’s hoping for the opportunity to address education funding.
“We also get a lot of bang for our buck in Idaho,” Ybarra said. “We are leading the nation when it comes to achievement. We are leading the nation in advanced opportunities. … Strategic investments are what we need and plans. Not necessarily more money gets you what you need.”
Idaho also ranks last in K-12 education support staff average earnings, which is $25,830. The ranking is moved to 45th in the nation when higher education support staff earnings are included, which raises the average salary to $29,085.
Mike Journee, Idaho Education Association communications director, said it is important to consider the report doesn’t include recent education investments from the Idaho Legislature. During the 2022 session, the Legislature passed a bill that increased education funding by 11%, increasing pay and health benefits for teachers and school staff.
“This report yet again demonstrates just how far behind Idaho public schools have gotten because of a lack of investment from the state,” Journee said. “Despite the advances and the successes of the past legislative session, we still have a long way to go.”
Mayville said Idaho was not the only state to use COVID-19 relief funds to increase education spending and those investments are not likely to make Idaho more competitive with neighboring states.
According to Reclaim Idaho, the Quality Education Act includes no new taxes on anyone making under $250,000 a year. The initiative restores the corporate income tax rate to 8% and adds a 4.5% income tax on amounts earned over $500,000 a year for married couples or $250,000 a year for individuals.
The additional funding will be directed toward better pay for teachers and support staff and increased support for career and technical programs, arts, music and special education.
Mayville said Reclaim Idaho is projecting Idaho to move up in education spending rankings across the board by at least two or three spots if the Quality Education Act passes but rankings would be dependent on what other states do.
“Sadly, even a very substantial increase in funding for education isn’t very likely to move us very many spots because we’ve fallen so far behind in recent decades,” Mayville said.
Reclaim Idaho is a nonpartisan organization that brought forth the Medicaid Expansion ballot initiative in 2018, which passed with 61% of the statewide vote.
Journee said the Idaho Education Association delegates voted to support the Quality Education Act during its delegate assembly on April 22 and 23.
“Many of our members have been engaged in that effort — collecting signatures and whatnot — so that is something our members are pleased with and in favor of,” Journee said.
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https://www.postregister.com/news/local/idaho-again-ranks-last-in-education-spending-per-student/article_4035d895-223a-58ba-8f36-796c3aa47d6e.html
| 2022-05-12T00:09:19
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https://www.postregister.com/news/local/idaho-again-ranks-last-in-education-spending-per-student/article_4035d895-223a-58ba-8f36-796c3aa47d6e.html
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Suspected gunman in deadly downtown Melbourne shooting arrested; two others charged in connection
A man suspected of firing a gun in a crowded Downtown Melbourne nightclub that left one person dead and another injured was taken into custody Wednesday.
Two other men, acquaintances with the suspected shooter, were arrested on Tuesday. Melbourne detectives determined that the March 6 shooting may have grown from lingering tensions from a previous beating at a Palm Bay club involving the intended target and a group of men.
Richard Lakes, 34, and Lucious Scott, 30, were arrested Tuesday on charges of aggravated battery with a weapon. Both were booked into the Brevard County Jail Complex, records show. Police alerted the public that warrants were out for the arrest of the suspected shooter, Elvin Clark. He was arrested Wednesday and charged with second-degree murder.
Police said the shooting happened as Alain Noel, the 34-year-old shooting victim who died, was out with friends at Off The Traxx, a bar packed with patrons.
Downtown Melbourne shooting:One dead, another injured after shooting erupts in crowded downtown Melbourne bar
Attorney:Off The Traxx to face negligent-security lawsuit after fatal shooting inside bar
One of Noel's friends spotted Lakes, Scott and Clark and recognized them as the men he confronted at Pinups, an adult nightclub in south Palm Bay. The men began to stare at each other, leading Noel's friend to fear he was going to be attacked. Within moments, Lakes and Scott struck Noel's friend with bottles.
Police then said Clark fired off four rounds on the dance floor, striking Noel and scattering the crowd. A bartender suffered a non-life-threatening injury, reports show.
Clark fled in a car.
Noel, who was not the intended target, was hit in the legs and the heart by gunfire, reports show.
An investigation is ongoing.
J.D. Gallop is a Criminal Justice/Breaking News Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Gallop at 321-917-4641 or jgallop@floridatoday.com. Twitter: @JDGallop.
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https://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/local/2022/05/11/two-men-arrested-connection-melbourne-club-shooting/9733502002/
| 2022-05-12T00:11:03
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https://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/local/2022/05/11/two-men-arrested-connection-melbourne-club-shooting/9733502002/
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FOLSOM, Calif. — After two years of controversy, city leaders have approved a permit allowing a local cemetery to open a crematorium in a Folsom neighborhood.
The proposed crematorium at the Lakeside Memorial Lawn Cemetery is close to the Preserve neighborhood, the Lake Natoma Shores neighborhood, the Folsom Lake State Recreation Area and the American River.
For nearly two years, neighbors in the Preserve have voiced their concerns about the crematorium, asking for the denial of the proposed project.
Their concerns include but are not limited to, the threat of a massive explosion, the proposed crematorium being next to an open space that could be prone to wildfires and air quality.
Residents in the Preserve have created a petition, sent letters to the city, put up signs in their yards, walked through the historic district to raise awareness and voiced their concerns at both the historic commission meeting and the city council meeting.
On February 16, the City of Folsom Historic Commission voted 6-1 against the proposed crematorium saying it would "have a negative impact on the historical character of the existing cemetery and historical use of the area."
On February 22, the cemetery submitted an appeal of the Historic District Commission's decision to deny the proposed project.
The cemetery's appeal asked the city to "reconsider" its decision as Folsom does not have a crematory to meet the growing demand for cremation. Additionally, the cemetery said it will not exceed 500 cremations each year and will follow the air quality standards. At the time, the city recommended denial of the appeal.
However, at Tuesday's city council meeting, Folsom city leaders decided to grant the appeal and approve the conditional use permit in a 3-2 vote. City leaders say they do not think the crematorium will have a negative impact on the community.
ABC10: Watch, Download, Read
Watch more from ABC10: Why is there no highway from Roseville through Folsom? | Why Guy
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/folsom-orangevale/folsom-crematorium-permit-approved/103-3c20e6cf-79d3-42c0-8de0-882c3cdf3530
| 2022-05-12T00:15:39
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/folsom-orangevale/folsom-crematorium-permit-approved/103-3c20e6cf-79d3-42c0-8de0-882c3cdf3530
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SALIDA, Calif. — The California Highway Patrol is at the scene where a pedestrian was hit by a train in Salida Wednesday afternoon.
CHP has shut down traffic along Kiernan Avenue, just west of Salida Boulevard, in both directions for the investigation.
Drivers are being encouraged to use Dakota Avenue or Hammett Road to access Salida at this time.
WATCH ALSO:
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/pedestrian-hit-by-train-salida/103-165e66ff-ebec-4e18-bd7c-3b73272d5b6c
| 2022-05-12T00:15:45
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/pedestrian-hit-by-train-salida/103-165e66ff-ebec-4e18-bd7c-3b73272d5b6c
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April 15, 1949-April 13, 2022
Dave was born in Myrtle Point, Oregon. He and his family lived in Coquille, Oregon until he was 8 and then moved to Empire, Oregon where he attended Madison grade school, then Michigan Avenue Middle school. He played football and said many times that they had to wait for the tide to go out to practice. He attended Marshfield High School, graduating in 1967. He acquired many lifelong friends in grade school as well as high school.
Directly after high school he enlisted in the Marines. He went to boot camp at Camp Pendleton, California and then headed to Vietnam where he was a Tanker. He served two tours in Vietnam and was there during the TET offensive in 1968. He was a proud Marine to the end. When he got home from Vietnam, he married his high school sweetheart and love of his life, Karen Garkow. They had a son Todd and moved from Coos Bay to Portland, Oregon so he could begin school for auto body repair and painting at Portland Community College.
He then went to work for Widing Transportation for several years before working at Hopp’s Body shop and Fisher Volvo, where he was an automotive painter. He then went into sales for Industrial Finishes and eventually worked for BASF where he was a top salesman selling automotive paint and equipment.
He lived most of his life in the Portland area before finding a little piece of paradise on the McKenzie River out of Eugene. He also found the sun in Southern California where he and Karen own a home. He enjoyed camping with family, fishing, boating and many other outdoor activities. He lived life to its fullest.
He is survived by his wife of over 50 years, Karen; his son, Sam Urbany; his sister, Sue Button; and brother, John Woodward. He has 5 grandchildren; 2 great grandchildren; many nieces and nephews; and many close friends and family.
He is preceded in death by his son, Todd Woodward and his parents, Frank “Woody” Woodward and Joan Woodward.
Dave was loved by all who met him; he was always the life of the party. Gloriously profane, all in, ready and willing, he will be greatly missed.
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https://theworldlink.com/news/local/obituaries/stanley-david-woodward/article_c5282430-d17b-11ec-be00-a7b4a3e5c6f0.html
| 2022-05-12T00:20:50
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https://theworldlink.com/news/local/obituaries/stanley-david-woodward/article_c5282430-d17b-11ec-be00-a7b4a3e5c6f0.html
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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) – After escaped inmate Casey White was taken into state custody at the Donaldson Correctional Facility, Lauderdale County Sheriff Rick Singleton shared more about the emotions officers are facing after the last two weeks.
Longtime corrections officer and accomplice Vicky White died Tuesday after investigators said she died of a single gunshot wound to the head. Her death has been ruled a suicide after an autopsy.
“When this first happened, obviously we thought that he had somehow overpowered her and taken her against her will,” said Singleton.
As days went on, Singleton learned Vicky White was involved in the escape. Despite her involvement, the ending has been difficult and brought on mixed feelings.
“Disappointing, discouraging, the full range of emotions from concern to fear to anger and now to grief in spite of everything she has done, she was a coworker,” Singleton said.
Casey White did not say anything about Vicky White when he was brought back to Lauderdale County Wednesday night from Indiana, where the duo’s car crashed after it was rammed by U.S. Marshals.
Singleton said he believes the veteran officer was conned and manipulated.
“I think he convinced her she was really something special to him but if you watch the video footage of when he was apprehended not a single expression of remorse, not a single expression of grief,” said Singleton.
Vicky White’s final moments were captured on an audio call with 911 dispatchers. She can be heard saying that airbags are going off and suggest they get out and run, telling Casey White to get them back to the hotel.
“She did not call 911, the car called 911 and just picked up the conversation. It was sort of difficult to listen to,” said Singleton.
Singleton said so far investigators have not discovered any communications that Vicky White left behind that might provide more insight into her mindset and actions. He said he called her mother to offer condolences.
“I really think she was struggling with the thought of having to come back here face her family, face her coworkers in light of what she had done, I think that weighed heavily on her,” said Singleton.
The sheriff said he did not speak to Casey White Tuesday, but that investigators planned to follow up with him now that he was in the custody of the Alabama Department of Corrections.
When asked if there would be any changes as a result of the escape, he said the incident would be used as a teaching tool
“We use this for lessons learned in our orientation and training with our correction deputies, but we have always spent an extra amount of time when we interview them, explaining to them the work environment, this is a very unique work environment,” said Singleton.
CBS 42 reached out to a representative with ADOC for details on how Casey White would be detained at Donaldson Correctional Facility in west Jefferson County.
An ADOC spokesperson said the department couldn’t release that information because it may pose a security risk.
Casey White is facing capital murder charges in the Lauderdale County death of Connie Ridgeway. He was also charged with first-degree escape Tuesday night and arraigned.
Singleton said he could face additional charges as the investigation continues.
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https://www.cbs42.com/news/local/its-just-one-of-those-situations-where-you-think-you-know-someone-lauderdale-county-sheriff-reflects-on-inmate-escape/
| 2022-05-12T00:32:17
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https://www.cbs42.com/news/local/its-just-one-of-those-situations-where-you-think-you-know-someone-lauderdale-county-sheriff-reflects-on-inmate-escape/
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BALTIMORE — A former Maryland priest was sentenced Wednesday to 22 years in federal prison followed by lifetime supervised release for coercion and enticement of a child he met through the church to engage in illegal sexual activity.
The plea agreement said that when Cristancho arrived at the parish in 1999, he spent time with a boy’s family outside of church, then arranged to spend time with the boy and sexually assaulted him over several years.
When Cristancho went to a retail pharmacy in 2017 to use photo printing equipment, an employee noticed several photos of naked children on Cristancho’s smartphone and made a report, prosecutors said. Investigators later seized digital devices at Cristancho’s home and found photos and videos of children, mostly recorded when the children were younger than 5.
A statement posted on the archdiocese’s website said Cristancho has not been permitted to function as a priest in the archdiocese since 2002 when he refused an assignment to another parish.
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https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/former-maryland-priest-gets-22-years-for-abuse/2022/05/11/c7e5f59a-d17f-11ec-886b-df76183d233f_story.html
| 2022-05-12T00:34:59
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https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/former-maryland-priest-gets-22-years-for-abuse/2022/05/11/c7e5f59a-d17f-11ec-886b-df76183d233f_story.html
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DALLAS — Three people have been transported to the hospital after being shot at a Dallas salon on Wednesday, police say.
Around 2 p.m., officers responded to the shooting at Hair World Salon on 2200 block of Royal Lane -- an address located within an area known as a historically Asian district known as Koreatown in Dallas.
People on the scene said that when officers arrived, they found three women -- the salon owner, an employee and a customer, all of whom are Korean -- suffering from injuries. They were transported from the scene with non-life-threatening injuries and are expected to be OK, police said.
Police said that, according to witness statements, the suspect walked in firing off several rounds before fleeing in a dark-colored minivan.
The investigation is ongoing.
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https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/3-shot-at-salon-in-dallas-asian-district-koreatown-police-say/287-851137cb-ed96-48fb-b30a-e05d7a63b6d5
| 2022-05-12T00:35:17
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https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/3-shot-at-salon-in-dallas-asian-district-koreatown-police-say/287-851137cb-ed96-48fb-b30a-e05d7a63b6d5
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DALLAS — A leaked draft of a U.S. Supreme Court opinion overturning the landmark Roe v. Wade decision roughly 50 years ago would allow states to make their own rules regarding abortion, but its full impact could go far beyond that.
“The opinion is quite sweeping in its reasoning in ways that question the entirety of our due process protection from things like the right to marry, to the right to parent, to contraception,” Liz Sepper, a health law professor at UT Austin, said.
Sepper believes it could have impacts in the future on morning-after pills like Plan B or IUDs.
“I would not be surprised if Justice Alito thinks the rationale of his draft opinion extends quite directly to emergency contraception,” she said.
Texas is one of 13 states with trigger laws criminalizing abortion, with doctors facing up to life in prison for violations and up to a $100,000 fine. There is an exception if woman’s life is in danger, but people diagnosed with cancer while pregnant or suffering from depression or other medical issues would not qualify.
“Everyone who has a miscarriage becomes a potential target of the criminal law,” Sepper said. “Criminalizing abortion is going to have... effects, even if the laws don’t change.”
Texas’ total ban would start 30 days after the decision and describes ‘pregnant’ as the moment of fertilization. In in vitro fertilization there are often multiple embryos destroyed.
Seema Mohapatra teaches health law and bioethics at SMU and says some definitions in the trigger law still aren’t clear.
“That could definitely put parts of the whole IVF process at legal risk,” she said. “A lot of people are surprised that restrictions on abortion effect people who are seeking to become pregnant.”
According to CDC data, roughly 2% of infant born in the US each year are from IVF.
Texas already bans abortion after six weeks with no exceptions for rape or incest. That was part of Senate Bill 8 passed last year, which also allows a person to sue anyone who aids or abets an abortion for up to $10,000.
“You end up relegating some number of people to unwanted pregnancies, to unwanted parenthood,” Sepper said. “You end up with some people who get access to very unsafe abortions.”
The impact isn’t even. The Kaiser Family Foundation found people of color are 59% of Texas’ population but 74% of those seeking abortion.
“People that are forced to go through a pregnancy we’ve seen are in a worse economic position and their children end up having worse outcomes because of it,” Mohapatra said. “We’re going to see people who are already disadvantaged more disadvantaged by these laws.”
FDA allows mailing and using abortion-inducing medication for 10 weeks. Texas passed a law banning it at seven weeks, but its six-week abortion ban makes that law moot.
Despite the action from state lawmakers, 78% of Texas voters think abortion should be allowed in some form, according to a recent UT poll.
The impact of a decision overturning Roe v. Wade would be felt immediately, but the biggest changes could be yet to come.
“Texas is poised to pass a lot more legislation related to this and possibly even more expansive legislation,” Mohapatra said. “I think it is important for the public to realize some of these impacts so that they can talk to legislators before these definitions are expanded that have these consequences.”
The state also passed a seven-week ban on abortion inducing medicine that the FDA allows for up to 10 weeks.
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https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/overturning-roe-v-wade-could-impact-legality-of-morning-after-pill-plan-b-ivf/287-1e9bdeff-a5ab-479d-9fa7-c723a961e6b1
| 2022-05-12T00:35:23
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https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/overturning-roe-v-wade-could-impact-legality-of-morning-after-pill-plan-b-ivf/287-1e9bdeff-a5ab-479d-9fa7-c723a961e6b1
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https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/police-shoot-man-accused-of-lunging-at-officers-at-39th-district-headquarters/3236163/
| 2022-05-12T00:38:12
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https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/police-shoot-man-accused-of-lunging-at-officers-at-39th-district-headquarters/3236163/
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Delaware’s attorney general is calling for a federal investigation after newly released body camera footage shows Georgia deputies searching through the personal items of Delaware State University’s lacrosse team, contradicting statements from their sheriff.
The development comes amid allegations that the deputies racially profiled the predominately African American student-athletes and their coach last month.
On April 20, the DSU women’s lacrosse team was on a bus headed home from a game in Florida. While traveling on I-95 in Liberty County, Georgia, the bus was pulled over by deputies with the Liberty County Sheriff’s Department.
During a press conference on Tuesday, Liberty County Sheriff William Bowman, who is African American, said the bus was stopped after the driver committed a lane violation. Georgia state law requires a bus or motorcoach to operate in the two most right hand lanes except when the bus or motorcoach is preparing for a left turn or moving to or from a High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV or carpool) lane, according to Bowman.
Bowman also said there were several commercial vehicles stopped that morning including one bus where "contraband" was located.
“Due to the nature of the detail, a K-9 was part of the stop and an alert was given by the K-9,” Bowman said. “Before entering the motorcoach, the deputies were not aware that this school was historically black or aware of the race of the occupants due to the height of the vehicle and the tinted windows.”
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In newly obtained body camera footage however, one of the deputies involved in the traffic stop says, "Just a bunch of dang schoolgirls on the bus. Probably some weed. Maybe," before entering the bus.
Bowman also said that no personal items on the bus were searched. The body camera footage shows the deputies searching through the students' personal items however.
“If there is something in there that is questionable, please tell me now,” the deputy says to the students in the video. “Because if we find it, guess what? We’re not going to be able to help you.”
Pamella Jenkins, head coach of the DSU Women’s Lacrosse team, Sydney Anderson, a member of the team who wrote about the incident in DSU’s student newspaper and DSU President Tony Allen also stated that the deputies searched through the students' personal items.
“It went from two officers to six officers and they brought out their K-9,” Anderson told NBC10. “They started smelling our bags. Going through everything. Our personal hygiene like underwear and everything in the bags and they did that for about twenty minutes.”
In a new statement released on Wednesday, Bowman clarified his initial comments.
"There was misinformation that the individuals were searched. No players were searched and the K9 never entered the vehicle to search them," Bowman wrote. "Only the front luggage area was checked. My comment about personal belongings not being searched referred to the people on the bus and their items with them inside of the vehicle. I saw the students’ video clips so there was no need for me to lie about whether anything was searched. My words about personal belongings need to be clarified."
The deputies ultimately did not find any drugs during the search and the driver was issued a warning for the lane violation, which Bowman confirmed during Tuesday's press conference.
Initial video of the incident posted by Anderson led to outrage and allegations of racial profiling. Bowman said he didn't believe race played any role in the incident.
“As a veteran, a former Georgia State Trooper and a sheriff of this department, I do not exercise racial profiling, allow racial profiling or encourage racial profiling,” Bowman said. “From what I have gathered, I believe that the stop was legal, but I also understand my duty to help the public understand law enforcement while seeking ways to improve services.”
In the days following the incident, Bowman said his department was unaware of the controversy or racial profiling allegations.
“Although I do not believe any racial profiling took place based on the information I currently have, I welcome feedback from our community on ways that our law enforcement practices can be improved while still maintaining the law,” Bowman said. “More than anything, we want feedback from the passengers of the Delaware University lacrosse team.”
In a statement on Wednesday, Allen said Bowman spoke with him about reaching out to the DSU lacrosse team to help the department in "improving its approach to people of color."
Allen also said however that Bowman's public statement and the body camera footage of the incident raised more questions than answers.
“Sheriff Bowman insists that personal items were not searched; the video clearly shows officers searching toiletries and clothes, and even cutting open a family graduation gift," Allen wrote.
"Sheriff Bowman said the officers were unaware of the nature of the passengers on the bus; the audio clearly demonstrates that the officers were aware both that this was a busload of 'schoolgirls,' and that they did not expect to find anything other than marijuana, which the officer who entered the bus said they were not looking for.”
Allen said he would push toward getting "objective, external authorities," to investigate the incident. Delaware’s Attorney General Kathleen Jennings also sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Justice, asking them to investigate.
"Like so many others, I’m deeply troubled by the actions that our Delaware State University Women's Lacrosse team and staff endured in Georgia this past April," Jennings wrote. "I want to commend these outstanding young women for their valor, and my fellow Delawareans for rallying around them."
Delaware State University is a historically black university located in Dover, Delaware.
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https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/video-contradicts-sheriffs-statement-on-alleged-dsu-racial-profiling/3236287/
| 2022-05-12T00:38:19
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PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Police are investigating the death of a young girl in Beaverton after her body was found near Westside Linear Park Tuesday night.
A pair of investigators returned to the scene Wednesday morning where they found 13-year-old Milana Li and say her death is suspicious.
The park is a half mile down the Westside Trail from Li’s apartment where she was last seen on Sunday.
Li’s mother reported her missing Monday afternoon and Beaverton police said she was a runaway.
Li and her friend Romana went to Conestoga Middle School together.
“One day she just got off on my stop and we just started hanging out more often,” Romana said. “She was really nice, she was a pretty cool person. She’s someone you can talk to about all the things you’re going through. I don’t know she wasn’t the judgmental kind of person, she was really kind.”
Mary Stanley, who lives near the park, told KOIN 6 News “my heart goes out to the parents, it just hurts.”
Stanley and her granddaughter saw the missing poster for Li Tuesday night.
“We just prayed for the little girl last night. My granddaughter reminded me, saying ‘grandma we have to pray for this little girl’ and I said ‘yeah, we do’ and so we did,” Stanley said.
On Tuesday, Li was found in a stream, which is separated from the trail by a thicket of dense brush.
A memorial is growing near the spot where she was found and includes an angel figurine Romana left for her friend.
“It was the only thing I had and since she just passed away and she was a really good friend,” Romana said. “I just thought it would be nice and kind to bring this angel just to show some kindness.”
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https://www.koin.com/local/washington-county/missing-teen-found-dead-in-beaverton-remembered-as-a-really-good-friend/
| 2022-05-12T00:39:04
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https://www.koin.com/local/washington-county/missing-teen-found-dead-in-beaverton-remembered-as-a-really-good-friend/
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Two people have been brought into custody after a teenager was shot outside a Queens high school, according to police.
The 17-year-old victim was struck by a bullet just after 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, near Grand Avenue and 74th Street in Maspeth. After being shot in the left arm, the teen fled into nearby Maspeth High School for help.
Sources told NBC New York that the victim is the son of an NYPD officer. He was taken to Elmhurst Hospital, where police described his condition as stable, and he is expected to recover.
Two males in ski masks were seen fleeing the scene of the shooting on motorbikes, and police later said that two people were in custody in connection to the shooting.
The school was briefly put into lockdown after the incident, but it was lifted around 5:30 p.m. The victim is a student at the school, sources said.
An investigation into the shooting is ongoing.
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/17-year-old-son-of-nypd-cop-shot-near-queens-high-school-source-says-two-in-custody/3683136/
| 2022-05-12T00:50:22
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/17-year-old-son-of-nypd-cop-shot-near-queens-high-school-source-says-two-in-custody/3683136/
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Central State University is holding graduation ceremonies at its campus in Wilberforce this weekend.
Commencement will be held Saturday at 9 a.m. at McPherson Stadium at Central State’s campus. No tickets are required, but Central State is requiring masks for anyone involved in graduation.
Central State will broadcast ceremonies on Facebook Live @CentralState87.
On Friday, the university is hosting the Baccalaureate ceremony at Paul Robeson Cultural & Performing Arts Center, Auditorium at 5 p.m. Central State University provost and vice president for academic affairs F. Erik Brooks is the speaker.
Following Baccalaureate, a reception will be held Friday at 6:30 p.m. at the University Student Center Ballroom.
Maj. Gen. John C. Harris, Jr., adjutant general of the Ohio Army National Guard, is the commencement speaker.
According to Central State, Harris began his military career in 1981 when he enlisted in the Ohio Army National Guard. He received a commission in 1984 through Officer Candidate School. He has commanded at the platoon, detachment, company, squadron, and JFHQ levels. Recent assignments include Assistant Adjutant General - Army, Chief of Staff (Joint Force Headquarters), Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel (Joint Force Headquarters), and Commander of Task Force Lancer in Kosovo.
About the Author
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https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/local/central-state-university-graduation-ceremonies-to-be-held-this-weekend/AP7L2LLMLFAKHOWXVJT36HAZTQ/
| 2022-05-12T00:56:32
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https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/local/central-state-university-graduation-ceremonies-to-be-held-this-weekend/AP7L2LLMLFAKHOWXVJT36HAZTQ/
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Providence Center to partner with city on crisis response team diverting 911 calls
PROVIDENCE — Mayor Jorge Elorza announced Wednesday that The Providence Center will partner with the city to put into action a crisis-response team that will handle some 911 calls.
Plans for the program were announced last year after Elorza revealed that the city was exploring the idea of separating emergency response to behavioral-health and substance-abuse issues from police officers' daily work. Now, the city is funding two new positions, both of them clinicians. One will field calls and the other will ride along with first responders from the Fire Department and emergency medical services.
The Providence Center, which opened in 1969, offers treatment for mental-health and addiction issues. Both clinicians used by the city will be Providence Center employees.
'The direction that public safety is going'
"We know just looking throughout the country this is the direction that public safety is going in," Elorza said. "We know that, even going back a couple of years, we didn’t have enough resources, and frankly our personnel didn’t have the training to deal with the behavioral-health issues that were coming in, and over the past couple of years those issues have only grown."
More:Providence announces partners in designing crisis response team to aid police
More:East Providence to hire social worker to help police and firefighters in crisis response
Laurie Moise Sears, who directs Providence's Healthy Communities Office, said both of the new positions will be "embedded in public safety," and that the clinician working in the field will be responding to non-violent emergencies.
Asked what response would be required for a potentially armed person facing a mental-health crisis, Elorza said, "Obviously if there’s an urgent public safety need, we’ll still send a police officer when police officers are required."
According to a Washington Post database, since 2015, 22% of people fatally shot by police across the U.S. had a mental-health issue. That's more than one in five. Seventeen percent had a knife or a gun in addition to being mentally ill.
Elorza noted that police already have a "Go Team" that pairs social workers with officers, so the city's new project seeks not to duplicate the work, but lighten the load.
A large number of calls 'don’t require the police officer to be sent'
Based on an operations review of the Police Department, "there are a large number if not a supermajority of calls that come in that don’t require the police officer to be sent," Elorza said.
Councilwoman Nirva LaFortune, one of the project's proponents who is among the contenders seeking to succeed Elorza in the next mayoral election, made a personal case for its existence.
LaFortune said she has "siblings who struggle with mental and behavioral health, and one of my biggest, or greatest fears is that they will have a crisis and someone won’t know how to respond to that, and my brother will lose his life."
How will the program be funded?
To fund the program, Elorza is asking for about $721,000 in his proposed budget for the coming year. But he envisions the team's work continuing well beyond his tenure.
More:Mayor Jorge Elorza unveils Providence budget proposal with 4% increase in tax levy
"Those are the initial investments that we’re making, and we’re hoping to make many more," the mayor said. "There are just a lot of kinks to be worked out. We learn about the progress. We want to have a solid foundation as we scale it."
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https://www.providencejournal.com/story/news/local/2022/05/11/providence-announces-partner-crisis-response-team-diverting-911-calls/9730265002/
| 2022-05-12T01:08:55
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https://www.providencejournal.com/story/news/local/2022/05/11/providence-announces-partner-crisis-response-team-diverting-911-calls/9730265002/
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https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/local/nbc10-first-alert-weather-closer-to-summer-with-a-chance-of-humid-rain/3236116/
| 2022-05-12T01:13:16
| 1
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https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/local/nbc10-first-alert-weather-closer-to-summer-with-a-chance-of-humid-rain/3236116/
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https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/abington-neighbors-and-police-rescue-ducklings-and-reunite-them-with-mom/3236279/
| 2022-05-12T01:13:22
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https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/abington-neighbors-and-police-rescue-ducklings-and-reunite-them-with-mom/3236279/
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HAILEY, Idaho — The Hailey City Council has approved short-term RV housing options for the second time in as many years.
Amid an affordable housing crisis, this option is meant to be a interim solution and provide immediate relief, according to Hailey Community Development Director Robyn Davis. Current city code prohibits people from living in an RV for more than 30 days.
City Council minutes show the new RV option only allows camping for 6 months out of the year; living in an RV is still illegal between Nov. 30 and March 15.
The time restrictions are for safety reasons through cold winter months, according to Davis.
Those who choose to live in an RV must also abide by the following restrictions:
- RV must be located on private property and may not be located within City rights-of-way
- Occupant must either be an Idaho resident who is locally employed (dependent on the local economy for livelihood), a caregiver for the household, or a family member of the household
- No short-term rentals permitted
- Sewage must be disposed of with regularity at a designated RV dump station.
A similar RV program in the summer of 2021 received few complaints, according to Davis.
"And so we thought we'd do it again this year," Davis said.
The RV program will benefit local businesses, according to Wood River Valley Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Michael McKenna. Shops and restaurants are struggling to hire enough employees because many people can no longer afford to live in Hailey.
"The working class has been priced out," McKenna said. "It's supported without a doubt, but it's kind of like putting a Band-Aid on a chainsaw wound."
Tourism is the backbone of Hailey's economy, according to McKenna. And by being a robust tourist attraction, the town is also facing the unintended consequence where long-term rentals are now listed on popular short-term stay apps, including Airbnb.
This further limits housing options for locals on tight budgets.
"Rent has gotten insane around here if you can actually find a rental," McKenna said. "We're trying to promote people to come visit us, but then we don't have enough staff to keep the restaurant open long enough, or to keep all the recreation and retail business going as strong as it could. It's kind of a double-edged sword there."
The RV program received five applications in 2021, according to Davis. The city believes the actual number of RV dwellers was much higher, because some people may have not gone through the proper documentation process.
Around 500 housing units will be available for use within two years, according to Davis. The city cites projects like these as long-term solutions to the affordable housing crisis; however, McKenna is not convinced the answer is that simple.
"What is now considered affordable, three to four years ago we considered that mid-level or expensive," McKenna said. "Always gotta be hopeful, but it's a little scary to see where we're going around."
Watch more 'Growing Idaho':
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https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/growing-idaho/hailey-city-council-approves-short-term-rv-housing-option/277-d9d3bf73-73f0-42d4-899e-4534ac10c357
| 2022-05-12T01:16:44
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https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/growing-idaho/hailey-city-council-approves-short-term-rv-housing-option/277-d9d3bf73-73f0-42d4-899e-4534ac10c357
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BOISE, Idaho — For months during the pandemic, Idaho hospitals put a call out for more nurses to help their overwhelmed and overworked staff as COVID cases reached unmanageable levels. In recent months, cases are down and most hospitals are back to normal operations, for now.
With a decrease in cases came a decreased demand for extra health care workers, which also affected the need for travel nurses, many of which were coming up on the end of their contracts.
For the travel nurses that do get a renewal offer, it's often at a lower rate than what they were paid previously. According to St. Luke’s, rates for traveling nurses are based on skill set, supply and demand, and geography. The health system told KTVB that current pay rates have come down 45 percent from where they were at the peak of the surge.
According to data from Aya Healthcare, one of the top traveling nursing agencies in the country, the demand for travel nurses in the U.S has plummeted.
Amid the surge of COVID cases, there were over 47,000 open positions in September of 2021, but that number has dropped to only 14,000 available positions as of this April.
According to Clint Child, Chief Nursing Officer for Saint Alphonsus Health System, the demand for travel nurses is going down locally as well.
“It’s a swayback from what was really a crisis in health care to getting things a little bit more under control,” Child said.
Throughout the pandemic, Child said the health system brought on upwards of 250 travel nurses to keep up with the demand for care.
"When the need exceeds the resources, that's when we are forced to look towards these temporary contracts,” Child said.
But now many contracts are expiring, and not always being renewed.
“I wouldn't say it’s a layoff, we end when their contracts end. We extend or we don't, so we have been able to not extend contracts and even renegotiate with their agencies, some rates that they either accept or they don't,” Child said. “The nurses make wages that are attractive and make more than the bedside nurses because it’s not a permanent position and there is no benefits and things like that.”
According to Child, Saint Alphonsus aims to offer most travel nurses the option of moving to a full-time position in the hospital. He said they have still not fully recovered from the staffing shortage caused by the pandemic.
While some are interested in committing to full-time work in the Treasure Valley, not all travel nurses are.
The average travel nurse's salary is around $156,000 a year. The average salary for a full-time registered nurse in Idaho is around $73,000.
“A lot of them have extended because they love the area, the working environment, but not all of them have taken on positions with us,” Child said. “Many of them want to move forward and do their travel positions and so when they travel need dries up locally, they move on.”
Regardless of the reason behind travel nurses staying or going, Child said he is focused on local employment and long-term staffing.
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/need-for-travel-nurses-in-idaho-declines-many-contracts-expiring-lower-rates-being-offered/277-dc57ac8c-d4d4-44ab-8583-e6baf04e8ec5
| 2022-05-12T01:16:50
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https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/need-for-travel-nurses-in-idaho-declines-many-contracts-expiring-lower-rates-being-offered/277-dc57ac8c-d4d4-44ab-8583-e6baf04e8ec5
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