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ODESSA, Texas — Bring your best formal white attire as Odessa Family YMCA is hosting its first ever 'White Out' party on Sept. 16 at 6 p.m. until 11 p.m. at the Odessa Marriott.
Partnering with Pop Spot Odessa, the formal event's purpose is to raise money for new school buses to transfer children to and from their YMCA location.
The party will include an exclusive shopping experience, fine dining, a live auction and live music.
An Individual Ticket is $250. The table levels for the event are the:
- Wildcatter: $2,000
- Seating for 8
- Company Recognition
- Derrick: $5,000
- Seating for 8
- Company Recognition
- Bottle Service
- Barrel: $10,000
- Seating for 8
- Company Recognition
- Bottle Service
- Center Front Table Placement
“We are very excited about this opportunity to raise some much need funds for the children and families that we serve,” said Crissy Medina, CEO and President of the Odessa Family YMCA. “We are honored to collaborate with Pop Spot to put on this fundraiser. The ability to purchase more buses will help us expand our afterschool pick-up services.”
For more information and to purchase individual tickets, visit www.odessaymca.org. Limited sponsor tables are available. To reserve a table, contact Crissy Medina at cmedina@odessaymca.org. | https://www.newswest9.com/article/news/local/odessa-ymca-to-host-white-out-party/513-cd9de719-f2f3-4ac6-ac82-936dc9bb9e59 | 2022-08-18T19:50:32 | 0 | https://www.newswest9.com/article/news/local/odessa-ymca-to-host-white-out-party/513-cd9de719-f2f3-4ac6-ac82-936dc9bb9e59 |
AUSTIN, Texas — Law enforcement agencies in Texas can now apply for Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training (ALERRT) travel assistance, according to a Wednesday press release from Gov. Greg Abbott's office.
Agencies can also apply for the state's Bullet-Resistance Shield Grant Program for the fiscal year 2023.
In June, Texas transferred $105.5 million to support school safety and metals health initiatives. Included in that amount was $3 million for local law enforcement agencies to offset travel expenses for ALERRT training and $50 million for bullet-resistant shields.
"These new funds will give law enforcement officers expanded access to training for active shooter scenarios, as well as critical protective equipment. I encourage all eligible law enforcement agencies and local government entities to apply for this additional funding as we work together to keep all Texans safe," Abbott said in a statement.
ALERRT training aims to teach first responders effective strategies to respond to attacks, including school shootings. The training is provided by veteran first responders and has served more than 200,000 first responders across the U.S., according to Abbott's office.
In the wake of the mass shooting in Uvalde, Abbott instructed the ALERRT programs to provide training to all school districts across Texas, prioritizing school-based law enforcement. Abbott's office said throughout the summer, ALERRT has trained more than 3,000 officers, delivered dozens of classes and is currently scheduling more than 100 classes in the coming months.
Abbott's office said that applications for ALERRT travel assistance are open to independent school districts, units of local government, institutions of higher education and other education institutions that operate law enforcement agencies. Applications for assistance may only be submitted after receiving confirmation of registration for an ALERRT course.
The deadline to submit and certify an application is Aug. 31, 2023.
Independent school districts, units of local government, the Texas Department of Public Safety and other education institutions that operate law enforcement agencies can also apply for grant funding to equip officers with bullet-resistant shields. The deadline to submit and certify an application for priority consideration is Sept. 16, 2022. Additional application periods may be opened as funding permits, according to the governor's office.
All officers provided with a grant-funded bullet-resistant shield must have either attended 16 hours of ALERRT training within the past 24 months or be committed to participate within the next 24 months.
Britny Eubank on social media: Twitter
PEOPLE ARE ALSO READING: | https://www.newswest9.com/article/news/local/texas/texas-alerrt-travel-assistance-bullet-resistant-shield-grant/269-3780d4a9-f423-4836-a341-312b8d2916a9 | 2022-08-18T19:50:38 | 1 | https://www.newswest9.com/article/news/local/texas/texas-alerrt-travel-assistance-bullet-resistant-shield-grant/269-3780d4a9-f423-4836-a341-312b8d2916a9 |
SAN ANTONIO — Nearly 1,600 people have so far signed a petition asking a Uvalde gun dealer to stop selling AR-15-style firearms and ammunition.
Organizers with Uvalde Strong for Gun Safety say they'll protest outside Oasis Outback if the store's owner does not comply with their request within 30 days. Their countdown started when a mailman delivered a formal petition to the store owner on Aug. 11.
Petitioners have also asked the store to cease gun transfers.
The Robb Elementary gunman picked up two rifles from the store during the week preceding the May 24 shooting. He used one of the weapons to kill 21 people inside the school.
"We recognize that Oasis Outback has positively served the community in several ways and performs a vital role in contributing to our municipality’s vibrancy," the letter reads. "The members of this group feel strongly about our second amendment rights and support your establishment’s commitment to selling guns and ammunition."
"Out of respect for and in support of those affected by this catastrophe, we strongly urge you to cease the sale of assault rifles and the ammunition paired with them," the letter continues. "Doing so will ensure that children across Uvalde County will never have to worry about a new purchase of this type of weapon."
Victims' families met Wednesday to determine how they'd proceed if their request is ignored or denied.
Oasis Outback did not return multiple requests for comment. | https://www.newswest9.com/article/news/local/texas/uvalde-families-petitioning-gun-ar-15-style-weapons/273-30fc8993-644f-49bb-bddd-bd2b8f5d0619 | 2022-08-18T19:50:44 | 0 | https://www.newswest9.com/article/news/local/texas/uvalde-families-petitioning-gun-ar-15-style-weapons/273-30fc8993-644f-49bb-bddd-bd2b8f5d0619 |
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — If you’re headed to the coast this weekend, expect some traffic disruptions as crews work on a major intersection on Highway 101 in Seaside.
The Oregon Department of Transportation will be repairing the traffic signal at the intersection of Highway 101 and Broadway Street from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday through Sunday.
As ODOT officials work on the signal, Broadway east will reportedly be closed between Highway 101 and Lincoln Street.
Meanwhile, traffic officials will be directing drivers on Broadway west and Highway 101 north and south.
The Seaside Police Department notes the highway will fully shut down for about 5 minutes on Saturday. | https://www.koin.com/local/oregon-coast/seaside-oregon-highway-101-traffic-delays/ | 2022-08-18T19:51:43 | 1 | https://www.koin.com/local/oregon-coast/seaside-oregon-highway-101-traffic-delays/ |
HOULTON, Maine — A boy reported missing Wednesday has been found and is safe.
The Houlton Police Department shared Wednesday evening in a post on Facebook that they were searching for the boy.
Shortly before 7:30 a.m. Thursday, the department shared an update noting that the boy has been found.
No additional information has been released. | https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/local/houlton-police-say-boy-reported-missing-has-been-found/97-3649ccef-d5bd-41e4-ac45-ee990b12cd66 | 2022-08-18T19:52:24 | 0 | https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/local/houlton-police-say-boy-reported-missing-has-been-found/97-3649ccef-d5bd-41e4-ac45-ee990b12cd66 |
Ex-Carmel cop faces charges over Facebook comments from fake account, identity deception
A former Carmel police officer was criminally charged after investigators say he used a Georgia man's identity to make a Facebook profile and post derogatory comments.
Andrew Longyear, 32, of Fishers used the profile to post numerous comments to a Facebook group, a news release from the Indiana State Police.
Longyear began working for Carmel Police Department in June 2021. He formerly worked for the Clay County Sherriff's Office.
More:Facing termination, Ex-Carmel deputy police chief retires after misconduct allegations
ISP began a criminal investigation in February 2022 after receiving information from the Georgia man that his identity had been stolen. After interviews and executing a search warrant, ISP discussed their findings with a Sullivan Special Prosecutor, and a judge granted an arrest warrant for Longyear on Aug. 17.
He was arrested and released on his own recognizance, the news release said.
Longyear's charges include identity deception, a felony, and conversion, a misdemeanor.
His lawyer was listed as Thomas Clary, who was not immediately available for comment.
This article will update.
More:Jeff Horner resigns as Carmel police chief, remains on department as lieutenant
Contact Phyllis Cha at pcha@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @phyllischa. | https://www.indystar.com/story/news/local/2022/08/18/ex-carmel-police-officer-charges-facebook-comments-identity-deception/65409346007/ | 2022-08-18T20:01:42 | 0 | https://www.indystar.com/story/news/local/2022/08/18/ex-carmel-police-officer-charges-facebook-comments-identity-deception/65409346007/ |
WINTER SPRINGS, Fla. – A mother and a child have been hurt in a lightning strike in Winter Springs, according to police.
The lightning strike happened Thursday afternoon in the area of 1300 Park Villa Place near Trotwood Park, according to officers.
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Seminole County Fire Department said a dog was also injured in the lightning strike.
Winter Springs police said two victims were taken to a hospital, but they did not provide any information about their identities or conditions.
The dog’s condition is unknown.
Police said the mother and child were waiting for another child to get out of a nearby school. Investigators believe a tree they were standing by was struck by lightning and the two victims were hurt when the area was energized.
Seminole County Schools sent out a message to parents shortly after the lightning strike saying dismissals have been delayed district-wide.
“Due to inclement weather, dismissal throughout the district is being delayed. Please be aware that your child’s arrival at home may be later than expected. We appreciate your patience and understanding,” the message stated.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/08/18/2-struck-by-lightning-in-winter-springs/ | 2022-08-18T20:02:14 | 1 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/08/18/2-struck-by-lightning-in-winter-springs/ |
WINDERMERE, Fla. – An Orange County high school is reminding parents and students about pedestrian safety after a student was hit by a vehicle on school property Wednesday.
The incident happened at Windermere High School as students were being dismissed that afternoon.
[WARNING: The video in the player above may be disturbing. Viewer discretion is advised.]
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the 14-year-old student walked in front of the 2016 Jeep Limited on a private road on school grounds.
Dashcam video from a different car shows the vehicle crashing into the teen as it passed a guard station, and the teen flying backward.
Troopers said the student was not in a marked crosswalk, and the driver of the vehicle, a 17-year-old student, said they didn’t see the other teen because of stopped traffic ahead.
The 14-year-old was taken to Arnold Palmer Hospital with minor injuries.
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Orange County Public Schools sent out a voicemail from the school’s principal to student families about the incident, urging them to talk to students about following the rules of the road:
“Windermere High School families, this is your principal, Andrew Leftakis, calling to make you aware of a student that was struck by a vehicle this afternoon while on their way home from school. The student was transported to the hospital and is with family at this time. Parents, we ask that you please talk to your students about pedestrian safety when walking or riding a bike to and from school. Please remind them to always use sidewalks when available, cross the road at marked crosswalks and walk in groups when possible. Student safety is a top priority and we will continue to enforce safety procedures at school.”
FHP is still investigating.
The incident comes a week after students returned to class.
Last week, Windermere High School also announced the death of a student. Grief counselors were brought on campus. | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/08/18/video-shows-vehicle-hit-student-during-windermere-high-school-dismissal-pickup/ | 2022-08-18T20:02:20 | 0 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/08/18/video-shows-vehicle-hit-student-during-windermere-high-school-dismissal-pickup/ |
A 16-year-old accused of robbing and killing 60-year-old Ali Elbanna outside a Dallas Costco last year has been indicted by a Dallas County grand jury.
Police said Cameron Range, who turns 17 this month, was the gunman in the armed robbery that took Elbanna's life. Our partners at KRLD said the grand jury returned indictments of capital murder and three counts of aggravated robbery.
Last month Judge Cheryl Shannon of the 305th Dallas County Juvenile District Court certified Range to stand trial for capital murder as an adult.
Prosecutors argued in that hearing that Range simply wasn't fit to stay in Texas' juvenile justice system, given his age, the severity of the alleged crime, and an offending history in the Dallas County juvenile system dating back to the age of 12.
Shannon ruled from the bench, concluding the alleged "willful and violent" act involved the use of a deadly weapon, coupled with Range not responding to prior juvenile interventions and being on probation at the time, led to the decision to transfer him to adult court.
A trial date has not yet been set.
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If convicted of capital murder Range would be sentenced to life in prison without parole. Due to his age, he is not eligible for the death penalty.
ALI ELBANNA MURDER
Ali Elbanna, of Arlington, was shot and killed outside the Costco Business Center on Park Lane on Nov. 16, 2021.
According to police reports, Elbanna was loading groceries into his vehicle just before 7 p.m. when he was approached by four people who robbed and shot him.
Dallas Police later arrested four people accused in the crime, including three who faced charges of capital murder along with multiple counts of aggravated robbery for offenses that were alleged to have occurred earlier in the day.
Dallas Police said the group, identified in arrest affidavits as James Levels, Jacoby Bryce Tatum, Janiya Lashay Miller, along with a then-unnamed juvenile boy, "demanded property," and that during the robbery the juvenile shot the man once.
In the arresting documents obtained in November 2021, the three adults agreed to waive their rights and talk with detectives without an attorney. Police said each admitted to having committed at least two other robberies before the fatal shooting in the Costco parking lot and that Levels admitted that the gun used in the murder was his. | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/juvenile-accused-of-killing-man-outside-dallas-costco-indicted-by-grand-jury/3051883/ | 2022-08-18T20:04:03 | 1 | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/juvenile-accused-of-killing-man-outside-dallas-costco-indicted-by-grand-jury/3051883/ |
A full-scale disaster drill set for Saturday at Casper/Natrona County International Airport may produce smoke visible in the area, authorities said.
The drill, which will simulate an airplane crash, may also mean area residents see an unusual number of emergency vehicles with lights and sirens, the Natrona County Emergency Management office said in a statement.
The drill is set to begin at 8 a.m. Saturday and run through noon. It will use volunteers simulating victims who need to be taken to the hospital. Multiple emergency response agencies will participate in the event using, as much as possible, the equipment and staff that would be involved in a real event.
"Though it will be simulated, this drill will replicate real-time response, with training fires, lights and sirens, among other simulations in the exercise area to test a variety of training from area agencies," the statement said.
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The airport became home to a new Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighting training facility last year. Using diesel fuel, it can simulate an aircraft fire to create a realistic training experience. It includes a metal mock aircraft and uses water to keep the fire from spreading outside a controlled area. | https://trib.com/news/local/casper/airplane-crash-disaster-drill-set-for-saturday/article_d4d9b778-1f18-11ed-970c-9fb19d532268.html | 2022-08-18T20:04:08 | 0 | https://trib.com/news/local/casper/airplane-crash-disaster-drill-set-for-saturday/article_d4d9b778-1f18-11ed-970c-9fb19d532268.html |
The Wyoming Education Association is suing the state over school funding, asserting that it violated its constitutional duty to adequately fund public education.
The association filed the lawsuit Thursday morning in Laramie County District Court.
"Our students deserve better," the association's president, Grady Hutcherson, said at a press conference in front of the capitol building Thursday morning in Cheyenne.
The association, he said, was "compelled" to pursue legal action because the quality of Wyoming education is "beginning to suffer." Hutcherson cited "increased class sizes, aging buildings and infrastructure" and "insufficient school security measures" as well as struggles to attract qualified educators as problems arising from inadequate school funding.
"If the Legislature continues to violate our constitution by failing to fulfill their duty to fund our schools adequately, things will only continue to get worse," he said.
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Wyoming is obligated to "provide for the establishment and maintenance of a complete and uniform" public education system under the state constitution.
But Wyoming Education Association legal counsel Patrick Hacker said that the association "has exhausted possibilities" for addressing the deficit outside of legal action.
This isn't the first time the state has run into legal trouble over school funding. School districts filed lawsuits against the state in 1980 and 1995. Those cases went to the Wyoming Supreme Court, which determined that the state had failed in its constitutional duty to provide equal educational opportunity and adequate funding.
The Wyoming Education Association was a plaintiff in a series of cases known as the "Campbell County" cases between 1995 and 2008, in which the court determined Wyoming's entire public education funding system to be unconstitutional and directed it to make certain changes to the system.
Under the court's decisions in the Campbell cases, the state had to undertake a cost of education study to make a new school finance system. That system has to ensure that funding differences between school districts are only cost-based, not wealth-based. The Supreme Court also ordered the state to adjust funding amounts for public education based on inflation and added expenses.
The lawsuit comes amid shortfalls in education funding that the Legislature has grappled with for several years after revenue from the energy and natural resources sectors started to take a nosedive around 2016. There’s about a $192.8 million funding shortfall for K-12 education for 2023 and 2024, according to an analysis by Legislative Service Office Senior School Finance Analyst Matthew Willmarth. That amount will have to be supplemented from non K-12 education accounts. To put that in context, the state needs about $1.98 billion to fund K-12 education for these two years. Legislators have been resistant to increasing taxes to make up for this shortfall, and some have indicated during this year's interim session that they would stay firm on this point.
But Hacker said that a lack of revenue "is no excuse" for not adequately funding public education.
"I understand that legislators are hesitant to appropriate money," Hacker said. "I have had people say, 'Why is education so different?' The answer is because it is a fundamental right in our constitution."
At the same time, Wyoming is facing a teacher shortage crisis; the Wyoming Education Association and the University of Wyoming released a study in early June showing that 65% of surveyed teachers would quit their jobs now if they could.
The association doesn't have a specific dollar amount for what it would consider to be adequate funding.
"But this is going to be a very substantial amount of money," Hacker said. "We know that." | https://trib.com/news/local/education/wyoming-education-association-sues-state-over-school-funding/article_617f2344-1e6e-11ed-bada-af348e2c4320.html | 2022-08-18T20:04:15 | 0 | https://trib.com/news/local/education/wyoming-education-association-sues-state-over-school-funding/article_617f2344-1e6e-11ed-bada-af348e2c4320.html |
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) — Two signature Johnson City phenomena — bikes and dogs — could soon share a long-vacant 5 acres at the corner of State of Franklin Road and Legion Street.
City commissioners will consider Thursday night allowing the so-called “burley pad” property to be used for a partially grant-funded dog park on one section and a bike park/pump track adjacent to it.
“Having everything right here will be a great outdoor hub,” said Lindsey Jones of Connect Downtown, which led application for the Boyd Foundation “Dog Park Dash” grant in mid-2021. “Bring your dogs, bring your kids to play on the bike track, go for a run or a walk on the Tweetsie Trail. It’s a great central location to our merchants, our residents and visitors.”
Standing at the site just east of Interstate 26 and bounded by State of Franklin Road and Legion Street, Jones scanned the space where 1.5 acres will potentially become home to the city’s first free, non-membership dog park by sometime next year.
Connect Downtown, which is affiliated with the Johnson City Development Authority, applied for $25,000 in April 2021, but the community response was so great that the Boyd Foundation gave the city its $100,000 grand prize. A local philanthropist has committed another $100,000, and work can begin once the city commission green lights use of the property.
“We have until 2024 to open up the doors; however, we hope to open up before that,” Jones said, adding that barring any unforeseen circumstances the park could be shaping up for use by early to mid-2023. Students from East Tennessee State University completed design work for the park.
The dogs and owners will enjoy their space right next to a $300,000 bike “pump track” that the Johnson City noon Rotary Club hopes to raise the funds for by the end of this year. With that planned space behind him — it’s closer to Legion Street and the swimming pool, while the dog space is closer to the interstate — Johnson City Noon Rotary Club President Adam Haselsteiner said the club has wanted to be involved in a pump track project for quite a while.
“We just think it’s going to be very beneficial to the community, add to the outdoor activities, the tourism that we’re trying to promote in the area to go along with Tannery Knobs and right in between there and the Tweetsie Trail – it’s just a perfect little melting pot here for biking,” Haselsteiner said.
He said pump tracks serve several purposes in an overall bike-friendly environment, serving as a good workout for experienced bikers and a big benefit for skill building.
“This particular park is going to just basically serve to train younger kids to where then they can move on to the Tannery Knobs, Buffalo Mountain, ETSU bike parks that are a little bit more intense, and kind of hone their skills. Get the kids into these outdoor activities that we all love.”
Haselsteiner thinks the reuse of the 5-acre plot is perfect for Johnson City.
“It promotes everything we love about the town and it uses this space that’s sat empty for however many years.”
City leaders would like to have the funds ready to go by the first of the year.
“They said they will begin construction as soon as we get the funding, so our goal is to have it all ready to go by the end of the year and then maybe have this bike park ready by next summer,” Haselsteiner said.
Jones, who agreed that the two uses will be great together, trotted out a statistic that supports the need for the park, saying more than 53% of residents within a five-mile radius of the proposed park have pets. Many, she said, live in downtown-area apartments where park space is abundant, but not specifically geared to dogs.
“Those dogs need a place to run leash-free and enjoy a safe environment other than just walking around in small grass patches throughout our community.”
Pilar Harding couldn’t agree more. The business owner recently moved to downtown from Boone, N.C. and lives above her business on East Main Street with her dog Peanut. She’s right across from Majestic Commons, a small green space that cuts from Main to Market street between two buildings and gets a lot of use.
“It’s a little challenging,” she said. “There’s not many green places to walk him.”
Harding was thrilled to learn of the project.
“It’ll be nice to have a place where he can go to have a little more freedom,” she said. “I’ve seen my neighbors, and they come and walk them here. Sometimes it looks like a dog park here. There’s quite a bit of doggies, especially in the morning.”
With Johnson City receiving national attention for its real estate market and growth, Jones said the new amenities should help the city’s core remain an attractive spot for people who are migrating.
“That’s one thing that we’ve been missing here,” Harding said of the dog park. “We’ve got beautiful green spaces, we’ve got a ton of events that are happening in these green spaces, lots of dogs. Why don’t we give them a safe place to play and also continue this economic growth and invite more residents, households, people relocating to the area, starting businesses? And you can’t do that without having the appropriate amenities.” | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/dog-park-bike-pump-track-slated-for-5-acre-johnson-city-spot-near-city-hall/ | 2022-08-18T20:05:04 | 1 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/dog-park-bike-pump-track-slated-for-5-acre-johnson-city-spot-near-city-hall/ |
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) — Johnson City’s police department is recommending a move that would likely lead to the closure of the city jail, which houses female inmates through a contract with the Tennessee Department of Corrections (TDOC).
A summary to city commissioners from JCPD Major Brian Rice cites declining inmate numbers that put the operation into the red in the most recently completed fiscal year, which ended June 30. The commission is being asked to approve terminating the TDOC contract, which the city’s legal department has determined can be done with just a 30-day notice.
“Staffing remains a significant issue with the staffing level requirement being consistent regardless of inmate census numbers,” Rice wrote.
The jail, which has been housing TDOC female prisoners since 2002, is a 9,725-square-foot facility. Rice’s memo notes that freeing up that room would “help address space considerations of the Organization.”
Johnson City’s fiscal 2021 audit shows the city budgeted revenues of $1,250,000 for “boarding of prisoners” that year, but wound up collecting just $961,579.
News Channel 11 has reached out to the city for information about the inmate census and whether employees will be offered other jobs in public safety should the jail close. | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/johnson-city-pd-recommends-city-jail-closure/ | 2022-08-18T20:05:06 | 1 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/johnson-city-pd-recommends-city-jail-closure/ |
A record number of students are expected to move into dorms at Cedarville University, with most of the 1,270 projected new students moving into campus residence halls this weekend.
This is the 13th consecutive year the university has projected a new high in enrollment, the university said.
Cedarville said it’s possible the enrollment would reach 5,000 students for the first time in university history, though the official enrollment census is released after Labor Day.
Most colleges wait that long to release official enrollment counts, as some students will drop out in that time span or may have said they would come to the campus but never signed up for classes, among other issues.
Fall Bible Conference begins Cedarville’s academic year on Monday. The first day of classes is Wednesday, Aug. 25. Cedarville is a private, Christian university affiliated with the Baptist Church.
Getting Started Weekend is Cedarville’s orientation program — incoming students’ first impression of Cedarville’s campus and student body, according to the university.
“The goal (of Getting Started) is for students to walk away saying, ‘I feel this is my place and I belong here. I feel at home,” said Brian Burns, director of campus experience.
Prior to COVID-19, Getting Started Weekend involved standing in long lines in the Doden Field House to get a room key, have an ID photo taken and other tasks.
Due to COVID-19, the process has been streamlined. Now, when students come to campus, the entire registration process is done electronically without new students leaving their cars.
When the student arrives at their residence hall, they are greeted by the university’s campus experience team, members of which take the students’ boxes and items to the residence hall room.
“Getting Started Weekend is all about students serving students to welcome them home and acclimate them to this new stage of life,” Burns said.
About the Author | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/local/cedarville-reports-record-number-of-students-for-13th-straight-year/V7VU7CTVPJDGROZYYOL3UUS6HE/ | 2022-08-18T20:06:30 | 0 | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/local/cedarville-reports-record-number-of-students-for-13th-straight-year/V7VU7CTVPJDGROZYYOL3UUS6HE/ |
After a slow, but steady rise over the summer coronavirus cases are decreasing again in Ohio.
The state recorded 24,067 cases in the past week, down from 26,016 the previous week and 27,785 the week before that, according to the Ohio Department of Health. Thursday marked the third straight week cases have decreased in the state.
Hospitalizations rose slightly, with 665 COVID-19 hospitalizations reported in the last week compared to 608 the previous week. However, the state had fewer people in the hospital with COVID than it did last week.
Ohio hospitals had 1,204 inpatients with COVID as of Thursday, including in 91 west central Ohio and in 198 southwest Ohio, according to the Ohio Hospital Association.
For southwest Ohio, which includes Butler, Warren, Hamilton, Adams, Brown, Clermont and Clinton counties, it’s a 7% decrease in coronavirus patients compared to last week, but a 52% increase from 60 days ago.
West central Ohio, which is made up of Champaign, Clark, Darke, Greene, Miami, Montgomery, Preble and Shelby counties, reported a 27% decrease in inpatients with the virus over the last week and a 36% increase in the past 60 days.
There were 173 coronavirus patients in the state’s ICUs Thursday, with eight in west central Ohio and 36 in southwest Ohio.
It’s a 27% decrease over the last week for west central Ohio, but a 6% increase for southwest Ohio. Compared to 60 days ago, southwest Ohio reported a 57% increase in ICU patients with COVID and west central Ohio reported a 60% increase, according to OHA.
The state health department reported 36 ICU admissions in the past week, down from 46 recorded in the previous week.
Ohio added 90 COVID deaths in the last week, bringing the state’s total to 39,310, according to ODH.
More than 7.43 million people in Ohio have started the coronavirus vaccine and 6.89 million have finished it.
About the Author | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/local/covid-cases-decrease-for-3rd-straight-week-in-ohio/3YNXFVRLEVDJ5DYPFVHRQQAYGY/ | 2022-08-18T20:06:36 | 0 | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/local/covid-cases-decrease-for-3rd-straight-week-in-ohio/3YNXFVRLEVDJ5DYPFVHRQQAYGY/ |
Jury convicts man accused of beating detention center inmate to death
LAS CRUCES – A jury voted to convict a man on Thursday accused of beating another man to death during a jailhouse brawl.
Samuel Enriquez, 41, was convicted of second-degree murder by a jury after a week-long trial concluded on Thursday. Doña Ana County sheriff's deputies said in a court filing that Enriquez beat Corey Willis, 28, to death while both men were jailed in the Doña Ana County Detention Center last year.
According to an affidavit by Doña Ana County Sheriff's Deputy Eduardo Flores, deputies believe Enriquez and Willis had a rivalry that dated back over a year before Willis died. According to Flores' affidavit, Enriquez said in a recorded phone call that Willis and several other inmates had ambushed Enriquez in February 2020.
The two men met again at the jail in May 2021. At that time, police booked Willis for allegedly concealing his identity when a police officer approached him. Enriquez was being held in jail on an attempted murder charge. However, court records show that a judge later dismissed that charge via a plea deal.
Security camera footage from the day of the jailhouse fight shows Enriquez walking into a bathroom and shower area of a cell block. Willis then walks into the same room a short time later. Then, control officers monitoring the site tell other officers that the two men are fighting. Finally, Flores wrote in the affidavit that Enriquez walks out of the bathroom — his hand swollen and bruised, his bottom lip cut, and his shoes splattered with blood — and complies with the officer's commands.
With the conviction on Thursday, Enriquez could face 15 years in prison plus another four years due to his status as a habitual offender. Enriquez is currently serving a two and half year sentence for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and possession of a deadly weapon by a felon.
Enriquez is expected to be sentenced at a later date.
Keep reading:
- Trial starts in jail brawl that left one dead
- Las Cruces man charged after FBI says he threatened to burn down NMSU
- DASO identifies Upham Girl as Wichita runaway
Justin Garcia covers crime, courts and public safety. He can be reached via email at JEGarcia@lcsun-news.com. | https://www.lcsun-news.com/story/news/local/courts/2022/08/18/jury-convicts-man-accused-of-beating-inmate-to-death/65409611007/ | 2022-08-18T20:13:09 | 0 | https://www.lcsun-news.com/story/news/local/courts/2022/08/18/jury-convicts-man-accused-of-beating-inmate-to-death/65409611007/ |
'Abysmal' South Salem street gets millions in federal funds for improvements
A one-mile stretch of McGilchrist Street in South Salem has long been a problem area in the city.
The street is not wide enough to accommodate the influx of daily traffic. Without sidewalks and barely any shoulder, pedestrians and cyclists dangerously navigate the busy street. Inadequate drainage and creek crossings frequently flood the roadway.
More than $13 million in federal funding is set to change that.
The city has long tried to attract private investment and developers to the 403 acres west of McNary Field, but one major hurdle has stood in their way: McGilchrist Street.
"The primary obstacle to development in the McGilchrist Opportunity Area is the abysmal condition of McGilchrist Street," city officials said in a plan to craft a complete street on the stretch of roadway running from 12th Street to 25th Street.
City officials appliedsix times for grants to make the street safer and less congested. Their sixth attempt proved to be successful.
The city was awarded $13.2 million through the RAISE Discretionary Grant Fund for the McGilchrist Complete Street Project. It was one of only three Oregon projects chosen to receive the grant funding.
In total, the project is expected to improve about 8,500 linear feet of roadway.
“For 15 years residents of Salem have been working to get this project funding," said Interim City Manager Kristin Retherford. "The impacts of this investment will be felt quickly as new developments are already beginning to take shape along McGilchrist St."
The funding is part of the bipartisan infrastructure funding package passed earlier this year by the U.S. Congress and was announced in a joint statement by U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden.
“I know firsthand how Salem has long needed this federal investment to improve and update McGilchrist Street so residents and commuters can have a safe and modern transportation artery,” Wyden said in a statement. “I’m gratified the years of teamwork with city officials have paid off."
City officials said developments are currently underway on this project, including securing right-of-way and finalizing the design of Phase 1, which includes the realignment of the 22nd Street SE intersection to be constructed in the summer of 2023.
The RAISE grant will fund the remaining design and construction of Phases 2 and 3. The anticipated construction start date for Phases 2 and 3 is 2025.
The project will include:
- Additional travel and turn lanes
- Bicycle lanes
- Sidewalks and shared use paths
- Planting areas
- Environmental infrastructure, including storm water- and flood-reduction facilities
- Traffic signals and streetlights
- And an improved rail crossing
Once constructed, the McGilchrist Complete Street Project will promote development and support the creation of new jobs that are closer to many residential areas, supporting sustainable economic development, while reducing flooding and water quality concerns in neighboring Pringle Creek, city officials said.
"Salem residents should be excited about improving commutes, bicycle and pedestrian safety, and the positive environmental impacts delivered by this project," Retherford said.
Reporter Whitney Woodworth covers city hall, economic development and business for the Statesman Journal. For questions, comments and news tips, email wmwoodworth@statesmanjournal.com, call 503-910-6616 or follow on Twitter @wmwoodworth | https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/local/2022/08/18/abysmal-south-salem-street-gets-millions-for-improvements/65404881007/ | 2022-08-18T20:13:40 | 1 | https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/local/2022/08/18/abysmal-south-salem-street-gets-millions-for-improvements/65404881007/ |
1,000 lightning strikes ignite fires in southwest Oregon; smoke expected to lower air quality across state
Over 1,000 lightning strikes hit southwest Oregon Wednesday night, resulting in over 50 reports of new fire starts in the area as fire officials anticipate more to come, according to the Northwest Interagency Coordination Center.
A red flag warning for thunderstorms remains in effect through the end of Thursday.
Smoke from combined southern and central Oregon fires is predicted to lower air quality across the state through Thursday evening, blanketing cities such as Eugene, Bend and Grants Pass in a smokey haze, according to a fire and smoke map from AirNow.
Five fires near Medford make up the Westside Complex Fires, and an estimated 34 starts make up the Lightning Gulch Complex near Grants Pass, with the Tallowbox Fire burning roughly 30 acres just south of Applegate, according to the Oregon Department of Forestry Southwest Oregon District. There are currently over 150 personnel assigned to the new fires, including air support and four experienced supervisors assigned to each area team.
Just north of Grants Pass is another small start, the Granite Hill Fire, just over 5 acres in size, and firefighters are already on the scene and working on containment actively, officials said.
The majority of identified fire starts are small and already in the mop-up stages and no homes are threatened at this time, officials said. The public is encouraged to report new smoke sightings by calling 911.
This story will be updated as more information becomes available. See below for other area fire updates.
Lightning brings four new fires in southern Oregon
After heavy lightning storms, the Rogue-River Siskiyou National Forest reported four new fires Thursday morning.
The Hamaker Fire, burning an estimated quarter of an acre, is lined and actively being managed, according to an update from fire officials. The other three fires are further in the wilderness, and are still being hiked in to by crews.
Resources for these fires include engines, water tenders and hand crews, as well as the John Day rappellers and Redmond smokejumpers for additional support in order to provide quick responses and aggressive attacks, an update from the U.S. Forest Service said.
Cedar Creek Fire reaches 4,836 acres, 0% contained
Just a few miles shy of Waldo Lake, the Cedar Creek Fire increased in size overnight after heavy winds and thunderstorms, making a further push into the Waldo Lake Wilderness as firefighters work to protect landmarks such as bridges and signs in the area, according to an update from officials.
Forest Roads nearby, such as FR 1944 and FR 2419, are being prepped with heavy equipment and additional crews on the chance that the fire pushes towards communities in that area. Firefighters continue to lookout for additional starts on the north side of the Cedar Creek Fire, as well as establishing anchor points and using drones to help manage the fire, officials said.
Huckleberry Flats Recreation Area will be open again for the weekend in accordance with Willamette National Forest officials and fire managers, but will close again Monday for the safety of the public and firefighters.
The Bobby Lake Fire, on the southeast side of Waldo Lake, remains just shy of 10 acres and is estimated 40% contained as remaining firefighters continue to work on the mop-up process, according to an update from Central Oregon Fire. There will be no further updates unless significant fire activity takes place.
Klamath National Forest reports eight new fire starts; McKinney Fire 95% contained
Lightning peppered the Klamath National Forest Wednesday night as well, leading to eight new fire starts reported that are being managed by firefighting crews and ground support, said Forest Supervisor Rachel Smith on Facebook.
The McKinney Fire, burning in Klamath National Forest just south of the California border, reached just over 60,000 acres and is close to being fully contained at 95% as of Thursday morning, according to InciWeb. Firefighters continue to make progress on this burn around the perimeter, with 1,197 personnel assigned.
Windigo, Big Swamp, Potter fires show minimal activity overnight
With just under 1,000 personnel assigned between the three fires, the Windigo, Big Swamp and Potter fires showed minimal activity over Wednesday night, according to an update from fire officials. Firefighters continue to clear vegetation, establish fire lines and work to protect area road systems for public and firefighter safety.
Skyla Patton is an outdoor reporter and multimedia storyteller. She can be reached at spatton@gannett.com and on Twitter @ganjajournalist. | https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/local/2022/08/18/oregon-fire-lightning-smoke-air-quality-storms/65409427007/ | 2022-08-18T20:13:41 | 1 | https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/local/2022/08/18/oregon-fire-lightning-smoke-air-quality-storms/65409427007/ |
Police are looking for a man they say robbed a 28-year-old mother at gunpoint as she sat in her car with her 6-year-old daughter in the Bronx in the middle of the afternoon a day ago, authorities say.
According to the NYPD, the woman was sitting in her car with her daughter on Macombs Road around 2:30 p.m. Wednesday when a stranger walked up, showed a gun and took her watch and handbag.
The robber then got into a nearby Dodge Charger, which had someone already behind the wheel, and the vehicle sped off.
No injuries were reported.
Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS. | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/mom-6-year-old-girl-robbed-at-gunpoint-while-sitting-in-car-on-nyc-street-cops/3830390/ | 2022-08-18T20:14:15 | 0 | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/mom-6-year-old-girl-robbed-at-gunpoint-while-sitting-in-car-on-nyc-street-cops/3830390/ |
Cops are looking for a 33-year-old woman they say slipped out of handcuffs and walked out of a police precinct where she had been taken a day ago, authorities said Thursday.
Christina Evans was brought to the 44th Precinct on East 169th Street after her Wednesday evening arrest and put in the processing room, the NYPD says. Once there, she managed to slip her hands out of her handcuffs and walk out the back door. Evans was last seen on surveillance camera heading westbound on 169th Street, police said.
It wasn't clear why Evans was taken into custody.
Anyone with information on her whereabouts is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS. | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/woman-slips-out-of-handcuffs-walks-out-of-nyc-police-precinct-cops/3830476/ | 2022-08-18T20:14:28 | 0 | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/woman-slips-out-of-handcuffs-walks-out-of-nyc-police-precinct-cops/3830476/ |
CEDAR FALLS — The Sons of Norway lodge meeting will be held on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. at the Cedar Falls Island Beach House. Bring one or two dishes to share with serving utensils and table service. The program will be sharing summer adventures, Norwegian jokes and more.
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Justin Stockdale stands outside the new special education class in the safe room connected to Dike-New Hartford High School and the elementary school.
Superintendent Justin Stockdale watches construction going on at Dike-New Hartford High School from the new front office. Construction has been going on since March 2021 and will continue throughout the school year.
Superintendent Justin Stockdale shows off the amenities in the improved Dike-New Hartford High School science wing. These classrooms and all others will be ready for students on Aug. 23.
Justin Stockdale stands outside the new special education class in the safe room connected to Dike-New Hartford High School and the elementary school.
DONALD A. PROMNITZ, Courier Staff Writer
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Superintendent Justin Stockdale watches construction going on at Dike-New Hartford High School from the new front office. Construction has been going on since March 2021 and will continue throughout the school year.
DONALD A. PROMNITZ, Courier Staff Writer
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The new gym at Dike-New Hartford High Schools measures 15,000 square feet and the district hopes to have it ready for basketball season.
DONALD A. PROMNITZ, Courier Staff Writer
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Superintendent Justin Stockdale shows off the amenities in the improved Dike-New Hartford High School science wing. These classrooms and all others will be ready for students on Aug. 23.
DONALD A. PROMNITZ, Courier Staff Writer
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Books ready for young readers in a fifth-grade classroom at New Hartford Elementary.
DONALD A. PROMNITZ, Courier Staff Writer
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New Hartford Elementary preschoolers can look forward to play sets like these when school starts on Aug. 23.
DONALD A. PROMNITZ, Courier Staff Writer
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The wrestling room at New Hartford Elementary School.
DONALD A. PROMNITZ, Courier Staff Writer
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Superintendent Justin Stockdale walks around to the entrance of the new gym at Dike-New Hartford High School.
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Chemistry equipment ready for student use at the high school.
DONALD A. PROMNITZ, Courier Staff Writer
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Superintendent Justin Stockdale walks through New Hartford Elementary School, where the HVAC is being worked on overhead. | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/sons-of-norway-meeting-set-for-tuesday/article_80f92878-0688-5bbe-a2c3-88ebcf692d14.html | 2022-08-18T20:19:45 | 0 | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/sons-of-norway-meeting-set-for-tuesday/article_80f92878-0688-5bbe-a2c3-88ebcf692d14.html |
A Tucson man was sentenced to prison after he pleaded guilty to an organized retail theft scheme.
On Aug. 18, Joseph James Mierzejewski was sentenced to one year in prison, followed by four years of probation after he plead guilty to one count of theft and one count of attempted trafficking in stolen property, a news release from the Arizona Attorney General’s Office said.
Mierzejewski was indicted in April and accused of participating in an organized retail theft ring that defrauded retail stores in Southern Arizona, including Target, Home Depot and Walmart, the news release said.
Mierzejewski would enter the store and place an incorrect Universal Product Code on an item, which included a significantly lower marked price than the retail value, the news release said. He would then pay the lower price at the register and resell the items at pawn shops for profit.
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According to the indictment, Mierzejewski stole various household items, power tools, LEGO sets, a Suvie Cooker and a knife set.
Jamie Donnelly covers breaking news for the Arizona Daily Star. Contact her via e-mail at jdonnelly@tucson.com | https://tucson.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/tucson-man-sentenced-to-prison-for-retail-theft-scheme/article_f7f1044c-1f21-11ed-b903-dbaa864f9106.html | 2022-08-18T20:20:12 | 1 | https://tucson.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/tucson-man-sentenced-to-prison-for-retail-theft-scheme/article_f7f1044c-1f21-11ed-b903-dbaa864f9106.html |
A rainy weekend is expected in Southern Arizona as the National Weather Service issued a flash flood watch for Friday and Saturday.
Starting late Friday morning through Saturday night, all of Southeastern Arizona should expect excessive rainfall coming from the south and moving north, the NWS said. The NWS also warned that the flash flood watch can also cause flooding of washes and roadways.
In Tucson, both Friday and Saturday have 80% to 90% chances of heavy rain and thunderstorms, the NWS said.
Showers will continue Sunday with a possibility of thunderstorms in the afternoon, the NWS said. There is a 60% chance of precipitation.
In Wednesday's storm, some areas in Pima County saw one inch of rain while others barely got any. The Marana Regional Airport received a total of 1.03 inches of rain, the NWS said. The downtown area near Congress Street and Stone Avenue received 0.18 of an inch of rain while the Tucson International Airport received 0.01 of an inch.
So far, the total amount of rain Tucson has received during the 2022 monsoon is 2.03 inches, the NWS said. Last year, Tucson saw 12.79 inches of rain during the monsoon.
Photos: 2022 monsoon around Tucson
Monsoon 2022
A semi-shrouded lightning bolt illuminates a shaft of rain dropping on the north-central part of town as a monsoon cell begins growing over Tucson, Ariz., August 17, 2022. Rain, at times heavy, and lightning fell over most of the valley during the early evening and into the night.
Kelly Presnell, Arizona Daily Star
Monsoon 2022
A car zooms through the foot-deep water flooding the intersection of Glenn Street and Tucson Boulevard, the after effect of a monsoon storm that expanded over Tucson, Ariz., August 17, 2022. The storm dropped rain over much of the valley starting shortly before sunset and into the night.
Kelly Presnell, Arizona Daily Star
Monsoon, 2022
Lightning strikes the Santa Catalina Mountains near Pima Canyon during a monsoon storm on Aug. 10, 2022.
Rick Wiley / Arizona Daily Star
Monsoon, 2022
Lightning strikes the Santa Catalina Mountains near Pima Canyon during a monsoon storm on Aug. 10, 2022.
Rick Wiley / Arizona Daily Star
Monsoon, 2022
Monsoon storm moving Marana across slowly obscures the view of Picacho Peak 20 miles to the northwest on Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2022.
Rick Wiley / Arizona Daily Star
Monsoon, 2022
The clouds open and rain pours from a monsoon storm moving across the Tucson Mountains into Marana on Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2022.
Rick Wiley / Arizona Daily Star
Monsoon, 2022
A monsoon storm moves across Marana and into the Tortolita Mountains on Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2022.
Rick Wiley / Arizona Daily Star
Monsoon, 2022
Power lines down on Linda Vista Drive between N. Bald Eagle Ave. and W. Waterbuck Drive after a powerful monsoon storm moved across the Tucson Mountains into Marana on Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2022.
Rick Wiley / Arizona Daily Star
Monsoon, 2022
Power lines down on Linda Vista Drive between N. Bald Eagle Ave. and W. Waterbuck Drive after a powerful monsoon storm moved across the Tucson Mountains into Marana on Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2022.
Rick Wiley / Arizona Daily Star
Watch now: Lightning strikes over Tucson during latest thunderstorm
Monsoon 2022
Lightning strikes the ground while a monsoon storm passes over the Rincon Mountains on the east side of Tucson, Ariz. on Aug. 7, 2022 as seen from Babad Do'ag Scenic Overlook in the Santa Catalina Mountains.
Rebecca Sasnett, Arizona Daily Star
Monsoon 2022
Visitors watch a monsoon storm as it passes over the Rincon Mountains on the Eastside of Tucson, Ariz. on Aug. 7, 2022 as seen from Babad Do'ag Scenic Overlook in the Santa Catalina Mountains.
Rebecca Sasnett, Arizona Daily Star
Monsoon 2022
A monsoon storm passes over the Rincon Mountains on the east side of Tucson, Ariz. on Aug. 7, 2022 as seen from Babad Do'ag Scenic Overlook in the Santa Catalina Mountains.
Rebecca Sasnett, Arizona Daily Star
Monsoon 2022
A large bolt hits the southern end of the Rincon Mountain foothills, near Colossal Cave Road and Mary Ann Cleveland Way, part of a monsoon storm that spread rain, wind and hours of lightning in Vail, Ariz., August 7, 2022.
Kelly Presnell, Arizona Daily Star
Monsoon 2022
The last of the day's light hits monsoon storm clouds while lighting strikes in the Rincon Mountain foothills in Vail, Ariz., August 7, 2022.
Kelly Presnell, Arizona Daily Star
Monsoon 2022
Lightning strikes in the southern Rincon Mountain foothills, the second night in row a monsoon storm moved in from the east and through Vail, Ariz., Aug. 7, 2022.
Kelly Presnell, Arizona Daily Star
Monsoon 2022
The day's dying light catches the high monsoon storm clouds while lighting strikes in the Rincon Mountain foothills in Vail, Ariz., August 7, 2022.
Kelly Presnell, Arizona Daily Star
Watch now: Time lapse of intense thunderstorm, lightning over Tucson
Monsoon 2022
A bolt of lightning hits the southern slopes of the Rincon Mountains shortly after sunset, part of a monsoon storm as it rolls in over Vail, Ariz., August 6, 2022. Steady light rain was preceded by gusty winds as well as the light show.
Kelly Presnell, Arizona Daily Star
Monsoon 2022
Twin bolts hit the southern slopes of the Rincon Mountains as a monsoon storm rolls in over Vail, Ariz., Aug. 6, 2022. High winds and rain also flowed through the area into the night.
Kelly Presnell, Arizona Daily Star
Monsoon 2022
A large bolt touches down in the foothills of the southern Rincon Mountains, one of hundreds of lightning strikes generated from just before sunset until far into the night by a monsoon storm over Vail, Ariz., August 6, 2022.
Kelly Presnell, Arizona Daily Star
Monsoon 2022
Shortly after sunset, a monsoon storm rolls in over Vail, Ariz., August 6, 2022. The storm brought gusty winds, rain and hours of lightning as it headed northeast and into the Santa Cruz valley.
Kelly Presnell, Arizona Daily Star
Monsoon 2022
A monsoon storm rolls in over Vail, Ariz., Aug. 6, 2022, dropping rain as well as lightning in the Rincon Mountains and foothills. Lightning was hitting throughout the area for several hours.
Kelly Presnell, Arizona Daily Star
Monsoon 2022
A large bolt hits in the lower reaches of the Rincon Mountain foothills as the monsoon storm makes its way into Vail, Ariz., August 6, 2022.
Kelly Presnell, Arizona Daily Star
Monsoon 2022
Three bolts in the vanguard of a monsoon storm strike the Rincon Mountains as it heads northwest and over Vail, Ariz., August 6, 2022.
Kelly Presnell, Arizona Daily Star
Monsoon 2022
Two bolts of cloud-to-ground lightning fall from into the Rincon Mountain foothills from monsoon storm rolling west and into Vail, Ariz., August 6, 2022.
Kelly Presnell, Arizona Daily Star
Monsoon 2022
Multiple ground strikes as well as cloud-to-cloud lighting flashes around a home on a ridge southeast of Tucson, Ariz., Aug. 3, 2022. The storm was mostly east of the Rincon Mountains until midnight. Another band was moving to the west just south of the city.
Kelly Presnell, Arizona Daily Star
Monsoon 2022
Lightning and a column of rain from a late night monsoon storm rolls over the area southeast of Tucson, Ariz., August 3, 2022. Frequent cloud-to-cloud as well as ground strikes were over the Vail area for much of the evening into the early morning hours.
Kelly Presnell, Arizona Daily Star
Monsoon 2022
Rain and lightning from a late night monsoon storm rolls over homes on a ridge southeast of Tucson, Ariz., August 3, 2022.
Kelly Presnell, Arizona Daily Star
Watch Now: Monsoon sunset
Monsoon 2022
A woman walks with her umbrella as a sprinkle of rain falls in downtown Tucson on Aug. 3, 2022.
Mamta Popat, Arizona Daily Star
Monsoon 2022
A woman walks along Sixth Avenue as a sprinkle of rain falls in downtown Tucson on Aug. 3, 2022.
Mamta Popat, Arizona Daily Star
Monsoons 2022
Pima County Wastewater Reclamation crew members clear sand and rocks from a manhole at Havasu Road southeast of Columbus Blvd. inside Coronado Foothills Estates in Tucson, Ariz. on Aug. 1, 2022. A monsoon storm filled Finger Rock Wash as well as streets and a handful of homes on Sunday night.
Rebecca Sasnett, Arizona Daily Star
Monsoons 2022
Residents watch as crew members work to clear out rocks, dirt and mud off Havasu Road southeast of Columbus Blvd. inside Coronado Foothills Estates in Tucson, Ariz. on Aug. 1, 2022. A monsoon storm filled Finger Rock Wash as well as streets and a handful of homes on Sunday night.
Rebecca Sasnett, Arizona Daily Star
Monsoons 2022
A Pima County Wastewater Reclamation crew member, right, reacts as water spills out of a tube while crew members work to clear sand and rocks from a manhole at Havasu Road southeast of Columbus Blvd. inside Coronado Foothills Estates in Tucson, Ariz. on Aug. 1, 2022. A monsoon storm filled Finger Rock Wash as well as streets and a handful of homes on Sunday night.
Rebecca Sasnett, Arizona Daily Star
Monsoons 2022
While crews work to clean up the damage from Sunday evenings monsoon storm, a Havasu Road and Columbus Blvd. sign lies on the side of road farther southeast then the Havasu Rd and Columbus Blvd. corner inside Coronado Foothills Estates in Tucson, Ariz. on Aug. 1, 2022. A monsoon storm filled Finger Rock Wash as well as streets and a handful of homes on Sunday night.
Rebecca Sasnett, Arizona Daily Star
Monsoons 2022
A residents car is stuck in a pile of mud along East Havasu Rd inside Coronado Foothills Estates in Tucson, Ariz. on Aug. 1, 2022. A monsoon storm filled Finger Rock Wash as well as streets and a handful of homes on Sunday night.
Rebecca Sasnett, Arizona Daily Star
Monsoons 2022
Resident Maria Perri shovels some dirt along East Havasu Rd. in front go her home inside Coronado Foothills Estates in Tucson, Ariz. on Aug. 1, 2022. A monsoon storm filled Finger Rock Wash as well as streets and a handful of homes on Sunday night. "It was a raging river down here," said Perri. Some residents hung out in her drive way to get away from the flooding, added Perri.
Rebecca Sasnett, Arizona Daily Star
Wash, flooding, 2022, Tucson
Workers from Pima County Wastewater Reclamation clear sand and rocks from a manhole at Havasu Road and Columbus Blvd. in the Catalina Foothills on Monday, Aug. 1, 2022, after a raging Finger Rock Wash swamped a handful of homes on Sunday night.
Rick Wiley / Arizona Daily Star
Wash, flooding, 2022, Tucson
Boulders and debris block Havasu Road at Columbus Blvd as seen on Monday, Aug. 1, 2022, after a raging Finger Rock Wash that swamped a handful of homes on in the Catalina Foothills on Sunday night.
Rick Wiley / Arizona Daily Star
Wash, flooding, 2022, Tucson
A mud-splattered wheelchair at an adult care home on Havasu Road in the Catalina Foothills on Monday, Aug. 1, 2022. Rural Metro firefighters evacuated the residents after a raging Finger Rock Wash swamped a handful of homes on Havasu Road east of Columbus Blvd. in the Catalina Foothills on Sunday night.
Rick Wiley / Arizona Daily Star
Wash, flooding, 2022, Tucson
A street sign fell victim to floodwaters on Havasu Road east of Columbus Blvd as seen on Monday, Aug. 1, 2022, after a raging Finger Rock Wash swamped a handful of homes on Sunday night.
Rick Wiley / Arizona Daily Star
Wash, flooding, 2022, Tucson
A cyclist rides along The Loop at Grant Road next to the Santa Cruz River swollen with runoff from midtown Tucson storm on July 26, 2022.
Rick Wiley / Arizona Daily Star
Wash, flooding, 2022, Tucson
Monsoon clouds rise above the desert floor southeast of Tucson, behind Tumamoc Hill on July 26, 2022.
Rick Wiley / Arizona Daily Star
Monsoon 2022
A monsoon storm begins dropping rain as it grows to the southeast of Sonoita, Ariz., July 29, 2022. The cell was one of several that formed over the area, dumping rain on the plain for much of the afternoon.
Kelly Presnell, Arizona Daily Star
Monsoon 2022
A US Border Patrol truck heads east on State Route 82 as a monsoon storm boils up to the south just outside Sonoita, Ariz., July 29, 2022.
Kelly Presnell, Arizona Daily Star
Monsoon 2022
The statue, Tribute to Ranching, stands under a growing monsoon cloud outside the Santa Cruz County Fair & Rodeo Association grounds, Sonoita, Ariz., July 29, 2022. The cell was one of several that dumped rain on the area throughout the afternoon.
Kelly Presnell, Arizona Daily Star
Watch Now: The leading edge of flood waters fills the Tanque Verde Wash near Wentworth Road.
Monsoon 2022
Onlookers get video and photos while watching the debris filled leading edge of water fill the Tanque Verde Wash at Wentworth Road, Tucson, Ariz., July 28, 2022. Heavy monsoon rains over the past few days has water flowing in some of the area washes and low lying areas.
Kelly Presnell, Arizona Daily Star
Monsoon 2022
Birdie the Golf Dog takes a cooling break in the water beginning to fill the Tanque Verde Wash at Wentworth Road, Tucson, Ariz., July 28, 2022.
Kelly Presnell, Arizona Daily Star
Monsoon 2022
Paul Delligatti lines up his shot while recording video of the leading edge of floodwaters in the Tanque Verde Wash flow across Wentworth Road, Tucson, Ariz., July 28, 2022.
Kelly Presnell, Arizona Daily Star
Monsoon 2022
Dustin Ovayvar, left, and his family, were among the handful that waited to catch the arrival of the leading edge of the waters heading down the Tanque Verde Wash at Wentworth Road, Tucson, Ariz., July 28, 2022.
Kelly Presnell, Arizona Daily Star
Monsoon 2022
Tom Woodrow and his mother Diane wade through the northern channel after getting cut off watching the water fill the southern branch of the leading edge of flood water in the Tanque Verde Wash flow over Wentworth Road, Tucson, Ariz., July 28, 2022.
Kelly Presnell, Arizona Daily Star
Monsoon 2022
Tucson Fire Department personnel pull a man out of the floodwaters of the Arroyo Chico rushing through a construction channel near 9th Avenue just north of 6th Street during a monsoon storm that dumped inches of rain on parts of Tucson, Ariz., July 26, 2022. The man was eventually carried to a nearby ambulance.
Kelly Presnell, Arizona Daily Star
Monsoon 2022
A driver has second thoughts about driving into the flooded Arroyo Chico in midtown during a monsoon, Tucson, Ariz., July 26, 2022. The driver eventually turned around.
Kelly Presnell, Arizona Daily Star
Monsoon 2022
A driver takes his SUV into the running waters of the Arroyo Chico in midtown during a monsoon storm, Tucson, Ariz., July 26, 2022.
Kelly Presnell, Arizona Daily Star
Monsoon 2022
A Jeep blasts at high speed into the flooded Arroyo Chico after a monsoon storm dumped inches of rain on parts of Tucson, Ariz., July 26, 2022.
Kelly Presnell, Arizona Daily Star
Monsoon 2022
A woman and her curious dog get a closer look at the flood waters of Arroyo Chico running over Plummer Avenue during a monsoon storm that dumped inches of rain over parts of Tucson, Ariz., July 26, 2022.
Kelly Presnell, Arizona Daily Star
Monsoon 2022
A driver takes a jeep through the high waters of Arroyo Chico running over Plummer Avenue during a monsoon storm through the area, Tucson, Ariz., July 26, 2022.
Kelly Presnell, Arizona Daily Star
Monsoon, Tucson, 2022
Krishna Ghimire and Sumod Bastakoti take a selfie of themselves with storm clouds approaching from Sentinel Peak Park on July 26, 2022.
Shekib Rahmani / Arizona Daily Star
Watch Now: Time lapse shows Monsoon storm over Tucson
Monsoon 2022
A lightning bolt hits in the valley as an afternoon monsoon storm rolls over east central Tucson, Ariz., July 22, 2022.
Kelly Presnell, Arizona Daily Star
Monsoon 2022
The setting sun lights up the patchy monsoon clouds overhead as Omar Rojas Jr. works on pitching out of the stretch with his dad, Omar Sr., on the diamond at David G. Herrera and Ramon Quiroz Park, Tucson, Ariz., July 21, 2022. The two Omars were working out while daughter/sister Julissa practiced nearby with her softball team. Monsoon 2022 may finally bring the rain, with precipitation forecast this weekend and throughout the coming week.
Kelly Presnell, Arizona Daily Star
Monsoon
Mammatus clouds roll over the evening skies west of the Tucson Mountains during a little light monsoon activity around Tucson, Ariz., July 15, 2022.
Kelly Presnell, Arizona Daily Star
Monsoon, 2022
With a monsoon cell dropping a bit of rain to the west, fans find seats in the grandstands long the strip during Street Rally night at the Tucson Dragway Tucson, Ariz., June 11, 2022.
Kelly Presnell, Arizona Daily Star
Sand bags
Sarah Travis and her son John Donnelly, on shovel duty, and his friend Kai Squire, take advantage of the Department of Transportation and Mobility's sandbag filling site in the east parking lot of Hi Corbett Field, Tucson, Ariz., June 17, 2022. The trio were helping a neighbor in need get ready for the coming rains. This is the seventh year DTM is providing bags and sand for residents to make sandbags to deal with monsoon flooding.
Kelly Presnell, Arizona Daily Star
Canyon del Oro Wash
Pima County crews expanded the Chuck Huckelberry Loop along the Canyon del Oro Wash north of Magee Road on June 7 and cleared out brush in the channel and performed flood control measures to prevent water from monsoon rains flooding the path.
Mamta Popat, Arizona Daily Star
Monsoon, 2022
A vehicle travels down North Houghton Rd. while a small storm passes over the Santa Catalina Mountains in Tucson, Ariz. on June 27, 2022.
Rebecca Sasnett, Arizona Daily Star
Monsoon, 2022
Two vehicles drive through a series of puddles on East Speedway after a rain storm passed through the Eastside of Tucson, Ariz. on June 27, 2022.
Rebecca Sasnett, Arizona Daily Star
Watch Now: Monsoon clouds over a Convair B-36J Peacemaker at Pima Air & Space Museum
monsoon 2022
A crew with Hunter Contracting Co. work on a pathway surrounding a new storm basin while monsoon clouds build to the south of Cherry Avenue Park in Tucson, Ariz. on June 29, 2022.
Rebecca Sasnett, Arizona Daily Star
Monsoon, 2022
A rainbow fragment above Pima Canyon and the Santa Catalina Mountains on June 27.
Rick Wiley / Arizona Daily Star
Monsoon, 2022
Monsoon clouds over the Tohono O'Odham Nation loom behind the towers on Tumamoc Hill on June 28.
Rick Wiley / Arizona Daily Star
Monsoons 2022
Olga Martinez, far left, and her daughter Raquel Diaz watch a monsoon storm pass over the Santa Catalina Mountains from "A" Mountain in Tucson, Ariz. on July 24, 2022.
Rebecca Sasnett, Arizona Daily Star
Jamie Donnelly covers breaking news for the Arizona Daily Star. Contact her via e-mail at jdonnelly@tucson.com
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Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. | https://tucson.com/news/local/flash-flood-watch-issued-for-southern-arizona-for-friday-saturday/article_16e6e82e-1f29-11ed-99fd-6beaeda1f380.html | 2022-08-18T20:20:18 | 0 | https://tucson.com/news/local/flash-flood-watch-issued-for-southern-arizona-for-friday-saturday/article_16e6e82e-1f29-11ed-99fd-6beaeda1f380.html |
Mastermind of $300 million Ponzi scheme targeting veterans sentenced to 10 years
The mastermind behind a $300 million Ponzi scheme has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for his role in exploiting military veterans in desperate financial straits, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of South Carolina.
Scott Kohn, 68, of Newport, California, who was indicted in March 2019, was accused alongside coconspirators of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud in connection with the buying and selling of military benefits.
The Greenville News spent a year investigating the scheme as part of its Indebted series.
During the seven years the scheme operated, Kohn drew upon fraudulently obtained funds to live a lavish lifestyle, according to prosecutors.
And when the Ponzi scheme ultimately collapsed, Kohn and his coconspirators had caused more than $310 million in losses to more than 2,500 retirees and had placed more than 13,000 veterans into exploitative loans, prosecutors said.
Indebted:Veterans suffered and investors lost millions in nationwide schemes
Previous coverage:Co-defendant in $1B Ponzi scheme targeting veterans pleads guilty in Greenville
Kohn ran a corporation called Future Income Payments LLC. For several years, Kohn and partners used FIP as their vehicle for their nationwide scheme, prosecutors said. Kohn directed employees to use late-night advertising and the Internet to reach people, and more than 90 South Carolinians were among those ensnared, according to The News' Indebted series.
According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office, Kohn and his coconspirators solicited pensioners experiencing financial distress, most of whom were military veterans, by offering an upfront lump-sum payment in exchange for an assignment of the rights to their monthly pensions and disability payments. Even though the assignment transactions were characterized as sales, they were actually loans with annual interest rates of as much as 240%, prosecutors said.
Kohn and his coconspirators — working through a network of hundreds of financial advisors and insurance agents nationwide — then solicited thousands of seniors to purchase FIP’s “structured cash flows,” which were the pensioners’ monthly pension payments. Kohn and his coconspirators induced these seniors to invest their retirement savings with FIP by making false assurances of a significant rate of return on their investment, concealing the nature of FIP’s transactions with the pensioners and lying about the financial health of the corporation, prosecutors said.
In addition to a prison term, Judge Bruce Hendricks ordered Kohn to forfeit $297 million and be placed on supervised release for a period of three years after completing his prison term.
Kohn does not have an attorney listed in federal court documents.
Four other defendants previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy for their roles in this scheme: Kraig S. Aiken, 53, of Rancho Santa Margarita, California; David N. Kenneally, 59, of Greenville, South Carolina; Melanie Jo Schulze-Miller, 40, of Peoria, Arizona; Joseph P. Hipp, 52, of St. Louis, Missouri. Sentencing hearings have not yet been set for them.
Check back for more on this developing story.
Tamia Boyd is a Michigan native who covers breaking news in Greenville. Email her at tboyd@gannett.com, and follow her on Twitter @tamiamb. | https://www.greenvilleonline.com/story/news/local/2022/08/18/ponzi-scheme-leader-scott-kohn-sentenced-10-years-after-veterans-lost-millions/7834955001/ | 2022-08-18T20:24:03 | 0 | https://www.greenvilleonline.com/story/news/local/2022/08/18/ponzi-scheme-leader-scott-kohn-sentenced-10-years-after-veterans-lost-millions/7834955001/ |
Days after a Benbrook veterinarian is killed in a fight at a Fort Worth bar, his son-in-law is under arrest.
John Birdwell, 38, is being held on a $75,000 bond in connection with the death of his father-in-law, Dr. Robert Bearden, 66.
According to the arrest affidavit obtained by KRLD, the two were at Woody's Tavern on Bryant Irvin Road late Friday night when they got into an argument about Birdwell refusing to sign divorce papers from his wife, Bearden's daughter.
The argument turned physical, with Birdwell allegedly head-butting Bearden three times, to the point that he became unconscious.
Bearden, police said, died the next day. The Tarrant County Medical Examiner's Office said the cause of death was blunt head trauma.
Birdwell left the scene after the fight, police said, but was later arrested and is facing a charge of injury to a child/elderly with intent. | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/veterinarians-son-in-law-charged-in-connection-with-his-death/3051897/ | 2022-08-18T20:30:04 | 1 | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/veterinarians-son-in-law-charged-in-connection-with-his-death/3051897/ |
LUZERNE COUNTY, Pa. — The view from Skycam 16 shows the progress at the Wilkes-Barre Are High School athletic complex in Plains Township.
The first of the Wolfpack teams to play on the new field will be the boys' soccer team on September 6. Football will take the field days later for week three of their season.
Before the teams take the field, finishing touches, like laying down the track, need to be made.
"We are just putting the top layer on the track, and we'll have the lining done, that will be complete by mid-next week," said Wilkes-Barre Area Athletic Director Mike Namey.
Namey says the multi-sport facility is meant to bring the whole Wolfpack community together in a central space.
"It's the final piece that puts things together and creates that campus environment that is second to none, and it's truly the best for our student-athletes for our communities that make up the Wilkes-Barre (Area) School District."
Once work on the new field is complete, a new phase of construction will get underway to wrap up the athletic complex.
"We are looking at a state-of-the-art field house, supporting mechanisms for the field and the surrounding complex itself, along with practice athletic fields that will assist our teams when we go through their individual seasons, whether that be the fall or whether it be the spring, so these final phases once complete in spring of 2023 will really put a great bow on our campus that we have here," Namey added.
The total project comes in at $9 million.
Check out WNEP's YouTube channel. | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/luzerne-county/wilkes-barre-area-athletic-complex-almost-ready-for-fall-plains-township-field-soccer-football-track-teams-wolfpack/523-e2d3ca87-4194-4c79-a42c-5507cbf07408 | 2022-08-18T20:29:54 | 0 | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/luzerne-county/wilkes-barre-area-athletic-complex-almost-ready-for-fall-plains-township-field-soccer-football-track-teams-wolfpack/523-e2d3ca87-4194-4c79-a42c-5507cbf07408 |
MONTGOMERY, Pa. — From a closure to new beginnings in Lycoming County.
The official grand opening of a new Amazon delivery station near Montgomery.
Since May, more than 300,00 packages have gone through the facility in Clinton Township.
It's essentially the final stop for packages before they are out for delivery.
The facility has also created hundreds of new jobs in Lycoming County.
"We currently have roughly between 100-200 associates, and we're always actively hiring team members. Right now, we're also in that process of hiring more team members," said Ron Boatswain, Amazon Operations Manager.
The delivery station is the first of its kind in the Lycoming County area.
Want to see what was in news in 1983? Head on over to WNEP's YouTube. | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/lycoming-county/amazon-delivery-station-opens-in-lycoming-county-clinton-township-montgomery-wnep/523-1a06529b-152f-4d19-b4f1-0fdf3eddcc7a | 2022-08-18T20:30:14 | 1 | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/lycoming-county/amazon-delivery-station-opens-in-lycoming-county-clinton-township-montgomery-wnep/523-1a06529b-152f-4d19-b4f1-0fdf3eddcc7a |
DALLAS — A Dallas County grand jury declined to indict Rickie Rush – a well-known megachurch pastor in Dallas – in two criminal cases, including one where a 15-year-old alleged that Rush raped him.
Rush, the 63-year-old founder of the Inspiring Body of Christ Church (IBOC), faced allegations of abuse from former church members over the course of a several years, according to the Dallas Morning News (DMN). Rush’s attorney, Michael Heiskell, told the newspaper that the accusations against him are part of a smear campaign.
IBOC was started in 1990 by Rush and grew to 450 members within six months, according to the church's website. To date, IBOC is recognized as a southern Dallas megachurch with more than 15,000 members.
The Grayson County Criminal District Attorney’s Office – who were assigned the case after the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office recused itself – told WFAA that "a thorough review was conducted of all reports made available by the Dallas Police Department (DPD), as well as reviewing other publicly available documentation, and additional relevant records that were obtained and reviewed through the issuance of Grand Jury Subpoenas."
According to the DMN, Dallas District Attorney John Creuzot’s filed for recusal from the case because of a personal relationship with Rush.
The review was presented before a Dallas County Grand Jury on Aug. 11, and the jury found prosecutors had not presented enough evidence to show probable cause that Rush committed crimes, the attorney's office told WFAA.
Both cases were "no billed."
Heiskell added Tuesday that the allegations were "baseless" and applauded the grand jury's decision, the DMN reported.
One of Rush's accusers, Donna Fields, told the DMN she is crushed by the decision.
“It’s a slap in the face,’’ Fields said. “As big a case as this is, you think someone would have made us feel our family’s allegations are being taken seriously. If they cared, they would have reached out.”
More Texas headlines: | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/dallas-evangelist-rickie-rush-no-bill/287-2a0eeac0-fb92-45c3-8f4d-a2689d32eaa0 | 2022-08-18T20:30:15 | 0 | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/dallas-evangelist-rickie-rush-no-bill/287-2a0eeac0-fb92-45c3-8f4d-a2689d32eaa0 |
SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — Spectators are happy to be back in the stands for the 75th Little League World Series.
"We are having a blast. We have been coming here since 2009," said Bryan Nixon. "We come every year."
The Little League World Series was canceled in 2020, and fans couldn't attend the games in 2021 because of COVID-19 protocols.
Kerry Sharpe from Fort Wayne, Indiana, says the competition has been on her bucket list for years.
"As far as the last two years, we have been planning on coming, so this year we got here. It has been wonderful."
The World Series attracts people from all over the world. Michael Robinson is from Australia, and he tries to come every year.
"I think this is year six or seven that I have been coming to the World Series."
He says it's the atmosphere that brings him back.
"I like to describe it as a microcosm of the way the world should be. It doesn't matter where you are from, everyone gets on well, and there are high fives for everyone. Everyone is here for a common good," Robinson said.
A familiar sight at the Little League World Series is kids sliding down the big hill.
"All we have done so far is go down the hill, and that is really fun," said Mason Bullington. "I have enjoyed it."
"It is great. It is kind of hard to get back up the hill, but it is just great to go down it," Isaiah Lasure said.
This year fans can stop by the Fan Zone. It has games and shops for those young and old.
"It is really cool. You get to hit baseballs, and down there, you get to pitch," Connor Stewart said.
Many of the fans we spoke to say they plan on staying for the duration of the Little League World Series.
Check out WNEP’s YouTube channel. | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/lycoming-county/fans-are-back-at-the-little-league-world-series-spectators-lamade-volunteer-stadium-australia-hill-fan-zone/523-15d8172b-7e99-43a5-8686-01bbab549c22 | 2022-08-18T20:30:20 | 1 | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/lycoming-county/fans-are-back-at-the-little-league-world-series-spectators-lamade-volunteer-stadium-australia-hill-fan-zone/523-15d8172b-7e99-43a5-8686-01bbab549c22 |
DENTON, Texas — Editor's Note: The video above is from a May 2022 story about a new North Texas program.
A public university in Texas announced Thursday that incoming students will be paying the same as they did the previous school year to give families some financial relief.
The University of North Texas (UNT) System Board of Regents unanimously voted to keep tuition the same for all of its schools for the Fiscal Year 2023. This was in accordance with the UNT System consolidated budget established during an August meeting
This is now the seventh consecutive year tuition has remained the same, UNT System Chancellor Dr. Michael R. Williams said.
“During a time when inflation is at an all-time high, the entire UNT System remains committed to providing an education of great value that is accessible and affordable for all students," Williams said. "The UNT System will continue to demonstrate fiscal stewardship by identifying cost-savings to ensure no unnecessary financial burden is being passed on to our students and their families.”
The last time any UNT campus raised tuition was in 2016. Between May 2016 and May 2022, the price of milk increased 33% and the price of eggs increased 70% while the price of UNT’s tuition stayed flat, according to Williams.
“The UNT System is dedicated to transforming the value proposition of higher education and is laser-focused on our students and their families, their experience, learning, and lifetime success," Williams said.
In the United States, the average cost for tuition in public universities went up about 1.2% in fall 2020 and 1.6% in fall 2021, according to the non-profit organization College Board. Those were the smallest percentage increases since the 1970s, this data showed. | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/north-texas-not-raising-tuition-7th-straight-year/287-e9026ad0-e279-4699-879d-0ee6bbf492bb | 2022-08-18T20:30:21 | 0 | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/north-texas-not-raising-tuition-7th-straight-year/287-e9026ad0-e279-4699-879d-0ee6bbf492bb |
SALEM, Ore. — Oregon's chief justice denied Wednesday that a personality conflict led her to fire all members of a commission that governs the Office of Public Defense Services and appoints its executive director.
Critics for years have said Oregon's public defense system is in crisis with far too few attorneys to represent people accused of crimes.
Chief Justice Martha Walters said last week the executive director, Stephen Singer, had verbally attacked her during one encounter and blamed him for failing to lead his agency out of a crisis.
The Public Defense Services Commission last week decided not to fire Singer. Walters then took the unprecedented step on Monday of dismissing all nine voting members of the commission. She invited those who wanted to remain to reapply for their positions and then reinstated five of them while appointing four new ones.
Former commission member Thomas Christ said Walters wants Singer removed and that he believes she “decided to just fill the commission with people who’ll vote the way she wants on that issue,” the Oregonian/OregonLive reported. Christ was among those fired on Monday and was not reappointed.
At Wednesday's meeting of the new commission, chairman Per Ramfjord said Singer displays “intemperate behavior” and indicated he might soon be shown the door, with potential interim directors already being considered. Another meeting on Singer was scheduled for Thursday, at which point he would be given an opportunity to speak.
Several commission members spoke out against Singer, who was not present.
“I am gravely concerned that if we do not make a move to address his employment that it will be at the agency’s peril and more importantly, the many people who are currently sitting in custody without lawyers," said commission member Paul Solomon.
“One of the things that I’ve been really challenged with is Director Singer's inability to provide factual information to this commission,” Solomon added. "We still have no idea how many people are actually sitting in custody at this moment without counsel statewide.”
Others in the public defense community have defended Singer as a leader who is taking on reforming a broken system, while acknowledging he can be abrasive.
A report by the American Bar Association released in January found that Oregon has only 31% of the public defenders it needs. Hundreds of defendants who can’t afford an attorney have been unable to obtain public defenders to represent them.
Walters is an ex-officio permanent, non-voting member of the commission. At Wednesday's meeting, Walters said: "We need to advance the next phase of our work to create the systemic changes and immediate support for those serving and those in need of public defense services in Oregon.”
“I know that emotions are still running high for some," Walters said. "And there have been accusations and suggestions that personality conflicts were what drove my decision. That’s counterproductive and needs to stop.”
Oregon’s public defender system is the only one in the nation that relies entirely on contractors: Large nonprofit defense firms, smaller cooperating groups of private defense attorneys that contract for cases and independent attorneys who can take cases at will.
But some firms and private attorneys are periodically refusing to take new cases because of the workload. Poor pay rates and late payments from the state are also a disincentive. | https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/oregon-judge-denies-conflict-firing-public-defense-commission/283-a8e93476-3358-43be-adce-8768c8489417 | 2022-08-18T20:34:04 | 0 | https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/oregon-judge-denies-conflict-firing-public-defense-commission/283-a8e93476-3358-43be-adce-8768c8489417 |
Saturday's Black Cultural Festival makes space to celebrate Black identity in Eugene
With a focus on mental health, the second annual Black Cultural Festival is made to be an opportunity for people of Afro descent, their families and close friends to build and celebrate the local Black community together.
At this year's event from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday in Alton Baker Park, recipients will have access to a range of healing, healthy and fun experiences including musical performances, equine therapy, aerial silk demos, art therapy, a health pavilion, workshops and guided meditations.
The event’s creator and producer Talicia Brown-Crowell talked with The Register-Guard more about why she created this event and what she hopes it can be.
Register-Guard: What inspired this event?
Talicia Brown-Crowell: It started because my friend Kokayi (Nosakhere) wanted to do a book signing tour in 2020. I was like, ‘Hey, I'll arrange your event for you.’ It was in August at Alton Baker Park. It was in celebration of Marcus Garvey's birthday; the title of his lecture was the "Origins of Black Nationalism." We had 100 people max that could show up because it was lockdown and 50% were Black, and I was like, ‘Oh my God, I've never been around 50 Black people in Eugene.’
It just felt like I was onto something. There was something new that was happening. We were all looking at each other like, ‘Wow, this was really fantastic.’
I've lived in the Eugene area for 22 years. When I want to experience Black culture, I will literally have to fly out of state. I have to go to the Bay Area, which is where I'm from, or I have to travel to Memphis or Chicago to get what I call 'my Black fix' on. Also in 2019, I went to the Colorado Black Arts Festival and that was another inspiration to me, as well as just being in Black-only healing spaces when I'm in Memphis. That's how it all came together — recognizing my need to have my Black identity celebrated. I had to leave the state to be Black, essentially. And I decided that that needed to change.
RG: Who are you hoping this event serves?
Brown-Crowell: It is a space for Black people to be together in community and that space has to involve our families, which are multiracial and also our close friends, who are also multiracial. Primarily, this is a space for Black community.
RG: Can you talk about this year's theme?
Brown-Crowell: The theme is Our Mental Health Matters. It's coming out of listening to our community's needs and hearing that we're really suffering in this local area and our babies’ mental health is really suffering in the schools. What they have to deal with on a daily basis in terms of microaggressions is absolutely atrocious. In employment, with organizations, or at the store, what we have to deal with in terms of racism being a public health crisis is really concerning.
I'm working really hard to provide many resources at the festival that help to create mental health and mental wellness. Honestly, it could be the theme for five to 10 years.
RG: Can you talk about the significance of having the event at Alton Baker Park?
Brown-Crowell: I like to have events be in important and significant places for Black people. Alton Baker Park would be one of those.
Alton Baker Park was the place where the original Black families could live. Eugene was a Sundown town, so Black folks could be in Eugene in the daytime and then when the sun went down, we would have to leave, and there were Sundown towns throughout the state of Oregon. That place was called Across the Bridge and that is the place where Black families could live.
(On July 16, 1949, Lane County commissioners made a demolition order for the area to make way for the Ferry Street Bridge. The county bulldozed the village and forced residents to relocate.)
RG: Are there any speakers or performers you’re really excited about?
Brown-Crowell: There's a lot. The whole lineup, of course, is really exciting. I'm really excited to see Madame GoLong. She's based in Portland right now, out of Atlanta, Georgia, and she's a phenom. She's got a fro that's like 5 feet tall and she's a woman drummer. She has performed with Bootsy Collins and the S.O.S. Band. She is a real unkept secret so I'm really glad to have her on board. She's wonderful to work with and she's really down for the cause.
There's also Nii Ardey Allotey who is an old school African drummer and a dance ensemble. They are amazing.
I'm also really excited to have a horse and pony and to have the kids be present with horses. Horses are such a great teacher and a mirror of energy. They really help us to relate to our nervous system.
RG: Anything else you want to share?
Brown-Crowell: We have some amazing food vendors. So, I'm excited – there’s Irie Jamaican Kitchen, Once Famous Grill, Makeda’s Ethiopian Cuisine, JustIce Shave Ice, and Stewart’s Soul Fusion. Food is at the heart and soul of everything that I do, so I wanted to give a shout out.
RG: This is only the second event, what are your hopes for the future?
Brown-Crowell: My hopes for the future are that our local Black community becomes a leadership-full community. I hope this event sparks our systems, our projects, leaders, activists and organizers — people who are willing and dedicated to be a part of the change — and those people do the work.
I'm really certain we need to have a Black cultural event on a monthly basis.
Black Cultural Festival
When: 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday in Alton Baker Park
Cost: Tickets are $30 online and onsite. Tickets are free for 18 and younger and 70 and older. A ticket includes the cost of admission, entertainment, activities, games and snacks. Nobody of Afro descent will be turned away for lack of funds, according to the event's website, www.blackculturalfestival.com.
Contact reporter Tatiana Parafiniuk-Talesnick at Tatiana@registerguard.com or 541-338-2454, and follow her on Twitter @TatianaSophiaPT.
Want more stories like this? Subscribe to get unlimited access and support local journalism. | https://www.registerguard.com/story/news/local/2022/08/18/qa-with-black-cultural-festival-creator-ahead-of-this-years-event-in-eugene/65408503007/ | 2022-08-18T20:34:16 | 1 | https://www.registerguard.com/story/news/local/2022/08/18/qa-with-black-cultural-festival-creator-ahead-of-this-years-event-in-eugene/65408503007/ |
Hooters' event to raise money for local nonprofit, schools
Staff reports
Hooters Wichita Falls will have the Ride in for Kids Bike and Truck Show from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday to Benefit Wichita Falls Autism Awareness and a local backpack drive, according to a media release.
Participants can register their bikes from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. for $20 to be considered for several categories with prizes awarded to each winner for best-in-class at the restaurant at 3701 Call Field Road.
Organizers for the Hooters' event will waive the registration fee with a donation of equal or greater value or a ready-for-class backpack.
From 3 p.m. through 7 p.m., guests can view the vehicles showcased in the parking lot, followed by judging and an award ceremony.
Bikes and trucks can be entered in these 14 categories:
- Best paint
- Best rims
- Highest handlebars
- Best bagger
- Best sport bike
- Best 4WD
- Best cruiser
- Cleanest bike
- Most chrome
- Highest lift
- Loudest pipes
- Most creative
- Best Club Participation
- Hooters Girls pick | https://www.timesrecordnews.com/story/news/local/2022/08/18/hooters-hosts-event-to-benefit-wichita-falls-autism-awareness/65409854007/ | 2022-08-18T20:35:14 | 0 | https://www.timesrecordnews.com/story/news/local/2022/08/18/hooters-hosts-event-to-benefit-wichita-falls-autism-awareness/65409854007/ |
Led by his compassion, native Wichitan rescues family in distress
It was a moment no adult child ever wants to experience with their elderly parent.
Susan Libby’s 92-year-old mother had fallen face-first onto Fort Worth’s busy Seventh Street near the campus of The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth during the high-traffic weekday lunch rush.
A simple misunderstanding between the elderly mother and her two daughters, Libby and her sister, Jan, led to confusion about their meeting place for a quick bite following some medical tests for HSC’s nationally funded health and aging study, in which Libby and her mother have participated for several years.
Susan was waiting at a table across the street while Jan had taken their mother, Ulyssa Foster, to a familiar restaurant on the other side.
Transporting mom down a curb to switch locations proved more challenging than it had seemed, and in an instant, their mother fell out of her wheelchair and into the path of oncoming cars.
The situation could have ended tragically, except for the quick response of a young Uber Eats driver on his way to make a delivery.
That compassionate passerby happened to be a physical therapy student working his part-time job between classes at the HSC.
Susan has worked at HSC for almost 25 years. In her role as a senior classroom and events technology support provider, she meets a lot of people and is involved with many departments, schools, activities and events around campus and across the community.
She’s familiar with quite a few HSC graduate students but hadn’t yet met the young man, Rafael Saldana-Vazquez, who rushed to her mother’s aid that day.
Saldana plans to complete his Doctor of Physical Therapy degree through the HSC School of Health Professions in 2023.
The Wichita Falls native was inspired to pursue this career after witnessing the struggles of an uncle who was injured when Saldana was about 12 years old.
The accident was so severe that his uncle was forced to have his legs amputated above his knees. Because he was uninsured, Saldana’s uncle could access only limited services.
The family took charge when the prostheses were fitted, determined to help him walk again through slow, supportive progression on a home treadmill.
“Even as a kid, I remember feeling shocked that someone who needed this type of physical therapy couldn’t get it because he didn’t have insurance,” Saldana said. “This ultimately led me to a PT career. I feel there’s so much I can do to help people like my uncle, and I hope to someday provide pro bono PT services where I can.”
Saldana remembers seeing Susan and Jan’s mother fall. He had been home and found himself with spare time between classes on a Friday. He was considering whether or not he’d drive deliveries that day, but something told him to clock in.
He had just picked up an order and was on his way, but immediately pulled over to help the two women in the street. While HSC students practice through classroom scenarios, this was the first time his training had been called on in a real situation.
“Their mother had hit the ground pretty hard,” he said. “She was bleeding and already swollen above her eye. They were both shaken up and pretty scared.”
He continued, “I was scared, too. It was the first time I had to apply everything I’ve learned, and I didn’t want to make any mistakes.”
PT students are taught to check vitals when working with older patients and those with underlying health conditions.
Saldana started there, reassuring both mother and daughter as he checked heart rate, inquired as to his first patient’s pain levels and followed with questions to assess responsiveness.
Knowing they’d need additional help, he flagged down a food supply driver to assist in moving the elderly woman back to her wheelchair.
Susan had crossed the street and joined them, and after helping them get safely to the car, Saldana advised the sisters to take their mother directly to a hospital or clinic for further examination.
The reason, the commitment
Part of the oath that physical therapy students take when entering the program involves promising to live by a code of respect, compassion and empathy for all individuals, service to others and giving patients and families the highest priority.
Saldana said his life goal is to help people in any way possible and make their life “at least a little bit better” through his actions and profession.
He did make the Uber Eats delivery that day. When he explained why he was late, the customer wholeheartedly agreed that he had done the right thing.
He called home afterward to tell his own family what had happened.
“As a first-generation student, it was important for me to tell my mother how I had applied my education to assist someone,” Saldana said. “My parents have given up so much to help me get an education. It felt so good to know I had made them proud.”
Gratitude, hugs, tears
The following Monday, knowing only Saldana’s first name and degree program, Susan set out to find and formally thank him. She had been too rattled the day of the fall to properly express how much his help had meant.
She peered into classroom windows and asked PT students passing by if they knew a classmate named Rafael. She finally succeeded in tracking him down.
When she reunited with Saldana after class, Susan choked up with emotion.
“Our mother means the world to us,” she said. “I can’t emphasize enough how kind and respectful Rafael was to our family. He embodies everything that HSC is about, most importantly, service to others and being there for each other.
“My mother says it was truly a gift from God that he stopped to help us,” she added. “Rafael is the type of student we can all be proud of. He represents HSC well.”
Pictures from the weekend showed just how injured Susan’s mother was. One eye was swollen shut. Her face was black-and-blue to the neck.
By Monday, she was healing, as was Jan, who had pulled her shoulder while initially struggling to assist their mother before Rafael had arrived. They wanted Susan to express their deepest gratitude for everything he had done.
“Rafael had somewhere he needed to be, he was on a schedule, but he stopped anyway. It made the difference that he was there,” Susan said.
“I think it’s time in this world to have these kinds of really nice stories,” she added. “Rafael told us that’s the way he would want his mother and grandmother treated if the same thing had happened to them.”
Saldana said he was moved at the outpouring of emotion from the Libby family. Their gratitude, he said, confirmed that he made the right decision by choosing to pursue physical therapy as a career.
“It truly touched my heart,” he said. “At the end of the day, the reason we choose any type of health profession is to help those who need it and to be there when they need us most.” | https://www.timesrecordnews.com/story/news/local/2022/08/18/native-wichitan-rafael-saldana-vazquez-rescues-family-in-distress/65403202007/ | 2022-08-18T20:35:20 | 0 | https://www.timesrecordnews.com/story/news/local/2022/08/18/native-wichitan-rafael-saldana-vazquez-rescues-family-in-distress/65403202007/ |
New Jerusalem to have back-to-school event
The Hirschi High School Band will kick off a back-to-school roundup at 10 a.m. Saturday at the New Jerusalem Family Life Center, according to a media release.
New Jerusalem Baptist Church will provide school supplies, backpacks, sneakers, free haircuts, and refreshments consisting of hot dogs, chips soft drinks during the event from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday.
The church at 1420 Borton Lane received a donation of 100 backpacks from 1 Nine Media Company of Lewisville, Texas.
Members of New Jerusalem donated funds to purchase tennis shoes and school supplies, and two young barbers have volunteered their services for the event.
According to the pastor, the Rev. Angus Thompson, the church works with the schools year round.
“We give God all of the credit," Thompson said in a media release.
"We just want to do what we can to make this a good school year for all of the students. Hopefully we serve as a connector between parent and teacher for the benefit of the children,” he said.
New Jerusalem provides food, clothes, and Christmas gifts to needy students. On May 6, the Operation Fresh Start Musical Spring Musical raised $1,811 for Kirby Middle School to buy charging cords for tablets. | https://www.timesrecordnews.com/story/news/local/2022/08/18/new-jerusalem-baptist-church-back-to-school-roundup/65408400007/ | 2022-08-18T20:35:26 | 1 | https://www.timesrecordnews.com/story/news/local/2022/08/18/new-jerusalem-baptist-church-back-to-school-roundup/65408400007/ |
Panda Biotech delays opening of hemp gin again
The Panda Biotech hemp processing plant will not open this fall as previously announced.
The change confirmed Wednesday by the company’s president is the latest of several delays since Panda first announced plans to come to Wichita Falls in September 2020.
The most recent target date was October, but company president Dixie Carter said Wednesday that won’t happen.
She listed several reasons for the delay.
“You know, the market is really crazy, so we’ve been keeping everything as close on target as possible. We’re still dealing with some supply chain issues, obviously, like everybody," she said.
Carter now predicts the plant will open in first quarter of 2023.
“Somewhere in there, she said.
She said upcoming holidays are a factor.
“We just decided with Christmas — and you’ve got Thanksgiving — so you’ve got three weeks of a lot of holiday stuff. The companies we’re working with shut down, so we’re thinking it’s going to be more of first quarter now,” she said.
“There’s a couple of containers that need to be there for the whole thing to work that still need to come over the water. We’re trying to get some steel. You know how that goes," Carter said.
More:Panda Biotech gets funding for hemp plant
She said the company wants an extension on an incentive agreement with the city.
“I think we’re going to get an extension on — honestly I’m not involved with it — but I think it’s a 30-day extension on some pre-incentive money that was paid,” she said.
She’s talking about an extension on a $2.8 million incentive package the city’s 4A Sales Tax Corporation was scheduled to consider Thursday.
Representatives of the Wichita Falls Chamber of Commerce said Panda is up to date on its repayment of the incentive to the tune of $50,000 a month, and the deal should be extended. The deal calls for Panda to employ at least 50 workers within five years.
At the time Panda Biotech first pitched an incentive request to the city, the company predicted the gin, touted as the largest of its kind in the U.S., would be in operation in early 2021.
David Leezer of the Wichita Falls Chamber of Commerce said in January 2021 that because of financing issues the operational date would probably be late 2021 or early 2022.
Carter said in February 2022 the plant would probably open in October, but now has pushed the date further forward.
Despite the delays, the project is moving “very, very well," she said.
“We’re still — thank goodness, knock on wood — doing fantastic,” Carter said. "I think we're about to announce another cool partnership."
Panda Biotech bought the building at 8400 Central Freeway from a group of local investors in July 2021.
More:What new Panda Biotech hemp processing facility will actually do
The project was financed partly through the sale of up to $85 million in bonds issued by the Mission, Texas, Economic Development Corporation.
The building was originally constructed as a General Motors spark plug plant and then became Delphi Automotive.
With the help of a $2 million incentive package from the city, AmFuel opened a manufacturing facility in the vacant building but declared bankruptcy and closed it in 2017 after just two years in operation.
When operational, the plant will convert hemp stalk into materials that could be used in a variety of applications.
Carter said the gin would initially work with straw already on the ground that would come from South Texas, Colorado and Oklahoma.
“One day I’d love to have it all be local all around the Wichita Falls area, but we’re probably two or three years away from that,” Carter said.
Hemp production in Texas faces challenges, according to the Texas A&M Agrilife Extension Service, which notes the crop performs better in northern climates. | https://www.timesrecordnews.com/story/news/local/2022/08/18/panda-biotech-delays-opening-of-hemp-gin-again/65409370007/ | 2022-08-18T20:35:33 | 0 | https://www.timesrecordnews.com/story/news/local/2022/08/18/panda-biotech-delays-opening-of-hemp-gin-again/65409370007/ |
Transfer station reopening delayed
Staff reports
Times Record News
The city’s Transfer Station at 3200 Lawrence Road remained closed Thursday.
Crews made repairs Wednesday but needed to continue work on a large door the public uses. Crews hoped to have the work done by Thursday afternoon.
Residents who need to dispose of household waste at this time may use the City Landfill locatedat 10984 Wiley Road. | https://www.timesrecordnews.com/story/news/local/2022/08/18/transfer-station-reopening-delayed/65409661007/ | 2022-08-18T20:35:39 | 0 | https://www.timesrecordnews.com/story/news/local/2022/08/18/transfer-station-reopening-delayed/65409661007/ |
NORMAL — A gubernatorial debate is coming to Normal this fall.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s campaign announced Thursday two debates have been scheduled.
The first will be held the evening of Oct. 4 in Braden Auditorium at Illinois State University, hosted by the university, WMBD-TV and AARP Illinois.
A second debate is set to take place Oct. 18 in Chicago, hosted by WGN-TV.
Further details about the debates were not announced.
Republican gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey has not made any announcements regarding his intent to participate in those scheduled debates.
Photos: Illinois State Fair political days through the years
2012 State Fair
2012 State Fair
2015 State Fair
2015 State Fair
2015 State Fair
2007 State Fair
2008 State Fair
2008 State Fair
2009 State Fair
2012 State Fair
2012 State Fair
2005 State Fair
2004 State Fair
2003 State Fair
2003 State Fair
2006 State Fair
2007 State Fair
2012 State Fair
2018 State Fair
2012 State Fair
2021 State Fair
2021 State Fair
Contact Kelsey Watznauer at (309) 820-3254. Follow her on Twitter: @kwatznauer.
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Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/pritzker-announces-gubernatorial-debate-at-illinois-state-university/article_f0d40b48-1f1f-11ed-817c-53eeeb0c1e7e.html | 2022-08-18T20:41:16 | 0 | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/pritzker-announces-gubernatorial-debate-at-illinois-state-university/article_f0d40b48-1f1f-11ed-817c-53eeeb0c1e7e.html |
DALLAS (KDAF) — It’s no secret that players across professional sports not only game on the field but in the video game world as well. You’ll find players in the NBA, NHL, NFL, MLB, MLS, and all sorts of professional sports leagues with a controller in their hand from time to time.
There’s a certain superstar defensive player for the Dallas Cowboys that isn’t shy about his love for the game on and off the field as he’s very active on Twitter about how good he is at the ever-so-popular video game Madden.
In the middle of August and in the heat of the NFL preseason, Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons doesn’t want to be playing Madden alone. He simply asked who doesn’t have the game on his Twitter page.
Now it seems he’s started to toss out some copies of the game after the linebacker tweeted a screenshot of a thankful fan’s message. It wasn’t long ago Parsons was up to more good as he was giving out free pizza in late July around North Texas.
Time will tell how this young NFL star can continue his stellar start with America’s Team in year two. | https://cw33.com/news/local/dallas-cowboys-linebacker-giving-back-to-fans-with-madden-23-video-game/ | 2022-08-18T20:41:49 | 1 | https://cw33.com/news/local/dallas-cowboys-linebacker-giving-back-to-fans-with-madden-23-video-game/ |
DALLAS (KDAF) — Having designated date nights with your significant other is important and sometimes veering away from those set days/nights and being spontaneous is even more important!
Dallas and North Texas as a whole is filled with plenty of incredible date ideas and what better day to be spontaneous than Thursday, August 18 which is National Couple’s Day!
National Today says, “Your partner in crime, your ride or die, your pain in the…well, you know what we mean. Love isn’t always easy, but when you find that special someone, it’s definitely worth it.”
We’ve scoured the internet plenty over the year to know that there are some staples and some not-so-known spots around town to get your date night on:
- Drink and game at Cidercade, Pinstacks, or the Main Event
- Try your hand at some tough teamwork at escape rooms
- Tired of bowling or something similar? Maybe try Top Golf!
- Check out Deep Ellum or other areas around town filled with unique & fun eateries and bars
- Love animals? The Dallas or Fort Worth Zoo is for you!
- Comedy venues all around North Texas are sure to fill your night with laughter and a good time
- Maybe you need to just relax… check this story out Massages, getaways & just hanging out: These are the top spots for relaxation in Dallas | https://cw33.com/news/local/its-national-couples-day-check-out-some-top-tier-date-ideas-around-dallas/ | 2022-08-18T20:41:55 | 0 | https://cw33.com/news/local/its-national-couples-day-check-out-some-top-tier-date-ideas-around-dallas/ |
DALLAS (KDAF) — When choosing an airline to fly with so many factors can come under consideration, but getting to your destination with the smallest headache possible is among the top.
That’s why The Points Guy put together an extensive report of the best U.S. airlines for 2022. First, a look at the top 10 best airlines:
- Delta Air Lines
- Southwest Airlines
- United Airlines
- American Airlines
- Alaska Airlines
- Hawaiian Airlines
- JetBlue Airways
- Frontier Airlines
- Allegiant Air
- Spirit Airlines
“There’s a lot to consider when choosing an airline for your next trip — including price, operational efficiency, travel experience and loyalty. And while there’s no single carrier that’s ideal for every traveler, Delta Air Lines once again rose to the top of the list, earning the title of TPG’s best U.S. airline for the fourth straight year,” TPG said in their report.
The report states that North Texas airlines Southwest (No. 2) and American (No. 4) are among the top five best in the US alongside Delta, United, and Alaska. Southwest excels in bag/change fees, award availability and customer satisfaction while struggling with timeliness and cancellations.
Meanwhile, American excelled with family and route network while struggling with baggage and affordability according to the report.
The report also takes a deep dive into specifics like the best airlines for reliability, travel experience, and cost and reach. You can check all of that out and more by clicking here. | https://cw33.com/news/local/report-2-north-texas-based-airlines-among-top-10-in-the-country/ | 2022-08-18T20:42:01 | 0 | https://cw33.com/news/local/report-2-north-texas-based-airlines-among-top-10-in-the-country/ |
Understanding how your take home pay compares with others in your field, or someone in a different career, is vitally important. It can inform you about how your work is being valued, and whether you may want to pursue more lucrative career options in the future.
Likewise, hiring employers benefit from knowing the range of wages paid to workers in positions similar to those they are looking to hire, in their area of the state.
Thanks to survey responses from employers around the state, the Oregon Employment Department publishes wage estimates for over 750 occupations, as well as hundreds of occupations in every region of the state. The 2022 version of Occupational Wage Information is now available.
By the numbers
The annual average wage for all occupations in Oregon was $61,465 in 2022, or $29.55 per hour. Of the occupations with published data, gambling dealers had the lowest average wage of $14.29 per hour. General internal medicine physicians had the highest average wage ($138.86 per hour). Medical specialists like general internal medicine physicians have such a high average wage because it takes many years of education and experience in order to perform that level of work.
The cost of living, mix of industries, and available workforce can be different across the state. We may see a higher number of software engineers and folks working in corporate headquarters in Portland, while natural resource jobs may be more concentrated in rural communities, and leisure and hospitality jobs focused near the coast.
Wage estimates reflect these differences. The average hourly wage for Multnomah and Washington counties (the Portland-Metro region) was $33.25, and Clackamas County came in at $30.15 in 2022. Jobs in Eastern Oregon ($24.34) and Southwestern Oregon ($24.26) had lower average wages than jobs around the Portland tri-county area.
Wage estimates are not immune from the influences of the pandemic. We have seen shifts in employment levels and wages in different parts of the state. As we started to release wage data over the pandemic we began to see the average wage for Northwest Oregon ($27.16) was greater than the Mid-Valley ($27.00), something we had not seen since 2016.
Leisure and hospitality employment
While variations from one year to another can usually be stocked up to adjustments for inflation and changes in the composition of businesses sampled in the survey, national data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show the states that experienced a higher relative decline in leisure and hospitality employment saw higher than expected changes in average wage.
Prior to the pandemic, Northwest Oregon had a higher share of workers employed in leisure and hospitality than the Mid-Valley area. Leisure and hospitality jobs in many cases pay a lower than average wage. If the shutdowns from the pandemic adversely affected jobs on the lower end of the pay scale, then the average wage for the jobs that remain in the area will increase because those lower-paying jobs are not counted. That may be what we are seeing in Northwest Oregon, and generally across the country.
We will have to watch wage estimates for the next couple of years to see if average wages in Mid-Valley move ahead of Northwest Oregon as leisure and hospitality employment recovers.
Average wages
Looking at average wages is like trying to diagnose a patient by only taking their temperature. You can get a sense that something is off, but you may not be able to fully understand the many reasons why. We need to scan the wage ranges of different occupations to better assess how pay for one career aligns with another. Wage ranges give us a better idea of what we could expect if we were to hire, or work in a particular occupation.
We provide wage ranges by publishing a series of percentiles for each occupation. A percentile wage shows the percentage of workers in an occupation that earn less than a given wage and the percentage that earn more. In most cases, wages in the 10th or 25th percentile likely reflect workers just entering a career, or who have less education attainment than others performing similar work. To better our understanding of wage ranges let’s look at the wages for some nursing occupations in Oregon.
Nursing wages
Many front-line health care providers begin their career working as a nursing assistant, home health aide, or some other personal care provider. Workers interested in becoming a registered nurse usually need to have previous related experience, and these entry-level positions are a great way to do that. Registered nurses work in a number of settings, and many nurses have either an associate degree or bachelor’s degree as well as retaining the necessary licensing.
Most registered nursing jobs in Oregon pay between $37.95 and $63.60 per hour. We can see that those who continue on their career path and move into other jobs, such as nurse practitioners, may also see significant wage increases. About half of all nurse practitioners in Oregon earn more than 90% of all registered nurses.
Wages can also be different based on the setting health care providers work in. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, registered nurses working in a hospital setting typically earn wages more than 20% higher than their counterparts working in nursing and residential care settings. A higher minimum education requirement, as well as challenging work conditions may be some of the reasons we see higher wages for hospital nurses.
Occupational wage information allows us to better understand what people get paid for the work they do, and how that may differ across the state.
To get additional wage estimates for hundreds of careers, visit QualityInfo.org.
Jason Payton is an Oregon Employment Department Occupational Economist. He may be reached at jason.m.payton@employ.oregon.gov or at 503-871-0069. | https://theworldlink.com/news/local/2022-oregon-wage-information-what-you-need-to-know/article_9712d0b8-1c0d-11ed-8488-9f279eb6b1b9.html | 2022-08-18T20:48:26 | 0 | https://theworldlink.com/news/local/2022-oregon-wage-information-what-you-need-to-know/article_9712d0b8-1c0d-11ed-8488-9f279eb6b1b9.html |
Come together with thousands of Oregonians on Saturday, September 17, for SOLVE’s Beach & Riverside Cleanup, in partnership with the Oregon Lottery. Volunteer registration is now live, and all Oregonians, from Astoria to Brookings, Pendleton to Sunriver, are encouraged to sign up for this statewide cleanup event.
For nearly four decades, SOLVE has hosted the annual Beach & Riverside Cleanup. With the support of SOLVE, community leaders and partner organizations host restoration events, urban litter cleanup projects, and beach cleanups. Each volunteer project is aimed at caring for one of Oregon’s most precious resources, our water, from source to sea.
Thanks to the efforts of over 3,000 dedicated volunteers who participated in last year’s Beach & Riverside Cleanup, over 60,385 pounds of trash and marine debris were removed, and 32,717 square feet of invasive plants were cleared.
Removing invasive plant species, nurturing native plants, and collecting litter are all easy ways volunteers can positively impact Oregon’s water quality.
Each piece of litter collected removes the possibility of it entering a nearby river, waterway, or storm drain, where it can eventually make its way to the sea and contribute to our global marine debris crisis. Invasive plant species crowd out native plants and typically have shallow roots, leading to increased erosion and poor water filtration.
“Since 1969, SOLVE has been mobilizing volunteers to restore and preserve Oregon’s natural spaces,” says Oregon Lottery Director, Barry Pack. “The Oregon Lottery is proud to continue supporting SOLVE’s Beach & Riverside Cleanup. Now more than ever, it’s important for Oregonians to come together for a common cause. SOLVE’s Beach & Riverside Cleanup provides the perfect opportunity.”
Interested community members are encouraged to visit solveoregon.org to see a list of volunteer projects and sign up. To create a culture of sustainability around litter cleanups, it is suggested that you bring your own reusable gloves, buckets, and safety vests. The Beach & Riverside Cleanup is a great way to bond with family members, coworkers, and neighbors, all while collectively giving back to some of Oregon’s most beautiful places. Join the action today at solveoregon.org.
SOLVE’s Beach & Riverside Cleanup is in partnership with the Oregon Lottery, with additional support from Metro, Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, Oregon Department of Transportation, Onpoint Community Credit Union, Rogue Ales & Spirits, Chevron, Fred Meyer, Bamboo Sushi, Clean Water Services, City of Beaverton, Next Adventure, and Deep Blue Pacific Wind.
SOLVE is a statewide non-profit organization that brings Oregonians together to improve our environment and build a legacy of stewardship. Since 1969, the organization has grown from a small, grassroots group to a national model of volunteer action. Today, SOLVE mobilizes and trains tens of thousands of volunteers of all ages across Oregon to clean and restore our neighborhoods and natural areas, and build a legacy of stewardship for our state. Visit solveoregon.org for more information. | https://theworldlink.com/news/local/registration-is-open-for-solves-beach-riverside-cleanup/article_e6ec1b50-1c0b-11ed-b318-03d60851a498.html | 2022-08-18T20:48:33 | 0 | https://theworldlink.com/news/local/registration-is-open-for-solves-beach-riverside-cleanup/article_e6ec1b50-1c0b-11ed-b318-03d60851a498.html |
Albany Herald Retail Advertising Manager Heather Harrison, left, presents a check to Liberty House Shelter Manager Deborah Kegler that represents proceeds from the Herald's recent Woman of the Year event.
ALBANY -- Two of the realities that nonprofits like Albany's Liberty House, a state-certified domestic violence shelter, face are among the things that make their work so hard: small staffs and even smaller budgets.
That's why Liberty House Executive Director Diane Rogers says the nonprofit's relationships with supporters like The Albany Herald are so important.
"That connection we have with the Herald's Woman of Year event and others like it are very important to us," Rogers said after receiving a check from Herald Retail Advertising Director Heather Harrison. "The donations allow us to help individuals who are in crisis and help us fund our programs and the services we provide to victims of domestic violence.
"Plus, I think it's important that we celebrate the strong women of our community who do so much to make our community better."
The money donated to Liberty House came from proceeds of the Herald's second Women of the Year celebration.
"The event was a huge success," Harrison said. "We had over 3,200 nominations and 34,000 votes. The community really rallied together again for this event. There was literally standing room only as hundreds of people gathered to celebrate the women in our community.
"We are honored to host this event and to be able to donate a portion of the proceeds to our partners at Liberty House. The work they do is vital to helping families and victims of domestic violence."
Rogers said 75% of Liberty House's budget comes from state and federal funds provided by the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council. The other 25% come "locally, from grants and donors."
"It's a lot of work to provide the services we provide at Liberty House, but we have a very generous community," she said. "I believe there are others who could and would help, but they're not really aware of what we do."
What Liberty House does, in part, is:
-- Provide emergency shelter for domestic violence victims, including alternate housing (like hotel stays) if there is not enough room at Liberty House's shelter;
-- Offer a 24-hour crisis line whose services include directing victims to shelters, allowing them to "just vent," or helping them come up with a safety plan;
-- Provide outreach services to domestic violence victims in 16 outlying counties as well as Albany and Dougherty County;
-- Offer advocacy, including helping women file protective orders;
-- Go to court with victims to help them navigate their way through the court system;
-- Provide victims' needs, such as hygiene products, clothing, food, diapers, formula;
-- Offer transportation assistance;
-- Help victims find permanent housing;
-- And provide help with any other needs victims might have.
Rogers noted that Liberty House has a number of events planned for October, which is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Dates for each event have not yet been finalized, but among them will be:
-- Liberty House's annual gala on Oct. 15: "We hold this event at Chehaw, and it's our biggest fundraiser," Rogers said. "There are silent and live auctions, dining and dancing. ... It's a huge event for us."
-- Domestic Violence Month proclamation;
-- A vigil honoring individuals who lost their lives in domestic violence incidents: "There are around 100 or more people in Georgia who lose their lives to domestic violence each year," Rogers noted;
-- Purple Day on Oct. 20, a nationwide event: "Albany Police Department officers are going to wear purple ribbons and have a ribbon on their cars that day," Rogers said. "We're going to challenge businesses in the community to do the same in an effort to start conversations about domestic violence that we need to have in our community."
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ALBANY — The misuse of opioids, including prescription pain medication, heroin and synthetic opioids such as Fentanyl, is a national public health crisis. According to the CDC, drug overdose-related deaths have quintupled since 1999. In 2022, there have been 29 drug-related deaths in Dougherty County among residents ages 24-64. Fentanyl has been present in most opioid overdoses in Dougherty County this year. Opioid overdose deaths are preventable.
Recognize the signs and symptoms of an opioid overdose:
• Pinpoint pupils
• Unconsciousness
• Respiratory depression
• Awake, but unable to talk
• Limp posture
• Pale or clammy face
• Blue lips and fingernails
• Purple or gray skin. For lighter-skinned people, the skin turns bluish purple. For darker-skinned people, the skin turns grayish or ashen
• Slow, shallow, or irregular breathing or no breathing at all
• Pulse is slow, erratic, or not there at all
• Choking sounds or a snore-like gurgling noise
If you suspect a drug overdose, administer naloxone if you have it and know how to use it. Naloxone is an opioid antagonist that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose and can be obtained from pharmacies in Georgia without a prescription under a standing order. Naloxone is available for free at the Dougherty County Health Department on Wednesdays, from 1-5 p.m.
Georgia has a medical amnesty law that protects individuals who may be experiencing an overdose and callers seeking medical attention for drug overdoses. This law provides limited liability for possession of small amounts of drugs and/or alcohol (this applies to the victim as well as the caller); limited liability for breaches of parole, restraining orders, probation and other violations; and naloxone immunity for prescribers, pharmacists and first responders.
Always follow the prescribed directions of your opioid prescription. Do not combine opioids with alcohol or other medications unless your doctor has said it is OK to do so. To avoid misuse or theft of prescription medications, keep medications stored out of sight in a safe and secure location. Dispose of unused or expired medications at a Controlled Substance Public Disposal Location, at a Drug Take-Back Event, or in drug deactivation pouches. Deterra Drug Deactivation and Disposal Pouches are available for FREE at all 14 county health departments. Call a local health department for more information.
Drug prevention and recovery are possible with the appropriate support. For access to services and immediate crisis help, the Georgia Crisis & Access Line (1-800-715-4225) is available 24/7.
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accounts, the history behind an article. | https://www.albanyherald.com/local/state-amnesty-law-offers-limited-protection-of-overdose-victims/article_91e72966-1f2a-11ed-b230-53dcef82ded3.html | 2022-08-18T20:51:59 | 0 | https://www.albanyherald.com/local/state-amnesty-law-offers-limited-protection-of-overdose-victims/article_91e72966-1f2a-11ed-b230-53dcef82ded3.html |
TIFTON -- The Georgia Cotton Commission, Georgia Peanut Commission and the University of Georgia Extension Cotton and Peanut Teams, will co-sponsor a joint research field day on Sept. 7 in Tifton.
The field day will start at 8 a.m. at the Tifton Campus Conference Center in the North Parking Lot. After a brief welcome, field day attendees will visit the RDC Pivot and the UGA Lang Farm to tour several trials and hear from speakers. Attendees will return to the UGA Tifton Campus Conference Center for lunch and a short program.
The field day is a free event, but attendees are encouraged to RSVP to Ashley Golden at ashley.golden@uga.edu or by calling (229) 386-3366 to provide an accurate count for lunch.
The purpose of the tour is to showcase current research, which is funded by the respective commissions, in plot-side presentations by the researchers. The sponsors’ goal is to provide an educational environment for cotton and peanut farmers and give them the opportunity to pose questions directly to the researchers and to express opinions and concerns pertinent to the production of their crops.
Chairmen of the cotton and peanut commissions, Bart Davis and Joe Boddiford, respectively, agree this event gives farmers the opportunity to interact with the leadership of each commission, other farmers and industry representatives. It is an excellent place for farmers to observe, first-hand, the research programs funded by their checkoff investments.
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd,
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accounts, the history behind an article. | https://www.albanyherald.com/local/state-cotton-peanut-commissions-to-host-field-day/article_ad20924a-1f29-11ed-ab59-bf94b6665fbc.html | 2022-08-18T20:52:00 | 0 | https://www.albanyherald.com/local/state-cotton-peanut-commissions-to-host-field-day/article_ad20924a-1f29-11ed-ab59-bf94b6665fbc.html |
TIFTON — The former provost and two faculty members have been selected for emeritus status at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College.
Emeritus status recipients include Jerry Baker, professor emeritus of agriculture and provost; Susan Roe, professor emerita of voice and head of fine arts department; and Frank Flanders, associate professor emeritus of agricultural education.
Former ABAC President David Bridges informed the recipients of their emeritus status before he retired on July 31.
“I know that I speak on behalf of many colleagues and students in expressing appreciation for your long and distinguished careers,” Bridges said. “I am pleased that you have been recognized in a manner so appropriate to your contributions.
“We want you to return to campus often and maintain the ties you developed during your many years of service.”
Emeritus status privileges extend to the Baldwin Library; ABAC social, cultural and athletic events, and campus faculty meetings.
Baker began his ABAC tenure as the dean of the School of Agriculture and Natural Resources on July 1, 2014 and continued in that role through June 30, 2017. He became the provost and vice president for academic affairs on July 1, 2017. Baker retired on July 31.
Roe joined the ABAC faculty as an adjunct professor in 1999. She secured a tenure track role in 2002 and earned the rank of full professor in 2012. In 2015, she was named the department head for fine arts at ABAC. She retired on June 30.
A faculty member at ABAC since 2017, Flanders was selected for the 2022 W. Bruce and Rosalyn Ray Donaldson Excellence in Student Engagement award at ABAC. He retired on June 30.
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accounts, the history behind an article. | https://www.albanyherald.com/local/trio-receives-emeritus-status-at-abraham-baldwin-agricultural-college/article_f58b286c-1f27-11ed-9ea2-5f5b7cff40de.html | 2022-08-18T20:52:01 | 1 | https://www.albanyherald.com/local/trio-receives-emeritus-status-at-abraham-baldwin-agricultural-college/article_f58b286c-1f27-11ed-9ea2-5f5b7cff40de.html |
LATAH COUNTY, Idaho — A 71-year-old man from Boise died after a truck crash Wednesday afternoon near Genesee in rural Latah County.
Idaho State Police said the man was driving a Peterbilt tractor hauling items for delivery on Rosenau Road when the truck left the roadway and hit a drainage canal near Stout Road. According to a news release from the ISP Region 2 office in Lewiston, investigating officers suspect the driver experienced a medical emergency before going off the road.
The driver died at the scene. No other vehicles were involved.
The driver's name has not been released, but next of kin has been notified.
The incident remains under investigation by the Idaho State Police.
Watch more Local News:
See the latest news from around the Treasure Valley and the Gem State in our YouTube playlist:
OFFICERS HONORED: Six Idahoans awarded Idaho Medal of Honor
IDAHO WILDFIRE: Moose Fire, Idaho's largest of 2022, grows to 135 square miles
MORE REGIONAL NEWS: Foot found in Yellowstone pool, investigation ongoing | https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/boise-man-killed-in-crash-latah-county-idaho-peterbilt-tractor/277-060bad25-9c8d-4248-9bcf-c4660580eadd | 2022-08-18T20:52:08 | 1 | https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/boise-man-killed-in-crash-latah-county-idaho-peterbilt-tractor/277-060bad25-9c8d-4248-9bcf-c4660580eadd |
WASHINGTON — The Federal Emergency Management Agency has developed a new strategy to better engage with hundreds of Native American tribes as they face climate change-related disasters, the agency announced Thursday.
FEMA will include the 574 federally recognized tribal nations in discussions about possible future dangers from climate change, and has earmarked $50 million in grants for tribes pursuing ways to ease burdens related to extreme weather. Tribal governments will be offered more training on how to navigate applying for FEMA funds. The new plan calls for tribal liaisons to give a yearly report to FEMA leaders on how prepared tribes are.
“We are seeing communities across the country that are facing increased threats as a result of climate change," FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell said in a conference call with media. “What we want to do in this strategy is make sure that we can reach out to tribal nations and help them understand what the potential future threats are going to be.”
In recent years, tribal and Indigenous communities have faced upheaval dealing with changing sea levels as well as an increase in floods and wildfires. Tribal citizens have lost homes or live in homes that need to be relocated because of coastal erosion. Some cannot preserve cultural traditions like hunting and fishing because of climate-related drought.
Researchers say tribes have disproportionately been impacted by natural disasters and the federal government hasn't fully funded its obligations to them. It was only in 2013 under the Sandy Recovery Improvement Act that federally recognized tribes obtained the ability to directly request emergency and disaster declarations. Before, they had to apply for disaster funding through the states.
The new strategy emphasizes making sure tribes know of every FEMA grant program and how to apply for it. The hope is this will give them an equitable chance at getting funding. The agency hopes to find ways to get around barriers like FEMA cost share, or the portion of disaster or project funding that the federal government will cover. In some cases, tribes simply can't afford to pay their share.
“In those areas where we can’t, what we want to do is to be able to work with the tribes to help them find other funding sources to help them stitch together the different funding streams that might be out there," Criswell said.
Another change under the new strategy is more FEMA staff meeting tribes on their land, a request the agency got from multiple tribes. This will include anything from in-person technical assistance in small, rural communities to appearing at large national or regional tribal events.
Bill Auberle, the co-founder of the Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals at Northern Arizona University, said this focus on regular interactions on tribal land is an immense development. More intimate discussions such as workshops, roundtables and webinars are “exceedingly important to tribes.”
“It's one thing to send out a notice and say ‘We would like your response,'" Auberle said. “Some of those tribes are small but have very serious needs. FEMA can certainly appreciate that.”
In addition to making more funds available to tribes, FEMA could also help by providing things like technical support as tribes prepare for and adapt to climate change, Auberle said.
The push to ensure all tribes fully understand how to access FEMA assistance or other related grants will be done with webinars, tribal consultations or regular meetings with FEMA regional staff.
Agency workers will get trained as well, learning a historic and legal overview about tribal sovereignty and cultural sensitivities. | https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/fema-national-tribal-strategy-climate-change/281-7819592e-c501-43e4-967d-02bdb555e2c2 | 2022-08-18T20:52:58 | 1 | https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/fema-national-tribal-strategy-climate-change/281-7819592e-c501-43e4-967d-02bdb555e2c2 |
Flash flood warnings in effect for northern Arizona, another wet, stormy weekend predicted
Cooler temperatures and more thunderstorm activity is expected to pick up again through this weekend in Arizona, according to the National Weather Service in Phoenix.
According to the weather service, monsoon moisture will gradually increase and peak on Friday through Sunday, when heavy rain and localized flooding chances will be the highest.
"This weekend looks to be one of our better setups of the monsoon season so far, many areas across the state could be looking at really heavy rainfall amounts," said Isaac Smith, a meteorologist with the weather service in Phoenix. "Our chances for thunderstorms this weekend climb to around 80%."
The weather service in Flagstaff issued a flood watch for Coconino County effective until 11 p.m. Thursday. Another watch remains in effect from late Friday morning to Saturday evening for most of Southwestern Arizona.
A shelter in place order was issued for the Mt. Elden Estates area by the city of Flagstaff.
Weekend forecast
Temperatures are expected to cool down into the nineties by Friday and "possibly upper eighties by Saturday," the weather service said.
According to Smith, a strong moisture outflow is expected to hit the metro Phoenix area on Thursday evening, bringing windspeeds of over 35 mph and more storm chances that will prevail through Saturday and slightly decrease on Sunday.
Smith said the areas that will likely be most affected by rainfall and flooding this weekend are the northern and southwestern parts of the state including parts of Maricopa, Pinal, and Gila counties.
Smith advised people to be prepared for the strong monsoon conditions this weekend.
"Since it's the weekend and people may have plans, people need to stay up to date with the latest forecast, along with warnings as well in the event they end up in an area that is expecting flash flooding or heavy weather," Smith said.
He also advised drivers to travel cautiously, as they face the highest risks when it comes to flash flooding.
"If you encounter flooded roadways, remember to turn around, don't drown," he said.
Reach breaking news reporter Laura Daniella Sepulveda at lsepulveda@lavozarizona.com or on Twitter @lauradNews.
Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today. | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-weather/2022/08/18/arizona-weather-wet-stormy-weekend-flood-watch-coconino-county/7834036001/ | 2022-08-18T20:52:59 | 1 | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-weather/2022/08/18/arizona-weather-wet-stormy-weekend-flood-watch-coconino-county/7834036001/ |
Family of murdered Navajo woman still seeks justice as boyfriend awaits trial
Marilene James read her family’s victim impact statement, which spelled out why she believed Tre James should remain in custody until his trial for the murder of her niece, Jamie Yazzie.
Tre James was arrested Aug. 4 and charged with two counts alleging that he shot and killed his girlfriend, Jamie Yazzie, 31, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. He was also charged with six other counts alleging that he committed acts of domestic violence against three victims between 2018 and 2021, incidents that involved suffocation, strangling, kidnapping and assault with a dangerous weapon.
Yazzie's disappearance in June 2019 sent her family and friends on a long and often frustrating journey through the legal system. They had to fight for any bit of news about the investigation and eventually took it upon themselves to help find Yazzie and, eventually, her killer.
It's a familiar story among the hundreds of Indigenous families searching for loved ones, whose efforts are tracked by activists working on behalf of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Relatives.
Yazzie's family obtained pro bono representation by Darlene Gomez of Gomez and Associates in Albuquerque, and with her help, the family was able to navigate the legal system as they dealt with the disappearance of Yazzie and then the search for the person who killed her.
Tre James was arrested on Aug. 4 and five days later his pretrial hearing took place at the Flagstaff District Court. Magistrate Judge Camille D. Bibles presided over the hearing and ordered that Tre James be detained, agreeing that he is a danger to the community and, based on the evidence, that he was a flight risk.
Marilene James said she read the victim's statement on behalf of her sister, Ethelene Denny, who is Yazzie’s mom. The statement said Tre James should remain in custody until his trial because he is a danger to their family and the Navajo Nation.
“He has shown by his actions over the last three years that he is dangerous, and my daughter was not his only victim,” Marilene read. “He has hurt three other women as well. Tre has taken our precious loved one, Jamie Lynette Yazzie. She was a beloved daughter, mother, sister, granddaughter, niece, and aunt.”
Yazzie was a young mother of three boys and worked as a nurse's assistant in the pediatric center of the Pinon Health Center on the Navajo Nation. Within the statement given during the hearing, the family spoke of how beloved Yazzie was in the small community of Pinon, and how much of a help she was to her family.
Her remains were found in November 2021 on the Hopi Reservation, but it would take three months before authorities confirmed that the remains were hers. The information was released to the media first, before her family, according to Gomez.
“I often hear from others in the community that she is a kind and helpful person,” said Mary K. James, Yazzie’s grandmother. “I noticed that Jamie changed when she met Tre. I saw that something bad was going on.”
Mary K. James went to say that after Yazzie went missing, a woman had come up to her to tell her they had been a victim of Tre James. Others had also reached out to tell her how dangerous he was. It seemed to the family like the whole community knew how dangerous of a person Yazzie’s alleged killer was.
Raising awareness:Families and advocates seek justice for missing and murdered Indigenous people
The investigation
Yazzie was last seen on June 30, 2019, by others in Pinon. Her boyfriend, Tre James, was said to be the last person to see her alive. Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent Dustin Blazer Drace stated in an affidavit that Tre James shot and killed Yazzie between June 30 and July 5, 2019, in Pinon.
“The victim was killed by a gunshot wound to the back of her head,” wrote Drace. “The victim’s blood was identified in the bedroom of Tre James. Spent shell casings were found there as well.”
Witnesses who last saw the couple said they had been arguing about Tre James cheating on Yazzie. The witnesses left the house where Tre James and Yazzie were staying, records show. The next day, Tre James appeared to have stopped trying to contact Yazzie, whose phone was either turned off or left unanswered. She failed to show up for work.
In the affidavit, Drace wrote that, in the days after July 1, the suspect spent several days at his aunt’s, where family told authorities he was acting strange. His sister saw him with a handgun and he was “aggressive, nervous and paranoid,” Drace wrote.
On July 5, 2019, Denny reported Yazzie missing to the Chinle Police Department after not hearing from her or seeing her. Denny had been taking care of Yazzie’s children and found it unusual that she wasn’t checking in as she normally would.
Denny’s calls to her daughter went straight to voicemail, and she was told by Yazzie’s employer that her daughter hadn’t been to work. One of Yazzie's co-workers had also gone to the authorities.
Three days after Yazzie was reported missing, investigators went to the last place she was reported to have been, which was the house where they were staying. The blue house where the couple was staying has since burned down.
“During the consent search, investigators found a spent 9mm casing, a spent .22 casing, a red-colored substance that appeared to be blood on the floor, and white colored substance that appeared to be a cleaning agent on the floor,” wrote Drace.
Through multiple interviews with the suspect's family, it became clear Tre James was involved with another woman at the same time he was dating Yazzie. The victim’s family painted the relationship between Yazzie and Tre James as tumultuous and the suspect as dangerous.
Tre James was also charged with committing acts of domestic violence against three victims between 2018 and 2021. The reports said the victims reported incidents involving suffocation, strangling, kidnapping and assault with a dangerous weapon.
“All of James’s charges involve violence against Navajo women and took place on the Navajo Nation,” Gomez pointed out.
Indigenous victims:FBI releases names of 170 missing people in New Mexico and on the Navajo Nation
The family finds legal help
Gomez, an attorney who took on the case pro bono in August 2019, has always been honest about the oversights made by authorities when it came to the investigation. She also pointed out the lack of communication with the family, and the inability for authorities to recognize her role in this case.
Despite multiple attempts to contact and coordinate communications about the case, she said the FBI seemed to stonewall the firm and refused to return messages. Her office received a phone call from the family’s victim advocate notifying her of the trial, but Gomez was unable to obtain copies of James’s charging documents and was not made aware of an upcoming press release being published by the DOJ or FBI, said Gomez.
"Jamie’s mother was told of Tre being arrested, they didn't tell her what he was arrested for or charges he was being arraigned with,” said Gomez. “We had to find out through a press release that went to the media before it went to the family. That was extremely painful because Marilene James had to call different TV stations and newspapers to find that press release. We felt it was very disrespectful that we didn't get the press release when the press got it.”
Gomez said James was not interviewed after authorities discovered the “red substance,” which appeared to be blood, inside his grandmother's house, where the couple were last seen together.
“The first time law enforcement had any contact with James following Yazzie’s disappearance took place on an unrelated call to which Chinle PD responded in July of 2019,” said Gomez in a press release she sent out after the DOJ press release. “Even at that time, law enforcement did not interview James about Yazzie’s disappearance. James’s first interview by law enforcement didn’t take place until January 2022, two months after Yazzie’s remains were discovered.”
Even after members of Tre James's family told investigators that James was acting “aggressive, nervous, and paranoid” in the days immediately following Yazzie’s disappearance, authorities did not interview him until more than a year later.
The family of Jamie Yazzie had spent countless hours searching for her. They put up billboards asking for help finding her and then asking for help in finding the killer.
Gomez said even when remains were found in November, authorities did not notify the family, leaving them to continue searching for her in December.
“If law enforcement agencies and the Department of Justice really cared so much about Native American lives, why didn’t they do even a one-mile spoke search of the area surrounding James’s home?" asked Gomez. “Why was he allowed to roam free for nearly two years, victimizing three other women in the interim, before he was arrested for Jamie’s murder? These are questions investigating agencies have yet to answer.”
The family is still waiting for the remains of Yazzie to be returned so they can give her a proper burial. Her remains were transferred to the FBI headquarters in Quantico, Virginia, in January 2022 for forensic analysis and 3D replication.
"They wanted to ensure no evidence was going to be lost," said Gomez of what she was told by authorities. "They wanted to ensure that it was kept for any evidence purposes."
Gomez recently received the Robert H. LaFollette Pro Bono Award for her extensive activism and legal work on behalf of primary and secondary victims of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Relatives public health crisis. Currently, she is representing 15 MMIWR families, 11 of them Navajo, and the others Pueblo of Laguna and Pueblo of Jemez. All are pro bono cases.
When Gomez was given the award during her ceremony, she asked Marilene James to address the audience about why it's important to have attorneys represent families pro bono.
"The work I do is about the family, it's not about myself," said Gomez. "Marilene's statement is about how important it is to have an attorney pro bono, and what it means to her and her family, and how it's affected the outcome of the case."
Arlyssa Becenti covers Indigenous affairs for The Arizona Republic and azcentral. Send ideas and tips to arlyssa.becenti@arizonarepublic.com.
Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today. | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona/2022/08/18/family-murdered-navajo-woman-want-killer-face-justice/10346332002/ | 2022-08-18T20:53:05 | 0 | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona/2022/08/18/family-murdered-navajo-woman-want-killer-face-justice/10346332002/ |
1 dead, 1 critically injured in single-car crash in Phoenix
A fatal collision Thursday on Bell Road and 21st Avenue left one man dead and one woman in critical condition. The accident also closed down Bell Road throughout the morning, according to a news release from the Phoenix Police Department.
The collision occurred around 7:20 a.m., Phoenix police said, and involved a single car crashing into a pole.
When Phoenix police arrived, they found a man in his late 40s and an adult woman in the crashed vehicle. When the Phoenix Fire Department arrived, they pronounced the man dead at the scene, while the woman was transported to the hospital in critical condition.
Police said several witnesses in the area told them there was only one vehicle involved. Phoenix police detectives are continuing the investigation. The two people in the car have not been identified.
As of 10:30 a.m., the Arizona Department of Transportation’s interactive map is not showing any closures in the area of Bell Road and 21st Avenue.
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/phoenix-traffic/2022/08/18/1-dead-1-injured-single-vehicle-crash-bell-road-phoenix/7833716001/ | 2022-08-18T20:53:12 | 1 | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix-traffic/2022/08/18/1-dead-1-injured-single-vehicle-crash-bell-road-phoenix/7833716001/ |
MECHANICSBURG, Pa. — Note: The video is from Jan. 26, 2021.
A summer of legal wrangling continues for accused U.S. Capitol rioter and suspected laptop thief Riley Williams.
The Mechanicsburg woman's request to have the terms of her house arrest lifted so that she could attend the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire was granted by a U.S. District judge in Washington D.C., court records show.
Williams will be allowed to attend the Manheim, Lancaster County event from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday, U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson ruled.
It was a rare pre-trial victory for Williams, who has been on house arrest since last year while awaiting trial for her alleged role in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.
Earlier this week, Jackson denied Williams' request to have her trial moved from Washington D.C. to Harrisburg. Williams' attorney, Lori Ulrich, argued unsuccessfully that a Harrisburg-area jury would be less likely to be biased against Williams.
In July, Ulrich petitioned the court to have the house arrest and ankle monitoring requirements for Williams lifted, calling them "unduly burdensome."
Jackson also denied that motion, stating Williams was a flight risk and noting that she had previously not fully complied with the terms of her house arrest conditions.
Williams, 25, was charged in January with entering the U.S. Capitol as part of the riot and, once inside, stealing a laptop belonging to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Williams is charged with obstruction of an official proceeding, assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers, theft of government property, entering and remaining inside a restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly conduct in a capitol building, and parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a capitol building for her alleged conduct on Jan. 6. | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/capitol-rioter-riley-williams-pennsylvania-renaissance-faire-house-arrest-request-granted/521-4723adf4-2ab0-456f-812a-8a9b54aa3ea7 | 2022-08-18T20:53:42 | 1 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/capitol-rioter-riley-williams-pennsylvania-renaissance-faire-house-arrest-request-granted/521-4723adf4-2ab0-456f-812a-8a9b54aa3ea7 |
DENTON, Texas — Editor's Note: The video above is from a May 2022 story about a new North Texas program.
A public university in Texas announced Thursday that incoming students will be paying the same as they did the previous school year to give families some financial relief.
The University of North Texas (UNT) System Board of Regents unanimously voted to keep tuition the same for all of its schools for the Fiscal Year 2023. This was in accordance with the UNT System consolidated budget established during an August meeting
This is now the seventh consecutive year tuition has remained the same, UNT System Chancellor Dr. Michael R. Williams said.
“During a time when inflation is at an all-time high, the entire UNT System remains committed to providing an education of great value that is accessible and affordable for all students," Williams said. "The UNT System will continue to demonstrate fiscal stewardship by identifying cost-savings to ensure no unnecessary financial burden is being passed on to our students and their families.”
The last time any UNT campus raised tuition was in 2016. Between May 2016 and May 2022, the price of milk increased 33% and the price of eggs increased 70% while the price of UNT’s tuition stayed flat, according to Williams.
“The UNT System is dedicated to transforming the value proposition of higher education and is laser-focused on our students and their families, their experience, learning, and lifetime success," Williams said.
In the United States, the average cost for tuition in public universities went up about 1.2% in fall 2020 and 1.6% in fall 2021, according to the non-profit organization College Board. Those were the smallest percentage increases since the 1970s, this data showed. | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/north-texas-not-raising-tuition-7th-straight-year/287-e9026ad0-e279-4699-879d-0ee6bbf492bb | 2022-08-18T20:53:48 | 0 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/north-texas-not-raising-tuition-7th-straight-year/287-e9026ad0-e279-4699-879d-0ee6bbf492bb |
A nonprofit organization has raised $4.4 million to address housing insecurity in the Richmond region.
"To say we are excited to have completed this campaign goal is an understatement," said Beth Vann-Turnbull, executive director of Housing Families First.
Vann-Turnbull said she's grateful for the groundswell of support. The final amount was announced on Thursday.
With these funds, the non-profit hopes to help an additional 300 people move into permanent housing each year, provide 10 additional shelter beds in private room settings, and add fully handicap-accessible shelter bedrooms and bathrooms.
Chesterfield County residents will have several opportunities to learn about a $540 million bond referendum on the November ballot.
"Homelessness is a community issue and it takes the community’s support to create actionable solutions that work," said Kelly Evans, president of the organization's board of directors. "To all of the organizations and individuals who made this happen, you were the solution and we are eternally grateful."
Renovations to the shelter located near their headquarters at 3900 Nine Mile Road in Henrico County have already begun.
Housing Families First is working on plans for a ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house event this fall.
Top 5 weekend events: RVA Duck Race, Down Home Family Reunion & The Shins | https://richmond.com/news/local/4-4-million-raised-to-address-housing-issues-in-richmond-region/article_3bdc8a92-219e-5adb-9c7d-0205d46e18bf.html | 2022-08-18T20:58:15 | 0 | https://richmond.com/news/local/4-4-million-raised-to-address-housing-issues-in-richmond-region/article_3bdc8a92-219e-5adb-9c7d-0205d46e18bf.html |
Families unpack the belongings of Illinois State University students entering Watterson Towers for the fall semester. University officials have estimated about 6,000 students are moving into residence halls this week.
Drew Zimmerman
Families load the belongings of Illinois State University students into Watterson Towers for the fall semester. University officials have estimated about 6,000 students are moving into residence halls this week.
NORMAL — Incoming Illinois State University sophomore Savannah Scott said when she moved into the Hewett-Manchester residence halls last year, it was a little chaotic.
Temperatures were high and face coverings still were enforced due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
But as she prepared to move into Watterson Towers on Thursday, Scott said things were more hectic due to the size of the buildings and the number of residents.
"But everyone's been able to help us (and) if we had any questions, they're there," Scott said. "The experience has been good so far and we're almost done, so it's been a steady, easy process and I've enjoyed it."
Just over 6,000 ISU students will settle into the campus' residence halls throughout the move-in week, which concludes Sunday.
Stacey Mwilambwe, director of university housing services, said the university is back to regular campus housing occupancy.
Last year, only two students were allowed per quad rooms at ISU residence halls as a COVID-19 precaution. But this year, rooms may be fully occupied.
Mwilambwe said more and more students across the country are wanting to live on campus, and universities are responding to many more housing requests. At ISU, Mwilambwe added that she is really seeing the excitement of students wishing to remain on campus.
"Because honestly, students really want that social connection (and) they want to meet other people on campus and make friends, and they haven't been able to do that the last couple of years," she said.
Once students reserved a slot to move in and picked up their key, staff were on hand to help load their belongings onto a cart to be taken up to their new room.
Because of the increased number of student residents, Mwilambwe said move-in week would not have been possible without the assistance of roughly 300 volunteers.
Colin McCoy, an ISU sophomore working as a resident assistant at Watterson Towers, said volunteers assisted about 600 residents on Monday and Tuesday by loading their belongings onto elevators and picking up trash, among other services.
"I feel like we were a little more disorganized last year, but our group is really tight-knit this year and training is going good, so I feel like we're doing a really great job," McCoy said.
Mwilambwe had estimated that about 2,200 students would be moving into Watterson Towers this week.
Incoming freshman Jennifer Heinrich said the move-in was well organized and did not leave her stressed.
"I feel very calm instead of scattered, so I'm happy about that," she said.
Coming from a smaller town, Heinrich said she is excited to meet new people and have access to so many different amenities in Bloomington-Normal.
Although official enrollment numbers won't be available until after the 10th day of classes, ISU President Terry Goss Kinzy had said this week that deposits for first-time-in-college students, largely freshmen, are up 20% from where they were at this point last year.
ISU classes are set to begin Monday.
The Illinois State University campus through the years
There’s something for everyone in the Twin Cities’ weekend live music lineup, including 10 free shows Saturday at Front Street Music Festival, plus three more in Bloomington and Normal.
Families unpack the belongings of Illinois State University students entering Watterson Towers for the fall semester. University officials have estimated about 6,000 students are moving into residence halls this week.
Families load the belongings of Illinois State University students into Watterson Towers for the fall semester. University officials have estimated about 6,000 students are moving into residence halls this week. | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/education/isu-welcoming-6k-students-to-residence-halls-this-week/article_cfc55ec6-1f1e-11ed-a67b-ffc8754e7f74.html | 2022-08-18T21:07:21 | 1 | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/education/isu-welcoming-6k-students-to-residence-halls-this-week/article_cfc55ec6-1f1e-11ed-a67b-ffc8754e7f74.html |
TAMPA, Fla. — Tampa City Council on Thursday will be reviewing a report known as the GRACE Act produced by the City of Austin, Texas, in consideration for a possible resolution to protect reproductive health rights.
According to city documents, the GRACE Act condemns actions infringing on the rights of residents to make their own health decisions, including abortions.
The city council’s meeting agenda says its legal staff will be reviewing the report and will make changes for it to comply with city and state rules should it move forward.
On July 21, 2022, the GRACE Act was approved by Austin City Council members. Austin City documents state that GRACE stands for “Guarding the Right to Abortion Care for Everyone.” The GRACE Act makes enforcing criminal laws concerning abortions and other reproductive healthcare actions the lowest priority when it comes to policing.
It also states city funds should not be used to investigate reports of abortions.
Scott Stephens, a retired judge and law professor at Stetson University says although state law holds power over local law, cities are finding loopholes.
“They have looked at well what do we have power over and they have power over the details and day-to-day demonstration of the law,” Stephens said.
He added that, right now, it's hard to predict whether or not these measures will receive pushback from the state level due to abortion laws. There remain still a lot of discussions that need to take place surrounding the overturning of Roe v. Wade and whether or not it's constitutional.
“We don’t know the status of that law whether it's constitutionally valid,” Stephens said.
The City of Tampa memorandum states the following:
"City Council, as the legislative body, possesses the ability to pass a resolution like the GRACE Act resolution passed in Austin, Texas. However, any attempt to regulate the seeking of abortions, and/or the investigation of crimes, would exceed Council’s authority." | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/hillsboroughcounty/tampa-city-council-abortion-resolution/67-611dd2f5-9f2f-4331-99b1-d734683e0216 | 2022-08-18T21:07:38 | 0 | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/hillsboroughcounty/tampa-city-council-abortion-resolution/67-611dd2f5-9f2f-4331-99b1-d734683e0216 |
SAFETY HARBOR, Fla. — Editor's note: The video above is from a July 6, 2022 report.
A shooting by Pinellas County deputies that killed a 43-year-old man was determined to be justifiable, the State Attorney's Office announced on Thursday.
The incident happened on June 30 in Safety Harbor when Robert Hubbard pulled out what was thought to be a gun on deputies while getting out of his car investigators later learned it was a BB gun.
Four deputies shot at Hubbard, killing him.
State Attorney Bruce Bartlett concluded in a letter that was sent to Sheriff Bob Gualtieri stating, "It is the conclusion of the State Attorney's Office that Deputy Smith, Detective Abbott, Corporal Hellstern, and Detective Flournoy shot and killed Robert Hubbard while in the performance of their legal duties, and the death constitutes a justifiable homicide under Florida Statutes 776.012."
Dashcam and bodycam video of the incident was released back on July 6. It showed Hubbard getting out of his car with a gun pointed toward law enforcement. Clearwater Police Chief Daniel Slaughter explained during a news conference it was only until after the shooting it was revealed to be a BB gun with no pellets inside.
"If you could tell the difference [between a BB gun and pistol] at the speed of which this thing unfolded and the distance to which these officers are, then you are going to have the eyesight of an eagle because that is next to impossible," Slaughter said.
Immediately after seeing the weapon, shots fire out from four deputies' guns, totaling up to 59 rounds, the chief said. Hubbard was hit multiple times by the bullets.
After Hubbard was shot and deemed to not be armed anymore, Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri says deputies started to perform life-saving measures on him.
"Had that firearm been real and this person wanted to shoot these deputies, they were at a significant disadvantage," Slaughter said. "There is no information that I've seen to this date that indicates whether these deputies had any other option other than to...use deadly force to defend themselves."
Investigators said they believe Hubbard carjacked somebody at gunpoint on June 29 — a day prior to the shooting — in Hillsborough County, in addition to stealing a golf cart, both at gunpoint. The stolen car was then linked to an attempted robbery outside of an Outback in Trinity in Pasco County. | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/pinellascounty/robert-hubbard-shooting-pinellas-update/67-f6f051e0-b4f3-4c02-a5d2-7666f2c2bf89 | 2022-08-18T21:07:44 | 1 | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/pinellascounty/robert-hubbard-shooting-pinellas-update/67-f6f051e0-b4f3-4c02-a5d2-7666f2c2bf89 |
BALTIMORE — Nneka N’namdi was driving home in Baltimore’s Upton and Harlem Park neighborhoods on Mother’s Day in 2016 when she came across a situation she thought could turn into a tragedy.
“I noticed some kids were on foot. I think two on foot, two on bikes. And it was a huge demolition site. But it didn’t have no gates, no signs that say ‘stay out’ — nothing,” N’namdi said. “Just huge mounds of debris where the houses used to be.”
There were Caterpillar machines and gaping holes about six feet deep, which used to be the basements, she said, but no barricades or workers in sight.
This made her angry.
“And I’m like, what happens if one of these kids loses control of their bikes or decides — because there’s no playground, there’s no real playground space in our neighborhood — that they will just play there. What would the outcome of that be?” N’namdi said. “So I started researching what safe demolition should look like.”
Her research led her from one topic to the next. Studying why those houses had to be demolished turned into learning why there are so many vacant, abandoned properties in Baltimore, she said.
She started documenting, reporting and tracking environmental hazards created in part by the demolition sites in the city. This culminated in the formation of Fight Blight Bmore, an organization made up of a handful of people who want to reduce blight in Baltimore.
The group aims to inform people about the impact of blight and support the development of properties in places that will be owned by residents living in those communities.
“I think Fight Blight Bmore and the work that they’re doing in terms of looking at addressing blight within our communities is extremely important,” Baltimore Housing Commissioner Alice Kennedy said. “Giving voice and awareness to the conditions within community, advocating for communities to reduce blight is extremely important.”
Blight is a tough issue to tackle because it isn’t defined by one thing, Kennedy said. Blight, for example, can be abandoned or vacant properties, but it can also include litter and have a crime component, she said.
“But it definitely altogether points to communities that have been negatively impacted by not just disinvestment, but what that disinvestment brings — historic racist housing policies and other policies that contribute to blight,” she said.
One of the major contributors to blight is vacant properties, of which there are more than 14,000 in Baltimore, Kennedy said, with the bulk of them privately owned. She added that Westport and Harlem Park are areas with concentrations of blight.
“It’s extremely difficult for residents that are living in blighted neighborhoods. It impacts our residents’ everyday lives, whether or not you’re an adult or a child that has to walk past vacant properties on the way to school,” she said. “There’s a lot of stress, a lot of fear that is experienced living in these communities.”
The city is trying to address blight, Kennedy said, and programs such as Housing Upgrades to Benefit Seniors, which assists with home repairs, are meant to help reduce it.
“One of the things that we have been doing is increasing our investment in our communities,” Kennedy said. “We’ve worked with communities within the impact investment areas to create block-level planning, where we’re literally looking at block by block, how to transform not just the vacant properties . . . but creating different and thriving communities.”
Short-term improvements could include boarding up vacant houses, installing more streetlights, limiting alley access and removing debris. And for longer-term solutions, renovating or demolishing blighted buildings is key, officials said.
The first step is often securing blighted buildings so people can’t get inside while city officials pursue the necessary legal proceedings, which can result in the property changing hands — and getting rehabilitated or repurposed — or being demolished.
The message is clear, N’namdi said: “A blighted Baltimore is a bleeding Baltimore.”
Fight Blight Bmore wants to reduce blight throughout the city, but its focus is on Old West Baltimore, Sandtown-Winchester, Druid Heights, Marble Hill, Penn North and Upton, where N’namdi lives with her two sons.
Seeing the children juxtaposed with the demolition site all those years ago made her think of her boys.
“This was not cool. Like, this is dangerous. They put gates up when they do demos in other parts of the city. Why is it no gates are up here by people who live here?” she said. The initiative “really just grew from that.”
N’namdi founded Fight Blight Bmore in 2016 so residents could identify, report and track blight in the city. The group recently launched a pilot version of a Fight Blight Bmore app that allows people to document blight.
During the pilot phase, the group will go into neighborhoods to do door-to-door surveys, N’namdi said. The data will then be compiled and made available through the app to members of the community.
“Baltimore City has a myriad of issues,” she said. “. . . But at the end of the day, as a taxpayer — I don’t care about none of that. You’re not going to endanger our community in this way and not think that at least I and other people are not going to bring attention to it.”
— Baltimore Sun | https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/baltimore-woman-leads-fight-against-citys-blight/2022/08/18/74fc5488-1e9f-11ed-8d30-84c409e82eb3_story.html | 2022-08-18T21:09:05 | 1 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/baltimore-woman-leads-fight-against-citys-blight/2022/08/18/74fc5488-1e9f-11ed-8d30-84c409e82eb3_story.html |
A big new tax revenue generator is on the table for Whitehall Township, with an applicant proposing 43 individual lots intended for single-family homes.
Titled the Whitehall Farms Subdivision, the proposal intends the lots to be built at 3855 Lehigh St. and 3305 Municipal Drive for a total of roughly 33 acres, according to Lew Rauch of Lehigh Engineering Associates, the group that designed the plans for the applicant Abra Development.
The township’s planning commission unanimously recommended the proposal during a meeting Wednesday.
“We’re generating a significant tax base,” Rauch said regarding the new homes and residents that would result from the proposal.
Mayor Michael Harakal Jr. agreed with the sentiment, saying a smaller community with not as much land as other municipalities should take opportunities to welcome more people.
“Because we are growing more slowly than we have in the past, when we add more revenue ... it does a number of things for the community,” he said. “It’s a continuation of building our community, and we believe we’re building it strong with some great opportunities within our community.”
Some of the concerns Rauch said the developers addressed with revisions include creating paths through the development to the township’s municipal building, as well as to the recreation land east of the development.
The next step for the proposal would be for the developers to go before the Board of Commissioners for final approval within the next two months, Rauch said.
It’s unknown what the estimated cost of the development is. | https://www.mcall.com/news/local/mc-nws-whitehall-farms-subdivision-20220818-dvvpihktargghfzf4uzqwlhf2i-story.html | 2022-08-18T21:09:20 | 0 | https://www.mcall.com/news/local/mc-nws-whitehall-farms-subdivision-20220818-dvvpihktargghfzf4uzqwlhf2i-story.html |
Three Atlantic City men and one of their mothers were indicted following a gang-related attack in the city last year, the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office said.
Armaad Brooks-Chappell, 20, Beatrice Chappell, 35, Adresce Jones, 19, and Faheem Harris, 21, collectively face a 24-count indictment that includes charges of attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder, aggravated assault and conspiracy to commit witness tampering, the Prosecutor's Office said Thursday in a news release.
The four were charged after investigators named them as suspects in a shooting Aug. 12, 2021, that injured a 22-year-old city resident, whom the Prosecutor's Office identified as "M.B."
Evidence shows Brooks-Chappell, Jones and a male juvenile planned an attack on M.B. using a stolen vehicle and several firearms, the Prosecutor's Office said. The three found M.B. in the 1600 block of Sewell Avenue walking on the sidewalk and opened fire, their bullets striking the victim in the face and shoulder areas.
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Investigators believe Chappell and Harris conspired with Chappell's son, Brooks-Chappell, to commit witness tampering against the victim, the Prosecutor's Office said.
Brooks-Chappell was arraigned Monday by Judge Donna Taylor, pleading not guilty to his charges. Jones and Chappell are set to be arraigned Aug. 22 and 30, respectively.
Harris has yet to be found, the Prosecutor's Office said.
Anyone who may know of Harris' whereabouts can call the Prosecutor's Office at 609-909-7800. Anonymous tips can be provided at acpo.org. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/4-from-atlantic-city-indicted-following-alleged-gang-attack/article_3f62d928-1f0d-11ed-8802-a3b8562f1f8d.html | 2022-08-18T21:15:20 | 1 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/4-from-atlantic-city-indicted-following-alleged-gang-attack/article_3f62d928-1f0d-11ed-8802-a3b8562f1f8d.html |
WILDWOOD — A Virginia man was arrested after several homeowners accused him of peeking through their windows late at night, police said Thursday.
Jose Lopez-Feliciano, 38, of Hopewell, Prince George County, is charged with two fourth-degree counts of peering into dwellings and places, police said.
Lopez-Feliciano was caught by two homeowners in the 100 east block of Glenwood Avenue allegedly looking through their windows between midnight at 2 a.m. Sunday. While officers combing the area could not find a perpetrator, a suspect description, direction in which he was said to have fled and partial vehicle registration were gathered, police said.
The following night, officers stopped the suspect's car around 2 a.m., with Lopez-Feliciano driving. Evidence during the traffic stop gave officers probable cause to arrest him for the window incidents, police said.
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Lopez-Feliciano was issued a summons and released after his arrest, police said. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/virginia-man-arrested-in-wildwood-accused-of-peeking-into-windows/article_7f228c8e-1f2b-11ed-8759-8b16e745e04c.html | 2022-08-18T21:15:26 | 1 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/virginia-man-arrested-in-wildwood-accused-of-peeking-into-windows/article_7f228c8e-1f2b-11ed-8759-8b16e745e04c.html |
Plants took center stage at Seashore Gardens Living Center on Aug. 10 as residents enjoyed three different Eldergrow classes. The day’s program included fun facts about plants and a look at the way flowers grow in geometric (fractal) patterns. The seniors then made their own blooming paper flowers. The culminating activity was making the clay for sand stones and creating their own decorative pieces for the garden.
Seniors make sand stones at Seashore Gardens Living Center
- Felicia L. Niven Submitted
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New Jersey’s casinos, horse tracks that offer sports betting and the online partners of both types of gambling outlets won over $480 million in July, an increase of 6.7% from a year ago. But the resort's nine casinos continue to struggle to return to pre-pandemic levels in terms of the amount won from in-person gamblers, with five of them winning less in July 2022 than they did in July 2019, before the coronavirus pandemic began. Figures released Tuesday by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement show that the casinos collectively won just under $299 million from in-person gamblers.
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SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — Spectators are happy to be back in the stands for the 75th Little League World Series.
"We are having a blast. We have been coming here since 2009," said Bryan Nixon. "We come every year."
The Little League World Series was canceled in 2020, and fans couldn't attend the games in 2021 because of COVID-19 protocols.
Kerry Sharpe from Fort Wayne, Indiana, says the competition has been on her bucket list for years.
"As far as the last two years, we have been planning on coming, so this year we got here. It has been wonderful."
The World Series attracts people from all over the world. Michael Robinson is from Australia, and he tries to come every year.
"I think this is year six or seven that I have been coming to the World Series."
He says it's the atmosphere that brings him back.
"I like to describe it as a microcosm of the way the world should be. It doesn't matter where you are from, everyone gets on well, and there are high fives for everyone. Everyone is here for a common good," Robinson said.
A familiar sight at the Little League World Series is kids sliding down the big hill.
"All we have done so far is go down the hill, and that is really fun," said Mason Bullington. "I have enjoyed it."
"It is great. It is kind of hard to get back up the hill, but it is just great to go down it," Isaiah Lasure said.
This year fans can stop by the Fan Zone. It has games and shops for those young and old.
"It is really cool. You get to hit baseballs, and down there, you get to pitch," Connor Stewart said.
Many of the fans we spoke to say they plan on staying for the duration of the Little League World Series.
Check out WNEP’s YouTube channel. | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/fans-are-back-at-the-little-league-world-series-spectators-lamade-volunteer-stadium-australia-hill-fan-zone/523-15d8172b-7e99-43a5-8686-01bbab549c22 | 2022-08-18T21:15:39 | 0 | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/fans-are-back-at-the-little-league-world-series-spectators-lamade-volunteer-stadium-australia-hill-fan-zone/523-15d8172b-7e99-43a5-8686-01bbab549c22 |
Many of New Jersey’s top lifeguards will compete in the 55th annual John T. Goudy Memorial Rescue Races at 6:30 p.m. Friday at the Suffolk Avenue beach in Ventnor.
At least 18 beach patrols are expected to participate, including many of the South Jersey teams, plus some guest patrols from Long Beach Island, northern Ocean County and Monmouth County.
The Goudy Memorials has four short, quick races which are simulated rescues. The lifeguards row or swim out to flags about 500 feet from shore and unhook 50-pound dummies attached to the flags. The guards then row or swim back and run to the finish line on the beach with the bags.
The races are the doubles surfboat rescue (a doubles race with the simulated rescue), the individual swim rescue (a swim race and rescue), the combination rescue (a swimmer and a doubles crew combine) and the individual surfboat rescue (a singles row and rescue). Scoring is 5-4-3-2-1 for the first five places.
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The races are exciting and fun to watch, and they’re usually close since the races are short and so many teams are competing.
Atlantic City won the team title at the Goudy Memorials last year with 14 points. Margate was second with seven points. Lavallette also scored seven points but Margate took second with a higher finish in the doubles row. A.C. was also the winner in 2018 and was second to Ventnor in 2019. The event, which started in the late 1960s, was not held in 2020 due to the pandemic.
The event honors the late Goudy, a former Ventnor Beach Patrol Chief. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/sports/local/ventnor-hosts-goudy-memorials-on-friday/article_75fb6e2c-1f22-11ed-840f-ff79fc5b1c38.html | 2022-08-18T21:15:45 | 1 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/sports/local/ventnor-hosts-goudy-memorials-on-friday/article_75fb6e2c-1f22-11ed-840f-ff79fc5b1c38.html |
YORK COUNTY, Pa. — Reliance Student Transportation says they have been doing some recruiting and have about 300 drivers ready for the new school year.
“Today was our first day of school here at West York," said Lorie Bevans, with Reliance Student Transportation.
The company says they brought in some drivers on Thursday from other locations to help fill some of the spots they have open.
“We do have other drivers in training that will hopefully be ready very shortly to get behind the wheel of the bus that we do have open," said Bevans.
The district says the process of recruiting has been anything but easy, and other transportation companies agree.
“We have been advertising all different new ways. We’re doing posters and flyers and billboards, and newspaper and online ads," said Laurie Troutman with Boyo Transportation Services.
Boyo Transportation says they have 260 drivers but need about 300 more.
“If you get 30 applications, you’re lucky to end up with 10 people who are qualified, and out of that 10, only 3 of them actually want the part-time job. We try to be clear with people upfront what they’re getting, but it doesn’t always work," said Troutman.
Some school districts say the bus driver shortage has impacted the routes this new school year.
“We may see kids ride buses a little bit longer, and may have to walk a little bit further to get to their stops," said Craig Kirkpatrick, from the Chambersburg Area School District.
Kirkpatrick says that pay has become an increased factor in the problem of retaining and hiring drivers. They add that they advertise as much as possible using various methods to obtain drivers, but have had little success so far. | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/school-bus-driver-shortage-continues-as-2022-2023-school-year-begins-classroom-students-fill-positions/521-d8eddf50-6449-4069-8f88-e2056d2b0063 | 2022-08-18T21:15:45 | 0 | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/school-bus-driver-shortage-continues-as-2022-2023-school-year-begins-classroom-students-fill-positions/521-d8eddf50-6449-4069-8f88-e2056d2b0063 |
YORK COUNTY, Pa. — A Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) trooper has been suspended without pay after being charged with driving under the influence, the agency said Thursday.
Joshua M. Ravel, who serves in Troop J (York), was found to be under the influence of alcohol during his assigned shift on Monday, State Police said.
He was charged with DUI in Magisterial District Court 19-3-04.
Ravel enlisted in PSP in January 2020 and graduated with the 159th Cadet Class in June of that year. He has served in Troop J ever since.
His suspension continues pending the outcome of the case, PSP said. | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/york-county/state-police-trooper-suspended-dui-charge/521-d0487b7f-47c9-4732-a244-43dd35a9da53 | 2022-08-18T21:15:51 | 0 | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/york-county/state-police-trooper-suspended-dui-charge/521-d0487b7f-47c9-4732-a244-43dd35a9da53 |
PHOENIX — An Arizona judge overseeing a high-profile lawsuit accusing the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints of conspiring to cover-up child sex abuse has ruled that the church may not refuse to answer questions or turn over documents under the state’s “clergy-penitent privilege.”
Clergy in Arizona, as in many other states, are required to report information about child sexual abuse or neglect to law enforcement or child welfare authorities. But an exception to that law — the privilege — allows members of the clergy who learn of the abuse through spiritual confessions to keep the information secret.
Judge Laura Cardinal ruled on Aug. 8 that the late Paul Adams waived his right to keep his confessions secret when he posted videos of himself sexually abusing his two daughters on the Internet, boasted of the abuse on social media, and confessed to federal law enforcement agents, who arrested him in 2017 with no help from the church.
“Taken together, Adams’ overt acts demonstrate a lack of repentance and a profound disregard” for the principles of the church, widely known as the Mormon church, Cardinal said in her ruling. “His acts can only be characterized as a waiver of the clergy-penitent privilege.”
RELATED: 'You absolutely can do nothing': Mormon officials in Arizona accused of not reporting sexual abuse
The lawsuit accuses two Arizona bishops and church leaders in Salt Lake City of negligence in not reporting the abuse and allowing Adams to continue abusing his older daughter for as many as seven years, a time in which he also abused the girl’s infant sister.
Cardinal issued her order, which the church is expected to appeal, after attorneys for three victims objected when the church refused to turn over disciplinary records for Adams, who was excommunicated in 2013. The victims’ attorneys also objected when a church official cited the privilege when refusing to answer questions during pre-trial testimony.
“The judge’s order applies to the church’s secret records and to what happened at the secret ex-communication hearing,” said Lynne Cadigan, an attorney for the three children who filed suit.
Cardinal’s order will require church official Richard Fife, a clerk who took notes during the excommunication hearing, to answer questions from the attorneys representing the Adams children. It will also require church officials to turn over records of the disciplinary council meeting.
The church has filed a legal motion asking Cardinal to delay implementing her order until it contests her findings with the Arizona Court of Appeals. Without the delay, church lawyers said, information it considers confidential under the clergy-penitent privilege would be released to attorneys for the Adams children and, potentially, the public.
“The privileged information will have been disclosed and it would be impossible to ’un-ring the bell,” the church said.
Church officials did not return calls from the AP seeking additional comment on the ruling.
In a motion filed earlier this year asking Cardinal to dismiss the case, the church said its defense “hinges entirely” on whether bishops John Herrod and Robert “Kim” Mauzy were required to report Adams’ “confidential confessions” to civil authorities, or were excused from reporting requirements under the privilege.
The lawsuit was filed by three of the six children of Paul and Leizza Adams, and was featured in a recent investigation by the Associated Press. The AP found that a church “abuse help line” used by Herrod and Mauzy to contact church attorneys is part of a system that can easily be misused by church leaders to divert abuse accusations away from law enforcement and instead to church attorneys who may bury the problem, leaving victims in harm’s way.
The “help line,” AP’s investigation found, is housed within the church’s risk management department, where church officials work to protect the church from financial losses and lawsuits that could mar the church's reputation.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints issued a statement late Wednesday that said, “The AP story has significant flaws in its facts and timeline, which lead to erroneous conclusions.”
The statement, which did not dispute any facts in the story, said the help-line “has everything to do with protecting children and has nothing to do with cover-up.”
The investigation was based in part on nearly 12,000 pages of sealed documents from an unrelated West Virginia child sex abuse lawsuit against the church, which provided the most detailed and comprehensive look yet at the so-called help line, which has been criticized by Mormon abuse victims and their attorneys for being inadequate to quickly stop abuse and protect victims.
The sealed records, including sworn statements by high church officials, revealed that all records of calls to the help line are destroyed at the end of each day. They also showed that Mormon church officials consider all calls referred to attorneys with the firm Kirton McConkie, which represents the church, to be confidential under the attorney-client privilege.
During an interview last month, William Maledon, an Arizona lawyer who represents the church in the lawsuit, said the fact that Adams posted videos of his abuse of both daughters on the Internet and boasted about the abuse on social media would have no bearing on the case because neither Herrod nor Mauzy knew that Adams posted the pornographic material.
“The bishops didn’t know anything about that,” Maledon said, adding that Herrod and Mauzy said as much in sworn declarations submitted in the case.
But Cochise County Attorney Brian McIntyre, who has opened a criminal investigation into the church, told the AP months ago that he believes Adams waived any confidentiality rights under the clergy-penitent privilege by posting his abuse and discussing it online.
Adams “disclosed his actual crime to thousands of people on the Internet,” McIntyre said, “so there’s an implied waiver there.” | https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/arizona/judge-limits-privilege-defense-arizona-mormon-sex-abuse-case/75-a04edbd3-19a0-4627-a8c4-be7562459267 | 2022-08-18T21:18:00 | 0 | https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/arizona/judge-limits-privilege-defense-arizona-mormon-sex-abuse-case/75-a04edbd3-19a0-4627-a8c4-be7562459267 |
GILBERT, Ariz. — Gilbert police are searching for a man who was caught on camera firing several gunshots into an unoccupied gas station last month.
At about 2:30 a.m. on July 31, a man wearing a face mask and black hat walked up to the Shell station near Ray and Cooper roads.
Video security cameras captured the unknown man firing several gunshots into the empty building before running southbound through the parking lot.
No one was injured during the shooting.
The man was seen wearing a dark-colored sweatshirt and light-colored jeans.
Anyone with information about this incident can contact the Gilbert Police Department at 480-503-6500.
Gilbert Police also tweeted out additional information about the incident.
RELATED: Valley police investigating woman's death after she allegedly walked out of memory care facility
Up to Speed
Catch up on the latest news and stories on our 12 News YouTube playlist here.
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/gilbert-police-looking-for-masked-man-fired-several-shots-empty-gas-station/75-bab45500-a6ac-4997-a853-47fdf0dde466 | 2022-08-18T21:18:07 | 0 | https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/valley/gilbert-police-looking-for-masked-man-fired-several-shots-empty-gas-station/75-bab45500-a6ac-4997-a853-47fdf0dde466 |
CHANDLER, Ariz. — A Valley-based flight training company has agreed to pay $7 million to resolve complaints it had allegedly misled the Department of Veteran Affairs regarding its enrollment numbers.
The U.S. Department of Justice announced this week that Universal Helicopters Inc. and Dodge City Community College in Kansas had agreed to pay a settlement to resolve a whistleblower complaint.
DCCC contracts with facilities in the Valley to teach its flight courses. One of the college's students and instructors notably died last October after their helicopter crashed midair at Chandler Municipal Airport.
DOJ claims between 2013 and 2018, the college and Universal Helicopters made false statements about enrollment figures in order to obtain VA funding.
As part of the Post-9/11 GI Bill, the VA paid tuition costs to schools on the behalf of eligible military veterans. To qualify, a school must certify that no more than 85 percent of its students for any particular course are receiving VA benefits.
According to the DOJ, that threshold is set to help ensure the VA is paying fair market value tuition rates.
A complaint filed under the nation's whistleblower laws accused Universal Helicopters and the community college of violating the VA rules since certain expensive classes were enrolled almost exclusively by veterans.
The whistleblower complaint was filed by a veteran and former student in the college's helicopter flight instructor program.
“The Post-9/11 GI Bill provides significant educational opportunities to our nation’s veterans,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the DOJ Civil Division. “The department will continue to help safeguard the integrity of VA programs intended for the advancement and benefit of veterans.”
Universal Helicopters will pay $7 million and the community college will pay $500,000 to settle the complaint. The whistleblower is eligible to receive up to $1.125 million of the settlement.
According to the college's website, DCCC currently contracts with Quantum Helicopters in Chandler after leaving Universal Helicopters in Scottsdale a few years ago.
RELATED: Scottsdale schemer allegedly tricked golfers into donating for fake charity tournament, records show
Up to Speed
Catch up on the latest news and stories on our 12 News YouTube playlist here. | https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/valley/valley-flight-school-agrees-to-pay-7-million-to-resolve-whistleblower-complaint-august-2022/75-234985f4-f7f3-490d-8b14-dad1c6019c25 | 2022-08-18T21:18:13 | 1 | https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/valley/valley-flight-school-agrees-to-pay-7-million-to-resolve-whistleblower-complaint-august-2022/75-234985f4-f7f3-490d-8b14-dad1c6019c25 |
WILMOT — Two first-time competitors took home top honors Thursday for showing the champion market lamb and reserve champion market lamb in the Kenosha County Fair Sheep Show.
Jillian Burdick, 12, took home the grand champion ribbon with her Shropshire lamb, saying it felt good to win.
“I thought it looked really cool and I thought it’d be something fun to try,” Burdick said as she explained what made here interested in showing sheep.
Burdick spent every day preparing for the show at the fair, with walking her lamb was one of the many tasks she practiced.
Alivia Monson, 11, took home the reserve champion ribbon after showing her Hampshire lamb at the show. She said it felt good to take home the award.
Like Burdick, Monson also spent time walking her lamb prior to the fair, in addition to teaching the lamb, named Rosie, how to “brace.”
Bracing a lamb involves the lamb leaning into the handler to cause the lamb’s muscles to feel firm.
“She was the one who wasn’t really good at bracing at first,” Monson said of Rosie. “It was really difficult at first (to learn to brace). I got a little frustrated.”
Both winners said they would come back to compete again.
“It definitely is a lot of hard work,” Monson said.
Other winners in the sheep show include”
Brooke Linneman, who received awards for showing the champion ram in the open class division and champion ram in the junior breeding stock division;
Natalie Konrad, who received awards for showing the champion ewe in the junior breeding stock division and as champion junior showman;
Cierra Pealburg, who received awards for showing the champion pen of two market lambs, and as overall champion showman;
Quin Graf, who received an award for showing the reserve champion pen of two market lambs.
IN PHOTOS: Images from the 2022 Kenosha County Fair
The three people were injured outside the park when shots were fired from a single vehicle, according to a spokesperson for the park, which is located about 45 miles north of Chicago. | https://www.kenoshanews.com/news/local/two-first-time-competitors-win-champion-and-reserve-champion-market-lamb-in-sheep-show/article_065f0048-1e7c-11ed-abdb-5bd0750c12b3.html | 2022-08-18T21:19:11 | 0 | https://www.kenoshanews.com/news/local/two-first-time-competitors-win-champion-and-reserve-champion-market-lamb-in-sheep-show/article_065f0048-1e7c-11ed-abdb-5bd0750c12b3.html |
Hailey Harpster, 15, smiles after her steer was named the grand champion in the junior division at the Kenosha County Fair Beef Show in Wilmot on Thursday.
SEAN KRAJACIC, KENOSHA NEWS
Nick Datillo, of Kenosha, leads a group of kids in dance during his show, "Nick's Kids Show" at the Kenosha County Fair in Wilmot on Thursday2. Datillo has been performing at the Kenosha County Fair for 30 years.
SEAN KRAJACIC, KENOSHA NEWS
Chase Lois, 14, calms his steer as he competes for grand champion in the junior division at the Kenosha County Fair Beef Show in Wilmot on Thursday.
KENOSHA NEWS PHOTO BY SEAN KRAJACIC
Hailey Harpster, 15, center, shakes hands with judge Kyle Adams after her steer is named grand champion in the junior division at the Kenosha County Fair in Wilmot on Thursday.
SEAN KRAJACIC, KENOSHA NEWS
Hailey Harpster, 15, shows her steer while competing for the title of grand champion in the junior division at the Kenosha County Fair in Wilmot on Thursday.
SEAN KRAJACIC, KENOSHA NEWS
Madison Bell, 6, runs into her twin brother, Timothy, as they skirt across the water in inflatable balls at the S.E.A. Hunter game booth at the Kenosha County Fair in Wilmot on Thursday.
WILMOT -- Spectators crowded the show and sale arena and waited with bated breath to see which entry the judge would choose as 2022 overall grand champion at the junior fair beef show Thursday morning at the Kenosha County Fair.
As the judge extended his hand to Hailey Harpster, 15, the crowd began to cheer.
“I was shocked,” Harpster said. “I didn’t expect to win.”
Harpster, of Wheatland, has been showing steers for five years, and her interest began after watching her brother show them.
Harpster spent many weekends brushing, washing and preparing her crossbred steer, Timothy, for the fair.
“I would go (to prepare for the fair) on weekends and when I didn’t have school or tennis,” Harpster said.
Once Harpster was announced as the overall grand champion, judging continued to determine the winner of reserve grand champion. After much contemplation and examination from the judge, the steer shown by Nicholas Drissel, 17, was declared the winner.
The three people were injured outside the park when shots were fired from a single vehicle, according to a spokesperson for the park, which is located about 45 miles north of Chicago.
Hailey Harpster, 15, smiles after her steer was named the grand champion in the junior division at the Kenosha County Fair Beef Show in Wilmot on Thursday.
Nick Datillo, of Kenosha, leads a group of kids in dance during his show, "Nick's Kids Show" at the Kenosha County Fair in Wilmot on Thursday2. Datillo has been performing at the Kenosha County Fair for 30 years.
Hailey Harpster, 15, center, shakes hands with judge Kyle Adams after her steer is named grand champion in the junior division at the Kenosha County Fair in Wilmot on Thursday.
Hailey Harpster, 15, shows her steer while competing for the title of grand champion in the junior division at the Kenosha County Fair in Wilmot on Thursday.
Madison Bell, 6, runs into her twin brother, Timothy, as they skirt across the water in inflatable balls at the S.E.A. Hunter game booth at the Kenosha County Fair in Wilmot on Thursday. | https://www.kenoshanews.com/news/local/watch-now-hailey-harpster-nicholas-drissel-win-grand-champion-overall-and-grand-champion-reserve-in/article_12bdf43c-1f23-11ed-929d-9352f99b46f2.html | 2022-08-18T21:19:17 | 0 | https://www.kenoshanews.com/news/local/watch-now-hailey-harpster-nicholas-drissel-win-grand-champion-overall-and-grand-champion-reserve-in/article_12bdf43c-1f23-11ed-929d-9352f99b46f2.html |
RICHMOND, Va. — Virginia students made one-year gains in most subjects but achievement in all areas remains below pre-pandemic levels, the Department of Education said Thursday as it released the year’s standardized test scores.
Gaps between pre-pandemic math performance and achievement in the most recent year were wider among Black, Hispanic, and economically disadvantaged students, as well as English learners and students with disabilities, than among white and Asian students, the department said.
In reading, 73% percent of students passed the Standards of Learning and other state assessments in the most recent year, compared with 78% pre-pandemic.
Students overall made progress on this year’s tests in each subject matter area except writing, according to the news release. On writing exams, the percentage passing dipped, at 65% this year compared with 69% the year prior.
The department also said that its own analysis of statewide data showed a strong correlation between in-person instruction during the 2020-2021 school year and higher achievement on this school year’s test scores.
For instance, it found that in school districts that offered nearly all in-person instruction in the 2020-2021 school year, 69% passed this year’s mathematics exams. For districts that were mostly remote, only 37% passed the same tests.
“The bottom line is that in-person instruction matters,” Superintendent of Public Instruction Jillian Balow said in a statement. “When we compare the 2021-2022 data with achievement in 2020-2021 — when the majority of our students were learning remotely or on hybrid schedules — we can see the difference our teachers made once they were reunited with their students in their classrooms. I want to thank all of our teachers for everything they did last year to begin what will be a multiyear recovery effort.”
Gov. Glenn Youngkin campaigned heavily on education issues and has made education reform a priority since taking office in January. He’s pushed for school innovation through the expansion of lab schools; rolled back numerous policies, memos and other resources from previous Democratic administrations related to diversity, equity and inclusion; and signed into law a bill requiring parental notification about sexually explicit content.
His administration also released a report in May that said Virginia’s public schools had been experiencing a decline in student achievement that predated the pandemic.
Youngkin, a Republican, said in a statement Thursday that his administration was committed to closing “the achievement gaps for economically disadvantaged and younger learners that arose during school shutdowns.”
___
Based on updated information from the Department of Education, this story has been updated to correct the math performance of students in districts that were mostly remote in 2020-2021. | https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-test-scores-achievement-below-pre-pandemic-levels/2022/08/18/b23103ba-1f32-11ed-9ce6-68253bd31864_story.html | 2022-08-18T21:22:41 | 1 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-test-scores-achievement-below-pre-pandemic-levels/2022/08/18/b23103ba-1f32-11ed-9ce6-68253bd31864_story.html |
Daytona Beach Police honors Officer Jason Raynor a year after his death from gunshot wound
The wind rose toward the end of a ceremony honoring fallen Daytona Beach Police Officer Jason Raynor and blew out the flames on candles that fellow officers, family and friends tried to light in his honor.
But the more-than 200 people gathered on Wednesday night outside the Daytona Beach Police Department improvised. They used the flashlight functions on their cellphones to fill the parking lot with spots of bright light.
Daytona Beach Police Chief Jakari Young said evil forces had tried to interfere with the candle lighting.
“But they didn’t realize how resilient we are as a community, and how everybody just pulled out their phones and just kept the light going,” Young said. “That was awesome.”
Raynor, 26, died 55 days after he was shot on June 23, 2021. He had been trying to question a man outside an apartment building at 133 Kingston Ave. in Daytona Beach when he was shot, according to a report and body camera video.
Othal Wallace, 30, has been charged with first-degree murder of a law enforcement officer in Raynor's killing. Wallace's trial is scheduled for April and prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.
The ceremony to honor Raynor began with blue and red lights flashing on a row of patrol cars parked nearby and a radio transmission stating that Raynor had died a year ago Wednesday at 8:09 p.m. at Halifax Health Medical Center, noting the hour in military time.
“We honor Officer Jason Raynor, who paid the ultimate sacrifice, while serving the citizens of the city of Daytona Beach,” the woman said in the radio transmission. “Aug. 17, 2021, at 20:09 hours was Officer Jason Raynor’s end of watch. Let us remember Officer Jason Raynor with a moment of silence at this moment 20:09 Aug. 17, 2022.”
Young then spoke about Raynor’s sacrifice.
“His memory will live on forever with the Daytona Beach Police Department and the city of Daytona Beach,” Young said. “Because of his sacrifice, we are Daytona strong. We are resilient. We are Raynor strong.”
More on the fatal shooting of Officer Jason Raynor:
- Trial set:Judge sets trial date of April 3, 2023, for Othal Wallace in killing of Daytona Beach policeman
- Patrol car goes to museum:Slain Daytona Beach Officer Jason Raynor's patrol car goes to Titusville museum
- Othal Wallace charged:Man accused of killing Daytona Beach Officer Jason Raynor faces first-degree murder charge
- Tribute to fallen officer:Outside Raynor funeral, residents salute Daytona Beach officer who 'did the right thing'
- Raynor Badges:Daytona Beach Police officers to wear special badge in honor of slain officer Jason Raynor
Jason Raynor's remembrance different than previous police ceremonies
Young said that the ceremony would be different than previous ones. No one would play bag pipes or taps.
“Tonight, we gather to honor his memory and celebrate his life and listen to a montage of Jason’s favorite songs,” Young said. “We stand together as a family to support each other. One year ago, we mourned. Today, we remember. One year ago, we were broken. Tonight, we are stronger. One year ago, we met Jason’s family under these tragic circumstances. But today the Raynor family is our family.
"They say time heals all wounds,” Young said. “Well, that remains to be seen because even though we’re stronger, we’re still healing. Recovery is a process. It takes time. It takes patience. It takes everything you got.”
Young said that for the past 55 days, every sworn member of the department has been wearing Raynor’s name and call sign on their badges to honor Raynor’s fight from the day he was injured until he died.
“At this time, I would like to present the Raynor family with their Raynor badges,” Young said.
Family received their badges, but did not speak during the ceremony.
Pastor Tim Hildreth, the chaplain at Halifax Health Medical Center, spoke and led the group in a prayer.
Hildreth talked about the stars that filled the night sky and about light and darkness.
“Darkness cannot overcome the light,” Hildreth said. “Light always pierces the darkness. Prevents darkness from having control. Light wins every time. We see light win the battle all the time when we place our lights in the house or where God places his lights in the sky.”
Hildreth recalled that a year ago, when Raynor died, family and friends in the hospital watched the sunset.
“It was a symbol we couldn’t miss. It was as if God gave us that symbol in particular to mark not just the end of the day but the end of Jason’s suffering,” Hildreth said. “Amidst the loss of Jason’s light was the glimpse of beauty, the marker of next things for Jason that would be awash in the glory of God’s beautiful handiwork of light. His present suffering ending as he embarked to that beautiful place that Christ had prepared for him.”
The ceremony then proceeded to the candle lighting. First, the candles held by Raynor’s family members were lit and then those by police officers and others at the ceremony.
Among tunes played at Raynor's ceremony: 'Yellow Submarine', 'Wish You Were Here'
The montage of Raynor’s music played as people tried to light the candles. The tunes included "Yellow Submarine" and "Let it Be" by the Beatles and Pink Floyd’s "Wish You Were Here."
But the wind picked up as rain clouds approached and the candles were difficult to light. The wind blew out the flames of those already lit.
That’s when everyone held up their cellphones with the devices' lights shining.
Afterward, South Daytona Police Lt. Bryan Craig said the ceremony was "fantastic."
“I think it was very important for the community, very important for the police department, very important for all police officers around here to really celebrate his life and what he sacrificed for,” Craig said.
He said he had met Raynor.
“He’s everything that a police officer wants and needs to be, and this community is less safe without him,” Craig said.
Ashley LeBlanc, who had once dated Raynor, attended the ceremony with her 7-year-old son, Liam.
“Jason was one of the strongest, best people I’ve ever met,” LeBlanc said. “He loved his job. He loved his friends. He loved his family. He loved this little guy, my son. Jason will be his hero forever and always. He cared about the community. He cared about helping people.”
LeBlanc said that Raynor had always wanted to be a police officer. He had been a police officer with Port Orange before joining the Daytona Beach Police Department.
“He just knew when he was younger this is 1,000% what he wanted to do, so he stuck with it,” LeBlanc said. “If he was still here today, he’d be back on the road continuing to do what he loved to do, 'cause this is what he loved to do and this is what he was supposed to do.” | https://www.news-journalonline.com/story/news/local/volusia/2022/08/18/daytona-beach-police-honors-officer-jason-raynor-year-after-death/10346438002/ | 2022-08-18T21:23:51 | 0 | https://www.news-journalonline.com/story/news/local/volusia/2022/08/18/daytona-beach-police-honors-officer-jason-raynor-year-after-death/10346438002/ |
'A model of possibility for what can be achieved' New Bethune statue unveiled on Daytona riverfront
DAYTONA BEACH — If Mary McLeod Bethune was looking down from heaven Thursday morning, she undoubtedly was smiling.
Gathered on the riverfront around a brand new plaza built in her honor were hundreds of people braving the searing August sun to remember how her achievements defied what seemed possible for a Black woman of her era and to watch the unveiling of a bronze statue of Bethune's likeness that will stand on the esplanade for generations.
"Some things on our journey are unforgettable, and this my friends is such a moment," said Mayor Derrick Henry.
Henry said he hopes the new 13-foot-tall statue facing west toward the old city dump that Bethune transformed into a school campus in the early 1900s will "serve as a model of possibility for what can be achieved" and that "nothing is impossible."
The towering work of art celebrates the founder of the small school that evolved into Bethune-Cookman University, a woman who was also a civil rights and women's rights pioneer, a force in Washington, D.C., for decades and the champion of Black Daytona Beach residents who fought for their most basic needs and rights.
"If Mary McLeod Bethune could do all she did under those circumstances, how much can we do united?" Henry asked.
Bethune lived in Daytona Beach from 1904 until her death in 1955. But the impact she made in her 79 years is still felt as strongly as ever, said Lawrence Drake, interim president of Bethune-Cookman University.
"Despite the lack of her human presence, Dr. Bethune's prayers are still operational," Drake said at Thursday's ceremony. "I believe this is a season to reflect on her attitudes and accomplishments."
More about the new bronze Mary McLeod Bethune statue:Bronze Mary McLeod Bethune statue settles in on Daytona Beach riverfront
New marble Mary McLeod Bethune statue stands in National Statuary Hall:Statue of trailblazing educator and civil rights activist Bethune unveiled in U.S. Capitol
An in-depth look at Mary McLeod Bethune's life:Mary McLeod Bethune's early 1900s achievements still helping Daytona Beach, nation
"I hope everyone here feels Mary McLeod Bethune's inspiration to us," said Nancy Lohman, president of the Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Statuary Fund and a key organizer of the statue project. "She guided our community on bridge building and with using positive ways of making change. Let this statue remind us all to do the same thing for our community."
Lohman shared a few of Bethune's notable quotes, including, "The progress of the world will call for the best we all have to give." Then Lohman concluded her remarks by asking, "Are we making Volusia County the best it can be?"
Journey of an anticipated statue
The last leg of the very long journey taken by the bronze Bethune statue was completed a week ago.
Made from a maquette and carefully crafted in an artists' studio in a tiny Italian hamlet, the bronze statue was crated and shipped across the Atlantic to Miami, then trucked to Daytona Beach.
On Aug. 10, the 829-pound bronze sculpture and its separate 14,050-pound granite pedestal base were hoisted into place in their new home inside the city's Riverfront Esplanade.
It was no easy task maneuvering the 8-foot-tall, 40-inch wide bronze sculpture, nor the 5-foot-high granite pedestal the statue now stands on. It took three hours to carefully unpack and place the statue made by an artist who lives part of the year in south Florida and the rest in Pietrasanta, Italy.
It took a crane with a 165-foot-long boom to lift the pedestal and statue over power lines, traffic lights and light poles and gently place them in the plaza.
As the sculpture still hung in the air over the plaza about five feet off the ground, Lohman slipped a note into a hole on the bottom of the work of art.
The message left to be found in the future said the statue was "created with love by Nilda Comas." It said the work was made to honor Bethune, and added, "May she always be our guiding light for the Daytona Beach, Florida, community to live harmoniously with one another."
Daytona Beach's Bethune celebration
The plaza named for Bethune is elevated above street level and framed by six magnolia trees.
All four sides of the shiny granite pedestal it stands on are engraved with gold lettering. The front features a quote from Bethune: "Invest in the human soul. Who knows, it may be a diamond in the rough." The other sides list names of dozens of donors.
The plaza flanked by Beach Street and the Halifax River is part of the $31 million transformation of Riverfront Park into an esplanade with dozens of new mature trees, newly planted flower beds, chairs and benches to sit and gaze out at the river, swings for both kids and adults, a raised overlook behind the News-Journal Center and a dog park.
Those at Thursday's ceremony were given special commemorative fans that have pictures of both the bronze and marble Bethune statues created by master sculptor Nilda Comas. The marble statue was unveiled July 13 in its new home, National Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol building.
The back side of the handheld fans includes passages from Bethune's last will and testament: "I leave you love, I leave you hope, I leave you the challenge of developing confidence in one another, I leave you a thirst for education, I leave you respect for the uses of power, I leave you faith, I leave you racial dignity, I leave you a desire to live harmoniously with your fellow man, I leave you finally a responsibility to our young people."
The Bethune-Cookman University Concert Choral performed twice during the ceremony. The choir's second song featured the angelic tones of a soloist singing, "If I can help somebody as I pass along, then my living shall not be in vain."
The pledge of allegiance was led by Derrick “D.J.” Henry, Jr., the mayor's young son, who donned a suit and white tennis shoes.
Speakers at the event included the mayor; Lohman; Drake; Volusia County Councilwoman Billie Wheeler; Robert W. Lloyd, executive vice president and general counsel for Brown & Brown Insurance; Johnny McCray, Jr., president of the Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune National Alumni Association; and Florida state Rep. Tom Leek.
"I'm so very proud to be standing in the shadow of one of our most beloved citizens," said Wheeler, who has served on the statuary fund board. "I get chills. This statue embodies peace, human dignity, compassion and service to others. I can't recall anything I've been more proud of than to be part of this historical project."
Added Wheeler: "Let's make the most of this moment by ensuring Dr. Bethune's dream lives on, and most importantly that we live in harmony."
Lloyd said Bethune is "a reminder of our past, but a beacon for our future and what we aspire to be."
Also in attendance were Daytona Beach city commissioners, Daytona Beach's city manager and two of his assistant city managers, the Daytona Beach police chief, Volusia County Council members, those involved with the ECHO program, Ormond Beach city officials, and Racing & Recreational Facilities District officials. Also invited were top Bethune-Cookman officials, Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune National Alumni Association leadership and members of the Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Statuary Fund Board of Directors.
Henry called the statuary board members, who did a lot of behind-the-scenes work, "a dream team."
The mayor said Daytona Beach should take pride in being "the community that gave birth to Mary McLeod Bethune's dream."
With only dignitaries allowed inside the plaza, people watched the ceremony from any nearby spot they could claim. Some sat in lawn chairs they brought, some stood on the sidewalk, some sat in the grass, some used umbrellas to create a little shade, and Brown & Brown insurance company employees stood on a roof deck of their building overlooking the park.
How the Bethune statues came to be
The decision for Comas to create the bronze statue was made shortly after the initial approvals were in place for the marble state to be permanently displayed in the Capitol.
Every state is represented in National Statuary Hall by two statues. In 2016, Florida lawmakers passed legislation allowing one of the state's two statues to be removed and replaced with a new work of art.
In 2018, Bethune was chosen to represent Florida in the room ringed with statues. Shortly after that, Comas was chosen to create the marble Bethune statue. Last month she became the first Hispanic woman to have her work displayed in the National Statuary Hall State Collection.
While the marble Bethune sculpture has received more attention than the bronze Bethune statue Comas created, Lohman noted in her remarks Thursday that the bronze statue is an original work of art, and not a replica.
Comas earned a Master of Fine Arts degree from the New York Academy and she studied at the Accademia di Belli Arte in Carrara, Italy.
Comas chose to clothe Bethune in academic regalia in the two identical statues to symbolize her commitment to education. The walking stick in her right hand is modeled after a gift she received from President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
The black rose in her left is a reminder of how she lovingly referred to her students as black roses after seeing a black rose while visiting Switzerland in 1927. Black roses became her symbol of unity for all people.
The stacked books at the statues' feet are each sculpted with the tenets of her Last Will and Testament and her core values.
The names of everyone who donated $1,000 or more to the statue effort are engraved on the granite pedestal beneath the statue.
The Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Statuary Fund, Inc. was formed in 2018 to raise private revenue for the statuary project. Nearly 400 individual donors contributed.
The Statuary Fund board also raised money to create a feature-length documentary on Bethune, which will be shown for the first time in October.
The board also raised money for a new K-12 curriculum module on Bethune and sponsorship of five Bethune-Cookman University graduates who performed at the blessing ceremony of the marble statue in Italy in July 2021.
A temporary exhibit of the marble statue in Daytona Beach last fall was sponsored and facilitated by the board and seen by nearly 15,000 visitors. The marble statue also made a stop in Bethune’s South Carolina hometown on its way to Washington, D.C.
Who was Mary McLeod Bethune?
Bethune was born on a farm near Mayesville, South Carolina, in 1875. She was the 15th child of former slaves, and she rose from humble beginnings.
When she moved to Daytona Beach at the turn of the century, she dreamed of starting a school for girls. In 1904 she made that dream come true with $1.50 and five girls.
That little school in a rented building evolved into Bethune-Cookman University.
Bethune became a respected educator, civil and human rights leader, and advisor to five U.S. presidents.
She championed civil rights, education, women’s rights, voter registration drives, anti-lynching campaigns and employment opportunities for Blacks and women. As president of the State Federation of Colored Women’s Clubs, she led the fight against school segregation and inadequate health care for children.
She was president of the National Association of Colored Women’s Clubs and founded the National Council of Negro Women. She was appointed to numerous commissions including Calvin Coolidge’s Child Welfare Conference, Herbert Hoover’s National Commission on Child Welfare, and Franklin D. Roosevelt’s "Black Cabinet."
Roosevelt appointed her to be director of the National Youth Administration, establishing her as the first Black woman to lead a federal agency. Bethune was also a delegate to the inaugural 1945 United Nations Conference.
You can reach Eileen at Eileen.Zaffiro@news-jrnl.com | https://www.news-journalonline.com/story/news/local/volusia/2022/08/18/new-mary-mcleod-bethune-statue-now-stands-on-daytona-beach-riverfront/10345424002/ | 2022-08-18T21:23:57 | 0 | https://www.news-journalonline.com/story/news/local/volusia/2022/08/18/new-mary-mcleod-bethune-statue-now-stands-on-daytona-beach-riverfront/10345424002/ |
An exciting first week for Lincoln Public Schools.
Not only did the district open its first high school since Lincoln North Star in 2003, it also brought three focus programs on board.
There are still some wrinkles to iron out, as is to be expected.
Construction on Lincoln Northwest continues. Robinson Elementary, the city's newest elementary school, won't open until Aug. 29. And students at Bay High — Rabble Mill's focus program centered on content creation and digital media — won't be in their new digs for a few weeks.
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The 45 juniors and 41 seniors signed up for the new program are currently at the Science Focus Program's Lincoln Children's Zoo location while renovations wrap up at The Bay, the multipurpose skatepark and community space where Bay High will eventually be housed.
Construction, which began this month, was delayed because of zoning technicalities and supply chain issues said Mike Smith, co-executive director of Rabble Mill, the nonprofit that runs the programming at The Bay.
The building is currently in an industrial zone, which carries restrictions on educational land uses, said LPS Director of Operations Scott Wieskamp. That means a zoning change will have to occur before students can get inside.
Luckily, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln has already initiated the process to rezone a swatch of land generally between North Antelope Parkway and North 22nd Street and Y and Vine streets to commercial.
The proposal — which would include the Bay — is meant to cover the mixed-used development planned for the former site of the Cushman Motorworks at Vine Street and Antelope Parkway.
The Lincoln/Lancaster County Planning Commission is set to consider the zoning revision at its meeting on Wednesday, but the Lincoln City Council has the final say.
The renovations at The Bay include bringing the space up to LPS standards — like adding a secured entrance — and building out offices, a conference room and recording studios.
The areas where students will actually learn — including a computer lab and the commons space near the coffee shop — are basically ready to go, said Smith.
"We're not really changing the space a ton, which is kind of why it's so frustrating," Smith said.
The zoo and the Science Focus Program have been accommodating to Bay High students in the meantime, said James Blake, director of strategic initiatives and focus programs at LPS.
"The zoo has opened their arms to us," Blake said.
Smith said it could take about a month to wrap up work at The Bay and to finally get kids inside the building.
Bay High is open to juniors and seniors across the city with a capacity for 50 students from each grade. The program offers a variety of unique classes in subjects like photography, videography, coding, design, digital asset creation, digital storytelling and podcasting.
Juniors take classes in the morning while seniors come in the afternoon and the school day will start and end with an optional so-called "misfit period" where students can skate, study or grab a coffee.
While the delays are a "bummer," Smith said the students are excited to get started.
"The kids are so amped," he said. "You look at it, this many kids signing up for an unknown program ... I just think the sheer diversity of kids, of schools and even passion for why they're coming to Bay High is really awesome."
Two other focus programs officially started this fall, too: The Bryan College of Health Sciences focus program at Northwest and the Early College and Career Stem program at Northeast. Next year, a business focus program — a partnership between UNL and LPS — will open at Standing Bear High School.
Exciting times, indeed.
Links in the comics
This Sunday, Lincoln High School will appear in newspapers across the country — not for any academic or athletic achievement, but for its mascot.
The Links will receive a shoutout in Paul Trap's comic "Thatababy," which is syndicated by Andrews McMeel Universal in about 100 papers nationally, including the Omaha World-Herald.
Sunday's strip centers around a pseudo-award show called "The Mascoties," recognizing the best — and perhaps most unusual — high school mascots across the country.
Lincoln High was one of six schools to finish runner-up behind another odd mascot — the Irrigators of Newell, South Dakota. The prize: a signed copy of the comic strip for each principal.
Colorful sports nicknames have been celebrated in "Thatababy" over the years, Trap said in an email this week, but this is the first year he's done "The Mascoties."
His interest in unusual nicknames started at Baseball America Magazine, where Trap is an editorial cartoonist. And as he's traveled to ballparks across the country, he's photographed his son — the titular protagonist of "Thatababy" — with over 150 different mascots.
So how did he stumble upon the Links? Trap has a friend whose son attends Lincoln's oldest high school, and the mascot fit the bill.
"It's tremendous," Trap said. "Non-traditional, projects strength and a fantastic alliteration." | https://journalstar.com/news/local/education/from-the-classroom-class-is-in-session-at-bay-high-but-at-the-zoo-for/article_f41ccbe6-81bb-55dc-bed7-438dafa81a06.html | 2022-08-18T21:25:57 | 0 | https://journalstar.com/news/local/education/from-the-classroom-class-is-in-session-at-bay-high-but-at-the-zoo-for/article_f41ccbe6-81bb-55dc-bed7-438dafa81a06.html |
ORLANDO, FLA – As summer starts and more people are spending time outdoors, it is essential that Floridians learn how to be protected from what is known as the “underrated killer.”
The National Weather Service started Lightning Safety Awareness Week in 2001, which runs from June 19-25, to call attention to the dangers of lightning in an effort to lower the deaths and injuries caused by lightning strikes.
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Since then, lightning fatalities in the U.S. dropped from about 55 per year to less than 30, according to the weather service’s website.
Florida ranked No. 1 in the Top Ten States by Total Lightning density and No. 2 in the Top Ten States by Total Lightning Count in 2021, according to the annual lightning report by Vaisala.
The state also had a total of 223 lightning events per square mile in 2021, according to Vaisala’s annual report.
Central Florida is also the most active lightning hotspot in all of North America, when it comes to lightning per square mile, according to News 6 meteorologist Candace Campos.
Geneva, the Seminole County community led the charge in lightning strike density across Florida with 857 lightning events per square mile, Vaisala statistics show.
The weather service said that over the last 30 years, the U.S. averaged 51 lightning fatalities per year and only about 10% of people struck by lightning are actually killed, while the other 90% must cope with varying degree of discomfort and disability sometimes for the rest of their lives.
Lightning is an unpredictable characteristic in a thunderstorm, so there is no guarantee of absolute protection from it, but following safety guidelines can reduce the risk of injury or death, according to officials.
Here are some of the tips offered by the weather service:
- When thunder roars, go indoors. If you hear lightning, that means you are within striking distance. You must seek shelter and stay there until 30 minutes after the last clap of thunder, even if the rain stops.
- Find shelter that has electrical wiring and plumbing during a thunderstorm. The safest location is inside a large enclosed structure with plumbing and electrical wiring like shopping centers, schools and office buildings.
- Don’t use plugged in cell phones. This means that you should not be using a cell phone while it is being charged.
- Stay away from windows and doors. Do not sit on an open porch to watch the thunderstorm; it is best to stay in an interior closed room.
- Refrain from touching concrete surfaces. Lightning can travel through the metal wires or bars in concrete walls and flooring, such as the basement or garage.
- If inside a vehicle, roll the windows up and avoid contact with any conducting paths leading to the outside of the vehicle, such as devices plugged in for charging, metal surfaces and the ignition.
- Avoid plumbing. Metal plumbing and the water inside are very good conductors of electricity. Therefore, do not wash your hands or dishes, take a shower or do laundry during a thunderstorm.
- If you or someone else gets struck by lightning, you can begin first aid immediately. People who get struck do not carry an electric charge. Call for medical help right away.
For more information about lightning safety, visit the National Weather Service website. | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/06/14/everything-floridians-need-to-know-about-lightning-safety-awareness-week/ | 2022-08-18T21:33:16 | 0 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/06/14/everything-floridians-need-to-know-about-lightning-safety-awareness-week/ |
ORLANDO, Fla. – Orange County has the majority of the monkeypox cases in Central Florida with 84, and appointments for the vaccine are going fast, state health officials say.
The Florida Department of Health in Orange County is opening its monkeypox vaccine appointment system now Monday through Friday starting at 8:30 a.m. each day for people at risk to make a future appointment.
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“Right now the high-risk people that we’re seeing with these cases, the majority in Orange County have been men who are having sex with men,” said Kent Donahue with the Florida Department of Health in Orange County.
Donahue said they have nurses who can perform nearly 100 vaccinations per day. The vaccine is free.
To make an appointment, go to the county health department website.
To get an appointment, you must have been exposed, be a particular health care or lab worker, or identify as a gay or bisexual man.
“It’s a viral infection and anybody can get it through close prolonged skin-to-skin contact,” said Donahue.
Since the outbreak, public health experts have said the virus is largely transmitted through close skin-to-skin contact.
Michael Jungen said he’s seeing firsthand the demand for the monkeypox vaccine, particularly in Orange County. He said as a gay man, he could be more at risk and just wants to be safe.
Jungen said within the first 10 minutes of trying to get an appointment Thursday morning, the agency was booked through Tuesday.
“It’s frustrating that the vaccines are there, the United States have the vaccines, but you can’t get it,” said Jungen. “At 8:30 on Monday and Tuesday of next week, there were slots available. So, I picked one on Monday, and by the time I got to fill the form and clicked book, it says somebody else got that. And, I did the same thing for Tuesday and somebody else got that time.”
The federal government says it is setting aside 50,000 extra doses of the vaccine for cities with upcoming gay pride events. | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/08/18/orange-county-monkeypox-vaccine-appointments-online-are-going-fast-officials-say/ | 2022-08-18T21:33:23 | 0 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/08/18/orange-county-monkeypox-vaccine-appointments-online-are-going-fast-officials-say/ |
CLAY COUNTY, Fla. – A World War II-era tugboat that was built in Deland is one step closer to returning home.
ST 479 “Tiger” is moored at the end of Pier 1 at Green Cove Springs in Clay County, just south of Jacksonville.
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The one-time U.S. Army small harbor tug has traveled thousands of miles to get here.
Dan Friend, standing on it’s deck, drill in hand, has plenty of work to do before it will move again.
“We’ve got a long way to go,” Friend said. “We need to have the whole thing sandblasted. We’ll have her looking like she did when she left. Battleship grey with numbers on the side.”
Friend says documentation for these boats was destroyed long ago, but he believes there is a good chance this one played an integral part in the war effort.
“More than likely, it was built in time to serve in Normandy to help the invasion effort to build the mulberry docks off the coast of Omaha Beach that were so vital, so crucial to our victory,” he said.
Friend, president of the nonprofit Deland Historic Trust, Inc., stood above the engine room.
“Down here is the Clark Diesel,” Friend said, pointing down into the dark cavern below, his voice straining over the noise of a compressor running out on the stern and the noise echoing off steel walls. “The fact that it’s still here is amazing.”
Friend, a retired history teacher, has become an expert on World War II tugboats, and despite the rough condition of this one, he couldn’t be happier.
Friend has been working toward this day for the last ten years. It was then that he first learned about the boats, which were built in his hometown, from a display in a small museum in DeLand.
“I found a builders plaque from one of these tugs,” Friend remembered. “I’m a history guy, and I just kept asking myself, ‘I wonder where this boat went?’”
Friend needed to know more, so he searched online. That’s where he pieced together their history and learned the American Manufacturing Corporation in Orlando was contracted to build them for the Army shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor.
“They said we can’t do anything in Orlando, but there’s this site, and we can build them on Lake Beresford,” Friend said.
“Within six months of Pearl harbor, they were building tugboats,” he added.
His search also turned up photos of a tug that was still being used and docked in a canal in Sweden. It looked just like the ones he saw in old photos.
Friend made contact with the owners to learn more. “Nobody in Stockholm knew it was a Normandy boat from World War II. Nobody knew,” he said.
Friend said a builders’ plaque on the boat, just like the one in the museum, confirmed it was a Beresford, Florida built tug. The plate identified it as ST 479 — one of 29 boats built in DeLand during the war.
Years later, the owners called back with an offer: Friend could have the boat if he could get it back to America.
Friend always thought the boat might make it back, but he didn’t expect it so soon. “That will be somebody else’s headache,” he laughed. “And when they called me, I was like, ‘Oh, we’d love to have it.’”
That’s when Friend got to work. “People have called me tenacious at times. When I find something that I believe in, and I’m willing to support it, I can be a little bit tenacious. It’s a good term,” he said with a smile.
Thanks to a generous donor, it was transported across the Atlantic and arrived at the Port of Jacksonville last month.
“I saw what it could be,” Friend said. “If we could get that boat home, take it out of the water and build a permanent site for future generations to realize how rare it is.”
Friend said several companies around the country built tugboats but few have survived - ST 479 is the only one to return to the U.S.
“This is the only one that has ever come home, and that’s what makes it unique,” he said.
Friend, working with other volunteers, doesn’t plan to restore the boat — only get it presentable for display.
“We’re within 100 miles of wherever we need to be,” Friend said. “We’re going to take our time, get things sorted out and hopefully, come home on our own power.”
Friend was nominated for the News 6 Getting Results Award by Nadine Bernstein who has been watching the progress on social media. “He’s getting results. He’s doing a phenomenal job,” Bernstein said. “It’s crazy to see this all happening. I thought, ‘This boat is in Europe. It’s never going to happen.’ But it is, it’s happening.”
Bernstein grew up in DeLand, but she said she didn’t know about its role in the war effort.
“Doing this was just an awesome thing,” Bernstein said. “It was worth calling a TV station because he was thinking outside of himself. It was really interesting, and the more I followed this tugboat, the more I was following what he was doing. It just seemed so worthwhile.”
Bernstein said she made a small donation to the 501c3 nonprofit. She hopes the exposure will encourage others to donate.
“I hope that anyone that sees this realizes what a worthy cause this is,” Bernstein said. “You don’t have to contribute a lot, just lots of people have to contribute.”
Friend said he’s launched a fundraising effort to go toward painting the boat before it makes its way down the St. Johns River to West Volusia County.
He hopes to have it displayed in Ed Stone Park.
“It’s exciting. Something built by our hometown people 78 years ago went to war, and now it’s coming home,” Friend said. “How can it be more exciting than that?”
If you would like to know more about the tugboats built in Deland, Friend has created a website dedicated to collecting information on these vessels. | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/08/18/world-war-ii-era-tugboat-one-step-closer-to-coming-home-thanks-to-one-mans-effort/ | 2022-08-18T21:33:30 | 0 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/08/18/world-war-ii-era-tugboat-one-step-closer-to-coming-home-thanks-to-one-mans-effort/ |
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — State regulators say they have a better idea of how much extra Kansas Gas Service customers may have to pay after the historic cold outbreak of February 2021.
In February of this year, the Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) approved a plan for Kansas Gas Service to recoup $366 million. The company would apply for securitized bonds, and customers would pay $5 to $7 more monthly for an unknown length of time.
On Thursday, the KCC provided an update with a new number. It said Kansas Gas Service is trying to recover $328 million, and the cost for customers will range from $4.87 to $6.42 a month over seven to 10 years.
KSN News did the math and found that the total cost could range from $409.08 to $770.40 per customer.
The KCC said using low-interest securitized bonds is expected to save customers $35 to $46 million compared to recovery through traditional rates. Without securitized bonds, ratepayers would see charges of $13.90 monthly over three years or $9.04 monthly over five years using traditional rate making.
Using those numbers, KSN News found that the total cost per customer could range from $500.40 to $542.40.
We asked the KCC why, with KSN’s math, the securitized bond option appears to have the risk of costing customers more money.
KCC staff sent this response:
“The problem with the math provided is that it assumes the low bill impact is over 7 years, and the higher bill impact is over 10 years. It’s the opposite. Another thing to remember is that we did our savings calculations not only with nominal dollars but also in terms of Net Present Value of customer impact. Because we can spread out the costs for a longer time frame (with low cost bonds versus higher cost company equity that would be necessary to support these longer terms), we are able to lower overall customer costs in today’s dollars (calculated on an NPV basis). It’s well known that a dollar today is worth more than a dollar next year or ten years from now (especially with today’s inflation levels). This tool allows customer to pay back Winter Storm Uri using future value dollars that are worth much less than today’s dollars (or the value of a dollar in Feb. 2021, for that matter).”
The KCC also sent a chart to help explain the reason securitized bonds should save customers money. The KCC said the chart appeared in testimony filed with the KCC by Janet Buchanan of Kansas Gas Service.
The exact amount customers will see on their bills won’t be determined until the bonds are issued. However, when it is finally added to bills, it will be a separate line labeled “Winter Event Securitized Cost.”
The KCC is overseeing the entire process. So far, it does not know when customers will start paying the extra cost.
“Once the bonds are issued, customers will be notified in advance of the winter weather recovery charges appearing on their bills,” Linda Berry, KCC director of public affairs, said.
KSN News also asked the KCC why the amount Kansas Gas Service wants to recover dropped by $38 million since February.
Berry sent us this reply:
“According to our staff auditors, the difference can be attributed to a number of factors such as continued refinement/revisions to the calculations of extraordinary costs, additional refinement to the estimated costs associated with securitization, including investment banker and auditing costs, updating the carrying cost calculations to include more detail and a more accurate time frame, etc.”
The KCC has said that if Kansas Gas Service recovers any proceeds after state or federal investigations into possible market manipulation and price gouging, the company will pass the proceeds on to customers. | https://www.ksn.com/news/local/kansas-gas-service-rate-hike-update/ | 2022-08-18T21:45:06 | 1 | https://www.ksn.com/news/local/kansas-gas-service-rate-hike-update/ |
Four men in their 20s are in custody, accused of capital murder in the July death of a DeSoto man.
According to DeSoto Police, 24-year-old Theo Stith was inside his home on the 600 block of Canyon Place when he was fatally shot.
Stith was found by police at about 2 a.m. when officers responded to a call about a shooting.
Outside of Stith's home police found 23-year-old Xavier Dixon with a gunshot wound to his leg. Dixon was treated at the scene and transported to an area hospital.
Dixon, along with three others, identified by police as 20-year-old Deharvian Arthur, of Arlington, 22-year-old Edron Blacknell, of Cedar Hill and 23-year-old Calap Williams, of Arlington, were arrested in connection with the shooting.
All four men, police said, are in custody and are being charged with capital murder. Each man is being held on a bond of $1 million.
DeSoto Police have not released any further information about the shooting, including a motive. Additionally, they have not said who they believe shot Stith and Dixon.
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If convicted of capital murder, the men would face either life in prison without parole or the death penalty. It's not immediately clear if any of the suspects have obtained attorneys. | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/four-arrested-accused-of-capital-murder-in-desoto-homicide/3051995/ | 2022-08-18T21:48:50 | 1 | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/four-arrested-accused-of-capital-murder-in-desoto-homicide/3051995/ |
A graduate of Wagner High School has been charged in a federal anti-terrorism investigation after allegedly making online posts that the FBI claims show he was planning to attack a conservative student group in Florida.
Federal anti-terrorism agents claim Alejandro Richard Velasquez Gomez,who turns 20 on Friday, made a credible threat against participants of the Turning Point USA Student Action Summit in Tampa and that he aimed to go to Florida to carry it out in late July.
The FBI office in Phoenix alerted the FBI in San Antonio to Velasquez’s social media posts. Agents here found that his Instagram page featured the warning, “July 22 is the day of retribution the day I will have revenge against all of humanity which all of you will pay for my suffering.”
On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio man charged with threatening to ‘shoot up’ college campus is out on bail
He is charged with making threatening interstate communications and possession of child pornography — the latter count related to images found on his phone.
In a criminal complaint affidavit, the FBI linked Velasquez to the extremist “incel” movement, short for “involuntarily celibate,” online groups of mostly men who believe they can’t enter into sexual relationships.
According to the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force in San Antonio, he used the online names “LatinoZoomer” and “MestizoZoomer” and his social media posts sounded similar to those of Elliot Rodger, an incel follower who killed six people and injured more than a dozen in California in 2014.
Velasquez’s alleged threat against the Student Action Summit concluded with, “SAS will be the turning point of the LatinoZoomer lore,” and he also posted a video of himself in his car.
Rodger used knives, handguns and his car to cause mayhem near the University of California-Santa Barbara campus before taking his own life on May 23, 2014. Before the attack, he posted a video on YouTube called “Elliot Rodger's Retribution” that showed him sitting in the driver's seat of his black BMW spewing a hate-filled, sexist tirade.
An FBI agent remarked on the similarities of Velasquez’s post to that of Rodger, who had said, “Tomorrow is my day of retribution. The day in which I will have my revenge against all of humanity. Against all of you.”
The agent wrote in the affidavit that Rodger is a symbol and avatar for the “incel” movement, an ideology that endorses violence against women and sexually active people.
Velasquez “explained to me that he intended the post to evoke Elliot Rodger and was familiar with Elliot Rodger due to extensive online research,” the agent wrote.
Commentary: No, FBI’s search of Trump’s home is not like Watergate
Agents also learned that Tampa police considered Velasquez’s post regarding the upcoming student conference a credible threat. Police there obtained a warrant for his arrest, charging him with making written or electronic threats to kill, do bodily injury, or conduct a mass shooting or an act of terrorism.
Agents found Velasquez had booked a flight from Austin to Tampa on July 22, but he canceled it the night before.
Police in San Antonio arrested him on July 22, and the FBI task force got a search warrant for his phone that day and found images of children being sexually exploited by adults.
It was not immediately clear why Velasquez would target the conservative student group. Most of his social media accounts have been canceled or removed for violating the sites’ rules.
However, a YouTube video exists in which Velasquez is portrayed as among those following Nick Fuentes, the far right youth activist, as Fuentes tried to access Turning Point’s student summit in the summer of 2021. Turning Point organizers said they attempted to ban Fuentes and his followers, the so-called “groyper army,” according to a story in Salon.
Fuentes is a white nationalist livestreamer who advocates pulling the Republican Party to the farthest reaches of right-wing politics, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks extremist groups. He is an outspoken admirer of fascists such as Mussolini, and emerged onto the national stage during the “Stop the Steal” movement, which pushed former President Donald Trump’s claim to have won the 2020 election.
Velasquez was denied bail following a hearing this week and remains behind bars. His public defender, Molly Roth, could not be immediately reached for comment.
Messages seeking comment were left for Turning Point USA, and the Judson Independent School District, where Wagner is located.
At least eight mass killing cases have been linked to incel extremists, according to the New York Times.
guillermo.contreras@express-news.net | Twitter: @gmaninfedland | https://www.expressnews.com/news/local/article/FBI-San-Antonio-threat-investigation-17382858.php | 2022-08-18T21:53:26 | 1 | https://www.expressnews.com/news/local/article/FBI-San-Antonio-threat-investigation-17382858.php |
For the first time in more than a year, the San Antonio Police Department is hosting a public forfeited property auction on Aug. 24. The police department will auction off approximately 100 items.
The auction will be held at the Veterans of Foreign Wars post 9186 at 650 VFW Blvd. on the South Side at 6:30 p.m. Payments will be available by cash or credit card, excluding American Express, and registration and viewing of the property will begin at 5:30 p.m.
Some of the items are bags and bins of clothing, shoes and power tools. However, there are some more notable items.
- One Chicago Electric-brand jackhammer
- One Chicago Electric-brand "demolition hammer"
- Two Xbox 1 gaming counsels
- 17 pairs of Air Jordan shoes and two pairs of Nike LeBron shoes
- One Gucci-brand silver watch, belt and several pairs of shoes
- One Louis Vuitton-brand ladies' silver watch
- One pair of Versace-brand womens' shoes
For more information on the auction, contact the Asset Seizure Unit of SAPD at 210-207-7932.
shepard.price@express-news.net | https://www.expressnews.com/news/local/article/SAPD-forfeited-property-auction-17382443.php | 2022-08-18T21:53:32 | 0 | https://www.expressnews.com/news/local/article/SAPD-forfeited-property-auction-17382443.php |
The City of Philadelphia will begin offering $10,000 rewards for tips that lead to the arrest and conviction of anyone who fires a gun and wounds others near schools, recreation centers and libraries.
The reward will apply to shootings within 500 feet of the aforementioned locations, Mayor Jim Kenney’s office announced in a press release Thursday. The new amount is in addition to the standing cash reward of up to $20,000 for tips that lead to arrests and convictions following homicides.
“These are public spaces. They belong to the residents and families who live nearby. We will not allow perpetrators of senseless violence to interfere with the education and development of our city’s children,” Kenney said in a written statement.
The announcement follows a high-profile drive-by shooting this week near a West Philadelphia recreation center. That shooting wounded five young men, two of whom were shot in the head, as nearly 100 bullets were fired, police said.
Three of the injured were targeted as they left outdoor basketball courts at the recreation center, officials said. The two others were random victims. Their ages range from 17 to 25 years old, police said.
The latest shooting near a rec center highlights the difficulty Philadelphia officials have had in keeping young people safe from gun violence. It’s also not the only high-profile shooting near an area frequented by children.
In April, 15-year-old Juan Carlos Robles-Corona Jr. was gunned down near Tanner Duckrey School in North Philadelphia. In May, three boys – aged 15, 16 and 17 – were wounded just after getting out of Simon Gratz High School in the Hunting Park neighborhood.
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A tally by the city controller’s office lists at least 165 underage victims of gun violence in Philadelphia as of Aug. 18 of this year. Twenty-six of those shootings have been fatal.
There are additional resources for people or communities that have endured gun violence in Philadelphia. Further information can be found here. | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/philly-to-offer-10k-for-tips-on-shootings-near-schools-rec-centers/3339452/ | 2022-08-18T21:57:12 | 0 | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/philly-to-offer-10k-for-tips-on-shootings-near-schools-rec-centers/3339452/ |
Two companies are seeking to pick up Fort Wayne's bulk trash -- items too large to fit in bins or bags.
GFL Environmental USA and Republic Services of Indiana submitted responses Thursday to the city's request for proposals for the new bulk collection contract.
Mayor Tom Henry’s Administration said it will work with City Council, the Board of Public Works and the Solid Waste Advisory Board to evaluate the two companies' responses. Following those reviews, a company will be selected to negotiate a definitive contract for bulk collection, city officials said.
Once a proposed contract with the selected bidder has been negotiated, the contract will be submitted to the Board of Public Works and City Council for final review and approval.
A new state law that went into effect July 1 allows municipalities to use a request for proposal process rather than being required to award a contract to the lowest responsible and responsive bidder.
For now, city crews will continue to collect bulk items until the new contractor begins. Residents can continue to set out one piece of furniture or non-Freon appliance on collection day. Materials will be collected within 48 hours. Residents should continue to wrap mattresses and box springs if those items are set out.
GFL Environmental USA took over the city's trash and recycling hauling July 1. The GFL contract includes weekly pickup of one full trash cart and up to three additional bags, along with recycling collection every other week.
GFL was awarded the city's contract after more than three years of poor service from Texas-based Red River Waste Solutions, which filed for Chapter 11 reorganization bankruptcy protection in October and soon after entered into a contract with the city to transfer to a new provider.
Henry's administration has asked City Council to increase Fort Wayne's monthly solid waste rates beginning next year.
An ordinance would raise the monthly single-family residential household fee from $12 to $15.60 beginning July 1, 2023.
The proposal calls for the monthly rate to increase to $18.60 plus an inflation-driven variable on Jan. 1, 2024, for all urban customers. The hike also represents an additional 1% to ensure the viability of the city's solid waste fund and a possible additional multiplier based on variances in the Consumer Price Index during the last six months of 2023. | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/2-companies-want-to-pick-up-citys-bulk-trash/article_dec4502c-1f2c-11ed-8261-c787a8b3d225.html | 2022-08-18T21:58:13 | 0 | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/2-companies-want-to-pick-up-citys-bulk-trash/article_dec4502c-1f2c-11ed-8261-c787a8b3d225.html |
Residents fighting a still-unproposed large-scale solar installation in east Allen County farm country got a partial win today from the county Plan Commission.
With about 50 solar opponents in attendance, the commission voted 7-1 for an amendment to the county zoning ordinance severely restricting large-scale solar sites. Companies would need to get a use variance for the installations, rather than the easier-to-obtain special use now required.
But commission members also voted unanimously to direct the Department of Planning Services to draw up a more comprehensive approach to the issue. The resolution was advanced by Paul Langemann, County Council appointee.
Opponents said they planned to continue their efforts by attending public meetings, circulating petitions and telling the public about the plan.
"It makes us happy. But we have a lot of work to be done yet," said Judy Gerardot of Monroevile, a leader of the opposition.
David Bailey, plan commission citizen member, was the only one to vote against the solar restriction. He said he favored a more comprehensive approach. Pleasant Township Trustee John Henry was absent. | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/plan-commission-votes-against-large-scale-solar/article_aa3fc804-1f22-11ed-8506-4fbcab52a6dc.html | 2022-08-18T21:58:19 | 1 | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/plan-commission-votes-against-large-scale-solar/article_aa3fc804-1f22-11ed-8506-4fbcab52a6dc.html |
Southwest Allen County Schools is adding staff to help teachers at two elementary schools with larger than ideal class sizes.
The district is now advertising the instructional assistant openings following unanimous board approval Tuesday. Officials estimate the four temporary positions, which are ineligible for benefits, will cost between $60,000 and $70,000.
The general education instructional assistants will help students, individually or in small groups, with classroom work, assignments, projects or other activities determined by the classroom teacher, according to the job description.
Two are needed at each Covington and Deer Ridge elementary schools to help grade levels that exceeded the targeted number of students in all classes, LuAnn Erickson, human resources director, told the board. She said it's impractical to create another class at each school and hire two new teachers.
"Due to the shortage of available teachers at this time of year, and because we do not want to recruit a teacher away from their current school district so close to the start of the school year, we are unable to fill these [teaching] positions," Erickson said in a memo to the board.
The instructional assistants will work with Covington kindergartners and Deer Ridge first graders, helping classroom teachers where needed. The memo didn't quantify the enrollment at the schools or the targeted number of students.
Along having with a "sincere interest in working with students," applicants should have two years of study at an institution of higher education or earned at least an associate degree, the job description said.
The instructional assistants will only work this academic year, 5.5 hours per day with a 30-minute unpaid lunch. Compensation depends on education and experience. | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/southwest-allen-county-schools-adds-staff/article_fb8a9bea-1f21-11ed-8ecb-df0dee1012c0.html | 2022-08-18T21:58:25 | 1 | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/southwest-allen-county-schools-adds-staff/article_fb8a9bea-1f21-11ed-8ecb-df0dee1012c0.html |
LONGPORT — The borough's annual fireworks display, a 15-year tradition that almost wasn't this year due to funding gaps, will take place Labor Day weekend after all, officials said.
Mayor Nicholas Russo confirmed the fireworks are "a definite go."
"In donations, we raised $9,800, which means we're $2,900 short," Russo said Wednesday about the $12,700 needed to put on the traditional fireworks display. "However, we do have $3,000 in our recreation fund, which will cover that, so the fireworks are a definite go. And we signed a contract."
Earlier this month, the city was $6,100 short of its goal. Traditionally, the Longport Fire Department sets aside donations for the display, but the 15 to 20 residents who usually donate didn't, and Fire Department President Anthony Vicchiarelli said at the time that he wasn't going to "track them down."
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LONGPORT — The borough’s annual Labor Day weekend fireworks show may be in jeopardy this yea…
The Fire Department did want the fireworks to happen and made a $1,000 donation toward the display, Vicchiarelli told The Press of Atlantic City earlier this month.
Russo proposed using funds from the borough's library, since he's on the library board and said the funds were used for a variety of programs. But the library board deadlocked 4-4 on the issue.
Borough Commissioner Daniel Lawler said Wednesday people have come forward since to help with the remaining donations if it was necessary.
Also during Wednesday's commission meeting, the borough designated the day as "Team Thunderdome Day" in honor of the four-swimmer relay team that competed in the 56th annual Around the Island Swim.
The four high school athletes, all members of local beach patrols, won the swim around Absecon Island. Patrick Armstrong represented the Longport Beach Patrol, James Haney and Gavin Neal represented the Brigantine Beach Patrol, and John Saul represented the Atlantic City Beach Patrol. The four finished the 22.75-mile race in eight hours, two minutes and 51 seconds. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/longport-saves-labor-day-fireworks-tradition-after-securing-funds/article_0264c412-1e83-11ed-b0d7-93dc2486a0b0.html | 2022-08-18T21:59:02 | 0 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/longport-saves-labor-day-fireworks-tradition-after-securing-funds/article_0264c412-1e83-11ed-b0d7-93dc2486a0b0.html |
CONRAD — A Conrad man has been arrested for setting fire to his home, killing his dog inside.
Jacob Switzer admitted to authorities that he set the fire with a match. He said he did it because a radio frequency ID tag in his ear told him to do it, according to court records.
Grundy County sheriff’s deputies arrested Switzer, 45, on charges of first-degree arson and animal abuse after he was released from Grundy Memorial Hospital. Bond was set at $50,000.
Firefighters and deputies were called to a fire at Switzer’s home, 108 N. Washington St., around 11:15 p.m. on Tuesday. Initial reports indicated a teenage female was still inside, but when authorities arrived all people were out of the home, according to the sheriff’s office.
Switzer allegedly told a bystander he set the blaze and later repeated the admission to a deputy. He also said his dog was still in the home when the fire started. Firefighters found the dog’s remains in the living room the following day.
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Court records show Switzer was arrested on marijuana charges after he allegedly jumped from a second-story window at the home while paranoid and under the influence of drugs in November 2019. He was sentenced to probation and ordered to undergo substance abuse and mental health evaluations and treatment. | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/man-charged-in-conrad-fire-that-killed-pet-dog/article_cb950a9b-f0e5-52a0-8910-3786aecce951.html | 2022-08-18T21:59:44 | 0 | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/man-charged-in-conrad-fire-that-killed-pet-dog/article_cb950a9b-f0e5-52a0-8910-3786aecce951.html |
CEDAR FALLS – An afternoon fire damaged a Cedar Falls home Thursday.
A resident was able to grab the family pet and flee 4305 Orchard Hill Drive without injury, authorities said.
The cause of the fire hasn’t been determined.
Firefighters were called to the home and found heavy smoke coming from the residence with the fire apparently breaking through the roof in some areas.
Photos: House Fire, Orchard Hill Drive
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On a triple-digit summer day in late July, 6-year-old Jase Monroe was in his front yard in front of his Burleson home.
To beat the heat, Jase was using a boogie board to slide down a slip-and-slide under a water sprinkler.
During Jase's water-filled fun afternoon, an Amazon delivery driver parked in front of his house to drop off a package.
"Jase is very friendly and outgoing and asked the driver if she wanted a turn," Jase's mom, Dawn, said. "To my surprise, she said 'yes!'"
Jase handed her his boogie board and the delivery driver, fully clothed in her uniform, took a running dive, before gliding along the slippery water slide.
Then she walked up to Jase, gave him a high-five, and handed the board back, then thanked him for helping her cool her off in the North Texas heat.
Dawn offered the driver a towel to dry off as she walked back to her vehicle. But she declined and said the water felt amazing.
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"I loved the driver's enthusiasm and energy," said Dawn. "I know she ultimately did it to cool off, but what the driver doesn't know is that she made a little boy's day!"
Jase still looks for the driver whenever he sees an Amazon van.
He has a plan if she ever makes another stop at his house.
"She was very nice," Jase said. "Next time she comes to our house, we should add more soap to the slip-and-slide to make it go faster."
They didn't get her name or her van number, unfortunately.
"I'd love to find her and thank her again," Dawn said. "Her two-minute (unofficial and spur-of-the-moment) break was used to bring smiles to others, and we need more of that in this world."
Be prepared for your day and week ahead. Sign up for our weather newsletter. | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/watch-amazon-driver-cools-off-on-slip-n-slide-with-burleson-boy/3052029/ | 2022-08-18T22:01:34 | 0 | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/watch-amazon-driver-cools-off-on-slip-n-slide-with-burleson-boy/3052029/ |
KANAWHA COUNTY, WV (WOWK) – The first day of school in Kanawha County is Monday, Aug. 21, and first responders are making sure students return to the classroom safely.
The Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office says it will have extra patrols next week in school zones and will strictly enforce traffic laws such as violations for speeding in a school zone and driving around a school bus when its stopped.
The sheriff’s office says the fines and penalties for these violations are stiff, but that’s not the only thing people should worry about. The children’s safety is also a top priority.
“I cannot imagine losing my child or grandchild to someone who was not paying attention and speeding or driving past a school bus,” said Kanawha County Sheriff Mike Rutherford. “It would be one of the most horrible things that anyone could imagine is losing a loved one like that. And we want the kids to be here and have long, happy, successful lives.”
A fine for speeding in a school zone can cost up to $500 dollars. | https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/kanawha-county-sheriffs-office-to-increase-school-zone-patrols/ | 2022-08-18T22:02:44 | 0 | https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/kanawha-county-sheriffs-office-to-increase-school-zone-patrols/ |
ROCKLIN, Calif. — A man from Rocklin was sentenced to 10 years in prison for wire fraud, money laundering and submitting false statements to a financial institution, the Department of Justice announced Thursday.
Kevin Lee Co, 51, pleaded guilty in Dec. 2016 to wire fraud and money laundering of about $4.8 million from Holt of California. He used the money to buy NFL and NBA season tickets, luxury cars, home furniture, and around $1 million to make purchases in the online video game "Game of War."
Co owned Apollo HP Inc., which is a Rocklin-based company that sells generators, windows, and residential solar panels.
Watch more on ABC10: Rainbow fentanyl found in Placer County | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/rocklin/rocklin-man-embezzles-5-million-holt-video-game/103-9c1fb9fe-c7f2-4598-9e98-8d427ff75b3e | 2022-08-18T22:02:44 | 0 | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/rocklin/rocklin-man-embezzles-5-million-holt-video-game/103-9c1fb9fe-c7f2-4598-9e98-8d427ff75b3e |
MASON COUNTY, WV (WOWK) – A man has been arrested after an armed robbery led to a pursuit in Mason County.
According to the Mason County Sheriff’s Office, the incident began when deputies were called to the Hot Spot Cafe in Gallipolis Ferry, around 2:30 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 9 regarding an armed robbery.
Deputies say a short vehicle pursuit ensued and ended with the suspect vehicle crashing. The MCSO says the suspect then fled on foot and K-9 units were deployed to continue the search. A witness confirmed to authorities that a man had crossed Route 2 on foot in front of his vehicle near the town of Henderson and headed toward the Ohio River.
The sheriff’s office says the Point Pleasant Fire Department used their boat to assist in the search between the Salt Creek area of Route 2 to the Henderson area. Deputies say the search was called off just before daylight.
Through the lengthy investigation, deputies executed a search warrant on a property on Route 62 on Wednesday, Aug. 17 and arrested Jason Roach, of Point Pleasant, on a felony warrant for armed robbery, according to the MCSO.
The sheriff’s office says the Point Pleasant Police Department and the Point Pleasant Fire Department assisted in search efforts the night of the robbery. | https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/man-arrested-in-mason-county-west-virginia-robbery-pursuit/ | 2022-08-18T22:02:51 | 1 | https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/man-arrested-in-mason-county-west-virginia-robbery-pursuit/ |
CHARLESTON, WV (WOWK) – Some schools in the Mountain State will be getting four-legged students walking around.
WOWK featured Jasper, the Wonder Pup at Lewis County High School on Wednesday, and now seven more “Friends with Paws” therapy dogs will be at schools across the state, according to the governor’s office. West Virginia Governor Jim Justice, First Lady Cathy Justice and their English bulldog Babydog made the announcement Thursday, Aug. 18.
“Friends with Paws” was announced last school year to place therapy dogs in schools to bring comfort to students. The program is a partnership between the Governor’s Office, West Virginia Communities In Schools (CIS) Nonprofit, and the West Virginia Department of Education. Justice says it’s current focus is on schools in communities disproportionately affected by poverty, substance misuse, or other at-risk situations.
The seven new schools receiving a four-legged friend for the Fall 2022 semester include:
- Pineville Elementary School in Wyoming County – a male Yellow Labrador named River.
- Moorefield Elementary School in Hardy County – a male Black Labrador named Shadow.
- Spring Mills High School in Berkeley County – a male Yellow Labrador named Jet.
- Wayne Elementary School in Wayne County – a female Apricot Labradoodle named Emily.
- Lenore Elementary School in Mingo County – a male Black Labrador named Kylo.
- Green Bank Elementary-Middle School in Pocahontas County – a female Yellow Labrador named Kasha.
- Greenbrier East High School in Greenbrier County – a male Cream/White Labradoodle named Marshal.
During a press conference announcing the dogs’ new roles, Justice talked about his thoughts on the healing power of dogs using a very familiar face – Babydog.
“This is great stuff, I’ll promise you,” Justice said. “This little rascal (Babydog) has saved my life because the last couple years have been really tough, and the one thing she does – when you look at this thing, she makes you smile.”
There are now 10 certified therapy dogs in schools across the Mountain State. Earlier this year, Jasper, a female Yellow Labrador was placed at Lewis County High School, Foster, a male Golden Labradoodle, was placed at Buckhannon Academy Elementary; and the first Friend with Paws to be placed, Coal, a male Black Labrador, was placed at Welch Elementary. | https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/therapy-friends-with-paws-coming-to-more-west-virginia-schools/ | 2022-08-18T22:02:57 | 1 | https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/therapy-friends-with-paws-coming-to-more-west-virginia-schools/ |
LAPORTE COUNTY — A burning pile of brush is blamed for flames engulfing a half dozen old school buses at a popular getaway near Michigan City.
Firefighters were called just before 1:30 p.m. Wednesday to Serenity Springs Resort on U.S. 35 near Interstate 94.
Heavy black smoke from the burning tires and fuel in the tanks could be seen for miles.
Springfield Township Fire Chief Steve Marvel said wind blew some embers from a burning pile of limbs and other brush about 150 feet to underneath one of the buses.
Marvel said six of the 10 buses, all parked close to each other, were badly burned.
He said the other buses did not catch fire because an excavator was used to pull one of the buses out from the middle of the row to keep the flames from advancing further.
The resolution also calls for full removal of 2 million cubic yards of historic fill containing coal ash at the power plant. The fill is being held in place by an aging seawall.
The public has until Aug. 10 to offer written comments. The hearing, held last week, was in regard to a rate increase NIPSCO is requesting to help pay for the cleanup.
The charging stations are being put in by a group of eight Indiana utilities, including NIPSCO, through a grant from the Volkswagen Environmental Mitigation Trust.
The Indiana Court of Appeals has reinstated a lawsuit alleging the city of Michigan City, through its then-Mayor Ron Meer, defamed LaPorte County Prosecutor John Lake and his wife, Mary Lake.
The number of nonfatal shootings this year, 12, is triple that of the same period last year. The number of firearms seized jumped from 79 to 176. That means more people are carrying handguns. | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/laporte/old-school-buses-go-up-in-flames/article_44a3de12-3708-5643-bfb4-174a08730dcd.html | 2022-08-18T22:07:29 | 1 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/laporte/old-school-buses-go-up-in-flames/article_44a3de12-3708-5643-bfb4-174a08730dcd.html |
TUSCOLA COUNTY, Mich. (WJRT) - Police believe an Essexville woman suffered a medical emergency just before crashing into a row of trees along M-25 in Tuscola County.
The crash was reported around 12:40 p.m. Wednesday on M-25 near Bradleyville Road in the Unionville area.
The Tuscola County Sheriff's Office says the 46-year-old driver suffered a medical issue while driving northeast on M-25, went off the road crashed into some large pine trees.
The woman was pinned in her vehicle until the Unionville Fire Department used hydraulic rescue tools to cut her free. A medical helicopter airlifted the woman to Covenant HealthCare hospital in Saginaw for treatment of serious injuries.
The Essexville woman was alone in her car and no other vehicles were involved in the crash. The Tuscola County Sheriff's Office will continue investigating the crash. | https://www.abc12.com/news/local/police-medical-emergency-led-to-serious-crash-on-m-25-in-tuscola-county/article_5e36b64a-1f2f-11ed-abf2-67e3463ba07b.html | 2022-08-18T22:07:45 | 1 | https://www.abc12.com/news/local/police-medical-emergency-led-to-serious-crash-on-m-25-in-tuscola-county/article_5e36b64a-1f2f-11ed-abf2-67e3463ba07b.html |
ENOLA, Pa. — Police in Cumberland County have charged a Bloomsburg man with abuse of a corpse and other offenses after he allegedly tried to buy human remains from an Arkansas woman for resale on Facebook.
Jeremy Pauley, 40, was charged after an investigation that began on June 14, according to East Pennsboro Township Police.
Pauley, whom court records list as a resident of Bloomsburg but is called an Enola resident by police, describes himself on his Facebook page as the owner/curator of The Grand Wunderkammer and the executive director and curator of the Memento Mori Museum.
The Grand Wunderkammer's Facebook page describes the group as "vendors of the odd and unusual" and that its events feature "museum exhibits, guest lectures, live entertainment, and so much more!"
Pauley's personal Facebook account lists more than 4,900 friends.
The items he lists for sale on his page are described by Pauley as "medical bones," "femurs," "mandible bones", "teeth," and various other bones.
According to police, the investigation of Pauley began on June 14, when police received a phone call regarding suspicious activity at a home on the 200 block of North Enola Road in Enola.
The tipster told police that a suspect, later identified as Pauley, was buying human body parts and selling them on Facebook, according to police.
Investigators went to interview Pauley at his Enola home, according to the criminal complaint affidavit filed against him.
During the interview, Pauley allegedly told police he was in possession of three full human skeletons and approximately 15 to 20 human skulls, according to the complaint.
Pauley described himself as a collector of "oddities" and said the items were purchased legally, according to police.
Investigators said the items appeared to be "very old" and that Pauley appeared to have acquired them from "a legitimate purchase," according to the complaint.
On July 8, police say, they received another call regarding Pauley. The caller said they found additional human remains in the basement of Pauley's home. The caller reported there were buckets of "human skin" and "human organs" in the basement, the complaint states.
Police executed a search warrant at the home and collected three to five buckets containing suspected human remains, which were taken to the Cumberland County Coroner's Office and later transported to Dauphin County for testing, according to the complaint.
According to investigators, a forensic examiner later determined the buckets contained:
- human brains (2)
- human skin and human fat (6 pieces)
- a human heart
- a human kidney
- a human skull with hair
- human livers (2)
- a human trachea
- a human child's mandible with teeth
- human lungs (2)
Further investigation determined Pauley was purchasing the remains from a woman in Arkansas, whom police identified as Candace Scott. An examination of Facebook Messenger exchanges determined Pauley had purchased several human remains from Scott for $4,000, including:
- half a human head
- one whole human head minus the skull cap
- three human brains with skull caps
- a human heart
- a human liver
- a human lung
- human kidneys (2)
- a human female pelvis
- a piece of human torso including a nipple
- human hands (4)
Police say the items were shipped sent to Pauley via U.S. Postal Service. State Police intercepted the remains in Scranton, according to the complaint.
Investigators contacted police in Arkansas, who determined Scott was stealing the remains from a mortuary and sending them to Pauley to be resold. The remains were determined to belong to the University of Arkansas, according to the complaint.
"While the Arkansas State Police Criminal Investigation Division was an active partner in the investigation, the nexus of the criminal charges are based on a federal investigation," Bill Sadler, a spokesperson with Arkansas State Police, told KSFM-TV. "All inquiries regarding this case should be directed to the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Little Rock."
Connor Hagan, a FBI spokesperson in Little Rock, told KSFM the agency is aware of the charges filed by East Pennsboro Township Police, but declined to provide any further details due to the ongoing nature of the investigation.
Police re-interviewed Pauley on July 15. He allegedly admitted to purchasing the items from Scott and re-selling them on Facebook for profit, according to the complaint.
In addition to abuse of a corpse -- a second-degree misdemeanor -- Pauley is charged with a felony count of receiving stolen property, a misdemeanor count of receiving stolen property, and a felony count of dealing in proceeds of unlawful activities, according to court records.
Pauley is currently free after posting bail of $50,000, according to court records. A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for Sept. 14. | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/lackawanna-county/abuse-of-corpse-human-remains-enola-pennsylvania-man-charged/521-c8f95b39-2f0a-4c8b-996a-00519545180f | 2022-08-18T22:10:03 | 0 | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/lackawanna-county/abuse-of-corpse-human-remains-enola-pennsylvania-man-charged/521-c8f95b39-2f0a-4c8b-996a-00519545180f |
TAYLOR, Pa. — The creativity of some high school students will soon be on display at the Taylor Community Library in Lackawanna County.
With some fine-tipped brushes and a lot of blue paint, students from the Riverside Art Club are giving a library wall a whole new look.
"In our school, we've done like one or two really big ones but not in the community. This is our first one that's outside of the school building," said Lisa Temples, an art teacher at Riverside, who is overseeing the creation of the murals in the Taylor Community Library.
The design for the main mural on the front wall shows the students' creativity running wild with cartoonish trees and birds.
Temples says the designs allow students to express themselves in their own unique way.
"It's giving the kids that are in the art club a chance to showcase their skills and talents outside of the building."
The murals are set to be finished before the school year begins. The hope is to create a connection between the student artists and community members who visit the Taylor Community Library.
"The younger kids that come here and get to use the library get to see what the older kids do, and it's a nice little connectivity that they can see and get involved with their peers," Temples added.
Senior Nicholas Bluselli, one of the artists, says this is his chance to make this mark in the community — a mark he hopes the next generation of students can be inspired by.
"I think this mural will bring a lot more than just excitement, but some passion into the next generation of kids who are going to Riverside."
Plans for more murals all over the library are set to begin at the end of this week.
Check out WNEP's YouTube channel. | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/lackawanna-county/brushes-and-books-art-students-sprucing-up-library-riverside-art-students-taylor-community/523-817c6245-46e4-47fd-b4f5-587a04704f8e | 2022-08-18T22:10:09 | 1 | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/lackawanna-county/brushes-and-books-art-students-sprucing-up-library-riverside-art-students-taylor-community/523-817c6245-46e4-47fd-b4f5-587a04704f8e |
PITTSTON, Pa. — Pittston prides itself on being the tomato capital of the world, and this weekend brings the annual festival dedicated to the juicy red fruit.
The Pittston Tomato Festival officially opened Thursday evening, and people are already coming here to get their tomato fix just in time for dinner.
The festival includes lots of food options, art and craft vendors, and live music.
Some streets in Pittson will be closed Saturday morning for a 5K run and parade.
Check out WNEP’s YouTube channel. | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/luzerne-county/pittston-tomato-festival-will-have-you-seeing-red-this-weekend-food-crafts-music-5k-parade/523-4e3d167a-0898-4533-b398-b34976ae6dcb | 2022-08-18T22:10:15 | 0 | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/luzerne-county/pittston-tomato-festival-will-have-you-seeing-red-this-weekend-food-crafts-music-5k-parade/523-4e3d167a-0898-4533-b398-b34976ae6dcb |
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