text string | url string | crawl_date timestamp[ms] | label int64 | id string |
|---|---|---|---|---|
“The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new.” – Socrates
We’re no strangers to change. The world of news, information, marketing, and communication provides a constant dose of transformation and disruption. We’ve played a lead role in the evolution of the Tucson region and have adapted along the way.
Since our inception 145 years ago, you’ve known us by several different names – TNI, Tucson Newspapers and most recently, just the Arizona Daily Star. While we are proud of the legacy created and the foundation of success we have laid, the time has come to adopt a brand as reflective of our future as it is our past. So, we’re proud to announce a new business brand that reflects where we’ve been and where we are going – Tucson Media Partners.
Our family of news and information brand names – Arizona Daily Star, Tucson.com, #ThisIsTucson, La Estrella de Tucsón, and more – remain intact, providing quality local journalism to the Tucson area. Our reach is even broader than ever through digital platforms and social media diversification. Our mission as a news organization also remains true – to hold the powerful accountable, give a voice to the voiceless, and shine light into dark corners. That mission remains essential. But the way we tell those stories and support that mission has changed, and our new brand, Tucson Media Partners, reflects that change.
People are also reading…
Tucson Media Partners is a data-driven, customer-centric, full-service marketing agency built on best-in-class storytelling with the promise of robust, transparent reporting. What makes us unique? Our knowledge and experience from thousands of clients nationwide, with partners Amplified Digital and Lee Business Solutions, provide local precision to connect with your future customers. As a dynamic provider of modern marketing solutions, our clients gain more than an agency: they receive a business intelligence partner. Our approach fuels customized, omnichannel solutions, driving growth for all local businesses.
Where we excel: storytelling, video, local, targeted audience, social, digital, television and much more. We are laser-focused on local businesses, large and small, helping business owners navigate and grow in the current and ever-changing environment.
Add a talented, experienced group of marketing professionals – thinkers and doers, creators and producers – that make up Tucson Media Partners. These passionate individuals are part of this community, and they are invested in the success of local businesses and organizations.
We’re not intimidated by change – we are energized by it – and are dedicated to building the new. As our brand evolves and grows, we relish the opportunity to explore what we can do for your brand.
We’re ready to help you communicate with your future customers. Let’s start by talking to each other – we look forward to connecting!
Here’s to growing together!
John D’Orlando
President & Publisher
Tucson Media Partners | https://tucson.com/news/local/introducing-tucson-media-partners/article_15b858e6-020c-11ed-bbb3-33d4e4c036c8.html | 2022-07-17T13:43:54 | 0 | https://tucson.com/news/local/introducing-tucson-media-partners/article_15b858e6-020c-11ed-bbb3-33d4e4c036c8.html |
The following is the opinion and analysis of the writer:
Prior to my service on the Pima County Board of Supervisors, I was an administrator and teacher in for almost 30 years. On two occasions, my staff members and I had to put our schools into lockdown because of reports that a student with a gun was roaming campus. Although no one was harmed in either incident, I will never forget the looks of fear and uncertainty on the faces of my colleagues and students.
More times than I care to remember, I attended funerals of students who died as the result of gun violence. A girl who was a victim of a gang-related shooting and several suicides, including one of a sixth-grader, all bring to mind memories of anguished family and friends. There is something sickeningly incongruous about watching teenagers grieve the loss of a classmate gone at far too young an age.
People are also reading…
Gun violence is an epidemic in our country, including in Pima County. As Arizona counties are charged under state law with protecting public health, our Board of Supervisors should have the ability to protect residents from public health and safety threats. Sadly, the Arizona Legislature restricts our capacity to fulfill that duty.
There is currently a statute in place (ARS 13-3108) that prohibits political subdivisions from enacting “any ordinance, rule or tax relating to the transportation, possession, carrying, sale, transfer, purchase, acquisition, gift, devise, storage, licensing, registration, discharge or use of firearms or ammunition or any firearm or ammunition components or related accessories in this state.” This statute prevents local governments in our state from taking virtually any action to address gun safety or violence.
The Board of Supervisors learned in the last year just how restrictive this statute is. Two of us asked the county attorney to advise the board as to whether or not we could ban gun shows from being held at the fairgrounds, or at least require that gun sellers at these shows have federal firearms licenses, which require them to conduct background checks. ARS 13-3108 prevented us from taking either action.
Last month, I asked the county attorney if there were any possibility of the board considering a local “red flag” law, which would permit the sheriff and his deputies to confiscate guns from any resident found to be a danger to themselves or others. There are 19 states with such laws and it seemed to me that the county, as the regional public health authority, should be able to put such a law in place. Again, I was told that ARS 13-3108 prohibited any such law from being enacted.
In the wake of the Uvalde school shooting and the mass murder in a Buffalo grocery store, the United States Congress passed the bipartisan Safer Communities Act (SCA). I am encouraged that the process of protecting all Americans from the constant threat of gun violence has at long last been taken up by our federal lawmakers.
Here are some of the opportunities the SCA has made available to the Arizona Legislature:
1. Financial incentives for enacting state red flag laws
2. The ability for women to seek legal protection from violent boyfriends.
3. Access to billions of dollars for mental health.
4. Mandatory background checks on 18-to-21-year-old gun purchasers.
5. The ability to impose stricter punishment on “straw purchases” of weapons (where a gun is purchased by one person to give to another).
6. Access to $250 million dollars of federal grant funds for establishing local violence intervention programs
We will be electing a new legislature this year. State lawmakers must act to ensure the safety of the public they say they serve. At a minimum, each legislator should act to take advantage of the opportunities the SCA has provided them. They should also repeal ARS 13-3108 so that leaders at the local level can also act as needed to safeguard our people.
Rex Scott is a retired public school educator and a Pima County Supervisor. | https://tucson.com/opinion/local/local-opinion-gun-violence-and-state-inaction/article_5aa19774-0171-11ed-a138-03adc3af62f0.html | 2022-07-17T13:44:06 | 1 | https://tucson.com/opinion/local/local-opinion-gun-violence-and-state-inaction/article_5aa19774-0171-11ed-a138-03adc3af62f0.html |
The following is the opinion and analysis of the writer:
“Anita tried to stab John with a knitting needle,” I remember my mom telling us over the phone when I was a teen.
Aunt Anita was too much for anyone to handle. My uncle moved her into a nursing home, but he worried: Was Anita clean? Was she fed? Why the medications? He brought her home after two days. She died at home a couple of years later — too soon — with her husband, once a decorated veteran, now a worn-out caregiver, by her side.
Can we do better? I believe we can.
Several years ago, straight out of my geriatric fellowship, I was promised my dream job. I was to head a new home-based primary care program at a corporate medical center with 38 locations and a reputation for innovation. Home-based care can help older adults with mobility and cognitive issues access care. It also offers an alternative to the most vulnerable patients, who otherwise often land in expensive nursing homes. But, nursing home stays often lead to hospital stays, and hospital stays significantly increase the risk of disability in older adults.
People are also reading…
In my new job, I’d help patients by seeing them at home. I would also, I imagined, help them navigate the health care system and avoid hospital stays. Patients wouldn’t be railroaded into decisions they weren’t comfortable with.
But I could not deliver. I wanted patients to be able to call and talk to someone who knew their names, but with bureaucratic restrictions, it wasn’t possible. I had no team and no ability to build relationships with my patients or my community.
Fed up, I finally started my own medical practice.
One day, during a routine visit, I encountered a patient who said she missed the old days of medicine. I was lost. Younger doctors are less paternalistic and better at shared decision making, right? But she said she now lacked a general practitioner she could count on. She was sent to multiple specialists, with no one person or team overseeing things.
That’s when it clicked: Patients needed a single party responsible not just for ailments, but for the whole health care journey. Helping patients by properly coordinating and navigating care is the piece that goes missing, and our making sure care is personalized is what can impact outcomes. When this kind of responsibility is centered, we can not only serve patients better, we can cut the notably high cost of health care in the U.S.
This model of care means visiting patients at home, which can provide a window to what’s really going on. Seeing all of the drugs, vitamins, and supplements a patient is taking (or not taking) can be powerful.
This model means taking time to sit down with a patient to look through specialist records. Is that next cardiology visit actually going to be more beneficial than a relaxing family luncheon or an updo at a hair salon?
This model means admitting what we don’t know. What did medical school leave out about the value of dementia education for families, of music and art therapy, of pet therapy? What do we need to learn about supporting caregivers through crisis?
In short, we need to treat every patient like they were our own parents. We need a model that allows hand-holding, extensive care coordination, and caregiver support. That involves a team of medical providers, clinical social workers, nurses, therapists who truly get to know patients and their families. That allows care teams and their patients the freedom to use non-traditional techniques.
It’s not too expensive to implement this model. What’s too expensive are unnecessary hospital admissions, prolonged nursing home stays, and caregivers that are getting sick themselves from all of the pressure.
And don’t our elders deserve better?
Corinne Self is a geriatric physician practicing in Tucson. | https://tucson.com/opinion/local/local-opinion-we-can-do-better-for-our-elders/article_749e629a-feee-11ec-80f6-870b125b9772.html | 2022-07-17T13:44:12 | 0 | https://tucson.com/opinion/local/local-opinion-we-can-do-better-for-our-elders/article_749e629a-feee-11ec-80f6-870b125b9772.html |
TOWN OF RANDALL — Country Thunder returns to the Town of Randall festival site Thursday (July 21) with veteran country music star Lee Brice headlining the festival’s main stage on opening night.
Over the course of four days, festivalgoers can attend performances from up-and-comers like Maggie Rose to superstars like Morgan Wallen. He was scheduled to perform at Country Thunder in 2021 but canceled his entire tour that summer, following backlash that arose early in the year when a video surfaced of Wallen using a racial slur. He has since apologized.
The music festival, takes place near Twin Lakes Thursday through Sunday, July 21-24, at the festival site on Highway P, just west of Twin Lakes.
Country Thunder, which now hosts four festivals in the United States plus two fests in Canada, got its start in Wisconsin and has returned every year except 2022, when COVID-19 shut down live events.
People are also reading…
In addition to Brice, the headliners are: Chris Young on Friday, Wallen on Saturday and Florida Georgia Line closing it out on Sunday night.
The annual country music festival showcases headliners and up-and-coming acts to a crowd of thousands.
Along with the high-profile and award-winning acts come plenty of vendors and campers.
The performers
The 2022 main stage lineup:
Thursday (July 21)
3:30 p.m. — Maggie Rose
5 p.m. — James Barker Band
6:30 p.m. — Elvis Shane
8 p.m. — Granger Smith, featuring Earl Dibbles Jr.
10 p.m. — Lee Brice
Friday (July 22)
2 p.m. — Nolan Sotillo
3:30 p.m. — Kameron Marlowe
5 p.m. — Lindsay Ell
6:30 p.m. — Phil Vassar
8 p.m. — Chris Janson
10 p.m. — Chris Young
Saturday (July 23)
3:30 p.m. — Tyler Braden
5 p.m. — Blanco Brown
6:30 p.m. — Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
8 p.m. — Hardy
10 p.m. — Morgan Wallen
Sunday (July 24)
2:30 p.m. — Jackson Dean
4 p.m. — Sawyer Brown
5:30 p.m. — Tenille Townes
7 p.m. — Chase Rice
9 p.m. — Florida Georgia Line
For the full music lineup and more information, log on at countrythunder.com/wi
And the rest ...
Along with the high-profile and award-winning acts come plenty of vendors and campers.
Reserved seating is sold out. Four-day general admission passes are $245 (plus fees), with one-day general admission tickets costing $150 (with fees). Children age 10 and younger are admitted free with an adult.
Most of the camping areas are sold out, too.
For tickets and to reserve a camping spot or parking, go to countrythunder.com/wi.
This is a rain-or-shine event — and historically has been prone to weather including storms and extreme heat — meaning if you’re headed to Country Thunder, make sure to have plenty of water available, use sunscreen and find some shade and respite from the heat if necessary. Also, have rain gear on hand and be prepared for quick changes in the weather.
The festival attracts some 100,000 people annually during its four-day run. Be safe out there and have fun. | https://www.kenoshanews.com/news/local/country-thunder-rolling-into-kenosha-county-july-21-24/article_4006abe6-0461-11ed-8474-d33910582abc.html | 2022-07-17T13:51:05 | 1 | https://www.kenoshanews.com/news/local/country-thunder-rolling-into-kenosha-county-july-21-24/article_4006abe6-0461-11ed-8474-d33910582abc.html |
The Kenosha Opera Festival, which launched in the fall of 2019, has a busy week coming up, starting with a night of bawdy songs at a local brewery.
All of that activity continues the mission of the opera festival’s founders, Nicholas Huff and Kaila Bingen, to “unstuff” opera — and bring it to the masses.
The Kenosha Opera Festival also features four young members in the troupe’s fellowship program — two singers and a pianist.
The fellowship program includes workshops on singing, of course, but also offers practical guidance on such topics as how to file your taxes if you’re a freelance performer and how to use social media.
The “fellows” will be performing an opera, “Orfeo ed Euridice” (“Orpheus and Euridice”), based on the Greek myth.
In the story, Orpheus is promised that he may enter Hades and retrieve his wife, Euridice, from death on one condition: he may not look back to see if she is there for the entire journey from the underworld back to the land of the living.
People are also reading…
The opera, composed by Christoph Willibald Gluck, was first performed in Vienna on Oct. 5, 1762.
“It’s a full-length opera but is a short show,” Bingen said, adding that while the story is based on the classic Greek story “this version isn’t quite so tragic. We can’t leave everyone sad walking out of the theater.”
Note: The opera will be presented in Italian with English supertitles. This is a black-box production, accompanied by piano.
‘Barber of Seville’
This season’s main production is “The Barber of Seville,” Gioachino Rossini’s comedy, which premiered in 1816 and has remained popular ever since.
“It’s one of the most fun operas ever written,” Huff said. “Also, people kind of know this one — from the ‘figaro, figaro, figaro’ singing and some of the familiar arias in it.”
The cast features this season’s six guest artists — who are coming to Kenosha from New York, Cincinnati, the Chicago area, Florida, Portland, Ore., and even from South Korea.
The cast, Huff said, “are all great singers — real bangers.”
Note: The opera will be presented in Italian with English supertitles, accompanied by an orchestra.
Opera a la carte
Now, about those bawdy drinking songs:
5 p.m. Wednesday, July 20: Troupe members will perform during an informal gathering at Public Craft Brewing Co., 628 58th St. “I’m super pumped about this event,” Bingen said. It’s one of my favorite things that we do.”
A similar 2021 event “was super popular and had a great turnout,” Huff said. It features opera snippets and musical theater songs, plus easy access to the bar. It’s free to attend and open to everyone. It’s a fun, casual show.”
The event, Bingen said, “will feel like a party. Everyone should feel free to let loose and laugh a lot.”
7 p.m. Tuesday, July 26: The opera troupe will sing the national anthem to open the bike races at the Washington Park Velodrome, 1821 Washington Road
Opera on stage
What: “Orfeo ed Euridice” opera
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday, July 22, and 2 p.m. Saturday, July 23
Where: Rhode Center for the Arts, 514 56th St.
Tickets: $18 for adults, $15 for students
What: “The Barber of Seville” opera
When: 7 p.m. Friday, July 29; 2 p.m. Sunday, July 31; 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 4; and 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 6
Where: Rhode Center for the Arts, 514 56th St.
Tickets: $30 for adults, $25 for senior citizens and $15 for students
Note: Kenosha Opera Festival season tickets are also available. Season ticket holders get premium seating, in the theater’s first several rows.
For more information about the group and to buy tickets: kenoshaoperafestival.com | https://www.kenoshanews.com/news/local/kenosha-opera-festivals-2022-season-heats-up/article_2e646194-047f-11ed-a031-570b3c2eac22.html | 2022-07-17T13:51:11 | 1 | https://www.kenoshanews.com/news/local/kenosha-opera-festivals-2022-season-heats-up/article_2e646194-047f-11ed-a031-570b3c2eac22.html |
I scream, you scream, we ALL scream for Ice Cream Day. We live every day like it’s Ice Cream Day — especially during the summer — but July 17 is the “official” Ice Cream Day. Feel free to eat ice cream for breakfast, lunch and dinner — plus between-meal snacks — as you celebrate the holiday.
The Kenosha ArtMarket is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. today in Union Park, 4500 Seventh Ave. The market features original fine art, jewelry, pottery and more. The music today features Tamara Vendetta (playing acoustic variety) from 10 a.m. to noon and Lori Lewis (playing blues) from noon to 2 p.m.
The St. Therese Catholic Church Festival wraps up today at the church grounds, 2020 91st St. The festival is open 1 to 9 p.m.. You know what to expect: Food, games, food, live music, food ... and MORE food! Also today: The festival’s annual car show.
People are also reading…
The Racine Concert Band is performing 7:30 tonight in Racine Zoo, 2131 N. Main St. The zoo’s gates at Walton Avenue and Augusta Street open at 7 p.m. for free admission to the concert site, the Kiwanis Amphitheater on the east side of the zoo grounds. A courtesy cart, for audience members who need assistance in getting to the concert site, is available before and after the concert.
Huzzah! The Bristol Renaissance Faire is open for another season of making merry while wearing chain mail. The Faire celebrates the day in 1574 when Queen Elizabeth visited Bristol, England. If you see the queen, remember to use your best royal wave to greet her majesty. The Faire is open weekends through Sept. 5, located just west of I-94 at the Wisconsin/Illinois border. For more details, go to renfair.com/bristol/ | https://www.kenoshanews.com/news/local/todays-events-for-sunday-july-17/article_ec7fff4a-0483-11ed-912e-b7c04129a995.html | 2022-07-17T13:51:17 | 1 | https://www.kenoshanews.com/news/local/todays-events-for-sunday-july-17/article_ec7fff4a-0483-11ed-912e-b7c04129a995.html |
1970 was a big year.
It’s a nice round number, it marked the start of the “Me Decade” and — for a group of local teens — it was also the year they graduated from high school.
Jeff Schenning, a 1970 Bradford High School graduate, is organizing a reunion for all 1970 high school graduates, from his alma mater plus Tremper High School and St. Joseph High School.
What else happened in 1970?
Paul McCartney released his first solo album and announced he had left The Beatles.
The Apollo 13 mission to the moon was aborted when an oxygen tank exploded, forcing the crew to return to Earth after a harrowing ordeal. (See: Tom Hanks as Jim Lovell in the 1995 movie.)
Four students at Kent State University in Ohio were killed (and nine wounded) by Ohio National Guardsmen during an anti-war protest.
People are also reading…
There were also military coups, deadly tropical cyclones and earthquakes, and an alarming number of plane crashes (two involving college football teams).
My favorite 1970 news event is this item: On Nov. 20, the Miss World 1970 beauty pageant — hosted by Bob Hope at London’s Royal Albert Hall — was disrupted by Women’s Liberation protesters.
Those events (especially the Miss World protests) seemed long ago and far away to the 1970 high school graduates who gathered at the Kenosha Yacht Club on a sunny afternoon to talk about the upcoming reunion.
Or, as organizer Schenning prefers to call it, “a 70th birthday party celebration” for those 1970 graduates.
“We had such a great turnout for our 50-plus-one-year high school reunion last October,” he said, “so we decided to host this event.”
During the October 2021 reunion, he said, “people kept asking me ‘can we have a 70th birthday party?’ with so many of us hitting that landmark this year.”
Schenning has a lot of experience organizing events, so he got busy.
And he’s quick to emphasize that the planning “is a team effort. There are lots of people helping me with this event.”
Schenning and his wife, Sue, are Bradford graduates, as is fellow organizer Cheri Winters Dyke, but this event is open to all local 1970 graduates.
Dave and Teena Whitt — 1970 Tremper High School graduates — will be greeters at the event, along with St. Joseph High School graduate Dennis Serpe.
Jamie Schmidt actually attended both St. Joe’s and Bradford and said she looks forward “to seeing folks I haven’t seen in so many years — and seeing if they still recognize me.”
Sue Schenning likes to “find out what people have done with their lives. It’s also fun to see ‘kids’ you knew in grade school, but then you went to different junior highs so maybe you didn’t really know them in high school. It’s always fun to get together now.”
Matt Augustine, a 1970 Tremper grad, said this class reunion/birthday gathering “is a fun way to see people and catch up. It will be a relaxed and fun gathering, not a stuffy, formal reunion.”
Added Jeff Schenning: “This is a very low-stress party. We’re just glad to be alive!”
The party
So far, Jeff Schenning said about 150 people have sent in checks for the event.
“We had a few hundred people at the October reunion,” he said. “If the weather is good on July 23, we’ll get a huge crowd. We can always spill outside the Yacht Club if necessary.”
The “main event” is noon to 3 p.m., with The Chevelles band playing and food served.
The $25 ticket includes a hot dog or brat, two chicken wings, chips, cake, cookies, and one beer or soda. Attendees are asked to bring vegetables and/or fruit dishes to share. Schenning is also working on getting food trucks for the event.
The band will take a one-hour break at 3 p.m., Schenning said, and then “come back and play until 6 p.m.”
Schenning looks forward to seeing old friends — and making new ones.
“At these events,” he said, “you start to get to know people, even if we didn’t know each other in high school. Then we start to text or see each other on Facebook. It’s a great way to connect.”
Organizers said this party is open to everyone — even if you just like classic cars.
True classics
During the July 23 event, an informal classic car show will take place in the parking lot.
“We’re asking people to bring their classic cars,” Jeff Schenning said, as he walked outside to his own cars: a 1969 Rambler Scrambler, made in Kenosha, and a 1959 AMC Metropolitan, built in England. (“That’s my wife’s car,” he said of the turquoise convertible, as Sue Schenning hopped in it.)
As the group posed for photos outside the Yacht Club next to the glittering Kenosha harbor, the tumultuous events of 1970 seemed to be far from the minds of the people who were entering adulthood that year.
Still, the era-defining Vietnam War is never totally gone from their memories.
As they reminisced, a few in the group recalled their draft numbers and how lucky they were to have drawn such high ones.
Then they drove off to enjoy the sunshine. | https://www.kenoshanews.com/news/local/watch-now-kenosha-reunion-1970-high-school-graduates-invited-to-event/article_64850098-044e-11ed-94f5-4f1d8844681e.html | 2022-07-17T13:51:23 | 1 | https://www.kenoshanews.com/news/local/watch-now-kenosha-reunion-1970-high-school-graduates-invited-to-event/article_64850098-044e-11ed-94f5-4f1d8844681e.html |
HARRISONBURG, Va. – The Liberty and Jefferson Forest high school YOVASO clubs were among the 15 award winners recognized during the annual Youth of Virginia Speak Out About Traffic Safety (YOVASO) Awards Banquet held Saturday night, July 16, at James Madison University (JMU) in Harrisonburg, Va. A Liberty High School teacher was also recognized, as well as two students from Jefferson Forest High School. From Roanoke Co., Northside High School was recognized, as well as a Life Counselor at the school.
Lt. Col. Matthew D. Hanley, Bureau of Field Operations Director for the Virginia State Police, joined YOVASO with honoring the schools, students, teachers, and law enforcement from across Virginia who demonstrated exemplary efforts during the 2018-2019 school year to encourage safe driving and passenger safety among teenagers. The theme for the 2019 awards ceremony was “A Night with the Stars: Honoring Leaders for Safe Teen Driving” to celebrate Virginia’s outstanding traffic safety advocates.
- Rock Star Award: Emma Ogden, Jefferson Forest High School (Bedford Co.) In recognition of a student who demonstrates enthusiasm and excitement in his/her school and community for promoting safe teen driving and passenger safety. This student is a champion for the cause and a vocal role model within the school and community.
- Youth Leadership Award: Payton Poindexter, Jefferson Forest High School (Bedford Co.) In recognition of a YOVASO Youth Advisory Council (YAC) student who demonstrates exemplary leadership skills and a commitment to working on safe teen driving and youth traffic safety programs at the local and state level. The student leads and takes an active role with his/her school club, with YAC, and with the Summer Leadership Retreat.
- YOVASO Club of the Year: Liberty High School (Bedford Co.) In recognition of a member club for establishing and setting the standard for best practices in peer-led youth traffic safety programs. Award recognizes excellence in student leadership and club development, community outreach, engagement of the student body, effectiveness of programming, and participation in YOVASO campaigns and retreats
- YOVASO Sponsor of the Year (Teacher Advisor): Ben Thurman, Liberty High School (Bedford Co.) In recognition of a teacher’s ongoing support and guidance to the school’s traffic safety club and commitment to striving for excellence in club growth and development.
- Distracted Driving Prevention Award: Northside High School (Roanoke Co.) In recognition of a member club’s outstanding programs to prevent distracted driving among young drivers. Award may recognize one exceptional program or a body of work.
- New YOVASO Sponsor of the Year (Teacher Advisor): Kierra Gilbert, Northside High School (Roanoke Co.) In recognition of a teacher’s outstanding support and guidance to the school’s traffic safety club during the teacher’s first year as advisor for the club. | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2022/07/17/roanoke-valley-schools-teachers-and-students-earn-top-awards-for-teen-related-traffic-crash-and-fatality-prevention-efforts/ | 2022-07-17T13:53:04 | 0 | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2022/07/17/roanoke-valley-schools-teachers-and-students-earn-top-awards-for-teen-related-traffic-crash-and-fatality-prevention-efforts/ |
Middle school students from Flagstaff, the Grand Canyon and Pine-Strawberry will be spending a week at Camp Colton in July sharpening their science skills, participating in the camp’s STEM Environmental Enrichment and Discovery (SEED) Summer Experience that gives kids a chance to participate in hands-on environmental research.
It's the second year Camp Colton has offered its SEED Summer Experience. Developed by nonprofit Friends of Camp Colton -- which runs the camp alongside the Flagstaff Unified School District -- the program gives students a chance to explore science in a way they might not get to otherwise.
Most campers are rising seventh- and eighth-grade students who were nominated for scholarships by their teachers based on their financial need and interest in science. Around 80 campers are participating this year over the course of two weeklong sessions (42 this week and 39 the next), which Wilder said was more than double last year’s total.
People are also reading…
Most kids in the SEED Summer Experience have spent time at Camp Colton with their school in sixth grade, so the intent is to build on the earlier experiences.
“The real focus of Camp Colton is outdoor environmental education,” said Ari Wilder, Friends of Camp Colton’s executive director. “ ... We really wanted to give kids an authentic scientific experience in the field and that’s what this is.”
The students are divided into groups focusing on one of four research topics related to climate change: soil ecology, hydrology, native organisms and fire ecology. Community experts, local teachers and camp educators then lead them in selecting a research question and carrying out a project to investigate it over the course of the week.
On a recent Tuesday afternoon, the campers were busy developing questions that would guide their research for the rest of the program. They studied maps labeled with the outlines of historical fires, different water sources, trails and the camp’s location as they discussed the best ways to answer their question.
“We give the teachers time to teach them a little bit so they know what tools are accessible and what professionals might do,” said program coordinator Jackson Carranco. “ ... This group might be wrestling with three different questions that they want to potentially study, and they’re just trying to figure out which one might work best — where do we go if we’re going to do this, what’s your experience been as an expert … then they go out and do it.”
The hydrology group’s discussion was led by Northland Preparatory Academy science teacher Kayla Arendt, camp support staff Jayden Hagerman and community experts Danielle Urich and Hannah Chambless.
On Tuesday, the group was identifying tanks in the area that they could use to study the effects of fire on water sources. They had compiled a list of seven in the ponderosa pine biome that they could sample and make comparisons.
“We’re trying to figure out the spots we want to go, like the sites … and we’re trying to figure out where the water would go if it landed on these fire scars,” said eighth-grader MJ Jeffers.
Eighth-grader Wyatt Reichman said the group was looking at “tanks with fire scars compared to tanks without fire scars, and we’re collecting water samples.”
“We don’t want to go too many places, otherwise ... we’ll get little bits of data from every single one. I don’t know if it’s just me, but I’d rather get a lot of data from one instead of like scattered everywhere,” Jeffers added.
Since the program is an overnight camp, students also participate in more traditional camp activities such as archery, tie-dye and making ice cream. Local experts also visit to present on topics like astronomy or local animals.
At the end of the week (the camp runs Sunday night to Friday afternoon), the campers will host an open house for their families, where they will share what they have done during their research. This will be the camp’s first time holding the showcase event, since last year’s program was “deep in COVID” and projects were displayed in a video instead.
“The finished project is hopefully some sort of synthesis of what they’ve done over the course of the week -- what they’ve ended up learning about their question and how it relates to other projects and how it relates to climate change,” Wilder said.
Major funders for both Camp Colton and this program include the Arizona Community Foundation of Flagstaff, the Geo Family Foundation and the APS Foundation as well as a number of individual donors.
The SEED Summer Experience is also a professional development opportunity for the science teachers involved.
“Our goal is that the science teachers are learning along with the students and that hopefully some of the things they learn up at Camp Colton and through this project, they’ll bring back into the classroom next year,” Wilder said.
More about Camp Colton can be found at friendsofcampcolton.org. | https://azdailysun.com/news/local/education/middle-schoolers-study-environmental-science-as-part-of-seed-summer-experience/article_59456956-0481-11ed-95f4-6f919463d3c0.html | 2022-07-17T13:54:07 | 0 | https://azdailysun.com/news/local/education/middle-schoolers-study-environmental-science-as-part-of-seed-summer-experience/article_59456956-0481-11ed-95f4-6f919463d3c0.html |
Esteemed running journalist Amby Burfoot offered this when I asked him to write a quote for the autobiography of Filbert Bayi.
“Filbert Bayi raced the way we’d all like to: go out fast, force your competitors deep into the pain zone, and then hold them with a last-lap surge. The rest of us don’t actually race this way, because we haven’t got the guts. But Bayi did, especially in his epic world record 1,500-meters at the 1974 Commonwealth Games.”
It’s the best testimonial I’ve heard in years.
How many of us middle-of-the-packers can relate to that sentiment? By the way, Burfoot was not that. He won the 1968 Boston Marathon, which just goes to show even more the awe that Bayi inspired worldwide in the 1970s among all levels of runners.
Watch on YouTube that 1974 race in Christchurch or his 1975 world record in the Dream Mile and you’ll see what I mean. I worked with Bayi to write his just-released story, Catch Me If You Can: Revolutionizing My Sport, Breaking World Records, and Creating a Legacy for Tanzania, so I watched those old clips dozens of times.
People are also reading…
It never got old.
From the gun, Bayi took massive leads, daring John Walker, Rod Dixon, Eamonn Coghlan, Marty Liquori, and others to chase him down. More often than not, they came up short.
I recently talked with a local runner who is much faster than me at any distance. We discussed how the Downtown Mile can be a bit intimidating compared to a 10K or half marathon. You’re on display. Even though no one really cares how you do, you want to make a good showing. If I’m on trails during a race, nobody sees 95% of what I’m doing.
Elites expose themselves to the world, and if it blows up, everybody sees 100% of the failure.
Even the very, very good want to avoid that.
Bayi though was fearless. He ran before pacers were the norm, and he’s very clear in the book about his dislike of the practice. He was his own rabbit; this brave practice made for riveting competition and it transformed the sport.
Showing what a smart tactician he was, Bayi changed his approach for indoor racing and found success on U.S. tours, and he adapted to an event he had struggled in, the steeplechase, to win his country’s first Olympic medal.
Though he graduated from UTEP with an education degree and won the famed Peachtree Race late in his career, for a variety of reasons, “The Tiny Tanzanian” is surprisingly unknown in this country.
I truly hope this book changes that. I was fortunate enough to be the guest of him and his gracious family at Filbert Bayi Schools outside Dar es Salaam and I will join Bayi at the Commonwealth Games — where he still holds the meet record — in Birmingham, England, next month to launch the book.
He’s a humble, dedicated family man whose school and foundation are a source of pride in Tanzania, offering academic and athletic opportunities for many students and the local community.
His story is inspiring, giving all of us the guts to achieve more in and out of running … even if we’re not setting world records.
Myles Schrag is co-author of Abdi’s World: The Black Cactus on Life, Running, and Fun, and Catch Me If You Can: Revolutionizing My Sport, Breaking World Records, and Creating a Legacy for Tanzania, both released by Soulstice Publishing (www.soulsticepublishing.com).
Julie Hammonds (runner@juliehammonds.com) is coordinating editor for High Country Running. She invites submissions on any aspect of the local running scene. | https://azdailysun.com/sports/local/high-country-running-bayi-inspires-us-all-to-have-more-guts/article_223c0400-0527-11ed-90f5-977209401dcc.html | 2022-07-17T13:54:20 | 1 | https://azdailysun.com/sports/local/high-country-running-bayi-inspires-us-all-to-have-more-guts/article_223c0400-0527-11ed-90f5-977209401dcc.html |
“A fantastic director.”
“The nicest guy you’ll ever meet.”
“Simply the man.”
There’s a lot of titles given to CJ Hoyt, one of the most standout pickleball players in Flagstaff, but none more meaningful than “a true pickleball ambassador.”
Hoyt, a pickleball instructor at both Flagstaff Ranch Golf Club and Forest Highlands Golf Club, is becoming one of the most popular and most beloved names among the local pickleball community, and is helping popularizing the sport around the area.
Pickleball is still finding its place in Flagstaff. There’s only two paved public pickleball locations in town, and it wasn’t until recently that there was any competition at all.
But along came Hoyt, who began playing about seven years ago and quickly found comfort in the game’s close-knit community. Hoyt recognized the potential that the tennis-like sport had. In 2019, he helped create a pickleball program at Flagstaff Ranch.
People are also reading…
“I approached the general manager, and I was like, ‘Man, pickleball is coming.’ I asked if he would be interested in me helping start a program, and he said he wanted to,” Hoyt said. “So we taped down some lines on the tennis court and we were rolling.”
Hoyt said the sport grew so quickly at the club that the managers decided to take down one of the tennis courts and replace it with four pickleball courts.
Hoyt knew the sport would become popular because it was not only a fun, social game, but it was open to all players. It had the potential to become big because of its outreach.
“When you see how well it translates to all ages, all genders, and a lot of different athletic abilities, you know it has a huge future,” Hoyt said.
In June, Hoyt organized the first ever pickleball tournament to take place in Flagstaff. It was a two-day tournament held at Northern Arizona University's outdoor tennis courts. Hoyt said he hoped for 100 participants to sign up, and 185 ended up showing.
The number of participants proved to Hoyt the outreach that the sport had, as competitors from Flagstaff, Phoenix, Washington and even Canada signed up for the competition.
Hoyt knew almost every single person that was there. A bystander could often find Hoyt running up to a player and giving them a high-five and a hug as he welcomed them to the tournament.
There were participants who would walk up behind Hoyt seemingly out of nowhere and yell, “There he is,” as they would give him a big bear hug. “So good to see you,” they would exclaim.
Everybody was welcome, whether they were a player or a fan. Hoyt was just happy people were able to spend part of their day at his tournament.
Hoyt helped create a friendly atmosphere that was a large reason for the tournament having such a large outreach.
“At this tournament, you'll see everything from a 12-year-old all the way up to a 70-year-old,” Hoyt said. “Playing out here is incredible because you meet the nicest people and see them in a healthy, fun environment.”
Hoyt’s plan was to keep the tournament lighthearted and upbeat while promoting players to be friendly yet competitive. Often he would get up to the microphone and say something like, “Rockin’ and rollin’ at the Flagstaff Open,” or, “We’re all here to make pickleball happen in the pines.”
There was a rainstorm that came out of the blue during one of the days of competition, but Hoyt and the other players never let the storm ruin the fun. They simply packed up the nets, brought the paddles and balls inside, and resumed the tournament indoors.
At the tournament’s end, more than 20 participants received medals for their wins. The others walked away with experience and a happy feeling for having had an excellent time. Ask Hoyt about the tournament’s success, and he’ll humbly say it was his desire for everyone to have a good time.
Hoyt hype
The significance of the tournament was not only that it was successful, though. It proved that pickleball could have a bright future in Flagstaff, especially when a guy like Hoyt is helping get the sport on track.
Hoyt teaches lessons almost every day on the basics of the sport and has promoted players to go to Bushmaster Park every weekday morning to play on the makeshift courts. He’s also lobbying for the City of Flagstaff to build new courts at Thorpe Park, a plan that has been discussed by city officials.
Hoyt isn’t the only one advocating for pickleball in the pines. The Flagstaff Pickleball Association, headed by Jen Kottra, is another organization that is helping locals to start playing.
Patrick Sullivan Jr., who’s been playing since 2018, describes Hoyt as “the mayor of pickleball in Flagstaff” for his efforts to popularize the sport.
“He organizes games all over the city. He’ll greet anybody that walks onto the court, even if it's for the first time, and say hello and ask if they need some help with the rules or if they just want to hit around,” Sullivan said. “He's a fantastic director and ambassador for the sport.”
Lori Anne Harrison, a realtor for Zion Realty who sponsored and helped organize the event, said she thinks the world of Hoyt. She said his kindness and passion for pickleball makes others want to join.
“As a coach, he adapts for each of his players and gives feedback to help them,” Harrison said. “He’s kind, generous, and a good human all the way around. I’m really thankful that pickleball introduced us, and I think everybody else feels that way.”
Derek Nannen and Amy Ricciardi, players since 2018, asked, “Does anybody not like (Hoyt)? He's like the nicest.”
They described him as someone who is “welcoming to everyone, always smiling, and a great ambassador to grow pickleball.”
For as amiable as Hoyt is, he’s also a well-versed coach. Hoyt says his favorite part of playing is the “yin and yang” of pickleball -- how a game could spontaneously switch from a slow-paced, methodical rally to a quick, hard-hitting affair.
“During a point, you can go from having to hit the most gentle, delicate shot into the kitchen in one second, and the next second you're getting a ball slammed at you as hard as you could imagine,” Hoyt said. “It's a never-ending puzzle to solve, kind of like chess on a 40-foot board. I just enjoy every minute of it.”
“Flagstaff definitely has a lot to thank Hoyt for,” said Autumn McLeod, a player of nine years who’s ranked high in the state. “He's very active in different clubs and locations around town, and he’s helping spread awareness and getting everything going for Flagstaff, so he's awesome.”
Hoyt said one of his biggest motivations is his family, who always supports him and his projects. Hoyt, a father of two, said some of his favorite moments as both a father and a player have come when his daughter or son help him with his pickleball games.
“Seeing them enjoy the game and come out hitting the ball is simply awesome," Hoyt said.
So what’s next for Hoyt? First up on Hoyt’s agenda is to schedule another pickleball tournament for the month of December. He also wants to make the June tournament a yearly occurrence. He wants to continue organizing tournaments for players to join and grow their experiences.
Hoyt said the money made from the June tournament will be put toward buying kid-sized paddles and getting a youth pickleball program up and running. It’s a fantastic way of getting pickleball popularized in town.
“I hope that I can help build the community and help spread the pickleball love to more people,” Hoyt said. “I would really love to put this incredible town on display through a really fun sport.” | https://azdailysun.com/sports/local/hoyt-is-the-mayor-of-pickleball-in-flagstaff/article_1dd02578-0535-11ed-9155-a3800c13b138.html | 2022-07-17T13:54:26 | 1 | https://azdailysun.com/sports/local/hoyt-is-the-mayor-of-pickleball-in-flagstaff/article_1dd02578-0535-11ed-9155-a3800c13b138.html |
SAN FRANCISCO — A prominent San Francisco leader in the African American community is calling for more action to curb violent behavior by homeless people after a beloved nonprofit director was severely beaten by two allegedly homeless men Friday.
James Spingola, director of the Ella Hill Hutch Community Center in the city's historic Black Fillmore neighborhood, was beaten with a wooden plank after he asked two men to move away from the organization's front doorstep, said Rev. Amos Brown, president of the San Francisco NAACP and pastor at Third Baptist Church.
The beating was around 11 a.m., said Officer Kathryn Winters, a spokesperson with the San Francisco Police Department, in an email Friday. She said officers arrived to find one of the suspects detained by Spingola and others. Police are looking for the other suspect.
Winters did not have the names or housing status of the suspects.
Spingola is recovering at a hospital. A GoFundMe page shows a photo of Spingola's bruised, purple and puffy face. He was trying to protect children and staff in the building, according to the fundraising post.
“The homeless situation has been out of control for too many years," Brown said in a statement Friday.
He said the Fillmore has “been besieged in recent weeks by crime, theft, drugs, and danger” as homeless people have been driven from nearby neighborhoods, including the Tenderloin, City Hall and downtown.
Mayor London Breed and other officials have made it a priority to stop open-air drug dealing and illegal drug use in those neighborhoods. San Francisco has a highly visible homeless population and it has struggled to help unhoused or marginally housed people who have severe psychiatric disorders or drug addictions.
Homeless people smoked drugs on the roof of his church and last week, a catalytic converter was stolen from a church van used by seniors, Brown said.
“Our streets are littered with needles and feces. They smell of urine and degradation. We need to help these people, we need to help our city, and we need to hold homeless people and our leaders accountable,” Brown said. | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/california/black-san-francisco-leader-blasts-homeless-situation/103-abad68cc-0db7-40b3-b61b-ff073715ae83 | 2022-07-17T14:20:22 | 1 | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/california/black-san-francisco-leader-blasts-homeless-situation/103-abad68cc-0db7-40b3-b61b-ff073715ae83 |
RIO VISTA, Calif. — A 32-year-old Tracy woman has been arrested after allegedly stealing a car in San Rafael and driving it off the road, with flat tires near Rio Vista Friday evening, the Rio Vista Police Department said on Facebook.
According to police, the unidentified woman stole a silver Toyota in San Rafael, then traveled to the city of Rio Vista. During the carjacking, the suspect allegedly dragged the owner of the car behind the vehicle.
Officers say Rio Vista's security camera system alerted them that the stolen car had entered town Friday evening.
Officers say they began looking for the car and eventually located it near Esperson Court and Drouin Drive in Rio Vista. The driver of the car allegedly rammed a police unit, then fled west on Highway 12.
After leaving Rio Vista, officials say the Solano County Sheriff's Office and the California Highway Patrol became involved and followed the car.
The Rio Vista Police Department says the driver went off the road several times causing one of the car's tires to pop. In spite of having a flat tire, authorities say the woman continued driving until the car began riding on just the rim of the back tire.
The car eventually became stuck in a field on the north side of State Route 12 just west of State Route 113 in Solano County.
According to police, the 32-year-old woman surrendered once her car became stuck. Medics were called to the scene because police say the woman exited her car without pants.
The suspect was taken to an area hospital to be checked before being booked into Solano County Jail in Fairfield, the Rio Vista Police Department said.
Watch More from ABC10: Crash in North Sacramento leaves juvenile dead, police on scene | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/carjacking-suspect-arrested-rio-vista/103-d30182ed-3c77-4c51-b64e-5b03d499f442 | 2022-07-17T14:20:28 | 1 | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/carjacking-suspect-arrested-rio-vista/103-d30182ed-3c77-4c51-b64e-5b03d499f442 |
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A 17-year-old Rio Americano High School student is in shock after allegedly being pistol-whipped during an attack and robbery on his way to football practice Friday, officials with the Wilhaggin Del Dayo Neighborhood Association said.
Around 5:25 a.m. Friday, a 17-year-old was riding his scooter near the 1200 block of Jacob Lane near Jesuit High School when two young men in a car approached him according to a statement by the Wilhaggin Del Dayo Neighborhood Association.
The Sacramento County Sheriff's Department said the unknown suspects attacked the teen and stole his scooter. During the attack, deputies say one of the suspects hit the teen with a gun causing minor injuries.
The suspects left the scene in a car, the Sheriff's Department said.
According to Kathleen Newton, Communications Director for the Wilhaggin Del Dayo Neighborhood Association, the stolen scooter was later found in a gutter, broken into pieces.
Newton said that the teen, who was on his way to a 5:30 a.m. football practice at Rio Americano High School, is in shock after the incident and has a bump on his head but is otherwise okay.
Those with information on the attack are asked to call the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department at (916) 874-5115.
Watch More from ABC10: 988 | Shorter suicide hotline number sets direct line to mental health crisis | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/fair-oaks-carmichael/student-robbed-football-practice/103-faccbea8-da85-4ab2-aa5e-3e4958be81c5 | 2022-07-17T14:20:34 | 1 | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/fair-oaks-carmichael/student-robbed-football-practice/103-faccbea8-da85-4ab2-aa5e-3e4958be81c5 |
SAN DIEGO — Watching old footage from the San Diego Pride parade in 1986 brings back a lot of memories for seniors Jeri Dilno, Joe Mayer and Bob Leyh.
At 86-years-old, Jeri Dilno can recall the very first San Diego Pride event in 1975, it wasn't a parade but a march for rights.
"It was very difficult even to get people interested in marching that first time because we will go out to these different bars and pass out these flyers, and when we handed somebody a flyer, they would go like 'ahhh you know,' and they would try to get rid of it,” Dilno said.
A native San Diegan, who was kicked out of the Air Force in 1969 for being gay, Dilno is known as a mother of San Diego's Pride movement.
"We didn't know if anyone was going to show up, but a few hundred people did,” Dilno said.
At 65, New Jersey native Joe Mayer has been instrumental with the San Diego LGBT Center since the 1980s, first working as a phone counselor.
"It's so different today before when you wanted to meet somebody, you really had to go to the bars to meet someone, but now, everyone can just do it on their phone,” Mayer said.
Mayer says he marvels at today's diversity and loves the push to identify people by their pronouns.
“We weren't necessarily that inclusive back then remember all those fights between the lesbians and the gays 40 years ago and when the lesbians boycotted the parade?” said Mayer.
At 62-years-old, upstate New York native, Bob Leyh came to San Diego in 1997 in the Navy and remembers the days the parade had no corporate sponsors or support.
"You couldn't get elected officials, you couldn't get you know superintendents of schools or of universities or corporations, they ran the other way, but now law-enforcement, they want to be here, and they fight to be here,” said Leyh.
Now, as the Pride Programs Manager, Leyh makes seniors a priority by providing seating areas at the parade, and seniors get in the festival free on Sunday morning for the first two hours with a breakfast.
"We have two senior cool zones, so if you get too hot and you need to come in and sit down and get a glass of water free, we've got the spot here for you at the festival,” Leyh said.
From a few hundred to more than 10,000 parade participants, this group feels San Diego Pride legacy has come a long way.
WATCH RELATED: LGBTQ+ congregants on finding faith and acceptance (July 2022) | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/lgbtq-seniors-share-their-memories-beginnings-of-san-diego-pride/509-756707a1-e8cc-4b04-87bc-8d54d2451e84 | 2022-07-17T14:20:40 | 1 | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/lgbtq-seniors-share-their-memories-beginnings-of-san-diego-pride/509-756707a1-e8cc-4b04-87bc-8d54d2451e84 |
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The city of Sacramento's housing market is cooling at the second fastest rate in the nation, according to a report by Redfin, a leading real estate brokerage company.
The report says that five of the ten housing markets that have cooled down the fastest so far this year are located in Northern California. San Jose is leading the nation in a housing market cooldown, according to the report, with the supply of homes up 10% year-to-year in May.
In Sacramento, the Redfin report found that home prices soared 44% during the pandemic pricing many buyers out of the market. Stockton ranked as the fourth fastest cooling housing market in the U.S. in the report.
"There is good news for some buyers. People who can afford to buy right now could get something for $100,000 or $200,000 less than a few months ago, largely because homes are often no longer selling above asking price,” said San Francisco Redfin agent Joanna Rose. “They’ll have a higher monthly payment for now due to the rise in mortgage rates but can refinance later if rates come down.”
The report says that even if a housing market cooldown leads to declining home prices in the Bay Area, the area is likely to remain one of the most expensive areas of the nation.
Watch More from ABC10: 2022 California State Fair | Livestock show, carnival rides tradition back | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/sacramento/redfin-report-sacramento-housing-market-cooling/103-9782cb8e-682f-4cd3-8680-ad113f758a73 | 2022-07-17T14:20:46 | 0 | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/sacramento/redfin-report-sacramento-housing-market-cooling/103-9782cb8e-682f-4cd3-8680-ad113f758a73 |
SAN DIEGO — Grab your costumes and get ready because the San Diego Comic-Con 2022 is coming to town this week. The action starts Thursday, July 21 through Saturday, July 24.
This years Comic-Con is jam packed with festivities fit for everyone! Not to mention, if you weren’t able to get tickets or an official Comic-Con badge, CBS 8 is to the rescue!
Here's a list of events outside of Comic-Con that are free or have tickets still available.
Family friendly events
- Comic-Con Art Show
- Petco Park Interactive Zone
- Spider-Man: Beyond Amazing
- Liberty Station Comic-Con Treasure Hunt
- Comic-Con movies on the rooftop
- Shopping in the Gaslamp
- Hello Kitty Café Truck
- Nintendo Switch Road Trip
- Now or Never Comics
- Funko Fundays
- Her Universe Geek Couture Fashion Show 2022
- Star Trek Pop-Up Experience
Other events
- Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves Tavern Experience
- Club 90s presents 'Stranger Things Night' (Ages 18+)
- The Walking Dead Fan Celebration
- Audible brings the Beach life to the Gaslamp
- Comic-Con's The Burton Bash
- Sea Monster Saloon (Ages 21+)
- Major Lazer Sound System: (Ages 21+)
- 5th Annual Fandom Party
- Doctor Strange Multiverse of Madness activation
- The Bob's Burgers Movie
- Kevin Smith's Mooby's at Tin Roof
- Legion M Celebrates William Shatner
WATcH RELATED: Downtown San Diego prepares hotels for Comic-Con (July 2022) | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/san-diego-comic-con-2022-participate-without-tickets/509-c69aa215-48f6-4b5f-93a3-650548218fb8 | 2022-07-17T14:20:52 | 1 | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/san-diego-comic-con-2022-participate-without-tickets/509-c69aa215-48f6-4b5f-93a3-650548218fb8 |
SAN DIEGO — CBS 8 is proud to partner with San Diego Pride and CBS 8’s Marcella Lee and Jesse Pagan hosted Saturday’s Parade. For those unable to attend, the Parade was live streamed across all CBS 8 digital platforms and is now available to watch in its entirety below.
The theme of this year’s parade is Justice with Joy.
And we want to see Your Pride! Send us your Pride photos and see some featured on air and on cbs8.com. Here's how: Download the News 8 App and upload our Pride photos under Near Me. Download the App here.
WATCH: Local businesses celebrate San Diego Pride, tourism boom
WATCH RELATED: Businesses gear up for influx of people for San Diego Pride
Pride Festival
WATCH DAY 1: San Diego Pride Festival kicks off in Balboa Park
After the pride parade, it’s your time to be out, loud and proud with the 2-day San Diego Pride Festival where hundreds of LGBTQ+ entertainers will perform on stage in Balboa Park.
Location : Marston Point., Balboa Park (6th Ave. & Laurel St.)
When : Saturday, July 16, 2022, 11 AM – 10 PM, Sunday, July 17, 2022, 11 AM – 9 PM
Ticket Prices:
1-Day Ticket – $32
*Only available July 8 – 15, 2022
Weekend Pass – $38
VIP access – $225
*available July 8 – 17, 2022
San Diego Pride is also responsible for creating far more than the parade, which in 2019 broke records with an estimated 360,000 people. The organization sponsors more than three dozen different programs and produces some 175 events year-round, serving the entire LGBTQ+ community.
"Now San Diego Pride is one of the largest Prides in the world, the most philanthropic Pride in the world," said Fernando Lopez, executive director of San Diego Pride told CBS 8.
She Fest
San Diego Pride officially kicked off with the start of She Fest on July 9.
Taking in the sounds of a live band on stage, attendees of She Fest showed up in their festive looks from rainbow-colored shirts down to their Pride-filled pets.
"This is representation at its finest being able to see people who are queer, people who are in business, people who are leaders, it is just a really good way to feel a part of the community and be empowered,” said Asher Mac, the emcee for She Fest for third year and also a standup comedian.
With a host of vendors and booths from Beyond Bathology to the San Diego Women's Chorus, the event is 100% volunteer run.
Light Up the Cathedral
You can join LGBTQ+ faith leaders and other locals as they gather together to celebrate faith and resilience at Light up the Cathedral.
WATCH RELATED: San Diego Pride celebration kicks off July 9 - July 17 (July 6, 2022)
Spirit of Stonewall Rally
For those excited for pride weekend, starting July 15th you can start with eating some free BBQ and join San Diego pride at the Spirit of Stonewall Rally at the Hillcrest pride flag.
The rally celebrates those who are leading the way for action to some of the movements pressing issues.
Pride Block Party
The Pride of Hillcrest Block Party kicked off San Diego Pride weekend at the Pride Plaza. The all-ages event celebrates the culture, history, diversity, and LGBTQ+ community of San Diego.
Pride 5K Walk and Run
If Friday night fun didn’t leave you too exhausted, maybe the pride 5K run will. The Pride 5K Run and Walk is always a highlight of Pride Week festivities. Last year, despite the pandemic, more than 1,300 runners and walkers, from around the world, participated and raised $24,000 for charity partners.
San Diego Pride Parade
The annual San Diego Pride Parade is the largest single-day civic event in the region and is among the largest Prides in the United States, attracting over 300,000 people.
Cheer on colorful floats & parade participants as we celebrate and honor the LGBTQ community at the San Diego Pride Parade in Hillcrest.
Watch Related: Celebrating identity | Latinx, AAPI LGBTQ+ Pride kicks off in San Diego (Jun 4, 2022) | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/san-diego-pride-2022/509-d902c37a-79c3-45ac-b95d-da959e464bf6 | 2022-07-17T14:20:58 | 0 | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/san-diego-pride-2022/509-d902c37a-79c3-45ac-b95d-da959e464bf6 |
YOSEMITE VALLEY, Calif. — Containment grew overnight on a fire burning for more than a week in Yosemite National Park and residents of the community of Wawona can return to their homes starting Sunday, park officials said Saturday.
The Washburn fire was 37% contained, up from 27% Friday, and grew slightly to 7.5 square miles (19 square kilometers).
“Yesterday we had a very successful day and it was the day we were waiting for,” said Matt Ahearn, operations section chief in a Saturday morning briefing.
The fire started July 7 and is now burning in the Sierra National Forest. How the blaze began remains under investigation but officials suspect people were the source.
Yosemite National Park visitors are prohibited from starting campfires or smoking in some areas to reduce the threat of sparking new wildfires, the National Park Service said Friday.
The famed Mariposa Grove, which includes more than 500 mature sequoias, has escaped serious damage but the area will remain closed to visitors. Ahearn said crews were cleaning up in the grove.
People who own private property as well as park employees who live in Wawona can return to their homes starting Sunday morning, but only with escorts. The area remains under a fire advisory.
Farther north, all evacuation orders and road closures were lifted Saturday morning in the Peter Fire in Shasta County. Crews also reported favorable overnight conditions and containment was at 65%, up from 34% Friday.
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said the fire erupted shortly before 3 p.m. Thursday and destroyed 12 structures.
Fire Map
This wildfire map was created using data from NASA, NGA, USGS and FEMA.
WILDFIRE PREPS
According to Cal Fire, the 2021 fire season started earlier than previous years, but also ended earlier, as well. January 2021 saw just under 1,200 acres burned from nearly 300 wildfires. Fires picked up in the summer when the Dixie Fire burned in five Northern California counties — Butte, Plumas, Shasta, Lassen and Tehama. The Dixie Fire started on July 13 and wasn't contained until Oct. 25, burning nearly 1 million acres. It has since become the second-largest wildfire in state history and the largest non-complex fire.
Overall, 2.5 million acres were burned in 2021 from 8,835 wildfires. Over 3,600 structures were destroyed and 3 people were killed.
If you live in a wildfire-prone zone, Cal Fire suggests creating a defensible space around your home. Defensible space is an area around a building in which vegetation and other debris are completely cleared. At least 100 feet is recommended.
The Department of Homeland Security suggests assembling an emergency kit that has important documents, N95 respirator masks, and supplies to grab with you if you’re forced to leave at a moment’s notice. The agency also suggests signing up for local warning system notifications and knowing your community’s evacuation plans best to prepare yourself and your family in cases of wildfires.
Some counties use Nixle alerts to update residents on severe weather, wildfires, and other news. To sign up, visit www.nixle.com or text your zip code to 888777 to start receiving alerts.
PG&E customers can also subscribe to alerts via text, email, or phone call. If you're a PG&E customer, visit the Profile & Alerts section of your account to register.
What questions do you have about the latest wildfires? If you're impacted by the wildfires, what would you like to know? Text the ABC10 team at (916) 321-3310.
WATCH ALSO: | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/wildfire/crews-gain-on-yosemite-national-park-northern-california-wildfires/103-0c3c2a3b-c6aa-43c1-8c9d-ac11089a821b | 2022-07-17T14:21:04 | 0 | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/wildfire/crews-gain-on-yosemite-national-park-northern-california-wildfires/103-0c3c2a3b-c6aa-43c1-8c9d-ac11089a821b |
FRANKLIN COUNTY, Pa. — Chambersburg is restoring their history by scrubbing down one gravestone at a time.
Volunteers from the Cumberland Valley Civil War Roundtable are performing general maintenance and cleaning for over fifty Civil War gravestones at the Mt. Vernon/ Lebanon Cemetery. The gravesites belong to African American soldiers who served and fought during the civil war.
Tracy Baer, the executive committee member of Cumberland Valley Civil War Roundtable, believes that this was much more than a routine clean-up.
“It’s a show of honor, it’s a show of respect and admiration for what these men suffered and went through," Baer said.
Mike Lentz, a longtime volunteer, believes cleaning these stones not only benefits the soldiers, but also himself.
"It is for me to honor them. Not only clean the stone, but to find out who they were," said Lentz.
About a mile from the cemetery, a the Market Day Festival took place in downtown Chambersburg. Over 100 vendors and food trucks packed the streets for the Franklin County residents.
Around 9:00 p.m. a historical re-enactment of the 1864 Ransoming, Burning and Rebirth of their town was held. Along with a realistic light show--the quaint, small town re-enacted the flames from the past--when confederate troops were ordered to burn the town down because of an unpaid ransom.
Jennifer Davis, the Chambersburg downtown business council coordinator, believes this is what bring the town together.
"It's a celebration of our community," said Davis.
A celebration of the towns darkest hours, but also, one of its greatest triumphs.
Download the FOX43 app here. | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/chambersburg-civil-war-history-franklin-county/521-4d33f4dc-5646-46c2-9b9e-8fb50b0b1b20 | 2022-07-17T14:23:27 | 0 | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/chambersburg-civil-war-history-franklin-county/521-4d33f4dc-5646-46c2-9b9e-8fb50b0b1b20 |
CARBON COUNTY, Pa. — In Carbon County, a former police chief found guilty of raping a child was sentenced this week.
Brent Getz, the former Weissport chief of police, was charged back in 2019 along with Gregory Wagner.
Police say the two men raped a girl over several years at a home near Lehighton.
A jury found Getz guilty on child sex charges back in March.
He has been sentenced to 16 to 32 years behind bars.
Getz will have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life. | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/former-police-chief-sentenced-for-child-rape/523-f03e251c-2349-479f-851f-b6c75bb427d1 | 2022-07-17T14:23:33 | 0 | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/former-police-chief-sentenced-for-child-rape/523-f03e251c-2349-479f-851f-b6c75bb427d1 |
CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. — The Chambersburg Police Department (CPD) was made aware of a fake post circulating the Facebook Community Group, Chambersburg/Franklin County Pa and Close Surrounding Area Only Yardsale.
The fake post claims that the CPD homicide unit is seeking assistance from the public in identifying two individuals for a 2022 homicide. Crime stoppers was listed in the post as a link to click on to provide tips.
The post reads as follows:
Spread the NEWS: The Chambersburg Police Homicide Unit is seeking assistance from the public in identifying the individuals depicted in these photographs. Information related to the identity of the pictured individuals will assist in the investigation of a 2022 homicide.
Anyone with information is encouraged to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). Tips may be submitted electronically at www.CrimeStoppersMN.org. All Tips are anonymous and persons providing information leading to an arrest and conviction may be eligible for a financial reward.
However, the CPD is currently not investigating any homicides, nor are there rewards available for open CPD investigations.
Individuals with any information pertaining to any CPD investigation should submit their information by contacting the Chambersburg Police Department directly by calling 717-264-4131 or leaving a tip on Crimewatch.
Both Facebook and the Chambersburg/Franklin County PA and Close Surrounding Area Only Yardsale groups have been notified about this post. | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/police-warn-of-fake-facebook-post-circulating-chambersburg-facebook-group-pennsylvania/521-533481ae-474f-4768-8ada-89d03b4c981b | 2022-07-17T14:23:39 | 0 | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/police-warn-of-fake-facebook-post-circulating-chambersburg-facebook-group-pennsylvania/521-533481ae-474f-4768-8ada-89d03b4c981b |
Five people were wounded in Yonkers Saturday night in two separate shootings that may be linked to gang activity in the community, city officials said at a morning press conference.
The first victims were shot around 9 p.m. on Locust Hill Avenue where a pair of 18-year-olds were injured, police said. Officials said a female victim was hit in the elbow, while a male was shot in the chest and may have a punctured lung. He was last listed in critical condition.
Police responded to a second shooting two hours later on School Street. Officers found three victims between the ages of 30 and 42.
Two victims in the second shooting were taken to the hospital in critical condition, according to Yonkers officials. All three were shot in the back of chest.
No suspect descriptions were immediately released by officials and there have been no arrests. | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/5-people-shot-3-critically-in-separate-yonkers-shootings-police/3777750/ | 2022-07-17T14:24:58 | 1 | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/5-people-shot-3-critically-in-separate-yonkers-shootings-police/3777750/ |
APOPKA, Fla. – The Apopka community is holding a fundraiser for the family of a firefighter who died after suffering significant injuries on the job.
The benefit fundraiser is being held at Kasheta Farms in Apopka through 2 p.m. on Sunday.
[TRENDING: TIMELINE: Another stormy afternoon across Central Florida | VIDEO: Airplane passenger on flight near Orlando captures SpaceX launch | Become a News 6 Insider (it’s free!)]
Kasheta Farms has been raising funds for the family of Austin Duran, 25, who died on Friday after being hospitalized for weeks due to a significant work-related injury.
“He has served his community by risking his life on a daily basis and he needs his community to serve him now more than ever before,” Kasheta Farms wrote on their website ahead of the weekend fundraising event.
In a GoFundMe update made on Saturday, Duran’s sister wrote, “Yesterday was a bad day for our family ... Austin fought this fight like a warrior, like a hero.” An update on GoFundMe before Saturday’s said, “Austin’s lungs are having a hard time healing themselves. He caught pneumonia and his lungs are very damaged still from the accident. He is highly sedated and expected to be on the ventilator longer than we initially thought.”
The Apopka Professional Firefighters Association described Duran as “a kind, gentle, humble kid.”
“Austin was everyone’s favorite brother and he will prove to be our department’s future savior. His sacrifice binds together all of us left, in the wake of his passing, to our commitment of being a Fire Department worthy of a hero like Austin having called us his home,” the association wrote.
All of the proceeds will go toward Duran’s family.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/07/17/community-holds-fundraiser-for-apopka-firefighter-who-died-after-work-injury/ | 2022-07-17T14:25:06 | 0 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/07/17/community-holds-fundraiser-for-apopka-firefighter-who-died-after-work-injury/ |
VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – A house in Volusia County went up in flames Saturday morning, according to the Edgewater Fire-Rescue Department.
Firefighters with the Edgewater Fire-Rescue Department, City of New Smyrna Beach Fire Department and the Volusia County Professional Firefighters Association responded to the home.
[TRENDING: TIMELINE: Another stormy afternoon across Central Florida | VIDEO: Airplane passenger on flight near Orlando captures SpaceX launch | Become a News 6 Insider (it’s free!)]
Photos from the Edgewater Fire-Rescue Department shows large flames engulfing part of the front of the home.
Firefighters said there were no injuries to residents.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/07/17/photos-house-goes-up-in-flames-in-volusia-county/ | 2022-07-17T14:25:12 | 1 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/07/17/photos-house-goes-up-in-flames-in-volusia-county/ |
TWIN FALLS — A high school career technical education program that has gotten a whole lot of teenagers thinking seriously about numbers has been awarded a recognition for its work in boosting participation, training, and delivering credits towards post-secondary degrees.
Lorraine Rapp and Lori Peterson accepted the Exemplary Program award for the Applied Accounting Program at Twin Falls High School. The award was presented during the Connect professional development summer conference, hosted by the Idaho Department of Education’s division of Career and Technical Education.
Rapp, who has taught at Twin Falls High School for 20 of her 30 years as an instructor of accounting, said it was both the higher than average achievements of the students in the program, as well as the ways in which students took advantage of opportunities to network in to the business world, through organizations, partnerships with businesses, job shadowing, and making connections.
People are also reading…
“Our mission in our program is to give them confidence to pursue whatever area, and basic professional skills,” Rapp said. “We’re always trying to be innovative and keep up with new curriculum, new technology, and integrate that into our program. It changes every year, and throughout the year.”
Rapp teaches Accounting 1 and Accounting 2, which is a college-level dual-enrollment course and offers college credits toward an Associates degree, which more and more students in Twin Falls are earning when they graduate High School.
Earning college credits has a certain kind of appeal, as does the option of earning nationally recognized certificates such as Microsoft Office, National Financial Literacy, and Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program certificates. In the business world those certificates can be expensive, but high schoolers can elect to take advantage of the State Department of Education’s offer to pick up the tab on them.
One of the criteria for the award was how students engage with organizations outside of the classroom. More than just earning a grade or scoring well on tests, the students in the CTE programs are able to connect with various organizations, like Business Professionals of America, National Leadership Council, as well as organizations around the community, across the state, and even nationwide.
Students in the Applied Accounting Program also partner with community organizations like the Optimists Club and the Special Olympics. The class often takes field trips to bankruptcy court, or to open houses to meet with realtors and mortgage loan officers.
“We try to take the classroom to the business world, so-to-speak, and give them these opportunities.” Rapp said.
Lori Peterson, who teaches Information Systems in the Applied Accounting Program, said the opportunities give students a chance to explore how different business and industry fields actually work. They let kids get a taste of what awaits them after high school, she said.
“I would say a majority of our kids who go through the program do not become accountants,” Peterson said. “But they come out of there with the leadership qualities and the confidence to achieve whatever it is that they want to do.”
“I would say — just guessing — that many of them are entrepreneurs. They probably go on to major in business, maybe advanced degrees, but I could foresee many of them becoming employers,” Peterson said. “It’s multi-faceted.”
For all the innovation and change that the program goes through each year — which is nearly constant — being recognized for their efforts feels good, said Rapp.
“I think (Lori and I) are both very thankful for the recognition,” Rapp said. “We really need to give kudos to our parents for encouraging their kids to take our classes. We need to acknowledge our principals at our school, and obviously our school district.”
The award was presented during the Connect professional development summer conference, hosted by the Idaho Department of Education’s Career and Technical Education division. San Miguel said the conference is a place for programs to share what they’ve done to evolve and enhance ways to give students more workforce training and job readiness by the time they graduate.
“We try to highlight programs for the year that have been innovative, or been able to achieve success, and be able to share that with others in the industry,” said Adrian San Miguel, IDE CTE Chief Program Officer.
San Miguel said the CTE has grown a lot in recent years, with addition of funding from Department of Education, Advanced opportunities added funding to allow students to take certifications before they leave high school.
“With the growth in Idaho the number of employers that have moved in and the need for these technical and skilled trades, shortage-wise I think businesses are hungry to find students with some kind of transferable skill and getting those industry certifications,” San Miguel said.
In the quest to produce world-class, job-ready workforce, the Career and Technical Education has flourished in Idaho lately. In Twin Falls School District, 2,196 students — or 64% of high school students — attended one of the 120 CTE courses in the district. This spring, 36 seniors received an associates degree along with their high school diploma. | https://magicvalley.com/news/local/exemplary-twin-falls-high-school-workforce-training-program-receives-honors/article_2559678e-03b7-11ed-ad07-579195e4e8f5.html | 2022-07-17T14:33:17 | 1 | https://magicvalley.com/news/local/exemplary-twin-falls-high-school-workforce-training-program-receives-honors/article_2559678e-03b7-11ed-ad07-579195e4e8f5.html |
DALLAS (KDAF) — Today we are celebrating an American classic and what some consider to be the best dessert of all time: ice cream.
No matter how you like it, whether it be vanilla, chocolate or even mint-chip, there is no wrong answer when it comes to ice cream.
Sunday, July 17, is known as National Ice Cream Day thanks to former president Ronald Reagan. He declared that the nation celebrates this delicious treat every third Sunday in July.
So if you’re wanting to celebrate the day, here are some suggestions on where to get the best ice cream in Dallas, according to Tripadvisor:
- Steel City Pops
- Botolino Gelato Artigianale
- Howdy Homemade Ice Cream
- Frost A Gelato Shoppe
- Gorji Restaurant
- Chocolate Secrets and Wine
- Pokey O’s
- Chills 360
- Creamistry
For more suggestions, visit Tripadvisor. | https://cw33.com/news/local/best-places-to-get-ice-cream-in-dallas-according-to-tripadvisor/ | 2022-07-17T15:04:24 | 0 | https://cw33.com/news/local/best-places-to-get-ice-cream-in-dallas-according-to-tripadvisor/ |
DALLAS (KDAF) — Whether you’re traveling to North Texas from afar or you want to have a little staycation, North Texas is a great spot for vacationing.
With tons of places to eat, things to do and sites to see, North Texas is the ultimate destination for those looking to have some fun for not a whole lot of money.
“The Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex is full of great hotels for any kind of traveler, whether you’re flying in for that shareholders’ conference or on the hunt to find some of the country’s best barbecue,” as stated in a report from Travel + Leisure.
Here is a list of some of the best hotels for your stay, according to Travel + Leisure.
- Hotel Drover, Autograph Collection
- Thompson Dallas
- Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek
- The Ritz-Carlton Dallas
- The Ashton Fort Worth | https://cw33.com/news/local/going-on-vacation-here-are-the-best-hotels-in-north-texas-according-to-travel-leisure/ | 2022-07-17T15:04:30 | 0 | https://cw33.com/news/local/going-on-vacation-here-are-the-best-hotels-in-north-texas-according-to-travel-leisure/ |
CLARK KAUFFMAN
Iowa Capital Dispatch
DES MOINES — The Iowa Dental Board has restricted the practice of two Iowa dentists, citing concerns with their competency.
The board recently entered into a settlement agreement with Dr. Paymun Bayatt of Sioux City.
Bayatt was charged with failing to maintain a reasonably satisfactory standard of competency with regard to implants while practicing dentistry in Waterloo. The board had received a patient complaint regarding four implants, and a subsequent review of Bayatt’s clinical records resulted in a finding that he had failed to meet the necessary standard of care.
As part of the settlement, the board warned Bayatt that future violations may result in disciplinary action. Bayatt has agreed to have his license restricted in a manner that prohibits him from placing dental implants.
In an unrelated matter, in October, the board filed a statement of charges against Dr. Zavash Zarei-M of Coralville, who was first issued an Iowa dental license in 1988. He was charged with failing to maintain a reasonably satisfactory standard of competency in the practice of endodontics, and with failing to adequately maintain patient records.
The board also accused him of publicly responding to an online review by addressing the patient-reviewer by name and, while refuting the online review, discussing the treatment that was performed. He also was accused of texting a patient in “a less than professional manner” that in some way violated Iowa regulations for dentists. The board did not elaborate.
As part of a recent settlement agreement with the board, Zarei-M has agreed not to provide endodontic treatment in the future without the board’s prior approval. He also has been warned that any future violations of the laws and rules governing the practice of dentistry may result in further disciplinary action, and he has agreed to pay a $1,000 civil penalty and complete three hours of training related to patient privacy.
Iowa Capital Dispatch is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Iowa Capital Dispatch maintains editorial independence.
Photos: 2022 Sturgis Falls Celebration and Parade
Sturgis Falls Parade 12
The AMVETS American carries a large American flag at the Sturgis Falls parade on Saturday in Cedar Falls.
CHRIS ZOELLER, Courier Staff Photographer
Sturgis Falls Carnival 17
Audri Hicks of Cedar Falls, 5, smiles as she walks out of the fun house at the Sturgis Falls Celebration carnival on Friday evening in Cedar Falls.
CHRIS ZOELLER, Courier Staff Photographer
Sturgis Falls Parade 24
The Cedar Falls Lions Club at the Sturgis Falls parade on Saturday in Cedar Falls.
CHRIS ZOELLER Courier Staff Photographer
Sturgis Falls Carnival 19
Riders circle around in the Zipper ride at the Sturgis Falls Celebration carnival on Friday evening in Cedar Falls.
CHRIS ZOELLER, Courier Staff Photographer
Sturgis Falls Carnival 12
Riders enjoy the Tornado carnival ride at the Sturgis Falls Celebration on Friday evening in Cedar Falls.
CHRIS ZOELLER, Courier Staff Photographer
Sturgis Falls Carnival 21
Riders enjoy the Tornado carnival ride at the Sturgis Falls Celebration on Friday evening in Cedar Falls.
CHRIS ZOELLER Courier Staff Photographer
Sturgis Falls Parade 1
The Union Baptist Crusaders drumline performs at the Sturgis Falls Parade on Saturday in Cedar Falls.
CHRIS ZOELLER, Courier Staff Photographer
Sturgis Falls Parade 30
The Ruby Gymnastics Academy float at the Sturgis Falls parade on Saturday in Cedar Falls.
CHRIS ZOELLER, Courier Staff Photographer
Sturgis Falls Carnival 22
SlideShow Bob performs at the Gateway Park Stage at the Sturgis Falls Celebration on Friday evening in Cedar Falls.
CHRIS ZOELLER Courier Staff Photographer
Sturgis Falls Carnival 3
Kids enjoy a carnival ride at the Sturgis Falls Celebration on Friday evening in Cedar Falls.
CHRIS ZOELLER Courier Staff Photographer
Sturgis Falls Carnival 23
Kids dance as SlideShow Bob performs at the Gateway Park Stage at the Sturgis Falls Celebration on Friday evening in Cedar Falls.
CHRIS ZOELLER, Courier Staff Photographer
Sturgis Falls Carnival 1
Kids enjoy a carnival ride at the Sturgis Falls Celebration on Friday evening in Cedar Falls.
CHRIS ZOELLER Courier Staff Photographer
Sturgis Falls Carnival 4
Riders circle around in the Ferris Wheel at the Sturgis Falls Celebration carnival on Friday evening in Cedar Falls.
CHRIS ZOELLER, Courier Staff Photographer
Sturgis Falls Carnival 8
Riders enjoy a carnival ride at the Sturgis Falls Celebration carnival on Friday evening in Cedar Falls.
CHRIS ZOELLER Courier Staff Photographer
Sturgis Falls Carnival 13
Kids play a water race game at the Sturgis Falls Celebration carnival on Friday evening in Cedar Falls.
CHRIS ZOELLER Courier Staff Photographer
Sturgis Falls Carnival 20
Riders enjoy the Tornado carnival ride at the Sturgis Falls Celebration on Friday evening in Cedar Falls.
CHRIS ZOELLER Courier Staff Photographer
Sturgis Falls Carnival 11
Riders enjoy the Tornado carnival ride at the Sturgis Falls Celebration on Friday evening in Cedar Falls.
CHRIS ZOELLER Courier Staff Photographer
Sturgis Falls Parade 28
The Cedar Falls High School Marching Band at the Sturgis Falls Parade on Saturday in Cedar Falls.
CHRIS ZOELLER, Courier Staff Photographer
Sturgis Falls Parade 2
Tommy Hawk of the Waterloo Black Hawks waves to the crowd at the Sturgis Falls Parade on Saturday in Cedar Falls.
CHRIS ZOELLER, Courier Staff Photographer
Sturgis Falls Parade 22
The Cedar Falls Municipal Band performs at the Sturgis Falls parade on Saturday in Cedar Falls.
CHRIS ZOELLER Courier Staff Photographer
Sturgis Falls Carnival 14
Kids play a carnival game at the Sturgis Falls Celebration on Friday evening in Cedar Falls.
CHRIS ZOELLER Courier Staff Photographer
Sturgis Falls Parade 9
The Sturgis Falls parade on Saturday in Cedar Falls.
CHRIS ZOELLER Courier Staff Photographer
Sturgis Falls Parade 18
The crowd watches as Cedar Falls Fire Department Engine 501 rolls through the Sturgis Falls parade on Saturday in Cedar Falls.
CHRIS ZOELLER Courier Staff Photographer
Sturgis Falls Parade 14
The UnityPoint Health float at the Sturgis Falls parade on Saturday in Cedar Falls.
CHRIS ZOELLER Courier Staff Photographer
Sturgis Falls Carnival 9
Riders enjoy a carnival ride at the Sturgis Falls Celebration carnival on Friday evening in Cedar Falls.
CHRIS ZOELLER Courier Staff Photographer
Sturgis Falls Parade 26
A child covers his ears as a large truck rolls through the Sturgis Falls parade on Saturday in Cedar Falls.
CHRIS ZOELLER Courier Staff Photographer
Sturgis Falls Parade 31
The North Star Community Services float at the Sturgis Falls parade on Saturday in Cedar Falls.
CHRIS ZOELLER Courier Staff Photographer
Sturgis Falls Parade 21
Zounds the One Man Band and Kinetic Entertainment performs at the Sturgis Falls parade on Saturday in Cedar Falls.
CHRIS ZOELLER Courier Staff Photographer
Sturgis Falls Parade 5
The Cedar Falls High School robotics team float at the Sturgis Falls parade on Saturday in Cedar Falls.
CHRIS ZOELLER Courier Staff Photographer
Sturgis Falls Parade 27
The University of Northern Iowa New Horizons Band performs at the Sturgis Falls parade on Saturday in Cedar Falls.
CHRIS ZOELLER Courier Staff Photographer
Sturgis Falls Carnival 2
Kids jump on trampolines during the Sturgis Falls Celebration carnival on Friday evening in Cedar Falls.
CHRIS ZOELLER Courier Staff Photographer
Sturgis Falls Parade 17
Plenty of people marched in the Sturgis Falls parade on Saturday in Cedar Falls.
CHRIS ZOELLER, Courier Staff Photographer
Sturgis Falls Carnival 6
Kids ride bumper cars at the Sturgis Falls Celebration carnival on Friday evening in Cedar Falls.
CHRIS ZOELLER Courier Staff Photographer
Sturgis Falls Carnival 7
Kids ride bumper cars at the Sturgis Falls Celebration carnival on Friday evening in Cedar Falls.
CHRIS ZOELLER Courier Staff Photographer
Sturgis Falls Parade 25
The Nazareth Lutheran Church float at the Sturgis Falls Parade on Saturday in Cedar Falls.
CHRIS ZOELLER, Courier Staff Photographer
Sturgis Falls Parade 6
Mayor Rob Green waves to the crowds at The Sturgis Falls Parade on Saturday in Cedar Falls.
CHRIS ZOELLER, Courier Staff Photographer
Sturgis Falls Parade 7
The Sturgis Falls parade on Saturday in Cedar Falls.
CHRIS ZOELLER Courier Staff Photographer
Sturgis Falls Fri
Kids play a carnival game at the Sturgis Falls Celebration on Friday evening in Cedar Falls.
CHRIS ZOELLER Courier Staff Photographer
Sturgis Falls Parade 11
The Second Marine Aircraft Wing Band performs at the Sturgis Falls parade on Saturday in Cedar Falls.
CHRIS ZOELLER Courier Staff Photographer
Sturgis Falls Carnival 5
Riders circle around in the Ferris Wheel at the Sturgis Falls Celebration carnival on Friday evening in Cedar Falls.
CHRIS ZOELLER Courier Staff Photographer
Sturgis Falls Parade 16
A girl in the UnityPoint Health float blows bubbles at the Sturgis Falls parade on Saturday in Cedar Falls.
CHRIS ZOELLER Courier Staff Photographer
Sturgis Falls Carnival 10
Riders enjoy a carnival ride at the Sturgis Falls Celebration carnival on Friday evening in Cedar Falls.
CHRIS ZOELLER Courier Staff Photographer
Sturgis Falls Parade 20
Zounds the One Man Band and Kinetic Entertainment performs at the Sturgis Falls parade on Saturday in Cedar Falls.
CHRIS ZOELLER Courier Staff Photographer
Sturgis Falls Parade 29
The Ruby Gymnastics Academy float at the Sturgis Falls parade on Saturday in Cedar Falls.
CHRIS ZOELLER Courier Staff Photographer
Sturgis Falls Parade 13
The Taylor Veterinary Hospital float at the Sturgis Falls parade on Saturday in Cedar Falls.
CHRIS ZOELLER Courier Staff Photographer
Sturgis Falls Parade 3
The Sturgis Falls parade on Saturday in Cedar Falls.
CHRIS ZOELLER Courier Staff Photographer
Sturgis Falls Parade 4
The Cedar Falls Dance Team at the Sturgis Falls parade on Saturday in Cedar Falls.
CHRIS ZOELLER Courier Staff Photographer
Sturgis Falls Parade
Zounds the One Man Band and Kinetic Entertainment performs at the Sturgis Falls parade on Saturday in Cedar Falls.
CHRIS ZOELLER, Courier Staff Photographer
Sturgis Falls Carnival 16
Kids pile out of the fun house at the Sturgis Falls Celebration carnival on Friday evening in Cedar Falls.
CHRIS ZOELLER Courier Staff Photographer
Sturgis Falls Parade 10
The AMVETS Post 49 color guard at the Sturgis Falls parade on Saturday in Cedar Falls.
CHRIS ZOELLER Courier Staff Photographer
Sturgis Falls Parade 23
Peet Junior High cheerleading performs at the Sturgis Falls Parade on Saturday in Cedar Falls.
CHRIS ZOELLER, Courier Staff Photographer
Sturgis Falls Carnival 18
The Sturgis Falls Celebration carnival on Friday evening in Cedar Falls.
CHRIS ZOELLER Courier Staff Photographer
Sturgis Falls Parade 8
The Sturgis Falls parade on Saturday in Cedar Falls.
CHRIS ZOELLER Courier Staff Photographer
Sturgis Falls Parade 15
The UnityPoint Health float at the Sturgis Falls parade on Saturday in Cedar Falls.
CHRIS ZOELLER Courier Staff Photographer
Get local news delivered to your inbox!
Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/board-restricts-former-waterloo-dentists-practice-citing-competency-issues/article_e33cc80a-bc61-56b0-abde-3ef4a16fa9bd.html | 2022-07-17T15:07:25 | 0 | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/board-restricts-former-waterloo-dentists-practice-citing-competency-issues/article_e33cc80a-bc61-56b0-abde-3ef4a16fa9bd.html |
Skip to content
Main Navigation
Search
Search for:
Local
Weather
Responds
Investigations
Video
Sports
Entertainment
Newsletters
Live TV
Share
Close
Trending
US Open Updates
Corinth Girl Found
Weekend Construction
What's 988?
Missing Nurse Found
CLEAR Alert
Expand
Local
The latest news from around North Texas. | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/bitewell-app-creators-want-to-help-people-reach-nutritional-goals/3016444/ | 2022-07-17T15:09:17 | 0 | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/bitewell-app-creators-want-to-help-people-reach-nutritional-goals/3016444/ |
A couple of Dallas entrepreneurs are getting ready to launch a new nutrition app, called Bitewell, that's designed to specifically cater to the dietary needs of the user by offering different choices of food for either cooking at home or while on the go.
"We pull in restaurant meals, grocery items, meal kit companies, basically the entire food supply around you, and we overlay what we call nutrition intelligence, by applying a food health score to all of the food around you that’s fully personalized to your health needs," explained Samantha Citro Alexander, co-founder of Bitewell.
She said a user will take a quick survey that combines information such as personal medical history, preferences, and allergies. From there, a 'food health score' is generated to help predict how well a food fits a personalized need.
“So we could be both looking at the same salad from Bread Zeppelin for example, but your food health score on that salad and mine are going to be different based on our personalized health needs," said Citro Alexander.
She and her co-founder, Chris Fanucchi, came up with the idea for this app after their own personal health journeys and dietary needs.
“My interest in food health, which is the sector we say Bitewell lives in started when I was 12, I was a super healthy kid, and then, over the course of six months, I lost about 25% of my body weight, and we couldn’t figure out why. It turns out that I was lactose intolerant, which is such a simple thing, right? But the food that I was eating in my big Italian family, we eat lots of cheese and ravioli and all the things I can’t eat, the food I was eating wasn't working for my body," explained Citro Alexander.
She said she's constantly trying to figure out what kind of foods will react well with her body given her allergies and dietary restrictions.
Local
The latest news from around North Texas.
“After I realized this was a problem for me that I wanted to solve personally, like how helpful would it be if I could open my phone and just know what food around me is right for me right? We started interviewing people and we started learning more about this space, and it turns out that over 50% of us, so between the two of us here, it's likely that one of the two of us has an allergy, a dietary restriction or a medical condition that impacts the food that we eat," said Citro Alexander.
She said they're trying to get the app in the Dallas area first before expanding to a broader national market. They ran the pilot program here first with a couple of thousand early testers.
They're trying to get the apps into the hands of people through businesses and insurance.
“Chris and I realized there was this huge problem, we sat down and tried to figure out if we need to reach more than 50% of the population, how in the world do we do that? So we realized that through corporations and insurance providers, we could reach a really large portion of the population and provide this product to them in a way that works with their overall health and medical program," said Citro Alexander.
"We in the US spend over $50 billion dollars a year on medical costs related to nutrition, which is more than any other Western country. We’re seeing tons of employers heading into the market trying to figure out how they can add a nutrition program, like Bitewell a food health program, into their overall medical package, to try and bring down some of that spend and increase the health of their employee base," she said.
People who signed up for the app's waitlist will get it for free for the first year, otherwise, it costs $9 per month. | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/dallas-developers-of-new-app-bitewell-says-it-helps-sort-meals-by-nutritional-goals/3016381/ | 2022-07-17T15:09:23 | 1 | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/dallas-developers-of-new-app-bitewell-says-it-helps-sort-meals-by-nutritional-goals/3016381/ |
Property owners within Tucson Unified School District can expect to pay slightly less in school taxes this year, while the district will still operate a higher budget than initially proposed earlier this summer.
The TUSD governing board approved on Tuesday a $808 million budget for fiscal year 2022-2023, more than the $660 million budget originally proposed.
Board members also approved lowering the district's property tax rate from $2.66 to $2.55 per $100 of assessed value.
District officials said those changes were made possible due to higher investments for K-12 education in the state budget, as well as Gov. Doug Ducey’s elimination of the state equalization fund, a statewide property tax that previously helped fund K-12 education.
“The Legislature has decided to pick up the tab and move that off the books of the taxpayers across the state for this year,” Ricky Hernandez, TUSD's chief financial officer, told the governing board during Tuesday’s meeting.
People are also reading…
The state budget, approved in late June, included $1 billion in new money for K-12 education in Arizona.
School districts are typically not allowed to approve a higher budget than originally proposed, but Hernandez said the state made an exception to that rule this year for districts to take into account the legislative changes.
TUSD’s approved budget includes $370 million for its maintenance and operation fund, which covers teacher and staff salaries.
It also sets $15 as the new minimum wage rate, up from the $13.50 that the board approved in the previous school year.
“I definitely want to thank everyone who advocated with the state Legislature around the state of Arizona to really bring in some additional funding that is much needed to our public schools and our public education system,” said board member Ravi Shah.
Have any questions or news tips about K-12 education in Southern Arizona? Contact reporter Genesis Lara at glara@tucson.com | https://tucson.com/news/local/education/tusd-slightly-lowers-tax-rate-for-property-owners/article_450775b2-03a3-11ed-a696-b36d6206a9ad.html | 2022-07-17T15:16:04 | 0 | https://tucson.com/news/local/education/tusd-slightly-lowers-tax-rate-for-property-owners/article_450775b2-03a3-11ed-a696-b36d6206a9ad.html |
HARRIS COUNTY, Texas — The body of what deputies believe to be is a missing teen was found Sunday morning, according to Sheriff Ed Gonzalez.
Editorial note: The above video is from before the body was found.
Deputies were called out to Magnolia Gardens Park near the San Jacinto River some time Saturday night to begin the search.
According to Gonzalez, the person, who is possibly 13 years old, was last seen exiting the water and walking to shore. The body was discovered along the shoreline of the area.
HCSO's Marine Unit responded with K-9s and an underwater drone to help.
The search was temporarily suspended around 3 a.m. Sunday before resuming a few hours later.
The person has not yet been identified.
This is a developing story, check back for updates. | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/houston-missing-teen-san-jacinto-river/285-9216baf8-ca43-4ac6-8684-5c7784a0c8b9 | 2022-07-17T15:20:26 | 0 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/houston-missing-teen-san-jacinto-river/285-9216baf8-ca43-4ac6-8684-5c7784a0c8b9 |
SAN ANTONIO — Police believe that alcohol is to blame for a rollover crash on the northwest side of town overnight that sent three people to the hospital.
It happened around 2:37 a.m. at the intersection of Callaghan Rd. and Evers Rd.
Police and firefighters responded to the location for reports of a rollover crash.
According to the sergeant on the scene, a woman was traveling south on Callaghan and is believed to have run a red light, t-boning a second car that was traveling east on Evers Rd., causing it to flip over and land on it's side.
The two people inside that car were both taken to University Hospital, the driver in stable condition and his female passenger in critical condition.
The driver who allegedly ran the red light was checked out on scene by EMS and released. Her passenger was also taken to the hospital to in stable condition.
The police sergeant said they believe alcohol was a factor in the crash. The driver was put through a field sobriety test and subsequently arrested. Police say she is being booked on intoxication assault at this time and the charges could be upgraded at a later time.
No other injuries were reported and no other details were provided.
Learn more about KENS 5:
Since going on the air in 1950, KENS 5 has strived to be the best, most trusted news and entertainment source for generations of San Antonians.
KENS 5 has brought numerous firsts to South Texas television, including being the first local station with a helicopter, the first with its own Doppler radar and the first to air a local morning news program.
Over the years, KENS 5 has worked to transform local news. Our cameras have been the lens bringing history into local viewers' homes. We're proud of our legacy as we serve San Antonians today.
Today, KENS 5 continues to set the standard in local broadcasting and is recognized by its peers for excellence and innovation. The KENS 5 News team focuses on stories that really matter to our community.
You can find KENS 5 in more places than ever before, including KENS5.com, the KENS 5 app, the KENS 5 YouTube channel, KENS 5's Roku and Fire TV apps, and across social media on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and more!
Want to get in touch with someone at KENS 5? You can send a message using our Contacts page or email one of our team members. | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/police-say-alcohol-to-blame-for-rollover-crash-that-injured-three-san-antonio-texas-accident-dwi/273-2b075f19-342b-4e32-bdb3-5fe735786762 | 2022-07-17T15:20:32 | 1 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/police-say-alcohol-to-blame-for-rollover-crash-that-injured-three-san-antonio-texas-accident-dwi/273-2b075f19-342b-4e32-bdb3-5fe735786762 |
TEXAS, USA — A soldier with the Texas National Guard died on Thursday in a "non-mission related incident," according to the Texas Military Department.
The Guardsman was assigned to Governor Greg Abbott's Operation Lone Star in the Rio Grande Valley.
TMD says the name of the deceased soldier won't be released while they notify the next of kin.
The soldier's cause of death is under investigation, but the department says the soldier suffered a medical emergency in his hotel and was not able to be revived.
According to the San Antonio Express-News, the 52-year-old guardsman was from the San Antonio area.
The soldier was a team leader for the 36th Infantry Division's Delta Company, 536th Brigade Support Battalion and the 72nd Brigade Combat Team, the Express-News says.
The soldier's death comes after Guardsman Bishop E. Evans drowned back in April trying to rescue migrants.
The Express-News says they've tracked six casualties so far connected with Operation Lone Star. | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/texas/texas-national-guard-soldier-dies/285-7d89d1bf-9a0f-43cf-9749-9995855a786e | 2022-07-17T15:20:38 | 0 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/texas/texas-national-guard-soldier-dies/285-7d89d1bf-9a0f-43cf-9749-9995855a786e |
NORMAL — When she started at Illinois State University a year ago, President Terri Goss Kinzy tried to read every paper that came across her desk. She soon realized that was impossible.
“I've always felt really strongly about empowering leaders throughout the organization and this has been, for me, the chance to really understand why that's so important and why it's great for the organization,” she said.
Kinzy was announced as the next ISU president in May 2021. She started in the job on July 1 of that year, joining ISU from Western Reserve University. Prior to that, she had worked at Rutgers University in New Jersey.
As a vice president, Kinzy appreciated the trust that her president had in their team. She has learned to utilize executive summaries and trust her team to bring her attention to what she needs to see. Several of Kinzy’s cabinet members also started during the pandemic. With all of the cabinet meetings being held via Zoom, they were missing out on those more casual before- and after-meeting conversations that build community and lead to new ideas, Kinzy said.
Illinois Wesleyan University President Georgia Nugent said that she felt Kinzy has done a "terrific job" in a potentially difficult first year.
"She is clearly a seasoned administrator, a strong scholar, and a terrific advocate for her university," Nugent said.
It took a while to settle into the role and feel like she was actually talking about herself when talking about her job, Kinzy said. Now, though, she has hit her stride and will even teach a course in leadership next school year. Women's basketball coach Kristen Gillespie will co-teach the course with her, following a standout season with an NCAA tournament appearance.
Celebrating women’s athletics
Kinzy is the first woman to lead the university and has been active in events held across the university the past year to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Title IX, which expanded opportunities for women at educational institutions across the country.
"I think it's really authentic, because Illinois State takes its women's athletics programs as seriously as it takes its men's athletics programs," she said.
It was also a good year for women’s athletics at ISU, with five women’s teams winning their Missouri Valley Conference championships: volleyball, basketball, golf, tennis and outdoor track and field. These helped ISU take the MVC All-Sports Championship.
During an interview with The Pantagraph earlier this summer, women’s basketball coach Gillespie expressed her appreciation for the dedication of current and past ISU administrators.
“From the president on down, they find value in women’s athletics. Linda (Herman), Jill (Hutchison), Melinda (Fischer), Leanna (Bordner), they did all the dirty work, so to speak. Myself and Allie (volleyball coach Matters) get to reap the benefits,” she said. “I know it’s not like this at all schools out there. There is nothing we don’t have that hinders our success at ISU. I feel so fortunate for that to be the case.”
COVID's constant presence
COVID remains a challenge. At the start of last school year, ISU had hoped most of the more extreme mitigation measures like remote classes were in the past, Kinzy said. But the school decided to move to remote classes for two weeks after winter break as the omicron wave led to a nationwide spike in cases.
One piece of feedback she had heard from the Academic Senate was that they wanted to hear about these decisions earlier. While the constant changes in COVID could make that difficult, Kinzy said the administration tried to meet that request, announcing the move to remote two weeks ahead of it starting.
"I know everyone didn't love the decision, but in the end I think we approached it right, because I know some places made the decision two or three days before classes started," she said.
COVID is one place that highlights cooperation among higher education in Bloomington-Normal, Nugent said.
"We meet quarterly for a breakfast with the school district supervisors, and we frequently communicate with one another," she said. "For example, as COVID decisions need to be made, we have often reached out to one another to learn how the other institutions are proceeding or simply to seek advice and collaboration."
Student Government Association President Patrick Walsh said COVID was one place where he felt students really wanted to make their voices heard. He has had conversations with Kinzy about how the administration makes those decisions and said he appreciates the fact the ISU has followed state mandates so closely. He added he hopes the university will continue to do so while also listening to students about how they can feel safe on campus.
"She came into the presidency at a tough time, during COVID, leaving what was the climax of COVID but still in the midst of it," Walsh said.
Walsh, who will be a senior this fall and was vice president of the SGA last year, said he's been impressed at his opportunities to talk with Kinzy, such as about mental health. That is something he feels students want to see a commitment to in coming years, especially in response to the pandemic.
ISU, through mechanisms like SGA and the Academic Senate, provides chances for administration to hear from students, Walsh said. In his view, Kinzy has embraced those institutions. That is not true at all schools, he said.
"I believe that students are always going to push to make their voices heard," he said.
Adapting to a new state
Illinois' higher education system is more complicated than Kinzy expected. She said it is different from New Jersey, where she was part of one of the largest school mergers ever, when most of the schools in the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey became Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences.
Locally, Kinzy said she is excited by the cooperation with IWU and Heartland Community College. Nugent agreed, describing the relationship as more cooperative than competitive and said that cooperation may increase in coming years.
"(President Kinzy) and I have spoken a bit about whether there are more opportunities for our faculty to collaborate in research and so forth. Actually, as we further develop our relationship with Heartland, particularly in terms of transfer opportunities, I also anticipate that we will be making efforts to bring faculty members from those institutions together more frequently," Nugent said.
At the state level, Kinzy is a member of the Commission on Equitable Public University Funding, organized by the Illinois Board of Higher Education. IBHE has made the process easy for the members, providing spreadsheets and data on how other states' public education funding works, she said.
The Commission is running on schedule and should have something ready to present by next July, she said.
"I'm excited to see how it takes the best of what other states have done but puts our Illinois stamp on it, which will be, probably, a larger equity stamp than you see in some of the older formulas that have been developed in other states," she said.
Another intersection with IBHE is the development of an equity plan, a new requirement under state law for public institutions.
"I think what will be fun about these plans when we share them is to share best practices across all the state universities in Illinois, and probably some of the privates as well, I'm sure will be following," Kinzy said.
Kinzy said she was impressed by the cooperation IBHE gave ISU in developing plans for the new College of Engineering.
"The collaboration with IBHE I think was actually really useful and that in the end, our proposal was much better," she said.
Kinzy believes the university is still on track to start enrolling students in the College of Engineering in fall 2025. The search for an inaugural dean will start when school resumes this fall, she said, as will the curriculum development.
"The hard work was not the approval, though that was a lot of work, the next work is equally if not more important," Kinzy said.
Walsh was a student senator in the Academic Senate when the body first heard about the plans and is excited to see it moving forward.
"Engineering is definitely a career that will remain highly desired," he said.
2022-23 school year
Housing for fall of this year is already full, Kinzy said. Freshmen and sophomores are required to live on campus, though Student Affairs staff shared at a board meeting earlier this year that a new facility would largely go toward meeting existing demand for on-campus housing.
“Over the last number of years, we’ve had more and more juniors and seniors actually indicate that they would like to live on campus, but we just don’t have the space for them,” Vice President for Student Affairs Levester Johnson told the board in May.
A new residence hall would address this and hopefully also allow some transfer and international students to live on campus, Kinzy said.
Connected with housing, Kinzy said enrollment numbers for next year are promising, though the university will not know for sure until the 10th day census is taken after fall semester begins.
“All signs are positive,” Kinzy said. | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/education/watch-now-isu-president-settled-forward-looking-after-first-year/article_117aaaba-03b3-11ed-b03b-b3408acca0ef.html | 2022-07-17T15:21:40 | 1 | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/education/watch-now-isu-president-settled-forward-looking-after-first-year/article_117aaaba-03b3-11ed-b03b-b3408acca0ef.html |
For the better part of three generations, Biasi’s Drug Store was one of the busier places in downtown Bloomington.
In 1922, Edward C. Biasi opened a store on the northeast corner of the courthouse square. For the next 62 years Biasi’s was a fixture on the first floor of the six-story Griesheim Building (see accompanying photograph), with Biasi calling it “probably the very best business location of Bloomington.”
Raised in Dubuque, Iowa, Biasi began working in a drug store at the age of 12, and after a year or so he was busy “filling quinine capsules and packaging other drugs and waiting on a few customers about the store.”
Around the same time he ran a summer concession selling popcorn and peanuts on a Mississippi River excursion steamer, and near the end of his high school years he was working nearly full-time at another drug store.
Biasi graduated from Northwestern University’s College of Pharmacy in 1912 and then worked as a druggist in Streator and East Dubuque, Illinois, before opening his very own business in Pontiac in 1914.
Eight years later he purchased Bonnett’s, a drug store on the square in Bloomington, giving him a presence in two Central Illinois communities (the Pontiac store would close in 1944). When Biasi moved into Bonnett’s it featured old timey oak fixtures, plate glass wall cases, an elaborate 12-foot-long soda fountain, an ice box for cut flowers, and a cigar counter. There was also a cashier’s cage at the front of the store for the purpose of handling the heavy volume of change carried by streetcar motormen.
Edward Biasi also operated a drug store in Towanda from 1926-1933 and one at the corner of Market and Main streets in downtown Bloomington from 1928-1935. In early 1935, he opened another Bloomington store at 1501 E. Jackson St.
The flagship store on the courthouse square was extensively remodeled over the years. To mark the store’s 15th anniversary in 1937, for instance, Biasi’s expanded its fountain and lunch counter service by some 20 seats while discontinuing the rental library, liquor department and electrical goods line.
The Great Depression was the heyday of fountain service, and old timers may remember not only Biasi’s, but also Boylan’s and Hildebrandt’s, as well as soda shops such as Gus Schrolle’s. It’s hard to believe (or maybe not so hard) that until the mid-1950s, African Americans were often — if not always — unwelcome at downtown lunch counters and restaurants.
Biasi’s employed several female pharmacists in its early years, including Josephine Janes, who “retired from business life” in 1941, and Dorothy Thomas, who replaced James. There was also Tillie Mittlestaedt, manager of the East Jackson Street store when it first opened, and Florence Friedewald, book-keeper for 17 years.
On May 14, 1956, Biasi’s celebrated a milestone when Bloomington resident Glenn Patrick drew the store’s one millionth prescription.
Although Edward C. Biasi passed away in June 1963 at the age of 71, the business remained an ongoing concern as Biasi’s Drug Stores, Inc.
In 1973, pharmacists John L. “Jack” Ingold and Steven Richter purchased the drug store, though Ingold, who had worked there full-time since 1958, would become the sole owner.
Disaster struck in late August 1984, when the Griesheim Building was lost in one of the more spectacular fires in Twin City history. The blaze proved a complete loss for Ingold, though with the help of John McGinnis he opened a temporary location at the former Color Wheel store at 413 N. Main St. To his credit, Ingold (who passed away in 2012) never entertained the idea of moving his store to the city’s sprawling east side.
In mid-October 1984, less than two months after the fire, Biasi’s was back on the east side of the courthouse square, now in the Unity Building, a similarly impressive multistory professional building located on the south end of the block.
Incredibly, less than four years later, July 3, 1988, a fire destroyed the Unity Building. “Lightning does strike twice,” a stunned Ingold said the following day.
Biasi’s reopened that same month on the south side of the courthouse square, and in November 1990, the drug store moved into the newly constructed Snyder Building, which had replaced the Griesheim and Unity buildings as well as those sandwiched in between on the 200 block of North Main Street.
FROM THE ARCHIVES: B-N residents shop local
112617-blm-loc-10smallbusiness
112617-blm-loc-3smallbusiness
112617-blm-loc-4smallbusiness
112617-blm-loc-5smallbusiness
112617-blm-loc-6smallbusiness
112617-blm-loc-2smallbusiness
112617-blm-loc-7smallbusiness
112617-blm-loc-9smallbusiness
112617-blm-loc-1smallbusiness
112617-blm-loc-8smallbusiness
After three-quarters of a century in downtown Bloomington, Biasi’s closed for good on Jan. 18, 1997. | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/history/biasi-s-drug-store-enjoyed-longtime-downtown-presence/article_5303119e-03e9-11ed-a7ff-c725c6c5ec83.html | 2022-07-17T15:21:46 | 0 | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/history/biasi-s-drug-store-enjoyed-longtime-downtown-presence/article_5303119e-03e9-11ed-a7ff-c725c6c5ec83.html |
ATLANTA — Police are investigating after they say a person was shot in the chest with a crossbow at an Atlanta convenience store Saturday night.
Atlanta Police add that the victim is in stable condition.
While details are limited at this time, we do know from police that all this happened at the Pic N Pay on Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway.
This is a developing story. Check back often for new information.
Also download the 11Alive News app and sign up to receive alerts for the latest on this story and other breaking news in Atlanta and north Georgia. | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/man-shot-with-crossbow-convenience-store/85-d3074b33-ef2c-4fd7-a5ab-86dab9a36add | 2022-07-17T15:32:11 | 1 | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/man-shot-with-crossbow-convenience-store/85-d3074b33-ef2c-4fd7-a5ab-86dab9a36add |
MUNSTER — Jacqueline Frabotta’s daily routine of running her restaurant, Dino’s Pizza, finally seemed back to normal after it was closed for nearly 15 months due to COVID-19.
Then October came around.
Frabotta began to experience pain on the right side of her abdomen that soon traveled to her left side. One day after feeling dizzy at work, her husband, Michael, brought her to the emergency room.
After having an ultrasound, doctors believed Frabotta had an aneurysm on her abdomen, but a CT scan later revealed she had a mass on a lymph node and another on her spleen.
Doctors did a biopsy on one of the masses, and on Jan. 24, 2022, Frabotta was diagnosed with high-grade B-cell lymphoma. She had a port put in Feb. 7 and began chemotherapy the following week.
“I always went into my appointments with a positive attitude,” she said sitting next to Michael at Franciscan Health Infusion Center in Munster. “Doctors told me this was a high-grade cancer but also that is was highly curable, so I just followed protocol.”
People are also reading…
Mary Linaris, a registered nurse at the center, said Frabotta always came into the hospital as a ray of sunshine.
“Her treatment has been influential. She’s been influential as a person,” Linaris said with emotion in her voice. “So many times I feel like patients come in here complimenting and thanking us for the difference we make in their lives, but they don’t realize what a difference they make in our lives.”
Frabotta completed treatment from home with a 24-hour drip chemo bag Monday through Thursday.
“I’d come into the hospital every day so they could swap out my bag then say, ‘I’m taking my Louis home,’” she said with a chuckle. “I’d call the bag my Louis Vuitton.”
Her treatment was a 21-day cycle with in-person chemotherapy Friday mornings.
“The Friday treatment would give me like a three-day hangover, I’d just feel out of sorts,” Frabotta said. “You’re lying around and just tired. I probably watched the most TV of my life in the past six months.”
In April, Frabotta had a PET scan that determined the mass was completely gone on her spleen and the cells that still existed on her lymph node were considered nonactive. Her final day of chemotherapy was June 10.
After her last treatment was complete, Frabotta was the first patient to ring the infusion center’s newly added brass bell, purchased with donations from Franciscan Health Foundation. A plaque on the bell reads: “Ring this bell three times well to celebrate this day. This course is run, my treatment done, now I am on my way.”
Grace Olivares, the infusion center’s charge nurse, scheduled Frabotta to ring the bell on a Friday afternoon so she could celebrate with her daughter, Caitlin, Michael and Michael’s aunt.
“I rang the bell and said, ‘Every time a bell rings, an angel gets its wings,’” Frabotta said. “I lost a friend to breast cancer in May. I felt like my bell ringing gave her her wings.”
Catherine Zdziarski, the chaplain at Franciscan Health Munster, said the addition of this bell gives patients joy.
“I think when patients are able to look forward to a celebration and then include others in that celebration, it helps keep their spirits up during their treatment,” Zdziarski said. “Their spirits are uplifted for the day they can ring the bell, and when they hear someone else ring it.”
Frabotta has a doctor's appointment in the next six weeks to receive her final status of her diagnosis, but she said she's feeling better and can finally eat what she wants again. | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/munster/cancer-patient-battles-hard-to-ring-franciscans-new-bell/article_3c6612aa-9eab-5b96-88d7-e53d89bb7230.html | 2022-07-17T15:41:10 | 1 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/munster/cancer-patient-battles-hard-to-ring-franciscans-new-bell/article_3c6612aa-9eab-5b96-88d7-e53d89bb7230.html |
Five questions with ... Trevor Householder, education programmer/historian at Stark Parks
Trevor Householder is the education programmer at Stark Parks. Part of his job is park historian. As such, his main focus is on the historic properties located throughout the Stark Parks system, including The Magnolia Flouring Mills.
The other historical sites he works with include Quail Hollow Park, Molly Stark Park, and the Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath Trail. Similar to the mill, Trevor plans educational programs and tours involving those areas.
The mill was closed for periods of time for restoration work along with the pandemic, but Householder estimates that there have been a few hundred visitors who came for public tours through civic groups that request them.
"We give tours typically in the warmer season between April and October, but our busiest time is the Sandy Beaver Canal Days festival that occurs in Magnolia in August," he said.
Meet Emily Miller:Five questions with ... Emily Miller of Country Cones
Householder graduated from Kent State University at Stark in 2015 with a degree in middle childhood education. After graduating, he decided he wanted to look into careers in outdoor education.
He worked for a season at the FFA Camp Muskingum at Leesville Lake in the nature’s classroom program and loved the setting and the experiences connecting people to nature.
"Once the season was nearing an end, a position working as the historian in the education department at Stark Parks opened up and I applied, and I’ve been here since 2016," Householder said.
He and his wife Brianne live in Plain Township. They have one daughter, Isla (pronounced eye-la).
Meet Daniel Matea:Five questions with ... Daniel Matea, founder of Heart and Soles Ministries
What your role is at Stark Parks?
My role for Stark Parks is to develop, coordinate and present interpretive and educational programming and events in the areas of nature, history, and recreation throughout various locations within the Stark County Park District.
The Magnolia Flouring Mills is one of Stark Parks’ historical sites. Would you share how you help visitors learn about the history of the mill?
My main purpose at the Magnolia Flouring Mills is to provide in-person tours of the site and share information on the history of the mill and town of Magnolia.
For me, the best history lessons are those that use your senses to create moments that you’ll always remember. When you’re in the mill, you can see the old hand-hewn beams and imagine what it must have been like to build structures from the old growth forests.
A visitor can still feel the corrugations on the rollers in the rolling mills that were used to create flour. They can almost hear the age of the building as they walk on the old floorboards on the first level. It’s those types of takeaways I hope people can have and appreciate when they come to the mill.
How do you educate yourself on the history and the backgrounds of all the historical sites in the Stark Parks system?
For anything I’m unsure of and can’t find the answer through our internal resources, I usually reach out to the local historical societies, libraries, and museums to help me with finding resources.
I’m not originally from Stark County, but I must say that one of the county’s greatest strengths are all of the communities who work hard to preserve their history and their pride in sharing it with anyone interested.
As a history buff, what are some of the topics you like to study the most?
When I was a child, I loved learning everything I could about the U.S. presidents. One of my earliest memories related to learning about history was driving to Canton with my dad to visit the Wm. McKinley Presidential Library & Museum.
While I still hold the presidents near and dear to my heart, I’ve grown to appreciate anything related to Ohio history.
Now that I’m a father, I hope I can take my family to many of the historical places Ohio has to offer and help foster that love of learning about history like my dad did.
Would you share the top three most interesting facts about the Magnolia Flouring Mills?
- The Elson family owned this mill for over 170 years before it was acquired by Stark Parks. How many companies in this country can claim that?
- To me, the mill is a story about more than just Magnolia. It really shows the industrialization of the United States. It has machines made in places like New York, Indiana, and Ohio just to name a few!
- The mill is listed on the National Register of Historic Places which is the official list of properties recognized by the federal government as worthy of preservation for local, state, or national significance in American History.
Editor's note: Five questions with ... is a Sunday feature that showcases a member of the Stark County community. If you'd like to recommend someone to participate, send an email to newsroom@cantonrep.com. | https://www.cantonrep.com/story/news/local/2022/07/17/five-questions-trevor-householder-stark-parks/7770646001/ | 2022-07-17T15:54:32 | 0 | https://www.cantonrep.com/story/news/local/2022/07/17/five-questions-trevor-householder-stark-parks/7770646001/ |
When Tressa Alioth was sworn in last year, she quietly became the first Black woman to be appointed as a district court judge in Nebraska, a fact even she was surprised to learn.
"Obviously, we’ve had other people of color, just not a Black woman," said the Omaha judge, a graduate of Creighton University School of Law.
In 1971, Elizabeth Davis Pittman became not only the first woman to serve as a judge in the state, but also the first Black person. Edna Atkins followed in 1992. Both were county court judges in Douglas County appointed by Democratic governors.
In 2005, Marlon Polk, then a civil attorney in Omaha, became the first Black man to be named a district court judge in Nebraska. This time, by a Republican governor.
Alioth said by the time she learned that Gov. Pete Ricketts had chosen her, making her the first Black woman in the state to preside over the state's most serious cases, she'd already been a prosecutor for 23 years and was familiar with, as she put it, "quite frankly, just lack of diversity in our field, period."
People are also reading…
To be clear, she said she took an oath to uphold the law, just as she did as a prosecutor.
"So it doesn’t change, by any means, the way that I conduct my courtroom," Alioth said. "I believe that everybody has equal justice."
Still, there have been times when she's come out into her courtroom and noticed a look of surprise or calm by someone when they see she looks like they do.
Alioth, who grew up in north Omaha, said she got the same looks as a prosecutor.
She said there are a lot of people who complain about the judicial system, the prosecutorial system and law enforcement. Rather than complain, she challenges them to be part of making it different, making sure the law applies equally.
"Be part of letting everyone know that they have the same voice that others have and are afforded that same opportunity throughout the process,” Alioth said.
She said she's in awe every day that she was the one to break barriers and it was 2021.
"So it just lets us know that there’s still a lot to be done by way of not only judges, but also just the legal profession in general," Alioth said.
In their own words: Judges, lawyers, professors discuss diversity in Nebraska's legal community
On Juneteenth, as the country neared Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson's swearing-in as the first Black woman on the U.S. Supreme Court, the Journal Star reached out to several people on the bench, in the legal community and at Nebraska's law schools to ask their thoughts about diversity in the state's courtrooms.
We asked what drew them to a career in law; how long they've been working in Nebraska and if they plan to stay; why diversity is important in the judicial system and what can be done to foster diversity in the legal community.
View their answers below.
"I immigrated from a country with little rule of law and it is inspiring every day to be a part of this great country’s system of law and justice."
"We need to help make the journey to law school more accessible for young people. Many people of color or from diverse backgrounds do not have attorneys in their families or broader friend groups."
"Having an awareness that each individual is different and unique based on a culmination of their life experiences is the foundation of equity and fairness."
"One thing that will improve diversity among attorneys and judges here in Nebraska is to try to retain the diverse law students that attend Nebraska law schools."
"No matter who you are, we need lawyers and judges in our communities who look like you or share your life experiences."
"Bringing diversity of skills and experiences to any endeavor can result in a better end-product, whether it is a house or a judicial system."
"In order to apply the law in the most equitable fashion possible, the judicial system must incorporate the varied perspectives of all of its constituents."
Reach the writer at 402-473-7237 or lpilger@journalstar.com.
On Twitter @LJSpilger
Reporter Andrew Wegley contributed to this report. | https://journalstar.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/first-female-black-district-judge-in-nebraska-there-s-still-a-lot-to-be-done/article_4aaf487a-9aa5-54c7-b285-70810cc8583d.html | 2022-07-17T15:55:14 | 0 | https://journalstar.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/first-female-black-district-judge-in-nebraska-there-s-still-a-lot-to-be-done/article_4aaf487a-9aa5-54c7-b285-70810cc8583d.html |
Job title: Adjunct Professor of Law, University of Nebraska College of Law
What drew you to a career in law?
I am a scientist at heart. I received an MS and PhD in Molecular Biology from the University of Michigan. As a working scientist, I had first-hand understanding of how innovation and scientific breakthroughs were affected by decisions made by politicians and since I am not one to complain endlessly about stupid rules, I felt that instead I could be a resource for positive change. I wanted to be a resource; however, PhDs are not often part of the conversation because 1) they do not speak the language of law and 2) many scientist are not great at making what they do relatable. To speak the language of the law, I went to law school and because part of my best skill sets is the ability to convey complex ideas understandably to any audience, I was very successful.
People are also reading…
Was there a person or experience that inspired you?
There was not one person specifically, but many. Firstly, I was fortunate that my family valued education, hard work, self-reliance and entrepreneurship. I was also fortunate that a very diverse biochemistry laboratory, headed by Dr. Rowena Matthews, was available for me to pursue my PhD education. The variety of life experiences and personalities in Dr. Matthews' lab helped me grow into a better scientist, communicator and colleague. I believe I did the same for them. It was like a family and a marked contrast to other laboratories I experienced during my rotations, where I was treated like "an other" and "less than" where my very existence in the space was wordlessly questioned or tolerated rather than supported. I never felt that in Dr. Matthews lab. I expect because as a pioneering woman in the formerly male dominated field, Dr. Matthews provided an environment where I, and others, felt supported, succeeded and thrived.
How long have you been working in Nebraska? Do you plan to stay?
Before I even left LNK airport on my first arrival, I fell in love with the quality of life in Lincoln. That was 2011. To be honest, if I had not met my now-husband here, I probably would have moved on a long time ago. While everyone is so nice here, people here grew up together, went to the same schools, had families, have extended families and long standing social groups. I was welcomed into my now-husband’s social circle and family, but without that, it would have been very solitary existence.
Is diversity important in the judicial system and, if so, why?
When people ask this question, my first reaction is, incredulity. If this needs to be explained, then a mind has already been made and nothing I say will change a heart or a mind. But since you asked ... We all have different experiences, skills and toolsets. Would a wise person build their dream house just by hiring a plumber? While plumbers are awesome and necessary to build a house, I assume most people would probably end up with a better house if they had a diversity of skill sets (not just plumbers) working together to build a home on a sound foundation that could survive the tests of time, weather, and wear. Bringing diversity of skills and experiences to any endeavor can result in a better end-product, whether it is a house or a judicial system. For me, I value the perspectives of others because while I know what I think, believe, understand and feel, I am not aware of blind spots that would be obvious to others. Perspective requires humbleness, openness and input apart from one’s own experience.
What is one thing that can be done here to improve diversity among attorneys and judges?
If this were an easy, one-solution question, the judiciary would not be lacking diversity. I suppose one thought is that, while nice is wonderful, neighborly is great but those things alone may not be enough for someone to feel supported so that they can thrive. It has often been said that 11 o'clock on Sunday morning is the most segregated hour. Perhaps that is true, but it is followed closely by 6 p.m. at dinner every day of the week.
Reach the writer at 402-473-7237 or lpilger@journalstar.com.
On Twitter @LJSpilger | https://journalstar.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/in-their-own-words-christal-sheppard/article_d200f878-e1ae-59c5-bf53-afe089c765d5.html | 2022-07-17T15:55:20 | 0 | https://journalstar.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/in-their-own-words-christal-sheppard/article_d200f878-e1ae-59c5-bf53-afe089c765d5.html |
Job title: Assistant Professor of Law Library and Reference Librarian in the Law Library at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
What drew you to a career in law?
I was drawn to a career in law because I witnessed many injustices and abuses within my community growing up. Often, these injustices were compounded by the fact that my underrepresented, primarily minority community lacked access to resources and opportunities, or could not financially afford them. I wanted to help combat this and decided that becoming an attorney was the best way to do so. In many ways, my community and cultural background are what inspired me to pursue a career in the legal profession.
How long have you been working in Nebraska and do you plan to stay?
In August 2022, I will begin working for the College of Law. Currently, I am studying for the Nebraska July 2022 Bar Exam. I attended the University of Nebraska College of Law for law school and moved to Lincoln three years ago. I love the university, community, and Lincoln itself. After experiencing a couple of personal losses, I realized that Lincoln is my home. I chose the College of Law over my other post-graduation job prospects, including a well-known prestigious university. I intend to stay at Nebraska Law for as long as they will have me.
People are also reading…
Is diversity important in the judicial system and, if so, why?
Diversity is vital within the judicial system. I believe that, above all else, representation matters. Diversity on the bench allows for judges to make better-informed decisions and increases public trust, especially within underrepresented communities, in our judicial system. The lack of a diverse judicial system is often traced back to our nation’s long history of gender and racial discrimination and inequalities in access to legal education. The judicial system should represent the communities they serve, which is why having a diverse judiciary is crucial to the legal profession.
What is one thing that can be done here to improve diversity among attorneys and judges?
One thing that will improve diversity among attorneys and judges here in Nebraska is to try to retain the diverse law students that attend Nebraska law schools. It is a shame when talented, diverse “baby” lawyers leave Nebraska to go elsewhere because they did not feel valued, could not find a job, had a terrible experience, etc. Recently, at Nebraska Law, there has been an increase in our diversity numbers for each entering class. I believe that if we could manage to retain more of these diverse law students post-graduation, then we would gradually see an overall improvement in diversity in Nebraska's legal profession.
Reach the writer at 402-473-7237 or lpilger@journalstar.com.
On Twitter @LJSpilger | https://journalstar.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/in-their-own-words-genesis-agosto/article_01a82c2d-ae87-5f88-8092-c3799c9e8978.html | 2022-07-17T15:55:26 | 1 | https://journalstar.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/in-their-own-words-genesis-agosto/article_01a82c2d-ae87-5f88-8092-c3799c9e8978.html |
Job Title: Douglas County District Court Judge
What drew you to a career in law?
Most of our citizens may only have one contact with our legal system. As an attorney and as a judge I have the opportunity to make those experiences as positive and dignified as possible for every person who appears before me. I immigrated from a country with little rule of law and it is inspiring every day to be a part of this great country’s system of law and justice.
Overcoming the educational challenge of being raised in a Spanish-speaking home and the cultural shock of leaving Nicaragua under duress, I went on to attend Spring Hill College, a small Jesuit school in Mobile, Alabama, where I graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Finance/Economics and with a Master’s degree in Business Administration. Driven by my own personal journey through our immigration legal system I obtained my Juris Doctorate from Creighton University School of Law in Omaha, Nebraska, graduating cum laude in 2002.
People are also reading…
My personal journey of immigrating to the United States and going through our immigration system has given me an appreciation for our legal system, great admiration for this country, and in particular the great state of Nebraska. My positive experiences have bolstered me as an attorney and as a judge to effectively administer justice in the most unbiased and fair manner possible, applying the rule of law to the facts as they are presented to me.
Was there a person or experience that inspired you?
My personal immigration journey inspired me to become an attorney. In 1979, when I was 4 years old, my family and I were forced to flee Nicaragua due to a civil war between the Somoza and Sandinista regimes. My family lost everything in the war. My family and I traveled to El Salvador, where the war followed us. Six months later, we moved to Guatemala. A year later, we traveled to the United States and entered at the port of entry of Miami International Airport on B-1/B-2 visas and it was there that my path toward United States citizenship commenced.
My father and mother filed for asylum in the United States. My sister and I were included in their asylum petition for relief. Several years later, the asylum individual hearing was heard before an immigration judge in Houston, Texas. When I was in the fifth grade, I became a legal permanent resident of the United States, and as a junior in high school with great gratitude, I became a United States citizen.
My long immigration journey inspired me to become an attorney. As an attorney and as a Judge I do not take for granted the freedom and liberties that are afforded to us in the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of Nebraska. In the United States of America we are all given equal opportunity to become anything that we desire to become.
How long have you been working in Nebraska? Do you plan to stay?
I am a graduate of Creighton Law School in Omaha, Nebraska, and I have been working in Nebraska since 2003. As a proud adoptive son of the great state of Nebraska, I plan to stay in Nebraska. My enthusiasm for the law that developed during my formative legal career portended what became a true passion for upholding the laws of our country and the State of Nebraska and for ensuring that all are citizens are heard, properly represented, and treated with respect, dignity, and with the implementation of good manners. All persons who appear before me are treated equally.
After graduating from Creighton Law School in Omaha, my first practicing position as an attorney was in Miami, Florida, where I served as an Assistant State Attorney in Dade County prosecuting criminal cases. After marrying my wife, we moved back to Omaha so she could pursue her medical residency. In Omaha, I served as a public defender in the Douglas County Public Defender’s Office and then worked with a private immigration attorney, after which time I opened my own private law office.
My private practice consisted of criminal defense in state and federal courts, immigration removal defense, family based immigration, employment based immigration, and civil litigation. I spent considerable time in federal court defending drug, immigration-based criminal, white collar immigration-based criminal, white collar criminal, and agricultural criminal cases. While in private practice, I was selected to the Criminal Justice Act (CJA) panel in both Nebraska and Iowa where I had the opportunity to represent indigent citizens accused in the federal court system.
On Sept. 11, 2015, I was appointed as a District Judge on the Nebraska Douglas County District Court bench by Governor Pete Ricketts. As a judge, I preside over numerous criminal and civil jury trials and many criminal, civil, and domestic bench trials. My caseload averages over 400 pending matters. The cases include domestic relations, felony criminal matters, civil cases, and appeals from the county court and various administrative agencies.
As a judge, I gain knowledge with every case over which I preside. I have dedicated myself to giving exceptional customer service and to improving the administration of justice by making the courtroom more user-friendly for self-represented litigants and attorneys. I want all of our citizens to have access to the courts and access to me. The attorneys who practice before me know that I love helping them resolve their cases and that I am available to them seven days a week. I have held hearings in the early morning hours, late into the evening, and even on weekends. The attorneys know that I routinely respond to emails on nights and weekends. As a private practitioner for over ten years before becoming a judge I understand the demands and the stress of private practice. The least I can do as a public servant is make myself available to our wonderful citizens.
During my tenure as presiding judge, I ensured that the Douglas County District Court remained open during the pandemic and that our citizens continued to have safe access to justice through the implementation and use of new technology. I have seen many changes to the legal field occur in my 20 year legal career, and while I cannot foresee what new challenges may lie ahead, I am committed to serving the people of Nebraska and ensuring that the justice system continues to function for them.
Is diversity important in the judicial system and if so, why?
Like any public servant who has the honor of wearing the black robe of a judge, my personal beliefs and preferences are cloaked by that robe. I resolve issues based solely on the law and the facts presented to me in a timely manner issuing well-reasoned thoughtful orders. I am mindful that my decisions have immense impact on the lives of our citizens and I take great care in ensuring that the rule of law, not my own personal policy preferences, is followed in each case litigated before me. Any person who wears a judge’s robe is asked not only to set aside his or her personal opinions but also to consider and understand the perspective of every single litigant before the Court. I do not claim that my diverse life experiences make me more or less capable of dispensing impartial justice. However, when the bench as a whole is diverse, it makes everyone better at being a neutral and enlightened dispenser of justice.
Every day I learn from my colleagues with different life experiences, and I bring my personal story to our court’s persistent efforts to improve the administration of justice for everyone. My diverse personal and professional background allows me to understand the cultural challenges that affect persons of color and immigrants who appear before me.
Because my first language was Spanish, I understand the challenges of speaking English as a second language. I understand that idioms, colloquialisms, and language nuances create special problems for diverse individuals appearing before a judge who may control their immediate fate. My life experiences have enhanced my compassion for those who picture themselves on the outside without a friend in their hour of need. I go out of my way to ensure a fair process for all. I exercise patience and dedication to ensure that all persons regardless of race, ethnicity, or country of origin have full access to our court system. I always err on thoroughness and completeness and in making sure that all litigants are heard regardless of the language that they speak.
Every day, thousands of people dealing with myriad types of cases come through our courthouse doors. Our bench hears cases ranging from first-degree murder to airplane-related product litigation; we hear cases as intimate as custody battles and as broad as insurance litigation that impacts people all over the country. It is a humbling experience to be entrusted with hearing and deciding such wide-ranging disputes. Having respected colleagues from all walks of life is a great boon to the endeavor of justice.
What is one thing that can be done here to improve diversity among attorneys and judges?
The judiciary needs persons who are extraordinarily qualified, experienced, and devoted to the rule of the law, the Constitution of Nebraska, and the Constitution of the United States. There is no single solution to improving diversity in the legal system and it takes time, but we each can contribute to the principle of “aggregation of marginal gains.” As law schools, law firms, prosecutors, criminal defense attorneys and jurors appreciate the contributions made by diverse people who each have a voice that needs to be heard, we each in our own way will do our own “one thing” to help remove barriers and open doors.
Reach the writer at 402-473-7237 or lpilger@journalstar.com.
On Twitter @LJSpilger | https://journalstar.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/in-their-own-words-horacio-wheelock/article_079a7dfb-08bb-54b3-93a6-2eb9b441a44b.html | 2022-07-17T15:55:32 | 0 | https://journalstar.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/in-their-own-words-horacio-wheelock/article_079a7dfb-08bb-54b3-93a6-2eb9b441a44b.html |
Job title: Law Clerk at the Lancaster County Public Defender’s Office
What drew you to a career in law?
I was drawn to a career in the law because I felt it would put me in the best position to be able to affect change in the community and in our country.
Was there a person or experience that inspired you?
I was first inspired by seeing Barack Obama win the presidency. I was in fourth grade at the time, and one of four Black kids at my school, and the only in my class (the three others being my sisters). It took me by complete shock that a Black man could become the president of the United States, and it inspired me to learn more about politics and showed me that this was something that was not only obtainable, but had been done right before my eyes. This led me to taking a justice and law class later on in high school, and I knew instantly that I wanted to be a lawyer because to me, it is one of the best positions to have if you want to fight for social justice and make an impact in the community.
People are also reading…
How long have you been working in Nebraska? Do you plan to stay?
I have lived in Nebraska since I moved back here in 2010, and have worked here since I was 16. I am currently a second-year law student at the Nebraska College of Law and do not plan on moving. Ultimately, it will depend on what opportunities are available after graduating.
Is diversity important in the judicial system and, if so, why?
I believe diversity is important in every organization and system, especially in the legal field. Having diversity allows for different perspectives and viewpoints to be heard, discussed and understood. This is particularly important in the legal field, where much of our work requires critical thinking and looking at issues from multiple levels and angles. This is also a field where oftentimes the people we represent, whether it be a group of people or on an individual level, come from a diverse background and having attorneys and judges who understand them or their world view a little bit better can make a huge difference in their representation. On another note, I think it’s important because it has the ability to inspire young, diverse, potential future lawyers to join us in the field and feel welcomed.
What is one thing that can be done here to improve diversity among attorneys and judges?
I believe that there are many things that can and must be done if we want to improve diversity among attorneys and judges in Nebraska. The one I will focus on here is that we need to help make the journey to law school more accessible for young people, and I think starting young is the best way to do this. Many people of color or from diverse backgrounds do not have attorneys in their families or broader friend groups. Making it known that 1) Being an attorney is something that is obtainable for them; and 2) Helping to explain the process of getting into a legal career (applying for college, choosing a major, maintaining a good GPA, prepping for and taking the LSAT, applying for law school, encouraging application in the state, etc.) in addition to helping take down some of the huge paywalls that block off access to legal education for many, would make a big difference in Nebraska’s legal diversity.
Reach the writer at 402-473-7237 or lpilger@journalstar.com.
On Twitter @LJSpilger | https://journalstar.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/in-their-own-words-jordyn-piper/article_d31fdab4-eeff-5125-9d6a-2c5231a5bbf4.html | 2022-07-17T15:55:39 | 0 | https://journalstar.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/in-their-own-words-jordyn-piper/article_d31fdab4-eeff-5125-9d6a-2c5231a5bbf4.html |
Job title: Deputy Platte County Attorney
What drew you to a career in law?
In short, I was drawn to becoming an attorney by “the battle.” Regardless of whether an attorney is representing an individual, a business or a government entity, that attorney is tasked with the privilege and duty of serving as the client’s champion at all times. Attorneys are also given the privilege and opportunity to serve as both counsel and advocate for clients during very difficult moments in those clients’ lives. I have always felt that was a noble undertaking. I was drawn to the practice of law because of it.
That being said, my reasons for serving as a prosecutor have evolved. When I first became a prosecutor, I was drawn to the frequency during which I would have the opportunity to participate in jury trials. As the years have passed, I have come to enjoy my role as an advocate for victims, and the ability my position has given me to help the public through my work. While it is true that a prosecutor’s only client is technically the State of Nebraska, my position allows me to assist victims seeking justice on a daily basis. Few realize that prosecutors are also given the opportunity to play a pivotal role in helping rehabilitate criminal offenders by providing those individuals with avenues for therapeutic interventions while criminal cases are pending, and by making carefully, thought-out sentencing recommendations to the court at the appropriate time.
People are also reading…
Was there a person or experience that inspired you?
There was no single individual person or experience that inspired me to pursue a career in the legal field. In truth, I would say that I was inspired/encouraged to become an attorney by three individuals, at three important points in my life. I am not a Nebraska native; I grew up in the Bronx, New York. My parents were both blue-collar working-class individuals who worked hard to provide for our family, and instilled a great deal of respect for education within me and my younger sister at a young age. They also emphasized the importance of finding a career we loved. My mother’s philosophy toward our career choices was simple and straightforward, she told us “I don’t care what you choose to do for, as long as you love it and you work to be the best at it.”
I first became interested in the legal field toward the end of junior high school. I wish I could say that I was drawn to some fictional character’s heroic quest for justice in a book like “To Kill A Mocking Bird,” but that’s not the case. It was that second half of most “Law and Order” episodes that first drew my interest toward becoming an attorney. I remember enjoying watching the witty arguments between attorneys litigating objections, and the dramatic closing arguments attorneys made toward the end of many episodes. After watching enough of the show’s reruns, I thought it was the most amazing job anyone could hope to do. When I told my mother I wanted to be a lawyer when I grew up, I remember she said something along the lines of, “Ok, go for it, and don’t let anything stop you.”
After junior high school, I was lucky enough to be selected to attend a small magnet school in the Bronx that emphasized exposing students to the law, and encouraged them to pursue careers in the legal field. That’s where I met another individual that became a role model and an inspiration to me: our principal, David C. Banks. In addition to being our high school principal, he also held a J.D. from Rutgers School of Law, and was a licensed attorney. I remember thinking Mr. Banks was a man with limitless energy who was driven to help his students succeed. Whether it was arguing for more funding from the New York City’s Board of Education for programs and resources, or helping his high school students find internships throughout the city, he worked tirelessly to make sure his school and his students had the resources they needed. I remember thinking he was as articulate as he was wise. He would consistently remind us that anything and everything was possible if we worked hard enough to achieve it. He was, and continues to be, one of the most impressive men I have ever met. He challenged me to join the school's debate team, its mock trial team, and its moot court team, which all further developed my interest in the law.
The final person that inspired me to pursue a legal career was my wife. I have to admit that I was nervous about both applying to, and attending, law school. I was afraid of failure. I remember her telling me that she wanted me to take the risk, push myself, keep pushing myself, and that she believed I would succeed. I remember she joked and said that we would not starve even if I didn’t succeed because we both liked Ramen, so I might as well give it a shot. It was her sense of humor and her constant motivation that gave me the courage to take that final leap toward becoming an attorney.
While Law and Order re-runs and regularly interacting with my high school principal were what inspired to me to pursue a career as an attorney, I would not have been able to accomplish that without the encouragement and motivation that my family and wife provided me throughout the years.
How long have you been working in Nebraska? Do you plan to stay?
As I stated above, I am not a Nebraska native; I grew up in the Bronx, New York. In 2010, my wife was recruited to work as assistant director of multicultural affairs at Creighton University. At the same time, I applied to, and was admitted to the Creighton University School of Law. I graduated in the spring of 2014. My first position as an attorney was as a deputy public defender in Scott’s Bluff County, Nebraska. In January of 2016, I transitioned to a position as a deputy county attorney in Platte County, Nebraska, and I’ve been working as prosecutor in Platte County ever since.
While working as an attorney in Nebraska, I have dedicated a great deal of effort to improving legislation through the Nebraska County Attorney’s Association, and working with other prosecutors to ensure all are treated fairly in the courtroom. At this point, my wife and I have lived in the State of Nebraska for well over a decade and we have both invested a great deal of time and effort into improving our community. We both plan to remain in Nebraska.
Is diversity important in the judicial system and, if so, why?
Diversity and inclusion are extremely important to the judicial system in the State of Nebraska, and throughout the United States. In order to apply the law in the most equitable fashion possible, the judicial system must incorporate the varied perspectives of all of its constituents. In order to do that, the judicial system itself must strive to provide access to all individuals in the community, and undertake efforts to reflect the people it serves.
At the most fundamental level, parties that engage the legal system need to be able to understand what is happening in the courtroom. Through the work of the Nebraska Supreme Court, as well as the individual county and district courts that serve Nebraska’s 93 counties, Nebraska’s Judicial system has undertaken various efforts in order to accomplish that. Certified Court Interpreters are utilized in courts throughout the State of Nebraska to translate and interpret for individuals that either struggle to, or are unable to, speak and understand English. Interpreters are also utilized to assist individuals that struggle to communicate due to various disabilities. The use of interpreters fluent in numerous languages has become commonplace in the courtroom; in the last several months alone, I recall hearings that required interpreters for individuals that primarily understood only Spanish, Vietnamese, and Mam (an indigenous language native to Guatemala). Without interpreters being available to assist those individuals, those individual would not be able to access or engage with the judicial system in a fair and just manner. Thus, at the most fundamental level, having individuals of diverse backgrounds, fluent in numerous languages, assists individuals in engaging with the judicial system.
On the another basic level, diversity within the legal system establishes trust between the judicial system and diverse communities. It is no secret that this nation has struggled at various points in its history with racial injustice and discrimination. While government entities, members of the judicial system, and legal professionals work tirelessly to ensure that discrimination has no place in the courtroom, we often see the scars of our unfortunate history show themselves in the form of distrust in the judicial system. Thus, increasing diversity among the actors in the courtroom (including attorneys, judges, and courthouse personnel) is one way in which the judicial system can build that bridge of trust with litigants of diverse backgrounds. Simply put, when litigants see attorneys or judges that look like them involved in the judicial system, they tend to have more faith in the judicial process.
I would also point out that in my experience, the need for diversity and inclusion is often discussed in a negative light. That is, much of the rhetoric surrounding the need for diversity and inclusion in government systems (including the judicial system) often focuses on how various segments of the community become marginalized if government systems do not contain adequate representation of those various groups within its body. While that may be true, and it may especially be true within the judicial system, we often forget that efforts to increase diversity naturally bring along a wealth of new ideas which can improve the way government bodies function. For example, despite the fact that our legal system still has most of its roots in English law, the concept of restorative justice that first began to become prominent in the legal system in the early to mid-1970s was developed based on the belief systems of various non-Western European cultures. By borrowing from Native American traditions of justice, the criminal justice system expanded to consider all parties involved in a criminal case, as opposed to just the two named parties in the case (usually criminal defendant, and the government entity prosecuting the defendant). The restorative justice model gives a voice to the victims in criminal cases, provides avenues for rehabilitating criminal offenders, and focuses on reducing recidivism overall.
Thus, diversity in the judicial system is important for various reasons. Having diverse actors within the judicial system builds trust between the judicial system and marginalized communities, it enables non-English speaking individuals to engage with the judicial system in their native languages, and the judicial system benefits from the ideas that diverse cultures have to offer.
What is one thing that can be done here to improve diversity among attorneys and judges?
Increasing diversity amongst attorneys and judges in the State of Nebraska, and at a nationwide level, is a long process that I believe begins with getting young people interested in legal professions as early as middle school and high school. Nebraska will not see any improvement in diversity among those in its legal community if young people of diverse backgrounds are not inspired to attend and complete law school, and then enter the legal field.
The next critical step is mentorship. It is a well-known fact that attorney’s do not learn all they need to know to become prominent members of the legal community while in law school alone; reaching that level of competence and developing that positive reputation requires years of guidance from others in the legal community, and experience in the courtroom. Therefore, in order to increase diversity within the legal profession, There must be a conscious effort by senior practitioners to mentor those young attorneys that will diversify the bar.
Finally, in order to diversify the bench, the judicial system must see an increase in the number of diverse qualified applicants for judicial vacancies. That is, the Governor of the State of Nebraska cannot appoint diverse candidates if he or she does not have diverse candidates to select from. Mentorship also plays a key role at this point. Competent attorneys from diverse backgrounds must groomed to become judges by senior attorneys in the field of law, and they must be encouraged to apply for those vacancies by their peers in the legal field as those judicial vacancies become open.
It is the responsibility of all of us in the legal field to encourage young people of diverse backgrounds to pursue legal careers by attending and graduating from law school, mentor them once they have entered the legal field, and encourage them to apply for judicial vacancies as they come open.
Reach the writer at 402-473-7237 or lpilger@journalstar.com.
On Twitter @LJSpilger | https://journalstar.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/in-their-own-words-jose-rodriguez/article_b4dcd1ca-81e8-5a49-ad19-ece85009f5cd.html | 2022-07-17T15:55:45 | 1 | https://journalstar.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/in-their-own-words-jose-rodriguez/article_b4dcd1ca-81e8-5a49-ad19-ece85009f5cd.html |
Job title: Attorney at Monzón, Guerra & Associates
What drew you to a career in law?
Like many young men, I grew up playing sports and wanted to be a professional athlete. I was fortunate to be able to continue to play sports while in college. At some point it became clear to me that 1) I was not going to be a professional athlete, 2) that I wanted an advanced degree, and 3) I was interested in issues pertaining to human rights. So, I decided to go to law school.
Was there a person or experience that inspired you?
Yes, I was inspired by the lawyer and activist Oscar Zeta Acosta. Before I “grew up,” I had my own wild streak, so Zeta Acosta’s unconventional tactics appealed to me. He was someone who looked like me. He was someone who — even dressed in a suit —did not fit the “lawyer” stereotype I saw on television and in the media. Among other work, his legal work included fighting systemic discrimination against Mexican Americans in the 1960s and 1970s in California.
People are also reading…
How long have you been working in Nebraska and do you plan to stay?
I have been in Nebraska my entire career, and I intend to remain here.
Is diversity important in the judicial system and, if so, why?
Diversity in the judicial system is very important. Nebraska is a diverse place with varying cultures, values, and socio-economic groups. It is vital that lawyers and judges bring different perspectives and experiences so that clients, victims, defendants, and other affected individuals see their cultural, racial, ethnic, religious, and gender perspectives represented. In simpler terms, no matter who you are, we need lawyers and judges in our communities who look like you or share your life experiences.
What is one thing that can be done here to improve diversity among attorneys and judges?
Simply put, we need greater outreach to diverse youth. We need to show youth in our communities that no matter who they are, no matter their socio-economic backgrounds, race, gender or ethnicity, they can be lawyers and judges. I have had the pleasure of coaching at Dreamers FC, a nonprofit soccer club that provides affordable, competitive playing opportunities for people from all backgrounds. I recently coached a group of players who graduated high school this past spring. Last fall, I made it a point to routinely advocate that they strongly consider going to college. More important, I told them the truth: that I was no different than them — that if I could do it so could they.
Reach the writer at 402-473-7237 or lpilger@journalstar.com.
On Twitter @LJSpilger | https://journalstar.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/in-their-own-words-raul-guerra/article_9c0d148a-9ced-5211-8e4e-33f7729f5d84.html | 2022-07-17T15:55:51 | 1 | https://journalstar.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/in-their-own-words-raul-guerra/article_9c0d148a-9ced-5211-8e4e-33f7729f5d84.html |
Job title: Sarpy County District Court Judge
What drew you to a career in law?
In 10th grade, my high school history teacher was attending night classes at Seton Hall Law School. Each morning in class she would tell us about some of the cases she was studying. I was most interested in the constitutional and criminal law cases. Not only did I find her analysis of the cases intriguing, but I had so much admiration for her as a single professional woman with a full-time career who commuted two hours each evening to achieve her goal of being a lawyer.
Was there a person or experience that inspired you?
During my freshman year in college, I took a philosophy class that had a service requirement as part of the curriculum. I volunteered at the state probation office in downtown Boston and had my first experience with the criminal justice system. I also served on a civil jury trial and was able to observe first-hand all of the important aspects of effective courtroom procedure under the direction of an inspiring judge. It was these two experiences that began my passion for service to the community and my decision to pursue a law degree. With regard to mentors, I would be remiss if I failed to credit the judge with whom I clerked in New York City. She was an inspiration and someone I still try to emulate in my daily work on the bench today.
People are also reading…
How long have you been working in Nebraska and do you plan to stay?
I have lived and worked in Nebraska since December 1998. My career has been built in Nebraska and I am grateful for the opportunities that the state has afforded me.
Is diversity important in the judicial system and, if so, why?
I strongly believe that diversity is an integral part of the judicial system and without a fair and diverse representation of the people within our community in the system itself, it does not function as well as it was intended. Having an awareness that each individual is different and unique based on a culmination of their life experiences is the foundation of equity and fairness. Justice is meant to be blind; however, it has been documented that we all carry unconscious biases that have been programmed from all of the information that we have filtered throughout our lifetime. These unintentional “assumptions” affect our choices and decision making. They may affect how we handle a certain legal issue, represent a client or present a case to a jury. More diversity within the system would lessen the disproportionality of assumptions against any of the populations that are over represented, especially in the criminal justice system.
What is one thing that can be done here to improve diversity among attorneys and judges?
An increase in diversity within the justice system would make it more fair for everyone. Outreach should start as early as middle school so that high school students have an opportunity to take electives or focus on service opportunities, mock trial programs. I have been a volunteer coach for a high school mock trial team through the Nebraska Bar Foundation for five years and many of those students have indicated an interest in pursuing a career in law. Building on those opportunities in college through internships, mentorships, employment opportunities, would broaden the pool for justice related careers. In Nebraska especially, we need to try to change the impression that Nebraska is a “fly-over state” and improve incentives for lawyers to study and work here. Programs such as rural practice and loan forgiveness do exist, but we need to do better and start earlier. Nebraska is taking a lead in this area and has recently created the Nebraska Legal Diversity Council whose mission is “to foster the creation of a more culturally diverse and inclusive legal community.” This Council is working on the following: recruitment, advancement and retention guidelines; increasing diversity in the law student pool; providing expertise, programming, incentives and support to employers in the legal community; and providing professional development opportunities for sustainable employment.
Reach the writer at 402-473-7237 or lpilger@journalstar.com.
On Twitter @LJSpilger | https://journalstar.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/in-their-own-words-stefanie-martinez/article_5638451e-d1c0-56d5-9ab2-95fb39e69bfe.html | 2022-07-17T15:55:57 | 0 | https://journalstar.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/in-their-own-words-stefanie-martinez/article_5638451e-d1c0-56d5-9ab2-95fb39e69bfe.html |
Walk into courtrooms around Nebraska, from Dakota City to Sidney and Valentine to Falls City, or anywhere outside of Omaha, and you're not likely to see much diversity behind the bench.
Or in the people who practice law at counsel tables there.
But a new nonprofit is working to change that.
In the fall, Shawntal Mallory took the helm of the Nebraska Legal Diversity Council, which is focused on developing a more culturally diverse and inclusive legal community in the state.
"We kind of hit the ground running and we've really been really running ever since," she told the Journal Star earlier this month.
The idea isn't a new one in Nebraska, where around 95% of lawyers are white, while white people account for 85% of the population, according to recent Bureau of Labor statistics.
People are also reading…
In 2003, the Minority Justice Committee, a joint committee of the Nebraska Supreme Court and the Nebraska Bar Association, started with similar goals in mind of addressing racial disparities in the juvenile and adult criminal justice systems, ensuring equal access to justice and increasing the diversity of Nebraska’s legal profession and judicial workforces.
But a lack of funding led that group to dissolve in 2014.
Since then, Mallory said, people have continued the work in committees, like the Supreme Court's Committee on Ethnic, Racial, and Gender Fairness, formed in October 2017, or informally on their own within their own law firms.
But they noticed they weren't really moving the needle like they wanted to on diversity in the state's legal community.
"That's why they decided to start our organization," Mallory said.
It started with a meeting a few years ago where Richard Moberly, dean at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's College of Law, and a group from the bar association brainstormed ways to make more impact on diversity, equity and inclusion by working together.
COVID-19 delayed the project. But last November, Mallory was hired and things started taking shape.
The difference this time? The effort involves a nonprofit made up of 13 law firms and three corporate partners, in addition to the Nebraska Bar Association, Creighton School of Law and University of Nebraska College of Law, which all agreed to contribute in the first three years.
Within three months, the group had raised $570,000.
"We can't do this work on our own, so we've tried to engage external partners to think about where the College of Law sits in this continuum of educating and provide diverse attorneys to meet the needs of diverse clients," Moberly said.
He said they've been sending students out into a workforce that is overwhelmingly white, particularly in Nebraska. The aim is to create a pipeline to bring diverse students to study at the state's law schools, who then stay and join the legal profession here.
Moberly said he believes it is the only organization like it in the country where the legal community is working together to change the way diversity is being addressed in the state.
"I think that collective impact approach will hopefully make a difference for us," he said.
Mallory said the council has identified four focus areas, starting with working to get more people from diverse backgrounds interested in pursuing careers in the law earlier.
"Representation matters," she said. "It's important for people to walk into the judicial system or into a law office or wherever legal services are being provided and see people who look like them and people with the same lived experience as them."
They want to increase enrollment of people of underrepresented or diverse backgrounds at the state's law schools with the hope they'll love it here, take the bar exam and practice here, Mallory said. They also will work to attract a more diverse workforce to the state.
That includes all areas of underrepresentation, whether it be gender, sexual orientation, race or ethnicity and those with disabilities. Though they are "hyper-focused" now on ethnic and racial diversity because there are such low numbers here, she said.
Mallory said the council will prioritize supporting lawyers of diverse backgrounds who already are working here and help legal employers on equitable and inclusive hiring practices and ways to foster a culture of inclusivity, equity, access and belonging.
"They realize that high-performing law firms and teams work when we have diversity of thought and background on our teams," she said.
They are developing a mentoring program to match law school students with practicing attorneys in the state and creating a tool kit for employer partners to help them develop modern practices around how they recruit and retain employees.
They've done focus groups and individual interviews to get at why people here are staying here, what's helped them in their career and what they need for support.
It can be difficult, Mallory acknowledged. Racial and ethnic issues, immigrants and immigration are polarizing, sensitive subjects right now, she said. So they're trying to focus on collaboration in ideas.
In Nebraska, where the governor appoints the judges, she said, it can present a challenge for the work that they're trying to do to add diversity to the bench.
Of the 63 judges current Gov. Pete Ricketts has appointed in his two terms in office, only four have been people of color. Among them, the first Black female district court judge (Tressa Alioth) and first Native American judge (Andrea Miller).
It's unclear how many others applied. The Nebraska Supreme Court doesn't currently ask for or track that information.
Ricketts' spokeswoman, Alex Reuss, said his priority has been appointing "prudent men and women who have a strong grasp of the law. It’s important that they apply the letter of law to cases without being driven by personal political or policy beliefs."
She said Ricketts values diversity of representation, "but the driving factor for judicial appointments continues to be a candidate's merit and judicial philosophy."
She pointed out that 21 of his appointments (nearly a third) happened to be women.
"The governor chooses the best candidate for the position," Reuss said.
She said Ricketts encourages anyone interested in being a judge to apply and minority candidates to look at judicial opportunities in other parts of the state beyond Douglas County.
"The only way we will get more diverse candidates on the bench is for them to apply," Reuss said. "We’ve already seen this work, as more women have applied to be a judge and the bench reflects that."
Mallory said the legal diversity council will be looking at the strides that have been made to get more women into the field, as a guide that could be applied to other areas.
Most law schools, like UNL's, now are close to 50-50 enrollment for women, she said. And the bench is becoming more diverse for women, including on the United States Supreme Court, where there now are four women, the most the country has ever had.
Mallory said she hopes folks along both party lines would see the importance of having a diverse bench and of presenting Nebraska as a place where folks would want to come to live and to practice law or be a judge.
"I feel like our state is a better state when there's a diverse representation, whether that's politically, racially, ethnically, in ability, all of those things. I would hope that would be a priority for our next governor as well," she said.
In their own words: Judges, lawyers, professors discuss diversity in Nebraska's legal community
On Juneteenth, as the country neared Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson's swearing-in as the first Black woman on the U.S. Supreme Court, the Journal Star reached out to several people on the bench, in the legal community and at Nebraska's law schools to ask their thoughts about diversity in the state's courtrooms.
We asked what drew them to a career in law; how long they've been working in Nebraska and if they plan to stay; why diversity is important in the judicial system and what can be done to foster diversity in the legal community.
View their answers below.
"I immigrated from a country with little rule of law and it is inspiring every day to be a part of this great country’s system of law and justice."
"We need to help make the journey to law school more accessible for young people. Many people of color or from diverse backgrounds do not have attorneys in their families or broader friend groups."
"Having an awareness that each individual is different and unique based on a culmination of their life experiences is the foundation of equity and fairness."
"One thing that will improve diversity among attorneys and judges here in Nebraska is to try to retain the diverse law students that attend Nebraska law schools."
"No matter who you are, we need lawyers and judges in our communities who look like you or share your life experiences."
"Bringing diversity of skills and experiences to any endeavor can result in a better end-product, whether it is a house or a judicial system."
"In order to apply the law in the most equitable fashion possible, the judicial system must incorporate the varied perspectives of all of its constituents." | https://journalstar.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/nonprofit-takes-on-challenge-of-diversifying-legal-community-in-nebraska/article_1bf0c405-fb42-503a-a337-45dc30b814ba.html | 2022-07-17T15:56:03 | 0 | https://journalstar.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/nonprofit-takes-on-challenge-of-diversifying-legal-community-in-nebraska/article_1bf0c405-fb42-503a-a337-45dc30b814ba.html |
ORLANDO, Fla. – Saturday marked the rollout of the nation’s new mental health emergencies hotline, and a Central Florida nonprofit organization is prepared for the anticipated increase in calls.
They’re the other voice on the other side of the call, always standing by to provide help for suicidal thoughts and other mental health emergencies.
[TRENDING: TIMELINE: Another stormy afternoon across Central Florida | VIDEO: Airplane passenger on flight near Orlando captures SpaceX launch | Become a News 6 Insider (it’s free!)]
“Especially coming off of two years of COVID and post-pandemic, we’ve seen just a surge and a need in mental health services and behavioral health counseling and substance use services,” said Catherine Rea, the vice president of 211 services at Heart of Florida United Way.
The nonprofit serves as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline crisis center for Orange, Osceola, and Seminole counties. Rea said there is now a new number for people to call for crisis intervention and suicide prevention support.
“It’s pretty much the same program but allowing for easier access through 988 dialing,” she said.
Starting on Saturday, 988 is the new national hotline for mental health emergencies. It replaces the former 10-digit number. Rea said 988 will be easier for people to remember.
“We encourage people to reach out. Please use 988 if you need help or if you know of somebody who needs help,” she said.
With the easier number, Rea said they’re anticipating more calls. The organization brought on 14 new staff members to help with the expected increase in demand.
“They are predicting because of the new number anywhere, between a 300% and 800% in contacts through 988,” Rea said.
Rea said it is important to understand the differences between all the hotlines. She said 988 is for mental health emergencies, 911 is for life-threatening emergencies, and 211 is where people can get connected to community resources and health and human services.
She adds no matter the reason for the call, their goal is to get assistance to people who need it and to save lives.
“We want people to know that it’s okay to reach out, please do. If we can help in any way, we’ll find you the help you need,” Rea said.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/07/17/its-ok-to-reach-out-heart-of-florida-united-way-ready-for-new-988-mental-health-hotline/ | 2022-07-17T15:57:30 | 1 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/07/17/its-ok-to-reach-out-heart-of-florida-united-way-ready-for-new-988-mental-health-hotline/ |
MARION COUNTY, Fla. – A 60-year-old man was struck and killed by a pickup truck in Marion County, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
Troopers said the crash happened on State Road 200 and SW 60th Street in Ocala just after midnight on Sunday.
[TRENDING: TIMELINE: Another stormy afternoon across Central Florida | VIDEO: Airplane passenger on flight near Orlando captures SpaceX launch | Become a News 6 Insider (it’s free!)]
According to a crash report, the pickup truck was heading west on SR-200 when the front right hit the pedestrian.
FHP said the pedestrian was walking within the westbound lanes.
The Ocala man was pronounced dead on scene, according to troopers. The driver of the pickup truck, a Dunnellon woman, was uninjured in the crash.
No other details have been released.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/07/17/ocala-man-60-fatally-struck-by-pickup-truck-in-marion-county-fhp-says/ | 2022-07-17T15:57:36 | 1 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/07/17/ocala-man-60-fatally-struck-by-pickup-truck-in-marion-county-fhp-says/ |
Less than $200.
That’s how much the city estimates the average Casper family pays in the 1-cent tax every year.
That number is based on a lot of assumptions. The family is based on a national standard “purchasing unit” used to gauge changes in consumer prices. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that each unit spends around $60,000 a year — but that includes things like housing, groceries and other expenses that don’t fall under the 1-cent tax.
City Analyst Pete Meyers, who came up with that less-than-$200 estimate, said he figured that about a third of a typical family’s expenses are taxable. That would mean an average of $20,000 spent per year on taxable goods and services. Obviously, some spend much less than that, and some spend much more — but it’s a starting point.
Meyers also said the city estimates that about 80% of 1-cent revenue comes from Natrona County residents, while the other 20% comes from tourists, visitors and people stopping at a gas station as they pass through town.
People are also reading…
But still, even with those generalizations in mind, this number helped me better understand the real cost of the 1-cent tax.
While there are still some who would say they’re against any kind of taxes, no matter what, most everyone in Natrona County knows what that penny sticker on cop cars and library books represents. You also get lower water and sewer rates, the city is quick to point out, because of the tax subsidizing those funds.
In addition, the tax goes to city-run amenities like pools, parks, buses, the rec center and Hogadon.
If you lose subsidies for big attractors like the events center, it may not be able to bring the big acts and state tournaments that in turn bring visitors and their wallets to Casper.
At a candidate forum for Casper City Council on Wednesday, even the most tax-averse candidates said they saw the value of the 1-cent tax. Their hangup wasn’t with the tax being collected so much as with how it’s spent — and who gets a say in that decision.
Last week, we got another taste of dissatisfaction with that decision-making process. Nonprofits found out from Oil City News that a long-standing community grant program funded by 1-cent wasn’t included in the plans for the next cycle of funding. Instead, the city proposed to just divvy up the $3 million to a handful of organizations it deemed in the most need.
They cited a 750-person survey that ranked nonprofits low on the priority list, but nonprofit leaders said most people don’t realize the services they provide until they need them themselves.
The city listened to the backlash from nonprofits and their supporters, and scrounged up $2.25 million by cutting a few other line items to restore that program. At the same time, the city also took $150,000 set aside for an armored vehicle for the police department and reallocated it to the Metro animal shelter.
So it’s not like the city makes these decisions without any input — it’s just that usually, people don’t care enough to give their opinions.
The 1-cent tax is on the ballot this fall, up for renewal for the 17th time. Historically — since 1974 — it’s passed by a pretty good margin. But several people I’ve talked to say that with anti-tax and general anti-government on the rise, or at least getting louder, the city may be more worried about the vote than usual.
Let me know your thoughts on the 1-cent tax, and whether you think that less-than-$200 estimate sounds right for a year of spending. You can reach me at ellen.gerst@trib.com or give me a ring at (307) 266-0544. | https://trib.com/news/local/casper/casper-notebook-your-two-cents-on-the-1-cent-tax/article_1eeb13a6-045d-11ed-9c1b-7728aeef62f3.html | 2022-07-17T16:10:05 | 0 | https://trib.com/news/local/casper/casper-notebook-your-two-cents-on-the-1-cent-tax/article_1eeb13a6-045d-11ed-9c1b-7728aeef62f3.html |
30-year-old man fatally struck by vehicle on I-94 in Roseville
Candice Williams
The Detroit News
A 30-year-old man is dead after being struck by a vehicle on Interstate 94 in Roseville Saturday night, Michigan State Police said.
Around 10:30 p.m. Saturday, troopers were called to eastbound Interstate 94 near Little Mack Avenue. When they arrived they found a 30-year-old man dead on the right shoulder.
According to police, the driver of a passenger car was traveling in the center lane of the freeway when she saw a pedestrian standing in the center lane.
“The driver swerved to avoid the pedestrian but was unable to avoid striking him,” police said.
The driver stopped and has cooperated with police.
Alcohol is not a factor, police said. | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/macomb-county/2022/07/17/pedestrian-fatally-struck-vehicle-94/10081139002/ | 2022-07-17T16:19:09 | 0 | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/macomb-county/2022/07/17/pedestrian-fatally-struck-vehicle-94/10081139002/ |
Survey: Oregon farmworkers lack access to adequate pay, childcare, housing
A big engine of Oregon’s economy lacks access to basic resources like childcare, housing and transportation, a new survey of farmworkers across the state found.
The Farmworkers Needs Assessment surveyed nearly 1,000 farmworkers and conducted in-person forums in 11 Oregon counties. Oregon Human Development Corporation (OHDC) partnered with Colibri Consulting in August to conduct the assessment, OHDC executive director Martin Campos-Davis said. It was funded by a community service block grant from Oregon Housing and Community Services.
What are the needs?
The assessment combines state and federal data about farmworker communities with responses from farmworker surveys, conducted in person in 11 counties across the state.
The big-picture takeaway is this: Farmworkers in Oregon are overworked and often exploited, but many lack access to resources that might give them some stability and mobility in their lives/jobs.
“The people working the hardest are the ones getting the least,” said Jody O’Connor, author of the assessment and Director of Research and Evaluation at Colibri Consulting.
According to survey responses and group forums, farmworker needs are vast. They need help learning English; they need help accessing legal assistance; they need access to transportation, and food, and healthcare.
And those needs are “significant,” the assessment found. At least 50% of survey respondents reported needing “a lot” of help with 13 out of the 16 needs identified, and more than 25% needed at least some help with all 16.
Farmworkers who participated in Colibri’s study reported wages that are too low to cover their living expenses, poor treatment from employers, and health concerns including pesticide exposure and basic hygiene.
“You work out of necessity,” one farmworker forum participant said. “Workers put up with poor treatment and housing because they need work.”
O'Connor said one of the most surprising findings was how many farmworkers were concerned about clean bathrooms and water near their worksites.
In discussions, farmworkers said they either didn’t have access to a bathroom, or that the ones they used were “filthy.” It came up in nearly every forum, O’Connor said.
The assessment quantified how many Indigenous languages are spoken. There are at least 15 Indigenous languages spoken in Marion County, according to aggregate data from Department of Justice interpretation requests, migrant education programs, and the COVID-19 farmworker study. The COVID-19 farmworker study reported 26 Indigenous languages spoken across the state.
This matters because language is already a barrier to accessing basic resources, said Campos-Davis.
Without a reliable way to communicate with Indigenous language speakers, even organizations who work directly with farmworkers cannot truly understand their needs.
Just scratching the surface
The biggest finding, O’Connor said, was how much there is still to learn about farmworkers in Oregon.
“We know a little bit; but the big thing we know is we don’t know that much,” she said.
The assessment relied on data that is incomplete and inconsistent, she said.
Agencies use data on Latino communities as a “proxy” for farmworkers, even if it is not representative. The Migration Policy Institute, for example, reported that 14% of farmworkers were undocumented in 2019. But the National Agriculture Worker Society puts that number at 46%.
O’Connor said this assessment “just scratched the surface in understanding who farmworkers are and what they need.”
O’Connor said she hopes the assessment can serve as a building block for future research. That research should collect more accurate data on how many farmworkers live in each county, their income details and what languages they speak.
Campos-Davis said OHDC is pursuing funding to finish an Indigenous Language study that the University of Oregon started. The cost is anywhere from $200,000-450,000.
Funding and further research will take time. In the immediate future, Campos-Davis said he hopes OHDC and partner organizations can use the Farmworker Needs Assessment to help guide their strategy.
There are “way more needs” than OHDC can possibly serve, he said, but the assessment can serve as a benchmark for organizations to direct energy and resources.
The assessment offers several recommendations for OHDC and other farmworker organizations. Recommendations include constant communication with farmworkers, collaboration between organizations that support farmworkers, and leadership development and education for farmworkers.
It also recommends more direct farmworker participation in political advocacy Farmworkers were key voices at rallies and legislative hearings last year as the Oregon Legislature considered and passed a measure to require farmers to pay workers overtime starting in 2023.
The last critical piece is farmer investment, O'Connor said. The "whole system" is struggling, including farmers.
“But the foundation are the workers,” O’Connor said. “Without them, there’s nothing.”
Shannon Sollitt covers agricultural workers in the Mid-Willamette Valley as a corps member for Report for America, a program that aims to support local journalism and democracy by reporting on under-covered issues and communities. You may reach her at ssollitt@statesmanjournal.com. | https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/local/oregon/2022/07/17/oregon-farmworkers-lack-access-to-childcare-housing-study-finds/65374054007/ | 2022-07-17T16:20:02 | 1 | https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/local/oregon/2022/07/17/oregon-farmworkers-lack-access-to-childcare-housing-study-finds/65374054007/ |
What to Know
- The United States is in the midst of its largest-ever monkeypox outbreak, and while there is an existing vaccine for this virus, getting a vaccine appointment has proven difficult in NYC, whether due to high demand or technological errors
- NYC accounts for more than 25% of US monkeypox cases, according to the CDC; at this point, eligibility is limited to gay, bisexual or other men who have sex with men and transgender, gender non-conforming or gender non-binary persons ages 18 and older who have had multiple or anonymous sex partners in the last 14 days,
- Monkeypox symptoms include fever, headache, muscle aches, and exhaustion. Lymph nodes can also swell. The incubation period is usually 7−14 days but can range from 5−21 days
New York City's health commissioner says the city is battling dueling pandemics after a low vaccine supply and slow testing apparatus haven't been able to contain one of the largest-ever outbreaks of monkeypox.
Hoping to turn the tide and catch up to a virus that's doubled its patient count in less than a week, the city used the latest vaccine delivery to open three mass vaccination sites on Sunday, for one day only. Those sites are located at:
- Aviation High School (45-30 36th Street in Queens)
- Bushwick Education (440 Irving Avenue in Brooklyn)
- Bronx High School of Science (75 W 205th Street in the Bronx)
After opening each of the mass vaccination sites, the city will have finally offered doses of the vaccine in all five boroughs. The initial rollout of shots started at a single clinic in Chelsea before a second location was opened in Harlem. Subsequent health clinics have been provided vaccine in Corona, Queens, and Staten Island.
"This is always a balance as we learned with COVID. We need to get shots in arms as quickly as possible, but we also need to ensure that equity is built in from the beginning and that's what we're trying to do now," Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan said from the Bronx site Sunday morning.
Thousands of appointments for Sunday's mass vaccine drive were snatched up Friday following a 6 p.m. online drop. All 9,200 slots were scooped up in less than 10 minutes, but city officials promised to make 4,000 additional appointments available to people at high-risk through referrals by community partner organizations.
The city was able to avoid another technological blunder, as the site to book an appointment didn't crash or accidentally release times too early, as has happened the last two times slots were opened up.
Vasan followed up his tour of the Bronx school with a briefing where he addressed the early hiccups of the city's outbreak response and described its hurdles "fighting two pandemics at once."
"The fact is, you've got higher than normal transmission of an illness in multiple countries, across multiple continents. So that's the definition the technical definition of a pandemic," the health commissioner said.
The latest effort to maximize vaccine distribution comes as cases are doubling in New York City practically every five days. The city represents more than a quarter of all U.S. infections, according to CDC data, and more than 2% of all current infections worldwide. On Thursday, the city reported a total of 389 infections, up 16% in a day.
It rose again Friday to 461, a 19% day-over-day increase. And more than 95% of cases through July 13 were men.
City health officials have shifted their vaccine distribution strategy when it comes to second doses, instead delaying the additional shots in order to get more first doses done as quickly as possible. That adjustment helped the city make an additional 1,000 first dose appointments available in Friday evening's blitz.
City Hall has now formally asked the Biden Administration to delay those second doses, precisely so it can get more first doses in arms while supply is constrained.
"We made a choice last week to prioritize first shots because my scientists looked at the data and said the first shot provide sufficient protection. Not as much as two shots, but significant," Vasan added.
There are another 29 monkeypox cases in New York's other counties, with Westchester now home to the second-most, with 16 confirmed cases. The plan for vaccination is also underway there, with several hospitals and community health centers administering 450 vaccine doses. Another 520 will be available starting July 18, by appointment only at the Count Health Clinic on Court Street.
Gov. Kathy Hochul said Friday that another 32,000 doses from the federal government will be heading to New York and the city starting next week.
At this point, eligibility in New York City is limited to "gay, bisexual or other men who have sex with men and transgender, gender non-conforming or gender non-binary persons ages 18 and older who have had multiple or anonymous sex partners in the last 14 days," under the guidelines released by the health department. Learn more here.
While monkeypox is highly contagious and typically confined to the African continent, health officials say the risk to the general U.S. public is low. They say this isn't COVID all over again because vaccines already exist to treat orthopoxvirus, the family of viruses to which monkeypox and diseases like smallpox and chickenpox belong.
The city is also launching more active messaging, saying people could now receive text alerts about the virus and new appointment openings by texting MONKEYPOX to 692692, or MONKEYPOXESP for alerts in Spanish.
Getting one's hands on a first dose has been difficult, as only a few thousand appointments have opened in the past few weeks. And the portal used to make the appointments hasn't exactly been working the way officials hoped it would.
On Tuesday, appointments ran out almost immediately after a wave of errors left many people unable to even access the booking website. The city Health Department said that the scheduling site went down "due to a high level of traffic" — a problem that many are hoping has been remedied in time for Friday's release.
That hiccup followed what the city said was an "unfortunate glitch" the week before. A July 6 error opened the appointment window prematurely, prompting a flood of confusion and a flurry of apologies from city health officials as they worked to correct the problem.
All of the 2,500 appointments inadvertently released were again scooped up extremely quickly, within 10 minutes. The city said that the glitch was the result of a third-party vendor, not the department itself. The department later said it would honor all of the erroneously made appointments from earlier in the day.
What Is Monkeypox?
Monkeypox was first discovered in 1958, when outbreaks occurred in colonies of monkeys kept for research -- resulting in its name. (What you need to know about monkeypox.)
The first case in a human was reported in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which still has the majority of infections. Other African countries where it has been found: Cameroon, Central African Republic, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Liberia, Nigeria, Republic of the Congo and Sierra Leone.
Human symptoms of monkeypox are similar to but milder than the symptoms of smallpox, the CDC says. It presents itself as a flu-like illness accompanied by lymph-node swelling and rash on the face and body.
Monkeypox starts off with fever, headache, muscle aches, and exhaustion. Monkeypox also causes lymph nodes to swell, something that smallpox does not. The incubation period is usually 7−14 days but can range from 5−21 days.
The CDC is urging healthcare providers in the U.S. to be alert for patients who have rashes consistent with monkeypox, regardless of whether they have traveled or have specific risks. See more information from the travel notice here. | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/were-fighting-two-pandemics-at-once-nyc-opens-monkeypox-mass-vaccination-sites/3777755/ | 2022-07-17T16:24:19 | 1 | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/were-fighting-two-pandemics-at-once-nyc-opens-monkeypox-mass-vaccination-sites/3777755/ |
The New York Yankees say police are investigating after what appeared to be a drone was spotted flying above right field at Yankee Stadium on Saturday night.
NJ.com published video of a flashing green light hovering above the outfield bleacher seats, saying it was a drone that floated above the park for about 15 minutes during the Yankees' 14-1 win over the rival Boston Red Sox.
The Yankees said they were aware of the report and that NYPD was investigating.
The Federal Aviation Administration bans unmanned aircrafts from flying over stadiums while games are in progress, but several games in recent seasons have been interrupted by drones, including five during the 2020 season when fans were barred from stadiums as a coronavirus safety measure.
Copyright AP - Associated Press | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/yankees-nypd-investigating-after-drone-seen-above-stadium/3777608/ | 2022-07-17T16:24:25 | 0 | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/yankees-nypd-investigating-after-drone-seen-above-stadium/3777608/ |
It must have been 1961 or early 1962. We were living in a rented two-story house in Havre, Montana. On a bookshelf in the dining room sat a model of a Mercury-Redstone 3 rocket and it’s launch gantry. My father had assembled the model kit. It was intricate and colorful — the red gantry, the white rocket and the black Mercury capsule — and was something I could look at, but not touch.
My father and I shared a fascination with the space program. Back then, a boy could write to NASA for information about anything space-program related, and he would receive in the mail reams of information and diagrams, for free. I had binders filled with information about rockets and astronauts and space stuff.
For me, it was all about the astronauts and flying in space. For my dad, too, there was the “space cowboy” mystique, but he was also intrigued by the practicalities of design and engineering, fabrication and testing, and the science behind it all. We paid close attention to all the missions, Mercury, Gemini and Apollo.
People are also reading…
I paid scant attention to the space probe missions. Data? Images? Machines without astronauts aboard? Pshaw. You call that space exploration? You may as well look at the pyramids of Egypt through a View-Master.
Here I am some 60years later, looking at the first images from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), and I can feel that old thrill again. To see for the first time, galaxies and stars never seen before; my goodness, it’s like looking over the edge of Grand Canyon or swimming in the middle of the ocean. I think I’m falling or being pulled down by an undertow. Holy Mackerel there, Andy!
Galaxies 13 billion light-years distant?
For goodness sake, Pioneer 10, launched in 1973 and now in interstellar space, will reach the nearest star Proxima Centauri, a mere 68 light-years from the sun, in two million years. Will there be anybody here at home by then?
Kevin Schindler, my columnist colleague, is a much better writer to communicate the magnitude and complexity of the JWST to our readers, and I always look forward to what he has to share. I, hack that I am, can only respond this way.
One night down at the farm, Dad and I were sitting on the back porch. It was a moonless night, clear and mild. We’d had a good day in the orchard and in the fields. We’d eaten a delicious dinner and were settled down in comfortable chairs to enjoy a cold beverage on a summer evening. We weren’t talking much, just enjoying the glow of tired muscles, and the unarticulated love between a father and his adult son.
I pointed out to him the Summer Triangle (thanks to Dr. Hall’s Intro to Astronomy class years earlier).
“Here’s something interesting,” I said. “That one there, Vega? The star light we’re seeing took 25 years to reach our eyes.”
I can still see the light in Dad’s eyes as he grasped the concept. I can imagine his look upon seeing the JWST images of today. | https://azdailysun.com/news/local/carpenters-column-in-a-galaxy-far-far-far-away/article_d679bb5a-0555-11ed-b988-d75c765a0701.html | 2022-07-17T16:26:19 | 1 | https://azdailysun.com/news/local/carpenters-column-in-a-galaxy-far-far-far-away/article_d679bb5a-0555-11ed-b988-d75c765a0701.html |
Editor's note: This is a bit unusual, to run a column on the front page, but I thought Mark's perspective from his more than two decades working with Hotshots was a valuable read. He wrote this on a personal basis and not on behalf of any fire or forest management organization.
This has been a rough year for extreme fires in Flagstaff.
Before most of the U.S. Forest Service seasonal workforce was even finished with their mandatory two weeks of training, the Tunnel Fire started in one of the windiest areas of the San Francisco Peaks, during one of the windiest springs I can remember. In addition to that, it was located in the Schultz burn scar, which, at 12 years old, was primed for a fast-moving and difficult-to-contain fire due to the tall grass and kiln-dried logs that are easily receptive to any hot ember that decides to land on it. The Tunnel is what one seasoned “fire dog” referred to as a career fire -- meaning that experiencing a fire like that happens once a career, if at all.
People are also reading…
Amazingly, this fire was in mid-April, and sadly, many structures were lost, despite the huge, aggressive firefighting effort. The Tunnel Fire was unprecedented for the amount of damage caused in that short amount of time. In a typical year the Coconino averages around 175 fires, and nearly all of them are caught early and mostly go unnoticed by the average Flagstaffian. This summer we have had around 23 fires already and two of them have become career fires. Both escalated to become the No. 1 priority fires in the nation, the Tunnel and now the Pipeline.
I moved to Flagstaff 28 years ago from the East Coast and like most other Flagstaff transplants, the Peaks drew me here and have been my sacred place. The Peaks are the heart and soul of Flagstaff; some might say they are the heart and soul of the state. When I moved here, I knew nothing about wildfires. The little I did know was from what I saw on the news about the Yellowstone fires of 1988. Like most people, I didn’t understand why fire managers were letting Yellowstone burn and not putting them out; I was mad that all those forests were burning. If the internet had been around, I would have been a loud critic of the Forest Service, just like so many people today commenting in online forums like they are experts in forest and fire management.
Fast forward many years later, after a long career as a Hotshot, I now better understand wildfire and the critical role it plays throughout our Western forests. All of the forests are flammable and will burn, eventually. The work we do and our efforts each year are done in hopes that they burn under our terms.
During my career, my crew and I have been emergency-shifted from one fire to another two times. The first time was on an afternoon in 2010 when I was a Mormon Lake Hotshot and we were on the Tecolote Fire in New Mexico. The radio sounded out from Incident Command: “Get Flagstaff and Mormon Lake hotshots off the mountain and come to ICP and demob immediately, there is a situation on the Peaks in Flagstaff.” In a matter of hours (which is lightning fast in federal government time), we were out of the Santa Fe Wilderness and on the road home to help fight the Schultz Fire. The next day we were briefing with fire managers at the Chevron station on Highway 89. We would be deployed behind the homes of Timberline and tasked with doing whatever we could to protect them.
History repeated itself this week. While on the Cerro Bandera Fire south of Grants, New Mexico, I received a text from Flag Dispatch of a new start. These texts come daily and normally I read them and say to myself, “Oh, they’ll catch that one” -- because we do 98% of the time. This time was different. Upon checking the text, I immediately realized this one could be a problem -- it’s windy and it’s in a bad spot. After making a few phone calls, once again my crew and I were quickly released and on the way back home to protect the mountain we and so many others love so much. We made it to the fire seven hours after it was first reported, lightning fast considering we started that day in a different time zone.
Luckily that night we were able to help others piece together a plan and save many homes through quick action and, ironically, having the already burned ground of the Tunnel Fire helping us. Had that fire scar not been there, the Pipeline Fire would have destroyed many more homes than the Tunnel Fire had.
The next few days, grueling work was put in by my crew and many other crews from around the nation. I am forever grateful to the three Hotshot crews from California that were with us on the ridge below Fremont Peak. Ninety people hiked in and out every day, working some tough ground that spanned from 8,500 to 12,000 feet in elevation. The air was thin, the hazards were too numerous to count and if someone got hurt, medical extraction would be challenging. The alternative to this option was not good. Had we not been up to the work, the fire would have continued to the west and with the strong westerly winds gone, it would have torched the entire mountain. All of Flagstaff would have been buried under sandbags for the foreseeable future.
Flagstaff dodged another bullet. We got lucky -- lucky the firefighting resources were available, lucky they recognized the situation, lucky we were willing to accept the risk of injury or worse. It’s coming. It’s only a matter of time. All of the Peaks, minus the rocks, are flammable and will burn someday.
End of story.
Recognizing and accepting this will only help to protect our Peaks.
I say this because we have altered the natural cycle of fire for far too long. Now we have one of the most sacred places in the Southwest that is primed and more than ready for a catastrophic fire. Our challenge is to ensure that it doesn’t burn all at once and try to stay as close to the natural cycle as possible. And that natural cycle includes stand-replacing fires. We have a long way to go in protecting not only the Peaks but our forests in general, and it is time that we wake up and do what needs to be done. Everyone talks a good game, but we all can do more to ensure that we have healthy ecosystems to live in for generations to come.
There are ways that we, as a community, can limit the catastrophic results of the Big One:
1. Allow for day use only on the Peaks and Dry Lake Hills near Highway 89, 180 and across Forest Road 418.
2. Follow all campfire restrictions.
3. Educate the influx of out-of-towners moving here, often unaware of our wildfire-dependent and prone ecosystem.
4. Do everything in your abilities to prepare your home/property for wildfire. The 10 years you prepare before a fire are far more important than the 10 minutes or even hours before a fire -- no matter how many engines, crews, airtankers and helicopters are available.
5. Support and obey any forest closures and don’t whine about it!
6. Get used to smoke! Support aggressive, forward-thinking fire management, including managing fires under the right conditions on the Peaks and across the forest.
7. Reward and support active fire and forest management, including prescribed burning, even if there is an occasional bad outcome (99.8% of all prescribed fires are successful).
8. Question managers that do not take risks, by choosing the safe route -- putting all forest fires out small, never managing a fire for resource benefit and not conducting as many prescribed fires as possible. They are just kicking the can down the road.
The Peaks are going to burn again and I would much rather they burn when we say so. Not when a campfire or burning toilet paper decides to get one going in the wrong spot on the wrong day. The choice to manage a fire or light a torch for prescribed fire is not one that we take lightly, the responsibility is huge! Things sometimes go wrong despite the best intentions. But the alternative of doing nothing has only one outcome and it's not good.
Remember, it’s not if, it’s when.
Mark Adams has been a Hotshot on the Coconino since 1999, working on all three crews: Blue Ridge, Mormon Lake and Flagstaff Hotshots. He is currently the superintendent of the Flagstaff Hotshots. He wrote this as a concerned member of Flagstaff — not as a representative of the Forest Service or Coconino National Forest. | https://azdailysun.com/news/local/column-with-fires-in-flagstaff-and-northern-arizona-its-not-a-matter-of-if-but/article_b695f5e4-0495-11ed-8b81-afefda5b20a6.html | 2022-07-17T16:26:25 | 1 | https://azdailysun.com/news/local/column-with-fires-in-flagstaff-and-northern-arizona-its-not-a-matter-of-if-but/article_b695f5e4-0495-11ed-8b81-afefda5b20a6.html |
Official's family biz stops selling to city; Summer adventure at Camp Taunton: Top stories
Before we begin the new week in earnest, we're taking a look back at the week that was, and the stories that led the news with Taunton Daily Gazette readers.
Top stories this past week included:
A look at the seven homes in Dighton that have so far been marked as historically significant. Dighton Historical Commission Chair Patricia Gailes said these homes not only tell the story of Dighton's colonial settlement, but are a microcosm of Colonial America. See what homes have so far earned a historical plaque, and take a step back into the town's past.
Past also met present in the latest Greater Taunton real estate report, where a contemporary Victorian sold for nearly $1 million in Berkley. With timeless, classic touches, the home features a stunner of a kitchen, with custom-made oak cabinets, quartz countertops, a farmers sink, pantry, and more. Check out this home, as well as other recent top-sellers, right here.
These were the Top 5 stories of the past week, according to Gazette readers:
Taunton official's family biz stops selling to city to comply with conflict of interest law
Ed Correira, chief of staff for Mayor Shaunna O'Connell's office, is a part owner of Whittenton Hardware, which has now stopped selling to the city after he reached out to the Ethics Commission about a potential conflict of interest, Correira said. Whittenton Hardware has been a vendor for the city for at least 30 years, according to Gill E. Enos, the city's budget director, and up until recently multiple city departments had been purchasing products from the store.
Correira said he initiated the conversation with the state's Ethics Commission.
Gazette Reporter Daniel Schemer has the story here.
City government:Official's family biz stops selling to city to comply with conflict of interest law
Camp Taunton offers a summer of adventures far beyond the Silver City
Looking for summer adventure?
For local campers, there's still plenty of time to find some.
If you're a camper at Camp Taunton, that is.
Old Colony YMCA Camp Taunton Director Brittany Lanoue said trail hikes, arts and crafts, sports and more are being offered to children this summer, to broaden their horizons over break.
Continuing through August, the camp takes several field trips a week, to places like Water Wizz, the Museum of Science, Newport, and many more.
See what's next on the itinerary, and how to enroll.
The world is ahead:Camp Taunton offers a summer of adventures far beyond the Silver City
Crowning glory: 88th Holy Ghost Feast in East Taunton
Last weekend the Holy Ghost Society of East Taunton celebrated its 88th Holy Ghost Feast.
It was a weekend full of Portuguese tradition, with generations of local families taking part in the procession as well as serving up Portuguese favorites to festa-goers.
There were malassadas, caçoila, bifanas, carne espeto, and, of course, sopas were served in the hall on Sunday.
Crowning glory:88th Holy Ghost Feast takes place in Taunton
Protesters take to Taunton Green over toppling of Roe v. Wade
In the wake of the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade on June 24, erasing a reproductive right the court established nearly 50 years ago, local activists took to the Taunton Green this past week to make their voices heard.
“We are standing in solidarity here in Taunton with all the people around the country upset over losing the right to choose,” said Tanya Lobo, founder and director of the civic and social organization True Diversity, Inc., which organized this Day of Action rally.
Downtown demonstration:Protesters take to Taunton Green over toppling of Roe v. Wade
Morton Hospital contract averts strike
Nurses and other healthcare professionals recently agreed to a new, 3-year contract with Morton Hospital administrators, averting the need for a potential strike.
“We are pleased that our administration heeded our concerns and decided to work with us to reach a settlement we all can be proud of,” said Jacqui Fitts, a hospital nurse and chairperson of the MNA local bargaining unit.
Agreement reached:Morton Hospital contract averts strike — Here's what it says about raises and staffing
Taunton Daily Gazette/Herald News copy editor and digital producer Kristina Fontes can be reached at kfontes@heraldnews.com. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Herald News and Taunton Daily Gazette today. | https://www.tauntongazette.com/story/news/local/2022/07/17/taunton-top-stories-ed-correira-conflict-camp-taunton-holy-ghost-feast-roe-protest/10071008002/ | 2022-07-17T16:43:37 | 0 | https://www.tauntongazette.com/story/news/local/2022/07/17/taunton-top-stories-ed-correira-conflict-camp-taunton-holy-ghost-feast-roe-protest/10071008002/ |
Arizona nonprofits raising qualifying funds for 2022 A Community Thrives grants
Nearly three dozen Arizona nonprofits have applied for 2022 A Community Thrives grants and are raising matching funds required for final-round consideration.
A Community Thrives is the fundraising and grant-making initiative from the Gannett Foundation. The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com are owned by Gannett Co. Inc.
In 2021,16 Arizona nonprofits shared more than $333,000 in A Community Thrives grants.
MAKE A DONATION: Search for participating Arizona nonprofits and donate at acommunitythrives.mightycause.com.
Grants are awarded for specific projects or for general operating funds. In both cases, nonprofits must raise either $3,000 or $6,000 in matching funds to qualify for final consideration, depending on their size. Fundraising begins at 9 a.m. Arizona time Monday, July 18, and ends Friday, Aug. 12. Grants are expected to be awarded in the fall.
Here's how each of the 2022 applicants say they would use the money. Note: Asterick (*) denotes 2021 grantees:
The organization serves LGBTQ youth and young adults ages 11 to 24. Support is needed to provide educational workshops that promote self-esteem and resiliency. Basic needs and housing are provided to program participants.
About Care, Chandler
Trained volunteers help elderly and homebound adults by providing grocery shopping, minor home repairs, weekly calls and visits and transportation to medical appointments.
Arizona Bach Festival, Phoenix*
Continuing to preserve the legacy of Bach and his contemporaries through live performances and educational events within the community. Funding needed for annual festival of concerts, workshops, masterclasses and lectures.
Arouet, Phoenix
Offering educational workshops, basic needs and resources to women who are currently or have been formerly incarcerated to help rebuild community and families. Support is needed to plan an annual storytellers program to create awareness about the impacts of incarceration.
Blacks on Greens, Phoenix
Serves Black, Indigenous and people of color by providing workshops and classes on food education, health and wellness and business development. Funding is needed to support a health expo that provides services and education by doctors, specialists and speakers.
Clothes Closet, Lake Havasu City
Provides clothing to anyone in need and resources including, financial assistance and shelter. Support is needed to renovate a 3,100-square-foot building to house Clothes Closet and other supportive organizations.
Deep Within Rehab Center, Peoria
A no-cost six-month residential recovery program provides men with substance addiction with basic living necessities, counseling, job training and resources. Support is needed to purchase a compact vehicle for transporting individual residents.
Detour Company Theater, Scottsdale
Serving adults with developmental and physical disabilities by providing theater training and giving them the opportunity to perform on stage. Seeking funds to cover the costs of rehearsals and productions for 2023 musicals.
Fight 4 Life, Phoenix
Young Black men from underserved communities are taught how to do minor car repairs, martial arts and be financially literate. Camping trips and STEM education also available. Seeking funding to expand the mentorship program. The goal: to serve 100 young men annually.
Support for young adults that are aging out of the foster care system by providing housing, mentoring and job placement services. Funds are needed to continue expansion on a second residential campus to prevent them from becoming homeless. Foster360 has a growing waitlist of those in need.
Free Arts for Abused Children of Arizona, Phoenix*
Providing support to more than 7,000 children a year who have experienced trauma. Children learn to process their trauma through art activities and mentorships. Funding is needed to continue the program and services.
Grants for Veterans, Chandler
Providing food, clothing, housing and grants for more than 1,500 veterans who are disabled and those affected by homelessness. Grants cover housing modifications and improvements for disabled veterans. Support is needed to continue the program.
Hope for Homes Program, Fountain Hills
Offering temporary affordable housing for seniors, disabled individuals and veterans. One-on-one budgeting and assistance with applying for state and federal programs is offered to anyone in the program. Support is requested to provide more affordable housing.
Providing transitional housing for homeless families and children from the Sedona-Oak Creek Unified School District. Assistance is needed to accommodate more families, residents and staff. Support is needed to fund a concrete driveway to give residents with mobility limitations access to the home.
Hope of Glory Center, Tucson
Providing hot meals, clothing and referrals to social services to homeless individuals. Funding is needed to provide food, hygiene items and blankets.
Hospice Dreamcatcher, Scottsdale
High-school students volunteer to make end-of- life dreams come true for hospice patients. Seeking funding to expand program nationally to high schools and colleges.
Providing homeless families with transitional housing and support services. Much of this population is below the poverty line and victims of domestic violence. Funding is needed to provide housing and services.
Kids with Autism Can, Phoenix
Helping children and young adults with autism and other disorders become independent through socialization, events and education. Sensory Cooking classes are offered which helps introduce new smells and tastes. Funding is needed to expand sensory friendly programming.
Let’s Rebuild Tuskegee, Phoenix
Educating underserved youth through architecture and encouraging them to study STEAM fields and learn skills necessary to revitalize their communities. Funding is needed for the Let’s Rebuild Construction Camp Program where children learn to build structures, participate in bonfires and create community.
Cares for more than 12,000 animals annually that are ill, injured or orphaned. Workshops and education are delivered to K-12 children to learn about wildlife conservation efforts. The Non-Eagle Feather Repository program provides feathers to native Americans for ceremonial and traditional use. Funding is needed to produce a documentary film to provide education at a national level.
Facility will serve children who have autoimmune disorders, cancer and heart defects, with clean play facilities. Funding is needed to install an HVAC system and for building materials to renovate and begin renovation the facility.
McDowell Sonoran Conservancy, Scottsdale
One million residents and visitors come to the preserve each year. Ecological education and outreach programs for adults and children of all ages. Funding is needed to visit students at low-income schools to educate them about wildlife and ongoing research.
One Small Step, Gilbert
Helping children, families and individuals in need by providing quality clothes, shoes and other support services. Assistance for homeless individuals by providing lockers, shower facilities and laundry and mail services. Support is needed for program outreach and creating partnerships with schools in low-income areas.
Serving a diverse community of nearly 400 children, ages 5-18 through performances, workshops and community engagement. Seeking support to remove barriers for low-income students to access music education by opening another music rehearsal facility in Tolleson.
Annually Supports 80,000 people from the LGBTQ community and allies through community events and programs. Funding is needed to support the annual Pride festival, programs and direct services.
Prescott Area Habitat for Humanity*
Serving families in need by building homes for them to own and live-in. The group is seeking funds to build a three-bedroom, two-bathroom home for a family with two children.
Rosie's House: A Music Academy for Children, Phoenix*
Providing weekly music lessons and performance opportunities to more than 500 students from low-income families. Grant funds would support leadership programs including service-learning opportunities, mentorship and college readiness assistance.
School Connect, Glendale*
Connecting 2,200 K-12 students from low-income families to resources and services including assistance with education, nutrition, guidance, and adult mentorship. Funding is needed to expand program and provide training for program facilitators.
Sharing Down Syndrome Arizona, Gilbert
Serves individuals and families with Down Syndrome by providing services, events and resources including medical treatment and social and educational opportunities. Support is needed to offer free services.
Providing basic hygiene kits to individuals and children who are experiencing homelessness in Greater Phoenix. Program support is needed to aid in the distribution and creation of the kits.
Southwest Lending Closet, Avondale
Lending home health equipment to anyone in need. Serving all backgrounds and assisted 4,390 people last year in Arizona. Funding is needed to continue renovation and expansion of the building to hold operations under one roof.
Tempe Community Action Agency*
Provided services to more than 38,000 people last year through a food pantry, community garden, rent and utility assistance and emergency shelter. Support is needed to offer affordable congregate shelter to people in need.
The Be Kind People Project, Phoenix*
Serving more than 300,000 students, families, teachers and schools annually through spoken-word and dance performances that give youth opportunities to learn, build relationship skills, boost accountability and encourage health and wellness. Funding is needed to visit and provide programming to 38 schools.
The Millet House, Mesa
Supporting marginalized artists by offering community space to display work and learn art skills from other artists. Funding is needed to create accessible physical space for artists with disabilities.
The Tales of Toley Ranz Stop Bullying, Sedona
Educating students about tolerance and self-respect through storytelling, picture books and games with the aim of reducing bullying and misbehavior. Funding is needed to create awareness and expand the program.
Roxanne De La Rosa writes about Arizona's nonprofit community. Reach her at rdelarosa@azcentral.com. | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona/2022/07/17/arizona-nonprofits-fundraising-qualify-community-thrives-grants/7832297001/ | 2022-07-17T16:46:58 | 1 | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona/2022/07/17/arizona-nonprofits-fundraising-qualify-community-thrives-grants/7832297001/ |
Overturning Roe v. Wade brings challenges for women in rural Arizona
Experts worry that the U.S. Supreme Court's recent ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade, the 1973 landmark case that made abortion legal nationwide, will increase the challenges rural southern Arizona communities already face to access reproductive health care.
“We are going to see more unintended pregnancies,” said Elise Lopez, the assistant director of the Relationship Violence Program at the University of Arizona, of the ruling's impact in rural areas.
On June 24, the Court's ruling in a Mississippi case, overturning Roe, now allows states to set their own abortion laws. Thirteen states, not including Arizona, had a "trigger" law, which is one designed to take effect automatically, upon Roe being overturned.
Lara Ruggles, organizer from a national women's rights group with a branch in Tucson said she felt "abject terror" after Roe was overturned.
Arizona abortion laws:Where abortion laws stand after Roe v. Wade
"I know pretty intimately what it's like to be very broke and exist on very little income and not have insurance beyond state Medicaid and have long waitlists or not have easy access to the types of care that I needed," Ruggles said, the director of marketing and development for YWCA Southern Arizona.
She noted that she had privileges others do not have: family that she could rely on for help, living in a city with resources, and being White.
"Being really aware of how the privileges that I had made things easier for me, and yet how hard they still were made me want to do everything that I can to advocate for anyone who is in a place where they don't have those support systems."
Lopez said some challenges to accessing health care in rural areas include traveling to appointments, taking time off work for those appointments, coordinating child care, accessing contraceptives and education on contraceptive use and insurance costs.
With the most recent abortion bill signed by Gov. Doug Ducey in March, banning abortions after 15 weeks unless a woman’s life is in danger, accessing safe abortions could be more challenging for people living in rural areas, she said.
She said in rural areas where people have to travel distances for care, they will have to gauge carefully how close they are to dying as a result of lack of care and how long it takes to commute to the nearest medical facility for treatment. Rural areas often have limited options for public transportation.
“When does she decide that she is close enough to death that if she goes to a hospital seeking an abortion that she will actually get that care,” Lopez said.
'Furious, Disappointed, Crestfallen:Arizonans react to Roe v. Wade abortion ruling
One potential solution to abortion are abortion pills, Lopez said, noting that challenges could arise if restrictions on abortion pills were put in place.
"I hope that telemedicine will be able to help people access abortion pills so that they can have an abortion at home and done safely. I think that’s really going to transform things for our rural communities," she said.
An old law could add more challenges
An Arizona anti-abortion law from 1901 could restrict abortion even more. The law, ARS13-3603, bans all abortions and punishes anyone who helps a women get an abortion with imprisonment for two to five years. There remains uncertainty whether this law will take precedence or a more recent law.
Lopez said a large concern, especially for people in rural areas, is the language in the 1901 law punishing those who help someone access an abortion. Would an Uber driver, a friend or family member who transports someone to get an abortion be punished?
This could deter people from helping each other access surgical abortions, she said.
“The fear of prison time... to access this medical care would terrorize people,” Lopez said.
Residents in rural southern Arizona communities experienced hardships in accessing basic health care, even before the overturn of Roe.
A community health worker noted that rural residents often lack the important bond between patient and physician, an effect that happens due to the constant rotation of visiting doctors.
The health worker recalled a time when her father suffered a stroke in a rural community near the border. However, because the area lacked medical equipment, a nurse had to hand pump oxygen into her father's mask for hours until he could be flown to Tucson.
200-year-old law:Arizona moves to impose abortion ban from 1800s
Shaq McCoy, one of the co-founders of Arizonans for Reproductive Freedom, said organizations and service providers in Arizona are figuring out how to help people access abortion services outside the state.
McCoy said areas closest to Arizona with such services would be El Centro, a city in Southern California, as well as places in Mexico and New Mexico. She noted that organizations around the country are raising money to help women pay for abortions. One such organization is Abortion Fund of Arizona.
This month, Arizonans for Reproductive Freedom worked to collect signatures to add a constitutional amendment protecting reproductive rights on Arizona ballots in November.
According to a news release published Thursday, the group fell short and collected 175,000 signatures instead of the 356,000 signatures needed to put protections for reproductive health care on the ballot.
Now they are looking toward the 2024 election.
"Arizonans for Reproductive Freedom will continue to harness the passion of the movement to ensure the measure qualifies for the 2024 ballot," the group said in the release.
Barriers to accessing contraception in rural areas
Challenges to accessing contraception and education about effective use of contraceptives also impact people in rural areas.
Lopez highlighted that access to contraceptives, especially longer lasting contraceptives like intrauterine devices, often shortened to IUDs, is challenging in areas where there are fewer obstetrician gynecologist providers, or clinics that specialize in reproductive health.
Lopez said physical access is not the only issue but also economic access. In lower-income families, women often have to choose between paying for medicine, like birth control pills, or paying their monthly expenses.
For birth control pills to work they must be taken every day, and often at the same time every day. Lopez said that for people with less access and economic means, this can be a challenge.
According to data from the USDA Economic Research Service, the poverty rate in rural Arizona is 21.9%, compared with 12.4% in urban areas of the state.
“For many people, especially if you have less access to birth control pills, perfect use goes out the window,” she said. “It's things like skipping pills. It’s things like do I pay for my birth control this week? Do I pay for my food this week? Or do I pay for my electric this week?” Lopez said.
According to the National Institute of Health, many unintended pregnancies are a result of incorrect use of contraceptives.
Women’s rights and pro-choice groups are concerned that overturning Roe will pave the way for other restrictions like access to contraception and overturning other precedents.
State data shows that 55.9% of women who had abortions in 2020 have given birth before, a statistic which she said contradicts the argument by anti-abortion supporters that abortion is used as birth control.
Ruggles highlighted the concern would affect her personally if contraceptives were to be banned.
Ruggles, who has an IUD, said she is worried how the language in the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade could open up future attacks on IUDs and similar contraceptives which make it harder for a fertilized egg to implant in the uterus.
“The primary reason I have an IUD is because I have severe, severe pain every month during my periods,” she said, adding that unlike her IUD, pain killers did nothing to relieve her excruciating pain. She recalled in her teenage years how often she would worry that she was going to vomit or pass out from the pain.
Ruggles also noted how the overturn of Roe v. Wade will have more of a negative impact on communities with intersecting barriers.
As previously reported by The Arizona Republic, the Roe v. Wade decision could lead to increases in maternal deaths that will disproportionately affect Black and Latina women, who already have higher rates of maternal deaths.
Lopez noted that abortion rates tend to be higher in areas where there are higher rates of unintended pregnancies, which are generally higher in communities of color and in areas of lower socioeconomic status.
According to data from the Arizona Department of Health, Latinos had the highest number of abortions in 2020 at 40% compared to 35% among whites, 12% Blacks, 2% Asians and 4% Asian and Pacific Islander.
“I think we've been in a situation for years, the whole time that Roe has stood, in which abortion care and reproductive health care is much more accessible to women who have the means to travel and the means to pay for it,” Ruggles said. “That’s a racial justice issue we have not addressed.”
Coverage of southern Arizona on azcentral.com and in The Arizona Republic is funded by the nonprofit Report for America in association with The Republic.
Reach the reporter at sarah.lapidus@gannett.com.
Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today. | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona/2022/07/17/overturning-roe-v-wade-adds-challenges-women-rural-arizona/10009276002/ | 2022-07-17T16:47:04 | 1 | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona/2022/07/17/overturning-roe-v-wade-adds-challenges-women-rural-arizona/10009276002/ |
Arizona nonprofits raising matching funds for A Community Thrives grant consideration
Nearly three dozen Arizona nonprofits have applied for 2022 A Community Thrives grants and are raising matching funds required for final-round consideration.
A Community Thrives is the fundraising and grant-making initiative from the Gannett Foundation. The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com are owned by Gannett Co., Inc.
List of applicants: See the full list of 2022 Arizona applicants here.
In 2021,16 Arizona nonprofits shared more than $333,000 in A Community Thrives grants.
Among them: south Phoenix's Liberty Wildlife, which received a $10,000 grant for a California Condor enclosure and new signage in English and Spanish. The group cares for rescued wild animals, conservation efforts and offers educational programs for the public.
Another 2021 recipient, House of Refuge, received $4,700 towards the cost of utilities and maintenance of its transitional housing program. The Mesa-based nonprofit offers affordable housing and resources to struggling families with children.
A Community Thrives Grants can be awarded for specific projects or for general operating funds. Nonprofits must raise either $3,000 or $6,000 in matching funds to qualify for final consideration, depending on their size. This year's fundraising begins Monday, July 18, and ends Friday, Aug. 12. Grants are expected to be awarded in the fall.
Nationally, A Community Thrives expects to distribute $2.3 million this year. Past grants addressed a range of social issues, including homelessness, mental health care and girls' education. Since 2017, A Community Thrives has distributed $19 million in grants and donations to community-based organizations.
Search for participating Arizona nonprofits and donate at acommunitythrives.mightycause.com.
Roxanne De La Rosa writes about Arizona nonprofits. Reach her at rdelarosa@azcentral.com. | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix/2022/07/17/arizona-charities-vie-up-100-000-part-republic-sponsored-effortt/10032794002/ | 2022-07-17T16:47:10 | 1 | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix/2022/07/17/arizona-charities-vie-up-100-000-part-republic-sponsored-effortt/10032794002/ |
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – The City of Wichita plans to set aside up to $141 million for new road projects over the next decade, according to the latest Capital Improvement Program (CIP) report.
According to City Councilman Bryan Frye, the City was spending roughly $4 million on street maintenance in 2015. In 2023, that amount will triple to $12 million, a welcome change for some on the City Council, including Frye.
The latest CIP report lists 61 different projects, 13 of which will be split amongst all six districts, including dirt street paving.
Out of 5,200 lane miles within city limits, 160 are unpaved. The City is allocating $31 million over the next decade to pave dirt roads throughout all six districts.
“I think the proposal in the budget to start small and concentrate on the areas near schools and low-income neighborhoods, this is a way to start doing it in an affordable way,” said Frye.
But one council member says this plan does not sound fair. Out of the 61 projects, only one is specific to District 3.
“I’ve spoken with people at City Hall, and we’re going to rectify that, and we’re going to get more projects in the CIP in the next couple of weeks,” said Mike Hoheisel, Wichita City Council, District 3.
However, another council member says despite the fact the population among districts is about the same size, the amount of roads/streets per district is not.
“District 4 is a lot larger. A lot larger than all the other districts…having twice the amount of streets as most of the other districts, it’s going to take more attention,” said Jeff Blubaugh, Wichita City Council, District 4.
While District 3 is the smallest district, Hoheisel still calls the lack of more road projects alarming. However, he says the proposed budget as a whole is promising. The City will hold three budget meetings to discuss this issue and more on August 4, 16 and 23. | https://www.ksn.com/news/local/city-plans-to-set-aside-141m-for-new-road-projects/ | 2022-07-17T16:53:30 | 0 | https://www.ksn.com/news/local/city-plans-to-set-aside-141m-for-new-road-projects/ |
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — A Haysville man was hospitalized in after being ejected from a vehicle in a crash early Saturday morning.
The Kansas Highway Patrol says the 20-year-old man was driving a pickup in the left lane of I-235 southbound when he drove off the left side of the highway and hit the guardrail.
After the impact, the vehicle was forced across all lanes of I-235 and struck the guardrail on the right side of the overpass over Gold St.
The crash log says the driver was ejected from the driver’s window seat and came to rest near Gold St. under the highway. He was rushed to a local hospital.
An investigation is still ongoing. | https://www.ksn.com/news/local/haysville-man-ejected-from-car-over-bridge-in-early-morning-crash/ | 2022-07-17T16:53:36 | 0 | https://www.ksn.com/news/local/haysville-man-ejected-from-car-over-bridge-in-early-morning-crash/ |
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – Maple Grove Cemetery in Wichita holds all kinds of history, and one organization is helping to preserve the history there.
For eight years, members of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War Corporal Patrick Coyne Camp 1 have restored Civil War veteran’s graves.
“We come out from spring to fall third Saturday of every month and do our thing,” said Senior Vice Commander of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War Corporal Patrick Coyne Camp, Michael Halfman.
“We try to clean up the headstones if they don’t need leveling. Otherwise, we dig them out we reposition them, and reset them,” said member of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War Corporal Patrick Coyne Camp, Dale Rouse.
Some of the stones they come across are in rough shape and many of the men are not Kansas natives.
Abraham Lincoln passed the Homestead Act in the 1800s when many men decided to travel to Kansas to settle for their acreage.
“After the civil war they came in from New England, they came in from all the surrounding states and grew here and made us who we are today,” said Halfman.
While they may not know the men that served and are buried at Maple Grove, they want to give them the respect they deserve.
“The men and boys that chose to go and fight in the civil war they did a great thing,” said Rouse.
“I don’t think it is too much to ask of me to come out here and say thank you,” said Halfman.
The group finished the graves at Highland Cemetery and plans to continue their work at Maple Grove through the fall.
They fix around 10 each month. | https://www.ksn.com/news/local/preserving-civil-war-history-through-restoring-graves/ | 2022-07-17T16:53:43 | 0 | https://www.ksn.com/news/local/preserving-civil-war-history-through-restoring-graves/ |
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — A new approach to suicide prevention was launched nationwide Saturday. The 988 mental health hotline opening 200 call centers. However, fewer than half of public health officials across the country responsible for deploying the system said they have the necessary resources to make it work.
With the crisis line now active, KSN’s Andrea Herrera shows us why one man believes the line is needed across the nation.
His name is Bob Polk, and he is the father to Matthew Polk, a young 26-year-old man who took his life in 2015.
“Pretty hard, so I opened the door. Police officers right on my heels. I opened the garage door, and my son was hanging from the garage,” said Polk.
It’s been seven years since Bob Polk lost his angel, and as the days go on, Bob said it never gets easier.
“I told him if he can come back, then I will be a better father–that I would be a better dad,” Polk added.
After not qualifying for his ideal apartment and having to say goodbye to his Kansas City dream,
Matthew had a breakdown.
“For the next three days, he kind of stayed in his room,” said Polk. “He was writing letters. He was writing letters to myself and my wife and to his girlfriend. Goodbyes.”
Letting his father casually know he wanted to take his life was one of the signs Matthew left behind, which is why Bob is a strong believer in the new nationwide three-digit help hotline.
“Maybe when my son told me that he was going to kill himself–and if I was aware of that number–maybe I would have had the courage to call that 988 number to help my son,” Polk said.
The idea behind the help hotline is to lend a hand for all those like Matthew.
“Because it can be anonymous. It is confidential,” said licensed professional counselor Bev Marquez.
“If we can save one Matthew, one Dereck, one Jarred–other people children that they have lost to suicide–if we can save one person, that 988 numbers well worth it,” Polk said.
The new three-digit helpline went live on Saturday, and those who are interested in using it, there is help in both English and in Spanish. People are also given the opportunity to text the 988 number and receive help through there. For more details, visit the 988 official page. | https://www.ksn.com/news/local/the-goal-is-to-save-lives-like-matthews-new-9-8-8-crisis-line/ | 2022-07-17T16:53:49 | 1 | https://www.ksn.com/news/local/the-goal-is-to-save-lives-like-matthews-new-9-8-8-crisis-line/ |
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — The north end of Wichita is getting a financial boost, thanks to a $1 million grant approved by the city.
The City of Wichita approved the grant for the organization “Empower.” It is planning on using the funds to help the north end of the city, which is a predominantly Hispanic community.
One of the leaders with Empower says the investment will specifically help small businesses in the area move forward.
“(It) really is exciting the residents between the new community center as well as other planned projects, and so this continues to show that we are here, and how do we help serve one of our largest populations within Wichita,” Executive Director Ariel Rodriguez said.
Empower is looking to build a commercial kitchen for small businesses and community advocates. | https://www.ksn.com/news/local/wichita-approves-1-million-grant-to-improve-north-end/ | 2022-07-17T16:53:55 | 1 | https://www.ksn.com/news/local/wichita-approves-1-million-grant-to-improve-north-end/ |
ST. ALBANS, WV (WOWK)—An investigation is underway after a fire that happened on Saturday.
The St. Albans Fire Department says that they were dispatched to the 400 block of Holley St. in response to a structure fire at 12:49 a.m. on Saturday.
They say they confirmed a working fire upon arrival and quickly extinguished the fire.
The fire is now under investigation by the St. Albans Fire Marshal. | https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/fire-marshal-investigates-st-albans-fire/ | 2022-07-17T16:54:13 | 0 | https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/fire-marshal-investigates-st-albans-fire/ |
HUNTINGTON, WV (WOWK) – Tri-State residents met at Ritter Park in Huntington on Saturday to rally against the overturn of Roe v. Wade.
“We’re fighting, we’re challenging the 1882 abortion ban,” said Katie Quinonez, the Executive Director of Women’s Health Center in West Virginia.
People of all ages came out. There were informational tables and contraceptives free and available for people, and many came out to share personal stories.
There were also tables set up for people to register to vote, which officials say is just the start.
“There are really so many other things that we need people to do. Donate to abortion funds, fund and donate to independent clinics like the Women’s Health Clinic of West Virginia,” explained Quinonez.
She says that the overturn and pausing of abortions at their facility have been hard on everyone.
“We’ve been having to refer every single West Virginian out of state – so they’re going to either Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, or North Carolina. Some people quickly resolve to get out of state, we have other patients that are in disbelief who say “please,’” said Quinonez.
One resident says many don’t know how serious this issue is.
“When I was three, my mom was pregnant with my sister and then found out that she had stage 2 breast cancer. There was immediate talk of possible termination in the event that it became too life-threatening for her,” said resident, Hanna Davis.
She says although the termination didn’t have to happen, she’s happy she had the choice.
“In the event that it had to, if it were today, it truly scares me that she wouldn’t have access to the healthcare she needed and I would’ve grown up without a mom,” Davis explained.
The rally ended with a march in downtown Huntington, and officials say this is not the end. | https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/huntington-holds-pro-choice-rally-i-wouldve-grown-up-without-a-mom/ | 2022-07-17T16:54:19 | 1 | https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/huntington-holds-pro-choice-rally-i-wouldve-grown-up-without-a-mom/ |
BOONE COUNTY, WV (WOWK)—A man is dead after a motorcycle crash that happened on Saturday.
West Virginia State Police say that 39-year-old Terrence Poindexter, of Charleston, lost control of his motorcycle and crashed along Route 119 in the Julian area of Boone County at around 7:45 p.m.
They say he was transported from the scene to Boone Memorial Hospital, and he succumbed to his injuries.
No other information is available at this time. | https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/man-dies-in-boone-county-west-virginia-motorcycle-crash/ | 2022-07-17T16:54:25 | 0 | https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/man-dies-in-boone-county-west-virginia-motorcycle-crash/ |
PORTLAND, Ore. (PORTLAND TRIBUNE) — In another sign of the regional recovery from COVID-19 restrictions, the Forest Grove Concours d’Elegance is returning Sunday after a two-year hiatus.
The automotive exhibition is the premier Concours show in the Pacific Northwest. Founded in 1973, it has offered over 300 classic and modified automobiles spread out under the tree-shaded campus of Pacific University, 25 miles west of Portland.
“We’re excited to be back on the Pacific University campus for this year’s show. After two years without a show, we’ve heard from car owners, community members, and more about how thrilled they are that we’ll be able to offer the whole Forest Grove Concours d’Elegance experience,” said show chair Ryan Garcia.
This year’s show will celebrate Jaguar and other British Elegance vehicles, with feature classes for Bentley, Rolls Royce, and more.
Among those showing off their British babies will be Richard and Linda Olson of Happy Valley. Linda’s father bought the 1954 Jaguar XK120 SE OTS new but stashed it in the garage when the two-seater roadster proved impractical for a growing family. The couple began restoring “Dad’s car” in late 2019, and after a lot of work, it will make its Concours debut on Sunday.
“Our goal is to keep the car as original as possible,” Rich said. “Some original parts, like the gas tank, radiator and water pump had to be rebuilt (but) there are no missing parts, and nothing was added that was not stock at the time the car was built.”
This will be the couple’s first time at the Concours, and they are excited finally see what they’ve heard about.
“Everybody seems excited to be involved this year. Community members and Pacific University are reaching out to support, new and returning car owners are registering hundreds of cars, and the Forest Grove Rotary Club is thrilled to have the primary fundraising source for the year after two years of tighter budgets for scholarships and community projects,” said Garcia.
For more information, go to forestgroveconcours.org.
Where: Pacific University, Forest Grove
When: Sunday, July 17
Tickets: $8-$20. Free for children 12 and under
Event Schedule:
7:45 a.m. — All automobiles in place
8:30 a.m. — Gates open
9:00 a.m. — Car judging begins
11:00 a.m. — Michael Allen Harrison on the Main Stage
Noon — Judging completed
1:30 p.m. — Trophy presentations
4:00 p.m. — Best in Show Trophy presentation
Portland Tribune and its parent, Pamplin Media Group, are KOIN 6 News partners. | https://www.koin.com/local/washington-county/forest-groves-premier-classic-car-show-returns-this-sunday/ | 2022-07-17T17:01:06 | 0 | https://www.koin.com/local/washington-county/forest-groves-premier-classic-car-show-returns-this-sunday/ |
The delegates of the Idaho Republican Party attending the state convention will decide in the next two days whether to approve a rule disqualifying voters affiliated with other parties from registering as Republicans to vote in the party’s primary elections.
The Idaho GOP closed its primary process starting in 2012 so that only registered Republicans can vote for the candidate they want to advance to the general election — where Republicans dominate so heavily that a primary win often guarantees election to a seat.
The proposed rule was drafted by Branden Durst, a former Democratic legislator who joined the Republican party in 2020 and ran unsuccessfully as a Republican candidate for superintendent of public instruction in the May primary. The rule passed out of the GOP convention committee on Thursday and will need a majority of affirmative votes from the party delegates to be officially adopted.
People are also reading…
Durst told the Idaho Capital Sun he wasn’t in a position to talk about the rule until Saturday.
The rule states that county and legislative district central committees can determine the political affiliation of people who file or intend to file as candidates for the Republican Party. It outlines how a voter can be disqualified from registering with the Idaho Republican Party, such as those who:
- Affiliated less than 12 months before the next primary election held in an even-numbered year
- Disaffiliated with the Republican Party at any time in the past 39 months
- Financially supported more than one candidate of a different political party for office less than 25 months before the primary
- Affiliated with any other political party less than 25 months before the primary
- Voted in a primary or caucus for any other political party less than 25 months before the primary
The proposed rule didn’t specify how the party would police its voters’ affiliation history or campaign contributions. It did not specify who would be responsible for that task.
Tyler Kelly, executive director of the Idaho Republican Party, said there is usually a “hot topic” at the convention each year it is held, and he’s not surprised the rule made it out of committee. But he hopes the majority of the delegates don’t adopt it.
“It’s my hope that the party errs on the side of inclusion,” Kelly said. “I think it becomes difficult when the party starts determining who can and cannot register. It’s my belief, and (GOP Chairman Tom Luna’s) belief as well, that we should err on the side of inclusion at all times.”
Durst lost to former Idaho State Board of Education president Debbie Critchfield and said the day after the primary that the Republican Party “must address its Democrat primary crossover problem.” He and Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin, who lost her bid for governor to Gov. Brad Little in the primary, both claimed tens of thousands of Democrats crossed over to vote in the primary. Deputy Secretary of State Chad Houck said in May that those numbers were not reflected in the voter rolls.
The Idaho Democratic Party has an open primary, allowing any registered voter to participate. Democratic Party spokesperson Avery Roberts said the proposed rule is particularly egregious coming from Durst.
“From his extremist views on reproductive rights to his efforts to defund public education, it’s clear Durst is not a Democrat. What isn’t clear is why he thinks he should get special treatment,” Roberts said in a statement. “He certainly didn’t wait 25 months after losing a Democratic primary in Washington state to rise through the ranks of the Idaho Republican Party.”
Durst ran a losing legislative campaign as a Democrat in Washington in 2016. Two years later, he ran a losing campaign for Boise School District trustee, a nonpartisan seat.
The Idaho GOP convention will continue through Saturday evening, during which time party delegates will vote on proposed rules, resolutions and changes to the party platform. The delegates will also elect party officers, including the chairperson, on Saturday. | https://magicvalley.com/news/local/idaho-gop-convention-committee-approves-rule-to-limit-crossover-voting/article_17d8b07c-048b-11ed-ad25-6b35262e5f56.html | 2022-07-17T17:02:23 | 1 | https://magicvalley.com/news/local/idaho-gop-convention-committee-approves-rule-to-limit-crossover-voting/article_17d8b07c-048b-11ed-ad25-6b35262e5f56.html |
JEROME — The town’s business growth hasn’t quite reached a fever pitch, but it’s been steadily simmering for some time now.
And its progress is starting to show.
Jerome’s long-established commercial and industrial arena is on the cusp of welcoming several new businesses.
Many towns in Idaho are feeling growing pains and Jerome is no exception.
Recent increases in costs for materials and a jump in the interest rate have slowed residential construction in town, Mayor Dave Davis said. Commercial and industrial projects, however, continue to gain ground.
“It’s the other industries and commercial businesses that are progressing right now,” Davis said. “They are helping us continue on this path of economic development in our community.”
People are also reading…
As more projects break ground, the results of those efforts will become increasingly apparent, he said.
“As far as the commercial and industrial type development, that’s been probably at least an eight-year process,” Davis said, while giving the economic development organization Jerome 20/20 due credit.
“It’s been a process, but we’re starting to see the fruit of their labors there.”
A promising future
Jerome 20/20 Executive Director Larry Hall credits its success to its partnership between city, county and about 20 businesses.
Jerome’s outlook is promising Hall said.
“We’ve got about 600,000-plus square feet of commercial industrial projects that are underway,” he said. “I’m not sure we’re crazy busy, but we’re darn busy — that’s for sure.”
Jerome 20/20 formed about 10 years ago and Hall has been with the organization for the past seven.
In his role, Hall opens the door for new businesses to locate in Jerome by providing assistance in site location, builder referrals, and making utility connections such as water, sewer, electric, natural gas and fiber optics.
Jerome 20/20 also assists businesses in finding and receiving incentive packages, like tax reimbursement incentives from the Idaho Department of Commerce.
“As a result of 20/20, as a result of great leadership at the county level, great leadership at the city level, we work together,” Hall said. “We get it done.”
The biggest project underway is the highly anticipated Tru West Beef.
With construction already near completion, the massive 270,000-square-foot beef slaughterhouse can be seen on U.S. Highway 93 in Jerome County. With an anticipated 400 jobs in the plant, Tru West is expected to create an additional 700 support jobs within the county. The project broke ground in 2022 and is expected to be operational in January.
Revitalizing downtown Jerome
Several projects are underway downtown, repurposing and renovating older structures on Main Street.
Rich Thompson Trucking is rebuilding the old cinema on Main into a 25,000-square-foot structure, on a 6-acre lot, for truck maintenance, transport and logistics. Thompson also plans to build separate truck wash is also planned.
On July 14, the family-run trucking company celebrated its 40th anniversary with its 60 employees.
Company President Brett Thompson said the new location will increase business and be more convenient.
“It puts us at a better location for our truck wash, with easier access from the interstate and truck stop down the road,” Thompson said, adding that he hopes to make the move in the spring of 2023.
“...I think it’s something that’s needed here in Jerome and I’m feeling very optimistic about it.”
Across the street, spools of orange poly tubing are stacked in a yard.
Poly-pipe wholesaler QualPol turned an older property into a distribution site for its tubing and piping, used for everything from livestock and farm irrigation to fiber optics.
The company now has a contract for 3 million linear feet of fiber-optic tubing, Hall said.
A third ongoing building project on Main Street is a restaurant and music venue called 208 Bar and Grill.
Davis said the business will be a welcome addition to downtown.
“That’s an important part of revitalization of downtown,” Davis said about the grill. “We have a lot of people in our city who would like a sit-down place to eat downtown.”
Industrial space opens up
A few years back, the city designated an area in south Jerome as a site for an industrial area. Idaho Milk Products and Scoular already have facilities up and running nearby.
Several more projects are in the works.
Western Dairy Transport has moved forward with its new facility, a food-product logistics company is one of the largest in the nation. They chose Jerome for one of 13 sites nationwide.
Nelson Jameson has plans to construct a 45,000-square-foot distribution warehouse across the street from Western Dairy. Groundbreaking was anticipated in July but has been pushed back by economic factors. The company wants to expand its warehouse into 105,000 square feet over its 20-acre property.
Down the street, Scoular’s new facility, Emerge, had a grand opening in December. The facility uses state-of-the-art automation and distributes barley for makers of pet and fish food.
Most of the Magic Valley's barley goes to making beer, but that might soon change, and "it all started with a lot of good old American elbow grease and an idea."
Northbridge Junction welcomes Hempitecture
Rounding off the list is Hempitecture Inc., which has leased space at the new Northbridge Junction Industrial Park.
Once up and running, Hempitecture will be among the first in the nation to produce insulation bats from the hemp crop, which is legal in all 50 states.
Hemp “wool” compares to fiberglass, according to insulation industry reports.
The Northbridge location’s easy access to the interstate heavily influenced the Ketchum-based business’ decision to locate its 20,000-square-foot plant here. | https://magicvalley.com/news/local/we-get-it-done-jerome-area-commercial-projects-booming/article_627ece64-03bd-11ed-82d2-83b5998a5642.html | 2022-07-17T17:02:29 | 0 | https://magicvalley.com/news/local/we-get-it-done-jerome-area-commercial-projects-booming/article_627ece64-03bd-11ed-82d2-83b5998a5642.html |
DECORAH — Ed Epperly is considered an authority on the worst mass murder in Iowa history. The retired Luther College professor has spent more than six decades delving into the 1912 horrific murders of a prominent Villisca family and two overnight guests.
Epperly’s recently published true crime non-fiction book, “Fiend Incarnate: Villisca Iowa Axe Murders of 1912,” is the result of his comprehensive research.
“This is an iconic case and stands right up there with Jack the Ripper and Lizzie Borden. These murders just haven’t gotten that kind of publicity, and the community of Villisca tried to repress news about it when it happened,” said Epperly.
The tragedy remains unsolved.
On June 10, 1912, the small community of Villisca awoke to the violent murders of Josiah and Sara Moore and their four children, Herman, Katherine, Boyd and Paul, and guests Lena and Ina Stillinger. They were discovered brutally bludgeoned to death in their beds.
People are also reading…
“I heard about the murders as a child in the 1940’s, when my dad and his brothers would get together and sometimes talk about it. ‘Hey, remember those big murders in Villisca … .’ I’d stand on the edge of their circle and listen to them talk,” recalled Epperly, a native of southern Iowa.
There weren’t enough hearses in Villisca to carry the eight victims to their resting place, so horses and wagons carried several small coffins. A mass grave was opened in the small cemetery to receive the Moore family, and the Stillinger children were buried nearby.
As an undergraduate and graduate history major at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, Epperly shared the Villisca story with his classmates. In 1956, he and two friends decided to do “some original research for a class and the three of us went to Villisca and spent a long weekend there, interviewing a number of people and seeing the sights. The house where the murders took place was privately owned, so we weren’t able to go inside.”
Today it’s a paranormal hotel.
After graduation, Epperly shoved the research into a drawer and got on with his teaching career. In the 1970s, the professor renewed his interest in the case.
It quickly became his hobby. He delved into Moore family history, heard first-person accounts from key figures in Villisca at the time and studied coroner’s reports and nearly 10 years of criminal investigations, trial transcripts and a slander suit.
Suspects included a local businessman who served as a state senator and a traveling minister known for window-peeping. One suspect was tried twice, resulting in a hung jury, and an acquittal in the second trial.
“The brutal crime terribly splintered the Villisca community. One group was convinced the state senator knew who was behind the murders,” the author said. The public was incensed that law enforcement couldn’t solve the case and the murders lead to formation of the Iowa Bureau of Criminal Investigation. Fingerprints collected at the crime scene became the basis for the FBI’s current database.
Other investigators speculated about a serial killer because similar crimes had taken place in Kansas, Illinois and Colorado.
Epperly has written numerous articles and blog posts, appeared on TV shows and at speaking engagements around the country. His work also was the subject of the award-winning short documentary film “AXMAN.” He also was the key consultant and interview in the award-winning documentary feature film “Villisca: Living with a Mystery,” produced by Kelly Rundle and his wife, Tammy, a Waterloo native, of Fourth Wall Films.
He wrote his first words in the book in 1979 on the night Russia invaded Afghanistan. “It was a back-burner project. I’m a believer in ambiance, getting a feel for the place, and I made many trips to Villisca and found a large cache of records at the Iowa State Historical Society,” Epperly explained.
His 416-page historical book is a definitive account of the murders and is illustrated with more than 190 rare photographs.
“I’m not a pugnacious guy, but I’ve been offended by the way the story has been corrupted from the very beginning. It’s been a witches’ brew of rumors and fear.”
Epperly has his own suspicions about who committed the murders and is convinced they were sexually motivated. But he lets readers make up their own minds.
“I wanted to save the history, and I was able to do that and provide access to the story. This has been a lifetime of work. Now I can sit back and smile and feel good about it,” Epperly added.
The book is available at independent book stores and in print and ebook form at Amazon.com. For more information, visit VilliscaBook.com. | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/fiend-incarnate-authors-true-crime-book-definitive-work-on-brutal-1912-villisca-axe-murders/article_bae9e4a0-f8ae-588c-972c-6b20081e9d20.html | 2022-07-17T17:05:46 | 1 | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/fiend-incarnate-authors-true-crime-book-definitive-work-on-brutal-1912-villisca-axe-murders/article_bae9e4a0-f8ae-588c-972c-6b20081e9d20.html |
Three people were injured after a driver, accused of being intoxicated, ran a red light and crashed into a vehicle on the Northwest Side early Sunday morning, San Antonio police said.
A 20-year-old woman was driving a black Toyota Camry around 2:30 a.m. when she is accused of running a stop light at the intersection of Callaghan and Evers roads.
She collided with a red Hyundai Elantra, causing the car to hit a curb and roll over several times before landing about 50 yards from the point of impact police said.
Police said a 30-year-old woman in the Hyundai suffered serious bodily injury and was taken to University Hospital. She remained in critical-but-stable condition Sunday morning. A 29-year-old man who was also in the car suffered minor injuries.
Police evaluated the Toyota driver at the scene and determined she was intoxicated. She was booked on a DWI charge.
A passenger in the Toyota, a 20-year-old man, suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
The investigation is ongoing.
claire.bryan@express-news.net | https://www.expressnews.com/news/local/article/3-injured-after-drunk-driver-causes-rollover-17310598.php | 2022-07-17T17:11:00 | 0 | https://www.expressnews.com/news/local/article/3-injured-after-drunk-driver-causes-rollover-17310598.php |
A 49-year-old man with 13 active warrants was in custody Saturday afternoon after trying to carjack a vehicle on the city's Northwest Side.
San Antonio police said the driver of a car stopped his vehicle around 1:15 p.m. when he saw what appeared to be a dog kennel at the intersection of Tioga Driver and I-10.
The driver got out of the vehicle to inspect the kennel and the suspect, holding a knife, got in the vehicle and tried to drive away with the driver's wife and children in the car, police said.
But the driver had put the emergency brake on, thwarting the would-be robbery.
The driver returned to the car and the suspect quickly got out.
Police said the driver thought the suspect attempted to slash the car's tires as he sped off. | https://www.expressnews.com/news/local/article/Driver-stops-to-examine-dog-kennel-suspect-tries-17310511.php | 2022-07-17T17:11:07 | 1 | https://www.expressnews.com/news/local/article/Driver-stops-to-examine-dog-kennel-suspect-tries-17310511.php |
NASCAR Foundation 'License to Drive' offers chance to drive Daytona International Speedway
DAYTONA BEACH — NASCAR fans can test their driving skills on the famed Daytona International Speedway track on Monday for a good cause as part of the NASCAR Foundation's "License to Drive" fundraising event.
For $50, participants can register to drive their personal vehicles for two laps around the 2.5-mile superspeedway at the event that runs from 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday, with proceeds to benefit the NASCAR Foundation.
“Daytona International Speedway is such an iconic track in the world of motorsports,” said Nichole Krieger, NASCAR Foundation executive director. "We’re excited to bring this event back for fans so they can experience a little of what our drivers do while also helping to support children in need.”
Established in January 2006, the NASCAR Foundation supports initiatives that positively impact the lives of children nationwide. The organization has cumulatively donated more than $41 million to reach more than 1.5 million children.
Another foundation fundraiser:Taste of the 24 benefit for NASCAR Foundation also ready to roar at Rolex 24 At Daytona
To participate in the event, register online at NASCARfoundation.org/drive.
Cars will take the track on a first-come, first-served basis with only 50 vehicles allowed at a time on the track for escorted laps at 55 mph.
No cars will be allowed on the banking. Drivers and their passengers will be required to sign a liability waiver.
All vehicles must be street legal and have a seat belt for every passenger. No motorcycles will be allowed. Participants should allow an hour for the ride from arrival to lap completion. | https://www.news-journalonline.com/story/news/local/volusia/2022/07/17/daytona-international-speedway-hosts-license-drive-event-benefit-nascar-foundation/10066697002/ | 2022-07-17T17:11:56 | 1 | https://www.news-journalonline.com/story/news/local/volusia/2022/07/17/daytona-international-speedway-hosts-license-drive-event-benefit-nascar-foundation/10066697002/ |
FOREST HILL, Texas — A Clear Alert is now active to help find a missing woman last seen near the Fort Worth area.
Police say Kashima Wright was seen on Colonial Drive in Forest Hill, Texas, about 10 miles southeast of Fort Worth. Colonial Drive is right off of Forest Hill Drive near I-20.
Police say she was there at about 10:30 p.m. on Sunday, June 10.
Kashima Wright is a Black woman who's 5 feet 1 inches and weighs about 200 pounds. The 40-year-old was last seen wearing a black hoodie, a yellow shirt, and black tights.
Anyone with any information on her whereabouts are encouraged to call 911 or Forest Hill Police at 817-531-5250.
Other local news: | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/missing-texas-woman-clear-alert-forest-hill-near-fort-worth/287-77628fe9-9d42-4326-8238-50d37899fe59 | 2022-07-17T17:13:51 | 0 | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/missing-texas-woman-clear-alert-forest-hill-near-fort-worth/287-77628fe9-9d42-4326-8238-50d37899fe59 |
WGTD (91.1 FM) is owned and operated as a public service of Gateway Technical College and is an affiliate of Wisconsin Public Radio. For an updated schedule, go online to wgtd.org. WGTD 91.1-FM’s “Morning Show” airs 8:10 to 9 a.m. weekdays.
Guests this week include:
Monday: Jean Edwards Smith, author of "Eisenhower in War and Peace."
Tuesday: Dr. Mark Vonnegut, author of "The Heart of Caring: My Life in Pediatrics"
Wednesday: David Rotheberg, author of "Thousand Mile Song: Whale Music in a Sea of Sound."
Thursday: Concert Pianist Jeremy Denk, author of "Every Good Boy Does Fine: A Love Story in Music Lessons."
Friday: Jeff Pearlman, author of "Sho-Time: The Inside Story of Shohei Ohtani and the Greatest Baseball Season Ever Played." | https://www.kenoshanews.com/news/local/wgtd-announces-morning-show-schedule-for-this-week/article_eb86aa12-0488-11ed-8e65-43f2bc81f354.html | 2022-07-17T17:23:58 | 1 | https://www.kenoshanews.com/news/local/wgtd-announces-morning-show-schedule-for-this-week/article_eb86aa12-0488-11ed-8e65-43f2bc81f354.html |
BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – A man and woman were arrested on charges of human trafficking and the use of a child in sexual performance, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
FDLE said on Sunday that Marc Phillips Dinkels, 33, and Taylor Kathleen Brandt, 19, were arrested on multiple charges.
[TRENDING: TIMELINE: Another stormy afternoon across Central Florida | VIDEO: Airplane passenger on flight near Orlando captures SpaceX launch | Become a News 6 Insider (it’s free!)]
FDLE said it began investigating with the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office in March. The Seminole County Sheriff’s Office and West Melbourne Police Department were the agencies initially investigating but asked FDLE and Brevard deputies to take over.
According to FDLE, the two lured three girls to perform sex acts for money. The department said some of the instances were recorded.
“This sick criminal duo used social media to target and lure young girls for sex, including a 14-year-old from a foster home. I am thankful for the multiple law enforcement agencies that investigated this case, and I look forward to my Statewide Prosecutors securing convictions for these loathsome predators,” Attorney General Ashley Moody said in a release.
Dinkels and Brandt face charges of human trafficking, lewd and lascivious battery, unlawful sexual activity with certain minors, and unlawful use of a two-way communication device to facilitate the commission of a felony and battery. Dinkels also faces a use of a child in sexual performance charge.
FDLE said Dinkels and Brandt are being held without bond at the Indian River jail and the Brevard County jail, respectively. | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/07/17/man-woman-arrested-on-human-trafficking-charges-in-florida-officials-say/ | 2022-07-17T17:32:40 | 1 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/07/17/man-woman-arrested-on-human-trafficking-charges-in-florida-officials-say/ |
PORTAGE TOWNSHIP — The Portage Township Autism Action Coalition (PTAAC) has launched two new programs aimed at keeping youngsters on the autism spectrum safe.
The group, led by Portage Township Trustee Brendan Clancy, recently launched the emergency identification bracelet program during an event at Portage High School.
Then the group, in a partnership with the Portage Township YMCA, began offering water safety classes free of charge to Portage Township children diagnosed with autism.
“In taking the Portage Township Autism Action Coalition to its next phase, our goal was to not only bolster relationships between children with autism and their families and first responders, but to address some of the significant issues families with children on the spectrum face every day," Clancy said.
Many children on the spectrum have a tendency to wander or flee when they become frightened or overwhelmed. Many children are also non-verbal or become non-communicative when they become overwhelmed.
People are also reading…
The emergency identification bracelet program, which was based on a program initiated a few years ago by then North Township Trustee and now U.S. Rep. Frank J. Mrvan, D-Highland, was adapted to serve children and first responders in Portage Township.
The program allows parents to register their child by answering some simple questions regarding the child’s physical and behavioral traits as well as emergency contact information.
The child is then issued a blue silicone bracelet embossed with a unique number. That number, along with the information, is inputted into the Porter County Central Communications 911 data base, said Joyce Russell, Portage Township community outreach and communications coordinator, who oversees the program.
First responders are trained to identify the bracelets. If necessary, the first responder will be able to obtain the person’s emergency information through the data base maintained at Porter County Central Communications. The contact information will include name, contact information and other information of special interest.
“The goal of the program is to provide first responders with a useful tool to aid in identifying, locating and interacting with youngsters on the spectrum,” Russell said.
Parents are also provided with unique puzzle piece window clings – symbolic of autism, which they can place on their home’s or cars’ windows to alert first responders that a person with autism is in the home or vehicle.
The program launched during an event at Portage High School included a touch-a-truck-like event. Representatives from the Portage, South Haven and Ogden Dunes fire departments as well as the Portage Police Department attended, allowing the children to not only meet first responders, but to see their equipment and vehicles in a sensory-friendly, lights down, sounds down way.
The program, which was partially funded through a grant from Autism Speaks, is continuing to register children through the Portage Township Trustee’s office at 3590 Willowcreek Road, Suite B, Portage. More information on the program can be found as well on the trustee’s website at portagetrustee.org.
Water safety concerns addressed
A partnership with the Portage Township YMCA will be helping to address concerns of water safety which parents of autistic children face on a daily basis.
“Children on the spectrum tend to be drawn to water. Many also tend to have no fear. We have seen a few tragic incidents, including one recently in Michigan City, where a child on the spectrum wandered and was later found drowned,” Russell said, adding that drowning is one of the primary causes of deaths of children on the spectrum.
PTAAC applied for, and received a second grant from Autism Speaks, which will fund training for Portage Township YMCA aquatics instructors in autism awareness and safety. The training is through the International Board of Certification and Continuing Education Standards. The YMCA, which already hosts a nationally-renown water safety program, will adapt the program to serve Portage Township children on the spectrum.
“The grant will allow us to provide scholarships for 100 Portage Township children with ASD, making the program free of charge to their families,” Russell said.
“The trustee’s office, along with our partners in the Portage Township Autism Action Coalition, are providing these programs to assist families with children diagnosed with autism to improve their quality of life, improve safety for children on the spectrum, provide necessary tools for first responders and to address and raise awareness of autism in our community,” Clancy said. “Statistics indicate that one in 44 children are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, including our very own children in Portage Township.” | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/portage-township-autism-group-launches-id-bracelet-program-water-safety-classes/article_3ef94d53-a960-518e-bca0-53196429a63d.html | 2022-07-17T17:34:30 | 0 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/portage-township-autism-group-launches-id-bracelet-program-water-safety-classes/article_3ef94d53-a960-518e-bca0-53196429a63d.html |
Hometown musician competing to open 'We Can Survive' concert in Los Angeles
LAS CRUCES – A Las Cruces R&B/hip-hop artist and former Oñate High student is in the running for the chance to open a star-studded lineup at the "We Can Survive" Hollywood Bowl concert later this year.
Josh Perez, known professionally by his stage name Tremaine Praise, is originally from Tucson but moved a lot as a kid. He has been a Las Cruces resident since around 2005, graduating from Oñate High in 2012. He attended New Mexico State University for a few years before joining the National Guard.
It wasn’t until after returning to Las Cruces following his training that Perez said his interest in pursuing a career in music started — though music has always been a “very good friend” to him.
“I was always having to be the new kid or whatever, so I did spend a lot of my let's say first year or first couple months, however long I was in whatever city, kind of to myself,” Perez said. “Music was an easy way for me to kind of fill the time and kind of help myself be comfortable in my own skin. That way I could talk to others and try to be more social and things like that. So music’s always been a big part of, I guess, how I work through my own emotions in life.”
He said he started out by performing covers of songs before venturing into the project of creating his own music. He has since released several singles. Many of his performance gigs have been around Arizona, though he said he is hoping to increase his presence in New Mexico as he is still at least a part-time resident of Las Cruces. Local festivals, wineries, bars and other free performances have made up the bulk of his gigs.
R&B and hip-hop are his main genres of focus. However, Perez said that he recently connected with other independent artists from across the U.S. and Canada who are working on collaborative projects in the pop genre. And for fun, he’s ventured into the country and rock genres as well.
Apart from working on these independent and collaborative projects, Perez is working on joining festival lineups. Last year, he said he filled out a ton of applications for festivals that were filling their music rosters for 2022. It wasn’t until the latter part of June 2022 that he heard back from Audacy, formerly Radio.com.
On June 22, he got an email notifying him that he was being considered as a finalist for the competition of opening at the company’s annual We Can Survive concert at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. The concert supports the “I’m Listening” initiative for mental health as well as the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
Several days later he was officially in the running and the competition started in July.
There is quite a large pool of performers taking part in the opening round. Members of the public are invited to vote on their preferred performers online at theopenact.com. Voting for the top 20 artists lasts until July 21 at 7 p.m. MST.
From there, the pool will be further narrowed in voting rounds until there are a final four. The grand prize winner will have the chance to open the concert and get several tickets for themselves and guests. They will also win $10,000. The other three in the top four will receive tickets to the concert but won’t perform.
Perez said that if he wins, the Hollywood Bowl will be by far the largest stage he has taken. The exposure he will get as an artist will be unmatched. And he plans to donate a majority of the money to local programs to encourage more kids to become involved in making music.
“The things that I draw from the most are really my own life or situations or circumstances that are happening to myself or people who are close to me, kind of drawing on actual feeling. So recently there's been a lot of, kind of, love music/dealing with losing love,” he said. “I do typically tend to draw from the emotions that we all feel, just because I know that that's the kind of music that I've always connected with — music with a message or music that's relatable."
The full music lineup for the concert will be announced Aug. 1. Past concerts have featured such headliners as Lizzo, Billie Eilish, the Black Eyed Peas, Doja Cat, Kid Laroi, Shawn Mendes and more.
People can vote for Perez once a day online at theopenact.com/2022/tremaine-praise. His music can also be found on Spotify, Apple Music and other prominent music platforms under Tremaine Praise.
He said he is working on releasing a collective works EP next year sometime and several other singles later this year.
Others are reading:
- Barbara Hubbard talks Bob Hope, John Wayne and more as she celebrates 95th birthday
- Sierra Vista campground just outside of Las Cruces voted best place to camp in the United States
- Is there gold in Victorio Peak? Historian to talk about local legend.
Leah Romero is the trending reporter at the Las Cruces Sun-News and can be reached at 575-418-3442, LRomero@lcsun-news.com or @rromero_leah on Twitter. | https://www.lcsun-news.com/story/news/local/2022/07/17/hometown-musician-competing-to-open-we-can-survive-concert-in-los-angeles-las-cruces-hip-hop-nm-az/65372823007/ | 2022-07-17T17:46:08 | 1 | https://www.lcsun-news.com/story/news/local/2022/07/17/hometown-musician-competing-to-open-we-can-survive-concert-in-los-angeles-las-cruces-hip-hop-nm-az/65372823007/ |
Tina Kotek is trying to make political history – again.
If elected in November, she will become America’s first lesbian governor, this, after becoming the nation’s first lesbian speaker of a state House of Representatives in 2013, a job she held longer than anyone in Oregon history.
The 55-year-old Kotek also seeks to keep one of the country’s longest streaks by electing a Democrat to a state’s highest office.
Not since incumbent Gov. Victor Atiyeh crushed Ted Kulongoski in a landslide 40 years ago has the Republican Party won the governorship in Oregon. That’s 10 gubernatorial elections ago.
Utah is tied with the Beaver State, having also chosen a governor from the same party – albeit the GOP – since 1982.
In an interview recently at a picnic table in northeast Portland’s Columbia Park, not far from the home she shares with her wife Aimee Kotek Wilson, Kotek said, “I am running because I want things to work in Oregon.”
A public advocate for the Oregon Food Bank before being elected to the state House, Kotek went on, “None of us are outsiders. We’ve all worked for a longtime in Oregon politics, but the question is, ‘Who has style and the persistence to get things done?”
She added: “Housing and homelessness are by far the biggest concerns Oregonians have,” and will likely be the driving force – particularly finding solutions to building affordable housing, as well s workforce housing in the heavy tourist-driven areas of the state – when the campaigns move into high gear after Labor Day.
Kotek, gets high praise for her legislative know-how. Under her leadership, Democrats were able to pass a school funding increase they had been looking to do for 30 years.
Born and raised in York, Pennsylvania, Kotek headed west in 1987, attending the University of Oregon, where she earned her degree in religious studies.
Asked how being a lesbian might influence her governing if elected, Kotek said, “I know what it feels like to be left out, and I want to send a message to our young people that you can do anything. I want every child in this state to feel like they can celebrate their authentic selves.”
Kotek realizes Portland and her deep ties to the embattled city will be on the ballot. Recent polling for Oregon Public Broadcasting says less than 20 percent of voters think the state is headed in the right direction.
Having left office in April to concentrate full-time on the governor’s race, Kotek knows she’ll face stiff headwinds in her quest to replace term-limited and hugely unpopular Kate Brown.
In addition to a challenging national environment, Kotek is confronted by many voters, mainly rural ones, who pillorize her Portland home-base as a mismanaged eyesore.
Worsening matters is independent Betsy Johnson’s credible candidacy, which has opened up a lane for Republican Christine Drazan to break the Democrat’s long hold on the governor’s office.
A poll of likely Oregon voters conducted at the end of May showed Drazan in a virtual tie with Kotek – almost 30 percent for Drazan to nearly 28 percent for Kotek – with the unaffiliated Johnson drawing more than 19 percent support. Almost a quarter of Oregon voters remain undecided.
“It’s the most interesting governor’s race in the country this year. You have three women representing the full ideological spectrum – Kotek, the progressive, Johnson, playing the middle, and Drazan, the conservative,” observed Marc Johnson, who, from his home on the north Oregon coast, writes an influential political and history blog entitled “Many Things Considered.”
“Tina needs to be concerned about being labeled Kate Brown 2.0,” Johnson added. “Betsy’s problem is that she’s held elected office [since winning a seat in the state House in 2000], and until six months ago, was a Democrat. And Drazan’s biggest problem is that if she comes off as too moderate, it will offend the Trumpian wing of the party.”
Betsy Johnson has another problem, too – her hard line stance on guns. Unlike many of her former Democratic colleagues in the House and Senate, she has opposed most gun control measures in Oregon. In 2018, she received an A rating from the NRA.
During an unannounced TEDxPortland interview with Johnson at the Moda Center on May 28 – four days after 18-year-old Salvador Ramos used an AR-15 rifle to kill 19 students and 2 teachers at an Uvalde, Texas elementary school -- the so-called political maverick was booed when she blamed the onslaught of mass shootings on a “shitty mental health care system.”
At one point, Johnson said, “People in this country are going to have guns. The style of the gun doesn’t dictate the lethality.”
One of her big lines is, ‘I believe in a woman’s right to choose and a right to bear arms,” said Steve Forrester, a longtime political observer and publisher of the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Oregon.
Johnson was born in Bend and grew up in Redmond, Oregon, but has lived more than two decades in the Columbia County city of Scappoose (pop. 6,592), 22 miles southeast of Vancouver, Washington.
“I worry about both of them (Johnson and Drazan),” said Kotek. “When it comes to climate change and guns, I have big differences. The number one job of being governor is to keep Oregonians safe.”
The Oregon electorate, according to Salem-based pollster John Horvick is 35 percent Democrat, 25 percent Republican, and almost the remaining 40 percent are independent or unaffiliated.
In handicapping the contest, pollster Horvick said Kotek is associated with the status quo, but held the Democratic base, garnering almost 58 percent of the Democratic vote in the primary over state Treasurer Tobias Read’s 32.4 percent, as of June 8.
Drazan, meanwhile, collected just 23 percent of the GOP vote, though in an extremely crowded field.
As for Betsy Johnson, who ran a helicopter company in Oregon for 20 years, Horvick mused, “Look at the website and you’ll find nothing from her on issues. She’s just the feisty lady on TV who is playing to the frustrated.”
Christine Drazan is a former House minority leader and lives in Canby, Oregon, in Clackamas County, a bellwether county southeast of Portland.
“She’s no RINO: Drazan is pro-life and opposed climate legislation. She also returned a level of savvy and fundraising skills to House Republicans,” wrote Willamette Week when it endorsed Kotek and Drazan for their respective party nominations.
“Drazan faces criticism from the right for failing to obstruct every piece of legislation unpopular with conservatives that came before the House. Firearms activists, for instance, blame her for letting Democrats pass a pretty innocuous gun safety bill last year.
“They wanted her to order her caucus to deny Democrats a quorum and are now blasting her for that. Drazan stuck around, perhaps because she knows walkouts are unpopular with the electorate.”
The race for governor of Oregon could well be the most expensive one in the state’s history.
Betsy Johnson has already raised close to $9 million and has proven she can get big checks from major Republican donors, including Nike co-founder Phil Knight. She has about $5 million on hand.
Drazan spent $2.7 million during the primary while Kotek spent $2.5 million.
Said political blogger Marc Johnson: “I don’t see that any of the candidates are talking substance. They are still introducing themselves because none of them are well-known to most Oregonians.”
In the endorsement front, Kotek managed to get the backing of Yamhill’s Nick Kristof, whose brief gubernatorial campaign was mainly spent railing against entrenched Oregon Democrats, like Tina Kotek. He endorsed her two days after she won her party’s nomination.
Earlier this year, the well-known former New York Times columnist was considered a leading candidate for the Democratic nomination, but was forced out for failing to meet the state’s three-year residency requirement for governor.
Betsy Johnson, meanwhile, is ringing up endorsements from the old guard. Two high-profile endorsements came shortly after the primary when former Republican U.S. Senator Gordon Smith and former Democratic Governor Ted Kulongoski announced their support in a joint statement.
Ahead of the primary, Kotek and Drazan each secured endorsements from a large number of current and former lawmakers as well as county and local officials.
It is anyone’s guess as to who will win in November.
As Marc Johnson put it: “It’s a real crapshoot.” | https://theworldlink.com/news/local/kotek-may-become-the-nation-s-first-lesbian-governor-in-true-blue-oregon-but-it/article_b1c7dede-02fa-11ed-83ce-6388c1ea6fdf.html | 2022-07-17T17:51:23 | 1 | https://theworldlink.com/news/local/kotek-may-become-the-nation-s-first-lesbian-governor-in-true-blue-oregon-but-it/article_b1c7dede-02fa-11ed-83ce-6388c1ea6fdf.html |
Oregon Bay Area Beautification, in a partnership with the Coos Bay Parks Department, held its 2nd Saturday Clean up at John Topits Park last Saturday. More than 40 volunteers worked up a sweat and removed well over 10 yards of trash, painted the bathrooms, cleaned signage, repaired six benches and painted more. In addition, over a mile of trails were cleared with power blowers.
OBAB invites the public to join them at their next 2nd Saturday event, where they will be helping to beautify the CASA ‘backyard’ area. Information can be found at https://www.facebook.com/groups/oregonbayareabeautification | https://theworldlink.com/news/local/volunteers-remove-10-yards-of-trash-from-topits-park/article_cb2abfee-02fb-11ed-a17c-7b4b4c31eecb.html | 2022-07-17T17:51:29 | 0 | https://theworldlink.com/news/local/volunteers-remove-10-yards-of-trash-from-topits-park/article_cb2abfee-02fb-11ed-a17c-7b4b4c31eecb.html |
CHESAPEAKE, Va. — On a hot July day, there’s nothing like a glass of refreshing lemonade. But these kids are serving drinks for a good cause.
Siblings Lennon, Lily and Logan Smith are running a lemonade stand to help pay for the medical expenses of four neglected huskies taken in by the Norfolk SPCA.
“I wanted to help the huskies so they would feel all better,” Lennon said.
Logan added: “I wanted to help the huskies, too.”
Norfolk SPCA leaders say all of the huskies, three adults and one puppy, were in bad shape when another rescue group brought them into the shelter from a backyard breeder in North Carolina.
According to the SPCA, the medical care costs an average of $6,000 per dog.
Mom and dad, Randi and Colby Smith said the siblings are hoping to make a dent in that.
“Initially I said $500 but we already surpassed that so our goal today, I would love to see -$1,000 would be amazing," Randi Smith said.
Randi Smith said her kids handed out fliers for the big lemonade stand event to spread the word about the fundraiser, and they’re pleased with the turnout.
“They went all around by foot and by bike, handing out fliers – at least over 150," she said.
The Smith family is full of animal lovers, and they say they just wanted to do something to help.
“I’m so proud of them," Colby Smith said. "It’s great that they’re getting together, especially working together as a team, it’s great to see that for sure.”
The kids plan to donate the money to the SPCA Monday afternoon. In total, the SPCA is hoping to collect $25,000 in donations to help care for the dogs.
Randi Smith said: “Our oldest Lennon said, ‘A little thing turned into such a big thing. People think I cant do much but if everyone does a little bit, it can go a long way.’” | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/chesapeake-raise-money-for-huskies-with-lemonade-stand/291-bfb9a181-7072-4f32-b166-744489366c3a | 2022-07-17T18:15:28 | 0 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/chesapeake-raise-money-for-huskies-with-lemonade-stand/291-bfb9a181-7072-4f32-b166-744489366c3a |
SAN ANTONIO — A suspect with 13 active warrants tried to carjack a family Saturday afternoon when they stopped to check on an what appeared to be an abandoned kennel on the side of the highway.
Police were called out to the 9200 block of I-10 West at 1:15 p.m. for reports of a robbery in progress. When officers arrived at the location, the victim told police that he and his wife stopped their vehicle near the intersection of Tioga at IH-10W for what appeared to be an abandoned dog kennel.
The related video above was originally published May 3, 2022.
The man got out to take a look and that is when the suspect walked up to the car with a knife in his hand and sat down in the driver's seat, yelling at the man's wife.
He tried to drive away with both her and her kids in the backseat, but was stopped by the parking brake. The man quickly ran back to his car and the suspect got out, but continued to yell at the family with the knife still in his hand.
The victim thought the suspect was going to slash the tires of his car, but he was able to drive away.
Officers located the 49-year-old suspect, who was found to have 13 active county warrants. He was taken into custody without incident.
Learn more about KENS 5:
Since going on the air in 1950, KENS 5 has strived to be the best, most trusted news and entertainment source for generations of San Antonians.
KENS 5 has brought numerous firsts to South Texas television, including being the first local station with a helicopter, the first with its own Doppler radar and the first to air a local morning news program.
Over the years, KENS 5 has worked to transform local news. Our cameras have been the lens bringing history into local viewers' homes. We're proud of our legacy as we serve San Antonians today.
Today, KENS 5 continues to set the standard in local broadcasting and is recognized by its peers for excellence and innovation. The KENS 5 News team focuses on stories that really matter to our community.
You can find KENS 5 in more places than ever before, including KENS5.com, the KENS 5 app, the KENS 5 YouTube channel, KENS 5's Roku and Fire TV apps, and across social media on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and more!
Want to get in touch with someone at KENS 5? You can send a message using our Contacts page or email one of our team members. | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/suspect-with-13-active-warrants-attempts-to-carjack-family-police-say-arrest-crime-local-san-antonio-texas/273-402a965c-d9f2-4dc3-8774-95ac40c36927 | 2022-07-17T18:15:34 | 0 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/suspect-with-13-active-warrants-attempts-to-carjack-family-police-say-arrest-crime-local-san-antonio-texas/273-402a965c-d9f2-4dc3-8774-95ac40c36927 |
UVALDE, Texas — Story originally published by the Texas Tribune on Sunday, July 17, 2022.
Sub-header shortened for space. Original line read "The most extensive account of the shooting to date says that after the Uvalde schools police chief failed to take charge, better-equipped departments should have stepped up to fill the leadership void."
The 18-year-old who massacred 19 students and two teachers in Uvalde on May 24 had no experience with firearms before his rampage began. He targeted an elementary school with an active shooter policy that had been deemed adequate but also a long history of doors propped open.
No one was able to stop the gunman from carrying out the deadliest school shooting in Texas history, in part because of “systemic failures and egregious poor decision making” by nearly everyone involved who was in a position of power, a new investigation into the shooting has found.
On Sunday, a Texas House committee is releasing the most exhaustive account yet of the shooter, his planning, his attack and the fumbling response he provoked.
The 77-page report, reviewed by The Texas Tribune, provides a damning portrayal of a family unable to recognize warning signs, a school district that had strayed from strict adherence to its safety plan and a police response that disregarded its own active-shooter training.
It explains how the gunman, who investigators believe had never fired a gun before May 24, was able to stockpile military-style rifles, accessories and ammunition without arousing suspicion from authorities, enter a supposedly secure school unimpeded and indiscriminately kill children and adults.
In total, 376 law enforcement officers — a force larger than the garrison that defended the Alamo — descended upon the school in a chaotic, uncoordinated scene that lasted for more than an hour. The group was devoid of clear leadership, basic communications and sufficient urgency to take down the gunman, the report says.
Notably, the investigation is the first so far to criticize the inaction of state and federal law enforcement, while other reports and public accounts by officials have placed the blame squarely on Uvalde school police Chief Pete Arredondo, for his role as incident commander, and other local police who were among the first to arrive.
The report also reveals for the first time that the overwhelming majority of responders were federal and state law enforcement: 149 were U.S. Border Patrol, and 91 were state police — whose responsibilities include responding to “mass attacks in public places.” There were 25 Uvalde police officers and 16 sheriff’s deputies. Arredondo’s school police force accounted for five of the officers on the scene. The rest of the force was made up of neighboring county law enforcement, U.S. Marshals, and federal Drug Enforcement Agency officers.
The investigators said that in the absence of a strong incident commander, another officer could have — and should have — stepped up to the task.
“These local officials were not the only ones expected to supply the leadership needed during this tragedy,” the report said. “Hundreds of responders from numerous law enforcement agencies — many of whom were better trained and better equipped than the school district police — quickly arrived on the scene.”
The other responders “could have helped to address the unfolding chaos.”
The three committee members — Rep. Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock; Rep. Joe Moody, D-El Paso and former state Supreme Court Justice Eva Guzman — said they sought to create a comprehensive account the Legislature can use to craft policies aimed at preventing future massacres. The trio also sought to present an accurate narrative to the public, in contrast to several conflicting and retracted accounts provided by other officials, including the governor and state police, in the seven weeks since the tragedy that have undermined residents’ trust in the ongoing investigations.
They dedicated the document to the 21 people killed in the shooting, and first unveiled their findings during a private meeting with Uvalde residents on Sunday.
“The Committee issues this interim report now, believing the victims, their families, and the entire Uvalde community have already waited too long for answers and transparency,” the report reads.
Law enforcement Failures
The failure of police to quickly subdue the shooter has faced widespread public condemnation and criticism from fellow law enforcement officials. At its core, the committee report echoes criticisms made previously by police tactics experts: that instead of following the active doctrine developed after the 1999 Columbine High School massacre, which dictates that officers immediately confront active shooters, police at Robb Elementary retreated after coming under fire and then waited for backup.
“They failed to prioritize saving the lives of innocent victims over their own safety,” the committee said in its report.
The report lists myriad law enforcement mistakes, which expanded far beyond any single commander or agency. They stemmed not from a lack of manpower, but from an absence of leadership and effective communications.
In interviews conducted or obtained by the committee, police officers said they assumed Uvalde school district Police Chief Pete Arredondo was in command or did not know who was in charge. Several described the scene as “chaos” or a “cluster.”
The report listed several ways that an effective incident commander outside the school might have helped: The commander might have noticed that radios weren’t working well and found a better way to communicate. They might have found a master key to the school faster to get inside the classroom where the shooter was barricaded — or suggested checking to make sure the door was locked. Or they might have urged officers to find another way to get inside the classroom.
But Arredondo told The Texas Tribune in June that he did not consider himself the incident commander after he was one of the first officers to arrive inside the school. He said he assumed another officer outside would fill that role.
The committee did not find this argument persuasive. It cited the school district’s active shooter response plan, co-authored by Arredondo, which states the chief will “become the person in control of the efforts of all law enforcement and first responders that arrive at the scene.” The school district last month placed him on administrative leave.
But blame for the flawed police response extends far beyond the school district police chief of a six-officer department, the report concludes.
The report criticized other officers and law enforcement agencies, many of them better trained, for failing to fill the leadership vacuum left by Arredondo’s inaction.
“In this crisis, no responder seized the initiative to establish an incident command post,” the committee wrote. “Despite an obvious atmosphere of chaos, the ranking officers of other responding agencies did not approach the Uvalde CISD chief of police or anyone else perceived to be in command to point out the lack of and need for a command post, or to offer that specific assistance.”
In testimony to a Senate committee June 21, Department of Public Safety Commissioner Steve McCraw said some officers on scene observed that Arredondo was not acting like an incident commander.
McCraw previously dismissed the idea that his state troopers could or should have wrested control from Arredondo.
“Let's say a DPS captain shows up in a situation, decides he's going to exercise control,” McCraw told senators last month. “Well, first of all, he doesn't have the information. And you know what? He may not be as sharp as the on-scene commander that's there … so I’m reluctant to encourage or even think of any situation where you'd want some level of hierarchy where a larger police department gets to come in and take over.”
Yet when pressed by Sen. Roland Gutierrez, a Democrat whose district includes Uvalde, McCraw conceded that confronting an active shooter is more important than deferring to an officer who, according to protocol, is the rightful incident commander.
Instead, the report said Border Patrol agents decided they would breach the classroom without seeking permission from Arredondo. That team killed the gunman at 12:51 p.m., ending the standoff.
Despite the collective failure of police to act decisively, the committee uncovered individual instances where officers acted boldly without instruction.
When officers were driven back by gunfire just after entering the school, Uvalde Police Department Lt. Javier Martinez attempted to confront the shooter again. He advanced up the hallway in “an evident desire to maintain momentum and to ‘stop the killing.’” No officers followed him, and he stopped. Several law enforcement officers told the committee that they believed if others had followed him as back up, he might have made it to the classroom and engaged with the shooter.
DPS Special Agent Luke Williams disregarded a request that he assist in securing a perimeter outside and instead entered the building to help clear rooms. He found a student hiding in a boys bathroom stall with his legs up so he couldn’t be seen. The boy refused to come out until Williams proved he was a police officer, which he did by showing his badge beneath the door of the stall.
Williams then encountered a group of officers clustered at the end of the hallway where the shooter was and overheard someone ask “y’all don’t know if there’s kids in there?”
“If there’s kids in there we need to go in there,” Williams said at 11:56 a.m., according to footage captured by his body camera.
An officer in the hallway responded to Williams that “whoever was in charge would figure that out,” the report said.
Inadequate school safety
Robb Elementary School, on its face, had all the pieces in place to slow an intruder. The school is encircled by a five-foot fence. It has an emergency management alert system and school policies for faculty and staff to keep exterior and interior doors locked at all times.
But a culture of complacency weakened these safeguards.
Multiple witnesses told the committee that employees often left doors unlocked, while teachers would use rocks, wedges and magnets to prop open interior and exterior doors. This was partly because of a shortage of keys.
“In fact, the school actually suggested circumventing the locks as a solution for the convenience of substitute teachers and others who lacked their own keys,” the report said.
In March, the teacher in Room 111, through which investigators believe the shooter entered during the massacre, reported to school administrators that his classroom door “was not always locking.” The head custodian testified he never heard of any problems with that door, and maintenance records during the school year do not contain any work orders for it. The teacher, Arnulfo Reyes, was shot twice in the shooting but survived.
Ultimately, the shooter was able to easily scale the fence and enter the school through a series of unlocked doors.“Had school personnel locked the doors as the school’s policy required, that could have slowed his progress for a few precious minutes — long enough to receive alerts, hide children, and lock doors,” the report found.
The question of locked doors came into play again when law enforcement arrived and assumed they couldn’t break down the doors of the classroom to reach the gunman.
They would fumble for several minutes in search of a key, and other equipment to break down the door, that is now believed to have been unlocked the entire time.
The search for the unnecessary key was complicated by the fact that the school, which first opened in 1955, had different sets of master keys for different doors. Lt. Mike Hernandez of the district police department said he carried 50 keys to various campus buildings, though sometimes he had to jiggle them to turn locks. On other occasions, staff changed locks without his knowledge. During the shooting, other officers attempted without success to use Hernandez’s set to find a suitable master key for the wing of the school where the shooter was.
Additionally, some faculty and staff did not initially take the intruder alert seriously because they were desensitized to the alert system which often was triggered by frequent immigration-related police pursuits.
Uvalde is about 50 miles east of Mexico and sits at the intersection of major highways from the border cities of Del Rio and Eagle Pass. Police described a recent increase in “bailouts,” where officers chase a vehicle containing suspected undocumented migrants, who then purposely crash and scatter to avoid apprehension. School district officials told the committee there had been 47 “secure” or “lockdown” events since February 2022. Around 90% of those had been because of bailouts.
There has never been an incident of school violence related to the bailouts.
“The series of bailout-related alerts led teachers and administrators to respond to all alerts with less urgency—when they heard the sound of an alert, many assumed that it was another bailout,” the report states.
Even when there were alerts, it wasn’t certain that everyone would receive them. The emergency management alert system operates by sending out warnings online to teachers and faculty — and many access it through a smart phone app.
But not all teachers received the alert about the gunman immediately, thanks in part to a poor wireless internet signal that made it difficult to send out the alert and the fact that many teachers didn’t have their phones or had them off at the moment they received it.
Principal Mandy Gutierrez never attempted to communicate the lockdown over the school’s intercom system.
Missed warnings signs
The gunman, Salvador Ramos, displayed signs he was unstable and possibly planning a violent attack, yet none of these warning signs reached authorities.
A year before the massacre, he had earned the nickname “school shooter” on social media platforms because of violent threats he would make against other users. With few, if any, friends and a strained relationship with his parents, the report describes him as a high school dropout and social outcast who eventually concluded that spectacular violence could bring him “notoriety and fame.”
Online, the committee found, he became interested in gore and violent sex, sometimes sharing videos and images of suicides and beheadings. His internet search history suggested he questioned whether he was a sociopath.
In real life, he was fired from two fast food jobs. At Whataburger, he harassed a female employee and at Wendy’s he would not talk with any co-workers, except one occasion where he attempted to start a conversation about guns.
In the final months of his life, he was determined to acquire guns, a desire the report says family and friends were aware of. Because he lived with his grandmother and had no expenses, he was able to use his money for this effort.
While he was still 17, the shooter asked at least two people to purchase guns for him, but they refused. Instead, he focused on purchasing accessories, including a gun sight, rifle sling and body armor carrier. He turned 18, the legal age to buy guns in Texas, on May 16. Over the course of the next week, he spent more than $3,000 on two AR-15 style rifles from an online retailer, which shipped the weapons to a Uvalde gun shop.
Because he had no license and did not know how to drive, an uncle transported him to the gun store twice. He said the first time he didn’t know he was going to pick up a rifle, since the store is also a popular restaurant in town and his nephew said he was hungry. But he returned with a narrow box and no food.
The owner of the gun store, Oasis Outback, remembered him and described him to investigators as an “average customer with no ‘red flags.’” Other store patrons told the FBI they thought he was “very nervous looking” and “appeared odd and looked like one of those school shooters.”
The report details no attempt by anyone who interacted with the gunman to alert authorities about his troubling behavior.
Undermining trust
In the days after the shooting, state officials unnecessarily undermined public trust in the ongoing investigations by making false statements about what had happened, the report states. The day after the massacre, a Uvalde Police Department lieutenant tasked with briefing Gov. Greg Abbott and other state leaders fainted just before the meeting began.
DPS Regional Director Victor Escalon took his place, relaying the secondhand accounts of police, as he had arrived at the school minutes before the shooting ended. Some of this information was inaccurate, which the committee said was the reason Abbott, in a news conference immediately following the briefing, presented a “false narrative” that the shooting lasted as few as 40 minutes thanks to “officers who rapidly devised a plan, stacked up and neutralized the attacker.”
Abbott also said that the gunman had been contronted by a school resource officer before entering the school. At a news conference the following day, a DPS official said the exterior door through which the gunman entered had been propped open. Both statements were false.
The committee criticized state officials for misleading the public.
“A complete and thorough investigation can take months or even years to confirm every detail, especially when this many law enforcement officers are involved,” the report states. “However, one would expect law enforcement during a briefing would be very careful to state what facts are verifiable, and which ones are not.”
The committee also refutes a significant revelation included in a report published last week by the Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training (ALERRT) Center at Texas State University. That report stated that a Uvalde Police Department Officer with a rifle had an opportunity to shoot the gunman before he entered the school. However, when he asked a supervisor for permission to fire he never received a response and the gunman slipped into the school.
The committee noted that the ALERRT staff conducted no investigation on their own and relied entirely on information supplied by the Department of Public Safety. The committee concluded that the person the Uvalde officer saw was a coach who was ushering children inside, and found no evidence that any law enforcement personnel had a chance to engage the gunman outside the school.
The disastrous police response at Robb Elementary has set this mass shooting apart from so many that have become a regular occurrence in American life. It has renewed the debate over the role of police, and cast doubt on the theory embraced by many Second Amendment advocates that good guys with guns are the best defense against active shooters.
Yet the report concludes with a somber finding: Because the gunman fired the majority of his rounds before police arrived inside the school, about 100 in the space of three minutes, whether the death toll would have been lower had police breached the classrooms immediately is unknown.
Most of the victims died quickly, torn apart by bullets designed for battlefields, and it is unclear whether a flawless police response would have saved any lives. But the report suggests that stopping the gunman sooner could have made a difference.
“Given the information known about victims who survived through the time of the breach and who later died on the way to the hospital,” the committee wrote, “it is plausible that some victims could have survived if they had not had to wait 73 additional minutes for rescue.” | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/systemic-failures-in-uvalde-shooting-went-far-beyond-local-police-texas-house-report-details-robb-elementary-school-tragedy/273-7a6624bf-4150-4fdd-9d95-9857585068bd | 2022-07-17T18:15:40 | 1 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/systemic-failures-in-uvalde-shooting-went-far-beyond-local-police-texas-house-report-details-robb-elementary-school-tragedy/273-7a6624bf-4150-4fdd-9d95-9857585068bd |
TEXAS, USA — Record-high tax revenues over the last year will give Texas lawmakers an astounding extra $27 billion to spend in the 2023 legislative session, the state’s top accountant said Thursday.
In total, lawmakers will have $149.07 billion in general funds, Comptroller Glenn Hegar said. Going into the last regular legislative session in 2021, lawmakers had $112.5 billion at their disposal.
And that number could continue to grow. The extra $27 billion comes from more revenue coming in to the state than expected during the current biennium. Other factors could continue to push it up.
Lawmakers in the upcoming legislative session will also have $13.6 billion in their savings account, known as the rainy day fund — a $3.5 billion increase that is more than double the amount the savings account normally grows heading into a legislative year, Hegar said. The Texas Legislature convenes every other year.
“Oftentimes we start [legislative sessions] with a billion dollars, we start with $2 billion, we start with $5 billion,” Hegar told The Texas Tribune. “But starting with $27 billion, plus, oh by the way, we got a nest egg over here of $13.6 billion. That’s unprecedented.”
RELATED: Texas agriculture commissioner pens editorial supporting the expansion of medical marijuana
The massive revenues are largely a result of inflation and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, both of which have hurt Texans shopping at grocery stores, filling up their vehicles with gasoline and paying their home energy bills.
Sales taxes are the primary driver of state revenues, so Texas coffers benefited from elevated prices of goods over the last year. The other main revenue stream for Texas is oil and gas production taxes. After Russia, one of the world’s top natural gas-producing countries, launched the war in Ukraine in late February, many countries, especially in Europe, have tried to wean off importing Russian energy. That has caused the price of oil and natural gas to skyrocket globally, and Texas is a top oil and gas producer.
“Most of that [increase] on [oil and gas] tax is based on oil and natural gas prices, not necessarily an increase in production,” Hegar said. “While production has slightly gone up, most of that is price-induced.”
The “staggering” amount of oil and gas production taxes collected by the state will help give lawmakers a variety of spending options.
The extra funds represent an ironic benefit for Texas’ top leaders: For months, they have been blasting President Joe Biden over inflation and gas prices. Now, those trends will give them an unprecedented amount of money to spend on their priorities in 2023.
When asked how lawmakers should spend the money, Hegar recommended funding water infrastructure, road infrastructure and broadband internet connectivity. A panel of lawmakers this week asked Hegar for recommendations, and Hegar also mentioned a need to address rising property taxes and increase pay for state employees, especially since Texas is growing by 1,000 people per day.
RELATED: Anti-LGBTQ+ bills in Texas politics
“Making sure that we have good, qualified employees and can retain them,” Hegar said of the need to increase pay for government staff. “Because you have to have a healthy state government to operate.”
Hegar has pushed some of these issues for years, and his recommendation to invest in water infrastructure comes as 75% of the state is in an extreme drought.
“Moody’s considers 203 of our 254 counties at high risk for scarce water resources, a risk mitigated through Texas Water Development Board water financing programs,” Hegar wrote ahead of the 2021 legislative session in a column published in the Dallas Morning News.
The state’s top elected officials, meanwhile, have already set their sites on cutting property taxes in 2023. Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dade Phelan, all Republicans, have already said they plan to use $3 billion in COVID relief funds on property tax reduction. The incoming tax windfall will give them even more to spend on cutting taxes if they wish.
Patrick on Thursday re-emphasized his desire to cut property taxes and he proposed suspending the state motor vehicles fuel tax. In Texas, gasoline and diesel fuel are subject to a 20-cent tax per gallon.
Thursday's announcement also opened the door for others to propose how lawmakers should spend the money. The Texas School Coalition expressed a desire to improve funding for school safety, technology and new facilities. Christy Rome, the group's executive director, also noted state leaders' desire to address rising property taxes.
"However, property tax relief should not come at students’ expense," Rome said in a statement.
While Hegar said his revenue estimate will be revised before lawmakers convene at the state Capitol in January 2023, he said the state’s revenues will likely remain high because of ongoing inflation, which he said is a result of “last year’s stimulus programs and savings accumulated during the pandemic when normal spending activities were curtailed” as well as “unresolved supply chain disruptions and labor force participation still remaining below pre-pandemic levels.”
That, coupled with spikes in oil and natural gas prices after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, will still likely result in record-high revenues for lawmakers to spend next year.
But Hegar cautioned that lawmakers have a Constitutional spending limit, which could constrain them.
“There’s going to be more money than they can spend, which normally is not the case,” Hegar said, adding that the limit is based on a formula that factors in the state’s population and inflation.
Lawmakers can void the cap by a two-thirds majority of each chamber — the House and Senate — voting to eliminate it.
“I’ve not seen a Legislature yet that’s willing to do that,” Hegar said.
This story comes from our KHOU 11 News partners at The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans - and engages with them - about public policy, politics, government, and statewide issues. | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/texas/2023-texas-legislative-session/285-ebeedb13-e36b-4bfc-b474-8d8eff2b7786 | 2022-07-17T18:15:46 | 0 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/texas/2023-texas-legislative-session/285-ebeedb13-e36b-4bfc-b474-8d8eff2b7786 |
SAN ANTONIO — An unhappy customer got into an altercation with a store manager and his employee over furniture that wasn't delivered and ended up pulling out his gun and firing a shot into the air.
San Antonio Police were called around 2:00 p.m. Saturday to the 2300 block of SW Military Drive near South Park Mall on the southwest side of town for reports of a shooting in progress.
Police said the 49-year-old suspect went to the store because he was upset that the furniture he purchased had not yet been delivered, and he got into a fight with the store manager.
The disagreement turned physical and the suspect claims that the manager and two of his employees tried to assault him.
The suspect said that out of self-defense, he pulled out his pistol and fired a warning shot in the air.
Luckily, no one was seriously injured or shot at the location.
SAPD Homicide and CSI units were dispatched and processed the scene. No word on whether any charges will be filed against the suspect.
Learn more about KENS 5:
Since going on the air in 1950, KENS 5 has strived to be the best, most trusted news and entertainment source for generations of San Antonians.
KENS 5 has brought numerous firsts to South Texas television, including being the first local station with a helicopter, the first with its own Doppler radar and the first to air a local morning news program.
Over the years, KENS 5 has worked to transform local news. Our cameras have been the lens bringing history into local viewers' homes. We're proud of our legacy as we serve San Antonians today.
Today, KENS 5 continues to set the standard in local broadcasting and is recognized by its peers for excellence and innovation. The KENS 5 News team focuses on stories that really matter to our community.
You can find KENS 5 in more places than ever before, including KENS5.com, the KENS 5 app, the KENS 5 YouTube channel, KENS 5's Roku and Fire TV apps, and across social media on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and more!
Want to get in touch with someone at KENS 5? You can send a message using our Contacts page or email one of our team members. | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/unhappy-customer-gets-into-altercation-with-store-manager-because-his-furniture-was-not-delivered-fires-warning-shots-into-air-san-antonio-texas/273-caf4cd7b-b6c5-4dbe-880e-16613838a82d | 2022-07-17T18:15:50 | 1 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/unhappy-customer-gets-into-altercation-with-store-manager-because-his-furniture-was-not-delivered-fires-warning-shots-into-air-san-antonio-texas/273-caf4cd7b-b6c5-4dbe-880e-16613838a82d |
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla — Electric cars have become quite popular lately. And with gas prices and inflation, it seems like a great way to help the environment and save money in the long term.
But... what happens when the battery needs replacing? And what happens when the replacement battery costs more than the car itself?
For a St. Petersburg family, that is the exact position they found themselves in.
Avery Siwinski who is 17 years old was excited to get a car to drive herself to and from school. Her parents spent $11,000 on a used electric car for her. It's a Ford Focus Electric. The car is a 2014 model, with 60,000 miles.
"It was fine at first," Avery Siwinski said. "I loved it so much. It was small and quiet and cute. And all the sudden it stopped working."
Avery Siwinski had her car for six months before her dashboard started to light up with problematic symbols.
"In March, it started giving an alert," she said. "And then we took it to the shop and it stopped running."
In the midst of the car troubles, the family was dealing with tragedy. In June, Avery's father died following a stage four colon cancer diagnosis. Her grandfather, Ray Siwinski stepped in to try to get the car issues sorted.
"Turns out, this is a pretty common problem for this particular car," Ray Siwinski said.
The car has sat at Ford Auto Nation in Pinellas County for the last few months. Ray said he was able to get a quote on a replacement battery for the electric car.
"The Ford dealership had advised us that we could replace the battery," he said. "It would only cost $14,000."
$3,000 more than what the family bought the car for. And that quote didn't include installation and labor costs, Ray Siwinski said.
Ray shared that Auto Nation offered to buy the car off him, offering him $500 for it.
After weeks of research, Ray Siwinski said there aren't any other options to fix the car.
"Then we found out the batteries aren't even available," he said. "So it didn't matter. They could cost twice as much and we still couldn't get it."
It's an issue he says isn't specific to owners of the now discontinued Ford Focus Electric.
"If you're buying a new one, you have to realize there is no second-hand market right now because the manufacturers are not supporting the cars," he said.
The Siwinski's message to you: do your research before buying electric. They warn, it may cost you far more than you realize.
10 Tampa Bay reached out to Ford Motor Company, asking what customers in this position are expected to do and if the electric car batteries are still being made available for Ford Focus Electric cars. We are awaiting their response. | https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/electric-car-battery-replacement-costs-more-than-car/67-46243c70-124b-43e9-9a6e-fca01dc40cc4 | 2022-07-17T18:27:07 | 1 | https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/electric-car-battery-replacement-costs-more-than-car/67-46243c70-124b-43e9-9a6e-fca01dc40cc4 |
Nebraska was involved in what President Herbert Hoover termed the Noble Experiment before Nebraska was even a territory, establishing Prohibition before the 18th Amendment was passed and ratified.
Virtually every community, regardless of its size, has tackled prohibition with at least some success for various periods of time. Prohibition’s era, though relatively short, filled Nebraska with stories about illegal stills, speakeasies, official corruption and bootleggers.
Though some stories were only partially based on fact, one Omaha and Hastings-based woman became widely known as the “Bootlegger Queen,” with plenty of hard facts to substantiate her title.
Twenty years before the formation of the Nebraska Territory, the national “Indian Intercourse Act of 1834 (forbade) disposing of spiritous liquor to Indians.”
People are also reading…
In 1855, an act that forbade the sale or manufacture of liquor proved unenforceable just as its predecessor. It was widely reported, with scant proof, that there was actually a bar in the basement of the territorial Capitol in Omaha. The Slocomb Act of 1881 allowed Nebraska cities to issue permits to sell alcohol for as little as $500, increasing in price depending on the size of the community.
The Prohibition political party formed in Nebraska in 1884 and promoted Lincoln physician B.L. Paine as its candidate for governor. Though unsuccessful, the party’s second gubernatorial candidate, Lincoln Mayor H.W. Hardy, received 8,175 votes of a total of 138,209. In 1909, Lincoln managed to vote the city dry by 349 votes, but their success proved fleeting, surviving only two years.
Lucia (later known as Louise) Pirrucello was born in Italy, immigrating to the U.S. and Omaha in 1910 where the family lived in the “Little Italy” section of South Omaha. At the age of 13, Louise married Sebastino Vinciquerra, whose name she would sometimes retain through four marriages.
Prior to the 18th Amendment, Nebraska established prohibition in May of 1917. By 1919, Louise had begun manufacturing and selling wine. Within a year, Omaha speakeasies could purchase a listing, virtually an advertisement, in the Police Annual for as little as $30. By 1922, Louise and her husband bragged publicly of making an amazing net profit of $45,000 in a year and a half.
Along the way, she managed a sort of partnership with Earl Haning, a Prohibition agent, who skimmed, then turned over nearly a half-ton of sugar to their operation that was one of the principal ingredients of alcohol. Though still not considered major players, their business spread through mid-Nebraska and northern Kansas.
In 1928, Louise divorced Vinciquerra, then married Earl Haning but kept the name Vinciquerra, though in many court documents she is called Louise Haning.
After twice attempting to kill Louise, her first husband murdered Earl Haning. Stories become a bit fluid at that point, but in August of 1935, Louise moved to Hastings, where she managed or perhaps acquired a saloon named Andy’s Place, formerly called Ma Sharp’s, on east South Street. She proceeded to operate the saloon without the benefit of a license. A week later, Louise was in court, an event she managed to repeat often in rapid succession.
One event that was carefully dated and covered in local media occurred in September of 1935, when her new $2,000 automobile hit two horses, one of which died instantly, the other euthanized. The newspaper reported “Mrs. Hanning’s (sic) home now is Hastings. She recently moved here from Omaha to work in the Andrew J. Sharp beer tavern, which was closed by the Nebraska Liquor Commission shortly after she arrived” even though Prohibition officially ended in December of 1933.
After scores of arrests, Louise returned to Omaha in 1936 to run the Maple Grove Nightclub. A year later, she again remarried and moved to Bisbee, Arizona.
In 1947, after being reported as a missing person, her body, which had been shot and burned, was discovered near Tombstone, Arizona.
Prohibition spawned big investments in Omaha during its short existence. Several major illegal distilleries existed within the downtown area, one of the largest filled a four-floor building on the northwest corner of Ninth and Dodge streets. The combined production of those operations was said to be in the thousands of gallons per day.
Bootleggers and saloons all paid protection. One of the most cited on the receiving end of these payoffs was Joe Potach, who was previously an Omaha policeman on the Morals Squad.
During Prohibition, it was said “whiskey could be purchased in any restaurant in Hastings — with the exception of the YWCA cafeteria.” In Omaha, the story goes that when asked where he could buy a drink, the man was directed to a millinery shop as being “the only place in town you can’t.”
National Prohibition, which was predicted to solve social problems, reduce taxes, improve health and reduce crime, failed and was even counterproductive. As wine-making increased dramatically, organized crime came into its own and prospered, corruption was rampant, and women began drinking in large numbers. Whatever the outcome, Nebraska was not only a player along with every other state, but faced the new, larger problems it created.
15 Nebraska ghost towns
Ghost towns abound in Nebraska
Not all stories are about how the West was won. More often than not, it was lost -- with dreams of getting rich quick and settlements that popped up overnight both fading forgotten into history.
"Ghost town" is the term that came to embody this trend, one abundantly common across Nebraska and the Midwest. Today, Nebraska has 146 cities and 384 villages, according to the state's official website. But Lilian Linder Fitzpatrick's 1925 work, "Nebraska Place-Names," attempts to study the origins of how more than 1,100 communities -- many of which were long gone then -- got their names.
Towns failed for a variety of reasons. Many times, pioneer politics over county seats and railroad routes played a large role. In other instances, isolation and distance from other communities led settlements to gradually fade into the countryside and from memory.
Though they may not realize it, most Nebraskans -- especially those with forebears who homesteaded -- have a connection to a ghost town.
A great-great-grandfather of mine settled near Mariaville, which is now on private property in Rock County, and my Czechoslovakian ancestors who made it to Nebraska in 1870 are buried in Pischelville National Cemetery in Knox County.
We'll take a quick journey to those forgotten communities and 13 other former towns that failed to survive to the present day.
- John Schreier
1. Antioch (Sheridan County)
Antioch embodies the "here today, gone tomorrow" life that typified many young settlements in the West.
The Sheridan County community was originally called Reno, but confusion with the Nevada city of the same name led its leaders to rename it Antioch, after the Ohio city from which a prominent family had lived.
The small town boomed from nothing to more than 2,000 residents during World War I, owing to large deposits of potash -- a potassium compound used in fertilizer and manufacturing -- in alkali lakes nearby, according to History Nebraska. Imports from Germany, now a hostile state, had previously provided most of the potash used in the United States, and businesses sought to capitalize on the Sandhills' bounty.
As quickly as it rose to prominence, though, it faded into obscurity after the war. With German imports far cheaper than Nebraska potash, the last plant closed for good in 1921. Visible along Nebraska 2 are concrete ruins of a potash processing facility, the remnants of this boomtown.
2. De Soto (Washington County)
Famed for steamboat sinkings before and during the Civil War, the early Missouri River town of De Soto could have foreseen its own fate.
The first county seat of Washington County was established in late 1854 and officially incorporated early the next year. Seemingly overnight, it boomed to boast several hundred residents, a dozen stores and taverns and three banks. Just as quickly, all three failed in the bank panic of 1857, with the Colorado gold rush convincing many residents to move west.
And, as was the case with so many communities in that era, the railroad's choice to locate elsewhere was a death knell. The Sioux City and Pacific Railroad instead built its own town, Blair, which has long succeeded De Soto as the county seat.
An 1881 history detailed how quickly the boom town went bust, falling to merely 20 people by that time -- an illustration of how quickly cities came and went in Nebraska's earliest years.
The De Soto name lives on in the area, with the De Soto Bend National Wildlife Refuge along the Missouri River. In that park is an exhibit displaying many artifacts recovered from the Bertrand, one of the doomed steamboats.
3. DeWitty (Cherry County)
Though the vast majority of homesteaders lured to Nebraska by the promise of free land were white, not all were. Nowhere was that more evident than DeWitty.
A vibrant community of roughly 200 African-Americans, some of whom were slaves freed after the Civil War, settled along the North Loup River in the northern Sandhills on what's now U.S. 83. Though it wasn't the state's only largely black community, it was the most successful.
Though little is left beyond a pioneer cemetery and a handful of building foundations, DeWitty -- later renamed Audacious -- once boasted a post office, school and a variety of businesses. The school was notable because it was integrated between black students from DeWitty and white students from nearby Brownlee, which was all but unheard of in the late 19th century.
While the town no longer exists, its memory lives on through descendants and historians who share stories about Nebraska's most prominent black settlement.
4. Dobytown or Kearney City (Kearney County)
Though the official name for this small community three miles west of Fort Kearny was Kearney City, the name Dobytown -- a reference to the handful of earthen buildings that appeared to be constructed from adobe -- stuck.
Unlike many settlements set up for homesteaders, Dobytown sprung up to provide soldiers and pioneers services that weren't typical of military bases. To quote the History Nebraska marker at the town site: "Gambling, liquor and disreputable men and women were its principal attractions." Its famous customer was Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman, who despised its whiskey.
It became the first county seat of Kearney County when its borders were established by the Legislature and had a city government, seemingly overnight.
The town boomed to become a major outfitting point on the western migration, in addition to a Pony Express station. But its days were short-lived after the nearby Union Pacific Railroad passed outside of town and greatly reduced traffic. Fort Kearny's closure in 1871 sealed the demise of Dobytown, which was abandoned shortly thereafter.
5. Hecla (Hooker County)
Named after an Icelandic volcano by the Grand Island and Wyoming Central Railroad, the siding for cattle transportation grew into a tiny town that persisted for several decades.
The Hooker County Historical Society notes the town never exceeded 11 permanent residents. Despite its size, it had a general store, pool hall and school. Those working on the railroad and cattle drives could nearly triple its population -- though they'd often have to sleep in the store or a barn.
Though the depot closed in the 1930s, Hecla's stockyards operated for another couple of decades. By the 1960s, however, nothing remained at the site where the town had stood. A History Nebraska marker now marks its former location along Nebraska 2.
6. Lemoyne (Keith County)
Unlike other ghost towns, a town named Lemoyne still exists in Nebraska. The small community, which boasted 82 residents in the 2010 Census, is nestled along the north shore of Lake McConaughy.
But that's the second iteration of Lemoyne. The first, often referred to as Old Lemoyne, is deep beneath Nebraska's largest lake.
Lemoyne Jacobs arrived in the area in 1875. He owned the land that would house the original town site and tirelessly promoted it. His persistence paid off when it secured a Union Pacific rail line in 1909 before being surveyed in 1911. Within a decade, it boasted more than 200 residents.
By 1937, however, the Tri-County Association informed Lemoyne that the town had to be relocated. A new project would flood the land, requiring the young town to move to higher ground.
The Kingsley Dam, which was completed in 1941, forced residents of the Keith County burg to relocate, and several of its original buildings moved to New Lemoyne (though the "New" was long ago dropped) or to other cities entirely.
During a drought that dropped Big Mac's water levels to record lows in 2004, a few pieces of the old town site emerged. A couple of old building foundations and other bits of the original Lemoyne could be seen for the first time in nearly seven decades.
7. Mariaville (Rock County)
Though the West was hardly the land of outlaws it's often portrayed as being in movies and TV shows, they certainly existed on the Nebraska frontier. Those characters were far more complex than portrayed.
In the case of the short-lived town of Mariaville, one outlaw's generosity is credited with helping keep the town afloat.
The Peacock family was the first to settle in this area of north-central Rock County, and they opened the general store and post office at the site. It was named Mariaville after their daughter, Hatti Maria. Naming town sites after the first white child born was a common practice.
A story passed down over the ages, which appeared in the 1988 Rock County Centennial book, credited notorious horse thief and convicted killer Doc Middleton -- who later performed in Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show -- for buying dinner for his gang and slipping $10 to $20 under his plate after a meal.
This store was, for a time in the early 1900s, operated by my great-grandfather, who left his life as a doctor in Chicago for the pioneer life of Nebraska.
After a long, difficult journey from their life of luxury, my great-great-grandparents came to settle in the vicinity of Mariaville. It was here that my great-grandfather, whose love of the Sandhills' wild beauty and natural bounty has been passed down for generations, was born.
While that tradition endures, the store and town itself are long gone, located on private property northwest of Newport.
8. Meadville (Keya Paha County)
Not all ghost towns stay dead and buried forever -- Meadville is proof of that.
The town on the north bank of the Niobrara River in Keya Paha County, named after Civil War veteran and early settler Merritt Mead, was never large, despite its early role as a stop for travelers heading west.
But it endured all of the hallmarks of communities that long ago faded from the map. First, it lost its post office -- twice. Then, its general store closed, too. (We'll get back to that.)
The toughest blow was the rerouting of Nebraska 7, which connected Ainsworth to Springview, that came straight through Meadville. Though what's known as Meadville Road still exists, it's no longer the major route it once was after being largely replaced by U.S. 183 a few miles to the east.
Meadville was all but abandoned for some time. But local businessmen resurrected the general store in the 1990s. Though the facility recently changed ownership, it remains open.
With a park containing a popular river access point, too, Meadville remains on the map despite being a ghost town for many years.
9. Montrose (Sioux County)
In Nebraska's northwestern corner, a single building remains where a town once existed.
Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, built in 1887, has stood alone for years, and the occasional Mass is celebrated there. Without the church and its adjacent cemetery, though, no tangible reminder would mark where Montrose -- which peaked at 24 residents in 1910 -- had been in the present-day Oglala National Grassland.
The town's enduring claim to fame happened before it had even been platted.
Just north of the future townsite, a U.S. Army guide shot, killed and scalped a Cheyenne warrior named Yellow Hand in an ambush during what became known as the Battle of Warbonnet Creek. It was purported to be the man's first kill, coming shortly after Gen. George Custer's forces were massacred at Little Bighorn.
The scene would play out time and again during stage shows later hosted by that soldier, who had a prominent residence in the state when he wasn't touring the world. His name was "Buffalo Bill" Cody.
10. Nonpareil (Box Butte County)
When voters in southern Dawes County, tired of traversing nearly 60 miles to the courthouse in Chadron, elected to break away and form their own county, Buchanan -- later renamed Nonpareil -- was the first community to pop up in the new Box Butte County, named for a local landmark.
As such, the town -- which took its second name from a small newspaper type, given that its founder, Eugene Heath, ran a newspaper -- became the first county seat in 1886. Wikipedia muses that it's because the town, like the type, was so small, peaking at 50 residents.
An 1888 election to confirm Nonpareil's position wasn't well received by the upstart town of Alliance, so much so that armed guards stood outside the courthouse to protect the records.
That distinction, however, would be short-lived. Nonpareil fell victim to the politics that dominated the settling of the West and led to the demise of many former county seats.
A land company succeeded in bringing the county seat to Hemingford in an 1890 election. only to see it moved to Alliance, where it has since remained, in 1899. The courthouse was transported from Hemingford to Alliance by rail later that year -- on a rail line that missed Nonpareil.
Bohemian settlers built a second Nonpareil roughly 8.5 miles northwest of Hemingford. Records from the Knight Museum and Sandhills Center in Alliance indicate the town existed from about 1925 to 1946, and the former school building nearby is still standing.
Little marks the site of Box Butte County's first townsite, however, and nothing marks its location alongside that same railroad that bisects the county.
11. Pischelville (Knox County)
Czech heritage remains strong in northwestern Knox County, near where the Niobrara River flows into the Missouri River.
Descendants of many of the first Czech immigrants who moved to that area of northeast Nebraska in the 1870s still live in and farm their corner of what locals call the Bohemian Alps. Pischelville, named after early settler Anton Pischel, is one of several such defunct settlements in the area. Many of them also bear Czech names.
Though the former townsite is no more, its cemetery -- designated as a national Czech cemetery -- connects past with present. Interspersed among the headstones with inscriptions in Czech are more recent burials of their descendants who remained in northeast Nebraska.
My first ancestor who came to Nebraska is buried among them. Sent from Chicago to present-day Knox County by a Czech organization, Jan Schreier -- who later Americanized his first name to "John" -- and his family settled in the region in 1870 before moving into Verdigre. His great-great-great-grandchildren still live nearby.
12. Rock Bluffs (Cass County)
Rock Bluffs, situated between two hills alongside the Missouri River, was a major player in Nebraska's earliest days, when it once was a legitimate rival to Omaha for power. Yet, as the Journal Star wrote in 2016, the community "stumbled over about every obstacle possible to growth, dooming it (to) obscurity."
Occasionally referred to as just Rock Bluff, the town is marked by only a cemetery and a former one-room schoolhouse that was converted to a museum after it closed in 1969. They belie the fact that Rock Bluffs was once a vibrant center of commerce for riverboat traffic and other businesses.
While the ultimate cause for its demise was that it was bypassed by the railroad -- a common story in that time -- for Plattsmouth, Rock Bluffs' history still intrigues.
The community was home to world-champion boxer Perry Graves and a short-lived college called the Naomi Institute. There also are stories of curses by Oto tribesmen forcibly removed from their home, a haunted cemetery and a pair of unsolved murders.
Though Rock Bluffs, one of 51 towns organized in Cass County that no longer exist, is gone, a much newer settlement lives on just to its west: Beaver Lake.
13. St. Deroin (Nemaha County)
It's hard to find a more accessible ghost town in Nebraska than St. Deroin. Founded in 1854 as one of the earliest settlements in Nebraska Territory, it's located entirely within Indian Cave State Park.
Named after Joseph Deroin, a prominent half-Oto trader who owned the land it occupied, the town challenged Brownville's claim to being the first platted in the state. (The "Saint" was presumably added shortly thereafter, to evoke feelings of larger cities St. Louis and St. Joseph.) Its namesake, a colorful and controversial character, was later shot and killed while attempting to collect a $6 debt. His killer was acquitted.
Peaking in population in the 1870s at roughly 300, the town's demise from that high point was slow. Floods eroded the Missouri River steamboat landing, eventually forcing all traffic to Brownville, and the railroad elected to pass St. Deroin by. A 1911 flood was its death knell.
The school, which remained in operation until 1944 and was restored by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission in 1978, is joined by the reportedly haunted St. Deroin Cemetery as the only visible reminders of the town that once occupied this popular state park.
14. Sedan (Nuckolls County)
Sedan is no longer an incorporated town, but it remains a hub for commerce in south-central Nebraska as a satellite site for a local farmers co-op.
Founded as Coy, the town opened its post office in 1900. The name was changed to Sedan, after a French city, in 1906. Never a big community, its population reached a high-water mark of 35 in 1950 before fading into obscurity. The post office closed three years later.
However, Aurora Co-Op operates grain elevators in Sedan, although the site has a postal address of Edgar, a nearby town to its northwest. The elevators are visible from miles away, owing to the flat landscape in the area, and made headlines following an accidental 2013 explosion in which two people were injured.
15. Spring Ranch (Clay County)
Few ghost towns take that mantle as literally as Spring Ranch, which still commemorates a history that some consider haunted.
Founded in 1860 along the Little Blue River, within sight of the Oregon-California Trail, Spring Ranch -- often referred to as Spring Ranche in early texts, to differentiate itself from an actual ranch -- began as a trading post for settlers heading west. The town that sprung up, though, was devastated by a Cheyenne and Sioux war raid in 1864 that left several people dead.
Undeterred, a new Spring Ranch was built in southwestern Clay County in 1870. Noted for its mill, it grew into a small but hardy community of roughly 100 with the businesses typical of towns in that era.
In 1885, amid whispers that a widow named Elizabeth Taylor had murdered her husband and ordered a barn burned, a vigilante mob hanged Taylor and her brother Tom Jones before they could be tried in court.
The specifics vary from story to story, but the bridge over the Little Blue where the deed was done remains known as the "haunted bridge." Taylor, her husband and her brother are buried side by side in the town's cemetery.
By the 1950s, the town was all but vacant. A handful of deteriorating buildings and other signage, however, marks the site -- as does the bridge.
Historian Jim McKee, who still writes with a fountain pen, invites comments or questions. Write to him in care of the Journal Star or at jim@leebooksellers.com. | https://journalstar.com/news/local/history/jim-mckee-many-stories-document-nebraskas-bootlegger-queen/article_cc6c3eb8-c8ec-5dd8-977e-74b5e5920424.html | 2022-07-17T18:43:14 | 0 | https://journalstar.com/news/local/history/jim-mckee-many-stories-document-nebraskas-bootlegger-queen/article_cc6c3eb8-c8ec-5dd8-977e-74b5e5920424.html |
100 years ago
1922: Work on Flagstaff’s new high school will begin at once. W. P. Agran was on Monday awarded the contract for construction. The contract amount is $144,363. A spokesperson for the Flagstaff Board of Education spoke about the new high school. The building will be T-shaped, 180 feet wide and about 130 feet long. The auditorium will be a combination of an assembly room and a gymnasium and will seat approximately 700 people. The building will be of brick, but it has not been determined yet what kind of brick will be used. The roof will be covered with an asbestos composition on the decks, with gray asbestos on the slopes. The inside corridor walls are of masonry, and the floors of reinforced masonry, making the corridors practically fireproof. Provision is being made for the domestic science and manual training departments in the basement -- which is not really a basement -- as most of it will be above ground. The heating plant for the new high school is so arranged that either coal or wood can be burned. The general contract includes all necessary laboratory tables and domestic science tables. The basement story will be built of malpais. The total cost of the building will probably be $200,000, although bonds for $275,000 were voted.
People are also reading…
Fred Jamison, alias Fred Jacobson, who sold stock to Flagstaff people in the Pacific Cooperative League stores just before that concern went into bankruptcy, and who left suddenly as soon as the news of the bankruptcy reached here with all the money he had collected, got a severe shock this week when the jury before which he was tried in Superior Court brought in the verdict of guilty. The prisoner, who has been in the county jail several months following his capture in San Francisco after a long and arduous chase, was evidently all set for an acquittal and a triumphant return to freedom. He took the verdict pretty hard. There were several charges of embezzlement against Jacobson and one of obtaining money under false pretenses.
75 years ago
1947: An open mind on old and new problems, with a desire to work out solutions in conjunction with the faculty -- which , stated L. A. Eastburn, new president of Arizona State College at Flagstaff -- is the objective. The statement was made at a meeting of the campus chapter of the American Association of University Professors Wednesday afternoon. The Flagstaff chapter, its membership made up of 80% of the faculty, was presided over by the vice president of the college. President Eastburn indicated that he will consider himself the chairman of the faculty when working on problems pertinent to faculty interest -- not a president. Asked to state his attitude toward growth of the college in respect to quality and size, Eastburn said he was more interested in quality than in quantity. He said he hoped that the college can be of increasingly better service to the state and to the young people of the State of Arizona.
The Arizona State Department of Health has arranged for a mass chest X-ray service to take place at Grand Canyon two days, on Aug 5 and 6. The X-rays will be taken at the community building. More data will be available later. In the meantime, it is hoped that all Grand Canyon folks will avail themselves of this splendid opportunity.
Painters are busy painting the exteriors of the Park Service houses. The color is being changed from the dark brown of many years standing, to shades of gray. Each house a different shade of gray, the color being determined by Canyon tones added to the basic gray. Each has a light or white trim.
50 years ago
1972: The delightful world of children's theatre comes to Flagstaff Summer Festival 1972 today with the first of three performances of a play called "Reynard the Fox." The play will open at 7:30 p.m. in the creative arts theater at Northern Arizona University, and admission will cost $2 per person, with tickets on sale at the door and festival series tickets honored. The production is being presented by the Scottsdale Theater for Children and will star Jim Newcomer in the title role. Newcomer is the head of the drama department at Scottsdale's Coronado high school. The play is intended as a satire, both for children and adults.
Flagstaff weathermen today held out hope that Sunday’s drenching showers are the start of the Northlands midsummer monsoons. Widespread showers over central and Northern Arizona started late Sunday afternoon, dropping nearly half an inch at the Flagstaff airport. Timberline Estates in Doney Park reported an unofficial 3.22 inches of rain. Officials at the Flagstaff weather office said that this should be the start of our summer monsoons. Considerable lightning activity was reported throughout most of the storm Sunday and there were wind gusts up to 60 mph. Coconino National Forest fire dispatchers reported early today that fire crews were busy all over the forest, snuffing out small, lightning caused fires.
25 years ago
1997: A decline in Flagstaff visitor center inquiries in conjunction with a drop in Grand Canyon National Park visits has sent the city looking south to Phoenix. Flagstaff tourism officials are trying to salvage what they are calling a sad summer season with a Valley-area marketing blitz, reallocating $50,000 for advertising. Canyon visitorship was down 6% this June compared with the same month a year ago on top of a 2% drop in May. Through the first six months of 1997, park visitorship is down 3%. And that comes on top of three consecutive years of essentially flat Canyon visitorship levels, at slightly less than 5 million people a year. In Flagstaff, the total number of people who have dropped in at the downtown visitor center has declined 19% through June compared with the same period last year.
And it all starts again, for the 33rd time tonight. At 8 p.m. in NAU's Memorial Auditorium, conductor Edward Cumming will raise his baton and lead the 16-member Flagstaff Festival of the Arts Orchestra into a program of works by several composers. The concert marks the 33rd season the festival has graced the Flagstaff summer scene. The emphasis this summer is going to be on good musical entertainment, something for the entire family, and something that will be memorable. Cumming is in his first season as the festival's artistic director and conductor. There are nine events planned for the festival's 33rd season and five masterworks concerts. Their goal is to get people out to listen to good music and to have as much variety in that music as possible. | https://azdailysun.com/news/local/flagstaff-history-tourism-officials-attempted-to-salvage-season/article_736f0890-046e-11ed-b3e6-9fd9ad4da9ec.html | 2022-07-17T18:45:29 | 1 | https://azdailysun.com/news/local/flagstaff-history-tourism-officials-attempted-to-salvage-season/article_736f0890-046e-11ed-b3e6-9fd9ad4da9ec.html |
Lukert seeks reelection to WFISD School Board
Passionately supports teachers and principals
Wichita Falls ISD Place 3 Trustee Mark Lukert saw tumultuous times in Wichita Falls ISD during his first term on the School Board.
But Lukert, who has 46 years of experience in education, is optimistic about WFISD's future under a new superintendent and is running for reelection Nov. 8.
"I have nine grandchildren that are in or will be going to schools in WFISD," Lukert said. "And I just said, you know what, if I can make them better at least for one more term, then I'm doing good."
He and his wife, Debbie, also a former educator, have four children.
Lukert is seeking a second four-year term representing District 3. The time period to file applications to run for the School Board is July 25 through Aug. 22.
"One of my favorite quotes is 'Until adults get their attitudes in order, nothing good is going to happen for kids,' " he said. "It's the circle of education."
If the teacher is happy, then students are happy, Lukert said. If students are happy, then parents are happy, and if parents are happy, the principal is happy.And so on down to the superintendent and School Board. Lukert wants to make sure WFISD is a happy school district.
"When this happens, huge gains can be made in all areas," Lukert said.
WFISD is grappling with financial challenges, declining enrollment, staff cuts, leadership changes and building two new high schools amid rising costs.
Former Superintendent Mike Kuhrt resigned, effective June 30, after outrage from teachers, principals and others over his proposal for cuts to remedy an estimated $8 million to $9 million budget deficit for 2022-2023.
Cutbacks to staffing and other areas have much reduced the deficit although WFISD is still facing a shortfall after using conservative enrollment projections for the coming school year's budget.
More:Former WFISD superintendent resigns new position
More:WFISD seeks new financial officer
The shortfall stems from reduced state funding because WFISD lost approximately 800 students since the pandemic began in March 2020, and the district overestimated enrollment numbers.
In other leadership changes, Chief Financial Officer Tim Sherrod resigned, effective July 22, to take a position with another school system.
"Our district is really hurting right now," Lukert said. "Morale is the lowest I’ve ever seen it."
He said the reduction-in-force process and budget cuts have been hard on everyone.
What he is hearing from the community now "more than anything is just the prayer for hope that we can really get things going in the right direction and not necessarily just for the teachers although I think they have not been treated well — teachers and principles," Lukert said.
Fixing that treatment will benefit the students, he said.
The School Board chose Donny Lee as the lone finalist for WFISD superintendent during a June 27 meeting.
State law requires him to remain the lone finalist for 21 days before the School Board can officially offer him the position, according to a June 27 media release from WFISD.
Lukert said parents, teachers and principals are hopeful.
"It all rests in Dr. Lee," Lukert said. "It really does."
Lukert said if trustees hired someone who won't help fulfill those hopes, then it's going to be on the School Board.
That's why trustees spent so many hours interviewing, talking and researching to make sure they had an administrator to fill the void, Lukert said.
"I really believe with all my heart we got him," Lukert said.
Lukert was at the Texas Association of School Board's summer leadership institute recently, and at least six people saw his WFISD badge and told him, "You are getting a great guy as your superintendent."
Lukert was elected to a three-year term representing TASB Region 9 on the nonprofit association's board in 2019.
He will be out of the country during the come-and-go reception for Lee from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. Monday in room 302 of the Education Center at 1104 Broad St. So Lukert wrote a July 12 letter to the School Board about Lee.
"I feel he is exactly who we need to help our team get WFISD back on track," Lukert said in his letter. "He is a people person that understands the importance of building relationships."
More:WFISD goes into new fiscal year with budget deficit, continues to look for savings
Lukert wrote that he loved Lee's comment, made several times during his interviews: “We have to take good care of our principals and teachers because they are the ones that will make the difference for our students.”
Lee is passionate and enthusiastic about the job and excited about coming to Wichita Falls, Lukert wrote in his letter.
"I cannot wait for our board to work alongside Dr. Lee and show this city we are a team that will do whatever it takes to make Wichita Falls ISD an A+ school system!" Lukert said in his letter.
Lukert said his own passion is teachers and principals and assuring them trustees are there to make sure they have what they need to do the best job for students.
"This is where the rubber meets the road," he said.
More:WFISD picks lone finalist for superintendent
The community is invited to Monday's reception for Lee. The School Board will meet 6 p.m. Monday in the board room at the Education Center. Trustees are slated to consider and possibly take action on hiring Lee and approving his contract.
Lukert is a John Maxwell Leadership trainer, coach, mentor, speaker and team builder who has many years of experience in Texas schools.
His experience as an educator includes 21 years as an elementary school principal and several years as a special-education teacher for the deaf and hard of hearing.
Lukert has a bachelor's degree from Midwestern State University in speech pathology and audiology and a master's degree from Texas Woman's University in deaf education.
Other trustee positions in the Nov. 8 election include District 1 filled by Bob Payton, District 5 held by Tom Bursey and an at-large post held by Elizabeth Yeager.
Payton, a longtime School Board member, has announced he is not running for reelection. Susan Grisel has thrown her hat in the ring for that position. Wichita Falls businessman Mark Hood is making a bid to unseat Yeager.
A new district map that the School Board approved May 16 can be viewed at wfisd.net. | https://www.timesrecordnews.com/story/news/local/2022/07/17/mark-lukert-seeks-reelection-to-the-wfisd-school-board/65374502007/ | 2022-07-17T18:46:45 | 1 | https://www.timesrecordnews.com/story/news/local/2022/07/17/mark-lukert-seeks-reelection-to-the-wfisd-school-board/65374502007/ |
NORMAL — For Illinois State University Dean of Education Francis Godwyll, building a department ready for the future comes down to a common teaching technique: an acronym.
Godwyll’s acronym for the College of Education is “PRRAISE U.” He hopes that as he transitions into the role it can help get the college ready for coming changes to the higher education landscape.
Godwyll started at ISU June 1, coming from Western Illinois University, where he started in 2020. Before that he had worked at the University of Western Florida, the University of North Florida and spent 12 years at Ohio University.
The position in Ohio started off with a six-month contract, he said. He had gotten his doctorate in Germany, where he started studying in 1997. He moved to Ohio in 2002 for the six-month contract, which ended up being resigned for three years until he was able to move into a tenure-track position.
“That’s how the whole American chapter started in 2002,” he said.
Godwyll grew up in Ghana, where his father, mother and two uncles worked in education. He was named after a great-grandfather who had been involved in education.
His father was a superintendent of primary and secondary education and the family moved repeatedly for jobs. His father’s job led Godwyll to want to work at the post-secondary level.
“My own idea of life is that everybody should add,” he said. “(…)I cannot just repeat the generation, I have to add to it.”
When he was 11, Godwyll moved on his own from Obuasi in the central part of the country to Cape Coast to attend a boarding school.
Most secondary schools in Ghana are boarding schools, Godwyll said. The students learn independence from their parents and enter a community of students, faculty and staff, many of whom also live on campus.
“It’s almost like you enter a whole world of your own,” Godwyll said.
Students spend up to seven years in secondary school in Ghana. After he finished secondary he went on to the University of Cape Coast, where he earned a bachelor's and a master's degree and then taught for several years before going to Germany.
Choosing teaching
When he was young, Godwyll wanted to be an attorney, he said. His mother, however, was against it. He had wanted to be a lawyer because he wanted to help bring equity and justice to people.
“What was my closest vocation of career that I could take that could give me the possibility of creating a leveler playing field? If I'm not going to be the advocate in a law court when they've already kind of gone the wrong way to kind of bring them back, then teaching became my next choice," he said.
A lot of what led Godwyll to apply at ISU were initiatives coming out of the provost’s office, he said. That includes commitments to equity and increasing the diversity of the student body and faculty, including international students and minoritized groups. It was a chance to serve a larger group of people as well.
Provost Aondover Tarhule said Godwyll’s commitment to equity was part of what led to his hiring.
"Dr. Godwyll's belief in the power of education to transform lives is a perfect match for our university that provides innovative new teachers to the state and the nation,” Tarhule said in a statement to The Pantagraph. “His commitment to equity complements our values and vision for the future. I am confident that the College of Education will benefit greatly from his energy, enthusiasm, and out-of-the-box thinking.”
Godwyll described his plan as looking for what places the program can "tighten."
"Change is not something I'm afraid of; I come to the space with a humility to learn and then to, as quickly as possible, see what I can add to the space," he said.
PRRAISE U
His acronym reflects those values.
P is for preservation, as the university has more than 160 years of history in teaching educators. Godwyll plans to work with the various units of the college to identify what legacies are important to maintain.
The R is squared, representing recruitment and retention.
“I believe that they are two sides of the same coin — you don't want to spend all the energy and time to recruit people only to kick them out,” Godwyll said.
Demographers predict a sharp decline in nationwide college enrollment in 2025, in part due to people having fewer children during the 2008 recession. The college and university need to double down on recruitment, including recruiting from a more diverse pool. That includes ways to accommodate mid-career students and programs like the Future Teachers Conference every fall, which he expects to bring around 1,000 student attendees this year.
"Our outreach into the high schools, earlier on the in the high schools, is helping us, because now they can hear about us, now they can see us, and not only that, we can bring them to campus," he said.
Building a college that works to keep students and employees is the flip side of that, retention, he said.
A is for achievement. Godwyll wants that to go deeper than academic grades to mean supporting students, faculty and staff in their personal goals.
I stands for internationalization. Beyond recruitment, that also means creating international opportunities for students and employees, such as exchange programs.
S is for support, “which underpins everything that we are doing,” Godwyll said. He plans to work with staff to look at existing support structures and to take a data-driven approach.
E is for equity, which is also meant to be a base for all the work the college does, Godwyll said. Equity differs from equality in that it gives each person what they need to succeed, not giving everyone the same thing, he said.
U is for unity. People in the college might not always agree, but Godwyll wants to create systems that let people work together through those disagreements, with support from but not always going through the dean’s office.
“These are not cheap, these are intentional hard work,” he said. | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/education/watch-now-new-isu-dean-of-education-seeks-values-driven-program/article_2e805ac6-047e-11ed-b2aa-1b62d0bcdcf3.html | 2022-07-17T18:51:28 | 1 | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/education/watch-now-new-isu-dean-of-education-seeks-values-driven-program/article_2e805ac6-047e-11ed-b2aa-1b62d0bcdcf3.html |
Originally published July 14 onIdahoCapitalSun.com.U.S. Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, has joined Marco Rubio, R-Florida, and six other senators in proposing a bill to block the federal government from using federal property for abortion services.
The Prohibiting Abortion on Federal Lands Act would prohibit the federal government from promoting, supporting or contracting with abortion providers or otherwise expanding access to abortion on federal lands or facilities such as military installations, national parks, courthouses and federal buildings.
The legislation is a response to calls for President Joe Biden to use federally owned facilities and land to provide abortion access in states where the procedure is banned or could soon be banned. In Idaho, pending action from the Idaho Supreme Court, nearly all abortions could be illegal by mid-August.
Risch and Rubio have also introduced legislation to block the administration from declaring a public health emergency to protect abortion access, according to a news release.
“The Biden administration will stop at nothing to force their radical abortion agenda nationwide,” Risch said in the release. “Attempting to bypass states that have made the commitment to treat every human life with respect and dignity is shameless and unacceptable, and we must ensure this option is not on the table. States must be free to stand up for the unborn.”
Additional cosponsors of the bill include Sens. Roger Marshall, R-Kansas; Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Mississippi; Roger Wicker, R-Mississippi; Steve Daines, R-Montana; John Thune, R-South Dakota; and Josh Hawley, R-Missouri. | https://www.idahopress.com/news/local/sen-jim-risch-cosponsors-a-bill-to-block-biden-from-using-federal-property-for-abortion/article_11f0c649-de0b-55c0-8266-4535df7c563c.html | 2022-07-17T18:58:32 | 0 | https://www.idahopress.com/news/local/sen-jim-risch-cosponsors-a-bill-to-block-biden-from-using-federal-property-for-abortion/article_11f0c649-de0b-55c0-8266-4535df7c563c.html |
The Ada County Prosecutor’s Office filed a petition with the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday asking the court to review the Idaho Supreme Court’s ruling that upheld a new redistricting plan, county officials confirmed.
The plan went into effect before May’s primary elections, setting new boundaries for Idaho’s legislative and congressional districts. The process isn’t new; it happens every 10 years as a way to ensure political representation is fair, based on U.S. Census Bureau data.
The U.S. Supreme Court has not signaled whether it will review the Idaho Supreme Court’s unanimous ruling upholding the redistricting plan. If the U.S. Supreme Court did take up the case and threw out Idaho’s redistricting plan, the fallout could be particularly messy because Idahoans have already voted in the May 17 primary elections that included the new electoral maps.
A bipartisan group of six redistricting commissioners created and approved Idaho’s redistricting plan and maps in November and the Idaho Supreme Court upheld that plan in a unanimous ruling handed down Jan. 27.
Ada County was one of the parties that unsuccessfully challenged the plan before the Idaho Supreme Court.
With Thursday’s petition, Ada County officials are now attempting to elevate their challenge to the highest court in the United States.
Thursday’s filing wasn’t a surprise. On May 17, the Ada County Prosecutor’s Office requested a 45-day extension to a May 30 deadline to petition the U.S. Supreme Court for a review. Ada County prosecutors asked for the extension after citing medical issues a member of the legal team was dealing with.
Online U.S. Supreme Court records indicate Justice Elena Kagan granted the extension and set Ada County’s deadline for Thursday.
Ada County Prosecutor’s Office spokeswoman Emily Lowe told the Idaho Capital Sun on Wednesday that the county would submit its petition to the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday. Ada County spokeswoman Elizabeth Duncan confirmed to the Sun that Ada County did file the petition with the U.S. Supreme Court. As of this article’s publication Thursday night, it did not appear the petition was available to view yet on the U.S. Supreme Court’s website.
Why is Ada County seeking a Supreme Court review?
For months, Ada County officials have voiced opposition to how the new legislative and congressional districts carve up the state’s most populated county.
In November, Ada County Commissioners Ryan Davidson, Kendra Kenyon and Rod Beck filed a petition with the Idaho Supreme Court challenging the constitutionality of the redistricting plan. Beck and Davidson are Republicans. Kenyon is a Democrat.
They alleged the legislative map from the redistricting plan should be thrown out because it divided up eight Idaho counties, whereas some maps submitted by the public split up seven counties. They also objected to the specific way their county was divided, saying the map divides fast-growing, urban parts of Ada County and combines them with less populated rural areas in neighboring counties.
“… It takes a portion of northern Ada County and joins it with Gem County for a district anyway,” Ada County commissioners wrote in their original challenge in November. “The Commission then takes a slice of Ada County to the west and joins it with Canyon County for another district. Finally, it takes southern Ada County and joins it with Owyhee County and Canyon County for another district.”
Heading into the process, Idaho’s redistricting commissioners knew there would be challenges to whatever plans and maps they came up with because of the difficulty of dividing the state and the political nature of the work.
The redistricting commissioners’ assignment called for them to figure out a way to divide Idaho’s 44 counties into exactly 35 legislative districts, while minimizing population differences between the districts and trying to avoid splitting up counties and communities of interest such as cities, school districts or neighborhoods.
Redistricting commissioners based their plans and map on 2020 census data and input gathered at 18 public hearings conducted across the state.
While they were drawing maps, commissioners told the Sun they focused on reducing the population differences between the districts in order to satisfy the constitutional principle of “one person, one vote.” They knew they had to split some counties because there are more Idaho counties (44) than legislative districts (35). If commissioners split fewer counties, the population differences between the districts would increase.
“The final version strikes the right balance,” redistricting commissioner Nels Mitchell told the Sun in an interview last year. “All of the districts are pretty close to parity in terms of population. In addition, we tried to minimize moving districts entirely.”
In their January ruling, Idaho Supreme Court justices ruled unanimously that the redistricting plan did not violate state laws. Justices also ruled that splitting the fewest number of counties possible was not the only consideration.
“Due to Idaho’s unique geography and the supremacy of federal law, there is unavoidable tension between the Idaho Constitution’s restraint against splitting counties and the Federal Constitution’s Equal Protection Clause,” Idaho Supreme Court Justice John Stegner wrote in the opinion. “Navigating this tension is no easy feat.”
In attempting to push the issue to the U.S. Supreme Court, Ada County prosecutors argued that the Idaho Supreme Court improperly deferred to the redistricting commission.
“This left the Reapportionment Commission in the position to decide whether its own plan, and three other plans submitted by the public complied with federal equal protection requirements,” Ada County Prosecuting Attorney Jan Bennetts and Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Lorna Jorgensen wrote in their May 17 filing seeking the deadline extension with the U.S. Supreme Court. “The Reapportionment Commission found its own plan complied with equal protection requirements while the three other publicly submitted plans did not comply with equal protection requirements.” | https://www.idahopress.com/news/local/will-the-us-supreme-court-review-idaho-s-new-political-districts-ada-county-hopes-so/article_a410ee92-edc4-52ae-a616-42b09f4ec10e.html | 2022-07-17T18:58:38 | 0 | https://www.idahopress.com/news/local/will-the-us-supreme-court-review-idaho-s-new-political-districts-ada-county-hopes-so/article_a410ee92-edc4-52ae-a616-42b09f4ec10e.html |
Ida Redbird dug the clay she needed for the creation of her pots from the banks of the Gila River. Some say she tasted the gritty sand and if it was too salty, she discarded it and moved to another location seeking the right consistency of soil she demanded for her work.
Once she was satisfied she had found the correct material, she might spend an entire day sifting the rocky substance to ensure no small stones embedded in the dirt would ruin her pottery.
Ida used a “chupamat,” a large, heavy stone to pound her clay. Adding water, she kneaded the clay to remove any air bubbles and flattened the clay before using a curved paddle to push up the walls of the pot. A small stone or wooden anvil held against the inner wall of the container thinned out the sides as she paddled the outer surface to form the shape she desired.
Sometimes she rolled out a coil of clay and adhered it to the pot’s rim to finish the shape.
People are also reading…
Once she was satisfied with the vessel, Ida used red slip (clay pulverized into powder and mixed with water to form a thick, soupy texture) to rub the vessel inside and out. She polished the dried slip with a smooth stone before adding another layer of slip and a coat of shortening or lard over the outside of the pot. She cleaned the pot once again and set in the sun to dry while she prepared a bed of mesquite coals.
After placing the pot on the hot coals, Ida took mesquite bark sap and boiled it to a gummy consistency. Once the pot had cooled, she applied another coat of red slip, picked up a toothpick-sized stick fashioned from a desert shrub and began drawing with the cooked and cooled gooey sap, recreating geometric designs that might date back to the ancient Hohokam people. Or she might create a drawing of her own choosing.
The decorated pot was put back on the coals for one last firing before it was ready to be sold. For all this labor, if she was lucky, Ida might receive 25¢ or 50¢ for an exquisite work of art.
Maricopa potter Ida Redbird was born March 15, 1892, in Laveen, Arizona, on the Gila River Indian Reservation. She attended Phoenix Indian School and served as an interpreter for anthropologist Leslie Spier while he was writing his book, Yuman Tribes of the Gila River, in the 1920s.
But it was her work in revitalizing Maricopa pottery that brought Ida public recognition. She was considered a master potter and credited with the resurgence of ancient Maricopa pottery techniques.
During the Depression years, Maricopa pottery sold for pennies. Ida and other potters could not afford to travel to larger cities and sell their products for such a minimal sum. Ida tried desperately to promote her own work as well as that of other Maricopa potters. She worked tirelessly to raise the prices on these works of art that took days to produce.
It was a difficult sell until around 1937 when museums and other supporters took up the cause and established the Maricopa Pottery Association with the idea of creating a market for the artistry of the Maricopas and have it sell for justifiable prices. For her outspoken stand and efforts to value Maricopa pottery, Ida was elected the first president of the association.
Ida enjoyed discussing the process of pottery making although she seldom gave herself credit for her own work, consistently lauding other potters in the association. Her expertise in her craft eventually led to a teaching position at Phoenix’s Heard Museum. She remained affiliated with the museum for over 30 years.
Unfortunately, the Maricopa Pottery Association did not last as long as did Ida’s stint with the Heard Museum. The approximately 17 women potters who made up the association were encouraged in their work, but the women had to travel to Phoenix to sell their merchandise, leaving their families to cope on their own. The onset of World War II also impeded sales. The association only lasted a few years.
Ida had married Charley Redbird and as the years passed, many of their children and grandchildren lived with them on the reservation. Charley died in 1945 and Ida continued to support her extended family despite suffering from diabetes, arthritis, and failing eyesight.
In 1970, a reporter noted that Ida’s property, which consisted of 20 acres, much of which Ida leased to local farmers, was comprised of a “yard around her two-room adobe home of mud and ocotillo spines . . . dotted with chickens, a lean-to shower stall, a water faucet (the only one on the property), the gifts of a refrigerator and a TV set that always were worthless in a household without electricity and gas, and of course, that ever-present tub and washboard.”
On Aug. 10, 1971, the temperature in Phoenix hovered around 100 degrees as 79-year-old Ida finished her wash in the old tub and began working on her pottery. No breeze broke the unrelenting heat as she safely nestled her pots on the hot mesquite coal bed. She stopped to rest for a moment under a tamarisk tree that had shielded her from the blistering sun for many years.
The old tree had probably seen a few more years than Ida and at that moment, one of its branches snapped, falling on the resting woman and killing her. Prophetically, she had once told her brother, “I might just end my life under that tree.”
Ida Redbird was “one of the very best of the Southwestern Indian potters and worthy of her title as the master potter of the Maricopas,” according to Tom Cain, then curator of the Heard Museum. Arizona State University established a scholarship in her name and many of her unique pots can still be viewed at the Heard.
RELATED:
For Star subscribers: Travel party endured several attacks as they crossed Arizona to Fort Yuma.
Helped raised money to restore the town's stately courthouse, other landmarks.
She was successful in passing the bill to have the song “Arizona” adopted as the state anthem.
Jan Cleere is the author of several historical nonfiction books about the early people of the Southwest. Email her at Jan@JanCleere.com. Website: www.JanCleere.com. | https://tucson.com/news/local/history/western-women-ida-redbird-promoted-ancient-pottery-techniques/article_3619f1c0-046a-11ed-8208-5b5285c58d3b.html | 2022-07-17T19:05:25 | 0 | https://tucson.com/news/local/history/western-women-ida-redbird-promoted-ancient-pottery-techniques/article_3619f1c0-046a-11ed-8208-5b5285c58d3b.html |
Nearly 400 law enforcement officials rushed to a mass shooting that left 21 people dead, including 19 children, at a Uvalde elementary school in May, but “systemic failures” created a chaotic scene that lasted more than an hour before the gunman was finally confronted and killed, according to a report from investigators released Sunday.
The nearly 80-page report obtained by multiple media outlets is the first to criticize both state and federal law enforcement, and not just local authorities in Uvalde, Texas, for the bewildering inaction at Robb Elementary School.
The report was written by an investigative committee from the Texas House of Representatives and released to family members Sunday.
The findings are the most complete account yet of the May 24 massacre in South Texas and the hesitant and haphazard response by heavily armed law enforcement as a gunman fired inside a fourth-grade classroom.
According to the Texas Tribune, which reviewed the report ahead of its scheduled release to the public later Sunday, the overwhelming majority of responders at the school were federal and state law enforcement. That included nearly 150 U.S. Border Patrol agents and 91 state police officials, according to the Tribune.
UVALDE SCHOOL SHOOTING
FAMILIES AWAIT UVALDE REPORT
Uvalde families awaited a new report Sunday that was expected to outline police failures in the May school shooting that left 19 children and two teachers dead, after weeks of conflicting and inaccurate statements from authorities surrounding why law enforcement waited so long to confront the gunman.
The report by an investigative committee led by the Texas House of Representatives follows weeks of closed-door interviews with more than 40 people, including witnesses and law enforcement who were on the scene at Robb Elementary on May 24.
The findings in the report were expected to offer the most complete account to date of the bewildering inaction by fully armed police officers who massed in the hallway of the school but waited more than an hour before breaching a fourth-grade classroom.
The committee had scheduled a private meeting with Uvalde families to discuss their findings before releasing the report to the public.
Flowers that had been piled high in the city’s central square had been removed as of Sunday, leaving a few stuffed animal maps scattered around the fountains alongside photos of some of the children who were killed.
UVALDE SCHOOL SHOOTING
A nearly 80-minute hallway surveillance video published by the Austin American-Statesman this week publicly showed for the first time a hesitant and haphazard tactical response, which the head of Texas’ state police has condemned as a failure and some Uvalde residents have blasted as cowardly.
“We want them to know all of the facts about exactly what happened because there was a lack of clarity on the part of everybody,” said Texas Gov. Greg Abbott in an interview earlier this week.
Calls for police accountability have grown in Uvalde since the shooting. So far, only one officer from the scene of the deadliest school shooting in Texas history is known to be on leave.
The report is the result of one of several investigations into the shooting, including another led by the Justice Department. A report earlier this month by tactical experts at Texas State University alleged that a Uvalde police officer had a chance to stop the gunman before he went inside the school armed with an AR-15.
But in an example of the conflicting statements and disputed accounts since the shooting, Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin has said that never happened. That report had been done at the request of the Texas Department of Public Safety, which McLaughlin has increasingly criticized and accused of trying to minimize the role of its troopers during the massacre.
Steve McCraw, the head of Texas DPS, has called the police response an abject failure. | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/texas-news/there-were-systemic-failures-in-uvalde-school-massacre-texas-house-report-finds/3016483/ | 2022-07-17T19:08:31 | 1 | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/texas-news/there-were-systemic-failures-in-uvalde-school-massacre-texas-house-report-finds/3016483/ |
They met in first grade and went through grade school together, reunited after he returned home from World War II, fell in love, married and raised a family, and now, a lifetime later, they’ve been through better and worse, sickness and health, and here they are.
Or, as the words atop the tiered wedding cake said, in celebration of 73 years of marriage, “We still do.”
Bob and Yvonne Polich recommitted to each other on Friday in a ceremony at The Westmont at Short Pump, a senior living community where they live. Bob, 98, and Yvonne, 97, were encouraged by Westmont officials to do something special for their 73rd, which actually occurred last January, but couldn’t be commemorated in such a public fashion because the community was still on high COVID alert.
So, on Friday, an activity room was transformed into a wedding chapel of sorts. There were flowers, a red carpet, and, of course, the cake. Ed Polich, 68, escorted his mother down the aisle. The Rev. Armando deLeon, a deacon from St. Augustine Catholic Church, officiated.
People are also reading…
“It worked out beautifully,” said Bob after the ceremony.
“It was exciting,” Yvonne added.
The Poliches were married in 1949 in Portland, Ore., where they had grown up. Their families lived not too far from each other, and they attended the same parochial school before moving on to different high schools. They lost touch until they saw each other at church one Sunday after Bob had come back from serving in World War II where he fought in the Battle of the Bulge with the U.S. Army’s artillery division.
They saw each other after church, chatted and renewed acquaintance.
Soon after Yvonne walked in the door of her home, the phone rang. It was Bob, asking if he could stop by for a visit.
“He came up within 5 or 10 minutes,” Yvonne recalled.
In due time, there was a visit to the local drive-in for Cokes, more calls, more visits – “My mother always thought he was such a gentleman,” Yvonne said – and a kiss on the porch. They were totally smitten with one another and eventually were married at historic St. Patrick Catholic Church in Portland. They had two boys – Ed and Bob – and a full life.
Yvonne worked for a time as secretary for the mayor of Portland before becoming a stay-at-home mother for her boys. Bob was a longtime schoolteacher for grades 5-8. He also worked as the official timekeeper for the Portland Trailblazers NBA team for more than 20 years, so he and Yvonne attended hundreds of basketball games.
Fun fact: Bob was the timekeeper for the 1977 season when the Blazers won their only NBA championship. Further fun fact: he wasn’t actually at the final game when the Blazers won the title.
“The same day of the title game was my graduation from Oregon State University,” said Ed Polich. “Dad missed that game to come to my graduation.”
They eventually left Portland and moved to San Diego to be closer to son Bob. After he relocated to Boston, they decided to move to Richmond to be closer to their granddaughters and Ed, and as Bob put it, “give him a chance.” That was more than a dozen years ago. A little over a year ago, they moved to Westmont, where they live independent, still get around well and have wonderful memories.
Like this one from 73 years ago, as they were on their way to the church to be married.
“On the front porch of my future mother-in-law’s place, my wife stepping out of the front door,” Bob said, setting the scene. “That’s when tears came to my eyes because she was so beautiful.” | https://richmond.com/news/local/after-73-years-they-still-do/article_3ae1a1fd-eec6-5536-9763-37fbe93073f0.html | 2022-07-17T19:19:03 | 1 | https://richmond.com/news/local/after-73-years-they-still-do/article_3ae1a1fd-eec6-5536-9763-37fbe93073f0.html |
UVALDE, Texas — The 18-year-old who massacred 19 students and two teachers in Uvalde on May 24 had no experience with firearms before his rampage began. He targeted an elementary school with an active shooter policy that had been deemed adequate but also a long history of doors propped open.
No one was able to stop the gunman from carrying out the deadliest school shooting in Texas history, in part because of “systemic failures and egregious poor decision making” by nearly everyone involved who was in a position of power, a new investigation into the shooting has found.
On Sunday, a Texas House committee is releasing the most exhaustive account yet of the shooter, his planning, his attack and the fumbling response he provoked.
The 77-page report, reviewed by The Texas Tribune, provides a damning portrayal of a family unable to recognize warning signs, a school district that had strayed from strict adherence to its safety plan and a police response that disregarded its own active-shooter training.
It explains how the gunman, who investigators believe had never fired a gun before May 24, was able to stockpile military-style rifles, accessories and ammunition without arousing suspicion from authorities, enter a supposedly secure school unimpeded and indiscriminately kill children and adults.
In total, 376 law enforcement officers — a force larger than the garrison that defended the Alamo — descended upon the school in a chaotic, uncoordinated scene that lasted for more than an hour. The group was devoid of clear leadership, basic communications and sufficient urgency to take down the gunman, the report says.
Notably, the investigation is the first so far to criticize the inaction of state and federal law enforcement, while other reports and public accounts by officials have placed the blame squarely on Uvalde school police Chief Pete Arredondo, for his role as incident commander, and other local police who were among the first to arrive.
The report also reveals for the first time that the overwhelming majority of responders were federal and state law enforcement: 149 were U.S. Border Patrol, and 91 were state police — whose responsibilities include responding to “mass attacks in public places.” There were 25 Uvalde police officers and 16 sheriff’s deputies. Arredondo’s school police force accounted for five of the officers on the scene. The rest of the force was made up of neighboring county law enforcement, U.S. Marshals, and federal Drug Enforcement Agency officers.
The investigators said that in the absence of a strong incident commander, another officer could have — and should have — stepped up to the task.
“These local officials were not the only ones expected to supply the leadership needed during this tragedy,” the report said. “Hundreds of responders from numerous law enforcement agencies — many of whom were better trained and better equipped than the school district police — quickly arrived on the scene.”
The other responders “could have helped to address the unfolding chaos.”
The three committee members — Rep. Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock; Rep. Joe Moody, D-El Paso and former state Supreme Court Justice Eva Guzman — said they sought to create a comprehensive account the Legislature can use to craft policies aimed at preventing future massacres. The trio also sought to present an accurate narrative to the public, in contrast to several conflicting and retracted accounts provided by other officials, including the governor and state police, in the seven weeks since the tragedy that have undermined residents’ trust in the ongoing investigations.
They dedicated the document to the 21 people killed in the shooting, and first unveiled their findings during a private meeting with Uvalde residents on Sunday.
“The Committee issues this interim report now, believing the victims, their families, and the entire Uvalde community have already waited too long for answers and transparency,” the report reads.
Law enforcement Failures
The failure of police to quickly subdue the shooter has faced widespread public condemnation and criticism from fellow law enforcement officials. At its core, the committee report echoes criticisms made previously by police tactics experts: that instead of following the active doctrine developed after the 1999 Columbine High School massacre, which dictates that officers immediately confront active shooters, police at Robb Elementary retreated after coming under fire and then waited for backup.
“They failed to prioritize saving the lives of innocent victims over their own safety,” the committee said in its report.
The report lists myriad law enforcement mistakes, which expanded far beyond any single commander or agency. They stemmed not from a lack of manpower, but from an absence of leadership and effective communications.
In interviews conducted or obtained by the committee, police officers said they assumed Uvalde school district Police Chief Pete Arredondo was in command or did not know who was in charge. Several described the scene as “chaos” or a “cluster.”
The report listed several ways that an effective incident commander outside the school might have helped: The commander might have noticed that radios weren’t working well and found a better way to communicate. They might have found a master key to the school faster to get inside the classroom where the shooter was barricaded — or suggested checking to make sure the door was locked. Or they might have urged officers to find another way to get inside the classroom.
But Arredondo told The Texas Tribune in June that he did not consider himself the incident commander after he was one of the first officers to arrive inside the school. He said he assumed another officer outside would fill that role.
The committee did not find this argument persuasive. It cited the school district’s active shooter response plan, co-authored by Arredondo, which states the chief will “become the person in control of the efforts of all law enforcement and first responders that arrive at the scene.” The school district last month placed him on administrative leave.
But blame for the flawed police response extends far beyond the school district police chief of a six-officer department, the report concludes.
The report criticized other officers and law enforcement agencies, many of them better trained, for failing to fill the leadership vacuum left by Arredondo’s inaction.
“In this crisis, no responder seized the initiative to establish an incident command post,” the committee wrote. “Despite an obvious atmosphere of chaos, the ranking officers of other responding agencies did not approach the Uvalde CISD chief of police or anyone else perceived to be in command to point out the lack of and need for a command post, or to offer that specific assistance.”
In testimony to a Senate committee June 21, Department of Public Safety Commissioner Steve McCraw said some officers on scene observed that Arredondo was not acting like an incident commander.
McCraw previously dismissed the idea that his state troopers could or should have wrested control from Arredondo.
“Let's say a DPS captain shows up in a situation, decides he's going to exercise control,” McCraw told senators last month. “Well, first of all, he doesn't have the information. And you know what? He may not be as sharp as the on-scene commander that's there … so I’m reluctant to encourage or even think of any situation where you'd want some level of hierarchy where a larger police department gets to come in and take over.”
Yet when pressed by Sen. Roland Gutierrez, a Democrat whose district includes Uvalde, McCraw conceded that confronting an active shooter is more important than deferring to an officer who, according to protocol, is the rightful incident commander.
Instead, the report said Border Patrol agents decided they would breach the classroom without seeking permission from Arredondo. That team killed the gunman at 12:51 p.m., ending the standoff.
Despite the collective failure of police to act decisively, the committee uncovered individual instances where officers acted boldly without instruction.
When officers were driven back by gunfire just after entering the school, Uvalde Police Department Lt. Javier Martinez attempted to confront the shooter again. He advanced up the hallway in “an evident desire to maintain momentum and to ‘stop the killing.’” No officers followed him, and he stopped. Several law enforcement officers told the committee that they believed if others had followed him as back up, he might have made it to the classroom and engaged with the shooter.
DPS Special Agent Luke Williams disregarded a request that he assist in securing a perimeter outside and instead entered the building to help clear rooms. He found a student hiding in a boys bathroom stall with his legs up so he couldn’t be seen. The boy refused to come out until Williams proved he was a police officer, which he did by showing his badge beneath the door of the stall.
Williams then encountered a group of officers clustered at the end of the hallway where the shooter was and overheard someone ask “y’all don’t know if there’s kids in there?”
“If there’s kids in there we need to go in there,” Williams said at 11:56 a.m., according to footage captured by his body camera.
An officer in the hallway responded to Williams that “whoever was in charge would figure that out,” the report said.
Inadequate school safety
Robb Elementary School, on its face, had all the pieces in place to slow an intruder. The school is encircled by a five-foot fence. It has an emergency management alert system and school policies for faculty and staff to keep exterior and interior doors locked at all times.
But a culture of complacency weakened these safeguards.
Multiple witnesses told the committee that employees often left doors unlocked, while teachers would use rocks, wedges and magnets to prop open interior and exterior doors. This was partly because of a shortage of keys.
“In fact, the school actually suggested circumventing the locks as a solution for the convenience of substitute teachers and others who lacked their own keys,” the report said.
In March, the teacher in Room 111, through which investigators believe the shooter entered during the massacre, reported to school administrators that his classroom door “was not always locking.” The head custodian testified he never heard of any problems with that door, and maintenance records during the school year do not contain any work orders for it. The teacher, Arnulfo Reyes, was shot twice in the shooting but survived.
Ultimately, the shooter was able to easily scale the fence and enter the school through a series of unlocked doors.“Had school personnel locked the doors as the school’s policy required, that could have slowed his progress for a few precious minutes — long enough to receive alerts, hide children, and lock doors,” the report found.
The question of locked doors came into play again when law enforcement arrived and assumed they couldn’t break down the doors of the classroom to reach the gunman.
They would fumble for several minutes in search of a key, and other equipment to break down the door, that is now believed to have been unlocked the entire time.
The search for the unnecessary key was complicated by the fact that the school, which first opened in 1955, had different sets of master keys for different doors. Lt. Mike Hernandez of the district police department said he carried 50 keys to various campus buildings, though sometimes he had to jiggle them to turn locks. On other occasions, staff changed locks without his knowledge. During the shooting, other officers attempted without success to use Hernandez’s set to find a suitable master key for the wing of the school where the shooter was.
Additionally, some faculty and staff did not initially take the intruder alert seriously because they were desensitized to the alert system which often was triggered by frequent immigration-related police pursuits.
Uvalde is about 50 miles east of Mexico and sits at the intersection of major highways from the border cities of Del Rio and Eagle Pass. Police described a recent increase in “bailouts,” where officers chase a vehicle containing suspected undocumented migrants, who then purposely crash and scatter to avoid apprehension. School district officials told the committee there had been 47 “secure” or “lockdown” events since February 2022. Around 90% of those had been because of bailouts.
There has never been an incident of school violence related to the bailouts.
“The series of bailout-related alerts led teachers and administrators to respond to all alerts with less urgency—when they heard the sound of an alert, many assumed that it was another bailout,” the report states.
Even when there were alerts, it wasn’t certain that everyone would receive them. The emergency management alert system operates by sending out warnings online to teachers and faculty — and many access it through a smart phone app.
But not all teachers received the alert about the gunman immediately, thanks in part to a poor wireless internet signal that made it difficult to send out the alert and the fact that many teachers didn’t have their phones or had them off at the moment they received it.
Principal Mandy Gutierrez never attempted to communicate the lockdown over the school’s intercom system.
Missed warnings signs
The gunman, Salvador Ramos, displayed signs he was unstable and possibly planning a violent attack, yet none of these warning signs reached authorities.
A year before the massacre, he had earned the nickname “school shooter” on social media platforms because of violent threats he would make against other users. With few, if any, friends and a strained relationship with his parents, the report describes him as a high school dropout and social outcast who eventually concluded that spectacular violence could bring him “notoriety and fame.”
Online, the committee found, he became interested in gore and violent sex, sometimes sharing videos and images of suicides and beheadings. His internet search history suggested he questioned whether he was a sociopath.
In real life, he was fired from two fast food jobs. At Whataburger, he harassed a female employee and at Wendy’s he would not talk with any co-workers, except one occasion where he attempted to start a conversation about guns.
In the final months of his life, he was determined to acquire guns, a desire the report says family and friends were aware of. Because he lived with his grandmother and had no expenses, he was able to use his money for this effort.
While he was still 17, the shooter asked at least two people to purchase guns for him, but they refused. Instead, he focused on purchasing accessories, including a gun sight, rifle sling and body armor carrier. He turned 18, the legal age to buy guns in Texas, on May 16. Over the course of the next week, he spent more than $3,000 on two AR-15 style rifles from an online retailer, which shipped the weapons to a Uvalde gun shop.
Because he had no license and did not know how to drive, an uncle transported him to the gun store twice. He said the first time he didn’t know he was going to pick up a rifle, since the store is also a popular restaurant in town and his nephew said he was hungry. But he returned with a narrow box and no food.
The owner of the gun store, Oasis Outback, remembered him and described him to investigators as an “average customer with no ‘red flags.’” Other store patrons told the FBI they thought he was “very nervous looking” and “appeared odd and looked like one of those school shooters.”
The report details no attempt by anyone who interacted with the gunman to alert authorities about his troubling behavior.
Undermining trust
In the days after the shooting, state officials unnecessarily undermined public trust in the ongoing investigations by making false statements about what had happened, the report states. The day after the massacre, a Uvalde Police Department lieutenant tasked with briefing Gov. Greg Abbott and other state leaders fainted just before the meeting began.
DPS Regional Director Victor Escalon took his place, relaying the secondhand accounts of police, as he had arrived at the school minutes before the shooting ended. Some of this information was inaccurate, which the committee said was the reason Abbott, in a news conference immediately following the briefing, presented a “false narrative” that the shooting lasted as few as 40 minutes thanks to “officers who rapidly devised a plan, stacked up and neutralized the attacker.”
Abbott also said that the gunman had been contronted by a school resource officer before entering the school. At a news conference the following day, a DPS official said the exterior door through which the gunman entered had been propped open. Both statements were false.
The committee criticized state officials for misleading the public.
“A complete and thorough investigation can take months or even years to confirm every detail, especially when this many law enforcement officers are involved,” the report states. “However, one would expect law enforcement during a briefing would be very careful to state what facts are verifiable, and which ones are not.”
The committee also refutes a significant revelation included in a report published last week by the Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training (ALERRT) Center at Texas State University. That report stated that a Uvalde Police Department Officer with a rifle had an opportunity to shoot the gunman before he entered the school. However, when he asked a supervisor for permission to fire he never received a response and the gunman slipped into the school.
The committee noted that the ALERRT staff conducted no investigation on their own and relied entirely on information supplied by the Department of Public Safety. The committee concluded that the person the Uvalde officer saw was a coach who was ushering children inside, and found no evidence that any law enforcement personnel had a chance to engage the gunman outside the school.
The disastrous police response at Robb Elementary has set this mass shooting apart from so many that have become a regular occurrence in American life. It has renewed the debate over the role of police, and cast doubt on the theory embraced by many Second Amendment advocates that good guys with guns are the best defense against active shooters.
Yet the report concludes with a somber finding: Because the gunman fired the majority of his rounds before police arrived inside the school, about 100 in the space of three minutes, whether the death toll would have been lower had police breached the classrooms immediately is unknown.
Most of the victims died quickly, torn apart by bullets designed for battlefields, and it is unclear whether a flawless police response would have saved any lives. But the report suggests that stopping the gunman sooner could have made a difference.
“Given the information known about victims who survived through the time of the breach and who later died on the way to the hospital,” the committee wrote, “it is plausible that some victims could have survived if they had not had to wait 73 additional minutes for rescue.” | https://www.kcentv.com/article/news/local/systemic-failures-in-uvalde-shooting-went-far-beyond-local-police-texas-house-report-details-robb-elementary-school-tragedy/273-7a6624bf-4150-4fdd-9d95-9857585068bd | 2022-07-17T19:22:54 | 0 | https://www.kcentv.com/article/news/local/systemic-failures-in-uvalde-shooting-went-far-beyond-local-police-texas-house-report-details-robb-elementary-school-tragedy/273-7a6624bf-4150-4fdd-9d95-9857585068bd |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.