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TRENTON — New Jersey is planning to extend eligibility for the monkeypox vaccine to residents facing a two-week higher risk of being exposed to the virus.
The state also is urging the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to ship more doses of the vaccine, as New Jersey only has about 2,700 doses available.
Monkeypox infections have been on the rise in the U.S. the past few months, with 45 probable and confirmed cases of the virus in New Jersey, Gov. Phil Murphy's office said Wednesday.
“As cases of monkeypox continue to rise and our state receives additional doses from the federal government, we are taking these critical steps to increase availability of the vaccine to protect the health of residents,” Murphy said in a statement. “As my administration works to raise awareness about monkeypox, we encourage our health care and community partners to help spread the word about symptoms, risks and availability of both testing and vaccines."
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The vaccine is given in a two-dose regimen and can be obtained through local health departments. Suspected cases should be reported to a health department or physician, Murphy's office said.
“New Jersey has been given a very limited number of doses at this time, and the Department continues to press the CDC on timely delivery of additional necessary doses to meet the needs of our at-risk populations,” state Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli said. “At the same time, residents should be aware of the signs and symptoms of the orthopoxvirus and take precautions to prevent the spread.” | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/new-jersey-expanding-monkeypox-vaccine-eligibility/article_26f19ea0-0834-11ed-94ff-4770b5bb6a97.html | 2022-07-20T18:41:23 | 0 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/new-jersey-expanding-monkeypox-vaccine-eligibility/article_26f19ea0-0834-11ed-94ff-4770b5bb6a97.html |
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) – As a family searches for a new home with the help of a 10-year-old friend, a local tattoo parlor stepped in to raise funds with an interesting twist.
“We’re giving back to the community,” organizer Zach Kaskell said. “It’s really important and just it’s really a good cause and it’s something that it’s kind of taboo one of those things like ‘oh, hey, heavily tattooed people’ like no, dude, we like to give back to the community and everything. So it’s a good cause and nobody should ever worry about going without a home.”
Grayson Fink has already raised over $8,000 of his $9,000 gift goal, which will cover and Gold Cross Tattoo Co. wants to chip in with a little fresh ink.
Starting at noon Wednesday, anyone who visits Gold Cross Tattoo company can pick from 17 different “flash” designs created specifically for the fundraiser.
Black and grey versions of the designs are available for $100 per person, and full-color versions are available at $150 per person. The designs can only be done on arms and legs, and no alterations are available.
All proceeds from the tattoo sales will go to help Grayson’s best friend Ariana and her family of seven that are hoping to use it for a down payment on a new home. | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/tattoo-parlor-raising-funds-for-evicted-family-through-flash-tattoo-drive/ | 2022-07-20T18:42:18 | 0 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/tattoo-parlor-raising-funds-for-evicted-family-through-flash-tattoo-drive/ |
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Breaking news and the stories that matter to your neighborhood. | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/local/wednesdays-child-zamare/3305389/ | 2022-07-20T18:46:28 | 0 | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/local/wednesdays-child-zamare/3305389/ |
APOPKA, Fla. – The Apopka Professional Firefighters Association will hold a vigil Thursday to remember firefighter Austin Duran and the public is welcome to attend.
The vigil will take place at 8:30 p.m. at 176 E. 5th St., across from Apopka Fire Station 1. That’s where firefighters have set up a small memorial for Duran.
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Duran, 25, died last week after battling injuries caused by a workplace accident. He was taken to the hospital on June 30 after getting hurt while trying to move a sand trailer filled with hazardous liquids and gases.
Duran endured multiple surgeries before succumbing to his injuries.
In a GoFundMe update made on Saturday, Duran’s sister wrote, “Yesterday was a bad day for our family ... Austin fought this fight like a warrior, like a hero.”
The community came together, hosting multiple fundraisers and a tribute run in his honor.
Funeral services and a vehicle procession will be held Saturday for Duran, but the services will be limited to family and firefighters.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/07/20/community-to-hold-vigil-after-death-of-apopka-firefighter-austin-duran/ | 2022-07-20T18:50:57 | 0 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/07/20/community-to-hold-vigil-after-death-of-apopka-firefighter-austin-duran/ |
City halts Detroit ID program, seeks new vendor over data leak worries
Detroit — The city of Detroit has suspended its Detroit ID program because of concerns the city's vendor could have leaked private information of more than 800 applicants.
The D-ID was launched in December 2016 in recognition that diverse populations, including many homeless residents and undocumented immigrants, lack an accepted form of government identification, without which they cannot access needed services and resources.
District 6 Councilmember Gabriela Santiago-Romero and members of the Immigration Task Force stood in front of the Spirit of Detroit monument Wednesday calling for corrective action due to risks associated with redesign of the Detroit ID program.
The program successfully ran until the pandemic, when it was halted for two years.
Since relaunching in May, the new vendor for the program, MoCaFi, has been found selling and/or sharing personal information through clearinghouses used by U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE). This puts immigrant communities at risk for targeted enforcement and exposing all applicants’ personal information to third parties without their consent.
It's estimated 30,000 Detroiters are foreign-born, Santiago-Romero said.
The $50,000 contract with MoCaFi was approved during an emergency procurement in April 2020 and was expected to last through 50,000 printed cards.
Santiago-Romero, who was previously undocumented, said the city needs to remain transparent to those they serve and protect residents' information.
"We had a program that worked and we ask to go back to that program. We must work now with the affected communities to swiftly find a solution that protect all those that this was intended to support," said Santiago-Romero. "Ultimately, we think this needs to be brought in-house... Frankly, this would have never happened if we were listened to when we sounded the alarm that MoCaFi had ties to ICE."
Benefits of Detroit ID include accessing schools, pharmaceuticals, health care and opening a bank account. The Detroit ID does not allow driving or voting.
Corporation Counsel Conrad Mallett Jr. said the city has received no complaints or indication there has been any misuse of the data that was collected.
"It is only out of an abundance of caution that we have agreed with MoCaFi to suspend the program," he said in a statement. "We have received no complaints from any card holders and there has been no indication whatsoever that there has been any misuse of the data that was collected. We feel at this time that notifying these individuals would unnecessarily raise concerns that are not warranted."
It was discovered earlier this year that MoCaFi was using a different process to verify identify including requiring Social Security numbers, separating and excluding those without, one of the main constituencies the program intended to serve.
Christine Sauvé heads up the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center. Her group became aware of the problem early this year.
"We quickly alerted the Detroit Health Department to the matter and asked it be investigated. At that point, some 200 people had signed up and we were worried their information may have been shared. We were assured by the chief public health officer that the program had been paused," Sauvé said.
She learned on July 8 that the program was not paused and an additional 600 people were registered. "This has been nothing short of frightening for our community," she said.
For those who applied between May 1 and July 15, information may have been shared to third parties and Sauvé encouraged them to visit MichiganImmigrant.org or see their Preparing Your Family guide.
The city said it will be ending its contract with MoCaFi and will be seeking other vendors. Still, the coalition is asking for the city to alert all 883 applicants that their information could have been leaked and erase such data going forward with a new vendor.
"Given the concerns being expressed by some members of the community, the mayor supports the decision to suspend the program for now, said city spokesman John Roach. "It will give us an opportunity to re-engage with the same constituencies we did when the first developed the Detroit ID to look at how it can best be operated going forward given the evolving concerns about cyber security."
Yvonne Navarrete, who spoke at the protest on behalf of We the People – Michigan, said the need to issue identification should not be on local governments but issued by the state.
"In a state that denies many undocumented, houseless and formerly incarcerated people, access to state identification and driver's licenses, Black and Brown Detroiters showed out for people like my mom," Navarrete said. "Creating this program meant our neighbors recognized her safety and dignity and put in the work, where our state government is failing us."
srahal@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @SarahRahal_ | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/detroit-city/2022/07/20/city-halts-detroit-id-program-seeks-new-vendor-over-data-leak-worries/10086272002/ | 2022-07-20T18:51:07 | 0 | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/detroit-city/2022/07/20/city-halts-detroit-id-program-seeks-new-vendor-over-data-leak-worries/10086272002/ |
LAKE COUNTY, Fla. – A woman accused of waving a pitchfork and black whip in front of a Publix store was arrested Tuesday in Lake County, according to an arrest affidavit.
The Publix manager told deputies that Lisa Anne Slone, 56, was trying to sell teddy bears behind the store in Minneola earlier that day, the Florida Highway Patrol report said.
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The manager told troopers Slone used the pitchfork to stab a mini van, the report said. The manager also said the owner of the vehicle did not want police involvement and would fix the damage on their own, according to FHP.
Troopers ordered Slone to stop, but she refused to put the weapon down and walked away, according to the arrest affidavit. The report said Slone unbuckled her seatbelt after being placed in a patrol car and began kicking at the window.
According to FHP, Slone appeared to be highly intoxicated on a stimulant drug but did not have an odor of alcohol. After being asked about her cut marks and bruises, Slone said she “felt no pain anymore and that God was in control,” the report said.
Slone is being held in the Orange Lake County Jail, and she is being charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon with a $5,000 bond.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/07/20/woman-with-pitchfork-whip-tries-to-sell-teddy-bears-at-lake-county-publix-florida-highway-patrol-says/ | 2022-07-20T18:51:10 | 0 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/07/20/woman-with-pitchfork-whip-tries-to-sell-teddy-bears-at-lake-county-publix-florida-highway-patrol-says/ |
Whitmer signs $54.8B budget with big Detroit spends; vetoes millions for pregnancy centers, research
Detroit — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Wednesday signed a $54.8 billion state operating budget into law that's part of a record-setting $76 billion overall budget when combined with the state's $22 billion education spending plan she signed last week.
The budget ballooned this year as the state burned off its dwindling one-time federal COVID-19 relief funds and received higher than expected tax revenue from the income and sales taxes.
Even after Whitmer's signing Wednesday, the state has about $7 billion remaining on the books that has been the subject of long and tortured negotiations over potential tax relief.
Roughly $27 million funds the GOP-controlled Legislature appropriated for pregnancy centers, adoption education and stem cell research won't get spent after being vetoed by Whitmer because of concerns over anti-abortion conditions tied to some of the funding.
The budget invests broadly in K-12, secondary and skills-based education; mental health resources in schools and improvements in in-patient psychiatric facilities; road and water resource infrastructure; and cash infusions to bail out struggling government employee pensions systems across the state.
"This budget has something remarkable for every community across the state of Michigan," Whitmer said at a bill-signing ceremony in Detroit. "You will see the benefit of the investment that we are making in our people, in our infrastructure, in our places and in our potential, our collective potential. Because when one part of our state succeeds every part of our state succeeds."
The budget also includes more than $300 million in earmarked spending on Detroit-centered projects, funding that was a focus of Whitmer and Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan at the bill's signing event at The Corner Ballpark (PAL), the former home of Tiger Stadium in Detroit's Corktown neighborhood.
The ballpark is part of Detroit's PAL (Police Athletic Program), which is focused on youth sports opportunities and received about $7.5 million in funding in the 2023 fiscal year budget for its Detroit program and potential expansion into Grand Rapids and Flint.
Duggan couldn't say whether it was a record funding year for Detroit, noting the city used to receive significant funding when state revenue sharing with local communities was more robust. But when tracking totals in recent years, the new budget easily represents the largest, he said.
The mayor argued that the investments in Michigan's largest city would lift other parts of the state as well.
"Eight years ago, Detroit had the highest poverty rate, unemployment rate and murder rate in the country," Duggan said. "Now, the city of Detroit is driving economic progress in the state."
Detroit investments
Duggan said he spoke with "lots of legislators" in a bid to show an investment in Detroit would have long-term dividends. The effort appeared to pay off, with hundreds of millions of dollars in earmarked cash going to the city.
"A lot of this appropriation is America Rescue Plan money; it's got to be spent by the end of 2024," Duggan said. "We're not spending a dollar of American Rescue Plan money if its not going to do long-term good."
Other Detroit-specific projects benefiting from the funding include about $40 million for the 27.5-mile Joe Louis Greenway, $100 million for the Detroit Center for Innovation, $100 million for the Wayne State Medical School Cancer Institute, $1 million for the Wayne Port Authority and $5 million for the Global Talent Initiative.
Another $2.5 million will go to Detroit's Sickle Cell Center, $1 million to the Ruth Ellis Center, $590,000 will go to the Alternative for Girls homeless shelter and support program, $500,000 for Detroit Downtown Boxing and $12 million for Eastern Market.
Lawmakers also appropriated $6 million toward operations of the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History and $4 million to the Detroit Historical Society Museum in Midtown Detroit's cultural district.
A Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network psychiatric campus will receive about $45 million in funding and psychiatric services at the Detroit Medical Center's Children's Hospital will receive about $5 million.
While investments in Detroit were significant, Sen. Jim Stamas, the Midland Republican who chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee, argued the budget also benefited other parts of the state, but in less overt or targeted appropriations. He noted, as an example, the large-scale investments the budget includes for water infrastructure grants for smaller communities.
"The greater sum was actually put into these buckets to help all across Michigan," Stamas said. "...I think we're seeing that opportunity equal across the state."
$27M vetoed
Between the education and general fund budgets, Whitmer vetoed more than $25 million aimed to boost pregnancy centers, put limits on aborted fetal tissue research and give tax credits to adoptive parents.
Whitmer's general fund budget vetoes included the elimination of about $10 million in marketing programs promoting adoption as an alternative to abortion, $4 million in grants for housing pregnant women without a safe home, $3 million for a maternal navigator pilot to be distributed to nonprofits to make referrals for prenatal or postnatal care and in cases of pregnancies involving rape, abuse or a substance use disorder.
Whitmer also vetoed $2 million lawmakers appropriated for an adoptive parent tax credit, $1.5 million for pregnancy resource centers that promote alternatives to abortion, $700,000 for women's health centers that focus on grief counseling, child birth and alternatives to abortion and $50,000 to inform the public that the state will not use general fund dollars for services or contracts providing elective abortions.
Another $100,000 was vetoed that would have created a legal fund in the Michigan Department of Corrections for it to respond to suits filed over a ban on gender reassignment surgery funding for inmates.
The education budget included vetoes of about $1 million for college pregnancy and parenting services and $5 million for "ethical stem cell/fetal tissue research" that would prohibit universities from using the funds to conduct "any research on aborted fetal tissue," according to the bill.
While announcing the vetoes earlier this week, Whitmer called the centers providing pregnancy services "fake" because she said they "lie to women about medical facts."
"Gov. Whitmer supports legislation that provides every possible resource to women who are pregnant, seeking to start a family, or those who aren’t ready yet, but she cannot support aspects of a bill that sends millions in taxpayer dollars to fake health centers that intentionally withhold information from women about their health, bodies, and full reproductive freedom," her office said.
Rep. Thomas Albert, the Lowell Republican who chairs the House Appropriations Committee, criticized the governor's vetoes as supporting only one "choice" for women with problem pregnancies.
"Let’s be clear – this funding is not about access to abortion," Albert said. "It’s about helping women in need and actually sustaining life.”
The Michigan Catholic Conference, the lobbying arm of the Catholic church in Lansing, also criticized the vetoes, calling them "extreme" and a source of alienation for the "tens of thousands" of women and families using the pregnancy centers.
"By eliminating these helping hands for women who want to have their babies, the governor is, in effect, taking away their ‘choice’ — the choice for childbirth," said Rebecca Mastee, policy advocate for the Michigan Catholic Conference.
eleblanc@detroitnews.com | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2022/07/20/whitmer-signs-54-8-b-budget-big-detroit-spends-vetoes-millions-fake-pregnancy-centers/10104753002/ | 2022-07-20T18:51:13 | 0 | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2022/07/20/whitmer-signs-54-8-b-budget-big-detroit-spends-vetoes-millions-fake-pregnancy-centers/10104753002/ |
Man faces 3rd murder charge after mother dies following Harper Woods attack, standoff
Harper Woods — The man suspected in multiple stabbings at a home earlier this month is facing a third murder charge after his mother died over the weekend from injuries police say were inflicted by her son.
He had previously been charged in the deaths of Zlayiah Frazier, 22, of Roseville and his stepfather Robert Bray Jr., 70, of Harper Woods. Officials said Frazier and Bray appeared to have been killed by blunt force trauma.
Frazier was the mother of Welch's son.
Welch is scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday on charges in connection with the death of his mother, Flossie Bray, 42, of Harper Woods, authorities said.
Welch now faces three counts of first-degree murder, three counts of assault with intent to murder, a count of second-degree arson, seven counts of felonious assault, and six counts of using a firearm during a felony.
If convicted, he could be sentenced up to life in prison for the murder charges.
Police said Welch attacked his mother on July 10 at her Harper Woods home. A judge ordered Welch to live at the home while free on bond after he was charged in connection with assaulting Frazier last month.
Bray died Saturday from her wounds in the stabbing, according to the prosecutor's office.
Harper Woods police were called at about 8:14 p.m. July 10 to Bray's home at 20640 block of Kenosha near Interstate 94 and Moross for a report that a woman had been stabbed, they said.
They found Welch's 1-year-old son on the home's driveway crying. Officers took the child to safety and a hospital.
Shortly after, police began taking gunfire coming from inside the house, officials said. They also saw smoke and flames coming from the home.
Officers took cover, set up a perimeter and called for a tactical team.
Hours later, the situation ended with police arresting Welch, they said. Officers found the injured Bray, who had been stabbed multiple times with a butcher's knife. Frazier and Robert Bray were dead inside the house. | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/wayne-county/2022/07/20/man-faces-3rd-murder-charge-after-mother-dies-following-harper-woods-attack-standoff/10107041002/ | 2022-07-20T18:51:19 | 1 | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/wayne-county/2022/07/20/man-faces-3rd-murder-charge-after-mother-dies-following-harper-woods-attack-standoff/10107041002/ |
Fort Wayne Animal Care & Control will have a Late-Night Adoptions event Friday in an effort to make space in its shelter, it was announced Wednesday.
The adoption center will stay open until 7:30 p.m. Friday and adoption fees for cats, kittens and small animals will be waived. In addition, the waiving of the adoption fee applies to cats and kittens at off-site locations such as Black Forest Cat Café, Pet Supplies Plus stores and PetSmart stores.
The shelter always sees an increase in the number of kittens during the warmer months, a press release said. More than 1,000 cats and kittens have come to the shelter since June 1.
Interested adopters can view available animals and fill out an adoption application at fwacc.org or fill out an application at the shelter. All adoptions are first-come, first serve. | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/animal-care-control-to-have-late-night-adoption-event/article_ad7bb6c6-083f-11ed-956c-f32a1c817be8.html | 2022-07-20T18:52:17 | 1 | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/animal-care-control-to-have-late-night-adoption-event/article_ad7bb6c6-083f-11ed-956c-f32a1c817be8.html |
An arrest warrant has been issued for a former Fort Wayne police officer who is accused of exposing himself to two women, court records said.
The warrant for Erik Melia, 42, of the 10300 block of Bitterroot Court in Fort Wayne, is for a second count of misdemeanor public indecency in what appears to be two unrelated cases.
As of Wednesday afternoon, Melia, who was on the police force as recently as last month, was not in the Allen County Jail.
The first incident happened June 5 while Melia was an officer and assisting with an arrest after someone violated a protective order, court documents state. He remained on the scene with the victim.
Records state that Melia allegedly stroked the victim's hand, assured her it’d be all right and then directed her to drive to a deserted area where he exposed himself and tried to get the woman to touch him sexually.
The second incident happened July 14 after Melia was no longer an officer. Records state he contacted a woman who he knew while an officer and asked her to come outside and smoke with him in his car, the victim told police. The woman became increasingly uncomfortable with his insistence, and on advice from a friend videoed the incident with her phone.
The videos she took showed Melia exposing and touching himself and attempting to get her to touch him sexually, according to court documents. | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/former-police-officer-wanted-for-allegedly-exposing-himself/article_e1f82ce2-0847-11ed-9810-4780b92e49e7.html | 2022-07-20T18:52:23 | 0 | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/former-police-officer-wanted-for-allegedly-exposing-himself/article_e1f82ce2-0847-11ed-9810-4780b92e49e7.html |
Fort Wayne's Neighborhood Planning and Activation workgroup is looking for input from area residents, business owners and organizations as part of a new plan for the Northside, Forest Park and North Anthony neighborhoods.
Community input will be used to establish a vision and make recommendations to help guide future growth, redevelopment and preservation efforts in the area, a news release said. Northside, Forest Park and North Anthony are working together as the Historic Northeast Neighborhood group.
Residents are asked to participate in a 22-question survey that is available online in English and Spanish at historicnortheast.com. Participants can use an interactive map on the website to mark locations where they would like to see improvements, such as bike lanes and parks.
Paper surveys are also available at Citizens Square, 200 E. Berry St., and the Tecumseh Library Branch, 1411 E. State Blvd. | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/group-seeks-opinions-from-northside-forest-park-north-anthony-neighborhoods/article_834c523c-0846-11ed-9496-637bdae8fc15.html | 2022-07-20T18:52:29 | 1 | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/group-seeks-opinions-from-northside-forest-park-north-anthony-neighborhoods/article_834c523c-0846-11ed-9496-637bdae8fc15.html |
Filing for November's school board elections doesn't start until next week, but one East Allen County Schools incumbent used Tuesday's meeting to announce he will seek reelection.
"I can tell you over the last eight years I have felt humbled and honored to be part of such a great organization and to work with incredible people," said Tim Hines, board vice president. "I believe East Allen is heading in a positive direction."
Meeting attendees – primarily board members and district staff – reacted with applause.
Hines ran unopposed for the District 1R seat in 2018.
Paulette Nellems of District 3E and Gayle Etzler of District 2E also have terms expiring this year. Neither mentioned their election plans at the meeting.
The filing window for school board candidates runs from July 27 until noon Aug. 26. | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/local-politics/political-notebook/east-allen-county-schools-board-incumbent-announces-intent-to-seek-reelection/article_60dcbc6e-0841-11ed-9978-93f58e684374.html | 2022-07-20T18:52:35 | 0 | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/local-politics/political-notebook/east-allen-county-schools-board-incumbent-announces-intent-to-seek-reelection/article_60dcbc6e-0841-11ed-9978-93f58e684374.html |
The National Weather Service has issued a severe thunderstorm watch until 8 p.m. tonight for an area of northwest Ohio that includes Defiance, Mercer, Paulding, Van Wert and Williams counties.
Storm watch: Defiance, Mercer, Paulding, Van Wert, Williams
- The Journal Gazette | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/storm-watch-defiance-mercer-paulding-van-wert-williams/article_d8b726b8-084e-11ed-a8b1-c35838d83c9e.html | 2022-07-20T18:52:41 | 1 | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/storm-watch-defiance-mercer-paulding-van-wert-williams/article_d8b726b8-084e-11ed-a8b1-c35838d83c9e.html |
WASHINGTON (AP) - The House has overwhelmingly approved a bill tp protect same-sex and interracial marriages.
Tuesday's vote stands as a direct confrontation with the Supreme Court, whose conservative majority in overturning Roe v. Wade abortion access signaled that other rights may be in jeopardy.
The vote was 267-157 with 47 Republicans supporting the bill.
Congresswoman Claudia Tenney, R-22, was the only New York representative to vote against the bill, saying same-sex marriage is not in jeopardy so the bill isn't necessary.
While the Respect for Marriage Act easily passed the House, it is likely to stall in the Senate, where most Republicans could stop it with a filibuster.
But it's part of a political strategy setting up an election-year roll call that forced all lawmakers to go on the record with their views. Dozens of Republicans joined Democrats in Tuesday's House passage. | https://www.wktv.com/news/local/house-passes-same-sex-marriage-bill-tenney-votes-no/article_b5386d22-0854-11ed-be90-6396d66d8d90.html | 2022-07-20T18:55:52 | 1 | https://www.wktv.com/news/local/house-passes-same-sex-marriage-bill-tenney-votes-no/article_b5386d22-0854-11ed-be90-6396d66d8d90.html |
Manitowoc Area Visitor & Convention Bureau director is resigning to serve as Two Rivers Main Street director
MANITOWOC - Jason Ring is leaving his post as executive director of the Manitowoc Area Visitor & Convention Bureau to fill the director's vacancy for Two Rivers Main Street.
Ring will resign from his position effective July 29 and has served as director of MAVCB since 2011.
"I'm incredibly grateful to the board, the MAVCB team, the business partners and the visitors I have served in this role," Ring said in a news release Tuesday. "It has truly been a privilege to give back to the place I made my home 11 years ago."
In addition to his position with MAVCB, Ring was elected in April to serve on the Two Rivers City Council. He also has served on the Destinations Wisconsin board, the Wisconsin Harbor Towns Association Executive Committee, the Wisconsin Ag Tourism Association and the Wisconsin Department of Tourism JEM Grant Review Committee.
Two Rivers Main Street is part of the national Main Street organization, which seeks to strengthen and improve downtown areas, such as Two Rivers'.
As part of the Main Street mission, the organization puts on events, such as Ethnic Fest or the Cool City Classic Car Cruise and Show, to draw visitors to Two Rivers' downtown area.
Roger Russove, former Two Rivers Main Street director, stepped down last month.
"I think that the organization is in a better place now than it was when I started six-and-a-half years ago, and I see a lot of opportunities for it in the future," Russove told the Herald Times Reporter in a previous article. "We've seen a lot of growth in downtown Two Rivers."
Ring is leaving the MAVCB in a time of turmoil for the organization. At the beginning of 2022, both the city of Manitowoc and the city of Two Rivers cut their ties with the MAVCB and ceased their funding through room tax dollars. Both cities have also now created their own tourism departments.
City of Manitowoc also evicted the MAVCB and closed the Visitor Information Center that was at 4221 Calumet Ave. at the beginning of 2022. The Visitor Information Center now operates at 3733 Dewey St.
The MAVCB, together with the Wisconsin Association of Convention & Visitor Bureaus and Manitowoc business The Hearty Olive, filed a lawsuit against the city of Manitowoc and the Manitowoc Room Tax Commission in January. The city of Two Rivers and the Two Rivers Room Tax Commission were later added as third-party defendants.
The lawsuit claims that as the only tourism entity in the municipality, the cities have no choice but to engage in a contract with the MAVCB and that the cities' newly developed tourism departments do not meet the state's requirements of a tourism entity.
More: Manitowoc County tourism rebounds from pandemic with $112.2M in visitor spending in 2021
More: Opinion: Manitowoc's empty Visitor Center is hurting local tourism
A brief filed by the city of Manitowoc to dispute the lawsuit's claims states that Wisconsin statutes allow a city to forward room tax funds, which are to be spent on tourism promotion and development, to either a tourism entity like the MAVCB or a room tax commission.
No hearings are scheduled in the ongoing civil case.
Contact Alisa Schafer at aschafer@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @AlisaMSchafer. | https://www.htrnews.com/story/news/local/2022/07/19/manitowoc-visitor-bureau-director-resigns-lead-two-rivers-main-street/10096310002/ | 2022-07-20T18:56:10 | 1 | https://www.htrnews.com/story/news/local/2022/07/19/manitowoc-visitor-bureau-director-resigns-lead-two-rivers-main-street/10096310002/ |
ESTELL MANOR — An Egg Harbor Township woman was seriously injured in a car crash Tuesday afternoon.
The crash was first reported to State Police at 5:19 p.m. Troopers found a Chevrolet Cavalier and a Toyota Rav 4 had crashed at the scene, Trooper Brandi Slota said Wednesday.
The Cavalier was traveling west on Eighth Avenue when it entered the road's intersection with Cape May Avenue, striking the northbound Rav 4, Slota said.
The Cavalier's driver, Suzanne Jones, 53, sustained serious injuries in the collision, Slota said, adding the nature of Jones' injuries were unclear.
The Rav 4's driver sustained minor injuries, Slota said. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/accident-and-incident/egg-harbor-township-woman-injured-in-estell-manor-crash/article_b64bab94-083a-11ed-ab18-1355d24c65b6.html | 2022-07-20T18:58:53 | 1 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/accident-and-incident/egg-harbor-township-woman-injured-in-estell-manor-crash/article_b64bab94-083a-11ed-ab18-1355d24c65b6.html |
Atlantic City can now tout itself as having America's best boardwalk.
Travel website Fodor's ranked the Boardwalk as the country's best, citing its casinos and entertainment venues.
It also highlighted the Boardwalk's shopping venues and amusement rides for young visitors at the Steel Pier.
"Atlantic City’s boardwalk is internationally famous," Fodor's said. "It is said to be the world’s first and longest boardwalk dating way back to 1870. The structure’s original intent was to protect the nearby hotels from unruly ocean waves, but over time, as the boardwalk grew to its current length of 5.5 miles, it became an international entertainment hub." | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/atlantic-city-boardwalk-named-nations-best-by-fodors/article_56f6d88c-0851-11ed-88fb-0f5847fb6bf9.html | 2022-07-20T18:58:59 | 0 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/atlantic-city-boardwalk-named-nations-best-by-fodors/article_56f6d88c-0851-11ed-88fb-0f5847fb6bf9.html |
Here’s an update of the COVID-19 numbers in the state
New positive cases: 2,979
New deaths: 15
Total positive cases: 2,181,291
Total number of deaths: 31,096
Total vaccine doses administered: 14,122,223
Rate of transmission: 1.10
CASES BY COUNTY
Atlantic: 61,437 cases, 957 deaths, 380,226 doses administered
Cape May: 12,166 cases, 264 deaths, 134,321 doses administered
Cumberland: 36,177 cases, 575 deaths, 186,616 doses administered
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Ocean: 149,635 cases, 2,870 deaths, 703,165 doses administered
Figures as of 1 p.m. July 20
Source: N.J. Department of Health | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/new-jersey-reports-nearly-3-000-new-covid-19-cases-15-new-deaths-rate-of/article_72206bb4-0856-11ed-bb5a-7f3218d21926.html | 2022-07-20T18:59:05 | 1 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/new-jersey-reports-nearly-3-000-new-covid-19-cases-15-new-deaths-rate-of/article_72206bb4-0856-11ed-bb5a-7f3218d21926.html |
The unbeaten Ocean City Nor’easters will begin the Eastern Conference playoffs Friday in League Two of the United Soccer Leagues against the Long Island Rough Riders in Newport News, Virginia.
The fourth-seeded Nor’easters (11-0-3) will play the fifth-seeded Rough Riders (11-2-1) at 5 p.m. at Townbank Stadium.
Ocean City was the winner of the Mid-Atlantic Division, and Long Island finished second in the Metropolitan Division.
If successful Friday, Ocean City will play the winner between top-seeded and host Lionsbridge FC and No. 8 Vermont Green FC at 7 p.m. Sunday at the same site in an Eastern Conference semifinal game.
Ocean City is one of four teams out of League Two’s 114 in the U.S. and Canada to finish the regular season unbeaten. Since League Two (originally the Premier Development League) began in 1995, there have been 25 teams to finish the regular season without a loss. One of the other unbeatens this year is Lionsbridge FC (12-0-2).
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Alessandro Arlotti leads the Nor’easters in goals (eight) and assists (six). He has either scored or assisted on the game-winning goal in seven of the team’s 11 victories. Arlotti, of San Remo, Italy, plays for Harvard University. Goalie Felix Schafer finished the regular season at 10-0-2 with a team record-low goals against average of 0.55. Schafer, of Berlin, Germany, will play this fall for Santa Clara University in California.
As a team, O.C. set the club record with a 0.64 goals against average.
The Rough Riders are former members of the Mid-Atlantic Division and have met the Nor’easters many times in past seasons. Their most recent game was a 3-3 tie in the 2019 regular-season finale.
Long Island is also strong defensively, with a team goals against average of less than 1.00. The Rough Riders have a four-game winning streak and a five-game unbeaten streak.
Long Island is led offensively by Matthew Vowinkel (11 goals) and Ryan Carmichael (10 goals, three assists). Goalie Wessell Speel has played in 12 of the team’s 14 games and has a 1.10 goals against average. All three players are from Hofstra University. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/sports/local/noreasters-begin-league-two-playoffs-friday-in-virginia/article_51170932-07cf-11ed-ac20-638710dc9a97.html | 2022-07-20T18:59:18 | 0 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/sports/local/noreasters-begin-league-two-playoffs-friday-in-virginia/article_51170932-07cf-11ed-ac20-638710dc9a97.html |
Judge compels Sheriff to deliver DA’s subpoenas
LAS CRUCES – A 12th Judicial District Judge ordered the Doña Ana County Sheriff's Office to deliver the district attorney's subpoenas after a hearing on Tuesday.
The ruling ends, at least for now, a dispute between Sheriff Kim Stewart and 3rd Judicial District Attorney Gerald Byers. Byers alleged that Stewart and DASO Major Jon Day strolled into his office, dropped a pile of subpoenas on his desk, then left with Stewart saying that DASO would cease delivering subpoenas.
In his petition, Special Prosecutor for the DA's Office George Harrison said the sheriff's move could negatively impact criminal proceedings. However, Harrison said the DA's office managed to deliver all their subpoenas in June.
A subpoena is an order formally requesting a person to appear in court or provide documents during a judicial proceeding. 12th District Judge John Suggs said the question at hand was whether there was a legal basis for DASO to serve subpoenas.
Harrison argued that the law was clear on this matter.
"There's a statute that says if law officers are provided with process, they must serve it," Harrison said.
Nelson Goodin, the Doña Ana County Attorney representing Stewart, argued that "process" was a vague term. He said the law did not specifically say that process included subpoenas. Therefore, Goodin argued that the sheriff did not have a clear and indisputable duty.
Suggs saw it differently. He pointed to a case in 1985 that he said defined "process."
"And it specifically says… it is clear that process was meant to be a generic term, including summons writs, warrants, and orders," Suggs said.
A subpoena is a type of court order. After establishing that point, Suggs formally compelled Stewart and DASO to deliver the subpoenas.
While it was unnecessary, both sides submitted witness lists that would've featured county employees from different parts of the building testifying against each other. But Suggs felt there were no disputes over facts, so the hearing did not require testimony.
After the ruling, Goodin said the sheriff would abide by the court's order. If she did not, Suggs said that there could be penalties.
"If it's not followed, there could be potential consequences including contempt of court," Suggs said.
Justin Garcia is a public safety reporter for the Las Cruces Sun-News. He can be reached via email at JEGarcia@lcsun-news.com.
Others are reading: | https://www.lcsun-news.com/story/news/local/courts/2022/07/20/judge-compels-sheriff-to-deliver-das-subpoenas/65377715007/ | 2022-07-20T19:01:06 | 0 | https://www.lcsun-news.com/story/news/local/courts/2022/07/20/judge-compels-sheriff-to-deliver-das-subpoenas/65377715007/ |
Australian teams soared at Spaceport America Cup
Rocket contest winners announced after glitches forced a three-week delay
- Intercollegiate rocket competition has drawn international rocketry teams to New Mexico since 2017.
- New Mexico State University wins local Chile Cup prize for first time.
- University of Sydney took three awards including overall champion..
LAS CRUCES ‒ After a three-week delay that arose from technical problems last month, the winners of the Spaceport America Cup rocketry competition were announced last weekend in a livestreamed award ceremony.
New Mexico's Spaceport America, which has hosted the annual contest since 2017, said more than 1,300 participants participated, mainly higher education students and their mentors, from 95 institutions in 16 countries. The competition begins and ends with presentations at the Las Cruces Convention Center, while launches take place over a few days at the spaceport's vertical launch facility in Sierra County.
When the contestants gathered for closing ceremonies in Las Cruces on June 25, they learned that most winners would not be announced that night, because of problems collecting flight data from all of the rocket launches. The judges, volunteers who reside all over the United States, ultimately took three weeks to process the data and score the teams accurately.
In all, 14 prizes were awarded in addition to three cash prizes from Space Dynamics Laboratory research payloads flown by teams from the University of Queensland, West Virginia University and University of Sydney.
Once the winners were announced, it was clear that 2022 — the first Spaceport America Cup competition to happen in person since 2019, owing to the COVID-19 pandemic — was a big year for Australian teams.
The competition's overall prize, the Cup itself, went to the University of Sydney, whose team launched a rocket named Bluewren to 30,000 feet with a research payload designed to assist in collecting space debris.
Sydney also took first place in SDL's payload competition and achieved the top score for 30,000-foot flights by commercial "off the shelf" rockets, while three other Australian teams won prizes as well: The University of Queensland took third place in the payload competition, while the Charles Hoult Award for Modeling and Simulation was taken by the University of Melbourne, with Monash University's team as runner-up.
More:Spaceport America Cup rocketry competition weathers rain and mud
The Chile Cup, an award for teams based in New Mexico or Texas, was won for the first time by New Mexico State University's Atomic Aggies, who prevailed over teams from the University of New Mexico, New Mexico Tech and the University of Texas at El Paso.
2022 Spaceport America Cup winners
Sportsmanship
- Worcester Polytechnic Institute
- Brigham Young University (runner up)
Nancy Squires Team Spirit Award
- Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil
- Norwegian University of Science and Technology (runner up)
Charles Hoult Award for Modeling and Simulation
- University of Melbourne, Australia
- Monash University, Australia (runner up)
Dr. Gil Moore Award for Innovation
- University of Michigan - Dearborn
- Chulalongkorn University, Thailand (runner up)
- Cornell University (runner up)
- University of Leeds, UK (runner up)
Jim Furfaro Award for Technical Excellence
- University of Akron
- University of Waterloo, Canada (runner up)
James Barrowman Award for Flight Dynamics
- Boston University
- Brigham Young University (runner up)
10,000-foot COTS (commercial off-the-shelf)
- Case Western Reserve University
- The Citadel, South Carolina (runner up)
10,000-foot SRAD (student researched and designed), solid fuel
- Kent State University
- Iowa State University of Science and Technology (runner up)
10,000-foot SRAD hybrid/liquid fuel
- Polytechnique Montréal, Canada
- Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Poland (runner up)
30,000-foot COTS
- University of Sydney, Australia
- Norwegian University of Science and Technology (runner up)
30,000-foot SRAD solid fuel
- West Virginia University
- Oregon State University (runner up)
30,000-foot SRAD hybrid/liquid fuel
- University of Tennessee, Knoxville
- ETH Zurich, Switzerland (runner up)
Spaceport America Chile Cup
- New Mexico State University
- University of New Mexico (runner up)
Spaceport America Cup (overall winner)
- University of Sydney, Australia
- Case Western Reserve University (runner up)
The competition was founded in 2006 by the nonprofit Intercollegiate Rocket Engineering Competition (IREC), which continues to manage the event in partnership with the spaceport. Among the sponsors are aerospace companies that meet and recruit talent at the competition, including main sponsor Sierra Space, spaceport anchor tenant Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin among others.
In a statement, spaceport director Scott McLaughlin said, "We have seen many rocketeers return to Spaceport America once they have graduated and joined the aerospace workforce."
The competition was canceled in 2020 over pandemic conditions and held as a virtual event last summer.
Algernon D'Ammassa can be reached at 575-541-5451, adammassa@lcsun-news.com or @AlgernonWrites on Twitter.
Others are reading: | https://www.lcsun-news.com/story/news/local/spaceport/2022/07/20/australian-teams-soared-at-spaceport-america-cup/65377042007/ | 2022-07-20T19:01:12 | 0 | https://www.lcsun-news.com/story/news/local/spaceport/2022/07/20/australian-teams-soared-at-spaceport-america-cup/65377042007/ |
PFLUGERVILLE, Texas — This record-breaking heat we've been seeing around Central Texas is no joke, but one local water park is offering a chilling solution.
This Thursday, Typhoon Texas is planning to drop 15,000 pounds of ice into its wave pool.
"The ultimate Texas cool down takes place Thursday, July 21, precisely at 3 p.m. when team members dump out wheelbarrow after wheelbarrow of ice to combat the sweltering summer heat," the water park said in a media advisory.
In addition to catching some icy waves, guests will be welcome to enjoy two snow machines, an appearance by Elsa from Disney's "Frozen" and music from a DJ.
"Foreigner’s 'Cold as Ice' and 'Ice Ice Baby' are certain to be requested," Typhoon Texas said.
Typhoon Texas is located at 18500 TX-130 North Service Road in Pflugerville.
PEOPLE ARE ALSO READING: | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/typhoon-texas-15000-pounds-ice-wave-pool-ultimate-cool-down/269-c613c31d-c30f-4a5b-a044-cdf52e63f327 | 2022-07-20T19:01:19 | 1 | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/typhoon-texas-15000-pounds-ice-wave-pool-ultimate-cool-down/269-c613c31d-c30f-4a5b-a044-cdf52e63f327 |
A Yonkers man has been indicted on multiple hate crime charges for allegedly punching a 67-year-old Asian woman more than 100 times, repeatedly stomping on her upper body as he hurled racial epithets at the helpless woman on the floor, prosecutors say.
Tammel Esco, 42, was arrested shortly after the March 11 attack on the woman as she entered the vestibule of her apartment building on Riverdale Avenue that evening.
He was ordered held without bail after his Tuesday arraignment on charges he tried to kill the woman simply because of racially driven hate, court documents alleged.
Hard-to-watch surveillance footage previously released by police shows a man land punch upon punch -- about 125 of them in total -- on the defenseless woman, leaving her bloody on the ground.
The victim, who is Filipino, suffered brain bleeding, multiple facial fractures, bruising and lacerations to her head and face in an attack that the Yonkers police commissioner described as one of the most appalling assaults he had ever seen.
Esco was arraigned Tuesday on charges including attempted murder as a hate crime and assault as a hate crime, both violent felonies. Information on his attorney wasn't clear.
Local
According to the investigation, the victim simply passed by Esco on her way home and he allegedly yelled a slur at her. She ignored him.
When she moved to unlock the second door to enter the lobby, she was punched in the head from behind and knocked to the floor, then punched dozens of more times by alternating fists. The man then foot-stomps her seven times and spits on her, police say.
A witness had said she called 911 when she saw Esco punching the woman while on top of her — and that witness' interference may be the only reason the victim is still alive.
"I started knocking on the door, and when I did that it caught his attention, and that's when he got off of her," said Yvette Crespo. "He went out that door, went to the corner, put his hands up," and roared, she said.
Esco lived in the same building as the victim. Police said he has a criminal record and has previously served time for assault.
If you are a victim or a witness to a hate crime or bias incident, call the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office at (914) 995-TIPS. | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/nyer-accused-in-125-punch-attack-on-67-year-old-woman-indicted-on-hate-charges/3783038/ | 2022-07-20T19:02:22 | 1 | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/nyer-accused-in-125-punch-attack-on-67-year-old-woman-indicted-on-hate-charges/3783038/ |
Bishop gets $547,000 from state to expand manatee rehab program
BRADENTON — The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature said it will receive $547,000 from the state to expand its manatee care program, providing additional holding and acute care space in the statewide effort to rescue, rehabilitate, release, and monitor Florida’s manatees.
The museum plans to lease, retrofit, and operate a facility in Myakka City as part of an effort to help as many manatees as possible. It aims to have the system in operation by the end of the year. The grant is from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission as the agency seeks to increase the capacity of the statewide manatee care network by 10%, providing resources for both critical emergency care and short-term care of manatees, according to a news release from Bishop.
The efforts are in response to the Unusual Mortality Event affecting manatees, primarily on the east coast of Florida. A UME is defined by the federal Marine Mammal Protection Act as a significant die-off that demands immediate response. The current UME began in 2020 and is continuing, the release noted.
The Bishop was recently approved for acute care status, which means that in addition to providing holding space for manatees that are not ready for return to the wild, the operation can now accept and provide treatment for rescued manatees that require hospital care. While The Bishop has long been approved as a secondary holding facility, the authorization to provide acute care means that it will have the ability to have a bigger impact on alleviating the UME, being only one of five facilities federally authorized to treat sick, injured, or orphaned Florida manatees.
Hillary Spencer, CEO of The Bishop, said, “The Myakka property and FWC funding are providing an opportunity for The Bishop not only to increase the number of manatees we can help, but also the way in which we help them. The work that Virginia Edmonds, our Director of Animal Care, the Animal Care team, and Museum veterinarian Dr. David Murphy are doing is impactful already, but this expansion will redefine The Bishop’s role in the animal care community.”
The Bishop has been rehabilitating manatees since 1998 and was a founding member of the Manatee Rescue and Rehabilitation Partnership (MRP) in 2001, according to the museum's release. The MRP is a cooperative of nonprofit, private, state, and federal entities that rescue, rehabilitate, and return manatees to the wild.
While the Myakka City facility will not be open to the public for viewing, at the museum in downtown Bradenton, the Parker Manatee Rehabilitation Habitat holds 60,000 gallons of water for up to three manatees rescued from the wild after they became sick or injured. This exhibition was remodeled in 2021 to resemble a cypress spring and allows above and underwater viewing opportunities, offering guests information about the anatomy and life history of manatees, including the challenges they face in the wild.
To report a sick, injured, dead, or tagged manatee, call FWC's Wildlife Alert Toll-Free Number at 1-888-404-FWCC (1-888-404-3922). Cell phone customers: *FWC or #FWC. | https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/local/2022/07/20/myakka-city-manatee-rehab-program-expanding-bishop-musem-science-nature/10105052002/ | 2022-07-20T19:03:54 | 0 | https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/local/2022/07/20/myakka-city-manatee-rehab-program-expanding-bishop-musem-science-nature/10105052002/ |
71-year-old woman dies after being hit by a car in Manatee County
Melissa Pérez-Carrillo
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
A 71-year-old woman died after she was hit by a car Tuesday evening in Manatee County.
The West Melbourne woman was walking west, trying to cross the U.S. 41 southbound lanes at 11:38 p.m.
A 27-year-old Bradenton man driving a sedan crashed the front right of his car into her, Florida Highway Patrol officials said in a written report.
ICYMI:‘I wish I could've got to her’: 70-year-old man tried saving woman who died in gator attack
She was declared dead on the scene, officials said in the report.
The crash remains under investigation. | https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/local/2022/07/20/woman-crossing-us-41-dies-manatee-county-florida-after-hit-by-sedan/10105403002/ | 2022-07-20T19:04:00 | 0 | https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/local/2022/07/20/woman-crossing-us-41-dies-manatee-county-florida-after-hit-by-sedan/10105403002/ |
ABINGDON, Va. (WJHL) – Go to any festival in the region or just drive around town and it’s clear this region is blessed with so many great mobile dining options.
This week’s Food Truck Friday features Nacho Average Food Truck based out of Abingdon, Virginia.
Nacho average food truck features a not-so-average menu.
“We have hand-dipped corndogs, we have split dogs, we have chicken quesadillas, we have french fries, onion rings, homemade chili,” said the Owner of Nacho Average Food Truck, Amanda Childress.
While nachos are the namesake, one of their best sellers happens to be a monstrous quesadilla. For about a year now, they’ve been cooking up some fresh eats all across the Tri-Cities.
Childress said it was a part-time passion project that became a full-time gig. “I really wanted a part-time to stay with my kids and then figured let’s do a food truck because I’ve always been good with the public. So we did it and now it’s full time,” she said.
She said they’ve met friendly faces along the way while serving the masses.
“It’s hard work, real hard work. But I don’t think they realize how many are in the area. There are a lot of events that we do and people will say well I didn’t even know about that, or I never ate at a food truck,” said Childress.
Childress told News Channel 11 that every day brings a new fan. “It makes you excited that they come over and look at your menu and know about your food.”
Childress also said while this truck has become their lifestyle, it goes beyond a full-time gig. It’s a family business that she hopes to pass down to her children when the day comes. | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/first-at-four/food-truck-friday-nacho-average-food-truck/ | 2022-07-20T19:12:43 | 0 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/first-at-four/food-truck-friday-nacho-average-food-truck/ |
WASHINGTON COUNTY, Tenn. (WJHL) – A crash on Interstate 26 West is causing delays in Washington County, according to the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT).
The TDOT SmartWay Traffic Map states a single-vehicle crash occurred near mile marker 12.6 shortly after 1 p.m.
As of 2:30 p.m., both westbound lanes and the right shoulder are blocked.
TDOT reports traffic is backed up all the way to mile marker 14.
To check on traffic updates through the traffic map, click here. | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/tdot-crash-on-i-26-near-gray-exit-causing-congestion/ | 2022-07-20T19:17:10 | 0 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/tdot-crash-on-i-26-near-gray-exit-causing-congestion/ |
A pickup stolen from a Lincoln car lot in June was recovered last week in Minneapolis, Minnesota, damaged by gunfire.
Lincoln Police Sgt. Chris Vollmer said police are asking for the public's help in identifying the man seen in security video stealing the 2015 Chevy Silverado 2500 parked on LAX Auto's lot at 400 W Cornhusker Highway.
He said on the morning of June 7, the business reported the theft of the truck, valued at $52,900.
In video, they learned a man had driven up around 4:45 a.m. in a 2007 Ford Silverado F250 and backed the truck into an overhead door, raising it enough for him to get inside and get keys for a truck on the lot.
He left the pickup he'd come in on the lot. Vollmer said it had been stolen a day earlier from Anderson Ford at 2500 Wildcat Drive.
He encouraged anyone with information to contact police at 402-441-6000 or Lincoln Crime Stoppers at 402-476-3600 or lincolncrimestoppers.com. | https://journalstar.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/police-say-pickup-stolen-from-lincoln-car-lot-found-in-minnesota-damaged-by-gunfire/article_d0fa95eb-37cb-5cc3-bfce-f438cbf5cc82.html | 2022-07-20T19:19:55 | 0 | https://journalstar.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/police-say-pickup-stolen-from-lincoln-car-lot-found-in-minnesota-damaged-by-gunfire/article_d0fa95eb-37cb-5cc3-bfce-f438cbf5cc82.html |
You may not know Dallas McGee, but if you live in Lincoln you’ve seen his work.
His fingerprints are all over downtown Lincoln – the Haymarket, the Marcus Grand Theater, Embassy Suites, the Cornhusker Hotel.
Those neighborhood organizations that dot Lincoln’s political landscape? That they exist at all has something to do with the 72-year-old man who’s spent his career in the city’s Urban Development Department.
But downtown Lincoln, especially, is where McGee’s handiwork is most evident – though it’s not the only place.
“He’s just so much a part of everything that’s happened downtown,” said former Mayor Don Wesely. “Our downtown is thriving in large part because of Dallas McGee.”
McGee – who’s worked under nine mayors, helped develop two downtown master plans and saw the city change the way it made decisions after opponents successfully ended a controversial plan to build a northeast radial in the 1970s – will retire July 29.
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The assistant director spent 45 years in the department (it would be 46 if he’d stay until August) – deciding to finally act on an idea he’s been toying with for a few years.
“I really enjoy what I do and the people I work with, so I’ve just been delaying it year after year,” he said.
Born in Bertrand in central Nebraska, McGee came to Lincoln for college. He earned a degree in architecture from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and joined a consulting firm in Omaha. There, his work included some planning and landscape projects, sparking an interest that would last a lifetime.
“That’s the point I really decided I was interested in cities and how cities work,” he said.
When he landed a job with Lincoln’s Urban Development Department he helped administer funds from the newly created federal Community Development Block Grants.
Lincoln invested heavily in housing revitalization, he said, and also helped develop neighborhood organizations to help make neighborhoods stronger.
“There wasn’t a lot of support politically for neighborhoods and addressing neighborhood issues,” he said. “The efforts of Urban Development helped neighborhoods organize and let their voices be heard.”
Probably the best example of the power of those voices was the Northeast Radial – a plan city leaders had in the 1970s to build a roadway through a number of north Lincoln neighborhoods.
Fierce resistance eventually sank the project and McGee was the staff person who worked with a citizen task force on a redevelopment plan for the land the city had acquired for the roadway.
The land was eventually redeveloped into open spaces and residential areas in the Clinton, Malone and University Place neighborhoods, along the John Dietrich Bikeway.
About the same time, McGee said, district council seats were established – giving representatives from the north part of Lincoln a voice in city government -- a big step in changing the power dynamics of the city and how decisions were made.
By the mid-'80s, McGee had another job: working with developers who’d formed the Lincoln Haymarket Development Corp. to reinvent an old warehouse district on the western edge of downtown.
The work started with city investments to update sewer and water mains in the area, he said. Lincoln was chosen by the National Trust, an organization that helps cities with historic preservation, as a site for a pilot project to redevelop a warehouse district, providing advisers to help make decisions.
“It was exciting in that we were working with very good people interested in preserving and enhancing that historical part of our city,” McGee said.
Early on, no one imagined an arena might one day grace the area. But the railyard location was noted in the city’s first Downtown Master Plan in 2005. In 2013, Pinnacle Bank Arena opened. Now development of the South Haymarket is underway.
“That evolution of the Haymarket that is still occurring today, began in the mid-1980s,” he said.
There were other early projects that helped redefine downtown, which – like downtowns in cities across the country – was moving away from being a retail center.
Some of the significant early projects McGee worked on: A new Cornhusker Hotel, the Embassy Suites – which was built after plans for an urban shopping center there fell through -- and a multiplex theater.
What is now the Marcus Grand was a major coup for downtown, McGee said, keeping it as an entertainment hub, drawing people downtown for a show and dinner, maybe a drink.
One of the things he’s proudest of is Lincoln’s inclusiveness and attention to downtown and its older neighborhoods.
“That isn’t always the way cities’ decisions are always made,” he said.
Urban Development Director Dan Marvin said that as assistant director, McGee has administered much of the work done by other planners.
“He’s really been at the center of most of the redevelopment agreements that have gone through the city in the last 20 years,” he said.
The downtown master plans – in 2005 and 2018 – set the framework for what downtown could become, and its latest evolution to a hub for both student housing and high-end condos.
Dave Landis, who was Urban Development director under former Mayor Chris Beutler, said McGee's work on the master plans was important.
“His impact has been immense,” Landis said. “You would find his handiwork not only in agreements we've reached with developers but in basic planning documents, especially the master plan. He had a subtle and effective impact on those documents.”
McGee was pivotal in consolidating the management of city parking services in the Urban Development Department and took a particular interest in streetscapes, working with the Downtown Lincoln Association to make sure there were flowers and space for trees.
“There was a particularly ‘Dallas’ phenomenon downtown in his attention to the streetscape,” Landis said. “That was a subject of considerable concern for Dallas, to very significant effect.”
Wesley remembers becoming mayor and realizing fairly early on that McGee was one of the key people who could make things happen.
He had the gift of diplomacy, Wesely said, finding a way to work through concerns on any project.
“He kept his head down, didn't call a lot of attention to himself and just did his job – and did it extraordinarily well.” | https://journalstar.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/city-hall-longtime-planners-handiwork-all-over-downtown-lincoln/article_6a786663-773d-571a-9259-f3d13dcf71c9.html | 2022-07-20T19:19:58 | 1 | https://journalstar.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/city-hall-longtime-planners-handiwork-all-over-downtown-lincoln/article_6a786663-773d-571a-9259-f3d13dcf71c9.html |
A Richmond man was sentenced to 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to murder and abduction charges.
Kevin Lee Rice, 43, appeared at the John Marshal Courts building Wednesday and entered a guilty plea to charges of second degree-murder, abduction for monetary benefit, eluding police and possession of a firearm by non-violent felon of more than 10 years.
Rice’s charges stem from two incidents, the first occurring during an April 2, 2021, reckless driving traffic stop.
Rice drove away from police during the stop and ending up hitting multiple parked vehicles before being apprehended, according to a summary of evidence presented to the presiding Judge Clarence N. Jenkins.
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Rice also was involved in a Richmond homicide investigation that occurred on Nov. 13, 2021, authorities said in court documents.
Richmond police responded to reports of a suspicious situation on 2505 Melbourne St., where they found 54-year-old Robert Pulling with his hands, feet and neck tied up.
Pulling had been stabbed 19 times in the chest and head, according a summary of evidence presented by state prosecutors Nellie Getman and Brooke Pettit.
The Office of the Medical Examiner also found that Pulling showed signs of strangulation and a head and neck injury, according to the prosecutors.
A witness saw Rice leaving the victim’s room with a knife around the time of the incident, officials said. As Rice fled the scene, he handed the victim’s bank card to the same witness, said state prosecutors.
Police later found Rice hiding in a shed on the same property where officers recovered Rice’s home electronic monitoring device, which had been cut off.
Before entering a guilty plea Wednesday, Rice faced a first-degree murder charge which was later amended, according to Rice's appointed defense attorney Sara Gaborik.
Rice's sentence of 30 years fits within the commonwealth's sentencing guidelines that states the offense is punishable for no less than five nor more than 40 years. | https://richmond.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/richmond-man-pleads-guilty-to-fatal-stabbing-abduction-charges/article_f5f8809b-da95-56fe-9abd-4d627b80a59c.html | 2022-07-20T19:25:37 | 0 | https://richmond.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/richmond-man-pleads-guilty-to-fatal-stabbing-abduction-charges/article_f5f8809b-da95-56fe-9abd-4d627b80a59c.html |
DALLAS (KDAF) — On Inside DFW, host Jenny Anchondo likes to highlight the positive news in the community. Today she is highlighting the Jordan Elizabeth Harris Foundation.
They are fighting to eradicate suicide by funding depression research, creating awareness and battling the stigma.
Now the foundation is taking that mission on the road with Light the Trail. Teams are cycling from the Canadian border to the Gulf of Mexico – cycling nearly 2,000 miles covering 14 cities starting in Minnesota and ending in Louisiana.
To find out how you can get involved, you can check out their website by clicking here. | https://cw33.com/news/local/dfw-community-shoutout-light-the-trail/ | 2022-07-20T19:27:17 | 1 | https://cw33.com/news/local/dfw-community-shoutout-light-the-trail/ |
DALLAS (KDAF) — Excessive, unrelenting heat continues in North Texas alongside Fire Danger on Wednesday ahead of midweek rain chances. NWS Fort Worth says the Excessive Heat Warning will continue through Wednesday night as Elevated Fire Danger continues.
The weather center says, “Excessive heat warnings are in effect for North and Central Texas through this evening. Highs will climb to 105 to 110 degrees, with heat index values up to 112. Elevated fire danger also continues due to the hot temperatures, low humidity, and persistent drought.”
The public is also encouraged to, again, avoid too much time outside and to drink plenty of water and know the signs/symptoms of heat-related illnesses. “Remember to check the back seat!”
Some low chances for rain are also in the forecast during the middle of the week in North Texas (Wednesday and Thursday). “Scattered showers and storms are possible today and Thursday Thursday as a disturbance moves overhead. Damaging downburst winds will be possible with the strongest thunderstorms. While a few areas will see beneficial rainfall, many areas will miss out.” | https://cw33.com/news/local/heat-fire-danger-continue-in-north-texas-ahead-of-midweek-rain-chances/ | 2022-07-20T19:27:23 | 1 | https://cw33.com/news/local/heat-fire-danger-continue-in-north-texas-ahead-of-midweek-rain-chances/ |
FIDELITY INVESTMENTS SPONSORED CONTENT — Would it surprise you to learn that only one-third of teens say their family regularly talks about investing?
This is one of the results of Fidelity’s Teens and Money Study.
Joining Inside DFW to discuss the study findings and how parents can start conversations with their teens about money is John Boroff, VP of Youth Investing at Fidelity Investments.
WATCH the video player for more from him. | https://cw33.com/news/local/how-parents-can-start-conversations-with-teenagers-about-money/ | 2022-07-20T19:27:29 | 1 | https://cw33.com/news/local/how-parents-can-start-conversations-with-teenagers-about-money/ |
DALLAS (KDAF) — After some more heat and midweek rain the North Texas weekend will again see some intense heat with some possible chances of storms according to the National Weather Service center in Fort Worth.
Friday through Monday is going to be full of hot temperatures mixed in with possible storms early on.
“A hot weekend is in store across the area with triple-digit high temperatures becoming widespread again by Saturday. There will be a slight chance of storms on Friday, but activity should stay fairly isolated. Rain chances end by Saturday and fire danger increases again due to plentiful sun, hot air and south winds.”
NWS Fort Worth advises, “Be sure to continue to practice heat safety! Know the signs and symptoms of heat illness, limit your time outdoors, remain hydrated, and take frequent breaks from the sun when able. Always be sure to “Look Before You Lock” and check the backseat for children!” | https://cw33.com/news/local/intense-heat-small-storm-chances-in-store-for-north-texas-weekend/ | 2022-07-20T19:27:35 | 1 | https://cw33.com/news/local/intense-heat-small-storm-chances-in-store-for-north-texas-weekend/ |
DALLAS (KDAF) — You’ve probably heard the term “The Great Resignation”, referring to the mass movement of people leaving their places of employment for something better.
The incentives of changing jobs can be more than money. People are leaving for jobs in better locations, with better schedules and a better work environment.
In the spirit of science, WalletHub looked at which states have the highest job resignation rates.
So where does the Lone Star State rank? Relatively well. Texas ranked 29th in the nation, meaning they had a lower job resignation rate than at least half of the country, ranking as the 23rd lowest rate in the nation.
The study says the job resignation rate in Texas over the past 12 months was 3.13% with a rate of 2.8% in the latest month.
Here are the states with the highest resignation rate:
- Alaska
- Montana
- Wyoming
- Florida
- Georgia
- Vermont
- Idaho
- Mississippi
- Arizona
- Tennessee
Here are the states with the lowest resignation rate:
- Washington D.C.
- Massachusetts
- New York
- New Jersey
- Connecticut
- Washington
- Maine
- Maryland
- Rhode Island
- Minnesota
For the full report, visit WalletHub. | https://cw33.com/news/local/study-where-does-texas-rank-among-states-with-highest-job-resignation-rates/ | 2022-07-20T19:27:42 | 1 | https://cw33.com/news/local/study-where-does-texas-rank-among-states-with-highest-job-resignation-rates/ |
HALIFAX, Va. – A man has been arrested after a murder in Halifax County on Tuesday, authorities said.
Around 9:40 p.m. on Tuesday night, the Halifax E911 Center took a call about a shooting at the 4000 Block of Mountain Road, according to the Sheriff’s Office in Halifax County.
When first responders got to the scene, the Sheriff’s Office said they found a woman lying on the front porch of the home with an apparent gunshot wound to the chest, and she was pronounced dead by Halifax County Rescue Personnel.
After further investigation, the release said that 19-year-old Austen Carson was charged with 2nd-degree murder.
Carson was transported to Blue Ridge Regional Jail Authority and is being held without bond, authorities said.
The Sheriff said that several agencies responded to the incident, including the Halifax County Sheriff’s Office, Halifax Police Department, Virginia State Police, Halifax County/South Boston Task Force, and personnel from Halifax County Rescue.
The Sheriff added that a deputy from the Pittsylvania County Sheriff’s Office and his Canine Unit assisted to help them find firearms nearby in the wooded area near the house.
One of the firearms they found is believed to have been used in the incident, authorities said.
The Virginia State Police Bureau of Investigations assisted in processing the crime scene and collecting evidence, according to the Sheriff’s office.
The Sheriff asked that if anyone has any information on the incident, please contact Investigator Jeff Burton or Investigator Sam Edmonds at 434-476-3339. | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2022/07/20/19-year-old-halifax-man-arrested-for-2nd-degree-murder/ | 2022-07-20T19:29:06 | 0 | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2022/07/20/19-year-old-halifax-man-arrested-for-2nd-degree-murder/ |
LYNCHBURG, Va. – The River Ridge Mall in Lynchburg is working on construction, and now, they’re welcoming a new store.
On Wednesday, River Ridge Mall announced that they have officially opened a new retail store in the Center Court area of the mall.
The release said Windsor Fashions LLC. is the most recent retailer to open at the mall during its redevelopment, which is expected to continue through spring of 2023, 10 News reported.
Melissa Faria, General Manager for River Ridge, is excited to see changes coming to the mall.
“We are thrilled to bring Windsor and its wonderful women’s fashion into the River Ridge family,” Faria said. “Shoppers are going to enjoy the unique style and offerings the national clothing brand provides. Windsor fulfills the River Ridge goal of bringing national store brands that are first to the Lynchburg community.”
Windsor is a national retailer that relies on family values and carries fashion-forward looks, the release said, including the latest styles of women’s clothing.
If you want to visit the store, the release said you can find Windsor across from American Eagle and SeaQuest Aquarium. | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2022/07/20/lynchburgs-river-ridge-mall-welcomes-new-retail-store/ | 2022-07-20T19:29:13 | 1 | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2022/07/20/lynchburgs-river-ridge-mall-welcomes-new-retail-store/ |
We have all heard of some form of school supplies fundraiser – No matter the name, whether it’s Stuff the Bus, Pack the Bus, or Fill the Bus, the goal is still the same: to make sure every student has what they need to have a successful school year.
In the New River Valley, United Way is hosting a Stuff the Bus event on July 23.
School supply donations collected during this event will help students in Montgomery and Floyd County, as well as Radford City. Buses will be parked outside the Walmart in Christiansburg and the Walmart in Radford for the event, and all different supplies are needed, including backpacks, lunch boxes, binders, folders, pencils, and more.
Lynn Rogers, the Director of Philanthropy said that supplies have a big impact on how students function in school.
“I think anytime you have people going back to school without things they need, it is going to make it that much harder for them to learn,” Rogers said. “So, if they are going back and they are prepared, they have all their school supplies, they have all their backpacks, they’re more ready for a good school year.”
Last year, the United Way of the New River Valley filled 565 backpacks with supplies. This year they are hoping to fill at least 700.
On August 5 at the Walmart in Bedford, the Bedford County Department of Social Services is collecting school supply donations for Pack the Bus. They will also have collection boxes inside Walmart before and after the event.
In the Roanoke Valley, several groups are teaming up for Fill the Bus.
The Roanoke Valley events will take place from August 5 to August 7 at the Rocky Mount Walmart. All donations will be given to Franklin County Schools and distributed to all grade levels.
And from August 7 to August 9, Roanoke County Public Schools is joining Roanoke City Publics School and Salem City Public Schools to Load the Bus for Kids. They are collecting school supplies for students in need across the Roanoke Valley. Items can be donated at any of the Roanoke Valley Walmart stores to donate. | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2022/07/20/where-you-can-donate-school-supplies-in-southwest-virginia/ | 2022-07-20T19:29:19 | 0 | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2022/07/20/where-you-can-donate-school-supplies-in-southwest-virginia/ |
'I will be a journalist forever': Anchor, reporter Angela Brauer leaves CBS4
From the time she was in eighth grade, Angela Brauer knew she wanted to be a journalist.
“I was lucky because there's a lot of people that grew up not really knowing what they want to do with their life, and I did,” she told IndyStar.
Brauer said she was always really curious as a child.
"I was about four when I started asking my mom questions like where racing police cars were going or to chase an ambulance so we could find out where they were going," she said in a Facebook post announcing her departure from the station.
"In grade school, I have recordings of me interviewing my grandparents on TV," she added in the post. "By 8th grade, I knew I wanted to go into journalism."
But after over 10 years in broadcast news, Brauer’s last day at CBS4 was Friday.
Since she knew her career ambitions from a young age, Brauer participated in student journalism in high school and went on to graduate from Ohio University in three years.
Prior to coming to Indianapolis and joining CBS4 in 2017, Brauer worked in Eugene, Oregon and Albuquerque, New Mexico.
When she resigned from CBS4, she was the morning news anchor and investigative reporter. Some stories that stand out from her career are the ones where she "had all the elements," she said, such as interviews, surveillance footage or witness videos.
As an investigative reporter, she said, she's grateful for the stories where she was able to help people.
"Being an investigative reporter, you can't solve all the problems you set out to fix but when you do, it feels really really good," she said.
But there were hard days, too. One case that specifically impacted Brauer was the death of Victoria Martens, a 10-year-old girl who was murdered in New Mexico in 2016.
"That's probably one of the worst stories I've ever covered," she said.
Brauer said it’s become even harder to cover crimes involving kids have been especially hard since she had her two children.
“I feel like I've kind of become numb to it, basically, because I know … I have a job to do, adrenaline is running,” Brauer said. “But then afterwards, you go home feeling so exhausted and just so heavy. There's no other word for it.”
Her time in Indianapolis has been a journey, Brauer said, a mix of good and hard. She came here engaged and is leaving married with two young children.
“This is gonna be the toughest place to leave just because this is now my family's home,” she said.
She’s loved her coworkers at CBS4, saying they that they “want nothing more than to be successful, and they work toward that every day.”
“The people that work there are stellar,” she said. “Stellar. I mean, you can't ask for a better group of coworkers. That is a very small but mighty team."
But with the 24/7, 365 days a year news cycle, “you have to be on all the time,” Brauer said.
During her time at CBS, Brauer said she’s had some difficult moments behind the scenes.
“I think that the news station is plagued by a lot of the same problems you'll see at news stations across the country,” she said. “People are overworked and not necessarily valued.”
If she could give some advice to managers, no matter the industry, it would be to "see your employees as humans first."
"That's how you're going to keep them," she said.
Brauer and her family will be moving to Ohio, where she’ll be leaving journalism to work in the nonprofit sector in Cleveland.
She’s excited about her next steps, but leaving is bittersweet.
“It was and still is my dream job,” she said. “So I'm, in this moment, sad, scared and excited. And I just keep reminding myself that it's okay to feel all of those things.”
She said she’s relieved that even as she transitions out of the journalism industry, she’ll still be telling stories in her new communications role.
“I will be a journalist forever,” she said. | https://www.indystar.com/story/news/local/indianapolis/2022/07/20/indianapolis-tv-cbs4-morning-anchor-investigative-reporter-angela-brauer-leaves-station/65374760007/ | 2022-07-20T19:30:23 | 0 | https://www.indystar.com/story/news/local/indianapolis/2022/07/20/indianapolis-tv-cbs4-morning-anchor-investigative-reporter-angela-brauer-leaves-station/65374760007/ |
MIDLAND, Texas — The Bynum School recently received a $8,200 donation from Chuy's Tex-Mex in Midland.
A check presentation ceremony happened on July 19 and celebrated Chuy's fundraising success and the impacts the funds will have within the community.
"We can't express how grateful we are for Chuy's support," said Bynum School Executive Director Keri St. John. "Thanks to their generosity and community support, we will be able to continue to meet our students' academic, behavioral, and vocational needs."
The Bynum School is a private school that provides year-round educational and vocational programs for students with disabilities. | https://www.newswest9.com/article/news/local/chuys-tex-mex-donates-8200-to-the-bynum-school/513-f0d8ea2b-03ce-495f-b928-19101be3cc30 | 2022-07-20T19:33:45 | 0 | https://www.newswest9.com/article/news/local/chuys-tex-mex-donates-8200-to-the-bynum-school/513-f0d8ea2b-03ce-495f-b928-19101be3cc30 |
DALLAS — A woman and her daughter are suing Taco Bell after employees at one of the restaurants in Dallas allegedly dumped a bucket of boiling water on them, causing severe burns and brain function damage.
Lawyers for the victims are asking for more than $1 million in damages from the defendants: Yum! Brands, Taco Bell Corp., Taco Bell of America, North Texas Bells and the two unidentified employees allegedly involved, who are named in the suit as John Doe and Jane Doe. The victims are being represented by Ben Crump and Paul Grinke.
The incident allegedly occurred June 17 when Brittany Davis and her daughter, a minor child identified in the lawsuit only as C.T., entered the Taco Bell at 11829 Abrams Road.
"Our hearts break for these two victims whose lives are forever changed because of the horrific and damaging actions by the Taco Bell manager and the larger entities that failed to protect the safety of their customers," Crump and Grinke wrote in a news release. "Not only did Brittany and C.T. suffer physical trauma because of the burns, but they will now live with the psychological trauma that comes with an attack like this. Corporations have a duty to employ quality and stable employees who hold safety as the highest priority."
After their $31 order had been prepared twice incorrectly in the drive-thru, the two customers entered the Taco Bell with their receipt and food bag, with an employee letting them into a dining room and locking the door behind them, according to the lawsuit.
After discussing the order with these two customers for nearly 10 minutes, the lawsuit claims that the employees refused to prepare the food they had paid for and became "combative."
"Inexplicably, the Taco Bell manager, a Hispanic female, (Jane Doe) who had not been involved in any of the conversations in the dining room, came from behind the counter with a scalding bucket of water and poured it onto C.T. and Brittany," the suit reads. "This water hit C.T. in the face and chest with the boiling water running down her body and soaking into her clothes. Ms. Davis was also hit by the water in the chest."
The two victims claim they then tried to run out of the Taco Bell, screaming -- but the door had been locked. While they were trying to unlock the door, the suit states, the manager came back with a second bucket of boiling water to throw on them, but the two were able to escape beforehand.
The suit says the two victims ran to their car and C.T. began taking off her clothes to try and minimize the burning, while her mother began having seizures due to the trauma.
"As this family was leaving the parking lot, a Taco Bell employee came outside the front door, laughing, clapping, and taunting the family—adding insult to horrific injury," the suit states.
According to the suit, C.T. then ran into the emergency room naked to get help for her mother, who was still suffering seizures and burns from not being able to take her clothes off. Davis's clothes had to be cut off with the skin still attached by hospital staff, the suit claims, and she was then care-flighted to an ICU burn unit in Dallas.
"Brittany suffered deep burns on her chest and stomach with significant damage to her brain function due to the seizures causing her to lose some of her memory," the suit reads.
Between the time of having the boiling water poured on her and making it to the ICU burn unit, Davis had suffered at least 10 seizures, the suit says.
"C.T. suffered severe burns to her face, chest, legs, arms, and stomach. The burns on her face will cause discoloring and scarring that will forever impact her self-image," the suit states. "When C.T. was released home from the hospital, her mother had to remove all mirrors from the walls, as C.T. could not bear to see her own face. The burns to the rest of her body caused her skin to bubble the size of softballs."
Charges against the defendants include negligence on the part of the two employees, who the suit states had a duty to exercise ordinary care and breached that by failing to protect or consider the well-being of their customers.
The suit also charges negligent hiring, training, retention and supervision on the part of the corporations named in the suit, who the suit says had a duty to hire safe and competent employees, enforce safety policies and procedures, and take action to control their employees to prevent injuries to customers.
This Taco Bell and the surrounding block have a history of criminal activity causing bodily harm to patrons, according to the suit.
"Defendants [North Texas Bells] and [Taco Bell of America] knew or should have known about the criminal history both on their premises and in the surrounding area including criminal activity that resulted in bodily harm," the suit states. "In fact, this same address had multiple reported criminal incidents in the weeks prior to the incident that are in the public record." | https://www.newswest9.com/article/news/local/texas/woman-daughter-suing-taco-bell-manager-pours-bucket-boiling-water-over-them/287-31c889a0-9681-4752-9309-f1c498c5a67f | 2022-07-20T19:33:51 | 1 | https://www.newswest9.com/article/news/local/texas/woman-daughter-suing-taco-bell-manager-pours-bucket-boiling-water-over-them/287-31c889a0-9681-4752-9309-f1c498c5a67f |
CHARLESTON, WV (WOWK)—Appalachian Power says they have temporarily closed the public fishing access area at Marmet Hydroelectric Project because of construction.
They say that they have placed signs and scaffolding in the closed areas and that construction is expected to continue through September of 2022.
Appalachian Power says that fishing access is still open at London and Winfield hydro plants. | https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/fishing-access-closed-temporarily-at-marmet-hydro-dam-due-to-construction/ | 2022-07-20T19:33:54 | 1 | https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/fishing-access-closed-temporarily-at-marmet-hydro-dam-due-to-construction/ |
KANAWHA COUNTY, WV (WOWK)—A former Kanawha County teacher’s aide was sentenced on Wednesday after pleading guilty to misdemeanor battery of a special needs student.
According to Kanawha County Assistant Prosecutor Monica Schwartz, Walter Pannell, a former aide at Horace Mann Middle School in Charleston, was sentenced to one year in jail and two years of probation. She says if Pannell violates his probation in those two years, he will go back to jail.
Pannell was named in multiple lawsuits filed by parents of special needs students who had been abused at the school.
He will self-report to South Central Regional Jail on Aug. 5. | https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/former-horace-mann-aide-to-serve-1-year-in-jail-for-abuse-of-special-needs-student/ | 2022-07-20T19:34:00 | 1 | https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/former-horace-mann-aide-to-serve-1-year-in-jail-for-abuse-of-special-needs-student/ |
UPDATE (2:26 p.m. on Wednesday, July 20): The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office said that they did receive a call about this incident, but they were not able to locate the suspect, the suspect’s vehicle or the complainant.
They say that a complainant called their dispatch center, but she told them that she did not wish to file a report. In an update to their Facebook post, the sheriff’s office says they tried to reach back out to the complainant, but the phone number she used is now disconnected and belongs to a man in California with a different name.
They also say that worked with a security supervisor at Kroger, and they could not find any video evidence of the situation described in the Facebook post that’s been circulating around the area.
The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office says they do not think there is a threat to the public.
TEAYS VALLEY, WV (WOWK) – The mayor of Hurricane is warning shoppers to be on their guard when shopping at the Teays Valley Kroger after reports of an alleged suspicious vehicle spotted in the parking lot.
Hurricane Mayor Scott Edwards says he reached out to Kroger after seeing a concerned citizen post on Facebook warning others to be careful after an experience she had in the store’s parking lot. In the post, the woman said she and her husband had gone to the Kroger in Teays Valley on separate nights and said they both saw a mud-covered black Dodge Ram parked “crooked” near the back of the parking lot.
According to the mayor, the woman said the occupant of the vehicle turned the headlights on her as she got near her vehicle. She said it gave her an unsettling feeling and “semi-blinded” her. She said she hurried into her car and the driver then turned off the headlights.
Edwards says the post continued to say, on a different night, the woman’s husband witnessed the driver do the same to another woman, who had her back to the Dodge Ram putting groceries in her own vehicle.
According to the post, the husband saw the driver get out of the vehicle allegedly as though he intended to approach her, but the post stated the man got back into the vehicle after seeing that the poster’s husband intended to intervene.
Edwards says since seeing the post, he has been in contact with the Kroger Corporate Affairs Manager for the Mid-Atlantic Division, and the Teays Valley Kroger’s local management and asset protection teams have been made aware. He says the store is working with the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office regarding the situation.
The mayor is urging anyone who witnesses this behavior at the store or anywhere to immediately call 911. | https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/hurricane-mayor-warns-of-alleged-suspicious-vehicle-at-teays-valley-kroger/ | 2022-07-20T19:34:06 | 0 | https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/hurricane-mayor-warns-of-alleged-suspicious-vehicle-at-teays-valley-kroger/ |
CHARLESTON, WV (WOWK)—A man accused of a sex offense involving a juvenile was sentenced in federal court on Wednesday.
The U.S. Department of Justice says that 40-year-old James Russell Loar, of Washington, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to seven years and three months in prison, to be followed by 15 years of supervised release, for traveling across state lines to engage in sexual activity with a minor. He must also register as a sex offender.
Court documents and statements made during a May 27, 2021, plea hearing, Loar had been allegedly communicating sexually with a 14-year-old minor through Snapchat for nearly a year. According to the DOJ, the minor’s parents learned of the communications and informed him of her age, “but his communications continued.”
The DOJ says the man traveled to Clay County and met with the minor, then allegedly invited her into his truck. Court documents say the girl’s mother happened to drive by at that time and intervened. Loar was arrested and admitted to “sending a pornographic picture to the minor as well as telling her that he wanted to perform sex acts with her,” according to the DOJ. | https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/pennsylvania-man-sentenced-for-sex-crime-against-west-virginia-minor/ | 2022-07-20T19:34:12 | 0 | https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/pennsylvania-man-sentenced-for-sex-crime-against-west-virginia-minor/ |
CHARLESTON, WV (WOWK)—A man from Roane County pleaded guilty to possessing a pipe bomb Wednesday.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia says that in December of 2020, law enforcement found one completed pipe bomb and five unfinished pipe bombs in a residence in Spencer.
51-year-old Joseph David Bailey was arrested and charged with possessing an unregistered destructive device.
Bailey’s sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 16, 2022, and he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. | https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/roane-county-man-pleads-guilty-to-possessing-pipe-bomb/ | 2022-07-20T19:34:18 | 1 | https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/roane-county-man-pleads-guilty-to-possessing-pipe-bomb/ |
The U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration has awarded a $1.8 million grant to the city of Rensselaer to make streetscape infrastructure improvements in the city’s downtown. The grant is funded by the American Rescue Plan.
The federal money will pay the bulk of a project to build new sidewalks and pedestrian/bicycle paths, improve American with Disabilities Act-related accessibility, make stormwater improvements, add new lighting and trash receptacles and renovate brick streets on Van Rensselaer and Harrison streets.
The EDA investment will be matched with $795,300 in local funds.
The grant is intended to bring more visitors to downtown Renssalaer. The DOC estimates the effort will create 50 jobs, retain 69 jobs and generate $200,000 in private investment.
“The Economic Development Administration plays an important role in supporting community-led economic development strategies designed to boost coronavirus recovery and response efforts,” Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Alejandra Castillo said in the department's announcement of the grant. “The upgrades to downtown Rensselaer will help attract visitors to the area and bolster the business district that was hit hard by the pandemic.”
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The grant comes from EDA’s $240 million competitive American Rescue Plan Travel, Tourism, and Outdoor Recreation program. EDA awarded $510 million in grants to recipients in all 50 states and to U.S. territories in 2021. Grants will continue to be awarded through September, though the EDA has closed applications for grants from the $3 billion program. | https://www.nwitimes.com/business/local/federal-grant-to-help-fund-rensselaer-downtown-projects/article_efbb4bcc-386a-5023-b621-614e62dcbffb.html | 2022-07-20T19:38:01 | 0 | https://www.nwitimes.com/business/local/federal-grant-to-help-fund-rensselaer-downtown-projects/article_efbb4bcc-386a-5023-b621-614e62dcbffb.html |
The Dallas Mavericks, in partnership with the United Negro College Fund(UNCF), announced in a Wednesday release the addition of five scholarships for HBCU students to their Mavs College Scholarship program.
Applications are open now through Aug. 31.
The Mavs College Scholarship was launched last year, selecting five North Texas recipients to receive a four-year scholarship and mentoring experience.
In 2022, the scholarship adds five new recipients, totaling 10 students overall with each receiving a one-year scholarship.
The Mavericks will select five North Texas students in need of financial assistance that are attending or planning to attend full-time an accredited HBCU.
The commitment from the Mavericks goes beyond a one-time scholarship, the team said. Scholarship recipients will receive ongoing mentoring from Mavs staff as well as opportunities for Mavs summer jobs, internships and other work.
To apply and view full details, visit mavs.com/scholarships.
Local
The latest news from around North Texas.
The team said the program is part of the Mavs Take Action! plan "to encourage and empower Black youth in the community." They're looking to select students "who have demonstrated resilience and a commitment to service."
According to the Mavericks, the team "launched the Mavs Take Action! plan to address racial inequities and disparities, promote social justice and drive sustainable change in Dallas-Fort Worth. Standing strong in the belief that every voice matters and everybody belongs, the plan engages partners on more than 40 key initiatives across six systems including Education, Employment, Child Welfare, Criminal Justice, Public Policy and Healthcare."
To learn more about the Mavs Take Action! plan, click here. | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/applications-open-for-new-mavs-college-scholarship-for-hbcu-students/3019443/ | 2022-07-20T19:44:26 | 0 | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/applications-open-for-new-mavs-college-scholarship-for-hbcu-students/3019443/ |
City of Denton leaders are moving forward with a proposed ordinance that would direct city police to release people for low-level marijuana offenses inside city limits, the Denton Record-Chronicle reported.
The DRC said the ordinance, if approved by voters in November, will eliminate all tickets and arrests for possession of misdemeanor amounts of marijuana and paraphernalia. It would also prevent Denton police from stopping and frisking people when they smell weed and prevent city funds from being used to test THC levels of substances thought to contain cannabis.
The aforementioned measures would not apply when police are investigating felony narcotics crimes or violent felony crimes.
The Record-Chronicle says that if Denton voters approve the plan in November, the city said it would only be a few months until low-level cannabis prohibition ends in Denton.
The ordinance would not apply to the Texas Women's University and the University of North Texas jurisdictions. | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/denton-city-council-proposes-marijuana-decriminalization-ordinance/3019362/ | 2022-07-20T19:44:33 | 1 | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/denton-city-council-proposes-marijuana-decriminalization-ordinance/3019362/ |
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The latest news from around North Texas. | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/why-dallas-county-jailers-are-opening-mail-sent-from-lawyers-to-inmates/3019445/ | 2022-07-20T19:44:41 | 1 | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/why-dallas-county-jailers-are-opening-mail-sent-from-lawyers-to-inmates/3019445/ |
Revised Morgan Creek plans move forward for second at-bat before Lakeland officials
LAKELAND — It's taken three major revisions and more than a year, but property owner English Creek LLC is gaining traction with its plans to build housing off Medulla Road.
Lakeland's Planning and Zoning Board on Tuesday voted 3-2 to approve a major modification to the Planned United Development that will allow for Morgan Creek Preserve's Tract E to be developed.
The proposal calls for construction of five single-family homes on roughly 35 acres southeast of Medulla and Hamilton roads. These houses would be part of a larger development, Morgan Creek Reserve, that includes 29 homes on an adjacent 10 acres already approved by Polk County.
It will need to win the approval of Lakeland commissioners at an upcoming commission meeting. There have been long-standing concerns about its environmental impacts.
'Pure deception':Residents, some zoning board members uneasy about Morgan Creek revisions
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"This area, we all know it has an issue with water. The fact we are putting houses, any kind of houses, in that area — whether 29 for county or five for city — really needs to be a consideration," board member Susan Seitz said.
Seitz, one of the two votes against the project, said she's concerned the homes will flood during a heavy rain event, leaving the future homeowners under water. She said the individual septic tanks could potentially dump hazardous waste into the creek.
"Who is culpable for this? Is it going to be the city? Will it be the developer? The developer will be gone. I have these concerns," Seitz said.
Lakeland commissioners voted unanimously against prior plans to build 56 single-family homes on the same property in March 2021. At that time, Lakeland officials cited concerns about traffic on Medulla Road, potential for flooding and its density.
The property owner, English Creek LLC, and developer came back to Lakeland with revised plans dropping from 56 to 49 homes on the parcel in city limits. Tampa-based attorney William Molloy made clear the developer wanted to install individual septic tanks, saying it was "not financially feasible" to connect to the city's sewer and wastewater.
Seitz said she felt deceived by the revised application swapping a sewer for septic tanks in the wetlands. The board was also concerned about potential for flooding.
The proposed plans were revised a third time, reducing construction to five single-family homes on roughly 5-acre lots. The remaining 10 acres would be set aside for a road, a pedestrian trail and required open space or wetlands. Molloy said the "significant reduction" was an attempt to satisfy the concerns of city staff and residents.
The Planning and Zoning Board asked city staff to look into whether Polk County's approval of the 29-home segment was based on having access to city sewer. It was not, as city staff was informed it's common for developments in unincorporated areas to utilize septic tanks.
Jerrod Simpson, the city's assistant city attorney, said the developer will need to go through review processes with the Southwest Florida Water Management District, the city and county before construction.
The Lakeland City Commission's next meeting is scheduled for 9 a.m. Aug. 1 at City Hall, 228 S. Massachusetts Ave. The agenda has not yet been released.
Sara-Megan Walsh can be reached at swalsh@theledger.com or 863-802-7545. Follow her on Twitter @SaraWalshFl. | https://www.theledger.com/story/news/local/2022/07/20/lakeland-morgan-creek-housing-development-approved-planning-board/10096941002/ | 2022-07-20T19:45:53 | 1 | https://www.theledger.com/story/news/local/2022/07/20/lakeland-morgan-creek-housing-development-approved-planning-board/10096941002/ |
Plant City, Dundee farms featured on TV show 'Where The Food Comes From'
The cable TV series "Where The Food Comes From" features stories of crops grown on familiar central Florida farms.
The primetime series launched Jan. 20 on Nashville-based RFD-TV Network and has a weekly Nielsen-rated 12.5 million viewers across the country and Canada, a press release said.
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The show features farmers such as Plant City strawberry grower Gary Wishnatzki at Wish Farms and airs every Thursday at 9:30 p.m.
“The show is focused on the farm, but we go up and downstream to show all the hands that guide it along the way, introduce the faces behind the labels, let people truly get to know who's growing their food,” said the show’s producer and host Chip Carter, CEO of "Where The Food Comes From."
The show, which also has a website WhereTheFoodComesFrom.com, is now in its second season to be aired starting on July 21. Its third season is set for January 2023. Coming with Season 2 will be a SiriusXM format and a digital cookbook.
“A lot of those stories are based in Florida," Carter said, adding that many of them are based in Tampa Bay and Lakeland
Season 1 featured episodes on Florida Classic Growers/Dundee Citrus and their ongoing battle with citrus greening and Tampa's Cactus Hat Mushrooms.
“It's been an amazing journey to develop this TV show and get it on the air as a first-of-its-kind,” Carter said. “We started slow, with an opening audience of 300,000, but have watched it grow week-by-week until we spiked at 1.6 million viewers in April.” | https://www.theledger.com/story/news/local/2022/07/20/plant-city-wish-farms-dundee-citrus-rfd-tv-network-where-food-comes-from/10088984002/ | 2022-07-20T19:45:59 | 1 | https://www.theledger.com/story/news/local/2022/07/20/plant-city-wish-farms-dundee-citrus-rfd-tv-network-where-food-comes-from/10088984002/ |
'Shouldn't they fit in?' Polk commissioners deny 242-unit subdivision in rural Kathleen
BARTOW — On a 4-1 vote, county commissioners sided with residents and denied a 242-unit subdivision proposed for rural Kathleen.
Commissioners cited issues with compatibility between the proposed single-family development and the surrounding residential and agricultural community. The land in question is a vacant pasture.
"The reality is that it's poor property. And that's the reason why it hasn't been developed," Commissioner Neil Combee said. "I think that there will come a time when there will be some development on it but I would, I would like to see something much less intense."
Commissioners Combee, Bill Braswell, Martha Santiago and Rick Wilson voted to deny the project. Commissioner George Lindsey voted against that motion and in favor of the project.
Previously:Polk County commissioners to consider 242-home subdivision in rural Kathleen
From 2021:In last-ditch effort to fight density in their rural community, Kathleen residents sue Polk County
Coming soon? New 'micro hospital' could soon be heading to South Florida Avenue
The project was proposed by Todd Pressman with Pressman and Associates, Inc. It was presented to commissioners by Timothy Campbell with the Clark, Campbell, Lancaster, Workman & Airth law firm. Campbell said he was there on behalf of the developer, Swan Capital.
Originally, the applicant had presented plans for a 250-home subdivision on 120 acres at 4235 Deeson Road near the rural Kathleen community. The proposed development site was too close for comfort for many residents, including some whose families had been in the area for nearly 150 years and farming it for over 100.
That plan was rejected by the Polk Planning Commission on a 4-3 vote. In an appeal, the applicant presented a plan for 242 homes, reducing the density from 2.57 homes per acre to 2.49 homes per acre. The applicant also expanded the availability of 60-foot wide lots for the perimeter of the project, containing the 50-foot wide lots to the interior of the project.
The proposal also called for the minimum lot size to be reduced to 5,500 square feet with side and rear setbacks reduced to five feet.
Over 50% of the project was retained for open space, partially because the property included wetlands that cannot be developed. The proposed subdivision also would have had an amenity center with a pool and clubhouse for residents.
While the project received a favorable review and recommendation from planning staff, commissioners ultimately sided with the Planning Commission's recommendation and testimony provided by residents concerning the incompatibility of the proposed project with the surrounding area.
"We have staff, we have engineers, we have SWFWMD, we have DEP, and I've seen it over and over, they're not right either all the time," Wilson said. "At the end of the day, I don't believe it's compatible and I will not be for it one bit."
More development:Polk Planning Commission approves over 200 new residential units in Lakeland
Residents push back
The land is zoned residential suburban, which allows one dwelling unit per every five acres. Michelle Crawford, a Robbins Road resident whose family moved to rural Kathleen in 1882, said that residents didn't fight the zoning change last year because that density is compatible with the surrounding neighborhood.
However, a developer can get up to three dwelling units per acre with Planning Commission approval or a successful appeal before the Board of County Commissioners. The gross density of the project was calculated at 2.49 dwelling units per acre because 21.5 acres are wetlands.
Crawford, who presented organized opposition before the commissioners and was granted a 30-minute presentation before public comment, said the site plan presents a density closer to eight units per acre due to the tight, clustered design of the project.
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Staff noted in its report that higher density is warranted in this case because the property is located within North Blackwater Creek, which has issues with flooding. Clustering development on upland acreage with smaller lot sizes is encouraged, according to the staff report. Higher density is also encouraged because of access to centralized utilities, a fact Campbell noted in his presentation.
But during about two hours of public comment, residents pushed back against the density. They brought up existing issues with flooding in the area, as well as concerns about increased traffic on Deeson Road and incompatibility with existing residential life.
Crawford said that her neighbors "regularly engage in target practice," light "big bonfires," set off "probably illegal fireworks" and play loud music "into the wee hours of the night."
"Those of us who grew up there or moved out to the country understand that all this comes with the territory and we think it adds to the charm; we love it. Occasionally a farm animal will get loose, someone's goat or horse or pig and we all pitch in to help our neighbors and round up the escapees and to mend the fence," Crawford said. "How are folks that move into this subdivision going to feel when they hear gunshots? Are they going to help us round up cows? Will they call the police when a pasture party goes on after sundown?"
Crawford added that there isn't "a single HOA" or "recreation center" in sight where she lives.
"Whoever comes to live on that land will be our new neighbors," Crawford said. "Shouldn't they fit in? Shouldn't they be seeking a similarly rural way of life?"
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Why Commissioner George Lindsey was lone vote in favor of the project
As in the Planning Commission hearing, flooding came up at several points. In addition to Campbell answering questions about the issue and presenting a detailed engineering plan related to drainage, Pressman chose to speak during the public comment period to address drainage.
Pressman said the proposed project is "environmental stewardship on steroids."
"You've seen pictures and we've heard about a lot of extensive flooding now. The difference is these guys are on the hook for what they're proposing not just from the county but from SWFWMD and from FEMA," Pressman said. "Right now, it's just natural flows; nobody's fixing anything. Nobody's controlling anything. These waters are just moving by God's good grace."
Pressman said the developer was "over engineering" the site to "address the issues and problems that everyone has spoke about today."
Issues like drainage and traffic would have been addressed at a staff-level review had the project been approved, a fact that Lindsey pointed out in explaining his sole vote for approval.
"If those issues cannot be satisfied during the design and permitting process, then it doesn't go any further," Lindsey said. "That's it. That's where it stops."
Lindsey also said that commissioners had to vote on projects while keeping in mind the standards already in place.
"This is not about what I like or what I don't like. It's what meets the standards that we've adopted," Lindsey said. "I'm not going to add arbitrary and capricious findings. I'm going to stand by the rules and regulations that we've adopted and rely on the development review process and the Level 2 process to make sure those standards are satisfied."
But ultimately, commissioners decided that regardless of the wetness and lowness of the property, the bigger issue was the lack of compatibility with the surrounding neighborhood.
"Yeah we have standards and we have rules," Braswell said. "And one of the rules is, if we don't like it, we can deny it."
Maya Lora can be reached with tips or questions at mlora@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @mayaklora. | https://www.theledger.com/story/news/local/2022/07/20/polk-county-turns-down-proposal-242-homes-rural-land-kathleen/10085456002/ | 2022-07-20T19:46:05 | 1 | https://www.theledger.com/story/news/local/2022/07/20/polk-county-turns-down-proposal-242-homes-rural-land-kathleen/10085456002/ |
Originally published July 19 on IdahoCapitalSun.com.
In its grand opening, The Housing Company and its community partners opened new affordable housing developments for Nampa workers and families at Canyon Terrace Apartments.
Community partners include the Idaho Housing and Finance Association, Saint Alphonsus, R4 Capital and the Nampa School District. Together, the organizations allocated $18.8 million for the construction of the project. The Idaho Housing and Finance Association also contributed more than $8.5 million in tax credits to the project.
Canyon Terrace Apartments offers housing to people who earn 60% or less of area median income or $50,520 for a family of four in Canyon County, said Kathryn Almberg, the vice president and director of operations for The Housing Company.
“I had no idea that Nampa has the highest per capita of homeless students in the state,” Almberg said. “Kids need a stable place to live in order to learn and to thrive.”
The 81-unit apartment complex offers one-bedroom, two-bedroom and three-bedroom spaces to Nampa residents, including 15 apartments for families experiencing homelessness with children enrolled in the Nampa School District. The complex includes amenities such as a playground, washer and dryer hookups, a computer lab, a community room and a laundry room.
“The people who live at Canyon Terrace are our local workforce, our restaurant staff, our hospital employees, our grocery store and retail workers, our first year teachers and emergency responders,” Almberg said.
Almberg said she hopes to redefine workforce housing.
“Canyon Terrace housing is the kind of housing where working people live,” she said. “Affordable housing is beautiful and well maintained because of the regulatory requirements we have to complete, so our standards for housing are very high.”
Heidi Rahn, the federal programs administrator from the Nampa School District, said that the project fosters conversations between public and private organizations to find solutions to the housing and educational needs of the community.
“This has been a huge opportunity for our students and their families to have a place to go. It means they are going to have a stable school, stable transportation and it means that the school district can come in for home visits to help support the home rather than ask the families to go into many places to get their needs met,” Rahn said. “Our kids get to call this home.”
The Idaho affordable housing crisis is a health crisis
Saint Alphonsus is one of the community partners who financially contributed for the project, allocating $1 million dollars to the housing development. Its involvement with the Canyon Terrace Apartments is one of four housing projects in the region that the hospital has helped fund. It has funded housing and other youth projects in Boise, Nampa, Baker City and Ontario.
“Health is absolutely a crisis because of the price of housing,” said Travis P. Leach, the president of the Saint Alphonsus Medical Center in Nampa.
Housing is fundamental to a person’s health, and people experiencing homelessness do not have the stability they need to recover from an illness or to take their medication, he said.
Leach said that the placement and details of housing play an important part in the health of tenants and their families.
“There’s a lot of low income housing next to places where there are chemicals or next to a busy road,” he said. “Sidewalks, handicap accessibility and yellow markers for the visually impaired, ramps, fences and grass all come together to create a healthy place to live where you are not at risk.” | https://www.idahopress.com/news/local/in-private-public-partnership-local-organizations-bring-affordable-housing-to-nampa/article_f39148e9-fe43-52da-99b6-e16ad57654e2.html | 2022-07-20T19:49:40 | 1 | https://www.idahopress.com/news/local/in-private-public-partnership-local-organizations-bring-affordable-housing-to-nampa/article_f39148e9-fe43-52da-99b6-e16ad57654e2.html |
TEMPLE, Texas — Temple police found a car submerged in the water at Temple Lake Park Wednesday morning.
Police were initially called around 9 a.m. after getting reports that a car went through guard posts on the access roads then straight into the water.
It took police around two hours to pull the Nissan Versa out of the water thanks to the help of Temple Towing using a skid steer.
Once the car was out of the water, police did not find anyone inside.
Temple police did not provide any information about who owns the car. | https://www.kcentv.com/article/news/local/car-found-in-water-at-temple-lake-park-police-looking-for-driver/500-6938b447-fa09-4f2d-8018-3f61f4400ce9 | 2022-07-20T19:52:28 | 0 | https://www.kcentv.com/article/news/local/car-found-in-water-at-temple-lake-park-police-looking-for-driver/500-6938b447-fa09-4f2d-8018-3f61f4400ce9 |
MCLENNAN COUNTY, Texas — The video above was published on July 5, 2022.
The McLennan County Sheriff's Office arrested two people and rearrested a third in connection to the disappearance of two McGregor girls, according a news release sent Wednesday.
Both 14-year-old girls were found alive in Georgetown about a week after they were first reported missing on June 29. Authorities said during their disappearance, the girls were brought to multiple homes, including in Bellmead and Belton.
The news release said Justin Anthony Phillips, 33, and Ricardo Chavez Arriaga, 24, were arrested Monday. They were charged with harboring a runaway child.
James Van Houten, 30, who was initially arrested on July 5, was rearrested Tuesday on a charge of trafficking. He already faced two charges of harboring a runaway child.
Van Houten was arrested at his Georgetown home after a short standoff, according to the sheriff's office.
"It's very sad. They were in a very dangerous situation with several different people," McNamara said during a news conference shortly after the girls were found. "We have reason to believe they were mistreated very badly."
The sheriff's office said the investigation was still active and more arrests were expected.
“We are going to make these scumbags accountable for what they did to these young girls," said Sheriff Parnell McNamara. "There will be more charges and more arrests to come. We are not going to let up.”
McGregor Police, the FBI, Texas Rangers, Georgetown Police and the McLennan County Sheriff's Office Human Trafficking Unit were all involved in the investigation.
Stay with 6 News as this story develops. | https://www.kcentv.com/article/news/local/more-arrests-made-in-case-of-mcgregor-girls-who-went-missing-for-nearly-a-week/500-cc412282-5e47-4f3e-94ff-e2305993d408 | 2022-07-20T19:52:34 | 1 | https://www.kcentv.com/article/news/local/more-arrests-made-in-case-of-mcgregor-girls-who-went-missing-for-nearly-a-week/500-cc412282-5e47-4f3e-94ff-e2305993d408 |
DALLAS — A woman and her daughter are suing Taco Bell after employees at one of the restaurants in Dallas allegedly dumped a bucket of boiling water on them, causing severe burns and brain function damage.
Lawyers for the victims are asking for more than $1 million in damages from the defendants: Yum! Brands, Taco Bell Corp., Taco Bell of America, North Texas Bells and the two unidentified employees allegedly involved, who are named in the suit as John Doe and Jane Doe. The victims are being represented by Ben Crump and Paul Grinke.
The incident allegedly occurred June 17 when Brittany Davis and her daughter, a minor child identified in the lawsuit only as C.T., entered the Taco Bell at 11829 Abrams Road.
"Our hearts break for these two victims whose lives are forever changed because of the horrific and damaging actions by the Taco Bell manager and the larger entities that failed to protect the safety of their customers," Crump and Grinke wrote in a news release. "Not only did Brittany and C.T. suffer physical trauma because of the burns, but they will now live with the psychological trauma that comes with an attack like this. Corporations have a duty to employ quality and stable employees who hold safety as the highest priority."
After their $31 order had been prepared twice incorrectly in the drive-thru, the two customers entered the Taco Bell with their receipt and food bag, with an employee letting them into a dining room and locking the door behind them, according to the lawsuit.
After discussing the order with these two customers for nearly 10 minutes, the lawsuit claims that the employees refused to prepare the food they had paid for and became "combative."
"Inexplicably, the Taco Bell manager, a Hispanic female, (Jane Doe) who had not been involved in any of the conversations in the dining room, came from behind the counter with a scalding bucket of water and poured it onto C.T. and Brittany," the suit reads. "This water hit C.T. in the face and chest with the boiling water running down her body and soaking into her clothes. Ms. Davis was also hit by the water in the chest."
The two victims claim they then tried to run out of the Taco Bell, screaming -- but the door had been locked. While they were trying to unlock the door, the suit states, the manager came back with a second bucket of boiling water to throw on them, but the two were able to escape beforehand.
The suit says the two victims ran to their car and C.T. began taking off her clothes to try and minimize the burning, while her mother began having seizures due to the trauma.
"As this family was leaving the parking lot, a Taco Bell employee came outside the front door, laughing, clapping, and taunting the family—adding insult to horrific injury," the suit states.
According to the suit, C.T. then ran into the emergency room naked to get help for her mother, who was still suffering seizures and burns from not being able to take her clothes off. Davis's clothes had to be cut off with the skin still attached by hospital staff, the suit claims, and she was then care-flighted to an ICU burn unit in Dallas.
"Brittany suffered deep burns on her chest and stomach with significant damage to her brain function due to the seizures causing her to lose some of her memory," the suit reads.
Between the time of having the boiling water poured on her and making it to the ICU burn unit, Davis had suffered at least 10 seizures, the suit says.
"C.T. suffered severe burns to her face, chest, legs, arms, and stomach. The burns on her face will cause discoloring and scarring that will forever impact her self-image," the suit states. "When C.T. was released home from the hospital, her mother had to remove all mirrors from the walls, as C.T. could not bear to see her own face. The burns to the rest of her body caused her skin to bubble the size of softballs."
Charges against the defendants include negligence on the part of the two employees, who the suit states had a duty to exercise ordinary care and breached that by failing to protect or consider the well-being of their customers.
The suit also charges negligent hiring, training, retention and supervision on the part of the corporations named in the suit, who the suit says had a duty to hire safe and competent employees, enforce safety policies and procedures, and take action to control their employees to prevent injuries to customers.
This Taco Bell and the surrounding block have a history of criminal activity causing bodily harm to patrons, according to the suit.
"Defendants [North Texas Bells] and [Taco Bell of America] knew or should have known about the criminal history both on their premises and in the surrounding area including criminal activity that resulted in bodily harm," the suit states. "In fact, this same address had multiple reported criminal incidents in the weeks prior to the incident that are in the public record."
In a statement to WFAA, Taco Bell said it was in contact with the franchise owner and operator.
“We take the safety and wellbeing of team members and customers seriously. Taco Bell is in contact with the franchise owner and operator of this restaurant on this matter and cannot comment on specifics of pending litigation," the company said. | https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/woman-daughter-suing-taco-bell-manager-pours-bucket-boiling-water-over-them/287-31c889a0-9681-4752-9309-f1c498c5a67f | 2022-07-20T19:59:38 | 0 | https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/woman-daughter-suing-taco-bell-manager-pours-bucket-boiling-water-over-them/287-31c889a0-9681-4752-9309-f1c498c5a67f |
POST FALLS, Idaho — The Kootenai County Medical Coroner has released the identity of the 14-year old boy who drowned in the Spokane River near Corbin Park.
The victim has been identified as Henry Jack, who resided in Spokane. According to the Kootenai County Sheriff's Office, the investigation is still ongoing, but there is nothing suspicious to report regarding the incident.
Anyone with information on this drowning can contact Detective Chris Kerzman at (208) 446-1366 or at ckerzman@kcgov.us.
Jack died near Post Falls on Saturday after apparently drowning in the Spokane River at Corbin Park.
The Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO) responded to a report of a possible drowning near Post Falls on Saturday night. When deputies arrived at approximately 9:30 p.m., they learned a 14-year-old boy had been missing for more than an hour.
Deputies later found clothing near the water that was later identified as belonging to the teen.
The 14-year-old from Spokane was at the park with his family on Saturday. The teen was last seen playing near the shore of the Spokane River, according to the statement.
KCSO divers, Kootenai County Fire and Rescue (KCFR) and the KCSO Marine Division quickly began efforts to locate the teen.
After more than an hour of searching into the river, divers found the teen dead approximately 20 feet from shore in 10 feet of water.
This is a developing story and will be updated when more information becomes available.
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To report a typo or grammatical error, please email webspokane@krem.com. | https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/idaho/teen-drowns-spokane-river-at-corbin-park/293-ac5b0ccb-c498-4ff3-8567-c451fd6d1ca6 | 2022-07-20T20:03:19 | 0 | https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/idaho/teen-drowns-spokane-river-at-corbin-park/293-ac5b0ccb-c498-4ff3-8567-c451fd6d1ca6 |
Here's a daily map of coronavirus cases in Arizona, broken down by county.
The numbers were updated July 20.
Gallery: A year of the Pandemic in Tucson
Photos: A Year of the Pandemic in Tucson
Coronavirus Pandemic in Tucson
Pop Cycle, 422 N 4th Ave. March 20, 2020.
Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star
Coronavirus Pandemic in Tucson
Roxanne Lee, manager of the Tucson Medical Center cath lab, stands with nurses and other colleagues in Lifegain Park during a memorial ceremony to remember those who have died of the Coronavirus (COVID-19), on Jan. 19, 2021.
Josh Galemore / Arizona Daily Star
Coronavirus Pandemic in Tucson
Most of the students are learning remotely (screen at the back of the room) in Alyssa Keri's math class at Catalina Foothills High School in the Catalina Foothills School District, Tucson, on Feb. 4, 2021.
Rick Wiley / Arizona Daily Star
Coronavirus Pandemic in Tucson
Costco shoppers line up early at the Tucson Marketplace at The Bridges in Tucson on March 14, 2020.
Rick Wiley / Arizona Daily Star
Coronavirus Pandemic in Tucson
Volunteer Bill Rauch loads food supplies into the trunk of a car at the Community Food Bank at 3003 S. Country Club Road, on March 18, 2020. The food bank started a drive through pick up service to allow for social distancing in response to Coronavirus disease (COVID-19.)
Josh Galemore / Arizona Daily Star
Coronavirus Pandemic in Tucson
A pedestrian walks by the shuttered doors and windows of the Surly Wench Pub, the day after the city's drinking establishments were shut down due to COVID-19 distancing measures, March 18, 2020, Tucson, Ariz.
Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
Coronavirus Pandemic in Tucson
Victor Sanchez, a cook at Robert's Restaurant, holds a sign up to let to let passing drivers know they are still open at 3301 E Grant Road, on March 19, 2020. Restaurants and other small businesses are taking huge losses as people self quarantine and self distance to diminish the spread of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19.)
Josh Galemore / Arizona Daily Star
Coronavirus Pandemic in Tucson
Banner UMC’s drive up system is for emergency room triage for a variety of illnesses and is not for random testing for COVID-19. It has been put in place to keep crowds from the ER and protect the health of patients and staff.
Josh Galemore / Arizona Daily Star
Coronavirus Pandemic in Tucson
A line grows outside the doors to Trader Joe's at Swan and Grant as an employee limits customers entering the store to one-out one-in, March 20, 2020, Tucson, Ariz.
Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
Coronavirus Pandemic in Tucson
A group of friends from St. Louis enjoy their lunch along Sentinel Peak after a 40-mile bike ride on March 20, 2020. The cycling friends planned their trip to Tucson months ago and decided to keep their vacation plans. They arrived on March 1st and leave this weekend. For the past three weeks they've been cycling through Saguaro National Park, up Mt. Lemmon, Kitt Peak and The Loop. On Friday they got takeout from Seis Kitchen and their bicycle touring company set up tables and chairs for them. They felt they self-quaratined with just the six of them during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak.
Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star
Coronavirus Pandemic in Tucson
Madelyn Hardy takes a phone-in order behind the locked doors at Renee's Organic Oven, March 20, 2020, Tucson, Ariz. The restaurant is now taking no cash, doesn't allow customers into the building and leaves bagged orders on an outside table for diners to pick up.
Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
Coronavirus Pandemic in Tucson
A largely closed and nearly empty Park Place Mall early in the afternoon following COVID-19 restrictions, March 20, 2020, Tucson, Ariz.
Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
Coronavirus Pandemic in Tucson
Sarah Lang views responses from her fifth-grade students while teaching remotely on Google classroom at Centennial Elementary School in the Flowing Wells School District, Tucson, on March 20, 2020, after the shutdown of schools due to the pandemic.
Rick Wiley / Arizona Daily Star
Coronavirus Pandemic in Tucson
Marina Cornelius, owner of Floor Polish Dance + Fitness, teaches her Cardio Party-o class via Periscope to her students on March 20, 2020. Cornelius says this is the first time she's trying to livestream classes and is learning as she goes.
Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star
Coronavirus Pandemic in Tucson
Jo Schneider stands in the empty outdoor seating area of La Cocina located at 201 N. Court Avenue, on March 26, 2020.
Josh Galemore / Arizona Daily Star
Coronavirus Pandemic in Tucson
A woman walks along a nearly empty street in downtown Nogales, Arizona, on March 24, 2020.
Josh Galemore / Arizona Daily Star
Coronavirus Pandemic in Tucson
Dana Reed-Kane, co-owner of Reed's Compounding Pharmacy, 2729 E Speedway Blvd., pours a finished batch of hand sanitizer into a bottle at her store on March 27, 2020. Kane is making gallons of hand sanitizer and selling it to the public each day as part of a movement among such pharmacies to help out with the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star
Coronavirus Pandemic in Tucson
Michelle Don Carlos, founder of Mending Souls, sews masks in her home on Tucson's west side, on March 25, 2020. She and other volunteers are producing masks for emergency responders using anti-viral fabric donated by local hospitals.
Josh Galemore / Arizona Daily Star
Coronavirus Pandemic in Tucson
Vanessa Richards, 18, left, and Ella Dotson, 17, take a selfie as their friend, Camilla Hamilton, 17, gets her photo taken by Vanessa's mother, Chrissi, along Scott Ave. in downtown Tucson on March 31, 2020. Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic the rest of the schoolyear has been canceled. Richards, Dotson and Hamilton are seniors at Marana High School and will not have a formal graduation ceremony. The trio came to downtown to get photos of themselves in their caps and gowns.
Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star
Coronavirus Pandemic in Tucson
A dinosaur statue over the doors of MATS Dojo at 5929 E. 22nd St., sports an athletic cup for a face mask in the second week of COVID-19 restrictions, March 31, 2020, Tucson, Ariz.
Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
Coronavirus Pandemic in Tucson
Raj Paudel hands a bag of food to a customer at Govinda's to-go-tent located at 711 E. Blacklidge Drive, on April 1, 2020.
Josh Galemore / Arizona Daily Star
Coronavirus Pandemic in Tucson
Angel Perez and Dan Hawk perform from Perez's balcony, giving the neighborhood a COVID-19-isolation style concert from his balcony, April 1, 2020, Tucson, Ariz.
Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
Coronavirus Pandemic in Tucson
Tessa DeConcini, senior at University High School, poses for a portrait with her prom dress and graduation cap at University High School, 421 N. Arcadia Ave., in Tucson, Ariz., on April 1, 2020. DeConcini, along with many other high school students, will miss out on prom festivities as well as their graduation ceremony due Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19).
Rebecca Sasnett / Arizona Daily Star
Coronavirus Pandemic in Tucson
Dr. Liz Almil chats with one of her group from afar as members of the Tucson Cancer Conquerors distribute exercise gear, apparel, citrus and coffee during a handout at Brandy Fenton Park, April 11, 2020, Tucson, Ariz. The group is trying to find ways to keep their members exercising despite being forced into isolation by COVID-19 restrictions.
Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
Coronavirus Pandemic in Tucson
Rachel Huante greets her son Zeddicus Atherton as he trots out the door ahead of Lanee Pender carrying his sister Xena Atherton, part of the the new procedure of no parents inside the building at Kids First Preschool, April 15, 2020, Tucson, Ariz.
Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
Coronavirus Pandemic in Tucson
Cheri Carr grimaces as she receives a nasal swab while getting tested for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at a drive-thru testing site at Escalera Health & Wellness, 2224 N. Craycroft Rd., on April 17, 2020. Patients can receive a COVID-19 and an antibody test.
Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star
Coronavirus Pandemic in Tucson
Dalia Meshirer waves to a friend as the Golder Ranch Fire District trucks begin to roll by as dozens drive by her home to wish her a happy eighth birthday, April 2, 2020, Tucson, Ariz.
Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
Coronavirus Pandemic in Tucson
A sign strapped to the median at 6th Street and Campbell Avenue gives southbound motorists a little pep-talk in the COVID-19 times, April 23, 2020, Tucson, Ariz.
Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
Coronavirus Pandemic in Tucson
Kitchen manger Koa Hoffmann tosses dough while working up a crust for a call-in order as he and few others keep cooking at Bear Canyon Pizza despite COVID-19 restrictions, April 22, 2020, Tucson, Ariz.
Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
Coronavirus Pandemic in Tucson
Jesse James Tucker, owner and trainer at Tucson Rising Phoenix Fitness and Defense, records a video response on techniques for one of his members outside his home in Tucson, Ariz., on April 14, 2020.
Rebecca Sasnett / Arizona Daily Star
Coronavirus Pandemic in Tucson
Kyria Sabin Waugaman, right, pilates instructor at Body Works in Tucson, and one of her teachers, Alessangra Lima, host an online workout class at Body Works, 1980 E. River Rd., in Tucson, Ariz., on April 17, 2020.
Rebecca Sasnett / Arizona Daily Star
Coronavirus Pandemic in Tucson
Homer Cass, left, talks to his son, Richard, middle, and grandson, Jason, 22, through a window at Tucson Medical Center on April 27, 2020. The hospital is making adjustments during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic to now allow visitors. Upon entry everyone's temperature is taken and then friends and family members can use their cell phones to talk to their loved ones through a window for 15 minutes.
Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star
Coronavirus Pandemic in Tucson
Emily Wolfgang, manager at Little Anthony's Diner, talks with a customer during the first day of Little Anthony's Diner Carhop at Little Anthony's Diner, 7010 E. Broadway Blvd., in Tucson, Ariz., on April 28, 2020. Little Anthony's Diner, in response to the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19), started an old fashioned 1950's carhop. "It's been a long time since we had a carhop," said Tony Terry, president and owner of Little Anthony's Diner and The Gaslight Theater. "It fits our life right not." Little Anthony's Diner Carhop runs from 11am to 8pm Monday through Sunday. Customers can park in designated parking spots and order and pay for their food from the safety of their car, said Terry. Employees, dressed in 1950's attire with masks and gloves, will come out to check on customers and deliver drinks and food on trays, which resemble trays used in the 1950's that can attach to car windows. There is a Carhop menu, which include burgers, salads and shakes, but customers can order other items off the menu. DJ Phil, Little Anthony's Diner DJ, will play music that can be heard though speakers outside. "We may keep it after the virus," added Terry.
Rebecca Sasnett / Arizona Daily Star
Coronavirus Pandemic in Tucson
Alex Swain, a member of Beloved in the Desert - Tucson's chapter of the Episcopal Service Corps, carries bags of groceries to the home of an elderly man, on April 3, 2020. Swain and his housemates have volunteered to shop for elderly and at risk populations as people quarantine and stay at home during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Josh Galemore / Arizona Daily Star
Coronavirus Pandemic in Tucson
Mike Pfander, left, and his wife Jeanne talk with Mike's mother Margaret Pfander from the service driveway just outside Margaret's apartment in Villa Hermosa, April 25, 2020, Tucson, Ariz. With the COVID19 lockdowns relatives have to meet without breaking isolation protocols, through windows or over walls.
Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
Coronavirus Pandemic in Tucson
Ralph Acosta, valedictorian of the Amphitheater High School senior class, is greeted at his home near 22nd Street and 12th Avenue by principal Jon Lansa in Tucson on May 1, 2020. Acosta will speak during Amphi's video graduation ceremony.
Rick Wiley / Arizona Daily Star
Coronavirus Pandemic in Tucson
Detective Mary Pekas and Lt. Michelle Pickrom carry trays of food as they deliver meals with Mobile Meals of Southern Arizona, on April 29, 2020. Police officers with Tucson Police Department are volunteering while off duty with the program to allow for elderly volunteers to stay at home during the epidemic.
Josh Galemore / Arizona Daily Star
Coronavirus Pandemic in Tucson
Stylist Rahnay Curtis, left, and owner Jennifer Ball at CDO Barbershop on May 8, 2020, in Tucson.
Rick Wiley / Arizona Daily Star
Coronavirus Pandemic in Tucson
A nurse sporting a "Save Lives" mask takes part in a car procession honk-a-thon driving by Carondelet St. Mary's Hospital after departing from the Safeway across the street, on Jan. 12, 2021.
Josh Galemore / Arizona Daily Star
Coronavirus Pandemic in Tucson
Tucson Fire paramedics roll a gurney through a tent setup outside the Carondelet St. Joseph's Hospital's emergency room, on April 14, 2020. The tents are used to screen staff and patients for potential Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) before entering the hospital.
Josh Galemore / Arizona Daily Star
Coronavirus Pandemic in Tucson
Catalina Foothills High School graduates throw their hats in the air as they are videoed on the stage on the football field at Catalina Foothills High School, 4300 E. Sunrise Dr., in Tucson, Ariz., on May 11, 2020. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Catalina Foothills High School is videoing all 415 graduates individually over three days crossing the stage with their diploma cover. Small groups of graduates are escorted toward the stage and stand next to cones set apart for social distancing. After video and still pictures, graduates are given a t-shirt as they leave. "Its an amazing amount of work and planning, but our grads are worth it," said Julie Farbarik, director of Alumni and Community Relations at Catalina Foothills School District.
Rebecca Sasnett / Arizona Daily Star
Coronavirus Pandemic in Tucson
Lunchtime is normally standing room only at R&R Pizza Express, 13,905 N. Sandario Road, Marana. But it was sparsely attended on May 11, 2020, as the state allowed restaurants to re-open their dining rooms. Owner Linda Molitor carefully spaced tables to maintain social distancing for dining-in.
Rick Wiley / Arizona Daily Star
Coronavirus Pandemic in Tucson
Jordan Wentzel works on a customer's return at DSW located at 7191 E. Broadway, on May 12, 2020. Shoes tried on and returned by customers are cleaned with disinfectant and then stored for three days before being put back on the floor.
Josh Galemore / Arizona Daily Star
Coronavirus Pandemic in Tucson
Dr. Susan McMahon, left, lifts a healthy Camille Keicher as mother Audrey gives a reassuring nudge during Camille's six-month well-visit at Mesquite Pediatrics, 2350 N. Kibler Place, Tucson, on May 15, 2020.
Rick Wiley / Arizona Daily Star
Coronavirus Pandemic in Tucson
Carolina Castillo, house keeping staff member, wipes down a chair and table in the food court at Park Place Mall, 5870 E. Broadway Blvd., in Tucson, Ariz. on May 19, 2020. Malls reopened today under CDC guidelines and Gov. Ducey's new rules for businesses due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Park Place Mall has signs throughout the mall reminding customers to keep a six feet distance as well as hand sanitizer stations near each entrance. About half of the tables in the food court have been removed to allow for social distances as well as less than half of the stores have opened with new guidelines. Of the stores open, only 10 customers are allowed to shop in each store at a time.
Rebecca Sasnett / Arizona Daily Star
Coronavirus Pandemic in Tucson
The B Gates are largely empty on the Friday afternoon before Memorial Day, less than a dozen people waiting for flights at Tucson International Airport, May 22, 2020, Tucson, Ariz.
Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
Coronavirus Pandemic in Tucson
Brian McKinley carts out the extra chairs for temporary storage after the seating had been rearranged to meet COVID19 restrictions at Rincon Presbyterian Church, May 21, 2020, Tucson, Ariz. Houses of worship are searching for ways to adapt to the new reality.
Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
Coronavirus Pandemic in Tucson
Ernie Villalobos, general manger of Roadhouse Cinemas, talks with returning employees about some of the new safety measures at Roadhouse Cinemas, 4811 E. Grant Rd., in Tucson, Ariz. on June 9, 2020. Roadhouse Cinemas will reopen on Wednesday June 10 at 3:15 p.m. with new safety measures in place due to the Coronavirus pandemic. The new safety measures include plexiglass set up in front of cashier stations, informational signs placed through out the theater as well as signs on the floor indicating 6-feet distances. Each of the nine theaters will be at 50% capacity to allow for distancing between seats.
Rebecca Sasnett / Arizona Daily Star
Coronavirus Pandemic in Tucson
Fatuma Mohamud, employee, walk past two plexiglass stands infant of registers at Funtasticks, 221 E. Wetmore Rd., in Tucson, Ariz. on June 17, 2020. Funtasticks has reopened with new safety procedures in response to the Coronavirus pandemic. All attractions are open with equipment being cleaned after ever use, social distancing signs and plexiglass placed in front of registers.
Rebecca Sasnett / Arizona Daily Star
Coronavirus Pandemic in Tucson
Students in the "Let's Spin" class ride their stationary bikes outdoors at Let's Sweat, 439 N 6th Ave., on August 19, 2020. Soleil Chiquette, owner of the fitness studio and gym, says she moved her classes outdoors and limited class sizes in order to adhere to coronavirus disease guidelines. She's had to cancel some classes that involve students to be indoors. Chiquette says an app was created for her business when the pandemic first started so that members can have access to fitness classes and challenges.
Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star
Coronavirus Pandemic in Tucson
Cafeteria worker Francis Fontes sorts chicken nuggets into bags for grab-and-go distribution use at the Tucson Unified School District-Food Services building located at 2150 E. 15th Street, on Sept. 23, 2020. The TUSD Food Services Department has continued to provide services for students and families throughout the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic by distributing thousands of meals a week for students. In addition to the daily grab-and-go distribution throughout the city, the district has implemented an alternative weekly pickup of a week’s worth of meals (including breakfast, lunch, and five days of snacks) at the TUSD Food Services Department Central Facility off of 15th street.
Josh Galemore / Arizona Daily Star
Coronavirus Pandemic in Tucson
Alyssa Cossey, conductor and director of the University Community Chorus (UCC), sets up for a webinar series she is directing from her home on September 8, 2020. The webinar takes place twice a month for the school semester. Cossey wanted to create something for people to participate in during this lack of physical choir performances and rehearsals due to the coronavirus disease pandemic. The series is free and open to the public.
Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star
Coronavirus Pandemic in Tucson
Music director Eric Holtan leads the True Concord Choir during rehearsal for their upcoming performance, "The Nurturer – Brahms Requiem," at Dove of Peace Lutheran Church, 665 W. Rollercoaster Road, on Oct. 19, 2020.
Rick Wiley / Arizona Daily Star
Coronavirus Pandemic in Tucson
Eli Hyland, left, 78, starts to form a heart with her hands while watching her daughter Karen Shea form a heart during their outdoor visit at Elderhaven Assisted Living, 2501 N. Soldier Trail, in Tucson, Ariz., on October 22, 2020. They started making hearts with their hands during their window visits and it has stuck, said Shea. Shea was able to visit her mother through window visits during the pandemic but recently Shea was able to visit her mom in an outdoor setting under strict protocols. They were required to wear masks, get their temps taken, maintain a six-foot distance at all times and were not allowed to touch each other.
Rebecca Sasnett / Arizona Daily Star
Coronavirus Pandemic in Tucson
Tiana Hair, PCC psychology clinical instructor, grabs a filled COVID-19 saliva test tube during a COVID-19 drive-thru testing site at Pima Community College East Campus, 8181 E. Irvington Rd., in Tucson, Ariz. on Dec. 11, 2020. Arizona State University in partnership with the Arizona Department of Health Services is now offering appointment only drive-thru COVID-19 testing, via a saliva test, at three Pima Community College campuses.
Rebecca Sasnett / Arizona Daily Star
Coronavirus Pandemic in Tucson
Second-grade students make gingerbread cookies while a warm fire burns on the Smart board at Mesa Verde Elementary School, 1661 W. Sage St. on Dec. 17, 2020.
Rick Wiley / Arizona Daily Star
Coronavirus Pandemic in Tucson
Marcos Moreno, a volunteer for 15 years with Miracle en el Barrio, writes the number of children on the front of a mini-van as he welcomes families to the Tucson Rodeo Grounds for the 18th year of the event, on Dec. 18, 2020. As a precaution against the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the annual event used a drive-thru style format to handout toys, gift cards and other items to children and families
Josh Galemore / Arizona Daily Star
Coronavirus Pandemic in Tucson
Five-year old Antonio Moreno reaches out to Santa Claus, getting as close to him as the COVID-19 protective snow-globe bubble will allow during the Tucson Parks and Recreation's drive-thru Cookies With Santa at Donna R. Liggins Recreation Center, Tucson, Ariz., December 16, 2020. It was slow at the drive-thru and when there were no others around, a few kids like Antonio got a chance to almost touch the Big Guy.
Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
Coronavirus Pandemic in Tucson
A playground structure closed due to the coronavirus pandemic at Arthur Pack Regional Park north of Tucson on May 8, 2020.
Rick Wiley / Arizona Daily Star
Coronavirus Pandemic in Tucson
Kris Green stands with hands over heart as students pass by on her last day as a teacher at Manzanita Elementary School on Oct. 23, 2020. After nearly 40 years, she decided to retire before in-person instruction begins on Oct. 26. Green was a district teacher of the year.
Rick Wiley / Arizona Daily Star
Coronavirus Pandemic in Tucson
Elana Bloom: It was very shocking. Everything I had planned for, my whole business was canceled over a two day period. Bloom owns Solstice, a textile business and would make most of her money in the Spring to help with the slower months of the summer. April 14, 2020
Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star
Coronavirus Pandemic in Tucson
Sgt. Michael Moseley receives the Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine during the administration of the vaccination to members of the public who meet the 1B priority eligibility of at Tucson Medical Center's Marshal Center, on Jan. 15, 2021.
Josh Galemore / Arizona Daily Star
Coronavirus Pandemic in Tucson
People are directed into the line at the University of Arizona's COVID19 drive-thru vaccination facilities on the school's mall, Tucson, Ariz., February 5, 2021.
Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
Coronavirus Pandemic in Tucson
Resident Victor Braun laughs with a CVS Pharmacy health care worker after getting his first dose of the Moderna COVID vaccine at Hacienda at the Canyon, Tucson, Ariz., January 27, 2021. The facility's residents and staff were part of a two day vaccination program in conjunction with CVS Pharmacy and monitored by the in-house personnel from TMCOne clinic.
Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
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Students are already returning to Salpointe Catholic High School after a fire broke out on the campus Sunday night.
All activities scheduled on campus are back up and running after the school announced it was closed until further notice on Monday, said Jennifer Harris, the director of advancement at the school. Athletic teams, the dance team and the band have all returned to campus near East Glenn Street and North Mountain Avenue.
The fire started in the attic space above an English classroom and spread throughout the wing of the building, according to a news release from the school. Smoke and water damage were also present throughout two other wings.
There is no damage estimate at this time, but a fire official said the repair costs could be expected to run into the millions, based on the building size and amount work that would be needed for full repairs, the Arizona Daily Star previously reported.
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The two-alarm fire started ab 8:10 p.m. Sunday. It was under control about an hour later.
On Tuesday, restoration started on the building that suffered smoke and water damage, Harris said. Those classrooms are expected to be up and functional by the time school starts next month.
Harris said there are no plans to switch to remote learning. The six classrooms damaged in the fire will be relocated elsewhere on campus, she said.
“Out of the 40-acre campus, there really is just a relatively small corner that won’t be able to be restored before school starts,” Harris said. “We have a bit of a job ahead of us, but we are very optimistic, and we are really feeling like we will be ready to accommodate our 1250 students in August when they return for classes.”
As of Wednesday morning, the fire cause was still under investigation.
Jamie Donnelly covers breaking news for the Arizona Daily Star. Contact her via e-mail at jdonnelly@tucson.com | https://tucson.com/news/local/students-back-at-salpointe-after-fire/article_864dac5e-084d-11ed-810e-1b84b96b9a2d.html | 2022-07-20T20:08:07 | 1 | https://tucson.com/news/local/students-back-at-salpointe-after-fire/article_864dac5e-084d-11ed-810e-1b84b96b9a2d.html |
LUZERNE COUNTY, Pa. — The march is on at Pennsylvania State Police Troop N Camp Cadet.
And the chopper landed on the soccer fields of Penn State Hazleton to give campers a full law enforcement experience.
"Back after two years after COVID was canceled for last year. So we're really excited to be back, and I had an opportunity to meet the new kids, interact with them. I kind of explained a little thing about law enforcement and how we train and show them some of our resources, which you know, most everyday kid does not get to see those types of things," trooper David Peters, state police, said.
"Well, there's a lot of intense training the first day. It seems all cool and then you wake up the next morning and then you go on this mile run and you're like, I'm out of breath. And then right away you go to breakfast," camper Austin Bush, of Stroudsburg, said.
Every day, campers meet with members of different branches of law enforcement, such as a helicopter pilot, and learn all about their responsibilities in the field and in the air.
Campers said it wasn't easy getting a seat on this field.
"Yes, I had to apply and then I got an interview. And I went to interview and I was very nervous for it, but I ended up getting it," camper Morgan Hyland, of Saylorsburg, said.
But with their futures in mind, it's something they wanted to experience firsthand.
"I'm leaning towards forensic scientist because that sounds really cool," Hyland said.
"Because I want to get into law myself, I want to be an FBI agent. And I want to learn more about the background and I want to get a better idea of what it's like, the training, what the perspective of it is, things like that," Bush said.
Find more information about Camp Cadet Summer Program.
See news happening? Text our Newstip Hotline. | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/luzerne-county/campers-learn-law-enforcement-criminal-justice-at-camp-cadet-luzerne-county/523-64c10739-5372-4757-8e11-5a17ca94abf3 | 2022-07-20T20:09:14 | 0 | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/luzerne-county/campers-learn-law-enforcement-criminal-justice-at-camp-cadet-luzerne-county/523-64c10739-5372-4757-8e11-5a17ca94abf3 |
LUZERNE COUNTY, Pa. — A father is accused of abusing his baby in Luzerne County.
Romie Brown, 20, of Hanover Township, is charged with endangerment and aggravated assault.
According to court papers, Brown's 7-month-old daughter suffered fractures to her ribs and arm, and three brain bleeds back in April and May.
Authorities say the injuries were consistent with the child being shaken.
Brown is locked up in Luzerne County.
See news happening? Text our Newstip Hotline. | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/luzerne-county/father-accused-of-assault-on-child-hanover-township-baby-assault-endangerment/523-13384bec-38b6-42c3-93a1-65ebcca1669e | 2022-07-20T20:09:20 | 1 | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/luzerne-county/father-accused-of-assault-on-child-hanover-township-baby-assault-endangerment/523-13384bec-38b6-42c3-93a1-65ebcca1669e |
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — State health officials say the people in Butler County Rural Water District 6 no longer have to boil their water.
The residents have been under a boil water advisory since Monday. It was issued for a portion of the system because of a loss of pressure in the distribution system. A failure to maintain adequate pressure can result in a loss of chlorine residuals and lead to bacterial contamination.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment says the problem has been fixed, and laboratory tests show the water is safe to drink.
A boil water advisory continues for people who use the City of Douglass public water supply system.
For consumer questions, please contact the water system, or you may call KDHE at 785-296-5514. For consumer information, please visit KDHE’s PWS Consumer Information webpage. | https://www.ksn.com/news/local/boil-water-advisory-ends-for-part-of-butler-county/ | 2022-07-20T20:09:52 | 1 | https://www.ksn.com/news/local/boil-water-advisory-ends-for-part-of-butler-county/ |
TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNW) — A Sedgwick County district court judge has approved a plan for Evergy Kansas Central to pay for alleged violations of the Kansas Consumer Protection Act (KCPA), according to Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt and Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett.
Schmidt and Bennett say the company will pay $500,000 to the State of Kansas as part of a consent judgment.
Evergy Kansas Central is a subsidiary of Evergy, Inc., and was formerly known as Westar Energy Inc. It is the area that includes Wichita, Topeka and Manhattan.
They say the judgment relates to interior and exterior electrical home warranties offered through Evergy Kansas Central’s affiliation with HomeServe USA from September 2014 through December 2019.
Schmidt and Bennett conducted a joint investigation into the partnership between the utility and HomeServe for allegations that Evergy Kansas Central, known then as Westar, sponsored and approved electrical home warranties that failed to provide a material benefit to consumers and made material misrepresentations in violation of the KCPA.
The consent judgment is a court-approved agreement between the parties, and Evergy Kansas Central Inc. does not admit to the State’s allegations. KSN has reached out to Evergy for its response.
Sedgwick County District Court Judge Eric Commer approved the judgment on July 15. Under the consent judgment:
- Evergy Kansas Central has agreed to pay $480,000 to the State of Kansas, as well as $20,000 to reimburse investigative fees.
- Evergy Kansas Central cannot share customer information with a third party unless allowed by law.
- Evergy Kansas Central agreed that any time it is compensated for the use of its logo, it will place a nearby statement informing consumers its use was compensated.
- Evergy Kansas Central will not allow third parties to use the company logo to solicit business in a way that a reasonable person would believe the solicitation originated from Evergy Kansas Central.
- The company must not send or deliver solicitations that a customer could reasonably interpret as a bill or invoice of an account due.
- It must refrain from soliciting goods or services from which the consumer can’t receive any benefit.
Click here to read a copy of the consent judgment. | https://www.ksn.com/news/local/judgment-evergy-kansas-central-to-pay-kansas-500000/ | 2022-07-20T20:09:53 | 1 | https://www.ksn.com/news/local/judgment-evergy-kansas-central-to-pay-kansas-500000/ |
LOUISVILLE, Ken. (KSNW) — University of Louisville Health (U of L) has provided an update on the condition of Ava and Amy Jones, who were in Louisville for a basketball tournament when a car driven by an alleged impaired driver hit their family.
According to U of L officials, Ava and Amy have been upgraded to fair condition. They had been in critical condition before.
Louisville Metro Police Department officer Rondall Carpenter testified last week that Ava suffered a broken back and underwent several surgeries to relieve a brain bleed. Amy suffered severe traumatic brain injuries and has undergone several surgeries on her leg.
Trey, the father, died of his injuries.
According to police, 33-year-old Michael Hurley was high on Hyrdocodone when he drove onto the sidewalk near an intersection in downtown Louisville, hitting the Jones family. All four members of the family were taken to the hospital.
Hurley is charged with murder, two counts of first-degree assault, and one count of fourth-degree assault. His bond was set at $500,000. | https://www.ksn.com/news/local/louisville-hospital-gives-update-on-jones-family/ | 2022-07-20T20:09:53 | 0 | https://www.ksn.com/news/local/louisville-hospital-gives-update-on-jones-family/ |
The following is the opinion and analysis of the writer:
In a state where significant challenges plague the education system — and legitimate solutions exist — strong leaders thinking and working together across both sides of the aisle can ignite meaningful change. What is most important, however, is prioritizing voters’ priorities for education — their priorities need to be at the forefront of all decision-making.
If you were to solely rely upon the hot-button issues that generate heated banter on social media and in news headlines, you would be highly misguided about the true education concerns that Arizonans believe warrant the greatest attention. Unfortunately, issues like critical race theory, gender identity and closing failing schools take the spotlight.
It’s a confounding challenge. Voters continue to prioritize education and want to see their candidates discussing and taking action on the issues that matter most to improving student outcomes. Yet the disconnect perseveres.
People are also reading…
Education Forward Arizona recently conducted a poll of 500 Arizona voters to better understand their priorities for education. The survey, conducted in coordination with the Center for the Future of Arizona, complements and dives deeper on findings reported in the Arizona Voters’ Agenda.
In the survey, likely Arizona voters were asked an open-ended question about what they believe the biggest issues are facing education. Their most common responses were that teachers are underpaid and schools are underfunded. When asked specifically about school funding and teacher pay, 78% said they believed teachers were underpaid, and 66% said that they believed that schools were underfunded.
Notably, the survey also showed a majority of likely Arizona voters do not support banning critical race theory; restricting discussions of gender identity and sexual orientation during sex education; or closing failing schools.
Instead, they prioritized ensuring every classroom has a qualified teacher, raising teacher pay, increasing school funding, and fostering more opportunities for Career and Technical Education for Arizona students. Voters also prioritized actions that would close achievement gaps, including providing additional funding and resources to schools to support their low-income students along with scholarships for low-income students to go to college.
Voters want to see candidates prioritizing and offering solutions to address Arizona’s teacher shortage, to help students learn key subjects, and to ensure they have opportunities that lead to education attainment and good careers. These are meaningful changes that will move the needle on the goals in the Arizona Education Progress Meter and meet our state’s Achieve60AZ attainment goal.
It’s time for our candidates to concern themselves less with what sparks passionate debate and more with what changes in our education system will have meaningful impact for Arizona families, and ultimately the state’s economy.
Rich Nickel is president and CEO of Education Forward Arizona, which champions education attainment. Additional survey findings and data can be found at EducationForwardArizona.org/priorities. | https://tucson.com/opinion/local/arizona-opinion-voters-want-focus-on-key-education-issues/article_26f692d8-0470-11ed-a3cb-57640bd50b81.html | 2022-07-20T20:10:04 | 0 | https://tucson.com/opinion/local/arizona-opinion-voters-want-focus-on-key-education-issues/article_26f692d8-0470-11ed-a3cb-57640bd50b81.html |
Let’s catch up!
The Arizona Daily Star Opinion team will host a reader chat Thursday, July 21, at 2 p.m. Our special guest will be Curt Prendergast, the Star’s Opinion editor, who will talk about the many things going on in the world and the direction of the Opinion pages, and he will listen to readers’ questions and concerns.
If you would like to join Thursday’s conversation, email Opinion coordinator Sara Brown at sbrown@tucson.com, and she will email you the Zoom link; or, here is the meeting ID: 857 1667 0747 and password: 5007941. Here is the link to join: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85716670747?pwd=YXBMdnl3SFo1VUpIYmJodXJaY0N5Zz09
To see previous reader chats, go to tucson.com/opinion/chats.
Sara Brown, Opinion Coordinator at the Arizona Daily Star Newsroom working with editorial, features, business and metro. sbbrown@tucson.com, 520-807-8466. Twitter: @sbrownarizona. Facebook: sbrownarizona. | https://tucson.com/opinion/local/join-us-for-a-reader-chat-with-curt-prendergast-opinion-editor/article_9b26fd1e-0795-11ed-8ac7-63272510efd9.html | 2022-07-20T20:10:10 | 0 | https://tucson.com/opinion/local/join-us-for-a-reader-chat-with-curt-prendergast-opinion-editor/article_9b26fd1e-0795-11ed-8ac7-63272510efd9.html |
A woman from Parker County is facing multiple counts of cruelty to animals after sheriff's investigators found several dead animals on her property.
Investigators with the Parker County Sheriff's Office said they were called to the home of 31-year-old Shamorrowia Jeanette Alexander to perform an animal welfare check. When they arrived they reported finding a decomposing bull inside a pen with an empty hay feeder.
After walking the property, deputies also found several turkeys and chickens in pens alongside multiple deceased animals. They also discovered a live goat in another pen without an available water source.
Among the deceased animals were horses, peacocks, rabbits, mini horses and emus.
Investigators reported that none of the deceased animals had access to fresh water and the water on site was contaminated.
The remaining animals are being evaluated by a local veterinarian, the sheriff's department said.
Parker County Sheriff Russ Authier said the law requires animal owners to provide adequate shade, food and fresh water for all animals.
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"In the climbing temperatures, it is imperative," said Authier.
Alexander was arrested Tuesday and charged with eight counts of cruelty to livestock animals and one charge of cruelty to non-livestock animals. It's not clear if she's obtained an attorney. | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/dead-decomposing-animals-found-outside-parker-county-home-woman-arrested/3019356/ | 2022-07-20T20:10:32 | 0 | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/dead-decomposing-animals-found-outside-parker-county-home-woman-arrested/3019356/ |
LAKE STEVENS, Wash. — A K9 was found after he went missing from his Lake Stevens residence on the night between July 19 and July 20.
The dog’s name is Ace and he works for Edmonds Police Department. He was found about half a mile from his home after a neighbor saw him.
Ace originally went missing around midnight of July 20, in his residence near the intersection between 2nd Street, South Nyden Farms Road and 123rd Avenue Southeast.
He was not wearing a collar or anything else that identifies him but he is microchipped. Vets should be able to scan the chip if brought to them.
Snohomish County Sheriff's Office had originally asked anyone who sees Ace to call 911.
Ace is very friendly and lives with his handler, according to the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office. | https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/k9-edmonds-police-missing-call-911-found/281-681831f4-2fe3-4420-b252-eaf1cff17240 | 2022-07-20T20:12:10 | 1 | https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/k9-edmonds-police-missing-call-911-found/281-681831f4-2fe3-4420-b252-eaf1cff17240 |
ABINGDON, Va. (WJHL) – A California pair has been indicted for supplying fentanyl linked to Wise County teen overdoses.
According to a release, a federal grand jury has charged Alexander Ortiz, 35, of Fullerton, Calif. and Jorge Efrain Perez Jr., 24, of Anaheim, Calif., with one count of conspiring to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Court documents say Ortiz and Perez were the suppliers of fentanyl for Paul Perkins, Austin Lane and Cheyenne Carcio, the Southwest Virginia trio who pleaded guilty to fentanyl distribution that led to overdoses, as well as others in Southwest Virginia.
Between November 1, 2020, and June 20, 2022, Ortiz allegedly sold thousands of pressed pills containing fentanyl to Perkins and others, according to investigators. Perez helped Ortiz in mailing the packages from California to Virginia, as well as other locations in the country.
Search warrants executed at Ortiz’s residence in Los Banos and Santa Ana, California resulted in the recovery of over $6,000 pressed pills containing fentanyl, approximately $60,000 in cash and 13 firearms, according to investigators.
Ortiz and Perez face 20 years in prison if convicted.
The announcement comes from U.S. Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh; Charlies J. Patterson, special agent in charge of the ATF’s Washington Field Division; and Tommy D. Coke, inspector in charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Atlanta Division.
The case was investigated by the Wise County Sheriff’s Office, Norton Police Department, Southwest Drug Task Force, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, with assistance from the Stanislaus and Orange County, California sheriffs’ offices.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lena Busscher is prosecuting the case. | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/california-pair-indicted-for-supplying-fentanyl-linked-to-teen-ods/ | 2022-07-20T20:14:36 | 1 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/california-pair-indicted-for-supplying-fentanyl-linked-to-teen-ods/ |
JONESBOROUGH, Tenn. (WJHL) — Washington County Schools has announced a new principal for David Crockett High School.
Dr. Ashley Davis, who currently serves as the deputy chief academic officer for the school system, has been selected for the role.
“Dr. Davis is the right choice at this moment to best support the needs of the students, faculty, staff, and families of David Crockett High School,” Superintendent Jerry Boyd said. “Her working knowledge of DCHS, Washington County Schools, and the Washington County communities served will have a great impact on the future of the school. Dr. Davis will strengthen the team, build relationships, and carry a powerful vision of success that will propel David Crockett High School forward as a top high school in our state for all students to learn, grow, and thrive toward a promising future.”
Davis began her career in the school system as an English teacher at David Crockett before serving as an assistant principal at Daniel Boone High School for two years. She then served as a career and technical education director for a year and then assistant director of schools for three years before becoming deputy chief academic officer.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English, a Master of Arts in Teaching, and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership, all from East Tennessee State University. | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/new-principal-named-for-david-crockett-high-school/ | 2022-07-20T20:14:42 | 1 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/new-principal-named-for-david-crockett-high-school/ |
What is a monsoon? Here's the definition for Arizona summer storms
The word monsoon comes from the Arabic word “mausim,” which means season. This is a fitting way to describe the period when rainstorms are more prevalent in the desert.
"A monsoon is a large-scale change in overall weather pattern," explained Marvin Percha, meteorologist at the National Weather Service.
The Arizona monsoon season starts approximately in June and continues through September. Since 2008, the established dates from the National Weather Service are June 15 through Sept. 30.
These dates only suggest a higher possibility of storms, so don't be confused if rainy weather doesn't align perfectly with those start and end dates.
Arizona monsoon season:Here's when to expect those summer storms
What causes a monsoon?
A couple of factors are at play in order to create the kind of conditions for rain. The two big ones are the direction of the wind and moisture and daytime heating.
A shift in wind direction from the south to the southeast occurs in the summer. The moisture from the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico creates streams to the north. Combine this with the heat from the day in Arizona, which creates rising air or low pressure, and the conditions are set for monsoon storms.
Support local journalism.Subscribe to azcentral.com today. | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-weather/2022/07/20/what-is-a-monsoon/10107230002/ | 2022-07-20T20:15:00 | 1 | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-weather/2022/07/20/what-is-a-monsoon/10107230002/ |
Police investigate Monday shooting of 35-year-old man in Casa Grande
Casa Grande police are looking for the suspect in the shooting homicide of a man Monday morning near Cottonwood Lane and Pinal Avenue.
Officers responded to call about a shooting around 5:30 a.m. and found local Benjamin Harmer, 35, with gunshot wounds, according to Casa Grande police news release. He was pronounced dead on scene.
There was no description of the suspect or information on what led to the shooting as of Tuesday.
Police believe Chevrolet Tahoe that is either gray or painted only in primer was involved in the homicide, according to the release. The vehicle was described as missing the door guard on the back door of the driver side. It also has chrome tubular nerf bars and aftermarket rims, according to police.
The Tahoe last seen leaving westbound from the crime scene.
Anyone with information is asked to contact detective Nick Elliott at Nicholas_Elliott@casagrandeaz.gov or 520-421-8711 extension 6562.
Reach breaking news reporter Angela Cordoba Perez at Angela.CordobaPerez@Gannett.com or on Twitter @AngelaCordobaP.
Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today. | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/pinal-breaking/2022/07/20/casa-grande-police-investigate-homicide-local-man/10108185002/ | 2022-07-20T20:15:06 | 1 | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/pinal-breaking/2022/07/20/casa-grande-police-investigate-homicide-local-man/10108185002/ |
DALLAS — A woman and her daughter are suing Taco Bell after employees at one of the restaurants in Dallas allegedly dumped a bucket of boiling water on them, causing severe burns and brain function damage.
Lawyers for the victims are asking for more than $1 million in damages from the defendants: Yum! Brands, Taco Bell Corp., Taco Bell of America, North Texas Bells and the two unidentified employees allegedly involved, who are named in the suit as John Doe and Jane Doe. The victims are being represented by Ben Crump and Paul Grinke.
The incident allegedly occurred June 17 when Brittany Davis and her daughter, a minor child identified in the lawsuit only as C.T., entered the Taco Bell at 11829 Abrams Road.
"Our hearts break for these two victims whose lives are forever changed because of the horrific and damaging actions by the Taco Bell manager and the larger entities that failed to protect the safety of their customers," Crump and Grinke wrote in a news release. "Not only did Brittany and C.T. suffer physical trauma because of the burns, but they will now live with the psychological trauma that comes with an attack like this. Corporations have a duty to employ quality and stable employees who hold safety as the highest priority."
After their $31 order had been prepared twice incorrectly in the drive-thru, the two customers entered the Taco Bell with their receipt and food bag, with an employee letting them into a dining room and locking the door behind them, according to the lawsuit.
After discussing the order with these two customers for nearly 10 minutes, the lawsuit claims that the employees refused to prepare the food they had paid for and became "combative."
"Inexplicably, the Taco Bell manager, a Hispanic female, (Jane Doe) who had not been involved in any of the conversations in the dining room, came from behind the counter with a scalding bucket of water and poured it onto C.T. and Brittany," the suit reads. "This water hit C.T. in the face and chest with the boiling water running down her body and soaking into her clothes. Ms. Davis was also hit by the water in the chest."
The two victims claim they then tried to run out of the Taco Bell, screaming -- but the door had been locked. While they were trying to unlock the door, the suit states, the manager came back with a second bucket of boiling water to throw on them, but the two were able to escape beforehand.
The suit says the two victims ran to their car and C.T. began taking off her clothes to try and minimize the burning, while her mother began having seizures due to the trauma.
"As this family was leaving the parking lot, a Taco Bell employee came outside the front door, laughing, clapping, and taunting the family—adding insult to horrific injury," the suit states.
According to the suit, C.T. then ran into the emergency room naked to get help for her mother, who was still suffering seizures and burns from not being able to take her clothes off. Davis's clothes had to be cut off with the skin still attached by hospital staff, the suit claims, and she was then care-flighted to an ICU burn unit in Dallas.
"Brittany suffered deep burns on her chest and stomach with significant damage to her brain function due to the seizures causing her to lose some of her memory," the suit reads.
Between the time of having the boiling water poured on her and making it to the ICU burn unit, Davis had suffered at least 10 seizures, the suit says.
"C.T. suffered severe burns to her face, chest, legs, arms, and stomach. The burns on her face will cause discoloring and scarring that will forever impact her self-image," the suit states. "When C.T. was released home from the hospital, her mother had to remove all mirrors from the walls, as C.T. could not bear to see her own face. The burns to the rest of her body caused her skin to bubble the size of softballs."
Charges against the defendants include negligence on the part of the two employees, who the suit states had a duty to exercise ordinary care and breached that by failing to protect or consider the well-being of their customers.
The suit also charges negligent hiring, training, retention and supervision on the part of the corporations named in the suit, who the suit says had a duty to hire safe and competent employees, enforce safety policies and procedures, and take action to control their employees to prevent injuries to customers.
This Taco Bell and the surrounding block have a history of criminal activity causing bodily harm to patrons, according to the suit.
"Defendants [North Texas Bells] and [Taco Bell of America] knew or should have known about the criminal history both on their premises and in the surrounding area including criminal activity that resulted in bodily harm," the suit states. "In fact, this same address had multiple reported criminal incidents in the weeks prior to the incident that are in the public record."
In a statement to WFAA, Taco Bell said it was in contact with the franchise owner and operator.
“We take the safety and wellbeing of team members and customers seriously. Taco Bell is in contact with the franchise owner and operator of this restaurant on this matter and cannot comment on specifics of pending litigation," the company said. | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/woman-daughter-suing-taco-bell-manager-pours-bucket-boiling-water-over-them/287-31c889a0-9681-4752-9309-f1c498c5a67f | 2022-07-20T20:16:54 | 0 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/woman-daughter-suing-taco-bell-manager-pours-bucket-boiling-water-over-them/287-31c889a0-9681-4752-9309-f1c498c5a67f |
NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. – Firefighters said they’re seeing more people start to risk it during storms and have a stern warning to give.
Two people were hit by lightning Tuesday in New Smyrna Beach just 30 minutes and two miles apart, according to fire officials.
The first 911 call came in around 4 p.m. on Tuesday from Middlebury Loop. First responders said it was a landscaper working on a property when lightning hit him and a tree next to him. Callers said the tree caught on fire and neighbors rushed in to give the man CPR. Firefighters said the Good Samaritans brought back his pulse.
“There was an entry and an exit wound,” said Battalion Chief Don Snell, “It was a direct hit. So they transported him to Halifax.”
Snell said he was taken to the hospital in critical condition.
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Snell said it was then 30 minutes later when the next call came from just two miles away at the AutoZone Auto Parts on Route 44. He said this time it wasn’t a direct hit though.
“Lightning hit a tree; the gentleman was standing next to the tree. The energy threw him to the ground, so he sustained some minor injuries,” he said.
Snell said they’re seeing more people risking it or not taking proper cover this summer.
“If you’re out on the beach or you’re standing next to trees or tall structures then there’s a chance that energy may have a direct hit or even if it hits the object you’re still going to get a lot of that energy transfer,” he said.
Central Florida is the most active lightning hotspot in the country when it comes to lightning per square mile and a strike can travel up to 10 miles.
Snell said to keep that in mind next time you see the storms starting to roll in.
“When you see those heavy storms building and all of that energy transfer is going to come back down to the earth somewhere. So the best thing to do is to get out of the way,” he said.
You can listen to every episode of Florida’s Fourth Estate in the media player below: | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/07/20/get-out-of-the-way-new-smyrna-beach-firefighters-warn-about-lightning-after-2-struck/ | 2022-07-20T20:22:23 | 0 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/07/20/get-out-of-the-way-new-smyrna-beach-firefighters-warn-about-lightning-after-2-struck/ |
BLOOMINGTON — The Bloomington-Normal Area Convention & Visitors Bureau last week unveiled a new gift shop filled with local novelties and ornaments.
"We wanted to give visitors and our local community a convenient place to pick up a visitor guide or map of all our attractions that we have to offer here in Bloomington-Normal and McLean County," said Crystal Howard, president and CEO of the visitors bureau.
The VisitBN Gift Shop opened it doors at the front ticket office entrance in Grossinger Motors Arena, 101 S. Madison St., and has everything from postcards to locally-sourced items from vendors around the county.
It's a new venture for the visitors bureau: Howard said the city offered the space when the CVB moved into the arena last November. They first envisioned it as an information center before making it a gift shop.
Customers can purchase decorative signs, coffee and travel mugs, postcards, pennants for Illinois State University and Illinois Wesleyan University, and a small line of stuffed animals and umbrellas for kids. Peanuts from Beer Nuts and Kinder Bueno bars from Ferrero can be bought as well.
"We also have pamphlets on a lot of nonprofits ... like the David Davis Mansion and the (McLean County) Museum of History, and then in addition to that, we wanted to show more about our community and have items that are locally made, specifically focusing on small business," said gift shop and promotions manager DeAnne Zimmer. "Basically places in McLean County that are still kind of startup or in the early stages. We want to help promote them and provide information about them to grow the community."
People can buy handmade earrings from Normal-based boutique McKynlee Avenue, T-shirts from Bloomington-based print company Half Hazard Press, soaps from Normal-based business Freckled Flower Soaps, honey from Heyworth-based apiary Wild Harvest Honey Farm, candles from Bloomington-based business Cedar and Scotch, and jams and salsas from Rader Family Farms in Normal.
Although the McLean County Museum of History has its own visitors center and gift shop, Zimmer said the items at the VisitBN Gift Shop are unique to Bloomington-Normal and focus on locally-sourced items, whereas the museum caters more toward Route 66 and Abraham Lincoln.
The shop will allow visitors to learn more about the area while they travel here for Illinois High School Association competitions or family events and be able to take a little bit of Bloomington-Normal home with them, Zimmer said.
"We're not just some little town in the middle of the Midwest. We actually have a lot to offer," Zimmer said. "It's a really great community and we just want to get that word out there and help promote local business."
The VisitBN Gift Shop is open 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, with hours changing depending on special events in the arena. The gift shop will be closed Sunday and Monday.
Free parking is also available up to four hours in the parking deck at Olive Street and Roosevelt Avenue.
Anyone interested in product placements within the gift shop can contact the visitors bureau at www.visitbn.org/gift-shop or by calling (309) 665-0033. | https://pantagraph.com/business/local/watch-now-visitbn-gift-shop-now-open-in-grossinger-arena/article_3cb94d68-0849-11ed-ab5a-73bfabe4b916.html | 2022-07-20T20:27:39 | 1 | https://pantagraph.com/business/local/watch-now-visitbn-gift-shop-now-open-in-grossinger-arena/article_3cb94d68-0849-11ed-ab5a-73bfabe4b916.html |
TAMPA, Fla. — In the heart of downtown Tampa, just blocks from the Florida Aquarium and Amalie Arena sits Ardent Hills Tampa Mill. The facility is permanently closed.
Sandwiched between Nebraska Ave and Meridian Ave, the 1938 mill will be demolished starting Friday. The goal of the mill's demolition is to reconnect the neighborhoods surrounding it. The facility currently blocks off four blocks of Channelside to downtown Tampa.
Tampa Downtown Partnership said flattening the site will make moving around downtown safer and easier.
What's a demolition without some pomp and circumstance? The project will begin with a ceremony. Tampa Mayor Jane Castor will commemorate the start of the teardown.
A two-story building will be taken apart, piece by piece. The mill's silos will be preserved and repurposed, according to Tampa Downtown Partnership.
“This is a moment to celebrate the continued transformation of our Downtown," Lynda Remund, Tampa Downtown Partnership President and CEO, said. “If you stood in this spot 50 years ago, you’d be surrounded by warehouses, a lumber yard and an asphalt factory. Today, we have amazing cultural attractions, a startup hub/technology incubator, world-class hotels, and one of America’s top 50 medical schools for research. Our future is bright.”
While this facility is closed, flour production is still taking place — just down the way. The flour mill has relocated to a new, modern facility at Port Tampa Bay’s Port Redwing, near Apollo Beach.
The downtown Tampa property is now owned by Strategic Property Partners. | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/ardent-hills-tampa-mill-demolition/67-ead6e56c-f906-46bb-b97d-088314776246 | 2022-07-20T20:28:08 | 0 | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/ardent-hills-tampa-mill-demolition/67-ead6e56c-f906-46bb-b97d-088314776246 |
MAHASKA COUNTY, Iowa — An older man was rescued from the Des Moines river around 7 p.m. Tuesday.
The 71-year-old Oskalooska man was found around the 1300 block of River Road after floating for around four hours, according to a Mahaska County Sheriff's Office press release.
Rescue boats from both the Oskaloosa and Eddyville Fire Department responded to reports that a canoe and personal items were floating down the river at approximately 3 p.m.
He first capsized somewhere in Marion County around 3 p.m. and then floated to Mahaska County. Officials believe the man survived because he was wearing a life jacket.
The man was taken to the Mahaska Health Partnership Hospital as a precautionary measure.
Local 5 will update this story as more information becomes available. | https://www.weareiowa.com/article/news/local/oskalooska-man-rescued-des-moines-river/524-b01e5759-691f-40d9-af91-182b151f741f | 2022-07-20T20:28:10 | 1 | https://www.weareiowa.com/article/news/local/oskalooska-man-rescued-des-moines-river/524-b01e5759-691f-40d9-af91-182b151f741f |
DUNEDIN, Fla. — A federal appeals court has sided with the city of Dunedin in its three-year legal battle with a homeowner who racked up $30,000 in fines over uncut grass.
That homeowner, Jim Ficken, called those fines excessive and claimed he was denied due process. But the original judge — and now the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals — disagrees.
Attorneys with the Institute for Justice, which has been handling Ficken’s case, say they’re disappointed and are planning their next legal move.
“The 11th Circuit, the appeals court that heard this case, is really misinterpreting this area of law,” said Ficken’s attorney, Andrew Ward. “It’s something that Supreme Court needs to explore more.”
Ward says the court essentially found that legislative bodies, in this case, the city of Dunedin, can set the standard for what’s excessive in their own community.
“We think the court got it wrong,” Ward said. “This is an excessive fine. Mr. Ficken was fine almost $30,000 because his grass got too long. And if that’s not excessive, it’s hard to imagine what it is.”
The city of Dunedin released a statement calling the 11th Circuit’s ruling “thorough and detailed,” adding, “We appreciate the time the court took to carefully review the record and legal arguments to reach its conclusions.”
According to Ficken’s attorneys in an earlier interview, Ficken was out of the state attending to his late mother’s estate when a man he paid to cut his lawn died unexpectedly. When Ficken returned home, he claims he found his lawn hadn’t been mowed but didn’t learn until later that the city had been fining him the whole time.
“The court basically said the law is the law, and that’s not the way the Bill of Rights are supposed to work,” Ward said. “They’re supposed to be an independent check where a judge should be able to say no. Even if the law says that you get a $30,000 fine, that’s excessive.”
A three-judge panel heard the case. Ward says they have the option of asking the full 11th Circuit to re-hear the issue – or they could appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
To this day, Ficken has not paid his fine.
“He would like to be able to set a precedent, not just in his own favor, but to make sure that no government can do this sort of thing,” Ward said.
Dunedin received a wave of adverse public reaction to Ficken’s case.
While defending the city’s policies, Dunedin’s mayor said they could do better and in 2020 the city passed a new ordinance capping code violations fines at $10,000.
Ficken’s lawyers say they’re glad the city of Dunedin has since reduced the maximum it fines people for code violations but in their opinion, it’s also an acknowledgment that city had been going about this the wrong way.
Ficken’s attorneys have until Aug. 4th to decide their next legal move. | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/pinellascounty/dunedin-uncut-grass-jim-ficken-appeals-court/67-feb8b965-f733-4c21-a5d0-a8af4d50731a | 2022-07-20T20:28:10 | 1 | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/pinellascounty/dunedin-uncut-grass-jim-ficken-appeals-court/67-feb8b965-f733-4c21-a5d0-a8af4d50731a |
You've more than likely heard about the recent shark encounters -- or bites, in some cases -- on Long Island lately. The governor has ordered stepped-up patrols on some of the South Shore's most popular stretches of sand.
That was before the latest marine creature washed up in the Village of Quogue. Police responding to a report of a dead shark on the Ocean Beaches along Dune Road, between numbers 80 and 90, were told the fish was 7 to 8 feet long.
It washed back out to sea before cops could secure it, but not before someone snapped the photo below. Shark expert Chris Paparo, with Stony Brook University, says it was a juvenile great white shark. Fortunately, it was only a carcass.
Quogue police say they're coordinating with the South Fork Natural History Museum Shark Research and Education Program, which it says is monitoring the situation along with law enforcement partners.
It's not clear what kind of shark this was, but it's certainly not a friendly sight for summer swimmers. Quogue police said people should be aware of the "ongoing situation" in local waters and give law enforcement space to investigate.
If anyone sees another shark in the area, call Quogue Village Police Department at 631-653-4791.
News
Sharks were also spotted Tuesday on Long Beach, in the Rockaways, at Jones Beach and East Atlantic Beach. No more bites were reported. At least four have been reported on Long Island so far this month.
Gov. Kathy Hochul unveiled an action plan Monday to address the uptick in sightings and help New Yorkers be more aware about potential danger signs. Learn some signs of shark-infested waters and more on NY shark safety protocol here.
The plan includes, among other measures:
- Increased lifeguard staffing by 25% at ocean beaches through overtime. That'll translate to 2-4 lifeguards within each field and boost shark and other marine life surveillance from the shore
- Enhanced drone beach surveillance program: Jones Beach State Park gets three instead of one, Robert Moses State Park goes from one to two and Hither Hills State Park will be assigned its first drone. Park Police also have a drone available
- Drone surveillance capabilities at Long Island State Park beaches expand from 4 miles to 11 miles
- Deploy more surfboats to surveil from water as well as Park Police patrol boats
- Add six more drone operators to the 13 certified ones already working for Long Island State Parks within weeks
- Bolster federal, state, county, and local partnerships to share resources and information about potential shark sightings and better support the correct identification of sharks and other fish
More Shark Sightings to Come?
More sharks are being spotted in the waters off Long Island, a trend that is likely to continue — and experts say that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
Cleaner oceans, warmer water temperatures and a resurgence of bunker fish that sharks feed on are seen as factors, according to experts. Detection, from drones to helicopters, also has improved and reports are easily spread through social media.
“There are a lot more sharks than 10 or 15 years ago,” Christopher Paparo, manager of Stony Brook University’s Marine Sciences Center, told Newsday. “We’re spotting sharks, whales and dolphins here. In the 1960s, we did not have sharks, whales and dolphins.”
Shark attacks in the area have been very rare until recently, with an average of about one reported per 10 years for the last century, Newsday reported. Two lifeguards suffered bites and a third person was bitten in what possibly was a shark attack, within the last two weeks, the newspaper reported.
The United States recorded 47 unprovoked shark bites in 2021, a 42% increase from 33 incidents reported in 2020, according to records kept by the Florida Museum of Natural History.
Sign up for our Breaking newsletter to get the most urgent news stories in your inbox. | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/great-white-shark-washes-up-on-long-island-expert-says/3783108/ | 2022-07-20T20:33:39 | 0 | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/great-white-shark-washes-up-on-long-island-expert-says/3783108/ |
ATLANTIC CITY — Atlantic Avenue's long-planned "diet" started Wednesday with contractors beginning the work to reduce the city's main artery to two vehicle lanes from four, repave it and make lighting and other improvements.
The aim of the project is to prevent vehicle crashes and pedestrian injuries and deaths, said Mayor Marty Small Sr. and city Engineer Uzo Ahiarakwe during a Wednesday news conference.
"This is about quality of life and safety, which is paramount," Ahiarakwe said.
The road also will be changed to add bike lanes and parking on each side, along with new paving, street lighting, improved and synchronized traffic lights, and new sidewalks with trees and landscaping, Small said.
Ahiarakwe said left-turn lanes will be minimized in the new design because cars turning left off the road often are involved in accidents.
People are also reading…
There will be a minimal median strip separating traffic, Ahiarakwe said.
ATLANTIC CITY — City Council on Wednesday awarded a $4.5 million contract to Charles Marandi…
The engineer said supply chain issues delayed the start of Phase 1 of the project, from Maine Avenue and the Boardwalk in the Inlet to Tennessee Avenue in front of the Atlantic City Free Public Library. City Council approved the project in a 3-2 vote with one abstention and three absent in December.
Two additional phases will complete the project through Albany Avenue, said Small, at a total cost of $21 million.
"I repeat, $21 million, combination from state and federal (funding) at no cost to the taxpayers in the great city of Atlantic City," Small said.
Inlet resident Ed Price was walking by on the Boardwalk as the news conference was getting set up at Maine Avenue, and said there is very little vehicle or bike traffic on Atlantic Avenue in his neighborhood.
"People don't ride their bikes on the road, they ride on the Boardwalk," Price said.
He doubted slimming the road would slow down vehicle speeders.
ATLANTIC CITY — The city has accomplished or at least begun most of the projects laid out in…
"What you have to do is get rid of the boys on ATVs at night," he said of young people who ride all-terrain vehicles and dirt bikes illegally on city streets.
Some council members have said they will not vote to continue the project with Phases 2 and 3. They have expressed concern that traffic will be forced onto smaller roads to avoid backups on Atlantic, and have said their constituents don't want the project in busier sections of town.
In December, council awarded a $4.5 million contract — financed through state and federal funds — to Charles Marandino LLC of Milmay for the first phase of the work.
Second Ward Councilwoman LaToya Dunston voted against awarding the Phase 1 contract, as did 1st Ward Councilman Aaron “Sporty” Randolph. Phase 1 goes through both of their wards.
To qualify for federal funds, Ahiarakwe has said the road diet was necessary to address safety issues on Atlantic Avenue, which he called one of the most dangerous in the country for pedestrians and vehicle crashes.
But some council members remain opposed to further phases.
ATLANTIC CITY — The city’s plans for a “road diet” for Atlantic Avenue should be changed or …
“Anything beyond Phase 1, there is definitely not a consensus to proceed,” said Councilman Jesse Kurtz, who represents the 6th Ward encompassing much of the Chelsea neighborhood.
“Grant applications are still proceeding for Phase 2 and 3,” Kurtz said in December. “I would strongly advise the administration to amend any applications they have in now to avoid embarrassment.”
"I know there's some naysayers out here," Small said Wednesday. "Don't just say something won't work in Atlantic City because it didn't work in other towns. We are unique. And where else are you going to get the money to pave the entire Atlantic Avenue?" | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/atlantic-avenue-in-atlantic-city-starts-its-anti-crash-diet/article_3a8bdcd4-0850-11ed-99b5-7f07ab1bb19d.html | 2022-07-20T20:43:01 | 1 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/atlantic-avenue-in-atlantic-city-starts-its-anti-crash-diet/article_3a8bdcd4-0850-11ed-99b5-7f07ab1bb19d.html |
The top-seeded South Jersey Surf and second-seeded Buena Blue Dawgs each won the second game of their best-of-three series and advanced to the South Jersey South Shore Baseball League semifinals next week.
The Surf (19-3) defeated the eighth-seeded Egg Harbor Township 8-4. The Surf had defeated the Eagles 11-4 on Monday.
On Tuesday, the Blue Dawgs defeated seventh-seeded Ocean City Water Dogs 4-1. Dante Coia pitched a complete game with eight strikeouts and allowed just three hits for Buena.
Third-seeded Absecon Outlaws defeated sixth-seeded Hammonton Hot Shots 7-0 on Monday and 8-2 on Tuesday to also earn a spot in the semifinals, which is scheduled for Monday-Wednesday next week.
The fourth-seeded Northfield Cardinals defeated the fifth-seeded Ventnor Bay Sox 12-2 on Monday, but the Bay Sox won 3-1 on Tuesday to force a decisive Game 3, which was played Wednesday night at Birch Grove Park in Northfield. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/sports/local/surf-blue-dawgs-outlaws-advance-to-semis-sjssbl-roundup/article_0ff23b02-0865-11ed-9696-231532804452.html | 2022-07-20T20:43:07 | 0 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/sports/local/surf-blue-dawgs-outlaws-advance-to-semis-sjssbl-roundup/article_0ff23b02-0865-11ed-9696-231532804452.html |
HELENA, Mont. — A California woman who was fatally mauled by a grizzly bear in western Montana last summer was the victim of a rare predatory attack by a food-conditioned bear that was likely attracted to food in and near her tent and scents left behind from recent Independence Day picnics, wildlife officials said.
Leah Davis Lokan, 65, of Chico, was pulled out of her tent and mauled in the pre-dawn hours of July 6, 2021 in the small town of Ovando, along the banks of the Blackfoot River, made famous by the movie “A River Runs Through It.” The town borders a huge expanse of forested land that is home to an estimated 1,000 grizzlies.
About an hour before the mauling, the bear had approached the tents of Lokan and a Texas couple who were camping behind a museum. They were able to scare the bear away.
Lokan, a retired nurse, told the couple that the bear “huffed at my head," according to the incident report by the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee's Board of Review.
Lokan declined an offer to go sleep at a hotel where her sister and their friend were staying, investigators reported. The women were participating in a long-anticipated bike ride along the Great Divide Mountain Bike route.
After the first encounter, Lokan took some packaged snack foods and dry lentils out of her tent and retrieved a can of bear spray, the investigation found.
However, her toiletries — in two bags that had previously held dried blueberries and still smelled like berries — remained in the tent, investigators said. She had food stored in the saddle bags of her bicycle, about 10 feet (3 meters) away from her tent, the report said.
The Texas couple awakened just after 4 a.m. to noises that indicated Lokan was being attacked. The man yelled at the bear and deployed his pepper spray after seeing the bruin “pouncing up and down” on Lokan and her tent.
The 417-pound (189 kilogram) male grizzly bear broke her neck and severed her spine, an autopsy found, causing instantaneous death. A nearly empty can of bear spray that appeared to have been recently deployed was found under her tent, officials said.
The bear that mauled Lokan was shot thee days later while raiding a chicken coop near Ovando. DNA tests confirmed it was the same grizzly bear that also raided a different chicken coop in the hours after the mauling. The bear was 4 to 7 years old, investigators said.
“Not all bears exhibiting food-conditioned behavior exhibit predatory behavior. But for some unknown reason a predatory response was triggered in this bear,” the June 28 report said. “While foraging under the cover of darkness in Ovando, perhaps due to a simple movement made by the sleeping victim, or a certain sound made by the victim, the bear reacted and ended up taking the life of Ms. Lokan.”
Wildlife officials recommend that if a grizzly bear approaches an occupied tent, campers should seek shelter in a building or vehicle and should not return to the tent for the night, the report said.
The investigators also urged organizers of the Tour Divide bicycle race to inform participants that they are racing through grizzly and black bear country, educate them about proper food storage, encourage them to carry pepper spray and be observant.
Lokan's family suggested bear spray manufacturers include a unique whistle in a bear spray trigger that could alert others as well as be an additional deterrent to bears, the report said.
WATCH ALSO: | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/chico-woman-victim-rare-predatory-grizzly-attack/103-3fa5086f-a0f3-4ae4-a9bc-3e05fb9e7005 | 2022-07-20T20:45:39 | 0 | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/chico-woman-victim-rare-predatory-grizzly-attack/103-3fa5086f-a0f3-4ae4-a9bc-3e05fb9e7005 |
PFLUGERVILLE, Texas — Firefighters are on the scene of a large brush fire in Pflugerville on Wednesday afternoon.
The Pflugerville Fire Department said the fire is burning near Cameron Road and Fuchs Grove Road.
Cameron Road is closed at Fuchs Grove Road and Schmidt Lane. Residents are asked to avoid the area.
Significant wildfire risk continues for much of Central Texas as the region sees critically to extremely dry vegetation, the Texas A&M Forest Service said this week.
Ninety-nine percent of the state is experiencing some level of drought. The rainfall received last week was minimal and offered only a temporary reprieve from the dry conditions in some areas, the forest service said.
Click here for a map of current wildfire situations across Texas.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
PEOPLE ARE ALSO READING: | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/pflugerville-brush-fire-cameron-road-fuchs-grove/269-1efabafe-1da7-444a-9a74-820b26bfc852 | 2022-07-20T20:45:45 | 0 | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/pflugerville-brush-fire-cameron-road-fuchs-grove/269-1efabafe-1da7-444a-9a74-820b26bfc852 |
AUSTIN, Texas — It's almost time to head back to school.
As you start preparing for the new school year, KVUE wants to help parents share their perspectives, concerns and successes as students return to class. We're launching a 2022 back-to-school survey, which will include topics such as learning levels, school safety and security, finances and more.
We hope to use the information gathered as a resource to generate solutions-oriented back-to-school coverage, highlight parents' concerns, and share wisdom from parent to parent.
You can select your student's district on the survey and share questions you may have about the upcoming school year.
Look for updates on our survey throughout the next few weeks on KVUE.
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- Texas school marshals: A look at the program that trains teachers to carry guns at school | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/share-your-concerns-2022-back-to-school-survey/269-fa501217-f77d-4bc9-aba6-ba4999a0e1fc | 2022-07-20T20:45:51 | 0 | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/share-your-concerns-2022-back-to-school-survey/269-fa501217-f77d-4bc9-aba6-ba4999a0e1fc |
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — Carole Baskin, CEO of Big Cat Rescue and a central figure in the first season of Netflix’s “Tiger King” is weighing in on the death of a lioness at the Birmingham Zoo.
Akili, a 17-year-old African lioness, was killed Monday afternoon when zoo staff introduced her to Josh, a male lion.
“The staff is devastated at this unexpected loss of a long-time favorite animal and member of the Zoo family,” the Birmingham Zoo said in a statement.
Baskin, a longtime critic of housing “big cats” in zoos, told CBS 42 that until zoo philosophies and practices change, incidents like the one at the Birmingham Zoo are difficult, if not impossible, to prevent.
“Breeding big cats for life in prison is not conservation,” Baskin said. “Until we end that barbaric practice, true conservation won’t happen. Why would society do the hard work of saving habitat when they can easily see a cat in a cage and believe the propaganda that says they are preserving nature?”
Baskin noted that, of course, lion deaths occur in the wild. Even then, she explained, it’s difficult to control outcomes. Trying to do so in a zoo, she said, is akin to trying to “play God.”
“In the wild, male lions take over prides by fatal force; killing males and cubs in order to do so,” Baskin said. “Females may fight to the death trying to prevent it. Any time man tries to play God it never ends well.”
Hollie Colahan, deputy director of the Birmingham Zoo and coordinator of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ (AZA) Lion SSP said that animal introductions are inherently risky.
“…Wild animals can be unpredictable and we cannot control their interactions,” Colahan said. “Unfortunately, Akili sustained serious injuries within the first few minutes of the meeting and despite immediate intervention by the Animal Care and Animal Health teams, she succumbed to her injuries and died Monday afternoon.”
This isn’t the first time a lioness has been killed during introductions at a zoo. In 2001, a lioness named Binti Mafuta was killed by a lion named Cliff at the Boston Zoo, according to news accounts from the time. Staff used pepper spray, fire extinguishers and water hoses in an effort to stop Cliff’s attack. Their efforts were unsuccessful.
Akili, Birmingham’s late lioness, was born in captivity at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs, Colorado, in 2005, zoo officials said. Akili was brought to Birmingham in 2007 to live with African lion Kwanza. In 2011, they had five cubs.
“When Kwanza died in 2021 we worked with the Lion Species Survival Plan (SSP) to identify a new male companion for Akili,” zoo officials said in a statement. “Josh arrived in April and the slow, careful process of introductions began.”
On Monday, though, that careful process came to a tragic end.
Carole Baskin said that she hopes that the public begins to more deeply consider how we treat animals, both wild and captive.
“We have to be smarter and more compassionate,” she said. “We have to stop teaching our children that it’s okay to deprive others of their homes and freedom if it serves our desires.” | https://www.cbs42.com/news/local/it-never-ends-well-carole-baskin-discusses-death-of-lioness-at-birmingham-zoo/ | 2022-07-20T20:48:35 | 0 | https://www.cbs42.com/news/local/it-never-ends-well-carole-baskin-discusses-death-of-lioness-at-birmingham-zoo/ |
ROME, N.Y. – Rome police are still searching for a 12-year-old boy who hasn’t returned home in nearly a month.
Nevaeh Thomas was last seen on June 22 wearing jean shorts, a black hoodie and an orange knit hit. Thomas is Black with brown eyes, 5-foot 7-inches tall and weighs about 220 pounds.
Police believe Thomas may be staying with friends somewhere locally but have not been able to find him.
Rome police have been investigating the case but are now asking for additional help from the public. Anyone with information is asked to call police at 315-339-7780. | https://www.wktv.com/news/local/rome-police-searching-for-12-year-old-boy/article_112318ce-0861-11ed-b606-e76643050b77.html | 2022-07-20T20:49:17 | 0 | https://www.wktv.com/news/local/rome-police-searching-for-12-year-old-boy/article_112318ce-0861-11ed-b606-e76643050b77.html |
ATLANTA — Georgia's LGBTQ+ communities took home a victory on Monday after the Georgia Department of Community Health lost a lawsuit over gender-affirming surgeries.
The ACLU filed a lawsuit over the department's exclusion of coverage for gender-affirming surgery in the State of Georgia’s Medicaid program in June 2021.
"This settlement will give low-income transgender Georgians on Medicaid—who are disproportionately likely to be Black—access to gender-affirming care for the first time in over 20 years. We are thrilled for our clients and the transgender community in Georgia," Nneka Ewulonu said, a staff attorney with the ACLU of Georgia.
They settled the case on Monday, with the "Georgia Department of Community Health agreeing to remove the exclusion for gender-affirming surgery from Georgia Medicaid and, like all other medical care provided in the program, provide the care when it is medically necessary for an individual," the ACLU said.
The state's Medicaid program now covers those with gender dysphoria on medicare who want gender reaffirming care.
“The ability to obtain gender-affirming surgical care, regardless of socioeconomic status, is an important factor in eliminating systemic health disparities and inequities that many transgender people face," Taylor Brown said, who's a staff attorney with the ACLU LGBTQ & HIV Project. "This settlement brings the state of Georgia’s Medicaid program in line with the accepted standards of care and the law."
According to the ACLU, the change is expected to come in a few months. Still, transgender Georgia Medicaid beneficiaries can go ahead and apply for coverage for their gender-affirming surgical care. | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/gender-affirming-surgery-georgia-medicaid-program-aclu-lgbtq-transgender/85-1a8532a7-8585-4187-99c7-2e81ac967ad1 | 2022-07-20T20:49:55 | 1 | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/gender-affirming-surgery-georgia-medicaid-program-aclu-lgbtq-transgender/85-1a8532a7-8585-4187-99c7-2e81ac967ad1 |
ATLANTA — An appeals court ruled Wednesday that the state's "heartbeat" law can take effect in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark decision in June that said a right to an abortion is no longer protected under the U.S. Constitution.
The state law, which bans abortions after six weeks was signed into law by Gov. Brian Kemp in 2019, but it had been blocked from taking effect after several women's health centers filed suit.
Following the Supreme Court's decision reversing the landmark case Roe v. Wade, Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr wrote to the appeals court that it can no longer keep Georgia's Living Infants Fairness and Equality Act -- the formal name for the heartbeat law -- from becoming law.
Supporters had been pushing for it to be enacted immediately in light of the SCOTUS ruling, which places the decision whether or not to ban - or restrict - abortions back in the state's hands.
In a brief filed Friday, June 24 - the same day the Supreme Court's decision on Roe came down - the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals directed both parties tied up in the lawsuit to make their argument on how the new SCOTUS ruling would impact their appeal. Both sides had until July 14 to file a 10-page brief on the matter.
Now, after considering the arguments on both sides, the appeals court has ruled that the law should take effect, ultimately sending the decision back to the state.
"We vacate the injunction, reverse the judgment in favor of the abortionists, and remand with instructions to enter judgment in favor of the state officials," the court's opinion said.
Shortly after the appeals court handed down their opinion, Kemp said he was "overjoyed" that the court has "paved the way for the implementation of Georgia’s Life Act."
"As mothers navigate pregnancy, birth, parenthood, or alternative options to parenthood like adoption – Georgia’s public, private, and nonprofit sectors stand ready to provide the resources they need to be safe, healthy and informed," he said. | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/georgia-heartbeat-law-take-effect-appeals-court-rules/85-9379c9d8-d71b-4e54-af6d-966684907e33 | 2022-07-20T20:50:01 | 1 | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/georgia-heartbeat-law-take-effect-appeals-court-rules/85-9379c9d8-d71b-4e54-af6d-966684907e33 |
PORTLAND, Maine — Chef Bo Byrne has years of restaurant experience, working in restaurants like the Harraseeket Inn and David's in Portland.
Now, he runs a hot dog cart called T.O.P Dog and teachers culinary students at Southern Maine Community College.
He came into the 207 kitchen to show us ways to spice up breakfast by making shakshuka.
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp. olive oil.
- 1 medium diced onion.
- 1 medium pepper, seeded and diced.
- 4 chopped garlic cloves.
- 2 tsp. paprika.
- 1 tsp. cumin.
- 1/3 tsp. chili powder.
- 1 28 oz. can of whole peeled tomato.
- 6 large eggs.
- 1 bunch of parsley.
- 1 bunch of cilantro.
- 4 oz. crumbled feta cheese.
- 4 pitas, toasted and cut for dipping.
Directions:
- Heat olive oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan.
- Sauté onions and peppers for 5 minutes, or until sweated translucent.
- Add chopped garlic and spices and cook for a few minutes. You can add more spice here if you like it particularly hot. Personalize with some red pepper flake or harissa.
- The tomatoes should be added to the pan and can be broken down using a potato masher or spoon.
- Season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer.
- The tomato will want to burn if the heat is too high, be careful not to scorch the bottom. The heavy-bottom saucepan will help with this, but can only help so much.
- As the sauce begins to thicken, use a spoon to create 6 small spaces for the eggs to land.
- If you move the sauce and it stays in place it should be reduced enough. If that doesn’t happen, wait a few more moments.
- Once thickened, create those 6 spaces for the eggs and place one egg in each space.
- Cover the pan and reduce heat to low. Allow eggs to cook for 5 or so minutes.
- To finish, remove the lid and check the doneness of the eggs, and sprinkle with parsley, cilantro, and feta.
- Toasted sliced pita can be served on the side.
- Add avocado slices or Greek yogurt drizzle to personalize it even further.
Watch our 207 video below to further see how Chef Byrne cooked up the shakshuka. | https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/local/207/207-recipe-homemade-shakshuka-maine-food/97-28f8b313-3c25-428d-a883-d2accf8e4f70 | 2022-07-20T20:59:47 | 0 | https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/local/207/207-recipe-homemade-shakshuka-maine-food/97-28f8b313-3c25-428d-a883-d2accf8e4f70 |
HAMPDEN, Maine — The Maine Drug Enforcement Agency and Hampden Police Department conducted a joint investigation, leading to the arrest of three people on Tuesday in connection with alleged fentanyl and crack cocaine distribution from a residential home in Hampden.
The joint investigation has been going on for the past several months, investigating a group operating from a home on Ruth Avenue in Hampden, according to a release issued by Maine Dept. of Public Safety spokesperson Shannon Moss on Wednesday.
The joint investigation included the undercover purchase of both illicit drugs from this house, the release stated.
On Tuesday, MDEA agents and Hampden officers, in addition to Penobscot County Sheriff’s deputies, executed a search warrant of the home on Ruth Avenue, where they seized a .45 caliber handgun, around 80 grams of crack cocaine, 200 grams of fentanyl, and about $10,000 in cash, according to the release. The cash is suspected to be proceeds from drug sales.
According to the release, the estimated street value of the drugs that were seized is around $42,000.
Police charged the following individuals:
- Dawayne Henry, 31, of Springfield, Massachusetts, was charged with Class B trafficking in schedule W drugs. His bail was set at $5,000 cash.
- Andy William Pacheco's, 31, of Springfield, Massachusetts, charge was aggravated because of the quantity of drugs seized, and he has no bail pending an initial appearance Wednesday.
- Jessica Bell, 37, of Hampden, was charged with Class A aggravated trafficking in schedule W drugs, including fentanyl and crack cocaine. Bell's charge was aggravated because of the quantity of drugs seized, and she has no bail pending an initial appearance Wednesday.
"All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law," the release stated.
The release said this investigation is still ongoing, and police predict more suspects will be charged. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and Maine State Police are assisting in the investigation.
Police ask that if you have information regarding this investigation or the illegal sale of drugs in your community, contact the Maine Drug Enforcement office closest to you, text MDEA to TIP411 (847411), or call the MDEA tip-line at 1-800-452-6457.
No additional information has been released. | https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/local/police-charge-three-with-drug-trafficking-crime-hampden-maine/97-37982de6-d584-47f7-99be-ef20f3f9247c | 2022-07-20T20:59:53 | 0 | https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/local/police-charge-three-with-drug-trafficking-crime-hampden-maine/97-37982de6-d584-47f7-99be-ef20f3f9247c |
CHICAGO, Ill. – VELVEETA fans rejoice – this could be right up your alley.
On Wednesday, the Kraft Heinz Company announced that VELVEETA is bringing its unique cheesy taste to a cocktail called the VELVEETA Veltini.
A classic martini with a cheesy twist: the release said that the cocktail consists of VELVEETA-infused vodka, olive brine, and vermouth, topped off with a cheese drip and a cocktail pick of VELVEETA stuffed olives and Jumbo VELVEETA Shells & Cheese.
Thanks to their teamwork with BLT Restaurant Group, VELVEETA is now selling the concoction at select BLT locations in the United States, including BLT Steak New York, BLT Steak Washington DC, BLT Steak Charlotte, BLT Prime New York, and The Florentine in Chicago according to the release.
Kraft Heinz said that the cheesy drink will only be available for a limited time during golden hour at BLT locations, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
“As we look to summer, one of life’s greatest pleasures is enjoying summer sips during golden hour,” said Kelsey Rice, Senior Brand Communications Manager for VELVEETA. “We wanted to find a way to elevate this experience for our fans even further, by bringing the rich, creamy goodness of VELVEETA to a martini in a unique and unexpected way for the ultimate outrageous pleasure.”
The cocktail is served in a martini glass and highlights the brand’s latest creative platform “La Dolce Velveeta,” which focuses on living confidently and unapologetically.
“At BLT Restaurant Group, we are constantly looking to develop new and exciting experiences for our customers, so when VELVEETA approached us with the concept to create the VELVEETA Veltini we were sold,” said Scott Cronin, Senior Vice President at BLT Restaurant Group. “We worked closely with the brand to make this vision a reality, balancing the flavors of a typical martini with the nostalgic cheesy flavor we all know and love from VELVEETA, and are excited for fans to experience this delicious over-the-top cocktail.”
And if you aren’t up for a trip, don’t worry – the release said that for a limited time cheese lovers can also snag a kit or two on Goldbelly.
Kraft Heinz said that the kits will be sold for $50 a piece and will include two martini glasses, a gold cocktail shaker, two VELVEETA coasters, a jar of olives, cocktail picks, a box of VELVEETA Jumbo Shells & Cheese, VELVEETA cheese sauce, a VELVEETA brick, and a VELVEETA Veltini recipe card.
You can find more information on the Velveeta Instagram. | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2022/07/20/a-martini-with-a-cheesy-twist-introducing-the-velveeta-veltini/ | 2022-07-20T21:00:31 | 1 | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2022/07/20/a-martini-with-a-cheesy-twist-introducing-the-velveeta-veltini/ |
DALLAS — If you were hoping for a fun, cheap day at the Dallas Zoo, well, hopefully, you purchased your tickets early.
The zoo's popular Dollar Days events returned this year, which gives residents the opportunity to enter the zoo for just $1.
The Dollar Days are scheduled for Thursday, July 21, and Thursday, Aug. 11. However, the difference with this year's events was that tickets were required to be purchased online.
And, the zoo now says tickets for both Dollar Days events are now sold out. Tickets will not be able to be purchased at the gate.
The zoo says they capped ticket sales this year "to improve your Zoo experience."
Dallas Zoo officials told WFAA there will be misting stations and fans throughout the park to help guests stay cool. Temperatures on July 21 are expected to be near 100 degrees, along with some slight rain chances.
The zoo says will have water for sale for $2. Guests are encouraged to bring refillable water bottles for free water refills, according to the zoo.
According to the zoo, there are still parking fees that will be collected at the entrance. | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/dollar-days-2022-dallas-zoo-sold-out/287-55a4620d-7ecc-43b9-a9db-f7b1db293bef | 2022-07-20T21:05:16 | 1 | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/dollar-days-2022-dallas-zoo-sold-out/287-55a4620d-7ecc-43b9-a9db-f7b1db293bef |
MCKINNEY, Texas — You have to see it to believe it -- the noise, the odor and the hundreds of eggs laying across a large wooded area across a McKinney neighborhood. And now residents are looking for solutions.
Nancy Rovik lives in McKinney, and travels through the Kings Lake area often. She has noticed hundreds of egrets nests and has seen eggs being run over and falling from the trees in the neighborhood. She told WFAA that the wildlife department has removed hundreds of dead birds from the area.
Rovik knows her fellow residents are frustrated, but says her heart hurts for the birds being killed.
She has seen eggs in the street and has even to stopped to help move them.
Rovik sent WFAA the following video, showing birds in the trees and all over the ground.
Egrets are federally protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. So once they nest, they cannot be harassed in any way, says De St. Aubin.
St. Aubin is the animal services manager for the City of McKinney. He told WFAA that his team is aware of the birds nesting in a wooded area in the middle of the residential neighborhood.
St. Aubin said it is expected to see some deceased birds around a nesting site, most likely due to the extreme heat wave across North Texas and a large number of nesting birds. St. Aubin said baby birds frequently fall from the nests or are pushed out by the larger birds.
Animals Services is hosting a free webinar Wednesday, July 27 at 7 p.m. to share tips on how residents can help prevent egrets next year and what can and cannot be done about the birds. The city said a team is currently working on promotional materials for residents, especially those living in the Kings Lake area. | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/mckinney-neighborhood-is-overrun-with-egrets/287-acb977b1-19a0-4453-a80b-8fb6f197f818 | 2022-07-20T21:05:22 | 1 | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/mckinney-neighborhood-is-overrun-with-egrets/287-acb977b1-19a0-4453-a80b-8fb6f197f818 |
ANNA, Texas — First the drought. Then the scorching hot temperatures.
Now we're having to worry about snakes snarling our water supply?
Well, one city in North Texas did, at least temporarily.
Residents in Anna, a Collin County city north of McKinney, might have noticed some water pressure issues Wednesday morning.
The issues were being reported in the Oak Hollow, Meadow Ridge and Tara Farms neighborhoods, city officials said.
And this hasn't been uncommon this week: Dry, shifting soils and extra water usage due to the drought have led to busted pipes and water main breaks across the area.
But none of those reasons were to blame for Wednesday's low water pressure in Anna.
Instead, the culprit was a snake.
Yes, a very long snake.
When crews went to fix the water pressure, they found that a slithery serpent had got into the motor control panel at the Grayson Pump Station and caused the system to fail.
Fortunately, the problem was fixed, and Anna water tanks were filling back up by noon. The city was asking residents to limit water usage for the day, but the pressure issues seemed to be on the mend, and there was no need for residents to boil water in the meantime.
As for the snake, its trip to the pump station didn't end too well.
A picture posted on Anna city's Facebook page showed the snake chopped in two, and a little charred, presumably by electrocution.
In any case, it seemed to have the last laugh, or at least it went out smiling. | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/texas-heat-drought-now-snakes-thats-what-messed-up-a-north-texas-citys-water-pressure-wednesday/287-c44deb2d-74a0-48cf-a63a-cd05d4ef0014 | 2022-07-20T21:05:28 | 1 | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/texas-heat-drought-now-snakes-thats-what-messed-up-a-north-texas-citys-water-pressure-wednesday/287-c44deb2d-74a0-48cf-a63a-cd05d4ef0014 |
BRISTOL (WJHL) — The first of Food City’s newest venture opened its doors Wednesday morning at 1247 Old Euclid Center.
Curt’s Ace Hardware will offer supplies such as screws, batteries, wiring and more.
“It’s new for us,” Kyle Geffers, the store manager of the Bristol location, told Daytime Tri-Cities during a sit-down interview earlier in July. “It gives us a better opportunity for the community as more jobs [open.] It’s just better for everybody.”
Curt’s Ace Hardware will be open from hours 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays and Saturdays and from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. Sundays.
“It’s taken about four weeks. You get a week of setting up the shelves, and then the product rolls in after that.”
“We’re hiring at three different locations. We’re still hiring in Bristol, and we’re hiring in Piney Flats — that’s the next one to open — and we’re hiring in Gray.”
Stop by any Food City or the three Ace Hardware locations for an application. | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/1st-curts-ace-hardware-store-opens-in-bristol-va/ | 2022-07-20T21:11:53 | 0 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/1st-curts-ace-hardware-store-opens-in-bristol-va/ |
CARTER COUNTY, Tenn. (WJHL) – A non-profit dedicated to helping children in custody the Department of Children’s Services (DCS) raised hundred of thousands of dollars through its annual lemonade stands campaign.
According to a post from Isaiah 117 House on Facebook, the non-profit organization raised $361,590 on July 15 through 650 lemonade stands.
The stands were spread out across all of the counties with an Isaiah 117 presence.
The non-profit, which started in Carter County, aims to give children awaiting foster placement a safe and comfortable place to stay. Children in DCS custody are often taken to one of the department’s offices while they wait to be placed with a foster family, according to the Isaiah 117 House website. The process can often take hours or days.
Isaiah 117 Homes provide a place for the children to stay while also giving them clean clothes, blankets and other essentials. The non-profit has homes spread across six states. | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/isaiah-117-house-raises-361k-through-lemonade-stands/ | 2022-07-20T21:11:59 | 0 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/isaiah-117-house-raises-361k-through-lemonade-stands/ |
Dollar Days at the Dallas Zoo returns on July 21 and Aug. 11, but if you don't have a ticket you won't be able to get one at the gate.
Unlike previous years, tickets for Dollar Days had to be purchased in advance online and the zoo only made a certain number of tickets available so that everyone would have room to enjoy their day.
On July 20, the Dallas Zoo said reserve tickets for both Dollar Days events in July and August had sold out.
Hot Tips for Dollar Day:
- Look for misters and oscillating fans throughout the Zoo for a brief cool down.
- Stay hydrated - the Zoo has $2 water on Dollar Day, or you can bring your refillable water and fill up at most snack spots and restaurants.
- Duck inside one of the Zoo's indoor, air-conditioned spaces to get out of the heat.
- Don't forget to wear sunscreen and avoid burns.
- All regular programs will still be available for fun. For example, guests can enjoy $2 hot dogs and $2 chips, or enjoy an interactive Rainforest Adventure walk. | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/dallas-zoo-dollar-days-for-july-august-sold-out/3019472/ | 2022-07-20T21:15:55 | 1 | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/dallas-zoo-dollar-days-for-july-august-sold-out/3019472/ |
A tense confrontation between the mother of the Uvalde school shooter and relatives of one of the children he killed was caught on camera Tuesday.
A Telemundo news crew captured the emotionally charged encounter between Adriana Martinez, the mother of the 18-year-old shooter, and relatives of Uvalde victim Amerie Jo Garza, the network reported.
Reporter Edgar Munoz said in an Instagram post that the meeting was accidental and happened after a community meeting Tuesday.
The video showed Martinez being asked what reasons her son had for the attack that killed 19 children and two teachers.
Martinez said her son had mental health issues. "You have no right to judge my son. No, you don't. No, you don't. No. May God forgive you all," Martinez responded.
Martinez then apologized and called her son a coward.
"I know my son was a coward. You think I don't know that? I know," she said, holding a cellphone to her ear. "You don't think I'm carrying all that with me? You don't think I don't know? I know, and I'm sorry."
Telemundo's video showed sheriff's deputies arriving at the scene to de-escalate the situation and escort the mother away. | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/texas-news/im-sorry-uvalde-shooters-mother-apologizes-to-grieving-family/3019663/ | 2022-07-20T21:16:03 | 1 | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/texas-news/im-sorry-uvalde-shooters-mother-apologizes-to-grieving-family/3019663/ |
Trump could take center stage as GOP governor hopefuls debate Wednesday
Michigan's Republican candidates for governor will participate in their seventh debate Wednesday night as maneuvering focused on former President Donald Trump's potential endorsement continues to dominate the race.
The five GOP candidates will meet at 7 p.m. at Oakland University, 13 days ahead of the Aug. 2 primary election.
The debate, which the Michigan Republican Party is helping organize, will air on WXYZ (Channel 7) in the Detroit area, WXMI (a FOX affiliate) in the Grand Rapids area and WSYM (a Fox affiliate) in the Lansing area.
The candidates will take the stage less than seven hours after chiropractor Garrett Soldano of Mattawan publicly called on Trump to "stay out of this race." And in a Facebook post, Soldano criticized one of his opponents, conservative commentator Tudor Dixon of Norton Shores, saying the grassroots of the GOP would be unhappy if Trump endorsed her.
"The grassroots do not want Tudor Dixon, who is backed by the establishment and bought and paid for by the DeVos family," Soldano said.
Dixon and Soldano have been viewed as two of the top competitors for Trump's backing, which many Republicans believe will ultimately help determine who wins the primary.
Soldano's announcement marked a sudden change. On Friday, Soldano told reporters the fight for Trump's endorsement in the primary race had been a "knockdown, drag-out fistfight in a phone booth."
Dixon said Wednesday that candidates who are failing to gain traction are attempting to weaponize Trump's endorsement.
"It is sad to see a candidate attempt to manipulate President Trump," Dixon said. "Desperate times call for desperate measures from desperate campaigns."
About two hours after Soldano's Facebook post Wednesday, Michigan Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey, R-Clarklake, endorsed Republican attorney general candidate Matt DePerno.
Shirkey is supporting Dixon for governor. DePerno is running against Democratic Attorney General Dana Nessel and is one of Trump's top allies in the state.
"Matt DePerno has shown he is fearless and doggedly determined," Shirkey said in a statement. "He loves Michigan and America. Matt and I have had our differences, but they pale in comparison to the blatant partisan antics of our current attorney general."
In April, Shirkey criticized DePerno, who rose to prominence questioning the results of the 2020 presidential election, saying he will "be a weight all the way down the ticket."
The race for the GOP nomination to challenge Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has become more hostile in the last week as Dixon and businessman Kevin Rinke of Bloomfield Township clashed over a Rinke campaign ad that accused Dixon of being supported by Trump opponents.
Wednesday night's debate will be the first to occur since the negative ad launched.
The commercial alleged Dixon's campaign had taken "millions from the same billionaires who tried to illegally remove Trump from office." The statement was a reference to west Michigan's DeVos family, which has endorsed Dixon for governor.
But there's no proof yet in campaign finance disclosures that Dixon's campaign has received "millions" from anyone, including the DeVos family.
Betsy DeVos, who served as Trump's education secretary, resigned from Trump's Cabinet a day after the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol when Trump supporters tried to disrupt the certification of Democrat Joe Biden's 2020 presidential election victory.
DeVos has since acknowledged that she discussed the possibility of invoking the 25th Amendment with other Cabinet members to remove Trump before his term ended, according to CNN.
On Friday, lawyers working for Dixon's campaign demanded in a letter that Rinke take down the ad, which they labeled "slanderous." Dixon's lawyers, Charlie Spies and Katie Reynolds, noted in their letter that individual donors in Michigan can give only $7,150 directly to a candidate's campaign committee.
A revised version of the ad posted by Rinke on Twitter on Monday didn't include the "millions" claim but said Dixon was "bankrolled by anti-Trump billionaires."
Dixon currently holds a slight edge in the Republican primary race for governor with many GOP voters undecided, according to a poll released Monday and commissioned by The Detroit News and WDIV-TV (Channel 4).
Of 500 likely GOP primary voters surveyed July 13-15, 19% said they would vote for Dixon while 15% said Rinke, 13% favored release estate broker Ryan Kelley and 12% backed Soldano. About 2% backed Pastor Ralph Rebandt, while 38% of Republican voters surveyed said they were undecided.
Dixon's slim lead fell within the poll's margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points.
Among the undecided voters, 63% said a Trump endorsement would be very or somewhat important in helping them choose a candidate, the poll found.
The next Republican primary debate is being organized by the Oakland County Republican Party. It will take place on July 27.
cmauger@detroitnews.com | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2022/07/20/trump-could-grab-spotlight-gop-governor-hopefuls-debate-wednesday/10104743002/ | 2022-07-20T21:23:47 | 1 | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2022/07/20/trump-could-grab-spotlight-gop-governor-hopefuls-debate-wednesday/10104743002/ |
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