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Ponderosa High School hosted a Community Day for its students Wednesday where members of the community to gave presentations while students had a chance to participate in a variety of new experiences.
The school, which is part of the Coconino County Regional Accommodation School District (CCRASD), has hosted themed community events like Wednesday's every quarter since returning to in-person learning approximately a year and a half ago.
“The idea is to do something different, to reward students after a quarter of hard work, to shake things up a bit,” said John Taylor, TERRA Birds founder and director.
The organization has partnered with Ponderosa High School for nearly 12 years.
“It's been a way for us to incorporate art and hands-on outdoor activities and sports," and "expose students to other types of activities during the school day," Taylor said.
Students heard from guest speakers, worked together in the school’s garden and gave presentations about poster board displays they had created for the May event.
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Earlier themes this year have been identity, diversity and justice, with this week’s theme being action.
While the school’s staff came up with the themes at the beginning of the year, Taylor said, “the action theme is appropriate for the end of the school year, with graduation here and [students] deciding, 'What do we do next?'”
Presentations from community members are a central part of the event. While speakers aren’t invited for their reflection of the theme, they often incorporate it into their presentation.
“Here in Flagstaff we have such a diverse and amazing population of people -- whether they’re advocates or artists or scientists or coming from different backgrounds -- doing all sorts of things,” Taylor said.
Flagstaff musician and Arizona Blues Hall of Fame member Tommy Dukes kicked off the day with a presentation that involved storytelling, advice and music as well as a breakfast he’d provided for the students.
The high-schoolers also heard presentations from Fred Phillips, a landscape architect speaking on ecological restoration careers, and Erica Fareio, a local artist presenting about taking action and how to become a professional artist.
Hopi educator Debbie Onsae also participated in the event, cooking a traditional Hopi lunch for the school’s students and staff.
“It’s a really great way to welcome the community in to not only present to our student body but also learn from our students here about what’s going on with young people and what’s on young people’s minds nowadays,” Taylor said of the event. “[It’s] an opportunity for members of the public to come and learn from our students as well.”
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https://azdailysun.com/news/local/education/ponderosa-high-school-hosts-community-day-event/article_a62cd0ea-d16b-11ec-b114-a3e9319b7304.html
| 2022-05-12T15:57:22
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https://azdailysun.com/news/local/education/ponderosa-high-school-hosts-community-day-event/article_a62cd0ea-d16b-11ec-b114-a3e9319b7304.html
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At the library: Listen and dance to Argentine tango, learn to smart money habits or become a volunteer
Monroe County Public Library provides opportunities for local residents to read, learn, connect and create. The downtown library is at 303 E. Kirkwood Ave. and the Ellettsville branch is at 600 W. Temperance St. All events are free of charge. Event funding is provided by the Friends of the Library Foundation.
Saturday movie marathon
Saturdays are the perfect day to hang out and watch movies with friends. For ages 12-19. It’s noon to 6 p.m. Saturday in The Ground Floor teen space at the downtown library. Drop in.
Tiny Art Studio for Adults
Paint your own tiny art masterpiece. Your 3-by-3-inch art will be displayed in our tiny art gallery show throughout the month of June. Dress for mess –– acrylic paints stain. For age 18 & up. It’s 1-2 p.m. Saturday in Ellettsville meeting room A. Please register at mcpl.info/calendar.
Read to a dog
Registered therapy dogs listen to your child read aloud, aiding in the development of reading skills and encouraging a regular habit of reading for fun. This is great for readers of all abilities but especially helpful for reluctant or struggling readers. Ages 5-12. It’s 2-3:30 p.m. Sunday in meeting room 1B and 1C at the downtown library. Drop in.
Super Smash Bros. Tournament
Think you have what it takes to be a Super Smash Bros. champion? Drop in and find out. Ages 12–19. It’s 2-5 p.m. Sunday in The Ground Floor teen space at the downtown library.
Tango with Winnie Concert
Come listen and dance to Argentine tango in an open-air concert by Tango with Winnie and the visiting Argentine tango band Yazmina Trio. Bridges Youth Orchestra students will perform alongside the tango musicians. The piano is provided by the Bloomington Piano Project. For all ages. It’s 3-5 p.m. Sunday in the library plaza on Kirkwood at the downtown library. Drop in.
Teen Artist Club: Scrunchies
Are you a teen artist looking to hang with others? Join the library to make fun stuff, show off your work, chat and relax. Ages 12-19. It’s 3:30-4:30 p.m. Monday in The Ground Floor teen space at the downtown library or 3:30-4:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Ellettsville teen space. Drop in.
LEGO club
Unleash your imagination and creativity with fellow LEGO builders! Ages 5-12. It’s 4-5 p.m. Monday in Ellettsville meeting room A. Please register at mcpl.info/calendar.
Budgeting Basics: Smart Money Habits
Learning how to manage your personal finances can feel overwhelming. The library will answer some of the big questions you have about budgeting basics: What are the steps for setting financial goals? How can I track my daily spending habits? How can I prepare a personal saving and spending plan to estimate my monthly income and expenses? Are there tools to help me manage my cash flow? Are there ways to increase my income and decrease my spending? This is part of the free Bank on Bloomington Financial Literacy Series, a community collaboration to help residents access mainstream financial services and education. It’s 6-7 p.m. Monday in Ellettsville meeting room B. Please register at mcpl.info/calendar.
Co-Op Book Club: A Video Game Conversation Group — 'Outer Wilds'
Enjoy video games and want to talk with other people about them? Join the library to discuss “Outer Wilds” and talk about game design, stories, art and everything else. It’s 6:30-8 p.m. Monday in meeting room 2A at the downtown library. Drop in.
Teen volunteer orientation
Want to volunteer at children's events at the library this summer? Learn about volunteer opportunities and set up a schedule. Ages 12-19. Volunteers must have completed sixth grade. It’s 7-8 p.m. Monday in meeting room 1C at the downtown library. Drop in.
Dine Out for the library at Crazy Horse
Drop by Crazy Horse at 214 W. Kirkwood Ave. 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Tuesday, show your flyer, and the Friends of the Library will receive 20% of the amount you spend for food and soft beverages. Download the flyer at mcpl.info/dineout.
Tuesday Night Music Club: 'London Calling'
Join other music fans to discuss classic albums virtually. This week, it's The Clash's “London Calling.” The album is available for streaming and downloading on Freegal with your library card. Age 18 & up. It’s 6:30-8 p.m. Monday on Zoom. Please register at mcpl.info/calendar.
D&D crafts
Drop by for an RPG-inspired craft– – you'll use resin to create custom gelatinous cubes. All skill levels are welcome. Ages 12-19. It’s 3:30-4:30 p.m. Wednesday in The Ground Floor teen space at the downtown library. Drop in.
Gang Beasts Tournament
Want to find out who's the ultimate Gang Beast? Drop in and find out! You’ll play this high-energy mêlée game on the Nintendo Switch. Ages 12-19. It’s 3:30-5 p.m. Wednesday in the Ellettsville Teen Space.
3D Printing at the library
Ready to level up your 3D modeling skills? Join the library to learn the basics and check out their new 3D printing service. You'll design and print a model that you can keep. All ages. It’s 4-5 p.m. Wednesday in Level Up digital creativity center at the downtown library. Drop in. Learn more at mcpl.info/3D.
Evening Family Storytime
Stories, songs, and rhymes get your preschooler talking, singing and playing with books and words. For ages 3-6 and caregivers, but all are welcome. It’s 6-6:30 p.m. Wednesday in Ellettsville meeting room b. Please register at mcpl.info/calendar.
Preschool storytime and discovery
At preschool storytime, stories, songs and rhymes get your preschooler talking, singing and playing with books and words, followed by preschool discovery — fun, open-ended art experiences, STEAM adventures and letter exploration. It’s 10-10:25 a.m. and 10:30-11:15 a.m. Thursday, May 19, in Ellettsville meeting rooms A and B. For ages 3-6 and caregivers. Register at mcpl.info/calendar.
Teen Video Game Conversation Group — 'Rimworld'
Enjoy video games and want to talk with other people about them? Join the library to chat about “Rimworld”, game design, stories, art and everything else. Ages 12-19. It’s 3:30-4:30 p.m. Thursday, May 19, in The Ground Floor teen space at the downtown library. Drop in.
More events online
This is a sampling of this week’s library events. For the full calendar, visit mcpl.info/events.
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https://www.heraldtimesonline.com/story/news/local/2022/05/12/monroe-county-public-library-offers-tango-budgeting-volunteer-events/9718285002/
| 2022-05-12T16:01:47
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https://www.heraldtimesonline.com/story/news/local/2022/05/12/monroe-county-public-library-offers-tango-budgeting-volunteer-events/9718285002/
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A 15-year-old girl died of a gunshot wound to the head and four other people -- all adult men -- were wounded when bullets started flying in New Jersey Wednesday night, prosecutors said Thursday.
Cops responding to a call about a shooting near Madison and Essex streets in Paterson around 10:20 p.m. the night before found the girl lying in front of a home.
She was pronounced dead at the scene. No other details about her -- other than that she lived in North Haledon -- were immediately released.
Prosecutors said the other four victims -- 29-, 26-, 21- and 32-year-old men from Paterson -- were wounded by the gunfire but are expected to be OK.
It wasn't immediately clear how the teenage girl ended up in the area where the shots were fired, nor were any other details released by mid-morning Thursday.
Passaic County prosecutors say more information will be shared as it becomes available. Their investigation is active and ongoing. No arrests have been made.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Passaic County Prosecutor's tip line at 1-877-370-PCPO.
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/15-year-old-girl-killed-4-adult-men-wounded-in-nj-shooting/3684607/
| 2022-05-12T16:03:35
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/15-year-old-girl-killed-4-adult-men-wounded-in-nj-shooting/3684607/
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Police are looking for a stranger who allegedly whacked a 22-year-old woman with a mop handle multiple times in a possible bias case in Brooklyn earlier this year.
The attack happened in late March and though it's not clear why police are just releasing the details now, they say the suspect is still at large.
According to officials, the woman was standing in front of a house on Utica Avenue around 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 27, when cops say the man walked up and made some anti-sexual orientation comment. Then he beat her with the mop.
The suspect hopped on a Kings Plaza-bound B46 bus and fled the scene afterward. the victim was treated for a concussion and forehead laceration at a hospital.
Anyone with information on the person seen in the photo (above) is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS.
The NYPD Hate Crime Task Force is investigating.
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/woman-beaten-with-mop-handle-on-nyc-street-in-possible-hate-attack-cops/3684740/
| 2022-05-12T16:03:36
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/woman-beaten-with-mop-handle-on-nyc-street-in-possible-hate-attack-cops/3684740/
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One person killed, another critically injured in Thursday morning shooting in Titusville
Finch Walker
Florida Today
One person was fatally shot Thursday morning in Titusville, and a second person has life-threatening injuries, police said.
The shooting happened about 7 a.m. in the 4000 block of Lakeview Hills Avenue, Titusville police said.
Police did not identify either person or say if the second person was transported to a local hospital.
No suspects were named in the shooting.
This story will be updated.
Finch Walker is a Breaking News Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Walker at 321-290-4744 or fwalker@floridatoday.com. Twitter: @_finchwalker
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https://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/local/2022/05/12/thursday-morning-shooting-titusville-kills-one-injures-another/9744419002/
| 2022-05-12T16:12:22
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https://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/local/2022/05/12/thursday-morning-shooting-titusville-kills-one-injures-another/9744419002/
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President Joe Biden appealed to world leaders on Thursday for a renewed international commitment to attacking COVID-19 as he led the U.S. in marking the approaching “tragic milestone” of 1 million American deaths from the virus.
Gov. Mike DeWine on Thursday ordered that flags be flown at half staff until sunset on May 16 on all public buildings and grounds throughout Ohio, in accordance with Biden’s orders and in remembrance of those who have died, according to a release from the governor’s office.
“This pandemic isn’t over,” Biden told the second global pandemic summit. “Today, we mark a tragic milestone here in the United States, 1 million COVID deaths — 1 million empty chairs around the family dinner table.”
The coronavirus has killed more than 999,000 people in the U.S. and at least 6.2 million people globally since it emerged in late 2019, according to figures compiled by Johns Hopkins University. Biden issued a proclamation Thursday directing that U.S. flags be flown at half-staff through sunset on Monday to honor those who lost their lives to the virus.
The president called on Congress to provide more funding for testing, vaccines and treatments, something lawmakers have been unwilling to deliver so far.
Biden addressed the opening of the virtual summit Thursday morning with prerecorded remarks and made the case that tackling COVID-19 “must remain an international priority.” The U.S. is co-hosting the summit along with Germany, Indonesia, Senegal and Belize.
The lack of funding — Biden has requested another $22.5 billion of what he calls critically needed money — is a reflection of faltering resolve at home that jeopardizes the global response to the pandemic.
Eight months after he used the first such summit to announce an ambitious pledge to donate 1.2 billion vaccine doses to the world, the urgency of the U.S. and other nations to respond has waned.
Momentum on vaccinations and treatments has faded even as more infectious variants rise and billions of people across the globe remain unprotected.
The U.S. has shipped nearly 540 million vaccine doses to more than 110 countries and territories, according to the State Department — by far more than any other donor nation.
Congress has balked at the price tag for COVID-19 relief and has thus far refused to take up the package because of political opposition to the impending end of pandemic-era migration restrictions at the U.S.-Mexico border. Even after a consensus for virus funding briefly emerged in March, lawmakers decided to strip out the global aid funding and solely focus the assistance on shoring up U.S. supplies of vaccine booster shots and therapeutics.
Biden has warned that without Congress acting, the U.S. could lose out on access to the next generation of vaccines and treatments, and that the nation won’t have enough supply of booster doses or the antiviral drug Paxlovid for later this year. He’s also sounding the alarm that more variants will spring up if the U.S. and the world don’t do more to contain the virus globally.
The emergence of variants like delta and omicron has led many countries to switch to mRNA vaccines, which seem to provide more protection and are in greater demand globally than traditionally made vaccines like those from China and Russia.
About the Author
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https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/local/dewine-orders-flags-lowered-in-honor-of-1-million-americans-killed-by-covid/AVB6CETPLRHF5OOPTDZIBCKRCE/
| 2022-05-12T16:12:31
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https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/local/dewine-orders-flags-lowered-in-honor-of-1-million-americans-killed-by-covid/AVB6CETPLRHF5OOPTDZIBCKRCE/
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BESSEMER, Ala. (WIAT) — An inmate at a prison in Bessemer was found dead in his cell Tuesday.
According to the Jefferson County Coroner’s Office, guards at the William Donaldson Correctional Facility found Earnest Charles McReynolds, 69, unresponsive in his cell. After being taken to the infirmary, he was pronounced dead. Officials with the Alabama Department of Corrections told the coroner that no foul play was suspected.
McReynolds was serving a 35-year prison sentence for shooting and killing John Henry Yelder Sr., 72, in Clarke County in 2011. According to reports in the South Alabamian newspaper, McReynolds shot Yelder through the front door with a shotgun while Yelder was on the porch of a home where he was. During his trial, McReynolds claimed he acted in self-defense.
Last month, an inmate serving a life sentence was killed at Donaldson. William Eric Jennings, 49, was found unresponsive in his cell. The cause of death was blunt force trauma during a reported assault with another inmate.
The DOC Intelligence and Investigation is investigating the circumstances surrounding the death.
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https://www.cbs42.com/news/local/inmate-found-dead-in-cell-at-donaldson-correctional-facility/
| 2022-05-12T16:18:53
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https://www.cbs42.com/news/local/inmate-found-dead-in-cell-at-donaldson-correctional-facility/
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PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — His voice has been bouncing off the halls of Vancouver schools for about two decades, but this year, a well-known district resource officer is officially retiring.
Parents dropping off their kids at the Vancouver School of Arts and Academics may only see him as they drive by, but the students walking by are definitely hearing District Resource Officer Tony Jacobs — who seems to know them all.
“I’ll just be walking to school and he’ll just start singing to me and it kind of brightens up your day,” freshman Caroline Carder explained. “It’s really cool.”
The beloved DRO first discovered he had some vocal chops when he was in high school in Seattle — and a now-famous musician noticed him singing in the halls.
“This one guy walked by and says, ‘Hey, we got a choir class if you’re interested in coming to choir,’ and that guy ended up being Kenny G,” Jacobs said.
That’s right — the Kenny G.
When Jacobs became an officer for the Vancouver School District two decades ago, he kept singing in the halls all while forming a special relationship with the students he’d see day in and day out. He’s even put on concerts to raise money for food donations, ensuring kids in the district had food at times school wasn’t in session.
“A lot of students want to go to him for their problems or support,” sophomore Tae’jianna Burnett said. “I think it’s good students have somebody they feel they can go to and find joy in.”
Another student named Ryan Perlick told KOIN 6 News he thinks Jacobs is perfect for the school.
“He brings the same energy a lot of the students have,” the upperclassman said. “Just a great guy.”
He’s also a guy who makes surprise performances whenever possible.
“He’ll sneak into the classrooms — especially choir — and he’ll sing and stuff,” the school’s enrollment clerk, Kaly Howell, stated.
This school year is Jacobs’ swan song, as he’s set to retire in June.
“We understand, we will be supporting him… but, big shoes to fill,” VSAA Principal Lori Rotherham said.
He’s hoping to still collaborate with the music department for future performances, but the hallways will be a bit quieter in his absence.
If you want to hear more of Jacobs’ voice, he sent us the audio from a recent studio session that you can listen to below.
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https://www.koin.com/local/clark-county/big-shoes-to-fill-beloved-dro-to-retire-from-vancouver-school/
| 2022-05-12T16:23:34
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https://www.koin.com/local/clark-county/big-shoes-to-fill-beloved-dro-to-retire-from-vancouver-school/
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https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/neighbors-react-after-man-shoots-dead-would-be-robber/3237055/
| 2022-05-12T16:27:53
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https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/neighbors-react-after-man-shoots-dead-would-be-robber/3237055/
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TWIN FALLS, Idaho — Yogurt company Chobani, which operates a one-million-square-foot plant in Twin Falls, will now cover costs for employees who need to travel out of state or more than 100 miles to receive an abortion, transplant surgery, cancer treatment, or other specialized healthcare.
The Thursday morning announcement comes after a leaked draft opinion from the U.S. Supreme Court revealed that the conservative-majority justices may be poised to overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 decision protects a pregnant woman's liberty to choose to have an abortion.
The news has sparked widespread protests and an attempt by the U.S. Senate to codify abortion access into law, which was blocked Wednesday by a Republican filibuster.
Chobani CEO Hamdi Ulukaya tweeted Thursday that the company will help its employees access healthcare - including reproductive procedures - even if they are made illegal in the state where the employee lives.
"Businesses have an obligation to prioritize their employees’ health, safety & well-being," Ulukaya wrote. "That's why Chobani amended its health plans to support our employees’ ability to access specialized healthcare not available locally – including women’s reproductive health services."
The policy will cover more than just abortions.
According to an internal memo sent out to employees, the company will cover travel and lodging costs related to cancer treatment, transplant surgery, bariatric surgery, gender reassignment care, abortion, "and any other specialized, non-routine procedure where it is medically necessary for the patient to travel."
Chobani will cover plane fare or gas, lodging for the person receiving the medical service as well as one caregiver, and reimbursement for childcare costs. The policy covers both employees and their dependents.
Idaho is among 13 states with a "trigger law" that would immediately ban abortion in the state if Roe v. Wade is overturned. Idaho's law, which outlaws abortion after about six weeks of gestation - before many women realize they are pregnant - passed both the Idaho House and Senate with no Democratic support, and was signed into law by Gov. Brad Little in March.
Planned Parenthood in Oregon has said they are preparing for an influx of Idahoans traveling out of state to obtain abortions if the law goes into effect.
Chobani's new policy could help facilitate that.
In the email to employees, Chobani officials said the decision to cover specialized healthcare, including abortion, is not a political stance.
"We know that some of these issues are not without controversy, emotion, or political and religious implications. We recognize that we have employees with strongly-held views on both sides of this issue and we respect the deeply-held beliefs on both sides," the memo to employees says. "For Chobani, this is not a political stance or posturing – it’s a reaffirmation of our core belief that we will strive to do what’s best for the safety, health and well-being of our employees and their families. We hope other employers will consider following our lead as we navigate this challenging new environment together.
The news came one day after Ulukaya came to Idaho, where he announced a $1 million investment in a Magic Valley-based research dairy to advance innovation in the state's agricultural sector.
More than 1,000 of Chobani's roughly 2,200 employees are based in Twin Falls.
Watch more Local News:
See the latest news from around the Treasure Valley and the Gem State in our YouTube playlist:
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https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/chobani-yogurt-twin-falls-abortion-healthcare/277-1cc13d62-b3ad-4bc3-b54c-56bb09b2c91c
| 2022-05-12T16:33:58
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https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/chobani-yogurt-twin-falls-abortion-healthcare/277-1cc13d62-b3ad-4bc3-b54c-56bb09b2c91c
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The 29-year-old Lincoln woman who was hit while crossing West O Street late Tuesday night died of her injuries Wednesday morning, according to police.
Courtney Hubbell had nearly finished crossing the road, near a crosswalk along Northwest 20th Street, at 9:20 p.m. Tuesday when she was struck by a 2007 Pontiac G6 traveling east through the intersection, according to the state investigator's motor vehicle crash report.
Hubbell was taken by ambulance to Bryan West Campus, where she died Wednesday morning, Lincoln Police Capt. Todd Kocian said.
Witnesses told investigators that the Pontiac's driver, Daniel Reyes of Lincoln, had a green light as he proceeded through the intersection and swerved in an attempt to avoid Hubbell, according to the crash report.
Kocian said it's unclear where Hubbell was coming from or headed when she crossed West O on Tuesday, but her address listed on the crash report is two blocks west of where the crash occurred.
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Police don't believe drugs or alcohol played a role in the crash. No citations have been issued, but an investigation is ongoing, Kocian said.
Tom Casady's list of the 10 most infamous crimes in Lincoln history
Crimes of the times
This is simply one man’s perspective from the early 21st century (first written in 2010). I had to make a decision about crimes that occurred at locations that are inside the city today, but were outside our corporate limits at the time they occurred. I chose the latter.
Before beginning, though, I have to deal with three crimes that stand apart: the murders of three police officers in Lincoln. I’m not quite sure how to place them in a list. They all had huge impacts on the community, and on the police department in particular. Because these are my colleagues, I deal with them separately and in chronological order.
Patrolman Marion Francis Marshall
Shot in the shadow of the new Nebraska State Capital, Gov. Charles Bryan came to his aid and summoned additional help.
Lt. Frank Soukup
Marion Marshall was technically not a Lincoln police officer, so Lt. Soukup was actually the first Lincoln police officer killed on duty. One of his colleagues who was present at the motel and involved in the gunbattle, Paul Jacobsen, went on to enjoy a long career and command rank at LPD, influencing many young charges (like me) and leaving his mark on the culture of the agency.
Lt. Paul Whitehead
In the space of a few months, three LPD officers died in the line of duty. Frank Soukup had been murdered, and George Welter had died in a motorcycle crash. Paul Whitehead's partner, Paul Merritt, went on to command rank, and like Paul Jacobsen left an indelible mark at LPD and the community.
No. 1: Starkweather
The subject of several thinly disguised movie plots and a Springsteen album, the Starkweather murders are clearly the most infamous crime in Lincoln’s history — so far. One of the first mass murderers of the mass media age, six of Charles Starkweather’s 11 victims were killed inside the city of Lincoln, and the first was just on the outskirts of town. I didn’t live in Lincoln at the time, but my wife was a first-grader at Riley Elementary School and has vivid memories of the city gripped by fear in the days between the discovery of the Bartlett murders and Starkweather’s capture in Wyoming.
The case caused quite an uproar. There was intense criticism of the police department and sheriff’s office for not capturing Starkweather earlier in the week after the discovery of the Bartletts' bodies. Ultimately, Mayor Bennett Martin and the Lancaster County Board of Commissioners retained a retired FBI agent, Harold G. Robinson, to investigate the performance of local law enforcement. His report essentially exonerated the local law officers and made a few vanilla recommendations for improving inter-agency communication and training.
Now I know that many readers are mumbling to themselves “how obvious.” Hold your horses, though. It’s not quite as obvious as you might think. I had two experiences that drove this fact home to me. The first was a visit by a small group of journalism students. Only one member of the class had any idea, and her idea was pretty vague. You need to remember that the Starkweather murders were in 1957 and 1958 — before the parents of many college students were even born.
The second experience was a visit by a Cub Scout den. I was giving the kids a tour of the police station one evening. We were in the front lobby waiting for everyone to arrive. As I entertained the boys, I told the moms and dads that they might enjoy looking in the corner of the Sheriff’s Office display case to see the contents of Starkweather’s wallet — discovered a couple of years ago locked up in the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office safe. After a few minutes, one of the confused fathers asked me who Starkweather was, and why it was significant.
No. 2: Lincoln National Bank
On the morning of Sept. 17, 1930, a dark blue Buick carrying six men pulled up in front of the Lincoln National Bank at the northwest corner of 12th and O streets. Five of the men entered the bank, while a sixth stood outside by the Buick, cradling a machine gun. Observing the unusual events, a passerby called the police. The officer who responded, Forrest Shappaugh, was casually instructed by the machine-gun-toting lookout to just keep going, which he wisely did. Returning with reinforcements, he found that the robbers had already made good on their getaway, netting $2.7 million in cash and negotiable securities.
Ultimately, three of the six suspects were arrested. Tommy O’Connor and Howard Lee were convicted and sentenced. Jack Britt was tried twice but not convicted by a hung jury. Gus Winkeler, a member of Al Capone’s gang, winged a deal with County Attorney Max Towle to avoid prosecution in exchange for orchestrating the recovery of $600,000 in bearer bonds. The following year, Winkeler was murdered in Chicago, the victim of a gangland slaying. The final two robbers were never identified.
The Lincoln National Bank robbery stood as the largest cash bank robbery in the United States for many decades. It precipitated major changes at the Lincoln Police Department. Chief Peter Johnstone was rapidly “retired” after the robbery, the department’s fleet was upgraded to add the first official patrol cars, the full force was armed and a shotgun squad was organized. Forty-four years later when I was hired at LPD, the echo of the Lincoln National Bank robbery was still evident in daily bank opening details, and in the Thomspon submachine guns and Reising rifles that detectives grabbed whenever the robbery alarm sounded at headquarters.
No. 3: The Last Posse
My first inkling about this crime came when I was the chief deputy sheriff. One of my interns, a young man named Ron Boden (who became a veteran deputy sheriff), had been doing some research on Lancaster County’s only known lynching, in 1884. I came across a reference in the biography of the sheriff at the time, Sam Melick, to the murder of the Nebraska Penitentiary warden and subsequent prison break. Melick had been appointed interim warden after the murder and instituted several reforms.
Several years later, a colleague, Sgt. Geoff Marti, loaned me a great book, Gale Christianson’s "Last Posse," that told the story of the 1912 prison break in gory, haunting and glorious detail.
To make a long story short, convict Shorty Gray and his co-conspirators shot and killed Warden James Delahunty, a deputy warden and a guard on Wednesday, March 13, 1912. They then made their break — right into the teeth of a brutal Nebraska spring blizzard. Over the course to the next few days, a posse pursued. During the pursuit, the escapees carjacked a young farmer with his team and wagon. As the posse closed in, a gunfight broke out and the hostage was shot and killed in the exchange, along with two of the three escapees.
There was plenty of anger among the locals in the Gretna-Springfield vicinity about the death of their native son, and a controversy raged over the law enforcement tactics that brought about his demise. Lancaster County Sheriff Gus Hyers was not unsullied by the inquiry, although it appears from my prospect a century later that the fog of war led to the tragedy.
Christianson, a professor of history at Indiana State University who died earlier this year, notes the following on the flyleaf:
“For anyone living west of the Mississippi in 1912, the biggest news that fateful year was a violent escape from the Nebraska state penitentiary planned and carried out by a trio of notorious robbers and safe blowers.”
Bigger news on half the continent than the sinking of the Titanic during the same year would certainly qualify this murder-escape as one of the most infamous Lincoln crimes in history.
No. 4: Rock Island wreck
The Aug. 10, 1894, wreck of a Rock Island train on the southwest outskirts of Lincoln was almost lost in the mist of time until it was resurrected in the public consciousness by author Joel Williams, who came across the story while conducting research for his historical novel, "Barrelhouse Boys."
The wreck was determined to be the result of sabotage to the tracks, perhaps an attempt to derail the train as a prelude to robbery. Eleven people died in the crash and ensuing fire, making this a mass murder, to be sure. G.W. Davis was arrested and convicted of the crime but later received a full pardon. The story was told in greater detail earlier this year by the Lincoln Journal Star.
A historical marker is along the Rock Island Trail in Wilderness Park, accessible only by foot or bike from the nearest trail access points about a half-mile away at Old Cheney Road on the north, or 14th Street on the south.
Here’s the big question that remains unanswered: Was there really significant evidence to prove that George Washington Davis committed the crime, or was he just a convenient scapegoat? The fact that he received a gubernatorial pardon 10 years later leads me to believe that the evidence must have been unusually weak. If he was railroaded, then my second question is this: who really pried loose the tracks with the 40-pound crowbar found at the scene?
No. 5: Commonwealth
On Nov. 1, 1983, the doors to Nebraska’s largest industrial savings and loan company were closed and Commonwealth was declared insolvent. The 6,700 depositors with $65 million at stake would never be fully compensated for their loss, ultimately receiving about 59 cents on the dollar for their deposits, which they all mistakenly believed were insured up to $30,000 through the Nebraska Depository Insurance Guaranty Corporation, which was essentially an insurance pool with assets of only $3 million.
The case dominated Nebraska news for months. The investigation ultimately led to the conviction of three members of the prominent Lincoln family that owned the institution, the resignation of the director of the State Department of Banking and the impeachment of the Nebraska attorney general and the suspension of his license to practice law. State and federal litigation arising from the failure of Commonwealth drug on for years.
At the Lincoln Police Department, the Commonwealth failure led to the formation of a specialized white-collar crime detail, now known as the Technical Investigations Unit. At the time, municipal police departments in the United States had virtually no capacity for investigating financial crime and fraud of this magnitude, and we quickly became well known for our expertise in this area. The early experience served LPD very well in the ensuring years.
No. 6: Candice Harms
Candi Harms never came home from visiting her boyfriend on Sept. 22, 1992. Her parents reported her as a missing person the following morning, and her car was found abandoned in a cornfield north of Lincoln later in the day. Weeks went by before her remains were found southeast of Lincoln.
Scott Barney and Roger Bjorklund were convicted in her abduction and murder. Barney is in prison serving a life term. Bjorklund died in prison in 2001. Intense media attention surrounded the lengthy trial of Roger Bjorklund, for which a jury was brought in from Cheyenne County as an alternative to a change of venue. I have no doubt that the trial was a life-changing event for a group of good citizens from Sidney, who did their civic duty.
I was the Lancaster County sheriff at the time, involved both in the investigation and in the trial security. It was at about this time that the cellular telephone was becoming a consumer product, and I have often thought that this brutal crime probably spurred a lot of purchases. During my career, this is probably the second-most-prominent Lincoln crime in terms of the sheer volume of media coverage.
No. 7: Jon Simpson and Jacob Surber
A parent’s worst nightmare unfolded in September 1975 when these two boys, ages 12 and 13, failed to return from the Nebraska State Fair. The boys were the victims of abduction and murder. The case was similar to a string of other murders of young boys in the Midwest, and many thought that these cases were related -- the work of a serial killer. Although an arrest was made in the case here in Lincoln, the charges were eventually dismissed. William Guatney was released and has since died.
No. 8: John Sheedy
Saloon and gambling house owner John Sheedy was gunned down outside his home at 1211 P St. in January 1891. The case of Sheedy, prominent in Lincoln’s demiworld, became the talk of the town when his wife, Mary, and her alleged lover and accomplice, Monday McFarland, were arrested. Both were acquitted at trial. The Sheedy murder is chronicled in a great interactive multimedia website, Gilded Age Plains City, an online version that builds upon an article published in 2001 by Timothy Mahoney of the University of Nebraska.
No. 9: Patricia McGarry and Catherine Brooks
The bodies of these two friends were found in a Northeast Lincoln duplex in August 1977. Their murderer, Robert E. Williams, was the subject of a massive Midwest manhunt during the following week. Before his capture, he committed a third murder in Sioux Rapids, Iowa, and raped, shot and left for dead a victim who survived in Minnesota. He is the last man to be executed in Nebraska, sent to the electric chair in 1997.
No. 10: Judge William M. Morning
District Court Judge William Morning was murdered in February 1924. He was shot on the bench by an unhappy litigant in a divorce case. His court reporter, Minor Bacon, was also shot, but a notebook in his breast pocket deflected the bullet and saved his life.
Many other crimes
Choosing Lincoln's 10 most infamous crimes was a challenge. Although the top two were easy, the picture quickly became clouded. We tend, of course, to forget our history rather quickly. Many of the crimes I felt were among the most significant are barely remembered today, if not completely forgotten.
Some readers will take issue with my list. In choosing 10, here are the others I considered, in no particular order. They are all murders:
-- Mary O'Shea
-- Nancy Parker
-- Charles Mulholland
-- Victoria Lamm and Janet Mesner
-- Martina McMenamin
-- Regina Bos (presumably murdered)
-- Patty Webb
-- Marianne Mitzner
I also thought about the five murder-suicides in which a mother or father killed multiple family members before taking their own life. Though tragic, these crimes did not command the same kind of attention as the others, perhaps because there was no lengthy investigation, no tantalizing whodunit, no stranger-killer, nor any of the details that come out in the coverage of a major trial.
Reach the writer at 402-473-7223 or awegley@journalstar.com.
On Twitter @andrewwegley
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https://journalstar.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/lincoln-pedestrian-struck-crossing-west-o-street-dies-police-say/article_50acc93f-9a9b-5d08-9ba5-de551c3f6ab8.html
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DALLAS — North Texas hasn't lacked for its share of true crime over the years.
And Hollywood is apparently picking up on that.
Four series are currently in the works, or airing now, that center around crime sagas that happened here in North Texas.
The most prominent of the bunch, at the moment, is the Hulu series on Candy Montgomery, the Wylie woman who killed her lover's wife with an ax in 1980.
Montgomery, played in the show by Jessica Biel, was acquitted, arguing for self-defense. The Hulu series, "Candy," isn't the only show focusing on Montgomery. HBO is also releasing a series of its own on the ax killing later this year, starring Elizabeth Olsen.
But Montgomery isn't the only crime history getting attention.
Here's an overview of each one:
Candy Montgomery ax killing
Show(s): "Candy" on Hulu, and "Love and Death" on HBO.
Candy was created by Nick Antosca and Robin Veith with Jessica Biel as Candy, Melanie Lynskey as Betty Gore, Pablo Schreiber as Allan Gore and Timothy Simons as Pat Montgomery.
The upcoming HBO Max series stars Elizabeth Olsen as Candy, Jesse Plemons as Allan Gore, Patrick Fugit as Pat Montgomery and Lily Rabe as Betty Gore.
The show centers around the brutal ax killing of Betty Gore in Wylie in 1980.
Candy Montgomery killed Betty Gore by slicing her with an ax 41 times, following a confrontation about Montgomery's months-long affair with Gore's husband, according to Texas Monthly's reporting of Montgomery's trial.
Betty Gore confronted Candy Montgomery about the affair, which led to a struggle with an ax. Candy Montgomery prevailed in the struggle, then reportedly assaulted Betty Gore 41 times, killing her.
Candy Montgomery was eventually arrested and charged with the murder of Betty Gore. In court, Candy Montgomery pleaded that she killed Gore out of self-defense arguing that “after being struck twice with the ax by [Betty] and then gaining control of the weapon, the heavier and larger [Betty] refused to let [Candy] go.”
Southlake cartel murder
Show: "Mi Vecino, El Cartel (The Cartel Among Us)" on Univision streaming
Selena Gomez is partnering with Univision to create a true crime documentary about a cartel-related murder in Southlake in 2013.
Univision announced the partnership this week.
The Spanish-language documentary, titled Mi Vecino, El Cartel (The Cartel Among Us), is set to launch on Univision's streaming platform in 2022.
Gomez is producing the series through her July Moon Productions studio, along with the production company Blackfin.
Gomez, a Grand Prairie native, said she was intrigued by the story both as a fan of true crime content and as someone who grew up near to where the murder happened.
"Not only did it take place close to my hometown in Texas, but it was also a story unlike anything I’ve ever heard,” Gomez said in a news release. “I am excited to partner with Univision and really pull back the layers of his double life.”
Juan Jesus Guerrero Chapa, a lawyer with ties to the Gulf cartel in Mexico, was gunned down at Southlake Town Square in July 2013.
Two men, Jesus Gerardo Ledezma-Cepeda and Jose Luis Cepeda-Cortes, were convicted in 2016 of stalking Guerrero Chapa. But they were not the ones who attacked Chapa; according to officials, the shooters remain at large.
Denton's "Cowboy Mafia"
Show: "King Rex" on HBO
HBO last week announced the network is developing "King Rex," a miniseries chronicling how, in the late 1970s, Denton millionaire cowboy Rex Cauble's "North Texas kingdom got itself smashed to pieces by a judge's gavel, the IRS and the FBI."
The series doesn't have an air date yet, but it does have a star. Henry Winkler will play the role of Cauble, with Winkler's son, Max, set to direct the pilot.
The series could have easily held another catchy title: "Cowboy Mafia," the name given to Cauble's operation by Texas media.
In 1980, as Cauble's case worked through the courts, Texas Monthly's Lawrence Wright dove into the saga, penning a true crime article called "Rex Cauble and Cowboy Mafia."
And it was nothing short of a thriller.
The piece detailed Cauble's rise as a young oil wildcatter and eventual multi-millionaire; his ventures into high-priced quarter horses, including his famed Cutter Bill, a world champion cutting horse; and, ultimately, his friendship with Charles "Muscles" Foster, the alleged ringleader of the smuggling operation.
Cauble was ultimately found guilty of racketeering and sentenced to five years in federal prison.
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https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/dallas-crime-tv-shows-hbo-hulu-a-cartel-murder-cowboy-kingpin-and-ax-killer-hollywood-cant-get-enough-of-dfw-true-crime/287-ea67c532-1cb2-456b-b1a0-9a75ceb08d21
| 2022-05-12T17:12:02
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MESQUITE, Texas — A tragic accident led to a little girl's death Wednesday evening in Mesquite, according to police.
They say officers got the call around 7:45 p.m. and were dispatched to Feather Crest Lane in the Quail Hollow area.
The 8-year-old ran in the street in front of a van while she was trying to get to a waiting vehicle, police say. She was taken to a hospital, but was later pronounced dead.
The little girl will not be identified.
According to police, the driver of the van wasn't hurt and stayed at the scene until paramedics arrived. That driver is not facing criminal charges at this time.
The Mesquite Police Department released the following statement:
"This is a heartbreaking tragedy, and the condolences and prayers of the department and city are with the families of everyone involved."
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https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/girl-dies-hit-by-van-mesquite-texas/287-92bae828-853d-479d-903f-c70909615e64
| 2022-05-12T17:12:08
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https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/girl-dies-hit-by-van-mesquite-texas/287-92bae828-853d-479d-903f-c70909615e64
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Meet Salisbury Zoo's newest resident, who will be hanging around in public soon
Stop by the Salisbury Zoo soon to meet its newest resident, who will be hanging around and moving ... but very, very slowly.
The zoo recently acquired a female sloth, named Bayou, from the Audubon Zoo. Bayou was born in November 2020. Her parents, Buttercup and Raven, were residents of the Salisbury Zoo until they were transferred to the Audubon Zoo in October 2020.
Bayou is currently in quarantine, but will soon have access to her outdoor exhibit and will be viewable to the public.
The Salisbury Zoo has a long history of exhibiting two-toed sloths, which have two toes on the front feet and three toes on the back feet. They are used to hang upside down from tree branches.
Zoo comings and goings
As the Salisbury Zoo welcomes Bayou, it's also bidding goodbye to its two alligators and a black-necked swan, who will be leaving for their new home in Minnesota.
Big, the alligator, is about 40 years old. She came to the Salisbury zoo in 1982 from a private owner and her exact birthdate is unknown.
Little, the other alligator, is 26 years old and came to the zoo in 1996 from St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park.
Ron, the black-neck swan, will also be moving with the alligators. He came to the Salisbury Zoo in 2011 from the Sacramento Zoo.
Enjoy return of zoo's 'Cast Metal Menagerie'
Due to inclement weather and high winds, the opening and reception for the third “Cast Metal Menagerie” open-air sculpture exhibit at the Salisbury Zoo has been changed to May 18 from 4-6 p.m.
The reception will take place inside the West Gate entrance (Ben’s Red Swings side) of the zoo and artists will be present to talk to guests about their work. The sculptures will remain in the zoo through the summer.
Salisbury University faculty, staff and students will exhibit their works at the Salisbury Zoo from May 18 and will run through the summer. This open-air exhibition can be seen along the trails within the zoo. All work was cast in the new foundry in the 3D Arts Center at Salisbury University.
This open-air exhibition is free and open to the public during regular zoo hours.
More:It's twins! Salisbury Zoo makes big announcement for Andean bear Chaska
More:Meet the Salisbury Zoo's black-handed spider monkey brothers, Ronzindi and Dweasel
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https://www.delmarvanow.com/story/news/local/maryland/2022/05/12/salisbury-zoos-newest-resident-hanging-around-public-soon/9734804002/
| 2022-05-12T17:26:21
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https://www.delmarvanow.com/story/news/local/maryland/2022/05/12/salisbury-zoos-newest-resident-hanging-around-public-soon/9734804002/
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Virginia Shore residents may start getting new telephone area code
Eastern Shore of Virginia residents signing up for new telephone lines may get a new area code.
Virginia's State Corporation Commission said on its website that beginning May 9, new telephone lines or services may be assigned numbers using the new 948 area code.
Mandatory 10-digit dialing (3-digit area code + the 7-digit telephone number) began April 9 for Virginians living in the 757 area code region, which includes all of the Eastern Shore. Local calls made with just seven digits will not be connected.
This was the second step in a February 2020 relief plan approved by the SCC to phase in the new 948 area code. Permissive 10-digit dialing for the 757 area code region began Sept. 11, 2021, the SCC said.
The 757 area code encompasses the vast majority of the Hampton Roads metropolitan area, including Williamsburg, Franklin and Suffolk in the west, and Virginia Beach, Norfolk and the Eastern Shore to the east.
With the inventory of available phone numbers with "757" as the area code expected to run out, the SCC approved an overlay, which is the addition of another area code (948) to the same geographic region served by an existing area code (757).
The good news: residents and businesses that already have phone numbers will get to keep them. No one’s 757 phone number will change.
Alarm, security, and elevator services and equipment currently located in the 757 area code and programmed to dial only seven digits must be updated or reprogrammed to dial the area code + telephone number for all calls in the 757 area code.
More: Feel something crawling on your back? You don't want it to be one of these 6 bugs.
PHOTOS: In Chincoteague, a celebration of Shore seafood
For more information on this topic, see: scc.virginia.gov/pages/757-Area-Code-Exhaust-Relief-FAQ.
Mandatory 10-digit dialing for local calls also begins for Virginia residents in 540 area code that is also expected to run out soon.
The 540 area code encompasses the northwestern and southwestern portions of Virginia and SCC said residents may be assigned 826 area code starting June 14.
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https://www.delmarvanow.com/story/news/local/virginia/2022/05/12/virginia-shore-residents-may-start-getting-new-telephone-area-code/9728706002/
| 2022-05-12T17:26:27
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https://www.delmarvanow.com/story/news/local/virginia/2022/05/12/virginia-shore-residents-may-start-getting-new-telephone-area-code/9728706002/
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The Coos Bay City Council formally amended the Urban Renewal Agency boundaries in the Empire District to include close to nine acres in John Topits Park to open up more funding for the construction of a new library.
The vote by the council added 8.94 acres to the Empire URA district. The change will not impact property taxes or city revenue, but it will allow the URA to spend its money to assist with the effort to build a library and new 9-1-1 center at the park.
The city is asking voters to approve a $20 million bond in the primary election this month, which will be used to build the library. The URA change has no impact on the vote, but will free up funding if the bond passes. City Manager Rodger Craddock said if the bond fails, the city would look for a different way to pay for the construction.
During a public hearing, several members of the public spoke about the library, with some opposed and others in favor.
Keith Topits said he and his family are opposed to any changes to the park, which bears his dad's name.
"My family has adjacent land and as owners next to that, we don't think that land should go," Topits said. "I also have a notice from my mother. Taking access from John Topits Park is giving up an irreplaceable piece of land. Coos Bay has been admired and complemented for preserving such a natural area. It is a park where generations to come can learn and enjoy. Giving up this land for a building is a loss to all."
Christine Moffett told the council she fully supported the URA change and the construction of a library.
"I stand today in strong support for amending the Empire District Urban Renewal boundaries," she said. "The current opportunity to support the district by including this facility in the Empire Lakes District is an excellent proposal. The new library design and setting at the edge of Topits Park provides an excellent opportunity for Empire."
Moffett said moving the library out of downtown is good for the rest of the city and especially Empire.
"Equity of resources within the Coos Bay community will be enhanced by this development," she said. "The Empire region in Coos Bay has far fewer resources than the downtown district. This proposal is an excellent opportunity."
One Empire resident asked the council if the change was too soon, saying if the bond failed, changing the URA boundaries was unnecessary. She asked what would happen if voters rejected the bond?
"I'm assuming then that the city's going to look for another way to fund the library," City Manager Rodger Craddock said. "We've been talking about it since 2014, about the need for a new library."
Susan Anderson, who is working to get the bond passed, said she supports the move to Topits Park and believes a library will benefit the park instead of harming it.
"I have been a fervent user of Topits Park since I moved here 22 years ago," Anderson said. "I would not support anything that would hurt the park. If this passes, we are not stopping fishing, we are not closing the park. We are not destroying the forest. In fact, if the library passes, there will probably be more trees there than there are now."
Robert Moore said he also supports the library site in Topits Park.
"The library site itself is two acres out of a 200 acre park," Moore said. "The library site will impact 1% of the acreage of the park. All the access trails will be maintained. People will not lose any access whatsoever. In fact, access will be improved when they expand and modify the parking lot."
Another speaker said he didn't understand the need for a new library. He said the money would be better spent on fixing the roads and getting the homeless off the street.
19-year-old Austin Wellborne told the council moving the library to Topits Park could hurt the young people who use it.
"Where the library sits right now, we can upgrade it," he said. "All the students who are low-income and don't have computers, they can walk down to the library instead of spending money and gas. Empire Lakes, I won't walk there by myself. I've cleaned up homeless camps. Why move it to a location where youth are vulnerable?"
After hearing from the public, the council explained the decision to build in Topits Park.
"Right off the bat, when this project came to council, the majority of councilors were concerned that we didn't change the feel of the park," Councilor Stephanie Kilmer said. "It is a natural area. I've lived in this community pretty much all my life and was a frequent visitor to the library downtown. But as a teenager and college student, I accessed Topits Park. What the city has done to clean up there is wonderful. This was a concern of council that we don't change that area. This actually enhances and improves some of the pathways.
"The concerns for safety and security will be addressed. I think this is an improvement that's needed for our entire community. That 9-1-1 center will have 24-hour staffing and security which will improve the park."
Council President Rob Miles said the city has been looking for a site for many years and it is now time to act.
"This has been going on since 2014," Miles said. "There was an exhaustive search for a site downtown, and we don't have time to keep looking for a site that isn't there. The current library has about a two- to four-year lifespan, and if the library goes away that's going to be disappointing to me. In my opinion, it's going to enhance the park greatly. It's just time. We've run out of time and we need to build a new library."
The council then voted to amend the URA District. The change will allow the city Urban Renewal Agency to spend URA funds on some improvements to the site where the library could be built.
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https://theworldlink.com/news/local/council-amends-urban-renewal-boundary-in-empire/article_1683e2f0-cfc0-11ec-a18b-57c4b6880008.html
| 2022-05-12T17:28:33
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A box that sparked a brief public alarm on Manhattan's Upper East Side Thursday is being considered a "hoax device" by investigators as they work to determine whether the incident was some kind of performance stunt or political display, law enforcement sources with direct knowledge of the investigation say.
The initial report of a "suspicious package" came in around 9 a.m. and shut down Fifth Avenue, East 84th Street and East 86th Street for about two hours before the NYPD gave the all-clear. Photos posted to the Citizen app showed a big response.
According to law enforcement sources, the inside of the box contained typical foam material and three hollowed-out areas that each had a hardened gel-like substance within them. The gel was deemed to be non-hazardous.
It's not clear why the box was left where it was left or its purpose. Authorities are looking into whether it was some kind of performance art stunt. Another theory is that the three gel-like substance carveouts could represent fetuses in a womb, the law enforcement sources said.
For now, the sources say investigators are treating it as a "hoax device" because of the public alarm that resulted from its discovery. Whoever dumped it could face arrest and potential criminal charges depending on why it was left at the location.
Authorities say their investigation is ongoing.
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/priceless-art-box-with-weird-gel-inside-sparks-scare-on-upper-east-side-sources/3684936/
| 2022-05-12T17:35:27
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/priceless-art-box-with-weird-gel-inside-sparks-scare-on-upper-east-side-sources/3684936/
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Authorities have identified the person found dead in a Bronx apartment after someone called to report a foul odor as a 34-year-old woman from the same borough, though she didn't live in the home where she was found, police say.
Norayshma Fernandez, of Sedgwick Avenue, was the initially unidentifiable person found unresponsive with a bag over her head when cops answered that call shortly before 8 p.m. this past Saturday, officials said Thursday.
The FDNY helped officers gain entry and Fernandez was found on the floor.
Her death has been ruled a homicide, though it wasn't immediately clear how she was killed. No arrests have been made.
The NYPD says its investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS.
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/victim-in-plastic-bag-on-nyc-apartment-floor-identified-as-34-year-old-woman-cops/3684770/
| 2022-05-12T17:35:34
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/victim-in-plastic-bag-on-nyc-apartment-floor-identified-as-34-year-old-woman-cops/3684770/
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Fire crews were called to a wooded area in Schenevus on Wednesday for a brush fire that took more than five hours to put out due to dry and windy conditions.
Another fire also broke out near the intersection of State Highway 7 and Stone House Road in the town of Maryland. It took the help of 18 different fire departments to put out the fire.
It is not clear exactly what caused either fire.
The state burn ban is in effect until Saturday, May 14.
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https://www.wktv.com/news/local/crews-battle-brush-fires-in-otsego-county-amid-dry-windy-conditions/article_374ea0ee-d202-11ec-a57d-9760520ba3c4.html
| 2022-05-12T17:52:09
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https://www.wktv.com/news/local/crews-battle-brush-fires-in-otsego-county-amid-dry-windy-conditions/article_374ea0ee-d202-11ec-a57d-9760520ba3c4.html
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Surveillance video captured the moments two gunmen opened fire on a man pumping gas in East Mount Airy Monday afternoon.
The video released by Philadelphia police shows two people dressed in black and armed with machine guns get out of a red car. They then run towards a man pumping gas in the middle of the Gulf station located at 1060 East Mount Airy Avenue.
Police said both shooters fired at the victim several times, leaving him shot throughout his body. The 31-year-old man died from his injuries, police said.
According to police, the suspects were driving a 2009 red Mazda 3 sedan with New Jersey license plate V62-PWX, and were last seen fleeing west on Mount Airy Ave around 2:30 pm Monday.
Philadelphia police said to contact 911 immediately if anyone sees the suspects or has information. They can also call the PPD’s homicide unit at 215-686-3334/3335.
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https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/caught-on-cam-duo-armed-with-machine-guns-kill-man-pumping-gas-in-philly/3237196/
| 2022-05-12T17:59:28
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https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/caught-on-cam-duo-armed-with-machine-guns-kill-man-pumping-gas-in-philly/3237196/
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SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The California Legislature on Thursday agreed to increase how much money people can win in medical malpractice lawsuits, resolving one of the thorniest disputes in state politics by raising a cap on damages for the first time in 47 years.
Since 1975, the most money a person in California could win for pain and suffering in a medical malpractice lawsuit has been $250,000. Starting Jan. 1, that cap will increase to $350,000 for people who were injured and $500,000 for the families of people who died.
Those amounts would gradually increase over the next decade until they reach $750,000 for injured patients and $1 million for families of deceased patients. After that, the caps will increase 2% every year to keep up with inflation.
The state Assembly voted on Thursday to send the bill to Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has said he will sign it into law.
Thursday's vote also avoids a costly ballot initiative fight this year. Supporters have agreed to withdraw their ballot initiative once Newsom signs the bill into law.
“The fights that appear to bind us for decades are only as impossible to overcome as we allow them to be,” said Assemblymember Eloise Gómez Reyes, a Democrat from Colton who authored the bill.
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How to save on California's almost $6 per gallon of gas
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/sacramento/caps-raised-on-medical-malpractice-lawsuit-awards-california/103-4ececf9b-cb00-4e21-bcb5-e693cf0b6831
| 2022-05-12T18:05:18
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A Lincoln businesses owner has recovered his briefly stolen vehicle and helped put the alleged thief behind bars after the owner tracked his Ford F-250's location and guided police to the suspect, according to authorities.
Lincoln Police Capt. Todd Kocian said the owner of TDK Lawn Care, 1432 High Street, called police at 4:30 a.m. Thursday and reported the GPS tracker in his truck indicated the vehicle was leaving the business's parking lot.
Kocian said the business owner provided updates to dispatchers on the Ford's location, leading police to a traffic stop near 34th and Orwell streets, just south of Old Cheney Road.
After police stopped the truck, Tariq Simien fled from officers on foot, prompting officers to deploy a K9 unit to track the 22-year-old Lincoln man, Kocian said.
The dog led officers a few blocks north to small storage shed near 32nd and Shelley streets, where they found Simien, who had left a crowbar and sledge hammer in the truck, Kocian said.
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Simien was arrested on suspicion of theft by unlawful taking, possession of burglar's tools, obstruction of a police officer and resisting arrest.
He was taken to the Lancaster County Jail.
Tom Casady's list of the 10 most infamous crimes in Lincoln history
Crimes of the times
This is simply one man’s perspective from the early 21st century (first written in 2010). I had to make a decision about crimes that occurred at locations that are inside the city today, but were outside our corporate limits at the time they occurred. I chose the latter.
Before beginning, though, I have to deal with three crimes that stand apart: the murders of three police officers in Lincoln. I’m not quite sure how to place them in a list. They all had huge impacts on the community, and on the police department in particular. Because these are my colleagues, I deal with them separately and in chronological order.
Patrolman Marion Francis Marshall
Shot in the shadow of the new Nebraska State Capital, Gov. Charles Bryan came to his aid and summoned additional help.
Lt. Frank Soukup
Marion Marshall was technically not a Lincoln police officer, so Lt. Soukup was actually the first Lincoln police officer killed on duty. One of his colleagues who was present at the motel and involved in the gunbattle, Paul Jacobsen, went on to enjoy a long career and command rank at LPD, influencing many young charges (like me) and leaving his mark on the culture of the agency.
Lt. Paul Whitehead
In the space of a few months, three LPD officers died in the line of duty. Frank Soukup had been murdered, and George Welter had died in a motorcycle crash. Paul Whitehead's partner, Paul Merritt, went on to command rank, and like Paul Jacobsen left an indelible mark at LPD and the community.
No. 1: Starkweather
The subject of several thinly disguised movie plots and a Springsteen album, the Starkweather murders are clearly the most infamous crime in Lincoln’s history — so far. One of the first mass murderers of the mass media age, six of Charles Starkweather’s 11 victims were killed inside the city of Lincoln, and the first was just on the outskirts of town. I didn’t live in Lincoln at the time, but my wife was a first-grader at Riley Elementary School and has vivid memories of the city gripped by fear in the days between the discovery of the Bartlett murders and Starkweather’s capture in Wyoming.
The case caused quite an uproar. There was intense criticism of the police department and sheriff’s office for not capturing Starkweather earlier in the week after the discovery of the Bartletts' bodies. Ultimately, Mayor Bennett Martin and the Lancaster County Board of Commissioners retained a retired FBI agent, Harold G. Robinson, to investigate the performance of local law enforcement. His report essentially exonerated the local law officers and made a few vanilla recommendations for improving inter-agency communication and training.
Now I know that many readers are mumbling to themselves “how obvious.” Hold your horses, though. It’s not quite as obvious as you might think. I had two experiences that drove this fact home to me. The first was a visit by a small group of journalism students. Only one member of the class had any idea, and her idea was pretty vague. You need to remember that the Starkweather murders were in 1957 and 1958 — before the parents of many college students were even born.
The second experience was a visit by a Cub Scout den. I was giving the kids a tour of the police station one evening. We were in the front lobby waiting for everyone to arrive. As I entertained the boys, I told the moms and dads that they might enjoy looking in the corner of the Sheriff’s Office display case to see the contents of Starkweather’s wallet — discovered a couple of years ago locked up in the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office safe. After a few minutes, one of the confused fathers asked me who Starkweather was, and why it was significant.
No. 2: Lincoln National Bank
On the morning of Sept. 17, 1930, a dark blue Buick carrying six men pulled up in front of the Lincoln National Bank at the northwest corner of 12th and O streets. Five of the men entered the bank, while a sixth stood outside by the Buick, cradling a machine gun. Observing the unusual events, a passerby called the police. The officer who responded, Forrest Shappaugh, was casually instructed by the machine-gun-toting lookout to just keep going, which he wisely did. Returning with reinforcements, he found that the robbers had already made good on their getaway, netting $2.7 million in cash and negotiable securities.
Ultimately, three of the six suspects were arrested. Tommy O’Connor and Howard Lee were convicted and sentenced. Jack Britt was tried twice but not convicted by a hung jury. Gus Winkeler, a member of Al Capone’s gang, winged a deal with County Attorney Max Towle to avoid prosecution in exchange for orchestrating the recovery of $600,000 in bearer bonds. The following year, Winkeler was murdered in Chicago, the victim of a gangland slaying. The final two robbers were never identified.
The Lincoln National Bank robbery stood as the largest cash bank robbery in the United States for many decades. It precipitated major changes at the Lincoln Police Department. Chief Peter Johnstone was rapidly “retired” after the robbery, the department’s fleet was upgraded to add the first official patrol cars, the full force was armed and a shotgun squad was organized. Forty-four years later when I was hired at LPD, the echo of the Lincoln National Bank robbery was still evident in daily bank opening details, and in the Thomspon submachine guns and Reising rifles that detectives grabbed whenever the robbery alarm sounded at headquarters.
No. 3: The Last Posse
My first inkling about this crime came when I was the chief deputy sheriff. One of my interns, a young man named Ron Boden (who became a veteran deputy sheriff), had been doing some research on Lancaster County’s only known lynching, in 1884. I came across a reference in the biography of the sheriff at the time, Sam Melick, to the murder of the Nebraska Penitentiary warden and subsequent prison break. Melick had been appointed interim warden after the murder and instituted several reforms.
Several years later, a colleague, Sgt. Geoff Marti, loaned me a great book, Gale Christianson’s "Last Posse," that told the story of the 1912 prison break in gory, haunting and glorious detail.
To make a long story short, convict Shorty Gray and his co-conspirators shot and killed Warden James Delahunty, a deputy warden and a guard on Wednesday, March 13, 1912. They then made their break — right into the teeth of a brutal Nebraska spring blizzard. Over the course to the next few days, a posse pursued. During the pursuit, the escapees carjacked a young farmer with his team and wagon. As the posse closed in, a gunfight broke out and the hostage was shot and killed in the exchange, along with two of the three escapees.
There was plenty of anger among the locals in the Gretna-Springfield vicinity about the death of their native son, and a controversy raged over the law enforcement tactics that brought about his demise. Lancaster County Sheriff Gus Hyers was not unsullied by the inquiry, although it appears from my prospect a century later that the fog of war led to the tragedy.
Christianson, a professor of history at Indiana State University who died earlier this year, notes the following on the flyleaf:
“For anyone living west of the Mississippi in 1912, the biggest news that fateful year was a violent escape from the Nebraska state penitentiary planned and carried out by a trio of notorious robbers and safe blowers.”
Bigger news on half the continent than the sinking of the Titanic during the same year would certainly qualify this murder-escape as one of the most infamous Lincoln crimes in history.
No. 4: Rock Island wreck
The Aug. 10, 1894, wreck of a Rock Island train on the southwest outskirts of Lincoln was almost lost in the mist of time until it was resurrected in the public consciousness by author Joel Williams, who came across the story while conducting research for his historical novel, "Barrelhouse Boys."
The wreck was determined to be the result of sabotage to the tracks, perhaps an attempt to derail the train as a prelude to robbery. Eleven people died in the crash and ensuing fire, making this a mass murder, to be sure. G.W. Davis was arrested and convicted of the crime but later received a full pardon. The story was told in greater detail earlier this year by the Lincoln Journal Star.
A historical marker is along the Rock Island Trail in Wilderness Park, accessible only by foot or bike from the nearest trail access points about a half-mile away at Old Cheney Road on the north, or 14th Street on the south.
Here’s the big question that remains unanswered: Was there really significant evidence to prove that George Washington Davis committed the crime, or was he just a convenient scapegoat? The fact that he received a gubernatorial pardon 10 years later leads me to believe that the evidence must have been unusually weak. If he was railroaded, then my second question is this: who really pried loose the tracks with the 40-pound crowbar found at the scene?
No. 5: Commonwealth
On Nov. 1, 1983, the doors to Nebraska’s largest industrial savings and loan company were closed and Commonwealth was declared insolvent. The 6,700 depositors with $65 million at stake would never be fully compensated for their loss, ultimately receiving about 59 cents on the dollar for their deposits, which they all mistakenly believed were insured up to $30,000 through the Nebraska Depository Insurance Guaranty Corporation, which was essentially an insurance pool with assets of only $3 million.
The case dominated Nebraska news for months. The investigation ultimately led to the conviction of three members of the prominent Lincoln family that owned the institution, the resignation of the director of the State Department of Banking and the impeachment of the Nebraska attorney general and the suspension of his license to practice law. State and federal litigation arising from the failure of Commonwealth drug on for years.
At the Lincoln Police Department, the Commonwealth failure led to the formation of a specialized white-collar crime detail, now known as the Technical Investigations Unit. At the time, municipal police departments in the United States had virtually no capacity for investigating financial crime and fraud of this magnitude, and we quickly became well known for our expertise in this area. The early experience served LPD very well in the ensuring years.
No. 6: Candice Harms
Candi Harms never came home from visiting her boyfriend on Sept. 22, 1992. Her parents reported her as a missing person the following morning, and her car was found abandoned in a cornfield north of Lincoln later in the day. Weeks went by before her remains were found southeast of Lincoln.
Scott Barney and Roger Bjorklund were convicted in her abduction and murder. Barney is in prison serving a life term. Bjorklund died in prison in 2001. Intense media attention surrounded the lengthy trial of Roger Bjorklund, for which a jury was brought in from Cheyenne County as an alternative to a change of venue. I have no doubt that the trial was a life-changing event for a group of good citizens from Sidney, who did their civic duty.
I was the Lancaster County sheriff at the time, involved both in the investigation and in the trial security. It was at about this time that the cellular telephone was becoming a consumer product, and I have often thought that this brutal crime probably spurred a lot of purchases. During my career, this is probably the second-most-prominent Lincoln crime in terms of the sheer volume of media coverage.
No. 7: Jon Simpson and Jacob Surber
A parent’s worst nightmare unfolded in September 1975 when these two boys, ages 12 and 13, failed to return from the Nebraska State Fair. The boys were the victims of abduction and murder. The case was similar to a string of other murders of young boys in the Midwest, and many thought that these cases were related -- the work of a serial killer. Although an arrest was made in the case here in Lincoln, the charges were eventually dismissed. William Guatney was released and has since died.
No. 8: John Sheedy
Saloon and gambling house owner John Sheedy was gunned down outside his home at 1211 P St. in January 1891. The case of Sheedy, prominent in Lincoln’s demiworld, became the talk of the town when his wife, Mary, and her alleged lover and accomplice, Monday McFarland, were arrested. Both were acquitted at trial. The Sheedy murder is chronicled in a great interactive multimedia website, Gilded Age Plains City, an online version that builds upon an article published in 2001 by Timothy Mahoney of the University of Nebraska.
No. 9: Patricia McGarry and Catherine Brooks
The bodies of these two friends were found in a Northeast Lincoln duplex in August 1977. Their murderer, Robert E. Williams, was the subject of a massive Midwest manhunt during the following week. Before his capture, he committed a third murder in Sioux Rapids, Iowa, and raped, shot and left for dead a victim who survived in Minnesota. He is the last man to be executed in Nebraska, sent to the electric chair in 1997.
No. 10: Judge William M. Morning
District Court Judge William Morning was murdered in February 1924. He was shot on the bench by an unhappy litigant in a divorce case. His court reporter, Minor Bacon, was also shot, but a notebook in his breast pocket deflected the bullet and saved his life.
Many other crimes
Choosing Lincoln's 10 most infamous crimes was a challenge. Although the top two were easy, the picture quickly became clouded. We tend, of course, to forget our history rather quickly. Many of the crimes I felt were among the most significant are barely remembered today, if not completely forgotten.
Some readers will take issue with my list. In choosing 10, here are the others I considered, in no particular order. They are all murders:
-- Mary O'Shea
-- Nancy Parker
-- Charles Mulholland
-- Victoria Lamm and Janet Mesner
-- Martina McMenamin
-- Regina Bos (presumably murdered)
-- Patty Webb
-- Marianne Mitzner
I also thought about the five murder-suicides in which a mother or father killed multiple family members before taking their own life. Though tragic, these crimes did not command the same kind of attention as the others, perhaps because there was no lengthy investigation, no tantalizing whodunit, no stranger-killer, nor any of the details that come out in the coverage of a major trial.
Reach the writer at 402-473-7223 or awegley@journalstar.com.
On Twitter @andrewwegley
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https://journalstar.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/lincoln-business-owner-tracked-stolen-car-led-police-to-suspect-authorities-say/article_678e8df8-a7b0-5b50-8152-a875f857f648.html
| 2022-05-12T18:23:36
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https://journalstar.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/lincoln-business-owner-tracked-stolen-car-led-police-to-suspect-authorities-say/article_678e8df8-a7b0-5b50-8152-a875f857f648.html
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PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – With decreased supply and ongoing demand, year-to-date average home sale prices in Portland went above $600,000 for the first time ever in April, according to the Regional Multiple Listing Service’s latest report.
While this is the first time the year-to-date average sale price in the Portland metro area has gone this high, the monthly average sale price actually topped $600,000 for the first time back in March.
In April, the report says new listings had decreased 9.4% from the year before. In April 2021, there were 4,065 homes listed and in April 2022, there were 3,684. However, the number of homes available had increased 4.6% from the 3,521 homes listed in March 2022.
Overall, comparing the first four months of 2022 to the same period in 2021, new listings decreased 4% and pending sales decreased 6.1%.
The average total market time for homes in Portland decreased to 21 days in April.
In April, the average sale price was $632,900. In March it was $610,900, making the current year-to-date average home sale price in Portland $605,600. This average year-to-date sale price is an 11.3% increase from the same time period in 2021.
In April, the most active listings were found in the West Portland area, followed by Southeast Portland.
The part of the metro area with the lowest median home sale price was the area that includes Gresham, Troutdale, Sandy, Corbett and Fairview. There, the average sale price in April was $483,100.
In Clark County, Central Vancouver had the lowest median home sale price at $397,500.
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https://www.koin.com/local/portland-year-to-date-average-home-prices-top-600k-for-first-time-ever/
| 2022-05-12T18:25:21
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https://www.koin.com/local/portland-year-to-date-average-home-prices-top-600k-for-first-time-ever/
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Don’t be surprised if you spot a pair of red eyes or hear a cicada’s song this year — stragglers from Brood X are expected to make an appearance and could be spotted in the Dayton area as early as next week.
“It is not unusual to have a few of these late arrivals,” explained Gene Kritsky, dean of the School of Behavioral and Natural Science at Mount St. Joseph University in Cincinnati. “They are often not noticed because birds and other predators quickly eat them.”
People will probably only see a couple of cicadas, with the Dayton area expected to have a couple hundred this year, he added.
“It’s like looking for a four-leafed clover,” Kritsky said.
Periodical cicadas typically come out once the soil temperature reaches 64 degrees. With temperatures reaching the mid-80s this week, people could start seeing cicadas next week, he said.
“Scientists have never actively searched for periodical cicadas during years when no broods are expected, but adult periodical cicadas have already been reported in Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Alabama and Mississippi,” he said. “We very likely will see stragglers in Virginia, Washington DC, Maryland, Ohio, Kentucky, Illinois and Indiana in the next two weeks. Thus, we need help to document where they are emerging.”
To help map the straggling cicadas, people can download Cicada Safari app and upload photos and information.
Kritsky created Cicada Safari in partnership with Mount St. Joseph University’s Center for IT Engagement to help track and educate people on periodical cicadas.
“We developed this app because so many people are fascinated by periodical cicadas,” he said. “This is true citizen science. The photographs and videos submitted to our map are like voucher specimens permitting us to verify the observations, making the maps more useful for future research.”
About the Author
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https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/local/cicada-stragglers-likely-to-be-spotted-in-dayton-area-this-year/JRAYMOQJYVFQFEYX76CBWIEXCI/
| 2022-05-12T18:35:35
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https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/local/cicada-stragglers-likely-to-be-spotted-in-dayton-area-this-year/JRAYMOQJYVFQFEYX76CBWIEXCI/
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https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/caught-on-cam-armed-duo-fatally-shoot-man-in-middle-of-philly-gas-station/3237216/
| 2022-05-12T18:56:27
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https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/caught-on-cam-armed-duo-fatally-shoot-man-in-middle-of-philly-gas-station/3237216/
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Pro-choice Volusia protests planned to oppose Supreme Court's move against Roe v. Wade
When she learned of the Supreme Court's proposed opinion striking down Roe v. Wade, the case that legalized abortion in the United States, Alyce Shelton of Deltona was outraged and this time it was personal.
Shelton, who's now 60, was 10 years old when a 17-year-old camp counselor raped and impregnated her.
"I was almost 12 weeks before my mother realized I might be pregnant," Shelton said Wednesday. With the help of her parents, Shelton had an abortion. "I can't imagine what my life would have been like if I had to carry that child at 10. Ten!"
That's why Shelton, president of the Democratic Women's Club of West Volusia, is helping to organize a "My Body, My Choice March" at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Dunlawton Bridge in Port Orange. The march is one of at least three pro-choice events planned in Volusia County this weekend.
'It's a really scary time':Abortion rights protesters rally across US after Supreme Court draft leak
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Also, starting at 6 p.m. Friday at the Artisan Alley in DeLand, pro-choice advocates will be waving signs, while a Women's March rally is set for 10 a.m. Saturday at the Granada Bridge in Ormond Beach.
Shelton, who is the mother of two daughters and grandmother of three girls, said no one should be forced to carry a child at age 10, or any other age, against her will.
Danielle Neetz, vice president of the club led by Shelton, said Republicans and no-party affiliation voters who support the Roe v. Wade precedent are welcome.
"Since 1973, a lot of women's lives were saved because of (legalized) abortion, including mine," Neetz said. "(An abortion) saved my life in 1973. I had a deformed child that was literally killing me. He would have taken my life with him."
Neetz said her husband became a firefighter in 1968 and would come upon the bodies of women who had died from illegal abortions.
If the court strikes down Roe v. Wade, enabling states to pass laws further restricting abortion, Neetz said women will die.
"It's not going to stop abortion. People are still going to do it," she said. "The only question is are they going to do it legally and safely? To me, this is the most horrendous thing you could do to women."
Never miss a story: Subscribe to The Daytona Beach News-Journal using the link at the top of the page.
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https://www.news-journalonline.com/story/news/local/volusia/2022/05/12/marches-legalized-abortion-planned-ormond-beach-port-orange/9733122002/
| 2022-05-12T19:02:15
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https://www.news-journalonline.com/story/news/local/volusia/2022/05/12/marches-legalized-abortion-planned-ormond-beach-port-orange/9733122002/
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A January trial date was set Thursday for former New York Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin to face charges that he traded his clout as a state senator for campaign contributions.
The Jan. 23, 2023 date was set by U.S. District Judge J. Paul Oetken in Manhattan during an otherwise routine pretrial hearing.
Benjamin’s lawyer, Barry Berke, told Oetken he thinks there will be no trial because he will prove prosecutors overreached by charging Benjamin last month.
The arrest spoiled the Democrat’s plans to join New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, another Democrat, in her campaign for governor. Benjamin resigned as lieutenant governor after pleading not guilty on the day of his arrest.
“We believe it’s the most aggressive political corruption case ever pursued in any court,” Berke said.
Berke said the prosecution’s claims were “not a crime.” The government alleges Benjamin obtained campaign contributions from a real estate developer in exchange for Benjamin’s agreement to use his influence as a state senator to get a $50,000 grant of state funds for a nonprofit organization the developer controlled.
The lawyer said earlier court cases have shown that what occurred between Benjamin and the real estate developer was common practice and for centuries has not been illegal.
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“We have not found a single case that has ever been brought that is remotely close to this case,” he said.
“It is absolutely not a crime,” Berke added. “The indictment should and will be dismissed.”
Responding to the argument, Assistant U.S. Attorney David Abramowicz said prosecutors were well aware of court cases Berke cited as proof that the indictment should be dismissed.
“We don’t believe there are any grounds for dismissal of the indictment,” he said.
Benjamin did not comment as he left the courthouse.
In September, Hochul chose Benjamin, then a state lawmaker, to serve as second-in-command when she became governor after Democrat Andrew Cuomo resigned amid allegations he sexually harassed 11 women, which he denied.
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/january-trial-date-set-for-ex-ny-lt-gov-brian-benjamin-in-corruption-case/3685080/
| 2022-05-12T19:06:15
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/january-trial-date-set-for-ex-ny-lt-gov-brian-benjamin-in-corruption-case/3685080/
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A pickup truck went barreling through a house on Long Island overnight, narrowly missing a teen by mere inches.
The crash took place on Cypress Lane East in Westbury early Thursday morning, when a person in a black Chevy Silverado drove through a front yard, crashed through a bedroom and into the backyard before coming to a stop just feet from hitting another home, according to police.
The ordeal was a shocking and scary situation for the homeowner, especially when they realized the truck was mere inches from hitting a 13-year-old boy who was in bed sleeping.
The homeowner told News 4 New York that five people were at home asleep at the time of the impact: herself, her husband, her two teenagers, and her father.
Ther driver is in custody. Nassau Police said he was drunk at the time of the crash.
The homeowner told News 4 she is unsure the circumstances surrounding the driver and the incident, but is empathetic and hopes he gets the help he needs.
"He didn't look like a bad guy," Thu Pham, the homeowner, said. "I guess he was intoxicated and I would like for something to be done...otherwise in the future he'll probably hurt someone."
News
The resulting damage to the house was so bad that when News 4 New York arrived to the scene around 3:30 a.m., one could see right into a bedroom and living room from the street.
Although the impact has left a mess and an unsafe, and therefore, uninhabitable home, luckily, no one was injured.
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/driver-arrested-after-pickup-barrels-through-li-home-narrowly-missing-sleeping-teenny-only/3684958/
| 2022-05-12T19:06:16
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/driver-arrested-after-pickup-barrels-through-li-home-narrowly-missing-sleeping-teenny-only/3684958/
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A traveler at New York's JFK Airport tried to board a flight Tuesday with an oddly heavy bag -- nearly 400 bullets of various calibers in multiple boxes.
The Long Island resident was stopped at a checkpoint by TSA officers, who notified Port Authority Police. The cops confiscated the ammo and gave the woman a citation.
According to the TSA, the woman said the ammo was her son's, and that she grabbed the wrong bag heading for her flight. (The TSA noted that that much ammo is heavy and takes up a lot of space in what's supposedly a carry-on.)
The haul includes 12 gauge, .308 caliber, .223 caliber and 9mm bullets.
"Not only is it important to know that you have not packed anything prohibited or illegal into your luggage, it is just as important to know which bag is yours to ensure you are familiar with its contents," John Bambury, TSA’s federal security director for JFK, said in a statement.
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/jfk-traveler-with-400-bullets-whoops-wrong-bag/3685087/
| 2022-05-12T19:06:22
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/jfk-traveler-with-400-bullets-whoops-wrong-bag/3685087/
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New York City will hold its first-ever Asian American and Pacific Islander Cultural and Heritage Parade in Manhattan this weekend, Mayor Eric Adams and event organizers announced Wednesday.
The parade is set for Sunday at 10:45 a.m. on Sixth Avenue from West 44th Street to West 55th Street.
It comes a day after another first for the city: a Japan Day parade to celebrate Japanese Americans and their heritage, scheduled for Saturday at 1 p.m. on Manhattan’s Central Park West.
The two parades are being held during Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, and amid activism following a wave of anti-Asian attacks during the coronavirus pandemic.
“As we work to combat a spike in hate crimes, it is important to support and uplift our AAPI brothers and sisters,” Adams said in a statement. “We are proud to announce the New York City’s first annual Asian American and Pacific Islander Cultural and Heritage Parade and pay tribute to the generations of New Yorkers from the Asian and Pacific diaspora.”
Dr. Bindu Babu, event co-chair of the Asian American and Pacific Islander Cultural and Heritage Parade described the parade as a "historical moment."
"This parade signifies a historical moment where Asian, South Asian & Pacific Islander Americans all come together at the heart of our diverse city to celebrate cultures and traditions while amplifying our voice in unity,” Babu said.
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Meanwhile, Wellington Chen, executive director of the Chinatown Business Improvement District, said the new event is important for unity.
“In these pandemic times and with Anti-Asian intolerance, division, and hatred on the rise, it is so important for all of us to come together to celebrate our collective humanity — in a rare historic parade — as it is about time that we march together with each other to show our solidarity,” Chen said in a statement.
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/nyc-to-hold-first-asian-american-and-pacific-islander-cultural-parade-this-weekend/3685127/
| 2022-05-12T19:06:31
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/nyc-to-hold-first-asian-american-and-pacific-islander-cultural-parade-this-weekend/3685127/
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Two Caddo men arrested in connection with separate child pornography cases
Two Caddo Parish men have been arrested in connection with separate child pornography cases.
On May 11, the Louisiana State Police Special Victims Unit, arrested Robert Singleton, 66, of Shreveport on 49 counts of Distribution of Pornography Involving Juveniles.
LSP began their investigation in April when Singleton was downloading and distributing images of pornography involving juveniles. LSP obtained a search warrant on Singleton's home.
Troopers along with agents from the Northwest Louisiana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force searched the home and placed Singleton under arrest for 49 counts of Distribution of Pornography Involving Juveniles.
Singleton was booked into the Caddo Correctional Center.
More:Louisiana sheriff's office 'arrests' alligator blocking interstate
In Oil City, on Wednesday, a Caddo Parish man was arrested on three counts of Distribution of Pornography Involving Juveniles.
In April, LSP began an investigation into Anthony Remedes, 38, who was suspected of downloading and distributing images of pornography involving juveniles.
On May 11, LSP along with agents from the Northwest Louisiana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force obtained a search warrant on Remedes home located in Oil City.
As a result of the search, Remedes was placed under arrest on three counts of Distribution of Pornography involving juveniles.
He was booked in the Caddo Correctional Center.
Makenzie Boucher is a reporter with the Shreveport Times. Contact her at mboucher@gannett.com.
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https://www.shreveporttimes.com/story/news/local/2022/05/12/caddo-men-arrested-connection-separate-child-pornography-cases/9744060002/
| 2022-05-12T19:14:59
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https://www.shreveporttimes.com/story/news/local/2022/05/12/caddo-men-arrested-connection-separate-child-pornography-cases/9744060002/
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Melbourne police searching for person who fatally shot someone at gas station
Melbourne police are investigating a shooting near a neighborhood gas station that left one person dead .
The shooting happened at about 11:42 a.m. Thursday at the Umart, 653 University Boulevard. The person struck by gunfire was transported to Holmes Regional Medical Center, where the person died, police report.
Police have not released the person's name, pending notification of relatives.
Several patrol cars were at the site, along with detectives. No arrests have been made. Police are seeking the shooter.
The deadly shooting in Melbourne was one of three to take place in Brevard on Thursday. A man and a woman were shot to death in Titusville. Police continue to investigate that case.
In Melbourne, police were working to locate potential witness to the shooting.
“The investigation is still ongoing,” said Shaun Hill, spokesperson for the Melbourne Police Department. The gas station is known as a neighborhood hub.
More:Two people killed in Thursday morning shooting in Titusville
Anyone with information on the case is asked to call police at 321-608-6422.
This story will be updated.
J.D. Gallop is a Criminal Justice/Breaking News Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Gallop at 321-917-4641 or jgallop@floridatoday.com. Twitter: @JDGallop.
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https://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/local/2022/05/12/melbourne-police-search-shooter/9748515002/
| 2022-05-12T19:15:04
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https://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/local/2022/05/12/melbourne-police-search-shooter/9748515002/
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Louisiana State Police encourage seatbelts after fatal Bossier Parish car accident
The Louisiana State Police said Thursday that Dorothy Hughart, 78, Haughton died after a car accident on Hwy 80.
Just after 9 a.m. a 2014 GMC Acadia was traveling east on US Hwy 80. At the same time, a 2001 Chevrolet S-10, driven by Hughart was traveling west on US Hwy 80.
The driver of the Acadia attempted to make a left turn onto Oakhaven Drive, failed to yield the right of way and struck the Chevrolet. As a result of this impact, the Chevrolet overturned and came to a stop in the westbound lanes of US Hwy 80.
More:Two Caddo men arrested in connection with separate child pornography cases
Hughart, who was not wearing her seat belt and was transported to Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport with life-threatening injuries. The diver of the other vehicle was not injured.
LSP said, "While not all crashes are survivable, statistics show that properly wearing your seat belt will dramatically reduce your chance of being injured or killed in a crash."
Impairment is not suspected to be a factor in this crash; however, routine toxicology samples were taken and submitted for analysis. The incident remains under investigation.
This is the 11th fatal crash Troop G has worked in 2022. Those accidents resulting in 12 deaths.
Makenzie Boucher is a reporter with the Shreveport Times. Contact her at mboucher@gannett.com.
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https://www.shreveporttimes.com/story/news/local/2022/05/12/lsp-encourages-seatbelts-after-fatal-bossier-parish-car-accident/9744106002/
| 2022-05-12T19:15:05
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https://www.shreveporttimes.com/story/news/local/2022/05/12/lsp-encourages-seatbelts-after-fatal-bossier-parish-car-accident/9744106002/
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ALBANY – April and May have been “berry” good months for students in the Dougherty County School System. Georgia-grown strawberries provided an extra boost of nutrition in the school system's cafeteria meals to support cognitive health and to prepare students for state testing.
Flint River Fresh partnered with Beyond Harvest Foods and Dougherty County Schools School Nutrition Services to bring 3,150 pounds of Georgia-grown strawberries from Dickey Farms in Musella to all 22 Schools in the Dougherty County School System, an effort to encourage a sustainable, local food system, and to introduce students to produce that is grown in their own region.
“Increasing the level of healthy foods students consume may help with students' test scores,'' Blaine Allen, director of DCSS School Nutrition, said. "While students were able to enjoy fresh strawberries with their school lunches all throughout April and May, School Nutrition’s main focus was to serve fresh, locally grown produce during testing weeks, which occurred through the end of April and beginning of May.
"Strawberries are rich in vitamin C and polyphenols, which are antioxidant compounds. According to the CDC, there is evidence linking healthy eating to student concentration, memory, and mood, and to academic achievement, which encompasses academic performance through class grades, standardized testing, and graduation rates."
Allen added that there were other benefits.
"When the School Nutrition Department can purchase fresh Strawberries & Blueberries from a local, Georgia-grown farmer, we reduce our carbon footprint.”
Strawberries were the featured fruit in April for the Georgia Department of Nutrition's Harvest of the Month program. This campaign supports local farmers while building the capacity to connect schools to local producers.
Not only were students served fresh strawberries with their school lunches, they were also provided opportunities to “taste-test” special strawberry-based treats. Radium Springs Elementary School’s kindergarten classes were served strawberry frozen yogurt. Ron Bell, along with Radium Springs Elementary’s School Nutrition staff, prepared the strawberry frozen yogurt from locally grown fresh strawberries, Greek yogurt and honey.
Flint River Fresh and DCSS School Nutrition plan to add blueberries to the mix throughout the month of May.
These opportunities for taste-tests and usage of local produce in the schools encourages continued partnership between Flint River Fresh and DCSS School Nutrition, through Flint River Fresh’s Farm to School Youth Agriculture & Conservation Education Initiative. This initiative, through an NCRS Technical Assistance Grant, supports active garden projects at multiple elementary schools in the Dougherty County School System and expands educational outcomes to include knowledge about where food comes from, importance of soil health, germination rate, garden maintenance, and safe harvesting practices.
This program is supported through collaborative partnerships among Flint River Fresh, Dougherty County Cooperative Extension, the National Farmers Union, Albany Recreation and Parks Department, 4C Academy, Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital, The Georgia Farm Bureau, Dougherty County School System, and the Flint River Soil and Water Conservation District. Individuals and organizations provide subject matter, guidance and support throughout the various phases of the program.
Flint River Fresh is a 501(c)(3) organization that aims to make fresh, locally-grown produce accessible and affordable for people throughout the Flint River Region, while empowering community and youths through education and outreach opportunities. Visit www.flintriverfresh.org to learn more.
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https://www.albanyherald.com/local/flint-river-fresh-delivers-locally-grown-treats-to-students/article_cb3c6b14-d221-11ec-869f-1b5831a75e1f.html
| 2022-05-12T19:16:20
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https://www.albanyherald.com/local/flint-river-fresh-delivers-locally-grown-treats-to-students/article_cb3c6b14-d221-11ec-869f-1b5831a75e1f.html
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BOISE, Idaho — The Boise Police Department is searching for a runaway teen last seen in Boise.
Aaliyah, 15, was last seen wearing black ripped jeans and a grey hooded sweatshirt. She is Hispanic with brown hair and eyes and is 5’0”, 110 lbs. She usually keeps her hair long but may have cut it short, according to police.
She was last seen around 3 p.m. on May 5, when left her home on foot near the area of Vista Avenue and Cherry Lane. When she didn't return home by the next morning, her family reported her as a runaway.
If you know her whereabouts or have information on where she might be, contact local law enforcement or non-emergency dispatch at 208-377-6790.
You can also send a tip to Crime Stoppers at 208-343-COPS (2677), www.343COPS.com, or leave a tip using the “P3 Tips” app for your mobile device.
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https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/boise-police-department-looking-for-runaway-teen/277-4992f1fb-da63-4c30-807f-5bcab9e243d8
| 2022-05-12T19:19:26
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https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/boise-police-department-looking-for-runaway-teen/277-4992f1fb-da63-4c30-807f-5bcab9e243d8
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BOISE, Idaho — According to a new report from AAA, 77% of drivers want automakers to focus on improving current driver assistance systems versus producing more self-driving cars.
The research follows testing conducted by AAA, which looked at three vehicles with partial automation, and found that the automation consistently failed to avoid collisions with oncoming vehicles and bicyclists in their path.
The three vehicles were able to avoid striking a bicyclist dummy and a foam car from behind, but when it came to avoiding a head-on collision with an approaching vehicle that had crossed the center line, the automated systems failed in all 15 tests; when bicyclist dummies crossed in front of the test vehicles, a potentially life-threatening crash occurred 33% of the time.
"Drivers clearly favor an incremental approach to rolling out advanced driver assistance features, starting with improving the ones we already have," AAA Idaho public affairs director, Matthew Conde said. "The potential is there, but as self-driving technology moves forward, efforts to get to the finish line and a commitment to protect the safety of all road users need to go hand in hand."
Nearly 85% of Americans are afraid or unsure about riding in self-driving cars, according to the AAA report, although there is a strong interest from drivers in other features that are currently available.
Automatic emergency braking and lane-keeping assistance both have 60% interest from drivers, with improvements for vehicle fuel economy being a major priority for 80% of drivers polled.
"AAA research shows that 12% of Americans incorrectly believe that they can purchase a self-driving car right now, while 53% are unsure if they can," Conde said. "Please keep in mind that even the most advanced vehicles on the road today cannot be safely operated without an engaged human driver who is ready to take over at a moment's notice."
Additionally, AAA reported only 22% of drivers would feel comfortable riding in a slow-speed people mover, while just 15% would trust their children or loved ones riding in one. Although a third of drivers say they are comfortable with the idea of self-driving food or package delivery vehicles.
"There are many exciting things on the horizon, and today's technology is off to a good start. But we have a long way to go, perhaps decades, before a vehicle will truly be able to drive on its own in all circumstances," Conde said. "Until then, vehicle owners should do their homework and have a clear understanding of what the technology in their car can and cannot do. Lives depend on it."
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https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/drivers-choose-safety-improvements-over-self-driving-cars-according-to-aaa-idaho/277-97815cbe-50c1-4404-8b1a-4e7a389c0a0d
| 2022-05-12T19:19:32
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https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/drivers-choose-safety-improvements-over-self-driving-cars-according-to-aaa-idaho/277-97815cbe-50c1-4404-8b1a-4e7a389c0a0d
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EAGLE, Idaho — The Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation is hosting a public meeting Thursday for input on a new dogs-on-leash policy at Eagle Island State Park.
The proposal calls for all dogs to be leashed while at the park. For many years, most locations of the park have allowed for dogs to be off leash.
However, in a Facebook post April 29, Eagle Island State Park said, "a dramatic increase in the number of canine visitors and dog-related incidents -- some leading to violence and police involvement -- has forced the change."
Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation (IDPR) plans to explain the reasons for the policy change and give the public a chance to comment. Presentations detailing the change in policy will occur Thursday from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.
The public meeting is set for 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Harrier Picnic Shelter near the Eagle Island State Park Visitor Center. Admission into the park is free for the meeting.
Attendees of Thursday's meeting can voice their opinion and fill out Eagle Island State Park's comment sheets.
"IDPR wants to keep Eagle Island a safe place for all our visitors and seeks your participation with this effort," Eagle Island State Park's Facebook post said.
The 545-acre park is located at 165 South Eagle Island Parkway.
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https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/eagle-island-state-park-meeting-dogs-on-leash-policy/277-579b3509-2b0f-4031-91b5-182d31da7d09
| 2022-05-12T19:19:38
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https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/eagle-island-state-park-meeting-dogs-on-leash-policy/277-579b3509-2b0f-4031-91b5-182d31da7d09
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STAR, Idaho — Eagle and Star police officers had a unique experience last week after Ada County dispatch received a report of a steer on the loose with a rope around his horns.
On May 2 before 6 a.m., the steer was running on the street near the corner of West Floating Feather Road and North Park Lane. Eagle police officer Damian Rodriguez arrived to the nearby neighborhood to see the steer walking in traffic and hanging out around homes.
Rodriguez used his Chevy Tahoe patrol vehicle in an attempt to wrangle the steer. He drove up near the steer and parked his Tahoe tires on the rope attached to the animal's horns to keep the steer in position.
However, the steer wasn't a fan of the move and charged the patrol vehicle, ramming the bumper and dislodging the rope from the tire. The steer then trotted away.
Other officers arrived around the time of the steer's escape. The officers called animal control while keeping their eye on the steer and directing him away from homes.
Animal control contacted a local brand inspector for help. The brand inspector arrived shortly after 8 a.m., and was able to rope the steer and get it into a trailer.
Eagle Police said they contacted nearby ranchers, but no one knew where the steer came from. After two hours and the steer traveling all the way to Linder Road and into the neighborhood west of Lanewood Road, the steer was finally wrangled.
Watch more Local News:
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https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/eagle-star-police-officers-wrangle-loose-steer/277-7fe99d14-3622-4bdf-840a-c3330fac183c
| 2022-05-12T19:19:44
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https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/eagle-star-police-officers-wrangle-loose-steer/277-7fe99d14-3622-4bdf-840a-c3330fac183c
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MERIDIAN, Idaho — Roaring Springs Waterpark announced it is opening for the 2022 season on Saturday, May 14.
The Meridian waterpark initially planned to open last weekend, but delayed its grand opening due to cool weather. With a warm weekend on the horizon, Roaring Springs will welcome its first guests of the summer and the water at the park will be heated.
The park will be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, as well as next weekend, May 21 and May 22.
Roaring Springs plans to open seven days a week beginning Memorial Day weekend.
Construction is underway for phase one of Roaring Springs' seven-phase expansion, that would make it one of the largest waterparks in the country.
The first of seven phases is scheduled to open in the summer of 2023, and will include a Northwest-themed play structure with seven slides and a tipping bucket resembling a potato. Other planned developments include a forest-themed activity pool, a new restaurant, the waterpark's first bar, and Idaho's first action river.
The waterpark plans to expand onto the 12-acre lot just east of the park, which would increase the size of the existing park by 40% over the next decade.
Phases 2-5 will be built over the next 10-15 years and will be the "newest, most thrilling water rides in the world," according to the Roaring Springs Water Park. Phases 6-7 will provide additional parking for the waterpark.
A high-pressure ridge will swell across the region Saturday night and Sunday for fair and dry conditions, with a significant warming trend, up to 82 degrees in Boise, according to KTVB's weather team.
Watch more Local News:
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https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/roaring-springs-opening-saturday/277-bf403c63-6d12-4133-b8a8-5fe74ae84ff4
| 2022-05-12T19:19:50
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https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/roaring-springs-opening-saturday/277-bf403c63-6d12-4133-b8a8-5fe74ae84ff4
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AUSTIN, Texas — The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center and C3 Presents are partnering up to bring acclaimed artist Bruce Munro's "Field of Light" exhibit to Austin starting Sept. 9.
Lighting up 16 acres, Field of Light is described as a "stunning display of 28,000 stemmed spheres that are subtly lit by solar powered fiber-optics." Organizers say it showcases an intersection of art, technology and nature with intents to "inspire a sense of shared existence."
“Austin is such a unique destination that embodies many of the core values of this installation. My hope is that the Field of Light installation will inspire visitors to contemplate a kinder and more connected world,” Munro said. “The Wildflower Center is the ideal venue for this exhibition simply because it brings people, art and nature together.”
PHOTOS: Bruce Munro art experience coming to Austin
RELATED: Bees and blooms: A day of research and conservation at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
“We’re thrilled to host Munro’s Field of Light in collaboration with C3 Presents and share this world-renowned exhibition with our community,” added Lee Clippard, executive director of the Wildflower Center. “The shifts of color and light will be a unique and provocative way to celebrate our Central Texas landscape.”
The British artist is known for his large-scale light-based pieces inspired by his studies in light. Munro earned a fine arts degree and spent his early career training in the lighting design industry.
"Munro creates art that captures his responses to literature, music, science and the world around him. His work has been commissioned by and displayed in special exhibitions in galleries, parks, grand estates, cathedrals, botanical gardens and museums around the globe," a spokesperson said.
Ticket sales kick off in July, a portion of which will benefit the Wildflower Center. The exhibit will run from September through December.
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https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/austin-wildflower-center-field-of-light-exhibit/269-fecd2f90-fed0-44fe-bf30-eb2b73cd196a
| 2022-05-12T19:59:30
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https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/austin-wildflower-center-field-of-light-exhibit/269-fecd2f90-fed0-44fe-bf30-eb2b73cd196a
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DALLAS — Deep Ellum is preparing for summer crowds, and that means the return of its "flow zones" for Uber, Lyft and other rideshare pickups.
Earlier this month, Deep Ellum announced flow zones are returning this weekend and will be in place on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.
These designated rideshare zones have been in effect on and off for several years, dating back to 2019. Here are this year's zones, according to the Deep Ellum Foundation:
- Commerce Street: Near Pryor Street and Malcolm X Boulevard
- Malcolm X Boulevard: Between Elm Street and July Alley
- Swiss Avenue: Between North Hawkins Street and North Good Latimer Expressway
- Floyd Street: Between North Good Latimer Expressway and Cantegral Street
- North Good Latimer Expressway: Between Commerce and Main streets
Guards will be stationed at each zone to make sure traffic can flow safely. The zones are aimed helping improve traffic flow and congestion in the busy entertainment district during high-traffic nightlife hours.
Deep Ellum is also encouraging visitors to use its two main parking garages and lots, which account for more than 1,000 combined spaces and charge $2 per hour.
The neighborhood -- which boasts more than 100 bars and restaurants, including more than 30 live music venues -- has been ramping up safety and crowd control efforts in recent months.
A shooting on Elm Street left two people injured in April. Following that incident, police began temporarily closing sections of certain roads to traffic, including Main Street and Elm Street.
According to the Dallas Police Department and the Deep Ellum Foundation, those closures were aimed at improving safety for pedestrians.
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https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/dallas-theyre-back-know-the-5-deep-ellum-uber-lyft-flow-zones-for-ride-pickups-this-weekend/287-a994c6f8-6540-4c6e-a96e-682bcf5fb7b3
| 2022-05-12T19:59:36
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https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/dallas-theyre-back-know-the-5-deep-ellum-uber-lyft-flow-zones-for-ride-pickups-this-weekend/287-a994c6f8-6540-4c6e-a96e-682bcf5fb7b3
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COLUMBUS, Ohio — Franklin County released video on Wednesday showing the moments a Tesla crashed into the Greater Columbus Convention Center last week.
A crash report says the driver hit the building going 70 mph on May 4. Police said the driver of the 2020 Telsa Model S was traveling on Vine Street at a very high rate of speed, ran a red light and crashed into the center.
According to police, the driver said he lost control of his brakes on state Route 315 and exited onto Neil Avenue, but maintained a speed of 70 mph.
The video shows the Tesla hitting a curb and going airborne through the center's glass doors. Another camera from inside the building shows the vehicle driving through the doors, hitting a pillar and stopping.
Two witnesses standing on the sidewalk in front of the convention center told police it appeared the driver increased his speed in order to make a yellow light. Another witness said it did not appear that the driver attempted to hit the brakes before hitting the building.
The driver was taken to a hospital in what police described as stable condition. He was cited for failure to control.
The crash caused about $250,000 to $300,000 in damage, according to Scott Reed, the Capital Projects Director.
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https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/video-shows-tesla-driving-into-columbus-convention-center/530-001cdd49-fdab-422c-85e2-f1da944c0dae
| 2022-05-12T19:59:42
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https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/video-shows-tesla-driving-into-columbus-convention-center/530-001cdd49-fdab-422c-85e2-f1da944c0dae
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Two Lincoln attorneys have been appointed to open judgeships — one in east central Nebraska and the other in southeast Nebraska.
Gov. Pete Ricketts appointed Jason Bergevin, who has been working as an assistant Nebraska Attorney General in the criminal bureau since 2015, to be a district judge in the fifth judicial district, replacing Platte County District Judge Robert Steinke.
And he appointed David Barden of Adams, who has practiced law at Rembolt Ludtke in Lincoln since 2006 and became a partner in 2012, to be a district judge in the first judicial district, replacing Saline County District Judge Vicky Johnson.
Steinke and Johnson both recently retired.
The first judicial district consists of Fillmore, Gage, Jefferson, Johnson, Nemaha, Otoe, Pawnee, Richardson, Saline and Thayer counties.
The fifth judicial district consists of Boone, Butler, Colfax, Hamilton, Merrick, Nance, Platte, Polk, Saunders, Seward and York counties.
At the Attorney General's Office, Bergevin, 47, has assisted county attorneys across Nebraska with complex criminal prosecutions and grand jury investigations. He has prosecuted cases involving murder, kidnapping, child sexual assaults and motor vehicle homicides. And he has served as the legal advisor for multiple state agencies.
He also has served as a judge advocate in the United States Air Force since 2010, has been assigned to the Nebraska Air National Guard since 2016 and provided defense services to airmen as the area defense counsel from 2016-2019. Since 2019, he has advised commanders, processed administrative actions, and provided legal assistance to airmen in the role of deputy staff judge advocate.
Bergevin got his law degree from Western New England University School of Law in Massachusetts.
His practice has included municipal and governmental law, water law and civil litigation. He has served as city attorney and assistant city attorney to several Nebraska municipalities and has served as a special assistant Attorney General for the State of Nebraska in various lawsuits.
Bargen’s water law practice has included representing public power and irrigation districts in litigation involving water rights and related matters, natural resources districts on interbasin transfer permits and challenges to integrated management plans in contested hearings at the Department of Natural Resources, and advising on plans for water offset programs.
Bargen got his law degree from the University of Nebraska College of Law, where he graduated with high distinction.
An Ohio man caused $7,500 in damage to vehicles parked near the Lincoln Amtrak station on Saturday afternoon after police said he was booted from a train.
Courtney Hubbell had nearly finished crossing the road at 9:20 p.m. Tuesday when she was struck by a 2007 Pontiac G6 traveling east through the intersection, according to the state crash report.
An agreement will allow Lincoln police to use state facial recognition software to help identify possible suspects, a practice that concerns civil liberties groups.
The man walked to the side of her and grabbed the backpack that was attached to her walker with a carabiner, pulling the bag, the walker and the woman across the porch, police said.
Beau Connely was driving his Subaru Impreza west on U.S. 34 near 210th Road at around 7:50 a.m. Tuesday when he veered across the center line and collided with an eastbound semi, the sheriff's office said.
The Nebraska Crime Commission, a panel of police and public officials who review revocations and oversee statewide law enforcement standards and compliance, made Mathew Bornemeier's revocation official on Friday.
The company alleged the man stole 6,000 pounds of copper wire and a flatbed trailer, wrongfully used the company's credit card, submitted false timesheets and directed employees to work at his Pleasant Dale home on the clock.
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https://journalstar.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/lincoln-attorneys-appointed-to-district-court-judgeships/article_ae39cb71-7f7a-5ded-b5e1-d1084841f4e0.html
| 2022-05-12T20:04:32
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https://journalstar.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/lincoln-attorneys-appointed-to-district-court-judgeships/article_ae39cb71-7f7a-5ded-b5e1-d1084841f4e0.html
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Coronavirus cases increased for the sixth week in a row in Ohio, with 15,970 cases reported in the last week, according to the state health department.
Cases have continued to climb since April 7, when the state reported 3,828 cases in a week and was averaging 3,533 weekly cases.
In the past three weeks, state has averaged 11,905 cases a week, according to the Ohio Health Department.
After recent weeks showing a decline in COVID-19 hospital and ICU admissions, both were up last week.
ODH reported 353 coronavirus hospital admissions and 36 ICU admissions in the past week.
In the last three weeks, the state is averaging 321 hospitalizations and 30 ICU admissions a week.
As of Thursday, Ohio had 524 people hospitalized with the virus, including 31 in west central Ohio and 66 in southwest Ohio, according to the Ohio Hospital Association.
Southwest Ohio includes Butler, Warren, Hamilton, Adams, Brown, Clermont and Clinton counties and west central Ohio consists of Champaign, Clark, Darke, Greene, Miami, Montgomery, Preble and Shelby counties.
West central Ohio is seeing a 41% increase in COVID patients hospitalized in the region, and a 72% increase compared to three weeks ago, according to OHA. The number of coronavirus inpatients is up 8% in the last week in southwest Ohio and has climbed 53% over the last three weeks.
The state had 69 ICU patients with the virus on Thursday, including three in west central Ohio and six in southwest Ohio.
Southwest Ohio recorded a 20% increase in the last week, but a 0% change from three weeks ago, according to OHA.
Because west central Ohio had zero ICU patients with COVID last Thursday, a weekly percent change could not be calculated. However, compared to three weeks ago, the region is up 200%.
For the sixth week in a row, coronavirus deaths declined in Ohio. The state reported 57 deaths in the past week for a total of 38,550, according to ODH. It’s the fewest number of deaths since the state transitioned to weekly updates.
Approximately 62.5% of Ohioans have started the COVID vaccine, including 66.57% of people 5 and older. More than 58% of residents, including 61.77% of those 5 and older, have finished the vaccine, according to the state health department.
About 7.32 million Ohioans have received at least one dose of the vaccine and 6.79 million have completed it. More than 3.56 million residents have received a booster and 371,077 people have gotten a second booster shot, according to ODH.
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https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/local/covid-cases-continue-to-climb-hospitalizations-up-in-ohio/D4U2BVQRRRBD3HNBIWLPRWWTDM/
| 2022-05-12T20:06:51
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https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/local/covid-cases-continue-to-climb-hospitalizations-up-in-ohio/D4U2BVQRRRBD3HNBIWLPRWWTDM/
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University of Dayton will hold commencement this weekend for the class of 2020, whose in-person graduation was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
UD held a virtual commencement in 2020 but promised to hold an in-person commencement later. Last year, UD held separate undergraduate ceremonies with limited seating for the class of 2021. It still wasn’t safe enough to invite the class of 2020 to return for a full-group experience, UD said.
UD said 421 graduates from 2020 and 805 family members and friends will return to campus two years later to celebrate commencement at noon Saturday, May 14 at the Marycrest Amphitheater.
UD students in March 2020 had just left for spring break when the university shut down. At the time, officials expected that students would remain off campus for at least two weeks following spring break and continue their classes virtually. Those two weeks turned into much longer than was predicted.
December Lee, a medicinal chemistry graduate, will be driving from Columbus to participate in this weekend’s celebration. She said she is excited to reunite with friends and is thrilled her class is getting its long-awaited public recognition of a job well done.
“We didn’t get to say goodbye to each other,” said Lee, who is now in a pharmacy graduate program at The Ohio State University. “We left for spring break and thought we’d be back in three weeks, so it took a while to get over the fact that we weren’t going to have a graduation ceremony.”
The celebration is part of a weekend of events, which will include a welcome reception Friday, May 13, in the Connor Flight Deck at UD Arena, a dean’s open house before the ceremony Saturday morning and a porch party later that afternoon.
“It’s a day we’ve all dreamed of, worried whether it would ever happen and now will never forget,” said UD president Eric F. Spina.
Students who left more than two years ago said they are happy to be coming back for graduation and looking forward to the reunion.
Gabriella Rice, who majored in international business and minored in Chinese and Asian studies, hated leaving behind the many organizations she was involved in as a UD student, notably the Asian American Association she helped start on campus. Now executive assistant in the office of the CEO at Tectronic Industries in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Rice is eager to return for the event.
“We know it’s not the same as a graduation ceremony in the traditional sense, but I’m looking forward to walking across the stage, seeing my old friends and shaking President Spina’s hand,” Rice said. “It might be just a handshake, but it means so much more.”
About the Author
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https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/local/ud-to-celebrate-2020-graduates-this-weekend/3NUSZ7WI2RAINNHR3UORH3JN64/
| 2022-05-12T20:06:57
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https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/local/ud-to-celebrate-2020-graduates-this-weekend/3NUSZ7WI2RAINNHR3UORH3JN64/
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February 1, 1940 – April 11, 2022
Jessy Passed away on April 11, 2022, at home with his family by his side. He was born in Kellyville, Oklahoma, to Ernest and Clara (Vaughan) Sutton.
Jessy joined the Army on March 30, 1962, where he received medals for Marksman (Rifle) and Good Conduct with 1 loop. He was honorably discharged on March 29, 1968. He worked for Weyerhaeuser as a logger and Heavy-duty diesel Mechanic until he retired.
Jessy married Bernice G. Gibbs on April 17, 1965 in North Bend, Oregon. They have two daughters, Sylvia Reiten and Jessie Fuhrer. He loved spending time with his family and friends. Jessy enjoyed making things in his woodshop. He was very talented he could look at a picture and make anything he wanted. He made cabinets, toys, hutches, ornaments, cradles and hope chests. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, camping, metal detecting, panning for gold and walking on the beach.
Jessy was the most loving, caring, thoughtful husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather, son, brother and uncle. He will forever be loved and missed by all of us.
He is survived by his wife, Bernice Sutton; daughters, Sylvia Reiten and Jessie Fuhrer; grandchildren, Nick Reiten, Marissa Isaak, Alicia Talley, Abrian Reiten; great grandkids, Austin, Lexi, Coral, Skyler, Camryn, Seth, Autumn, Wyatt, Easton, Caden, Scarlet; and his brother, Tom. He has several nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his father, Ernest Sutton; mother, Clara Sutton; sisters, Patsy, Shirley and Barbara; and brother, Raymond.
Graveside service will be at 11:00 am June 11, 2022 at Sun Rise Cemetery, 71222 Sawtooth Rd. Wasco, Oregon. Celebration of life will follow at the Wasco Event Center, 903 Barnett St. Wasco, Oregon
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https://theworldlink.com/news/local/obituaries/jessy-sutton/article_7b4c1876-d216-11ec-9684-8b0f0237c121.html
| 2022-05-12T20:18:23
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https://theworldlink.com/news/local/obituaries/jessy-sutton/article_7b4c1876-d216-11ec-9684-8b0f0237c121.html
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PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Gresham police are looking for the suspect in a reported drive-by shooting Thursday morning.
A small, white four-door car with tinted windows pulled up to a house near the corner of Southeast Clinton Street and SE 190th Avenue and someone fired multiple shots into the dwelling, Gresham police told KOIN 6 News.
No one was hurt in the shooting, police said, but bullet holes were left in the house and the suspect is at large.
The car was last seen headed west on SE Clinton, GPD said.
This is a developing story.
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https://www.koin.com/local/multnomah-county/drive-by-shooting-reported-in-gresham-suspect-at-large/
| 2022-05-12T20:18:38
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https://www.koin.com/local/multnomah-county/drive-by-shooting-reported-in-gresham-suspect-at-large/
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MONTICELLO, Ark. — Officials on Wednesday night successfully captured an alligator in Monticello, Arkansas.
According to MonticelloLive, officials with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission captured the alligator around 8:30 p.m. on Highway 138, also known as Winchester Road.
While the men worked to tie it up, the gator attempted to bite a moving truck.
The two men successfully secured the gator's mouth closed and tied its legs to prevent any rolling.
It was then dragged onto a trailer for removal and placed in a nearby wildlife management area to give it and the public some safety.
Officials say it was a 9'6" male, which is pretty sizeable for a gator.
AGFC urged the public that if they see an alligator in the road or on the side to leave it alone as that could delay it from moving on from the location.
We have reached out to the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission for more information on the alligator and where it was taken.
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https://www.thv11.com/article/news/local/alligator-bites-truck-capture-arkansas-town/91-db7ddafa-3cff-4a04-985a-0e1315859dee
| 2022-05-12T20:34:59
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https://www.thv11.com/article/news/local/alligator-bites-truck-capture-arkansas-town/91-db7ddafa-3cff-4a04-985a-0e1315859dee
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ATLANTA – The State Board of Pardons and Paroles has scheduled a meeting for Monday to receive information for or against clemency for Virgil Delano Presnell Jr. The five-member Georgia Parole Board will begin its meeting with Presnell’s representatives at 9 a.m. to receive information in favor of commuting Presnell’s death sentence.
Presnell was convicted by a jury of four crimes committed in 1976 against two girls, ages 8 and 10 years old. He was convicted of kidnapping and murdering the younger child and kidnapping with bodily injury and raping the older child. The jury imposed the death sentence.
The Superior Court of Cobb County has ordered the execution of Presnell, which has been scheduled by the Georgia Department of Corrections for 7 p.m. on Tuesday at the Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison in Jackson. The Parole Board will thoroughly review the comprehensive case file maintained on the offender prior to the scheduled meeting.
In Georgia, the Parole Board has the sole constitutional authority to grant clemency and commute or reduce a death sentence to life with the possibility of parole or to life without the possibility of parole. Following the meeting, the board may commute the sentence, issue a stay of up to 90-days, or deny clemency.
The meeting will take place at the Parole Board’s central office in the East Tower of the Floyd Veterans Memorial Building located at 2 Martin Luther King Jr., Drive, S.E. in Atlanta. It is anticipated that the meeting will be closed as authorized by O.C.G.A. § 50-14-3 (a)(2). No public comment will be taken at this meeting, and no other business will be conducted. Media will be afforded the opportunity to take photographs in the board hearing room prior to the meeting.
For more information, contact the Parole Board’s communications office at (404) 657-9450 or email steve.hayes@pap.ga.gov.
The health of the manufacturing sector in the U.S. has been a major focus of public attention in recent years. Manufacturing jobs have historically been a pathway to the middle class, offering good pay without requiring high levels of education, and domestic manufacturing also contributes to… Click for more.
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https://www.albanyherald.com/local/parole-board-schedules-meeting-to-consider-clemency-for-virgil-presnell-jr/article_81a81a62-d22f-11ec-ae30-f78ec234eae9.html
| 2022-05-12T20:47:54
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https://www.albanyherald.com/local/parole-board-schedules-meeting-to-consider-clemency-for-virgil-presnell-jr/article_81a81a62-d22f-11ec-ae30-f78ec234eae9.html
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Voters will get to decide whether to extend a tax that funds the majority of Coconino County's jails in the upcoming election.
The Coconino County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to add the jail tax extension to the November general election ballot. The half-cent tax provides an estimated 86% of the $19 million required to run the Coconino County Detention Facility and other jail locations each year, covering everything from personnel and day-to-day operations to rehabilitation programs.
County officials have repeatedly emphasized that the funding is key to providing much-need services for those in the jail. The revenue from the tax supports a wide range of programs, including an in-custody substance abuse treatment program, adult education, special education, and religious services in addition to life skills and literacy classes.
Coconino County Sheriff Jim Driscoll previously told the board these programs are key to reducing recidivism rates. Deputy County Manager Lucinda Andreani echoed the sentiment in her comments to the board Tuesday.
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"You look at the programming across the jail and the success of that in reducing recidivism. That's really what fundamentally this is about because being able to provide that type of programming and help people change their lives in a positive manner, whether we like it or not, takes money. It takes an investment via a community to help people move in that direction."
Supervisor Patrice Horstman highlighted the importance of the tax ahead of Tuesday's vote.
"They may be incarcerated, but they're still here residents in Coconino County and we're still providing services for them that will hopefully be beneficial and lower recidivism, which really the key is here," she said.
Now county officials are tasked with educating the public on the measure ahead of the general election. They'll start with information pamphlets later this summer, followed by additional education measures across the community.
The tax is set to expire in 2026 if it isn't approved by voters. If that happens, the jail would have to turn to other means to recoup the costs, specifically by billing the cities and towns for the arrests made within their jurisdictions. Coconino County would then redirect general funds for any arrests made within unincorporated areas of the county.
Driscoll also said it could likely lead to a decrease in the jail's program offerings, as well as increased recidivism rates and jail overcrowding.
"I really feel we have a well-run, well-managed jail both fiscally and operationally," Driscoll said. "In order to maintain that and support those inmates or those incarcerated, it would be beneficial to have this tax pass."
The outlook looks promising so far with a recent poll showing that 82% support of voters would support the extension of the tax. An estimated 13% indicated they would vote against it with most dissenters saying they think taxes are already too high.
Reporter Bree Burkitt can be reached at 928-556-2250 or bburkitt@azdailysun.com.
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https://azdailysun.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/section/jail-tax-extension-to-appear-on-november-ballot/article_2143f3a4-d233-11ec-99c1-47bd101499b4.html
| 2022-05-12T21:02:10
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https://azdailysun.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/section/jail-tax-extension-to-appear-on-november-ballot/article_2143f3a4-d233-11ec-99c1-47bd101499b4.html
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The city of Midland reported sales tax collections are not only back to pre-pandemic levels but in record-breaking territory.
The city showed that May’s collection was $5,949,870, which was not only a 24.13 percent increase compared to May 2021 but a $400,000-plus increase over the previous record for any month that was set in February 2019.
The collection also put the current fiscal year in position to blow past the fiscal year 2021’s total ($46.669 million) and surpass the forecast for ($51 million).
Through eight months the city of Midland reported collecting $36.718 million, which is 19.59 percent higher than the same period in FY 2021.
Should the city collect the same amount as it did to end the last fiscal year ($15.965 million), the FY 2022 collection would reach $52.683 million. Should the city finish the year at its current pace, the city could finish the year with $55.81 million, which would be the second largest collection in the city’s history.
Sales tax revenue is generated by sales tax income from two months prior to collection; May collection is based on March sales.
In other sales tax news, Midland County’s collection in May reached $5.601 million, a 42.02 percent increase compared to May 2021.
City of Midland
May 2022: $5,949,870
April 2021: $4,793,346
Percentage difference: 24.13
Fiscal year-to-date 2022: $36,718,584
Fiscal year-to-date 2021: $30,703,812
Percentage difference: 19.59
Midland Development Corp.
April 2022: $1,487,467
Fiscal year-to-date 2022: $9,179,646
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https://www.mrt.com/news/local/article/City-reports-new-monthly-sales-tax-record-17166594.php
| 2022-05-12T21:06:45
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https://www.mrt.com/news/local/article/City-reports-new-monthly-sales-tax-record-17166594.php
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Midland Christian School was grateful yesterday to learn that the Midland County Grand Jury declined to indict the five administrative members of our staff. We are pleased that the grand jury confirmed what we believed to be true after receiving results of our own external and independent investigation into the legal matter. Our independent external investigator concluded the five individuals acted reasonably and appropriately given the facts and circumstances, so we are not surprised the grand jury reached the same conclusion. We recognize that grand jury service is one of the most demanding forms of community service. We want to express our appreciation to those men and women whose courage and pursuit of truth led them to this conclusion.
We are proud of the five members of our Midland Christian School family and grateful these legal proceedings are behind them. They have each handled themselves gracefully in the face of these extremely difficult circumstances, all while holding firm to their faith.
Our current administrative staff who have boldly stepped into interim roles will continue to lead our students and faculty through the remainder of the school year to help avoid yet another disruptive change to our campus life. Our colleagues will remain on paid administrative leave through the end of the 2021-2022 school year. Midland Christian School remains committed to our mission and the pursuit of excellence across everything we do. As we move forward as a school, we will continue to closely evaluate ways to further strengthen this pursuit.
Our faculty, staff, and students have been instrumental in our ability to press forward these last three months. We applaud their strength and determination and look forward to celebrating their accomplishments, especially our graduates, over these next nine days to finish out the year.
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https://www.mrt.com/news/local/article/Midland-Christian-statement-about-grand-jury-17168902.php
| 2022-05-12T21:06:51
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https://www.mrt.com/news/local/article/Midland-Christian-statement-about-grand-jury-17168902.php
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The average price of regular unleaded gas in Midland rose 23 cents this week.
AAA Texas reported gas price spikes were the norm this week with 17 of the largest 27 metropolitan areas showing increases of 20 cents or more and the state average increasing 20 cents.
West Texas was home to four of the top-6 increases with Abilene and El Paso leading the way with 29-cent increases this week. Next in line were Odessa (26 cents) and San Angelo, Corpus Christi and Tyler (25 cents each).
“Record pump prices reappeared this week due to the higher cost of crude oil,” AAA Texas reported in its weekly newsletter. “Fear of a global energy supply disruption due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine outweighs the demand concerns prompted by the impact of COVID-19 on China’s economy. The cost of a barrel of crude oil continues to exceed $100 as the market weighs the European Union imposing possible new sanctions on Russian oil.”
Price per gallon is at record highs across the state, with 23 of the 27 markets reporting new record prices this week. In Midland that new record price is $4.18, which was tied for fifth highest price across the state. The most expensive averages were El Paso ($4.23), Texarkana ($4.22) and Odessa ($4.20). The state average jumped to $4.10.
Averages across West Texas included $4.16 in Abilene, $4.10 in San Angelo, $3.94 in Lubbock and $3.91 in Amarillo.
Prices in Amarillo and Lubbock rose by 12 and 17 cents, respectively. Amarillo and Lubbock were two of four larger metropolitan areas in the state where the averages had not hit record levels this week.
The average in Midland is $1.25 higher compared to mid-May in 2021. The state average is up $1.38 during the same period.
Largest increases this week
Abilene 29 cents
El Paso 29 cents
Odessa 26 cents
San Angelo 25 cents
Corpus Christi 25 cents
Tyler 25 cents
Texas 20 cents
National 17 cents
This week
El Paso $4.23
Texarkana $4.22
Odessa $4.20
Dallas $4.19
Midland $4.18
Fort Worth-Arlington $4.18
State $4.10
National $4.42
Last week
Texarkana $3.99
Midland $3.95
El Paso $3.94
Odessa $3.94
Longview $3.94
Texas $3.90
National $4.25
Source: AAA Texas
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https://www.mrt.com/news/local/article/Report-Gas-prices-up-23-cents-in-Midland-this-17168162.php
| 2022-05-12T21:06:57
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https://www.mrt.com/news/local/article/Report-Gas-prices-up-23-cents-in-Midland-this-17168162.php
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MARSHALL, Texas — The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) is alerting parents of codes their children could be using to score drugs.
The DEA has released a guide, as part of their #OnePillCanKill campaign, to help parents better understand their child's "emoji language."
"This reference guide is intended to give parents, caregivers, educators, and other influencers a better sense of how emojis are being used in conjunction with illegal drugs," the DEA said. "Fake prescription pills, commonly laced with deadly fentanyl and methamphetamine, are often sold on social media and e-commerce platforms – making them available to anyone with a smartphone."
The drugs represented in the chart range from prescription medications to illegal street drugs.
For example, according to the DEA, a brown heart and a dragon together is the code for heroin. Meth is represented with a blue heart and a diamond, while a snowflake symbolizes cocaine. A maple leaf is considered the "universal" icon for drugs.
“Emojis, on their own, should not be indicative of illegal activity, but coupled with a change in behavior, change in appearance, or significant loss/increase in income should be a reason to start an important conversation,” the DEA said.
The information is becoming even more important as the DEA sees a rise in counterfeit drugs.
The DEA says criminal drug networks are mass-producing fake pills and falsely marketing them as legitimate prescription pills to deceive the American public.
"Counterfeit pills are easy to purchase, widely available, often contain fentanyl or methamphetamine, and can be deadly," the DEA said. "Fake prescription pills are easily accessible and often sold on social media and e-commerce platforms, making them available to anyone with a smartphone, including minors. Many counterfeit pills are made to look like prescription opioids such as oxycodone (Oxycontin®, Percocet®), hydrocodone (Vicodin®), and alprazolam (Xanax®); or stimulants like amphetamines (Adderall®)."
For more information on the #OnePillCanKill campaign, click here.
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/dea-releases-emoji-drug-code-chart/501-c85ec00b-004b-4b91-940b-dae2eabef170
| 2022-05-12T21:07:57
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/dea-releases-emoji-drug-code-chart/501-c85ec00b-004b-4b91-940b-dae2eabef170
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MODESTO, Calif. — A Latina woman has been named General Manager of the Modesto Nuts this week, a first in Minor League Baseball history.
Veronica Hernandez, who joined the Modesto Nuts in 2018 as Director of Marketing, was promoted to become the team’s first ever female General Manager, according to a press release from the team. Hernandez, who is Colombian, will now be one of three Latinx General Managers within all 120 teams in the minor league, and one of several General Managers who are women.
“It's a path that I am lucky enough to start paving for the Latina community and I hope I'm not the last,” Hernandez said. “I hope to see many others like me in this position in the future.”
The Modesto Nuts, a Seattle Mariners affiliated team in the MiLB, congratulated Hernandez in a Twitter post announcing her promotion Wednesday morning.
“I'm honored, it is a crazy feeling being in this position but I'm excited to see what this new chapter brings,” Hernandez said.
The team's leaders have advocated for Hernandez's promotion and acknowledge her value to the team.
"Veronica’s determination, hard work and love for the sport has shined these past four years and we couldn’t be more excited to have her lead the Modesto Nuts into the future,” Trevor Gooby, Senior Vice President of Ballpark operations, said in the press release.
RELATED:
Watch more from ABC10:
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/modesto/modesto-nuts-first-latina-general-manager-minor-league-baseball/103-0a779642-d81b-4850-b70d-e2e07137baa2
| 2022-05-12T21:07:58
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/modesto/modesto-nuts-first-latina-general-manager-minor-league-baseball/103-0a779642-d81b-4850-b70d-e2e07137baa2
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SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY, Calif. — The San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office announced Tuesday it is installing more cameras inside the county jail.
According to the sheriff’s office, it is currently in the process of installing 84 cameras throughout San Joaquin County Jail in French Camp. The goal of the cameras is to increase transparency in the case of any conflict with guards and inmates.
“It will be really nice to prove that our officers are doing the correct thing in custody,” Pat Withrow, San Joaquin County Sheriff said his monthly address on Facebook. “When someone makes accusations against us or if we do something wrong that we capture that too and try to correct those problems.”
The office has also requested funding for body cameras that correctional officers will be required to wear while on duty as additional means of transparency. Sheriff Withrow said he is hoping the budget will be approved in June during the next San Joaquin County Board meeting.
RELATED:
Watch more from ABC10:
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/stockton/san-joaquin-county-sheriffs-office-jail-cameras/103-dc1a02b9-2d3e-416e-a25e-da193338a89a
| 2022-05-12T21:08:03
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/stockton/san-joaquin-county-sheriffs-office-jail-cameras/103-dc1a02b9-2d3e-416e-a25e-da193338a89a
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Download the Sarasota Herald-Tribune app and be in control of your news alerts
There's a lot going on in the community and you want to be in the know. But too many push notifications on your phone can sometimes feel like information overload.
The Sarasota Herald-Tribune app allows you to keep up with what's happening — but puts you in control of your news. You get to choose the news you want to know about right away.
Our news app offers different channels to choose for alerts. Want to be notified of breaking news or weather alerts as soon as it happens? Then only turn on the weather and breaking news alerts. Do you love following high school football? Enable sports alerts during the fall season.
DOWNLOAD THE SARASOTA HERALD-TRIBUNE APP HERE
Customize the notifications to meet your needs. You can select alerts for breaking news, top stories, entertainment, weather, traffic, sports, and business. You also can schedule quiet time for when you don't want to receive alerts.
Visit the app’s settings to customize your alerts.
At your leisure you can browse or search through the rest of the app to find local and national award-winning journalism. Customize your app experience by saving your favorite stories, adjusting the text size, applying night mode or reading articles offline.
The Sarasota Herald-Tribune app is free to download.
Subscribers will have full access to our apps.
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https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/local/2022/05/12/download-sarasota-herald-tribune-app-control-your-news-alerts/9749451002/
| 2022-05-12T21:14:13
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https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/local/2022/05/12/download-sarasota-herald-tribune-app-control-your-news-alerts/9749451002/
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TUPELO • An organization dedicated to bettering the lives of women have recognized five local women and one organization for their contributions to Northeast Mississippi.
On Thursday, Belden-based New Expectations of Women in Mississippi (NEWMS) honored five community leaders as the organization's 2022 Women of Distinction and recognized a local chapter of a national sorority as the year's Organization of Distinction.
Youth Court Judge Staci Bevill, Lee County Coroner Carolyn Green, U.S. Navy veteran Kristy Ivancic, Tennessee Valley Authority Community Relations Specialist Martha Swindle and BancorpSouth Vice President of Marketing Blakley Young, were celebrated by the organization during the annual Women of Distinction Luncheon on Thursday.
Former honoree and former community columnist for the Daily Journal, Juanita Floyd, said she was happy to present the honorees for the ninth year in a row. She said all women honored were amazing advocates, volunteers and community pillars.
“I recognized these unsung heroes and simply have been amazed by their accomplishments and contributions to the various communities they represent,” Floyd said. “These women have distinguished themselves as role models, friends, heroes, professionals, volunteers, community leaders and mentors.”
The Mississippi bar admitted Bevill in 1998. She has been a member of the Kiwanis Club, Auburn Baptist Church, the Hunger Coalition and Reaching Out in All Directions.
Green has been a coroner for 18 years, volunteered at Tree of Life Free Clinic, fundraises for families who cannot afford funeral expenses and is a member of many political organizations.
Ivancic served in the U.S. Navy for seven years and graduated from the University of Arkansas College of Nursing and Loyola Institute for Ministry. She has been a volunteer for the Red Cross, a CPR instructor for 15 years, volunteers with the Girl Scouts and has worked as a lactation consultant for the Mississippi State Department of Health.
Swindle is a Sherman alderwoman, former president of the Tupelo Exchange Club, a member of Women Empowered, a member of NEWMS and volunteer with the Girl Scouts. She’s a promoter of the arts, and is a member of the Tupelo Ballroom Dance Club and the Tupelo Symphony Chorus. Swindle has also sung at Carnegie Hall.
Young has volunteered with the Public Relations Association of Mississippi, NEWMS, Tupelo Young Professionals and the Jim Ingram Leadership Institute.
All five honorees said they were thrilled to be recognized for their contributions to Northeast Mississippi.
“What a humbling experience to hear those words about your life,” Bevill said about Thursday’s presentation.
As part of the program, NEWMS also recognized the Nu Sigma Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha as its 2022 Organization of Distinction.
During her comments, Councilwoman Nettie Davis, who represents Ward 4 on the Tupelo City Council, noted that she was a charter member of Nu Sigma Omega when it was formed in 1980. She said she was proud to see the organization recognized.
Launched by a group of seven Northeast Mississippi businesswomen in 2004, NEWMS has a stated goal of “providing ways for women to connect, educate and empower each other so they can advance in their careers and meet personal and professional goals.” Now a special project of the CREATE Foundation, the organization does this by hosting various educational programs and networking events throughout the year — all aimed at helping women.
According to Demetra Sherer, Vice Chairman of NEWMS, the organization specifically looks to give back to women in need, ensuring they have the resources to be successful.
"Our goal is to always make sure (women) can find some independence, stability and have a group of women that they can lean on," Sherer said.
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https://www.djournal.com/news/local/women-of-distinction-tupelo-organization-recognizes-five-women-sorority-for-work/article_449dc901-5505-530d-8c72-1774245dea4e.html
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A 22-year-old Lincoln man was charged with two felonies Thursday, less than two weeks after an elementary school-aged girl told investigators he had touched her inappropriately, police said in court records.
Isaac Sanchez was charged with third-degree sexual assault of a child and felony child abuse for his alleged role in the incident, which occurred amid a sleepover at a central Lincoln apartment April 29, Investigator Tyler Nitz said in the affidavit for Sanchez's arrest.
In a May 5 interview, the girl told Lincoln Police Special Victims Unit investigators that she awoke to Sanchez pressing himself against her, Nitz said in the affidavit. Sanchez later pulled the girl's pants down, the girl told investigators.
Police interviewed Sanchez Tuesday and arrested him Wednesday night near 56th Street and Pine Lake Road.
He was taken to the Lancaster County jail.
Tom Casady's list of the 10 most infamous crimes in Lincoln history
Crimes of the times
This is simply one man’s perspective from the early 21st century (first written in 2010). I had to make a decision about crimes that occurred at locations that are inside the city today, but were outside our corporate limits at the time they occurred. I chose the latter.
Before beginning, though, I have to deal with three crimes that stand apart: the murders of three police officers in Lincoln. I’m not quite sure how to place them in a list. They all had huge impacts on the community, and on the police department in particular. Because these are my colleagues, I deal with them separately and in chronological order.
Patrolman Marion Francis Marshall
Shot in the shadow of the new Nebraska State Capital, Gov. Charles Bryan came to his aid and summoned additional help.
Lt. Frank Soukup
Marion Marshall was technically not a Lincoln police officer, so Lt. Soukup was actually the first Lincoln police officer killed on duty. One of his colleagues who was present at the motel and involved in the gunbattle, Paul Jacobsen, went on to enjoy a long career and command rank at LPD, influencing many young charges (like me) and leaving his mark on the culture of the agency.
Lt. Paul Whitehead
In the space of a few months, three LPD officers died in the line of duty. Frank Soukup had been murdered, and George Welter had died in a motorcycle crash. Paul Whitehead's partner, Paul Merritt, went on to command rank, and like Paul Jacobsen left an indelible mark at LPD and the community.
No. 1: Starkweather
The subject of several thinly disguised movie plots and a Springsteen album, the Starkweather murders are clearly the most infamous crime in Lincoln’s history — so far. One of the first mass murderers of the mass media age, six of Charles Starkweather’s 11 victims were killed inside the city of Lincoln, and the first was just on the outskirts of town. I didn’t live in Lincoln at the time, but my wife was a first-grader at Riley Elementary School and has vivid memories of the city gripped by fear in the days between the discovery of the Bartlett murders and Starkweather’s capture in Wyoming.
The case caused quite an uproar. There was intense criticism of the police department and sheriff’s office for not capturing Starkweather earlier in the week after the discovery of the Bartletts' bodies. Ultimately, Mayor Bennett Martin and the Lancaster County Board of Commissioners retained a retired FBI agent, Harold G. Robinson, to investigate the performance of local law enforcement. His report essentially exonerated the local law officers and made a few vanilla recommendations for improving inter-agency communication and training.
Now I know that many readers are mumbling to themselves “how obvious.” Hold your horses, though. It’s not quite as obvious as you might think. I had two experiences that drove this fact home to me. The first was a visit by a small group of journalism students. Only one member of the class had any idea, and her idea was pretty vague. You need to remember that the Starkweather murders were in 1957 and 1958 — before the parents of many college students were even born.
The second experience was a visit by a Cub Scout den. I was giving the kids a tour of the police station one evening. We were in the front lobby waiting for everyone to arrive. As I entertained the boys, I told the moms and dads that they might enjoy looking in the corner of the Sheriff’s Office display case to see the contents of Starkweather’s wallet — discovered a couple of years ago locked up in the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office safe. After a few minutes, one of the confused fathers asked me who Starkweather was, and why it was significant.
No. 2: Lincoln National Bank
On the morning of Sept. 17, 1930, a dark blue Buick carrying six men pulled up in front of the Lincoln National Bank at the northwest corner of 12th and O streets. Five of the men entered the bank, while a sixth stood outside by the Buick, cradling a machine gun. Observing the unusual events, a passerby called the police. The officer who responded, Forrest Shappaugh, was casually instructed by the machine-gun-toting lookout to just keep going, which he wisely did. Returning with reinforcements, he found that the robbers had already made good on their getaway, netting $2.7 million in cash and negotiable securities.
Ultimately, three of the six suspects were arrested. Tommy O’Connor and Howard Lee were convicted and sentenced. Jack Britt was tried twice but not convicted by a hung jury. Gus Winkeler, a member of Al Capone’s gang, winged a deal with County Attorney Max Towle to avoid prosecution in exchange for orchestrating the recovery of $600,000 in bearer bonds. The following year, Winkeler was murdered in Chicago, the victim of a gangland slaying. The final two robbers were never identified.
The Lincoln National Bank robbery stood as the largest cash bank robbery in the United States for many decades. It precipitated major changes at the Lincoln Police Department. Chief Peter Johnstone was rapidly “retired” after the robbery, the department’s fleet was upgraded to add the first official patrol cars, the full force was armed and a shotgun squad was organized. Forty-four years later when I was hired at LPD, the echo of the Lincoln National Bank robbery was still evident in daily bank opening details, and in the Thomspon submachine guns and Reising rifles that detectives grabbed whenever the robbery alarm sounded at headquarters.
No. 3: The Last Posse
My first inkling about this crime came when I was the chief deputy sheriff. One of my interns, a young man named Ron Boden (who became a veteran deputy sheriff), had been doing some research on Lancaster County’s only known lynching, in 1884. I came across a reference in the biography of the sheriff at the time, Sam Melick, to the murder of the Nebraska Penitentiary warden and subsequent prison break. Melick had been appointed interim warden after the murder and instituted several reforms.
Several years later, a colleague, Sgt. Geoff Marti, loaned me a great book, Gale Christianson’s "Last Posse," that told the story of the 1912 prison break in gory, haunting and glorious detail.
To make a long story short, convict Shorty Gray and his co-conspirators shot and killed Warden James Delahunty, a deputy warden and a guard on Wednesday, March 13, 1912. They then made their break — right into the teeth of a brutal Nebraska spring blizzard. Over the course to the next few days, a posse pursued. During the pursuit, the escapees carjacked a young farmer with his team and wagon. As the posse closed in, a gunfight broke out and the hostage was shot and killed in the exchange, along with two of the three escapees.
There was plenty of anger among the locals in the Gretna-Springfield vicinity about the death of their native son, and a controversy raged over the law enforcement tactics that brought about his demise. Lancaster County Sheriff Gus Hyers was not unsullied by the inquiry, although it appears from my prospect a century later that the fog of war led to the tragedy.
Christianson, a professor of history at Indiana State University who died earlier this year, notes the following on the flyleaf:
“For anyone living west of the Mississippi in 1912, the biggest news that fateful year was a violent escape from the Nebraska state penitentiary planned and carried out by a trio of notorious robbers and safe blowers.”
Bigger news on half the continent than the sinking of the Titanic during the same year would certainly qualify this murder-escape as one of the most infamous Lincoln crimes in history.
No. 4: Rock Island wreck
The Aug. 10, 1894, wreck of a Rock Island train on the southwest outskirts of Lincoln was almost lost in the mist of time until it was resurrected in the public consciousness by author Joel Williams, who came across the story while conducting research for his historical novel, "Barrelhouse Boys."
The wreck was determined to be the result of sabotage to the tracks, perhaps an attempt to derail the train as a prelude to robbery. Eleven people died in the crash and ensuing fire, making this a mass murder, to be sure. G.W. Davis was arrested and convicted of the crime but later received a full pardon. The story was told in greater detail earlier this year by the Lincoln Journal Star.
A historical marker is along the Rock Island Trail in Wilderness Park, accessible only by foot or bike from the nearest trail access points about a half-mile away at Old Cheney Road on the north, or 14th Street on the south.
Here’s the big question that remains unanswered: Was there really significant evidence to prove that George Washington Davis committed the crime, or was he just a convenient scapegoat? The fact that he received a gubernatorial pardon 10 years later leads me to believe that the evidence must have been unusually weak. If he was railroaded, then my second question is this: who really pried loose the tracks with the 40-pound crowbar found at the scene?
No. 5: Commonwealth
On Nov. 1, 1983, the doors to Nebraska’s largest industrial savings and loan company were closed and Commonwealth was declared insolvent. The 6,700 depositors with $65 million at stake would never be fully compensated for their loss, ultimately receiving about 59 cents on the dollar for their deposits, which they all mistakenly believed were insured up to $30,000 through the Nebraska Depository Insurance Guaranty Corporation, which was essentially an insurance pool with assets of only $3 million.
The case dominated Nebraska news for months. The investigation ultimately led to the conviction of three members of the prominent Lincoln family that owned the institution, the resignation of the director of the State Department of Banking and the impeachment of the Nebraska attorney general and the suspension of his license to practice law. State and federal litigation arising from the failure of Commonwealth drug on for years.
At the Lincoln Police Department, the Commonwealth failure led to the formation of a specialized white-collar crime detail, now known as the Technical Investigations Unit. At the time, municipal police departments in the United States had virtually no capacity for investigating financial crime and fraud of this magnitude, and we quickly became well known for our expertise in this area. The early experience served LPD very well in the ensuring years.
No. 6: Candice Harms
Candi Harms never came home from visiting her boyfriend on Sept. 22, 1992. Her parents reported her as a missing person the following morning, and her car was found abandoned in a cornfield north of Lincoln later in the day. Weeks went by before her remains were found southeast of Lincoln.
Scott Barney and Roger Bjorklund were convicted in her abduction and murder. Barney is in prison serving a life term. Bjorklund died in prison in 2001. Intense media attention surrounded the lengthy trial of Roger Bjorklund, for which a jury was brought in from Cheyenne County as an alternative to a change of venue. I have no doubt that the trial was a life-changing event for a group of good citizens from Sidney, who did their civic duty.
I was the Lancaster County sheriff at the time, involved both in the investigation and in the trial security. It was at about this time that the cellular telephone was becoming a consumer product, and I have often thought that this brutal crime probably spurred a lot of purchases. During my career, this is probably the second-most-prominent Lincoln crime in terms of the sheer volume of media coverage.
No. 7: Jon Simpson and Jacob Surber
A parent’s worst nightmare unfolded in September 1975 when these two boys, ages 12 and 13, failed to return from the Nebraska State Fair. The boys were the victims of abduction and murder. The case was similar to a string of other murders of young boys in the Midwest, and many thought that these cases were related -- the work of a serial killer. Although an arrest was made in the case here in Lincoln, the charges were eventually dismissed. William Guatney was released and has since died.
No. 8: John Sheedy
Saloon and gambling house owner John Sheedy was gunned down outside his home at 1211 P St. in January 1891. The case of Sheedy, prominent in Lincoln’s demiworld, became the talk of the town when his wife, Mary, and her alleged lover and accomplice, Monday McFarland, were arrested. Both were acquitted at trial. The Sheedy murder is chronicled in a great interactive multimedia website, Gilded Age Plains City, an online version that builds upon an article published in 2001 by Timothy Mahoney of the University of Nebraska.
No. 9: Patricia McGarry and Catherine Brooks
The bodies of these two friends were found in a Northeast Lincoln duplex in August 1977. Their murderer, Robert E. Williams, was the subject of a massive Midwest manhunt during the following week. Before his capture, he committed a third murder in Sioux Rapids, Iowa, and raped, shot and left for dead a victim who survived in Minnesota. He is the last man to be executed in Nebraska, sent to the electric chair in 1997.
No. 10: Judge William M. Morning
District Court Judge William Morning was murdered in February 1924. He was shot on the bench by an unhappy litigant in a divorce case. His court reporter, Minor Bacon, was also shot, but a notebook in his breast pocket deflected the bullet and saved his life.
Many other crimes
Choosing Lincoln's 10 most infamous crimes was a challenge. Although the top two were easy, the picture quickly became clouded. We tend, of course, to forget our history rather quickly. Many of the crimes I felt were among the most significant are barely remembered today, if not completely forgotten.
Some readers will take issue with my list. In choosing 10, here are the others I considered, in no particular order. They are all murders:
-- Mary O'Shea
-- Nancy Parker
-- Charles Mulholland
-- Victoria Lamm and Janet Mesner
-- Martina McMenamin
-- Regina Bos (presumably murdered)
-- Patty Webb
-- Marianne Mitzner
I also thought about the five murder-suicides in which a mother or father killed multiple family members before taking their own life. Though tragic, these crimes did not command the same kind of attention as the others, perhaps because there was no lengthy investigation, no tantalizing whodunit, no stranger-killer, nor any of the details that come out in the coverage of a major trial.
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https://journalstar.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/lincoln-man-charged-with-sexual-assault-of-7-year-old-police-say/article_bd253e8f-364e-5ba2-928e-4c58410b1e90.html
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Lincoln Public Schools' top administrators will see a 3.81% salary and benefits increase next school year, slightly lower than the 4.11% increase set aside for teachers.
The raises are included in new contracts with the superintendent's executive team, which the Lincoln Board of Education approved Tuesday.
Under the contracts, the four LPS associate superintendents would see a 3.5% salary bump as part of a 3.81% total compensation package increase in the fall. In 2023-24, their salaries would go up 3%, part of a 3.2% total package increase.
The agreement with teachers also included a 3.65% total package increase for the year following.
Amid looming budget cuts for a second straight year, Superintendent Steve Joel and his executive team took a 1.51% total package increase last year, slightly lower than the 1.53% rate for teachers.
And the year before that, Joel and his team turned down raises entirely as the district navigated the first year of the coronavirus pandemic.
"This is well-deserved," board member Lanny Boswell said Tuesday. "The last two years you've had to reinvent your jobs and reinvent a lot of other jobs, too, so that we could continue to function during COVID, so thank you for that hard work."
The board waived its typical two-read format, approving the contracts 7-0.
Zach Hammack, a 2018 UNL graduate, has always called Lincoln home. He previously worked as a copy editor at the Journal Star and was a reporting intern in 2017. Now, he covers students, teachers and schools as the newspaper’s K-12 reporter.
She expected to be a foster parent for teenage girls. But Kate Wilcox ended up with something quite different: three children, all under age 5 at the time, who she adopted in 2018.
"We are dropping like flies, and it's not like no one knows, everyone is well aware," an Omaha Public Schools employee said. Since the pandemic began, student misbehavior has been steadily rising in OPS and other schools.
The new focus program — a collaboration between LPS and UNL's College of Business that will start when Standing Bear opens in 2023 — is set to include dual-credit courses and pathways in areas such as accounting, finance, marketing, economics and supply chain management.
Fourth-graders covered a little more than three miles on foot, pretending they were pioneers from 1849. They even pushed shopping carts that were outfitted to look like covered wagons.
The district contracted with the Lincoln-based design firm Clark & Enersen to draft plans for the pre-K-12 school, which would be built on 52 acres of land along U.S. 136 just north of the existing high school.
Nebraska school districts have been developing plans to cash in on federal COVID rescue aid and are purchasing anything from curriculum and technology to robots or even stadium bleachers.
After reading "Seedfolks," a book about a group of immigrants who bond over a community garden, English language learner students at Lincoln Northeast were inspired to discover their own green thumbs.
Sen. Matt Williams will take on former State Board of Education member Kathy Wilmot for the District 7 seat on the University of Nebraska Board of Regents. Regent Paul Kenney will face Julie Hehnke in the District 6 general election.
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https://journalstar.com/news/local/education/school-board-approves-3-81-salary-and-benefits-increase-for-top-lps-administrators/article_ffe55f72-8c23-5fba-a696-c82b63be548e.html
| 2022-05-12T21:49:15
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Construction worker trapped in trench for 2 1/2 hours rescued in Sharpes
A construction worker was trapped for about 2 ½ hours in a muddy trench in Sharpes after it collapsed Thursday afternoon, as 29 rescue units worked to free him.
The collapsed trench is just west of Woody's Bar-B-Q on North Cocoa Boulevard at a construction site where two Jr. Davis Construction Company employees were working, said Don Walker, a Brevard County spokesperson.
Two workers were digging a test hole when one side collapsed and a man fell in. Moments later, the other side collapsed, bringing a flow of mud and water on top of the worker.
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Brevard County Fire Rescue and the Sheriff's Office responded just after noon, with 29 units there at one point, Walker said.
Between 50 and 70 rescue workers tried to free the man from the mud and water, which had risen to the upper part of his chest by the time rescuers arrived.
"Unfortunately every time we would pull water from the hole, mud and water would fill back up in the hole," Walker said. "It was (a) very difficult operation because we had to clear out the mud and the water from underneath him to free him."
Numerous equipment and specialized teams packed the area, including cranes, backhoes and BCSO's dive team, as well as representatives from Jr. Davis Construction Company.
After about 2 ½ hours, rescuers were able to get the mud and water down to the man's knees and freed him from the trench, Walker said.
He did not know what injuries the man may have, but said he seemd to be in pain as rescuers pulled him from the trench.
"The good news is he's out of that hole now, and they're airlifting him on Health First Flight to a local trauma center," Walker said.
Finch Walker is a Breaking News Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Walker at 321-290-4744 or fwalker@floridatoday.com. Twitter: @_finchwalker
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https://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/local/2022/05/12/mud-and-water-trapped-construction-worker-trench-more-than-two-hours-thursday/9748192002/
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The home we live in now — the one that in all probability will be our forever home — is almost perfect.
With one exception.
The yard on one side of the house is an absolute disaster.
Grass refuses to grow there. Everything in that area of the yard is brown, although it’s impossible to tell what anything is without a PhD in organic chemistry.
That particular side of the house also features a conglomeration of cables, wires, and HVAC units that, if you didn’t know better, might be mistaken for a nuclear reactor.
We — Cindy and I — decided to transform our eyesore into a garden; something we could enjoy. A garden also would be a haven for birds, perhaps even preventing them from building nests on our front porch. Not having expertise in that particular field, we solicited a professional landscaper. He surveyed the area and gave us an estimate that was about four times what we expected — and close to what we paid for our first house.
So we decided to save some money and do the work ourselves — with a little help from our friends. And a few family members, of course. After all, the more, the merrier.
Through the years, Cindy and I have taken on our fair share of projects. To date, the best things we’ve ever made have been our sons, Justin and Josh. Household improvements, however, have been a hit-or-miss proposition, although to be fair there have been more hits than misses. For example, a master closet addition in our previous house. We made a great team: Cindy designed it, and I wrote the check to the contractor.
As for our garden project, it went pretty smoothly. Naturally, there were a few small — albeit rather heavy — exceptions:
♦ We built a retaining wall out of more than 200 42-pound blocks. We thought the wall was indestructible and were quickly proven wrong after the first heavy rain. Then again, I don’t have a degree in retention wall physics. Once we upgraded our drainage system — and by that I mean actually installing one — the problem was solved.
♦ The fire pit has three circular layers, each consisting of 17 25-pound blocks. Sounds easy, right? It would have been, had I not had to reposition all 51 blocks no less than four times each, so that all three circular layers were absolutely perfect — meaning not the slightest gap between any of the blocks. It was like Chinese water torture, except with concrete.
♦ I hauled 46 two-inch slabs of flagstone, weighing about 50 pounds each, and a 1,300-pound bag of shale home from the landscape store in the bed of my truck. I asked the owner of the store if my truck could accommodate a load of two tons, fearing my truck might pop a wheelie once everything was loaded on the back of it. He gave me that bless his heart look and said my truck would be just fine. In my defense, I don’t have a degree in truckload capacity physics, either.
Other than that, things went according to plan. Today, we’re proud to report that our project is complete. Trees, plants, and shrubs have been planted. The fire pit and walkway have been installed. Mulch has been abundantly spread. Lawn chairs, birdbaths, and wind chimes have been added in all the right places. And my grandson and I even constructed something semi-decorative that hides the nuclear reactor.
Cindy and I are now spending springtime afternoons in our outdoor paradise: enjoying the view, appreciating the shade, and grateful for the plethora of birds that has discovered a new place to call home.
I didn’t mention it earlier, but this project meant something extra for the two of us: We made it as a memorial garden for our late son Josh. We’re thankful how it turned out. It’s beautiful, even better than we imagined.
But even so, our home is still not perfect. It would be, though, if Josh was still here with us.
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https://www.albanyherald.com/local/scott-ludwig-almost-perfect/article_3689bc2e-d212-11ec-a38c-afd58ca1602c.html
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Advocates blast McKee for not moving faster on housing crisis and expiring shelter beds
Luz Arroyo has been sleeping in her car since January. That’s around the time she was evicted from her Pawtucket apartment, following the death of her husband.
On Thursday, standing outside Gov. Dan McKee’s office, she had a message for him: “Please help us to get more affordable apartments for people that are out here in danger … It’s hard. Very difficult,” she said.
Arroyo has been working with Amy Santiago, a caseworker at Better Lives Rhode Island, a homeless service, but their search for housing has come up dry.
“As of right now, everywhere I called, they telling me that they don’t have no beds," Arroyo said.
Sean Costigan’s story is different. While he wasn’t without shelter, he spent more than five months in a Pawtucket halfway house last year, moving on to a sober house in Woonsocket for almost six months, and finally finding permanent housing in Olneyville’s Valley Apartments. The housing instability followed his release from federal prison, where he served time for manufacturing and distributing meth.
Costigan said he received “absolutely no help” in finding housing from the halfway house in which he stayed, finally securing a place through the organization for which Santiago works.
Housing crisis:Could building homes in a school parking lot ease Providence's housing crisis?
Costigan and Arroyo were among a group of about 20 housing advocates calling on McKee to immediately order temporary shelters with a minimum of 500 beds, using sites such as House of Hope’s ECHO Village, otherwise known as Emergency COVID Housing Opportunities, a set of tiny homes for the state’s homeless. Their major concern is funding that is expiring for 525 winter shelter beds.
In a set of demands, the group also called for the state to “quickly create 500 new permanent supportive housing units or heavily subsidized housing,” along with spending more of its American Rescue Plan Act dollars on housing.
McKee recently announced an incentive program to encourage landlords to house the homeless and those who have lived in hotels during the pandemic. As the state describes it, "Landlords will receive a $3,000 signing bonus for the first unit signed on for a one year lease and $1,000 for each additional unit. Up to $3,000 per unit is available for reimbursement of necessary repairs. The program, when possible, will provide rent for up to one year."
Landlord incentive program:State launches landlord incentive program to combat homelessness
In a statement in response to the protest, McKee's office pointed to that program and defended its work.
"The McKee Administration continues to prioritize making safe, high-quality housing available for Rhode Islanders in both the short- and long-term," McKee spokeswoman Alana O’Hare said. "This includes the recently-launched Landlord Challenge to accelerate rapid rehousing of individuals and families transitioning from the non-congregate shelter programs."
O'Hare also noted that McKee's proposed budget for the coming year includes $250 million for housing. The funds, if approved by the General Assembly, would be allocated toward homelessness, shelter capacity, affordable housing, moderate income housing, and the creation and preservation of units.
However, activists seeking a more rapid fix are not satisfied.
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Eric Hirsch, housing advocate and chairman of Providence College’s sociology and anthropology department, argued that the state is “institutionalizing outdoor homelessness.”
“This is against the way Rhode Island should be operating,” Hirsch said. “It’s not Los Angeles. It’s not San Francisco, and we’re not going to accept having this many people living outside including families with children in their cars, under bridges, in tents. It’s just not acceptable.”
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https://www.providencejournal.com/story/news/local/2022/05/12/affordable-housing-ri-advocates-blast-mckee-over-expiring-shelter-beds/9744072002/
| 2022-05-12T22:25:41
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Interim director of RI environmental agency in line for full appointment
PROVIDENCE – Terrence Gray is on the way to filling Rhode Island’s top environmental position on a long-term basis.
The Senate Committee on Environment and Agriculture on Wednesday unanimously backed the appointment of Gray as director of the state Department of Environmental Management. It will now be up to the full Senate to make the final decision.
Gray has been acting director of the DEM since last June when Janet Coit, who’d been in charge of the agency for a decade, stepped down to take a job in Washington, D.C. as leader of the National Marine Fisheries Service.
As for why it’s taken nearly a year for Gray’s appointment to come up for consideration, the governor’s office referred questions to the Senate. A spokesman for the Senate said the appointment was submitted March 8 and that the committee hearing was scheduled after a review process.
Before taking charge of the agency on an interim basis, Gray was deputy director for environmental protection under Coit for three years. The DEM is the only place he has worked since graduating from Lehigh University with a degree in chemical engineering in 1986.
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The DEM has a wide reach in state government, doing work that affects all Rhode Islanders. Its responsibilities range from regulating water and air pollution, to managing fisheries and farming, to operating beaches, parks and campgrounds.
Through much of Gray’s career at the agency, he focused on the regulation side of things, rather than the DEM's work in public recreation. It meant working to regulate so-called “forever chemicals” that contaminate drinking water and, more recently, spearheading the state’s involvement in a regional proposal to slash greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector.
More news:Sea change could be coming to agency that regulates RI coastal development
But the Warwick native and long-time resident of West Greewich told the committee he is probably proudest of his work to clean up contaminated industrial properties.
“We developed a system to clean up hundreds of acres of property across the state and bring it back to beneficial reuse,” he said. “The most amazing thing I like about the brownfields program is it is an alignment between environmental benefits and economic benefits.”
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Said Topher Hamblett, director of advocacy and policy at Save The Bay, “If you look around the state in our urban areas and you see all those former factory buildings that otherwise would have just remained abandoned or been torn down but are now thriving with businesses and residences, that’s Terry Gray’s work.”
Hamblett was among seven people who testified in favor of Gray’s appointment. No one spoke against. The supporters included environmental engineers, quahoggers and representatives of groups that advocate for the environment.
“He cares about what he does,” said Mike McGiveney, president of the Rhode Island Shellfishermen’s Association. “He cares about the effect on the people that he’s regulating.”
New head of EPA in region:Expect more money and effort devoted to climate change
Priscilla De La Cruz, president of the Environment Council of Rhode Island, described Gray as inclusive and cooperative and said he has worked diligently on climate change issues.
“We are ecstatic for Terry’s appointment,” said De La Cruz, senior director of government affairs at the Audubon Society of Rhode Island.
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https://www.providencejournal.com/story/news/local/2022/05/12/interim-director-ri-department-environmental-management-terrence-gray-in-line-official-appointment/9734516002/
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Reality show featuring Olivia Culpo and her sisters is coming to Discovery+
Olivia Culpo, the former Miss Universe from Cranston, and her sisters will star in a new reality show on Discovery+ that is set to debut this year, according to the entertainment website Deadline.
The show, with the working title "The Culpos," will feature Olivia and sisters Sophia and Aurora "as they navigate their lives, loves, and businesses together in Los Angeles."
During an appearance last month in East Greenwich, where Olivia Culpo was opening her second restaurant, a camera crew was following her, shooting scenes for the show, Journal reporter Gail Ciampa reported at the time.
Why was Olivia Culpo in East Greenwich? Insider's look at Union & Main, her new restaurant
More celeb sightings:Michael Douglas, Catherine Zeta-Jones have Easter brunch on Providence's East Side
When was Olivia Culpo Miss Universe?
Culpo, who is 30, was crowned Miss Universe in 2012. She grew up in Cranston and attended St. Mary Academy Bay View.
More:Olivia Culpo's celebrity status lures diners to new restaurant but real star is the food
More:5 new restaurants in RI that you're going to have to try
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https://www.providencejournal.com/story/news/local/2022/05/12/olivia-culpo-reality-show-culpos-coming-discovery-cranston-ri-miss-universe/9750050002/
| 2022-05-12T22:25:53
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https://www.providencejournal.com/story/news/local/2022/05/12/olivia-culpo-reality-show-culpos-coming-discovery-cranston-ri-miss-universe/9750050002/
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DALLAS — Dallas real estate developer and Virgins Hotel co-owner Bill Hutchinson is facing a new civil lawsuit after being accused of sexually assaulting a woman on three separate occasions over the course of two years, according to court documents.
This is the fourth civil lawsuit filed against the Dallas socialite concerning similar allegations, including supplying alcohol that led to nonconsensual touching and sex.
In July 2021, Hutchison was arrested for sexually assaulting a 17-year-old girl at his home in Highland Park in May of that year. The teen accused the then 63-year-old of giving her alcohol and touching her several times without her consent, including assaulting her after she fell asleep.
Following his arrest, Hutchinson was released on a $30,000 bond. In a statement, he denied the allegations, telling the Dallas Morning News, “Anyone who knows me in this city knows that I am not capable of assault, sexual or otherwise. Hopefully, all of my colleagues and friends will give me the benefit of the doubt until I prove my innocence in court."
At least three other underage girls came forward that year accusing Hutchison of sexual assault, including rape, according to court records.
In the new lawsuit filed by an attorney representing three of Hutchinson's alleged victims, a woman, referred to as “Jane Doe 4,” said she was in her late 20s when she first met Hutchinson at an event she hosted at his home in Highland Park. Jane Doe 4 said she looked to Hutchison as a mentor.
In 2019, the woman told Hutchison that she was looking for a new apartment, and he offered to show her one at Dunhill Apartments -- which he owns in the Design District in Dallas, according to court documents.
Ahead of meeting at the complex, Jane Doe 4 said she met Hutchison at a nearby restaurant, where he paid for alcoholic drinks. Court documents said when the two arrived at the apartment, Hutchison continued to provide Jane Doe 4 with alcohol, as they walked through the apartment.
Jane Doe 4 said at one point, Hutchison completely undressed, and she was “very taken aback as she had always been very clear with Hutchison that she did not want to have a physical relationship with him, though he constantly brought it up and had tried to pressure her before,” court documents state.
Jane Doe 4 said Hutchison forced himself on her, guided her to a bedroom, and instructed her to perform oral sex and to have sex with him. She said she wasn’t strong enough to fight him off.
Jane Doe 4's attorneys said she, “tried to put the sexual assault out of her mind. Avoidance and blocking out traumatic memories are common responses to sexual trauma.”
Sometime after the first incident, Jane Doe 4 agreed to have dinner with Hutchison in a group setting at the Virgin Hotels in Dallas. Jane Doe 4 said she remembers everyone having drinks and dinner, but she woke up in a Virgin Hotel room half-dressed with Hutchison in the room, according to the lawsuit. She said she has no memory of getting to the room and felt “like sexual activity had occurred.”
According to court documents, a similar occurrence happened in 2020, when Hutchison showed up at a restaurant when she was having dinner with friends. She said she remembered sitting at the table, then her memory goes blank. Her next memory is of Hutchinson trying to get physical with her inside his office. She said she began hysterically crying, pushed Hutchison and fled. She didn’t speak with Hutchison after that, but she said he continued to try and contact her.
The new civil lawsuit also details the assault of two other women, allegedly by Hutchison.
Hutchison is being accused of sexual assault and battery, kidnapping and false imprisonment and negligence.
Hutchison companies Dunhill Partners and Virgin Hotels are named for negligence, including failing to properly hire and train employees to maintain security measures, not monitoring surveillance and protocols that protected the victim’s against Hutchison.
Aside from his social influence in Dallas and his real estate developing businesses, Hutchison is best known is the reality series 'Marrying Millions' on Lifetime, which follows the lives of six couples from opposite ends of the spectrum concerning incomes. He appeared with his fiancé, Brianna Ramirez, who is 40 years younger.
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https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/sexual-assault-lawsuit-filed-dallas-virgins-hotel-marrying-millions-star-bill-hutchinson/287-dbc983f2-2202-4c21-a5da-9c1a8defd888
| 2022-05-12T22:29:38
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https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/sexual-assault-lawsuit-filed-dallas-virgins-hotel-marrying-millions-star-bill-hutchinson/287-dbc983f2-2202-4c21-a5da-9c1a8defd888
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DALLAS — A death row inmate who was part of the "Texas 7" gang of escaped prisoners will get a new hearing over allegations that his trial judge made anti-Semitic comments toward him and frequently used racial slurs, according to a ruling from the State's top appeals court Wednesday.
The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals ruled that a live evidentiary hearing needs to be held over Randy Halprin's claims that his judge was biased against him because he's Jewish.
"Accordingly, we remand this cause to the trial court for a live hearing so that the parties may present evidence regarding the aforementioned issue," the ruling said.
It's unknown how the outcome of the hearing over the claims against his judge will impact his original case.
In October, a Dallas County judge recommended that Halprin be granted a new trial after considering evidence whether the judge who presided over his trial harbored anti-Semitic beliefs.
According to an Oct. 11 signed order with the 283 Judicial District in Dallas County, Judge Lela Mays found that Halprin's application for relief should be granted.
However, the appeals court this week ruled that a live hearing was not held for Mays' ruling and that one should be held "so that the parties may present evidence" over the bias claims.
The appeals court ordered the trial court to have a hearing within 60 days, and then submit its findings and conclusions back to the appeals court.
Halprin alleged that ex-Dallas County Judge Vickers Cunningham referred to him with anti-Semitic language and frequently used racial slurs.
Halprin was among the seven inmates who escaped from a South Texas prison in 2000 and committed numerous robberies, including one in which Irving police officer Aubrey Hawkins was fatally shot on Christmas Eve. After a nationwide manhunt, the infamous "Texas 7" were captured near Colorado Springs.
Halprin had been scheduled to receive a lethal injection on Oct. 10, 2019, but the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals granted a stay of execution just days before.
Halprin and Patrick Murphy are the last two of the "Texas 7" who have not been executed. Murphy also got a stay of execution in November 2019, after the state refused to provide Murphy a Buddhist chaplain in the hours before he was set to be put to death.
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https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/texas-7-randy-halprin-death-row-inmate-will-get-new-hearing-over-claims-of-anti-semitism/287-d91aee54-8835-49f2-8844-27801f42721c
| 2022-05-12T22:29:44
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https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/texas-7-randy-halprin-death-row-inmate-will-get-new-hearing-over-claims-of-anti-semitism/287-d91aee54-8835-49f2-8844-27801f42721c
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CALIFORNIA, USA — This story was originally published by CalMatters.
California schools with large numbers of high-needs students — low-income, English learners and foster youth — have always struggled to find substitute teachers, but this year’s COVID-19 omicron surge brought them to a breaking point.
The staffing crisis forced school administrators to find alternatives for full-day substitutes, such as math and reading coaches or a rotating cast of office staff, disrupting instruction for students who already may have been lagging academically. While school officials statewide worry about the possibility of another surge, they know teacher shortages are a constant reality, prompting one California legislator to propose funding to attract more substitutes.
CalMatters analyzed data from the state’s seven largest urban school districts for January to determine where the substitute teacher shortage was most acute. The data shows that on average, the schools with the most high-needs students filled about 42% of their teacher absences with substitutes. The schools with the fewest high-needs students found subs for 63% of teacher absences.
But the disparities varied across the districts. For example, at Los Angeles Unified, schools with the most low-income students found substitutes for 23% of absent teachers. Those with the fewest low-income students found substitutes for 45%. At Fresno Unified, substitutes filled about 68% of absences at the schools with the most high-needs students, while they filled 85% at the schools with the fewest high-needs students.
“Unfortunately that doesn’t surprise me,” said Tara Kini, director of state policy at the Learning Policy Institute, a nonprofit education research organization. “It reflects long-standing patterns for both subs and permanent teachers.”
According to a 2021 study by the Learning Policy Institute, the substitute teacher shortage exposed and strained an underlying teacher shortage during the pandemic. Because some schools rely on short- and long-term substitutes to fill vacant teaching positions, a sub shortage means an even bigger disruption for schools that struggle to hire full-time teachers. And schools in low-income communities have always had a harder time hiring, a previous study found.
Officials at both Los Angeles and San Diego Unified, the state’s largest districts, said they had plenty of substitutes before the pandemic. Ileana Davalos, who oversees human resources at the Los Angeles district, said she “rarely had an unfilled absence.” Yet as California’s largest district, it faced the same crisis as others did during the omicron surge.
“When we hire you as a substitute, you pick the area that you want to work in,” Davalos said. “But during omicron we put out calls to everybody.”
Officials at many school districts said both substitute and full-time teacher shortages are not just a pandemic problem. Schools serving more low-income families have always been harder to staff, they say.
At Sacramento City Unified, teachers held an eight-day strike in late March to protest staffing shortages. While close to 70% of the district’s students qualify for free or reduced-price meals — the definition of low-income — the schools with fewer of those students had an easier time finding subs in January.
Ultimately, the teachers’ union — the Sacramento City Teachers Association — was able to get a 25% raise for subs, boosting their pay to about $280 a day. But in the event of another surge in COVID-19 cases, teachers union president David Fisher said the same schools will again be hit the hardest.
“It’s not that different from the teacher shortage,” Fisher said. “It affects the most vulnerable districts and the most vulnerable schools. These schools have the most turnover and the most difficulty attracting subs.”
When teachers are absent, schools post their openings and substitutes choose which ones they want to accept. Some substitute teachers say they have personal preferences for certain schools and sometimes avoid low-income communities.
District administrators say it’s not always a matter of choice. Those communities with large percentages of high-needs students had disproportionately higher case rates during the omicron surge, and substitutes who live in those neighborhoods might not have been able to work. Others say it really is harder for subs to work in low-income schools where more students are experiencing homelessness and food insecurity.
“There’s a lot going on in those classrooms,” said Nathalie Hrizi, the vice president of substitutes for the San Francisco Unified teachers union who is also running for California state insurance commissioner. “The substitutes are highly impacted by that because they don’t have the relationships that education is built around.”
San Francisco Unified tried to address these inequities with mixed results. A San Francisco ballot measure passed in 2008 levied a local parcel tax that helped fund benefits and higher pay for substitutes who work for certain high-needs schools.
Those subs make $241 a day compared to the standard rate of $225 a day for their first 10 days of work. Their pay is then bumped to $271 a day. But the 23 schools selected for the program on average filled less than 30% of their teacher absences with substitutes during the January surge. Districtwide, schools on average filled 45% of their teacher absences.
No San Francisco Unified officials would be interviewed, but district spokesperson Laura Dudnick said the district is actively recruiting subs and that many districts in the region are facing a “dire substitute shortage.”
Cindy Diaz, a substitute at Long Beach Unified, said subs worry about their personal safety working in neighborhoods that have reputations for violent crime. She said some subs who don’t speak Spanish will avoid schools with high numbers of English learners.
“It’s about the unknown,” she said. “Is it a safe area for me to park? Am I going to need to worry about my personal safety? Am I going to have a problem with discipline?”
The challenge of being a sub
While some schools are overlooked by subs, subs themselves often feel underappreciated.
“Office staff sometimes try to bully you into giving up your free period and take extra classes,” said Patricia Wallinga, an aspiring music composer who relies on substitute teaching at San Francisco Unified as her main source of income.
She caught COVID-19 in January. At the time, she was working as a long-term substitute for an advanced English class.
Wallinga started working as a substitute in late 2019, just before the pandemic. She stopped in March 2020 when schools statewide went virtual, and there was less demand for subs as teachers worked from home. The number of new substitutes statewide that year plummeted.
Data from the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing shows that the state issued 15,251 substitute teaching permits in the 2019-20 school year. The following year, it issued 9,265, the largest drop in five years.
But when schools reopened in the fall of 2021 and substitutes like Wallinga returned to working in-person, the state’s supply of new substitutes swelled. According to David DeGuire, a spokesman for the commission, as of last month 22,759 new substitutes received permits this school year.
Diaz, the sub at Long Beach Unified, said she felt more appreciated this year by office staff, especially during the omicron surge.
“They take the time to say, ‘Thank you for coming in,’” she said. “They used to act like they’re doing me a favor.”
While some subs avoid schools with more high-needs students, Wallinga said the main factor for her is location. She only works at schools that are close to her home and reachable by public transportation, and chooses jobs based on the quality of the lesson plan the teacher leaves her.
“It’s night and day,” she said. “These kids know when they’re cared for and when they’re not.”
She has worked at both low-income and higher-income schools and said the disparities are obvious.
“I think, gee, this school has a 60-piece orchestra, and this school doesn’t have pens,” she said.
In California students from low-income households score lower on standardized tests and are less likely to graduate high school. Substitutes and teachers say instability in students’ home lives can lead them to be disruptive in class. While teachers can develop trusting relationships with these students, substitutes say they have a harder time forming that bond during their short stints in the classroom.
David Zaid, who oversees human resources for Long Beach Unified, said the district tried to address this issue by placing one or two permanent subs at certain high-needs schools.
But those measures weren’t enough when the substitute teacher shortage devolved into a crisis. Zaid said reading coaches and office staff filled in for teachers when schools couldn’t find enough substitutes.
Debbie Miller, a teacher at Hamilton Elementary in San Diego, said reassigning literacy or math coaches can take away essential resources from students who need them most. Her school, where nearly all students come from low-income families, filled just 20% of teacher absences with substitutes in January.
“These teachers might be working with reading groups with kids who are two years behind in reading,” Miller said. “When they’re called in to cover classes, those kids don’t get the extra support for two days, three days or even weeks.”
Diaz said most teachers have a roster of go-to substitutes. “Some teachers really like their subs,” she said. “They’ll rearrange their plans to get the substitutes that they want.”
Fisher, the union president at Sacramento City Unified, said substitutes are likely to avoid schools that have a reputation for high turnover and for having a shortage of experienced or permanent teachers.
“It’s a much more challenging environment going to a school that has multiple subs and multiple vacancies,” he said. “More stable permanent staff means more aide support and more parent support.”
Looking ahead
Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia, a Democrat from Coachella, authored legislation in February to help districts hire and train substitutes and increase their pay.
“One of the things we’ve discussed with the committee team is how we elevate the districts that need the most support,” Garcia said. “We’re hoping to ensure that those things are taken into account.”
The bill, which is currently in the Assembly’s Appropriations Committee, would provide $100 million in state funding to local districts. But it currently doesn’t contain any incentives for focusing on schools with more high-needs students.
Garcia said he’ll consider amending the bill to provide more support for the schools that have the hardest time finding substitutes.
Substitutes do say they need more training on managing student behaviors. And while some substitutes enjoy the freedom of choosing where they work on any given day, others say they should be assigned to one school.
While Wallinga enjoys the freedom, she said substitutes do deserve to be a bigger part of school communities and develop relationships with their colleagues and students.
“Substitute teaching is a job you can disconnect from at the end of the day, which is one of the benefits,” she said. “Not having a community is kind of a side effect of that.”
CalMatters reporter Jeremia Kimelman contributed to this story.
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/california/calmatters/substitute-teacher-shortage-ca-low-income-students/509-6d646858-7cf1-4b1d-bea5-b3379de1a785
| 2022-05-12T22:39:16
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/california/calmatters/substitute-teacher-shortage-ca-low-income-students/509-6d646858-7cf1-4b1d-bea5-b3379de1a785
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ROSEVILLE, Calif. — A new type of Raley's market is coming to Roseville and is set to open at the end of June.
A Raley's O-N-E Market is set to in west Roseville at the corner of Blue Oaks Boulevard and Fiddyment Road. The O-N-E stands for organic nutrition education and focuses on ingredient transparency and minimally processed foods.
Chelsea Minor, the director of public affairs for Raley's, said they have spent time curating a guide focused on health-conscious, organic products.
"If you're going to be in the chip aisle, you're going to see everything from Lay's potato chips to those better for you options that don't have some of the hydrogenous fats, maybe artificial ingredients and making sure that it's a cleaner ingredient deck," Minor said. "And more than anything for us, it's all about making sure that the customers have a choice and that you learn more while you're at the shelf to make the best-informed decision for you and your family."
Inside the Raley's, shoppers can meet with a nutritionist or visit the beer and wine bar, café or rent a room where people can gather for meetings or other activities.
Roseville Mayor Krista Bernasconi said west Roseville is seeing significant growth, but doesn't have a marketplace specific to the area, making it a great location for the new Raley's and shopping center.
"So Raley's is going to do great and we're excited to have them in our community," Bernasconi said. "They are going to be located very close to a trail, so it's very walkable, bikeable — spend an afternoon in that shopping center. I'm really looking forward to it."
Bernasconi said other businesses expected to be in the Plaza at Blue Oaks include Great Clips, a Garden of Eat'n, an AutoZone, The Habit Burger Grill, and a Chipotle, among others.
Minor said the target opening is for the end of June, but supply chain shortages with HVAC and refrigeration have impacted construction and the opening timeline of the store.
One thing shoppers can expect is the refrigeration section will have motion sensors, so the lights won't turn on unless someone walks past them, which Minor said is just one of the ways the store is being sustainable. And, besides food for humans, the store will also offer pet treats.
"We're really excited about that. This is a kind of a new program that we're rolling out and we'll be able to test it in our West Roseville store and be able to hopefully move that chain-wide," Minor said.
The new storefront in West Roseville will be the fourth O-N-E market to open following locations in Truckee, El Dorado Hills and Reno.
Read more:
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/roseville/roseville-raleys-market-plaza-blue-oaks-address-hours/103-2450ba13-6e7c-44df-8386-0c373398a3c0
| 2022-05-12T22:39:19
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/roseville/roseville-raleys-market-plaza-blue-oaks-address-hours/103-2450ba13-6e7c-44df-8386-0c373398a3c0
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The flames of a northern New Mexico wildfire have become unstoppable as the largest blaze in the U.S. burns trees sucked dry of moisture over decades of drought amid a forecast Thursday of more winds expected to fan the blaze, according to wildfire fighting managers.
Meanwhile, winds in Southern California sent embers flying in the coastal community of Laguna Niguel on Wednesday. More than 20 homes were destroyed, many of them multimillion-dollar mansions. No injuries were reported.
The California fire was much smaller than the New Mexico blaze that has burned at least 170 homes, but Brian Fennessy, chief of the Orange County Fire Authority, said drought and climate change have combined to make fires that were once easy to contain extremely dangerous for people and property
From New Mexico to Colorado and parts of the Midwest, forecasters on Thursday issued red flag warnings of extreme wildfire danger because of low humidity levels, erratic winds and warm temperatures. The same combination of weather conditions have contributed over the last month to much worse than normal spring wildfires in the U.S.
In New Mexico, the fastest-moving flames in the southern foothills of the Rocky Mountains were headed northeast and away from the area's biggest population center of Taos, a popular tourist destination 40 miles (64 kilometers) south of the state line with Colorado.
The winds have made it difficult for aircraft to fly to help firefighters on the ground, but some planes managed to drop retardant on the blaze Wednesday despite winds gusting in some areas above 45 mph (72 kph).
Some evacuation orders were relaxed along the southern flank of the fire near the town of Las Vegas, New Mexico.
Additional crews were on order to join the more than 1,800 personnel fighting the New Mexico fire, and forecasters said weather conditions should improve on Friday.
The fire already has burned through a forested landscape held sacred by its rural residents, many losing homes that have been in their families for generations. Some evacuated residents who were allowed to return home Tuesday and Wednesday found only charred rubble. Others were more fortunate as the flames skirted their homes.
Officials have predicted that the number of homes burned by the fire will rise dramatically when it's safe for officials to do assessments of areas that are still smoldering.
Crews also were battling a smaller New Mexico fire near Los Alamos National Laboratory, a key government facility for nuclear research that has been tapped to ramp up production of plutonium components for the U.S. nuclear arsenal.
Most employees started working remotely this week as the lab and people living in the town of Los Alamos prepared for possible evacuations.
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Montoya Bryan reported from Albuquerque. Associated Press writer Scott Sonner contributed to this report from Reno, Nevada.
WATCH ALSO:
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/wildfire/wind-drought-combine-make-western-us-fires-unstoppable/103-0d8686df-6979-451b-ace6-d20494d20af1
| 2022-05-12T22:39:20
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/wildfire/wind-drought-combine-make-western-us-fires-unstoppable/103-0d8686df-6979-451b-ace6-d20494d20af1
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MONTICELLO, Ark. — Officials on Wednesday night successfully captured an alligator in Monticello, Arkansas.
According to MonticelloLive, officials with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission captured the alligator around 8:30 p.m. on Highway 138, also known as Winchester Road.
While the men worked to tie it up, the gator attempted to bite a moving truck.
The two men successfully secured the gator's mouth closed and tied its legs to prevent any rolling.
It was then dragged onto a trailer for removal and placed in a nearby wildlife management area to give it and the public some safety.
Officials say it was a 9'6" male, which is pretty sizeable for a gator.
AGFC urged the public that if they see an alligator in the road or on the side to leave it alone as that could delay it from moving on from the location.
We have reached out to the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission for more information on the alligator and where it was taken.
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https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/local/alligator-bites-truck-capture-arkansas-town/91-db7ddafa-3cff-4a04-985a-0e1315859dee
| 2022-05-12T22:47:09
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https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/local/alligator-bites-truck-capture-arkansas-town/91-db7ddafa-3cff-4a04-985a-0e1315859dee
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FORT SMITH, Ark. — This week around the country, nurses are being recognized for all of the work that they do.
At Baptist Health along with other hospitals, nurses are being shown appreciation with things like meals, notes and celebrations.
National Nurses week really means a lot to our healthcare heroes.
Nancy Smith just celebrated 45 years of nursing, after coming to Baptist Health in May of 1977.
She said while the times and job has changed, the opportunity to learn every day and help people hasn't.
It puts a smile on her face to know as nurses they’re appreciated.
“It really makes you feel good about what you do. we had, there was a school that a class drew us all pictures and with hearts or we appreciate you we love you and just to know that the community appreciates what we do makes a big difference,” Smith said.
Baptist Health will be having more events over the next two days to show appreciation to their nurses.
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https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/local/celebrating-healthcare-heroes-during-national-nurses-week/527-baacd0e2-6565-455d-af16-0f4cf374a7c7
| 2022-05-12T22:47:15
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FORT SMITH, Ark. — You could argue Julio Gomez was dealt a bad hand in life.
"When I was a little kid, no one believed in me," Gomez said. "I grew up thinking that I wasn’t worth nothing."
Poverty, abuse and crime make up the memories of his childhood. After going to jail three times, Gomez decided he needed to play his cards differently and it’s been more than two decades since his last run-in with the law. Today he’s a pastor at Iglesia Bautista Gozo de Mi Alma on Bluff Ave. in Fort Smith.
“I wasn’t planning to become a Christian or to become a pastor,” he said. “I just, I needed to stop doing drugs.”
Rough is the word Gomez uses to describe his upbringing in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico.
“I grew up without my dad or my mom,” he said. “I didn't [go] to school. I was abused when I was a little kid. I had to immigrate to a place that I'd never been before.”
He has nine brothers and three sisters, but four of them are dead. Instead of going to school, they learned about gangs and worked to make money to provide for their broken home.
“Since I remember, drugs and illegal stuff, it was around that family which I came into,” he explained.
He was 13 years old the first time he got in trouble with police after immigrating to Houston, Texas.
“I had to defend my mom from a man who was beating her, and he was choking her,” Gomez said.
He said he spent a year in juvenile detention. When he was 17, he married his wife Minerva.
“I didn’t stop what I was doing, so I brought her into my world,” he said.
Police arrested Gomez in 1994 for smuggling and again in 2000 on a marijuana charge.
“We got pulled over and, and they found the drugs, and we went to jail,” Gomez said. “This time it was different for me. In a way, it was humiliating. My wife was innocent, and no one wanted to believe that she was innocent because she was the one driving the car."
Gomez calls this moment his wake-up call. He started going to church, got baptized and a friend convinced him to share his testimony.
"I thought I was created to be a criminal, a gang member,” he said. “But I knew that I was created for something better than that. So that gave me a rush, like no other drug. I wanted to do it again. I said, man, this is great!”
Most of the community seems to embrace his transparency, but he knows some people will judge his story.
Here’s how he deals with adversity:
“The way that I deal with that mentality is not paying attention to them,” he said. “I know they will always be there. I know I can do nothing to change their mentality, but I can protect my mentality from their mentality.”
While he loves preaching to his congregation in Fort Smith, he says visiting inmates at the county jails every Friday is his most important work.
“Maybe they will listen to my story,” Gomez said. “Maybe they will appreciate what they have.”
He donates food to people in need and also has a Spanish radio station, 102.3 FM KGDA Radio Vida.
And if that wasn’t enough, he’s taking his message to another format—producing movies. Pastor Gomez is currently working on his fourth feature film called Labor Day.
Jessica Pliler is one of the actors who has loved getting to know Pastor Gomez over the past few months.
“Him telling his life stories and though so many things were set against him, he found a way to push through all of those and is still trying to help anybody that he can with no judgment or anything,” Plilar said.
Pastor Gomez wants everyone, including his cast and crew, to believe in themselves and go after their dreams. That’s what he’s doing with his second chance.
“I choose not to stay in my past,” Gomez said. “I'm gonna use my past to bring something positive out of it."
Labor Day is expected to be released on Sept. 5, 2022.
His wife Minerva Gomez has stayed by his side for more than 30 years. They have three kids together. They're all in their 20s now and say they are so proud of the person their dad has worked to become.
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https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/local/former-gang-member-journey-to-becoming-pastor-filmmaker-in-fort-smith/527-f1e111f1-5c87-449a-b04c-51030e5f731e
| 2022-05-12T22:47:18
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https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/local/former-gang-member-journey-to-becoming-pastor-filmmaker-in-fort-smith/527-f1e111f1-5c87-449a-b04c-51030e5f731e
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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Members of the Marshallese community gathered at the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Fayetteville for a craft fair Thursday, May 12.
Over 6,000 miles away from the Marshall Islands, more than 30% of the Marshallese live in Northwest Arkansas, mainly Springdale.
For Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, the community planned events throughout the month to celebrate their culture.
Albious Latior, the organizer of the craft fair, says many of the items were sent from the Islands.
“They ship it to family members and the family members can sell it to those who need it,” Latior said.
Some of the items showcased play a bigger role in the Marshallese Culture. Items like coconut oil and noni soap are sourced from the islands and play traditional fold medicinal roles.
Marshallese retiree Anella Boaz says mothers would use coconut oil on their children when they were sick.
“We, the Marshallese mother of a family it's so important for the craft [fair],” Boaz said. “Because these are made out of our own woman knowledge as a mother."
Organizers say that events like the craft fair help preserve the Marshallese culture, even for those living thousands of miles from the island.
On Friday, the community will gather again at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church for Taste of Marshallese Homemade Donuts.
You can find other Marshallese events at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church by clicking here.
The community is also planning a May Day celebration from May 26 to May 31, you can find those details here.
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ROKU: add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching for KFSM in the Channel Store.
For Fire TV, search for "KFSM" to find the free app to add to your account. Another option for Fire TV is to have the app delivered directly to your Fire TV through Amazon.
To report a typo or grammatical error, please email KFSMDigitalTeam@tegna.com.
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https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/local/marshallese-community-members-sell-items-representing-culture-at-craft-fair/527-1f8ea1ac-61ad-4d07-837f-ba8ec72a8591
| 2022-05-12T22:47:24
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https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/local/marshallese-community-members-sell-items-representing-culture-at-craft-fair/527-1f8ea1ac-61ad-4d07-837f-ba8ec72a8591
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FORT SMITH, Ark. — River Valley residents will soon have a new place to get their caffeine fix after 7Brew opens a new location in Fort Smith.
The City’s Board of Zoning Adjustment just approved a variance paving the way for 7 Brew Coffee to open in the Sam’s Club parking lot at 7720 Rogers Avenue.
The grand opening is planned for August of 2022.
7Brew offers customers coffee on the fly by using two drive-thru windows.
DOWNLOAD THE 5NEWS APP
DOWNLOAD FOR IPHONE HERE | DOWNLOAD FOR ANDROID HERE
HOW TO ADD THE 5NEWS APP TO YOUR STREAMING DEVICE
ROKU: add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching for KFSM in the Channel Store.
For Fire TV, search for "KFSM" to find the free app to add to your account. Another option for Fire TV is to have the app delivered directly to your Fire TV through Amazon.
To report a typo or grammatical error, please email KFSMDigitalTeam@tegna.com.
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https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/local/new-7brew-in-fort-smith/527-54e21a69-2c4c-45a4-a2c5-83010b9872eb
| 2022-05-12T22:47:30
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https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/local/new-7brew-in-fort-smith/527-54e21a69-2c4c-45a4-a2c5-83010b9872eb
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How to watch the super flower blood moon lunar eclipse in Knoxville
Something extraordinary will be coming to the night sky near you on Sunday.
During the "super flower blood moon" lunar eclipse this weekend, the moon will only receive sunlight bent through the earth's atmosphere and will change color over the minutes, from gray to pink to orange to red.
Here’s what you need to know and how to watch this extremely rare phenomenon in the Knoxville area.
What's a lunar eclipse?
There are two types of eclipses: lunar and solar. NASA says during a lunar eclipse, the earth’s shadow obscures the moon. During a solar eclipse, the moon blocks the sun from view.
According to NASA, a lunar eclipse occurs when the sun, earth, and moon align so that the moon passes into the earth’s shadow. In a total lunar eclipse, the entire moon falls within the darkest part of the earth’s shadow, called the umbra. When the moon is within the umbra, it will turn a reddish hue. This is where the term “blood moon” comes into play.
What's a supermoon?
A supermoon means the moon looks a bit bigger than usual since it's a bit closer to the earth. On average, supermoons appear about 7% bigger and about 15% brighter than a typical full moon.
SHOOTING STARS:How to watch every meteor shower in 2022
THE HARVEST MOON:A visual guide to full moons around the year
"Because the orbit of the moon is not a perfect circle, the moon is sometimes closer to the Earth than at other times during its orbit," according to NASA.
The Old Farmer's Almanac reports that there will be four supermoons this year.
It's also the 'flower' moon
Sunday's sky show is also the "flower" moon, a name given to May's full moon because "flowers spring forth across North America in abundance this month," the Old Farmer's Almanac said.
The full moon names used by the Almanac come from a number of places, including Native American, Colonial American and European sources. Traditionally, each full moon name was applied to the entire lunar month in which it occurred, not solely to the full moon.
Other names for May's full moon include the corn planting moon and the milk moon, NASA said.
How can I watch the eclipse?
NASA says that you don’t need any special equipment to observe a lunar eclipse, although binoculars or a telescope will enhance the view and the red color. A dark environment away from bright lights makes for the best viewing conditions.
The eastern half of the United States and all of South America will have the opportunity to see every stage of the lunar eclipse, NASA says. Totality will be visible in much of Africa, western Europe, Central and South America, and most of North America.
If it’s cloudy in your area, NASA will feature livestreams of the eclipse from locations across the United States. NASA will also host an episode of NASA Science Live from 11 p.m. to 12 a.m. ET. Watchers will have the opportunity to tune in and ask lunar eclipse questions using #AskNASA on social media.
Where are the best spots in Knoxville to stargaze?
Great Smoky Mountains National Park, specifically Clingman's Dome, is a popular spot to stargaze. According to the National Park Service, the dome is the highest point in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The observation tower on the summit of Clingmans Dome offers views of the Smokies and beyond for visitors willing to climb the steep half-mile walk to the tower at the top. On clear days, views expand over 100 miles.
Another spot is Cherohala Skyway. According to its website, the 43-mile National Scenic Byway is featured as one of Discovery Channel’s Top 10 Motorcycle Rides in North America. The road crosses through the Cherokee and Nantahala National Forests, which is where its name comes from and connects Robbinsville, North Carolina with Tellico Plains, Tennessee.
What can I expect to observe?
According to NASA’s website, the partial eclipse begins at 10:27 p.m. ET Sunday as the moon will begin to enter the earth’s umbra.
At 10:29 p.m., the entire moon will be in the earth’s umbra, causing it to turn a coppery-red color.
At 11:53 p.m., the moon will exit the earth’s umbra and the red color will fade.
At 1:50 a.m. on Monday, the eclipse will be officially over.
FROM MARCH:Space junk crashes into far side of moon. It will take some time before we see the damage.
SPACEX:SpaceX launches Starlink mission after ISS astronauts splash down near Florida
What else can I see tonight?
The moon will be in the constellation Libra. For more skywatching tips for the month of May, visit solarsystem.nasa.gov/skywatching/home.
When are the eclipses for 2022?
According to Sky & Telescope’s website, there are only four eclipses to make an appearance this year. The first eclipse of 2022 occurred on April 30. It was a partial solar eclipse but only could be viewed in South America.
This super flower blood moon lunar eclipse is the second on the list.
There will be a partial solar eclipse on Oct. 25. However, it will only be visible in Europe, West Asia and Northeast Africa.
But don’t fret. There will be another total lunar eclipse on Nov. 8, which will be visible in North and South America, Pacific and East Asia.
Taylor Worsham is a Digital Producer for the USA TODAY Network.
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https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/local/2022/05/12/eclipse-knoxville-super-flower-blood-moon/9730034002/
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March 4, 1930 – April 16, 2022
Beverly Jean Whitcomb, age 92, passed away quietly, surrounded by family, on April 16, 2022, in Mesa, Arizona. She was born March 4, 1930, in Los Angeles, California, to parents Elizabeth Bayes Young and Stewart McKinley Young. She was the third of seven children.
As a teenager, she moved with her family to Washington state. She married William Vance “Pete” Whitcomb, in 1949. Soon after their marriage, the couple moved to Oregon where they lived for the remainder of their more than 50 years of marriage.
She was predeceased by her husband in 2004 and is survived by their five children, Linda (Larry) Wood, Will (Pam) Whitcomb, Kevin (Julie) Whitcomb, Joan (Dan) Glenn, and Ladd (Tamara) Whitcomb. She had thirteen grandchildren, whom she loved. She is survived by her four younger siblings.
Beverly was a long-time resident of Reedsport, Oregon, where she served as a volunteer for her church and several community organizations. She was tireless as a homemaker and in her various volunteer positions.
Inurnment will be May 20, 2022, 1:30 p.m. at Willamette National Cemetery, 11800 SE Mt. Scott Blvd, Portland OR
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https://theworldlink.com/news/local/obituaries/beverly-jean-whitcomb/article_299b3444-d22f-11ec-8b29-73ba1d14eeb4.html
| 2022-05-12T22:50:47
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https://theworldlink.com/news/local/obituaries/beverly-jean-whitcomb/article_299b3444-d22f-11ec-8b29-73ba1d14eeb4.html
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NORTH PORT, Fla. — “Anytime you’re doing anything with a septic tank, if you’re getting it pumped out, be there, ask what’s going on, ask questions, cause you’ll see and learn more about it,” Martin Guffey said.
Knowing what’s going on with your septic tank can save you from a world of hurt physically and financially.
This week a 74-year-old woman from North Port was found submerged in her septic tank just days after an appraiser told her there was a crack in it.
A concrete angel now marks the spot where the woman fell in. Her neighbor was appalled by the news.
“You don’t hear of someone walking across their yard and their septic tank caves in,” the neighbor said.
She said the homeowner had recently had an appraisal done before trying to sell her home.
“She had told her neighbor she had gotten a pump out and whoever had pumped it recommended a lid replacement or a tank replacement, I’m not sure what some sort of repair. She felt like maybe the guy was not telling the truth so she didn’t believe it,” Guffey said.
“Whoever did come out that day said they had a bad septic tank and I feel like if it was that bad they should have known and flagged it off,” the neighbor added.
Guffey owns Martin Septic Service, Inc. and absolutely agrees. He said stakes and caution tape should have marked the problem spot before instead of after.
With 35 years of knowledge in the septic industry, Guffey said it’s likely the byproducts inside the tank that rotted the concrete from the inside out.
“In my opinion, if a person pumped their tank every 5 years you’re going to have a lot better chance of finding a problem before it becomes catastrophic,” Guffey said.
There is now a warning sign on site to prevent anyone else from getting hurt.
Investigators are still working to determine the 74-year-old’s cause of death.
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https://nbc-2.com/news/local/2022/05/12/septic-tank-expert-shares-safety-tips-after-north-port-woman-was-found-dead-in-septic-tank/
| 2022-05-12T22:51:04
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LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Arkansas authorities have found and recovered the body of 25-year-old Jordan Simeon who was reported missing on March 7 and was last seen near Maumelle.
According to reports, Simeon's body was recovered from Newton Creek near I-40 and the White Oak Crossing on April 27.
Simeon was making a move from North Dakota to New Orleans, when he encountered car problems that forced him to stop at the White Oak Crossing--that was the last time he and his family communicated.
According to a press release, investigators had previously searched the area multiple times but were unable to locate Simeon.
The most recent search proved to be successful as investigators utilized the assistance of cadaver dogs, leading to the discovery of the body.
Authorities said that Simeon's family has since been notified and that they are awaiting the results of the autopsy.
A cause of death has yet to be announced.
We will update this article with more information as it becomes available.
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https://www.thv11.com/article/news/local/north-dakota-man-body-recovered-arkansas/91-f8c13553-03f9-4cb9-9113-1a98c51d6294
| 2022-05-12T22:51:06
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Despite the region experiencing above-normal rain and snow and cooler temperatures in the month of April and early May, Upper Snake water users will be rationing the water supply this irrigation season.
That was one of the takeaways from the Idaho Water Supply Committee meeting in Boise on Thursday.
Jeremy Dalling, the Upper Snake Field Office River and Reservoir operations lead for the Bureau of Reclamation, told the committee that experts expect Palisades Reservoir to fill up to between 750,000 and 850,000 acre-feet this year. That would be about 60% to 70% of the reservoir's 1.2 million acre-foot capacity.
Runoff forecast for the South Fork of the Snake River at Heise is 76% of normal, while the runoff forecast for Island Park is 65% of normal according to meeting notes from Steve Stuebner, who handles communications for the Idaho Department of Water Resources. Those runoff predictions are in line with the drought years of 2002, 2003, 2007 and 2013, Stuebner's notes said.
Archives from the U.S. Drought Monitor show 2002 was a year of extreme drought in Bonneville County. In May of that year then-Gov. Dirk Kempthorne declared a drought emergency for Bonneville County, according to Post Register archives.
Similarly, on April 29 of this year, Gov. Brad Little approved an emergency drought declaration for 34 of Idaho’s 44 counties, including Bonneville.
While discussing the recent wetter and cooler weather, Idaho Department of Water Resources hydrologist David Hoekema said that while those conditions may have preserved mountain snowpack and eased the drought somewhat, “it’s not been wet enough to pull us out of drought.”
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https://www.postregister.com/news/local/wetter-cooler-april-hasnt-eased-drought-concerns/article_41024b97-5dc4-52b2-b7cc-81a71c0e6f95.html
| 2022-05-12T22:58:49
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The Northern Arizona golf team concluded its season with a final round 28-over-par 316 on Wednesday at the region NCAA links in Albuquerque, placing 12th with a final 54-hole score of 66-over 930 (309-305-316) in its first regional appearance since 2015.
"We were hoping to finish on a little better note today, but unfortunately we struggled a little bit," coach Brad Bedortha said. "I'm still very proud of the team and their efforts this season. I'm very excited to have these four golfers back for the fall and for us to continue to strive to retain the conference championship again next year."
Top-seeded Oregon went wire-to-wire in winning the regional, clinching one of the four automatic qualifying spots for the NCAA championship tournament, with a score of 4-under-par 860.
Also heading to the national event are No. 13 Texas, Georgia and TCU.
Lumberjacks senior Ashley Croft ended her season on a high note individually, shooting a final round 2-over-par 74. Sitting at 3-over par with four holes remaining, Croft tallied her second birdie of the day on the par-4 sixth hole before registering pars on her last three holes.
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Croft's strong finish wrapped up a 12-over-par 228 (79-75-74) overall performance, which is tied for the fifth-lowest score in relation to par ever by a Lumberjack at the regional level. She accounted for six of her team's 15 birdies in the tournament, which lifted the Lumberjacks' season total to a single-season school record 320, breaking the 2017-18 team's previous mark of 306.
Senior Aleksandra Chekalina tied for 56th at 16-over-par 232 (76-78-78). Like Croft, Chekalina logged a pair of birdies on Wednesday in posting her second consecutive 6-over 78.
Chekalina recorded par on seven of her last 10 holes, lifting her total to a team-high 36 over the last three days.
Junior Lorel Hayward and sophomore Ekaterina Malakhova both shot 10-over-par 82 in the third round. Hayward placed 59th at 18-over-par 234 (79-73-82) and was two strokes better than Malakhova, who tied for 60th with a score of 20-over-par 236 (75-79-82).
Malakhova closed the season with 80 birdies, with three at the Albuquerque regional. Her 80 birdies are tied for second most in a season by a Lumberjacks golfer in program history.
In addition to capturing their first Big Sky Conference title since 2015, the Lumberjacks also had three different golfers win individual tournament medalist honors.
As a team, the Lumberjacks recorded three of the five lowest rounds in relation to par in program history and had five par or better rounds in all. The Lumberjacks also posted three of the five lowest 54-hole tournament scores in program history.
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https://azdailysun.com/sports/local/nau-roundup-golf-finishes-strong-season-at-regional-ncaa-links/article_931bd0ec-d214-11ec-a623-5bc923bf5212.html
| 2022-05-12T23:17:02
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WILLIAMSPORT, Md. — One of two construction barges that floated down the Potomac River amid flooding over the weekend was pulled to shore Thursday, according to a National Park Service official.
A larger barge is still in place in the remnants of another dam, where it is being monitored around the clock, Hanson said. The contractor is developing a plan to recover equipment that fell off the smaller barge and coordinating with the Maryland Department of the Environment for potential spill response, she said.
The larger barge, which was carrying an excavator and other equipment, broke free from its moorings Saturday night, but didn’t travel far at first, she said. When floodwaters rose further the next day, a second barge broke free and both barges began to travel downstream.
The barges traveled miles (kilometers) along the river before they were stopped, Hanson said. One barge became stuck less than 4 miles (6.4 kilometers) away, but the other traveled more than 25 miles (40 kilometers) before it got stuck, she said.
The barges were part of a project to rehabilitate a stone retaining wall and stabilize the towpath along a section of the historic canal near McMahons Mill in the Williamsport area, which often undergoes flooding that makes the area impassable, Hanson said.
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https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/1-of-2-runaway-barges-pulled-from-potomac-to-shore/2022/05/12/2c9fecb6-d23e-11ec-886b-df76183d233f_story.html
| 2022-05-12T23:26:24
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Nebraska hospitals contributed nearly $1.4 billion in community benefits in 2020, according to a report released Thursday.
The report, from the Nebraska Hospital Association, included responses from 70 of the organization's 92 member hospitals, including all of the largest ones.
It showed that those hospitals collectively shouldered about $737 million in charity care and unreimbursed care provided to Medicare and Medicaid recipients, which accounted for the more than half of the community benefit amount. They also had to write off $186 million in bad debt.
Those amounts, however, were smaller than in previous years.
For example, the bad debt total was at its lowest level since at least 2014, while the last time hospitals had a higher amount of unreimbursed care was in 2016.
Brian Noonan, a spokesman for the hospital association, said those numbers were lower primarily due to federal dollars made available to pay for uninsured patients, reduced non-COVID-19 patient volumes and Medicaid not booting anyone off of its coverage rolls during the pandemic.
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The federal aid has helped many of the state's hospitals keep their finances in the black in the face of rising costs and more and more people unable to pay their hospital bills.
Kelly Nielsen, a division vice president for CHI Health, said the health system had 320,000 patients last year who were uninsured or underinsured, the most in its history.
"That financial relief was a lifeline for so many," she said.
However, that money is starting to dry up, and hospitals are starting to feel the effects, especially with costs rising much faster than increases in insurance reimbursement.
Ivan Mitchell, CEO of Great Plains Health in North Platte, said the hospital had a "very good last year," but so far this year has had negative margins.
"Unless these costs are somehow reined in, it's going to be very difficult for hospitals and health systems in the future," he said.
Health care workers left in droves during COVID-19 — here’s where they went
Health care workers left in droves during COVID-19—here’s where they went
#10. Finance and insurance
#9. Other services (except public administration)
#8. Manufacturing
#7. Public administration
#6. Transportation and warehousing
#5. Professional, scientific, and technical services
#4. Accommodation and food services
#3. Educational services
#2. Retail trade
#1. Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services
Reach the writer at 402-473-2647 or molberding@journalstar.com.
On Twitter @LincolnBizBuzz.
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https://journalstar.com/business/local/report-nebraska-hospitals-provided-1-4b-in-community-benefits-in-2020/article_95427111-6a0b-52a5-8e89-472667e19837.html
| 2022-05-12T23:29:24
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https://journalstar.com/business/local/report-nebraska-hospitals-provided-1-4b-in-community-benefits-in-2020/article_95427111-6a0b-52a5-8e89-472667e19837.html
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A federal judge dismissed much of a lawsuit against the University of Nebraska alleging officials acted with "deliberate indifference" in responding to reports of rape or sexual harassment by Husker athletes.
In a 35-page order entered Wednesday, Chief U.S. District Judge Robert F. Rossiter Jr. said while UNL had not violated the students' civil rights or subjected them to harassment and retaliation, it did make some missteps in investigating their claims.
Filed in July 2020, the lawsuit alleged university officials failed to act in a timely manner or handled reports of sexual misconduct with indifference because the accused were male student-athletes on Husker teams.
Of the nine women who joined in the lawsuit, four were named, including a former Husker volleyball player. The lawsuit described instances of rape, sexual assault, sexual harassment and stalking by other UNL students, as well as retaliation and continued harassment after the misconduct was reported.
It also drew rare involvement from the U.S. Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division, which in a filing last summer chastised UNL for misapplying Title IX case law.
Rossiter, however, said seven of the nine women — including all four who were named in the lawsuit — failed to make a claim that met the standard required of Title IX lawsuits, and dismissed their complaints.
Two women's complaints, both by unidentified former students, were allowed to continue.
A woman identified in the lawsuit as Jane Doe 1 was stalked and harassed by an ex-boyfriend who was aided by a university employee who relayed a message to her despite the university issuing a "no-contact directive" to that student, Rossiter wrote.
"These allegations are sufficient to allege (UNL) had 'prior notice of a substantial risk of peer harassment … based on evidence [of] previous similar incidents of' harassment," Rossiter wrote.
Another woman, identified in the lawsuit as Jane Doe 2, reported a sexual assault to a professor and later filed a formal complaint and initiated a Title IX investigation in November 2017.
Although UNL offered the woman accommodations as required by federal law, Rossiter said the student who assaulted Jane Doe 2 and was in her doctoral program continued to harass her after she had filed a complaint against him, leading her to drop out the university.
"Such allegations are sufficient to show the discrimination was 'so severe, pervasive, and objectively offensive' such that it 'deprived [her] of access to the educational opportunities … provided by the school,'" Rossiter wrote.
The judge said other women's claims failed to meet the standard set forth in federal law, however.
Rossiter dismissed a complaint by Capri Davis, a former Husker volleyball player who filed a complaint after she and an unnamed woman were groped at an off-campus party, saying that while "completely inappropriate and indecent," the act could not be considered "severe, pervasive, and objectively offensive" to deprive her of educational opportunities.
The court also dismissed complaints from three women who reported instances of rape and sexual assault to the Office of Institutional Equity and Compliance, which is the office charged with investigating Title IX complaints at UNL, only to have investigators conclude there was no wrongdoing.
Rossiter said while Title IX investigators could have done a more thorough investigation into a complaint filed by Sheridan Thomas, who reported being raped by a football player in 2015 and said investigators did not interview potential witnesses she provided, but said she failed to state a claim that the university had acted unreasonably.
Similar claims made by Miranda Melson and Sydney Brun-Ozuna were also dismissed. Melson and Brun-Ozuna alleged the university had acted indifferently after they had reported being sexually assaulted. Rossiter said they had failed to provide claims that the university's actions — or lack thereof — had deprived them of educational opportunities.
Rossiter also threw out allegations that several women had faced retaliation after reporting being sexual assaulted, saying the retaliation they faced was from their alleged abuser and not from the university or university officials, as well as claims that they had been denied equal-protection rights afforded by the Fourteenth Amendment.
In a statement, the university said it was pleased with the judge's dismissals.
"The opinion provides substantial affirmation for the university's confidence in its overall Title IX process," spokeswoman Leslie Reed said.
UNL "cannot comment on the specifics of any Title IX case," Reed added, and disagreed with the factual assertions made in the remaining claims.
She expected to be a foster parent for teenage girls. But Kate Wilcox ended up with something quite different: three children, all under age 5 at the time, who she adopted in 2018.
"We are dropping like flies, and it's not like no one knows, everyone is well aware," an Omaha Public Schools employee said. Since the pandemic began, student misbehavior has been steadily rising in OPS and other schools.
The new focus program — a collaboration between LPS and UNL's College of Business that will start when Standing Bear opens in 2023 — is set to include dual-credit courses and pathways in areas such as accounting, finance, marketing, economics and supply chain management.
Fourth-graders covered a little more than three miles on foot, pretending they were pioneers from 1849. They even pushed shopping carts that were outfitted to look like covered wagons.
The district contracted with the Lincoln-based design firm Clark & Enersen to draft plans for the pre-K-12 school, which would be built on 52 acres of land along U.S. 136 just north of the existing high school.
Nebraska school districts have been developing plans to cash in on federal COVID rescue aid and are purchasing anything from curriculum and technology to robots or even stadium bleachers.
After reading "Seedfolks," a book about a group of immigrants who bond over a community garden, English language learner students at Lincoln Northeast were inspired to discover their own green thumbs.
The 3.81% salary and benefits increase for four LPS associate superintendents is slightly lower than the 4.11% total compensation package increase slated for teachers.
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https://journalstar.com/news/local/education/federal-judge-dismisses-most-of-title-ix-lawsuit-against-unl/article_0e39b401-f7ca-5151-a3f6-09cd8efb0d92.html
| 2022-05-12T23:29:31
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Nick Harp was at the midpoint of his graduate career at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln when the coronavirus struck.
For a psychologist whose work centered on studying people, the pandemic meant no more in-person research, limiting Harp's ability to gather the data needed to complete his doctoral dissertation.
The budget uncertainties brought on by COVID-19, particularly across higher education, also meant a tightening job market, leaving faculty jobs and research positions hard to come by.
Harp instead chose to lean into the pandemic, and over the course of about 18 months studied COVID-19's effect on the emotional bias of individuals.
"I kind of had this unique opportunity to ask some cool research questions," he said, "but it took some flexibility and adaptiveness to shift my research program to cope with the limitations the pandemic introduced."
Although he took a different path than he originally intended, Harp graduated on time and will be among a record-breaking number of UNL students to receive graduate and professional degrees on Friday.
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The May 2022 commencement, which is scheduled for 3 p.m. at Pinnacle Bank Arena, will include 737 graduate and Ph.D. students.
That's several dozen more students than the previous high of 698 recorded in May 2018, according to UNL, and up more than 120 students from a decade ago.
Debra Hope, associate vice chancellor and dean of graduate education, said the record-breaking number is the result of many factors, including students who were delayed in finishing their degree until this semester, or continued at UNL when job prospects were limited during the pandemic.
The numbers also reflect a policy change requiring fewer credit hours to complete an advanced degree at UNL.
"The graduate college changed its policy to be more in line with what other universities are doing," Hope said. "Many used to require 36 (credit hours); they dropped that back to 30."
While not uniform, some programs at UNL have begun scaling back the credit hour requirements, which has also reduced the time to completion for some students.
"The difference is two classes, which if you are a part-time student, is probably about a semester," Hope said. "That can make a big difference."
Hope said the record-breaking number was a testament to the grit of the graduate students pursuing a degree during less-than-ideal times.
"If you look at graduate students in general, they are tremendously resilient," Hope said. "I think that resiliency and that ability to be flexible served them well during the pandemic."
As a full-time employee of UNL's Landscape Services, Ann Powers began taking master's classes in the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture on the side, studying landscapes and how people interact with them.
Eventually, Powers charted a course to abandon her master's program and begin working toward her Ph.D. Then COVID-19 changed her plans once again.
When schools and child care centers shut down in the spring of 2020, Powers isolated at home with her husband and two young children.
"It was really hard, so I ended up taking off the summer and fall," she said. "I was worried that if things shut down again, I wouldn't be able to manage the kids, school and being ultraflexible with all of that."
Returning to campus in the spring of 2021, Powers refocused on pursuing her master's degree in applied science in the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources and will graduate on time.
Powers will embark on her Ph.D. program beginning in June.
While she has seen the lingering impacts of the pandemic on students — many have withdrawn from engaging in classes after courses moved online, or have articulated that they are struggling with mental health or needing to care for family members — Powers said she is proud to be walking across the stage Friday.
"It feels good to have something done, at least part of the journey I wanted to accomplish," she said. "It's a pretty big confidence boost."
Harp said the shift in research focus at the onset of the pandemic looked into how individuals interpreted the large-scale uncertainty going on around them.
When the uncertainty was at its highest early in the pandemic, when vaccines were not yet available, masks were harder to come by and treatments not as effective, more people viewed events negatively.
As the situation created by the pandemic became less ambiguous, Harp said, the tendency to view things negatively tapered somewhat.
It's something Harp experienced first-hand.
"Especially at the onset, it was hard to stop reading the news," he explained. "One way that I can kind of turn this nervous energy into something more productive is to see if my work can inform anything related to the pandemic."
Reach the writer at 402-473-7120 or cdunker@journalstar.com.
On Twitter @ChrisDunkerLJS
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https://journalstar.com/news/local/education/unl-to-award-degrees-to-record-number-of-graduate-students/article_4c0bb0b8-9a1b-53be-8faa-5c950d8ed355.html
| 2022-05-12T23:29:37
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CALHOUN COUNTY, Ala. (WIAT) – Some Alabama sheriffs are reporting a decline in pistol permit sales after lawmakers passed a permit-less carry bill and worry it will have an impact on the ability to buy much needed equipment.
The new law will not take effect until January 2023, but in Calhoun County Sheriff Matthew Wade said he is already seeing an impact.
For decades, sheriffs like Wade have used the money to buy equipment like vehicles and duty belts. More recently, body cameras have been purchased with the discretionary funds.
“We were working within our means available, and then legislature cut our means,” said Wade.
Wade estimated the yearly pistol permit revenue has been anywhere between $400,000 and $500,000. He’s not against the new measures, but worries about the impact on safety.
“The law is what it is, I am good with it, this is not being for or against permits or the second amendment or none of those things, this is nothing about that, this is strictly about we were defunded,” said Wade.
Around two dozen states already have versions of a permitless carry bill. Alabama lawmakers wanted to fix outdated permitting issues and make sure permits aren’t issued to the wrong people. A new database will be created in Alabama to improve record keeping.
“The database that Alabama will have, no other state has, it will catch folks that are adjudicated a mental defect or those who are forbidden to carry a gun or real time convicted of a crime and it forbids them to carry a gun,” said Jefferson County representative and veteran law enforcement officer Allen Treadaway.
Treadaway said Alabama was the only state to set aside $5 million in grants for departments to recoup any potential losses from permit
sales, but Wade is concerned because it will rely on 2022 sales numbers that he said are already on the decline.
“Since that law passed, nobody’s buying permits, so if I sell $250,000 in permits this year, then in 2023 I sell $125,000, I can only get the state to make me whole to $250,000, not to the $500,000 I have been used to for 20 years,” said Wade.
Wade said since COVID, he’s had to purchase vehicles a year in advance. He purchased 10 new vehicles in 2021 that just arrived this week and now he is concerned there may be less money to cover the costs.
In addition to the price of the vehicle, he pointed to the cost of outfitting the cars with appropriate gear that can cost around $9,200 per car.
The Calhoun County Commission agreed to find the money to cover the difference, but he worries about the future.
“The other day I sold 3 permits all day. 3 permits. Normally we’d sell $2,000 worth a day probably,” said Wade.
Lawmakers like Treadaway said they would monitor the numbers at the end of the year, but questioned whether the concern was premature.
“I think the legislature is committed to going back if that is the case and looking at these numbers and it is not unusual to tweak a bill and go back and capture some of those lost revenues. I am speaking for myself, I am not speaking for others, but I would certainly support that in the legislature, but we are not there yet. This law does not even take effect until January of 2023,” said Treadaway.
Wade hopes that lawmakers will consider the challenges that counties face. He pointed out that municipalities often have more tax revenue and can pass local laws to fund law enforcement. Counties must seek additional money from the legislature, he said.
“The legislature took care of the part that was popular but they didn’t take care of the part that was needed and that was the funding of the sheriff’s office,” said Wade.
Treadaway said overall he believes the new law would increase safety for officers and the public by not allowing some permit applicants to slip through cracks and obtain documentation that they shouldn’t be able to. He promised to continue to watch the situation.
“We are going to be monitoring this very closely but it is important to know that database we now have has brought this process up to date and without going into all of it, I can sit here and honestly tell you that we are going to be safer as citizens of the state of Alabama, and our law enforcement officers are going to be safer,” said Treadaway.
Stay with CBS 42 for updates throughout the year.
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https://www.cbs42.com/news/local/alabama-sheriff-concerned-about-decline-in-gun-permit-revenue-used-to-purchase-equipment/
| 2022-05-12T23:42:00
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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — Samford University announced Thursday that the school had received the largest gift ever given to an institution of higher education in Alabama.
The announcement came during a press conference at the school. Alumnus Marvin Mann’s estate donated $100 million to the university with $95 million going towards scholarships for undergraduate and graduate students, per Mann’s wishes.
The remaining $5 million is set to go towards supporting the Frances Marlin Mann Center for Ethics and Leadership. According to Samford’s website, the center serves as a “connector, convenor and trainer for Samford students, employees and community-based organizations in Birmingham and across the state.”
“Marvin Mann’s generosity to Samford is unmatched in the institution’s history books. This is a truly transformational gift that will fulfill Marvin’s desire for more students to have the life-changing opportunities he had as a student and to strengthen the university for the future,” said President Beck A. Taylor.
The donation is expected to provide $3.75 million to support over 100 students annually, according to Samford.
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| 2022-05-12T23:42:01
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PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Portland Fire & Rescue announced a new “secret weapon” in the fight against arson crime — she has four legs and a super nose.
K9 Kiki is the agency’s newest member and uses her nose to sniff out causes of fires, according to a press release by PF&R. This 3-year-old “special investigator” is described as an accelerant detection canine who has partnered with Lt. Jason Andersen during a four-week canine-training school.
“Accelerant detection canines, commonly called arson dogs, are trained law enforcement dogs that are used to sniff out evidence at fire scenes,” PF&R said in the announcement. “These canine heroes work alongside their human handlers, identifying the cause of home or business fires, assisting in cold crime cases, and uncovering potential evidence in homicides.”
The program is funded by State Farm and is available to fire departments and law enforcement agencies across the United States.
PF&R says since its inception in 1993, the State Farm Arson Dog Program has placed more than 435 dogs in 46 states, three Canadian provinces and the District of Columbia. All arson dog teams are trained by Maine Specialty Dogs and certified by the Maine State Police.
“We feel law enforcement officials should have every tool possible to combat this costly — and sometimes deadly — crime,” State Farm spokesperson Amy Harris said. “These K-9s enable investigators to do their job more efficiently and effectively. The scope of arson goes beyond impacting insurance companies, it affects the personal and financial well-being of us all. Training dogs to detect accelerants at fire scenes saves time and money in arson investigations.”
PF&R says this is Andersen’s first K9 trained through the State Farm Arson Dog Program. K9 Kiki is a female yellow Labrador retriever raised by Southeastern Guide Dogs in Palmetto, FL.
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https://www.koin.com/local/multnomah-county/arsonists-beware-k9-kiki-joins-portland-fire-rescue/
| 2022-05-12T23:47:50
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SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Rent help, $400 checks to vehicle owners and even a boost to the state's minimum wage are possible as California maps out a plan to tackle inflation and the already high cost of living.
Governor Gavin Newsom announced an $18.1 billion inflation relief package on Thursday as part of his revised budget. It comes as inflation hits its highest rate in 40 years. Officials say that figure was driven in part by the coronavirus pandemic and Russia's war on Ukraine.
The lion's share of the funds, $11.5 billion, would go toward $400 checks meant to help eligible registered vehicle owners with the rising costs of gas. Those checks would be capped at two checks per person.
Officials with the Governor's office said the soonest people could receive the money is in September.
The plan does not include reducing the state's gas tax or delaying scheduled increases. The scheduled diesel tax increase could be delayed for 12 months.
► Save Money on Gas: Use our interactive map to find the lowest price near you.
$2.7 billion would go toward rent help for low income tenants who requested assistance before March 31, and $1.4 billion would go toward helping with past-due utility bills.
Lawmakers still need to approve his budget and the items could change under negotiations.
California's minimum wage could also be going up. If inflation rates hold, the minimum wage would increase to $15.50 per hour for all workers on Jan. 1, 2023, a move officials say is required by law when inflation exceeds 7%.
“We enacted the most comprehensive economic stimulus program in the nation last year, getting billions in immediate relief to millions of Californians. But many folks are still struggling, especially with high costs due to inflation, so we’re leveraging this historic surplus to get money back into the pockets of Californians,” Newsom said in a statement. “This inflation relief package will help offset the higher costs that Californians are facing right now and provide support to those still recovering from the pandemic.”
Other funds go toward a pause on the diesel sales tax, child care fee waivers for low-income families, three months of free public transit and up to $1,500 for hospital and skilled nursing facility workers.
WATCH ALSO:
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/california/california-inflation-plan-newsom/103-39338419-e791-4975-bd45-9374934ea691
| 2022-05-13T00:10:36
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SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A Sacramento jury recently convicted Johnnie Cokley of numerous charges related to a woman he was accused of victimizing and trafficking for at least nine months between 2019 and 2020.
The case began on March 22, 2020 after a woman showed up to a Sacramento firehouse with a life-threatening stab wound. She was taken to a hospital and told police she had been trafficked almost a year by Cokley and was stabbed trying to escape.
A previous escape attempt also resulted in Cokley kidnapping her from a shopping center parking lot, she testified to a Sacramento jury.
According to officials, surveillance video gathered from an investigation in Phoenix, Arizona showed Cokley beating the victim to the point of unconsciousness at a convenience store before leaving her there.
Authorities said Cokley was eventually taken into custody on April 9, 2020 after evading police during their first attempt to bring him to custody. Police also found multiple boxes of firearm ammunition in a car he previously abandoned.
Cokley was convicted of assault with a deadly weapon, human trafficking, pimping, pandering, kidnapping, two counts of felony evasion and being a felon in possession of ammunition.
He faces a maximum potential sentence of 57 years in state prison. The hearing is set for June 9.
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/sacramento/sacramento-man-convicted-of-human-trafficking-kidnapping-faces-57-years/103-72e64087-7ead-4acd-b3d1-40cb2c1a65bc
| 2022-05-13T00:10:42
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Inflation tends to hit those in retirement pretty hard. Many retirees are on a fixed income, and the rising cost of everything from groceries to gas puts a strain on the monthly budget.
It’s something high-schoolers might not be thinking about, but inflation does have them wondering how they’re going to pay for a college education. Kevin Marken is the director of On Point for College, which aims to get students to pursue a college degree.
"I think the affordability is a concern out there. I think one of the things, especially in the State of New York where there’s stronger financial support, and again a lot of the wonderful areas, they’re concerned about that, and it’s stopping a lot from exploring it, and I think that’s the thing they should still look at it because again long-tern, their financial future is far brighter," said Marken.
It’s an uphill challenge when the cost of inflation has you thinking about how far you can stretch your money, but financial responsibility isn’t the biggest hurdle for many considering going to college.
"In general the obstacles of college success financially, even in the current climate, is not the primary reason that students stop out," said Marken. "It does scare some from going, but some of the other factors, whether it’s social, the navigating through all the processes, trying to find it…that’s the part that tends to be even the bigger challenge."
Even though you may have to struggle financially through college, it’s considered a good investment that will eventually get you to retirement.
"Education is kind of known as the pathway out of poverty, and one statistic that’s a good one is that over 90% of students that get a four-year college degree never fall back into poverty again, and so it’s kind of the best road to get out of poverty forever," he said.
That being said, there’s a number of opportunities to make a good living without going to college.
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https://www.wktv.com/news/local/how-inflation-changes-the-way-people-prepare-for-the-future/article_06f4ba00-d239-11ec-a730-fff7d3ced776.html
| 2022-05-13T00:39:57
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FORT WORTH, Texas — The Bill Pickett Rodeo in the month of May is happening during one of the busiest rodeo weekends in North Texas.
It's also when Fort Worth rodeo fans can be the first to experience the Bill Pickett traveling museum.
"There's never been a museum that we know of that's been done like this," said Margo Wade-Ladrew, "and it's covering 38 years of the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo, which is the only nationally recognized black rodeo in the world."
Margo Wade-Ladrew serves as the Bill Pickett national sponsorship director. Not even she had seen the finished traveling museum before its debut in Cowtown.
Wade-LeDrew has been part of the team to help make it a dream come true. Bill Pickett Rodeo partnered with PBR to feature the traveling museum outside the Cowtown Coliseum.
What started as a bucket list idea years ago is now a real-life education project on wheels.
Wade-Ladrew said, "It's about preserving culture and giving families and kids something that they can be proud of."
One of Pickett's sponsors is also behind them getting the history on the road across the country. When Toyota heard about the dream, the big automaker stepped in right away.
It comes as no surprise to Jim Austin of North Texas. He is all about western culture history.
As the co-owner and operator of the National Multicultural Western Heritage Museum located in the Stockyards, Austin hopes it's just the beginning of people around the United States learning about cowboys and cowgirls of color.
Austin believes the traveling museum helps highlight the western history already on display in Cowtown, especially for children.
"Me, as a little boy growing up, we played cowboys and Indians," said Austin, "And I always thought the West and cowboys was all white. And it wasn't until I turned 45 years old and discovered and found out that the West was multicultural."
Although the traveling museum starts in Fort Worth, it's scheduled to roll into other major cities around country.
"We'll be in Oakland, Los Angeles, we go to Atlanta, and then we go to D.C.," said Margo Wade-Ladrew.
You can see the exhibit in the Fort Worth Stockyards starting Friday. More details are provided here.
The BPIR is also hosting shows Friday night and Saturday night. Tickets can be purchased.
Rodeo fans can see the exhibit in the Fort Worth Stockyards starting Friday.
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https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/bill-pickett-rodeo-traveling-museum-fort-worth/287-f6c56335-6450-4a14-b557-157b1a4e74ad
| 2022-05-13T00:48:31
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SEARCY, Ark. — This summer-like heat has crushed previous records. That's not the only record being broken though, so are the hundreds of Arkansas athletes competing in this year's Special Olympics.
"I was nervous when I got up this morning, but I quickly just made that disappear," said Travis Benson, an athlete competing in the Bocce matchup.
This will make Benson's seventh year competing, but he still likes to keep his skills sharp.
"We practice, like probably two or three times in a month before coming," Benson said.
You can see the results of that practice when you look at the medal around his neck.
For him, it's a reward for those long hours he's spent honing his skills.
Thursday's matches are just half of the two day competition.
There's also another aspect to the competition. A big part of it comes down to health and wellness, according to competing athlete Sharon Johnson.
"In here are healthy athletes where we get different things done, like eyesight, teeth, [and] hearing," Johnson said.
Special Olympics Arkansas allows thousands of people with intellectual disabilities to really get the full experience while competing.
While the competition is fun, leaders are not just focusing on the accomplishments on the track or under the weights, but also making sure people are truly in good shape.
"It's very important to just take care of yourself, your team, body wise, everything," Johnson said.
That message is being pushed by the volunteers too. Megan Slayton, with the Van Buren Police Department, is out there for the second time, volunteering with the Special Olympics.
"A feeling of just true joy, [and] to be able to work side by side with them," Slayton said.
She's lending a hand in cheering on all of those star athletes, as well as presenting awards.
She also participated in the law enforcement torch run Wednesday.
For her, this community, built of hundreds of supporters, is her reason for coming back.
"With COVID and everything like that, it was a little more difficult the last couple of years. But we're here this year, and we're making it work," Slayton said.
Thursday was the first day of two day competition.
The matches will resume Friday at 9:30 a.m. at Harding University.
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https://www.thv11.com/article/news/local/arkansas-athletes-start-special-olympics/91-89420851-cdd6-4ac8-941e-3ef1ca3aebfd
| 2022-05-13T01:00:21
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NASHVILLE, Tennessee (AP) — Ashley Judd encouraged people to seek help for their mental health and talked about her grieving process after the loss of her mother, country star Naomi Judd.
In an interview aired on “Good Morning America” on Thursday, the movie star said she wanted to address her mother’s struggle with depression. Judd said she was with her mother at her home in Tennessee on the day Naomi died on April 30.
Judd also encouraged anyone who was having thoughts of harming themselves to reach out to The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.
Naomi Judd died at the age of 76, a day before she was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame with her duo partner and daughter Wynonna Judd. In a statement provided to The Associated Press, the family said they had lost her to “the disease of mental illness.”
“When we’re talking about mental illness, it’s very important, and to be clear and to make the distinction between our loved one and the disease,” Judd said in the interview. “It lies. It’s savage. And, you know, my mother, our mother, couldn’t hang on until she was inducted into the Hall of Fame by her peers. I mean, that is the level of catastrophe of what was going on inside of her because the barrier between — the regard in which they held her couldn’t penetrate into her heart. And the lie that the disease told her was so convincing.”
Ashley Judd said that her mother shot herself with a gun, but asked for privacy on other details of the death. Naomi Judd wrote openly about her depression and anxiety in her memoir “River of Time” and daughter Ashley said it was because of this that she cherished every moment she spent with her mother.
“I really accepted the love my mother was capable of giving me because I knew she was fragile,” Judd said. “So when I walked around the back of their house and came in the kitchen door and she said, ‘There’s my darling, there’s my baby.’ And she lit up. I savored those moments.”
Naomi and Wynonna Judd scored 14 No. 1 songs in a career that spanned nearly three decades. The red-headed duo combined the traditional Appalachian sounds of bluegrass with polished pop stylings, scoring hit after hit in the 1980s. Wynonna led the duo with her powerful vocals, while Naomi provided harmonies and stylish looks on stage.
The Judds released six studio albums and an EP between 1984 and 1991 and won nine Country Music Association Awards and seven from the Academy of Country Music. They earned a total of five Grammy Awards together on hits like “Why Not Me” and “Give A Little Love,” and Naomi earned a sixth Grammy for writing “Love Can Build a Bridge.”
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| 2022-05-13T01:00:20
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BYRAM, Miss. (AP) — A Mississippi educator who was fired for reading a children’s book called “I Need a New Butt!” to second graders says he will go to court to try to get his job back.
Toby Price told the Clarion Ledger he received a 12-page order Monday showing the Hinds County School Board had voted 2-1 in late April to uphold the superintendent’s decision to fire him in March. He was assistant principal at Gary Road Elementary in the Jackson suburb of Byram.
Price was initially suspended with pay but later fired after reading the book over Zoom. The book, by Dawn McMillan, chronicles a child’s journey to find a new backside. It is illustrated with cartoons that show the character considering an armor-plated butt, a rocket butt and a robot butt.
While Price was appealing, Superintendent Delesicia Martin called the book “inappropriate” because it showed “private areas of the body.”
Price, an educator for two decades, described the book as “silly” and said: “The kids are in on the joke as they read it.”
Teachers have been underincreased scrutiny nationwide — particularly in Republican-led states — as advocates push book challenges and bans in an attempt to restrict how students are taught certain subjects, particularly around racism, sexuality and gender.
Following his appeal hearing, the school board met April 28 and heard from Price, his attorneys and school district officials. Board members then went into a closed session and with two of the five members abstaining, voted to uphold his firing.
“He does not see the problems associated with a school administrator desensitizing both adult nudity and child nudity by exposing it to children under his care,” the board wrote. “At a minimum, it conditions children to believe all types of actions are nothing to be concerned about — they are just funny. However, these activities are dangerous for children.”
The board said “I Need a New Butt!” showed inappropriate activities such as an adult painting on a child’s exposed bottom, an activity that would require a report to the state Department of Human Services for child abuse or neglect, the board wrote.
Price’s attorney listed other books in the school’s library that have similar themes or illustrations, including “Captain Underpants.”
Price posted a short poem on Twitter referring to the superintendent’s decision, saying: “Price’s work in education lasted almost twenty years / All it took was one silly book to end his career. / Giving that kind of power to one single person / Will only cause education and teaching to worsen.”
Then, he posted an update: “Two voted yes. One voted no. Two said nothing. So Price had to go.”
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| 2022-05-13T01:00:27
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ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A man who stars on a TV show called “The Bear Whisperer” has been accused of illegally killing a black bear in Alaska’s Kenai Fjords National Park and lying about where it was killed.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office filed misdemeanor charges last Friday against Harvey Neil Anthony of Maine and Nature Productions Inc. Anthony goes by the name of Blaine Anthony in the television series he also produces, the Anchorage Daily News reported.
An online court records system did not show an attorney listed for Anthony. There was no immediate response to an email seeking comment sent to Nature Productions Inc. on Thursday by The Associated Press. The charging documents said Anthony is the company’s sole shareholder.
Hunting is prohibited in the park, which is at the edge of the Kenai Peninsula. Black bears, brown bears, mountain goats and moose are among the wildlife found in the park.
Prosecutors alleged that Anthony and Nature Productions Inc. used footage from hunting trips in 2015 and 2017 in episodes of the show, “including footage of two black bear kills within the Kenai Fjords National Park.”
The charges are related to a 2017 incident in which prosecutors allege Anthony shot and killed a black bear inside the park. The charging documents said he falsely reported where the bear was killed.
The documents said Anthony participated in at least eight black bear hunting trips on and around the Kenai Peninsula between 2011 and 2019 and was accompanied on the trips by a film crew on a boat operated by a person identified only as a resident of Alaska.
A virtual arraignment hearing is scheduled for next month.
The Anchorage Daily News reported that “The Bear Whisperer” first aired in 2011 and is a hunting show that focuses on Anthony’s interactions with animals. A website for the show said it was “under construction.”
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https://www.cbs42.com/local/star-of-the-bear-whisperer-accused-of-illegal-bear-kill/
| 2022-05-13T01:00:34
| 1
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https://www.cbs42.com/local/star-of-the-bear-whisperer-accused-of-illegal-bear-kill/
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PISTOIA, Italy (AP) — A Ukrainian circus troupe is performing a never-ending “Alice in Wonderland” tour of Italy, caught in the real-world rabbit hole of having to create joyful performances on stage while their families at home are living through war.
Like many Ukrainian artists who were abroad when Russia invaded on Feb. 24, the acrobats and dancers of the Theater Circus Elysium of Kyiv were opening a limited engagement in Italy. The tour, originally scheduled to end in mid-March, has now been extended at least through June as the performers seek to keep working to send money to relatives back home.
On a recent weekend, the Ukrainian circus came to Pistoia, in Tuscany. There was the Mad Hatter, sporting a green top hat and a purple beard; the White Rabbit with a red nose covered in silver glitter and Alice, with a little blue dress and long ringlets.
But behind their colorful costumes, cheerful smiles and fantastical story line of Alice’s adventures in Wonderland, troupe members are struggling.
“I feel guilty about people who are staying there because they are not safe, and I am safe and I cannot help them,” said Yuliia Palaida, who plays Alice. “I am just fighting with all these feelings,” she adds, her voice trembling.
Oleksandr Bandaliuk plays the Mad Hatter and dominates the show. But backstage, he sits glumly between acts.
“It is very hard to work and dance on the Italy stage because we know in our country now (there) is war,” he said. “We can’t go to Ukraine because in my house now (there are) Russian soldiers.”
Theaters across Italy have booked the circus, and their sold-out performances have allowed them to pay for about 50 family members to flee Ukraine by bus and join the troupe in Italy.
“We have four or five dogs, a cat and a grandmother who is 79 years old, a babushka, who is the matriarch of all of us, the grandmother of the company,” said the Italian producer of the circus, Roberto Romaniello.
The town of Reggio Emilia found temporary housing for the expanded circus family, while they worked on getting legal documents, access to medical services and apartments for a longer-term stay. They have 10 shows scheduled so far in Sicily in June and are hoping for more.
“Each artist has a lot of people in Ukraine,” said Aleksandr Sakhorov, who has relatives in Kyiv and in Zaporizhzhia. “We send money all this time, but if we stop, nobody gets that support because in Ukraine (there are) no jobs now.”
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Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine: https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
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https://www.cbs42.com/local/ukrainian-circus-comes-to-town-and-stays-in-italy-amid-war/
| 2022-05-13T01:00:41
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https://www.cbs42.com/local/ukrainian-circus-comes-to-town-and-stays-in-italy-amid-war/
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A Lincoln man who intentionally started a fire in his apartment last September wanting to burn down the building has been sentenced to two to four years in prison.
Jay Badorek, 67, pleaded no contest to attempted first-degree arson for the fire he started at about 9:30 p.m. Sept. 18 on his stove at his apartment near 48th Street and Pioneers Boulevard.
Lincoln firefighters quickly put out the fire, which caused an estimated $700 damage to the cabinets and a wall in Badorek's kitchen.
"This was something that endangered other people, and, in fact, when speaking to the police Mr. Badorek's stated intent was to burn the building down, kill his neighbors and kill himself," Deputy Lancaster County Attorney Chris Seifert said Thursday.
Badorek's attorney, Heather Colton, said her client was struggling with mental health issues at the time, had taken an excessive amount of medication "and ultimately made some really poor choices."
"Mr. Badorek is sincerely remorseful for the actions that occurred in this incident," she said.
Badorek said as a Christian man he could never hurt anyone and had learned the error of his ways.
Lancaster County District Judge Darla Ideus said it was true Badorek didn't have much of a criminal record before this. But she had to consider the serious nature of the crime.
Badorek will have to serve a year, minus 235 days credit, before he's eligible for parole.
Jason Bergevin will replace retired Platte County District Judge Robert Steinke and David Bargen will replace retired Saline County District Judge Vicky Johnson.
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https://journalstar.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/lincoln-man-gets-prison-time-for-starting-apartment-fire-intending-to-kill-neighbors-himself/article_00bbd5a3-e524-5b97-a1c3-6c08671c2a5a.html
| 2022-05-13T01:05:45
| 0
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https://journalstar.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/lincoln-man-gets-prison-time-for-starting-apartment-fire-intending-to-kill-neighbors-himself/article_00bbd5a3-e524-5b97-a1c3-6c08671c2a5a.html
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Zach Harsin, co-owner of private school Acton Academy, called his upcoming event "a lemonade stand on steroids."
Harsin's students and other young business owners will participate in Acton Academy's third Lincoln Children's Business Fair on Saturday from 1-3 p.m. at Camp Sonshine's new Shiloh campus in Roca.
There, 75 children under 17 will sell their own crafts, baked goods and — of course — freshly squeezed lemonade.
Fifty child-owned businesses will be participating, and about half of those will be run by Acton Academy students.
The business fair aligns with the school's hands-on curriculum. Harsin said Acton Academy attempts to educate students through experiences rather than classroom lectures.
"We are a learner-driven program, where we put the child in the driver's seat of their own education through real-world projects such as this business fair," Harsin said.
The fair aims to teach students how to create a product, market their business and even ask mom or dad for a loan.
The children are hopeful for a big crowd, as the event coincides with Camp Sonshine-Shiloh's grand opening. In addition to the students' goodies, patrons can enjoy a bounce house and car show.
Harsin is eager to see the small business owners learn self-assurance, even more than whatever monetary lesson they glean.
"I think the most interesting thing is getting to watch as children's confidence grows throughout the day," Harsin said. "… Ideally, they leave with a smile on their face and a few dollars in their pocket."
Jenna Thompson is a news intern who has previous writing and editing experience with her college paper and several literary journals. She is a senior at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln pursuing degrees in English and journalism.
"I've gone full Elon Musk," said Paul Holt, who has owned Lincoln's embattled former Holidome since 2013. "I've literally said, 'OK, everything's just gonna ride or die on this thing.'"
The Associated Press called the race at about 10:30 p.m., and Pillen spoke to supporters gathered at the Embassy Suites in downtown Lincoln at about 11 p.m.
Courtney Hubbell had nearly finished crossing the road at 9:20 p.m. Tuesday when she was struck by a 2007 Pontiac G6 traveling east through the intersection, according to the state crash report.
Steven M. Sipple's byline may disappear, but his column catchphrase – one used literally hundreds of times – will live on for at least for today. It’s a fitting way to say farewell and to frame the future.
Habitat ReStore hosted its grand reopening Saturday, the culmination of a frenzied two-week move from its previous location on Y Street to new space at the Edgewood Shopping Center near 56th Street and Nebraska 2.
In a crowded field of Republicans, Jim Pillen surged to the lead for the first time in results updated at 9:35 p.m., and at 10:25, the Associated Press called the race.
An Ohio man caused $7,500 in damage to vehicles parked near the Lincoln Amtrak station on Saturday afternoon after police said he was booted from a train.
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https://journalstar.com/news/local/young-lincoln-entrepreneurs-will-peddle-products-at-upcoming-business-fair/article_8962dbb2-e4a0-5f1d-ae86-232057c7acc5.html
| 2022-05-13T01:05:51
| 1
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https://journalstar.com/news/local/young-lincoln-entrepreneurs-will-peddle-products-at-upcoming-business-fair/article_8962dbb2-e4a0-5f1d-ae86-232057c7acc5.html
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Jim Larsen, 93, of North Bend, passed away on May 5, 2022 in Coquille. Arrangements are under the care of North Bend Chapel, www.coosbayareafunerals.com, 541-756-0440.
Patricia Ann McKillip, 74, of North Bend, passed away on May 6, 2022 in Coos Bay. Arrangements are under the care of North Bend Chapel, www.coosbayareafunerals.com, 541-756-0440.
Elizabeth M. Saylor, 83, of Coos Bay, passed away on May 6, 2022 in Coos Bay. Arrangements are under the care of North Bend Chapel, www.coosbayareafunerals.com, 541-756-0440.
Mark A. Mansfield, 69, of North Bend, passed away on May 5, 2022 in North Bend. Arrangements are under the care of North Bend Chapel, www.coosbayareafunerals.com, 541-756-0440.
Larry Don Scarborough, 74, of North Bend, passed away May 4, 2022 in Coos Bay. Arrangements are under the care of Coos Bay Chapel, 541-267-3131 www.coosbayareafunerals.com
Mark McMahon, 61, of Bandon, died May 4, 2022 in Bandon. Arrangements are under the direction of Amling Schroeder Funeral Service, Bandon
William “Cleve” Piatt, 69, of Coos Bay, passed away May 9, 2022 in Coos Bay. Arrangements are under the care of Coos Bay Chapel, 541-267-3131 www.coosbayareafunerals.com
David Malcolm McGlenister, 71, of Lakeside, passed away May 4, 2022 in Lakeside. Arrangements are under the care of Coos Bay Chapel, 541-267-3131 www.coosbayareafunerals.com
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https://theworldlink.com/news/local/obituaries/may-13-2022-death-notices/article_e58ef65e-cd70-11ec-bebc-6bf4a7551b35.html
| 2022-05-13T01:10:12
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https://theworldlink.com/news/local/obituaries/may-13-2022-death-notices/article_e58ef65e-cd70-11ec-bebc-6bf4a7551b35.html
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