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Michael Hicks: Abortion ban will be deeply damaging to Indiana’s economy
If polls are true, Indiana’s new abortion law is so restrictive that it has the support of no more than 16% of Americans in any broad demographic group. When asked, only 11% of the 18-to-29-year-old crowd supports laws as restrictive as ours. The state-level polls are older and less reliable, but the best I’ve seen suggests that close to two-thirds of Hoosiers support broader abortion access than was granted in SB1.
Public opinion polls are useful because they provide some insight about the mechanisms of economic damage that will ultimately flow from our new abortion law. The U.S. has spent half a century under reasonably similar state regulation of abortion. That has now changed. The political and economic incentives to highlight and exploit these differences are profound. Indiana is especially vulnerable to the economic effects of an abortion ban.
Recall that Indiana’s workforce ranks near the bottom in educational attainment. Worse, we’ve seen the college going rate drop a whopping 12 percentage points in just six years. This puts us in the realm of the most economically fragile states in the Union — Mississippi, Louisiana, West Virginia — and just below Puerto Rico. This matters because nine out of 10 college-age people nationwide prefer more expansive abortion access than Indiana now has.
More from Michael Hicks:It's time to face facts about factory jobs
Just to be clear, Indiana now has the most restrictive abortion laws in the continent. Our laws are more restrictive than those of Ireland or Italy or Saudi Arabia. SB1 was passed with just a few days of testimony and signed hurriedly on a Friday evening. This shows that GOP leaders are exceedingly nervous about the economic fallout of the legislation. They are right to be.
I see two major economic challenges to Indiana that result from SB1.
First, this will result in far fewer out-of-state college students coming to Indiana. While this legislation won’t affect the decisions of out-of-state students coming to Indiana this month, it will influence 2023 college decisions. It is worth noting that for every man now in college, there are two women. We should expect a substantial decline in out-of-state students heading to Indiana and anticipate a higher outflow of Hoosier students.
Though our state’s college enrollment numbers will bounce back a bit after COVID, we should prepare for further declines in 2023 and beyond. Stemming the decline in Indiana college students will cost several hundreds of millions of dollars a year. Failing to stem the loss will be far more costly. However, higher brain drain among college-age students isn’t our biggest risk.
Businesses locate where they can access abundant workers of the types they need. They don’t come for tax incentives or cheap land, which we offer in profusion. They come for the right workers, of which we have far too few. Over the past three decades, more than 80% of job growth nationally has gone to college-educated workers. As that trend continues, which it will, Indiana is now at a fraught disadvantage.
Every human resource official in every major business in America is watching the abortion debate. They are changing healthcare plans for workers living in states with restrictive abortion bans, driving up business costs. They are well aware that abortion access is now a bellwether issue for many Americans considering relocating for a job. HR officials across the country are readying their bosses for years of difficult hiring and relocation to states with restrictive abortion laws.
Let me be abundantly clear. The abortion issue will erupt on college campuses this fall. Hoosier employers will be selectively disinvited from job fairs across the country. More importantly, college students will actively look in places with more mainstream legislation, or seek remote work from those businesses. It is no wonder why Lilly and Cummins as well as many others are deeply frustrated about Indiana’s SB1 and the effect it will have on their operations.
Some in the political world will label this as ‘woke capitalism.’ Baloney, it is math. Businesses located in states with highly restrictive abortion laws are at a significant hiring disadvantage. For businesses that need to attract educated young people, Indiana is already a challenging environment. Indiana’s new abortion law will significantly disrupt the employment needs of many businesses, and the louder the national debate on abortion, the worse the damage will be. Folks, prepare yourself, the debate will be deafening.
Still, I think most businesses will be publicly silent on the issue. James Briggs made this point in a recent column. He argued that unlike RFRA, few businesses will take a public stance on abortion laws. Yes, Lilly and Cummins have issued statements decrying the rushed nature of the legislation. However, for most businesses there’s not much benefit in a making a public declaration about abortion. I suspect this is especially true in Indiana. Business leaders have been quietly begging the state to reverse the brain drain and educational declines for more than a decade, without effect.
The hasty passage of SB1 illustrates the growing anti-business focus of Indiana’s supermajority. As a result, I think Indiana’s elected leaders should expect less business involvement in policy. Many will quietly give up on the state and shift operations and employment elsewhere. Some businesses cannot leave and will surely look to support more business-friendly voices across the state.
I wouldn’t expect these effects to change the minds of the principled supporters of SB1. A less prosperous Indiana is simply the price of maintaining restrictive and unpopular abortion laws. Public policy is about trade-offs; it is just imperative to know what they are.
Finally, one important lesson of economic history is that places with some extraordinary economic advantage can usually survive deeply unpopular policy choices. Think of Chicago or San Francisco. The problem is that Indiana has few economic advantages that are relevant to the 21st century. None that we have are sufficient to overcome policies that alienate the vast majority of the mobile, highly-educated young people we so desperately need.
Michael J. Hicks is the director of the Center for Business and Economic Research and the George and Frances Ball Distinguished Professor of Economics in the Miller College of Business at Ball State University. | https://www.thestarpress.com/story/news/local/2022/08/14/michael-hicks-abortion-ban-will-be-deeply-damaging-to-indianas-economy/65393198007/ | 2022-08-14T09:19:10 | 0 | https://www.thestarpress.com/story/news/local/2022/08/14/michael-hicks-abortion-ban-will-be-deeply-damaging-to-indianas-economy/65393198007/ |
CEDAR FALLS — A leader of a community group heavily involved in the planning for Cedar Falls Community Schools’ new aquatics facility believes the city should contribute nearly $3 million more toward the project.
The total cost estimate has risen from $16.4 million to some $20 million because labor and materials will be more expensive than originally projected.
That led Lorelei Redfern, co-chairwoman of Jump In, Thursday night to go before the Parks and Recreation Commission to ask commissioners to “work with the group to encourage the City Council to approve spending by the city of $8 million,” an increase from the $5.1 million allotted in the city’s capital improvement plan.
To date, Jump In has raised $2.5 million toward its $3.3 million fundraising goal.
It was the first time the request to match the $8 million the district already committed from its physical plant and equipment levy revenues was announced at a public meeting. City Administrator Ron Gaines and Community Development Director Stephanie Sheetz told The Courier they had not previously been aware of it.
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Redfern referred a question about the district’s support of Jump In’s proposal to school officials.
A district spokesperson was not able to immediately confirm discussions, but said she was not “personally” aware of any between the community group and district administration.
Superintendent Andy Pattee has said the district will continue to have conversations about potential funding sources, whether grants or naming right opportunities, to cover about $4 million in additional cost.
The "Level 3" charger would give a vehicle 3 to 20 miles per minute.
Jump In argues the enire community will benefit from the two new pools, one for competition and another for training. They’ll be constructed inside the facility near the future high school on West 27th Street.
The pool entrance, separate from the school, will allow more programming, from swim lessons to lap swims, to be made available to the public than is possible at the aging Holmes and Peet junior high pools.
“I think it’s more likely that we’re going to have an almost 50/50 split in terms of actual usage of the pool for all the different programs,” Redfern said.
Additionally, the facility will have a larger economic impact because of the ability to host larger competitions, she said.
Supporters contend the new facility will have multiple benefits, from allowing more local kids to be adequately taught how to swim safely, to being capable of hosting larger competitions.
Construction timeline
Last month, the Board of Education approved the plans for the “shell” of the new facility – about $16 million to be covered by the current funding arrangement.
Several Jump In members voiced support for moving the project forward at a public hearing last week prior to it being put out to bid. But no one mentioned the group would be asking the city for more dollars.
During her Thursday presentation, Redfern also noted the already “unique” collaboration between the city and school district when it comes to the dual use and funding of its current swimming facilities, and explained how other communities have failed to work together to construct new swimming amenities.
Redfern is interested in the larger financial commitment sooner rather than later so the pools and other interior features can be bid out, as well.
“I would say that the school district would be ready to bid for the pools … when they know that they have the funding available for the pool,” Redfern said.
Supporters fear the opening of the new swimming facility could be delayed beyond the fall of 2024, which is when the new school is expected to open.
However, Gaines, when reached by telephone, and Sheetz, at the commission meeting, said the topic could be broached at the end of the year during a council goal setting session when the city will have a better idea as to possible ways to pay an additional $2.9 million.
At that time, councilors would decide whether to prioritize additional funding for the project.
The council, on its own, could theoretically bring Jump In’s request up sooner by adding it to a meeting agenda. | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/jump-in-asks-city-of-cedar-falls-to-contribute-2-9-million-more-toward-new/article_823f34a8-5efd-5c8d-a0e8-4415c1b73c78.html | 2022-08-14T09:51:50 | 0 | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/jump-in-asks-city-of-cedar-falls-to-contribute-2-9-million-more-toward-new/article_823f34a8-5efd-5c8d-a0e8-4415c1b73c78.html |
Meskwaki tribe members perform the Friendship Dance during the annual Meskwaki Powwow at the Meskwaki Powwow grounds near Tama on Saturday.
CHRIS ZOELLER, Courier Staff Photographer
Veterans are honored during the grand entry of the annual Meskwaki Powwow at the Meskwaki Powwow grounds near Tama on Saturday.
CHRIS ZOELLER Courier Staff Photographer
Meskwaki Nation hand drummers perform during the annual Meskwaki Powwow at the Meskwaki Powwow grounds near Tama on Saturday.
CHRIS ZOELLER Courier Staff Photographer
Meskwaki tribe members dance during the annual Meskwaki Powwow at the Meskwaki Powwow grounds near Tama on Saturday.
CHRIS ZOELLER Courier Staff Photographer
Meskwaki tribe members dance during the annual Meskwaki Powwow at the Meskwaki Powwow grounds near Tama on Saturday.
CHRIS ZOELLER Courier Staff Photographer
Meskwaki tribe members dance during the annual Meskwaki Powwow at the Meskwaki Powwow grounds near Tama on Saturday.
CHRIS ZOELLER Courier Staff Photographer
Meskwaki tribe members dance during the annual Meskwaki Powwow at the Meskwaki Powwow grounds near Tama on Saturday.
CHRIS ZOELLER Courier Staff Photographer
Meskwaki tribe members dance during the annual Meskwaki Powwow at the Meskwaki Powwow grounds near Tama on Saturday.
CHRIS ZOELLER Courier Staff Photographer
Meskwaki tribe members perform the Friendship Dance during the annual Meskwaki Powwow at the Meskwaki Powwow grounds near Tama on Saturday.
CHRIS ZOELLER Courier Staff Photographer
Visitors watch as Meskwaki tribe members perform the Friendship Dance during the annual Meskwaki Powwow at the Meskwaki Powwow grounds near Tama on Saturday.
MESKWAKI SETTLEMENT — The pageantry of the annual Meskwaki Powwow was on full display this weekend after a two-year absence.
Dancers wore bright, intricately designed outfits and regalia made of a variety of materials during the 106th celebration, which began Thursday and continues Sunday with grand entries at 1 and 7 p.m at the Meskwaki Powwow grounds. The grounds are four miles west of Tama along the east bank of the Iowa River.
Men and boys wore fur-and-feather, Mohawk-style headdresses that draped down their backs. Beaded headbands also were common, and men with long hair wore it in braids.
Their clothing included lengthy apron-like shirts with decorative tribal-print sleeves. Bright-colored materials such as feathers and tassels adorned the shirts, worn under leather or fur shawls. On their legs they wore fur above brightly colored leather moccasins.
More variation could be seen in the outfits of women and girls.
Women wore their hair in braids, as well, most without feathers. Bright colored dresses, or blouses and skirts were common. Some were outfitted with tassels of any and every color, while others had shawls with bead patterns making up flowers and tribal prints. Many wore silver or leather belts.
Younger children’s outfits were no simpler. Little girls wore bright pink and purple dresses and even beaded earrings. Many of them wore bells in rings around the bottom of their dresses and skirts.
Bells jingled throughout the powwow grounds before the dances as people registered for the line-up. During the dances, men, women and children stomped their feet or moved their dresses to make the bells ring.
The tribe’s powwow is the only one of its kind in the state. It was canceled during the previous two years amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
The grand entry marks the point where the color guard and dancers go into the arena as the festivities get underway. The powwow began with an invocation and prayer in the Meskwaki native language. Then the colors came in – the U.S. flag, the Meskwaki Nation flag, the Robert Morgan American Legion Post flag and the POW/MIA flag – followed by the dancers. A drummer sang an opening song.
Everyone in the crowd was asked to stand during these songs and dances. Initial performances included the Meskwaki Dance, depicting characteristics of the tribe in times of peace and war, and the Friendship Dance, expressing goodwill and welcoming visitors.
The Picray family, including four children, came to the powwow from Cascade to learn about the event and the Meskwaki’s history. The children are home schooled.
“We wanted to teach (the children) other groups than us exist and have a beautiful culture,” Heather Picray said.
The tribe’s history in Iowa predates the founding of the state and it’s settlement stretches back nearly that far. In 1856, the Iowa Legislature enacted a law which allowed the tribe to continue living in the region where its members had been long-time residents. In 1857, the Native American group purchased its first parcel of land in Tama County, which was named for Meskwaki chief Taimah.
Unfortunately, the Picray family’s visit Thursday was cut short by a thunderstorm that prematurely ended the powwow’s first grand entry.
Still, many vendors selling handmade jewelry, shawls, native art and more were glad for the rain, saying “we needed it.”
The Meskwaki Powwow grounds are located at 1600 Battle Ground Road off of County Highway E49. Entry to event is $5 for children and $7 for adults. Children under the age of 5 are free.
Waterloo submitted two traffic grants to help with safety at the East Shaulis Road and Hammond Avenue and the Mullan Avenue and Sycamore Street intersections.
Visitors watch as Meskwaki tribe members perform the Friendship Dance during the annual Meskwaki Powwow at the Meskwaki Powwow grounds near Tama on Saturday. | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/watch-now-meskwaki-powwows-pagentry-on-full-display-after-two-year-absence/article_105aca10-d750-5587-a567-d9febba17a83.html | 2022-08-14T09:51:56 | 0 | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/watch-now-meskwaki-powwows-pagentry-on-full-display-after-two-year-absence/article_105aca10-d750-5587-a567-d9febba17a83.html |
ROCKY MOUNT, Va. – This momma kitty is probably feeling a bit lonely.
Shelter staff told 10 News that Ava came to their shelter over 414 days ago with her kittens, and has been waiting on a family to give her a chance very patiently.
Now is your chance to give sweet Ava the loving family she deserves.
Ava is two years old and spayed according to the Franklin County Humane Society website, and she’s a smaller cat – Ava only weighs about eight pounds.
And like many people, Ava is a little shy at first, shelter staff said, but if you give her the time to adjust, she’ll give you the honor of petting her.
Think Ava might be a good fit in your home? You can visit the Franklin County Animal Shelter website or contact them at (540) 489-3491. | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2022/08/14/ava-could-be-a-purrfect-fit-in-your-home/ | 2022-08-14T10:36:23 | 0 | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2022/08/14/ava-could-be-a-purrfect-fit-in-your-home/ |
CALDWELL — In the previous year, multiple Canyon County sheriff deputies have been exposed to illegally produced fentanyl, an opioid drug, and required hospitalization.
Canyon County Sheriff Kieran Donahue first shared the story on a segment of “Fox & Friends” that was published online on July 27.
Fentanyl is one of the most powerful opioids in the world, and is 50 to 100 times stronger than heroin, according to a fact sheet for first responders from the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare. The drug’s effects on local communities follows decades of the U.S. facing opioid addiction from over-prescribed pain medications.
Donahue’s “Fox & Friends” interview runs about four and a half minutes. The Idaho Press interviewed Donahue to have him expand on some of the statements he made in the segment, including what happened to the deputies and the scope of the fentanyl crisis in Canyon County.
DEPUTY EXPOSURE
Four sheriff’s deputies have required hospitalization following fentanyl exposure at the county jail in the previous year, Donahue told the Idaho Press by phone. The exposures occurred in two separate instances, two weeks apart, with two different pairs of deputies: two male deputies, and two female deputies, he said.
In both instances, the exposure happened during the intake process for people being brought into the jail, Donahue said. This process includes fingerprinting, as well as removing items such as jewelry from the person for safekeeping, he said.
In both instances, the deputies encountered an “alleged powder” in the possession of the person, and opened the vessel containing it, Donahue said. Donahue said he could not go into too much detail about what held the powder in the first incident, but in the second instance, it was a bag, he said.
When the vessels were opened, both of the deputies in both instances had an immediate reaction, Donahue said. Medical staff present at the jail administered Narcan, a drug that reverses opioid overdose, and the deputies were taken to a hospital, Donahue said.
One deputy in the first incident became unresponsive at the hospital and was given a Narcan drip, Donahue said.
Donahue noted that there has been conflicting information between the medical community and first responders about whether it’s possible for first responders to come in contact with enough fentanyl to cause an overdose.
According to the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare’s fentanyl safety sheet for first responders, “the risk of absorbing enough fentanyl to cause an overdose is low.” It also says that “accidental skin contact with fentanyl is very unlikely to result in overdose symptoms,” and that “it takes 200 minutes of breathing in fentanyl to develop overdose symptoms.”
First responders should take precautions such as wearing nitrile gloves and an N95 or P100 mask to prevent exposure, the sheet says.
But Donahue said that in both instances, the deputies were wearing gloves and masks. He thinks that such guidelines offered by health institutions may apply best to medical-grade fentanyl, used in hospital settings and regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. In contrast, illegal fentanyl products taken from the streets can contain between 50% to 100% pure fentanyl, he said.
“Medical science doesn’t know how much pure or nearly pure fentanyl is going into a pill or a baggie … we don’t know and we certainly haven’t had time to study it,” he said.
Though some have suggested that officers are actually having a panic attack when exposed to fentanyl, Donahue is unconvinced.
“(Deputies are) trained in what they do,” Donahue said. “They don’t have a panic attack when a gun is pointed at them, you know what I mean?”
THE SCOPE OF THE PROBLEM
In the “Fox & Friends” interview, Donahue says the county, despite being 2,000 miles from the southern U.S. border, is fighting a battle with local Mexican drug cartel operatives that import product, including driving it up from the southern border.
Though some pill presses produce fentanyl products locally, the vast majority is smuggled into the U.S., most often from the southern border by Mexican drug cartels, Donahue said. The fentanyl itself is often produced in China, Donahue said.
The Oregon-Idaho High Intensity Drug Trafficking area’s 2023 Drug Threat Assessment report also points to China and Mexico as the primary sources of fentanyl products in the U.S. (Donahue is on the executive board of the organization, which is overseen by a group of officials working in the region.)
In the video segment, Donahue says that the county and the rest of the country are on the verge of collapse from fentanyl and other illegal drugs.
By phone, Donahue expanded on that statement, saying the sheer volume of illegal drugs is making it difficult to get ahead of the problem.
“It’s crushing the health and welfare field, the work force, and we’re just continuing to build, and build, and build addiction, and we can’t build buildings or resources fast enough to deal with the addiction in our country, and that’s being propelled and promoted by China, by the Mexican drug cartels,” Donahue said.
In Idaho, 44% of overdose deaths were caused by fentanyl in 2021, up from 12% in 2019, according to the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare’s fentanyl safety sheet for first responders. In 2021, the Idaho State Police seized 125,000 fentanyl pills, an increase of 562% from 2020, the sheet said.
During the segment, Donahue’s video is put alongside video of people crossing the Rio Grande in Eagle Pass, Texas, and being moved in and out of border patrol cars. The host opens the segment by relating the influx of people coming to the U.S. border with the fentanyl crisis.
U.S. foreign policy has played a role in destabilizing the Latin American region, with consequences such as poverty, food insecurity, and violence driving people to the border, according to an article from The Guardian.
The Monroe Doctrine of 1823 was both the U.S. saying no to interference by European powers in the Americas, and the beginning of the U.S. asserting its own foreign policy in Latin America.
In the latter half of the 20th century, the U.S. worked to prevent communist leaders from rising to power, instead propping up dictators who often violently maintained the divide between the powerful and the poor, according to the Guardian. Additional policies, such as the North American Free Trade Agreement, have proved controversial for destabilizing food growing economies in Mexico, according to an article from The Counter.
When asked if relating increased migration with the fentanyl crisis is accurate, Donahue said yes. Though the vast majority of opioids are driven into the county by cartel members, anyone crossing the border is having to pay someone who has a connection to the cartels, he said. Further, the cartels may use migrants to smuggle in product to drop houses in the U.S., may traffic the migrants themselves for sex, and may keep people in indentured servitude working for the cartel to pay off the cost of bringing them to the U.S., Donahue said.
“It’s all part and parcel at this point,” he said. “It’s very accurate and it’s just incredible victimization of these poor people.” | https://www.idahopress.com/news/local/canyon-county-sheriff-talks-fentanyl-crisis-following-appearance-on-fox-friends/article_cecfc63d-de2a-509c-b6f1-4db6d81024ab.html | 2022-08-14T11:16:24 | 0 | https://www.idahopress.com/news/local/canyon-county-sheriff-talks-fentanyl-crisis-following-appearance-on-fox-friends/article_cecfc63d-de2a-509c-b6f1-4db6d81024ab.html |
Aultman, Cleveland Clinic Mercy births for July 24-30
AULTMAN HOSPITAL
July 24, 2022
Angela and Justin Dominick of Canton, girl
Hayley and Shadi Smiley of Canton, boy
Ashley Crank and Timothy Lorenze of Canton, boy
Kayla Kinkade and Robert Harry of Carrollton, girl
Rena and Casey Kesinger of Massillon, girl
July 25, 2022
Lexis Anderson and Cameron Graber of Canton, boy
Cassie and Jay Koehler of North Canton, girl
July 26, 2022
Megan and Matthew Estock of North Canton, girl
Kayla Suttle and Keaton Stokes of Canton, girl
July 27, 2022
Darijha McCollum and Jaleel Dicenzi of Canton, girl
Tyasia Singleton of Canton, boy
Montia Allen of Canton, girl
Katelynne and John Matheson of Canton, boy
July 28, 2022
Sierra Newman and Eugene Huddleston Jr. of Minerva, girl
Madison Elavsky and Martez Lennon of Canton, girl
Kennedy and Andrew Buck of Clinton, girl
July 29, 2022
Shyanne and Jamie Ferguson of Massillon, girl
Krista and Gary Bernard II of Canton, girl
Kristen and James Cooperider of Massillon, girl
Isabella Szymanski and Karson Brzycki of North Canton, girl
Amber and Benjamin Baldridge of Canton, boy
Makenzie and Hunter Gill of Uniontown, boy
Rachel and Corey Hunka of Canton, boy
CLEVELAND CLINIC MERCY HOSPITAL
July 25, 2022
Heather and Dominic Underwood of North Canton, girl
Ana Bettis and Nathan Medkeff of Uniontown, girl
July 26, 2022
Melissa Simcic and Brett Biehl of North Lawrence, girl
July 27, 2022
Chansin Jackson of Canton, girl
July 28, 2022
Ashley Yarian of Alliance, girl
Dorthea Moreland and J’keem Waters of Canton, girl
July 29, 2022
Ashton Linder and Larry Teter of Massillon, boy
July 30, 2022
Sarah and Daniel Riggs of Louisville, girl
Maranda Applegarth of Carrollton, boy | https://www.cantonrep.com/story/news/local/2022/08/14/aultman-cleveland-clinic-mercy-births-for-july-24-30/65393937007/ | 2022-08-14T11:27:07 | 0 | https://www.cantonrep.com/story/news/local/2022/08/14/aultman-cleveland-clinic-mercy-births-for-july-24-30/65393937007/ |
Meet Tim Warstler, head of Stark County EMA
Tim Warstler has been the director of the Stark County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) since 2004. He started with the agency in 2001.
For the past 21-plus years during his time with Stark EMA, he has assisted with the management of three federally declared disasters and numerous local emergency declarations.
Warstler also has secured or assisted with millions of dollars in state and federal grants for Stark County’s public safety forces and local communities.
Prior to his time at Stark EMA, he served for seven years as director of safety and security for Doctors Hospital, and 17 years as a paid part-time firefighter and 11 years as a fire captain. Warstler has more than 25 years of service as a fully commissioned Stark County reserve sheriff’s deputy and currently serves as a lieutenant.
Warstler is a certified emergency manager through the International Association of Emergency Managers. This is the highest professional achievement available from the association, which has a membership of more than 9,000 emergency managers. The designation is held by only 1,526 men and women in the emergency management profession.
Warstler and his wife of 24 years, Barb, live with their 4-year-old Lexi in Plain Township. He graduated from Fairless High School and R.G. Drage in the agricultural production program. He also attended The Ohio State University where he studied engineering.
Meet Corinne Levy:Five questions with ... Corinne Levy, who assists the Mickey Stachel Foundation
Would you describe your main duties as the director at the Stark County Emergency Management Agency?
As the director, my staff and I work with local government agencies, public safety officials, nonprofit organizations and elected officials to help coordinate the response before, during and after very large-scale disasters in Stark County.
What are a few of your favorite job duties?
Consulting with local public safety officials, area governments, schools, hospitals, business, etc., in order to determine their needs and capabilities in the event of a natural disaster or other emergency. Second would be conducting damage assessments following disasters or emergencies with state or federal partners.
Meet Kim Kenney:Five questions with ... Kim Kenney, who heads the McKinley Museum
Would you share a few of your favorite places in Stark County to spend your free time and why?
Love attending local events like festivals, First Fridays and dining out in and around Stark County with my wife as we have so many great options available. We don’t get enough time but we like visiting many of the parks and sites like Beech Creek Botanical Garden & Nature Preserve.
What do you consider to be a hidden talent you have that your friends and co-workers may not know about?
Not sure, but I would like to think I make a pretty good food and travel guide. My reviews and travel photos have over 5.3 million views in Google Maps.
Meet Trevor Householder:Five questions with ... Trevor Householder, education programmer/historian at Stark Parks
With all the rain the county has had this spring, would you give a few tips on what to do if a person is driving and they encounter a flash flood on the road?
I think the best advice is the National Weather Service’s campaign of "Turn Around Don’t Drown." Most flood-related vehicle fatalities happen when people drive into flooded areas oftentimes driving around barricades or road closed signs.
As for your car being suddenly surrounded by flood waters, there are so many variables with this question. I would suggest a quick internet search and reading in advance on "How to survive a flash flood in your car."
Editor's note: Five questions with ... is a Sunday feature that showcases a member of the Stark County community. If you'd like to recommend someone to participate, send an email to newsroom@cantonrep.com. | https://www.cantonrep.com/story/news/local/2022/08/14/five-questions-with-tim-warstler-stark-county-ema-director/65394980007/ | 2022-08-14T11:27:13 | 1 | https://www.cantonrep.com/story/news/local/2022/08/14/five-questions-with-tim-warstler-stark-county-ema-director/65394980007/ |
Stark Housing Authority contracts investigation continues nearly a year later
CANTON ‒ Two men entangled in a federal probe of "possible irregularities" in Stark Metropolitan Housing Authority work contracts were recently sent to prison for bank robbery.
Earlier this month, Brian Spenny, 60, of Massillon, was sentenced in Summit County Common Pleas Court to 8 to 12 years in prison on robbery and kidnapping charges for a Dec. 10 holdup of a KeyBank in Northfield in northern Summit County. John Dampman, 46, of the same address as Spenny, was sentenced in April to as many as three years in prison for the same heist.
In December, Spenny and Dampman's bank robbery arrests were widely reported by Cleveland TV news stations and the Akron Beacon Journal ― likely because those stories included dramatic bodycam video of an officer fighting with Spenny, as money was on the ground in the parking lot of MGM Northfield Park, and another one that showed Dampman hiding under a porch.
Three months prior, The Repository had reported Spenny and Dampman's involvement in two companies ― Cooling Contractor Services and Dampman Contracting ― which had bid or received contracts last year for work such as cleaning, clearing gutters and trimming shrubs at public housing sites in Stark County.
Cooling Contractor Services was paid $121,675 in the spring and summer of 2021 — until it was discovered the business had apparent ties to then-Housing Authority Development Director Ashley Currence.
In early August 2021, the Housing Authority stopped doling out payments to Cooling. Dampman Contracting, which had also begun bidding for work, wasn't awarded any contracts because by then the Housing Authority had launched an internal investigation.
Currence abruptly resigned during the probe.
By October, the Housing Authority had turned over its findings to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Office of Inspector General. Nearly a year later, its investigation is ongoing.
That agency won't comment on or confirm the existence of investigations until they are completed — but its work can result in criminal charges, civil recovery or administrative actions against agencies.
A Repository review of Housing Authority records, previously given to federal investigators, provides some insight into the depth and breadth of what former Executive Director Herman Hill referred to as "possible irregularities" and further details the two men's roles in the suspicious public housing work contracts.
What do the housing records show?
Hundreds of pages of agency documents, photos and emails, turned over to the Office of Inspector General, reveal that:
- Based on payroll records, the only employees of Cooling Contractor Services were Spenny, Dampman and Nicholas Cooling.
- Cooling had requested and received ongoing partial payments for work it claimed to have done, though typically payments are made only after a job is finished on such contracts.
- More contracts were to be given to the companies, including plans for a five-year porch painting deal at $90,000 per year.
Connections amongst a group of five
It's unclear why the companies began to bid on Housing Authority work, beginning in February 2021.
However, the agency began to scrutinize the contracts shortly after Currence phoned Canton police on July 20, 2021. She alleged her husband, John Gantz, had assaulted her and Nicholas Cooling, owner of Cooling Contractor Services, while at Currence's house on 22nd Street NW.
Using public records, the Housing Authority in its internal probe and The Repository — in a previous story — unraveled connections between Currence, Gantz, Spenny, Dampman and Cooling, along with other concerns.
The latter four had all lived in Erie, Pennsylvania. Gantz and Cooling shared a cellphone number. Currence had signed bid tabulation sheets and other work documents and conducted follow-up worksite visits on Cooling projects, which would be an apparent conflict of interest. Dampman and Spenny both had long criminal records in Erie. In fact, Spenny was labeled a "career" bank robber when he was sent to prison in 2014 for a pair of bank robberies.
Neither Spenny, nor Dampman, now in prison, responded to requests for the story last year. Currence, Gantz and Cooling did not respond to requests for comments for this story or the last one.
In an Aug. 3, 2021 email to Currence, Hill noted Gantz was listed as statutory agent for Cooling Contractor Services in state business records. "Is this the same John Gantz you are married to?" he asked.
No reply from Currence was found among records SMHA accumulated.
By then, the Housing Authority's internal review had also found: Cooling's business address did not exist; the company was created only a week before it received its first contract and was using starter bank checks; gutter cleaning work had been assigned for sites that didn't need it, were outfitted with leaf guards, or had no trees; and bushes that were to have been trimmed, were not.
Three days later, the Housing Authority requested a meeting with Cooling. That same day, Aug. 6, 2021, Nicholas Cooling emailed the Housing Authority to complain he was waiting to be paid for an invoice submitted weeks prior.
"Are you all on the same page there or not?" he wrote.
Cooling went on to point out he'd been paid for more recent work he said he performed at an agency-owned house on 41st Street NW. It's the same house The Repository had reported was purchased, then rented to a woman that Hill knew through youth basketball teams.
"You know, the one the (Repository) is always writing about," Cooling wrote. "(You're) withholding money for work done, but paying for work immediately for issues that are publicly in the paper."
On Aug. 12, Currence resigned.
In her resignation letter, she stated she was leaving her $77,000 a year job to teach at Malone University.
On Aug. 24, Housing Authority Contracting and Procurement Specialist Anthony De Tota sent a duplicate "notice of cure" email and certified letter to Cooling Contractor Services. In it, he notified the company it had 10 days to complete the unfinished work it had been paid for.
"SMHA considers your work ... grossly inadequate," the letter stated.
Why is the HUD Office of Inspector General involved?
The HUD Office of Inspector General was alerted because most Housing Authority funding comes from HUD's federal tax dollars.
The Stark agency runs 2,5000 public housing units for the poor and oversees the county's Housing Choice Vouchers (Section 8) program that pays landlords who lease to low-income tenants.
Although the Housing Authority had paid Cooling Contractor Services $121,675, it did not pay another $58,000 worth of Cooling invoices, because Hill had directed all payments to cease.
Emails to and from Currence, or copied to her last year, detail Cooling Contractor Services projects in 2021 — some appeared to have been placed on hold or canceled during the internal review:
- A $10,200 job to clean Cherrie Turner Towers apartments.
- Gutter clean outs at various sites for $76,000, part of a three-year contract.
- A second gutter clean out award for another $57,000, the same day it was named low bidder on a $35,000 deal to trim shrubs.
- A $73,000 quote provided for power washing, in which Currence advised she should be the sole contact person.
- Staining work at Meadowview, though it's unclear what that entailed.
- A low bid for "fill and seed" work, which prompted an email to Currence from one of the losing bidders, Todd's Enviroscapes, questioning how Cooling could have turned in such a low bid.
- Address plate installation at Jackson Sherrick apartments.
- Chimney cap replacement for $1,800.
- A five-year contract for porch painting, at $90,000 per year for various sites.
Even before the internal review began, some Housing Authority employees, including site managers, began to wonder about the lack of progress of work Cooling had been hired to do.
On June 25, 2021, Malinda Broyles at Linwood Acres, emailed Currence about gutters and downspouts that were not cleaned or repaired at her 112-unit complex in southwest Canton.
"We just checked our records and Linwood was never included for cleaning," Currence explained in her reply to Broyles, though Linwood was among sites listed in the project description provided bidders.
On several occasions, Currence intervened via agency email on Cooling's behalf, regarding finances. In one instance, she advised a purchase order had been created, so it was OK to pay the company. In another, she asked how soon an approved payment would hit Cooling's bank account.
The Repository had sought the Housing Authority internal review documents on several occasions in the past. However, Hill —who left to take the executive director's job in Akron earlier this year — told the news outlet that no such records exist because they were given to HUD.
Following Hill's departure in April, the Repository renewed its request. The Housing Authority provided a redacted version of the requested records for in-office review two weeks ago.
Reach Tim at 330-580-8333 ortim.botos@cantonrep.com.On Twitter: @tbotosREP | https://www.cantonrep.com/story/news/local/2022/08/14/hud-investigation-of-stark-housing-authority-contracts-continues-brian-spenny-john-dampman/65396069007/ | 2022-08-14T11:27:19 | 1 | https://www.cantonrep.com/story/news/local/2022/08/14/hud-investigation-of-stark-housing-authority-contracts-continues-brian-spenny-john-dampman/65396069007/ |
Stark County roundup: News from around the Canton region
Application deadline for Master Recycler Program is Friday
BOLIVAR − The Stark-Tuscarawas-Wayne Recycling District will hold its annual Master Recycler Program on select Tuesday evenings and some Saturday mornings from Sept. 6 through Oct. 11. The program location is split between the district office in Bolivar and several local facilities.
A course fee of $40 is required to cover the cost of food, supplies and transportation, but financial assistance may be available. The deadline to apply is Friday, and applications are available on the district’s website at www.timetorecycle.org/masterrecycler.
The goals of the program are to provide comprehensive training in solid waste management practices and related sustainability issues, improve overall understanding and participation in district programs, and empower participants to reduce waste and cultivate partnerships in the local community. Participants are also required to volunteer at least 20 hours at various community events such as farmers markets, festivals and litter cleanups to receive official certification and may continue to represent the district at events to further expand outreach and recycling opportunities.
Those interested in participating must be residents of Stark, Tuscarawas or Wayne County or work at a business/institution or attend a college/university located in those counties. Residents must be 18 or older to participate, though the district would consider a 17-year-old if accompanied with a parent or designated guardian. For more information, visit www.timetorecycle.org/masterrecycler or call 800-678-9839.
American Sign Language course offered
CANTON TWP. – TRIAD Deaf Services will offer an eight-week Introduction to American Sign Language (ASL) Level 1 course at the Canton Township Community Center, 210 38th St. SE, from 10:30 a.m. to noon Saturdays starting Sept. 3 and ending Oct. 22.
Registration costs $80, and full payment for the course is due by Sept. 6. Payments can be made with Venmo, check, or cash in person at the TRIAD office, 408 Ninth St. SW, Suite 2100, Canton. The cost of the book is not included in the registration cost, and students will be informed two weeks before the course starts which book to order. Those who are interested or have questions about the course can contact Danielle at dpartin@triadds.org.
Music at Spring Hill
MASSILLON – Spring Hill Historic Home, 1401 Springhill Lane NE, will host a free, outdoor concert by Brian Stahl at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Stahl is a folk singer/songwriter who crafts his own songs with acoustic melodies and whose style has been compared to Jim Croce and Cat Stevens. The community is welcome; bring a lawn chair or blanket for seating. Several picnic tables will be available.
Donations are welcome. Light concessions will be available for purchase, cash only, but outside food and drink are permitted.
Bouquet workshop
MASSILLON − Lepley & Co. will present a "Build-a-Bouquet" workshop at the Massillon Museum, 121 Lincoln Way E, from noon to 1 p.m. Aug. 20.
Anyone 8 or older may attend. Participants will receive guidance on the basics of flowers and floristry and learn about flowers. People with all experience levels will each take home a custom bouquet.
Register at MassMu.org/Tickets or call 330-833-4061 by Thursday. The fee is $35 ($32 per Massillon Museum member).
MAPS dinner dance Saturday
GREEN – The Military Aviation Preservation Society (MAPS) Air Museum, 2260 International Parkway, will hold a dinner dance Saturday, featuring the music of LaFlavour's "Five Decades of Hits." Guests may attend for dinner and dancing, or for dancing only.
Dinner begins at 5:30 p.m., with dancing from 7 to 10 p.m. Tickets for both dinner and dancing are $21.72 per person; advance reservations are required for this option. Order tickets and make reservations at www.mapsairmuseum.org or laflavour.org or call 330-896-6332, ext. 110. The deadline for orders is 1 p.m. Aug. 19.
No advance ticket purchase or reservations are required for dancing only, and the cost is $10 per person at the door. Admission for dancing only opens at 6:30 p.m. Seating for both options is first-come, first-seated. No outside food, beverages, or alcohol are permitted. The MAPS snack bar will be open throughout the event.
Bands at amphitheater
JACKSON TWP. – The Chris Higbee Band will perform from 7:30 to 10 p.m. Aug. 20 at the Jackson Amphitheater, 7454 Community Parkway NW.
E5C4P3, a Journey tribute band formed in 1993, will perform from 7:30 to 10 p.m. Sept. 3. To buy tickets for either concert, visit www.jacksonamphitheater.com.
Back-to-school event at farmers market
JACKSON TWP. – The Farmers Market at St. Stephen Church, 4600 Fulton Drive NW, will have a "Back to School" event from 3 to 6 p.m. Thursday.
The Aultman Hospital WOW van will be on site with information for parents and children returning to school. All children 12 and younger visiting the market that day will receive a free gift. St. Stephen also holds a summer outdoor worship service each Thursday following the market at 7 p.m. All are welcome.
Healthiest Soil Contest
MASSILLON – Stark Soil & Water Conservation District is searching for Stark County’s Healthiest Soil.
Contestants can stop by the district office to pick up a standardized 4-inch cylinder, which can used to collect a uniform sample. Detailed instructions on proper sampling are available at starkswcd.org. Samples can be dropped off at the district office from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
District staff and soil scientists will conduct soil health assessment tests to determine the healthiest soil. The district is at 2650 Richville Drive SE, Suite 100, Massillon. For more information, call 330-451-7645.
Oil paintings on display
MASSILLON − Daric Gill will display oil paintings on reclaimed wood in the exhibit "The Absolutes" in the Massillon Museum’s Studio M, 21 Lincoln Way E, through Sept. 21.
The museum will host a reception for Gill from 5 to 7 p.m. Aug. 27. The free event, open to all, will be concurrent with Massillon’s Last Saturday event. A podcast interview with the artist is at MassillonMuseum.org.
Gill holds a master of fine arts degree from the University of Cincinnati in sculpture and interdisciplinary art, and a bachelor of fine arts degree from Columbus College of Art and Design in sculpture and painting. He is a former adjunct professor at the Columbus College of Art and Design.
Overdose Awareness Day event is Saturday
PERRY TWP. − The Stark County Health Department and community agencies are joining for a community event to highlight substance use disorder and overdose awareness.
The Walk Together: Overdose Awareness Day event will be from 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday at Petros Lake Park, 3519 Perry Drive SW. International Overdose Awareness Day is Aug. 31. Residents can find out more information about the event at https://savestark-starkcohealthoh.hub.arcgis.com.
Residents will be walking the mile-long Mindfulness Walk on the grounds of Petros Lake Park. Along the trail, residents can visit 10 activity stations, which will include a memorial rock painting, writing a note of thanks and sharing a story.
The event will also host a yoga class by Y12SR whose instructor has received treatment and recovery for a substance use disorder. The Y12SR class combines the practical tools of 12-step programs and cognitive addiction methodologies with the art and science of yoga. Residents will also have the chance to engage with community agencies and pick up a naloxone kit. | https://www.cantonrep.com/story/news/local/2022/08/14/stark-county-roundup-news-from-around-the-canton-region/65393912007/ | 2022-08-14T11:27:25 | 1 | https://www.cantonrep.com/story/news/local/2022/08/14/stark-county-roundup-news-from-around-the-canton-region/65393912007/ |
Lubbock entertainment in brief
Movies 16 marks 35th anniversary of 'Dirty Dancing'
Cinemark Movies 16 and XD, 5721 58th St., celebrates the 35th anniversary of "Dirty Dancing" with special screenings at 3 and 7 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 14 and 7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 17.
Thirty-five years after audiences were first introduced to Johnny (Patrick Swayze) and Baby (Jennifer Grey), "Dirty Dancing" remains a cultural icon. Loved by generations of fans, this cinematic treasure has inspired multiple films, a stage version, and reality dance competitions watched around the world.
On the film’s 35th anniversary, celebrate the magic of "Dirty Dancing" and its timeless themes of love, family, class, and perseverance all over again.
Tickets for this special screening are $12.45 and available online in advance at www.fathomevents.com
Moonlight Musicals presents 'Newsies'
Moonlight Musicals presents Disney's "Newsies" Aug. 18-20 at the Moonlight Musicals Amphitheatre, 413 E. Broadway.
It’s time to carry the banner on your stage with Disney’s "Newsies." Set in turn-of-the century New York City, "Newsies" is the rousing tale of Jack Kelly, a charismatic newsboy and leader of a band of teenaged “newsies.” When titans of publishing raise distribution prices at the newsboys’ expense, Jack rallies newsies from across the city to strike against the unfair conditions and fight for what’s right.
Tickets are $18 each, including fees. Doors open at 7 p.m. Showtime is 8 p.m. Seating is general admission, open grass/concrete tiered seating. Feel free to bring your own lawn chair.
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit moonlightmusicals.com
Boland bringing 'The Light' tour to Cactus
Jason Boland beings his The Light Saw Me Tour to the Cactus Theater at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 19.
For the past 20 years, Jason Boland & the Stragglers have dazzled audiences all over as one of the leading ambassadors of the Oklahoma and Texas music movement. Millions of fans cheering him on, more than 500,000 records sold independently and 10 albums later, he is a career musician whose legacy continues to grow.
On his 10th studio album, "The Light Saw Me" he serves up a story that looks at the big picture in life and he did it in his own organic and authentic way. He’s making the music he wants while continuing to please the people who want to hear where his artistic journey takes him next.
Tickets for this show are: all floor and standard balcony seats, $27.50; and limited box seats, $55 (box ticket includes concessions…present at lobby counter when ordering).
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.cactustheater.com
Pecos and the Rooftops to play at Cook's
Kolby Cooper will co-headline with Pecos and the Rooftops on the big stage at 7 p.m. Aug. 19 at Cook's Garage, 1002 Highway 87.
Special guest will be Dylan Wheeler.
Only three years out of high school, still living in his small East Texas hometown, Cooper started selling out shows and clocking millions of streams using only his songs as muscle, earning streaming numbers typically reserved for household names. Amassing over 113.5 million on demand streams to date, Cooper released his first EP as a signed artist, "Boy From Anderson County", via BBR Music Group / Wheelhouse Records in partnership with Combustion Music.
Pecos & the Rooftops are a close-knit group of friends from northeast Texas that came together while in college in Lubbock. The band is Pecos Hurley (vocals/acoustic guitar), Brandon Jones (rhythm guitar), Zack Foster (lead guitar), Kalen Davis (bass), and Garrett Peltier (drums). Their latest E.P. “Red Eye” was released Jan. 24, 2020.
General admission tickets are $20 in advance or $25 day of the show (plus taxes and fees). PIT tickets are $35 in advance or $40 the day of the show (plus taxes and fees).
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit cooksgarage.us
Band of Heathens to perform at Cactus
The Band of Heathens bring their Indie Rock/Americana sound to the stage at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 20, at the Cactus Theater.
With their professional lives on hold during the pandemic, The Band of Heathens found a year-long creative workaround. Every Tuesday night, the five-piece group came together via Zoom from their respective homes – from L.A. to Asheville - to host the Good Time Supper Club, a ninety-minute variety program.
That segment of the show, called Remote Transmissions, became a much-anticipated fan favorite each week. And it is now the title of their latest album, featuring covers of ten classic songs with guest vocals by the likes of Margo Price, Ray Wylie Hubbard and Charlie Starr.
It's just the latest innovative move for The Band of Heathens, who over the last fifteen years have released nine acclaimed albums of roots rock originals, played festivals like Bonnaroo and South by Southwest, and toured the world many times over (Rolling Stone calls them “a smoking live band”), all while remaining that rarest of birds – a truly independent group.
Tickets for this show are: Reserved floor, rows A-D, $25; remaining floor, rows E-M, $20; standard balcony, $20; and balcony box seats, $50 (Box ticket includes concessions).
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.cactustheater.com
Lewis, Stateliners on tap at Holly Hall
Aaron Lewis and the Stateliners are scheduled to perform at 7 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 21, at the Helen Devitt Jones Theater of Buddy Holly Hall.
Lewis grew up in Springfield, Vermont, listening to his grandparents’ country music 8-tracks. Those roots inspired the multi-platinum front man and founder of Staind to return to his origins and since has quietly made an impact on country music.
With a decade invested in a genre that’s seen him record with George Jones, Charlie Daniels, Vince Gill, Alison Krauss and more, he has claimed two No. 1 Billboard Country Album debuts for his albums "Town Line and Sinner".
Lewis’ single, "I Am I The Only One", debuted on Billboard’s No. 1 Hot Country Song. His latest album "Frayed at Both Ends" was released in January, his most personal and unplugged work.
Reserved seat tickets range from $35 to $250 (plus taxes & fees), depending on seating a features package.
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.buddyhollyhall.com
The Isaacs to perform at Cactus
Legendary Bluegrass, country and gospel group The Isaacs will be live at the Cactus Theater at 7 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 21.
The Isaacs, a multi-award winning family group who began singing 36 years ago are based out of Hendersonville, Tennessee. The vocalists are mother Lily Isaacs and siblings Ben Isaacs, Sonya Isaacs Yeary and Rebecca Isaacs Bowman.
Playing their own acoustic instruments and joined by other band members, The Isaacs have a unique style that blends tight family harmony with contemporary acoustic instrumentation that appeals to a variety of audiences. Their musical style has been influenced by many genres of music including bluegrass, rhythm and blues, folk, and country, contemporary, acoustic and southern gospel.
They perform frequently at the Grand Ole Opry, are active members on the Gaither Homecoming Videos and Concert Series and travel internationally throughout the year to perform to welcoming fans in countries such as South Africa, Norway, Holland, Scotland, Ireland, Israel, Canada and more.
Tickets for this show include: First three rows (A-C), $37.50; remainder of floor (D-M), $32.50; standard balcony, $27.50; and balcony box seats, $65.
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.cactustheater.com
LCT presents 'Chicago: The Musical'
Lubbock Community Theater presents "Chicago: The Musical" at 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 26 and 27 and Sept. 2 and 3, and at 2:30 p.m. on Aug. 28 and Sept. 4, at the theater, 3101 35th St.
In roaring twenties Chicago, chorine Roxie Hart murders a faithless lover and convinces her hapless husband, Amos, to take the rap…until he finds out he's been duped and turns on Roxie. Convicted and sent to death row, Roxie and another "Merry Murderess," Velma Kelly, vie for the spotlight and the headlines, ultimately joining forces in search of the "American Dream": fame, fortune, and acquittal. This sharp-edged satire features a dazzling score that sparked immortal staging by Bob Fosse.
Based on the book by Fred Ebb & Bob Fosse, with music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb, the LCT production is directed by Heather May.
Tickets are $30 for adults and $25 for seniors (65 and older), children younger than 12 and students (with ID), plus taxes and fees.
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.lubbockcommunitytheatre.org
Snow brings best of Elvis to Cactus
Moses Snow sings the hits of Elvis at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 26, at the Cactus Theater.
This world-renowned Elvis Presley tribute artist will knock your socks off. He will perform The King’s biggest hits alongside the amazing Caldwell Collective band at this unforgettable show.
Snow started performing at the Cactus when he was just 15 years old and has taken the world by storm ever since. Come see this 19-year-old for a night of your favorite Elvis hits.
Tickets for this show are: All floor and standard balcony seats, $25; and balcony box seats (includes concessions), $50.
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.cactustheater.com
80s rock returns to Cactus stage
Caldwell Entertainment presents the big hits of Bon Jovi, Journey, Foreigner and Chicago at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Aut. 27, at the Cactus Theater.
The Caldwell Collective Band joined by singers Brandon Gwinn, Jeff McCreight, Jason Fellers, Sheena Fadeyi and Kassidy King with guest horn-men Jacky Howard and Grady Alberts will step on stage to honor the big hits of these four legendary, trendsetting bands.
The power and sheer excitement of this music and magical performances of the unparalleled Caldwell Collective Band and these amazing vocalists will keep you on your feet all night long.
Tickets for this show are: Reserved seat tickets, $20; and balcony box seat tickets, $40.
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.cactustheater.com
Next generation brings Conway and Loretta to Cactus stage
A Salute to Conway and Loretta is scheduled for 7 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 28, at the Cactus Theater.
Country music duo Twitty & Lynn perform the songs of their grandparents Conway Twitty & Loretta Lynn and tell intimate family stories.
Watch as the Next Generation deliver their iconic grandparents’ pure country music along with amusing, intriguing stories.
Tayla is Loretta Lynn’s granddaughter - and she is whimsical and fantastic singing her Memaw’s Grammy-winning songs, telling touching - and many times, comical - stories of what it was like on tour with Memaw.
Tre is Conway Twitty’s grandson and on stage makes us feel as tho his “Poppy” is back with us. Tre has the same relaxed, smooth delivery as his grandfather and surprises us with a song that allows an audience participation that is memorable.
Reserved seat tickets for this how are: first two rows (A-B), $49; remaining floor (rows C-M) and standard balcony, $3; and balcony box seats, $39 (Note: For this select show, box ticket does not include concessions).
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.cactustheater.com
Zmed brothers present Everly Brothers tribute
The Everly Brothers Experience, featuring the Zmed brothers, will be live on the Cactus stage at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 1.
Since 2016, brothers Zachary and Dylan Zmed along with their partner and drummer Burleigh Drummond, have celebrated the pivotal music and history of The Everly Brothers legacy with enthusiastic crowds all across the US and overseas in prestigious venues.
The Everly Brothers career lasted over half a century; they recorded 21 studio albums; sold more than 60 million records worldwide; had over 30 billboard Top 100 singles (which still to this day is the record for most billboard charting hits of any sibling rock duo ever); they received numerous accolades in their later career, and influenced countless legendary artists that came after them.
Tickets for this show are: First 4 rows on floor (rows A-D), $27.50; remaining floor (rows E-M), $25; standard balcony, $20; and balcony box (includes concessions), $50.
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.cactustheater.com
Alamo to screen Texas classic film 'Giant'
As part of its Remastered and Restored series, Alamo Drafthouse Lubbock presents the 1956 classic film "Giant" at 2:15 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 4.
Wealthy rancher Bick Benedict (Rock Hudson) and dirt-poor cowboy Jett Rink (James Dean) both woo Leslie Lynnton (Elizabeth Taylor), a beautiful young woman from Maryland who is new to Texas.
She marries Benedict, but she is shocked by the racial bigotry of the white Texans against the local people of Mexican descent.
Rink discovers oil on a small plot of land, and while he uses his vast, new wealth to buy all the land surrounding the Benedict ranch, the Benedicts’ disagreement over prejudice fuels conflict that runs across generations.
Tickets for this special screening are $10 each and available online at drafthouse.com/lubbock/show/giant
Alamo hosts 'Steel Magnolias' brunch
Enjoy brunch while you watch the 1989 classic "Steel Magnolias" on the big screen at Alamo Drafthouse Lubbock.
In this charming little parlor, you don't just get your hair and nails did – you get life lessons from some of the best and sassiest actresses to ever grace the screen.
Without "Steel Magnolias" how would you know that there are so many different shades of pink (including Blush and Bashful), or that all gay men have track lighting? Without Ouiser Boudreaux (Shirley MacLaine, in all of her cantankerously awesome glory), how would you discover that it's possible to be in a bad mood for 40 years? And without Clairee Belcher (Olympia Dukakis), how would you learn that the only thing that separates us from the animals is our ability to accessorize? Don't even get us started on Truvy Jones (Dolly Parton), whose folksy wisdom and bedazzled ensembles basically make life worth living.
These ladies are guaranteed to inspire you just as sure as they'll make you bawl your eyes out and then crack you up, because we all know laughter through tears is the best emotion. So tease up your hair, grab your bestie and join us for a cinematic celebration of friendship, perms and Southern living – we’ll even have tissues to help you get swept into this beloved ’80s gem.
It'll be even better than a slice of armadillo cake.
Tickets for this special screening are $10 each and available online in advance at drafthouse.com/lubbock/event/steel-magnolias-brunch | https://www.lubbockonline.com/story/entertainment/local/2022/08/14/lubbock-entertainment-in-brief/65397900007/ | 2022-08-14T11:44:21 | 0 | https://www.lubbockonline.com/story/entertainment/local/2022/08/14/lubbock-entertainment-in-brief/65397900007/ |
You’re hot. You’re bothered. And the temperatures aren’t going down any. Even Flagstaff swelters in the summer.
So let’s talk about something cool, calm and refreshing. Something like herbal iced tea. The kind that not only cools you down but comes with impressive health perks.
If you don’t like to drink plain water—the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies states it takes 91 ounces for women and 125 for men to stay hydrated—maybe it’s time to try tea. Besides brewing black or green tea, listed below are some ideas to get you started.
Hibiscus – Redder than ruby and more royal than garnet, hibiscus flowers add a stunning hue and tasty tang. Classified as a refrigerant, the mallow family member can help keep your body temperature from rising with the heat of the day.
The rich red color of hibiscus comes from polyphenols, the same stuff that makes red wine and chocolate good for more than the soul. These powerful antioxidants can protect the liver and help prevent cardiovascular diseases, cancers and osteoporosis. Since hibiscus flowers act as a vasodilator, research on their lowering hypertension is rife.
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Research has also found hibiscus flowers inhibit calcification. This means they help get calcium into the bones rather than collecting as kidney stones or building up on bones or in the arteries.
Mint – Where mint goes (in moist canyons and roadside drainages here in the high country), a ground cover grows. The creeping rhizomes protect erosion-prone earth, and their leaves don’t do a bad job protecting us humans either. It matters not what species—wild mint, peppermint or spearmint—they all come with antimicrobial, carminative and antispasmodic virtues (especially spearmint.)
That antimicrobial action can make mint tea a smart companion for a picnic meal, potluck or cookout. Post-party, its carminative and antispasmodic actions can help a too-full or downright bummy tummy by helping the bile get going and the gas moving.
What mint does not do is literally cool your body. Mint contains menthol, which triggers the same receptors on your tongue that ice cream does. So your brain thinks you’re drinking something cold; and once your brain gets involved, feeling hot may be history. Here’s another quirky thing about mint: it’s considered both a stimulant and a relaxant. As a vasodilator, mint gets your blood flowing, and its antispasmodic action relaxes smooth muscles.
Lemon balm (melissa) – Mildly lemon tasting with a tannic edge, lemon balm has racked up an impressive reputation ranging from ancient herbalists to hospital websites. In the Middle Ages,
lemon balm appeared in recipes for elixirs made by monks and nuns and drunk by kings and emperors.
Lemon balm, you see, has a long list of impressive characteristics catalogued by research: antianxiety, antibacterial, antidepressant, antiemetic, antispasmodic, antiviral, carminative, diaphoretic, digestive, emmenagogue, febrifuge, sedative, tonic. Most notable is lemon balm’s ability to impart a peaceful, easy feeling. Once you take the stress level down a few notches, homeostasis happens a little easier.
Uplifting lemon balm makes a great palate-pleasing addition for any tea. Notice the word addition. Too much of a good thing can have a negative effect on some bodies.
Sumac - Admittedly, sumac does not rate among the popular ingredients in the U.S. kitchen these days, but the North American native was known well by Indians and colonists for its medicine. As a refrigerant, sumac still makes a refreshing summer cooler.
These days, sumac berries frequent research labs for a variety of studies. Most notably, sumac has come out like a champ as an antiviral for heavy-hitter viruses and a valid way to decrease Type 2 diabetes.
Sumac grows best in a deciduous environment, like the Oak Creek canyon system in our neck of the woods. To get an idea of how the sumac berry tastes, think lemons—tart, with an astringent bite and a fruity lilt. Sumac berries make a tasty rubescent lemonade or sorbet.
Rose – Teas and fresh-made lemonade (lemons are a refrigerant) get an elevated taste boost and a bunch of benefits with an addition of rose. Traditionally, rose falls among herbs that cool and calm the body. On the other hand, traditional Chinese and Ayurveda medicine use rose to help digestions that need a little warmth to get started.
Roses, one 16th century herbalist said, “put to ye nose do comforte the braine and the harte.” Besides balancing, rose’s reputation includes anti-inflammatory. Researchers have discovered rose can match green tea with antioxidants. Those antioxidants help cool the hot, inflamed and/or aggravated from sunburns to overworked livers.
All of the herbs mentioned above can be enjoyed solo or combined. Steep one teaspoon or tablespoon of dried herb per eight ounces of room temperature water for one to three hours and refrigerate. To drink hot, use boiling water, cover and steep 10 minutes. | https://azdailysun.com/news/local/cool-coolers-herbs-that-will-refresh-and-impress-you-for-the-rest-of-the-summer/article_be1cea6e-1914-11ed-b7bb-9bd1a9e17089.html | 2022-08-14T11:55:41 | 0 | https://azdailysun.com/news/local/cool-coolers-herbs-that-will-refresh-and-impress-you-for-the-rest-of-the-summer/article_be1cea6e-1914-11ed-b7bb-9bd1a9e17089.html |
Flagstaff mayoral and city council candidates have been given the chance to answer a weekly question in no more than 150 words. This week's question: What lessons should Flagstaff take away from the COVID pandemic?
For Council, Austin Aslan and Lori Matthews qualified for the ballot; the others are official write-in candidates.
Mayor
Becky Daggett
Wise investments in public health pay off. The care and information provided by healthcare workers, first responders, the County Health Department, TGen North, and researchers at NAU helped our community to act quickly to protect families, students, and employees.
And while the pandemic has been a horrible time for all of us, in many ways the community came together. Neighbors gathering in the streets for outdoor social time, the love and dedication exhibited by teachers and school staff, and the perseverance of all front-line workers who showed up to do their jobs despite the health risks, all serve to remind us how important community is.
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There were countless acts of kindness performed every day from people throughout the city and as we continue with our new “normal,” I hope that we’ll remember and maintain that spirit and sense of togetherness in building a stronger community.
Paul Deasy
Paul did not respond in time for publication.
City Council
Lori Matthews
If you were to ask ten people their opinion on how the pandemic was handled you might get ten different responses. Covid was new, deadly, and frightening. No one had all the right answers. Countries around the world, imposed lockdowns at different times and imposed restrictions that varied in severity from government to government. In the U.S., every state had a different approach to reopening especially on how they approached economies. In my opinion there were inequities at our local level regarding which businesses were closed and which were allowed to stay open. Big box corporations like Home Depot were allowed to stay open while local small businesses were forced to stay closed with devastating outcomes for many. We must be careful not to sacrifice too quickly our liberties even in difficult times. I believe the lessons flagstaff should take away from this experience is never give up our freedom.
Austin Aslan
Part of me wants to complain, “We didn’t learn squat!” But truthfully, there are numerous positives to highlight. We’ve greatly improved digital connectivity, especially in disadvantaged areas, for example. In my 5/14/20 Coconino Voices for the Sun, I searched for silver linings when the pandemic first disrupted our lives. Penned while at Mayor Evans’ side as she lead the charge toward enacting critical (pre-vaccine) public safety measures, my op-ed, “An Open Letter to the Parents of Flagstaff” concluded: “The ‘Greatest Generation’ was so-titled not because they were given every opportunity, but because they showed resilience in the face of hardship.” Reflecting upon my public service during these trying times, I can attest to just how resilient Flagstaff is. We’ve endured unthinkable heartache and loss. But we’ve demonstrated that—while we may quibble over approaches—Flagstaff doesn’t shy from any challenge. That insight gives me great pride and hope for our city.
Kevin Dobbe
I believe our best lesson is that you cannot keep the people of Flagstaff down. Whether snow, fire, flood or pandemic, we band together and persevere. Remember medicine is a practice therefore, things, including recommendations change as our knowledge improves. That’s something I know firsthand, after more than 20 years in the medical field. The pandemic has made people more aware of their health and how to maintain and improve it. The pandemic taught us how to be prepared for the unexpected. It is important to note how many people in Flagstaff ARE essential. We normally would consider Doctors, nurses, other medical providers and Fire and police as essential. The people who supply our utilities, food, fuel, and so much more are also essential. We realize how many play a vital role in our community. The pandemic has also shown how critical socialization is to our emotional and physical wellbeing.
Thea Karlin
The benevolence of the Flagstaff community is a beauty more breathtaking than that of the San Francisco Peaks.
During the Pandemic, I have witnessed a level of strength, generosity, and goodwill from our citizens that has been astounding. From cash mobbing local businesses, delivering goods to neighbors without means, donating to strangers who lost their livelihoods, businesses feeding children for free, creating solutions to housing our unsheltered neighbors, helping our healthcare workers stay safe and healthy, assisting our community to obtain protective masks when needed, and more.
There were so many Flagstaff community members working behind the scenes to help in any way that they could. It’s enough to bring tears to your eyes – the Flagstaff community is strong, resilient, and will stand together when faced with adversity to help lift each other up and survive. We are stronger when we stand together – Flagstaff has proven that during this pandemic.
Sean Golliher
One of the main take aways from the pandemic. Is how vulnerable our local economy relies upon tourism. The tourists are just now coming back. With all of the restrictions on travel threw the industry in the preverbal toilet. We need to look into expanding our local economy through bringing in and creating more jobs. I’m not talking about someone to clean rooms or run a hotel. I’m talking High-Tech and Future Tech jobs in manufacturing like Engineers, technicians, inspectors, Project managers and office staff positions just to name a few. Most of these would be high paying salary positions and not just $15/hour. I’m looking to ask places like Tesla and SpaceX to bring a small fabrication plant to build for example robots or spacesuits. I would also propose to build Arizona’s first Geothermal plant. Now those will be long lasting high paying jobs.
Deb Harris
As I look back over the last three years and how we struggled with the COVID pandemic, I am reminded of the saying “the lessons are in the struggle”. If this is true, what lessons should Flagstaff take away from the pandemic?
Community resiliency is at the top of my list. We must continue to assist all members of our community develop the skills that will assist us in becoming more resilient. Second, we must put our differences aside and work cooperatively if our community is to thrive. This cooperative work is critical to our growth and to developing a thriving community for all. Finally, we must continue to address the needs of our most vulnerable populations. We are only as strong as the most vulnerable in our community.
Struggles provide opportunities for growth.
Khara House
In the simplest terms: that we need each other. The pandemic taught us about community resiliency, especially the need for each of us to do our part to support each other in times of crisis. It has also shown us the importance of our government leadership being responsive to citizen and community needs. It’s a lesson I think we’re still learning: for us to more than survive, but thrive, in the face of community crisis, we must work together – in community for community.
Through the pandemic, I have appreciated the adaptations our city and community made to stay connected while protecting public health. These were tough but necessary choices we made to make true what we said while navigating the pandemic: we’re in it together. We must carry forward these lessons of empowering our citizens and neighborhoods, sharing resources, communicating collectively, and being prepared for what comes next.
Regina Salas
Through the pandemic our diverse Flagstaff community manifested profound resiliency and unity amidst adversity and uncertainty.
In March 2020, I connected Coconino County with a hotel that was designated as a quarantine hotel. I linked Flagstaff Shelter Services with three hotels to provide temporary shelters. I’ve been a strong voice on Council to direct federal dollars to local programs addressing the needs of our vulnerable groups.
Championing Team Flagstaff, the safety and well-being of staff and residents is the most important priority. I helped get public restrooms around downtown for visitors and vulnerable groups as businesses reopened. I worked with the City’s marketing team, Discover Flagstaff, on messaging for locals and visitors to play, stay, distance and mask responsibly as we are all in this together.
I strongly advocated on Council to allocate ARPA funds toward business retention, workforce training, and strengthen tourism. ARPA grant opportunities will be advertised soon. | https://azdailysun.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/elections/candidate-question-3-what-lessons-should-flagstaff-take-away-from-the-pandemic/article_a5a6f9c0-1ab8-11ed-82b7-571dd15b5843.html | 2022-08-14T11:55:47 | 0 | https://azdailysun.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/elections/candidate-question-3-what-lessons-should-flagstaff-take-away-from-the-pandemic/article_a5a6f9c0-1ab8-11ed-82b7-571dd15b5843.html |
100 years ago
Aug. 14, 1922: It is planned to close the road between Shirley and Funk's Grove, and drivers will encounter detours. The work of tearing up the old-time concrete road for a mile south of Shirley is nearing completion. Linemen are moving telephone poles; the Illini boulevard will be wider than the old road, and this makes it necessary to shift all poles 8 to 10 feet.
75 years ago
Aug. 14, 1947: University High School's graduates are doing their best to up the national average of high school graduates who go to college. As compared with a national figure of about 20% of graduates who pursue higher education, U. High records show that 70% of this year's class have been accepted at colleges ranging from Oregon to Florida and California to New York.
50 years ago
Aug. 14, 1972: A half-ton Angus steer named Right Time was selected as the Grand Champion of the 1972 Illinois State Fair. "He's called Right Time and I guess it was just the right time for us," said 17-year-old Dennis Buchen of Avon after his steer was judged best among five finalists. A crossbreed named Regan, weighing 1,080 pounds, was named the Reserve Grand Champion.
25 years ago
Aug. 14, 1997: The Unit 5 school board has approved a $26.2 million building-bond referendum, 37% higher than the $16 million estimate the district has made over the past few months. The board wants voters in the 9,300-student district to approve the referendum on the Nov. 4 ballot so it can build a new elementary school and make additions to several other schools.
Compiled by Pantagraph staff | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/history/25-years-ago-unit-5-approves-26-million-referendum/article_a7a0c950-1ac6-11ed-a71e-1359687b89c2.html | 2022-08-14T12:02:58 | 0 | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/history/25-years-ago-unit-5-approves-26-million-referendum/article_a7a0c950-1ac6-11ed-a71e-1359687b89c2.html |
CEDAR FALLS — The City Council again will discuss the possibility of building a parking ramp in the downtown.
That conversation is scheduled during a finance and business operations committee meeting at about 5:45 p.m. Monday inside the Community Center, 528 Main St.
The hope is the council will decide whether to give the green light to the pursuit of a structure with the “understanding a total paid parking system” would be implemented to fund the future operating cost, according to city documents.
If given the go-ahead, city staff will bring back proposals with details on possible locations and financing options for the ramp to the council at a future session for further discussion.
On occasion, people clamored for the structure while discussing the parking requirements outlined under the new downtown zoning code.
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But the last time the topic was formally proposed, councilors reached consensus during a November goal setting session to “explore all options to building a downtown parking structure, in conjunction with a feasibility study and continual re-evaluation of paid parking options.”
Back in 2020, a “public-private partnership” had been proposed as the possible solution by Eagle View Partners’ chief executive officer Mark Kittrell, the visionary behind the “River Place” development, which includes high-end apartments, commercial and office space, and a plaza.
The pit bull allegedly attacked a Yorkie being walked by its owner along W. 8th Street in the area of Lincoln Elementary School.
He pitched constructing a ramp with 90-100 spots at the corner of State and Third streets for an estimated $5.6 million.
Additionally, 6,000 square-feet of retail had been part of the preliminary design.
Discussions were held on extending the development agreement involving River Place and the tax rebates the company would receive on the increased property valuation. But there was to be no further liability for taxpayers.
What exactly happened to that proposal and why it did not move forward is unclear.
In March, a city spokesperson said the “the developer indicated about a year ago that they were not interested in a partnership at that time.”
Asked about the partnership still being a possibility, Kittrell, however, told The Courier: “I think it is, at least from my perspective.”
“I really do like the project,” he added.
Kittrell said people involved in the early conversations weren’t fully on board with it, and “it didn’t have the legs to move forward.” He did not go into further detail.
He said pending decisions on the new zoning code and an upcoming city election were other reasons the project was seemingly on pause at the time.
Administrator Ron Gaines and Mayor Rob Green have suggested that officials were hesitant about initiating a paid-parking system.
Green also said he thought “market changes” played a role in why Kittrell decided not to move it forward.
“Rather than just agreeing to help if a private developer comes along, the council is now interested in having the city take the lead in those discussions to have a parking ramp considered for downtown,” Green said in a March interview. “That’s a big change because before we were really beholden to a private developer to come forward with ideas.”
The council’s schedule on Monday begins at 5:20 p.m. and also includes other committee meetings.
One will focus on the results of the prohibition on fireworks being lifted for three days – July 3, 4 and 5 – during certain times, and possible modifications to the policy.
The other two will touch upon potential safety improvements along Sixth Street from Main to State Street, and a “clarification” to a referral the council made to staff about shared parking requirements in the newly adopted downtown zoning code.
Finalists could be announced in early October and a second round of interviews would follow in mid-October, according to the city.
The regular business meeting kicks off at 7 p.m. The council will consider a number of items for approval:
- A job classification and description for a new Horticulturist position, previously estimated to cost the city $87,000.
- A $31,819 agreement with Lehman Trucking and Excavating to demolish six structures and clear trees at 4919 Hudson Road before the end of the year, now that the future extension of Ashworth Road from Hudson Road to Kara Way can move forward after litigation delayed the issue.
A preliminary and final plat to make way for a 19-duplex expansion of the Western Home Communities to the north and south side of Wild Rye Way between Prairie Parkway and Bluebell Road. | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/cedar-falls-parking-ramp-discussion-to-reignite-monday/article_5b76e21f-197d-5417-91bc-fe7bb4b4f9ee.html | 2022-08-14T12:08:12 | 1 | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/cedar-falls-parking-ramp-discussion-to-reignite-monday/article_5b76e21f-197d-5417-91bc-fe7bb4b4f9ee.html |
CEDAR FALLS — A few planning and zoning commissioners are somewhat frustrated with the continual discussion by the City Council on potential revisions to the new downtown zoning code.
The latest came Wednesday after the council requested last month that the Planning and Zoning Commission make a recommendation on expanding the scope of the public review of site plans, which at first was eliminated when the new code was adopted in November after years of discussion on the code itself and its vision.
The newly adopted zoning code created what’s called the Downtown Character District and eliminated the commission and council’s public review. Instead, only city staff would conduct reviews.
The Waterloo City Council this week approved purchasing rights for Charles City-based Cause-Related Opportunity Zone Fund LLC on the parking lot north of the Sportsplex.
The commission initially endorsed an amendment, adding back the review of site plans for new buildings in the Urban General, Urban General 2 and Storefront areas. However the council is now petitioning, after a 4-3 vote, that any floor expansion or residential addition plans for existing buildings in those areas be included too.
The Urban General, Urban General 2 and Storefront designations primarily cover the downtown areas along and around State, Main, Washington and Clay streets, as well as First to Seventh streets.
“Who’s to say that more things aren’t going to come back after this,” Commissioner Amanda Lynch said during a Wednesday planning and zoning meeting. “I just feel like we’ve been doing this back and forth bit for quite a while, which is fine, I think it’s fair and valid (because) we want this to be right.
“But how many more times are we going to have stuff come back to us. I just feel like we’ve put in a lot of work on all of this. … I just wish we could have some cohesiveness to be able to kind of move things forward.”
That plays into a proposed ordinance before City Council on Monday legislating the enforcement and fines for those who use the spots for anything other than charging.
The code is believed by some to have clear enough requirements to understand and, therefore, extra review of site plans in those designated areas is not warranted.
Discussion is expected to continue at the commission’s Aug. 24 meeting. A vote then on a recommendation to the council on the possible amendment is likely.
“We are volunteers and we have many other projects that I think the city would like to see move forward ... and I think to add more and more reviews is just slowing down the development of our community,” said Commissioner Hannah Crisman.
She said the code can be modified later down the road if issues arise.
“I would like to see the City Council pass this zoning code so that we can start working on the rest of our town – enough of these reviews of these small pieces of (code) language,” Crisman said.
A couple commissioners also defended the council’s actions because of the past discussion on parking issues and some councilors’ desire for more clarity on certain requirements.
“If the council would like a more expansive review of site plans, I think that’s fine,” said Commissioner Mardy Holst. “As a commission, our job is to basically bring the stuff to the public so the public can see it and we can review it. Ultimately, the council makes the final decision.
“But I think these are maybe items that council is viewing as being particularly more sensitive to the general public and I don’t have a problem with having those come to the commission,” he added.
I've covered city government for The Courier since August 2021. I'm a Chatham, NJ native who graduated from Gettysburg College in 2018 and previously worked for publications in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
Waterloo submitted two traffic grants to help with safety at the East Shaulis Road and Hammond Avenue and the Mullan Avenue and Sycamore Street intersections.
He’ll be the lead speaker Aug. 20 at the second annual Bremer County Republican Party’s “Summer Grill and Chill” at the Waverly-Shell Rock Middle School, 501 Heritage Way. | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/cf-planning-and-zoning-commission-debates-councils-desire-for-more-downtown-site-plan-review/article_8c9ea074-ec93-5f8a-b699-758e1c245461.html | 2022-08-14T12:08:18 | 1 | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/cf-planning-and-zoning-commission-debates-councils-desire-for-more-downtown-site-plan-review/article_8c9ea074-ec93-5f8a-b699-758e1c245461.html |
It's never too late to carry out old passions. Just ask Jim Reynolds of Fishers.
Jim, who turns 100 later this year, was called to active duty in February 1943 as a navigation cadet for the United States Air Force.
He quickly become what he called a "very happy military pilot."
"The day I made 2nd Lieutenant, August 4, 1944 was the best day of my life," he said. "I didn't have to go back and milk cows at the farm anymore."
During his nearly 23 in the Air Force, Jim logged more than 10,000 flying hours.
"I don't know how many different airplanes I flew," Jim said. "My biggest assignment was flying transports at the end after World War II."
Jim's family in Fishers decided there was no better way to celebrate his upcoming 100th birthday than in the air.
Jim's brother, Jon, was in Noblesville Saturday when his brother took to the skies in a plane similar to the one he flew in the 1940s.
"I am really glad they are recognizing my brother," said Jon. "He has had quite a life, including being a World War II veteran and the greatest generation. These kinds of things are just really inspiring to see it done for him, and all of us are glad to not only see it, but to participate in it."
Jon, 84, also served in the military during the Vietnam era.
"Although if I were still in active duty, I would be in the space force, because I was not an aviator. I worked primarily in the space side of the Air Force and logistics," John said.
The brothers are the only two remaining of nine siblings. Jim said having his family together to celebrate the big day means the world.
That's coming from a man who has seen 51 countries.
"It's nice to have this recognition," said Jim.
Jim retired from the Air Force as a Lieutenant Colonel. | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/air-force-veteran-from-fishers-celebrates-100th-birthday-in-the-air-noblesville-pilot-military/531-67dea18c-5a1b-455b-b472-813441f445bd | 2022-08-14T12:10:53 | 0 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/air-force-veteran-from-fishers-celebrates-100th-birthday-in-the-air-noblesville-pilot-military/531-67dea18c-5a1b-455b-b472-813441f445bd |
PHOENIX — While he's an expert on the football field, Arizona Cardinals defensive end, J.J. Watt wasn't sure what to do when he found a snake in his home Saturday morning.
The football star took to Twitter asking locals for advice after finding a "baby rattlesnake" in his bathroom.
Responses ranged from a phone number for the Phoenix Herpetological Society to suggestions for Watt to request a trade.
JJ tweeted out an update a few hours later, saying he called an expert to step in. JJ said the man picked up the snake with his hands and said the critter was NOT a rattlesnake, but a long-nosed snake which is completely harmless.
"If you ever want to feel like a wimp, that's how to do it," JJ joked.
There's a huge number of venomous creatures that call Arizona home. If you find a rattlesnake in your home or yard, you can call 602-550-1090 to have it humanely removed.
>> Download the 12News app for the latest local breaking news straight to your phone.
While it's not as extreme as the recent 'Donutgate' feud, it's always fun to hear about Watt's experience in our state since he signed on with the Cardinals in 2021.
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12News+ showcases live video throughout the day for breaking news, local news, weather and even an occasional moment of Zen showcasing breathtaking sights from across Arizona. | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/j-j-watt-rattlesnake-in-the-bathroom/75-1548c2bb-a2a4-4515-adfc-8c5b8b94b1a8 | 2022-08-14T12:10:59 | 0 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/j-j-watt-rattlesnake-in-the-bathroom/75-1548c2bb-a2a4-4515-adfc-8c5b8b94b1a8 |
SAN ANTONIO — The owner of a small dance fitness studio lost his life just over a month ago, and some of the people who knew him best are learning just how many people he had an impact on as they try to carry on his legacy.
On Saturday night: a celebration. The doors of Studio Avi, 15002 Tradesman Dr, are open once again.
"We very afraid that that this place was not going to re-open,” said Adriana Rodriguez who helped the founder find space for his studio over a year ago. “We were very afraid that his dream was going to die. It was so exciting to hear that people were willing to step up to the plate and take over such a responsibility."
The people here are celebrating not only the return of their favorite dance fitness studio, but also the life of its founder, Roger Mendoza.
"We're not him, we can't re-create who he was, but we can just use what he gave us and then grow from there."
Mendoza drowned during a July 4th weekend trip to Lake Travis with friends. His body was recovered on July 6th. He was 33 years old. Now the studio he built has small tributes to him all around.
“There's moments, I'm not going to lie, I'm like 'oh, my gosh, can I do this?' said Mendoza’s successor Mauricio, who has taken it upon himself to pick up where he left off, relaunching the business as Studio Avi SA.
He said in order to overcome that feeling, he draws on the memories of his friend.
"I channel my friend Roger. And I channel who he was, the entity he was. The ferocity that he stood for,” he said. "And that's what's helping me carry this out."
Mendoza built anon-judgmental atmosphere into his studio. Mauricio says that was inspired by Mendoza’s time performing in drag as "Averix Raven."
“That freedom, that liberty he felt, when he was Avery and took the stage, is kind of where he derived that fierce that came out,” he said. “So, when he was coming up with the studio name he said, it's got to be Project AVI, it's my better-self-project with my persona leading that force."
Mauricio said he wants to grow the studio and spread Mendoza’s inclusive spirit worldwide.
“I eventually want this so big for my friend, that we have Studio Avi New York, Studio Avi Miami, Studio Avi California, L.A,” he said. “Whatever it is. Let's get global.” | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/san-antonio-dance-studio-re-opens-after-the-death-of-its-founder/273-dbeeb72a-b23e-4e3d-ae26-c04442ae9c66 | 2022-08-14T12:11:05 | 0 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/san-antonio-dance-studio-re-opens-after-the-death-of-its-founder/273-dbeeb72a-b23e-4e3d-ae26-c04442ae9c66 |
NEDERLAND, Texas — Members of the Mid-County community gathered Saturday to rally behind a 3-year-old girl who is battling cancer.
Madison Jackson was 2 years old when she was diagnosed with leukemia. Those who know Jackson's family said the trips to Houston and chemotherapy treatments are expensive and having a financial strain on the family.
The Southeast Texas Circle of Hope held a benefit to help Jackson's family with medical expenses.
The benefit was held in Nederland at the Nederland Knights of Columbus Hall from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Nicole Toney works with the Southeast Texas Circle of Hope. According to her, everything was donated by businesses and people from Mid County.
“The turnout was amazing today,” Toney said. “It’s one of the best turnouts I think I've seen so far, but it just speaks to the community. Because the community always rallies behind anything that we want help with or need help with."
For those who like to help Jackson and her family there are several ways to donate:
- Mail a check donation to P.O. box 953, Nederland, TX 77627
- Make the check out to SETXCOH and write "Madi" on memo line
- Text MADIJACKSON to 44321
- Go online to www.southeasttexascircleofhope.com
- Click on "Donate" then select "Madi Jackson Benefit"
- Go to any Neches Federal Credit Union and donate to account 59432-13
- Write "Madi Jackson Benefit" in memo
Other Southeast Texans have also been working to help raise money for Jackson and her family. Six-year-old Aspen Manuel started her own lemonade stand.
When 12News last spoke to Manuel in early August, she had raised more than $1,000 to help the toddler in need.
Aspen Manuel's family knows Jackson through friends of friends. Manuel's custom lemonade stand was built by her grandfather.
It is made entirely out of recycled and recovered materials. The stand also is portable, so Manuel and her father could take their sales on the road.
Manuel planned to continue serving lemonade on the weekends until Saturday's benefit.
According to the flyer from Jackson's event, her family hopes that she only has about a years and six months before she is able to ring the cancer-free bell.
Also on 12NewsNow.com ... | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/southeast-texas-circle-of-hope-holds-benefit-for-3-year-old-girl-battling-leukemia/502-199036d2-295e-41c3-8261-bc7babf97b12 | 2022-08-14T12:11:11 | 0 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/southeast-texas-circle-of-hope-holds-benefit-for-3-year-old-girl-battling-leukemia/502-199036d2-295e-41c3-8261-bc7babf97b12 |
UVALDE — Alfred Garza III spends a lot of time in his modest living room surrounded by photos of his daughter, Amerie Jo. The biggest is a school portrait — she stares straight at you, a half-smile on her face and a small earring in her pierced left ear.
Garza’s little girl is growing up in that photo, an adjustment all its own for any parent, now frozen in time. That is one of the things — maybe the biggest thing — gnawing at him.
Amerie Jo was 10 when she was shot to death. Robbed of her in the May 24 massacre at Robb Elementary School that claimed 18 other fourth-graders and two teachers, Garza is trying to make sense of it.
He quit his job as a car salesman and is in no rush to return to work.
His other plans? Well, what plans?
“Yeah, sometimes not doing anything, you know?” said Garza, 35. “I do think it’s good to stay busy, so that way it gets your mind off things, but I do also think it’s good to reflect and sometimes take time to think about stuff, so that way so we can process it.”
He visits with friends and attends public meetings. He has joined gatherings of bereaved families — but since he didn’t have legal custody of his daughter, he has been kicked out of some of them. He takes photos of the murals and benches dedicated to Amerie Jo’s memory.
Garza also posts frequently on Facebook. On occasion, the messages are alarming.
“God help me,” he wrote Aug. 3. “The devil is lurking…”
Grief has affected all of Uvalde. It affects individuals in different ways.
“The situation has brought out the ugly in some people, and (in) how it’s affecting me,” Garza said on a recent hot afternoon at his home.
He got animated when he talked about his daughter, but he didn’t cry.
Neither did he have tearful moments when talking about other family tragedies, like his mother’s death in a car accident on Christmas Day 2017. She was so badly burned, they held a closed-casket funeral.
They didn’t have to do that for Amerie Jo, who was shot in the abdomen with a high-velocity rifle bullet.
“It’s hard to describe in words. I mean, I’ve had a lot of losses in my life,” Garza said. “Those are all hard but my daughter is just different.
“I feel like there’s a certain space that I haven’t been on that’s never gonna be filled again, and I have pieces that are broken within me that are never gonna be fixed,” he said.
The death of his girl weighs heavily. He wonders about her being scared in the final moments, and what she thought about as she died.
Anger in the family
Things are strained these days between Garza and Amerie Jo’s mother, Kimberly Garcia — his ex-girlfriend — and her boyfriend, Angel Garza. The two Garzas are second cousins. Garcia had custody but Alfred Garza had visitation rights. They got along until after the shooting.
Alfred Garza thinks the breakdown is because of money. Garcia is receiving far more of it as the custodial parent. “FOR THE RECORD!!!!! I am not doing this for money!” he said in a Facebook post. “Mom has collected $200,000+ and I haven't seen a dime of that......”
Garza also has fallen out with his cousin, who has spoken of Amerie Jo as his own daughter in public appearances.
“My daughter died still calling me ‘daddy’ — she wasn’t even old enough to even get to the stage to call me dad,” Angel Garza told the Hondo City Council in a tense meeting Aug. 1, when he got into a brief shouting match with a National Rifle Association supporter and got escorted out.
Alfred Garza snapped at that. On Facebook two days later, he began, “I've tried my best to keep my composure through all of this and handle this situation with dignity,” then veered into a tirade against Angel Garza, accusing him of taunting and disrespect, and proclaiming, “I HAVE HAD ENOUGH.”
One person commenting in the thread, Isabel Medina Walker, said Amerie Jo called Angel Garza “daddy” and loved him very much. She said he had taken the trouble, while being interviewed on national TV, of pointing out that he was not her father.
Alfred Garza responded to her post, saying he was “happy about that” but not happy about “him not knowing his place and then profiting off my daughters death. THAT IS NOT OK.”
In an interview, Alfred Garza said he also was unhappy “about my name being dragged through the mud.”
A patient service representative, Kimberly Garcia said she doesn’t want to bash Alfred Garza. She described herself as a private person by nature.
Garcia disputes Garza’s claim that she’s received $200,000. The amount donated to a GoFundMe account created by a friend was $135,685 as of Thursday.
She never told Garza that he would get nothing from her — but she wasn’t ready to discuss it when he demanded half of it before their daughter was even buried, Garcia said.
Garcia said Garza broke up with her when she was three months pregnant, leaving her to raise Amerie Jo by herself.
“He did put himself on child support and he paid child support,” she said. Garza had the right to have every other weekend with Amerie Jo, she added, but he often skipped his time with her.
Garza said it was Garcia who dumped him. He said she was “one of those power-trip moms,” not informing him of school events and moving out of town twice.
Something like that happened after his parents split up when he was a young boy, he said.
“The situation has brought out the ugly in some people, and (in) how it’s affecting me.”
Garza said the $200,000 figure is what he surmises is the total Garcia has received from various donations, not just the GoFundMe account.
The ugly dispute includes Alfred Garza’s hard feelings for Angel Garza, 28. Out of 7 billion people in the world, Garcia had to take up with his cousin, is how he puts it.
But the two men had no relationship at all until after the Robb Elementary shooting, when they talked, hugged, promised to put everything behind them “because we all lost someone very important to us,” Garcia said.
It didn’t last.
Angel Garza, an electrocardiogram technician, did not comment for this story. He had been in Amerie Jo’s life since she was 10 months old, Garcia said, and they have a son together, Zayne, 4.
For Alfred Garza to lash out at his cousin is “sad,” she said.
“The way he’s posting, the way he’s talking crap about me — I wish he fought this hard to see his daughter when she was here,” Garcia said.
Summer of grief
If Alfred Garza’s relations with his family are a mess, it’s something of a microcosm of the town’s other divisions during its long, hot summer of grief.
Many people here, not just those still reeling from personal loss, are furious at state and local political leaders. Some have been clamoring for gun law reforms in the months since Salvador Ramos, his anger known to family and friends, turned 18, bought an assault rifle and killed 21 people.
A Texas House committee released a scathing report on July 17 about the law enforcement response to the shooting. Officers at Robb held back, waiting nearly 70 minutes to confront and kill Ramos.
People regularly demand more information from the school board, the City Council and the local district attorney, who has argued for opacity to protect ongoing investigations.
When Alfred Garza vents on Facebook, however, those are not his issues. He believes bad actors and public officials will be held accountable, that there is no need to berate them. He rages at his ex and his cousin instead.
But when it’s about Amerie Jo, what he has to say is deeply emotional.
“I am eternally grateful to Christ for putting you in my life. You were the most precious thing that I had on this earth.”
“Daddy loves you mija,” he said in a July 27 post. “The time was just rolling around for you to be with daddy full time and that was going to be our time. … I knew our time was coming and that got taken away from us.”
Amerie Jo had expressed an interest in living with him, he said.
“I am eternally grateful to Christ for putting you in my life,” he said. “You were the most precious thing that I had on this earth. What brings me comfort is knowing you not only looked like me but acted like me. You had most of my characteristics and qualities, down to your very smile, laugh and humor.”
The day before, Garza posted this: “Thank you for finally coming to me in my dreams mija.”
Amerie Jo was just like him, he says — a jokester, quick-witted, always laughing. She liked to make other people laugh and enjoyed the occasional prank, like hiding behind the door and scaring her dad when it closed behind him. He did it to her, too. It was their game.
“That’s the way we were,” he said. “It was never serious business.”
Garza wants to take the rest of the year off, but adds, “I don’t know if that’s going to be possible.”
He has received some financial support from groups that include the Christina Grimmie Foundation and Victims First. He was able to pay his bills last month, he said.
Garza also is lining up as a plaintiff in a lawsuit against the manufacturer of the weapon that killed his daughter, but that’s in the very early stage of a long and uncertain process.
He had worked in retail since he was 23 and was happy with it. He sold cars the past four years at different dealerships around town and was in sales at an AT&T store in Uvalde for nine years before that. Until the shooting, Garza hadn’t thought about going in a new direction.
“It’s just a processing thing. I’ve gotta see if that’s still what I want to do and depending on how long I plan on taking off,” Garza said.
Amerie Jo’s brutal death forced a him to reassess his life. Maybe he should find a job that doesn’t take up so much time. He’s thinking of leaving town, having spent his whole life here.
Uvalde is so small, and the tragedy so big.
“Like, this is not something that is ever going away,” Garza said. “It’s going to be talked about.”
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‘I try to stay busy’
Alfred Garza was raised mostly by his mom. He had a relationship with his father. “He was a good dad — he’s still a good dad.” But they weren’t that close. They didn’t hug, even though “I kind of wanted that sometimes,” Garza said.
“I knew that whenever I had a daughter or son that I was going to do that for them.” he said.
A beach trip to South Padre Island with Amerie Jo last summer still stands out. She played in the sand as the waves crashed nearby. Garza can visualize it even now, a year later.
His happiest memory of her? That’s tough to know.
“It’s just kind of hard to pinpoint an actual moment, but I was going to say her laugh,” Garza said. “Not her smile — her laugh.”
It’s the one thing, he said, that he’s probably going to miss the most.
“What brings me comfort is knowing you not only looked like me but acted like me. You had most of my characteristics and qualities, down to your very smile, laugh and humor.”
Some of Garza’s cousins will drop by after work to watch TV and joke around. TV is a constant companion, with favorite shows that include Adam Sandler comedies.
“I try to stay busy. I don’t stay at home all day. I’ll go for a drive, like I’ll go into town and I’ll go buy a drink at the store and just go for a ride for about 20 minutes,” Garza said. “And then I’ll stop by my dad’s business. My dad has a place of business in town, so I’ll stop at the shop.”
“I haven’t had an urge to really go out or even socialize a lot. I like to stay home and watch TV.”
Outside, on his front door, is a wreath. It says, “I will hold you in my heart until I can hold you in heaven.”
Thoughts of Amerie Jo intrude at odd moments, like when he was watching “The Walking Dead” on TV. Garza looked up at the big school portrait on the living room wall and stared at it for a long minute.
It’s always the same thought.
“I don’t have her anymore,” he said.
sigc@express-news.net | https://www.expressnews.com/news/local/article/uvalde-shooting-dad-amerie-garza-robb-elementary-17370852.php | 2022-08-14T12:15:07 | 1 | https://www.expressnews.com/news/local/article/uvalde-shooting-dad-amerie-garza-robb-elementary-17370852.php |
I first met Mike Hirsch in the fall of 2000. I was the sports editor of The Morning Call at the time and Mike was interviewing for the business editor’s position.
About halfway through the interview, I got my first inkling of how perceptive Mike was when he looked at me and asked, “Why is the sports editor interviewing a guy interested in becoming the business editor?”
“Good question,” I said, before going on to explain that I had recently been named metro editor and destined to take that role in December 2000.
That exchange stayed with me since that day and I thought about it again on Thursday when we celebrated Mike’s life at the Cathedral Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. Technically, it was Mike’s funeral after he died Aug. 3, after a nearly three-year battle with ALS, Lou Gehrig’s disease, but I prefer to think of it as a celebration of his life, with some laughter and plenty of tears.
Many of you have come to know of Mike’s courage and sense of humor through his writings about his battle with ALS. He wrote with great passion about his journey, giving our readers a glimpse of what he was going through, but also sharing insights on how he tried to live a full life, despite hardships I can only imagine.
Some of those insights included his “Grinches get Stinches” video, where he attached a 10-foot spear to his wheelchair and, using a scalpel from a doctor buddy, severed the head of an inflatable Christmas icon. Or my personal favorite, when Mike went bowling in his wheelchair, running into 10 full-size garbage cans at 6 mph.
After Mike was diagnosed with ALS in late fall 2019, he came up with the mantra, “ALS will kill me, but it won’t break me,” and he stayed true to that until his last breath.
Mike got that business editor’s job in April 2001, but it wasn’t his last move at The Morning Call, He also was our features editor and finally, our Town Square editor. It was in that final role that I came to know Mike much better.
He called me, “Boss,” but in truth, he didn’t need supervision. Even as he lost more and more of his physical functions, Mike continued to work. He was editing stories, attending our news meetings most mornings, offering a perspective that I found comforting.
In fact, more than once, we would be discussing a story or some harebrained idea, and Mike would say to me, “Are you sure you want to do that?”
“Well, I thought I did,” I would say, “but now I’m not so sure.”
That is one of the things those of us who worked with Mike will miss. He had a perspective and compassion for his fellow humans that only increased after his illness.
The other thing we’ll miss is his laugh. A loud cackle, actually. I sat about 40 feet from Mike in our old newsroom and multiple times during the day, seemingly out of nowhere, Mike would be howling about something someone said or did. I’d look at my fellow editors, with just a hint of annoyance because we were, of course, busy, and say, “What the heck is Hirsch laughing about now?”
Now, it’s one of my favorite memories.
Another favorite memory was the last time I saw Mike in person. He had invited his many friends to come to his house for “happy hour,” so he could talk with them before he lost his voice. He was a quadriplegic by then and had been gradually losing his ability to speak. I visited on karaoke night on June 9, the Thursday before he was leaving to spend his last days in his most favorite place, the Adirondacks in upstate New York.
Mike gathered his family and friends and led off the karaoke session with what he termed, “the worst” rendition of “My Way,” by Frank Sinatra ever sung. He told us he wanted the rendition to remain in our head forever.
[ Morning Call editor with ALS: I have journeyed to the mountains to die ]
Mission accomplished. It was the worst I had ever heard, and as the words streamed on the screen, I couldn’t stop the tears. I wasn’t alone. But there was Mike singing, smiling and laughing.
As I mentioned, Mike shared with readers his ALS journey, pretty much from start to finish. He was a very gifted writer, something many of us who worked with him for years as an editor didn’t realize because we spend much of our time editing other people’s writings. We published each of his stories, including his last one, his obituary.
He wrote that about 10 days before he died. He emailed it to us, with the message that he didn’t put a planning date on it. In other words, he didn’t know when it would publish, but he knew it was soon.
That led to the single weirdest conversation I’ve ever had. I called him to ask him where he wanted us to publish it, on the obituary page or the news pages. He was struggling to talk by then, but he said he wrote it for the obituary page, but I told him I thought because he had such a following through his writings, that maybe it should run in the news pages as a story.
I was grateful that was one time he didn’t say, “Are you sure you want to do that?”
We ran it on the front page and the obituary page.
I miss my friend, but I’m a great believer in omens or signs and I think we got one from Mike. My father was a big Philadelphia Phillies fan. He died Aug. 13, 1980. About two months later, the Philadelphia Phillies won their first World Series and I believe it was no coincidence.
First Call
Mike was a huge Buffalo Bills fan. The Bills have never won a Super Bowl, but I believe they will this season. They’ve got a very special angel watching over them.
Mike Miorelli is Editor of The Morning Call.
Read more of Mike Hirsch’s columns:
Morning Call editor with ALS: How I was reborn on the Fourth of July
Morning Call editor with ALS: Confronting my greatest fear – losing my voice
Morning Call editor with ALS: I thought my days as a photographer were over. Then something clicked | https://www.mcall.com/news/local/mc-opi-letter-from-editor-mike-hirsch-20220814-j5ijdzmgyjej7e7a7jdvvalhjq-story.html | 2022-08-14T12:31:36 | 1 | https://www.mcall.com/news/local/mc-opi-letter-from-editor-mike-hirsch-20220814-j5ijdzmgyjej7e7a7jdvvalhjq-story.html |
On a busy Sunday afternoon, Liz Scott chatted with customers about her wares at the Lakeside’s Local Makers Market.
Known as The Patchwork Punk, Scott creates handmade pillows, figures and bags from her home in Mechanicsville and sells them at local markets around town.
It’s a far cry from her former job as a cake decorator at BJ’s Wholesale and, before that, as a shift supervisor at Taco Bell.
Scott was one of 47 million people who quit or shifted their jobs during the pandemic, also dubbed The Great Resignation. But instead of starting a new gig, Scott used her stimulus checks to buy a “fancy” new Singer sewing machine and launch her business as The Patchwork Punk.
“I’ve been sewing since I was a little kid,” Scott said.
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During the pandemic, she started sewing masks before they were mass-produced. Once homemade masks were no longer in demand, she started going through her old sewing patterns and found a pattern for plush stuffed animals. “I was like, Hey, I could make that!”
She started to make stuffed animals with big eyes and brightly colored anti-pill fleece. People responded. Then she learned how to make the basic structure on her own. Now, her stuffed animals are more complicated — she makes dinosaurs, bearded dragons, crested geckos and more, selling for anywhere from $45 to $125.
Scott began selling her items on Etsy and at local markets, but stopped selling on Etsy when the site increased their rates. Now, she sell her items on Instagram and on her own website. But she says she sees the majority of her customers at such local venues as Lakeside’s Local Makers Market and Safe Space Market.
“The pandemic wreaked havoc on the labor market. At one point, all non-essential businesses were told to close if employees could not do their work from home,” said Chris Chmura, CEO and chief economist at Richmond-based Chmura Economics & Analytics. “Then when it was safe enough for more businesses to open up, the time away from work gave people the time to consider alternatives. Some chose to seek out jobs with more flexibility. Others found new careers, alternative employers, or even created a new startup.
“Workers often contemplate such changes over their career, but the pandemic gave them a quiet place to incubate the next chapter of their life.”
More than 472 million payments totaling $803 billion in financial relief went to households impacted by the pandemic, according to the U.S. government. In Virginia, more than $19 billion in stimulus checks was released to households during the pandemic.
Most households spent their first stimulus check on household essentials, according to data from the Peter G. Peterson Foundation, while the second and third stimulus checks were saved or used to pay off debt.
And some recipients, like Scott, used it to start their own business. But it hasn’t been all easy for Scott. Now 37, she had to move back into her father’s home in Mechanicsville to make ends meet. And she’s working harder than she ever did before. But it’s worth it, she said.
When she was working as a shift supervisor at Taco Bell, she said she was driving to work one morning and was so fed up with the inconvenient hours and low pay that she daydreamed about driving into oncoming traffic.
“I got off at the next exit, called and quit my job,” Scott said.
After that, she transitioned into a job decorating cakes at BJ’s Wholesale. But again, she ran into the same issues: inconvenient hours and low pay. Even though she was working part time, she said she was scheduled to work up to seven days a week.
“That was the breaking point for me. I was like, ‘This isn’t going to work for me,’” Scott said.
On a recent afternoon, Stephanie Lee sat on a chair in a first-floor bedroom, breastfeeding her 1-month-old daughter, Margot. She was joined b…
She tried looking for another job, but she couldn’t find one. “I realized, ‘I’ve got to hustle,’” Scott said. That’s when she started The Patchwork Punk.
Scott said she would like to make enough money to get her own place, but with the increase in rent prices around Richmond — which are now up to $1,300 a month in the metro area, according to data from the CoStar Group — she doesn’t think that will happen anytime soon.
Regardless, the job change was worth it, Scott said.
“Before this, I’d never been satisfied with the work I did. It was never anything creative. It was food service and retail. I just got fed up with it,” she said.
Now, she gets to be creative on a daily basis. Whether she’s picking up hard-to-find fabric at local quilting stores like Quilting Adventures on Lakeside Avenue or branching out into new merchandise like bags made from recycled materials, every day is a new challenge, mentally and physically. Scott hopes to grow her business and is saving up for an embroidery machine.
“I’m working harder and longer for less money, but I don’t want to drive into oncoming traffic anymore,” she said. “And I’m starting to get close to making the same money I did before the pandemic.” | https://richmond.com/business/local/woman-quit-her-job-amid-pandemic-and-launched-the-patchwork-punk/article_7acb2d11-019a-574e-830b-47f6020c210f.html | 2022-08-14T12:43:14 | 1 | https://richmond.com/business/local/woman-quit-her-job-amid-pandemic-and-launched-the-patchwork-punk/article_7acb2d11-019a-574e-830b-47f6020c210f.html |
The Friends of the North Bend Public Library used book sale will be held on Saturday, August 20, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The room will be packed with thousands of gently used hardbacks and paperbacks.
The sale will be held in the large meeting room at the North Bend Public Library and will be open to the public starting at 11 a.m.
Paid members of the Friends of the Public Library will be admitted to the presale beginning at 10 a.m.
Friends’ memberships can be purchased on the day of the book sale or in advance at the North Bend Public Library for an annual membership of $10.
Proceeds from the sale will benefit Children’s Reading Program, Title Wave author events, and other special programs at the library. | https://theworldlink.com/news/local/friends-of-north-bend-library-to-host-book-sale-aug-20/article_4dc1272a-18e8-11ed-a0f0-7f5a71357508.html | 2022-08-14T13:11:02 | 1 | https://theworldlink.com/news/local/friends-of-north-bend-library-to-host-book-sale-aug-20/article_4dc1272a-18e8-11ed-a0f0-7f5a71357508.html |
Oregon State University scientists are proposing management changes on western federal lands that they say would result in more wolves and beavers and would re-establish ecological processes.
In a paper published today in BioScience, “Rewilding the American West,” co-lead author William Ripple and 19 other authors suggest using portions of federal lands in 11 states to establish a network based on potential habitat for the gray wolf – an apex predator able to trigger powerful, widespread ecological effects.
In those states the authors identified areas, each at least 5,000 square kilometers, of contiguous, federally managed lands containing prime wolf habitat. The states in the proposed Western Rewilding Network, which would cover nearly 500,000 square kilometers, are Oregon, Washington, California, Nevada, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico and Utah.
“It’s an ambitious idea, but the American West is going through an unprecedented period of converging crises including extended drought and water scarcity, extreme heat waves, massive fires and loss of biodiversity,” said Ripple, distinguished professor of ecology in the OSU College of Forestry.
Gray wolves were hunted to near extinction in the West but were reintroduced to parts of the northern Rocky Mountains and the Southwest starting in the 1990s through measures made possible by the Endangered Species Act.
“Still, the gray wolf’s current range in those 11 states is only about 14% of its historical range,” said co-lead author Christopher Wolf, a postdoctoral scholar in the College of Forestry. “They probably once numbered in the tens of thousands, but today there might only be 3,500 wolves across the entire West.”
Beaver populations, once robust across the West, declined roughly 90% after settler colonialism and are now nonexistent in many streams, meaning ecosystem services are going unprovided, the authors say.
By felling trees and shrubs and constructing dams, beavers enrich fish habitat, increase water and sediment retention, maintain water flows during drought, improve water quality, increase carbon sequestration and generally improve habitat for riparian plant and animal species.
“Beaver restoration is a cost-effective way to repair degraded riparian areas,” said co-author Robert Beschta, professor emeritus in the OSU College of Forestry. “Riparian areas occupy less than 2% of the land in the West but provide habitat for up to 70% of wildlife species.”
Similarly, wolf restoration offers significant ecological benefits by helping to naturally control native ungulates such as elk, according to the authors. They say wolves facilitate regrowth of vegetation species such as aspen, which supports diverse plant and animal communities and is declining in the West.
The paper includes a catalogue of 92 threatened and endangered plant and animal species that have at least 10% of their ranges within the proposed Western Rewilding Network; for each species, threats from human activity were analyzed.
The authors determined the most common threat was livestock grazing, which they say can cause stream and wetland degradation, affect fire regimes and make it harder for woody species, especially willow, to regenerate.
Nationally, about 2% of meat production results from federal grazing permits, the paper notes.
“We suggest the removal of grazing on federal allotments from approximately 285,000 square kilometers within the rewilding network, representing 29% of the total 985,000 square kilometers of federal lands in the 11 western states that are annually grazed,” Beschta said. “That means we need an economically and socially just federal compensation program for those who give up their grazing permits. Rewilding will be most effective when participation concerns for all stakeholders are considered, including Indigenous people and their governments.”
In addition to Beschta, Wolf and Ripple, authors from Oregon State include J. Boone Kauffman, Beverly Law and Michael Paul Nelson. Daniel Ashe, former director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and now the president of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, is also a co-author.
The paper also included authors from the University of Washington, the University of Colorado, the Ohio State University, Virginia Tech, Michigan Technological University, the University of Victoria, the Turner Endangered Species Fund, the National Parks and Conservation Association, RESOLVE, the Florida Institute for Conservation Science, Public Lands Media and Wild Heritage. | https://theworldlink.com/news/local/more-wolves-beavers-needed-as-part-of-improving-western-united-states-habitats-scientists-say/article_48f35c18-18f2-11ed-932d-bbf4b32399c4.html | 2022-08-14T13:11:03 | 1 | https://theworldlink.com/news/local/more-wolves-beavers-needed-as-part-of-improving-western-united-states-habitats-scientists-say/article_48f35c18-18f2-11ed-932d-bbf4b32399c4.html |
Apparent gunfire sent a crowd of festival goers running at MusikFest in Bethlehem Saturday night, prompting authorities to shut down the area.
At least one gunshot was heard near Main and Lehigh Streets minutes before the beloved Lehigh Valley festival wrapped on its penultimate night, NBC10’s Randy Gyllenhaal reported.
Concertgoers posted online that they heard a gunshot and saw people running from the scene, akin to a "stampede," Gyllenhaal said. Information regarding injuries was unavailable as of Sunday morning.
The festival was shut down Saturday night as a precaution but will reopen for its last night on Sunday, police said.
“There was an isolated incident tonight at MusikFest and the festival was shut down as a precaution for the safety of patrons,” Bethlehem police said in a statement.
“Law enforcement is on site and in control of the situation," police added. "There is no known continuing threat to the public. This is an active investigation and no further information will be released at this time.”
Individuals with information and/or videos of the incident are asked to contact the Bethlehem Police Tipline 610-997-6660 or email Detective Klingborg at nklingborg@bethlehem-pa.gov.
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The MusikFest incident comes as the latest in a series of gunshots or shootings that have rattled public events across the region as of late. In Easton last month, a fireworks show ended in gunfire leaving crowds running for safety.
In Philadelphia on July 4, stray gunfire interrupted fireworks, also sending a stampede of people running for safety. | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/gunfire-at-musikfest-in-bethlehem-prompts-festival-shut-down-saturday/3334916/ | 2022-08-14T13:18:58 | 1 | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/gunfire-at-musikfest-in-bethlehem-prompts-festival-shut-down-saturday/3334916/ |
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Breaking news and the stories that matter to your neighborhood. | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/gunfire-sends-crowd-running-at-musikfest-in-bethlehem/3334887/ | 2022-08-14T13:19:06 | 1 | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/gunfire-sends-crowd-running-at-musikfest-in-bethlehem/3334887/ |
NORTH EAST, Md. — Law enforcement officers are part of a brotherhood.
It doesn’t stop there, though, because both work at the same place, the North East Barrack. Making their situation rarer still (and possibly unique): the Hughes Brothers have served on the same road patrol crew since June.
MSP Lt. Jeffrey Kirschner, commander of the North East Barrack, isn’t sure if two brothers ever served on the same shift. But he has never heard of one during his 20 years of service with the agency.
“I’ve known of brothers who were troopers, but assigned to different barracks. We had a set of twins once who were assigned to the Bel Air Barrack at the same time, but not on the same shift,” Kirschner recalled, before commenting, “I cannot say if this is unique, but I am positive that it is a very rare thing to have brothers working the same shift — if it has even happened at all.”
Dave, 27, arrived at the North East Barrack in September 2021, and Matt, 28, joined him there on June 1. The Hughes Brothers sought North East Barrack assignments because they wanted to be closer to their parents, Joseph Jr. and Denise, who live in Pennsylvania.
After Matt’s arrival at that barrack, Kirschner asked the brothers if they would be interested in working on the same crew, which appealed to them.
“I said, ‘Well, let’s try it and see how it goes’,” Kirschner said. “Both are very well-rounded troopers. They work very well together, and they are leaders in their group.”
SIBLING RIVALRY
Born 18 months apart, Dave and Matt can be best described as buddies who happen to be brothers.
They spent their childhood together in Delaware County (Pa.) building tree forts; riding bicycles, dirt bikes and ATVs; taking karate classes; and playing backyard and organized sports, including baseball and football at Chichester (Pa.) High School, from which Matt graduated in 2011 and Dave in 2013.
At the outset of the brothers patrolling together, Matt sometimes joked with fellow troopers, “There’s going to be a domestic every night. It’s either going to be an actual call for a domestic disturbance or it’s going to be a domestic between us in the back wash bay.”
That joke was predicated on the fact that the Hughes Brothers have been competing with each other since they were boys.
“It’s always friendly,” Dave said, before flashing a smile and qualifying, “Well, it gets heated sometimes.”
Both recalled, for example, when they were pitted against each other in a boxing match during the self-defense portion of physical training while going through MSP’s intense, six-month-long police academy in 2019.
“Our classmates were really excited. They were like, ‘Oh, the Hughes Brothers are going to box each other’,” Matt said. “Anyway, early on, Dave hit me pretty good. I was dazed. But then I came back and got him pretty good and gave him a shiner. He had a shiner for about a week and he got some friendly teasing from the others because of it.”
Without missing a beat, Dave piggybacked on Matt’s story and remarked, “You’re lucky they stopped it at that point because I would have gotten you back.”
They both chuckled.
“There’s no ill will,” Dave reassured.
They emphasized that their brotherly competition only makes each one that much better. The bottom line, according to the Hughes Brothers, is this: They support each other in all of their endeavors.
“He had prior police training. Academically, he helped me out a lot in the academy,” Dave said of Matt.
Dave, meanwhile, pushed Matt in the physical fitness part of academy training.
“He’s pretty strong in the gym. He can bench press 405 pounds,” Matt boasted on behalf of Dave.
PATHS TO POLICE WORK
On June 29, 2006, the Hughes Brothers’ older sister, Reenea, died after a long battle with drug addiction. She was 19.
Reenea’s surviving fraternal twin, Joseph Hughes III, now 35, went on to serve as an officer with the Chester (Pa.) Township Police Department, where he holds the rank of corporal and where he has earned the Officer of the Year distinction multiple times.
So all three Hughes brothers are law enforcement officers.
Their other sister, Danielle Hughes, 32, has served in the U.S. Coast Guard for approximately 10 years and is stationed in Washington, D.C., where she works directly under Gen. Mark A. Milley, who, as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is the nation’s highest ranking military officer.
(Danielle also is a master chef who won her latest award, 2022 American Culinary Federation (ACF) Chef of the Year, during a recent national competition in Las Vegas.)
Referring to the professions that he and his siblings chose, Matt explained, “After seeing our sister lose her battle to drug addiction, we wanted to make a difference. That’s what led us into this type of work, I think.”
It was Joseph, however, who directly influenced Matt’s decision to pursue a career in law enforcement.
Matt was a freshman general studies student at Delaware (Pa.) County Community College in 2012 when, during the spring semester, Joseph invited him on a ride-along.
“It was the funnest ride-along ever. There was a foot chase. They recovered a gun. I’m an adrenaline junkie, so I loved it,” Matt said. “I dropped out of college the following week because I knew I wanted to be a police officer. I was happy with my choice. My parents also were happy and supportive.”
(The Hughes Brothers’ mother works as a medical assistant and their father worked at a power plant, before he wound up on disability because of a work-related chemical poisoning.)
Matt was 20 when he graduated from Delaware (Pa.) County Municipal Police Academy. Because he was one year too young to serve as a law enforcement officer, Matt bided his time working as a correctional officer at a Pennsylvania detention center.
After turning 21, Matt served one-year stints as a law enforcement officer with three municipal police forces in Pennsylvania. Then he joined the Philadelphia City Police Department, after successfully completing a second police academy.
“They were all stepping stones,” Matt said.
As for Dave, he joined the U.S. Coast Guard after high school graduation and got his own taste of police work during his four-year stint in the military.
Patrolling the Gulf of Mexico and the waters off the coast of Florida and points south on a 270-foot cutter, Dave and his crew mates targeted drug smugglers. The crew made numerous major busts, including two in which they confiscated more than 1,000 pounds of cocaine and made arrests.
The idea of joining the Maryland State Police came to Dave while on active duty in Ocean City.
“MSP has a water unit and they work out of Ocean City. We’d hang out sometimes and eat lunch together, and they kind of recruited us military police guys,” said Dave, who had received 12 weeks of Coast Guard police training in Yorktown, Va.
So he and Matt applied in 2017, starting the agency’s involved vetting process. “The goal was always for us to work for the state police someday,” Matt said.
After graduating from MSP’s police academy in July 2019, Matt was assigned to the Salisbury Barrack and Dave was assigned to the Easton Barrack.
Dave transferred to the North East Barrack in January, after learning about an opening. Matt did likewise in June.
“It was always the goal to come here because the North East Barrack is the busiest full-service barrack in the state police. We don’t want to be bored,” Matt said, adding, “Plus, this puts us closer to our family.”
MENTAL TELEPATHY
There is a certain degree of mental telepathy between the Hughes Brothers.
“If he’s on a call, I can tell how he feels by the way his voice sounds over the radio,” Matt said, prompting Dave to say he possesses the same intuition regarding Matt.
Matt and Dave are very similar in their approach to the job.
“They are both tremendous at what they do. They’re extremely knowledgeable of the job and the law. They’re also very passionate and energetic. They take a lot fewer breaks than everyone else,” listed Tfc. Paul Proctor, a four-year MSP veteran who works on their shift.
Matt and Dave also are gifted communicators.
“They’re down to earth. They speak to all people on a human level. Because of how well they interact with people, they can defuse a potentially dangerous situation before it can escalate,” Proctor said, summarizing, “Anyone in the community who talks with the Hughes Brothers always sees police in a much brighter, more positive light after interacting with them.”
Matt and Dave work well as a team, too. There are times when one brother makes a traffic stop and the other arrives as backup. Working in tandem, the brothers — through observation and conversations with the occupants — develop probable cause to search the vehicle.
“We feed off of each other very well. We pick up on each other’s signs,” Matt summarized. “We are very proactive, and we’re always looking to get into something. We are passionate about this job, and there is nothing else we would rather do.”
Both aspire to someday serve on an MSP special unit that focuses on drug interdiction, which, in light of their older sister losing her battle with addiction 16 years ago, they view as a job of great importance.
Although the Hughes Brothers work well together, a friendly rivalry still exists between them.
“Dave was the 2020 Trooper of the Year at the Easton Barrack. In 2021, I was Trooper of the Year at the Salisbury Barrack,” Matt outlined, before grinning and commenting, “Now we’re competing to see who will be the 2022 North East Barrack Trooper of the Year.” | https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/brothers-serve-on-same-state-police-road-patrol-shift/2022/08/14/4d5a8812-1bd1-11ed-9ce6-68253bd31864_story.html | 2022-08-14T13:40:47 | 0 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/brothers-serve-on-same-state-police-road-patrol-shift/2022/08/14/4d5a8812-1bd1-11ed-9ce6-68253bd31864_story.html |
RICHMOND, Va. — World War II veteran Russell L. Scott, comic book hero.
The mission on May 25 was his last because enemy fire hit his B-25 over Italy. Scott attempted to bail out, but the escape hatch wouldn’t open, so he had to head-butt the canopy over the tail gunner’s position to get out, said Ralph Fields, who volunteered with Scott at the Virginia War Memorial and became a close friend.
Scott slid onto the plane’s tail assembly as the plane was going down, sitting there momentarily with his feet dangling. The reason for his hesitation? He had a parachute, but he had never used it.
“He said the ground kept getting closer and closer and that helped him make up his mind,” Fields recalled. “He just had a way of telling his story that fascinated everybody.”
Scott hit the ground awkwardly, suffering a broken back, and was immediately captured by Germans, leading to a long journey of being moved as a prisoner of war from Italy to Germany to Poland and back to Germany.
At one prison camp, he transformed powdered milk cans into stovepipes –- he’d done body-and-fender work back home so he was familiar with working with metal — so the coal stoves in each crowded room wouldn’t asphyxiate the inhabitants. He surely saved lives.
He survived the war, returned to his native Richmond and became a longtime volunteer at the local veterans hospital as well as at the Virginia War Memorial. He died in 2019 at age 99.
But his story lives on.
Virginia Commonwealth University student Maggie Colangelo, a senior and double-major in VCU Arts and environmental studies who also works in the university’s Virtual Curation Laboratory, was intrigued when she heard about Scott’s story and set about creating a detailed, three-panel comic, describing his harrowing experience.
“Comics are a great way to reach out to people,” Colangelo said. “When you’re trying to get kids to read, it’s way easier to hand them a comic than to get them to slog through a whole chapter book.”
Her comics, which she creates digitally, represent visual learning, but they also convey actual information.
“I’ve really found a niche that I like in making educational comics,” said Colangelo, who also has created comics about the Founding Fathers’ obsession with giant Ice Age animals and the Isle of Wight County Museum’s “World’s Oldest Ham.”
Her goal is to make her comics “humorous and interesting” because she remembers when she was growing up “history was my least favorite subject.
“Which is odd because there are so many interesting things happening in history,” said Colangelo, who lives in Ashburn. “It should be the most amazing class ever, but somehow it was just the most endless hour of my life every class.”
Colangelo learned about Scott from Bernard K. Means, an assistant anthropology professor at VCU and director of the Virtual Curation Lab, who had worked with Scott on another project a few years ago.
Means met Scott in the fall of 2014 while he was doing a 3-D scanning demonstration at the Virginia War Memorial; the lab partners with museums around the world, using 3-D object-scanning to record artifacts, fossils and historic objects for analysis, conservation and educational outreach.
Means learned of Scott’s story that day, as well as plans to display a model of the B-25 Scott flew aboard. He made a 3-D scan of Scott right then and there, with the idea of producing a miniature model of Scott to go on exhibit with the model plane.
Means used his lab’s 3-D printers to create a plastic model of Scott that was scaled to the size of the B-25 model. Chelsea Miller, then a VCU history major who was interning at the war memorial, researched WWII-era uniforms and painted the miniature of Scott so it looks like the flight suit he wore then.
The miniature B-25, with Scott perched on the tail assembly, remains on display at the war memorial, hanging from the ceiling in the lobby of the Paul and Phyllis Galanti Education Center. When he leads tours at the war memorial, Fields often starts by pointing out the B-25 and talking about Scott.
“He was kind of like a brother,” said Fields, whose own brother was killed in World War II when his plane was shot down over Germany. “The first day I met Russell, we just kind of bonded. We had so much in common.”
In 2017, Fields accompanied Scott on a ride in a B-25 similar to the one Scott had flown in. He describes it as a highlight.
“I got to fly with a World War II tail gunner in a World War II bomber, which was quite special,” Fields said.
It was Fields who set in motion the events that led to the lobby exhibit. Some years back, he spied a radio-controlled B-25 with a 9-foot wingspan for sale at the Williamsburg Antique Mall. He told Scott about it at one of their Wednesday volunteer shifts, and they drove to Williamsburg in Fields’ pickup truck that afternoon. Scott fell in love with it and bought it on the spot and then donated it to the war memorial.
“He’d always tell everybody I made him spend all his money on that airplane,” Fields said. “Russell had this wonderful sense of humor. He loved to cut up and tease and all. He was just a very special person.”
And a charmer.
“He told my wife he didn’t have any wrinkles because he smiled all the time,” he said. “Everybody loved Russell.”
When he and Scott were leading tours together, Fields would tell groups, “You picked the perfect time to visit the war memorial because you’re going to meet a real-life World War II hero.” Funny thing, though, Fields said, “Russell never considered himself a hero.”
So, what would Scott think of being the star of a 21st-century comic?
“I think he would like it,” Fields said.
VCU’s Means agreed, although Scott might have been bemused to be the subject of such a project, but not because he was unfamiliar with the medium. Comics were very popular among U.S. soldiers during World War II, Means said, and he bets Scott “read a ton of comic books.” | https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/preserving-a-wwii-tail-gunners-harrowing-story-in-a-comic/2022/08/14/42af3052-1bd1-11ed-9ce6-68253bd31864_story.html | 2022-08-14T13:40:47 | 1 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/preserving-a-wwii-tail-gunners-harrowing-story-in-a-comic/2022/08/14/42af3052-1bd1-11ed-9ce6-68253bd31864_story.html |
FOREST, Va. — Local children’s book author and songwriter Sara Ernst has worked with children nearly her entire life in some way, shape or form since she was a child herself, beginning with babysitting when she was 9 or 10 years old and volunteering in the church nursery.
To Ernst, you either love working with children or you don’t, and it’s always come easily to her.
“It’s very black and white. You know that you do not enjoy it and have zero patience for it, it’s incredibly frustrating — or you’re a big kid yourself, you don’t mind goofing off, you enjoy that interaction with them,” she said. “And I think that’s just the foundation of it. I genuinely enjoy working with children. I love interacting with them. And I think that we share a mutual love of play and laughter and also learning.”
That has always been a part of who Ernst is, both as a child and now as a 42-year-old living in Forest
“I love laughing, I love being a ham and a goofball with them. I love being playful with them and I love learning everything in nature,” she said.
As a child, art was her outlet and she would write short stories and add illustrations to go with it.
In 2017, she wrote a short poem/story called “Dragons Really Do Love Tea,” and it was just a little rhyme on her phone for a while.
She had always wanted to publish her own book when she was younger and didn’t want to look back and wonder why she never went through with it.
Initially she didn’t intend to even sell the book — she just wanted to write and illustrate it and put it all together for herself.
“I just want to have the option and if I ended up with a box of books in the attic that no one’s ever read then so be it,” she said. “But I know that I’ve kind of crossed this off my little dream bucket list from my childhood and that is how it started.”
Her books are sold on her website, Amazon and in Givens Books on Lakeside Drive.
From the book, her company Wild Pickle Press was born, which now includes three other books: “Tomboy,” “The Small Grey Goat” and most recently, “Shout No!” which she published in January 2021.
Her career took an unexpected turn while leading a small grassroots nature group with 3- to 7-year-olds in 2018.
Ernst said she is fascinated by bugs and snakes and has never been bothered by them, so she wanted to teach the children about venomous snakes through a song after she bought her first ukulele.
“I just picked one up because I really just wanted to learn it. That’s it. And even though I really wasn’t very good at it at all at the time, I couldn’t figure out how someone could possibly sing and strum at the same time and it felt impossible,” she said. “I thought this was such a fun little instrument and I couldn’t hardly put it down.”
She wanted to create a song to help them identify snakes and what to do if they saw a bear.
From those songs came another song, and another, and another — until she had enough to make an album with 20 songs, which she titled “Imagine, Feel, Wander.”
She now has four albums which can be found on major audio platforms and are played around the world.
“It all happened organically and unexpectedly but wonderfully in the same way,” Ernst said. “It’s been a very beautiful and unexpected journey.”
When she looks back at the last few years, she says it’s been surreal. One of her songs has been in the running for a nomination through the Independent Music Awards, she was invited to and played at the FloydFest music festival last year and most recently won a national songwriting contest with California Strawberries.
“Music is a powerful tool. If it’s catchy, they’ll learn from it,” she said. “I’ve enjoyed teaching through it and also trying to empower emotions and use my songs to talk about feelings, use my songs to build confidence to encourage a love of nature and inspire imagination.”
It was that thought that inspired her most recent book and song, “Shout No!” — a book teaching kids how to respond to a tricky or potentially scary situation with strangers or even friends and family members.
She had to be careful when she wrote it. She didn’t want to frighten children, but she wanted something they could memorize and not just better understand tricky situations but also how children could react if they recognize such situations.
The song is simple but for Ernst, if just one child is saved from a potentially dangerous situation, it’s worth it.
In an effort to make sure every child had access to it, the song is free to download on her website.
“I’m not the best singer in the world and I’m not the best ukulele player. I’ve never claimed to be those things, but I have an opportunity to make a positive and possibly valuable impact on a child or a family in some way, and not just in America but in different parts of the world,” she said. “And that’s a very rewarding opportunity to be given and I really just try not to take it for granted.”
Ernst hopes that whatever she shares in the community will bring value, smiles and education of some degree.
“I hope people see what I do as just positive and real and hopefully helpful and also fun,” she said.
Ernst reads her books and plays songs at area libraries including at the Campbell County Library System, where she has worked frequently with Events and Experiences Manager Katie Lane.
Lane met Ernst after she hosted a Dragons and Tea party for the children at one of the Campbell County libraries in 2017.
“The fact that she did everything on her own is very powerful for kids,” Lane said. “And knowing one of your neighbors in the community was able to get a book published and sell a book and share their amazing art — I want to share those stories of people that live here.”
Ernst donates some of her books to the library so children can read them right off the shelves, Lane said, which is helpful for families of lower income levels.
“I just think it’s very noble of her that she makes sure that no matter the situation, kids have access to her books, whether they pay for them or not,” she said. “And then her music, they’re just so much fun to play and sing along to.”
Lane described Ernst as an “extremely lovely human” who cares about nature and people.
“And whether that’s through the books or her photography, she wants to savor every moment, whether that’s protecting the earth or cherishing those family moments. She just a quality person in every way,” she said. | https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/woman-reaches-children-with-educational-songs-and-books/2022/08/14/4a05bb00-1bd1-11ed-9ce6-68253bd31864_story.html | 2022-08-14T13:40:53 | 0 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/woman-reaches-children-with-educational-songs-and-books/2022/08/14/4a05bb00-1bd1-11ed-9ce6-68253bd31864_story.html |
EPHRATA, Pa. — Mikail Chekh and his young family remember hearing fighter jets and bombs outside their window.
The family lived right outside Mariupol—where the Russian invasion and fighting began.
Chekh can remember the house shaking, the bombs sounding like 10,000 fireworks going off at once. He said that vibrations from the explosions rang through their home in all directions.
Chekh and his family knew that they had to escape. Due to road closures and blockades, they had to make a 4,200 mile exodus by car.
First, they had to go through Russia, then north through Latvia. After that, they set off west toward Poland, before finally arriving in Germany.
Even when farther away from the fighting, Chekh always thought that the war would catch up to them.
While spending two months in Germany, Chekh said they met their relative Constantine Resnik, who is a pastor at Bethany Slavic Church in Ephrata. Resnik suggested Chekh and his family apply and go through the United With Ukraine program to find refuge in the United States. Chekh said that the church will help sponsor his family and assist with rent.
Chekh hopes to receive a work permit and get his three children educated in Lancaster County. This opportunity was not available back home during the fighting. | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/ukrainian-family-finds-refuge-lancaster-county-bethany-slavic-church/521-80da60ba-4a53-4985-a8b6-7de62c755daa | 2022-08-14T13:41:04 | 1 | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/ukrainian-family-finds-refuge-lancaster-county-bethany-slavic-church/521-80da60ba-4a53-4985-a8b6-7de62c755daa |
ORLANDO, Fla. – All of Central Florida’s public school districts will be back tomorrow for the first full week of classes, and campus safety continues to be paramount.
Following the massacre at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, law enforcement leaders have been rolling out new ways to prevent and respond to an active shooter on campus.
[TRENDING: Gov. DeSantis’ press secretary resigns, joins DeSantis reelection team | Seminole County middle school student, 13, arrested after striking resource deputy in ‘groin area,’ sheriff’s office says | Become a News 6 Insider (it’s free!)]
Orange County Sheriff John Mina sat down with anchor Justin Warmoth on “The Weekly” to break down the training his deputies received ahead of the new school year.
“I have 100% confidence in our deputies and the training we have provided them,” Mina said. “I looked them in the eye, I talked to them before the school year started and told them, ‘You will risk your lives for the safety of our community.’ They get that, they understand that, and now they have the training and equipment to do that.”
Mina said school security will be addressed in a layered approach, which includes access to an app school employees can use to lock down a school.
“It’s basically a panic alarm button for violence,” Mina said. “It has a very loud, piercing alarm that goes right to our communication center, so our dispatchers hear that alarm and immediately know there’s violence happening at that school.”
Watch the full interview in the video player above. | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/08/14/i-have-100-confidence-in-our-deputies-orange-county-sheriff-talks-school-safety-new-sro-training/ | 2022-08-14T13:43:03 | 0 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/08/14/i-have-100-confidence-in-our-deputies-orange-county-sheriff-talks-school-safety-new-sro-training/ |
August is Peach Month, which means you still have several days left to perfect that peach pie recipe. Remember: Sharing is caring!
The Holy Rosary Catholic Church Festival wraps up today on the church grounds, 2224 45th St. Live music today features Willie Sturba (1 to 2:30 p.m.), The Chevelles (3 to 5:30 p.m.) and Good Vibez (6 to 9:30 p.m.). The festival is open noon to 10 p.m. All the festival food favorites are back, too, including fried dough.
The Sweet Corn Festival is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. today at Jerry Smith Farm, 7150 18th St. in Somers. The festival features local food trucks, live music and craft vendors — in addition to all that sweet corn. Admission is free.
Prost! The Biergarten in Petrifying Springs County Park is open seven days, serving up cold beverages and warm pretzels. For more details, check the Biergarten’s Facebook page.
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The Racine Concert Band’s final outdoor free summer concert of this season is 7 tonight at the Racine Zoo, 2131 N. Main St. The program features guest vocalist Darlene Kelsey and flute soloist Beth Kapralian. The zoo’s gates at Walton Avenue and Augusta Street open at 6:30 p.m. for free admission to the concert. A courtesy cart, for audience members who need assistance in getting to the concert site, is available before and after the concert.
The Wisconsin State Fair wraps up today at State Fair Park, 7722 West Greenfield Ave. in West Allis. Free entertainment includes daily free shows by the Kids From Wisconsin and the always popular racing pigs! Did we mention the cream puffs yet? The fair is open 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. For more details, go to wistatefair.com. | https://www.kenoshanews.com/news/local/todays-events-for-sunday-aug-14/article_6aecc652-19b9-11ed-81fe-3fb0ab0a6635.html | 2022-08-14T13:43:05 | 1 | https://www.kenoshanews.com/news/local/todays-events-for-sunday-aug-14/article_6aecc652-19b9-11ed-81fe-3fb0ab0a6635.html |
WGTD (91.1 FM) is owned and operated as a public service of Gateway Technical College and is an affiliate of Wisconsin Public Radio. For an updated schedule, go online to wgtd.org. WGTD 91.1-FM’s “Morning Show” airs 8:10 to 9 a.m. weekdays.
Guests this week include:
Monday: A preview of this weekend’s Harborpark Jazz Festival with Tim Mahone and several festival participants
Tuesday: Baynard Woods, author of “Inheritance: An Autobiography of Whiteness.”
Wednesday: Jeff Bercovici, author of “Play On! The New Science of Elite Performance at any age.”
Thursday: Nan Calvert—with Danielle Bell, owner of Native Roots, whose landscaping company works with native plants.
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Friday: Davis Maraniss, author of “Path Lit By Lighting: The Life of Jim Thorpe.” (Postponed from last Friday)
Questions or concerns? Text them to me at (262) 909-2889. | https://www.kenoshanews.com/news/local/wgtd-announces-morning-show-schedule-for-this-week/article_77ad252e-1a51-11ed-aad7-ff875e3c477e.html | 2022-08-14T13:43:11 | 0 | https://www.kenoshanews.com/news/local/wgtd-announces-morning-show-schedule-for-this-week/article_77ad252e-1a51-11ed-aad7-ff875e3c477e.html |
Across the country, it takes an average of three minutes for police to respond to a call involving an active shooter, and those three minutes (in a best-case scenario) are what Flagstaff Police Department Officer Pat Condon is concerned about.
He’s been teaching the general public active-shooter response for almost a decade, and he says demand for citizen training has never been higher.
“One school shooting, one active shooter is too many,” Condon said.
When mass shootings or attacks happen anywhere in the country, people might get scared. Condon said that even though Flagstaff has never experienced one of these kinds of crimes, preparedness can still be powerful.
“I try to empower people to get away from the fear,” Condon said. “These are still critical events; it’s still scary. I try to make people understand that there’s things we can do that can absolutely raise our odds of survival in these events.”
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When Condon goes to libraries, offices and schools to teach people survival strategies, he tells them to do three things: avoid, deny and defend.
Avoidance is about getting out of range of an attacker, often finding an exit. In teaching this step, Condon said, he talks to people about something he calls “mental scripting.”
He’s talking about planning -- thinking through the space you work in, or spaces you visit, and mapping the possibilities of an emergency.
A baseball coach, Condon explains mental scripting in sports terms.
“If we think about something 10 times before we do it, then naturally we’re going to be better at it,” he said. “I’m a shortstop. I’ve got a guy on first base. How many strikes does the hitter have? I’m thinking, 'OK, I’ve got one out. There’s a force at second. If I boggle the ball I can still get the guy at one.' When the baseball is hit to me, I’m going to react much better than if I’m out there by the outfield fence picking flowers.”
Condon brings more than his experience as an athlete to his work as a trainer. He has spent a good portion of his career conducting undercover surveillance operations.
In his role as a professional people watcher, he said, “Humans are creatures of habit. Everybody kind of tends to do what everybody else is doing -- unfortunately, in good situations and in bad situations. If I can teach a couple of civilians to be ‘leaders,’ a lot of other people will follow. A lot of other people might survive.”
Sometimes finding an exit isn’t possible. In those cases, Condon wants people to “deny” an attacker access to them.
“We can see in events that merely locking doors can make our odds of survival go up a lot. If you can’t go into my space, then your odds of trying to hurt me, and me becoming a victim, have gone way down,” he said.
The last tactic is defense or fighting back.
“The goal of these suspects is attempted mass murder,” Condon explained. “We have to be prepared to defend ourselves. This really is a fight for life.”
“Avoid, deny, defend” is the new iteration of “Run, hide, fight,” a three-step response that was taught in years past. The principles haven’t changed much, even if the language is a little bit clearer. Police training has adapted much more over time, informed by recent active shooter incidents.
“We have to look at things that cops have done good, things that cops have done bad,” Condon said. “Across the entire country, moving forward, we have to look at past events. That can be tough, because obviously there’s death that comes in this line of work.”
Officers tried different protocols in the past. They’d wait for backup to enter a building, establish a perimeter, deploy different SWAT techniques. Now, local law enforcement are planning a more aggressive approach.
“We teach that if you’re the first officer on scene, we need you to get inside the building and stop the killing,” Condon said. “We need you to go directly to the threat. Because the killing is not going to stop and the dying is not going to stop until we address it.”
He said confronting the reality of facing a shooter alone is a serious experience. It's something that requires officers to take a hard look at their career, and decide if they want to put their lives on the line.
Condon was participating at Coconino Community College in an interagency active-shooter response training with law enforcement officers from all over the state just a few days before a man walked into a classroom in Uvalde, Texas, and opened fire.
During that training, officers were put under intense pressure. Fake paint-filled bullets were fired, people were screaming, loud music was playing and role-players were running through the hallways on campus to create a sense of chaos.
“There’s a lot to be said about stress response ... understanding our body and the things we’re going to feel. If I live my life 60 to 80 beats per minute and I never get an accelerated heart rate, I can guarantee you from my own experiences of being shot at ... whether you want to or not, you’re going to spike. That’s one of the things -- that we’re just thinking about it,” he said.
Police training is about more than coping with chaos and thinking clearly under pressure. The Coconino Community College event was an opportunity to lay important groundwork for multi-agency cooperation. By training together, peace officers who wear different badges can more effectively respond to major events like a mass shooting.
Back on the civilian side of things, Condon wants to make sure there’s every opportunity for training, too. He’ll be teaching a nearly three-hour course at the upcoming Citizen’s Police Academy. If attending that event isn’t possible, he wants people to reach out to the public information office to get signed up.
“If I go my whole career and I’ve taught this to thousands of people and it helps? I hope nobody is ever involved in one of these incidents, especially knowing people that have been .. but if one person that I was able to teach out of all those years, is able to survive or make their odds of survival go up, I feel like I’ve done my job," he said. | https://azdailysun.com/news/local/making-minutes-count-flagstaff-police-officer-trains-civilians-on-active-shooter-response/article_6c1d48da-19cd-11ed-bacd-fbb35a0aad5e.html | 2022-08-14T13:44:31 | 0 | https://azdailysun.com/news/local/making-minutes-count-flagstaff-police-officer-trains-civilians-on-active-shooter-response/article_6c1d48da-19cd-11ed-bacd-fbb35a0aad5e.html |
Upbeat music drifts through the Flagstaff Urban Trails System on a sunny afternoon as three mountain bike riders prepare to climb a small hill up to the McMillan Mesa.
The music plays from a small speaker strapped to the back of the leader’s bike, reverberating off the trees on the side of the trail and the rocks and poles in the middle of it at intersections. The sun shines brightly on the trail and its riders. A light breeze whisks away heat generated by pumping legs and working lungs while sweat gathers on the back and forehead.
The grasses on the side of the trail swish softly in the wind and the clean mountain air moves through their noses, down the throat and into the lungs, feeding their bodies the extra oxygen they need to complete the climb. Large pines shade the steepest part of the trail, a welcome respite from the heat of the sun as the riders work to defeat the incline.
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Her body screams, “Stop! Get off! You can walk up the hill!” Her mind says, “Absolutely not. Shut up and listen to me.”
There are three riders; two men, one in front and one in back, and a woman in the middle. They are communicating with each other through their bicycle helmets mics while the music creates an invisible path through the forest.
The entire ride the trio is observing, talking and listening -- communicating the steepness of the incline, the distance in time to the top, the texture and existing bumps in the trail, and which way the trail turns and how sharply. The two male riders are paying very close attention to all of this as well as the heart rate, breath rate and blood sugar levels of the woman in the middle.
She cannot see the trail; she is blind.
Riding with her, you wouldn’t know it, were you not wearing a helmet with a built-in microphone under the visor and speakers above your ears, listening to the detailed descriptions of the trail as they approach and move past and over obstacles. They are verbally describing every aspect of the trail on which they are riding, things that with eyes one would notice and adjust for without truly taking in their presence.
Like Sherlock Holmes once said to Dr. Watson, “You see, but you do not observe.” These men not only have to observe every minor detail of the trail, they have to communicate with the description and timing needed for the woman in the middle to adjust her technique in order to conquer or avoid the terrain.
And still you think, “She can’t be blind. There is no way, she must see something.” She does not. But she rides as if she does, even when the verbal communication slows or stops as the men guiding her process something for themselves, or pause to catch their breath or take a sip of water.
She moves as though she sees the trail turn, sees the trees, meadows or cliffs lining the sides, sees the rocks and posts planted dead in the middle of the trail at the next intersection. She moves through, around and over obstacles as if she has been on a mountain bike her entire life.
She accomplishes all this by listening to the music ahead of her as it creates its invisible path for her to follow, and she relies on her guide’s detailed descriptions to see her safely through.
Shawn Cheshire’s life was changed completely and unexpectedly on Dec. 29, 2009. The Army veteran was working as a paramedic, loading a combative patient in the middle of a snowstorm into the back of her ambulance with the help of a student she was training at the time.
What happened next, she does not remember. She was somehow knocked off her feet and fell back, hitting her head on one of the catch bolts for the ambulance doors. Her student’s back was turned, and her partner was not in the rig with them at the time of the accident. No one truly saw what happened.
“There’s a huge couple-week gap before and after the accident that I don’t remember,” Cheshire recalled of the accident. “Everything kind of happened so fast.”
When she woke up, everything had changed. She didn’t understand what had happened. She worked in the medical field, after all -- surely her nausea and dizziness were due to a severe concussion.
That was not the case. Upon arriving at a concussion clinic, tests revealed that all of her peripheral vision was gone and she was left with about five degrees of central vision.
“It was like looking through a straw,” she said.
It took two years for her vision to fade away completely. She lost the five degrees. She lost light and shapes and shadows. Her world slowly faded to black.
Cheshire was in complete denial. Surely, as a medical provider, she knew she could work her way back toward seeing through physical and occupational therapy.
“It never occurred to me in any of that time that I would end up not being able to see,” she said. “The more I try to use it, I’m going to get it back.”
But she didn’t, and life seemed to turn into a nightmare. Cheshire didn’t know what to do or how to cope.
She admitted that she tried twice to take her own life.
“I just had zero desire to live like that," she said. "I saw no positive outcome from that happening at that time.”
Cheshire explained that she didn’t leave her house for six months after she lost her vision. She was terrified. Her house was near a very busy street, and at times she would walk out on her porch and stand frozen by the sounds of traffic moving past, trying desperately to remember how the street looked. There were no sidewalks there and when she began to learn to use her cane, she had to do a practice known as shorelining, in which she would walk into the direction of traffic along the side of the road where it meets the grass, feeling the difference in the ground’s textures through her cane.
She learned to appreciate walking barefoot, using her soles, toes, and ankles to feel the changes in texture and incline of the ground. Being barefoot also helped her relearn how to balance without being able to see.
Even the slightest tilt could throw her off.
So what is a blind woman who had to relearn how to do simple things, such as balance on uneven ground, doing on a mountain bike?
When Cheshire went blind, she lost hope. But then, something changed. She realized how little she had truly lived when she’d had her sight.
“I didn’t want to feel like I could no longer have those experiences just because I was blind," she said.
She was tired of people telling her, “You can’t,” just because she could no longer see.
So Cheshire decided to learn to cross country ski. Then, she hiked rim to rim to rim in the Grand Canyon. She competed in the 2016 Summer Paralympics. Then, she summited Mount Washington. Next, she took on the challenge of riding across the country on a road bike from Oregon to Virginia.
Now, she has accomplished something even harder: She bikepacked the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route (GDMBR) from Banff, Canada, to Antelope Wells, New Mexico, in an unofficial, self-supported race known as the Tour Divide in which at least 200 single riders rode about 2,700 miles across the country.
Cheshire, however, could not complete the ride as a single rider. She took with her the two guides, Jesse Crandall and Scott Drum, who have both previously hiked and ridden with her. They also had a support vehicle along the way to provide fully charged helmets and speakers when the ones they were using lost battery power.
Cheshire and her guides initially planned to complete this race in 25 to 30 days, averaging at riding 90 to 100 miles of trail each day. Things don’t always go to plan, however.
The ride was completed in 51 days with a daily average of 53 miles. The route is about 90% dirt roads and 3% single track, boasting a total of more than 200,000 feet in elevation gain and loss, and overall comes in at a 5.5/10 difficulty rating.
They rode through Flathead Valley, the Grand Teton National Park, the Great Divide Basin and the Gila Wilderness. The highest point of the trail is Colorado’s Indiana Pass, which sits at 11,910 feet above sea level. Although the trail’s rating is intermediate, the experience is not easy. They encountered mud and snow, storms, rivers, technical climbs and descents, fatigue, hunger and fear.
Cheshire had never ridden a mountain bike before training for this race, neither had she bikepacked or backpacked before. The experience was completely new to her. Luckily, she was equipped with two capable and experienced guides as well as a you-can’t-stop-me attitude. She followed the sound of music playing from the lead rider’s speaker like an auditory path and she listened to Crandall and Drum’s ques regarding the condition of the trail and its obstacles.
It was multitasking to the extreme.
“I am working hard to pay attention to all of the sounds around me,” Cheshire explained, “[and] also being very soft to the unexpected. ... I have to think about stabilizing my bike [and how to] respond in the moment ... [and] where my guide is.”
Cheshire said sometimes the hardest part of riding is working through her fear. Her heart rate begins to climb the moment she sits on a bicycle.
“Sometimes I have to stop because I’m shaking so bad and I just need a couple of seconds to take some deep breaths and get back on and go," she said.
To this day Cheshire has not given in to the urge to quit even when the only thing her brain seems to be able to say is, “I’m going to die! Whose idea was this?” Yet it was her idea, simply inspired by someone else telling her she can’t.
And what’s next for this wonder woman, you might ask?
Shawn Cheshire plans to summit Mount Everest. | https://azdailysun.com/news/local/sunday-feature-flagstaff-woman-rides-bike-2-700-miles-in-51-days---/article_8798f39a-1a84-11ed-b7f7-cb54924cf85f.html | 2022-08-14T13:44:37 | 1 | https://azdailysun.com/news/local/sunday-feature-flagstaff-woman-rides-bike-2-700-miles-in-51-days---/article_8798f39a-1a84-11ed-b7f7-cb54924cf85f.html |
We are excited to announce that the first-ever in-person Pride 5K will take place in Flagstaff on Sunday, Oct. 2. It’s a run/walk organized by me, Nikki Hiltz, a nonbinary professional runner who lives and trains in Flagstaff, and my partner, Emma Gee.
A little bit about the Pride 5K: Back in February of 2020, I was gearing up for an exciting outdoor track season and a chance to make an Olympic team. When the COVID-19 pandemic put my running dreams on hold, I began to lean into LGBTQ+ advocacy work, determined to try to create a safe space for queer people in sports. I decided to put on a virtual 5K race to raise money for The Trevor Project, an organization providing crisis and suicide interventions to LGBTQ+ youth.
The virtual turnout was incredible. Nearly 2,000 people from around the world signed up for the first Pride 5K, many of whom had never run more than 2 miles. An entire family ran the race together to celebrate a daughter who had recently come out, and (at least) four participants publicly came out as queer on race day, proudly wearing the “Love More Than Ever” race T-shirt.
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This represented everything I hoped the Pride 5K would be: A safe space in running for people to show up as themselves, celebrate pride and support queer youth. We repeated the virtual race in 2021. Over the past two summers, the Pride 5K has raised and donated over $75,000 to The Trevor Project.
This year, along with a virtual race option, we are thrilled to be hosting the very first in-person Pride 5K in Flagstaff. The race is part of the Flagstaff Run Series. The course is set to go through the Sunnyside neighborhood and finish on the Coconino High School track. After the 5K, there will be a kids’ fun run (free/open to all) on the track.
We offer prize money to the top three finishers of the in-person event in these categories: nonbinary, women, men. First place receives $2,000, second place gets $1,500 and third place wins $1,000.
Race registration includes a Pride 5K race T-shirt and a four-week training plan. All proceeds go to The Trevor Project and Sunnyside Neighborhood Association.
According to The Trevor Project, having just one accepting adult in an LGBTQ+ person’s life can reduce their risk of suicide by 40%. Whether you join the Pride 5K in person or run a 5K wherever you live, showing up to support queer people has the power to save lives.
A University of Arkansas graduate, Nikki Hiltz won the 2022 Sir Walter Miler in North Carolina on August 5, setting meet and state records with their time of 4:21.89.
Send your running news and stories to coordinating editor Julie Hammonds (runner@juliehammonds.com) to be featured in this column. | https://azdailysun.com/sports/local/high-country-running-pride-5k-is-a-race-won-just-by-showing-up-as-yourself/article_257af61c-1b39-11ed-9258-4be2bc7a76eb.html | 2022-08-14T13:44:43 | 0 | https://azdailysun.com/sports/local/high-country-running-pride-5k-is-a-race-won-just-by-showing-up-as-yourself/article_257af61c-1b39-11ed-9258-4be2bc7a76eb.html |
A sheriff’s office captain who is campaigning to become sheriff is under investigation for kicking a man who was in custody.
Capt. John Grismore, of the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, has been placed on administrative leave.
According to a video of the incident released by the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, a man who’s handcuffed and shackled refused to stay seated on a bench while being detained at the sheriff’s office. Capt. John Grismore, dressed in shorts and a t-shirt, kicked the man in the groin and then kicked him a second time when the man stood up again.
Sheriff Roger Langevin referred the case to the Franklin County State’s Attorney’s Office, which requested an investigation by Vermont State Police. It was not immediately known if Grismore is being represented by an attorney. Langevin didn’t immediately return a call from The Associated Press.
Grismore was the sole candidate for the Republican nomination for Franklin County sheriff in Tuesday’s primary election. | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/sheriffs-captain-investigated-for-kicking-detainee-in-groin/3823815/ | 2022-08-14T13:45:38 | 0 | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/sheriffs-captain-investigated-for-kicking-detainee-in-groin/3823815/ |
DALLAS (KDAF) — No summer pool day is complete without a bowl of fresh fruit. There is no better-tasting snack after a day of running around as a kid. No matter which fruit was your favorite, whether that be strawberries, bananas or even melons, you can’t go wrong with fruit.
In celebration of fruits, specifically melons, Sunday, Aug. 14, is National Melon Day. All melons are created equal on this day, whether they be cantaloupes, galias or any other muskmelons, everyone is getting some love.
If you are in the mood to have some fresh fruit, we’ve got you covered. Here are some of the best places for fresh fruit in North Texas, according to Foursquare.
- Dallas Farmers Market
- Uncle Julio’s
- Whole Foods Market
- Central Market
For more information, visit FourSquare. | https://cw33.com/news/local/best-places-to-get-some-fresh-fruit-in-north-texas-according-to-foursquare/ | 2022-08-14T14:01:55 | 0 | https://cw33.com/news/local/best-places-to-get-some-fresh-fruit-in-north-texas-according-to-foursquare/ |
CEDAR FALLS — Refunds are being issued for people who were fined during Cedar Falls’ crackdown on Independence Day fireworks.
And officials are now considering revamping the city’s fireworks ordinance to comply with state law.
In July, the city announced it had filed 34 citations under the ordinance for lighting off fireworks after approved hours or in prohibited places like public sidewalks, parks and school property.
But Cedar Falls later asked the courts to dismiss the citations. Those who have already pleaded and paid the penalty – a $375 fine plus $95 in additional court costs – are getting refunds. Those with pending cases are receiving letters informing them that the citations will be voided.
The reason behind the dismissal is because the citations were written as municipal infractions under the city ordinance.
But, according to records filed in connection with the dismissals, state law already covers fireworks violations, making the offense a simple misdemeanor. State law prohibits cities from creating municipal infractions if the conduct is already a misdemeanor or felony under state law.
In a letter sent to the court seeking to void the citations, city officials said they “lacked the power to punish the ordinance as a municipal infraction.”
In a news release issued in July, City Attorney Kevin Rogers said Cedar Falls still had the option of pursuing the cases by refiling them as misdemeanors under state law. But he said the city decided against going that route.
“Due to the success of the city’s fireworks education campaign, the low number of citations, and the overall compliance of the community, the city has elected not to issue such new citations,” Rogers said in the release.
The Cedar Falls ordinance will be amended to update the penalty to a simple misdemeanor in accordance with the state law. Officials said they intend to continue strict enforcement of the fireworks ordinance.
Waterloo’s fireworks ordinance has provisions for pursuing the charge as a simple misdemeanor or a municipal infraction, both which carry a $375 fine. The city issued one charge for a fireworks violation during the 2022 Independence Day timeframe, according to police.
Photos: Cedar Valley Jaycees Fireworks Festival 2016 | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/cedar-falls-reconsidering-fireworks-ordinance-after-citations-dismissed/article_a13d3755-ec16-5a63-aa00-f9114f0c690f.html | 2022-08-14T14:20:34 | 1 | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/cedar-falls-reconsidering-fireworks-ordinance-after-citations-dismissed/article_a13d3755-ec16-5a63-aa00-f9114f0c690f.html |
WATERLOO — More roaming cats will return to the wild if the City Council approves a pilot program Monday.
The meeting is set for 5:30 p.m. in the council chambers of City Hall.
A community cat program through the Cedar Bend Humane Society could take in free-roaming cats to spay or neuter and give them shots before they are releasing back into the wild. It’s in an effort to decrease the number of cats who go through the shelter.
Currently, it costs the city $55.62 for every cat brought to the shelter. The proposed idea would lower that to $52.
Council documents defines a community cat as a feral or friendly free-roaming cat that may be cared for by residents. Cats that come into the shelter will be eartipped to signify they have been spayed or neutered and vaccinated from rabies. The ear tip will also signify the cat does not need to be brought into the shelter again.
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If approved, the pilot program would begin immediately and end Jan. 31.
In other business, some airport landing fees may be waived at the Waterloo Regional Airport if the council approves a request made by airport Director Keith Kaspari.
The fees would only be waived for planes with more than 65 seats. The request is to encourage American Airlines to bring in larger airplanes to the airport. Currently, Waterloo only has 50-seat planes that come through its facility.
If approved, Waterloo would be the third airport in Iowa to have these types of planes. The airport says they may also request a third daily departure from American Airlines to either Chicago O’Hare or Dallas Fort Worth.
A resolution to approve $1 million in funding for the Hammond Avenue bridge replacement project over Sink Creek will also be on the agenda.
In 2018, the city agreed to use SWAP funding to pay for the project. If approved, the resolution would rescind the SWAP funding and replace it with federal aid funding.
The city could receive $990,000 in federal aid funding from the Department of Transportation and the city would provide an estimated match of $300,000. The city’s match would come from the storm water fee revenue.
Multiple box culverts would be constructed while Hammond Avenue would be raised and widened through the bridge project. In addition, Sink Creek would be widened and cleaned out from Hammond to East Orange Road.
Also on the agenda:
- Five public hearings. One is on plans to replace the fire department’s turnout gear, items like bunker coats and pants, helmets, hoods, gloves, boots, suspenders and gear bags. Sandry Fire Supply of Dewitt submitted a starting bid of $2,576 and Dinges Fire Company of Amboy, Ill., submitted a starting bid of $3,350.
- A Smart City strategic planning services agreement with Honeywell International Inc. Honeywell proposed its services to align city stakeholders, define project opportunities and secure at least one of those projects.
- A development agreement with Mid Country Property Management LLP. It includes tax rebates for five years at 50% and four years at 23% for the construction of a 18,000-square-foot office, showroom and shop at 4718 Sergeant Road. The minimum assessment agreement is in the amount of $1.55 million.
- An $85,000 purchase agreement with SofSurfaces Inc. to resurface the Lafayette Park Playground. Funds would come from general obligation bonds.
- A request to allow parking on the east side of Bellaire Road for employees to park at Kimball Ridge Shopping Center. There is currently a two hour limit. | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/cats-planes-and-bridges-on-the-council-agenda-monday/article_8fc13be3-5e56-5e10-bdbc-5a5c7f14ca1f.html | 2022-08-14T14:20:40 | 0 | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/cats-planes-and-bridges-on-the-council-agenda-monday/article_8fc13be3-5e56-5e10-bdbc-5a5c7f14ca1f.html |
Great Lakes Water Authority expects water main repairs to take 2 weeks; boil advisory continues
The Great Lakes Water Authority says it could be roughly two weeks before a water main break, which launched nearly two dozen communities into a boil order Saturday, would fully be repaired.
Authorities are first waiting on a new part, Michelle Zdrodowski, spokesperson for GLWA, told The Detroit News on Sunday. The repair itself will take roughly a week, Zdrodowski said, and then it will be another week for water quality testing.
"The good news is we do have that new piece of pipe for the replacement and repair, it is on the road to us from Texas," she said.
Zdrodowski said teams have been working through the night to try to repair the damage from the broken water main, which was discovered early Saturday. GLWA was able to restore some water flow to communities without it overnight, she said, although those communities are still under boil advisories.
When the break was discovered, 23 communities were put under boil advisory. The order was lifted in 10 of those communities Saturday afternoon. More are expected to come out of the boil advisory Sunday, although it is not clear which ones will be able to or how long remaining communities will be under the advisory.
On Saturday, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer activated the state's Emergency Operations Center in response to the water main break "to ensure that every possible resource is available to GLWA and the impacted communities to accomplish that goal."
The boil water advisory remains in effect for:
- Village of Almont
- Bruce Township
- Burtchville Township
- Chesterfield Township
- Imlay City
- Lenox Township
- Macomb Township
- Mayfield Township
- Village of New Haven
- Rochester
- The Industrial Park location in the city of Romeo (rather than the whole city, as GLWA iniitally stated)
- Shelby Township
- Washington Township
- One business each in Greenwood and Imlay Township
Residents of those communities are advised not to drink their water without first boiling it for at least one minute and letting it cool, as when water systems lose pressure, there is a potential for bacterial contamination in the water.
Those bacteria are generally not harmful, GLWA said in a news release, but boiling it will ensure they and any other organisms are killed. Boiled, bottled or disinfected water should be used for drinking, washing dishes and preparing food until the advisory is removed.
Zdrodowski confirmed that teams have been able to isolate the break, which is roughly a mile west of GLWA's Lake Huron Water Treatment Facility, and are now in the process of "dewatering" the area in preparation of repairs. There are four eight-inch pumps working to remove water, she said.
It is not yet clear how much the break and subsequent repairs will cost.
Staff reporter Hannah Mackay contributed. | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/macomb-county/2022/08/14/broken-water-main-repair-se-michigan-could-take-two-weeks-glwa-says/10322936002/ | 2022-08-14T14:28:38 | 1 | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/macomb-county/2022/08/14/broken-water-main-repair-se-michigan-could-take-two-weeks-glwa-says/10322936002/ |
The following is the opinion and analysis of the writer:
As a professional who is dedicated and passionate about serving my country and community, I am concerned with the lack of transparency and accountability in our judicial system. The Supreme Court’s ruling in Citizens United v FEC gave corporations the green light to spend billions of dollars to shape the results of our elections, all but ending transparency within our political spending system.
A similar occurrence is happening to our civil litigation system, due to the rise of the third-party litigation funding industry, which is looking to “invest” in countless lawsuits for their personal financial gain. With recently introduced legislation, the Litigation Funding Transparency Act (LFTA), would expose these third parties by creating more transparency in the legal system. Therefore, I believe it deserves your support.
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The third-party litigation funding industry has empowered outside, anonymous groups to manipulate our litigation system. These unknown financial backers have made agreements with attorneys to finance cases that wouldn’t be taken on a pure contingency basis in exchange for a percentage of a successful claim’s settlement.
The darkness in which these third-party funding arrangements operate allows conflicts of interest to fester. While federal rules prevent court judges from being involved in cases in which they hold a monetary stake, the presence of anonymous third-party funders all but erased this standard. Countless judges might be overseeing lawsuits where they have a financial interest without being aware of it. Unless third-party agreements disclosure becomes required, third parties will carry on pumping money into cases without anyone knowing.
The lack of transparency within the third-party litigation funding system also impacts national security matters. Secret litigation funders include not only hedge funds and Wall Street financial brokers, but also state-owned and controlled entities that could have a strategic interest in bringing nefarious cases. As of now, there is at least one sovereign wealth fund that has invested in such litigation and has the power to do so. Thanks to third-party litigation funding agreements, they and other groups would be able to stay in the dark while backing lawsuits aimed at harming our national security and intelligence infrastructure.
Even though a few states and district courts have begun to mandate third-party disclosure, transparency needs to be enforced at a national level to prevent third-party funders from merely investing in lawsuits where jurisdictions do not order disclosure.
By passing the LFTA, we can require cases to disclose the presence of third-party funding agreements and make the names of these third parties publicly available. Please support this bill to help stop outside actors from abusing our litigation system and debilitating our national security.
Xavier Segura is a legal scholar and higher education professional. He lives in Tucson. | https://tucson.com/opinion/local/local-opinion-dark-money-isnt-just-a-problem-in-politics-its-infecting-litigation/article_170113b8-1a81-11ed-892b-375c8da2a2bb.html | 2022-08-14T14:33:42 | 1 | https://tucson.com/opinion/local/local-opinion-dark-money-isnt-just-a-problem-in-politics-its-infecting-litigation/article_170113b8-1a81-11ed-892b-375c8da2a2bb.html |
The following is the opinion and analysis of the writer:
On Friday, Gov. Doug Ducey issued an Executive Order titled: “Securing Arizona’s Southern Border.” Using the word “WHEREAS” 37 times in all caps and bold font, much like a toddler throwing a temper tantrum to his parents, Ducey laid out a litany of mostly false claims regarding the border and immigration and his grievances to the federal government.
Used shipping containers, welded together and topped with a serving of razor wire to close the gaps in the border wall in Yuma County was the vehicle of the order. Images of asylum-seeking families walking across the border in this area became a tired old party line playbook ad during the recent Arizona Republican primaries.
But let’s set the stage for this political theater. The issue at hand is four gaps in the border wall near the Morelos Dam west of Yuma along the Colorado River which total less than a quarter mile in length. Closing these small sections of open border adjacent to the productive agricultural fields that exist on both sides of the border, tended by a 99.9% immigrant labor force, is somehow fundamental to the security of our state.
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Ignore the fact that just two weeks ago the Department of Homeland Security and the Biden administration announced plans to seal off these same so-called “gaps,” or that more border wall was built in Arizona than any other state, a fact that Ducey ignored when he claimed the federal government “intentionally neglected Arizona’s southern border as it installed barriers on the border.”
If the American people knew the facts regarding the political football game that takes place along the southern border line of scrimmage during election cycles, then maybe the narrative would be elevated to a debate on the reality of the situation, and perhaps a concerted effort could be made to do something proactive to deal with human migration.
Migration is a biological phenomenon that is ingrained in every living thing on Earth. It will never stop. It is vital for life to persist. The irony of using shipping containers to stop international migration is funny at some level, but the reality is grim and devoid of humor.
Just 4 miles to the south of these gaps lies an 8-mile stretch of border that has no wall. Upon my last visit to this area I encountered people from nine nations-India, Ukraine, Colombia, Ethiopia, etc. These families of mostly-masked individuals, carrying papers, vaccination cards and remnants of their former lives, were walking along the banks and levees of the Colorado River and across the spillways of the Morelos Dam in search of freedom and sanctuary. I couldn’t help but hum Neil Diamond’s “America” — “On the boats and on the planes, they’re coming to America.”
To believe that the presence of a few dozen shoddily-welded together shipping containers would force them to turn around and book a return flight halfway around the world is naive. When you see freedom’s light burning warm, nothing is going to stop you from reaching the new place that you hope to call home.
The immigration crisis is real. Drought in Central America is real. Violence and extortion in the Americas, largely brought about by deporting felons educated in organized crime while incarcerated in U.S. penal systems, is real. We cannot ignore these problems.
Ducey and his Republican Party have done nothing to offer any constructive and substantive policies to solve any of these issues. They rely solely upon the symbolism of the 15th century technology that Trump promoted. Can we stop this petty pandering, because the cost of a $15 billion border wall is not petty?
The monument that Ducey and his fellow party members want to keep building, grasping on the shaky heels of Trump, will simply be a monument to failure. Failure to manage the socioeconomic and human crisis that we are so intertwined with. We can do better than this, Gov. Ducey.
Myles Traphagen is the borderlands program coordinator for Wildlands Network in Tucson. He has documented border wall impacts for the past five years and has mapped the border wall infrastructure in California, Arizona, and New Mexico. | https://tucson.com/opinion/local/local-opinion-shipping-containers-wont-solve-immigration-issues/article_88b5d2f8-1b37-11ed-a1f4-9311c012b6ba.html | 2022-08-14T14:33:48 | 1 | https://tucson.com/opinion/local/local-opinion-shipping-containers-wont-solve-immigration-issues/article_88b5d2f8-1b37-11ed-a1f4-9311c012b6ba.html |
The following is the opinion and analysis of the writer:
Since many of us have voting on our minds right now, let’s look forward for a few minutes to 2024 and assume a rerun of the last presidential election. Who would you vote for?
Let’s start with Joe Biden.
If there is a universal opinion about the president, it’s that he is too old for the job. Against this claim are a list of accomplishments that leave all modern executives in their tracks, with the exception of Roosevelt, Johnson and Reagan. And his achievements have come quickly — in 20 months — all with a single-vote majority in the Senate and amidst a diabolically divisive political environment. The highlights of the first half of Biden’s term demonstrate that he has overdelivered on his campaign promise to restore America through a series of rational, center-left measures. He has struck bipartisan deals to pass major, badly needed infrastructure improvements, enact common sense gun reforms and invest in American business and innovation through the CHIPS Act. Most recently, the so-called Inflation Reduction Act will raise $700 billion by closing tax loopholes exploited by the wealthy and reinvest that revenue in measures which will lower energy and health- care costs for working Americans and combat climate change before it becomes an irreversible crisis.
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Add to this his role in standing up to Vladmir Putin and helping to restore the NATO alliance heedlessly shredded by Donald Trump, the bringing to justice of al-Qaida leader and 9/11 mastermind Ayman al-Zawahiri, and the appointment of the first African American woman, Ketanji Jackson Brown, to the Supreme Court and you are talking about rarified historical air.
It has not been easy, but then the presidency is never an easy job. Biden has been forced to navigate treacherous waters, populated by a Republican Party increasingly dominated by anti-democratic and delusional election deniers and the far left-wing of his own party, who seemingly cannot conceive of a level of government spending sufficient for their aims, even as inflation nags at consumers. He’s managed this by bringing to bear decades of hard-earned experience in both the legislative and executive branches, which has imbued him with the wisdom to know when to push hard and when to be patient.
Flashy he is not. Biden won’t keep cable news outlets lighting up day-and-night like an Atlantic City casino with his latest rash outburst or scandal. He won’t elevate and inspire with soaring rhetoric. What he has done, and what he will do in a second term, is roll up his sleeves and get to work, demonstrating that the grinding, often tedious, sometimes infuriating American political system can still work for the American people.
Now let’s consider Donald Trump’s track record and what his second term would look like.
While second-banana politicians swarm like mosquitoes around the next great MAGA hope, Florida’s Ron DeSantis, Trump has abandoned Mar-a-Lago for a speaking tour to reel his true believers back in. All signs are the former president is running again, even as the FBI is likely finding purloined top secret documents in his safe that would put lesser politicians in a cold cell.
One of the speeches found him back in D.C. for the first time since the election, and he gave us a preview of his next term. You can call it a planned coup. Trump began by describing America as a dystopian society in decline, requiring him first to reestablish his personal vision of the “rule of law.”
The truth about Trump is that he hates the government. While politicians get the attention, civil servants run all functions of the government including the military, the treasury and intelligence services. Since 1871 these nonpartisan experts, hired on merit, only support the policies of the presidents under which they serve, unless those directives are beyond the scope of the law. Trump’s plan to get around this system is to create a new class of public employees chosen by partisan political actors.
Trump would nationalize law enforcement by turning the National Guard into a police force he could immediately send to cities where he believes crime is out of control. He would sponsor harsh new laws, including the death penalty for drug dealers. He would reestablish “stop and frisk” policing which has been proven to be disproportionately biased against racial minorities and the poor. For Trump, that’s not the problem with such enforcement tactics — it’s the main selling point.
With the possible help of a Republican Congress, Trump’s top priority is to repeal the Affordable Care Act. As president the first time, he employed executive orders to sabotage it by reducing opportunities to enroll, reducing subsidies to those least able to afford insurance, and penalize use by legal immigrants. In a second term, he will look to finish the job.
So there you have it: two potential future second terms, a study in contrast. One potential path for our nation is the quiet, patient and highly effective competence which for the first part of the Biden administration has put America back on track. The second is the chaos, scandal and division of a restored Trump eager to roll back gains for working people and turn our civilian military into his personal junta.
Speaking for myself, slow and steady never sounded so good.
Terry Bracy, a regular Star contributor, has served as a political adviser, campaign manager, congressional aide, sub-Cabinet official, board member and as an adviser to presidents. | https://tucson.com/opinion/local/terry-bracy-trump-biden-2nd-terms-would-be-study-in-contrast/article_0dbcd350-1996-11ed-b54a-fb76723d7412.html | 2022-08-14T14:33:54 | 1 | https://tucson.com/opinion/local/terry-bracy-trump-biden-2nd-terms-would-be-study-in-contrast/article_0dbcd350-1996-11ed-b54a-fb76723d7412.html |
CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. — A 15-year-old girl with "multiple mental disorders" has not been seen since Saturday afternoon, police say.
Tiffany Smith was last seen at a home along Red Oak Drive in Riverdale on Saturday around 5:30 p.m.
Smith is 5-foot-2, weighs 120 pounds with black and and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a "Champion" hoodie, blue jeans and black Nike slides.
Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 770-477-3550. | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/missing-in-georgia/missing-teen-riverdale-clayton-county/85-fefa7893-4d59-4b16-bf7a-4f5e58e13783 | 2022-08-14T14:55:30 | 0 | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/missing-in-georgia/missing-teen-riverdale-clayton-county/85-fefa7893-4d59-4b16-bf7a-4f5e58e13783 |
COLLEGE PARK, Ga. — Four people were shot and one person is dead following a shooting Saturday night in Clayton County, police said.
The Clayton County Police Department said they responded to the 5400 block of Riverdale Road in unincorporated College Park around 10:45 p.m.
Police did not release any further details about what led to the shooting, the victims or any suspect information.
Anyone with information that can help officers with the investigation is asked to contact the Clayton County Police Department at 770-477-3550 or Crime Stoppers at 404-577-TIPS.
This is a developing story. Check back often for new information.
Also download the 11Alive News app and sign up to receive alerts for the latest on this story and other breaking news in Atlanta and north Georgia. | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/riverdale-road-clayton-county/85-a09a25f4-37a5-439b-94a2-ec12cc1a28c8 | 2022-08-14T14:55:36 | 0 | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/riverdale-road-clayton-county/85-a09a25f4-37a5-439b-94a2-ec12cc1a28c8 |
SAN ANTONIO — Burglary of Building
San Antonio Police have two people in custody after a storage unit on the west side of San Antonio was burglarized Saturday.
It happened around 7:20 a.m. on the 2400 block of SW Loop 410.
Officers received a call about two people seen burglarizing multiple storage units. When they arrived at the location, the two suspects were still there and police were able to take them into custody after a brief foot chase.
Property Crimes detectives will be handling the investigation. At least 15 units were broken into by the suspects who police say are in their early 40s.
The suspects will be charged with burglary of a building.
This is a developing story.
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Want to get in touch with someone at KENS 5? You can send a message using our Contacts page or email one of our team members. | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/storage-unit-on-west-side-burglarized-san-antonio-texas-theft/273-d6bbef15-c909-4b71-bfb1-2a398f2db896 | 2022-08-14T14:59:01 | 0 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/storage-unit-on-west-side-burglarized-san-antonio-texas-theft/273-d6bbef15-c909-4b71-bfb1-2a398f2db896 |
ORLANDO, Fla. – The Orlando Police Department is investigating after officers who followed the sound of gunfire near downtown Saturday night located a man who had been shot.
Patrol units reportedly found the man around 6:35 p.m. in the area of West Church Street and Jernigan Avenue. The man had one gunshot wound and was taken to the hospital in stable condition, police said.
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No suspect information was available to share at the time of this report, according to the department.
This is a developing story. Check back with News 6 for the latest updates.
Note: Due to the information provided, this map depicts the general area of the shooting and not necessarily its exact location.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/08/14/orlando-police-investigate-shooting-that-hurt-1-near-downtown/ | 2022-08-14T15:15:43 | 0 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/08/14/orlando-police-investigate-shooting-that-hurt-1-near-downtown/ |
The University of Nebraska was deemed financially sound by a credit rating agency, earning the second-highest available grade for its performance in 2020-21.
S&P Global affirmed the NU system's "AA" bond rating in a letter dated June 30 included in the materials for the Board of Regents' meeting on Aug. 11.
The rating signals NU is able to pay its debts and keep its lights on, and will ensure the university can continue borrowing money at lower interest rates in the future, saving both students and taxpayers money.
In particular, S&P Global noted that NU began the fall 2021 and spring 2022 semesters on time and in-person, losing just 1% of its total enrollment in the process.
Combined with a self-implemented budget cut and with federal COVID funds, NU was able to surpass its budgeted expectations, the rating agency wrote, operating with a $48.5 million surplus, or roughly a 2% margin due to stable state funding, growing research, and increased donor giving.
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"We assessed NU's enterprise profile as very strong, characterized by large and generally stable enrollment across four campuses, sound market position as Nebraska's only state public research university, and solid fundraising capabilities," S&P Global wrote.
Holding NU back from receiving a "AA+" rating, or the highest awarded by S&P Global, was the potential for declining enrollment "due to demographic pressures and high competition for students; and slightly weaker retention and graduation rates compared to similarly rated peers."
S&P Global said it would consider raising NU's credit profile if it reported a growth in its endowment and consistent financial operation in the future. The agency also said it could consider a negative rating action if enrollment declined significantly, or if NU issues a significant amount of additional debt.
As of June 30, 2021, NU's debt was approximately $1.3 billion, which includes $400 million in bonds issued by the university as part of a facility renewal and renovation program created through legislation at the Capitol.
But, the agency noted that there was a plan to pay down the large issuance of debt.
"The system expects to receive about $18 million annually from fiscal 2022 through 2026 through the expanded facilities program with the state of Nebraska," S&P Global wrote. "Although the state of Nebraska must appropriate these funds each year, it has a long history of funding this commitment."
President Ted Carter said the affirmation of NU's "AA" rating showed the university system with campuses in Lincoln, Omaha and Kearney has been a responsible steward of its resources.
"We've been conservative in our planning, we've built strong partnerships with Nebraskans, and we've been willing to make tough decisions to keep our budget balanced," Carter said.
Regent Bob Phares of North Platte, the board chairman this year, said the rating reflects "the diligent and long-term approach" NU has taken in managing its finances through turbulent economic times.
"We want to make sure Nebraskans get the greatest possible return for what they invest in their university," Phares said.
And Regent Rob Schafer of Beatrice, who chairs the Business and Finance Committee, said the board's approach has been to keep the university in a position of strength "even during volatile times."
"The fact that outside experts have affirmed our approach is a great win for Nebraskans," Schafer said. | https://journalstar.com/news/local/education/nu-says-aa-credit-rating-reflects-conservative-fiscal-approach/article_75e0618c-1287-5ab4-a63e-a170020d03a4.html | 2022-08-14T15:22:51 | 1 | https://journalstar.com/news/local/education/nu-says-aa-credit-rating-reflects-conservative-fiscal-approach/article_75e0618c-1287-5ab4-a63e-a170020d03a4.html |
“Your knee will tell you.” — My doctor when I asked him when I’ll need a knee replacement.
Tom. Tom. Tom. TOM!
What?! Who is it?
It’s me. Your left knee.
Oh. It’s you. What now?
We need to talk.
We knee’d to talk?
Not knee’d. Need. Sheesh. Always with the wordplay. You should see somebody about that.
OK. OK. What is it you “need” to talk with me about?
It’s time to replace me.
What? No. Why do you say that?
Aren’t you tired of my constant nagging?
Like most things, you get used to it.
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Really? You’re used to my constant torment?
More or less. You adjust. You compensate. Medicate. Ignore.
Don’t you have to admit that my nagging has intensified?
Now that you mention it ...
How was it playing with your grandson these last couple of weeks?
It was the time of my life. He’s a wonderful little boy. We had lots of fun.
Really?
Yes, really.
How much fun was I?
Well, frankly, you were a pain in the ... you know.
Exactly. How was it playing catch?
Fun.
How fun was it chasing after errant tosses?
OK.
How was it sitting on the floor playing checkers and Uno?
Lots.
And getting up off the floor? How many pieces of furniture did you need to assist you?
Coffee table, TV console, recliner. So, I didn’t spring to my feet like a ninja. I’m not getting any younger. The point is, I did get to my feet, eventually.
Eventually.
Yes, eventually.
Your grandson likes to run in the park, doesn’t he?
He loves it.
Did you run with him?
Well, no.
Jog?
No.
Trot?
No. I’ve adopted a contemplative amble.
While he gallops?
Yes, while my grandson gallops. OK. I’ll admit it. If I were faced with a fight or flight scenario, I’d have to stay and fight, because I’m not outrunning anybody, including my 2-year-old granddaughter.
So?
So ... what?
We’ve had a good run, but I’m worn out. You can’t keep deluding yourself that the pain is manageable. Your grandson has revealed to you the insidious nature of osteoarthritis pain. It’s like an old joke. A man goes to his doctor and raises his arm over his head and says, “Doc, it hurts when I do this.” The doctor replies, “Don’t do that.”
OK, OK. I guess it’s time.
You’ll thank me for it.
Uh-huh.
Excuse me.
Now whose talking?
It’s me, your right knee. | https://azdailysun.com/news/local/carpenters-column-a-conversation-with-my-knee/article_a778684a-1a9c-11ed-9d3c-1736957ba910.html | 2022-08-14T15:29:00 | 1 | https://azdailysun.com/news/local/carpenters-column-a-conversation-with-my-knee/article_a778684a-1a9c-11ed-9d3c-1736957ba910.html |
The 45th annual Dave McKay Memorial Half Marathon & 5K, sponsoring Big Brothers Big Sisters of Flagstaff, took place Saturday morning, beginning at Thorpe Park.
From Thorpe it continued onto the Observatory Mesa and dirt roads that showed runners a view of the San Francisco Peaks.
The proceeds of the race benefited Big Brothers Big Sisters of Flagstaff mentoring programs that provide children facing adversity with strong and enduring, professionally supported 1-to-1 relationships.
Ryan Stevens, 39, won the overall half-marathon race, finishing with a time of 1:28:38 on the high-elevation course.
Results
Half marathon
Men/overall:
- Ryan Stevens - 1:28:38
- James Miles - 1:33:16
- Matt Miller - 1:33:31
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Women:
- Tara Kaur - 1:37:03
- Mia Hazle - 1:39:27
- Stephanie Hunt - 1:39:44
Men's masters:
- Matt Miller - 1:33:31
- Richard Wein - 1:42:00
- Dominic Pacheco - 1:42:50
Women's masters:
- Valerie Cross - 1:43:52
- Amanda Teague - 1:44:56
- Christine Feldman - 1:46:42
Women's 18u:
- Pamela Vazquez - 1:43:54
- Emily Mullaney - 1:59:26
- Megan Devine - 2:28:07
Nonbinary:
- Dylan Quinn - 2:01:36
5K
Women:
- Katherine Best - 21:34
- Sammy Mullaney - 21:50
- Rita Cerjak - 24:16
Men:
- Evan Hofstetter - 18:20
- Damien Clark - 18:56
- Maverick Martin - 19:01
Nonbinary:
- Annmarie Barton - 59:23 | https://azdailysun.com/sports/local/45th-annual-dave-mckay-memorial-half-marathon-5k-takes-place/article_1c2fb1fa-1b44-11ed-925b-5f93b1fa6e3f.html | 2022-08-14T15:29:06 | 0 | https://azdailysun.com/sports/local/45th-annual-dave-mckay-memorial-half-marathon-5k-takes-place/article_1c2fb1fa-1b44-11ed-925b-5f93b1fa6e3f.html |
WILMOT — It’s Kenosha County Fair week!
Preparations are being finalized on the grounds in Wilmot for the 2022 fair to be held Wednesday through Sunday, Aug. 17-22.
Preparing everything needed to assure everyone attending is safe is what has kept Dan Madrigrano, chief of the Kenosha County Fair Police, busy.
“I’m here every day. It’s always tough getting ready for fair week,” he said at the fairgrounds Thursday. “Two weeks before the fair hits, you just gotta kick it into high gear.”
Madrigrano has worked with the Kenosha County Fair Police for over 30 years. They deal with everything from bag checking to I.D. checks to crowd control, and they work closely with the Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department. “We’d have deputies come out, run us through the same training they go through,” he said.
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Madrigrano said safety at the fair has forced their department to evolve into two separate divisions. There is a Public Safety Division, which does not include certified police officers but security guards who perform duties like managing the gate and checking IDs, and the Fair Police, which only responds to problem calls.
Since the County Fair Police don’t work as many events as it used to, it’s hard to keep a bigger staff around, Madrigrano said.
“Fair police used to do Wilmot High School events, they used to do Central’s events, they used to do all the county school events for security, they used to do Great Lakes Dragaway ... Now it’s just the fair,” Madrigrano said. “(Since) we’ve devolved into 18 weeks of racing and the fair, it’s hard. People have lives, they got real jobs. Some of the cops can’t get off to [work the fair].”
There are about 100 members of the County Fair Police Department and security team, “more than enough to cover everything that goes on,” he said.
Members of the County Fair Police Department include many off-duty officers from the Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department and surrounding municipal police departments. Madrigrano said they upgrade security from year to year.
“We try to be as proactive as we can. We watch the world to see what goes on,” he said. “Even though we’re just a fair in the corner (of the county), we still have to plan (as if it was) the World’s Fair.”
Madrigrano said he does not want fair patrons to have to worry about safety.
“Keeping everybody safe is most important thing. Everyone is going to have good time and I don’t want to have everybody having to worry about, ‘Is this gonna happen? Is that gonna happen?’”
In terms of general safety rules and reminders, Madrigrano said tailgating in parking lots is not allowed, and he recommended that patrons stay hydrated, wear sunscreen and stay aware of large crowds.
Other than that, the County Fair Police Chief said, “bring your want for a good time.”
Other preparations
Staff have spent the past few weeks setting up the fairgrounds, tents and more. Setting everything up on the grounds takes less time than someone might think, Kenosha County Fair Manager Denise Zirbel said.
“(Fair staff) will set up pretty much everything from Sunday night to Monday morning, pretty much be ready to go,” Zirbel said Thursday as fair staff could be seen mowing lawns, setting up tents and more on the fairgrounds.
By Wednesday at 8 a.m., the fairgrounds will be set up with all the farm animals, rides, food and entertainment Kenosha County could ask for.
The fairgrounds will be open from 8 a.m. until midnight Wednesday through Saturday, and 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday. | https://www.kenoshanews.com/news/local/safety-and-set-up-kenosha-county-fair-gets-ready-for-2022-site-ready-to-get/article_ab8ca620-1aa7-11ed-92ab-07bdef5b7427.html | 2022-08-14T15:32:24 | 0 | https://www.kenoshanews.com/news/local/safety-and-set-up-kenosha-county-fair-gets-ready-for-2022-site-ready-to-get/article_ab8ca620-1aa7-11ed-92ab-07bdef5b7427.html |
After working for 40 years in the family cheese business, Timothy Merkt, owner of Tim and Tom’s Cheese Shop in Kenosha, will retire on Sept. 12.
On the day of his retirement, which is also his birthday, Merkt will be closing the doors of the shop indefinitely as he ends his family’s long run in the business.
“I’m the last family member selling cheese,” Merkt, said. “None of the family members would have been interested to take it over. They all have other occupations, so it’s time for us to let it go and let it pass into history.”
Merkt said part of his choice to retire was because he will be turning 71 this year, and because he would like to spend more time with his wife, children and grandchildren.
“I took me three years to finally decide to retire,” Merk said.
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He also said he has made peace with the decision to let the business go.
“As the days go by, there’s definitely a lot of sentimentality because my uncles and brothers all worked so hard for so many years,” Merkt said. “So I feel a responsibility as the last family member. I feel a sense of pride (and) I take it serious (and) I take it personally.”
Hearing the news about the shop closing, customers have been expressing their sadness and best wishes to Merkt.
“A majority of them said they’re sad to see us go and they’ll miss us,” Merkt said. “They’re happy for me, but they’re going to miss us.”
Started in the 1930s
Located in the Rustic Dairyland Antique Mall, 12009 53rd Place, the cheese shop is the latest and final version of a family business that has been ongoing since the Great Depression.
Merkt’s family cheese business began when his uncle George moved to Kenosha County in 1930 and sold cheese and sausage door-to-door. After marrying his wife, Carol, he opened a cheese store.
“What the family in general is known for is coming up with Merkt’s Cheese Spread line around 1950,” Merkt said. “In the early ‘60s, my brothers and I would come down on weekends and help clean, and when we got to our teens we would help make the cheese.”
After George passed away, Carol continued to run the company until Tom, Merkt’s brother, who worked full-time for Carol, bought the company.
Sometime after that, the company location in Salem closed and moved to the factory. After a period of time that location, which Merkt managed for 10-12 years, closed and the two brothers opened their store, which is separate from the Merkt’s Cheese Spread.
Merkt’s Cheese Spread is now owned by a different company.
Tim and Tom’s Cheese Shop has since been part of Kenosha for about the last 27 years.
During the store’s last day open on Monday, Sept. 12, customers can stop in between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m., which are the usual business hours for the shop. | https://www.kenoshanews.com/news/local/watch-now-timothy-merkt-of-tim-and-toms-cheese-shop-announces-plans-to-retire-in/article_6e8d59e6-174f-11ed-9ac4-cf019abffdc8.html | 2022-08-14T15:32:31 | 1 | https://www.kenoshanews.com/news/local/watch-now-timothy-merkt-of-tim-and-toms-cheese-shop-announces-plans-to-retire-in/article_6e8d59e6-174f-11ed-9ac4-cf019abffdc8.html |
HOBART — The scope of the Colorado Street overpass project could change as construction costs continue to rise.
Mayor Brian Snedecor said road project prices “have been skyrocketing,” and that’s caused the estimated cost of the overpass initiative to increase by about $1.2 million.
Hobart received about $5.5 million through an Indiana Department of Transportation Trax Grant for the bridge. The city’s match is about $2 million, and Hobart is expected to use proceeds from a 2020 bond issue to cover its portion.
City Engineer Phil Gralik said Hobart approached INDOT to inquire if additional dollars could be designated for the project that will take Colorado Street over the railroad tracks near 69th Avenue. He said Hobart was told the grant won’t change because of the increasing costs.
He said that if the project remains the same, it will be on Hobart to come up with the funding to cover the rising price.
To address the cost, a redesign is in the works, and it could be done in coming weeks, Gralik said.
The initial plans for the bridge call for two lanes for vehicles, but its foundation would be built to accommodate a four-lane section if needed. Gralik said he wants to see options in which the foundation is trimmed down.
The overpass is an important project to Hobart for multiple reasons.
There are regular delays on Colorado Street because of the large number of trains that pass through that area. There’s also a track switching yard near that location, which can cause trains to block the crossing.
Building a bridge over the tracks will eliminate the delays, which is crucial for emergency personnel because Colorado Street is a main thoroughfare for ambulances and fire trucks.
Besides enhancing traffic flow, the overpass can help as more development comes to Hobart.
In June, officials said construction could start at the end of the year, and it would be a 12- to 18-month construction period.
Gralik said he doesn’t anticipate a design change will delay the project, but it’s a possibility.
PHOTOS: Lake County Public Library System marks 70 years of serving community
70th anniversary of the Lake County Public Library system
70th anniversary of the Lake County Public Library system
70th anniversary of the Lake County Public Library system
70th anniversary of the Lake County Public Library system
70th anniversary of the Lake County Public Library system
70th anniversary of the Lake County Public Library system
70th anniversary of the Lake County Public Library system
Their questions are more insightful than my answers
70th anniversary of the Lake County Public Library system
70th anniversary of the Lake County Public Library system
70th anniversary of the Lake County Public Library system
70th anniversary of the Lake County Public Library system
70th anniversary of the Lake County Public Library system
70th anniversary of the Lake County Public Library system
70th anniversary of the Lake County Public Library system
Mayor Brian Snedecor said the project is especially important for emergency personnel because that is a main thoroughfare for ambulances and fire trucks.
Because the lift station is “living on borrowed time,” there are concerns about a catastrophic failure there. If that happens, it could result in an environmental emergency.
The council on Wednesday unanimously approved a resolution supporting the department’s efforts to fight channel realignments within Lake County’s E-911 system.
As the project has been discussed in recent months, many residents have expressed concerns about traffic, the environment, crime, health and property values. | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/hobart/cost-of-hobart-bridge-project-estimated-to-increase-by-1-2-million/article_4013cd13-e2f9-53be-9532-751575a95465.html | 2022-08-14T15:52:47 | 1 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/hobart/cost-of-hobart-bridge-project-estimated-to-increase-by-1-2-million/article_4013cd13-e2f9-53be-9532-751575a95465.html |
VALPARAISO — Porter County Commissioner Jim Biggs, R-North, said he opposes spending $6.5 million to renovate and expand the Memorial Opera House.
“I think it’s irresponsible at best to even consider it,” Biggs said.
The county is at least $2 million in the red when it comes to maintaining roads each year, the county ambulance system doesn’t have a funding source and the results of a wage study aren’t in yet, he said. County employees are leaving for better-paying jobs elsewhere.
“It is the wrong project at the wrong time using the wrong amount of money,” Biggs said.
His heated comments came after resident Dawn Pelac criticized the Memorial Opera House plan at the recent Board of Commissioners meeting.
“You know that inflation is hurting us, right?” she asked.
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Commissioner Laura Blaney, D-South, corrected Pelac on the estimated cost. “It’s still a lot of money,” Blaney acknowledged. She still supports it, though.
“In a time of economic distress, community gathering and the arts are very important,” she said.
Blaney plans to ask the Porter County Foundation board — the three commissioners and the seven County Council members — to use interest money to pay for the project.
The plan calls for extensive work on the existing building, including masonry, plumbing, electrical and HVAC work, along with building a connector to join it with the 1861 Sheriff’s Residence next door. The Sheriff’s Residence, which formerly housed the Porter County Museum, would be used for storage and office space to create more room at the opera house.
“This is not about the county putting on productions,” resident John Glusac said. “This is about the county preserving an asset it already has.”
“Not addressing something new doesn’t save you money. It just costs you more” in the future, he said.
Glusac urged the commissioners to uphold the promise to veterans that the building would remain a place for the community to come together, he added.
“When did county government vote to be in the theater business? When did county government vote to be in the entertainment business?" Biggs asked.
Ticket sales, grants and the Memorial Opera House Foundation cover operating costs, Blaney said. The county owns and maintains the building.
“Nobody talking about this dislikes the opera house,” Biggs said. He wouldn’t oppose work to preserve the building without the connector included. “Public tax dollars shouldn’t be used to expand operations there,” he added.
Biggs suggested a public-private partnership be considered. “The whole conversation over the past year has just spun out of control,” he said.
Public outcry over a proposal to include the project in the county’s American Rescue Plan Act budget led Blaney to pull it from consideration for that purpose. It did qualify, though, Board of Commissioners President Jeff Good, R-Center, said.
County Councilwoman Sylvia Graham, D-at large, said the council asked for a specific study on county capital project needs. The most recent bond issue included renovating a string of county-owned buildings, but the jail, the county garage in Center Township and the opera house were excluded for possible consideration later.
“I’m uncertain why this is drawing such ire,” Graham said. “The longer we put this off, the more it’s going to cost.”
“Is there ever a good time for anything?” resident Linda Rodenbarger said. “I want it to stay forever.” | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/porter/commissioner-opposes-opera-house-spending-plan/article_2c273264-e89b-5a29-86d4-d293af2e5a08.html | 2022-08-14T15:52:53 | 0 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/porter/commissioner-opposes-opera-house-spending-plan/article_2c273264-e89b-5a29-86d4-d293af2e5a08.html |
A 14-year-old boy was arrested on murder charges two days after a teenage boy, also 14, was shot in a Bronx building lobby overnight.
Police responding to a call about a male shot on East 194th Street and Briggs Avenue in Fordham shortly after 1 a.m. Thursday found the teenager, later identified as Jacob Borbon of Radcliff Avenue, with a bullet wound in his chest, authorities say.
Video showed officers trying to help the teen. Borbon was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The preliminary investigation found he had been shot in a building lobby on East 194th Street. Surveillance video showed Borbon running in the street, just steps away from the apartment lobby — and moments later, he would collapse and die. A lone shoe belonging to the teen was left in the middle of the crime scene.
Officials did not release the identity of the alleged shooter -- due to the suspect's age. The department said faced charges of murder, manslaughter and criminal weapon possession.
Police say their investigation is ongoing, and they are looking into the possibility that it was an accidental shooting involving a group of people in the apartment lobby.
Borbon's address suggested he did not live at the location where he was shot, but the teen's stepfather said that he believes Borbon knew the shooter.
Local
"I’m pretty sure he did. Pretty sure he was with him and stuff like that. With the wrong crowd. Time will tell," said Victor Lopez. | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/14-year-old-boy-arrested-for-murder-of-teen-shot-dead-in-nyc-building-lobby/3823843/ | 2022-08-14T15:54:03 | 1 | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/14-year-old-boy-arrested-for-murder-of-teen-shot-dead-in-nyc-building-lobby/3823843/ |
A suspected drunk driver is under arrest after police said he hit and killed a woman on Long Island overnight.
Suffolk County police said Wade Gagliano was driving in Ronkonkoma when he ran down a woman walking, and didn't stop. It happened around 1:30 a.m. along Johnson Avenue.
The woman died at the scene.
Gagliano was later located by officers and taken into custody.
The 23-year-old Ronkonkoma man is facing DWI charges and leaving the scene of a deadly accident. Attorney information for the man was not immediately known.
Copyright NBC New York | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/23-year-old-drunk-driver-kills-woman-in-long-island-neighborhood-cops-ny-only/3823835/ | 2022-08-14T15:54:09 | 1 | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/23-year-old-drunk-driver-kills-woman-in-long-island-neighborhood-cops-ny-only/3823835/ |
WASHINGTON — A man died by suicide early Sunday morning after crashing his car into a barricade near the Capitol Building, firing several shots and then turning the gun on himself, Capitol Police said.
The incident happened just after 4 a.m. when a man drove his vehicle into a barricade at East Capitol Street and Second Street outside of the U.S. Capitol. When he got out of his car, it became "engulfed in flames," and he began firing several shots into the air, according to Capitol Police.
Officers immediately responded to the scene after hearing the sound of gunfire. Police say he turned the gun on himself when officers were approaching him, and fatally shot himself.
“At this time, it does not appear the man was targeting any members of Congress, who are on recess,” Capitol Police wrote in a statement. “It does not appear officers fired their weapon.”
Capitol police are investigating the man's background and what lead to the incident.
DC’s Metropolitan Police Department is handling the death investigation.
READ NEXT | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/man-dies-by-suicide-after-ramming-vehicle-near-us-capitol-barrier/65-325f5ce0-4c84-4b75-99c3-c442447d60e0 | 2022-08-14T15:54:09 | 0 | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/man-dies-by-suicide-after-ramming-vehicle-near-us-capitol-barrier/65-325f5ce0-4c84-4b75-99c3-c442447d60e0 |
As part of an effort to keep illegal drugs and other contraband out of state prisons, New York is taking away one of the few pleasures of life behind bars: It will no longer let people send inmates care packages from home.
Under the new policy, which the state began phasing in last month, friends and family aren't allowed to deliver packages in person during prison visits. They also won't be allowed to mail boxes of goodies unless those come directly from third-party vendors.
While the rule won't stop prisoners from getting items that can be ordered online, like a Snickers bar or a bag of Doritos, they will lose access to foods like home-cooked meals or grandma's cookies.
That's a letdown for people like Caroline Hansen, who for 10 years hand-delivered packages filled with fresh vegetables, fruits, and meats to her husband, who is serving a life sentence.
“When I first started bringing him packages, he said he loved avocados. He hadn’t had them in about 20 years,” said Hansen, a single mother of two who works as a waitress in Long Island.
“What breaks my heart is, I take for granted having a banana with my yogurt. Imagine never being able to eat a banana?” she added, saying her husband’s prison cafeteria serves bananas once a month, at most.
New York had been one of the few states in the nation that still allowed families to send packages to inmates from home. The rule is already in effect in a majority of state prisons.
News
Starting this month, the state prison system is also testing a program where inmates will be blocked from getting most letters sent on paper. Instead, incoming letters will be scanned by computer, and prisoners will get copies.
The change is being made to try and head off a trend of people soaking letters in drugs to smuggle them past authorities. Multiple states including Ohio, Wisconsin, Michigan, Nebraska and Pennsylvania, already photocopy incoming mail to prevent drugs from being delivered to inmates. The federal Bureau of Prisons began a similar practice in 2019.
New York's Department of Corrections and Community Supervision said in a statement that the two new policies are necessary to stop contraband.
Contraband has been smuggled into prisons in a number of ways: books laced with heroin, weapons and unauthorized electronics like phones hidden in packages, and letter mail soaked in drugs like methamphetamine or a synthetic cannabinoid, also known as K2.
When packages are received by a prison, officers remove the items from the box to inspect the items visually or through an X-ray machine. If there is reason for suspicion, officers are allowed to open sealed packages for further inspection.
Those checks, though, aren't perfect, and authorities believe items slip through.
Critics of the package ban questioned its effectiveness, noting that prohibited items are sometimes brought in by corrupt prison staff.
California stopped allowing people to send packages directly to inmates in 2003. Instead, inmates and families can order items through an approved vendor list provided by the state. In Florida, families also aren’t allowed to send packages from home.
Prisoner advocates and families of inmates say the package policy is too restrictive — and an added financial burden.
Wanda Bertram, a communications strategist at the Prison Policy Initiative, called prison food a “nutritional nightmare,” and said some incarcerated people rely on care packages to keep a healthy diet.
Relatives of inmates often rely on private vendors like Walkenhorst and Jack L. Marcus Company, which specialize in sending allowed goods to prisoners, but items bought from third-party vendors can be more expensive.
Before his release from Sing Sing Correctional Facility in New York, former prisoner Wilfredo Laracuente said he was able to order a 35-pound (16-kilogram) package for himself containing packaged cakes, cookies, chips, soaps, shampoo, and some toiletries.
It cost $230 — the kind of money most prisoners don't have.
“This is going to be the beginning of the end, where they stop everything under the guise of security and contraband,” said Laracuente, who served two decades in prison for murder and now facilitates workshops that help recently released inmates reintegrate into society. “What they’re doing is removing the human component that’s very vital and necessary for the reentry process.”
Even before the ban, families often complained that sending packages was unreliable.
Angelica Watson, whose husband and brother are both incarcerated, said she tried to send packages to them monthly, but food items didn't always make it through before they spoiled.
“Most of it was nonperishable items,” said Watson, who lives in Buffalo. “I tried to do fresh, but it wasn’t a good idea because they’d hold it in their storage rooms and it would go bad.”
Hansen, whose husband is serving time for killing a cab driver, said having to order goods through vendors that charge “ridiculous prices,” was no solution to the contraband problem.
“My husband basically thinks this is one more way to deprive him of his basic necessities," Hansen said.
More than 60 families of inmates sent grievance letters to New York Assemblymember David Weprin, the Democratic chair of the Assembly’s Committee on Correction. Weprin criticized the new policy.
The package restriction was first introduced in 2018 through a pilot program at three state prisons, where families could only send packages through a list of six preapproved online vendors. It was quickly rescinded by then-New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, because of public backlash and criticism.
___
Maysoon Khan is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Maysoon Khan on Twitter. | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/new-york-restricts-families-from-sending-packages-to-inmates/3823832/ | 2022-08-14T15:54:15 | 1 | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/new-york-restricts-families-from-sending-packages-to-inmates/3823832/ |
Editor's Note: This column is part of an occasional series updating the community on the progress of "The Future is Now" campaign to raise $750,000 for equipment for the Mason City High School fieldhouse and pool.
Thanks to the enthusiasm and financial support of many alumni, individuals, businesses, foundations, and memorials, our "The Future Is Now" capital campaign now has 411 contributors with a total of $1,021,587 in contributions/pledges. Any contributions received after September 1st, 2022 are certainly welcome but not guaranteed to be listed on the display board(s) in the new athletic facilities.
Mason City High School athletics has had 30 state championships and 15 coaches who have guided these teams to the championship. It has been suggested that we implement a program whereby a state championship coach can be honored with a display in our new athletic facilities. Consequently, we have initiated "Honoring the Coach" as part of our "The Future Is Now" capital campaign.
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Here are the guidelines. Money must be contributed to "Honoring the Coach" in the name of a particular coach. Once a minimum of $25,000 has been received in that coach's name, an attractive display will be designed and placed in the appropriate spot in our new athletic facilities.
Only coaches who have won a state championship are eligible to be honored and "Honoring the Coach" will be based on new contributions only. As contributions come in, each coach's account will be credited with that amount.
Contributions to "Honoring the Coach" can be made by going online to mohawksfuture.org, by picking up a brochure/contribution form at Hy-Vee East, Decker Sports, North Iowa Golf, or Wealth Partners all in Mason City, or by calling Phil Johnson at 641-425-2396 and an "Honoring the Coach" contribution form can either be emailed or mailed to you.
Regardless which method a person uses to contribute, it is very important that "Honoring the Coach" and the coach's name is on the contribution form in order to ensure proper credit.
Any questions please feel free to contact Phil Johnson at 641-425-2396.
Thanks to everyone for your great support! | https://globegazette.com/news/local/education/the-future-is-now-update-honoring-the-coach-contributions-being-accepted/article_de313d88-dd21-5813-9823-b3987f8a46ee.html | 2022-08-14T15:56:35 | 1 | https://globegazette.com/news/local/education/the-future-is-now-update-honoring-the-coach-contributions-being-accepted/article_de313d88-dd21-5813-9823-b3987f8a46ee.html |
When Megan Degenfelder was a kid, she used to tell her mother, “Mom, I love my country, I love my state.”
“And she was serious,” her mother, Cheryl Degenfelder, said on Wednesday morning around the dining room table at their family home in Casper. Degenfelder and her intern, Shannon VanReeth, had stopped over for a night while on the campaign trail.
To people who have known Degenfelder, it’s probably not surprising that she’s running for state superintendent of public instruction, one of Wyoming’s five statewide elected positions.
She started volunteering as a page at the Republican state conventions in junior high. She was the student body president at the University of Wyoming, where she got degrees in political science and business economics. She also worked for Sen. Cynthia Lummis’ campaign, and later interned in her Washington, D.C. office during her first year in Congress. After graduating, Degenfelder moved to Beijing, China to get her master’s degree in economics at the University of International Business and Economics. Since finishing school, she’s worked in various positions in the private oil, gas and coal industries, and as a chief policy officer with the Wyoming Department of Education.
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U.S. Sen. Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming has endorsed Megan Degenfelder's Republican candidacy for superintendent of public instruction.
Like other state superintendent candidates, Degenfelder has been on the road all summer, traveling to communities and visiting constituents across the state. She came in around 11 p.m. after attending a forum in Lusk the previous evening. During the campaign, she’s tried to make it back home to Laramie, where she lives with her husband, every Sunday.
“Even if I was in Newcastle, I’d wake up at like, 4 a.m., drive all the way back, go to church with my husband and go to lunch,” she said. “That was usually my plan to get home once a week.”
That’s been harder to do with the finish line for the primaries coming up on Tuesday.
6:30 a.m.
Degenfelder came to the door of her parents’ house wearing a black shirt, black heels, a blue pencil skirt and silver jewelry. Her makeup was already done. Her long blond hair hung down in arranged curls. She had her chihuahua, Loretta, tucked under one arm. A couple other dogs sauntered to the foyer to see what was going on.
“It’s kind of crazy around here,” she said. “Hopefully you all like dogs.”
Landscape paintings hung in the living room. An upright piano with family photos on top of it stood by the wall (Degenfelder plays). A chandelier descended above the dining room table. Sunlight came in from the back garden.
Her mother, father and VanReeth sat at the dining table drinking coffee. Two laptops were propped open in front of Degenfelder; she was trying to do her regular job as the government and regulatory affairs manager for Morningstar Partners Oil & Gas before going out for the day. She has continued to work while on the campaign trail.
“We’ve pulled over to parks before, and I’ve been on a conference call, pulled up a hotspot, you know, just doing it that way.”
That morning, she was sifting through hundreds of pages of the federal Inflation Reduction Act, trying to figure out what impact it would have on the company she works for. Degenfelder promotes herself as someone who has “fought back against the Obama and Biden Administrations” and “worked to lessen regulatory burdens” on Wyoming’s oil, gas and coal industries. Some of the revenue from those industries goes to funding Wyoming’s public education.
She had another laptop opened to look at candidates’ finance reports. The incumbent state superintendent candidate, Brian Schroeder, hadn’t yet filed his. “Not sure what the deal is with that,” she said. (His report came in later that day.)
Schroeder, who was appointed to the state superintendent position in January, is Degenfelder’s main opponent. Degenfelder applied for the position when former superintendent Jillian Balow, whom Degenfelder worked for, left the post to take a similar job in Virginia. But the Wyoming GOP didn’t choose her as one of the top three candidates, opting instead for Schroeder, former lawmaker Marti Halverson and American Military University political and military science department chair Thomas Kelly. Of the three, Gov. Mark Gordon then chose Schroeder to take the position.
A former top official at the Wyoming Department of Education announced Thursday she will run for superintendent of public instruction.
Schroeder and Degenfelder overlap quite a bit in their platforms; they emphasize more parental involvement in schools, they want to improve literacy rates, they support charter schools. Both have said they oppose teaching critical race theory (which isn’t currently taught in Wyoming public schools).
But Degenfelder said she wants to focus more on industry partnerships in education. And, as she makes a point to emphasize when talking to the public, she’s a sixth-generation Wyomingite who has lived in the state for most of her life. While some people see that as an advantage and others prefer to change things up with an outsider’s perspective, Degenfelder frequently points out her connections with Wyoming; one of her brochures has lines with red checkmarks next to them.
Sixth-generation Wyomingite, check.
Attended Wyoming public schools, check.
Graduate of the University of Wyoming, check.
“Sen. [Bill] Landen, I went to prom with his son. [Former Speaker of the House] Steve Harshman, conditioning ed coach when I was in high school,” she said. “I mean, it could be a double edged sword, right? Like, if I wanted to fake anything, they’d see right through me.”
9 a.m.
Degenfelder sat around a table at Metro Coffee with a group of local teachers. Some had kids with them. One bounced an infant on her lap. A stroller was parked next to the sofa. Iced drinks in plastic cups sat on the table. Everyone shuffled around to make more space every time another person arrived. As she talked with the teachers, Degenfelder intermittently scooted a bottle of apple juice with a straw in it away from the edge of the coffee table, where a toddler was attempting to grab it.
They talked about literacy.
“Early intervention is so important as a kindergarten-first grade teacher,” one teacher said.
“If we would work on just getting those kids to be proficient readers, then it’s smooth sailing.”
VanReeth smiled and made faces at one of the kids.
The teachers said they’ve been experiencing a lot of behavioral problems too, some of which they said are exacerbated by a lack of involvement and concern on the part of parents. But at the same time, some were concerned with parents becoming overly involved in the classroom.
“I think it’s a fine line with overstepping,” a teacher said. “It’s your child, but it’s also my classroom. We don’t want to be micromanaged by parents.”
Degenfelder looked at her and nodded.
“That’s where the communication is so huge,” she said.
“I’ve talked to parents that were kind of scarred from COVID, they were told they couldn’t enter the school. That leads to some distrust, and it falls in on teachers who had no control over masks, over any of those policies or anything. It’s made some parents skeptical or maybe fearful. So how do we open up those lines of communication again?”
One of Degenfelder’s first priorities as state superintendent, she has said, would be to “empower parents as the number one voice in their children’s education.” She was a proponent of the 2022 Civics Transparency Act, a bill that would have required teachers to list learning materials used in the classroom on a public platform. Educators said this would burden their time while proponents said parents have a right to more transparency in their kids’ education. The act failed to make it into law.
Degenfelder part listened, part promoted, part bounced her ideas, part answered questions. She talked fast. She raised her voice above the sound of blenders and coffee makers. Toward the end of the meeting, former superintendent Judy Catchpole joined (she endorsed Degenfelder along with big names like Sen. Cynthia Lummis and former Sen. Al Simpson, who recently received the Presidential Medal of Freedom). Some of the teachers started to leave. One of the kids, a girl who had complimented Degenfelder on her shoes, came and perched on her lap.
“Do you want to come to my election party?” Degenfelder asked the girl. “That’s when we’ll find out whether or not I won. I’m so nervous!”
Community members got to hear from GOP candidates for the Wyoming superintendent of public instruction position during an election forum in Casper. Here are the candidates' take on some issues.
10:30 a.m.
At the Casper Senior Center. VanReeth carried a basket filled with Degenfelder stickers and pamphlets and a Degenfelder tablecloth to the dining hall. The room was nearly empty. They spread the tablecloth and set out the pamphlets.
“What’s that say,” one man sitting at a table, eating his lunch, asked, looking at the tablecloth. He wore a camo-printed cap, a green shirt and jeans.
Degenfelder walked over to him, “It says Megan Degenfelder, state superintendent of public instruction.”
“Oh, tell me how you’re going to fix these problems,” the man said, and after she told him how she was going to fix some problems, he said: “Well now I’m gonna vote for you!”
“Well, I was going to vote for you anyway, but I wanted to make you feel good.” Then he turned to the near-empty room and raised his arms: “I met a real-life politician! She’s gonna be famous!”
1 p.m.
The space filled with the whir of drones. Kids flew them in adjacent rooms, in the hallway illuminated with colored paper lanterns. 3D printed objects – dragons, a dinosaur skull, a shark – decorated the front desk.
Degenfelder and VanReeth were taking a tour of Code Ninjas, a center where kids learn to code. One of the center’s owners, Sarah Romer, led Degenfelder and VanReeth to a room where three students were practicing with a drone. Degenfelder crossed her arms and fixed her eyes on the hovering aircraft. It lazed through the air then bumped against a wall and fell to the ground.
“That happens all the time,” Romer said. “That’s why we’ve got extra propellers.”
Degenfelder pushed for computer science education while she was chief policy officer at the Wyoming Department of Education. She helped add the subject to the Wyoming education “Basket of Goods” in 2018. That means all public schools in Wyoming have to offer some kind of computer science curriculum.
Out in the hallway, Degenfelder said, “My next question is, can I sign up for any of these classes?”
“I’ve pushed computer science really hard because I know that’s what industry wants, but I need to learn how to code too.”
Romer led Degenfelder and VanReeth to the back parking lot where the other owner, Thea True-Wells, was showing three kids how to fly a slightly bigger drone. True-Wells asked Degenfelder if she wanted to try and gave her a brief lesson: Hover. Pitch forward. Pitch backward. Pitch to the sides. Then she handed off the controller. Degenfelder took it a little reluctantly. The three students stood in a group to the side, assessing her skill.
“I’m not very smooth,” she said.
“Yeah …” one of the kids responded.
Former President Donald Trump endorsed State Superintendent of Public Instruction Brian Schroeder in his bid for election to the post.
5:30 p.m.
Degenfelder changed into black jeans, a blue shirt and cowboy boots for Casper’s Politics in the Park forum. A small crowd gathered in the sliver of shade near the bandshell, right up against all the campaign signs. Degenfelder put one hand in her jean pocket as she talked on stage.
She has a polished demeanor. Some people have criticized her for being a politician or a bureaucrat because of that and her past involvement in government spheres, although she’s tried to brand herself as someone who isn’t a politician.
“I am not a politician,” she wrote in her January cover letter for the state superintendent position. “I have never held public office, nor have I run for various other positions or seats. But this is exactly what I believe we need in leadership of our education and government systems — outside industry knowledge and experience.”
“I’m anything but a bureaucrat, I’ve spent most of my time in the private industry,” Degenfelder told the Star-Tribune the day after Lummis endorsed her. “There’s nothing further from the truth.”
The three candidates at the forum — Degenfelder, Schroeder, and Casper-based substitute teacher Jennifer Zerba — had two minutes each to answer a slew of questions from the moderator.
Degenfelder said on charter schools: “I’m a huge supporter of school choice.” On future mask mandates: “The decision of whether or not to mask a child lies one place and in one place only. That’s with parents.” On religion in the classroom: It’s “important to realize” a “balance” and make sure “we’re not discriminating on anyone’s religious freedom.” On teacher recruitment and retention: Add incentives and mentorship, reduce assessments, figure out why people don’t want to go into teaching. On teaching gender identity and pronouns: Discussions around these topics belong “within the home between a parent and a child.” On critical race theory and other “radical political ideologies”: They belong “nowhere near our classrooms.” On leaving federal lunch programs: “As someone who fights against the federal government for a living, I am always looking for ways that we can reduce our reliance on federal funds and federal programs.”
Being a moderate Republican candidate in Wyoming politics doesn't always win popularity. Republican candidate for schools superintendent Jennifer Zerba has learned that on the campaign trail.
VanReeth said earlier at the senior center that most of the questions they get from the public on the campaign trail are about critical race theory and U.S. Department of Agriculture funding for school nutrition programs.
Critical race theory is an academic framework for examining how racism is embedded in U.S. institutions and society. In May, the USDA announced a new requirement to include protections against discrimination based of sexual orientation and gender identity in nondiscrimination policies and signage. That impacts Wyoming schools that get money through the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service for meal programs.
A lot of those discussions, VanReeth said, are about clearing up some misconceptions about these two topics. People are worried that critical race theory is taught in classrooms, but it isn’t taught in Wyoming’s public schools.
“I’m 100% against critical race theory,” Degenfelder said. “But I also realize there’s a lot of other issues that matter, and so we’re going to take care of that and we’re not gonna focus on issues that aren’t as prevalent in Wyoming.”
As for the USDA funding, some people think that it will impact who can use what bathrooms, who can enter what locker rooms. But it doesn’t. It’s meant to give LGBTQ students an avenue for filing a complaint if, say, they’re denied a meal within a Food and Nutrition Service program.
Wyoming's schools leader suggested a federal nondiscrimination update on gender and sexual orientation would impact pronouns and locker rooms, when the guidance he received behind-the-scenes indicated otherwise.
“There’s nothing in there that has anything to do with sharing showers or locker rooms,” Degenfelder said. “There’s nobody in this state that would allow for that. So I’m not going to create fear in communities where it doesn’t exist. I know how to fight the federal government and I know how to do it effectively. I will do that when the time comes.”
“And I don’t like people who move into the state and bring those issues with them,” Degenfelder added. “You come into my state, and you try to bring these issues and make them real in Wyoming, and we know how to do things better here. We’ve been doing it for a long time.”
The sun sat low. The crowd dispersed. Candidates picked up their signs.
Degenfelder and VanReeth got in the car and drove home. | https://trib.com/news/local/education/on-the-campaign-trail-with-schools-superintendent-megan-degenfelder/article_075f247c-1a45-11ed-a3d5-93fdbf28e6ed.html | 2022-08-14T16:00:56 | 0 | https://trib.com/news/local/education/on-the-campaign-trail-with-schools-superintendent-megan-degenfelder/article_075f247c-1a45-11ed-a3d5-93fdbf28e6ed.html |
Rock Springs Democrat Rep. Chad Banks got an email from the Wyoming Department of Education on July 6. Attached to it was a vision statement titled “Lead the Nation” from State Superintendent of Public Instruction Brian Schroeder. Banks opened the document and started to read it. Then he closed the document and drafted up a short reply:
“Sadly, I couldn’t stomach reading this entire thing,” he wrote.
He had gotten to the middle of page three in the eight-page, single-spaced document and hit a line that says “it is alarming how many schools in this country have become some of the most toxic places on earth for a kid to have to endure.” (He clarified, after some grumblings from the public when he said this at a charter school meeting in Cheyenne, that he was referring not to Wyoming schools, but to schools around the nation). Further down, on page seven, Schroeder wrote that students can “attain celebrity status by declaring a trans identity.” That, he said, combined with “the intoxicating influence of social media where trans activists push the idea that starting a course of testosterone will cure a girl’s problems — and truly, you have the perfect storm.”
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“I stopped reading there,” Banks said in his email.
Aside from a couple exceptions in Wyoming’s past (read: Cindy Hill), the state superintendent of public instruction post isn’t associated with the drama that people might expect from other elected positions.
But Schroeder, to the applause of some and the denouncement of others, has put himself at the helm of what he describes as a cultural battle to preserve Wyoming schools and return to the “purpose of education,” which he says is to “to learn to think.” He has criticized the “evangelists of secularism.” He’s encouraged crowds to “push back against the cultural currents.” He’s warned of a “virus” that is “spreading fast.” He’s denounced “gender ideology,” “critical race activists” and what he sees as efforts of “social engineering.”
Topics typically handled by state superintendents, like student achievement and student outcomes, haven’t historically been partisan, said Brian Farmer, executive director of the Wyoming School Board Association.
“This race is quite different in that the issues that we’re seeing in education today are much more partisan than what you’ve seen historically,” he said. “This is so highly politically charged. Superintendent Schroeder has taken a more partisan stand on issues. It’s unusual for a state superintendent of public instruction to be delving in the middle of so many political issues and to be weighing in on these battles that in many cases are national in scope, they aren’t really Wyoming issues.”
Wyoming’s state superintendent race typically draws little attention compared to other races. This year is different, particularly following former President Donald Trump’s endorsement of Schroeder’s candidacy earlier this month.
“It was a big surprise but also a tremendous honor,” Schroeder said in an email to the Star-Tribune.
“He is of course a very polarizing figure — people either love him or hate him — but however you feel about him, he is the reason Roe v. Wade got overturned, given those three Supreme Court appointments,” Schroeder went on. “For me, being passionately pro-life, that alone makes his endorsement worth its weight in gold.”
Some look at Schroeder with admiration for being outspoken on these topics, so much so that one Republican candidate for state superintendent, Thomas Kelly, who chairs the American Military University political and military science department, dropped out of the race to cast his vote for him.
“Brian is the only other candidate who really seems to get the federal government attempts to influence Wyoming through monetary policy, and he’s more likely to win than I am,” Kelly told the Star-Tribune the day after he dropped out. “It didn’t make any sense for me to stay in for my own personal ego.”
Others see his messaging as destructive or irrelevant to real issues at hand in Wyoming education.
“They’re national, hot button issues of the evangelical right,” Gail Symons, a Sheridan-based politico and owner of the nonpartisan blog Civics307, said of Schroeder’s talking points. “They ignore the way Wyoming is set up.”
***
Schroeder hasn’t been in Wyoming for long. He was born in St. Louis, Missouri, and grew up in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin, with his brother, sister and single mother. He got a bachelor’s degree in theology, speech and pastoral studies at Maranatha Baptist University in Wisconsin.
Then he wandered for a bit. He took a teaching position at a parochial school in Southern California. Then he moved back to Wisconsin with his wife and kids and taught at a school in Williams Bay, then at a school in Fort Atkinson. He got his master’s in professional counseling at Liberty University. He transitioned to working in pastoral ministry for several years. Then he became a family and youth counselor who worked with abused and neglected teenagers at Rawhide Youth Services, formerly Rawhide Boys Ranch, a faith-based nonprofit organization. That organization went through a financial crisis and Schroeder’s job was cut. Around the same time, the headmaster position at Veritas Academy, a private Christian school in Cody, opened up. Schroeder relocated his family in June 2020 to take it.
Some people say that his limited time in Wyoming is a disadvantage, particularly when comparing his experience with that of his main opponent, Morningstar Partners Oil & Gas Government and Regulatory Affairs Manager Megan Degenfelder, who previously worked for the Wyoming Department of Education and has lived in Wyoming for most of her life.
The state superintendent position requires more than just knowing about Wyoming education; state superintendents also serve on several boards, such as the State Loan and Investment Board, which includes Gov. Mark Gordon, Treasurer Curt Meier, Secretary of State Ed Buchanan and Auditor Kristi Racines.
“On the SLIB board, he would fall short,” Rob Hendry, Natrona County Commissioner candidate, said on Wednesday following the state superintendent forum at Casper’s Politics in the Park.
Others like that he’s a newcomer.
“I think he brings some common sense into the equation,” Vince Vinata, Park County GOP State Committeeman and District 5 representative, said.
“He’s able to get by the cronyism that has taken place in this state over the past century and a half. I think Brian definitely changes the balance on that.”
Sen. Charles Scott, R-Casper, is more in the middle on this.
“He’s been in Wyoming long enough, he understands the basics pretty well,” Scott said. “He’s had a lifetime in education one way or another, and he’s made an effort to learn.”
Scott said he’s “very impressed” with both Schroeder and Degenfelder (he donated to both of their campaigns).
“Now, he doesn’t have the depth that Megan Degenfelder would have,” Scott added, regarding Schroeder. (Schroeder noted, however, that he outdoes Degenfelder in terms of actual classroom teaching experience, having been a teacher for over 17 years).
Schroeder has supported Scott’s efforts to bring more charter schools to Wyoming. Charter schools are funded with state money. They don’t charge tuition and they’re still accountable to state performance standards like traditional public schools. But they’re nonprofit organizations, and they’re subject to fewer regulations compared to traditional public schools.
Schroeder and Degenfelder are both big proponents of charter schools; they say it’s good to offer more school options for kids to learn in different ways. Opponents of charter schools say they could siphon money away from traditional public schools. And some are worried about what they see as the potential religious overtones of Wyoming Classical Academy and Cheyenne Classical Academy, two proposed charter schools slated to open in fall 2023, if successful in their applications for charters; the two schools are “Member School Candidates” of Hillsdale College, a conservative Christian liberal arts college in Michigan that has opened charter schools across the country. (Under Wyoming’s constitution, public schools are required to be secular).
When asked recently at a Casper forum about his views on religion in the classroom, Schroeder said that schools should be preparing kids for a society that believes in religious freedom.
“That means kids shouldn’t have to be nervous about bringing their Bibles to school, or the coach didn’t have to be nervous about praying with his kids, or the valedictorian shouldn’t have to be nervous about when she gets up at graduation and saying a prayer or talking about her faith,” he said.
“Our founding fathers envisioned our society as being neither secular nor sectarian,” Schroeder said in an email to the Star-Tribune. “Religious freedom was sacrosanct to those early Americans, and though less so today in much of American society, it is still sacrosanct to the majority of the people of Wyoming. And it should be. Why? For a myriad of reasons, but one of the big ones is as Dostoevsky said, ‘If there is no God, everything is permissible.’”
***
Cody, where Schroeder used to live before moving to Cheyenne, is in Park County, a particularly conservative area in a particularly conservative state. Schroeder became involved with the Park County GOP rather quickly; the summer after he and his family moved to the area, he was invited to give a speech at the group’s annual Freedom Celebration. His speech there caught the attention of Park County GOP Chairman Martin Kimmet, now Schroeder’s friend.
“I was very impressed,” Kimmet said.
Schroeder’s message, per Kimmet’s interpretation, was that Wyoming’s superintendent is the main person in the state who makes sure that education is “all about the children.”
“It’s not about the government. It’s not about the feds. It’s not about money. It’s all about the children, and the parents have rights to guide that. The school board isn’t supposed to guide that, the parents are supposed to guide the school board,” Kimmet said.
Schroeder has repeatedly emphasized that he wants to prioritize the role of parents in education.
“School board members are agents and representatives of the parents; the buck does not stop with them,” he said at a recent forum in Casper. “The parents are the owners of the school.”
Kimmet said he also admires Schroeder for being a person who is “very spiritual.”
“Our Lord is very, very important, probably the most important thing,” he said. “He’s very humble, very, very humble, which I think is probably as good a trait as any man can have.”
***
Schroeder didn’t intend to become Wyoming’s state superintendent. But then former state superintendent Jillian Balow left the position in January to take a similar job in Virginia. The Wyoming Republican Party Central Committee had 15 days to submit three candidates for Gov. Mark Gordon’s consideration. Kimmet and others asked Schroeder if he’d apply. Schroeder made it into the top three, beating out Degenfelder who came in fourth. Gordon appointed Schroeder to the position on Jan. 27.
His first months as state superintendent were filled with the legislative session, meeting legislative interns and teachers of the year and Milken Award recipients, gathering in the governor’s official ceremonial conference room for the signing of education bills and traveling around the state to visit school districts. On March 21, he formally announced that he would run for the state superintendent position.
He started working with the education department on launching a teacher apprenticeship initiative, meant to lower barriers for people who want to become teachers and hopefully alleviate Wyoming’s teacher shortage crisis (the apprenticeship is piloting in three districts this fall). He said in an email that they’re planning to launch a literacy campaign “to address the literacy dilemma once and for all” and looking at ways to link high school career technical education programs and the hospitality-tourism industry to provide more opportunities for kids who want to go into the field. His weekly updates covered pretty routine topics: teacher job satisfaction, the apprenticeship program, the literacy campaign, a school leader training program, spotlights for Wyoming teachers, overviews of his travels to school districts.
Then on June 3, Schroeder issued a statement on a new federal nondiscrimination requirement. It directs all entities that get money from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service to update nondiscrimination policies and signage to include protections against discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation. Wyoming schools get money from the Food and Nutrition Service for meal programs. Noncompliance could impact that funding.
“Though unsurprising, it is nonetheless both disheartening and astounding that our federal government could become so cynical as to tie the school lunches of little kids to its ever-relentless agenda of social engineering,” he said in the statement. In a follow-up statement, he called for Wyoming to reject the federal funds and put school meals on its own tab. In another statement on June 22, Schroeder said that “we will not allow boys in girls’ locker rooms” and warned that Washington “will be back (i.e. boys in girls sports, forced usage of pronouns, etc.)”
The new USDA requirement is meant to give LGBTQ students an avenue to file a complaint if they experience discrimination base on their gender identity or sexual orientation within a Food and Nutrition Service program. It doesn’t impact things like who can use what bathrooms or locker rooms. Emails that the Star-Tribune obtained through a records request show that internal guidance Schroeder was receiving at the time said the same.
Several members of the public reached out to Schroeder about his statements on the USDA nondiscrimination requirement. One of them was a high school teacher and parent of an LGBTQ student.
“I feel your position is bigoted and puts my child and students like her at risk,” the parent wrote in the email.
“If you put a gun to my head and asked me to name the past three superintendents, I couldn’t do it,” the parent, who asked to remain anonymous to maintain privacy, told the Star-Tribune. “They’ve all just been kind of innocuous figureheads. I’m kind of afraid that his boldness to make this kind of political statement will embolden others.”
Others thanked him for the statements.
“I (and many other parents!!) are extraordinarily upset at the possibility that gender identity politics might be forced upon our schools,” one parent wrote.
When the Star-Tribune asked Schroeder what steps he had taken to learn about LGBTQ students in Wyoming, he responded that when speaking with students he does “not inquire as to their sexuality.”
“I would challenge him to work with the folks at Wyoming Equality, to sit down with parents and students who are members of the LGBTQ+ community and learn about the challenges they face, learn about why they are identifying as they’re identifying,” Banks, the lawmaker who responded to Schroeder’s vision statement, said. “And it’s not to stick it to mom, it’s not to gain some celebrity status.”
In another statement from July, Schroeder called on the Wyoming Legislature to enact a law similar to Florida’s Parental Rights in Education Act which, among other things, bars classroom discussion about sexual orientation and gender identity in certain grades.
“As I’ve criss-crossed this state over the past six months, the message from the parents of Wyoming is overwhelming and indelibly clear: ‘Stop sexualizing our kids!’” he said in the statement. “Whether it’s drag queen story time, defending pornography on our library shelves or undermining parents’ values in the classroom via gender ideology, an inordinate number of the parents of this state are extremely frustrated, angry and scared.”
“At the state level, we’re seeing more and more of these national dog whistle kind of items brought forward that really aren’t applicable in Wyoming,” Banks said. “We’re seeing more and more people trying to gain traction by using those national issues.”
***
Rep. Cathy Connolly, D-Laramie, noted that the topics Schroeder discussed in his vision statement are “overwhelmingly not on the interim list,” the list of topics that the Legislature mulls over between legislative sessions. She emphasized that Wyoming needs to figure out school funding, how to bring schools into the 21st century, whether or not the state could or should make early education more available, what the state can learn from the pandemic.
Others see differently.
“He’s standing up for the voters of Wyoming, saying we will direct our own schools, D.C. will not direct our schools,” Kelly told the Star-Tribune the day after he dropped out of the race to vote for Schroeder.
“He’s executing the role exactly how you’re supposed to as an elected representative of the people.”
(Schroeder is in a unique position in this regard since he was appointed, not elected.)
“He can make decisions that are not necessarily popular,” Vinata, the Park County GOP Committeeman, said. “I mean, look at the funding issue with USDA recently. Yeah, got a lot of people concerned, didn’t it? But he made the unpopular decision. And I liked that. Leadership. And that’s what we need in our state is leadership.”
In an email, Schroeder pointed to his efforts around the teacher apprenticeship program, the literacy campaign, career technical education and a statewide Schools Leaders Training Regimen as ways that he’s focused on issues internal to Wyoming.
“But given the co-dependent relationship between the states and the feds financially, as well as the enmeshed relationship between the federal government, the education establishment and the social engineers, one cannot avoid the national/cultural scene because it affects everything we do here in our schools (a la the USDA Title IX School Lunch mandate, pertinent Supreme Court decisions, etc.),” he wrote in the email.
At the Casper forum on Wednesday, Schroeder at times came near to tears talking about Wyoming schools and his desire to “push back against cultural currents” to keep them the way they are.
“I’ve had the chance as a superintendent of public instruction visiting over 20 districts, and almost everyone without exception, I walk out inspired and my cup full thinking this is the way schools used to be in America.”
That, he said, is worth protecting and preserving. | https://trib.com/news/local/education/the-perfect-storm-the-schools-superintendents-push-against-culture-and-bid-for-election/article_eef20a1c-1a53-11ed-8442-eff263ea6425.html | 2022-08-14T16:01:02 | 0 | https://trib.com/news/local/education/the-perfect-storm-the-schools-superintendents-push-against-culture-and-bid-for-election/article_eef20a1c-1a53-11ed-8442-eff263ea6425.html |
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – A man in his twenties is dead, after a shooting in Old Town early Sunday morning.
Wichita police got a call of shots fired around 1:30 a.m. just north of Mosley and East Douglas.
When officers got to the scene, they found a man in his twenties who had been shot.
EMS tried to revive him but he died at the scene.
So far, they have not located a suspect and are still trying to determine what happened.
“We don’t know where it started. We are still looking to cameras that are inside the clubs. We’re talking to the clubs, trying to figure where the victim was located prior to the shooting,” said Lt. Keith Fort with WPD.
WPD talked to several witnesses but some people left before they arrived.
Police ask that anyone with information call 911 or call crime stoppers at (316)267-2911. | https://www.ksn.com/news/local/one-man-killed-in-old-town-shooting/ | 2022-08-14T16:07:45 | 1 | https://www.ksn.com/news/local/one-man-killed-in-old-town-shooting/ |
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Saturday announced the activation of state resources ahead of possible tropical weather in South Texas.
"The National Hurricane Center expects very low potential for a tropical cyclone to develop from a cluster of showers and thunderstorms off the Texas coast, and threats into next week include significant rainfall and flash flooding," the Governor's Office said in a release.
The Texas Department of Emergency Management is activating several resources, including boat rescue assets. The following resources have also been placed on standby:
- Crews and incident management teams from the Texas A&M Forest Service
- Severe weather packages from the Texas Department of State Health Services Emergency Medical Task Force
- Road monitoring resources from the Texas Department of Transportation
- A search and rescue aircraft with hoist capability and the Tactical Marine Unit from the Texas Department of Safety and Texas Highway Patrol
- Resources to monitor power outages and coordinate with utility providers from the Public Utility Commission
"The State of Texas is proactively initiating preparedness measures in anticipation of heavy rainfall for our coastal and South Texas communities," said Governor Abbott. "State agencies are monitoring the developing weather conditions along the coast and preparing comprehensive response measures. I urge Texans in these regions to remain weather-aware and follow the direction of local authorities to ensure their own safety and the safety of their loved ones."
More information can be found on the Texas Department of Emergency Management's website. | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/texas/texas-resources-tropical-weather-gov-abbott/285-0944fabc-0575-42bd-b819-0c651829c827 | 2022-08-14T16:10:11 | 0 | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/texas/texas-resources-tropical-weather-gov-abbott/285-0944fabc-0575-42bd-b819-0c651829c827 |
BLOOMINGTON — The term "penny pincher" may evoke an image of Ebenezer Scrooge counting stacks of money by candlelight. But to collectors of elongated coins, it is one of several names for machines that flatten coins and emboss them with a design. They are found mainly at tourist attractions, museums and recreation areas.
Candace Summers, senior director of education at the McLean County Museum of History, is an avid collector of elongated pennies. She wanted to acquire a penny pincher for the museum to provide visitors with an inexpensive souvenir and an interactive experience.
Her wish was granted in 2014 when generous gifts from Beer Nuts and Illinois State University covered the cost of purchasing a machine.
There are upward of 3,500 such machines in the United States, many of which offer multiple designs. Even the most dedicated collectors are "hard-pressed" to obtain all of them and frequently concentrate on a specialty area such as wildlife or famous landmarks. Their "squishin' missions" take them across the country to complete their collections.
The modern penny-flattening machine has its roots in the late Middle Ages when the rolling mill was invented for making jewelry. Comprising two steel rollers that turned in tandem on gears within a frame, the mill replaced the labor-intensive process of hammering metals. The rollers were adjustable to accommodate varying thicknesses — most often gold ingots or rods — and compress them into sheets or wire.
A Venetian jeweler is believed to be the first person, in 1818, to feed coins into a rolling mill. They bore a faint trace of the specimens’ original markings.
Next came steam-powered mills that were around as early as 1833. But it was not until 1893 at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago that a jeweler's mill on display in the Electricity Building started a craze that thrives to this day.
Even with an abundance of innovations to marvel at — the elevator, the zipper, the Ferris wheel, Wrigley's chewing gum, and Cracker Jack, to name a few — visitors flocked to see the hand-cranked machine that flattened coins into ovals. Part of the appeal was the theatrical experience of watching a seemingly indestructible coin change shape.
This version of the rolling mill had a new feature. One of the rollers was engraved with a design that imprinted the image into the coin. Instead of an almost-blank oval, the penny or nickel emerged with the words, "Columbian Exposition 1893" embossed on it.
For the cost of a nickel plus the coin that was to be flattened, fairgoers walked away with a compact memento of their visit. Today, some elongated Indian-head pennies from that world's fair fetch $30 to $40 and nickels over $100.
The rolling of "elongateds" was immensely popular from 1893 until 1916 and then tapered off for about 16 years for reasons that are unclear.. No one is certain of the reason, but Americans were dealing with the 1918-1919 flu pandemic, the aftermath of World War I, the Great Depression and other weighty issues during this period.
It wasn't until around 1932 that there was a noticeable increase in their use. Another uptick occurred in 1976 when collectors clamored for commemorative material from the U.S. Bicentennial.
Numismatists (those who study and collect coins) refer to elongateds as "exonumia," or oddball coins that do not fit the standard definition of money and that cannot be used as legal tender. Besides elongated coins, items in this category include tokens, badges, tags and wooden nickels.
In 1894, the American Numismatic Society recognized the Columbian Exposition elongated coins in a bulletin of its American Journal of Numismatics.
Creating elongated coins is legal in the United States. U.S. Code Title 18, Chapter 17, Section 331 prohibits "the mutilation, diminution, and falsification of United States coinage." It makes an exception for coins that are not used fraudulently. Because elongated coins are made mainly as souvenirs, mutilation for this purpose is permitted.
Pennies are the most used coins in modern smashing machines as they are thin, easy to emboss, and the lowest U.S. denomination. However, not all pennies are created equal as their composition has changed over the years.
In 1962, the U.S. Mint began using a mixture of zinc and copper and since 1982 has manufactured zinc discs coated with pure copper. Post-1982 pennies sometimes display white streaks when pressed, so purists use coins minted before that year.
There is another way to flatten a penny — by placing it on a railroad track and letting a train do the work. A popular myth is that a penny on the track can cause a train to derail.
While this is false, the practice can still be quite dangerous. Metal debris from the penny or the penny itself can fly off the track like a missile and injure someone in its path.
A better and safer way to experience the fun of creating a pressed penny is to visit the Cruisin' with Lincoln on 66 Visitors Center and Gift Shop at the McLean County Museum of History, which is on track to create nearly 1,400 pressed pennies this year.
For two quarters and one penny, visitors can select one of four designs representing the museum, the visitors center, Beer Nuts, and Illinois State University's mascot, Reggie Redbird. The gift shop also carries Penny Passports, bracelets, and pendants to display the flattened penny.
But please don't try to pay for them with a wooden nickel. | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/history/flattening-pennies-for-souvenirs-dates-back-130-years/article_f5d723a0-1902-11ed-b1a1-43535e97d64d.html | 2022-08-14T16:12:40 | 0 | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/history/flattening-pennies-for-souvenirs-dates-back-130-years/article_f5d723a0-1902-11ed-b1a1-43535e97d64d.html |
Two individuals died after a car blew a red light and struck another vehicle in West Philadelphia early Sunday morning, authorities said.
The crash took place at the intersection of 52nd and Walnut Streets around 3 a.m., Philadelphia police accident investigators said.
A driver in a black Dodge was driving northbound on 52nd Street driving at a high speed when it blew through the red light, striking a silver Hyundai Sonata traveling westbound on Walnut Street, accident investigators said.
Two out of three people in the silver Hyundai were pronounced dead. One was listed in critical condition, investigators said.
Five people traveling in the Dodge reported injuries. One person remains in critical condition, police said.
The Dodge driver was held Sunday morning for possible charges, police said. | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/2-dead-6-injured-in-west-philly-crash/3334972/ | 2022-08-14T16:17:29 | 0 | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/2-dead-6-injured-in-west-philly-crash/3334972/ |
BOISE — Sixteen Idaho cities have rejected a combined $700,000 in federal coronavirus rescue money, and one city that accepted $550,000 might have to return it if it doesn’t approve spending it.
It’s a small part of the $5.74 billion Idaho received in the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act signed by President Joe Biden in 2021. But it can be a significant amount for some Idaho cities.
Many elected officials at the 16 small cities are volunteers or receive token payments. Some officials said they have been confused about allowed uses for the money or strings attached. Others said the cost of administering and tracking the money outweighs the benefit. Some didn’t appear to have the staff or expertise to evaluate federal guidelines for using the money. One mayor said the city declined because they didn’t want to declare a health emergency and impose a mask mandate, neither of which was required.
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Guidance from the federal government came in late, but it allows cities that receive less than $10 million to consider the relief money as lost revenue. That means it can be used just as the city would spend revenue it received as part of its general operations.
Most of Idaho’s roughly 200 cities have accepted the money, a total of about $232 million. Idaho’s nine largest cities received a combined $124 million directly from the U.S. Treasury, with Boise topping that list at $37 million.
The remaining smaller cities received a combined $108 million distributed by the state. But the 16 cities either rejected the money or didn’t respond to letters, emails or phone calls from state officials.
Of the 16 cities that haven’t taken the money, the south-central Idaho city of Hansen with a population of about 1,400 is leaving the most on the table at about $276,000. But Mayor Joe Ratto said he wants to give it another look now that it’s clear the money could be used for infrastructure projects. The city has an annual budget of about $1 million, he said.
“We could still use it because we’ve still got to do upgrades,” he said. “We can upgrade water. We can upgrade sewer. I believe we can upgrade playgrounds. All three of those things we’re working on now to upgrade. We’re just a small town trying to make things work.”
Alex Adams, Idaho Division of Financial Management administrator, said the $700,000 is in the state treasury, and the state has asked U.S. Treasury officials how to return it. It’s not clear if cities that declined their share could still get it if they changed their minds.
The tiny city of Hope on the shore of Lake Pend Oreille in northern Idaho turned down about $21,000. The town has about 100 residents.
“All the red tape, and we’re a small town,” Mayor Bob Breen said. “The added cost of just monitoring when the money is handed out. It takes hours and hours of time. Those are real dollars being paid for that.”
The northern Idaho town of Wardner, population 250, declined $38,000.
“My understanding was you had to declare a mask mandate and a COVID emergency,” Mayor Joe Guardipee said. “We’re a small community, and we didn’t feel that was necessary.”
Guardipee said it wasn’t a political decision, and the city accepted a $68,000 grant from the state to improve broadband that came from federal coronavirus relief funds.
Spirit Lake in the Idaho Panhandle accepted about $545,000, but the city council has declined to spend it. Mayor Jeremy Cowperthwaite said outsiders who don’t live in the area show up at city council meetings to argue against using the federal money that Cowperthwaite hopes to use on badly needed water and sewer projects.
“As mayor, I would prefer to accept the money and use it wherever Spirit Lake needs to use it,” he said. “It would be the fiscally responsible way to use it, in my opinion.”
The city has an annual budget of about $6.75 million. It needs a new well to meet the demand for water and two more to meet expected growth. It also needs to buy land to expand its sewage treatment capacity.
Island Park, a city of about 300 in eastern Idaho’s vacation area not far from Yellowstone National Park, declined about $57,000,
“We had the attorney look over things, and there was nothing we could use it for,” said City Clerk Reeca Marotz.
She said the city has no public works department because Fremont County takes care of the sewer and all the water comes from private wells.
Other cities that declined the relief money are Acequia ($28,608), Clayton ($1,721), Drummond ($3,442), Hamer ($22,370), Huetter ($24,091), Irwin ($53,129), Onaway ($40,438), Parker ($62,593), Placerville ($12,260), Reubens ($13,766), Swan Valley ($52,699) and Warm River ($645). | https://magicvalley.com/news/local/idaho-cities-decline-federal-coronavirus-relief-money/article_4e9469e2-199b-11ed-85e3-ab8a8178da73.html | 2022-08-14T16:17:44 | 1 | https://magicvalley.com/news/local/idaho-cities-decline-federal-coronavirus-relief-money/article_4e9469e2-199b-11ed-85e3-ab8a8178da73.html |
Five health clinics that serve rural Idaho communities will receive a total of about $3.6 million in emergency grants to use for costs related to COVID-19 and to continue providing medical care to rural Idahoans, according to a news release Thursday from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Terry Reilly Health Services will receive $1 million in funding for a clinic in Homedale. The grant will expand access in Owyhee County to primary care, dental, behavioral and pharmaceutical care, COVID-19 testing and vaccinations, as well as COVID-19 treatment when available. The nonprofit operates free clinics around southwest Idaho, including its clinic at 108 E. Idaho Ave. in Homedale.
The Nez Perce Tribe will receive $1 million to help pay for construction of a facility that will offer COVID-19 testing and vaccination. It will also provide beds and urgent medical care to tribal and non-tribal patients. Medical centers in the area have “severe overcrowding conditions” and lack bed capacity because of the pandemic, according to the news release. There also will be an assisted living facility near the existing Nimiipuu Health Clinic, the release said. Nimiipuu offers care in Lapwai and Kamiah.
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The Adams County Health Center will receive $1 million to replace, upgrade and update its clinic, the only community health center in Adams County. The center was built in 1961. It has an outdated floorplan and “unending astronomical repair costs,” the news release said. The new facility will have more patient care rooms, expanded pharmacy space and room for vision and dental care.E
Valor Health, formerly known as the Walter Knox Memorial Hospital, will receive $447,325 to help reimburse losses resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. The Emmett hospital will use the money for costs associated with COVID-19 and to support staffing, equipment, supplies and overall health care.
The Shoshone-Bannock Tribe will receive $112,475 to establish monoclonal antibody treatments for COVID-19 at the Shoshone-Bannock Community Health Center in Fort Hall. The grant will pay for medical personnel, medical testing supplies, an ultrasound machine that can screen for blood clots, a laptop and other supplies.
“These Emergency Rural Health Care Grants are monumental for Idaho and the impacted communities who will now be able to build, renovate, and equip their health facilities as a result of this support,” Rudy Soto, USDA Rural Development director for Idaho, said. “These grants are going to meaningfully improve the health and well-being of rural Idahoans that have long lacked access to high-quality and reliable healthcare services.” | https://magicvalley.com/news/local/idaho-rural-health-clinics-to-receive-3-6-million-in-usda-emergency-grants/article_50c84a94-1a81-11ed-8268-a37c18558472.html | 2022-08-14T16:17:50 | 0 | https://magicvalley.com/news/local/idaho-rural-health-clinics-to-receive-3-6-million-in-usda-emergency-grants/article_50c84a94-1a81-11ed-8268-a37c18558472.html |
New nationwide data shows Idaho ranks among the best in the country for economic well-being, family and community factors, but also shows increasing anxiety and depression rates among children and low education scores.
The 2022 Kids Count data is published annually by the Annie E. Casey Foundation to measure the health and well-being of children and families across all 50 states. The rankings are largely compiled through data from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey and the U.S. Department of Education.
The partner for Kids Count in Idaho is Idaho Voices for Children. Director Christine Tiddens said the data book is usually released in early June, but the delay surrounding the 2020 census also delayed the release of the data book.
The Kids Count report includes 16 indicators across four categories: economic well-being, education, health and community. Out of the 16, 11 of Idaho’s indicators improved since 2020.
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“What I interpret that to mean is that our advocacy is working,” Tiddens said. “It also shows that Idaho fared pretty well through COVID and the recession, especially compared to other states.”
Idaho ranked 14th in the nation for economic well-being, with 14% of Idaho children living in households with an income below the poverty line — down from 26% in 2008. The state ranked ninth for family and community factors, with 24% of children living in single-parent homes, compared to 34% nationwide, and just 2% of children living in high-poverty areas. In 2008, 5% of Idaho children were living in high-poverty areas, compared to 9% of children nationally.
The number of children living in a home with a caregiver who does not have a high school diploma has also dropped from 12% in 2008 to 9% in 2020, and the teen birth rate in Idaho is less than half of what it was in 2010, dropping from 33% to 15%.
Data: Nearly 13% of Idaho Latino high school students attempted suicide in 2019
Tiddens said the data surrounding mental health in children is one of the most concerning aspects of the report, with the national number of children experiencing anxiety or depression jumping 26% between 2016 and 2020. In Idaho, the report found 12.6% of children between the ages of 3 and 17 had anxiety or depression in 2020, which is an increase from 11.4% in 2016. Nearly 10% of Idaho high school students and 13% of Latino high school students attempted suicide in 2019, according to the report.
U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy issued an advisory about youth mental health in December 2021 saying the COVID pandemic accelerated and exacerbated existing mental health struggles for children whose daily lives were upended by school closures and social isolation.
Tiddens said Idaho’s young people have been similarly affected.
“Idaho youth have struggled with mental health for years. The rising numbers of children in our state experiencing anxiety and depression should be a red flag for leaders to act on this important issue,” Tiddens said.
The policy recommendations from Idaho Voices for Children to combat those numbers is to provide financial stability for children growing up in poverty, ensuring access to mental health care for children and bolstering mental health care resources for children of all experiences and identities. Children who grow up in poverty are two to three times more likely to develop mental health problems, according to Idaho Voices for Children, and schools across the country often do not have enough mental health professionals on staff to serve all students.
“Mental health is just as important as physical health in a child’s ability to thrive,” said Lisa Hamilton, president and CEO of the Annie E. Casey Foundation, in a press release. “As our nation continues to navigate the fallout from the COVID crisis, policymakers must do more to ensure all kids have access to the care and support they need to cope and live full lives.”
Idaho Voices for Children director says state should use surplus to invest in children
In health markers, Idaho ranks 19th in the nation, with a slight uptick in low birth-weight babies and increases in child and teen deaths and rates of obesity. Since 2010, the rate of low birth-weight babies increased from 6.8% to 6.9%, and the number of child and teen deaths per 100,000 increased from 28 to 30. The percentage of children between the ages of 10 and 17 who are overweight or obese increased from 24% to 29% since 2016, the data shows, which is still slightly lower than the national average of 32%.
The only positive indicator among the health trends is children without health insurance, which has decreased from 11% in 2008 to 5% in 2020. Tiddens sees that as a win tied to the expansion of Medicaid in Idaho, which she advocated for through Idaho Voices for Children.
Idaho ranked lowest in terms of education markers at 36th. Since 2008, the number of children who are not enrolled in preschool has dropped from 66% to 64%, meaning a little less than two-thirds of Idaho children are not in preschool. That’s compared to 53% of children ages 3 and 4 nationwide who are not in preschool.
The number of fourth graders in Idaho who are not proficient in reading has dropped from 68% in 2009 to 63% in 2019, compared to 66% nationwide. But the number of Idaho’s eighth graders who are not proficient in math has slightly increased from 62% to 63%, and the number of high school students in Idaho who do not graduate on time sits at 19% compared to 14% nationally.
Tiddens said these markers could be improved by taking advantage of Idaho’s record-setting surplus.
“We know what it takes to have healthy, thriving children, and our state has the economic power to make significant investments in our next generation,” Tiddens said. | https://magicvalley.com/news/local/new-data-shows-worsening-mental-health-education-trends-among-idaho-children/article_09328f74-182d-11ed-ab69-4f0bcd6685ac.html | 2022-08-14T16:17:56 | 1 | https://magicvalley.com/news/local/new-data-shows-worsening-mental-health-education-trends-among-idaho-children/article_09328f74-182d-11ed-ab69-4f0bcd6685ac.html |
Outside hitter Alizaysha Sopi spikes the ball past a College of Idaho player Saturday during a scrimmage at the College of Southern Idaho in Twin Falls.
PAT SUTPHIN, TIMES-NEWS
CSI middle blocker Kait White high-fives teammate Mackenna Thayne after scoring a point against the College of Idaho on Saturday during a scrimmage at the College of Southern Idaho in Twin Falls.
PAT SUTPHIN, TIMES-NEWS
CSI outside hitter Heavenly Campbell volleys a serve hit by a College of Idaho player Saturday during a scrimmage at the College of Southern Idaho in Twin Falls.
Opinion: The sentencing this week of a Greenleaf man who was arrested with bullets labeled with threats against Boise Mayor Lauren McLean, among others, shows how dangerous, hyperbolic rhetoric is causing some on the far right to become “radicalized extremists.”
Afeaki was charged in July 2021 for having sexual contact with an adult female inmate who was incarcerated from March 9 – May 20 2021, according to court records.
Opinion: Imagine you are new to Idaho. You’ve left your trusted longtime physician behind, and now you need a new primary care doctor. How are you supposed to judge whether a new doctor is qualified, gives good advice and will take good care of you? So you pick one off of your insurer’s website and hope she’s a good one.
Outside hitter Alizaysha Sopi spikes the ball past a College of Idaho player Saturday during a scrimmage at the College of Southern Idaho in Twin Falls.
CSI middle blocker Kait White high-fives teammate Mackenna Thayne after scoring a point against the College of Idaho on Saturday during a scrimmage at the College of Southern Idaho in Twin Falls.
CSI outside hitter Heavenly Campbell volleys a serve hit by a College of Idaho player Saturday during a scrimmage at the College of Southern Idaho in Twin Falls. | https://magicvalley.com/news/local/volleyball-season-starts-with-a-spike/article_9c7931c4-1b53-11ed-9c3b-8bb3f2b03acf.html | 2022-08-14T16:18:09 | 1 | https://magicvalley.com/news/local/volleyball-season-starts-with-a-spike/article_9c7931c4-1b53-11ed-9c3b-8bb3f2b03acf.html |
A standing ovation from the entire faculty and staff at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College greeted new President Tracy Brundage when she took the stage during the college's annual fall conference.
TIFTON — A standing ovation from the entire faculty and staff at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College greeted new President Tracy Brundage when she took the stage during the college's annual fall conference.
Brundage, the first female president in the history of ABAC, took office on Aug. 1 as the 11th president in ABAC’s history. She was sidelined her first week on the job due to a bout with COVID but has bounced back strong.
“I am honored and privileged to be your new president,” Brundage said. “Your talent, expertise, dedication, and resolve really speak volumes about the type of community that is here. I’m excited about the potential of what we can accomplish together.
“We all need to be rowing in the same direction. We are all on the same team. We need to support one another and remember our mission, vision, strategic initiatives, and understand how we are measuring success.”
Brundage served as the president of Keystone (Pa.) College for the last four years. She steps into the ABAC president’s role after the retirement of David Bridges, who was ABAC’s chief executive for a record 16 years and one month.
“I have known for a long time that my sense of purpose in this world is to make a difference in the lives of others,” Brundage said. “And the work we do does exactly that. Education provides amazing opportunities for our students.
“ABAC features an accessible, affordable education that leads to strong career pathways. We all have to be accountable, to the mission, to our goals, and to one another. ABAC has been a great institution for generations, and there’s no doubt in my mind that we can continue that legacy for generations to come.”
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A lawsuit on behalf of more than 300 hospital employees suddenly fired in July was filed Friday in Tucson's U.S. District Court.
The Santa Cruz Valley Regional Hospital promised employees extended health insurance and pay when it announced mass layoffs in June, but those promises were not kept when the now-closed hospital fired most of its employees in July.
"I hope to help my former co-workers obtain what was stolen from them, and to show the community that no one, not even a corporate hospital, is above the law," said Stephanie Garrett, a registered nurse who pursued the class action on behalf of herself and her colleagues.
The complaint, which names Garrett and "all others similarly situated," is being pursued by a New York City based law firm, Raisner Roupinian LLP, which specializes in advocating for "victims of layoffs and shutdowns." Locally, attorney Kasey C. Nye of Tucson's Waterfall, Economidis, Caldwell, Hanshaw & Villamana is helping with the case.
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The attorneys are asking the court to order payment "equal to the sum of: their unpaid wages, salary, commissions, bonuses, accrued holiday pay, accrued vacation pay, and 401(k) contributions and other COBRA benefits, for 60 days."
Roughly 300 health-care providers and other employees, about 200 full-time, were working for Green Valley’s only hospital when it shut down June 30.
"After announcing on June 24 the surprise June 30 closure, defendant sent employees a letter on June 28 reassuring them 'we will still be paying employees till (sic) August 20th,'" the legal complaint reads.
"The June 28 letter also told the full-time employees that they were required to report to work as scheduled, because 'we have lots of work ahead of us and we will need all the help we can get.'"
The company’s former CEO, Stephen Harris, said during a previous interview that workers would receive pay and health insurance through Aug. 20. Employees say they were also told they’d receive compensation for up to 80 hours of unused vacation pay.
Harris declined to comment on the lawsuit. Lateral Investment Management’s Richard de Silva has not responded to interview requests. Lateral Investment is the facility's operator, but it's owned by a Rochester, New York, company call Broadstone Net Lease, Inc.
The initial 60-day notice to the employees was given under the protection of the WARN Act, which is administered by the U.S. Department of Labor and stands for Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act.
But on July 21, employees received a termination letter in which they were told, “you will no longer be entitled to any further compensation, monies, or other benefits from SCVRH, including coverage under any benefits plans or programs sponsored by SCVRH, except as described hereinbelow.”
The letter then details that the final paycheck, deposited on or before July 29, would include full pay.
Several employees said that is not what happened, however. Instead, only partial pay was included and any paid-time-off employees used to round out their hours was removed from the paycheck.
They also said they still had insurance withdrawals made, even though their insurance is no longer effective.
Since the start of the pandemic, Green Valley's Santa Cruz Valley Regional Hospital has been flooded with millions in public funds. It closed in June.
Santa Cruz Valley Regional Hospital's one hope was to be bought out by Tucson's TMC HealthCare but that plan fell through a couple weeks back.
Contact reporter Patty Machelor at 806-7754 or pmachelor@tucson.com | https://tucson.com/news/local/fired-employees-file-class-action-lawsuit-against-green-valley-hospital/article_7f6c4fe8-1a8c-11ed-909c-6b51651f721c.html | 2022-08-14T16:34:33 | 0 | https://tucson.com/news/local/fired-employees-file-class-action-lawsuit-against-green-valley-hospital/article_7f6c4fe8-1a8c-11ed-909c-6b51651f721c.html |
A young black bear that spent days roaming neighborhoods across Tucson's northwest side has been captured, officials said.
The bear, a female believed to be no more than two years old, was first spotted Wednesday. The bear was popular of social media, with videos showing it walking through yards and filling up on garbage.
Arizona Game and Fish officers captured and tranquilized the bear about 5:30 p.m. near West Ina Road and North La Canada Drive.
The bear was to be released in a remote location. | https://tucson.com/news/local/tucsons-roaming-bear-captured/article_b3317450-1bd8-11ed-a7d8-5344337cd752.html | 2022-08-14T16:34:39 | 0 | https://tucson.com/news/local/tucsons-roaming-bear-captured/article_b3317450-1bd8-11ed-a7d8-5344337cd752.html |
BALTIMORE — Two people were killed and several others wounded from shootings in Maryland’s largest city early Sunday and late Saturday, authorities said.
One man died and a woman was seriously wounded during a shooting about 1:45 a.m. Sunday in the northeast section of Baltimore, where officers on patrol heard weapon discharges and located the victims, city police said in a news release.
The unidentified man was pronounced dead at the scene, while the woman, with life-threatening injuries after being shot in the head, was taken to the hospital, police said. Two other adults who were shot at the scene were at area hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries.
In another fatality, officers responding to a shooting report about 11:30 p.m. Saturday in the Hollins Market neighborhood found a man with gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.
The police department also said two men in their 30s who apparently suffered gunshot wounds at a west Baltimore location were being treated at area hospitals. Officers found one of the wounded men about 1 a.m. Sunday.
Police detectives were seeking information on these shootings.
At least 225 people have lost their lives to violence in Baltimore this year, according to records maintained by the newspaper — a slight increase over the total at the same time last year. | https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/baltimore-police-2-killed-others-wounded-in-shootings/2022/08/14/30d22d22-1bee-11ed-9ce6-68253bd31864_story.html | 2022-08-14T16:43:37 | 0 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/baltimore-police-2-killed-others-wounded-in-shootings/2022/08/14/30d22d22-1bee-11ed-9ce6-68253bd31864_story.html |
Kathy Sowden, former LGBTQ activist and former president of Bisbee Pride, said she didn’t know what a lesbian was until she was in high school.
“We didn’t talk about it then,” the 66-year-old Sowden said, sitting in her Bisbee home, overlooking a spacious garden and stone patio, in the mountains just above the city's historic downtown.
Although Sowden said she is not much of a Pride party person, she was approached by the group’s first organizers for help as she had many years of experience in putting together events.
She dedicated much of her time running Bisbee’s Pride celebration for nine years, turning it from a small gathering to the large, multiday event it is now.
“We used to go to Pride in San Diego like once every five years,” Sowden said, about when she and her partner lived in San Diego. “I’m more of a person who would do the animal shelter. That’s more my thing.”
So how did Sowden, who preferred cats and dogs to Pride parties, change the face of Bisbee’s Pride celebration?
“I ended up with it,” she said matter-of-factly.
Sowden noted while Pride was just one big party in San Diego, in Bisbee, it was more of a community event.
“In Bisbee, everybody attends Pride. It’s the whole town,” she said, noting that St. John’s Episcopal Church participates every year. “It’s just a really welcoming community,” she said.
Sowden focuses on growing Bisbee Pride
When Sowden began working to grow Pride, the group was not yet a nonprofit and had no money. Not long after she joined, the group grew from an informal gathering of friends to the multiday extravaganza event it is now.
“We started expanding it over the years, and doing more events, and working more with businesses so they had events,” she said. “We had huge events going on everywhere.”
Ramon Garcia, the current president and CEO of Bisbee Pride Inc., the nonprofit that runs the annual celebration, said Sowden has been a big part of the community, making change for the better.
“The impact she has had not only on Pride, but the community as a whole, has been changing for the community,” Garcia said, adding that Pride has “become something bigger than the community and definitely if it weren’t for Kathy, I don't think we'd be where we are with Pride.”
She invited famous guests to the event, like Sherry Vine who has performed with famous drag queens like RuPaul. Sowden also invited well-known lesbian comedians like Sandra Valls to perform.
Sowden credits Scott Pierce, aka Pandora DeStrange, a Phoenix drag queen, with the wide variety of performers who graced the bars and stages of the small southern Arizona town.
Sowden would send DeStrange to Phoenix with flyers in hand, marketing Bisbee’s Pride celebration. DeStrange not only helped outreach for the event but invited friends and other drag queens down for the celebration.
With Bisbee’s progressive and open-minded community, getting businesses and residents to support Pride was easy, Sowden said.
This progressiveness and open-mindedness are also what attracted Sowden to the area over a decade ago.
In 2005, Sowden moved to Bisbee from San Diego in search of a smaller, quieter life. One day, as she was looking for homes online in Colorado and Arizona, a listing for a house in Bisbee popped up.
She drove east to Bisbee with her partner, Deborah Grier, and their toy hauler. After looking at multiple houses, they decided on the first house that brought them to Bisbee, a cozy home surrounded by trees and nestled in the Mule Mountains.
Sowden, a former IT director for hospitals in San Diego who later became an antique dealer, opened an antique shop with her partner called Finders Keepers. They ran the business until the COVID-19 pandemic spurred their decision to close the store. Their merchandise can still be found online in their Etsy shop, and in Bisbee at Acacia Collectibles and Miners & Merchants Antique Center.
Arizona authorizes civil unions
After eight years of living in Bisbee, this historic, former mining city in the mountains became the first to allow civil unions between same-sex couples.
"(Former Mayor Adrian Zavala Badal) did two major things when she was mayor,” Sowden said of Badal. “One of them was that she pushed for the civil unions and the other one was a plastic bag ban, and the second one caused more of an uproar than you can imagine."
The day civil unions were authorized in 2013, Sowden and Grier were the first couple in Bisbee — and Arizona — to have one.
Knowing how Bisbee residents do not often show up on time, Sowden wanted to get there early to show the mayor’s effort “was not in vain.”
“It’s not like we wanted to run out and get married, it’s just the way life is. It was in support of our town,” Sowden said.
Sowden had been with her partner since 1992 and said not getting married was something the couple was used to.
However, she explained the legal benefits to marriage were so important, such as getting Social Security if a partner dies and being able to visit them in the hospital.
When Sowden worked at hospitals during the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the 1980s, as people were dying in hospitals, often doctors would not allow patients who were gay to be visited by their partners because they were not considered immediate family.
“During AIDS, that was when we really saw it. They couldn’t be with their partners; it was pretty apparent that something had to happen,” Sowden said about legalizing same-sex marriage.
Sowden recalled many of her friends did not survive the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
“I probably knew 100 people that died,” she said. “It’s a humbling situation to see how life can change for everybody.”
At that time, she was a medical technologist at one of the largest hospitals in San Diego.
“We didn’t know what to do. We didn’t know what precautions (to take), we didn’t know how it was transmitted. We just knew that all these young guys were getting this disease that old Italian men got,” she said.
The disease she was referring to was Kaposi Sarcoma. According to The Cleveland Clinic, Kaposi Sarcoma is a cancer that can affect people with weakened immune systems.
“The AIDS epidemic really did bring the LGBTQ community together much more,” she said, adding that the lesbian community stepped up to help form “Blood Sisters,” groups of volunteers who hosted blood drives for HIV/AIDS patients. The movement was founded in San Diego in 1983.
Committed to her community
In Bisbee, Sowden spends a lot of her time giving back to her community.
She highlighted one of her biggest accomplishments: making the Bisbee Animal Shelter a no-kill shelter and helping to start the nonprofit Friends of Bisbee Animal Shelter that runs the shelter to this day.
A no-kill animal shelter does not euthanize healthy animals even when full. They only euthanize animals that are sick or aggressive, Sowden said.
Sowden was also a part of iBisbee, a community development group that worked to improve the city. Some issues the group worked on included rebranding Bisbee and getting senior housing in town.
“We have a huge senior population, but we don’t have a senior residence,” she said.
Garcia, who met Sowden through organizing Pride, said she has done a lot for the community outside of Pride.
“She has done things within the business community that also promote business and commerce in Bisbee,” he said.
Garcia underscored Sowden’s work in starting a monthly event called Business after 5, where shops would stay open after 5 p.m. and attract customers with music and other types of events. He said she was also instrumental in bringing Sidepony Express Music Festival to Bisbee.
What pushes Sowden to be so involved in her Bisbee community is the simple fact that she lives there and wants to stay there.
“You feel like you can make a difference in a small town. In a big city, you feel like you’re a little dot,” she said.
“I want to stay here.”
Coverage of southern Arizona on azcentral.com and in The Arizona Republic is funded by the nonprofit Report for America in association with The Republic.
Reach the reporter at sarah.lapidus@gannett.com.
Subscribe to azcentral.com today. What are you waiting for? | https://www.azcentral.com/mosaic-story/news/local/arizona-people/2022/08/14/former-lgbtq-activist-kathy-sowden-gives-back-to-her-bisbee-community/10188451002/ | 2022-08-14T16:53:01 | 0 | https://www.azcentral.com/mosaic-story/news/local/arizona-people/2022/08/14/former-lgbtq-activist-kathy-sowden-gives-back-to-her-bisbee-community/10188451002/ |
'A chaotic scene': 1 dead, 5 hospitalized after Sunday morning shooting in Phoenix
At least one man is dead and five are hospitalized after a shooting early Sunday morning near North 46th Street & East McDowell Road in Phoenix.
Phoenix police said they responded to the shooting at 2 a.m. When they arrived, they found a "chaotic scene with multiple people with gunshot wounds," according to Sgt. Phil Krynsky, a spokesperson for Phoenix Police Department.
"Preliminary information suggests there were five people injured and taken to the hospital," Krynsky said.
Two men and two women were hospitalized with gunshot wounds. Another man was hospitalized with a non-life-threatening injury, police said.
One man was pronounced dead on scene by fire personnel, according to Krynsky.
Officers currently have two men detained and detectives are actively investigating to determine what lead up to the shooting, he said. | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix-breaking/2022/08/14/phoenix-shooting-1-dead-5-hospitalized/10323142002/ | 2022-08-14T16:53:31 | 0 | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix-breaking/2022/08/14/phoenix-shooting-1-dead-5-hospitalized/10323142002/ |
HAMILTON TOWNSHIP — A Los Angeles-based security company is suing the Hamilton Mall and its former owner for allegedly owing more than $200,000 for its services.
Professional Security Consultants, which, according to its website, provides security forces to more than 100 malls, says the Hamilton Mall’s management has yet to pay an outstanding $231,360 bill from July 13 to Dec. 27, 2019.
The suit adds to the mall’s mounting financial struggles over the past few years, most recently owing money on its Atlantic City Electric bill in 2021. That matter was rectified after the electric company posted shutoff notices on the mall’s doors, startling shoppers and store management.
The mall also has been struggling to retain tenants, leaving portions of the facility quiet, particularly after anchor stores Sears and JC Penney have been left empty.
People are also reading…
While visiting the mall Wednesday, Rigo Aguilar and Cristell Ramirez remembered a thriving shopping center from about a decade ago. Now, with fewer open stores, attracting more well-established retailers to open stores could help swing the mall back to more vibrant days, Aguilar said.
“There’s no more good stores,” said Aguilar, 21, of Hammonton. “There’s like five good stores, that’s it. They closed the big ones.”
NORTHFIELD — Retired Atlantic County jail workers who were on the job in the early months of…
The mall’s management office directed questions about the lawsuit to its owner, Namdar Realty Group LLC, which does not comment on active litigation, the company said.
Carmelo Torraca, an attorney from the Cooper Levenson law firm, filed the lawsuit on behalf of Professional Security Consultants in state Superior Court on July 15.
Torraca did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
Kravco Company LLC, of Pennsylvania, sold the mall to Namdar in 2019. Namdar, which is based in New York, also owns the defunct Echelon Mall, about 45 minutes away in Camden County, which has since become the Voorhees Town Center.
The Hamilton Mall contracted Professional Security Consultants on or about Sept. 15, 2018, according to the lawsuit.
While the mall “wrongfully chose not to pay the outstanding invoices,” the company’s security force continued guarding the mall despite being owed money, the lawsuit says.
About 3 p.m. Feb. 3, a township police officer attempted to stop the car, a Black Nissan Rog…
The company is seeking compensatory damages, consequential damages, punitive damages, interest, attorney’s fees and other relief the court deems equitable and just, the lawsuit says.
The mall is Atlantic County’s only remaining of its kind, opening in the 1980s, and is considered a factor in the demise of the former Shore Mall. The Shore Mall, off the Black Horse Pike about six miles from the Hamilton Mall, was renovated into the Harbor Square shopping center roughly a decade ago.
The Egg Harbor Township mall was cut in half during a demolition project, leaving Boscov’s as the only anchor store from the shopping center left open.
In recent years, the Hamilton Mall has gone from a vibrant shopping destination to one with an abundant number of vacant spaces and shrinking property value.
The Hamilton Township tax assessor priced the mall at $90.78 million in 2017, falling to $75 million a year later. In 2019, the mall’s value dropped again, to $50 million.
Many say the mall hasn’t been the same since Sears and JCPenney closed within the past five years. The mall managed to bring in Shoppers World to fill the JCPenney location, but it has since moved out.
MAYS LANDING — Sudden closures and delayed openings at the Hamilton Mall have left shoppers …
Other shops long gone from the mall that remain alive in shoppers’ memories include the Disney Store and the GAP.
“It went from being really full of stores to barely nothing,” said Ramirez, 21, also of Hammonton. “Everything is closing now, so not a lot of people come here.” | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/hamilton-mall-owes-money-for-security-services-lawsuit-alleges/article_736fe1d2-17e9-11ed-b094-a3e8595b9d5d.html | 2022-08-14T16:54:19 | 0 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/hamilton-mall-owes-money-for-security-services-lawsuit-alleges/article_736fe1d2-17e9-11ed-b094-a3e8595b9d5d.html |
Each week The Pantagraph profiles a different community member. Know someone we should talk to? Email roger.miller@lee.net.
Name: Melissa Robinson
Position: Children’s services manager, Bloomington Public Library
1. What is your role as children's librarian?
I am the children’s services manager, which means I am responsible for the day-to-day operations of the library’s children’s department. In this role, part of my time is spent doing the same thing other managers do, such as hiring, training, providing performance reviews, conducting meetings to plan our programs and services, managing the daily schedule, and giving general guidance to my staff.
As a children’s librarian, I also work at our children’s service desk and assist at events and programs. Other children’s librarians in my department provide programming for all ages of children, select materials for circulation, maintain our Facebook page, develop relationships with the schools, and much more.
We want to help children and their families throughout our community take advantage of all the services the library offers, and we strive to foster a love of reading and learning.
2. How does your work change over the year as kids transition to summer and then back to school?
We are very busy in the summer! As soon as school lets out, we start seeing the kids and families pour in to choose books to read over the summer. We also offer a summer reading program, which gives the kids (and teens and adults) incentives if they reach a reading goal. We had over 2,200 kids finish the summer reading program this year.
The department becomes more quiet when school starts, so at that time we can shift our focus to the smaller children who are not in school during the day and then, in the afternoon and evening, we see a lot of tutors and students, as well as families choosing books to complement the school curriculum.
We try to attend many school and community events, also, and to maintain a good, helpful relationship with the schools so that we can support the teachers as well as the students.
3. With so many forms of media now, how do you keep kids engaged?
I think we keep kids engaged through human connection. We try to make the library a friendly, fun place. We also try to get out in the community to encourage families to visit us.
Also, while we all love books and think reading is very important, we also offer other media ourselves, and want to encourage thoughtful use of various media. We have computers and tablets for kids to use while visiting us.
We also offer learning kits that include themed sets of books and music for the small children, educational reading and math kits for elementary, STEAM kits to help with science and technology learning, and sets of board and card games.
4. How have kids’ tastes or interests changed over time, and are there some topics that are always popular?
I have been a children’s librarian since 2001 (I started at Peoria Public Library). At that time, Harry Potter was an absolute phenomenon, and fantasy was the preferred genre. People might not be quite as excited about Harry Potter now, but it is still a very popular series and is often mentioned as a favorite book.
I have also seen the development of children’s graphic novels, which is now one of our most popular formats, with titles to appeal to children who are just starting to read, those who like superhero and fantasy plots, as well as more realistic graphic novels about growing up and making friends.
Once in a while, we have a lot of kids coming in and asking for the same title, which isn’t a new or popular book, and we wonder why everyone is asking for it, until we find out that a teacher read the book to a class. So, teachers have an enormous influence on kids’ reading choices.
Movies will also cause books to become more popular. There are topics that are always popular, too — to name few: dinosaurs, space, animals, cars and trains. And of course, there are topics that we can predict will be popular on a seasonal basis as well, such as holiday books, but also apples in the fall, snow in the winter, and so forth.
5. What tips do you have for parents engaging with their children’s reading?
Read together. Set aside a time of day to sit down and read out loud by sharing picture books with younger children and then reading longer books as they grow. Read at bedtime every night.
When your child is learning to read, listen to them read out loud, and if reading by themselves is too overwhelming, take turns reading pages — I read a page, you read a page.
Model the behavior you want to see by prioritizing reading for yourself. I also highly recommend audiobooks. They can make a long car trip much more pleasant. | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/education/5-questions-with-melissa-robinson-childrens-services-manager-at-the-bloomington-library/article_079fe534-1a8b-11ed-b622-fbb54548c7b9.html | 2022-08-14T17:10:46 | 0 | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/education/5-questions-with-melissa-robinson-childrens-services-manager-at-the-bloomington-library/article_079fe534-1a8b-11ed-b622-fbb54548c7b9.html |
DALLAS (KDAF) — With this intense heat we’re seeing in North Texas, why not cool down with a refreshingly cool treat?
Perhaps something frozen? Sunday, Aug. 14, is National Creamsicle Day, honoring one of the most famous and delicious desserts in the country. So, why not grab yourself a creamsicle or a popsicle in North Texas? Here are the best places to get a popsicle, according to Yelp:
- Picolé Pops
- Pop Factory
- Encanto Pops
- Botolino Gelato Artigianale
- The Pop Parlour
- Paleteria San Marcos
- Steel City Popsicles
- Hip Pop
For more suggestions, visit Yelp! | https://cw33.com/news/local/best-places-to-get-popsicles-in-north-texas-according-to-yelp/ | 2022-08-14T17:15:10 | 1 | https://cw33.com/news/local/best-places-to-get-popsicles-in-north-texas-according-to-yelp/ |
MUSKEGON, Mich. — A former captain of the S.S. Milwaukee Clipper celebrated a very special birthday this weekend.
Robert Priefer turned 100 years old Saturday! He's been a part of the Clipper for over 80 years.
The birthday celebration was aboard the ship and was open to the public. Cake was, of course, provided.
While we may think 100 years old is impressive, Priefer says he's ready still for more.
"Wonderful turnout. I just can't fathom what a great day this turned out to be," he laughed, "I'm shootin' for a 110, what the heck."
When Priefer got a job working aboard the Clipper in 1941, he didn't truly get off the historic vessel for nearly 30 years.
"It's been part of my family," said Priefer. "The ship is like a step-child to me."
Priefer's assent during his sailing career as quite unique, and in many ways, impossible. His first job aboard the Clipper was as a dishwasher.
"I was a Pearl Diver," Priefer joked. "That's what the ship's dishwashers were called back then."
Every single year Priefer came back to work on the Clipper, he got a promotion.
"I never wanted to be a sailor, but my father and brothers were in the shipping industry so it became my calling, too."
Priefer worked his way up the ranks, obtained his pilot's license, and 19 years after first stepping foot on the Clipper, he became its skipper.
"It was a big deal," Priefer said. "Back in those days, a trip from Muskegon to Milwaukee was like going from Muskegon to the Caribbean.
"It was a long distance for a lot of people."
Priefer was the ship's captain during its last decade of operation. As one might imagine, he has many memorable stories to share.
"There were times when bad weather arose," Priefer recalled. "I remember one time there was something coming out of the northeast, the sea was getting rougher, and [the Clipper] dug her nose into a big swell and we took on a couple tons of water.
"When you have that much water coming down a confined space, it's a problem. It poured into the portholes and flooded the club lounge."
With a smirk, Captain Priefer then said, "You don't want to be a heavy weatherman; they're all on the bottom of the lake."
The captain also remembers a couple times when he had to get on the Clipper's speaker system and yell, "Overboard."
"We had a gal onboard who jumped over the side," Priefer recalls. "I remember turning the Clipper around and having crewmembers have to go fish her out of the water."
Priefer adds that they managed to rescue her with a lifeboat, got her back onboard, then got back underway to the destination.
Another anecdotal story Captain Priefer likes to share is about when the Clipper's owner's dog jumped over the side and into the lake.
"One of my crew notified me that something went overboard," Priefer said. "We didn't know what it was, but protocol requires us to turn around and check it out."
They'd eventually see something splashing in the water and realized it was a dog.
"Here's this dog paddling for Michigan," Priefer joked. "I didn't think he'd make it."
Once again, Captain Priefer had to deploy crewmembers aboard a lifeboat.
"The lifeboat was so high out of the water, they couldn't reach the dog to get him into the boat, so the third mate had to jump into the water, and that allowed the dog to climb right up his back and into the lifeboat.
"So, we saved the dog but almost drowned the third mate."
Watch Priefer recall memories aboard the Clipper below. Happy birthday, Captain!
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Have a news tip? Email news@13onyourside.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter. Subscribe to our YouTube channel. | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/former-captain-of-milwaukee-clipper-celebrates-100th-birthday/69-5662d4bd-a028-4497-a7cf-f04acdf9d330 | 2022-08-14T17:24:36 | 1 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/former-captain-of-milwaukee-clipper-celebrates-100th-birthday/69-5662d4bd-a028-4497-a7cf-f04acdf9d330 |
INGLESIDE, Texas — "Anthony Templet shot his father and never denied it. But why he did is a complex question with profound implications that go far beyond one family."
That is how Netflix describes one of their newest true crime docuseries called "I Just Killed My Dad." It explores why a 17-year-old would be driven to kill their father, and immediately confess to it.
Anthony's mother, Teresa Thompson, lives in Ingleside and the small South Texas town was heavily featured in the series.
Here is what the series is about:
It was Monday, June 3, 2019 when Anthony, then 17, shot and killed his father Burt Templet at their home in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Anthony called 911 and immediately confessed to the shooting when he told the dispatcher, "I just killed my dad." He was then taken into custody and interviewed by police.
The police interview, featured in the series, is chilling. Anthony calmly states that he and his father did not get along and he shot him during an argument. He told police his father physically attacked him, but investigators said Anthony showed no signs of having been attacked.
"The scariest thing about Anthony is he is just kind of like a blank slate," the district attorney who worked his case said in the trailer. "I don't know if he has empathy."
But when Anthony is jailed, a curious acquaintance who worked with Anthony begins to realize that there are more questions raised than answers after his arrest. Where is his mom? Why did he not seem to be educated in any way? Why was he so withdrawn? And the biggest question of all... why would he kill his dad?
These questions led the acquaintance to a DNA expert who was able to track down Anthony's mother in Ingleside, Texas. She had apparently been searching for Anthony since he was taken from her Ingleside home by Burt when Anthony was just 5-years-old, she claimed. She even made missing person posters.
She did not know where Anthony was for 11 years, she said, and was desperately trying to find him.
The series, which is only three episodes, follows Anthony's legal battles and asks the question, was this shooting justified? Was Anthony kidnapped and abused by his father for years and kept from his biological family?
You can watch the trailer in full below and the full series on Netflix now. | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/netflix-docuseries-i-just-killed-my-dad-focuses-on-ingleside-child-custody-case/503-c2982579-93da-4a71-a890-0eba464f6654 | 2022-08-14T17:24:42 | 0 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/netflix-docuseries-i-just-killed-my-dad-focuses-on-ingleside-child-custody-case/503-c2982579-93da-4a71-a890-0eba464f6654 |
SAN DIEGO — Paddling out to catch some waves at La Jolla Shores, "Ricochet the Surf Dog" is living up to her name. Riding the wave with her is U.S. Army veteran and Purple Heart recipient Jose Martinez, who lost both his legs and one arm after stepping on a bomb in Afghanistan in 2012.
Ricochet helped Martinez recover by getting him in the water.
The therapy and service dog has a rich history of helping humans in need. CBS 8 caught her very first assisted-surf in 2009 when she counterbalanced the board for a 14-year-old boy with a spinal cord injury.
"Being the first dog that ever served with somebody who is disabled to assist them is pretty much her legacy. She makes deep connections, and she heals so many people,” said Judy Fridono, the Puppy Prodigies executive director.
Now, as the surf dog turns 14 and a half, she's slowing down.
"She's getting a lot older now, so unfortunately she has not been wanting to surf a lot more like she used to,” Martinez said.
Ricochet was recently diagnosed with kidney disease, has a mass on her liver, and arthritis in her spine after years of surfing.
WATCH RELATED: Change It Up: Ricochet the Surf Dog and owner honored for work in San Diego (July 2019).
"14.5 for a Golden Retriever is really good,” Fridono said.
Not staying down for too long Ricochet does just that, she rebounds and gets back on a board for what could be her last time surfing.
"It could be her last wave, so we wanted to get it documented,” Fridono said.
Martinez stayed on the board as Ricochet rode shotgun for their final time together.
"I was pretty much told I would be in a wheelchair for the rest of my life, so for me to be able to help out the dog that helped me kickstart my surfing career and my surfing life, it is just as if I am filling her cup up as much as she is filling mine up,” Martinez said.
Martinez ranked number one by the International Surf Association prone assist division, and it is his dream to participate in the Paralympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028 saying “being able to represent the USA in a different form would be awesome for me.”
WATCH RELATED: Ricochet the surfing therapy dog helps triple amputee combat veteran (July 2021). | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/ricochet-the-surf-dog-takes-final-wave-amid-health-challenges/509-b6d20887-2cec-4deb-a03c-d5950da7ab86 | 2022-08-14T17:24:48 | 1 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/ricochet-the-surf-dog-takes-final-wave-amid-health-challenges/509-b6d20887-2cec-4deb-a03c-d5950da7ab86 |
SAN ANTONIO — A taco stand on the southwest side of town was robbed Saturday night by a man with a gun.
Police were called out to the 5600 block of Old Pearsall Rd near Pearsall Park around 10 p.m. for reports of a robbery in progress.
When officers arrived, they were told that a man walked up to the taco stand and pointed a gun victims, demanding their money, then firing off a shot before running away.
One victim told police they handed the suspect an undisclosed amount of money.
No injuries were reported, but officers did find a spent shell casing at the scene.
SAPD officers, as well as their helicopter Eagle, searched the area for the suspect, but didn't find him.
This is an ongoing investigation.
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Today, KENS 5 continues to set the standard in local broadcasting and is recognized by its peers for excellence and innovation. The KENS 5 News team focuses on stories that really matter to our community.
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Want to get in touch with someone at KENS 5? You can send a message using our Contacts page or email one of our team members. | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/southwest-side-taco-stand-robbed-by-suspect-wielding-gun-san-antonio-texas-gun-robbery/273-d91a2a5e-4095-4a72-b02f-e88e58b90190 | 2022-08-14T17:24:54 | 1 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/southwest-side-taco-stand-robbed-by-suspect-wielding-gun-san-antonio-texas-gun-robbery/273-d91a2a5e-4095-4a72-b02f-e88e58b90190 |
TEXAS, USA — Most registered voters in Texas oppose a complete ban on abortion but are split on the extent to which abortion should be available, according to a June poll conducted by the Texas Politics Project at the University of Texas at Austin.
The state’s abortion clinics stopped providing abortions almost immediately after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, bringing state law further out of step with public opinion. The poll was conducted from June 16 to June 24, the day Roe v. Wade was overturned.
A February poll found that only around a quarter of respondents wanted abortion laws to become more strict. Texas banned abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy in the fall of 2021.
Under current Texas law, abortion is prohibited even in cases of rape or incest. But polling shows Texans overwhelmingly support exceptions for rape and incest — only 13% and 11%, respectively, said pregnant people should not be able to obtain abortions in those cases.
Renée Cross, senior director of the Hobby School of Public Affairs at the University of Houston, is not involved with the Texas Politics Project but has also conducted polling on abortion policy.
“More helpful polling questions are those that try to get to the nuance, rather than do you support or oppose this one option,” she said.
To that end, the latest Texas Politics Project poll asked registered voters to consider how far along in pregnancy a person should be allowed to obtain an abortion when accounting for different circumstances, including when the person’s health was endangered, the pregnancy was a result of rape or the family could not afford any more children. This is the first time pollsters asked these questions of respondents.
While most Texans support exceptions for rape and incest, some still want to see limitations based on how far along a person is in their pregnancy. Nearly a quarter of respondents want abortions in cases of rape or incest limited to the first six weeks of pregnancy, a point at which many people do not know they are pregnant. Last September, 10 months before Roe v. Wade was overturned, Texas banned abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy, with no exception for cases of rape or incest.
Poll respondents supported more restrictions when asked about abortion in cases where the family is low income, or the pregnant person either doesn’t want to marry or is married and doesn’t want more children. Over 30% of voters said abortion should not be allowed in those cases.
These numbers are mostly consistent over time. The Texas Politics Project started polling registered voters about abortion availability in 2009. A historical look shows voters’ opinions on abortion have not changed much in over a decade.
In the latest June poll, 15% of voters said abortions should never be permitted, while roughly 78% of voters said they should be available in at least some situations.
In particular, 26% of respondents said abortions should be permitted only in cases of rape or incest or if the pregnant person’s life is in danger. Another 14% of respondents said it should be permitted in those cases and other cases. Joshua Blank, research director for the project, said “other cases” can include reasons such as the pregnant person is low income or not wanting any more children. Another 38% said a pregnant person should always be able to obtain an abortion.
Jim Henson, director of the project, said that in the years the poll has been conducted, people haven’t had many reasons to shift their viewpoints on abortion.
“Abortion has been a present enough issue that I think most people who have an attitude on abortion have thought on it enough to be pretty fixed on their attitude,” he said.
Blank notes that these attitudes were all developed under Roe v. Wade. Now that it’s overturned, people will be forced to ask themselves new questions about where exactly they stand on the issue of abortion.
“That was all under the framework of Roe v. Wade, which allowed people to develop attitudes,” he said. “The fact that there were clear guardrails around what was and was not allowable in terms of restrictions helped enforce the rigidity of peoples’ attitudes because there was a backstop either way about what the courts would presumably accept.”
Given that opinions on abortion have not generally changed and abortion laws have become more restrictive over time, it makes sense that Texans have increasingly wanted less strict abortion laws, Henson said.
A month before a law banning abortions after 20 weeks was passed in July 2013, the polling project found 26% of voters wanted more permissive abortion laws. By February 2022, a few months after Texas banned abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy, the number had increased to 43%.
The Hobby School of Public Affairs also recently polled registered Texas voters on abortion availabiltiy and policy. Cross said the polls focus on proposed laws after the Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which overturned Roe v. Wade.
“So rather than focusing primarily on ‘do you support abortion rights,’ we went a step further saying ‘this is the law of the land now, so now what do you support.’”
The Hobby School’s poll asked voters to assess potential policies such as whether abortion should be considered a homicide and whether it should be legal for Texans to take abortion-inducing pills obtained out of state. Around 60% of respondents oppose both classifying abortion as a homicide and making it a felony to take abortion-inducing pills from out of state. Around 30% support those classifications, while around 10% said they don’t know.
Blank says he expects politics to play a big role in attitudes toward abortion laws.
“To the extent that both sides are going to seek to mobilize evocative individual stories that promote their policy ends, people will be hearing a lot more about this,” he said.
While Democrats hope to mobilize voters for more permissive abortion laws, Blank foresees a chance for Republicans to rally for more restrictions, too.
“As more organizations crop up to try to circumvent Texas’ laws, that will give conservative legislators the ammunition to go to their voters and say, ‘See, we need to do more.’ I think you could see an uptick in both,” he said.
New abortion laws will affect not only registered voters, who make up the samples of both the Texas Politics Project’s and Hobby School’s polls, but also people who are not registered to vote, including undocumented immigrants.
“I would certainly say for undocumented residents that [the new laws] would make it more difficult just because they will not have the same access to any kind of governmental support, whether it’s free baby items or state-supported prenatal care,” Cross said.
The new laws will affect children as well.
“We’ve already heard about the 10-year-old girl in Ohio who had to go to Indiana to get an abortion,” Blank said. (After this incident, Indiana passed a near-total ban on abortion.) “If [Republicans] don’t think 10-year olds are getting raped and getting abortions, they’re about to find out that there are a lot more than they think.”
This story comes from our KHOU 11 News partners at The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans - and engages with them - about public policy, politics, government, and statewide issues. | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/texas/texas-voters-on-abortion/285-d300f92c-c8a5-43b0-8ce4-2eca9b64414b | 2022-08-14T17:25:01 | 1 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/texas/texas-voters-on-abortion/285-d300f92c-c8a5-43b0-8ce4-2eca9b64414b |
The family of the yellow cab driver found dead after a fatal blow to the head were flanked by cabbies Sunday morning as taxi union leaders pleaded for someone to come forward with information that would lead to an arrest in the tragic case.
More than 24 hours after the Bronx father of four stopped his taxi mini-van for the last time Saturday morning, detectives were still searching for the five people witnesses saw leaving the driver unconscious on the ground.
Law enforcement sources said investigators have reviewed surveillance video showing the cab stop in Queens just before 6:30 a.m., near Beach 54 Street and Arverne Boulevard, where 52-year-old Kutin Gyimah fought with the group over their ride fare.
That same video shows Gyimah chase after the 5 passengers, grabbing one in an attempt to stop the group from running off. Police said the pack began beating on the driver; one of them delivering the blow to the head that would send him to the ground, unable to get back up.
First responders found the man lying on the ground. He was transported to St. John's Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Gyimah was still in the first couple hours of his work day Saturday when he was killed, taxi union head Fernando Mateo said at a press conference Sunday morning. In addition to a $15,000 reward offering for information leading to an arrest and conviction, the New York State Federation of Taxi Drivers said all funeral expenses for the 52-year-old would be covered.
News
Abigail Gyimah, the driver's wife, and their four kids attended the morning news conference, where they brought family photos and spoke highly of the family man taken too soon.
"He was my backbone. I am lost without him," she said, fighting back a stream of tears.
The police investigation is ongoing. | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/backbone-of-bronx-family-and-father-to-4-killed-after-chasing-fare-dodgers/3823893/ | 2022-08-14T17:51:45 | 0 | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/backbone-of-bronx-family-and-father-to-4-killed-after-chasing-fare-dodgers/3823893/ |
Originally posted on IdahoEdNews.org on August 10
As school districts prepare for the first day of classes, they are working to solve two conflicting problems: a rising need for mental health services and a troubling shortage of mental health professionals.
School counselors are maxed out, so districts have secured grants and support from community health partners to bring in licensed clinicians.
But, as Katie Azevedo put it, “we have the money and the system in place, but we don’t have the bodies and we need good, capable people.” Azevedo is the founder of Results Learning Center, an online institution that aims to improve social, emotional, behavioral, and academic outcomes for students.
Without enough highly-trained professionals to meet student’s mental health needs, districts are getting creative. They are renewing their focus on relationship-building and preventative practices and turning to their communities for support.
“Schools cannot do it alone,” Azevedo said at an administrators’ conference last week.
Youth mental health challenges are on the rise, nationally and statewideIn surgeon general Vivek Murthy’s most recent report on youth mental health, he wrote that “recent national surveys of young people have shown alarming increases in the prevalence of certain mental health challenges.”
“It would be a tragedy if we beat back one public health crisis only to allow another to grow in its place,” Murthy wrote.
Data specific to Idaho shows the same trend of increasing mental health needs among youth.
Recently-released 2022 Kids Count data shows increasing anxiety and depression rates among Idaho children, the Idaho Capitol Sun reported this week.
And the state’s rates of youth suicide (which is inextricably linked to mental health) are distressing. Bureau of Vital Statistics reports that those rates have increased from 8 to 10.7 between 2016 and 2021.
America’s Health Rankings pegged Idaho at 46th in the nation for teen (ages 15-19) suicide completions (2020). It calculated Idaho’s 2020 deaths per suicide at 22.2 per 100,000, compared to 11.1 nationally; the state’s 2021 rate was 20.7 compared to the national 11.2.
On top of those dire statistics, 2021 data from the National Alliance on Mental Illness shows that 52.5% of Idaho youth (ages 12-17) who have depression did not receive any care in the past year.
But local school districts are doing what they can to bridge that gap – it isn’t an easy task.
Counselors are overworked and scarceMost school counselors are also responsible for administrative tasks, which can impact their ability to meet student demand for counseling services.
Jefferson County School District Superintendent Chad Martin expressed frustrations with that reality at the Idaho Association of School Administrators conference last week.
“How much time do counselors spend counseling versus doing schedules and testing?” Martin asked. “It’s ridiculous that we’re paying these highly-trained individuals to do all these other things.”
What’s more, school counselors’ caseloads can include hundreds of students and student demand for mental health services is increasing.
So some districts are bringing licensed clinical counselors and therapists into the schools.
This school year, the West Ada School District is partnering with community mental health providers to do just that. That way, students don’t have to miss extra class time to travel off campus to meet with counselors and parents don’t have to take time off work to transport students.
“We want to increase the ability of students to learn by addressing mental health needs,” Kylee Bendorf, the district’s counseling and student services administrator, said.
The counseling sessions will be paid for with families’ insurance. Each school will have a team to help identify which students need the counseling, and parents will be involved in that identification process.
The Twin Falls School District provides five free counseling sessions per incident (a divorce, a fight at school, a death in the family, etc.) for students and/or family members. The sessions are paid for with ESSER funds. Once that money runs out, the district will assess how and whether to continue paying for the services.
The district started offering the free sessions in January. So far, 96 individuals have used it for a total of 331 visits. The district is also working with local health providers to raise awareness about the initiative via fliers, social media posts, posters, and emails.
Margaret Wimborne, a spokesperson for the Idaho Falls School District, said they are looking at placing counseling interns in schools to support the existing counseling staff.
But as districts work to increase student access to clinical mental health providers, many have had to contend with a dearth of mental health therapists.
Tori Torgrimson, the behavioral health director for Family Health Services, said counseling’s inherent stresses and liabilities and the impacts of the pandemic have contributed to the shortage.
“The overall need for mental health services is a lot higher, so it’s taking a system that was already stressed and adding more need and a higher level of care that’s needed,” she said.
FHS currently works with 20 schools in six different districts (including Twin Falls, Shoshone, Buhl, Jerome, Cassia, and Kimberly) by placing clinical counselors in their schools. However, only 12 of those schools are lined up with a counselor for this school year; FHS is still trying to find staff for the remaining 8 locations.
Because there are not enough counselors, patients are experiencing longer wait times until they can be seen. By the time they do get a session, their symptoms are often more severe.
Jackie Yarbrough, the senior program officer for the Blue Cross of Idaho Foundation for Health, said a lack of counselors is a common trend. The foundation’s Healthy Minds Partnership “helps establish school-located behavioral health so students can receive … services at school”. However, they’ve only been able to secure clinicians for 7 of the 10 schools and districts involved in the program.
Yarbrough said the lack of counselors is the same across the state.
“It doesn’t matter what region I’m in, this is a top concern for everyone,” she said.
Because of that shortage, the foundation has provided Idaho State University with $1.5 million to help increase the number of mental health providers in the state and improve access to healthcare in rural communities. The funds will provide up to 50 individual scholarships annually for Idaho students majoring in behavioral health programs at Idaho State.
But adding in-house clinicians isn’t the only route for schools looking to address mental health.
Schools foster strong relationships and a sense of belonging to boost mental healthBecky Meyer, superintendent for the Lake Pend Oreille School District, said it’s essential for youth to have at least one trusted adult in their lives. She wants everyone in her district – including custodians, teachers, paraprofessionals, bus drivers, and counselors – to know the importance of building those relationships.
“Every student matters,” she said. “We don’t want any student to fall through the cracks.”
Phil Schoensee, the principal at McCall’s alternative Heartland High School, has reiterated the same message with a “We Belong” campaign. The campaign involved hanging student photos around the school and was supported by a grant from the Idaho Lives Project, a suicide prevention program.
The school will also use the grant to offer a few team-building activities this school year, including bumper cars, ice skating, and skiing. Students will also receive mental health training and the school has incorporated the Sources of Strength program (as have many other districts and schools).
Sources of Strength is a national suicide prevention program “that uses peer leaders to enhance protective factors associated with reducing suicide at the school population level.”
“It just gives us an ongoing reminder to our students and our staff of how to support one another and make sure we’re focusing on those positive things even though everyone here has challenges in their life that places them at risk,” Schoensee said. “Having an ongoing support … is one more reason to fight off thoughts of suicide or things that could lead to that.”
Keith Orchard, the mental health coordinator for Coeur d’Alene School District, said that – like most districts – they saw “increased student mental and behavioral health concerns” in the wake of the pandemic.
They’ve worked to address those needs by implementing the Sources of Strength program and training its staff as Question, Persuade, Refer suicide gatekeepers.
“Our school staff strive to build strong relationships with all students, to structure their schedule and environment to meet physical and sensory needs, and to teach students how to recognize and regulate their stress so they can be present to learn,” he wrote in an email.
But the onus to help Idaho’s youth doesn’t fall just on schools, according to one Boise State University professor.
It takes a community effort to solve youth mental health issuesEspecially since the pandemic, schools have been tasked with the social, emotional, and academic needs of students and families. Megan Smith, a public health and population science associate professor at Boise State University, sees the heavy load schools are carrying and has spearheaded a project to support them.
“It’s hard for anyone to feel like on their own they can solve youth mental health; it feels like an insurmountably large problem,” Smith said. “The goal here is to coordinate efforts … and bring us all together so that the burden is light to lift.”
The project, which is funded with a $500,000 grant from the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, aims to help communities assess youth mental health and initiate solutions tailored to their specific needs. Boise State professors and students and the St. Luke Health System’s Communities for Youth team will also be assisting.
Last spring, Smith and project members started issuing surveys and facilitating youth listening sessions in several locations throughout the state, including Twin Falls, Boise, Mountain Home, and Coeur d’Alene. More listening sessions are planned this fall, and the group will present its findings afterward.
The goal of the listening sessions is to identify a community’s youth mental health challenges and think of solutions. For example, Smith said she implemented this program in a West Virginia community where young people were experiencing high levels of loneliness. Because of that, the community’s elderly decided to start going into schools to visit students. It was awkward at first, Smith said, but then relationships started forming and youth loneliness decreased.
So far in Idaho, Smith’s group has found that young people are feeling disconnected from each other, from their parents, from their schools and communities, and from themselves. That’s partly due to time spent online.
“The pandemic … pushed young people deeper into digital worlds because they didn’t have a physical world to enter,” Smith said.
The pandemic also further polarized communities and stressed families who were already vulnerable, all of which put heavier burdens on young people.
The project also hopes to collect actionable data on mental health among Idaho’s youth. Without such information, Smith said “we can’t ever be on the preventative side, only on the outcome side. Then all we know is when young people complete suicide. At that point there’s nothing we can do.”
With so much at stake, Smith hopes the project will help communities share accountability for youth mental health outcomes and lift some of the weight off schools’ shoulders.
“We all want our kids to thrive, be happy and healthy, and go on to contribute to the world in good ways,” she said. | https://www.idahopress.com/news/local/facing-a-shortage-of-mental-health-professionals-school-districts-get-creative-to-meet-student-needs/article_9708e58c-cded-55ba-975c-e43b4b7992e7.html | 2022-08-14T17:57:46 | 1 | https://www.idahopress.com/news/local/facing-a-shortage-of-mental-health-professionals-school-districts-get-creative-to-meet-student-needs/article_9708e58c-cded-55ba-975c-e43b4b7992e7.html |
BOISE, Idaho — The Western Idaho Fair (WIF) is putting a few precautions in place as a response to concerns surrounding the avian flu outbreak earlier this year throughout Idaho.
The fair opens its gates August 19. They expect to see around 150 birds enter for competitions, according to WIF Premium Office Coordinator Hans Bruijn.
WIF has worked closely with the Idaho State Veterinarian’s office, Bruijn said. Under the state vet’s direction, every bird entered in a competition at the fair must be tested for the avian flu.
Bruijn has emailed these details to each person signed up for competitions — that includes those involved with 4-H and Future Farmers of America (FFA) programs.
The Western Idaho Fair is making an effort to limit the number of times people touch the birds. Birds will also have empty cages between each other as a buffer zone. Bruijn recommends anyone who touches a bird to wash their hands; this is advice he recommends in general when touching any animal at the fair.
Bruijn has worked for the fair for 16 years. The precautions have added to his workload; however, this isn’t exactly new to his line of work.
“One year it may be something with rabbits and one year may be something with horses. We’re taking all the precautions,” Bruijn said. “We have a veterinarian who comes here every day. He walks around the barns and makes sure that everything is healthy. So yeah, we do take it very seriously.”
The last documented case of avian flu was reported on May 24, according to the Idaho Department of Agriculture. The outbreak affected 988 Idaho birds in total.
Avian flu is deadly for birds, but it is extremely rare for the virus to spread to people. | https://www.idahopress.com/news/local/western-idaho-fair-sets-up-avian-flu-precautions-prior-to-competitions/article_7f7cbe83-3e0c-5b19-b654-3c1eac75926a.html | 2022-08-14T17:57:52 | 1 | https://www.idahopress.com/news/local/western-idaho-fair-sets-up-avian-flu-precautions-prior-to-competitions/article_7f7cbe83-3e0c-5b19-b654-3c1eac75926a.html |
NORMAL — The Normal Town Council on Monday will vote on rezoning property and a preliminary development plan for the Wintergreen subdivision.
Wintergreen, which encompasses roughly 26 acres, is north of Raab Road and west of Towanda Avenue. The proposed ordinance would change the approximately 4-acre portion of Wintergreen from a single-family residential area (R-1) to a mixed residential designation (R-2).
The preliminary plan will allow for the developer to build out the remainder of the subdivision, said Town Communications Director Cathy Oloffson.
If approved, Champaign-based developer Fairlawn Capital would move forward on constructing lots north and east of Beech Street and Chuck Murray Drive to accommodate duplexes, rather than single-family homes.
“The rezoning to the R-2 mixed residential basically would permit the construction of attached units to the interstate, and then if the council approves the proposed preliminary subdivision, then that will permit the build-out of the remaining plats in that subdivision,” Oloffson said.
Some residents oppose the plans. At an Aug. 4 meeting of the Normal Planning Commission, a number of residents voiced concerns about the potential effect of the proposal on traffic, stormwater infrastructure and their property values, according to city documents.
The subdivision was annexed into Normal in 2001 as part of an agreement with the Raycraft family, according to council documents.
The most recently approved plat within Wintergreen occurred in 2007, with the platting of 57 detached, single-family lots mostly north of Beech Street. The original plan deviated and converted Pfitzer Road into a cul-de-sac and five lots from zero-lot-line homes into detached homes.
The following year, zoning in the area changed to a single-family residential designation from Beech Street to the interstate, leaving no mixed residential zoning in place, but that annexation agreement expired in 2016.
The new preliminary subdivision plan is similar to the original plan in that it proposes single-family detached home lots for the bulk of the area with a strip of attached, zero-lot-line homes adjacent to or near the interstate, according to the council documents.
There are two differences between this proposal and the original plan, including the roadways being re-aligned and lots north of Beech Street having an average size of 7,200 to 8,000 square feet. The original plan had the average lot sizes ranging from 8,700 to 10,500 square feet.
Because of this, the current plan calls for a total of 285 lots — 259 detached and 26 attached — to the subdivision, which is four more than the original.
“The plan does provide options for more diverse housing types,” Oloffson said. “The lots are slightly smaller but the … quality of the home designs in the price points will likely start around $319,000.”
Other business
Also on Monday, the town council will vote to approve a modified grant agreement with the United State Department of Transportation to provide extra funding for the Underpass Project at Uptown Station.
The grant agreement is part of the 2019 Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) grant program budget approved by the council on July 19, 2021.
This will add another $3,157,375 in federal funding for the project, increasing the BUILD fund to $16,157,375 and the overall project cost to $27,099,495.
The town share of the project cost remains unchanged at $1,692,120, which represents approximately 6% of the overall project.
Other items to be voted on include:
Approving an annexation agreement for the trails on Sunset Lake Subdivision, which is on the northeast corner of Airport Road and Ft. Jesse Road;
Approving a preliminary subdivision plan for a portion of trails on Sunset Lake Subdivision;
Authorizing the purchase of a 1-ton pickup truck from Runde Chevrolet for $63,269;
Authorizing a contract with McLean County Asphalt Co. Inc. for tennis and pickleball court improvements at Anderson and Underwood parks for $560,788.27;
Authorizing a contract with Rowe Construction, a division of United Contractors Midwest Inc., for the East Raab Road project from Hershey Road to Northpointe Drive for $313,260.65
Authorizing the city manager to solicit bids through the town’s energy broker for town-owned electricity accounts and execute an energy service agreement with the lowest responsible bidder | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/normal-council-to-vote-on-wintergreen-subdivision-plans/article_f47f2bd0-1a8b-11ed-a908-8bb07ec70c2d.html | 2022-08-14T18:06:05 | 1 | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/normal-council-to-vote-on-wintergreen-subdivision-plans/article_f47f2bd0-1a8b-11ed-a908-8bb07ec70c2d.html |
WILLIAMSBURG, Va. — A funeral service was scheduled for Monday for a Virginia university student whom police said was shot to death earlier this month.
Police were investigating Guy’s death as a homicide, according to the College of William & Mary, where she attended, media outlets reported.
Guy was a government major at William & Mary who planned to graduate next May. She had started her own retail hair extension business and danced while at the school, Vice President for Student Affairs Ginger Ambler said in a statement released Friday.
The funeral will be held at a Halifax County church. | https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/funeral-set-for-virginia-college-student-shot-to-death/2022/08/14/cfed4f72-1bf3-11ed-9ce6-68253bd31864_story.html | 2022-08-14T18:11:13 | 1 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/funeral-set-for-virginia-college-student-shot-to-death/2022/08/14/cfed4f72-1bf3-11ed-9ce6-68253bd31864_story.html |
Days after the U.S. Senate passed the Inflation Reduction Act, approving hundreds of billions in spending on major Democrat priorities, Sen. Ron Wyden took a victory lap during a call with Oregon media.
Wyden, who authored several of the key elements, in the package that passed the Senate when Vice Pres. Kamala Harris broke a 50-50 tie, said he was proud of the money to combat climate change, lower drug prices and take on tax cheats.
"I'm proud the legislation is going to pack a 1-2 punch on climate change," Wyden said. "The bill includes my Clean Energy for America legislation and the money for wildfire impact across the state. What the Clean Energy for America bill does is it takes the tax code and throws it in the trash can. It says the more you reduce carbon, the bigger savings you get. The law I wrote is the biggest investment in climate change ever. I've been working on it for a decade, and I'm proud of it."
Wyden said the bill provides $20 billion for farmers who use environmentally-friendly technology, $5 billion to help combat wildfires and $4 billion for drought mitigation.
The legislation also takes a big step toward lowering drug prices, although it did not go as far as Wyden had hoped. The biggest change is Medicare will now be able to negotiate directly with drug makers on pricing.
"Seniors have felt the restriction that big pharma has been able to protect in the Medicare law, the provision that keeps Medicare from negotiating is a curse," Wyden said. "The curse is being lifted now. Obviously big pharma is going to fight this every step of the way. Big pharma is going to fight this in courts and state legislatures.
"The reason pig pharma is going to fight this is it's going to be a seismic shift in way drug prices are set. They will no longer be able to charge what they want."
Wyden said in Oregon, 20,000 seniors now pay $2,000 a year or more for pharmaceuticals. Under the new legislation, there will be monthly cap on what anyone using Medicare has to pay."
One big change is Medicare patients using insulin will have a monthly cap of $35 for the life-saving drug. Wyden said perhaps his biggest disappointment was Republican senators blocked an effort to extend the $35 cap to all Americans who use insulin.
"The Republicans have said for years, we're going to be tough on taking on big pharma on insulin," Wyden said. "When it came to really putting it on the line, when we voted for people in the private sector to get a break, the Republicans folded. You better believe I'm going to make Republicans in the Senate vote on this again and again as chairman of the Finance Committee. Look guys, insulin prices have been going up year after year. Insulin is no different, it's the same product. They are charging more because they can."
Wyden said some of the Medicare changes will begin as early as October, with most starting in 2023.
"We're going to start with the most expensive drugs, the cancer drugs, the arthritis drugs," Wyden said. "This is all going to happen soon. Next year, Medicare selects the top 10 drugs and starts negotiating. Each year, the negotiations go up. To ensure, you're not hampering innovation, when the administrator comes to the table, we have outlined factors they should consider when going into negotiations."
The legislation also provides billions in funding to the IRS to hire 87,000 new agents to take on tax cheats. Wyden said the IRS has not had the funding to do major audits, but that will change now.
"The working person is not usually the issue," Wyden said. "The working person pays taxes."
While there were many elements Wyden was pleased with, he said the climate change funding is the key to the legislation. He said Oregon will benefit greatly because of the new funding available.
"We're going to be the clean energy leader in our region and play a very big role in our country," Wyden said. "Also the billions of dollars for farmers, wildfires and drought will benefit the entire country as well, including Oregon. The whole host of technology is really going to take off in Oregon and the country."
When asked how the legislation will benefit the average consumer or cut inflation, Wyden was prepared.
"We're cutting costs," he said. "What we're doing on prescription drugs is we're cutting costs. We're holding down health insurance premiums. We also know that renewable energy in a lot of instances, especially when there's electricity involved, is less expensive. These are all about steps citizens are telling us to take."
Overall, he said, the legislation is good for America and good for Americans.
"What's on offer here are lower health care costs for seniors, lower carbon emission, beefing up the fight for wealthy tax cheats," he said. "I get that's there's a lot of big lobbyists that have always been able to block that kind of reform. But what Oregonians expect you to do is keep at it and get results. I'm really pleased with the kinds of reforms we've been talking about. It's going to make a big difference in the lives of Oregonians" | https://theworldlink.com/news/local/wyden-touts-elements-of-inflation-reduction-act/article_6e4b0cd2-18f1-11ed-9836-93abdb5c88be.html | 2022-08-14T18:11:22 | 1 | https://theworldlink.com/news/local/wyden-touts-elements-of-inflation-reduction-act/article_6e4b0cd2-18f1-11ed-9836-93abdb5c88be.html |
ATLANTA — Police say a fight broke out at a party on Saturday night when gunshots were fired, leaving two teens with injuries at a home in the Morningside - Lenox Park neighborhood.
Atlanta Police responded at around 11:36 p.m. to a "person shot" call at an home located off Middlesex Avenue NE, not far from the Atlanta Botanical Gardens.
Officers located two teenagers, aged 15 and 17, suffering from gunshot wounds to their arms. Both boys were transported to the hospital alert, conscious and breathing for further medical treatment, police said.
Investigators said there was a party taking place at the home on Middlesex Avenue when a "fight broke out between a group of people."
"During the fight, gunshots were fired striking the two victims," police said in a statement.
Police did not say if they know who is responsible for the shooting or if the homeowners would be charged. They said the "investigation is ongoing."
This is a developing story. Check back often for new information.
Also download the 11Alive News app and sign up to receive alerts for the latest on this story and other breaking news in Atlanta and north Georgia. | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/middlesex-avenue-shooting-morningside-lenox-park/85-06f06542-c1b8-4aaf-956a-ffb466e9bbbc | 2022-08-14T18:28:53 | 0 | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/middlesex-avenue-shooting-morningside-lenox-park/85-06f06542-c1b8-4aaf-956a-ffb466e9bbbc |
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department is transferring a K-9 to Yuma police after it bit its handler and officials determined the department’s training methods will not be able to solve the dog’s problem.
The Belgian Malinois named Messi was being trained to be an all-purpose law enforcement dog for the department, but Messi and the handler he was matched with didn’t get along, Sheriff Chris Nanos said. Although Messi was smart and capable, Nanos said it reacted in negative ways with the handler, biting him on at least two different occasions.
Dogs like Messi are bred to be police dogs and are purchased from across the country, Nanos said. A trainer spends time training them to get them to a level where they can take the next step. The sheriff’s department then gets possession of the dog and matches it to a handler, who takes over training responsibilities.
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“To shift him from that handler to one of the other handlers is asking for a lot of trouble,” Nanos said. We can't just give them a dog somebody else had, we have to give them a new dog that matches them, their personality and their ability to work the dog.”
Since Messi can't go to another handler and releasing him to someone in the community is too much of a liability, the next best option is to find another agency that wants to take him on. Nanos said K9 transfers like this “happen from time to time."
“We thought the best thing for this dog is to give him to another agency that wants to take him on and see what they can do with them,” Nanos said. “Our options are very limited, and it usually leads to euthanasia. We do not ever want to have to do that to these fine dogs. That is not an option.”
Nanos said the department let other agencies know it had a K-9 that was not working out. The Yuma Police Department, which was aware of the issues the handler and Messi faced, volunteered to attempt to rehabilitate Messi.
At the Aug. 2 Board of Supervisors meeting, the donation was discussed and a sheriff’s department official told supervisors that Yuma police utilizes different training techniques and that it is confident the department can train the behaviors out of Messi.
Though skeptical at first, the supervisors approved the transfer to Yuma, hoping Messi gets a second chance there.
“We value these dogs more than just police animals,” Nanos said. “They are precious animals to us. They're part of our family too.”
The sheriff’s department will be purchasing two new K-9s, one to replace Messi and another one for the Ajo station.
The $25 million grant will help expand the bridge from four to six lanes, feature a divided median and a separate bicycle and pedestrian bridge.
The bear was last seen on Thursday morning heading north at Linda Vista Trail. Officials hope to tranquilize and relocate the animal.
Clear My Warrant, which launched this month, is a no-court, no-jail program that will allow people the ability to clear their felony probation warrant without being arrested or incarcerated.
Jamie Donnelly covers breaking news for the Arizona Daily Star. Contact her via e-mail at jdonnelly@tucson.com | https://tucson.com/news/local/pima-county-sheriffs-k-9-transferred-to-yuma-police-after-biting-handler/article_ed08318c-1a75-11ed-abf2-cf551b40f0a0.html | 2022-08-14T18:30:29 | 1 | https://tucson.com/news/local/pima-county-sheriffs-k-9-transferred-to-yuma-police-after-biting-handler/article_ed08318c-1a75-11ed-abf2-cf551b40f0a0.html |
When Tony and Brenda Brownell saw the vacant corner space in the Brick & Tile Building, they knew it would be the next location for The Olde Creamery.
"It's gorgeous. Just looking at the architecture, and it's kind of got that Frank Lloyd Wright feel with it," said Tony Brownell.
The couples' original ice cream shop location is in downtown Garner in a former creamery and antique store. Opening up a second shop in Mason City was part of the plan.
"We weren't looking right now, we were actually thinking spring of 2023. But then this popped up on Facebook as a sponsored ad," said Brownell. "We were like, 'We got to go look at this.'"
The Brownells signed the lease at the beginning of July and in 22 days were open for business. The shop had a ribbon cutting earlier this month. The Olde Creamery is already building a fan base in River City.
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"I feel like we've had a very good welcome from the community. We've seen a lot of good reviews and a lot of good feedback," said Brownell.
The Olde Creamery makes fresh waffle cones, brownies, and cookies alongside its high quality ice cream. Ice cream flavors swap out often, and customers never know whats on the menu until they walk in.
The Olde Creamery created a flavor especially for Mason City called "River City Cheesecake" -- already a local favorite -- along with salted caramel and "Death by Chocolate."
"(River City Cheesecake) has been received really well. It has white chocolate, raspberry, and cheesecake," said Brenda Brownell.
"Peach has been extremely popular. We locally source peaches that come from South Carolina. They're extremely good peaches, and we make a lot of peach ice cream throughout the winter months," Tony Brownell said.
Tony said it is cool being in a location where a lot of revitalization is happening in downtown Mason City.
"We are thankful for Mason City for welcoming us, and we look forward to many years of serving Mason City and the surrounding area," said Tony Brownell.
The Olde Creamery's Mason City location is on 103 E. State St., right next door to State Street Deli. The shop is open all week from noon to 10 p.m. according to its Facebook page.
Abby covers education and entertainment for the Globe Gazette. Follow her on Twitter at @MkayAbby. Email her at Abby.Koch@GlobeGazette.com | https://globegazette.com/business/local/the-olde-creamery-puts-down-roots-in-mason-city/article_82f9f971-387c-5836-bedf-d2408746a1b4.html | 2022-08-14T18:33:16 | 0 | https://globegazette.com/business/local/the-olde-creamery-puts-down-roots-in-mason-city/article_82f9f971-387c-5836-bedf-d2408746a1b4.html |
The NIACC John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center is now accepting applications for the Fall 2022 cohort of the University of Iowa Venture School Program.
U of I Venture School is the premier statewide program for entrepreneurs and is built from a streamlined curriculum developed by the National Science Foundation I-Corps at Stanford University and the University of California, Berkeley, according to a press release. Venture School emphasizes real-world entrepreneurship and innovation based on a leading-edge curriculum. Participants will encounter the chaos and uncertainty of creating new ventures based on customer discovery.
Fall 2022 Venture School program will be held as a hybrid class. An in-person orientation will be held Sept. 29 to explain the course expectations and to meet the coaches. Following classes will be held via Zoom Oct. 6 to Nov. 10. The Launch Day Pitch Competition will be held in-person on the NIACC campus on Nov. 17.
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Each Venture School team will be assigned a local entrepreneur as their coach. Participating teams will be eligible to compete for cash awards both locally and at the state level during the Venture School launch day at EntreFEST 2023. Last year’s Mason City graduates were awarded $8,000 in prize money during the 2022 EntreFEST pitch competition.
The cost for the program is $299. To apply for the Fall 2022 cohort, visit http://www.venture-school.com and select the Mason City cohort in the drop-down menu. The deadline to apply is Sept. 15.
Contact Candi Karsjens at candi.karsjens@niacc.edu with questions or if you are a local entrepreneur interested in becoming a Venture School coach.
Abby covers education and entertainment for the Globe Gazette. Follow her on Twitter at @MkayAbby. Email her at Abby.Koch@GlobeGazette.com | https://globegazette.com/news/local/niacc-pappajohn-center-is-accepting-applications-for-fall-2022-venture-school/article_e25bd8d0-7531-53d6-b633-ade85fff3664.html | 2022-08-14T18:33:35 | 1 | https://globegazette.com/news/local/niacc-pappajohn-center-is-accepting-applications-for-fall-2022-venture-school/article_e25bd8d0-7531-53d6-b633-ade85fff3664.html |
VALPARAISO — A bald eagle chick that fell out of its nest in late June was returned to his natural home after a three-week stay at the Humane Indiana Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Center in Valparaiso.
The bald eagle ND17, affectionately known as The Little Eagle that Could, Itty or Tiny, spent 21 days of rehabilitation at Humane Indiana Wildlife before being released to its nest at the Notre Dame Linked Experimental Ecosystem Facility, or ND Leef, near St. Patrick's County Park in South Bend. The release occurred July 20 after ND17's health and behavior had improved enough for release.
He weighed over 6.5 pounds at the time of release and was able to fly without any issues, according to Humane Indiana Wildlife. Within a half-minute after the release, he joined his siblings — one of whom "happily greeted him and flew with him" — and his parents, returning to the ND Leef nest that had been his home before June 30, when St. Patrick's County Park staff had found him after he had fallen from his nest.
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ND17 had weighed under 6 pounds when he arrived at Humane Indiana Wildlife. He was under three months old and malnourished, not having been fed regularly enough by his parents to maintain good body composition. He wasn't spending time balancing in trees or learning to fly but was spending more time on the ground.
Humane Indiana Wildlife's actions included blood work, tests for illnesses and x-rays, all of which returned negative for fractures, abnormalities or infections. The goals became helping ND17 rehydrate, returning him to a healthy weight and giving him the space to fly and perch in the facility's outdoor flight enclosures.
"He needed some assistance and support," said Humane Indiana Wildlife director Nicole Harmon. "It was a privilege to be able to provide him a helping hand in getting better."
For more information, or to donate to Humane Indiana Wildlife's mission, visit humaneindiana.org and click on "wildlife." | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/porter/valparaiso/little-eagle-that-could-back-in-the-wild-after-rehab/article_c27b9254-c69f-568d-aec2-1c93cfdd0a03.html | 2022-08-14T18:39:23 | 0 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/porter/valparaiso/little-eagle-that-could-back-in-the-wild-after-rehab/article_c27b9254-c69f-568d-aec2-1c93cfdd0a03.html |
MICHIGAN CITY — The cadets of the Michigan City High School (MCHS) Marine Corps Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (MCJROTC) sent the summer improving themselves and supporting Michigan City Area Schools and the community.
The cadets trained for a week in Wisconsin at a Leadership Camp organized and run by MCHS, with cadets from Portage and South Bend Riley also attending.
Selected cadets also attended the National Military Drill Camp at Schreiner University in Texas and the MCJROTC Senior Leadership Camp in Boswell, Pennsylvania. These camps, like all MCJROTC activities, were done at no cost to the students or MCHS. They were fully funded by the U.S. Marine Corps.
The cadets provided Color Guards for numerous events over the summer. Among those were the Michigan City Patriotic Parade, the Indiana State Employees Convention, the LaPorte County Veterans Court, and Montel Williams’ Military Makeover TV show, which helped an area family with a home renovation.
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The cadets also did a number of community service projects which included the Adopt-a-Highway program with the local chapter of the Marine Corps League, landscaping at the Dunes Summer Theater, paper shredding and a food drive at the Member’s Advantage Credit Union in Michigan City, and the citywide Back-To-School Rally at Elston’s Gill Field.
“We have very dedicated students in our program,” said Senior Marine Instructor Major Tom McGrath. “Despite being on summer break, our cadets know that support for our school district and community is needed year-round.”
Master Sgt. Jeff Benak, the Marine Instructor, noted the extra effort the current group of cadets have exhibited.
“COVID really hurt us, with so many events being canceled. Our current group of cadets has really stepped up as our operational tempo has returned to normal.”
Once school starts, the cadets will continue to support school activities, such as home athletic games and events in the community. They will also be starting military drill team practice, with the objective of qualifying for the National Championship meet in Washington, DC, in April. | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/rotc-cadets-log-busy-summer/article_485f5364-ff98-5906-b65c-9e1df61631aa.html | 2022-08-14T18:39:29 | 0 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/rotc-cadets-log-busy-summer/article_485f5364-ff98-5906-b65c-9e1df61631aa.html |
100 years ago
1922: Indications are that the trainmen strike, which has never been more than local -- Southern California and western Arizona, in particular -- is nearing a close. The Big Four brotherhood, which at first gave the train crews permission to strike wherever armed guards were used, has reversed that decision and notified the men that they are striking without authority and will not be supported either morally or financially. Telegraphic bulletins from the Big Four to that effect are posted on the bulletin boards at train stations. Meanwhile, in Flagstaff there has been no intimation that the Flagstaff Battery D will be ordered out on strike duty. They have not been ordered to mobilize nor has any order come about being in readiness. The trackmen here in Flagstaff have been working steadily. The wages received here are for foremen $117.08. Trackmen get 30¢ per hour. During the war, the foremen received $143.60, and trackmen much more than they are getting now. Then the foreman was cut to $123 a month and the men to 35¢ an hour. Since then, the wages were again cut, to the figures shown above.
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75 years ago
1947: “A major project for the Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce during the coming year will be the promotion of the Schultz Pass Road as an alternate route for northbound travel,” Lloyd Harrell, manager, said today. “About one-third of the westbound travel on Highway 66 is turning north on Highway 89 east of Flagstaff,” he said. “If we could bring these people into the city, and then make it possible for them to go north without retracing their steps to the 66-89 junction, we would benefit immeasurably.” Realizing the loss to Flagstaff business because of the big diversion of traffic on Highway 89 before it reaches the city, the chamber held a special meeting this week to discuss the matter and to make plans to promote the Schultz Pass Road. The chamber will ask the Coconino County Board of Supervisors to call a meeting sometime soon to discuss the proposal, and to study plans to surface and realign the Schultz Pass Road. “The road will not only be shorter, but it is a very beautiful scenic drive,” Harrell said. "It will be easy to maintain, both winter and summer, and will provide an additional treat for the visitor on his way to the Grand Canyon.”
50 years ago
1972: A 45-year-old Flagstaff man has been charged with bribery after allegedly offering a city court official $40 to let him go after court. The charge was filed on Wednesday against Donald L. Guthrie, Snow Bowl Motel, who had been arrested and held earlier on a minor traffic charge. According to a detective, Guthrie allegedly offered Ray Otero, court bailiff and probation officer, the money as he was being taken into court on the traffic charge Wednesday. He was released on his own recognizance after being booked into city jail on the charge.
The owner of a large German shepherd dog, allegedly involved in attacks on two people in Flagstaff, has been booked into city jail on a charge of leash law violations. An arresting patrolman of the Flagstaff Police Department said he took into custody John Thomas Blood, 24, of 804 W. Summit Avenue late Wednesday on two warrants charging the violations. A dog owned by Blood allegedly attacked a young man and a teenage boy last weekend, causing both to seek treatment at Flagstaff Community Hospital. The two complaints were signed by a police officer and a private citizen.
Babbitt’s East on Fourth Street has women's soft touch pantyhose on sale for 99¢ a pair. Not to be outdone, McLellan’s Department Store on N. San Francisco Street is selling the same product for 48¢ a pair. McLellan’s is also appealing to the back-to-school crowd by offering up 500 sheets of five-hole punched filler paper for 77¢.
25 years ago
1997: They come to Flagstaff from Phoenix, California, New York, the Midwest and Europe. Estimates put their number anywhere between two million and five million strong a year, depending on how their overnight stays are counted. They are tourists, and they come to to see the Grand Canyon, raid the service station convenience stores, shop at Walmart, grab a fast-food lunch, rest their road-weary eyes in local hotels and stroll through historic downtown. Directly and indirectly, tourism in Flagstaff accounts for more than 20% of all business in town. The hotel industry alone in Flagstaff is worth about $110 million a year. Tourism also pays the bills in Flagstaff. The 2% bed, board and booze tax has raised annually about $3 million.
Tourists whose vehicles breakdown on vacation are not the most chipper people in town. Often, they're both glum and in a rush to get back on the road. “Mostly they're in a real hurry,” said Richard Drury, a mechanic at the Butler Shell station at the Interstate 40–Butler Avenue exit. “Most of them expect to be waited on immediately. But we can't always do that; we take our customers as they come in. It seems to me sometimes people from big cities are in a big rush. They expect things to be done right away. But sometimes we can't.” Drury takes it all in stride. He's lived in Flagstaff for the past 25 years and has seen everything. He adds that he enjoys his job because he gets to meet new people every day. | https://azdailysun.com/news/local/flagstaff-history-bribery-attempt-went-badly-for-man-held-on-traffic-charge/article_eb0a9200-1a87-11ed-8aed-33f21ab7cfb9.html | 2022-08-14T18:49:17 | 1 | https://azdailysun.com/news/local/flagstaff-history-bribery-attempt-went-badly-for-man-held-on-traffic-charge/article_eb0a9200-1a87-11ed-8aed-33f21ab7cfb9.html |
Prioritized course offerings, optional period coverage and utilizing student teachers are some of the ways Lincoln Public Schools will fill the staffing gaps when school begins Monday.
But LPS officials say those gaps — exacerbated by the ongoing nationwide teacher shortage — are not as magnified as in other cities, like Omaha.
“This is one of the most challenging times I think any of us have experienced in history. I just don’t think we’re experiencing it at LPS the same way I'm seeing it in other districts,” Superintendent Paul Gausman said.
As of Tuesday, LPS was still looking to hire roughly 22 certificated staff members — from special-education teachers to school nurses — to round out its staffing corps that saw 323 departures from last year. Of those departures, 226 were resignations, a 20% increase from the year before.
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The biggest area of need staffing-wise is special programs, which includes special education and early childhood education and typically requires highly specialized training.
“It’s the No. 1 shortage across the entire country,” said Erik Witt, director of recruiting and supervisor of special programs personnel.
In special education, the district is still looking to hire four teachers, three speech pathologists and five school psychologists. Early childhood openings include six speech pathologists and one part-time teacher.
The needs are less dire at the general education level. Throughout the entire secondary level — which includes both middle schools and high schools — the district has just one opening: a full-time social worker.
And at the elementary schools, LPS has openings for just three nurses and a reading and math interventionist.
Despite the low number of openings, the district must still get creative to ensure students’ needs are met, including having teachers cover additional periods, streamlining elective offerings and utilizing teacher associates — essentially full-time substitutes — and private contractors.
“It’s not like we magically filled every position,” said Matt Larson, associate superintendent for instruction. “We do have a good, solid coverage plan, but in some cases that means a significant number of teachers are teaching optional periods who may not have taught optional periods.”
That will be especially true for certain hard-to-fill areas — like secondary math — and officials said there are also some cases in which staff will teach outside their endorsement area.
The Nebraska Department of Education’s accreditation standards allow districts to assign teachers outside their endorsement area up to a certain percentage — 5% at the elementary level and 20% in middle and high schools.
“It would be a case where we might take somebody that’s a science teacher but has a strong math background; they might teach math,” Larson said. “So it’s not like we’re taking somebody completely out of their experience zone.”
The district said it does not have data on how many certified positions went unfilled because of the use of optional periods at the building level. Schools are also prioritizing course offerings by trimming some electives with low enrollment to free up staff.
An ever-increasing shortage of qualified candidates worsened by the coronavirus pandemic and its effects on the labor market has put districts across the state and country in a pinch.
According to data supplied by LPS, there are more than 400 open teaching positions in Nebraska. Enrollment in special-education teacher preparation programs has plummeted, too.
At Omaha Public Schools, which saw a wave of departures, 4% of certified positions remained unfilled as of early August.
The teacher shortage predated COVID-19, but the crisis is finally starting to reach Nebraska, said Deb Rasmussen, president of the Lincoln Education Association. Luckily, Lincoln has avoided the worst of it so far, she said.
“They’re doing better than I anticipated,” Rasmussen said.
The staffing jigsaw puzzle at the elementary school level has meant moving a small number of teachers to different schools or within buildings to meet enrollment changes. Six teachers were moved to new schools, while eight were reassigned at their current building where a classroom section was reduced and shifted to another grade.
The balancing act will also increase average elementary school classroom sizes — a metric officials monitor to ensure proper staffing levels — in second, fourth and fifth grades at Title I schools.
LPS has a handful of general education teacher associates — full-time staff that can cover classes at a moment’s notice — and a small number of student teachers with local substitute certification to cover some periods.
Witt said the district has also worked closely with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln — LPS' main feeder school for new teachers — to find student teachers this fall who will graduate in December to fill any vacancies.
In special programs, the district will rely on private contractors and increase staff caseloads if needed until positions can be filled.
Hiring of classified staff — bus drivers, paraeducators, nutrition services workers, custodians — has been even more of a challenge. As of Friday, about 32% of openings were still unfilled.
Many of the methods in this patchwork approach are not new. Building principals yearly have to review staffing levels and make decisions about where to put staff to ensure classes are covered. Optional class coverage, in which teachers pick up extra periods for more pay, have always been used where a department might be stretched thin.
“That’s been something we’ve done in Lincoln for quite a while,” said Jessie Fries, director of secondary education.
Officials are loath to say the hiring process has become less selective, but this fact is plain: There are simply fewer applicants to go around.
It wasn't always that way, said Megan Stock, a former art teacher at McPhee Elementary School.
Stock is one of 188 teachers to take a leave of absence, in which teachers essentially take a yearlong sabbatical and can return to the district if they choose. Last year, 162 teachers were on leave.
"It used to be it took years to get into LPS as a teacher and you would shuffle through dozens of applications," Stock said. "I imagine part of the change is we're not going to have the same caliber of applications to look through, so it's definitely going to be lower experience levels."
During her seven years at McPhee, Stock said teachers were increasingly asked to do more with less. Eventually, Stock's position was reduced to half-time, prompting Stock to go on leave and teach in another district this fall.
She said districts should do their best to "create an environment where teachers feel supported ... not just superficially" to prevent staff from looking for jobs elsewhere.
"If you're not happy, you're looking," she said. | https://journalstar.com/news/local/education/staffing-in-a-teacher-drought-is-a-puzzle-but-lps-has-avoided-worst-of-shortage/article_df2bd2c7-9da0-5adc-9ca7-f642f03ab325.html | 2022-08-14T19:01:02 | 1 | https://journalstar.com/news/local/education/staffing-in-a-teacher-drought-is-a-puzzle-but-lps-has-avoided-worst-of-shortage/article_df2bd2c7-9da0-5adc-9ca7-f642f03ab325.html |
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Two people were hospitalized after a reported shooting near Northeast Hogan Place in Gresham on Saturday, according to Gresham Police Department.
Police said multiple callers reported hearing gunfire and seeing three vehicles leave the area heading north on NE Hogan Place.
On the scene, officers found a man lying in the road in front of Busters BBQ with multiple gunshot wounds. Officials said the man was taken to a trauma hospital and is expected to survive.
Nearby, officers said they found 26 shell casings and a car struck with bullets near Division Sports Pub.
Authorities said shortly after, police responded to a location in Troutdale where a gunshot victim was dropped off. Police determined this call was related to the Gresham shooting they were investigating.
According to GPD, the victim was not cooperative in giving officers more information about the shooting and was taken to trauma hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Gresham police said detectives are working to get more information. | https://www.koin.com/local/multnomah-county/2-hospitalized-vehicle-struck-with-bullets-after-gresham-shooting/ | 2022-08-14T19:02:34 | 0 | https://www.koin.com/local/multnomah-county/2-hospitalized-vehicle-struck-with-bullets-after-gresham-shooting/ |
KIMBERLY — University of Idaho Extension researchers see promise in hybrid rye and teff as potential forage crop options that could fill important niches for Magic Valley farmers, especially during short water years.
Hybrid rye, a cross of two rye varieties, can be planted in the fall and harvested early, either helping farmers conserve water or opening the door for them to follow with a second crop in the same season.
Teff, a warm-season grass originating from Ethiopia, is a forage option for farmers who must plant late in the season.
UI Extension barley agronomist and Idaho Barley Commission professor Jared Spackman planted his first experimental hybrid rye crops last fall. The hybrid rye was ready to cut for forage in early May in Kimberly and in mid-May in Aberdeen. Hybrid rye matured one to two weeks ahead of both wheat and triticale.
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Fall-planted hybrid rye provides field cover during the winter, also trapping snow for extra soil moisture. It matures before the start of peak irrigation demand, which is beneficial to growers who must cut back on water either due to terms of a water call settlement or insufficient storage amid a drought year.
“You get an early harvest and could maybe do a second crop of dry beans in the Magic Valley,” Spackman added.
Paul Gregor is the rye product manager for KWS Cereals, that provided seed for the project. Gregor reports increased demand for hybrid rye in western Idaho where he sees potential to raise the crop both for Magic Valley dairies and by livestock feeders in the Treasure Valley. Hybrid rye yields about double the biomass as wheat, and Gregor believes its early maturity is the crop’s best attribute for Idaho.
“The hybrid rye has a place because it’s usually a week to 10 days earlier than some of the other forages,” Gregor said. “It’s not that we’re always outyielding everybody. The grower could get the forage off earlier and then get back in with corn silage or something to get more biomass.”
Spackman is assisting UI Extension agronomist Joseph Sagers with additional trials involving teff. In Ethiopia, teff is used for making traditional breads and there’s a small, niche market in Idaho of raising teff for grain. Primarily, it’s grown in Idaho as forage for beef cattle and horses.
“The greatest thing about growing a forage is we already have the markets,” Sagers said, adding many Idaho forage growers may already be raising teff and feeding it to their own livestock.
Sagers believes teff could be a great option for a grower seeking to get production from a field following a failed crop, as it likes heat and can be planted late in the season. Farmers in southern Idaho should expect to get two cuttings of teff, each yielding between 2.5 tons and 3.5 tons per acre.
In trials Sagers conducted in 2019 and 2020, he saw no statistically significant yield difference when teff was planted in mid-May versus on June 1. He also saw no significant yield difference for the crop year when he cut the first teff crop lower than normal.
Alfalfa doesn’t grow well when planted immediately following a field that’s been taken out of alfalfa. Sagers sees teff as a great option to break up an alfalfa rotation, noting teff can be raised and baled with the same equipment as alfalfa. Another benefit of following alfalfa with teff is that farmers would have time to take a first cutting of alfalfa before terminating it and planting teff.
Teff is highly susceptible to freezing temperatures, so there’s no risk of escapes or volunteers after planting it.
“I think there is a niche for smaller operations that need an easy, fast-growing option,” Sagers said of teff.
Sagers has also been researching new herbicide options for teff production in Idaho. When he started his work, 2,4-D was the lone herbicide available for weed control in teff. A local-needs label was subsequently approved to use the herbicide Open Sky in teff. In his ongoing trials, Sagers has found Husky FX, dicamba and Gold Sky show potential to control weeds in teff without damaging the crop, although they are not yet labeled to be applied to teff crops. | https://magicvalley.com/news/local/niche-forage-crops-might-hold-potential-in-magic-valley/article_6fe9d630-1a87-11ed-99c0-dbab54f4eb09.html | 2022-08-14T19:04:56 | 0 | https://magicvalley.com/news/local/niche-forage-crops-might-hold-potential-in-magic-valley/article_6fe9d630-1a87-11ed-99c0-dbab54f4eb09.html |
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