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If you're looking for a getaway near Labor Day weekend, airlines have plenty of cheap flight opportunities out of San Antonio International Airport.
For just $80, you can fly to Miami to take in the beaches of South Beach, visit Jungle Island or take in the opportunities for fine dining in one of the best food cities in the country.
Other destinations for or under $100 include Cancun, Chicago and Seattle.
All flights listed are one-way and include one-stop unless otherwise noted. Flight prices should be double-checked because there may be additional fees for some flights with checked bags or selected seats.
Fully vaccinated individuals can safely travel in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As of April 18, masks are no longer required on public transportation conveyances and at transportation hubs, although the CDC continues to recommend that people wear masks in indoor public transportation settings.
The CDC advises those exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms, testing positive, or who have recovered from the virus within the past 90 days not to travel.
On ExpressNews.com: What people really think of Buc-ee’s and Whataburger outside of Texas
On ExpressNews.com: Texas might be 'colder than normal' this winter
shepard.price@express-news.net | @shepardgprice | https://www.expressnews.com/news/local/article/San-Antonio-flight-deals-miami-chicago-17377292.php | 2022-08-16T21:24:19 | 0 | https://www.expressnews.com/news/local/article/San-Antonio-flight-deals-miami-chicago-17377292.php |
SEATTLE — Editor's note: The above video on King County's child care bonus aired on June 13.
Over 12,000 child care providers in King County are expected to receive one-time payments for retention bonuses.
Nearly 90% of eligible licensed child care providers in King County applied for the one-time payment that will be starting in August through September, according to a release. The bonus will range from $400-500 per child care worker.
In June, King County and the city of Seattle announced $7 million in funding earmarked for child care retention payments. King County contributed $5 million through its "Best Starts for Kids" levy, while the city of Seattle added $2.4 million from its JumpStart Payroll Expense tax.
"Child care workers are essential to a healthy, thriving region, providing critical services to families and communities every day," said King County Executive Dow Constantine. "We are committed to access to affordable child care and respectful wages for child care workers, and these investments provide the necessary support to ensure both. We're grateful for our partnership with Mayor Harrell and the City of Seattle and will continue to collaborate on ways we can invest in this workforce."
Donny Willeto, development director for Child Resources, said in June the bonus applied to every child care worker on payroll, regardless of full or part-time status. Willeto said all King County licensed programs - from birth to 12th grade - along with licensed child care programs were eligible for bonuses.
A release from King County said child care workers make $9 less per hour than median workers, making them among the lowest wage earners in Washington state.
Child care workers are more likely to be women and people of color, the two groups who faced the highest risk of COVID-19 exposure during the pandemic, the release said.
“Through the most challenging and unpredictable of circumstances, child care workers stepped up during the pandemic to support our city’s children and families," said Mayor Bruce Harrell. "It is our turn to show up for them. To reach our vision for One Seattle, we must build a sustainable future where families have access to high-quality, affordable care, and providers can earn a thriving wage that reflects the value they provide to our economy. We will get to that future only through strong partnerships built on respect, trust, and collaboration with the child care community." | https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/seattle/king-county-child-care-workers-one-time-retention-bonus/281-4628754f-7d0a-49fc-a530-1cda086ce326 | 2022-08-16T21:24:35 | 1 | https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/seattle/king-county-child-care-workers-one-time-retention-bonus/281-4628754f-7d0a-49fc-a530-1cda086ce326 |
WASHINGTON — A judge has ordered the state agency that operates Washington's largest psychiatric hospital to pay more than $2 million to four female health workers who were assaulted by a violent patient who targeted women.
One of the nurses who filed the lawsuit, Bernia Garner, lost part of her ear when the patient vaulted over the nurse's station, knocked her to the ground, choked her and bit off part of her earlobe.
That same Western State Hospital patient grabbed Kaitlyn Tritt's hair with both hands and wouldn't let go. Staff tried to released his grip but the patient and nurse ended up on the floor with her hair wrapped around her neck, as he tried to choke her.
The patient also attacked nurse Karen Jolley-Arnold several days later while screaming that he was going to kill her, and repeatedly struck her in the leg, causing a debilitating wound. He jumped on Eloisa Panza during a night shift, knocking her to the ground and trying to bite her thigh.
Their lawsuit claimed hospital supervisors and the Department of Social and Health Services knew the patient repeatedly attacked women but they failed to provide a safe environment.
“There’s no real accountability,” said James Beck, the lawyer representing the workers. “They tell the Legislature that they are properly responding to assaults based on reports by investigators, but nobody’s utilizing them.”
The Pierce County judge also ordered the agency to pay an additional $2.6 million to cover attorney's fees and other costs.
State officials say they don't plan to appeal the jury's verdict.
“The safety of our staff and patients at Western State Hospital and all of our 24/7 facilities is one of our highest priorities and we continue to focus our efforts in this area,” department spokeswoman Tyler Hemstreet said in an email.
After years of failing health and safety inspections, the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services stripped the hospital in 2018 of its certification and federal funding, totaling $53 million a year. It also lost its accreditation with the Joint Commission. Neither has been restored.
The Washington Department of Labor and Industries has repeatedly cited Lakewood-based Western State Hospital for maintaining an unsafe work environment, Beck said.
The patient who attacked the workers and others had been civilly committed to the hospital in 2017. A state report in 2018 said he “had ongoing assaultive behavior on a somewhat regular basis. He frequently required one-to-one monitoring and repeatedly targeted females with long, dark hair and attempted to pull their hair. This included both staff and other patients.”
When he attacked nurse Arnold, he kicked her in the leg where she had suffered a pervious injury, Beck said. It impacted her mobility and it took a year for it to become stable. She also suffered psychological trauma from being assaulted at work, he said.
The state refused to find her a new position so she suffered physically and economically, he said.
The jury found that the state knew about the patient's behavior and “failed to take reasonably prompt and adequate corrective action reasonably designed to end it.” They also said the state did not “reasonably accommodate" the employees' disabilities and impairments.
They awarded past and future benefits for Arnold and Garner. Eloisa Panza is the only one still working at the hospital, Beck said.
A separate lawsuit filed by hospital worker Daniel Dawson claimed another patient had a history of assaulting and targeting African American staff, but officials failed to take appropriate corrective action. The patient called Dawson racist names and attacked him in 2018 and 2019.
“Western State Hospital violated Dawson’s rights through its deliberate indifference in creating a dangerous work environment with its continued violation of workplace safety regulations that manifested wonton and willful disregard of Dawson’s safety,” his lawsuit said.
The state agreed to settle his case for $375,000. | https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/western-state-hospital-2-million-lawsuit-workers-assaulted/281-b3387ad6-2bef-4b8f-9ad8-ff5079f64b96 | 2022-08-16T21:24:42 | 1 | https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/western-state-hospital-2-million-lawsuit-workers-assaulted/281-b3387ad6-2bef-4b8f-9ad8-ff5079f64b96 |
FORT SMITH, Ark. — According to Fort Smith police, a child died after being left in a hot car on Tuesday, Aug. 16.
Police said an "undisclosed person" allegedly had to break the car window before taking the child to a nearby hospital. Later, the child was pronounced dead.
The incident reportedly happened near a home on Boone Avenue.
Fort Smith police and the Crisis Intervention Unit responded to the hospital and authorities are at the Boone Avenue home investigating.
No other information has been released at this time.
We will update this article with more information as it becomes available. | https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/local/baby-dies-fort-smith-hospital-hot-car/527-74c32547-d078-47e2-8ae9-5554bf1d9d20 | 2022-08-16T21:26:48 | 1 | https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/local/baby-dies-fort-smith-hospital-hot-car/527-74c32547-d078-47e2-8ae9-5554bf1d9d20 |
DALLAS — American Airlines flights could be getting faster. It just might take a while.
The Fort Worth-based company on Tuesday announced it has agreed to purchase up to 20 Boom Supersonic Overture aircraft, with an option to buy an additional 40.
The Overture is expected to fly twice as fast as today's commercial aircraft, over water. The examples American Airlines included were flights from Miami to London in under five hours and Los Angeles to Honolulu in three.
The only catch: You'll have to wait.
The Overture isn't expected to be passenger-ready until 2029. Boom Supersonic in July released the final design for the Overture, and production is expected to be completed by 2025.
American has paid a non-refundable deposit on 20 Overture aircraft, according to its announcement Tuesday. The airline's agreement with Boom Supersonic incudes the option buy an additional 40 Overture aircraft.
Boom Supersonice has previously reported commercial orders with United Airlines and Japan Airlines, for a total of 70 aircraft.
The Overture is expected to hold 65-80 passengers and have a range of 4,250 nautical miles. The aircraft will have four wing-mounted engines that can power the plane up to speeds of Mach 1.7 over water and just under Mach 1 over land.
The aircraft is also expected to have a noise reduction system on takeoff.
“Aviation has not seen a giant leap in decades. Overture is revolutionary in its design, and it will fundamentally change how we think about distance,” Boom Supersonic CEO Blake Scholl said in a company press release last month.
The Allied Pilots Association, the union representing American Airlines pilots, criticized the announcement, saying it was "obviously intended to grab headlines."
"While future aircraft deliveries are always welcome news, right now we’re frankly more interested in seeing American Airlines correct its serious operational problems," the union statement said.
In the short-term, American is juggling shifting flight schedules. The airline is cutting 16% of flights from its schedule in November, amounting to about 31,000 flights total, according to a CNN report. The November cutbacks follow cuts of 2% for September and October. | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/aviation-american-airlines-orders-up-to-20-boom-supersonic-overture-aircraft-heres-what-theyll-feature/287-4cfae1e3-9d6a-45e7-9fe6-d9b5a2ed6817 | 2022-08-16T21:27:58 | 1 | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/aviation-american-airlines-orders-up-to-20-boom-supersonic-overture-aircraft-heres-what-theyll-feature/287-4cfae1e3-9d6a-45e7-9fe6-d9b5a2ed6817 |
CLEARWATER, Fla. — Clearwater police officers are responding to a hit-and-run crash involving a bicyclist Tuesday afternoon.
Just before 3:30 p.m., police officers responded to the area of Myrtle Avenue and Jones Street near U.S. Highway 19 where a person on a bike sustained "serious injuries" in a hit-and-run crash, the agency said.
At this time, police are asking drivers to avoid the area.
Authorities have not yet released information regarding the car involved in the crash. | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/pinellascounty/clearwater-bike-crash/67-7cb3c361-9cfd-4a8d-b546-3a098d76ca5e | 2022-08-16T21:28:04 | 1 | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/pinellascounty/clearwater-bike-crash/67-7cb3c361-9cfd-4a8d-b546-3a098d76ca5e |
This Nov. 22, 2017 file photo shows a road closed sign placed during the last repairs made to the bridge along Lee County Road 520 in the Brewer community.
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TUPELO – Lee County elected officials gave the green light to replace an aging bridge using state funds.
The Lee County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to start work on the County Road 520 bridge in the Brewer community during a Monday morning meeting. County Road Manager Tim Allred said the replacement was a long-time coming.
The county last repaired the bridge in 2017 to keep it in use, but its rating remained at a 3-ton limit, Allred said, adding that it was the lowest rating possible for a bridge in the state. The new construction will have a 42-ton limit.
“Everybody in that direction knows that is one of the quickest ways to get to Tupelo from the Southeast side of Lee County,” he said. “It needs to be replaced. Money kept us from replacing it to begin with, but we have the funds now.”
The estimate for the construction is around $4 million, Allred said, which will be paid for through the State’s Emergency Road and Bridge Fund Program, according to County County Administrator Bill Benson. The Daily Journal previously reported the state allotted $3.5 million for the road and bridge through the program.
“This project is state-funded,” Benson said. “It is not coming directly from the (county) road and bridge fund.”
With the board’s approval, Allred said the next step would be to take the project out to bid. He estimated a bid approval at the first of the year and work to begin in April or May of next year. He also said he expected the bridge to be complete in about 18 months.
Allred said the current bridge would not be closed during construction and will continue to allow through traffic.
“They are going to leave the old bridge up there, so it won’t impede the citizens of Lee County or anyone passing through,” he said.
Benson, who lives near the bridge, said it is well traveled, linking the area to the industrial park where multiple factories are located.
“It is a heavily traveled bridge,” he said. “It is really a necessity for it to meet the state’s standard.”
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Error! There was an error processing your request. | https://www.djournal.com/news/local/lee-county-to-replace-brewer-bridge-using-state-funds/article_6747ecb2-21ad-5f03-82fc-c11f039e232d.html | 2022-08-16T21:35:05 | 0 | https://www.djournal.com/news/local/lee-county-to-replace-brewer-bridge-using-state-funds/article_6747ecb2-21ad-5f03-82fc-c11f039e232d.html |
MESA, Ariz. — A man was stabbed to death following an altercation over a parking spot at a yard sale in Mesa, police say.
On Saturday, the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office responded to a stabbing near the 300 block of North Hawes Road and found the victim with several puncture wounds. Deputies performed life-saving measures but the victim died at the scene.
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The suspect, David Anthony Cruz, told detectives he walked outside his parents' home after several cars were parked along the property's fence line. Cruz told investigators he was surrounded by several people and was struck in the throat causing him to fear for his safety, public records show.
Cruz then told investigators he pulled out a pocketknife and began swinging it in the direction of anyone around him. Cruz believed he stabbed someone and then ran back to his parent's home to call the police.
Detectives interviewed several witnesses and were able to determine the victim had driven up to the yard sale and the suspect allegedly confronted him over where he had parked his car, court records show.
The argument between the two escalated to punching before Cruz allegedly pulled out a knife. Investigators were not able to determine who the aggressor was in the altercation but concluded Cruz had no bruising, scratches, or signs of a struggle on his body resulting in his arrest for homicide.
The identity of the victim has not been released. Cruz is expected in court Friday for a status conference.
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Silent Witness:
Arizona's Silent Witness program allows people to send in tips and share information about crimes happening within their local communities.
The program shares unsolved felony case information in multiple ways, including TV, radio and social media.
Anyone who has information on a crime or recognizes a suspect described by the program is asked to call 480-948-6377, go to the program's website online or download the Silent Witness app to provide a tip. The identity of anyone who submits a tip is kept anonymous.
Calls to Silent Witness are answered 24/7 by a live person and submitted tips are accepted at all times. Submitted tips are then sent to the detective(s) in charge of the specific case.
Individuals who submit tips that lead to an arrest or indictment in the case can get a reward of up to $1,000. | https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/valley/man-stabbed-death-parking-spot-at-a-yard-sale-fight/75-d1b729ec-43a2-4745-8930-b2363f636a71 | 2022-08-16T21:36:56 | 1 | https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/valley/man-stabbed-death-parking-spot-at-a-yard-sale-fight/75-d1b729ec-43a2-4745-8930-b2363f636a71 |
COLUMBIA COUNTY, Pa. — Along the sidewalk at the site of Saturday's tragedy, as well as elsewhere in the greater Berwick area, we are continuing to see community support show up for the victims.
Taps Sportsbar is closed now, but on Saturday night, it didn't take long for the news of what happened to spread from Berwick to the place on Route 11 in Briar Creek Township.
"Sirens and trucks was going up the highway, ambulances. We knew something was wrong," said owner Timothy Babbs. "We were just all heartbroken after the tragedy that happened and then find out that some of the ones are related to the fire victims is like, 'How can this happen?' So we just made a call to close everything down."
Much like what the owner of The Intoxicology Department did for the victims of the Nescopeck Fire, owner Timothy Babb wants to do for victims of that tragedy and the Berwick crash.
Babb says he feels for the owners of The ID.
"My heart went out to them, and we knew what Lauren was doing. You know, Lauren's absolutely big-hearted, wonderful person," added Babbs.
On August 27, he's hoping to raise as much money as he can at the restaurant.
"Our plan is to have a cornhole tournament, doubles and singles. All proceeds go to the victims. And we're also going to add in the other victims there. So we're going to try to, you know, divvy it up the best we can," explained Babbs.
Babbs says attendance will be $25 a person, $40 a couple, and in addition to a 50/50 and basket raffle, the restaurant will donate 25 percent of its profits, and the staff will be donating all of their tips to the cause.
To make all the attendees feel safe, folks at Tap Sportsbar and Grill tell Newswatch 16 they're working to get barriers for the parking lot as an extra safety measure.
"You know, I lost my leg years ago and we had a benefit. God, for months later, I was getting cards in the mail, you know, gift cards from Weis, Giant, whoever. And it's amazing," said Babbs. Berwick is known for helping people out."
If you would like to participate in or donate to this event taking place on August 27, you can contact The Taps Sportsbar and Grill on its Facebook page by clicking here.
See news happening? Text our Newstip Hotline. | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/columbia-county/fundraiser-planned-for-tragedy-victims-berwick-nescopeck-sura-reyes/523-587c247e-558d-4045-9d5e-81db055332a4 | 2022-08-16T21:37:02 | 0 | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/columbia-county/fundraiser-planned-for-tragedy-victims-berwick-nescopeck-sura-reyes/523-587c247e-558d-4045-9d5e-81db055332a4 |
SCRANTON, Pa. — Parents and some school leaders are offering mixed reactions after the Scranton School Board's vote at a special meeting Monday night to move forward with hiring 20 armed guards for the upcoming school year.
The board authorized 20 new armed guards contracted through Cardinal Point Security Group to patrol school buildings.
The guards are in addition to the district's current resource officers.
School director Sarah Cruz tells Newswatch 16 that she and two other board members voted against the contract, saying parents didn't have enough time to weigh in.
"A lot of community members, especially parents, were not aware of it. It is still summer; they're focusing on summer activities with their children," said school director Sarah Cruz.
The Scranton Superintendent of Schools issued a statement on the decision saying, in part:
"The armed guards add an additional level of protection in our school buildings." and that their "number one priority is the safety and security of staff and students."
Cleveland Cook has three children who go to school in the district. With everything going on across the country, he believes more security is the right move.
"It'll give parents peace of mind, really. I have children in the school district, and I worry as well. Personally, I've thought about taking my kids out of the school district because of everything going on. God forbid, you know, I don't want any parent, any student, or teacher to go through a situation like that," Cook said.
Not everybody shares the same feelings. Some have mixed feelings about adding armed security.
"Armed security guards," said Blanca Aguirre. "I don't know about that."
"On one hand, the threat is really something you have to worry about these days, but I don't know, I feel like we have to find another alternative," Joseph McLaughlin said. "I don't know if more guns in school is the right answer."
The guards' contract will cost the district $3.4 million over three years.
The school safety and security officer tells Newswatch 16 that the district is working on a phased approach to bringing in these guards. It's all dependent on how quickly the company can provide them.
See news happening? Text our Newstip Hotline. | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/lackawanna-county/reaction-mixed-on-scranton-school-district-vote-for-armed-guards-in-schools-cardinal-point-security/523-f6c3e685-82f9-4194-bbb8-41083beee24a | 2022-08-16T21:37:08 | 1 | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/lackawanna-county/reaction-mixed-on-scranton-school-district-vote-for-armed-guards-in-schools-cardinal-point-security/523-f6c3e685-82f9-4194-bbb8-41083beee24a |
WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — Student chefs at the Pennsylvania College of Technology in Williamsport will be put to the test over the next two weeks. The culinary students are responsible for feeding all the players and coaches at the Little League World Series.
"Pretty great to know that we are keeping these kids active and running, and it is good to know their success and energy on the field is being derived from our food," said sophomore Lance Bierly.
The students will prepare breakfast, lunch, and dinner each day. This year, the world series includes 20 teams, so there are more mouths to feed.
"There's 384 players, plus the coaches and chaperones and things like that. So, 400 breakfasts, lunches, and dinners, so 1,200 a day," said Shawn Hanlin, executive chef at Le Jeune Chef. "The five days I have been working has been pretty crazy with all the food we have been producing, and just the sheer amount of willpower and strength that we have been putting through to get all this food out has been astounding."
Not only will student chefs at Penn College be responsible for 1,200 meals a day, but they will also be working with different cuisines found all over the world.
The menu on Tuesday included quesadillas and chicken parmesan.
"Teams from the Caribbean, we have European teams, we have teams from Puerto Rico. So, I will learn a lot about their individual cuisines, their likes, and the core ingredients that make up those cuisines," said freshman Jordan Brouse.
Most of these students are in their first or second year at Penn College, and for them, it's a great experience to have for life after college.
"It is going to help me so much in the long run with learning how to work with others and learning how to work in this field and getting all the experience I can to be successful in my future."
The Little League World Series starts Wednesday it runs through August 28. | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/lycoming-county/penn-college-student-chefs-cooking-for-little-leaguers-world-series-south-williamsport/523-b94f8216-af80-4e8a-8b48-4f195a25faf6 | 2022-08-16T21:37:14 | 0 | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/lycoming-county/penn-college-student-chefs-cooking-for-little-leaguers-world-series-south-williamsport/523-b94f8216-af80-4e8a-8b48-4f195a25faf6 |
EFFORT, Pa. — In a matter of weeks, all the apples at Heckman Orchards near Effort will be picked.
Apple season is approaching fast, and owner Mark Heckman says they'll be ready.
"Everything looks pretty good. It's running on time. The frost and freeze didn't affect us a whole lot this spring. Some of the varieties don't hang quite as full as others, but the rest of them hang pretty fully," Heckman said.
More than 40 different varieties of apples are growing on the farm.
Heckman says while the weather hasn't been kind, the apples will still taste great.
"It is getting dry. You know, we could use some rain for sure. But the size seems to be OK for now, but I think if this drought continues, that will be the only thing that's affected," Heckman said.
Despite having little to no rain recently, Heckman says their peaches look great this year and they're hoping the apples turn out the same.
"Your fruit trees are deep-rooted. The roots go down like four feet, so yeah, the top is really dry, but you know, there's moisture down deeper in the soil, which holds the moisture a little bit better. So far, they seem to be OK," Heckman said.
He'll start to worry if we don't get rain in the coming weeks because it could impact the crop for next year.
"What's going to start to happen is the trees are still lush green yet, but what's going to start to happen is there going to start to get under stress, and then sometimes the leaves start to fall off early," Heckman said. "It still doesn't affect the fruit that much, but what it's going to affect is the fruit for next year because they produce the fruit buds on the tree for the following year."
If everything goes well, apple picking starts at Heckman Orchards the first weekend in October.
Check out WNEP’s YouTube channel. | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/monroe-county/apple-season-looks-good-despite-dry-weather-heckman-orchards-peaches/523-ee94e37a-782c-4c0e-ad7e-b53f05f0618d | 2022-08-16T21:37:20 | 0 | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/monroe-county/apple-season-looks-good-despite-dry-weather-heckman-orchards-peaches/523-ee94e37a-782c-4c0e-ad7e-b53f05f0618d |
STROUD TOWNSHIP, PA — Just when doctors and nurses at St. Luke's University Health Network, Monroe Campus thought things might be getting better, the hospital is seeing an increase in monkeypox cases.
The disease is most commonly transmitted through direct contact with bodily fluids or lesions on someone with the virus.
"In addition to lesions, people will oftentimes have fevers. They'll have a general malaise and not feel well, and they may have enlargement of the lymph glands of their lymph nodes," said Dr. Jeffrey Jahre, an infectious disease specialist at St. Luke's.
He's calling on the dental community to be alert for monkeypox because doctors at the hospital have seen oral monkeypox symptoms.
"70 percent of people with monkeypox are going to have mouth lesions, and in many cases, the mouth might be the first area where these lesions are present, so it's very important for dental workers as a whole to be able to recognize this possible so that people can be referred for proper evaluation," Dr. Jahre said.
Lesions can vary in number and size.
"What we try to tell people is that, fortunately, they can resemble the same lesions that we see with canker sores, with cold sores or herpes simplex virus, hand, foot, and mouth disease, or even trauma," Dr. Jahre said.
This shouldn't scare dentists or scare people from going to the dentist, says Jahre. But instead, alert them of what to look out for to provide the right care.
Watch Healthwatch 16 stories on YouTube. | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/monroe-county/health-officials-warn-dentists-to-look-out-for-oral-signs-of-monkeypox-st-lukes-university-health-network/523-1d6c5bed-df6e-4a66-9225-5f7fcd940731 | 2022-08-16T21:37:26 | 0 | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/monroe-county/health-officials-warn-dentists-to-look-out-for-oral-signs-of-monkeypox-st-lukes-university-health-network/523-1d6c5bed-df6e-4a66-9225-5f7fcd940731 |
FRACKVILLE, Pa. — A 92-year-old woman was killed while crossing the street in Schuylkill County.
According to police, the victim was crossing Lehigh Avenue in Frackville around 3:30 p.m. Monday when she was hit by an oncoming pickup truck.
She was flown to the hospital, where she later died.
Police have not said if any charges will be filed.
See news happening? Text our Newstip Hotline. | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/schuylkill-county/elderly-pedestrian-hit-and-killed-in-schuylkill-county-lehigh-avenue-frackville/523-b7c4a6d6-2600-4dae-b650-5a4fd970c865 | 2022-08-16T21:37:32 | 1 | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/schuylkill-county/elderly-pedestrian-hit-and-killed-in-schuylkill-county-lehigh-avenue-frackville/523-b7c4a6d6-2600-4dae-b650-5a4fd970c865 |
SCHUYLKILL HAVEN, Pa. — What used to be a practice field and two old basketball courts for the Schuylkill Haven Area School District is now a college-level sports center, the first of its kind in Schuylkill County.
Athletes, including high school quarterback Brayden Fasnacht, participated in one of the first practices at the facility.
"It's a big difference down at Rotary Field compared to here. It's a lot softer, and a lot of the players and our teammates say it's a lot more slippy when we're running our certain plays on the field. But I think after a while, we're going to get used to it," Fasnacht said.
The $5.5 million sports center aims to help athletes in high school and beyond.
"I think this is going to be a great jumpstart for me, and not only for myself but for teammates and players from other sports as well from here – just a great spot to be in whether you're a freshman or a senior. Anyway, it's going to give you a great start," Fasnacht added.
By partnering with the Lehigh Valley Health Network, health professionals will be on hand to help treat injuries and teach athletes how to prevent them.
"We have a full-time trainer here, a sports performance coach, a physician that manages their help, athletic trainers. We have physical therapists, and so we are really going to be involved on a day-to-day basis to make sure our athletes are healthy as they can be," said William Reppy, president of Lehigh Valley Health Schuylkill.
The investment in this sports facility isn't just for athletes.
"This is for more than student-athletes. Our staff is going to be able to use it. People in our community are going to be able to use it. Our marching band can have its practices inside here on a rainy day. So this is going to be used by so many kids and staff members. We're just really excited," said Schuylkill Haven Superintendent Shawn Fitzpatrick.
The Lehigh Valley Sports Performance Center is now open, and athletes are already using it to get ready for next season in the coming school year.
Check out WNEP’s YouTube channel. | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/schuylkill-county/schuylkill-haven-sports-center-opens-lehigh-valley-health-network-sports-performance-center/523-390856d9-b519-48b8-898b-3b5e66c5c64c | 2022-08-16T21:37:38 | 0 | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/schuylkill-county/schuylkill-haven-sports-center-opens-lehigh-valley-health-network-sports-performance-center/523-390856d9-b519-48b8-898b-3b5e66c5c64c |
GRANTVILLE, Pa. — Nearly 440 used vehicles will be up for public sale at the August Commonwealth Vehicle Auction, which will be held at 10 a.m. on August 23 at Manheim Keystone Pennsylvania, 488 Firehouse Road, the Pennsylvania Department of General Services announced this week.
An in-person preview of vehicles begins on Thursday, August 18 and will run through Sunday, August 21, the department said.
This auction will feature a number of vehicles seized by state law enforcement agencies including:
- 2014 Chevrolet Cruze
- 2014 Ford Taurus
- 2013 Land Rover Range Rover
- 2011 BMW X5
- 2011 Chevrolet Traverse
- 2011 Jaguar XF
- 2009 Nissan Titan
- 2008 Nissan Armada
- 2007 Dodge Charger
- 2007 Jeep Cherokee
- 2006 Infiniti G35X
- 2005 Audi A4 Quattro
- 2004 Ford Expedition
- 2002 Lexus IS300
- 2002 Lincoln LSE
Vehicle offerings will include a variety of 4-wheel drive SUVs, utility vehicles and pickup trucks from Chevrolet, Dodge, Ford, GMC, and Jeep as well as front- and all-wheel drive sedans and mini-vans from the previously mentioned manufacturers and more.
Also included in the vehicles that will be offered for public purchase will be a number of Police Interceptor sedans and SUVs.
Pre-registration and in-person previewing of the vehicles begins on Thursday, August 18 through Sunday, August 21 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. each day at the Grantville auction site. During that same time frame, individuals interested in personally viewing the vehicles can do so.
Pre-registration is mandatory and must be completed on or before Sunday, August 21 at 4:00 p.m. There will be no registration on the day of the auction.
The auction will begin at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, August 23. Buyers must purchase with certified funds in the form of money order, cashier's check or certified check – made payable to “Manheim Keystone PA.”
No cash will be accepted.
The August auction is the second being held this year. More information on this auction, registration information, payment conditions and a complete listing of vehicles is available on the DGS Auto Auction Information page. | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/vehicles-up-for-public-sale-at-commonwealth-vehicle-auction-on-august-23/521-b59d5fb5-0cc2-4411-b703-7a6945932610 | 2022-08-16T21:37:44 | 0 | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/vehicles-up-for-public-sale-at-commonwealth-vehicle-auction-on-august-23/521-b59d5fb5-0cc2-4411-b703-7a6945932610 |
INDIANAPOLIS — One person suffered a slight injury in a near south side house fire on Tuesday that left two adults and several pets looking for somewhere else to stay.
Indianapolis firefighters were called to the fire in the 700 block of Weghorst Street, in the Bates Hendricks neighborhood near South East Street, just before 2 p.m.
IFD said all the home's occupants were able to get out safely, but one had a slight injury and was checked out on the scene by medics.
Firefighters brought the fire under control in 25 minutes.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation, according to IFD.
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- World famous Dr. Seuss mansion in La Jolla up for sale after 75 years | https://www.wthr.com/article/news/local/house-fire-bates-hendricks-south-side-indianapolis-indiana-aug-16-2022/531-78b40f37-f2d5-4bc5-aca5-46d4061b7a9a | 2022-08-16T21:37:54 | 0 | https://www.wthr.com/article/news/local/house-fire-bates-hendricks-south-side-indianapolis-indiana-aug-16-2022/531-78b40f37-f2d5-4bc5-aca5-46d4061b7a9a |
GARY, Ind. — A statewide Silver Alert has been declared for a man missing from northwest Indiana.
The Gary Police Department is investigating the disappearance of 60-year-old Jerry Moog, who was last seen in Gary Saturday, Aug. 13 at 3:15 a.m.
Moog is 5 feet, 11 inches tall and weighs 140 pounds. He is partially bald with brown hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing gray pants with no shirt and no shoes.
Indiana State Police said Moog is believed to be in extreme danger and may require medical assistance.
Anyone with information on Jerry Moog is being asked to contact the Gary Police Department at 219-881-1214 or dial 911.
Amber Alert vs. Silver Alert: What's the difference?
There are specific standards a person's disappearance must meet in order for police to declare an Amber Alert or a Silver Alert.
Amber Alerts are for children under the age of 18 who are believed to have been abducted and in danger. Police also need to have information about a suspect and their car to issue an Amber Alert.
Silver Alerts are for missing and endangered adults or children. They are much more common for missing people. It was not until last year when the standards for Silver Alerts were expanded to include children.
In both situations, these alerts must be issued by police. | https://www.wthr.com/article/news/local/indiana/silver-alert-issued-for-missing-gary-indiana-man/531-a6fee8c0-26f5-42ed-8969-1e9c0fa8e8a8 | 2022-08-16T21:38:00 | 0 | https://www.wthr.com/article/news/local/indiana/silver-alert-issued-for-missing-gary-indiana-man/531-a6fee8c0-26f5-42ed-8969-1e9c0fa8e8a8 |
The N.C. Industrial Commission did not make a mistake in dismissing two $1 million claims against the Guilford County Board of Education over a fatal 2015 accident involving a school bus, the N.C. Court of Appeals has ruled.
The claims on behalf of Kie Johnson, who died in the crash, and Olivia Brown, who was injured, were filed in 2017 and 2018, respectively, according to court documents. Both were passengers in a car driven by fellow Eastern Guilford High student Jacob Almon Larkin, who was 18 at the time.
Court documents show Johnson's estate and Brown's mother argued the bus driver played a role in the tragedy by not stopping or swerving to avoid the crash once she realized the oncoming car was not changing direction.
According to investigators, Larkin drove four fellow students in a 1998 Toyota Camry that crashed into the bus head-on after crossing the double yellow line on Aug. 26, 2015. Troopers believe Larkin was traveling at least 30 mph over the posted speed limit when he approached a curve in Knox Road south of U.S. 70.
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He was found to be under the influence of Xanax, an anti-anxiety medication, and marijuana.
A prosecutor said during Larkin's sentencing on criminal charges that the crash was so severe that the steps to the bus were folded like an accordion.
In the claims before the Industrial Commission, a deputy commissioner ruled after a trial on June 17, 2019, that the Guilford school board was not at fault. The ruling was appealed to the full commission which agreed with the initial decision.
A three-member panel of the N.C. Court of Appeals heard the case on May 10. In its ruling released Tuesday, the appeals court wrote that the commission "properly concluded the emergency created" by Larkin driving in the wrong lane "compelled" the bus driver "to act instantly, in less than five seconds, to avoid a head-on collision."
The court noted that the driver slowed the bus and honked the horn to warn the oncoming Larkin. However, Larkin continued driving in the wrong lane toward the bus. Because the bus driver was "concerned about the slope on the right shoulder of the roadway as well as the safety of the vehicle’s remaining passenger, she accelerated to the left in her lane to avoid a collision."
The appeals court ruled that as the bus driver was "compelled to act instantly and her actions did not contribute to the creation of the emergency," the commission was correct in its decision and that the school board, through the actions of its employee, was not negligent.
In December 2016, Larkin took an Alford plea on charges of felony death by motor vehicle and four counts of serious injury by vehicle in the fatal wreck. The plea means that Larkin did not admit guilt but that he believed taking a deal offered by prosecutors was in his best interest.
In exchange, the state dismissed charges of second-degree murder and reckless driving to endanger. A driving while impaired charge was merged with the charge of death by motor vehicle.
Larkin was ordered to serve four years probation as part of a suspended sentence of a maximum of 20 years and three months in prison. | https://greensboro.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/appeals-court-nixes-1m-claims-against-guilford-board-in-fatal-school-bus-wreck/article_fbe5fc10-1d5f-11ed-a397-1336ae05cd4c.html | 2022-08-16T21:38:14 | 1 | https://greensboro.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/appeals-court-nixes-1m-claims-against-guilford-board-in-fatal-school-bus-wreck/article_fbe5fc10-1d5f-11ed-a397-1336ae05cd4c.html |
A state-maintained wildflower bed along U.S. 220 in south Guilford County took top honors for the Central Region in the N.C. Department of Transportation's annual Wildflower Awards.
The golden bed of flowers in DOT's Division 7, which includes Guilford County, came in No. 1 for plantings in the 25-county Central Region, which includes the Triad.
The awards, sponsored by The Garden Club of North Carolina, are given to the best-looking flower beds in each region of the state. The 2021 Wildflower Awards were presented during the August Board of Transportation meeting for beds that bloomed last year.
Second place for Central Region went to the wildflowers along Interstate 85 at Hopewell Church Road in Randolph County.
Division 9, which includes Stokes, Forsyth, Davie, Davidson and Rowan counties, came in No. 2 for overall wildflower program, NCDOT said. | https://greensboro.com/news/local/wild-and-beautiful/article_3d4fe56c-1da1-11ed-a112-3b33b7ba8f75.html | 2022-08-16T21:38:20 | 0 | https://greensboro.com/news/local/wild-and-beautiful/article_3d4fe56c-1da1-11ed-a112-3b33b7ba8f75.html |
DALLAS — American Airlines flights could be getting faster. It just might take a while.
The Fort Worth-based company on Tuesday announced it has agreed to purchase up to 20 Boom Supersonic Overture aircraft, with an option to buy an additional 40.
The Overture is expected to fly twice as fast as today's commercial aircraft, over water. The examples American Airlines included were flights from Miami to London in under five hours and Los Angeles to Honolulu in three.
The only catch: You'll have to wait.
The Overture isn't expected to be passenger-ready until 2029. Boom Supersonic in July released the final design for the Overture, and production is expected to be completed by 2025.
American has paid a non-refundable deposit on 20 Overture aircraft, according to its announcement Tuesday. The airline's agreement with Boom Supersonic incudes the option buy an additional 40 Overture aircraft.
Boom Supersonice has previously reported commercial orders with United Airlines and Japan Airlines, for a total of 70 aircraft.
The Overture is expected to hold 65-80 passengers and have a range of 4,250 nautical miles. The aircraft will have four wing-mounted engines that can power the plane up to speeds of Mach 1.7 over water and just under Mach 1 over land.
The aircraft is also expected to have a noise reduction system on takeoff.
“Aviation has not seen a giant leap in decades. Overture is revolutionary in its design, and it will fundamentally change how we think about distance,” Boom Supersonic CEO Blake Scholl said in a company press release last month.
The Allied Pilots Association, the union representing American Airlines pilots, criticized the announcement, saying it was "obviously intended to grab headlines."
"While future aircraft deliveries are always welcome news, right now we’re frankly more interested in seeing American Airlines correct its serious operational problems," the union statement said.
In the short-term, American is juggling shifting flight schedules. The airline is cutting 16% of flights from its schedule in November, amounting to about 31,000 flights total, according to a CNN report. The November cutbacks follow cuts of 2% for September and October. | https://www.thv11.com/article/news/local/aviation-american-airlines-orders-up-to-20-boom-supersonic-overture-aircraft-heres-what-theyll-feature/287-4cfae1e3-9d6a-45e7-9fe6-d9b5a2ed6817 | 2022-08-16T21:38:21 | 1 | https://www.thv11.com/article/news/local/aviation-american-airlines-orders-up-to-20-boom-supersonic-overture-aircraft-heres-what-theyll-feature/287-4cfae1e3-9d6a-45e7-9fe6-d9b5a2ed6817 |
PINE BLUFF, Ark — After a deadly school shooting at Watson Chapel Junior High last year, questions have circulated as to how leaders are maintaining a safe space for both students and staff?
Interim superintendent Tom Wilson has only been on the job for a few short weeks, but one of his biggest focuses is on school safety, which remains in the spotlight.
He said since February 2021, the district has spent more than $800,000 on security improvements alone.
“We have to keep looking at ways to protect our kids,” Wilson said.
Since that devastating day last March, leaders have dedicated a lot of time finding ways to keep things secure.
“We want to be as proactive as possible, so we want the best security systems. Camera systems [and] locking door systems,” Wilson said.
He said while the junior high and high school campuses have walkthrough metal detectors at certain entrances, every school principal has a metal detector wand.
“The principals can look for anything, you know, at times if they need to,” Wilson said.
In total, it’s about a $40,000 investment, Wilson added.
Another $276,000 went to hiring a security company known as Vigilant Force.
Wilson said a guard will be at every school in the district.
“They’ll be walking the halls of the campuses and talking to people and being outside,” Wilson said.
Additionally, the school invested $250,000 on new security cameras inside and outside of every building.
“Whether it’s a secretary, principal, or [school resource officer], if they see something out of the ordinary, or anything that looks strange, they can call attention to the head of security,” Wilson said.
As teachers and staff embark on a new and uncertain year, Wilson hopes parents at least feel at ease with the new and improved security precautions.
“One priority they have [are] safe schools, [and] a safe learning environment for the kids where those parents know when they drop their child off they’re going to be safe,” Wilson said.
Recently, voters approved a millage for a new high school to be built as soon as the new school year.
Wilson said the new building, which will cost about $23 million, will allow for even more robust safety features. | https://www.thv11.com/article/news/local/pine-bluff/watson-chapel-safety-for-school-year/91-78402da9-9802-4afc-b005-46bb10d69ec5 | 2022-08-16T21:38:27 | 0 | https://www.thv11.com/article/news/local/pine-bluff/watson-chapel-safety-for-school-year/91-78402da9-9802-4afc-b005-46bb10d69ec5 |
The Mohawk Valley is under a drought watch and residents are encouraged to conserve water whenever possible.
On Tuesday, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation added Oneida County, Otsego County and the southern part of Herkimer County to the list of areas under the drought watch.
Below-normal precipitation during the last three months, as well as low stream flows and groundwater levels, have prompted the need for a watch status ensure sufficient supplies of public water.
"This year's below-normal precipitation and above-normal temperatures continue to combine to exacerbate low stream flows, reduced groundwater levels, and ongoing wildfire risk. DEC will continue to monitor water levels and the environmental impacts of the dry conditions and encourage residents throughout the state to monitor usage and avoid wasting water,” said Basil Seggos, DEC commissioner.
The drought watch is triggered by the State Drought Index, which measures precipitation levels, lake levels, stream flow and groundwater levels statewide.
There are no mandatory water use restrictions in place under a drought watch, but residents are encouraged to:
- Water lawns only when necessary, choose watering methods that avoid waste, and water in the early morning to reduce evaporation and maximize soil hydration;
- Reuse water collected in rain barrels, dehumidifiers, or air conditioners to water plants;
- Raise lawn mower cutting heights. Longer grass is healthier with stronger roots and needs less water;
- Use a broom, not a hose, to clean driveways and sidewalks; and
- Fix leaking pipes, hoses, and faucets. | https://www.wktv.com/news/local/mohawk-valley-under-drought-watch-residents-encouraged-to-conserve-water/article_38bb62f6-1d8d-11ed-be73-d3bfd86129d1.html | 2022-08-16T21:45:27 | 1 | https://www.wktv.com/news/local/mohawk-valley-under-drought-watch-residents-encouraged-to-conserve-water/article_38bb62f6-1d8d-11ed-be73-d3bfd86129d1.html |
SOUTHLAKE, Texas — A self-proclaimed Christian conservative cell phone company donated new ‘In God We Trust’ signs to be hung in a prominent location at every Carroll ISD school.
On Monday, the district accepted the donation from Patriot Mobile, which is connected to Patriot Mobile Action, a political action committee that spent roughly half a million dollars on school board races in Tarrant County this year.
“A full 15% of Patriot Mobile’s employees live here in Southlake,” chief marketing officer Scott Coburn said at the meeting. “We live here. Our kids attend school here.”
“I’m concerned that we’re creating an environment that’s becoming less welcoming by the day,” Stephanie Williams, a former candidate for Carroll ISD’s board said in an interview Tuesday.
Williams was defeated by board trustee Andrew Yeager, who received tens of thousands of dollars of ads from Patriot Mobile during his campaign.
Recently, at CPAC in Dallas, a convention for the right-wing conservatives, the company’s founder, Glen Story, boasted about money it spent to elect 11 conservatives on the boards of Carroll, Keller, Grapevine-Colleyville and Mansfield school districts.
The company buys its plans wholesale from carriers and then resales them to consumers at a higher price. It them uses part of the profit to donate to Christian conservative causes. For instance, the company’s website advertises an unlimited plan for $75/month, while AT&T has a similar plan advertised for $65/month.
“We are a Christian conservative cell phone company and we take a portion of our proceeds and donate back to conservative causes,” Story said in an interview. “COVID did us well, because it opened our eyes to the communist regimes out there that want to take over our children.”
“That is just not what public school is about,” Williams said. “It’s a place that’s welcoming to all religions, all faiths, all sexual orientations, genders.”
The district is currently facing five discrimination investigations from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights. WFAA reached out to Carroll ISD regarding concerns over the mobile provider’s involvement as well as the signs but the district instead sent details on the law requiring it to prominently display each sign.
Only three parents spoke at Monday’s meeting, all in support of the signs.
“There’s a lot of criticism of course going on on social media and I just want to take this opportunity to remind everybody, that last year admin allowed ‘BLM’ signs on the senior high campus for about a semester,” Kelly McGuire said.
Williams says parents who have pushed for change are worn down from speaking up but believes the signs are just beginning of a movement towards more religion and politics in schools.
“We’re continually sending the wrong message to our community,” she said. “I just want it to be a warning sign to other communities as well.” | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/carroll-isd-in-god-we-trust-signs-christian-conservative-cell-phone-provider/287-beb36935-9aca-4e2d-a702-381a29585e16 | 2022-08-16T21:46:28 | 0 | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/carroll-isd-in-god-we-trust-signs-christian-conservative-cell-phone-provider/287-beb36935-9aca-4e2d-a702-381a29585e16 |
KELLER, Texas — Editor's note: The video above is from a report on March 29, 2022.
The debate over books in Texas school libraries continues.
The Keller Independent School District is now at the center of the debate after it sent an email to principals and librarians, telling them to pull 42 books that have been challenged by parents.
The list of 42 books includes the Bible and "Anne Frank's Diary: The Graphic Adaption." The full list can be seen here.
In a statement, the district said the books were being removed in order to review them under new policies that were approved by the school board during a meeting on Aug. 8.
The new policies have to do with how Keller ISD acquires and reviews instructional materials and library books, according to the district.
The district said all the books were challenged by parents over the last year.
"Books that meet the new guidelines will be returned to the libraries as soon as it is confirmed they comply with the new policy," the district said in a statement.
Most of the books on the list had previously been approved to stay in school libraries after being reviewed by a committee.
The book debate became the hot topic at a board meeting back in March as parents turned the public comment portion into a venue to voice concerns over books in libraries.
One parent said at the March meeting, "We are fed up with pornographic materials that are still in our libraries accessible to children." | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/north-texas-school-district-keller-isd-pulls-books-review-bible-anne-franks-diary/287-dab5c5c6-5750-43c8-a2cc-d253ea00b2b7 | 2022-08-16T21:46:35 | 1 | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/north-texas-school-district-keller-isd-pulls-books-review-bible-anne-franks-diary/287-dab5c5c6-5750-43c8-a2cc-d253ea00b2b7 |
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Breaking news and the stories that matter to your neighborhood. | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/witnesses-in-disbelief-after-hit-and-run-leaves-woman-critically-hurt/3337125/ | 2022-08-16T21:54:39 | 1 | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/witnesses-in-disbelief-after-hit-and-run-leaves-woman-critically-hurt/3337125/ |
FBI locates 17 adult victims of human trafficking in Phoenix
A national human trafficking investigation has led to the identification of 17 adult victims of human trafficking in Phoenix.
The FBI says agents and victim specialists in Phoenix have identified 17 adult victims of human trafficking during "Operation Cross Country," which ran locally in Arizona from Aug. 9-12 in collaboration with Phoenix Police Department's Human Exploitation and Trafficking unit.
"While no minor victims were found during this special operation, more than 15 adolescents have been recovered in Arizona since the beginning of 2022," said the FBI in a statement
According to the FBI's Phoenix Field Office, the organization, across the U.S., has identified and located 84 minor victims and located 37 actively missing children during a nationwide enforcement campaign called "Operation Cross Country" in the first two weeks of August.
The nationwide initiative focused on identifying and locating victims of sex trafficking. Officials sought to investigate and arrest individuals and criminal enterprises involved in both child sex trafficking and human trafficking.
"Human trafficking is among the most heinous crimes the FBI encounters," said FBI Director Christopher Wray. "Unfortunately, such crimes — against both adults and children — are far more common than most people realize."
The average age of victims located during this year's Operation Cross Country was 15 and the youngest victim discovered was 11 years old.
"The success of Operation Cross Country reinforces what MCMEC sees every day," said Michelle DeLaune, president and CEO of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in a statement. "Children are being bought and sold for sex in communities across the country by traffickers, gangs and even family members."
The FBI and local law enforcement also located 141 adult victims of human trafficking across the U.S. Investigators were able to identify or arrest 85 suspects with child sexual exploitation and human trafficking offenses, said the FBI.
The suspects that have been identified "will be subject to additional investigation for potential charges." None of the arrests took place in Arizona.
Reach breaking news reporter Haleigh Kochanski at hkochanski@arizonarepublic.com or on Twitter @HaleighKochans.
Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today. | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-breaking/2022/08/16/fbi-locates-17-adult-victims-human-trafficking-phoenix/10333157002/ | 2022-08-16T21:55:29 | 0 | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-breaking/2022/08/16/fbi-locates-17-adult-victims-human-trafficking-phoenix/10333157002/ |
Man arrested after Friday stabbing in Mesa
A man has been arrested in the homicide investigation of Jose Feliciano, 46, who was stabbed to death at the intersection of University Drive and Extension Road Friday.
According to court documents, officers were called to the intersection just after 1:30 a.m. to a report of a stabbing in progress. A physical description of the suspect, later identified by police as Robert Villareal-Suarez, 38, was included in the call.
When officers arrived, they found Villareal-Suarez south of the intersection wearing bloody clothes, carrying a knife and an electronic tablet that belonged to Feliciano.
Feliciano was located in a "pool of blood" in the middle of the intersection, records show. He was unresponsive and had multiple stab wounds.
Mesa Fire Department officials pronounced Feliciano dead on scene.
Video surveillance obtained from the QuikTrip convenience store at the northwest corner of the intersection showed Feliciano approach the intersection followed closely by Villareal-Suarez, said court documents.
"The victim appears to be trying to get away from (Villareal-Suarez) and the two become involved in a brief physical altercation, walking towards the intersection before (Villareal-Suarez) is seen either pushing or stabbing the victim, causing him to fall down to the ground," said court documents.
Villareal-Suarez reportedly admitted to police that he stabbed Feliciano multiple times because he "wanted to kill him," records show. He alleges that they both walked from the convenience store to a dark area where Feliciano "displayed a knife" and tried to steal his lighter.
Villareal-Suarez told police he knocked the knife from Feliciano's hands and retrieved it from the ground to stab him. In addition, he admitted to stealing the Feliciano's tablet from the scene after the stabbing to either use it or sell it for money because he is "homeless and had no money," according to court documents.
Villareal-Suarez was charged on suspicion of first degree murder and armed robbery. He is currently being held on a $1,000,000 bond.
Reach breaking news reporter Haleigh Kochanski at hkochanski@arizonarepublic.com or on Twitter @HaleighKochans.
Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today. | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-breaking/2022/08/16/man-arrested-after-early-morning-stabbing-mesa/10337783002/ | 2022-08-16T21:55:35 | 1 | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-breaking/2022/08/16/man-arrested-after-early-morning-stabbing-mesa/10337783002/ |
Arizona loses one-fifth of its Colorado River allocation under new federal drought plan
The federal government will impose deeper cuts on the drought-stricken Colorado River, officials said on Tuesday, reducing water deliveries to Arizona by one-fifth starting in January.
The Bureau of Reclamation announced what it called "urgent action" as water levels in the river's two largest reservoirs continue to drop. Under the steps outlined Tuesday, Arizona will lose 592,000 acre-feet of its river allocation in 2023, which represents 21% of its usual delivery. That's an increase of 80,000 acre-feet from the 2022 cuts.
Nevada will give up 25,000 acre-feet, about 8% of its allocation and Mexico's share will be cut by 104,000 acre-feet, or 7% of its allocation. California will not lose any of its share under the blueprint released Tuesday.
These moves are meant to protect two major dams from structural damage and the ability to generate electric power.
"Prolonged drought is one of the most profound issues facing the U.S. today," said Tommy Beaudreau, assistant Interior secretary.
Arizona water official: Proposed cuts are 'unacceptable'
Arizona's water managers suggested the plan was not enough and put too much of the burden on the Central Arizona Project, despite calls from the federal government to reduce water consumption across the river basin.
"It is unacceptable for Arizona to continue to carry a disproportionate burden of reductions for the benefit of others who have not contributed," read a statement by Tom Buschatzke, director of the state Department of Water Resources and Ted Cooke, general manager of the CAP.
They said a proposal put forth by Arizona was rejected.
Federal official acknowledged the urgency of the situation.
U.S. House:Bills passed to address drought on the Colorado River, wildfire recovery
"Our reservoirs are declining rapidly," said Tanya Trujillo, assistant secretary of the Interior Department for water and science.
She said all users have the responsibility to ensure the water is used responsibly. Trujillo said that new funding authorized without prompt actions now, the Colorado River and the 40 million people who depend on it will face an uncertain future.
Arizona already implemented some cuts
Arizona already has taken significant cuts to its annual take from the river, but it hasn't been enough to keep Lake Mead from dropping further.
Under a set of guidelines negotiated between the states and the Bureau of Reclamation, the Central Arizona Project reduced its pumping by 512,000 acre-feet this year after the bureau officially declared a shortage base on reservoir projections released a year ago.
That would be enough to supply about 1.5 million Arizona households if it went exclusively to municipal uses.
The next tier, triggered when Lake Mead is projected to drop below elevation 1,050, requires another 80,000 acre-feet from Arizona under the 2007 guidelines.
A previously enacted Drought Contingency Plan and an additional emergency commitment that Arizona made with California and Nevada last winter bring the state’s total reductions in 2022 to about 800,000 acre-feet, or more than a quarter of the state’s Colorado River allocation, according to CAP.
Still, when disappointing runoff from Rocky Mountain snowpack started flowing toward reservoirs this spring and early summer, the Bureau of Reclamation said it would require more, at least 2 million and maybe 4 million acre-feet from all users in the watershed. That set off a scramble among Arizona and its neighbors to find more water.
The Southern Nevada Water Authority echoed the comments made by Arizona officials.
"The Colorado River cannot provide enough water for the current level of use," said John Entsminger, the authority's general manager. "The magnitude of the problem is so large that every single water user in every single sector must contribute solutions to this problem regardless of the priority system."
Entsminger suggested several actions, including eliminating wasteful and antiquated water use, and eliminating lawns.
Brandon Loomis contributed additional reporting.
Debra Krol reports on Indigenous communities at the confluence of climate, culture and commerce in Arizona and the Intermountain West. Reach Krol at debra.krol@azcentral.com. Follow her on Twitter at @debkrol.
Coverage of Indigenous issues at the intersection of climate, culture and commerce is supported by the Catena Foundation.
Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today. | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-environment/2022/08/16/federal-officials-impose-cuts-colorado-river/10311378002/ | 2022-08-16T21:55:41 | 1 | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-environment/2022/08/16/federal-officials-impose-cuts-colorado-river/10311378002/ |
Farmers' Almanac forecasts a cool fall, November snow for Northern Arizona
The official start of fall is only about a month away, with the Autumn Equinox on Sept. 22. It begins just at the backend of Arizona’s monsoon season, which officially comes to a close on Sept. 30.
But when will it really start? Or rather — when will it finally feel like fall?
Every year, the Farmers’ Almanac, which has been printed since 1818, attempts to answer that question with weather predictions based on “generations of perception, experience, and common sense,” according to its website.
This fall, the almanac forecasted lower-than-usual temperatures across the United States, with cold temperatures taking over for good in late November. Overall, the almanac says it will be wetter than normal, the precipitation beginning in October and extending right through November.
Generally, cool areas of the country are expected to see “significant” snowfalls before the start of December, although the almanac predicts Thanksgiving could have good weather in most areas of the U.S. Christmas, on the other hand, “could be unsettled with either rain or snow depending on your local temperatures,” the almanac says.
According to its forecast map, Arizona’s fall theme will be cool with “decent precipitation.”
Peter Geiger, the editor of the Farmers’ Almanac, said there wasn’t much particularly interesting or new forecasted for the area this fall, with generally fair weather from September through October.
“For the most part, it looks like fairly, you know, pleasant, quiet kind of weather in September and a good part of October,” Geiger said.
Colder weather is predicted to come in between Nov. 16 and 19 and settle in for good come Nov. 24 to 27. Geiger said the almanac predicts snow this winter in northern Arizona between Nov. 20 and 23, and snow in higher elevation areas would continue into early December.
While there were no companion predictions for central and southern Arizona, Geiger said the cold from the north will likely permeate the south, making it comparatively cold for the state’s lower deserts. In other words, it will be cold in the area.
Geiger explained that the almanac’s predictions come from a formula created by the first editor of the publication, who was a mathematician and an astronomer. Essentially, the formula uses sunspot activity and the effect the moon has on the earth to be able to predict weather about two years in advance.
While its critics say its weather predictions are essentially a flip of the coin, Geiger said in general he has been told the forecasts are about 80% accurate and are especially on target when it comes to winter forecasts. He also said that in its more than 200 years of printing, only seven people have done the weather, with each working for about 30 or 40 years and they have applied that same formula.
“I think we do a pretty good job,” Geiger said.
Reach breaking news reporter Sam Burdette at sburdette@gannett.com or on Twitter @SuperSafetySam
Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today. | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-weather/2022/08/16/farmers-almanac-forecasts-cool-weather-arizona-fall/10342002002/ | 2022-08-16T21:55:47 | 0 | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-weather/2022/08/16/farmers-almanac-forecasts-cool-weather-arizona-fall/10342002002/ |
1st Source Foundation presented a $7,000 check to Pathfinder Services to support the VITA program.
VITA, volunteer income tax assistance, is a program offering free tax preparations to individuals and families in lower income brackets. VITA secured $1.1 million in tax refunds this past tax season and $115,000 in EITC tax credits returning assets to participants, a news release said Tuesday.
"This has proven to be a vital program for our community, as 50% of VITA participants reported being able to use refunds for savings or to reduce their debt," the release said.
Lyle Juillerat, an assistant vice president with 1st Source, said one of the bank company's missions is to support organizations "which have established and demonstrated their ability to make fundamental differences in the communities we serve." The VITA program fits that interest and 1st Source has been a long-time donor and supporter. | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/1st-source-foundation-donates-7-000-to-support-pathfinders-vita/article_f188b712-1d9b-11ed-ba95-8b52110877b1.html | 2022-08-16T21:59:32 | 0 | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/1st-source-foundation-donates-7-000-to-support-pathfinders-vita/article_f188b712-1d9b-11ed-ba95-8b52110877b1.html |
Six new affordable homes will be built on Fort Wayne’s south side because of a partnership between the city and Habitat for Humanity, Mayor Tom Henry announced Tuesday.
The city’s Community Development Division will provide $600,000 in federal funding for the construction in the neighborhoods of Oxford, LaRez and Poplar, which are south of downtown, a news release said.
Kelly Lundberg, deputy director of the city’s Office of Housing and Neighborhood Services, said in a statement that the project will help six families.
“Everyone deserves a safe and affordable place to call home, which is why we are pleased to partner with Habitat for Humanity to create opportunities for families and individuals to become first-time homebuyers,” Lundberg said.
The funding comes from the federal HOME Investment Partnerships Program. The partnership marks an investment in three neighborhoods through infill housing, which is building houses in established neighborhoods to provide additional places for families to live.
The new homes will range in size from 1,100-square-feet, three-bedroom, one-bathroom houses to 1,400-square-feet, four-bedroom, two-bathroom dwellings, a news release said.
The homes will be at 3009 Warsaw St., 459 Eckart St., 430 Buchanan St., 436 Buchanan St., 433 W. Butler St., and 1911 Webster St.
Mayor Tom Henry said in a statement that public-private partnerships have a meaningful effect on the community.
“We’re committed to ensuring that homeownership is attainable and results in lasting memories for families,” Henry said. “We’re a caring and giving community that invests in people as we strive to be an excellent city to live, work, and play.”
People who are 60% below the area median income are eligible, and buyers have to complete the Habitat Homeowner Program. Construction on the new homes is expected to be done by next summer.
Andrew Gritzmaker, CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Greater Fort Wayne, said in a statement that the organization’s ongoing relationship with the Office of Housing and Neighborhood Services has helped increase housing stock in historically low-income areas.
“The early subsidies offered through partnerships like these allow us to incrementally bridge the gap to unsubsidized market rate housing in these incredible neighborhoods,” Gritzmaker said. “This partnership will continue to positively impact the Fort Wayne community for generations to come.” | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/habitat-for-humanity-to-build-six-homes-with-city-partnership/article_9dd5bdc0-1d98-11ed-b50a-f77377c927c8.html | 2022-08-16T21:59:38 | 1 | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/habitat-for-humanity-to-build-six-homes-with-city-partnership/article_9dd5bdc0-1d98-11ed-b50a-f77377c927c8.html |
Stillwater Hospice, formerly Visiting Nurse, said Tuesday it will receive a $75,000 grant award from The Lutheran Foundation to provide access to uninsured or underinsured individuals seeking palliative, hospice and grief support services.
The money will be awarded in 2023, a news release said.
“Stillwater Hospice and The Lutheran Foundation have had a long partnership and our goals are the same: to provide access to healthcare and ease suffering in our community," Stillwater Hospice CEO Leslie Friedel said in a statement.
In 2021, Stillwater Hospice provided more than $200,000 in charity care for those without other means to pay for their care. As a locally based non-profit hospice agency, Stillwater Hospice cares for individuals, regardless of their ability to pay for services, with support from community funders such as The Lutheran Foundation.
Stillwater Hospice provides families trained caregivers, social workers, non-denominational chaplains and volunteers who help share the weight of caring for the dying. | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/hospice-agency-gets-75-000-from-lutheran-foundation/article_441e9334-1da1-11ed-afa0-3b8ef8a0e2a4.html | 2022-08-16T21:59:44 | 1 | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/hospice-agency-gets-75-000-from-lutheran-foundation/article_441e9334-1da1-11ed-afa0-3b8ef8a0e2a4.html |
The city of Fort Wayne issued this news release today:
Fort Wayne, Ind. -- The City of Fort Wayne’s Community Development Division will provide $600,000 in federal funding for the construction of six new houses in Fort Wayne. The new homes will be built in partnership with Habitat for Humanity of Greater Fort Wayne.
Mayor Tom Henry was joined by the CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Greater Fort Wayne Andrew Gritzmaker, members of the City’s Community Development Division, and other public officials for a news conference today.
The City provided funding to Habitat for Humanity through the HOME Investment Partnerships Program, which will assist in funding the construction of new single-family homes. This is an investment in multiple neighborhoods through infill housing and helps address the need for additional housing.
“Everyone deserves a safe and affordable place to call home, which is why we are pleased to partner with Habitat for Humanity to create opportunities for families and individuals to become first-time homebuyers,” said Kelly Lundberg, Deputy Director of the City of Fort Wayne’s Office of Housing and Neighborhood Services. “This project will make a real impact in the lives of six families and help build a better and stronger Fort Wayne.”
The homes are located in the neighborhoods of Oxford, LaRez, and Poplar and will range in size from 1,100 square feet, three-bedroom, one-bathroom homes to 1,400 square feet, four-bedroom, two-bathroom homes.
The locations of the new homes will be:
- 3009 Warsaw Street;
- 459 Eckart Street;
- 430 Buchanan Street;
- 436 Buchanan Street;
- 433 West Butler Street;
- 1911 Webster Street
Eligible buyers must be below 60% of the area median income and must complete the Habitat Homeowner Program..
“The City of Fort Wayne’s Community Development Division and Habitat for Humanity are providing excellent services in our community. Public-private partnerships like this one are making a meaningful impact,” said Mayor Henry. “We’re committed to ensuring that homeownership is attainable and results in lasting memories for families. We’re a caring and giving community that invests in people as we strive to be an excellent city to live, work, and play.”
“We are excited to continue our relationship with the City and OHNS to bring new housing opportunities to our community,” said Andrew Gritzmaker, CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Greater Fort Wayne. “Over the years their support has allowed Habitat to help guide more families through the affordable homebuying process as well as increase housing stock in historically low-income census tracks. The early subsidies offered through partnerships like these allow us to incrementally bridge the gap to unsubsidized market rate housing in these incredible neighborhoods. This partnership will continue to positively impact the Fort Wayne community for generations to come.”
Construction is expected to be completed by summer 2023. | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/verbatim-fort-wayne-to-invest-600-000-in-habitat-for-humanity-housing-partnership/article_495d931c-1d98-11ed-a798-8f87779fdaf4.html | 2022-08-16T21:59:50 | 0 | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/verbatim-fort-wayne-to-invest-600-000-in-habitat-for-humanity-housing-partnership/article_495d931c-1d98-11ed-a798-8f87779fdaf4.html |
Donation powers an 'integrative approach' to mental health at Furman University
Among the many concerning side-effects of the coronavirus pandemic is a quietly escalating crisis among children and young adults — rising rates of mental illness.
But a new gift to Furman University will allow the school to confront this challenge head-on, supporting students as they build the emotional resiliency required to navigate an increasingly complex world.
On Tuesday, Furman announced that Congressman David Trone has donated $10 million to the university, much of which will fund an expansion of mental and emotional wellness programming on campus.
“In this day and age, it is vital that we work together to break the stigma surrounding mental health, ensure tolerance in our diverse communities, and equip our students with the tools and resources to succeed,” said Trone, who made the gift through the David and June Trone Family Foundation.
Trone, a 1977 graduate of the university and a Democratic U.S. Representative from Maryland, is also the founder and co-owner of the retail chain Total Wine and More. A longtime champion of mental health initiatives in Congress, he is the founder and co-chair of the Bipartisan Addiction and Mental Health Task Force and also co-led the U.S. Commission on Combating Synthetic Opioid Trafficking.
Trone's family has struggled with addiction and mental illness for generations. He was inspired to seek office in 2016, he said, in part by a beloved nephew’s battle with substance abuse. The nephew, Ian Trone, later died from a fentanyl overdose.
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David Trone’s gift, said Furman University President Elizabeth Davis, will allow the university to take its mental health services “to the next level.”
“We’re excited to help students learn how to be mentally fit just like we want them to be physically fit and academically fit,” she said. “It really creates a robust student experience.”
Of Trone’s $10 million gift, $8.5 million will support mental health services.
$1 million will go to renovating the Furman counseling center, expanding space for group therapy, mindfulness practice, and other programs. The renovations are expected to be completed later this year, Davis said.
The remaining $7.5 million will create the Trone Family Fund for Student Mental Health and Well-being, which will maintain a diverse staff of providers capable of adapting as methods of care evolve.
The money will also enable Furman to develop expanded mental health programming. Services could include peer mentoring, body image and disordered eating programs, student athlete screening, alcohol and drug prevention, sexual health, stress management skills, and suicide prevention training.
Davis called the school’s strategy around mental health “proactive rather than reactive,” describing “a scaffolding approach” that will equip students with important skills for maintaining mental and emotional wellness.
Key to that strategy, Davis said, is the “most innovative” part of Furman’s initiative — its “integrative approach” to mental and emotional wellness.
“How (students) do academically affects their mental health, and their mental health affects how they do academically,” she said. “We need partners working across all divisions on campus to understand how to address the various challenges in a cohesive and collaborative way — not just a one-off as if one doesn’t influence the other.”
Connie Carson, Furman’s Vice President for Student Life, echoed this approach.
“We want to be upfront about the importance of wellbeing as foundational to a student’s success inside and outside the classroom,” she said.
Davis added that the gift will support specialized training for faculty to identify students in crisis, enabling timely intervention and support.
Furman, she observed, is especially well-equipped to implement this integrative strategy because the university already fosters a campus-wide culture of collaboration.
As for when students can expect to feel the benefits of Trone’s gift — “immediately,” Davis said. The university has already hired a health and wellbeing coordinator who started in the new role earlier this month.
But Trone’s gift is not exclusively dedicated to mental health services. The remaining $1.5 million of his $10 million donation will create the Hillel Endowment Fund to cultivate “a more robust Jewish life for all students and the broader community,” the university said in a press release.
“We have a robust religious life group, but we really need more resources and more rabbi time for our Jewish students,” Davis said.
Davis pointed out that spirituality is often an integral part of a student’s well-being. In that sense, both of the initiatives funded by Trone’s gift, the Hillel Endowment Fund and the Trone Family Fund for Student Mental Health, will support student wellness.
Students at Furman, Davis said, will reap the rewards of Trone’s gift — not only in the present but “for generations to come.” | https://www.greenvilleonline.com/story/news/local/south-carolina/2022/08/16/mental-health-furman-university-alum-congressman-david-trone-donation-support/10336330002/ | 2022-08-16T22:02:33 | 1 | https://www.greenvilleonline.com/story/news/local/south-carolina/2022/08/16/mental-health-furman-university-alum-congressman-david-trone-donation-support/10336330002/ |
MELBOURNE, Fla. – Two people are dead and one person is in custody in Georgia after a double homicide, according to Melbourne police.
Officers said at 10 a.m. they were asked to conduct a well-being check at 1052 Tanglewood Lane by police in Georgia. Investigators there said they had a person in custody whose behavior was concerning, leading them to believe there may be someone at the Melbourne home who was in danger, according to a news release.
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Police said they found two bodies in the home with evidence, indicating they were killed.
Officers said the person in custody in Georgia is related to the two victims.
Investigators believe they have accounted for everyone involved in the two deaths.
Police have not yet released any information on the identities of the victims or the suspect.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/08/16/2-found-dead-in-melbourne-home-suspect-in-custody-in-georgia-police-say/ | 2022-08-16T22:08:17 | 0 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/08/16/2-found-dead-in-melbourne-home-suspect-in-custody-in-georgia-police-say/ |
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. – When the Artemis I moon rocket with the Orion crew capsule on board rolls out of the Vehicle Assembly Building one final time before launch, everything that is headed to space will be on board the crew capsule, including a brand-new space suit.
There will be no humans on board this time, but there will be a mannequin that is no dummy. He’ll be testing out one of the more critical components of the entire Artemis moon-bound program so that humans can survive inside the capsule the next time: the new spacesuit.
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Dustin Gohmert, Orion crew survival systems project manager at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, said the new suit is unique.
“We’re going to be launching a suit — the Orion crew survival suit — on a suited mannequin. That’s Commander Moonikin Campos,” Gohmet said.
The mannequin is named for legendary Apollo engineer Arturo Campos.
This afternoon, NASA explained what’s different about the spacesuit — or “survival suit” — that Moonikin will be wearing.
“The function of this suit is pretty interesting,” Gohmert said. “You can almost think of it as a personalized spacecraft — a secondary but much more personal spacecraft that protects the crew member, provides them pressure, oxygen, cooling and any other life-sustaining functions that are needed.”
Astronauts are supposed to be able to survive entirely inside that survival suit for up to six days if there’s a problem. That’s never been done before.
A regular ride to the Space Station takes fewer than two days. It took Apollo 11 four days to get to the moon in 1969.
NASA said Artemis I will take up to 14 days to get to the moon.
Moonikin is fitted with sensors to test the suit and confirm it functions as intended.
Also onboard Orion is a modified Amazon Alexa.
Astronauts in space, like people on Earth, do little tasks and chores all day while they’re inside their spacecraft, so Lockheed Martin, together with Amazon, has re-designed its Alexa voice-control system to help with those tasks and chores in space.
Rob Chambers, director of commercial civil space strategy at Lockheed Martin, said the customized Alexa must function without internet.
“We had to create with Amazon a version of Alexa that could operate on the far side of the moon without connection to the internet, which is how, here on Earth, the Alexa devices normally operate,” Chambers said.
Chambers explained Tuesday afternoon on a NASA teleconference that the voice-activated system would eventually control some of the basic functions of the Orion spacecraft.
For now, on the Artemis I moon mission, it’s only hooked up to the lights.
“They have access to the telemetry stream within Orion, and we’ll be able to query the state of the spacecraft and status and also provide some very simplified commands that can control the lights in the cabin,” Chambers said. “And that’s to be controlled so that we have no impact on the mission. But it allows us to test out those command interfaces.”
The rollout of the Artemis I rocket is scheduled for 9 p.m. Tuesday, which will be streamed here on ClickOrlando.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/08/16/customized-alexa-and-new-survival-suit-will-be-on-board-of-artemis-i-launch/ | 2022-08-16T22:08:23 | 0 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/08/16/customized-alexa-and-new-survival-suit-will-be-on-board-of-artemis-i-launch/ |
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Since late February, the Department of Economic Opportunity has navigated a post-COVID financial lifeline for more than 11,000 homeowners across the state.
According to the DEO, as of Aug. 15, the Florida Homeowner Assistance program — or HAF — had crossed the $300 million mark to help homeowners pay home mortgages, utilities and other related bills.
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“We’ve awarded more by money and by percentage of allocations than any other state in the nation,” DEO Deputy Assistant Director Adam Callaway told News 6. “It’s a good feeling to hear from families, ‘You’ve saved my home.’”
According to the DEO, HAF provided $676,102,379 in financial assistance to the state of Florida through the United States Department of the Treasury. DEO has been designated to manage and operate HAF on behalf of the state of Florida.
Total approved cash assistance reported by the DEO stands at $311 million for 11,100 Florida residents.
While the DEO has been aggressive in getting help to eligible residents, News 6 has been contacted by some families frustrated by delays in getting approval on financial “awards.”
Lindsay Elliott, a married mother of one, told News 6 she was “losing a lot of sleep over it.”
The Orange County Public Schools Pre-Algebra teacher said she and her husband applied for help in July after their savings had been wiped out to cover the mortgage and other bills dating back to 2020.
“You’re submitted, you’re under review, we’ll email you, " is the message Elliott said she has been receiving from the DEO via email.
By Tuesday, she still had no idea whether funds would be issued to her mortgage company or how the money would be dispersed.
“I saw (on a Facebook group page) again and again, ‘We’ve been waiting months,’” she said. “People that applied in March are still waiting.”
Homeowners are eligible for up to $50,000 under the HAF program. According to the DEO, the funds issued have helped stop active foreclosures.
DEO Press Secretary Leigh McGowan said the staff is working to get Elliott’s case reviewed as quickly as possible.
“Ms. Elliott receives an email regarding the status of her application on a weekly basis, and DEO will continue to communicate with her as we prioritize homeowners based on need, per federal guidelines,” she said.
According to McGowan, based on U.S. Treasury guidance, DEO prioritizes the state’s “most vulnerable residents for relief.”
“Florida homeowners are invited to apply based on need, and applications are processed in the order they are received. DEO is working as quickly as possible to expedite relief to eligible applicants,” McGowan said.
The DEO is concerned that some applications have not been completed, leaving potential funds unclaimed.
The DEO provided this information to complete the applications. How to Complete and Submit a HAF Application Video and Application Guide.
If you have an unemployment issue, email makeendsmeet@wkmg.com or text “Make Ends Meet” along with your issue to (407) 676-7428.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/08/16/florida-homeowner-assistance-program-saves-11000-residents-since-february/ | 2022-08-16T22:08:29 | 0 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/08/16/florida-homeowner-assistance-program-saves-11000-residents-since-february/ |
DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — The DeKalb County Sheriff's Office is looking for community volunteers for its new program to help with various operations, including at the jail.
Sheriff Melody M. Maddox said Tuesday she's launching the DeKalb Sheriff's Office Volunteer Program this August by offering positions that will "supplement and support civilian and sworn staff responsibilities."
“This opportunity to engage with individuals from the communities we serve has the potential of becoming an ongoing alliance for improved public safety throughout the county,” Sheriff Maddox said. “Our experience with volunteers is that people want to contribute their time and talents to uplift their communities. Public safety is certainly one of the highest priorities for our neighbors, and we are presenting them with a way to become involved.”
The volunteer program will include 50 positions initially. Each applicant for the program will have to undergo a criminal background check.
"Candidates will be assigned based on skills, interests, and prior volunteer or employee experience," a release from the sheriff's office stated.
Each person selected will volunteer for four to eight hours a day after finishing a brief training and orientation session. Meal and uniforms will also be provided.
Volunteers' assignments will include office, administrative and clerical services, telephone and information desk service, surveillance and security monitoring, perimeter patrols, exterior facility maintenance, fleet maintenance assistance, filing and data organization, and inmate services support.
To apply for the program, email DeKalb Sheriff's Office Public Relations Manager Lisa Wiley at lwiley@dekalbcountyga.gov.
You can also learn more about the program online here. | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/dekalb-sheriff-office-volunteer-program/85-5ebb86d2-d134-46bd-9f77-0b2a4f24e61f | 2022-08-16T22:08:32 | 0 | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/dekalb-sheriff-office-volunteer-program/85-5ebb86d2-d134-46bd-9f77-0b2a4f24e61f |
MASCOTTE, Fla. – Residents in Mascotte on both sides of the issue are weighing in as the city council is expected to move forward with the design structure of a development that could double the population of the city.
The development, Langley Estate, would sit on a 942-acre piece of land that is set to soon bring about 2,000 homes and 250,000 square feet of commercial property. It’s located here along Simon Brown Road between County Road 33 and Villa City Road.
“More people are good, but it comes back to the same thing. Are they ready for this?” questioned resident Robert Gomez.
[TRENDING: Can a Florida wildlife officer pull me over for a traffic violation? | Brightline announces traffic advisories from Orlando to West Palm Beach | Central Florida boy, 10, loses leg in shark attack | Become a News 6 Insider (it’s free!)]
“It’s just going to add more traffic, more frustration,” said resident Kathy Burns.
“I like the small town, but I support it if people need somewhere to live,” said Katlyn Holland.
The Mascotte City Council passed the Langley Estates Development agreement earlier this month. Tuesday night, the council will review and discuss the design structure and plans for the first phase of construction, all before the developer presents a site plan that will also soon need the board’s approval.
Andres Vazquez said he likes the small town feel of Mascotte, but to make sure any new development is strategic.
“I think there needs to be a good balance between homes being built and other things being built,” Vazquez said.
This story will be updated with the city council’s decision from Tuesday night’s meeting.
You can read the full agenda for Tuesday’s meeting below:
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/08/16/masscotte-leaders-to-vote-on-design-of-langley-estate-development/ | 2022-08-16T22:08:35 | 1 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/08/16/masscotte-leaders-to-vote-on-design-of-langley-estate-development/ |
MCDONOUGH, Ga. — Police in McDonough are investigating three crime scenes they believe to be connected, where two died, and another was injured earlier this month.
Around 11:44 p.m. on Aug. 9, officers were dispatched to Lemon Place, where they found a woman shot "with multiple non-threatening gunshot wounds." Not even five minutes later, officers were told a man was shot on Fairview Drive. That's about two and a half miles away from the first shooting.
When police arrived at Fairview Drive, they found a man dead. Overnight around 12:54 a.m., while officers were still at Fairview Drive, they received another call about a drive-by shooting off Bridges Road. That's about three miles from Fairview Drive and a little over two and a half miles away from the shooting on Lemon Place.
Investigators said they believe all three incidents are connected but are still evaluating evidence to find those responsible. Anyone with information about the three incidents is asked to contact McDonough Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division at 470-878-1091 or wposs@mcdonoughga.org. | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/fairview-drive-lemon-place-bridges-road-shooting-dead-hurt-drive-by/85-f69f7234-b527-4184-b128-74a9e17fb772 | 2022-08-16T22:08:38 | 1 | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/fairview-drive-lemon-place-bridges-road-shooting-dead-hurt-drive-by/85-f69f7234-b527-4184-b128-74a9e17fb772 |
FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. – Flagler County officials warned residents Tuesday that picking palmetto berries on county property may be “tempting” — but it’s also illegal.
An ordinance in Flagler County forbids the removal of soil, rock, sand, stones, trees, shrubs, plants or wood materials from county lands, officials said. County staff added that violations can results in fines of up to $500.
[TRENDING: Can a Florida wildlife officer pull me over for a traffic violation? | Brightline announces traffic advisories from Orlando to West Palm Beach | Central Florida boy, 10, loses leg in shark attack | Become a News 6 Insider (it’s free!)]
“It’s palmetto berry season, which means it is the time of year when we see people on the side of roadways and in our parks to pick the berries,” Flagler county Public Lands and Natural Resource Manager Mike Lagassé said. “I received my first call of the year about palmetto berry-picking at MalaCompra a week ago, and our parks staff called a deputy for palmetto berry poachers at River-to-Sea Preserve today. While some private property owners allow the harvesting of the berries with permission, picking palmetto berries is not allowed on Flagler County-owned or managed preserves and parks.”
Officials said palmetto berry harvesting has been an issue for the county’s natural areas, including MalaCompra Park, River-to-Sea Preserve and Varn Park in northeastern Flagler County.
“Palmetto berry harvesting activities reduce the amount of food available for wildlife and can create unwanted trails and debris on our public lands,” Lagassé said. “These berry pickers are working in hazardous conditions, damaging our parks and interrupting food sources for our native wildlife, and out-of-county private companies profit off of it.”
Due to the berry’s status as a protected wildlife food, especially for black bears, there are no licenses in effect for people to harvest the berries from county-owned properties, Lagassé added.
Palmetto berries have long been used in herbal medicine for a number of ailments, including prostate problems in men.
Anyone with information about someone illegally harvesting palmetto berries on county-owned properties is asked to report to Lagassé at (386) 313-4064 or the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office at (386) 313-4911.
Check out the Florida Foodie podcast. You can find every episode in the media player below: | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/08/16/picking-palmetto-berries-unlawful-on-county-property-flagler-officials-warn/ | 2022-08-16T22:08:41 | 1 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/08/16/picking-palmetto-berries-unlawful-on-county-property-flagler-officials-warn/ |
ATLANTA — When Terri Willis was 13 years old, she became one of the first pediatric liver transplant patients in Georgia. Now 31 years later, she's one of the longest surviving transplant recipients in the country.
The liver transplant survival rate decreases significantly after about five to 10 years, but three decades later Terri is still breaking barriers.
This story is about two little girls.
The first is: Terri Willis.
"I was 12, I got liver cancer. We were given a pager. And I was put on the list," she said.
Her lifeline came six months later – mid-lunch at a Huddle House.
"Sure enough they had a liver for me," Willis said.
She would be one of the first kids to get this transplant in Georgia at Children's Egleston Hospital in Atlanta. But she was ready.
"My nurse brings me a Valium. I'm 13. I don't even know what Valium is. So I asked her, 'What is this for?' And she said, 'Oh, it's to relax your nerves for the surgery.' I said, 'Give it to my mom. She needs it more than I do.'"
Wise-cracking Terri came out of surgery with a second chance at life thanks to a second little girl – a few states away.
"My donor was an 11-year-old girl from Arkansas. I don't know her family, I don't know her, but they gave me 31 years. I was able to graduate. I ran a marathon. I've seen my great nieces and nephew born. All of this stuff I wouldn't have been able to do had somebody not said yes," Willis said.
She now advocates for organ donation.
Right now, more than 116,000 people in the United States – including more than 2,000 children – are in need of an organ transplant.
Terri doesn't know much about the girl whose donation saved her life. But in her honor, she's determined to live it well.
"There are times that I didn't know if I was going to make it or not. I believe she is what kept me going. You don't realize that you can love somebody that you've never met," she said.
The pandemic has been tough on Terri – she's had to take extra precautions under the supervision of her Emory care team.
"All of it is just a small price to pay to still be here," Willis said.
Another year of being here and her sights are set on the next year.
"I saw my liver doctor last year. I asked him, I said, 'Do you know a patient who is 40 years out?' He thought about it and said 'No.' I said, 'Well stick around, you will,'" she said.
Terri ultimately wants people to know to not take life for granted. She said every step and breath is a blessing. | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/first-pediatric-liver-transplant-georgia/85-41d18128-cc29-4ecb-bcc4-aad4c4281996 | 2022-08-16T22:08:44 | 0 | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/first-pediatric-liver-transplant-georgia/85-41d18128-cc29-4ecb-bcc4-aad4c4281996 |
FORECAST OVERVIEW: We’re going to remain in a high-moisture environment over the next several days, with precipitable water values (a measure of how much moisture is in the atmosphere) in the 90th percentile climatology through the rest of this week. A meandering front will sag south towards the Gulf Coast on Wednesday, but lift back north through the end of the week, as the upper-air pattern remains in northwest flow. This pattern supports multiple upper-air disturbances as well as surface lift from the front triggering scattered to widespread showers and storms each day, some of which could produce heavy rain and gusty winds. While the overall pattern doesn’t support widespread flash flooding, some isolated flooding issues are possible through the end of the week, particularly in low lying areas or areas with poor drainage.
TUESDAY NIGHT: Clouds continue to fill in overnight from the northwest. Some showers and storms will be possible after midnight, especially west of I-65 and north of I-20. Lows in the upper 60s and low 70s.
WEDNESDAY: Numerous showers and storms spread across Central Alabama through the morning and into the afternoon. By late evening, we start to see the rain taper off at least some, especially northwest of I-59. Rain will finally come to an end overnight as the front pushes further south. Highs in the low 80s. Overnight lows in the upper 60s.
THURSDAY: With the front further south, the focus for showers and storms will be south of Birmingham. Still, some spots could see showers and storms. The highest rain chances will be south of I-59, with southeast Alabama seeing the highest rain coverage. Highs in the mid 80s. Overnight lows in the upper 60s and low 70s.
FRIDAY: The near stationary front in South Alabama begins to lift further north. With ample moisture in place, showers and storms again become fairly widespread, especially along and south of I-59. Highs in the low 80s. Overnight lows in the upper 60s and low 70s.
THE WEEKEND: With sufficient moisture and the near-stationary front nearby through the weekend, scattered afternoon storms will remain possible, but rain coverage may not be as widespread as Friday. Highs in the upper 80s. Overnight lows in the low 70s.
Storm Team 7-Day
Be sure to follow the CBS 42 Storm Team:
Follow Us on Facebook: Chief Meteorologist Ashley Gann, Meteorologist Dave Nussbaum, Meteorologist Michael Haynes and Meteorologist Alex Puckett | https://www.cbs42.com/news/local/more-rain-and-storms-on-the-way/ | 2022-08-16T22:10:29 | 1 | https://www.cbs42.com/news/local/more-rain-and-storms-on-the-way/ |
A 1963 law enacted by the General Assembly designated "Indiana," by Arthur Franklin Mapes, of Kendallville, as the official state poem.
INDIANA
God crowned her hills with beauty,
Gave her lakes and winding streams,
Then He edged them all with woodlands
As the setting for our dreams.
Lovely are her moonlit rivers,
Shadowed by the sycamores,
Where the fragrant winds of Summer
Play along the willowed shores.
I must roam those wooded hillsides,
I must heed the native call,
For a pagan voice within me
Seems to answer to it all.
I must walk where squirrels scamper
Down a rustic old rail fence,
Where a choir of birds is singing
In the woodland . . . green and dense.
I must learn more of my homeland
For it's paradise to me,
There's no haven quite as peaceful,
There's no place I'd rather be.
Indiana . . . is a garden
Where the seeds of peace have grown,
Where each tree, and vine, and flower
Has a beauty . . . all its own.
Lovely are the fields and meadows,
That reach out to hills that rise
Where the dreamy Wabash River
Wanders on . . . through paradise.
(Photo provided by U.S. Postal Service) | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/missing-gary-man-may-be-in-extreme-danger/article_9e42c722-db2d-51de-b8eb-c080ceb69a6b.html | 2022-08-16T22:15:47 | 1 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/missing-gary-man-may-be-in-extreme-danger/article_9e42c722-db2d-51de-b8eb-c080ceb69a6b.html |
A Mandan man is charged with three felonies after the car he was driving allegedly rear-ended another on the Bismarck Expressway Bridge and injured the driver.
Joshua Cooper, 31, faces felony charges of criminal vehicular injury, reckless endangerment and leaving the scene of an accident involving injury, court records show. He’s also charged with misdemeanor aggravated reckless driving.
Witnesses told the North Dakota Highway Patrol that Cooper passed them at an estimated 80 mph as they were westbound on the bridge about 9 p.m. Saturday. The Audi was weaving through traffic in the 55 mph zone when it crashed into the left rear end of another vehicle, the Patrol said. That car rolled and the driver was thrown from it. He was transported to a Bismarck hospital for treatment of serious injuries, authorities said.
Cooper allegedly fled the scene on foot and was arrested later. He’s scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Sept. 19. Court documents don't list an attorney for him. | https://bismarcktribune.com/news/local/accident-and-incident/expressway-bridge-crash-brings-felony-charges/article_0bd31552-1da8-11ed-838c-cf9964780acf.html | 2022-08-16T22:20:58 | 1 | https://bismarcktribune.com/news/local/accident-and-incident/expressway-bridge-crash-brings-felony-charges/article_0bd31552-1da8-11ed-838c-cf9964780acf.html |
The Cheneys left Restoration Church in Casper on Tuesday, happy after casting their votes for Harriet Hageman in Wyoming’s U.S. House race.
These Cheneys, of course, aren’t named Liz or Dick — they’re Al and Margaret, who pronounce their last name “chee-nee” and aren’t related to the representative or former vice president (as far as they know).
Why did they vote for Hageman in Tuesday’s primary election?
“Because she’s not Cheney,” Al said.
Voter turnout Tuesday was unusually high for a primary, poll workers said.
A line to vote at the Natrona County Fairgrounds stretched at least 100 yards down Fairgrounds Road around lunchtime. Even Poison Spider School, one of the more rural polling places in Natrona County, had seen about 120 people vote by the early afternoon.
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“Some might sigh when they see the line, but I think it’s a good sign,” said Davina Mikels, waiting for her turn to vote at the fairgrounds in a red shirt that said “Pray for our nation” over an American flag.
“It’s just been consistently busy,” said Beth Worthen, working as an election judge at Wardwell Water and Sewer District in Bar Nunn. “We had more people this time around waiting to vote before the polls opened at 7 (a.m.).”
Voting against Cheney
Many voters said they came specifically to vote Liz Cheney out of office.
Of those, all said they were casting votes for Harriet Hageman, a land attorney challenging Cheney who was endorsed by former President Donald Trump last year.
Several said they felt Cheney had stopped representing Wyoming interests, and that she was no longer in touch with the state. Others said she was a hypocrite for turning on Trump following Jan. 6.
“This is Trump country,” said rancher Will Duncan, after voting at Poison Spider School. “He endorsed (Hageman), and I like the way she helps ranchers ... I don’t like the things (Liz) stands for.”
The Cheneys voting at Restoration Church said they were impressed that Hageman had walked in the parade during fair week in Casper. Another voter named Rick said he didn’t know much about the attorney, but liked her television commercials.
Cheney’s fundraising is also concerning for many Natrona County voters — the representative raised most of her money from out-of-state contributions, while the vast majority of Hageman’s money comes from Wyomingites.
“I don’t believe that you should be taking campaign dollars from out of your state, because they’re not your constituents who you represent,” said Tuke Burgess.
Brian Kunert, voting at Poison Spider, said he wanted to vote for state Rep. Anthony Bouchard, R-Burns, a far-right candidate in the House race. But he voted for Hageman instead.
“I usually don’t do this, but I wanted to pick the candidate who was going to win,” Kunert said.
Traditional Republicans
Poll workers said they saw a significant number of people switching their party affiliation to vote on the Republican ballot Tuesday, as well as many registering for the first time. Nearly half of voters at the Natrona County Library had switched or registered on Tuesday, a judge said, and around 20% had done the same at Poison Spider.
Jake Thompson said he planned to register to vote for the first time Tuesday, at 31 years old. He wants to sign a pair of petitions aimed at sending marijuana decriminalization and medical use to a public vote, he said, but can’t until he’s registered. He also said he wants to “see Cheney gone.”
But Cheney is still getting some votes from traditional Republicans. Jeff Davis planned to vote for her , and said he supported her vote to impeach Trump.
“The woman running against her just is completely phony,” Davis said. “My support is with Cheney, 100%.”
Another voter, named James, said he knows his vote for Cheney will likely be in the minority in the Republican primary.
“I’ve been a Republican my whole life, but I know what an insurrection looks like,” he said.
Election ID
Tuesday was also the state’s first major election after a law passed in 2021 requiring voters to bring identification at the polls. Election judges said there were very few problems with the new requirement.
“They’d give us IDs even before, so they all think it’s right that we need to be asking for them,” said Poison Spider poll worker Debbie Reddy.
“They were all asking why we hadn’t had to do it earlier,” another, Terry Kipp, added.
And though lines were long at some polling places, they moved fast. At the fairgrounds, one of the most crowded locations, Ken and Marilyn Neal said they made it through in 20 minutes.
“I’ve never seen a primary like this,” Marilyn said. “The whole nation is watching the Cowboy State!”
Local races
While most of the focus Tuesday was on the House race, Natrona County voters were also weighing in on candidates for state offices, county commission and assessor.
Kunert, voting at Poison Spider, said he wanted to see incumbents voted out on the commission. In his opinion, he said, the current board was too focused on Casper and not paying enough attention to the county as a whole.
He also said that even though he followed Trump’s endorsement in voting for Hageman, he opted for Mark Armstrong, a geologist, in the secretary of state race rather than the Trump-backed Rep. Chuck Gray, R-Casper.
“Chuck’s kind of flip-flopped on voter rights,” Kunert said. “Don’t flip-flop. Basically, it’s hypocrisy.”
James, the Republican voting for Cheney, said he chose Sen. Tara Nethercott, R-Cheyenne, for secretary. Gray’s conduct and repeated warnings in the statehouse concern him, James said, and he feels the representative has no real interest in the economy — not ideal for an office that oversees businesses in the state.
“Chuck Gray is a disaster waiting to happen,” he said. “He wants to talk about voter fraud that doesn’t exist in Wyoming… He wants to be a commentator on Fox News. He doesn’t want to be an actual official.”
On the county level, James said he voted for a slate of incumbents for county commission.
Late night
Polls were set to close at 7 p.m. Tuesday.
Most races, especially on the county level, may not be called until late Tuesday or early Wednesday.
Monique Meese, communications and policy director for the secretary of state, said her office could be working as late as 1 a.m. to get results in.
While early, mail-in and drop-off ballots have been accepted across the state since early July, county officials could not start counting them until 7 a.m. Tuesday. Those totals will likely be in by the end of the day. | https://trib.com/news/local/casper/high-voter-turnout-in-natrona-county-largely-spurred-by-votes-against-cheney/article_b5137f2c-1dac-11ed-b3c3-0fe8e07e9f35.html | 2022-08-16T22:25:47 | 0 | https://trib.com/news/local/casper/high-voter-turnout-in-natrona-county-largely-spurred-by-votes-against-cheney/article_b5137f2c-1dac-11ed-b3c3-0fe8e07e9f35.html |
Signs saying "In God We Trust" will now hang in Carroll ISD schools after being donated by a locally-owned wireless provider.
Patriot Mobile, which labels itself a Christian conservative wireless provider, donated the signs to the Carroll Independent School District and they will now be hung in CISD schools.
According to a state law passed in 2021, schools are required to display signs or posters bearing the national motto in a conspicuous place provided that the signs were donated to the school or bought with private donations.
“Patriot Mobile is honored to donate these posters to CISD, and we are very excited to see them amongst all of our schools,” said Scott Coburn, the chief marketing officer for the carrier.
At Monday night's school board meeting three people spoke in favor of the signs, with no opposition during the presentation to the panel.
But the Southlake Anti-Racism Coalition has raised concerns. Their founder, Anya Kushwaha, told NBC 5 the law is a disturbing dissolution between the separation of church and state.
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“I feel like they don't have a choice right now to put them up, but hopefully this will spark larger conversations about having more freedom of expression, so if they are allowed to put up signs like this there should be no reasons that other students or people can’t put up signs that have different messaging,” said Anya Kushwaha, co-founder of the Southlake Anti-Racism Coalition.
The national motto, "In God We Trust," was signed into law in 1956 by President Eisenhower and reaffirmed by Congress as the nation's official motto several times since, as recently as 2011.
According to SB797, the sign or poster must contain a representation of the United States flag centered under the national motto and a representation of the state flag; and may not depict any words, images, or other information other than the representations listed in Subdivision (1). | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/in-god-we-trust-signs-going-up-in-carroll-isd-schools/3049723/ | 2022-08-16T22:26:06 | 1 | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/in-god-we-trust-signs-going-up-in-carroll-isd-schools/3049723/ |
Brewer, 55, of Cullom, was arrested Christmas Day 2019 after initially telling police he woke up to find his wife Shirley Brewer, 48; his son Christian Brewer, 27; and his neighbor Norman Walker, 51, dead in his home.
Brewer's attorney, Stephen Richards, had argued that evidence supported an alternate theory: The defendant’s wife killed herself after killing her son and neighbor, arguing that the evidence supports that statement.
Prosecutors noted that the the Brewers’ washing machine was running when officers arrived at the scene, and it was set to sanitize on extra high heat. A raincoat, hat, blanket and pair of slippers were later removed from the washing machine.
Prosecutors are not yet willing to say what led a 53-year-old Cullom man to allegedly shooting his son, wife and neighbor early Christmas morning. Clifford Brewer remains in Livingston County jail in lieu of posting $500,000 on six counts of first degree murder.
Three people were found dead in a house in Cullom early Christmas morning and there is a suspect in custody in a triple homicide investigation, according to the Livingston County Sheriff's office.
Prosecutors say Clifford Brewer killed his wife, adult son and a neighbor on Christmas morning 2019. Defense attorneys say there's more to the case. Details: | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/cullom-man-found-guilty-of-christmas-2019-triple-homicide/article_7cd597c8-1daa-11ed-a7a2-178407ec35c5.html | 2022-08-16T22:31:04 | 0 | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/cullom-man-found-guilty-of-christmas-2019-triple-homicide/article_7cd597c8-1daa-11ed-a7a2-178407ec35c5.html |
BLOOMINGTON — The McLean County History Museum in downtown Bloomington will be closed until further notice.
Jeff Woodard, marketing and community relations director at the museum, said at least three staff members have tested positive for COVID-19.
"We are concerned about risks to the public and volunteers," Woodard said. "Out of caution we will be closed to the public only until further notice."
Museum hours are generally 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday with Tuesdays staying open until 8 p.m.
Photos: McLean County Museum of History
Tax Day Tea Party - April 2010
Susie Wrede, of Bellflower, holds a sign Thursday, April 15, 2010, at the Tax Day Tea Party at the McLean County Museum of History in Bloomington.
CARLOS T. MIRANDA, THE PANTAGRAPH
Tax Day Tea Party - April 2010
Event organizer Diane Benjamin speaks to the crowd Thursday, April 15, 2010, at the Tax Day Tea Party at the McLean County Museum of History in Bloomington.
CARLOS T. MIRANDA, THE PANTAGRAPH
Downtown Farmers Market - May 2010
Kim Thomas, right, of Trailside Gardens, Bloomington, sells a Nasturtium to customer Candy Harrison of Bloomington during the debut of the Farmers' Market on three city blocks surrounding the McLean County Museum of History, 200 N. Main St. on Saturday May 15, 2010.
STEVE SMEDLEY, THE PANTAGRAPH
Latinos United for Change - May 2012
Yhaira Garcia, 9, and Lilyana Alvarez, 8, both of Bloomington, hold a sign and watched Latinos United for Change rally with Illinois People Action and other friends , Tuesday, May 1, 2012 at the McLean County Museum of History in downtown Bloomington.
DAVID PROEBER, THE PANTAGRAPH
Veterans Day - November 2012
Mike Moffitt, Commander of the American Legion Post 56, and Jim Nagel, 17th District Commander of the American Legion, place signs for each of the wars and conflicts in preparation for the Veterans Day observance at the McLean County Museum of History in Bloomington on Nov. 11, 2012.
LORI ANN COOK-NEISLER, THE PANTAGRAPH
Christmas - December 1936
Christmas as celebrated in 1936.
MCLEAN COUNTY MUSEUM OF HISTORY
Memorial Service for the Unborn - Jan. 14, 2014
Father David Gifford with Epiphany Catholic Church of Normal spoke Jan. 22, 2014, to about 80 people during the Memorial Service for the Unborn on the west side of the McLean County Museum of History in Bloomington to mark the 41st anniversary of the Supreme Court's abortion decision Roe v. Wade.
LORI ANN COOK-NEISLER, THE PANTAGRAPH
Hanging with Abe - June 2014
The Fleer family of Bloomington is hanging out with the Abraham Lincoln sculpture outside the McLean County Museum of History, on Friday, June 20, 2014. From left, Josiah, 5, Sophia, 2 and Isabella, 7, enjoy the morning with parents Brandon and Rose Fleer of Bloomington.
STEVE SMEDLEY, THE PANTAGRAPH
Racial justice demonstration - August 2014
Angelique Racki of Bloomington spoke to about 25 people on the east side of the McLean County Museum of History on Aug. 18, 2014. Racki was inspired to do something in her community after the events following the death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo.
LORI ANN COOK-NEISLER, THE PANTAGRAPH
Downtown Walk Around - April 2015
The McLean County Health Department's observance of National Public Health Week 2015 Downtown Walk Around finds walkers passing the McLean County Museum of History, during the walk Friday, April 10, 2015.
STEVE SMEDLEY, THE PANTAGRAPH
Take Back the Night - April 2015
Following the march across downtown Bloomington, Take Back the Night participants joined in a candlelight vigil on April 28, 2015, at the McLean County Museum of History.
DAVID PROEBER, THE PANTAGRAPH
Route 66 memories - July 2015
Denise Jones of Normal, and husband Roger, right, record Rt. 66 memories on the van being used to promote the proposed Mother Road-Mojave Trails National Monument. Members of the preservation movement visited the McLean County Museum of History in downtown Bloomington, Tuesday, July 21, 2015. Denise and Roger have traveled the entire length of the Mother Road.
STEVE SMEDLEY, THE PANTAGRAPH
Veterans Day - November 2015
Gary Pearson of Normal, a U.S. Army veteran, observed Veterans Day at the McLean County Museum of History on Nov. 11, 2015.
DAVID PROEBER, THE PANTAGRAPH
Interfaith rally - December 2015
Mohammed Zaman, president of the Masjid Ibrahim Mosque, leads a combined crowd of Christians, Jews and Muslims in an interfaith rally on Dec. 16, 2015, at the McLean County Museum of History. The event, sponsored by First Christian Church, New Covenant Community, the Presbytery of Great Rivers interfaith group, Moses Montefiore Temple, the Islamic Center of Bloomington-Normal, Masjid Ibrahim Mosque and Not In Our Town, called for an end to religious bigotry in the wake of ISIS-sponsored violence across the world.
DAVID PROEBER, THE PANTAGRAPH
Interfaith rally - December 2015
Michael Gizzi, moderator elect of the Presbytery of Great Rivers interfaith group, leads the interfaith rally on Dec. 16, 2015, at the McLean County Museum of History. Faiths of all types from across the Twin Cities came together to call for unity and respect.
DAVID PROEBER, THE PANTAGRAPH
May Day - May 2016
A May Day rally to celebrate 10 years of Latino activism and to mobilize the Latino vote as they look ahead to the upcoming presidential election. About 50 people attended the rally at the McLean County Museum of History on May 1, 2016.
LORI ANN COOK-NEISLER, THE PANTAGRAPH
Stations of the Cross - April 2017
Father Jeff Windy led Christians during a celebration of 14 stations of the cross to mark Jesus' death on the cross as part of a Good Friday remembrance in front of the McLean County Museum of History at noon on April 14, 2017.
DAVID PROEBER, THE PANTAGRAPH
042617-blm-loc-takeback2
Steven Smith, left, and Maeve Devlin at the annual YWCA McLean County Stepping Stones Take Back the Night Tuesday, April 25, 2017, at the McLean County Museum of History in Bloomington. CARLOS T. MIRANDA, The Pantagraph
CARLOS T. MIRANDA
Domestic violence awareness rally- October 2017
More than 100 men and women joined together outside the McLean County Museum of History on Oct. 30, 2017, as they remembered victims of domestic violence. Sponsored by Mid Central Community Action's Countering Domestic Violence Program, the event was designed to symbolically encircle those who have experienced domestic violence.
DAVID PROEBER, THE PANTAGRAPH
Veterans Day - November 2017
Illinois Army National Guard Maj. Bradley E. Roach speaks during the Veterans Day observance Saturday, Nov. 11, 2017 outside the McLean County Museum of History in downtown Bloomington.
LEWIS MARIEN, THE PANTAGRAPH
Anti-abortion demonstration - January 2018
Bob Hermes, right, leads about 100 opponents of the Roe v. Wade decision in prayer as they gathered on the steps of the McLean County Museum of History on Jan. 22, 2018. The protest is the 45th in Bloomington since the 1973 decision.
DAVID PROEBER, THE PANTAGRAPH
March for Our Lives - March 2018
Attendees gather outside the McLean County Museum of History for the March for Our Lives event Saturday, March 24, 2018 in downtown Bloomington.
LEWIS MARIEN, THE PANTAGRAPH
Stand Up With Me Domestic Violence Awareness Rally - October 2018
Special Morgan of Neville House, center, is surrounded by staff from Mid Central Community Action and other agencies as they display T-shirts created to combat domestic violence during a Stand Up With Me Domestic Violence Awareness Rally on Oct. 30, 2018, outside the McLean County Museum of History. The event brought together community leaders who are working to educate the public about the needs of victims and perpetrators of domestic violence.
DAVID PROEBER, THE PANTAGRAPH
Presidents' Day - February 2019
The statue of Abraham Lincoln in front of the McLean County Museum of History celebrated Presidents' Day on Feb. 18, 2019.
DAVID PROEBER, THE PANTAGRAPH
Domestic violence awareness rally - October 2019
Participants in the annual Domestic Violence Awareness Rally, sponsored by Countering Domestic Violence Services of Mid Central Community Action on Oct. 28, 2019, stood along Washington St. at the McLean County Museum of History.
DAVID PROEBER, THE PANTAGRAPH
Memorial Service for the Unborn - January 2020
The Rev. Bob Smart, lead pastor of Christ Church PCA in Normal, right, speaks to a group during an annual memorial service for the unborn victims of abortion Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2020, on the west steps of the McLean County Museum of History in downtown Bloomington. Sponsored by the McLean County Right to Life Committee, about 50 people attended to mark the 47th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion.
LEWIS MARIEN, THE PANTAGRAPH
Forward Into Light - August 2020
The former McLean County Courthouse, now the McLean County Museum of History, participates Friday night, Aug. 28, 2020, in the "Forward Into Light" nationwide campaign, where buildings and landmarks across the country will be lit up in gold and purple. The museum and the League of Women Voters of McLean County are commemorating the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment.
LEWIS MARIEN, THE PANTAGRAPH
Pork Chop Day - June 2011
Illinois Shakespeare Festival stage manager Adam Fox and members of the staff filled a lawn next to the McLean County History Museum, on June 9, 2011, during Bloomington Rotary Club's "Pork Chop Day" fundraiser.
STEVE SMEDLEY, THE PANTAGRAPH
war protest
Over 150 people gathered Saturday morning Sept 25, 2005 near the steps of the McLean County History Museum to protest the war in Iraq. Rosemarie Moews Scarbeary of Bloomington, seated, was one of many to speak. She read a quote from Dwight D. Eisenhower.
MAUREEN O'CONNOR, THE PANTAGRAPH
Abortion rights protest - May 2022
The Rev. Jennie Edwards Bertrand of Hope United Methodist Church speaks to those assembled in downtown Bloomington on May 3, 2022.
ALLISON PETTY, THE PANTAGRAPH
Contact D. Jack Alkire at (309)820-3275.
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FRESNO, Calif. — A former U.S. Congressman from central California was arrested Tuesday by federal agents on wire fraud, money laundering, and campaign contribution fraud charges stemming from “multiple fraud schemes,” federal prosecutors said.
Terrance “T.J.” Cox was arrested by agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigations in Fresno, where he was booked to the Fresno County jail on a U.S. Marshals hold, jail records showed. It was not immediately known if he has an attorney who can speak on his behalf. An email message sent to Cox Tuesday was not immediately answered.
Cox, a Democrat, represented the 21st Congressional District from January 2019 to January 2021. The district is in the agriculture-rich San Joaquin Valley and includes Kings County and portions of Fresno, Kern, and Tulare counties.
Cox, 59, was charged with 15 counts of wire fraud, 11 counts of money laundering, one count of financial institution fraud, and one count of campaign contribution fraud, U.S. Attorney Phillip Talbert said in a statement.
Talbert said that between 2013 and 2018, Cox allegedly obtained $1.7 million from funds he solicited from clients and loans he got for his companies and then stole by diverting the money to “off-the-book bank accounts.”
Cox partially owned, managed and was employed by several companies and non-profit organizations, including a business that helped companies get loans and federal tax credits, an almond processing company and a non-profit that operated Granite Park, a recreation facility in Fresno, according to the complaint.
Cox also fraudulently obtained a $1.5 million construction loan to develop Granite Park, Talbert said.
After his nonprofit could not qualify for the construction loan for the recreation facility without a party guaranteeing the loan, Cox said that one of his companies would guarantee the loan, and submitted a fabricated board resolution that falsely stated that during a meeting all company owners had agreed to guarantee the Granite Park loan.
“No meeting took place, and the other owners did not agree to back the loan," Talbert said.
The loan later went into default, causing a loss of more than $1.28 million, he said.
According to the indictment, when Cox was campaigning in 2017 for the U.S. House of Representatives he perpetrated a scheme to fund and reimburse family members and associates for donations to his campaign, prosecutors said. Cox arranged for over $25,000 in illegal straw or conduit donations to his campaign, Talbert said.
If convicted, Cox faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for wire fraud and money laundering, and up to 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine for wire fraud affecting a financial institution. The charge of campaign contribution fraud carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Watch more from ABC10: Gov. Newsom wants a list of climate action bills passed by California legislators | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/california/tj-cox-california-arrested-charged-with-fraud/103-b153697d-63d4-434d-9cfd-3dafe2465c56 | 2022-08-16T22:31:41 | 0 | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/california/tj-cox-california-arrested-charged-with-fraud/103-b153697d-63d4-434d-9cfd-3dafe2465c56 |
An Absecon man has been charged with distribution of child abuse images after authorities say he sent more than 1,000 explicit photographs and videos of minors to others using the social media application Kik.
Stephen T. Costello, 41, was arrested and sent to the Atlantic County jail. He is charged with distribution of child abuse images via a social messaging service and possession of child abuse images, the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office said Tuesday in a news release.
Detectives began investigating Costello after being told that inappropriate images of child sexual exploitation were being shared over the messaging application.
They were assisted by the U.S. Homeland Security Investigations and Absecon police, the Prosecutor's Office said. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/absecon-man-accused-of-sharing-child-porn/article_4e16f314-1d9b-11ed-87fa-2795b77668da.html | 2022-08-16T22:35:01 | 0 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/absecon-man-accused-of-sharing-child-porn/article_4e16f314-1d9b-11ed-87fa-2795b77668da.html |
Atlantic County Clerk Joe Giralo has reorganized the clerk's office since his first day on the job in January. The historic Clerk's Office entrance in Mays Landing is being used for the first time in decades, and historical records have been sorted and protected, he said.
MATTHEW STRABUK, FOR THE PRESS
Giralo gave a tour last month of some historic items displayed in an archive memorabilia nook at the Clerk's Office. This is a bookbinding tool from the 1800s.
MATTHEW STRABUK, FOR THE PRESS
Atlantic County Clerk Joe Giralo talks about new programs he's starting regarding elections, property issues, as well as archiving and cleaning up the historical archive of the Mays Landing building.
MATTHEW STRABUK, FOR THE PRESS
This old clock is among the finds Giralo has made in cleaning up the Clerk's Office.
MATTHEW STRABUK, FOR THE PRESS
A framed display of the building's original keys hangs in Giralo's office.
MAYS LANDING — Atlantic County Clerk Joe Giralo has been preparing for the Nov. 8 general election almost since taking office in January, focused mainly on educating people about their rights and responsibilities as voters.
You may have seen Giralo in television commercials on a variety of cable networks, telling people how to remove their names from automatic vote-by-mail lists if they don't want to vote that way going forward.
"A lot of people have been opting out, and a lot opting in. It works both ways," Giralo said. "The message is getting out to people. We want you to vote. We don't care if you vote by machine, early or by mail."
But don't stay on the mail-in list if you no longer want to vote that way, he said.
Vote-by-mail ballots cost more than $7 each to print and mail, Giralo said, and the vast majority are sent out but never returned.
MAYS LANDING — At 3 p.m. Monday, county clerks all over the state drew names of parties or c…
"That's labor intensive," Giralo said of counting provisional ballots.
The provisional ballots will only be counted once officials verify that no mail-in ballot came back for the same voter.
"In the general election, we will send about 30,000 out," Giralo said of mail-in ballots. "On average less than 15% come back. That's a lot of money that's wasted."
If only 4,500 come back, 25,500 with a value of $178,500 are thrown away, he said.
And with inflation, the cost is going up to almost $10 each this year, Giralo estimated.
Atlantic County Democratic Chairman Michael Suleiman called Giralo's statements and commercials "fear mongering" after seeing the online version early Tuesday.
ATLANTIC CITY — Mayor Marty Small Sr. is calling a plan to move back to non-partisan electio…
"It is totally irresponsible for an elections official to perpetuate Trump's 'Big Lie' and sully Vote by Mail under the guise of 'saving taxpayer dollars,'" Suleiman said. "The real waste of taxpayer dollars is the tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars Mr. Giralo spent on a poorly-produced, confusing commercial that airs at 3 a.m. on TLC."
Suleiman said the 2020 all-mail-in election showed that voting by mail is safe, convenient and easy, and the number of voters signing up to vote by mail grows each year.
"Joe wants to cut down on voting by mail, which is perceived as helping Democrats, yet he wants to waste taxpayer dollars on poorly utilized early voting centers in an attempt to help Republicans," Suleiman said.
Giralo, a Republican, had to break the tie of the four-member Atlantic County Board of Elections in April when deciding where to place a seventh early voting site.
The board had split along party lines, with the two Democrats voting to end an early voting site in Buena Vista Township to create a new one in Pleasantville, and Republicans voting to keep the original six locations.
Both parties agreed to add a new site in Egg Harbor Township.
BUENA — The Borough Council voted unanimously to appoint a new solicitor Monday following th…
“It is the goal of my office to ensure that voting routines are not disturbed,” Giralo said in a news release at the time, “and maintaining these six early voting locations (with the addition of Egg Harbor Township) will help to further that goal.”
Voters who are on the automatic vote-by-mail list and no longer want to vote by mail should opt out by Aug. 31 to be sure to be off it by the time the mail-in ballots are printed.
You also can stop in at the Atlantic County Clerk’s Office at 5901 Main St., Mays Landing.
The television commercials Giralo has been featured in are regularly run through Comcast for about 75% of the county, he said. The Hammonton area, where he lives, is in a different Comcast service wheel that also includes Camden County, so they aren't running there.
"My kids say, 'Dad, I went to put on a movie and I saw your commercial,'" Giralo said.
The Absecon man accused of entering a city Dollar General armed before being shot by police …
The clerk's job is to prepare the ballots for the voting machines and the vote-by-mail and provisional paper ballots.
The office also provides one-time vote-by-mail ballots to those who come in and request them for themselves or another. But the proper paperwork must accompany a request to pick up one for someone else.
The completed ballots are then sent to the Board of Elections for counting.
A third office, the Superintendent of Elections, is also involved in elections.
That office keeps all the voter registration lists and updates them, and investigates all provisional ballots cast. (Provisional ballots are the paper ballots that must be used if someone gets to a polling site and their name is not on the voting rolls or the person had also been sent a vote-by-mail ballot. Only if the mail-in ballot was never returned will the provisional ballot be counted.)
HAMMONTON — Blueberry season is in full bloom in South Jersey.
It's a complex system but a good one, Giralo said, with lots of checks and balances.
Since taking office in January, Giralo also has been making a lot of changes in the offices of the county clerk.
The historic entrance to the clerk's office, which had been closed for decades, has reopened.
He also has revamped the office's organization and security — particularly in the area that handles applications for and pick-up of mail-in ballots — revved up wedding services and organized historical archives.
Aug. 15: 3 p.m., county clerks drawing for ballot position
Sept. 24: county clerks must start mailing vote-by-mail ballots
Oct. 18: voter registration deadline for general election
Oct. 26: mailing of sample ballots
Oct 29 to Nov. 6: early voting period
Nov. 1: deadline to apply by mail for vote-by-mail ballot
Nov. 7: deadline to apply in person for vote-by-mail ballot (must be postmarked by 8 p.m. Nov. 8 to be counted, or returned by 8 p.m. Nov. 8 to an official ballot drop box for pickup by county)
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Atlantic County Clerk Joe Giralo has reorganized the clerk's office since his first day on the job in January. The historic Clerk's Office entrance in Mays Landing is being used for the first time in decades, and historical records have been sorted and protected, he said.
Giralo gave a tour last month of some historic items displayed in an archive memorabilia nook at the Clerk's Office. This is a bookbinding tool from the 1800s.
Atlantic County Clerk Joe Giralo talks about new programs he's starting regarding elections, property issues, as well as archiving and cleaning up the historical archive of the Mays Landing building. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/lets-stop-wasting-175-000-on-unused-mail-in-ballots-atlantic-county-clerk-says/article_c0cf71a6-136e-11ed-9c17-b7963e491d4b.html | 2022-08-16T22:35:07 | 1 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/lets-stop-wasting-175-000-on-unused-mail-in-ballots-atlantic-county-clerk-says/article_c0cf71a6-136e-11ed-9c17-b7963e491d4b.html |
BOISE, Idaho — Idaho Gov. Brad Little on Tuesday confirmed that he's considering calling a special session of the Legislature, saying rumors of the effort are “relatively right.”
“We're working on that,” he said in brief comments to The Associated Press. “As I've always said, for the special session, we've got to have a pretty good agreement before we call one."
A statement from the governor’s office concerning a potential special session said Little wants to help Idaho residents “grappling with crushing inflation,” currently at about 8.5%.
A potential special session would appear to use the state’s recently projected $2 billion surplus to counteract inflation. That could mean lawmakers attempting to pass some type of tax rebate during the special session that could take effect this year.
"There are a lot of hurdles to get over,” Little said.
He declined to say definitively whether he's been in contact with Republican House Speaker Scott Bedke or Senate President Pro-Tem Chuck Winder, the leaders of the two chambers that are each controlled by Republican super-majorities.
Winder, in a text message to the AP, declined to comment. Bedke, through a spokesman, didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
Special sessions bringing in the state's 105 part-time lawmakers and needed support staff cost thousands of dollars a day, and Little and lawmakers would likely be hesitant to call one if they didn't have an agreement ahead of time. Lawmakers are scheduled to meet in regular session starting in January. Regular sessions typically last three or four months.
In a news release on Friday, Little commented on the state's projected $2 billion surplus:
“Here's what Idahoans need to know: the Legislature and I are committed to more education investments and tax relief on top of the historic steps we've taken to support schools and tax cuts.”
It's not clear if education spending could be included in a special session.
Idaho voters in November will consider a ballot initiative to boost education funding by raising taxes on corporations and individuals making $250,000 or more annually.
Backers of the Quality Education Initiative say Idaho schools are badly underfunded, and the initiative would raise more than $300 million for them.
Little in February signed into law the biggest tax cut in the state’s history — a combined $600 million that included a one-time $350 million in rebates and $250 million in permanent income tax reductions going forward for people and businesses. That’s on top of tax cuts in 2021, which combined with the tax cuts enacted earlier this year reach nearly $1 billion.
Also earlier this year, Little signed into law a K-12 education funding increase of $300 million, a 12.5% increase over the previous year and the largest increase in state history.
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- Still reading this list? We're on YouTube, too: | https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/208/idaho-governor-eyes-special-legislative-session-to-deal-with-inflation/277-0e7b7af2-4f29-4755-b708-8119378c4c6a | 2022-08-16T22:35:10 | 1 | https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/208/idaho-governor-eyes-special-legislative-session-to-deal-with-inflation/277-0e7b7af2-4f29-4755-b708-8119378c4c6a |
ATLANTIC CITY — A new version of an ordinance to fine gas stations and storage facilities for providing services to illegally ridden off-road vehicles is on City Council's agenda for Wednesday night.
However, unlike an ordinance considered last month but not introduced, the new version says businesses will not be fined if they serve the illegal riders but then report them to police within five minutes.
The ordinance is sponsored by Councilman MD Hossain Morshed.
Off-road vehicles such as all-terrain vehicles and dirt bikes are not legal on public roads anywhere in the state, but they are being ridden in large groups on city roads, and the riders often ignore traffic laws, endangering themselves and others.
At a July meeting, council passed another ordinance setting out rules for confiscating and destroying all-terrain vehicles and dirt bikes illegally ridden on city streets and rights-of-way.
People are also reading…
Several other municipalities, such as Pleasantville and Absecon, have passed ordinances to confiscate and destroy illegally ridden off-road vehicles, and to fine gas stations that provide fuel to them when they are illegally ridden to the business.
ATLANTIC CITY — Assemblyman Don Guardian will draft legislation to require identification ta…
Some council members at the July meeting were concerned that forcing gas stations and storage facilities to refuse to serve those riding illegal vehicles could put their workers at risk of conflict and harm.
That concern resulted in allowing businesses to avoid fines if they quickly report the illegal riders.
Last week, Assemblyman Don Guardian also said he will draft legislation to require identification tags for off-road vehicles in New Jersey, to help police trace owners of those ridden illegally.
Guardian, R-Atlantic, is a former city mayor.
Currently, police have no way of identifying riders who illegally drive on roads and city rights-of-way, ignoring traffic laws and creating a public safety hazard, acting police Chief James Sarkos said.
Police are not allowed to pursue illegally ridden dirt bikes and all-terrain vehicles, under rules set by the state attorney general, because of the risk of causing a serious accident, Sarkos said.
The increase in urban violence the past few years has suggested a growing lawlessness that c…
Guardian expects to have a draft bill by the next public safety meeting Aug. 26, he said.
The council meeting will be held in Council Chambers at 5 p.m. Wednesday in City Hall and can also be viewed remotely. Visit acnj.gov/calendar and click on the meeting on Aug. 17 for the link. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/ordinance-to-fine-businesses-that-serve-illegal-atvs-on-atlantic-city-council-agenda/article_634a51c4-1d76-11ed-b3b4-070bb1ea3fd0.html | 2022-08-16T22:35:14 | 1 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/ordinance-to-fine-businesses-that-serve-illegal-atvs-on-atlantic-city-council-agenda/article_634a51c4-1d76-11ed-b3b4-070bb1ea3fd0.html |
BOISE, Idaho — Idaho lawmakers who made it more difficult for transgender people to change the sex listed on their birth certificates despite a U.S. court ruling banning such obstacles must pay $321,000 in legal fees to the winning side after losing in the same court.
Republican Gov. Brad Little and Republican Secretary of State Lawerence Denney on the State Board of Examiners on Tuesday approved paying the winning side’s legal fees set by the court in June.
The court in March 2018 banned Idaho from automatically rejecting applications from transgender people to change the sex listed on their birth certificates. The court ruled the restriction violated the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment.
But lawmakers in 2020 approved a ban anyway, and Little signed the bill into law. The 2018 case was reopened and Idaho lost again, resulting in the $321,000 legal bill. The state previously paid $75,000 after losing the initial case in 2018.
The plaintiffs in the case were represented by Lambda Legal, which on its website describes itself as a national legal organization working to get full civil rights recognition for lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender people and everyone living with HIV. The plaintiffs sought roughly $450,000, but the court reduced that amount to what it considered reasonable by looking at the case's complexity and hours billed.
The Board of Examiners typically sends such bills to the Constitutional Defense Council, comprised of the governor, attorney general and leaders of the House and Senate. The council controls the constitutional defense fund that has traditionally gone to pay the winning side's legal fees when Idaho loses court cases. That fund has paid out more than $3 million.
But the board on Tuesday instead sent the bill to the Legislature. The Legislature isn't scheduled to meet until January. Meanwhile, the $321,000 is growing at an interest rate of 2.14% until it's paid, according to a letter from the Idaho attorney general's office to Brian Benjamin at the state controller's office.
The Legislature has several potential options for paying the bill, Benjamin said. Lawmakers could send it to the Constitutional Defense Council. There is also the legislative legal defense fund controlled by the leaders of the House and Senate, currently Republican House Speaker Scott Bedke and Republican Senate President Pro-Tem Chuck Winder.
Finally, lawmakers could appropriate the money from some other source.
Regardless, “it's all taxpayer money,” Benjamin noted.
Watch more Idaho politics:
See all of our latest political coverage in our YouTube playlist: | https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/idaho/idaho-leaders-ok-321k-transgender-birth-certificate-case/277-83e676a5-671c-4cb5-95a4-bb6a471b2d9f | 2022-08-16T22:35:16 | 0 | https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/idaho/idaho-leaders-ok-321k-transgender-birth-certificate-case/277-83e676a5-671c-4cb5-95a4-bb6a471b2d9f |
CAMP HILL, Pa. — A Harrisburg man pleaded guilty on Tuesday to a count of attempted homicide in a shooting that injured one person at the Camp Hill Borough Pool in Christian Siebert Memorial Park last year.
Edwin Ruben Sosa Jiminez, 24, was charged last August with the shooting, which occurred on June 28, 2021.
On that day, prosecutors said, Jiminez drove from Harrisburg to the Camp Hill Borough Pool to confront the victim regarding a dispute. The confrontation escalated to the point where Jiminez fired six shots at the victim, at least one of which grazed the victim in the head.
Jiminez then fled the scene, according to police.
The victim suffered minor injuries and was released from the hospital the night the shooting occurred.
Jiminez was identified and later apprehended after a month-long investigation conducted by the Camp Hill Borough Police Department and the Cumberland County District Attorney’s Office, with some assistance from several other law enforcement agencies.
Jiminez will be sentenced on Sept. 13 before Judge Christylee Peck. | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/cumberland-county/edwin-sosa-jiminez-attempted-murder-plea/521-1818ed02-e383-40bc-9618-ffd7128b4678 | 2022-08-16T22:36:03 | 0 | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/cumberland-county/edwin-sosa-jiminez-attempted-murder-plea/521-1818ed02-e383-40bc-9618-ffd7128b4678 |
Jim Gerety will run for the Midland City Council seat in west Midland.
Gerety will join Amy Stretcher Burkes in the District 4 race to replace Lori Blong, who has filed to run for mayor.
City of Midland elections on Nov. 8 include mayor and Districts 3 and 4. The sign-up period to put a name on a local ballot continues through Aug. 22.
Other candidates on the city ballot are Blong for mayor and Jack Ladd Jr. for District 3. | https://www.mrt.com/news/local/article/Jim-Gerety-to-run-for-City-Council-District-4-17377776.php | 2022-08-16T22:36:11 | 1 | https://www.mrt.com/news/local/article/Jim-Gerety-to-run-for-City-Council-District-4-17377776.php |
The Chesterfield school board has extended the contract of Superintendent Merv Daugherty.
The board voted Monday to a new term starting in September and ending on June 30, 2026.
He will keep the same salary of $253,720 a year and add $1,200 a month for a vehicle to be used for school business.
Daugherty started in November 2018. The board extended his contract in November 2020.
He previously was superintendent of Red Clay Consolidated School District in Delaware. | https://richmond.com/news/local/education/chesterfield-county-schools-superintendent-contract-extended/article_edfbd6a7-0d0e-5d7e-88f0-27cc08f6875d.html | 2022-08-16T22:40:36 | 1 | https://richmond.com/news/local/education/chesterfield-county-schools-superintendent-contract-extended/article_edfbd6a7-0d0e-5d7e-88f0-27cc08f6875d.html |
Earlier this month, a public health official for the Richmond and Henrico Health Districts advised that residents continue wearing masks indoors, given the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still considers the two counties areas of high COVID-19 transmission.
It's a frequently uttered message from public health officials across the country, but it doesn't match the new guidelines delivered by Gov. Glenn Youngkin. Earlier this summer the governor announced the state health department would no longer recommend masks in schools, day cares and summer camps.
When it comes to mask wearing, two different public messages have arisen: one originating from the CDC that has been repeated by the local health district. And another backed by the governor and the Virginia Department of Health.
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This fissure comes as confidence in public health has been shaken, when schools are about to reopen and when parents will need to decide whether to send their children to school wearing masks.
And the lack of a single public health message extends to childhood vaccines, which have gained less public health approval than the adult versions.
Earlier this month, Dr. Melissa Viray, a deputy health director for the Richmond and Henrico Health Districts, encouraged a Facebook Live audience to continue following CDC guidance, including wearing a mask indoors, staying up to date with vaccinations, isolating when necessary, increasing ventilation indoors and gathering outdoors when possible.
But weeks earlier, the governor's office had announced a new policy for masking: the state health department no longer routinely recommends children, teachers and staff in K-12 schools, day cares and camps wear masks. The state health department does recommend masks if a person is returning after a COVID-19 infection or is exposed to an infected person.
Asked about the differing policies, Cat Long, a spokesperson for the Richmond and Henrico Health Districts, said the district encourages residents to pay attention to the CDC's community levels and follow the corresponding guidance.
"In terms of school settings, RHHD recommend schools, preschool and day care settings review state and federal guidance, consider the COVID-19 community level for their area and implement as many mitigation and prevention measures as practicable for staff, students, and parents," Long said.
The governor isn't worried that creating a state policy that conflicts with the CDC's will create confusion or distrust in the community, a spokesperson for his office said.
"We continue to improve clarity in public health message and responding directly to the needs of our citizens," said Macaulay Porter, a spokesperson for the governor.
Public schools will reopen later this month, and local school districts are continuing to take diverging paths on masks, even though a law passed this year forbids school districts from requiring them.
Henrico, Chesterfield and Hanover county schools made mask wearing optional. But Richmond Public Schools has directed its students and teachers to continue wearing masks. Families can opt out by providing a note.
This week RPS said it would continue asking students and teachers to wear masks when the 2022-23 school year begins Aug. 29.
Jonathan Young, a Richmond School Board member, introduced a motion to make mask wearing optional, calling Richmond's policy "the most restrictive mask requirement in Virginia." But the motion failed.
While masks are an effective way of preventing transmission, experts are less confident in the effectiveness of mask mandates. A child might transmit the virus by pulling down a mask to speak, taking it off at lunch or while going unmasked in public after school.
"Masks are most effective if everyone uses them all the time, or people use them most of the time," said Lisa M. Lee, a professor of public health at Virginia Tech.
At its essence, Lee said, public health is a local enterprise. In the Richmond area, COVID transmission is high, and the CDC recommends wearing masks indoors. But in Montgomery County, where Virginia Tech is located, transmission is low, and the public health guidance is different.
"It's really important, and it's going to be in the next year, for officials in very local situations to know what's going on in their community," Lee said.
It's unclear how much effect public health messaging will have on the community in 2022, at a time when COVID hospitalizations and deaths remain low. It appears that in greater Richmond, most people aren't wearing masks in public settings.
Lee said residents need to remember they have a responsibility not just for themselves but for the people around them. Healthy people are still capable of transmitting the virus to older friends and family. Though deaths remain low, there were at least 125 in Virginia in the past month, according to the state health department.
In Richmond, Henrico, Chesterfield and Hanover, COVID transmission has been high most of the summer. On Wednesday there were 786 people in the state hospitalized for COVID, according to the Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association. Hospitalizations have mostly increased since the beginning of May.
Lee added that the more people allow the virus to transmit, the more opportunity it has to mutate into new strains that are potentially more dangerous.
"We're giving this virus a chance to mutate," she said.
When Youngkin announced a new state policy for masking in schools, he also announced a relaxed policy that no longer recommends unvaccinated people quarantine after an exposure to an infected person.
Last week the CDC adjusted its advice, mirroring it to Virginia's policy. Porter, the governor's spokesperson, said Virginia has been a leader on updating COVID guidelines by establishing guidelines that cater to the needs of Virginians.
"While the CDC has followed Virginia's lead in revisiting their restrictions on individual freedom, our administration and VDH has actively communicated ongoing changes to ensure all COVID guideline details are clear and accessible for Virginians," Porter said.
The lack of a single, unified public health message extends to vaccines for babies and toddlers, which became available this summer.
The Richmond and Henrico Health Districts recommend everyone 6 months and older to get vaccinated against COVID and everyone 5 years and older to get boosted.
But Youngkin, who has often encouraged adults to get vaccinated, gave a less ringing endorsement for baby vaccines. Last month, he said he encourages families to consider the baby vaccine, "but I want people to make their own decision. And they should talk to their own pediatrician for their children and their own doctor for themselves and make their own decision."
It's unclear if Virginia Department of Health leadership endorse the vaccine for babies and toddlers. Asked if Dr. Colin Greene, the State Health Commissioner, also recommends it, a spokesperson for the governor's office did not respond. | https://richmond.com/news/local/two-different-covid-public-health-messages-have-emerged-in-richmond/article_0f20bc22-da9b-562f-bb59-668c97baf6cc.html | 2022-08-16T22:40:43 | 1 | https://richmond.com/news/local/two-different-covid-public-health-messages-have-emerged-in-richmond/article_0f20bc22-da9b-562f-bb59-668c97baf6cc.html |
Deltona residents to vote on charter referendum on residency requirement of manager, attorney
It's official — Deltona residents in November will have the chance to change the charter.
Residents may vote yes or no on the following referendum: The city manager and in-house city attorney should reside within Volusia County or within 25 miles of city boundaries.
The City Commission during Monday night's regular meeting voted 6-0 in favor of putting the question to voters during the general election; Commissioner Anita Bradford, who cast the lone dissenting vote during the first reading, was absent.
The city provided a map during this hearing to show what the proposed mileage would include.
Vice Mayor Maritza Avila-Vazquez, who was absent during the first reading, and Commissioner David Sosa both reported hearing a mix of responses from residents regarding whether or not the city manager and the city attorney should live within Deltona.
The commission also heard a mix of responses from the few residents who spoke during public comment on the proposed referendum.
Election 2022:Who's running for election in Volusia, Flagler counties? Everything you need to know.
Longtime resident Doug MacDonald brought up a conversation he had about the matter more than 20 years ago with John Masiarczyk, who served as mayor from the city's incorporation in 1995 to 2005 and then from 2010 to 2018.
"I told him at that time that this was going to be a thorn in the side of the city," MacDonald said. "It is a problem right now; it's been a problem."
MacDonald also said he didn't think it was the proper decision for the commission to decide against moving forward any of the Charter Review Committee's recommendations.
After finishing its review of the charter earlier this year, the committee recommended five amendments:
- Shall the City of Deltona Charter be amended to modify the salary of the mayor to be equal to 50% of the Volusia County chair and the salary of the commissioners to be equal to 50% of the Volusia County Council Members?
- Shall the City of Deltona Charter be amended to add language to provide for a maximum term of 18 months that the charter offices of city manager and city attorney may be appointed as acting, and to provide for an additional term of six months for extraordinary circumstances?
- Shall the City of Deltona Charter be amended to modify composition and qualifications to allow for city commissioners to reside in a district and be elected on a city-wide basis?
- Shall the City of Deltona Charter be amended to increase the Charter Review Committee to seven members and to require any proposed charter amendments to be placed on the ballot of the next general election?
- Shall the City of Deltona Charter be amended to add a provision requiring standards, procedures, requirements and regulations to provide for environmental considerations on major decisions undertaken by the City Commission or city planners?
The commission ultimately voted against putting any of the committee's recommendations on the ballot in November.
Tara D'Errico, who is running against incumbent Avila-Vazquez for the commission's District 3 seat, offered a suggestion.
"If you're looking to put something on the ballot that actually has a chance of getting residential support while providing the flexibility to gain and retain talent, I would suggest really reducing the buffer," D'Errico said.
The candidate said reducing the permitted distance from 25 miles to 15 miles would be more acceptable.
John Peters III, the city's acting manager, lives in DeBary, approximately 9 miles from Deltona's City Hall.
Peters went from public works director, the role for which he originally was hired in June 2019, to acting manager at the end of 2020.
"He does a good job," resident Richard Bellach said. "Let's face it, the guy's dedicated."
In 2014, voters declined to change the part of the charter that requires the city manager and the city attorney to live within the city.
Mayor Heidi Herzberg previously suggested it could be time for residents to take another look at the residency requirement due to the city's history of charter-officer turnover and the housing market.
Theoretically, because Peters became acting manager through a contract that has no residency requirement, he could serve indefinitely if no changes are made to his contract or the charter.
Similarly, the city's legal representative is the Orlando-based firm Fowler, Feeney & Associates, P.A. Because it's a firm and not one specific person, Deltona's legal representative also doesn't live in the city. | https://www.news-journalonline.com/story/news/local/volusia/2022/08/16/deltona-residents-vote-charter-officer-residency-requirement/10334490002/ | 2022-08-16T22:43:28 | 1 | https://www.news-journalonline.com/story/news/local/volusia/2022/08/16/deltona-residents-vote-charter-officer-residency-requirement/10334490002/ |
AUSTIN, Texas — JetBlue Airways and American Airlines are suspending a number of nonstop routes coming out of the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS), a spokesperson with AUS confirmed Tuesday.
JetBlue will be suspending services from Austin to New Jersey (EWR) from February to July 2023 and Austin to Los Angeles (LAX) beginning February to May of 2023
"The airline shared that these are suspensions rather than cancellations, so AUS is hoping to see a return some time in 2023," said a spokesperson with the Austin airport.
These destinations are serviced by other airlines coming from AUS, including United and Spirit to EWR, and Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta, Southwest, Spirit and United to LAX.
Meanwhile, American Airlines recently told AUS that it will stop servicing San Juan, Puerto Rico, after November this year. No other airlines currently service San Juan out of Austin.
PEOPLE ARE ALSO READING: | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/american-and-jetblue-suspending-some-nonstop-routes-from-austin-airport/269-0954e2b3-6bdd-4a5c-9703-66b77159939b | 2022-08-16T22:47:37 | 0 | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/american-and-jetblue-suspending-some-nonstop-routes-from-austin-airport/269-0954e2b3-6bdd-4a5c-9703-66b77159939b |
AUSTIN, Texas — Austin's housing market continues to improve.
In its July 2022 Central Texas Housing Market report, the Austin Board of Realtors said the Austin-Round Rock area is seeing the most housing inventory in almost three years.
The median price of homes also went up 8% last month to $515,000. This is the first time growth has been in the single digits since June of last year.
“In every aspect of our market REALTORS® are seeing positive signs that Austin’s housing market continues to normalize,” said Cord Shiflet, 2022 ABoR president. “On top of rising housing inventory, home price growth is much closer to the 4-5% annual growth that is typical for a healthy market. In addition, homes sold slightly below list price for the first time since December 2020, proving that buyers are gaining negotiating power in the market.”
In July, residential home sales declined 28.3% year over year to 2,849 closed sales, sales dollar volume declined 21.9.% to $1,837,933,383, and new listings remained about the same with a 0.2% drop to 5,142 listings. The average close-to-list price for residential homes was 98.8% in July 2022, which ABoR said is a significant change from the average 104.1% close-to-list price for the first half of the year.
On average, homes spent 22 days on the market, 10 days more than July 2021, and active listings spiked 167.9% to 8,709 listings. Meanwhile, pending sales declined 25.9% to 2,774.
The July ABoR report can be read in full here.
PEOPLE ARE ALSO READING: | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/austin-housing-market-continues-improvement-trend-in-july-abor-says/269-e55c3458-25b2-43cd-82f2-5ee4d65f1770 | 2022-08-16T22:47:53 | 1 | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/austin-housing-market-continues-improvement-trend-in-july-abor-says/269-e55c3458-25b2-43cd-82f2-5ee4d65f1770 |
AUSTIN, Texas — An Austin man on Tuesday pleaded guilty to a felony charge linked to his actions during the U.S. Capitol breach on Jan. 6, 2021.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, 38-year-old Geoffrey Shough pleaded guilty to interfering with a law enforcement officer during a civil disorder.
Officials report that Shough attended a rally near the Ellipse on Jan. 6 and then marched with others to the U.S. Capitol. Around 1:50 p.m., he was among a crowd of rioters illegally on the West Lawn of the Capitol grounds.
There, he reportedly waved a large Texas flag and cheered as rioters attacked and overwhelmed law enforcement officers nearby on the northwest steps. Officials said he was later among the first individuals in the crowd that overwhelmed officers during the breach of the Senate Wing Door around 2:48 p.m.
"After the rioters overwhelmed the officers, Shough engaged in a very animated conversation with one or more of the officers," officials said. "During his plea hearing, he acknowledged telling the officers that they 'should go home.' He traveled through the Crypt, past the House Wing Door, and through the Hall of Columns before finally exiting the Capitol at approximately 3:03 p.m."
Shough was eventually arrested on March 1, 2022, in Austin. He is expected to be sentenced on Dec. 8. He now faces a statutory maximum of five years in prison for civil disorder, as well as potential financial penalties.
The Department of Justice reports that more than 860 people have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the Jan. 6 attack, including 260 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement.
PEOPLE ARE ALSO READING: | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/austin-man-pleads-guilty-to-charge-related-to-jan-6-us-capitol-breach/269-8c5c5aab-215d-4e78-b8e2-2b8674e35ab5 | 2022-08-16T22:47:59 | 0 | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/austin-man-pleads-guilty-to-charge-related-to-jan-6-us-capitol-breach/269-8c5c5aab-215d-4e78-b8e2-2b8674e35ab5 |
AUSTIN, Texas — The LBJ Presidential Library announced Tuesday that it will be offering free admission to its library and museum to health care workers and first responders nationwide beginning Sept. 1.
The library said in a press release that it's proud to honor the hard work, expertise and sacrifice that health care workers and first responders have made in the past few trying years and that they continue to make every day.
The special offer is available to any staff member or worker at hospitals, clinics, doctor offices, fire, police, EMS and pharmacies through the end of 2022.
Advance tickets are not required and they ask that you show up with a work ID. The free admission is for personnel only and does not extend to other guests. Children under 12 are free and there is free parking available.
The library is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with the last guests admitted at 4 p.m. If you have any questions, you can email admissions@lbjfoundation.org.
PEOPLE ARE ALSO READING: | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/lbj-library-free-admission-health-care-workers/269-e7fc407f-5751-47ad-8e37-72c77dd27ab9 | 2022-08-16T22:48:05 | 0 | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/lbj-library-free-admission-health-care-workers/269-e7fc407f-5751-47ad-8e37-72c77dd27ab9 |
MARSHFIELD STATION -- With the blessing of the state, the Mount Washington Cog Railway is moving ahead with plans for its proposed Lizzie’s Station lodging-and-dining venue while making improvements elsewhere.
Named after Lizzie Bourne, who died on Sept. 14, 1855 while attempting to reach the Tip-Top House on the mountain's summit, Lizzie’s Station is the successor to The Skyline Lodge project.
Before the 150th anniversary of the Cog in 2019, owner Wayne Presby announced plans to build the 35-room Skyline Lodge over the railway’s tracks, about 1,000 feet from the summit.
That proposal generated controversy, especially from groups who worried about the lodge’s environmental impact upon arctic plants and animals in the alpine zone on Mount Washington.
In large part because of that opposition, Presby abandoned Skyline Lodge but this March announced plans for Lizzie’s Station, which would operate from May 15 through Oct. 15, and would provide most of what the Skyline Lodge would, but in a different format.
Unlike the Skyline Lodge, which was to have one main building, Lizzie’s Station would be made up of 18 individual rail cars that, at the end of the season, would be brought down and stored at Marshfield Station.
Nine cars would be used for overnight lodging; five cars would be used for a restaurant and dining; while the remaining cars would be used for a shelter, restrooms and services related to Lizzie’s Station.
In addition to providing a unique dining and lodging experience, Presby hopes that Lizzie’s Station will relieve congestion at the top of Mount Washington, where the state operates Mount Washington State Park. The 60-acre park is centered on the Sherman Adams Building, which is home to a cafeteria, restrooms, gift shop and the Mount Washington Observatory.
Presby has said that the state would support Lizzie’s Station if the Cog Railway agreed to settle property claims at the summit and to prevent the railway from any further expansion there.
That agreement was struck in July during a meeting of the Governor and Executive Council.
After the deal was made, Presby said it will take 5-7 years for the project to get all its required permitting from the state and federal governments and secure approvals from the Coos County zoning and planning boards.
He said that as the Cog Railway gets into the details of Lizzie’s Station, it is simultaneously working to upgrade Waumbek Station, the terminus for the railway’s wintertime operations.
In just two years, those operations have “grown phenomenally,” he said.
Presby said the Cog Railway and the Auto Road each bring up about 150,000 visitors a year.
Lizzie’s Station will attract yet more people to Mount Washington, Presby said.
For now, he said the Cog Railway is assembling the data it will need to eventually present to the Coos zoning and planning boards “so that they’ll see we did our homework.”
“Doing this project (Lizzie’s Station) gives us an opportunity to actually reduce the impact from visitation that exists now and continue to grow,” Presby said.
Visitor impact and other issues are addressed in a draft master plan being considered by the Mount Washington Commission. The commission will hold public information sessions on Aug. 22 at 7 p.m. at the North Conway Community Center and on Aug. 23 at 10 a.m. in Room 302 of the Legislative Office Building in Concord.
northcountrynews@unionleader.com
Union Leader State House Bureau Chief Kevin Landrigan contributed to this article. | https://www.unionleader.com/news/local/with-states-ok-road-now-cleared-for-cog-railways-hotel-restaurant-plans-to-proceed/article_90a14ac2-23d8-5845-bdb5-f4b28b7f4fe0.html | 2022-08-16T22:50:23 | 1 | https://www.unionleader.com/news/local/with-states-ok-road-now-cleared-for-cog-railways-hotel-restaurant-plans-to-proceed/article_90a14ac2-23d8-5845-bdb5-f4b28b7f4fe0.html |
How much will you pay in school taxes?
The new property tax rate set by the Wichita Falls ISD School Board on Monday is lower than last year's, which rose because of voter-approved bonds to pay for the new high schools under construction.
WFISD trustees voted 5-0 Monday night to set the total tax rate at $1.2965 per $100 of property valuation for the new budget year.
“Basically the reason why the tax rate went down is because the valuations went up,” interim Chief Financial Officer Judith Whittington said in an interview Monday evening.
Whittington said there was an 11.06 percentage growth in property valuation in WFISD.
Place 3 Trustee Bob Payton and Place 4 Trustee Dale Harvey were not present at Monday night's School Board meeting.
Under the new tax rate, the owner of a home in the district with the average taxable value of $131,560, as stated in a public notice, will owe approximately $1,706 in WFISD property taxes.
By law, schools adopt a total tax rate split into two parts: the maintenance and operations rate and the rate to pay off debt such as bond issues to finance building new facilities.
WFISD's new tax rate to support the district's operations is 87.15 cents. The new rate for debt service is 42.5 cents. The state sets the rate using WFISD data, the tax roll and other information.
Whittington noted the tax rate ordinance trustees approved Monday says the tax rate will effectively be reduced by 7.3 percent this budget year.
“So if you had a $100,000 house last year, and it's still appraised at $100,000, which is unlikely, but if it were, then you would save $69 in your taxes," Whittington said, again referring to the ordinance.
More:WFISD goes into new fiscal year with budget deficit
The adopted tax rate for WFISD's budget year ending June 30, 2023, is lower than the total rate of $1.3124 proposed at a June 27 meeting.
The proposal included a maintenance and operations rate of 89.74 cents, and a debt service rate of 41.50 cents.
Whittington said the figures for the proposed tax rates were created using estimates since the district's fiscal year ends June 30, and the certified tax roll isn't released until July. The tax rates approved Monday night used the official tax roll.
On June 27, trustees adopted the new budget with a deficit of about $4.3 million. Estimated revenue is approximately $114.6 million since the state is expected to withhold approximately $7.1 million in funding.
WFISD's enrollment has declined by about 800 students since March 2020 when the pandemic began. Since local officials' enrollment estimates overshot the actual number of students, the state overpaid WFISD.
The School Board and administration carried out a difficult program of cuts to staffing and other areas during the last budget year, resulting in an estimated savings of $8 million to $9 million.
But officials created the new budget using conservative estimates of student numbers, resulting in the anticipated shortfall and more tough choices expected to come for this school year.
The new tax rate is lower than last year's total tax rate of $1.3651 per $100 of property valuation.
Last year, trustees approved effectively raising school taxes 22.9 percent for 2021-2022 in light of $290 million in voter-approved bonds approved to build the two new high schools and athletic facilities to go with them.
The cost of the schools, expected to open in 2024, has since risen because of inflation and supply chain issues. | https://www.timesrecordnews.com/story/news/local/2022/08/16/wichita-falls-isd-sets-property-tax-rate-for-2022-2023/65399168007/ | 2022-08-16T22:54:44 | 1 | https://www.timesrecordnews.com/story/news/local/2022/08/16/wichita-falls-isd-sets-property-tax-rate-for-2022-2023/65399168007/ |
BIG SPRING, Texas — With weather starting to change as fall comes near, the city of Big Spring Emergency Management and officials will be administering emergency warning siren maintenance on Aug. 18.
Testing will have short interval tests at the rodeo grounds throughout the day from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The last tests will finish around 5 p.m. If you hear a siren after 5 p.m., that's not a test.
To learn more information about keeping your family safe during bad weather, visit www.KnoWhat2Do.com. They provide several information such as how to prepare for flash flooding, how many tornadoes occur on average in your area and other facts that will help you. They even have a guide on how to build a kit if bad weather hits. | https://www.newswest9.com/article/news/local/big-spring-emergency-management-will-conduct-siren-maintenance/513-d7bde32e-b5fa-4ad1-848c-73a567a861b6 | 2022-08-16T22:59:12 | 1 | https://www.newswest9.com/article/news/local/big-spring-emergency-management-will-conduct-siren-maintenance/513-d7bde32e-b5fa-4ad1-848c-73a567a861b6 |
ODESSA, Texas — Odessa College is celebrating the beginning of the school year by hosting the first annual Odessa College Back to School Expo. The event is to honor our First Responders and Public Servants.
For those wanting to attend, the event will take place 6-8 p.m. on Tuesday at Woodson Park, located at 1020 E. Murphy.
The event is open to the public as well as being free. The festivities include all sorts of fun including live music, food and entertaining activities, perfect for the whole family to attend on a Tuesday night.
Information about being a first responder or in public service for anyone who's interested in pursuing it as a career will be provided. There will also be demonstrations related to those as well as similar career fields readily available.
First-hand first responders will also be attending, so attendees will have the opportunity to have a conversation with someone in the field.
For new and returning students of Odessa College, representatives from the school will be available to discuss opportunities such as scholarships, financial aid, and grants - even a chance where college can be free. | https://www.newswest9.com/article/news/local/odessa-college-back-to-school-expo/513-f774de00-4852-4c24-b938-f5bb56809ae5 | 2022-08-16T22:59:18 | 0 | https://www.newswest9.com/article/news/local/odessa-college-back-to-school-expo/513-f774de00-4852-4c24-b938-f5bb56809ae5 |
PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Florida saw 7,231 drug overdoses in 2020. Overdoses of drugs laced with fentanyl are on the rise. And it prompted Sen. Rick Scott (R) to introduce new legislation to address it.
Surrounded by roughly a dozen Tampa Bay police chiefs and sheriffs, the U.S. senator announced the "End Fentanyl Package Act."
"Just in the last year, 107,000 people died of drug overdoses in this country," Scott explained. "Something like 70% of them were tied to fentanyl."
There are four parts to the End Fentanyl Package Act — all of which are geared toward preventing, reducing, and collecting data on opioid-related cases:
- Allow healthcare providers to prescribe overdose-reversal drugs, like Narcan.
- Allow the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Justice to issue grants to local governments to improve data collection on opioid-related overdoses.
- Allow the Department of Justice to issue grants to law enforcement agencies and communities with high rates of drug overdoses to better trace criminals, train officers to identify overdoses, and upgrade essential systems for tracing drugs and processing samples in forensic laboratories.
- Push for the director of the office of national drug control policy to be elevated to a cabinet member position.
The sheriffs and chiefs present shared just how big an impact opioid overdoses have had in our area.
"Here in Pinellas County between 2020 and 2022, our seizures of fentanyl have tripled," Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said. "So there's a lot of it out there... Since 2019 here in Pinellas County, about 1,300 people have died from opioid deaths."
Gualtieri said in that same time, there were over 8,000 Narcan administrations by Pinellas County deputies or by EMS in the county.
Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister shared a recent case his office worked in which a baby nearly died from an overdose.
"The mom had some meth laced with fentanyl-laced that the baby happened to touch when she was left unattended," Chronister said. "And it was that quick touch that sent that baby into an unresponsive state."
Clearwater Police Chief Dan Slaughter said the data has only increased in recent years.
"When you look at the data in the form of a bar graph, I describe it to my staff as a very unfortunate, steep stairway to heaven," Slaughter said. "From 2019 to the present, the deaths are three times what they've been before."
Florida was recently ranked No. 1 in the nation for overdose deaths in a synthetic psychedelic drug called Eutylone.
RELATED: Psychoactive bath salt 'eutylone' is causing more deadly overdoses in Florida than any other state
Law enforcement officials say it's always something new.
"If it's not one thing, it's another," Gualtieri said. "It's almost a game of whack-a-mole... At its core, the problem here is an addiction problem, until we do more to deal with the addiction problem, which deals with the demand, you're going to have people wreaking havoc and preying on these people, the addicts."
Scott also introduced a bill similarly named the 'End Fentanyl Act' which is currently in the Senate committee.
The bill would require customers and border patrol to update their policies once every three years to ensure drug intervention guidelines are up to date. | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/end-fentanyl-package-act-rick-scott/67-9ba973a8-2578-4955-bd25-a8c7a2f1f29a | 2022-08-16T22:59:33 | 0 | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/end-fentanyl-package-act-rick-scott/67-9ba973a8-2578-4955-bd25-a8c7a2f1f29a |
TAMPA, Fla. — Governor Ron DeSantis' newly appointed State Attorney in Hillsborough County Susan Lopez met with the area’s NAACP chapter Tuesday.
Lopez had no comment as she entered the meeting which came after leaders in the Black community expressed concern over a memo sent by Lopez to her staff.
The letter said, in part, that her office would again begin prosecuting cases against African Americans under a highly criticized Tampa police policy dubbed "Biking while Black."
A Department of Justice investigation found fault with the policing program nearly six years ago – saying it disproportionately targeted African Americans with no demonstrative impact on crime.
“Why would you go back to such a policy that continues to institutionalize and continues to perpetuate systemic racism?” NAACP Hillsborough Chapter President Yvette Lewis asked. “It takes us way back. Erases all of the conversations that we had.”
Lopez's office told us they would get back to us with a comment regarding the change in policy and the meeting with Lewis.
The NAACP says Lopez assured them that arrests would be handled on a case-by-case basis.
The NAACP and Lopez plan to meet again in six weeks to discuss any issues or concerns that might arise.
“It’s important for us to have these open and candid conversations,” Lewis said. “And there will be some uncomfortable conversations as well.” | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/hillsboroughcounty/hillsborough-naacp-biking-while-black-policy/67-5990ca86-bcb0-4f51-9973-af8b5f81515c | 2022-08-16T22:59:39 | 1 | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/hillsboroughcounty/hillsborough-naacp-biking-while-black-policy/67-5990ca86-bcb0-4f51-9973-af8b5f81515c |
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A Wimauma 12-year-old girl is awake and alert after being involved in a car accident during a trip to Mexico in June that killed her parents and grandparents.
“The fact that she is still with us and the progress she is making shows she is a miracle," the girl's brother Cruz Cervantes said.
Jasmin Cervantes-Garcia suffered severe injuries from the crash and was initially treated at a hospital in Mexico. In July, she flew in a jet ICU and was taken to Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg.
“Her damaged organs, fractures and a few broken bones pretty much has healed," Cervantes said.
Cervantes also said his sister is able to breathe on her own, move her hands and has been trying to sit up.
“Any little wins we can get, we will take," he said.
Cervantes explained he has been visiting Jasmin every single day since she was admitted to the hospital in St. Pete. “We’re here for her we are going to do everything we can," he said.
Cervantes-Garcia's family members said they are hopeful she will continue to heal. The plan is for her to begin speech therapy and rehabilitation soon.
The 12-year-old's brothers said they will continue to be by her side during the road to recovery.
The family will be holding a fundraiser for the 12-year-old on Saturday in Wimauma and have invited the public to join them for food and drinks. The fundraiser will begin at noon and end at 6 p.m. at 5529 Ruth Morris Road. | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/hillsboroughcounty/wimauma-girl-awake-mexico-car-crash/67-bc63e623-40b5-437c-932b-edd5700a0f57 | 2022-08-16T22:59:46 | 1 | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/hillsboroughcounty/wimauma-girl-awake-mexico-car-crash/67-bc63e623-40b5-437c-932b-edd5700a0f57 |
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) – After months of work, a brand-new Black Olive location has opened in downtown Johnson City.
Starting on Tuesday, the business’s soft opening ended, and co-owners Kinsey Holliday and Moe Farrouki were happy to welcome in guests for some of their first regular hours.
“It’s been really exciting just to finally be open,” Holliday said. “I feel like we’ve really been preparing for almost a year, and anticipation’s been high. It just feels nice to finally open the doors and get some customers in here.”
The new Black Olive resides at 202 E Main St. and features a spacious main dining room with a patio that opens to the street. From comfy Italian classics like Chicken Parmesan and Lasagna to more adventurous Moroccan zing, the restaurant offers a wide menu for all to enjoy.
“The difference about this location in Johnson City,” said Farrouki. “Is that we can make some new dishes.”
Some of those will be homages to Moe’s roots, with Moroccan salmon and chicken slated to make regular appearances on the menu. Each week, Farrouki said he plans to rotate in a new dish. For this specific location, the Downtown Chicken is expected to be a crowd pleaser.
For The Black Olive, the downtown location presented a major opportunity. From concerts on the patio to a bar for short-term visitors, the new venture is poised to plug into the downtown business that streams along Main Street.
In the meantime, staff positions are still available for those that want in on the action. From wait staff to line cooks, owners Holliday and Farrouki are planning to add more shift coverage as time goes on.
“Staffing’s definitely been an issue as well, and we’re still not fully staffed,” Holliday said. “But we’re working on it. We try to be a really good place to work. At our other locations, we’ve had people that have been there years and years.”
For those that give the restaurant a shot, Farrouki and Holliday recommended the Lemon Chicken Soup as an appetizer if available, and the spice-seared salmon dishes carried some of the owners’ highest praise. | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/black-olive-fully-opens-in-downtown-jc/ | 2022-08-16T23:00:30 | 1 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/black-olive-fully-opens-in-downtown-jc/ |
A 45-year-old Lincoln man was arrested after he allegedly tried to rob a family of a camera as they posed for photos at Sunken Gardens, grabbing at the camera and flashing a knife before fleeing, police said in court records.
Thomas Wyman approached the group around 9 p.m. Thursday as a 45-year-old woman took photos of her 17-year-old daughter at the scenic city park near 27th Street and Capitol Parkway, Lincoln Police Officer Matthew Maguire said in the affidavit for Wyman's arrest.
The woman told police Wyman approached them and grabbed onto her right arm and reached for her camera, breaking the Cannon's lens, worth around $250, Maguire said.
As the woman's 45-year-old husband intervened, Wyman pulled a folding knife out of his right pocket and swung it toward the couple, they told police.
Police arrested Wyman near 24th and J streets minutes after the family called authorities. He was taken to the Lancaster County jail and later charged with attempted robbery.
A Kansas City, Missouri, native, Andrew Wegley joined the Journal Star as breaking news reporter after graduating from Northwest Missouri State University in May 2021.
The stolen Nissan crashed into a tree south of Tierra Briarhurst Park. Four teens fled the scene, leaving a "heavily intoxicated" 15-year-old girl in the backseat, police said.
Investigators served a search warrant on a west Lincoln residence and found a device that contained at least seven child pornographic videos, police said in court records.
"The state believes he has crossed the Rubicon, that he has passed the point of no return, where there are irreversible consequences for his actions," Deputy Lancaster County Attorney Chris Reid said.
Narcotics task force investigators met with the 30-year-old woman Wednesday at a north Lincoln hotel under the guise of a drug deal, according to police.
The traffic stop followed a tip from a trucking company, which told authorities the truck was believed to be in Nebraska about 12 minutes before troopers located the semi.
Instead of finding flames at the reported fire scene, near Northwest 38th and Webster streets, officers found an unattended vehicle and 17 stolen laptops, according to police.
Authorities responded to the crash around 3:15 a.m. Sunday after a semi that had been headed west on I-80 crashed into a truck that was pulled off to the shoulder.
Prosecutors on Friday filed a motion for mistrial over COVID-19 delays that meant the jurors would have been outside of the courtroom and unsequestered for at least six days.
The robbers, who remain unidentified, punctured a tire on the victim's car before fleeing the scene in their own vehicle early Sunday morning, according to police. | https://journalstar.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/lincoln-man-tried-to-rob-family-of-camera-at-sunken-gardens-police-say/article_da9eda83-ff4f-5a5b-bc47-52bad7edda1b.html | 2022-08-16T23:00:33 | 0 | https://journalstar.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/lincoln-man-tried-to-rob-family-of-camera-at-sunken-gardens-police-say/article_da9eda83-ff4f-5a5b-bc47-52bad7edda1b.html |
BRISTOL, Va. (WJHL) – With students in Bristol, Virginia heading back to their classrooms Wednesday, police say they will be extra vigilant this school year.
According to a Facebook post from the Bristol Virginia Police Department (BVPD), a study was conducted in January 2022 at three schools within the Bristol Virginia Public Schools system. The five-day study at Virginia High, Virginia Middle and Stonewall Jackson Elementary determined that 67,874 vehicles drove through the combined school zones.
During the study period, there were 6,146 speeding violations above 11 mph in the three school zones. Of those violations, 146 were people driving 21 mph or higher over the speed limit.
The BVPD stated a driver going that fast in a school zone can be charged with reckless driving by speed.
“With this in mind, the BVPD will be strictly stepping up speed enforcement in these areas as much as manpower allows,” the post states. | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/bvpd-more-than-6000-speeding-violations-recorded-in-school-zones-in-5-day-period/ | 2022-08-16T23:00:36 | 1 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/bvpd-more-than-6000-speeding-violations-recorded-in-school-zones-in-5-day-period/ |
KINGSPORT, Tenn. (WJHL) — Kingsport police have released new details about a confrontation between an officer and a 75-year-old man, who died following the incident.
It happened on the morning of Aug. 8 in the parking lot of the Kroger grocery store on East Stone Drive, where a police officer responded to a reported disturbance.
The officer arrived and found Edris Marrero, 75, “behaving irrationally and aggressively,” Kingsport Police Department Public Information Officer Tom Patton said on Tuesday. “He had blocked in another vehicle with his own, and he was actively accosting the woman inside, beating on her windows and shouting profanity at her.”
According to Patton, Marrero became combative and the officer punched him once in self-defense in what was described as “a minimal level of force.”
“Absolutely no escalated level of force was used afterward,” Patton said.
Marrero then became unresponsive, for reasons still under investigation. The officer rendered aid until paramedics arrived and took him to the hospital, according to the police department.
Patton said the officer “immediately provided basic recovery care” and noted that EMS was already at the Kroger store on other business when the incident happened, so their response was “almost immediate.”
After the incident, Kingsport police contacted the district attorney’s office to request an independent investigation by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
Kingsport’s police chief says the department is also conducting an internal investigation, which is protocol whenever an officer uses force.
“Just as we do in all use of force incidents, this matter is being reviewed internally,” Chief of Police Dale Phipps said in a statement. “Based on our findings thus far, the officer’s actions appear to be completely justified, entirely appropriate under the circumstances, and in full compliance with our use of force policy.”
Patton confirmed Kingsport Police officers do not wear body cameras. | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/kpd-releases-new-details-on-fatal-confrontation-between-officer-man/ | 2022-08-16T23:00:42 | 0 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/kpd-releases-new-details-on-fatal-confrontation-between-officer-man/ |
BLUFF CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) — Authorities have identified the toddler who was fatally injured after falling from a vehicle on Monday.
The Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office says the investigation into the death of 14-month-old Kyber Sines remains active.
The SCSO’s Criminal Investigations Division and Fatal Incident Reconstruction and Support Team responded to the scene on Morrell Town Road in Bluff City on Monday afternoon.
The sheriff’s office says the investigative findings will be presented to the Sullivan County district attorney’s office once complete. | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/sullivan-county-investigators-identify-toddler-who-died-after-falling-from-vehicle/ | 2022-08-16T23:00:48 | 0 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/sullivan-county-investigators-identify-toddler-who-died-after-falling-from-vehicle/ |
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) — The 54 new East Tennessee State University Gatton College of Pharmacy students attending Friday’s white coat ceremony were part of a trend — declining enrollment that officials at the privately funded school lay squarely at the feet of a 2019 tuition decrease at Tennessee’s other state pharmacy school.
“We’re going to weather the storm, and we’re going to come out on the other side strong — this is a great program — but it still comes down to the people of this region. The potential future pharmacists in this region are having to make really difficult decisions because of the tuition disparity,” Gatton Dean Debbie Byrd told News Channel 11.
Byrd said those difficult decisions and continued low enrollment come as demand for pharmacists has rebounded sharply. She expects the Southern Appalachian market to continue to need more pharmacists than supply provides for some time as the profession takes on additional roles working within primary care settings.
“We have graduates this past year that received sign-on bonuses to stay in the area because pharmacies are having difficulty filling open positions,” Byrd said. “And the number of graduates over the next few years is going to continue to go down.”
Rep. Gary Hicks (R-Rogersville) led a failed effort last year to get the legislature to provide parity with the UT-Memphis pharmacy school, where in-state tuition is $22,730 a year and out-of-state is $27,374. Gatton, which was established as a self-sustaining school that wouldn’t take state aid, charges $38,676 tuition whether students are in or out of state.
“Back in 2005, Tennessee was not in good financial shape,” Byrd said of the era when Northeast Tennessee committed to funding a college of pharmacy without state money. “That’s not true anymore.”
While the votes weren’t there to add the $3 million-plus to the budget to help close that gap last year, Byrd said she’s still hopeful a day will come when students who choose to attend Northeast Tennessee’s state pharmacy school won’t spend roughly $64,000 more doing it than their counterparts who choose Memphis. She said a group of leaders that includes her, ETSU President Brian Noland’s chief of staff Adam Green and the school’s legislative liaison and provost continue meeting frequently to develop strategies for closing the gap.
“I feel we have some momentum from last year, and honestly, the enrollment decline helps because it’s gotten attention that we couldn’t really get before,” Byrd said. “It’s sort of like ‘this is what’s going to happen if we don’t change some things.'”
She said area legislators have been extremely supportive of the effort and mentioned some previous instances in which funding for new campuses and programs, or even transitioning some schools from private to public, have worked in the past in Tennessee.
For now, though, the numbers are in the third of what is likely to be four years of steep decline. In 2019, the school had 76 first-year students, 78 second years, 76 third years and 68 fourth years. The next year, just 54 came in, followed by 59 last year and 54 again this year.
There are 67 fourth-year students this year, but just 41 third-year students from that 2020 class of 54. The total enrollment has dropped from 298 in 2019 to 272 in 2020, 245 in 2021 and 211 this year and could easily drop below 200 next fall.
So far, those changes haven’t led to involuntary staffing cuts as some people have retired or moved to other jobs.
“We have been fortunate over the years to be able to reduce operations, expenses, but we are to that point now where, you know, future deficits, we can’t cover those with operations, it would be people,” Byrd said. “That’s where the future looks if things don’t settle out. Someone asked me yesterday, you know, ‘how do you sleep at night?’ and I said, ‘not very well.’ Because this is important.”
Byrd said pharmacists’ roles are increasing in health care itself. Gatton co-funded some pharmacist positions at State of Franklin Healthcare Associates and ETSU Health, “and since then those practices have hired their own pharmacists.”
She said the goal of such placements is better patient outcomes but that the additional personnel can be money well-spent.
“If their patients have better outcomes that ties back to their revenue, and if there are complicated patients that need a lot of education, the pharmacists can spend more time with them. And then the physicians can see more patients.”
Byrd’s afraid those kinds of efforts in the region will be hampered if the cost of attending continues to impact Gatton’s enrollment.
“I think the tuition is always a challenge and is even more of a challenge now.” | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/troubling-tuition-etsu-pharmacy-school-enrollment-continues-decline-as-tuition-disparity-persists/ | 2022-08-16T23:00:54 | 0 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/troubling-tuition-etsu-pharmacy-school-enrollment-continues-decline-as-tuition-disparity-persists/ |
For the first time in San Francisco, Starbucks workers have voted to unionize.
On Tuesday afternoon, with the National Labor Relations Board tallying the votes, workers at the Castro Starbucks (4098 18th St.) voted 7-2 in favor of forming a union (there were 15 eligible voters; 9 cast ballots). The Castro store join hundreds of other Starbucks unions at locations around the country that have taken similar steps this year.
"We're very proud of the results today," said James Kreiss, a worker at the Castro location. "We hope this win encourages our San Francisco sister stores to seek a union too. Staff and customers have gone through the ringer this past year with inconsistent staffing and store availability — we appreciate the support our community has shown us and the continued support as we begin the long process of negotiations with Starbucks."
The Castro Starbucks, affectionately known as Bearbucks, was closed for about four months, from mid-December until April 18. A Starbucks spokesperson categorized the closure to Hoodline as a "facilities issue," declining to comment further. Multiple workers at the Castro location tell SFGATE the store dealt for years with a plumbing issue — specifically, a rotten sewage smell — that they believe caused the shutdown and repairs. (Starbucks did not respond to a request for comment.)
Public records confirm a 2019 complaint about a "sewage smell," though there aren't more recent complaints on file. Permits show that multiple sinks were replaced earlier in 2022 and a "final plumbing inspection" took place March 1.
Workers at the Castro location discussed the possibility of unionizing ever since the first Starbucks union was established in Buffalo in early December of 2021, but those conversations didn't pick up in earnest until early May of 2022, when their store was fully open again, Kreiss said. During the four-month closure, Castro workers had their hours drop off, sometimes dramatically, as they searched for other Bay Area locations where they could pick up temporary shifts. That, multiple workers said, is one of many reasons they wanted to proceed with a vote to unionize.
Starbucks has five days to challenge the results of the vote. Otherwise, in one week, the results will be certified, according to the NLRB.
San Francisco Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, who represents the Castro, offered the following statement to SFGATE: "Many congratulations to the Castro Starbucks employees on their historic vote to become San Francisco's first unionized Starbucks store. In an era of growing income inequality, successful efforts to organize low-wage private sector workers remind us that there is still power in a union and San Francisco is still a union town."
Supervisor Dean Preston, who recently authored a resolution in support of Starbucks' workers right to organize, also sent a statement to SFGATE:
“It takes tremendous courage and determination to form a union, especially in a climate where too often big corporations engage in blatant union busting activity. I’m proud of Starbucks employees here and across the country who are unionizing their workplaces.”
The Bay Area may soon add another unionized Starbucks location: Workers at the Starbucks at 2224 Shattuck Ave. in Berkeley are scheduled to have their ballots counted by the NLRB next Monday, Aug. 22. | https://www.sfgate.com/local/article/first-san-francisco-starbucks-union-17375472.php | 2022-08-16T23:03:13 | 0 | https://www.sfgate.com/local/article/first-san-francisco-starbucks-union-17375472.php |
As a Marine veteran who served in Vietnam, Bob Hontz knew full well what the visitor at his monthly breakfast group meeting at the City View Diner was talking about Tuesday.
“I know in the Marine Corps, we use the phrase ‘Semper Fi,’ which means always faithful,” Hontz, 74, of North Whitehall Township, said of the visitor, Tim Chambers, who is better known as the “Saluting Marine.”
“And that’s a Semper Fi guy that’s going to do what he’s doing.”
Hontz and his group, which consists of members of the Dieruff High School classes of 1966 and ‘67, heard from Chambers, who served in the Marine Corps from 1994 to 2010. Chambers earned his nickname on Memorial Day about two decades ago, at a Rolling Thunder demonstration near the Pentagon. That day, he began saluting the passing motorcycle parade of veterans riding by in honor of the nation’s MIAs and POWs, and he has continued to do so annually, often holding his salute for hours while in dress uniform.
“I was wandering aimlessly as just a Marine on liberty in my uniform, giving hugs and handshakes and thanking people for their service ... and I see all the motorcycles zooming by,” Chambers, 46, recalled. “I see a lot of veterans are on the bikes. Well, the only time when I’m going to thank these veterans is typically when I bury them at funerals. So I jump off the curb, pop up a salute, and the bikes roll around me. I thought I saw tears rolling down [riders’] faces.”
Hontz helped invite Chambers to speak to the group in Whitehall Township through a mutual friend. Chambers began his talk by describing his family and his time spent working on a farm. His grandfather, a World War II veteran with the Coast Guard, took pride in what he did, according to Chambers, something that led him to join the military.
“He was so proud of everything,” said Chambers, who lives in Lebanon County. “The edge of his grass, the flowers, all the landscaping, everything. And that’s kind of what the military emulated for me.”
He also talked about his experience at Rolling Thunder and how “it’s taken on a special meaning to all walks of life.
“A guy in a wheelchair came up to me and he saluted me and I saluted him, gave him a hug,” Chambers said. “ ... Kids come out. They salute me; I go, ‘Come here, not so fast.’ And I have them salute with me.”
Chambers concluded his talk with a story from when he traveled to Lac Cruces, New Mexico, to meet the mother of a veteran who had been murdered. Chambers, who had once met the veteran, said he rented a motorcycle and drove 700 miles to meet her at a church.
“I surprised her,” Chambers said. “I sat with her then she took me home and she fed me. I couldn’t afford the motorcycle for another day. So I had to leave that night [and drive] all the way back. With a will, there’s a way. And that’s my life.”
First Call
Susan Maure, 74, of Allentown said meeting Chambers “brings back hope.”
“There is really a lot of people who are more interested in making other people’s lives more meaningful, making their own self-sacrifice,” she said. “That’s what I think we don’t see enough today.”
Rowland Wallitsch, 73, of Allentown served in the Navy and said it was good to see “people help people without seeking a reward. Just knowing that someone’s helping somebody. They’re actually doing something that they don’t have to, which is really nice.”
After breakfast finished, Chambers and some others went to VFW Post 7293 in Whitehall for a tour of the facility. While there, Chambers delivered a salute to Hontz.
Chambers said it felt “amazing” to hear people share what his words and actions mean to them and likened the day to his salute at Rolling Thunder.
“It’s the same as jumping off the curb at my salute in D.C.,” Chambers said. “I get to jump off the curb in a diner in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and reach people before they pass away and show that they’re appreciated.”
Morning Call reporter Graysen Golter contributed to this story. | https://www.mcall.com/news/local/mc-nws-saluting-marine-20220816-bla4zhwgsrcqxb3xxiuatdzahu-story.html | 2022-08-16T23:06:48 | 1 | https://www.mcall.com/news/local/mc-nws-saluting-marine-20220816-bla4zhwgsrcqxb3xxiuatdzahu-story.html |
INDIANAPOLIS — When neighbors near 16th Street and Ritter Avenue on Indy's east side saw a safety problem with speeding in a school zone, they got worried.
Most students who attend Anna Brochhausen School 88 now walk to school and a survey by people in the Community Heights neighborhood showed neighbors wanted a fix to keep kids safer.
"A lot of people don't even pay attention to the fact there's a school zone - going 30, 40, sometimes 50 mph through here," said Mike Bridgeforth, whose daughter and granddaughter both attend IPS School 88.
"So yes, we had a couple cars going 50 mph," said Leslie Schulte, president of the Community Heights Neighborhood Organization.
The CHNO, after collecting data on the danger, came up with a unique solution: a colorful mural on the street.
Designed by local artist Deonna Craig, it's meant to grab drivers' attention and slow them down.
Eighty neighbors gathered together to paint it about a week ago. Another street mural will go near the crosswalk on the westbound lanes next month.
"Just to add visual elements that notify cars that something's going on here, let's pay attention. Let's slow down," Schulte said. "We'll see if it changes their behavior."
Sadly, we've had multiple crashes in Indianapolis over the past year or so where kids get hurt. That includes one in the crosswalk outside another IPS school, where a little girl was hit and killed.
Using artwork on the asphalt is a proven way to reduce risk for pedestrians. A study this spring in 17 communities nationwide showed crashes declined 17% after art was installed in the right of way.
Crashes with injury went down nearly 50%.
It's a strategy called "tactical urbanism" - low-cost, community-led solutions to traffic problems.
That's how the Community Heights neighborhood paid for the mural. Indianapolis has a new grant program for tactical urbanism.
"So it's installing things like murals or cones or even seating along the right of way," Schulte said. "Adding those different elements to the right of way hopefully makes us all safer."
In this case, she said, the mural acts as a psychological barrier for drivers, meant to calm traffic and protect kids. | https://www.wthr.com/article/news/local/indianapolis-street-mural-to-keep-kids-walking-to-school-safe/531-0512df89-ff0e-45ff-aa2d-313b10957d59 | 2022-08-16T23:07:40 | 1 | https://www.wthr.com/article/news/local/indianapolis-street-mural-to-keep-kids-walking-to-school-safe/531-0512df89-ff0e-45ff-aa2d-313b10957d59 |
GREENFIELD, Ind. — The Greenfield Police Department is asking for help locating a missing 25-year-old woman.
Police say Brandi Lynn Pennington has been missing since July 26.
She is described as standing 5 feet, 2 inches tall and weighing 130 pounds. Pennington has black hair and blue eyes.
Police believe Pennington could be with Benjamin McNamara of Shelbyville, Indiana.
If you have any information about where Pennington might be, call Greenfield Police Det. Ron Chittum at 317-477-4400.
Amber Alert vs. Silver Alert: What's the difference?
There are specific standards a person's disappearance must meet in order for police to declare an Amber Alert or a Silver Alert.
Amber Alerts are for children under the age of 18 who are believed to have been abducted and in danger. Police also need to have information about a suspect and their car to issue an Amber Alert.
Silver Alerts are for missing and endangered adults or children. They are much more common for missing people. It was not until last year when the standards for Silver Alerts were expanded to include children.
In both situations, these alerts must be issued by police. | https://www.wthr.com/article/news/local/police-searching-for-greenfield-woman-missing-since-july-brandi-lynn-pennington/531-69885687-b3d0-4912-a37f-6ec3f3722d16 | 2022-08-16T23:07:46 | 1 | https://www.wthr.com/article/news/local/police-searching-for-greenfield-woman-missing-since-july-brandi-lynn-pennington/531-69885687-b3d0-4912-a37f-6ec3f3722d16 |
CAMPBELLS CREEK, WV (WOWK) – One of the hardest-hit areas from Monday morning’s devastating flooding is in the Campbells Creek area of Eastern Kanawha County.
Patti & Roger Campbell were among the families who began the clean-up process Tuesday morning. They say its been a grueling process.
“A lot of mud, a lot of debris, just trying to pick up the pieces and see where we can go from here,” Roger Campbell said.
Driveways filled with mud and lined with destroyed furniture – that’s what the community of Campbells Creek looks like Tuesday afternoon as cleanup begins for several residents.
“You don’t really know where to start. You just pick a room and start sucking up mud and go from there,” said Roger Campbell.
Water was reaching the inside of the Campbells’ home Monday morning, and forced them to take quick action.
“I came out of here with my Bible, my medicine, and my dog,” said Patti Campbell.
The Campbells don’t have flood insurance, and they’re unsure of what the future looks like for their home and living situation. But they say they are getting through by holding on to faith and resilience.
“We’ll be okay. There’s people that are worse off than we are and it’s just stuff. The people that’s worse off than us I’d rather see them get help. Like I said, God is providing for us right now. Like I said, it ain’t going to be easy but we’ll make it.”
Roger & Patti Campbell | https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/campbells-creek-west-virginia-residents-begin-clean-up-process-after-flooding/ | 2022-08-16T23:09:00 | 1 | https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/campbells-creek-west-virginia-residents-begin-clean-up-process-after-flooding/ |
HUNTINGTON, WV (WOWK) – Drivers in Huntington will need to expect delays through next Tuesday for road repairs on Arlington Boulevard.
According to the City of Huntington, the West Virginia Division of Highways will be making repairs to the culvert and pipe that carry storm water from Arlington Boulevard to the Guyandotte River. The closure will take place on Arlington Boulevard between Larkspur Drive and Route 60 intermittently until next Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2022, if the weather permits.
DOH and city officials say the repairs will help mitigate flooding on Arlington Boulevard. City of Huntington Communications Director Bryan Chambers tells WOWK 13 News that he saw crews pumping standing water from the Arlington Boulevard side of Route 60 earlier today.
The repairs are expected to last for about a week. | https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/culvert-pipe-repairs-close-road-in-huntington-west-virginia/ | 2022-08-16T23:09:06 | 0 | https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/culvert-pipe-repairs-close-road-in-huntington-west-virginia/ |
Body of Melbourne teen found along river banks; foul play not suspected
The body of an 18-year-old who went missing Monday was recovered from the banks of the Eau Gallie River on Tuesday.
Melbourne police do not suspect any foul play and said the man may have slipped into the river after climbing over the guard rail along the bridge at U.S. 1 north of Spiller Street, to fish.
He was identified as Wyatt Johns, of Melbourne. An autopsy will be conducted to determine the exact cause of death in the case, police said.
Read more:Memorial garden set up for West Melbourne officer who died unexpectedly draws tears, reflection
Johns’ family called the police Tuesday after they discovered he had not returned home from his fishing trip.
Officers responded and searched an area Johns was known to fish.
After searching along the bridge, Johns’ body was located about 15 feet below the bridge in the bushes, police reported.
Anyone who may have seen Johns is asked to call police at 321-608-6731.
J.D. Gallop is a Criminal Justice/Breaking News Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Gallop at 321-917-4641 or jgallop@floridatoday.com. Twitter: @JDGallop. | https://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/local/2022/08/16/melbourne-police-say-teens-body-found-eau-gallie-river/10343570002/ | 2022-08-16T23:12:15 | 1 | https://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/local/2022/08/16/melbourne-police-say-teens-body-found-eau-gallie-river/10343570002/ |
Melbourne police conduct double homicide investigation at Eau Gallie area home
Melbourne police were investigating a double homicide throughout the day Tuesday in an Eau Galle neighborhood.
Police arrived at the house on Tanglewood Lane at about 10:23 a.m. Tuesday after receiving a request from a Georgia police department to conduct a welfare check, according to a statement released from the Melbourne Police Department.
The Georgia police department had an individual in custody whose "behavior was concerning," prompting fears that someone in the Tanglewood Lane home was in danger, the statement said.
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When police arrived at the home, they discovered two people dead. The two people who died were related to the person in custody, police said, and there is evidence to indicate both people were victims of homicide.
The house, yard and a sport utility vehicle were roped off with crime scene tape soon after police arrived at the home. It was still roped off at about 4:45 p.m., when two crime scene vans arrived.
Police have not released the identities of the people found inside the home or of the person being held in custody in Georgia. The person in Georgia is the only person of interest, police said.
Police said there is nothing to indicate there's any danger to the community related to this incident.
Finch Walker is a Breaking News Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Walker at 321-290-4744 or fwalker@floridatoday.com. Twitter: @_finchwalker
J.D. Gallop is a Criminal Justice/Breaking News Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Gallop at 321-917-4641 or jgallop@floridatoday.com. Twitter: @JDGallop. | https://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/local/2022/08/16/suspect-custody-georgia-double-homicide-eau-gallie-area-home-tuesday-morning/10342651002/ | 2022-08-16T23:12:21 | 0 | https://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/local/2022/08/16/suspect-custody-georgia-double-homicide-eau-gallie-area-home-tuesday-morning/10342651002/ |
Canton schedules mosquito spraying
CANTON – Mosquito spraying will occur through Aug. 24 in the following areas, according to the Canton City Public Health Department:
Aug. 15-17 − Northwest quadrant (east boundary of Market Avenue, north boundary of city limit, west boundary of city limits and south boundary of Tuscarawas Street)
Aug. 18-19 − Southwest quadrant (east boundary of Market Avenue, north boundary of Tuscarawas Street, west boundary of city limits and south boundary of city limits)
Aug. 22-23 − Northeast quadrant (east boundary of city limits, north boundary of city limits, west boundary of Market Avenue and south boundary of Tuscarawas Street)
Aug. 24 −Southeast quadrant (east boundary of city limits, north boundary of Tuscarawas Street, west boundary of Market Avenue and south boundary of city limits)
Spraying will be from 8:30 p.m. until midnight. In case of rain, windy conditions or low temperatures on any of the above scheduled dates, spraying will be rescheduled for Aug. 25 and 26. Residents with respiratory ailments should take necessary precautions to protect themselves, and beekeepers should protect their hives. Questions should be directed to Environmental Health Supervisor Gus Dria at gdria@cantonhealth.org or 330-438-4647.
Staff continue to identify and remove areas of stagnant water aswell as larviciding, which kills mosquitoes at the larval stage. Mosquito spraying targets adult mosquitoes.Residents should take steps to avoid mosquitoes and mosquito bites when outdoors by using an approvedinsect repellant, wearing long pants and shirts, and limiting outdoor activities during peak mosquito bitinghours (dusk to dawn). Residents can stop mosquitoes from breeding around their homes by eliminatingstagnant water sources (i.e. items that retain water for a week or more). | https://www.cantonrep.com/story/news/local/2022/08/16/canton-schedules-mosquito-spraying/65395898007/ | 2022-08-16T23:17:53 | 0 | https://www.cantonrep.com/story/news/local/2022/08/16/canton-schedules-mosquito-spraying/65395898007/ |
Lovers of the sturgeon, a species as old as dinosaurs that was once thought to have disappeared from the Chesapeake Bay, worry its fate could hinge on what happens with a massive salmon farm planned on the banks of a pristine Eastern Shore creek.
For its part, AquaCon says it will bring hundreds of jobs to a community that, like many others on the Eastern Shore, is at least a generation or two removed from anything resembling a booming economy. And it says its aquaculture technology is the future: The type of salmon farm AquaCon is planning, a $300 million indoor facility capable of raising 15,000 tons of salmon a year using recirculated water, is considered a more sustainable alternative to the use of open-water net pens.
What’s best for fish species and Maryland is now at the center of a debate the state has never seen.
“We have never dealt with something like this, and at this scale,” said Lee Currey, director of the water and science division of the Maryland Department of the Environment, a regulatory agency.
The department is weighing whether to issue AquaCon a permit that would allow it to release more than 2 million gallons of wastewater a day into the narrow and shallow Marshyhope. The permit would guide the amount and contents of the water — as well as what temperature it must be, an important factor because, while salmon rely on water much colder than what’s typical in the Chesapeake, sturgeon swim up the Marshyhope in search of warm waters in which to spawn.
Besides that question, other hurdles remain before the project could become reality, including other types of environmental and health permits and town approvals.
And there are other concerns, including whether the facility would sap the groundwater supply, what would happen if salmon die-offs known to have occurred elsewhere hit its tanks, and even what its impact could be on the flavor of fish native to the Marshyhope. A common problem in salmon farming is buildup of a substance known as geosmin that can give fish an off, mudlike taste.
The company and its supporters — including Gov. Larry Hogan’s office — say the facility can be operated responsibly.
AquaCon declined to comment, but Easton attorney Ryan D. Showalter represents the company.
“AquaCon’s leadership has extensive experience in salmon aquaculture globally and confidence in the technology proposed for use in Maryland,” Showalter said.
The company has said its technology has proved to be successful and sustainable, and that the facility is needed to meet increasing demand and to counter increased transportation costs.
Yonathan Zohar, an adviser to AquaCon and director of the Aquaculture Research Center at the Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology in Baltimore, said he believes the temperature of waters released can be managed, and suggested that the wastewater would contain only negligible amounts of geosmin.
“Obviously, it will have to be environmentally conscious,” Zohar said of the facility.
Scientists and environmentalists worry that will be next to impossible on a waterway considered ecologically pristine, far less affected by development and erosion than most other Chesapeake Bay tributaries. For much of the Marshyhope’s length, it looks about as prehistoric as the sturgeon species itself, lined with forest, swamp and marsh.
That’s largely why it works so well for the sturgeon, which have been devastated by overfishing in the past. Their sticky eggs — known to most as the delicacy caviar — need a pebbly surface on which to attach, and a lack of sediment washing into the creek means the gravel doesn’t get smothered.
A portion of the creek is a state- and federally protected habitat for the endangered species, extending from its confluence with the Nanticoke River north to the Maryland Route 313 bridge on the south end of Federalsburg. The AquaCon facility is designed to release its wastewater on the other side of the bridge.
David Secor, a professor at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science who has spent decades researching sturgeon, is among those asking the company to build its facility somewhere else — away from the sturgeon’s spawning grounds.
“They have no choice, but AquaCon does,” he told a crowd of about 80 people at a recent public meeting about the facility in Federalsburg.
The project has significant momentum behind it. AquaCon’s website cites “strong backing from both the Maryland Department of Commerce and the Maryland Department of the Environment,” as well as the Caroline County Commissioners and the Federalsburg mayor.
AquaCon has plans to eventually build three more facilities in Caroline and Dorchester counties.
The company also has a memorandum of understanding to collaborate with Zohar and IMET — a unit of the University System of Maryland — and Zohar was the only person at the recent public meeting to speak in favor of the project. He also wrote an open letter saying AquaCon “impressed me as a very environmentally conscious and responsible company” and told the Baltimore Sun it was written at the behest of Hogan administration officials.
Mike Ricci, a Hogan spokesman, said that after Zohar expressed support for the AquaCon project at a meeting of state and Israeli officials on aquaculture cooperation, “I’m sure someone said he was welcome to write a letter.”
“We always welcome engagement from stakeholders on projects of public import — especially one that has such great potential for the state and the region,” Ricci said.
The residents who came to the public meeting were more focused on risks. They included Frank Adams, a resident who said that, as founder of the Federalsburg Economic Development Committee, he has worked to bring many new businesses to town.
“I’m not sure this one is one we should have,” Adams said.
“We are being made guinea pigs,” added resident Susan Andrew, expressing fears about the facility’s plans to draw millions of gallons of water from underground aquifers.
She said she fears it could lead to sinkholes or make her well run dry.
“We don’t need jobs at any cost,” she said. “Not at the ruination of the town.”
A Maryland Department of Natural Resources official has said that changes are needed to the facility’s proposed wastewater permit to protect the sturgeon.
Tony Redman, director of the department’s environmental review program, suggested, for example, that any changes in creek temperature attributed to the salmon farm be limited by a percentage change. The draft permit suggests that the wastewater would not be allowed to change the creek temperature by more than 2 degrees Celsius within a 24-hour period.
State environmental officials will be accepting public input on the facility’s wastewater permit through Oct. 17, after which they could release a revised permit that could be subject to further public review. They said it’s possible, though unlikely, they would deny the permit outright.
— Baltimore Sun | https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/proposed-salmon-farm-stirs-concern-for-last-of-md-sturgeon/2022/08/16/504a560c-1c2f-11ed-8d30-84c409e82eb3_story.html | 2022-08-16T23:25:45 | 1 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/proposed-salmon-farm-stirs-concern-for-last-of-md-sturgeon/2022/08/16/504a560c-1c2f-11ed-8d30-84c409e82eb3_story.html |
PORTLAND, Maine — Colin Wyatt is the executive chef at Twelve in Portland. The new restaurant opened its doors this summer along the waterfront. He joined us in the 207 kitchen to share his recipe for zucchini and rye.
Zucchini:
Use one zucchini, six inches in length.
- Shave zucchini three times on each side.
- Set aside the zucchini plank.
- Place the shavings into a small bowl.
Lemon vinaigrette:
- ¼ cup of lemon oil.
- ¼ cup of lemon juice.
1. Combine equal parts of lemon oil and lemon juice.
2. Season with a pinch of salt.
Preserved lemon purée:
- One lemon each, preserved lemon (buy from your local store).
- ½ cup of golden raisins.
- ½ cup of water.
- ½ cup of white wine.
- Combine wine and water into a pot. Bring up to a boil. Cook until all liquid has evaporated.
- Add whole preserved lemon and clumped golden raisins into a blender. Purée until smooth.
Marinades and garnishes:
- Olive oil.
- One lemon (for zest).
- Garlic.
- Fresh basil.
- One wedge of Pecorino cheese (to grate).
- Salt, to taste.
Instructions:
1. Marinate zucchini plank and marinate with olive oil, lemon zest, garlic, basil, and salt.
2. Once marinated, grill the zucchini plank quickly on both sides on high heat.
3. Marinate the zucchini slices with lemon vinaigrette and fresh basil.
4. Slice the zucchini plank, and top with preserved lemon puree.
5. Grate Pecorino cheese over the top of it.
6. Garnish with zucchini shaves and finish with a seeded rye cracker and a little bit of fresh basil.
Watch the full recipe made in the 207 kitchen below: | https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/local/207/207-recipe-zucchini-and-rye-food-maine-summer/97-3608d377-beec-448f-b82d-9407480bcb55 | 2022-08-16T23:30:27 | 0 | https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/local/207/207-recipe-zucchini-and-rye-food-maine-summer/97-3608d377-beec-448f-b82d-9407480bcb55 |
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — PPB is requesting public assistance in finding a dog and the stolen pickup truck she was in.
Police say that a six-month-old dog named Lola was in a blue 2016 Dodge 1500 crew cab that had a headache rack and HTX Pilot Services stickers on the side windows when the vehicle was taken around noon at the Cascade Station parking lot in Portland. There is also a sign on the top of the truck that says “Oversized load.”
The truck was stolen with a handgun in it, according to PPB. If someone spots the car, they are asked not to approach it and instead call 911.
PPB says Lola’s owner is out of town but appreciates the help in trying to find his truck and dog. | https://www.koin.com/local/ppb-asks-for-help-locating-dog-in-stolen-vehicle/ | 2022-08-16T23:30:31 | 0 | https://www.koin.com/local/ppb-asks-for-help-locating-dog-in-stolen-vehicle/ |
PORTLAND, Maine — For the first time in two and a half years, Stephon Duret is back doing what he loves—live theatre. He plays Lola, one of the two lead roles in Maine State Music Theatre’s production of “Kinky Boots.”
“It is everything you could ask for,” Duret said. “It is that jolt of espresso.”
The life of a stage actor is filled with peaks and valleys. When the right part in the right production comes along, is acting a joy? Sure. During long stretches when the phone doesn’t ring, work dries up, and there’s no indication when the next job might come along, is it excruciatingly stressful? Absolutely.
Matt Farcher, who plays the other lead role, is clearly delighted with the experience he’s having while performing “Kinky Boots.”
“As far as I’m concerned, it always feels like camp,” he said with a big smile. “I’m just here to have fun, meet people, and it is almost always a joyous time.”
The good times at Maine State Music Theatre will soon be coming to an end. “Kinky Boots” is the last show of the season. It runs through August 27. | https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/local/207/maine-state-music-theatre-wraps-up-its-season-with-a-high-energy-production-of-kinky-boots-acting-musical/97-96908ecc-af01-4d5d-a8bc-84ee105a3d1d | 2022-08-16T23:30:33 | 0 | https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/local/207/maine-state-music-theatre-wraps-up-its-season-with-a-high-energy-production-of-kinky-boots-acting-musical/97-96908ecc-af01-4d5d-a8bc-84ee105a3d1d |
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A crash near Creston Park in Southeast Portland has left one injured, according to PPB.
Police say a vehicle crashed into a bicyclist traveling westbound on Southeast Powell Tuesday morning. The driver of the vehicle remained at the scene and emergency services were called. The bicyclist was transported to the trauma unit at a local hospital.
Officials say the Major Crash Team has been called in to investigate the incident.
Westbound Southeast Powell at 4th Avenue has been closed to traffic and only one lane of eastbound traffic remains open. | https://www.koin.com/local/ppb-serious-crash-in-se-portland-bicyclist-injured/ | 2022-08-16T23:30:37 | 0 | https://www.koin.com/local/ppb-serious-crash-in-se-portland-bicyclist-injured/ |
PORTLAND, Maine — Joanne Lannin is no stranger to the world of sports journalism and the challenges women can face in a male-dominated field.
She spent 22 years working for the Portland Press Herald and was the first woman sportswriter for the paper.
In her new book, “Who Let Them In, Pathbreaking Women in Journalism,” Lannin explores those challenges through the eyes of those women who knocked down barriers so others could succeed. | https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/local/207/maine-writer-explores-the-challenges-and-successes-of-women-in-sports-journalism-207-author-book/97-3e5dea90-8331-467d-911d-79722e85339c | 2022-08-16T23:30:39 | 0 | https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/local/207/maine-writer-explores-the-challenges-and-successes-of-women-in-sports-journalism-207-author-book/97-3e5dea90-8331-467d-911d-79722e85339c |
FORT WORTH, Texas — Connecting communities and bridging the digital divide -- that's the focus of a new program in Fort Worth.
In a move meant to provide home internet access to the estimated 60,000 Fort Worth residents who lack it, the city on Tuesday launched a new partnership with the technology company Cisco to install high-speed Wi-Fi connectivity throughout five neighborhoods in which added accessibility is most needed.
These neighborhoods, which are home to an estimated and combined 40,000 residents, include Ash Crescent, Northside, Rosemont, Stop Six and Lake Como.
Cisco says Fort Worth is the largest community in which it has yet undertaken a project such as this one. The city's technology department said it thinks this new initiative should help supply internet to around 10,000 households that didn't have it before.
The city used $5.5 million dollars from federal stimulus money to pay for the project -- and it's investment that Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker is an worthwhile one to the city's continued growth.
"These families need connectivity," Parker said. "[This issue was] brought to the forefront when the pandemic started because kids were home trying to Zoom for school and parents had to go home to Zoom. While a lot of us in government understood that issue was prevalent, now across the United States, it's talked about constantly: What are we going to do across as the United States to make this the third tier of necessity when it comes to public services? So I'm incredibly proud this type of project is being born here in Fort Worth."
The new Wi-Fi comes up as "CFW Neighborhood" when searched for on internet-accessible devices. It is open for anyone to use.
An extension of the "CFW-Guest" network that is free and currently available at libraries and community centers across Fort Worth, deployment on the neighborhood project is scheduled to be completed this fall. | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/free-wi-fi-arrives-in-five-fort-worth-cisco-ash-crescent-northside-rosemont-stop-six-lake-como-cfw-neighborhood/287-1a19d156-4b2b-4d8f-9f3d-95e06c3acb47 | 2022-08-16T23:30:48 | 1 | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/free-wi-fi-arrives-in-five-fort-worth-cisco-ash-crescent-northside-rosemont-stop-six-lake-como-cfw-neighborhood/287-1a19d156-4b2b-4d8f-9f3d-95e06c3acb47 |
FORT WORTH, Texas — The man behind a report about overcrowding at the Tarrant County Juvenile Detention Center is also sharing what bothers him the most about the facility, a sentiment shared among others, as members of the Tarrant County Commissioners Board are calling for immediate changes.
The commissioner recruited Carey Cockerell to conduct an audit of the juvenile detention based on his expertise and years of experience working for Tarrant County.
"I went into it not knowing much except that detention had increased," said Cockerell.
Cockerell's report on the Tarrant County Juvenile Detention Center overcrowding led to county commissioners brainstorming on how to fix the problem as soon as possible.
His findings were based on hard data such as hearing dates, delayed or canceled court appearances, intake numbers, and stats on juvenile ages, race, detention days, and court records.
After the commissioner's court, Cockerell shared his biggest concern with some of the results of the report.
"I think the biggest concern is the numbers in detention and the practices that lead to the increased numbers in detention," said Cockerell.
Judge B. Glen Whitley and colleagues talked about action plans during the commissioner's court Tuesday. The commissioners agreed that the goal is to rehab children in the juvenile justice system instead of creating a path for them to matriculate into adult court. The report reveals detained juveniles waiting months for a hearing, staff sharing the term ghost judges to describe judges missing from the court, and pretrials taking almost a year. Insisting it's not a blame game, Judge Whitley argues juvenile detention needs fixing and needs fixing fast.
"It's clearly broken historically; we've had a long census in our juvenile detention center because we believed in taking care of our juveniles," said Whitley.
The report also uncovered racial inequities showing more than 90 percent of juvenile detainees are young people of color. Commissioner Roy Charles Brooks called it a systemic racism issue. He repeatedly express his concerns about the racial makeup of the young people detained in the center.
"If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck," said Brooks, "We need to do something quickly, to turn this thing around."
Whitley says the District Board of District Judges must appoint additional judges to tackle the backlog.
The Commissioner's Court controls the budget for the entire county and therefore is responsible for allocating the funding for the court staff including the salaries and operational expenses.
Whitley made it clear that defunding the Juvenile Detention Center this upcoming September during budget time is not out of the question.
"We would say we are no longer funding those courts," said Whitley.
The Commission Chair explained it would not be out of the question to direct the juvenile court money to a different pot, hold it and then fund it as corrections are made down the road.
Whitley plans to address the issues, even more, when he meets with the judge's board on Aug. 17. | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/report-revealed-issues-for-tarrant-county-juvenile-detention-center/287-2cffce47-b720-4b80-97f6-782639ae0d34 | 2022-08-16T23:30:54 | 1 | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/report-revealed-issues-for-tarrant-county-juvenile-detention-center/287-2cffce47-b720-4b80-97f6-782639ae0d34 |
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Tucson is helping families on the Tohono O’odham Nation find new schools for children to attend, after San Xavier Mission School suddenly closed down Friday.
The historic school closed “due to a significant decrease in enrollment as well as lack of critical staffing to include a kindergarten teacher and principal," Sheri Dahl, schools superintendent for the diocese, said in a Monday announcement.
On Tuesday, as school employees cleaned out the campus, Dahl said the diocese was working to connect families with the other educational options.
“We’re all sad," Dahl said. "But at the end of the day, the children deserve a quality education that, right now, the school cannot provide and so we have to do what’s best for them, that’s our bottom line."
San Xavier Mission School, next door to San Xavier Mission del Bac, has long served K-8 students on the Tohono O’odham Nation. It started its year on Aug. 1 with a budget that could accommodate at least 45 students. That was the total enrollment number on the first day of classes.
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But since the school wasn’t able to offer kindergarten due to the lack of a teacher, that enrollment number quickly dropped to 40 as parents pulled their kids out of the school to find the grade levels their families needed.
“I mean, 45 (students) was already a really stretched budget to run a school. It would’ve been doable, but to drop to 40 within a week … that was the tipping point,” Dahl said.
Student families and about 10 employees of the school were notified soon after the decision was made on Aug. 12 to suspend the school's operations, Dahl said. There are several vacancies in other diocese schools that the workers have been encouraged to apply for, she added.
On Monday and Tuesday, diocese school leaders also coordinated with parents and other diocese schools to find placements for the students, Dahl said. The school has been helping families with two main alternatives, she said: finding another Catholic school they can transfer to, or directing them to public schools in the area.
“Out of the families who have begun transitioning to other schools and have reached out to us for assistance, about 80% are selecting another Catholic school,” she said, not naming specific schools.
In a letter sent out to families, Father Ponchie Vasquez of San Xavier Mission said Santa Cruz Catholic School, at 29 W. 22nd St., is the nearest to the mission, which is on the southwest side of the Tucson area.
He said leadership will work to ensure there are tuition scholarships available to families who opt to stay in the Catholic school system.
Dahl said the diocese doesn't have its own central transportation system for students who opted to stay in a Catholic school, so it would be up to parents and guardians to coordinate their kids’ transportation to and from school. Public school districts might offer their own transportation routes in the area, she noted.
Short notice, big adjustments
Patty Brueggeman, a special education teacher who has worked part-time with San Xavier Mission School through a partnership with Sunnyside Unified School District, said she worries about how families will adjust within such a short timeframe.
She criticized the suddenness of the closure, which she said left community members scrambling to find new schools and new jobs.
While families had been responsible for their own kids’ transportation to San Xavier Mission School, she pointed out that many students had simply walked to campus because it was in their neighborhood.
The Sunnyside Unified School Districts, which is the primary school district for the area, offers transportation to some of their schools, but Brueggeman said the students will have to adjust to much more as they transfer to a new campus.
For example, she said, the young Indigenous children will no longer be immersed in a school with their own native language and culture.
The mission school, which opened in 1864 as the first Catholic school in Arizona, had a philosophy of connecting Native American students to their heritage, languages and traditions, its website says.
“I’m sure the parents like for them to be where they hear their own language, they see their own people,” Brueggeman said. “I will say that public schools try their best. Most of them have a Native American specialist who works with the kids because they do struggle in public schools off the reservation.”
Austin Nunez, chairman of the San Xavier District of the Tohono O’odham Nation, said the school will be missed, but "not all is lost."
He said that while the Sunnyside district doesn't offer courses specific to the Tohono O'odham language or culture, there are after-school extracurricular opportunities available to students who wish to learn more.
"We have a program called the People's Wellness House that works with some of the students and they have after-school programs at Santa Clara Elementary School" in the Sunnyside district, he said, adding that students who sign up have the opportunity to delve into Native American culture and language.
Still, Nunez hopes things can go back to normal in time for next year.
"Their presence will certainly be missed here and I hope that by next school year, the situation will be improved so that the school can reopen," he said.
But Dahl said it’s still not clear whether San Xavier Mission School will reopen its doors next year.
“We want to be very deliberate and, instead of focusing on a particular timeline, we want to focus on doing it correctly,” Dahl said, adding that she hopes to have a better idea of the school’s future by springtime.
Photos: San Xavier Mission in 1940 and 2015
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Have any questions or news tips about K-12 education in Southern Arizona? Contact reporter Genesis Lara at glara@tucson.com | https://tucson.com/news/local/education/closed-san-xavier-mission-school-helping-to-place-students-elsewhere/article_4603c618-1d99-11ed-89eb-afd2a7748f9a.html | 2022-08-16T23:32:12 | 0 | https://tucson.com/news/local/education/closed-san-xavier-mission-school-helping-to-place-students-elsewhere/article_4603c618-1d99-11ed-89eb-afd2a7748f9a.html |
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