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BRISTOL, Tenn. (WJHL) - A taste of Thailand is being served up by one local food truck.
Mae Malee’s Spring Rolls can be seen all over the region but mainly calls its location at 15 17th Street in Bristol, Tennessee home.
The namesake of this food truck holds close to Owner Michael Daugherty’s heart. “Malee is my mom’s name, and Mae means mom in Thai,” he said.
He told News Channel 11 that following his roots and cooking up something tasty is what he’s been doing for the past four years. He said it’s been a journey, but so far he’s loved the ride.
“It was a grind the first year because you’re trying to get your name out there, but thankfully I’ve got a lot of repeat customers and it feels like a really warm reception,” Daugherty said. “People seem to enjoy the dishes that I put out and I’m really grateful for it.”
There’s some big flavor packed into such a small truck. “I do Thai and Southeast Asian-inspired dishes. I do Asian versions of tacos, and I do specials like curry and Thai specials,” he said.
They’ve earned quite a following over the past few years, according to Daugherty, but he said he’s glad to just be a part of the community.
“We’ve got more of a diverse and creative menu, and a lot more people have started coming by and we have food truck rallies and a big community where we all kind of support one another,” he said.
The truck runs mainly Tuesdays and Thursdays, serving up lunches in the Bristol area with an occasional third day.
Every Sunday night, they post their weekly schedule on Facebook and Instagram. | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/first-at-four/food-truck-friday-mae-malees-spring-rolls/ | 2022-08-19T17:23:31 | 1 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/first-at-four/food-truck-friday-mae-malees-spring-rolls/ |
Defense rests after challenging agents in Whitmer plot trial
Lawyers for two men charged with conspiring to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer called investigators to the witness stand Friday to try to raise questions about their tactics in 2020 and highlight scornful attitudes.
The defense rested its case on the ninth day of trial. Closing arguments were scheduled for Monday in federal court in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Adam Fox and Barry Croft Jr. declined to testify. They are on trial for a second time after a jury in April couldn’t reach a unanimous verdict but acquitted two other men.
John Penrod, a Delaware state trooper who worked on the case with the FBI, was confronted with text messages in which he called Croft a “coward” and other pejoratives.
What about “moron?” asked attorney Joshua Blanchard.
“It could be Mr. Croft or it could be anyone in the group,” Penrod replied.
Blanchard also played audio of FBI agent Hank Impola telling an informant, “A saying we have in my office is, ‘Don’t let the facts get in the way of a good story.’”
But on cross-examination, agent Corey Baumgardner agreed with a prosecutor who said Impola’s remark two months after the arrests was actually a reference to how Croft and Fox would spin the kidnapping allegations.
The defense argues that Fox and Croft were entrapped by agents and informants who fed their wild anti-government views. Prosecutors say the group wanted to trigger a national revolt and was furious over COVID-19 restrictions imposed by Whitmer during the early stages of the pandemic.
Croft, 46, is from Bear, Delaware. Fox, 39, was living in the basement of a vacuum shop in the Grand Rapids area.
U.S. District Judge Robert Jonker gave instructions to jurors before sending them home for the weekend. He said the pair could be found guilty of conspiracy if jurors believe “there was a mutual understanding” to commit a kidnapping, among other factors, even if one wasn’t carried out.
But entrapment could apply if the jury believes agents and informants persuaded Fox and Croft to commit a crime that they weren’t willing to do before engaging them, the judge said.
“Ask yourself what the evidence shows about the defendants’ character and reputation. … Let these things marinate in your own minds,” Jonker said.
Whitmer, a Democrat, has blamed then-President Donald Trump for stoking mistrust and fomenting anger over coronavirus restrictions and refusing to condemn hate groups and right-wing extremists like those charged in the plot.
Trump recently called the kidnapping plan a “fake deal.” | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2022/08/19/defense-rests-after-challenging-agents-whitmer-plot-trial/7842781001/ | 2022-08-19T17:28:37 | 0 | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2022/08/19/defense-rests-after-challenging-agents-whitmer-plot-trial/7842781001/ |
Michigan term limits question to appear as Prop 1 on November ballot
Delta Township — A proposal that would alter Michigan's term limits for the first time in 30 years will appear as Proposal 1 on the November general election ballot.
The Michigan Board of State Canvassers on Friday voted 3-0 to approve the numbering of the proposal as well as the 100-word summary accompanying it on the ballot, despite challenges from opponents who felt the summary wording was inaccurate.
Opponents are considering a challenge of the wording in court, said Patrick Anderson, an East Lansing economist who helped pass the 1992 amendment that put the current term limits in place.
"We're very disappointed that the board — only three members — adopted something that was so close to the self-interested description of the Legislature," said Anderson.
But supporters of the proposal saw Friday as a big victory in their effort to alter Michigan's 30-year-old term limit rules.
"It's not perfect, but it's true and impartial," attorney Steve Liedel said of the language ultimately adopted by the board.
Tony Daunt, one of two Republicans on the four-member bipartisan elections board, was absent from Friday's meeting.
In a July 5-8 poll of 600 likely Michigan voters, nearly 81% of those read the proposed ballot language for the Transparency and Term Limits Proposal voiced support for the measure, while 9% opposed and 10% were undecided.
The poll, commissioned by The Detroit News and WDIV (Channel 4), used language proposed by the Legislature for the ballot initiative and not the language adopted Friday by the Board of State Canvassers. The poll conducted by Glengariff Group had a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.
The Michigan Legislature voted in May to place the term limits question on the November ballot, bypassing the signature-gathering process usually used to get a proposal on the state ballot.
The proposal, which would alter 1992 voter-approved term limits, would allow lawmakers to serve 12 years overall in Lansing, with the potential for all of their time in either chamber or split between the two.
The current law limits members of the state House to three two-year terms and members of the state Senate to two four-year terms, for a max of 14 years between the two chambers.
Under the proposed language, starting in April 2024, lawmakers, the governor, the lieutenant governor, the attorney general and the secretary of state would be required to submit annual disclosures whose details would be worked out by the Legislature. The language does require at least the reporting of assets, a description of liabilities, sources of income, gifts, positions held, future employment agreements and travel reimbursements.
It exempts the disclosure of past jobs with the state of Michigan, as well as other positions related to a "religious, social, fraternal, or political entity." The language also holds lawmakers to the same travel payment and reimbursement disclosures required of lobbyists, potentially leaving out trips legislators receive through other groups not registered as lobbyists such as nonprofits.
Anderson argued Friday that the summary should use wording indicating the proposal would "repeal" the current term limit rules rather than "change" them.
He also argued the financial reporting required of lawmakers should be described as mandated reporting of "sources" of income and "descriptions" of assets and liabilities. Instead, the summary just lists income, assets and liabilities as being part of the financial disclosure requirements.
eleblanc@detroitnews.com | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2022/08/19/election-2022-michigan-term-limits-prop-1-ballot-november/10337248002/ | 2022-08-19T17:28:40 | 1 | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2022/08/19/election-2022-michigan-term-limits-prop-1-ballot-november/10337248002/ |
County prosecutors can't enforce Michigan abortion ban, Oakland Co. judge rules
Pontiac — An Oakland County judge ruled Friday that county prosecutors cannot enforce the state's 1931 abortion law as courts consider a lawsuit brought by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer that seeks to overturn the ban as unconstitutional.
This means abortion will likely remain legal in Michigan until Whitmer's case or a lawsuit brought by Planned Parenthood in the Michigan Court of Appeals is fully resolved.
Circuit Court Judge Jacob Cunningham said the harm of allowing prosecutors to criminalize abortions could not be "more real, clear, present and dangerous." The 1931 abortion ban doesn't pass constitutional muster in the state, he said, because weaponizing criminal law against abortion providers goes against due process.
An injunction also is "overwhelmingly" in the public interest because it would allow Michigan voters to decide on abortion rights at the ballot box, if a proposal for a constitutional amendment is found to have enough valid signatures to make the Nov. 8 ballot, Cunningham said.
The Reproductive Freedom for All ballot committee's ballot initiative would add language to the Michigan Constitution allowing for abortion up to fetal viability, which usually is considered to be around 24 weeks but is defined in the language as when a child can survive outside the womb without "extraordinary medical measures." The language includes a carveout that would allow abortions after fetal viability to protect the physical or mental health of a mother.
"This is the ultimate example of maintaining the status quo," Cunningham said. "There is precisely zero harm to the defendants by granting a preliminary injunction."
The ruling came after a two-day evidentiary hearing before Cunningham where attorneys renewed their arguments for and against the temporary ban. This was the first hearing in the country since Roe v. Wade was overturned with live testimony on the impact of allowing the criminalization of abortion.
The judge heard from five medical professionals — including the state’s chief medical officer, an obstetrics and gynecology professor from the University of Michigan and a retired Bowling Green University developmental psychologist — and lawyers from both sides.
Whitmer has argued Michigan's constitution offers a right to abortion that nullifies the 1931 ban, which has laid largely dormant since the Roe v. Wade ruling in 1973. She filed in lawsuit in April to stop 13 county prosecutors from enforcing the law on abortion providers within their counties.
Michigan law bans abortions in all cases except when a pregnant person's life is in jeopardy.
The same day Whitmer filed her lawsuit, Planned Parenthood of Michigan filed a separate case about the abortion ban in the Michigan Court of Claims against Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel.
Court of Claims Judge Elizabeth Gleicher ruled in May that Planned Parenthood was likely to succeed in its case and determined that Nessel could not enforce the 1931 ban.
Gleicher asked Nessel to convey that to county prosecutors, but a Michigan Court of Appeals panel ruled earlier this month that neither Nessel nor the Court of Claims had authority over county prosecutors, which exempted them from Gleicher's block on the abortion ban.
Later on the same day as the Court of Appeals ruling, Cunningham issued a temporary restraining order stopping the 13 prosecutors Whitmer listed as defendants in her case from enforcing the abortion ban.
Attorney David Kallman, who represents Republican prosecutors in Kent and Jackson counties, subpoenaed Whitmer for Wednesday's hearing, saying she should have to explain how she would be harmed by the state's abortion law. The Michigan Court of Appeals ruled Whitmer would not have to testify during this week's hearing.
Assistant Attorney General Linus Banghart-Linn said Wednesday that enforcing the abortion ban would violate Michigan residents' constitutional rights. He said the ban was designed to control women and "keep women in their place."
Kallman told Cunningham the state's argument was "silly" and doesn't meet legal standards needed to obtain the preliminary injunction.
kberg@detroitnews.com | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/oakland-county/2022/08/19/abortion-michigan-whitmer-ban-unconstitutional-lawsuit-roe-wade/7836166001/ | 2022-08-19T17:29:00 | 0 | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/oakland-county/2022/08/19/abortion-michigan-whitmer-ban-unconstitutional-lawsuit-roe-wade/7836166001/ |
Nebraska's unemployment rate ticked slightly higher in July compared with June, but it was still much lower than in July of 2021.
According to data released Friday by the Nebraska Department of Labor, the state's July unemployment rate stood at 2%, up from 1.9% in June but down from 2.5% a year ago.
The rate was the second-lowest in the country behind Minnesota, and was much lower than the national rate of 3.5%.
The number of people employed statewide and the number of jobs filled were both up by more than 19,000 compared with a year ago.
Nebraska Commissioner of Labor John Albin singled out the manufacturing sector, which added more than 2,700 jobs over the past year.
"With employment at nearly 103,000, this is the largest employment number since January of 2003,” Albin said in a news release.
Manufacturing didn't crack the top three industries with the most growth, however. Business services added nearly 6,200 jobs; leisure and hospitality was up nearly 5,300; and trade, transportation and utilities added about 4,200 jobs.
The July unemployment rate in the Lincoln Metropolitan Statistical area was 2.2%, down slightly from June and from July 2021.
There were about 3,200 more people employed in the Lincoln area than a year ago and nearly 2,700 more jobs filled.
Industries with the biggest year-over-year growth locally were leisure and hospitality services, which added nearly 1,400 jobs, and trade, transportation and utilities, with nearly 900.
Lowest-paying jobs in Lincoln
Lowest-paying jobs in Lincoln
The U.S. may be one of the wealthiest countries in the world but there’s a growing trend of financial inequality, with middle-class households feeling the most impact. In fact, the number of adults who live in middle-class households dropped from 61% in 1971 to 50% in 2021, according to an April 2022 analysis from Pew Research Center. On the other hand, the upper-income level rose from 14% to 21%. The declining middle class in the U.S. can be attributed to various factors including a decrease in unions and manufacturing jobs and an increased need for college-educated, tech-savvy employees.
The COVID-19 pandemic also played a major role in exposing the harsh financial gap as those who fell under the middle- and upper-income brackets were able to keep their jobs and/or work remotely. At the start of the pandemic in the U.S., workers who fell under the lower-income tier found themselves unemployed or having to be out of work, even if temporarily, as their place of employment was closed.
Those who worked in the leisure and hospitality industries were hit the hardest financially. In December 2020, employment in the hospitality industry was down by 23% compared to pre-pandemic levels in February 2020, an unemployment rate that surpassed other industries. Service employees such as housekeepers, food preparation workers, kitchen cooks, automobile glass installers, and animal caretakers were some of the lowest-paying jobs in the nation .
Stacker compiled a list of the lowest-paying jobs in Lincoln, NE, using data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Jobs are ranked by average annual salary with information up to date as of May 2021.
You may also like: Metros where people in Lincoln are getting new jobs
Ryan Everton // Unsplash
#50. Nursing assistants
Lincoln, NE
- Annual mean salary: $32,350
- #165 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,290
National
- Annual mean salary: $33,250
- Employment: 1,314,830
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($47,690)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($47,500)
--- Salinas, CA ($44,210)
GagliardiPhotography // Shutterstock
#49. Cooks, restaurant
Lincoln, NE
- Annual mean salary: $32,140
- #108 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 640
National
- Annual mean salary: $31,630
- Employment: 1,193,860
- Entry level education requirements: No formal educational credential
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($43,900)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($43,380)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($41,690)
Jorge Royan // Wikimedia Commons
#48. Funeral attendants
Lincoln, NE
- Annual mean salary: $31,900
- #41 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
National
- Annual mean salary: $31,630
- Employment: 32,490
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($45,440)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($45,270)
--- Trenton, NJ ($43,730)
Don LaVange // Flickr
#47. Social and human service assistants
Lincoln, NE
- Annual mean salary: $31,750
- #341 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 320
National
- Annual mean salary: $40,460
- Employment: 398,380
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT ($56,140)
--- Danbury, CT ($54,870)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($54,590)
Dragon Images // Shutterstock
#46. Receptionists and information clerks
Lincoln, NE
- Annual mean salary: $31,670
- #151 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,050
National
- Annual mean salary: $32,910
- Employment: 983,150
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($45,080)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($44,680)
--- Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($41,290)
You may also like: Cities with the fastest growing home prices in Lincoln metro area
New Africa // Shutterstock
#45. Bakers
Lincoln, NE
- Annual mean salary: $31,590
- #136 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 200
National
- Annual mean salary: $32,300
- Employment: 181,800
- Entry level education requirements: No formal educational credential
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($41,850)
--- Chattanooga, TN-GA ($41,660)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($41,160)
Canva
#44. Automotive and watercraft service attendants
Lincoln, NE
- Annual mean salary: $31,440
- #81 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
National
- Annual mean salary: $29,960
- Employment: 111,480
- Entry level education requirements: No formal educational credential
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Urban Honolulu, HI ($50,340)
--- Fairbanks, AK ($41,840)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($39,120)
Canva
#43. Cooks, institution and cafeteria
Lincoln, NE
- Annual mean salary: $30,900
- #174 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 390
National
- Annual mean salary: $31,520
- Employment: 392,860
- Entry level education requirements: No formal educational credential
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($48,130)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($47,400)
--- Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($47,000)
Canva
#42. Switchboard operators, including answering service
Lincoln, NE
- Annual mean salary: $30,580
- #130 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: data not available
National
- Annual mean salary: $34,590
- Employment: 48,190
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($51,610)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($51,250)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($47,440)
ESB Basic // Shutterstock
#41. Demonstrators and product promoters
Lincoln, NE
- Annual mean salary: $30,540
- #98 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
National
- Annual mean salary: $36,990
- Employment: 40,680
- Entry level education requirements: No formal educational credential
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($64,820)
--- Boulder, CO ($51,470)
--- Prescott, AZ ($47,200)
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Canva
#40. Floral designers
Lincoln, NE
- Annual mean salary: $30,390
- #114 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 110
National
- Annual mean salary: $32,100
- Employment: 36,000
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New Haven, CT ($44,600)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($43,780)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($43,120)
Unsplash
#39. Cleaners of vehicles and equipment
Lincoln, NE
- Annual mean salary: $30,320
- #141 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 550
National
- Annual mean salary: $30,550
- Employment: 351,960
- Entry level education requirements: No formal educational credential
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($40,840)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($38,980)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($38,780)
Nejron Photo // Shutterstock
#38. Tire repairers and changers
Lincoln, NE
- Annual mean salary: $29,670
- #229 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 150
National
- Annual mean salary: $32,520
- Employment: 93,180
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Urban Honolulu, HI ($44,520)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($43,520)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($43,370)
Canva
#37. Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners
Lincoln, NE
- Annual mean salary: $29,650
- #202 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,440
National
- Annual mean salary: $31,860
- Employment: 2,036,680
- Entry level education requirements: No formal educational credential
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($42,030)
--- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($41,240)
--- Barnstable Town, MA ($41,150)
Unsplash
#36. Dietetic technicians
Lincoln, NE
- Annual mean salary: $29,490
- #76 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30
National
- Annual mean salary: $34,160
- Employment: 21,610
- Entry level education requirements: Associate’s degree
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($55,550)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($52,700)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($48,370)
You may also like: How gas prices have changed in Lincoln in the last week
Canva
#35. Stockers and order fillers
Lincoln, NE
- Annual mean salary: $29,390
- #283 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,100
National
- Annual mean salary: $33,020
- Employment: 2,451,430
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($42,240)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($41,960)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($40,620)
The Boston Globe // Getty Images
#33 (tie). Sewing machine operators
Lincoln, NE
- Annual mean salary: $29,280
- #157 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30
National
- Annual mean salary: $30,880
- Employment: 116,220
- Entry level education requirements: No formal educational credential
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Appleton, WI ($43,060)
--- Glens Falls, NY ($42,270)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($40,660)
UfaBizPhoto // Shutterstock
#33 (tie). Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers
Lincoln, NE
- Annual mean salary: $29,280
- #158 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 130
National
- Annual mean salary: $31,780
- Employment: 98,970
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Ames, IA ($44,000)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($43,680)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($41,920)
Canva
#32. Animal caretakers
Lincoln, NE
- Annual mean salary: $29,210
- #120 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 280
National
- Annual mean salary: $29,520
- Employment: 225,680
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($40,460)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($39,720)
--- Salinas, CA ($37,420)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
#31. Shuttle drivers and chauffeurs
Lincoln, NE
- Annual mean salary: $29,200
- #167 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 210
National
- Annual mean salary: $32,570
- Employment: 175,660
- Entry level education requirements: not available
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($43,740)
--- Napa, CA ($42,730)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($42,000)
You may also like: Most expensive homes for sale in Lincoln
Africa Studio // Shutterstock
#30. Retail salespersons
Lincoln, NE
- Annual mean salary: $28,970
- #270 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 4,020
National
- Annual mean salary: $31,920
- Employment: 3,693,490
- Entry level education requirements: No formal educational credential
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($41,150)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($41,150)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($38,790)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
#29. Food preparation workers
Lincoln, NE
- Annual mean salary: $28,820
- #124 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,080
National
- Annual mean salary: $28,810
- Employment: 783,350
- Entry level education requirements: No formal educational credential
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($39,950)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($39,230)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($38,340)
Canva
#28. Maids and housekeeping cleaners
Lincoln, NE
- Annual mean salary: $28,460
- #132 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 860
National
- Annual mean salary: $29,580
- Employment: 723,430
- Entry level education requirements: No formal educational credential
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($45,430)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($44,940)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($44,580)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
#27. Cooks, short order
Lincoln, NE
- Annual mean salary: $28,380
- #92 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 300
National
- Annual mean salary: $28,110
- Employment: 124,800
- Entry level education requirements: No formal educational credential
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($39,670)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($38,060)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($37,940)
Jason Person // Shutterstock
#26. Counter and rental clerks
Lincoln, NE
- Annual mean salary: $28,250
- #360 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 670
National
- Annual mean salary: $36,170
- Employment: 371,620
- Entry level education requirements: No formal educational credential
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Urban Honolulu, HI ($48,760)
--- Fairbanks, AK ($47,080)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($45,760)
You may also like: Metros sending the most people to Lincoln
Rusty Clark ~ 100K Photos // Flickr
#25. Packers and packagers, hand
Lincoln, NE
- Annual mean salary: $28,110
- #230 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 560
National
- Annual mean salary: $30,950
- Employment: 585,270
- Entry level education requirements: No formal educational credential
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($38,960)
--- Rome, GA ($38,830)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($38,460)
viviandnguyen_ // Flickr
#24. Recreation workers
Lincoln, NE
- Annual mean salary: $28,070
- #274 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 360
National
- Annual mean salary: $32,020
- Employment: 264,020
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Fairbanks, AK ($50,710)
--- Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($45,730)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($44,200)
Oksana Shufrych // Shutterstock
#22 (tie). Food servers, nonrestaurant
Lincoln, NE
- Annual mean salary: $27,500
- #150 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 960
National
- Annual mean salary: $29,500
- Employment: 243,030
- Entry level education requirements: No formal educational credential
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Napa, CA ($46,270)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($43,930)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($43,400)
VGstockstudio // Shutterstock
#22 (tie). Laundry and dry-cleaning workers
Lincoln, NE
- Annual mean salary: $27,500
- #140 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 200
National
- Annual mean salary: $27,830
- Employment: 157,400
- Entry level education requirements: No formal educational credential
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($38,740)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($38,290)
--- Santa Rosa, CA ($35,690)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
#21. Couriers and messengers
Lincoln, NE
- Annual mean salary: $27,020
- #200 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 150
National
- Annual mean salary: $34,270
- Employment: 68,310
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($43,430)
--- Modesto, CA ($42,550)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($42,220)
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ProfDEH // Wikimedia Commons
#20. Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks
Lincoln, NE
- Annual mean salary: $26,990
- #136 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 280
National
- Annual mean salary: $28,040
- Employment: 220,380
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($52,150)
--- Urban Honolulu, HI ($48,900)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($39,910)
Gabriel Georgescu // Shutterstock
#19. Driver/sales workers
Lincoln, NE
- Annual mean salary: $26,930
- #308 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 850
National
- Annual mean salary: $31,970
- Employment: 477,020
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Bismarck, ND ($48,560)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($46,390)
--- Fargo, ND-MN ($46,360)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
#18. Choreographers
Lincoln, NE
- Annual mean salary: $26,500
- #19 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: data not available
National
- Annual mean salary: $49,630
- Employment: 3,990
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($94,910)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($79,760)
--- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA ($63,250)
Unsplash
#17. Pharmacy aides
Lincoln, NE
- Annual mean salary: $25,850
- #138 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
National
- Annual mean salary: $34,560
- Employment: 43,560
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($59,160)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($57,630)
--- Santa Rosa, CA ($56,450)
Canva
#16. Physical therapist aides
Lincoln, NE
- Annual mean salary: $25,830
- #142 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 120
National
- Annual mean salary: $30,370
- Employment: 42,390
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Santa Rosa, CA ($45,060)
--- Jackson, MS ($42,210)
--- Urban Honolulu, HI ($40,510)
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Canva
#15. Childcare workers
Lincoln, NE
- Annual mean salary: $25,750
- #161 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,600
National
- Annual mean salary: $27,680
- Employment: 438,520
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($39,390)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($39,120)
--- Napa, CA ($36,850)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
#14. Ushers, lobby attendants, and ticket takers
Lincoln, NE
- Annual mean salary: $25,730
- #53 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30
National
- Annual mean salary: $26,390
- Employment: 54,970
- Entry level education requirements: No formal educational credential
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Charlottesville, VA ($48,540)
--- Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($39,670)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($37,140)
Pexels
#13. Cashiers
Lincoln, NE
- Annual mean salary: $25,720
- #147 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 3,220
National
- Annual mean salary: $26,780
- Employment: 3,335,170
- Entry level education requirements: No formal educational credential
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($37,860)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($36,910)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($35,400)
Dean Drobot // Shutterstock
#12. Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers
Lincoln, NE
- Annual mean salary: $25,640
- #141 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 160
National
- Annual mean salary: $27,690
- Employment: 336,970
- Entry level education requirements: No formal educational credential
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($38,490)
--- Ithaca, NY ($38,170)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($37,910)
aboutsung // Shutterstock
#11. Pressers, textile, garment, and related materials
Lincoln, NE
- Annual mean salary: $25,290
- #76 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
National
- Annual mean salary: $28,110
- Employment: 26,910
- Entry level education requirements: No formal educational credential
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($39,040)
--- Santa Rosa, CA ($37,370)
--- Springfield, MA-CT ($36,530)
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Canva
#10. Fast food and counter workers
Lincoln, NE
- Annual mean salary: $24,920
- #134 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 4,930
National
- Annual mean salary: $26,060
- Employment: 3,095,120
- Entry level education requirements: No formal educational credential
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($37,090)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($36,360)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($34,240)
Pxhere
#9. Parking attendants
Lincoln, NE
- Annual mean salary: $24,720
- #130 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 120
National
- Annual mean salary: $29,210
- Employment: 91,160
- Entry level education requirements: No formal educational credential
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($38,920)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($37,670)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($35,420)
Martin Smith // Shutterstock
#8. Cooks, fast food
Lincoln, NE
- Annual mean salary: $24,660
- #130 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 760
National
- Annual mean salary: $25,490
- Employment: 768,130
- Entry level education requirements: No formal educational credential
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Urban Honolulu, HI ($36,820)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($36,640)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($35,040)
Daniel Lee // Flickr
#7. Bartenders
Lincoln, NE
- Annual mean salary: $24,530
- #285 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 670
National
- Annual mean salary: $30,340
- Employment: 485,330
- Entry level education requirements: No formal educational credential
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($50,180)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($47,820)
--- Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ ($47,440)
Crew // Wikimedia Commons
#6. Telemarketers
Lincoln, NE
- Annual mean salary: $24,140
- #112 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 440
National
- Annual mean salary: $30,670
- Employment: 115,130
- Entry level education requirements: No formal educational credential
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($63,030)
--- Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT ($49,120)
--- New Haven, CT ($48,680)
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Atstock Productions // Shutterstock
#5. Dishwashers
Lincoln, NE
- Annual mean salary: $23,920
- #214 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 350
National
- Annual mean salary: $27,350
- Employment: 377,040
- Entry level education requirements: No formal educational credential
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($37,560)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($37,200)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($36,440)
Ryan Everton // Unsplash
#4. Amusement and recreation attendants
Lincoln, NE
- Annual mean salary: $23,770
- #177 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,030
National
- Annual mean salary: $26,110
- Employment: 262,170
- Entry level education requirements: No formal educational credential
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($37,560)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($36,800)
--- Anchorage, AK ($36,020)
Unsplash
#3. Waiters and waitresses
Lincoln, NE
- Annual mean salary: $23,140
- #289 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,980
National
- Annual mean salary: $29,010
- Employment: 1,804,030
- Entry level education requirements: No formal educational credential
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Glens Falls, NY ($47,570)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($47,080)
--- Ithaca, NY ($44,970)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
#2. Lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers
Lincoln, NE
- Annual mean salary: $23,070
- #156 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80
National
- Annual mean salary: $27,320
- Employment: 114,320
- Entry level education requirements: No formal educational credential
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Urban Honolulu, HI ($43,930)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($38,420)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($37,930)
Pixabay
#1. Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop
Lincoln, NE
- Annual mean salary: $22,640
- #229 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 300
National
- Annual mean salary: $26,000
- Employment: 324,690
- Entry level education requirements: No formal educational credential
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($37,560)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($37,060)
--- Madera, CA ($36,490)
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Dragon Images // Shutterstock
Reach the writer at 402-473-2647 or molberding@journalstar.com .
On Twitter @LincolnBizBuzz.
The business news you need
Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly. | https://journalstar.com/business/local/nebraska-unemployment-rate-up-slightly-in-july/article_bd428bb5-1c17-5524-81da-bc366b04e2fa.html | 2022-08-19T17:32:55 | 1 | https://journalstar.com/business/local/nebraska-unemployment-rate-up-slightly-in-july/article_bd428bb5-1c17-5524-81da-bc366b04e2fa.html |
A Lincoln woman was defrauded $4,500 after being contacted by an unknown caller claiming to be a Lincoln Police Department officer.
Thursday evening, a 43-year-old woman called LPD after a phone scammer asked her to pay a $6,000 fine, Sgt. Chris Vollmer said.
The caller told the victim she had missed a subpoena and instructed her to send her payment in the form of gift cards. In the process of buying some of the gift cards, a store clerk alerted the woman that she was likely a victim of fraud.
Vollmer said LPD does not accept payments for anything, and no legitimate government office receives payment via gift card.
Tom Casady's list of the 10 most infamous crimes in Lincoln history
Crimes of the times
This is simply one man’s perspective from the early 21st century (first written in 2010). I had to make a decision about crimes that occurred at locations that are inside the city today, but were outside our corporate limits at the time they occurred. I chose the latter.
Before beginning, though, I have to deal with three crimes that stand apart: the murders of three police officers in Lincoln. I’m not quite sure how to place them in a list. They all had huge impacts on the community, and on the police department in particular. Because these are my colleagues, I deal with them separately and in chronological order.
Patrolman Marion Francis Marshall
Shot in the shadow of the new Nebraska State Capital, Gov. Charles Bryan came to his aid and summoned additional help.
Lt. Frank Soukup
Marion Marshall was technically not a Lincoln police officer, so Lt. Soukup was actually the first Lincoln police officer killed on duty. One of his colleagues who was present at the motel and involved in the gunbattle, Paul Jacobsen, went on to enjoy a long career and command rank at LPD, influencing many young charges (like me) and leaving his mark on the culture of the agency.
Lt. Paul Whitehead
In the space of a few months, three LPD officers died in the line of duty. Frank Soukup had been murdered, and George Welter had died in a motorcycle crash. Paul Whitehead's partner, Paul Merritt, went on to command rank, and like Paul Jacobsen left an indelible mark at LPD and the community.
No. 1: Starkweather
The subject of several thinly disguised movie plots and a Springsteen album, the Starkweather murders are clearly the most infamous crime in Lincoln’s history — so far. One of the first mass murderers of the mass media age, six of Charles Starkweather’s 11 victims were killed inside the city of Lincoln, and the first was just on the outskirts of town. I didn’t live in Lincoln at the time, but my wife was a first-grader at Riley Elementary School and has vivid memories of the city gripped by fear in the days between the discovery of the Bartlett murders and Starkweather’s capture in Wyoming.
The case caused quite an uproar. There was intense criticism of the police department and sheriff’s office for not capturing Starkweather earlier in the week after the discovery of the Bartletts' bodies. Ultimately, Mayor Bennett Martin and the Lancaster County Board of Commissioners retained a retired FBI agent, Harold G. Robinson, to investigate the performance of local law enforcement. His report essentially exonerated the local law officers and made a few vanilla recommendations for improving inter-agency communication and training.
Now I know that many readers are mumbling to themselves “how obvious.” Hold your horses, though. It’s not quite as obvious as you might think. I had two experiences that drove this fact home to me. The first was a visit by a small group of journalism students. Only one member of the class had any idea, and her idea was pretty vague. You need to remember that the Starkweather murders were in 1957 and 1958 — before the parents of many college students were even born.
The second experience was a visit by a Cub Scout den. I was giving the kids a tour of the police station one evening. We were in the front lobby waiting for everyone to arrive. As I entertained the boys, I told the moms and dads that they might enjoy looking in the corner of the Sheriff’s Office display case to see the contents of Starkweather’s wallet — discovered a couple of years ago locked up in the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office safe. After a few minutes, one of the confused fathers asked me who Starkweather was, and why it was significant.
No. 2: Lincoln National Bank
On the morning of Sept. 17, 1930, a dark blue Buick carrying six men pulled up in front of the Lincoln National Bank at the northwest corner of 12th and O streets. Five of the men entered the bank, while a sixth stood outside by the Buick, cradling a machine gun. Observing the unusual events, a passerby called the police. The officer who responded, Forrest Shappaugh, was casually instructed by the machine-gun-toting lookout to just keep going, which he wisely did. Returning with reinforcements, he found that the robbers had already made good on their getaway, netting $2.7 million in cash and negotiable securities.
Ultimately, three of the six suspects were arrested. Tommy O’Connor and Howard Lee were convicted and sentenced. Jack Britt was tried twice but not convicted by a hung jury. Gus Winkeler, a member of Al Capone’s gang, winged a deal with County Attorney Max Towle to avoid prosecution in exchange for orchestrating the recovery of $600,000 in bearer bonds. The following year, Winkeler was murdered in Chicago, the victim of a gangland slaying. The final two robbers were never identified.
The Lincoln National Bank robbery stood as the largest cash bank robbery in the United States for many decades. It precipitated major changes at the Lincoln Police Department. Chief Peter Johnstone was rapidly “retired” after the robbery, the department’s fleet was upgraded to add the first official patrol cars, the full force was armed and a shotgun squad was organized. Forty-four years later when I was hired at LPD, the echo of the Lincoln National Bank robbery was still evident in daily bank opening details, and in the Thomspon submachine guns and Reising rifles that detectives grabbed whenever the robbery alarm sounded at headquarters.
No. 3: The Last Posse
My first inkling about this crime came when I was the chief deputy sheriff. One of my interns, a young man named Ron Boden (who became a veteran deputy sheriff), had been doing some research on Lancaster County’s only known lynching, in 1884. I came across a reference in the biography of the sheriff at the time, Sam Melick, to the murder of the Nebraska Penitentiary warden and subsequent prison break. Melick had been appointed interim warden after the murder and instituted several reforms.
Several years later, a colleague, Sgt. Geoff Marti, loaned me a great book, Gale Christianson’s "Last Posse," that told the story of the 1912 prison break in gory, haunting and glorious detail.
To make a long story short, convict Shorty Gray and his co-conspirators shot and killed Warden James Delahunty, a deputy warden and a guard on Wednesday, March 13, 1912. They then made their break — right into the teeth of a brutal Nebraska spring blizzard. Over the course to the next few days, a posse pursued. During the pursuit, the escapees carjacked a young farmer with his team and wagon. As the posse closed in, a gunfight broke out and the hostage was shot and killed in the exchange, along with two of the three escapees.
There was plenty of anger among the locals in the Gretna-Springfield vicinity about the death of their native son, and a controversy raged over the law enforcement tactics that brought about his demise. Lancaster County Sheriff Gus Hyers was not unsullied by the inquiry, although it appears from my prospect a century later that the fog of war led to the tragedy.
Christianson, a professor of history at Indiana State University who died earlier this year, notes the following on the flyleaf:
“For anyone living west of the Mississippi in 1912, the biggest news that fateful year was a violent escape from the Nebraska state penitentiary planned and carried out by a trio of notorious robbers and safe blowers.”
Bigger news on half the continent than the sinking of the Titanic during the same year would certainly qualify this murder-escape as one of the most infamous Lincoln crimes in history.
No. 4: Rock Island wreck
The Aug. 10, 1894, wreck of a Rock Island train on the southwest outskirts of Lincoln was almost lost in the mist of time until it was resurrected in the public consciousness by author Joel Williams, who came across the story while conducting research for his historical novel, "Barrelhouse Boys."
The wreck was determined to be the result of sabotage to the tracks, perhaps an attempt to derail the train as a prelude to robbery. Eleven people died in the crash and ensuing fire, making this a mass murder, to be sure. G.W. Davis was arrested and convicted of the crime but later received a full pardon. The story was told in greater detail earlier this year by the Lincoln Journal Star.
A historical marker is along the Rock Island Trail in Wilderness Park, accessible only by foot or bike from the nearest trail access points about a half-mile away at Old Cheney Road on the north, or 14th Street on the south.
Here’s the big question that remains unanswered: Was there really significant evidence to prove that George Washington Davis committed the crime, or was he just a convenient scapegoat? The fact that he received a gubernatorial pardon 10 years later leads me to believe that the evidence must have been unusually weak. If he was railroaded, then my second question is this: who really pried loose the tracks with the 40-pound crowbar found at the scene?
No. 5: Commonwealth
On Nov. 1, 1983, the doors to Nebraska’s largest industrial savings and loan company were closed and Commonwealth was declared insolvent. The 6,700 depositors with $65 million at stake would never be fully compensated for their loss, ultimately receiving about 59 cents on the dollar for their deposits, which they all mistakenly believed were insured up to $30,000 through the Nebraska Depository Insurance Guaranty Corporation, which was essentially an insurance pool with assets of only $3 million.
The case dominated Nebraska news for months. The investigation ultimately led to the conviction of three members of the prominent Lincoln family that owned the institution, the resignation of the director of the State Department of Banking and the impeachment of the Nebraska attorney general and the suspension of his license to practice law. State and federal litigation arising from the failure of Commonwealth drug on for years.
At the Lincoln Police Department, the Commonwealth failure led to the formation of a specialized white-collar crime detail, now known as the Technical Investigations Unit. At the time, municipal police departments in the United States had virtually no capacity for investigating financial crime and fraud of this magnitude, and we quickly became well known for our expertise in this area. The early experience served LPD very well in the ensuring years.
No. 6: Candice Harms
Candi Harms never came home from visiting her boyfriend on Sept. 22, 1992. Her parents reported her as a missing person the following morning, and her car was found abandoned in a cornfield north of Lincoln later in the day. Weeks went by before her remains were found southeast of Lincoln.
Scott Barney and Roger Bjorklund were convicted in her abduction and murder. Barney is in prison serving a life term. Bjorklund died in prison in 2001. Intense media attention surrounded the lengthy trial of Roger Bjorklund, for which a jury was brought in from Cheyenne County as an alternative to a change of venue. I have no doubt that the trial was a life-changing event for a group of good citizens from Sidney, who did their civic duty.
I was the Lancaster County sheriff at the time, involved both in the investigation and in the trial security. It was at about this time that the cellular telephone was becoming a consumer product, and I have often thought that this brutal crime probably spurred a lot of purchases. During my career, this is probably the second-most-prominent Lincoln crime in terms of the sheer volume of media coverage.
No. 7: Jon Simpson and Jacob Surber
A parent’s worst nightmare unfolded in September 1975 when these two boys, ages 12 and 13, failed to return from the Nebraska State Fair. The boys were the victims of abduction and murder. The case was similar to a string of other murders of young boys in the Midwest, and many thought that these cases were related -- the work of a serial killer. Although an arrest was made in the case here in Lincoln, the charges were eventually dismissed. William Guatney was released and has since died.
No. 8: John Sheedy
Saloon and gambling house owner John Sheedy was gunned down outside his home at 1211 P St. in January 1891. The case of Sheedy, prominent in Lincoln’s demiworld, became the talk of the town when his wife, Mary, and her alleged lover and accomplice, Monday McFarland, were arrested. Both were acquitted at trial. The Sheedy murder is chronicled in a great interactive multimedia website, Gilded Age Plains City, an online version that builds upon an article published in 2001 by Timothy Mahoney of the University of Nebraska.
No. 9: Patricia McGarry and Catherine Brooks
The bodies of these two friends were found in a Northeast Lincoln duplex in August 1977. Their murderer, Robert E. Williams, was the subject of a massive Midwest manhunt during the following week. Before his capture, he committed a third murder in Sioux Rapids, Iowa, and raped, shot and left for dead a victim who survived in Minnesota. He is the last man to be executed in Nebraska, sent to the electric chair in 1997.
No. 10: Judge William M. Morning
District Court Judge William Morning was murdered in February 1924. He was shot on the bench by an unhappy litigant in a divorce case. His court reporter, Minor Bacon, was also shot, but a notebook in his breast pocket deflected the bullet and saved his life.
Many other crimes
Choosing Lincoln's 10 most infamous crimes was a challenge. Although the top two were easy, the picture quickly became clouded. We tend, of course, to forget our history rather quickly. Many of the crimes I felt were among the most significant are barely remembered today, if not completely forgotten.
Some readers will take issue with my list. In choosing 10, here are the others I considered, in no particular order. They are all murders:
-- Mary O'Shea
-- Nancy Parker
-- Charles Mulholland
-- Victoria Lamm and Janet Mesner
-- Martina McMenamin
-- Regina Bos (presumably murdered)
-- Patty Webb
-- Marianne Mitzner
I also thought about the five murder-suicides in which a mother or father killed multiple family members before taking their own life. Though tragic, these crimes did not command the same kind of attention as the others, perhaps because there was no lengthy investigation, no tantalizing whodunit, no stranger-killer, nor any of the details that come out in the coverage of a major trial. | https://journalstar.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/lincoln-woman-defrauded-4-500-by-caller-claiming-to-be-police-officer/article_d267e140-efe1-5aba-b329-73a221f76fb7.html | 2022-08-19T17:33:01 | 0 | https://journalstar.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/lincoln-woman-defrauded-4-500-by-caller-claiming-to-be-police-officer/article_d267e140-efe1-5aba-b329-73a221f76fb7.html |
Lincoln police arrested the motorcyclist suspected to be involved in a hit-and-run that injured an officer earlier this month.
Police located 19-year-old Alexander Nelson while he was leaving his workplace Thursday evening, according to Lincoln Police Department Sgt. Chris Vollmer.
LPD had been in search of Nelson for several days following the incident.
On Aug. 11, officers spotted a green motorcycle driving recklessly near 14th and O Streets. The driver then drove on a sidewalk between P and Q streets, striking an LPD bike patrol officer and causing non-life-threatening injuries to the victim. The motorcyclist then sped away.
Vollmer said Nelson spray painted the motorcycle silver and sold it to an uninvolved party.
Nelson was arrested and booked in the Lancaster County jail on suspicion of second degree assault of an officer and use of a deadly weapon to commit a felony. | https://journalstar.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/police-arrest-19-year-old-involved-in-injury-hit-and-run-in-lincoln/article_ac2dc430-ad55-5e1f-b258-6c443963c55f.html | 2022-08-19T17:33:08 | 0 | https://journalstar.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/police-arrest-19-year-old-involved-in-injury-hit-and-run-in-lincoln/article_ac2dc430-ad55-5e1f-b258-6c443963c55f.html |
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 to commercial a swatch of land generally between North Antelope Parkway and North 22nd Street and Y and Vine streets.
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. "Nontraditional, 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-lincoln-zoo/article_f41ccbe6-81bb-55dc-bed7-438dafa81a06.html | 2022-08-19T17:33:14 | 0 | https://journalstar.com/news/local/education/from-the-classroom-class-is-in-session-at-bay-high-but-at-the-lincoln-zoo/article_f41ccbe6-81bb-55dc-bed7-438dafa81a06.html |
The Allen County commissioners canceled today's regular weekly meeting, so residents fighting a southeast-side location for a new jail held their own.
As part of a federal court order, the commissioners are required to address overcrowding and understaffing problems at the Allen County Jail, which they say will involve building a larger facility with more beds. The proposed location is on Adams Center Road near East Paulding Road.
About 40 people from groups including ChangeMakers and Help Not Handcuffs convened at the north entrance of Citizens Square to protest the cancellation.
They then went inside Citizens Square and continued allowing people to speak outside the commissioners' usual meeting room.
Daylana Saunders said today was the second time the commissioners have canceled a meeting on short notice.
Both times were days before a deadline for submitting a formal response to a federal judge's order that the current jail violates offenders' civil rights.
Media members received a cancellation notice Thursday afternoon. The next federal court hearing is Aug. 25 in Fort Wayne.
"(The commissioners) were saying there was no business, but this is our business — and everyone's business," Saunders said.
The group then walked together to the Allen County Courthouse across Clinton Street, where members planned to hand out flyers in courtrooms.
However, the groups found that the courts were not in session, and it was unclear at noon what was to happen next. | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/citizens-protest-allen-county-commissioners-meeting-cancellation/article_970b9180-1fd8-11ed-9891-db96d3fde50c.html | 2022-08-19T17:33:35 | 0 | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/citizens-protest-allen-county-commissioners-meeting-cancellation/article_970b9180-1fd8-11ed-9891-db96d3fde50c.html |
Crescent Avenue will have lane restrictions Monday between Hobson Road and Coliseum Boulevard during bridge maintenance, the city of Fort Wayne said today.
For questions or to report problems, contact the city's bridge department at 427-1172.
Crescent Avenue will have lane restrictions Monday between Hobson Road and Coliseum Boulevard during bridge maintenance, the city of Fort Wayne said today.
For questions or to report problems, contact the city's bridge department at 427-1172. | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/crescent-avenue-portion-restricted-monday/article_f9b61912-1fd9-11ed-bb76-8b53adbd80e5.html | 2022-08-19T17:33:36 | 0 | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/crescent-avenue-portion-restricted-monday/article_f9b61912-1fd9-11ed-bb76-8b53adbd80e5.html |
Two rural Fremont residents were seriously injured Thursday night in a motorcycle crash in Steuben County, the county sheriff's department said today.
Deputies were called to Indiana 120 near the Interstate 69 overpass just after 8:30 p.m. on a report of the crash, the sheriff's department said in a statement.
Investigators determined Benner L. Merrick, 45, was driving east on Indiana 120 from Indiana 127 when he lost control, possibly because of a tire malfunction.
The motorcycle went down on its side, causing Merrick and his passenger, Deann J. Bond, 35, to be thrown off, the statement said. It said neither were wearing helmets and both suffered head injuries.
Merrick and Bond were taken to a Fort Wayne-area hospital for treatment, the statement said.
The crash remains under investigation by the sheriff's department with the assistance of Indiana State Police. Fremont police and firefighters, Steuben County EMS and Indiana conservation officers assisted at the scene. | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/police-fire/2-seriously-hurt-in-steuben-motorcycle-crash/article_ba4ae486-1fcc-11ed-9d6f-f7583bab5e60.html | 2022-08-19T17:33:38 | 1 | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/police-fire/2-seriously-hurt-in-steuben-motorcycle-crash/article_ba4ae486-1fcc-11ed-9d6f-f7583bab5e60.html |
Fort Wayne police said a 21-year-old woman missing since early today has been found.
Officers said Abigail Madisen Swager was last seen in the downtown area about 1:45 a.m.
No further information was provided.
Fort Wayne police said a 21-year-old woman missing since early today has been found.
Officers said Abigail Madisen Swager was last seen in the downtown area about 1:45 a.m.
No further information was provided. | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/police-fire/missing-fort-wayne-woman-found/article_ae411a5a-1fb0-11ed-a6b3-2be6df43759e.html | 2022-08-19T17:33:39 | 0 | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/police-fire/missing-fort-wayne-woman-found/article_ae411a5a-1fb0-11ed-a6b3-2be6df43759e.html |
Rothman Road will have intermittent lane restrictions between St. Joe and Maplecrest roads from Monday to Sept. 5 during a sidewalk project, the city of Fort Wayne said today.
For questions or to report problems, contact the city's traffic engineering department at 427-1172. | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/rothman-road-part-to-be-restricted-for-2-weeks/article_1ad8f2c6-1fdb-11ed-a075-0bd9fabfcb33.html | 2022-08-19T17:33:53 | 0 | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/rothman-road-part-to-be-restricted-for-2-weeks/article_1ad8f2c6-1fdb-11ed-a075-0bd9fabfcb33.html |
Wallen Road is to close to through traffic between Lima Road and Rummel Avenue from Monday to Aug. 29 during roadway improvements, the city of Fort Wayne said today.
A detour uses Lima, Till and Huguenard roads, the city's traffic engineering department said in a statement.
For questions or to report problems, contact the city's right of way department at 427-6155. | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/wallen-road-section-to-close-for-week/article_6adeb24a-1fd8-11ed-bffc-0f9fbe0107aa.html | 2022-08-19T17:33:59 | 1 | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/wallen-road-section-to-close-for-week/article_6adeb24a-1fd8-11ed-bffc-0f9fbe0107aa.html |
OCEAN CITY — Five parcels of land are set to be turned over to a new nonprofit development company for the creation of 10 affordable housing units under an ordinance set for a public hearing and final vote Aug. 25.
The deal is part of Ocean City’s settlement agreement of its affordable housing obligation, city attorney Dorothy McCrosson told City Council members when the ordinance was introduced earlier this month.
“We expect shovels in the ground in September,” McCrosson said.
Legal precedent has found that municipalities in New Jersey have an obligation to provide at least the opportunity for affordable housing. Under a settlement agreement reached with the Fair Share Housing Center, the city is set to rehabilitate some units and provide others to be built.
The city has been working with the Ocean City Housing Authority, which oversees the federal housing units in the city in Bay View Manor and Pecks Beach Village. According to McCrosson, the authority has created a nonprofit development company, the Ocean City Community Development Corp., to develop and manage the properties as affordable housing.
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The city-owned properties are in several neighborhoods and include 240 Haven Ave., 244 Haven Ave., 224-26 Simpson Ave., 3300-02 Bay Ave. and 3304-06 Bay Ave. All the lots appear to be vacant. Two of the properties needed to be subdivided, which has already been accomplished, McCrosson said.
MIDDLE TOWNSHIP — Several residents raised questions about township sales of property, espec…
She also said state funds will help cover the construction costs.
Councilman Bob Barr, who also serves as chairman of the Housing Authority, thanked McCrosson for her work.
“These are very complicated transactions,” he said. Barr also said he was glad the proposal would bring families to the city.
Once completed, the properties will be rented to qualified tenants, McCrosson said.
Also at the meeting, council approved a contract with Triad Associates of Vineland to oversee the city’s “market-to-affordable” program, another element of the affordable housing agreement. The annual cost will depend on the work performed, but it is estimated at $20,000 a year.
Under the Fair Share Housing Center agreement, the city purchases properties at market value and then offers them as affordable, McCrosson said. The city is committed to creating three market-to-affordable units and has had one transaction so far, McCrosson said.
Under the contract, Triad will select buyers who qualify under the affordable housing rules and assist them in obtaining financing. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/affordable-housing-units-planned-for-ocean-city/article_0b4a2572-1e7e-11ed-a2ba-6773843f7f7a.html | 2022-08-19T17:34:42 | 1 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/affordable-housing-units-planned-for-ocean-city/article_0b4a2572-1e7e-11ed-a2ba-6773843f7f7a.html |
WILDWOOD CREST — Police arrested an 18-year-old man they say was armed with a knife and making threats Monday inside a borough home.
Borough resident Kevin Castro-Gonzalez was approached by officers responding to a disturbance call at a home in the 100 block of East Orchid Avenue at 11:54 p.m. when they found him wielding a knife in a hallway, police said. Castro-Gonzalez dropped the knife before trying to fight off the officers.
Officers learned Castro-Gonzalez was threatening his family members before they arrived, police said.
Castro-Gonzalez was charged with two counts of terroristic threats, unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, endangering the welfare of children, resisting arrest and aggravated assault on law enforcement. He was sent to the Cape May County jail. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/wildwood-crest-police-arrest-man-with-knife/article_a970c4e2-1fbc-11ed-af41-376cbadb7c6c.html | 2022-08-19T17:34:48 | 1 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/wildwood-crest-police-arrest-man-with-knife/article_a970c4e2-1fbc-11ed-af41-376cbadb7c6c.html |
WATERLOO – 2 Bald Guys from Cedar Falls was named the Iowa Barbeque Society Backyard BBQ Grand Champion at the recent Cedar Valley Arboretum and Botanic Gardens’ “Smokin’ in the Grass” Backyard Barbeque contest. 1 Case BBQ, also of Cedar Falls, was named Reserve Champion.
Teams from throughout the state competed at the inaugural event, including Waterloo, Cedar Falls, Readlyn, Aplington, Mason City, Charles City, Des Moines and Oskaloosa.
In the chicken category, winners were: 1 Case BBQ, first; 2 Case BBQ, second; and 225 Mafia, Waterloo, third. Winners in pork ribs were: 2 Bald Guys, Cedar Falls, first; L.T.S. BBQ, Waterloo, second; and Smokin Suckers BBQ, Oskaloosa, third.
This was a sanctioned event. The next Backyard BBQ Contest is Sept. 23, 2023. For more information, call event chair, Cindy Wells, at 319-404-7308 or at cjwsews@mchsi.com. | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/cedar-falls-2-bald-guys-named-grand-champions-in-iowa-barbeque-competition/article_c8425045-9f3d-5804-b83a-cc4eb889009a.html | 2022-08-19T17:39:56 | 1 | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/cedar-falls-2-bald-guys-named-grand-champions-in-iowa-barbeque-competition/article_c8425045-9f3d-5804-b83a-cc4eb889009a.html |
LANSING — A Lansing man has been charged with murder in the death of an elderly man found inside a home in "horrendous" conditions in May.
On Wednesday, Lansing/New Albin Police charged Andrew Raymond Karvel, 67, with one count of first-degree murder. Bond was set at $100,000.
Karvel is accused of killing 83-year-old Daniel William Lundy at the home they shared on South Second Street. An autopsy determined that Lundy had been strangled, according to court records.
Authorities were called to the home on May 9 for an unresponsive man, and they found Lundy dead on the floor.
Prosecutors described conditions at the house as "horrendous."
Court records indicate the home didn’t have electricity, heat or running water. There was human urine and feces in buckets and milk jugs as well as animal feces throughout the house.
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Authorities found a female corgi mix named “Tillie” and a cat living at the home. The two appeared to have been neglected. Investigators found no signs of food or water for the pets.
Karvel resisted attempts from officials to seize the animals but surrendered the pets when the Allamakee County Attorney’s Office petitioned the courts.
Court records show Karvel has a prior misdemeanor conviction for allegedly assaulting Lundy in 2019. In that case, he was accused of pushing him and threatening to throw a plastic container at him. | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/lansing-man-arrested-for-murder-after-roommate-found-dead-in-may/article_cfb109a8-fc9c-54e0-83a9-11834a02aed4.html | 2022-08-19T17:40:03 | 0 | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/lansing-man-arrested-for-murder-after-roommate-found-dead-in-may/article_cfb109a8-fc9c-54e0-83a9-11834a02aed4.html |
Actor Chuck Norris is promoting a tool that Texas leaders are leaning on to prevent the next school shooting.
With students headed back to class across Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott rolled out a public service campaign for iWatch Texas that featured the Walker, Texas Ranger star.
In the new PSA, Norris — who starred in the TV series from 1993 to 2001 — said he loves “bringing bad guys to justice.”
The reporting system allows anyone to anonymously report suspicious activities or behaviors that could indicate criminal, terrorism, or school safety-related threats.
The iWatch system was put in place after a shooting at Santa Fe High School outside Houston in 2018.
Read more from our media partners at The Dallas Morning News
Texas News
News from around the state of Texas.
Get updates on what's happening in North Texas to your inbox. Sign up for our News Headlines newsletter. | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/texas-news/chuck-norris-stars-in-psa-for-school-safety-tip-system-iwatch-texas/3052570/ | 2022-08-19T17:41:03 | 0 | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/texas-news/chuck-norris-stars-in-psa-for-school-safety-tip-system-iwatch-texas/3052570/ |
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Breaking news and the stories that matter to your neighborhood. | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/man-pulls-woman-from-deadly-roosevelt-boulevard-crash-runs-off/3340095/ | 2022-08-19T17:45:51 | 0 | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/man-pulls-woman-from-deadly-roosevelt-boulevard-crash-runs-off/3340095/ |
Heavy rain in North Texas could wipe out drought in next few days
North Texas may get a case of deja vu over the next few days.
The National Weather Service said heavy rain over the next few days could wipe out the drought that has plagued the region for months.
"Wichita Falls could get six to eight inches of rain in the next few days," NWS meteorologist Alex Zwink said.
He said rain could start Saturday and continue into Thursday with the heaviest rainfall likely to be Sunday and Monday.
Flash flooding may occur during the heavier downpours.
While much of North Texas and Oklahoma are expected to get rain, Wichita Falls and areas to the southeast are expected to get the heaviest totals.
As of Friday, Wichita Falls was almost eight inches below average rain for this time of the year. A six to eight inch rain could eliminate most of that deficit.
If it happens, it will be reminiscent of 2015 when sudden heavy rain ended a record five-year drought. | https://www.timesrecordnews.com/story/news/local/2022/08/19/heavy-rain-in-region-could-wipe-out-drought/65410683007/ | 2022-08-19T17:49:27 | 0 | https://www.timesrecordnews.com/story/news/local/2022/08/19/heavy-rain-in-region-could-wipe-out-drought/65410683007/ |
The man accused of leaving a New York City subway cleaner bloodied with broken bones might be banned from the transit system for up to three years, and would be the first person ever barred.
On Friday, the MTA announced its intension to ban Alexander Wright, who is currently charges of felony assault and harassment for the Aug. 11 attack at the Pelham Bay Park 6 station in the Bronx.
The transit workers' union, TWU Local 100, said that Anthony Nelson was attacked around 9:30 a.m. outside the station. After being told that a man was harassing people outside the station, Nelson went to get a look of the individual in order to provide a description to authorities, according to the union.
When he turned to go back inside the station, Nelson was attacked, suffering a broken nose and collarbone, the union said. But despite his injuries, Nelson and a good Samaritan held the suspect down long enough for police to arrive.
MTA leaders said they want the Bronx DA to request that a judge ban Wright for three years, the maximum allowed under the law.
"The message behind the ban we are seeking is simple: if you prove to be a danger to New Yorkers, you should not be allowed back into the transit system, period," NYC Transit President Richard Davey said.
At a news conference following the attack, NYC Mayor Eric Adams spoke about how Nelson worked throughout the pandemic to help keep the subway system clean and running.
News
"I spoke with (Nelson's) mother today, and you could just hear her voice, how proud she is of her son, who always wanted to be a transit employee. When you hear her talk about how hard he works," Adams said. | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/mta-wants-to-ban-straphanger-accused-of-attacking-subway-worker/3831718/ | 2022-08-19T17:51:43 | 0 | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/mta-wants-to-ban-straphanger-accused-of-attacking-subway-worker/3831718/ |
A union worker hired to manage the finances took a little off the top by cashing more than 300 fraudulent checks from the Long Island trade union over the span of six years, prosecutors announced Friday.
Charges allege the 40-year-old Westbury woman started issuing herself checks from the accounts of Local 713 International Brotherhood of Trade Union, based out of Garden City, approximately one year into the job.
Between June 2015 and August 2021, Nassau County prosecutors said Jennifer Jira wrote an estimated 384 checks totaling $123,468. The bookkeeper got away with cashing around 300 of those checks before her alleged scheme got busted.
District Attorney Anne Donnelly said Jira attempted to cover-up the checks by making false entries in the union's accounting records. But her enterprise was found out one year ago.
Last August, prosecutors said union officials conducted an audit of its bank accounts after discovering an unauthorized check. The bookkeeper was fired a few weeks later.
“Slowly, over a period of years, the defendant allegedly leveraged her access to Local 713’s financial accounts to siphon more than $120,000 from its coffers, using the funds to pay for living expenses, clothing, and utilities,” said DA Donnelly.
The checks, prosecutors said, ranged in amounts between $64 and $1,230.87.
News
Jira was arraigned before a judge Thursday on charges of grand larceny and falsifying business records. She pleaded not guilty and was released on her own recognizance.
Attorney contact information for the bookkeeper was not immediately available. | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/sneaky-ny-bookkeeper-pockets-union-funds-in-6-year-checking-scheme-prosecutors/3831572/ | 2022-08-19T17:51:50 | 1 | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/sneaky-ny-bookkeeper-pockets-union-funds-in-6-year-checking-scheme-prosecutors/3831572/ |
MODESTO, Calif. — A pedestrian was hit and killed in Modesto around 12:15 a.m. on Friday, according to California Highway Patrol — Modesto.
CHP said a 51-year-old wearing all-black clothing was walking in the middle of Golden State Boulevard, south of West Barnhart Road.
The driver couldn't see the pedestrian because of poor lighting and the person's dark clothing, according to CHP. The person was taken to a hospital in Modesto where they were pronounced dead.
Their identity has not been released. The driver was not arrested.
Watch more on ABC10: California to invest $4.7B in 'Master Plan for Kids’ Mental Health' | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/modesto/modesto-pedestrian-killed-hit/103-a74fa6c9-41c0-4648-83b6-fbece675e52c | 2022-08-19T17:52:13 | 1 | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/modesto/modesto-pedestrian-killed-hit/103-a74fa6c9-41c0-4648-83b6-fbece675e52c |
RIO LINDA, Calif. — Six people are without a home in Rio Linda after a fire on Friday morning.
Two cats and one dog were rescued, but one cat died in the fire, according to the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District. One person was treated, but there were no major injuries reported.
The fire is under investigation.
Watch more on ABC10: California to invest $4.7B in 'Master Plan for Kids’ Mental Health' | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/rio-linda-fire-6-people-pets-saved-dead/103-84cbc42f-f306-49d0-84b5-dc53b77856d1 | 2022-08-19T17:52:19 | 1 | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/rio-linda-fire-6-people-pets-saved-dead/103-84cbc42f-f306-49d0-84b5-dc53b77856d1 |
HOBBS, N.M. — CTECH Culinary and Hospitality students in Hobbs had the opportunity to meet Chef Angie Ragan earlier this week who appeared on season 1 of Gordon Ramsey's Next Level Chef.
Chef Angie was a semi-finalist on the show and taught the students about the "Brigade Service Style". This style will be implemented during the Grand Opening Gala at the new Covenant Hospital in Hobbs later this month.
Chef Angie will be receiving help from the students during the event, which will be providing them with a great learning experience. | https://www.newswest9.com/article/news/local/ctech-culinary-and-hospitality-students-in-hobbs-meet-tv-chef/513-f015763e-65ff-4dc1-a2fc-c7c5f8ce9ea3 | 2022-08-19T17:56:30 | 1 | https://www.newswest9.com/article/news/local/ctech-culinary-and-hospitality-students-in-hobbs-meet-tv-chef/513-f015763e-65ff-4dc1-a2fc-c7c5f8ce9ea3 |
FORT STOCKTON, Texas — The Fort Stockton ISD School Board unanimously voted at a special meeting on August 17 to hold a bond election on November 8.
The district had their last bond election back in May the propositions failed to pass. Proposition A and B in this bond are very similar to the propositions from back in May.
Proposition A will have a value of $84 million and be used for school facilities. The proposition will include upgrades to the district-wide safety and security, renovations to all campuses, construction of a new intermediate classroom campus wing, and updates to the transportation fleet. There will be other facilities impacted by this proposition that was not named above.
Proposition B will have a value of $16 million and be used for school stadium facilities. The proposition will include a new turf, a new field house, renovating the 55-year-old field house, and upgrading the track. There are other parts of the stadium complex that will also be renovating with the money from the bond.
For more information and specific details about the bond election and propositions, people can visit the Fort Stockton ISD website. | https://www.newswest9.com/article/news/local/fort-stockton-isd-school-board-approves-order-for-bond-election-in-november/513-395f9239-9bef-4d27-a9c2-5a91ee679d28 | 2022-08-19T17:56:46 | 0 | https://www.newswest9.com/article/news/local/fort-stockton-isd-school-board-approves-order-for-bond-election-in-november/513-395f9239-9bef-4d27-a9c2-5a91ee679d28 |
MIDLAND, Texas — One person has been killed in a fatal vehicle-pedestrian crash that occurred on August 15 at 9:47 p.m.
48-year-old Gina Daugherty of Midland was the pedestrian killed in the incident on FM-307.
The initial investigation revealed that a 2010 Dodge Ram 2500 with a trailer was traveling eastbound on FM-307, while Daugherty was walking east in the middle of the road. The driver's side mirror hit Daugherty who was immediately transported to Midland Memorial Hospital after in critical condition.
Daugherty would eventually succumb to her injuries and pass away on August 17.
We will continue to update this story as we receive more information. The investigation is still ongoing. | https://www.newswest9.com/article/news/local/one-dead-after-fatal-vehicle-pedestrian-crash-in-midland-county/513-c3d9c952-8170-4c4b-b78e-a908d495fe10 | 2022-08-19T17:56:52 | 1 | https://www.newswest9.com/article/news/local/one-dead-after-fatal-vehicle-pedestrian-crash-in-midland-county/513-c3d9c952-8170-4c4b-b78e-a908d495fe10 |
TEMPLE, Texas — Cassie Walton, a mother from Oklahoma, went viral on Tiktok for recording a video of her son practicing for an active shooter situation.
The video has more than seven million views and 40,000 comments, with mixed public reaction. Most of the reactions say the mother is inappropriate for exposing her son to such violent ideas at a young age.
Those in support, however, are praising the mother for starting the always important conversation about safety at home. Temple Police Officer Undrea Mitchell feels the same.
"We should all take this very seriously. Fortunately, we're in a day in time where we have to expose our kids to things that normally they wouldn't be exposed to years ago," Mitchell, a School Resource Officer said. "So taking that time out to educate them and tell them hey, this is what you need to do. These are the things you need do, you need to listen to the instruction from adults. I think that's great."
Walton says she even purchased a bulletproof backpack for her son, and based on the video, it seems she's already been over escape tactics with her son plenty of times.
"A teacher calls over the intercom says it's not a drill everybody go in the corner and be really quiet and still what do you do?" Walton asked her son.
After a series of drills and scenarios, her biggest piece of advice to her son was to run far, far away from the school if he were to escape.
"Show me okay, you get out of the building where do you go? Where do you run outside?" Walton says. "You run as far away from the school as you can go. Mommy will find you."
Officer Mitchell says police everywhere are training diligently and children's safety is at the forefront of their goals ahead of this school year.
Most importantly, he wants to make sure every kid can feel safe at school.
"I just want to make sure that everybody understands that your police departments are taking this seriously and we're here for your kids. We're here for the campuses and we're going to be doing our jobs and make sure that our kids are inside of a building that they can consider safe." | https://www.newswest9.com/article/news/local/temple-police-appreciate-video-of-mother-on-tiktok-teaching-son-active-shooter-safety/500-7b3fd51c-dfe2-47e5-865e-c078d5f5ec72 | 2022-08-19T17:56:58 | 0 | https://www.newswest9.com/article/news/local/temple-police-appreciate-video-of-mother-on-tiktok-teaching-son-active-shooter-safety/500-7b3fd51c-dfe2-47e5-865e-c078d5f5ec72 |
Brevard County accounts for more than half of manatee deaths in 2022
While overall manatee deaths in Florida have declined since last year's catastrophic mass die-off, sea cow deaths in Brevard are on pace to top last year's record 358 deaths in the county.
According to the latest figures from Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, at least 335 manatees had died in Brevard through Aug. 12, more than half — 54% — of this year's 661 manatee deaths.
About a third of the record total 1,101 manatee deaths in the whole state last year, happened in Brevard, where typically a third of the sea cow's population resides.
Is culling a solution?:Brevard County Commissioner argues Florida should kill manatees to save them
Record number of manatee deaths:A record 1,100 manatees starved to death last year from a man-made famine. Finally, the pace slows
"For the total year so far, starvation/chronic malnutrition is still the leading cause of death for manatees in Brevard," Martine deWit, lead veterinarian at Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's marine mammal pathobiology lab in St. Petersburg, said Friday via email.
Since May, manatee mortality numbers have been near or below baseline levels, deWit added, and currently watercraft-related mortality is the leading cause of death. Through Aug. 12, Florida had 51 watercraft-related manatee deaths, six of them in Brevard.
Manatee deaths from chronic malnutrition has been a winter problem for the past two years, deWit said. The cold adds an extra stressor to manatees, already physically stressed.
"But this condition does not happen overnight," deWit added, "and where manatees spend the summer foraging is one of the key factors that determines how they fare in winter.
Cold has claimed nine manatees in Florida and one in Brevard early this year.
"Many manatees are concentrated in Mosquito Lagoon this summer, there are reports of foraging but concern remains that seagrass is still limited and there are also field observations of live manatees in suboptimal condition," deWit wrote.
"Last year we documented the first primary starvation/chronic malnutrition cases in late October, and they picked up in November. This is a chronic disease that lingered in those manatees over summer, so even though the specific mortality numbers are not flagging this at the moment, it does not mean animals are not nutritionally challenged right now."
The manatee death toll got so bad that in April 2021, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration declared the die-off an Unusual Mortality Event. In a first-of-its kind pilot project to try to stave off further starvation, state and federal biologists fed manatees at the FPL plant last winter and through the end of March.
Jim Waymer is an environment reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Waymer at 321-261-5903 or jwaymer@floridatoday.com. Or find him on Twitter: @JWayEnviro or on Facebook: www.facebook.com/jim.waymer
Support local journalism and local journalists like me. Visit floridatoday.com/subscribe | https://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/local/environment/lagoon/2022/08/19/brevard-county-tops-state-manatee-deaths-year/7841157001/ | 2022-08-19T17:58:09 | 0 | https://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/local/environment/lagoon/2022/08/19/brevard-county-tops-state-manatee-deaths-year/7841157001/ |
DALLAS, Pa. — In her seven years of practicing karate, Allyson Moyer has learned a lot more than how to break a board or do a roundhouse kick. She's also learned a lot of life lessons, many of those from her instructor John Filer.
"Her leadership is unbelievable for her age. Being 17 years old and doing what she's done for the last five, six months," Filer said.
What she's done is organize a charity karate tournament from the ground up. It's part of her senior project at Lake Lehman Jr./Sr. High School, but Allyson has wanted to host her own tournament since she started training at High Energy Karate in Dallas Township when she was 10 years old.
"And then next year, the next year, the next year: 'Don't forget, next year I'm going to have my karate tournament,'" Filer recalled his student saying.
This year, she's finally making that dream a reality.
But it's not just an accomplishment for her; it's also a lifeline for a local family.
Rob Wilson was diagnosed with Guillain Barre Syndrome in March. It's a rare nerve disorder that paralyzed him from the neck down overnight.
"They've had a rough couple of months," Moyer said. "He is currently working through therapy to get himself better. He's walking, and that says a lot."
All the money raised from registration fees and ticket sales will go to the Wilson family.
They have children in the Lake Lehman School District, but Allyson didn't even know the family well when she decided to dedicate her tournament to them.
"He was still in the hospital when we actually met. We were there for a good two, three hours just talking," Moyer said.
Moyer has since spent many nights at the Wilson house, getting to know them.
"They're great people, and they really deserve this."
The tournament is this Sunday at Lake Lehman Jr/Sr. High School. Doors open at 8 a.m. and the tournament starts at 9 a.m.
You can register at the door. All belts are welcome, ages 4 and up. It's $50 to participate and $10 to watch. There will also be raffle baskets and concessions.
Check out WNEP’s YouTube channel. | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/luzerne-county/karate-for-a-kause-to-benefit-family-of-man-with-guillain-barre-lake-lehman-fundraiser/523-534187a5-0064-4579-9d2d-0589343e0a5d | 2022-08-19T17:58:55 | 1 | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/luzerne-county/karate-for-a-kause-to-benefit-family-of-man-with-guillain-barre-lake-lehman-fundraiser/523-534187a5-0064-4579-9d2d-0589343e0a5d |
WASHINGTON — A judge sentenced Tampa Electric Company, or TECO, to a $500,000 fine and three years of probation following the June 2017 explosion at its Big Bend Power Station electrical plant that killed five workers.
The Department of Justice announced Friday that the fine is the maximum penalty the company can face given its failure to follow an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) safety standard that results in the death of at least one employee.
In addition to the fine and probation, the company must comply with a safety compliance plan.
The utility company earlier in May pleaded guilty. Earlier court documents state TECO negotiated with each of the workers' families and privately settled with them in civil court. It also agreed to pay a $500,000 fine, the Associated Press reported.
Five contractors and a TECO employee were at work when the explosion happened on June 29, 2017. Two people were killed in the explosion, while three others died after being taken to the hospital.
TECO's Apollo Beach plant at the time had four large, coal-fired furnaces. A byproduct of the furnaces was molten slag, which can reach 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
Rather than shutting down the furnace, the DOJ said, the workers began to use high-pressure water "without observance of several safety-related procedures required by law."
It is a class B misdemeanor to willfully fail to follow an OHSA safety standard, the DOJ said in a release.
"TECO’s willful violation had catastrophic consequences, including five workers dead and several more injured, underlining the importance of workplace safety standards," Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division said in a statement. "The department takes this conduct very seriously, and accordingly pursued the maximum remedy available under the law."
The company provided the following statement after it accepted responsibility:
"All of us at Tampa Electric hold the families of our late colleagues and coworkers in our hearts. We have accepted full responsibility, and we hold ourselves accountable as we continuously work to improve our safety programs and safety culture," TECO president and COE Archie Collins said in the statement. "I want to thank our dedicated employees at Big Bend, and throughout the company, for their efforts to honor the memories of those lost and injured, as well as their commitment to provide our customers with safe, reliable electricity – while maintaining a safety-first mindset every minute of every day." | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/hillsboroughcounty/teco-fine-big-bend-explosion/67-4130d5de-c4c2-4695-b018-1e0ca79d6ac7 | 2022-08-19T18:01:26 | 1 | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/hillsboroughcounty/teco-fine-big-bend-explosion/67-4130d5de-c4c2-4695-b018-1e0ca79d6ac7 |
PORTLAND, Ore. — Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler announced an emergency declaration Friday to ban camping near school campuses and along walking routes leading to and from schools.
"With the start of the school year approaching, I am taking this additional action to help ensure the safety of school-age children, especially those in elementary and middle schools, as they travel to and from local schools," he said in a statement. "School-age children should be able to walk, bike, and ride buses to get to and from schools without potentially dangerous hazards as a result of encampments, including trash, tents in the right-of-way, biohazards, hypodermic needles, and more."
Wheeler's office said he would be unavailable for comment Friday.
Wheeler's office describes the ban in a news release as an expansion of a prior emergency order that the mayor enacted in February to ban camping along high-crash corridors after a report revealed that 70% of the city's pedestrian fatalities last year were homeless residents.
The updated declaration prohibits camping within 150 feet of school buildings and along "Primary Investment Routes," which refers to a network of streets and corridors identified as likely to have a high density of students walking to and from school.
The routes were identified in 2016 by Safe Routes to School, a program developed as part of the implementation of a gas and heavy vehicle tax that Portland voters passed that year to raise money for street maintenance.
A map of the Primary Investment Routes can be viewed on the city's Safe Routes to School webpage. Schools are marked in purple on the map and the Primary Investment Routes are highlighted in gray (the map needs to be zoomed in to a certain level for the routes to be visible).
The declaration will prioritize the removal of camps in those areas, according to the news release, and will enable staff to keep the sites free of camping with no right of return.
The expanded version of the declaration takes effect immediately and is set to expire Aug. 31, but a spokesperson for Wheeler said the mayor's office intends to renew it every two weeks.
The original version of the high-crash corridor camping ban was similarly scheduled to only last about two weeks, but was repeatedly renewed and has remained in effect constantly since it was first implemented. | https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/homeless/portland-mayor-camping-ban-schools/283-df00dfaf-feaf-465e-b382-72d75cc14179 | 2022-08-19T18:05:14 | 0 | https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/homeless/portland-mayor-camping-ban-schools/283-df00dfaf-feaf-465e-b382-72d75cc14179 |
A boozy tour is landing across Philadelphia.
Parks on Tap, Philly's traveling beer garden, announced in a news release Thursday they will be hitting the streets once again in the fall.
The beer garden, a collaboration between FCM Hospitality and Philadelphia's Parks and Recreation, will serve "fresh bites" and local brews, they said in the news release. In addition, wine, cocktails and non-alcoholic beverages will be available.
Vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options will also be hitting the menu.
The garden will be open Wednesday through Sunday, popping up at the following locations:
- Penn Treaty Park (Aug. 31 - Sept. 5, 2022)
- Clark Park (Sept. 7 - Sept. 11, 2022)
- Columbus Square (Sept. 14 - Sept. 18, 2022)
- Matthias Baldwin (Sept. 21 - Sept. 25, 2022)
- Schuylkill Banks (Sept. 28 - Oct. 2, 2022)
Hours of operation are 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, and noon to 10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
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Parks on Tap is open to families, so children and dogs are allowed. A sectioned-off area will be available to those 21+ looking for an alcoholic beverage.
Everyone will be required to sign when entering the park. Sign-ins can be done in advance here. | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/parks-on-tap-hitting-the-road-again-this-fall/3339343/ | 2022-08-19T18:07:31 | 1 | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/parks-on-tap-hitting-the-road-again-this-fall/3339343/ |
AUSTIN, Texas — Editor's note: The above video was published on Aug. 11.
Capital Metro now says it will offer free rides to cooling centers until Sept. 30, regardless of whether an active heat advisory or excessive heat warning is in place.
Back on Aug. 11, CapMetro changed its policy about transportation to cooling centers, saying it would offer free rides when a heat advisory – typically 103 degrees or higher – was activated within its service area. According to a report from the Austin Chronicle, heat advisories previously went into effect at 105 degrees.
On Aug. 18, CapMetro further amended its policy, saying "after extensive conversation with members of our community," it will now provide free rides to cooling centers through the end of September, no matter what.
CapMetro said customers must inform the bus operator when boarding that they are going to a cooling center, and anyone who informs an operator they are traveling to a cooling center can ride without fare if they can't afford to pay.
This latest update from CapMetro comes as homeless advocates have pushed for the transit agency to provide free bus fare for all throughout August and September and to work to create a permanent free fares program for people experiencing homelessness in Austin.
A group of advocates is set to deliver a petition with more than 1,000 signatures to CapMetro's headquarters on East Fifth Street on Thursday afternoon, according to a press release sent to KVUE.
The group, which includes members of the Texas Harm Reduction Alliance, said the petition originated after unhoused Austinites raised concerns about the dangers of recent temperatures and their "inability to access transit to reach cooling centers, medical appointments, social services, food pantries and more."
The Texas Harm Reduction Alliance sent a letter to CapMetro board members on July 25, outlining "the agency’s failures to serve and protect unhoused Austinites."
The group of advocates said despite CapMetro's Aug. 18 update, organizers will continue to call for assurances that the transit agency will do more to ensure its cooling center policy is fully implemented and to better their efforts to inform the community about policy changes.
"Activists will also double down on their demand that CapMetro commit to create a permanent free-fares program for unhoused Austinites – to protect and support those unhoused during all seasons," the Texas Harm Reduction Alliance said.
Britny Eubank on social media: Twitter
PEOPLE ARE ALSO READING: | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/capmetro-free-rides-cooling-centers-homeless/269-1fa505aa-9352-4569-b902-53007b05b015 | 2022-08-19T18:11:24 | 0 | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/capmetro-free-rides-cooling-centers-homeless/269-1fa505aa-9352-4569-b902-53007b05b015 |
THE TEXAS TRIBUNE – Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar and state Sen. Joan Huffman, R-Houston, have added their support to a yearslong call by some state legislators and women’s health care advocates to remove taxes on menstrual products like tampons, sanitary pads and pantyliners.
Hegar and Huffman said they’d support efforts in next year’s legislative session to make such products nontaxable.
Other health care necessities, such as medicine and bandages, are exempt from sales tax in Texas. Advocates have called for the repeal of the tax, arguing that menstrual products should be classified as “wound care dressings,” which prevent bacterial infections and “maintain a moist or dry wound environment.” Given that wound dressings like Band-Aids are exempt from sales tax, supporters of repealing the sales tax on menstrual products argue that taxing them discriminates on the basis of sex.
Menstrual products are already tax-free in 24 states. Texas is among those states where consumers still pay tax on those products.
Previous attempts to repeal the sales tax in Texas have failed and will likely face more hurdles during next year’s legislative session. Proposals to eliminate the sales tax on menstrual products, spearheaded by state Rep. Donna Howard, D-Austin, have come before the legislature every session since 2017. None of those bills have made it to the governor's desk.
But Huffman’s support of the measure as the chair of the Senate Finance Committee —that branch’s budget chief — is notable. The 2017 bill to remove the feminine hygiene tax died in that committee.
“Every woman knows that these products are not optional. They are essential to our health and well-being and should be tax-exempt,” she said in a press release Thursday announcing her support.
Hegar pointed to Texas’ strong economy and state revenues in explaining his support for the tax repeal. Given increasing prices and inflation, Hegar said the opportunity to exempt these products from taxation is a critical need for Texans.
“Texas can absorb this lost revenue easily, but for countless Texas women, this will mean significant savings in their personal budgets over time,” Hegar said in a press release. “This is a small amount of money relative to the overall revenue outlook for Texas.”
Hegar’s latest revenue estimate for the next two years, beginning mid-July, projects Texas will generate $27 billion. The sales tax revenue on menstrual supplies over the next two years would represent about 0.1% of that amount.
In Texas and across the country, institutions are working to improve greater access to menstrual products. Over the summer, the Austin Independent School District spent over $150,000 to provide free menstrual products to students in bathrooms.
Correction: A version of the bill to end taxes on some menstrual products cleared a committee in 2021 but never made it to the governor's desk.
This story originally appeared in The Texas Tribune.
Texas Tribune mission statement
The Texas Tribune is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans — and engages with them — about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.
PEOPLE ARE ALSO READING: | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/texas/texas-tax-collector-and-senate-budget-chief-say-they-support-repealing-the-tampon-tax/269-8b9293f1-706a-425d-9a5b-87f9754a700b | 2022-08-19T18:11:30 | 0 | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/texas/texas-tax-collector-and-senate-budget-chief-say-they-support-repealing-the-tampon-tax/269-8b9293f1-706a-425d-9a5b-87f9754a700b |
DALLAS, Texas — You won't believe Lisa Fonseca's story.
It's a coincidence so amazing I uttered 'no *expletive* way' when she told me.
Oak Cliff and social media are losing their collective minds after a tiger cub was seized by law enforcement on Wednesday near 2700 Meadow Gate Lane.
It was found caged by federal agents and the Dallas Police Department as they served a warrant surrounding weapons charges to popular rapper Trapboy Freddy.
Lisa Fonseca watched all the commotion unfold outside of her home next door.
She recently moved to the area after serving hard time (living) on the street where the 'Grand Prairie Cobra' got loose.
Yes, what a nightmare. Fonseca told WFAA she lived a few houses down from the snake escape.
That West-Banded African cobra made so many headlines when it went missing in August last year. To this day, it's never been found, but wildlife experts say it's 'doubtful' that it's still alive.
The snake's owner, 23-year-old Lawrence Matl, was arrested for "intentionally, knowingly, recklessly, or with criminal negligence releases a regulated snake from captivity."
Today, Fonseca learned wildlife seems to follow her wherever she goes.
"I came out yesterday and saw a lot of cops, yellow tape, and a lot of unmarked vehicles," Fonseca said. "Then they took out a kennel, and I didn't get to see what was in it."
"Today, I found out it was a tiger."
What. Are. The. Odds.
"What a coincidence, right?" Fonseca said with a laugh. "The tiger looked cute, though. If I can live two houses from a cobra, I can survive a tiger."
If you're wondering, it is possible to own a tiger in Texas, and all you need is a permit and proper insurance. You must also notify local animal control or your sheriff and meet caging requirements.
But it is illegal to own a tiger within the city limits of Dallas and Houston.
Down in H-Town last year, a giant tiger escaped its owner's house and sparked panic while roaming a neighborhood.
Video of the tiger prowling around suburbia was a sight you couldn't forget.
Fonseca says she may not have been able to handle another escape.
"Yeah! What would have happened if it got older, grew up, and escaped? I don't even want to think about it," she laughed.
But Fonseca says she's glad it wasn't another cobra living next door.
We asked her: What animal is she going to run into after this?
"We'll soon find out! To be continued!" she said, laughing. | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/woman-lived-street-grand-prairie-cobra-escaped-moved-next-door-oak-cliff-tiger-found/287-30f579b3-093e-42f7-9644-6b72cca6d9e2 | 2022-08-19T18:11:36 | 0 | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/woman-lived-street-grand-prairie-cobra-escaped-moved-next-door-oak-cliff-tiger-found/287-30f579b3-093e-42f7-9644-6b72cca6d9e2 |
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. It 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.
Lynda Zambrano, executive director of the Snohomish, Washington-based National Tribal Emergency Management Council, said tribes historically had to make do with nobody to guide them. For example, over 200 Native villages in Alaska have had to share one FEMA tribal liaison. Or different tribes were told different things. So, nonprofits like the council tried to fill in gaps with their own training, she said.
“The way that I equate it to people is that they built the highway, but they never created the on ramps,” Zambrano said. “If FEMA is just now getting around to building the ramps, well, that’d be a good thing. But there needs to be very clear policy and procedure and direction—and it has to be consistent.”
Tribes have historically been disproportionately impacted by natural disasters because they are in high-risk areas and have little infrastructure, she added. They will only continue to be vulnerable.
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.
However, FEMA’s new strategy to engage Native tribes seems specifically aimed at those with federal recognition. That would seem to leave out tribes that only have state recognition or no recognition. In a place like Louisiana that nuance could leave out many Native Americans most affected by climate change.
When Hurricane Ida came ashore in 2021, it devastated a large swath of southeast Louisiana that has been home to Native Americans for centuries. With climate change, hurricanes are expected to get stronger and wetter. But the tribes most affected by Ida say not having federal recognition has stymied their ability to prepare for and recover from storms.
Cherie Matherne is the cultural heritage and resiliency coordinator for the Pointe-au-Chien Indian Tribe. Upon hearing about FEMA’s announcement, she said she wished the changes would also be applied to tribes without federal recognition like hers.
“It’s an oversight if they don’t work with state-recognized tribes,” said Matherne, who is living in a trailer next to her gutted home in southeastern Louisiana. “If there are grants for tribal nations and tribal people that would be very helpful information for people to know.”
FEMA will continue to work with state and local governments to ensure state-recognized tribes are getting assistance, agency officials 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, 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.
Zambrano, of the National Tribal Emergency Management Council, hope this leads to every tribal nation getting funding for an emergency management program.
“Our tribal nations are a good 30 years behind the curveball in developing their emergency management programs,” she said. “Nobody is better at being able to identify, mitigate, prepare and respond to a disaster in Indian Country than the people that live there.”
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To report a typo or grammatical error, please email KFSMDigitalTeam@tegna.com. | https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/local/fema-declares-new-strategy-engage-native-american-tribes-climate-change-disasters-federal-emergency-management-agency/527-428d10b0-4bbe-4014-b0eb-0121481af287 | 2022-08-19T18:14:52 | 1 | https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/local/fema-declares-new-strategy-engage-native-american-tribes-climate-change-disasters-federal-emergency-management-agency/527-428d10b0-4bbe-4014-b0eb-0121481af287 |
FORT SMITH, Ark. — University of Arkansas - Fort Smith (UAFS) students living on campus will now have help keeping the fridge full this year.
The Dave Stevens Lion Pride Pantry, the LionHeart student organization, and Antioch for Youth & Family have partnered to make this possible.
Students living in the Sebastian Commons will receive deliveries of perishable and nonperishable food beginning Aug. 19.
“Antioch has been interested in partnering with UAFS for a long time,” said Kara Crowley, Coordinator for Student Activities and Civic Engagement. “So when we reached out to their founder, Charolette Tidwell, with the idea to ‘Fill the Fridge’ for all on-campus apartments, she immediately supported the idea.”
Antioch is a nonprofit organization run by volunteers. Antioch serves people in need with fresh produce, nonperishable food, and other necessities. Tidwell is a UAFS alumna of the class of 1974.
“The goal is to build momentum with food pantry knowledge and utilization, improve diets with nutritious food, and build community effort on the college campus,” Tidwell explained.
The perishable foods will include milk, eggs, meat, fresh fruits and vegetables, and bread. Nonperishable, pantry-stable foods like peanut butter, pasta and pasta sauce, canned soup, oatmeal, and canned fruit also will be delivered.
“’Fill the Fridge’ will be reoccurring monthly in the Sebastian Commons,” Crowley said. Through this event, we hope to draw attention to the resources we have in the community and on campus for students, no matter if they live on campus or not. ‘Fill the Fridge’ is a launching point for students to visit our own food pantry, knowing that it is a resource for all UAFS students.” Crowley said.
Antioch will deliver about 200 boxes and bags to campus on Aug. 19. Each apartment will receive 60-70 pounds of food to start the semester with groceries in the pantry and fridge. After that, on the first Tuesday of each month, Antioch will deliver 75 boxes of food for distribution.
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To report a typo or grammatical error, please email KFSMDigitalTeam@tegna.com. | https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/local/fill-the-fridge-program-help-provide-food-uafs-residents-students-university-of-arkansas-fort-smith/527-9440f3a3-7d5f-48e8-9765-823a3c7ebe85 | 2022-08-19T18:14:58 | 0 | https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/local/fill-the-fridge-program-help-provide-food-uafs-residents-students-university-of-arkansas-fort-smith/527-9440f3a3-7d5f-48e8-9765-823a3c7ebe85 |
Flags of Honor to fly at Minnetrista in September
MUNCIE, Ind. — One thousand American flags will wave on the lawn at Minnetrista beside the White River Greenway during Flags of Honor this September.
Flags of Honor, presented by the Exchange Club of Muncie, is an annual event offering a united show of patriotism at Minnetrista, according to a release. The display will begin with a small collection of flags on Sunday, Sept. 4. The complete display of 1,000 flags will be installed the following Tuesday and run through Monday, Sept. 12.
Flags of Honor is a celebration to honor and memorialize local veterans, current service personnel, fallen heroes and all who wish to display their pride for our country, according to the release. Community members can sponsor a flag and display a ribbon with the name of a special person on that flag with a gift of $30.
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The Exchange Club of Muncie hosts this event each year. Proceeds from the event benefit charities supported by the Exchange Club of Muncie, which focuses on child abuse and patriotism. This year, proceeds will benefit Prevention of Child Abuse Delaware County, Guardian Scholars Program, Delaware County Veteran Affairs Office for the Stand Down Program, and Firefly, formerly known as the Children’s Bureau.
Flags of Honor will be displayed Sept. 4-12 at Minnetrista. A closing ceremony will be at 6 p.m. Sept. 11. The display and closing ceremony are free and open to the public.
For more information about Flags of Honor or to purchase a ribbon sponsorship as a personal dedication to a loved one, visit minnetrista.net/events/flagsofhonor. | https://www.thestarpress.com/story/news/local/2022/08/19/muncie-minnetrista-flags-of-honor-event-in-september/65410681007/ | 2022-08-19T18:17:38 | 0 | https://www.thestarpress.com/story/news/local/2022/08/19/muncie-minnetrista-flags-of-honor-event-in-september/65410681007/ |
"Mr. Parker gave his FULL heart and soul to the students of Wythe and will be dearly missed," Kamras said in a tweet Friday afternoon. "Details are forthcoming on a memorial service. Please keep his family in your prayers."
I’m absolutely devastated to share that Riddick Parker, Principal of George Wythe HS, has passed away. Mr. Parker gave his FULL heart & soul to the students of Wythe and will be dearly missed. Details are forthcoming on a memorial service. Please keep his family in your prayers.
The school district has yet to share any additional details about the death.
The Richmond school division promoted Parker to principal at Wythe last summer. He was previously an assistant principal at Armstrong High School and worked in Baltimore City Public Schools as an education consultant working on literacy development and graduation pathway programs.
Parker held a masters of public administration from Walden University and a graduate certificate in school administration and supervision from Johns Hopkins University. He also attended the University of North Carolina, where he graduated with a bachelors degree in history and communications.
Prior to his career in education, Parker retired from playing professional football in 2004. During his time in the NFL, he played for the Seattle Seahawks, New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens, according to his Linkedin profile.
Top 5 weekend events: RVA Duck Race, Down Home Family Reunion & The Shins
They could begin recruiting teachers and students in February and open in time for the 2023-24 school year. They should open no later than the fall of 2024, the Youngkin administration said.
Across all grade levels, 66% of students overall passed the mathematics exam, compared with 82% who passed in 2018-19, the testing year prior to the pandemic.
Collective bargaining sessions will begin in the middle of September between RPS and the respective units starting with teachers on Sept. 12; instructional assistants on Sept. 19; care and safety on Sept. 20 and food and nutrition on Sept 27. | https://richmond.com/news/local/education/superintendent-george-wythe-principal-has-died/article_e20c6947-6d76-595c-b0ad-7ebd933a11bc.html | 2022-08-19T18:19:03 | 1 | https://richmond.com/news/local/education/superintendent-george-wythe-principal-has-died/article_e20c6947-6d76-595c-b0ad-7ebd933a11bc.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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NICHOLAS COUNTY, WV (WOWK) – One person was injured in a crash involving a motorcycle in Nicholas County Thursday evening.
According to the Wilderness Fire Department, the two-vehicle crash happened in the Mount Lookout intersection in the southbound lane of U.S. Route 19. A pickup truck and a motorcycle were involved in the crash, the WFD said.
The fire department says one patient was flown to a Charleston hospital due to “life-threatening injuries.” The WFD says the patient was last known to be in stable condition.
nits responded to US Rt. 19 (south bound lane) at the Mt. Lookout Intersection for a vehicle accident involving a pickup truck and motorcycle. One patient was flown from the fire station by Air Evac to CAMC General due to life-threatening injuries sustained in the collision. Patient is reported to be in stable condition. | https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/1-injured-in-nicholas-county-west-virginia-crash/ | 2022-08-19T18:26:00 | 1 | https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/1-injured-in-nicholas-county-west-virginia-crash/ |
CHARLESTON, WV (WOWK) – The Kanawha County Democratic Executive Committee has chosen a replacement for outgoing Kanawha County Delegate Jim Barach for the November ballot.
The committee says Pastor Wayne R. Crozier will take Delegate Barach’s place on the ballot after the delegate announced he would not seek reelection.
Crozier is the founder of Abundant Life Ministries in Charleston as well as the Abundant Life International Fellowship of Churches, an organization that oversees multiple churches throughout the United States and West Africa, according to the committee. He is a West Virginia native who has lived in Charleston for the past 30 years.
The committee also says Crozier’s ministry does outreach programs serving nursing homes, seniors and underserved communities.
“We selected Wayne Crozier because he is well known in this region for his commitment to serving and helping others,” said Elaine Harris, Chair of the Kanawha County Democratic Executive Committee. “His many reaches across a host of economic, racial and generational boundaries to improve the lives of thousands… We found Wayne Crozier to be the clear choice.”
Delegate Barach won May’s Democratic Primary election but announced this summer he would not be running in the General Election. The Kanawha County Democratic Executive Committee was required to choose his replacement.
“It would be a tremendous honor to serve the constituents in the 53rd House District and the residents of this state,” said Crozier. “Much of my duties as delegate would be a very natural extension of my life’s work as a minister, so I feel very well prepared to take on this new role.”
Chairman of the West Virginia Democratic Party Delegate Mike Pushkin (D-Kanawha) says he approves of the decision to select Crozier to run on the November ballot.
“I know Pastor Crozier to be a man of great integrity who will vote in the best interests of the people of his district and state rather than serving out-of-state corporate interests by voting with the current majority,” Pushkin said.
The General Election is scheduled for Nov. 8, 2022. | https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/pastor-crozier-chosen-to-replace-kanawha-county-delegate-barach-on-november-ballot/ | 2022-08-19T18:26:06 | 1 | https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/pastor-crozier-chosen-to-replace-kanawha-county-delegate-barach-on-november-ballot/ |
CHARLESTON, WV (WOWK) – The West Virginia National Guard will be heading to eastern Kanawha County to assist with flood relief and recovery in areas hit by flooding earlier this week.
The Kanawha County Commission says they requested assistance yesterday, Thursday, Aug. 18 from the WVNG through the West Virginia Director of Emergency Management, G.E. McCabe. The commission says Kanawha County’s Emergency Manager received a reply almost immediately that the official response was being processed and WVNG staff would be contacting county officials.
A representative from the WVNG and Kanawha County’s emergency manager worked throughout Thursday evening to create a plan of action for affected areas, according to the commission. One area with specific requests for assistance is the Happy Town community at Hughes Creek where the bridge was severely damaged. The commission says because of the damage, emergency vehicles such as fire trucks and ambulances as well as refuse trucks and utility trucks cannot access the area where more than 50 families live.
The commission says other areas hit include the Charleston Northeast Little League and Point Lick Recreational Facilities. They have also requested help to survey creeks and streams for any blockages or erosion in case those sites need to be cleared.
“We cannot thank Governor Justice and Adjutant General Bill Crane enough for ordering the WV National Guard to extend their critical support to Kanawha County and its citizens during this very difficult time. The residents of the affected areas need all the help they can get, and we must do what we can to prevent future flooding. The folks in the Happy Town community need their bridge repaired, which is our top priority. The men and women of the National Guard have worked tirelessly during many emergencies in recent years. We truly appreciate their dedication and heroism.”
Statement from the Kanawha County Commission
Commissioners say the WVNG will be in affected communities today, Friday, Aug. 19, to survey damage in affected areas and create a plan with the Kanawha County Emergency Management to help the residents in those areas. | https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/west-virginia-national-guard-to-help-kanawha-county-with-flood-clean-up/ | 2022-08-19T18:26:12 | 1 | https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/west-virginia-national-guard-to-help-kanawha-county-with-flood-clean-up/ |
SEAGOVILLE, Texas — Two men who were driving separate pickup trucks have been arrested in a deadly crash that killed a family of three in Kaufman County earlier this month, authorities announced Friday.
Jose Abel Arriaga Contreras, 25, of Dallas, faces three counts of manslaughter, and his bond was set at $1 million on each charge.
Police said Contreras on Aug. 7 crashed head-on into a Toyota sedan, killing three people: Ana Teresa Guzman De Pena, 49; Jessica Nayeli Pena Guzman, 23; and Pena Guzman's two-year-old daughter.
Ana Teresa Guzman De Pena was Jessica Nayeli Pena Guzman's mother.
A second driver, James Dylan Gaddis, 30, of Crandall, was arrested on a charge of accident involving death.
Police said Gaddis crashed into the victims' car after Contreras hit them head-on. Gaddis, who was allegedly driving a Dodge pickup truck, kept driving and left the scene.
The crash unfolded around 1 a.m. on Aug. 7 on U.S. 175 in Kaufman County, just inside the Seagoville city limits, police said.
Crandall police had received a call about a wrong-way driver on 175. The caller reported that a blue Chevrolet pickup truck was heading west in the eastbound lanes.
Shortly after that call, the wrong-way pickup crashed into the Toyota sedan. All three victims in the Toyota died at the scene, police said.
Moments later, a third vehicle, the Dodge pickup truck, crashed into the back of the Toyota. The pickup truck did not stop and kept heading east on 175, witnesses told police.
The Dodge pickup driver, identified by police as Gaddis, turned himself into police on Aug. 12.
Contreras, the driver of the wrong-way pickup truck, was flown to a hospital in Dallas with "significant injuries," police said. He was released from the hospital on Thursday and booked into the Dallas County jail.
Police said officers suspected Contreras for intoxication, though results of a blood draw have not been released. | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/dallas-seagoville-man-jose-contreras-arrested-in-wrong-way-crash-that-killed-mother-daughter-granddaughter/287-c0b896af-acf5-4b0c-9914-3076fe98827e | 2022-08-19T18:26:21 | 0 | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/dallas-seagoville-man-jose-contreras-arrested-in-wrong-way-crash-that-killed-mother-daughter-granddaughter/287-c0b896af-acf5-4b0c-9914-3076fe98827e |
THE TEXAS TRIBUNE – Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar and state Sen. Joan Huffman, R-Houston, have added their support to a yearslong call by some state legislators and women’s health care advocates to remove taxes on menstrual products like tampons, sanitary pads and pantyliners.
Hegar and Huffman said they’d support efforts in next year’s legislative session to make such products nontaxable.
Other health care necessities, such as medicine and bandages, are exempt from sales tax in Texas. Advocates have called for the repeal of the tax, arguing that menstrual products should be classified as “wound care dressings,” which prevent bacterial infections and “maintain a moist or dry wound environment.” Given that wound dressings like Band-Aids are exempt from sales tax, supporters of repealing the sales tax on menstrual products argue that taxing them discriminates on the basis of sex.
Menstrual products are already tax-free in 24 states. Texas is among those states where consumers still pay tax on those products.
Previous attempts to repeal the sales tax in Texas have failed and will likely face more hurdles during next year’s legislative session. Proposals to eliminate the sales tax on menstrual products, spearheaded by state Rep. Donna Howard, D-Austin, have come before the legislature every session since 2017. None of those bills have made it to the governor's desk.
But Huffman’s support of the measure as the chair of the Senate Finance Committee —that branch’s budget chief — is notable. The 2017 bill to remove the feminine hygiene tax died in that committee.
“Every woman knows that these products are not optional. They are essential to our health and well-being and should be tax-exempt,” she said in a press release Thursday announcing her support.
Hegar pointed to Texas’ strong economy and state revenues in explaining his support for the tax repeal. Given increasing prices and inflation, Hegar said the opportunity to exempt these products from taxation is a critical need for Texans.
“Texas can absorb this lost revenue easily, but for countless Texas women, this will mean significant savings in their personal budgets over time,” Hegar said in a press release. “This is a small amount of money relative to the overall revenue outlook for Texas.”
Hegar’s latest revenue estimate for the next two years, beginning mid-July, projects Texas will generate $27 billion. The sales tax revenue on menstrual supplies over the next two years would represent about 0.1% of that amount.
In Texas and across the country, institutions are working to improve greater access to menstrual products. Over the summer, the Austin Independent School District spent over $150,000 to provide free menstrual products to students in bathrooms.
Correction: A version of the bill to end taxes on some menstrual products cleared a committee in 2021 but never made it to the governor's desk.
This story originally appeared in The Texas Tribune.
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PEOPLE ARE ALSO READING: | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/texas/texas-tax-collector-and-senate-budget-chief-say-they-support-repealing-the-tampon-tax/269-8b9293f1-706a-425d-9a5b-87f9754a700b | 2022-08-19T18:28:32 | 0 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/texas/texas-tax-collector-and-senate-budget-chief-say-they-support-repealing-the-tampon-tax/269-8b9293f1-706a-425d-9a5b-87f9754a700b |
MCALLEN, Texas — U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, D-McAllen, and his wife ran afoul of property tax law for at least eight years as each claimed homestead exemptions on properties they separately owned.
They fixed the issue last year, when his wife, Lorena Saenz Gonzalez, removed the homestead exemption on her property. But from 2014 to 2021, Hidalgo County records show that Vicente Gonzalez was claiming a homestead exemption on a property in McAllen valued this year at $527,054, while his wife was also claiming one on another property in the city valued this year at $287,131. That saved them at least $2,300 in property taxes on the second property, according to a Texas Tribune analysis.
In Texas, married couples generally can claim only one such exemption, which is meant to provide some tax relief on properties considered “principal residences.” Homestead exemptions cannot typically be claimed on commercial properties, second homes or income properties.
Gonzalez said the second property is one that his wife owned prior to their marriage in 2008 and that she forgot to remove the homestead exemption on it until last year.
”It was a simple oversight that was voluntarily corrected as soon as she found out,” Gonzalez said in a statement.
After the Tribune inquired, Gonzalez spokesperson James Rivera said the congressman has spoken with the county appraiser’s office and intends to pay any back taxes that are owed.
Gonzalez’ wife removed the homestead exemption from her property in October 2021, a county appraiser said.
“We are currently reviewing this case further and we will be doing what is statutorily required within the law,” Jorge Gonzalez, the assistant chief appraiser for Hidalgo County Appraisal District, said in an email.
Gonzalez is facing his most competitive race yet in November as he seeks another term in the nationally targeted 34th District, where U.S. Rep. Mayra Flores, R-Los Indios, is the incumbent.
A homestead exemption shields a portion of a property’s appraised value from being taxed.
All Texas homeowners enjoy a homestead exemption on their primary residence that can be applied toward their school property tax burden — which typically makes up the largest part of a local property tax bill. This year, that homestead exemption was set at $40,000, after voters in May approved a constitutional amendment raising the amount. Previously, the exemption was $25,000 for school property taxes dating back to 2015. Before that, it was $15,000.
Some Texans, like those who are elderly or disabled, are eligible for additional homestead exemptions.
The application for a homestead exemption in Hidalgo County tells applicants they are eligible only if “you and your spouse do not claim a residence homestead exemption on any other property.” The application warns that anyone who makes a false statement on the application “could be found guilty of a Class A misdemeanor or a state jail felony.”
Generally, taxpayers do not have to reapply for a homestead exemption after they initially receive it. But they must let the appraisal district know if they move or if their eligibility changes.
Gonzalez is a lawyer with his own firm, while his wife is a former teacher and school administrator in McAllen and Edinburg.
Gonzalez, who currently represents the 15th Congressional District, is in a hotly contested battle for reelection after redistricting prompted him to seek reelection in the neighboring 34th District. Flores became the incumbent there earlier this summer after flipping the seat in a special election that attracted national attention, most notably from Republicans looking to make new inroads in South Texas.
The redrawn version of the 34th District that is on the November ballot is more favorable to Democrats than it was in the special election, but the GOP hopes Flores can beat the odds.
Property-tax experts agreed that the Gonzalezes’ situation was problematic, but not unheard of.
“Typically one family, one homestead,” said Dale Craymer, president of the Texas Taxpayers and Research Association, speaking generally about the law.
“Married couples may only claim one homestead exemption, which must be on their principal residence,” said James Quintero of the Texas Public Policy Foundation, a conservative think tank based in Austin. “To do otherwise likely violates the spirit of the law, if not the letter of the law.”
Craymer said the law is “very difficult to enforce,” noting appraisal is done at the local level in Texas’ 254 counties and “there’s no sort of central composite database where appraisers can double check.”
Homestead exemptions have tripped up Texas politicians before. In 2009, then-Gov. Rick Perry, a Republican, said he would repay $183 in property taxes after media reported that he got a homestead exemption on a home near Texas A&M University where his daughter was living while attending the school.
The issue has also cropped up in the past for Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, a vocal GOP crusader against property taxes. When he was a radio host in 2005, the Houston Chronicle reported he had to pay $595 in back taxes after he got homestead breaks on two separate properties in the city’s suburbs.
Disclosure: Texas A&M University, Texas Public Policy Foundation and Texas Taxpayers and Research Association have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here. | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/texas/us-rep-vicente-gonzalez-and-his-wife-defied-property-tax-law/503-c46bff14-4af2-4bfe-962d-da749a8729ce | 2022-08-19T18:28:38 | 0 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/texas/us-rep-vicente-gonzalez-and-his-wife-defied-property-tax-law/503-c46bff14-4af2-4bfe-962d-da749a8729ce |
The News & Record is interested to hear from students, parents, teachers and others with school connections who live in Guilford County about what’s on their minds for the upcoming school year.
To participate, email reporter Jessie Pounds at jessie.pounds@greensboro.com with responses to the following:
Name:
What school or schools are you connected to?
How are you connected?
What are you most excited about for the upcoming school year?
What are you most worried or nervous about for the upcoming school year?
What is a good phone number to reach you, if needed? (phone numbers are not for publication)
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Your name and other responses may be featured as part of our back-to-school coverage. Responses received by Tuesday, Aug. 23, are especially appreciated. | https://greensboro.com/news/local/education/its-a-new-school-year-tell-us-what-is-exciting-or-worrying-for-you/article_99f9c4f8-1f1e-11ed-9b72-d7f2c835f5e6.html | 2022-08-19T18:33:10 | 1 | https://greensboro.com/news/local/education/its-a-new-school-year-tell-us-what-is-exciting-or-worrying-for-you/article_99f9c4f8-1f1e-11ed-9b72-d7f2c835f5e6.html |
GREENSBORO — The city is hosting three virtual meetings this month to gather public input on the hiring of its next police chief.
“We want to give our residents the opportunity to engage and offer input on what is most important to them in our search for a new police chief,” Greensboro Assistant City Manager Trey Davis said in a news release. “Because everyone has a busy schedule, we are offering these community meetings virtually. We’ll use the input to help shape our search.”
The meetings will be held from 4:30-6 p.m. on Wednesday, Thursday and Aug. 31.
Participants in Wednesday's meeting can join via Zoom using the meeting ID: 82820353279, or by phone at 386-347-5053 and using passcode 660662.
Participants in Thursday's meeting can join via Zoom using the meeting ID: 86046639045, or by phone at 312-626-6799 and using passcode 144090.
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Participants in the Aug. 31 meeting can join via Zoom using the meeting ID: 83468842155, or by phone at 669-444-9171 and using passcode 959723.
On April 18, Greensboro Police Chief Brian James announced his retirement from the department, effective May 31. James joined the department in 1996 and had served as the police chief since January 2020.
Interim Police Chief Teresa Biffle said Friday she is not interested in taking the position on a more permanent basis.
The position will be advertised after the search firm gathers input from the community and key stakeholders, said city spokesman Jake Keys. "We will work together to build a thorough profile of an ideal police chief at that point," he said in an email.
The city doesn't have a firm timeline of the hiring process, Keys said, but it hopes to have a new chief hired by the start of 2023. | https://greensboro.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/public-input-sought-in-choosing-new-police-chief-in-greensboro/article_a69f472c-1fc9-11ed-94b1-73a27a384422.html | 2022-08-19T18:33:16 | 1 | https://greensboro.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/public-input-sought-in-choosing-new-police-chief-in-greensboro/article_a69f472c-1fc9-11ed-94b1-73a27a384422.html |
Cases of COVID-19 in North Dakota dropped substantially this week, and the risk for coronavirus transmission in Morton County was downgraded to medium.
However, the risk level for Burleigh and 15 other North Dakota counties remained high, and COVID-19 hospitalizations statewide jumped again.
The state's coronavirus dashboard, updated weekly on Fridays, showed 1,571 new COVID-19 cases in the past seven days, compared with 1,820 the previous week and 1,952 the week before that. Cases in Burleigh-Morton stood at 273, compared with 216 the previous week.
County risk levels as determined by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention can be found at https://bit.ly/3AfSY2A. The CDC recommends that people in high-risk areas wear a mask indoors in public and on public transportation, regardless of vaccination status.
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Sixteen North Dakota counties are considered high risk, 28 are at medium risk and nine are at low risk this week.
There were 114 people hospitalized with COVID-19 in North Dakota over the past week, up from 102 the previous week and 91 the week before that. Coronavirus patients still make up a low percentage, however -- about 4.6% of occupied inpatient beds and 7.4% of intensive care unit beds statewide.
Federal data showed three new virus-related deaths in North Dakota in the past week, raising the state's pandemic total to 2,329. County-level death data is not available. There have been 262,554 confirmed COVID-19 cases in North Dakota during the pandemic that began in March 2020.
More information
Federal data shows that North Dakota continues to have some of the lowest COVID-19 vaccination rates in the country: 67.3% of adults in the state are fully vaccinated, with the rate for all vaccine-eligible people -- age 5 and older -- at 60.8%. The national averages are 77.2% and 71.5%, respectively.
COVID-19 booster shots are recommended for people 12 and older. North Dakota's first booster rate is 46.5%, compared to 49.9% nationally. Second booster doses are available for three main groups of people:
- All adults 50 years and older.
- All people 12 years or older who are moderately to severely immunocompromised.
- Adults 18 to 49 years who received two doses of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine.
State Health Department guidance and resources for businesses is at https://bit.ly/3w0DpKj.
Go to https://www.ndvax.org or https://bit.ly/3N3IMxb or call 866-207-2880 to see where COVID-19 vaccine is available. Information on free public testing and free test kits is at health.nd.gov/covidtesting. More detailed pandemic information is at www.health.nd.gov/coronavirus and https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html. | https://bismarcktribune.com/news/local/health/weekly-covid-19-cases-fall-in-north-dakota-morton-county-risk-level-downgraded/article_503e3670-1fd5-11ed-9afd-3381ecad08e3.html | 2022-08-19T18:35:24 | 1 | https://bismarcktribune.com/news/local/health/weekly-covid-19-cases-fall-in-north-dakota-morton-county-risk-level-downgraded/article_503e3670-1fd5-11ed-9afd-3381ecad08e3.html |
HUNTINGTON COUNTY, Ind. — The invasive spotted lanternfly has officially migrated to northern Indiana, according to Purdue University.
The spotted lanternfly was seen in Huntington County in July, just one year after its initial sighting in Switzerland County.
(NOTE: The video above is from a previous report on invasive bugs.)
Cliff Sadof, professor of entomology and Purdue Extension fellow, said this migration poses a significant agricultural risk to wine grape growers and honeybee and walnut tree producers.
According to Sdof, the insect can only reproduce when feeding on walnut trees, grape vines or trees of heaven, despite feeding on over 100 different types of plants.
A native of Asia, the spotted lanternfly was first identified in the United States in 2014, northwest of Philadelphia. It's likely that insect eggs came over with a load of landscaping stones. Eight years later, there are reported infestations in 13 states, mostly on the East Coast, according to the New York State Integrated Pest Management program at Cornell University.
The insect has been able to spread so far, so fast because it is a stealthy hitchhiker. Drivers this time of year unwittingly give lifts to adults, which look like moths, perched inside trunks, on wheel wells or on bumpers.
People also unknowingly transport spotted lanternfly eggs, which are laid later in the season. Females leave masses of 30 or more eggs on all sorts of surfaces, from tree trunks to patio furniture. Eggs laid on portable surfaces, like camping trailers and train cars, can hatch in the spring many miles away.
Spotted lanternfly fighters are doing everything from applying pesticides to cutting down trees of heaven, another invasive species that is a favored host of the spotted lanternfly. But public involvement is front and center.
And if you see one? Show no mercy.
“Kill it! Squash it, smash it ... just get rid of it,” reads a post by Pennsylvania agricultural officials.
New York City parks officials agree, advising: “please squish and dispose.”
“Join Jersey's Stomp Team,” read billboards in New Jersey showing a shoe about to stamp out an insect.
In 2021, a homeowner in Switzerland County contacted Indiana Department of Natural Resource's Division of Entomology & Plant Pathology with a photo taken outside his home of a fourth instar — a developing larvae. When DEPP staff went onsite to survey, they discovered an infestation in the woodlot adjacent to that homeowner.
The Indiana Department of Natural Resources is asking anyone who sees a spotted lanternfly to take a photo and send it to DEPP@dnr.in.gov, or call 1-866-No-Exotic.
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- IMPD arrests man after 11-year-old girl reports being assaulted in park | https://www.wthr.com/article/news/local/invasive-spotted-lanternfly-northern-indiana-huntington-county-purdue/531-dbc79ad6-6b92-45a7-94f2-72e0c74fd856 | 2022-08-19T18:39:23 | 1 | https://www.wthr.com/article/news/local/invasive-spotted-lanternfly-northern-indiana-huntington-county-purdue/531-dbc79ad6-6b92-45a7-94f2-72e0c74fd856 |
POCOMOKE CITY, Md. — An accidental fire destroyed a radio station on Maryland’s Eastern Shore on Thursday, fire officials said.
It took about 50 firefighters from Maryland and Virginia three hours to control the blaze, officials said. Investigators determined that the fire was accidental and it was started by a failure of an electrical wire in the attic.
The station owned by Birach Broadcasting Corporation and operated by Mike Powell was on the air when the fire broke out, officials said. The building, which was built in 1955, is considered a complete loss, the fire marshal’s office said. | https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/fire-destroys-eastern-shore-radio-station/2022/08/19/04044728-1fe8-11ed-9ce6-68253bd31864_story.html | 2022-08-19T18:42:42 | 0 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/fire-destroys-eastern-shore-radio-station/2022/08/19/04044728-1fe8-11ed-9ce6-68253bd31864_story.html |
DIXMONT, Maine — The two motorists who died in a Dixmont crash Wednesday afternoon have been identified as 34-year-old Andrew Clark of Belfast and 74-year-old Doreen Spinney of Dixmont.
A news release issued by the Penobscot County Sheriff's Office on Wednesday says police responded to the incident located on Western Avenue (Route 9) around 12:40 p.m.
Penobscot County Sheriff's Office investigators determined Clark was "traveling at a high rate of speed and making unsafe passes while traveling west in his sedan," according to an updated news release issued Friday.
During one of the passes Clark made at the "crest of a hill," his vehicle struck Spinney's oncoming sedan, Friday's release says.
Clark and Spinney were the sole occupants of their vehicles. They both died at the scene, according to Friday's release.
"Sheriff's Office detectives, along with our reconstruction and mapping teams continue to investigate further facts of the crash," Friday's release states. "This investigation remains active and no other details are excepted to be released until testing and crash analysis are completed." | https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/local/two-killed-in-dixmont-crash-wednesday-identified-by-police-fatal-motor-vehicle-crash-maine/97-e5e7ba7b-23b5-4fb1-a2c6-7b27f29e4812 | 2022-08-19T18:48:53 | 0 | https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/local/two-killed-in-dixmont-crash-wednesday-identified-by-police-fatal-motor-vehicle-crash-maine/97-e5e7ba7b-23b5-4fb1-a2c6-7b27f29e4812 |
New indictments allege Alex Murdaugh stole from his brother, name 2 new accomplices
New indictments unsealed Friday against disbarred and jailed South Carolina attorney Richard “Alex” Murdaugh further allege theft from his own brother and the law firm his great-grandfather founded and names two more alleged accomplices in an intricate, decade-long web of criminal conspiracy that spanned the Lowcountry.
S.C. Attorney General Alan Wilson announced the S.C. State Grand Jury issued more indictments against Murdaugh on Aug. 16, as well as indictments against alleged accomplices Spencer Anwan Roberts and Jerry K. Rivers.
Murdaugh, who on July 14 was indicted in the 2021 murders of his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul, was indicted this week for:
- Four counts of obtaining signature or property by false pretenses value $10,000 or more
- Two counts of money laundering value $20,000 - $100,000
- One count of money laundering value $100,000 or more
- Two counts of computer crime value more than $10,000
For subscribers:How murder charges impact other death investigations, lawsuits surrounding Alex Murdaugh
In Indictment 2022-GS-47-23, venued in Colleton County, the State Grand Jury charged Murdaugh with misappropriating funds rather than paying the fees into the family law firm (Peters, Murdaugh, Parker, Eltzroth, and Detrick, P.A.) as he was required to do. On Dec. 16, 2020, Murdaugh allegedly stole a $91,867.50 check from PMPED by having the check deposited into a fraudulent account he created under the name of “Richard A Murdaugh Sole Prop DBA Forge.” On May 12, 2021, Murdaugh allegedly stole an $83,333.33 check from the firm.
In Indictment 2022-GS-47-24, venued in Hampton County, the State Grand Jury alleged Murdaugh, through false representations, took a loan repayment for $121,358.63 from the firm that was due to another partner – his brother, Randolph "Randy" Murdaugh IV – and cashed it for himself.
In Indictment 2022-GS-47-22, venued in Colleton County, the State Grand Jury charged Roberts with:
- One count of obtaining signature or property by false pretenses value $10,000 or more
- One count of Money Laundering Value $20,000 - $100,000
- One count of Computer Crime Value More Than $10,000
- One count of Insurance Fraud
Roberts is accused of conduct “involving narcotics, dangerous drugs, or controlled substances” of a “multi-county nature.” Earlier this summer, Murdaugh was also indicted on multi-county narcotics charges.
Roberts is also accused of fraudulently obtaining $20,000 in federal funds distributed under the Paycheck Protection Program by representing himself to be a qualified business and self-employed “Insurance Agency or Brokerage" firm on Feb. 25, 2021.
Roberts is further charged with fraudulently obtaining $24,867 in unemployment insurance from the SC Department of Employment and Workforce, between the dates of May 2020 and May 2021, by representing himself to have lost employment with “Spin’s Car Wash” due to the SARS-COV-2 pandemic.
Other Murdaugh news:SC judge denies request to stay Murdaugh wrongful death suit until after murder trial
'We have nothing':Defense lawyers demand state share evidence in Alex Murdaugh murder case
In Indictment 2022-GS-47-21, venued in Colleton County, the State Grand Jury charged Rivers with one count of obstruction of justice. Rivers is accused of illegally taking a cell phone belonging to another person that had been arrested on Aug. 10, 2020, in connection with multi-county drug crimes.
Altogether, through 18 indictments containing 90 charges against Murdaugh, the State Grand Jury has indicted Murdaugh for schemes to defraud victims of $8,789,447.77. When local indictments, including murder charges, are added, Murdaugh is facing a total of 97 criminal charges, according to the AG’s office. The former lawyer is also facing 11 civil suits.
Murdaugh remains jailed in Richland County’s Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center on a $7 million bond he has been unable to meet. His attorneys have petitioned the courts for a January 2023 trial in the double murder case.
This State Grand Jury investigation is being conducted by the SC Law Enforcement Division, the SC Attorney General’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the United States Attorney’s Office. The case will be prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Office. | https://www.greenvilleonline.com/story/news/local/south-carolina/2022/08/19/alex-murdaugh-case-new-indictments-allege-he-stole-his-brother-law-firm/7842109001/ | 2022-08-19T18:49:00 | 0 | https://www.greenvilleonline.com/story/news/local/south-carolina/2022/08/19/alex-murdaugh-case-new-indictments-allege-he-stole-his-brother-law-firm/7842109001/ |
If you bought a Fantasy 5 ticket in Orlando on March 7, 2022, you need to check your ticket.
A Fantasy 5 top prize-winning ticket worth $175,769.38 remains unclaimed, according to Florida Lottery officials.
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Officials said the ticket was bought at Publix at 14185 Lake Nona Boulevard in Orlando.
The winning numbers were 2, 4, 15, 20 and 28.
The winner only has until midnight on Sept. 3 to claim the prize, according to lottery officials.
If the ticket goes unclaimed, lottery officials said the prize pool rolls down to be shared with players who matched 4 of 5 winning numbers or 3 of 5 winning numbers.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/08/19/did-you-win-175k-fantasy-5-ticket-bought-in-orlando-remains-unclaimed/ | 2022-08-19T18:49:16 | 0 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/08/19/did-you-win-175k-fantasy-5-ticket-bought-in-orlando-remains-unclaimed/ |
WINTER SPRINGS, Fla. – Investigators on Friday released the 911 calls that came pouring into emergency dispatchers following a deadly lightning strike in Winter Springs.
At least 13 calls were made to 911 Thursday afternoon after lightning struck a tree in Trotwood Park, killing Nicole Tedesco and injuring her 10-year-old daughter, Ava, and another 18-year-old woman.
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Tedesco’s widower, Andrew Tedesco, works as a police officer at the Orlando Sanford International Airport, where a news conference was held Friday.
The strike occurred as students were being let out of Keeth Elementary, where Ava and her 8-year-old sister, Gia, attend school.
News 6 has decided not to put all of the 911 calls online as some may be considered too graphic or disturbing.
However, we are putting one of the calls online in its entirety as it was released to the media. In the recording, the caller can be heard trying to calm other children and get them into a car for their own safety.
You can hear the full call in the media player below. A word of warning, this audio may be disturbing to some listeners.
As the call begins, screaming can be heard in the background. The caller explains what happened and can then be heard telling others to get to safety.
“Get out of here now! Get out of here now,” the caller shouts to someone in the recording. “It’s OK, it’s OK. Get in the car, get in the car.”
Several of the callers to 911 can be heard saying, “There was a lightning strike, two people down.”
One caller described bystanders stepping in to perform CPR on one of the victims.
“We got a lightning strike, I actually felt it. Two people are down,” the caller can be heard saying to emergency dispatchers.
One of the callers to 911 claims to be caring for the dog that was also hurt in the lightning strike.
“I wanted to get my kid home and actually have the person’s dog (who) was taken away in an ambulance,” the caller said. “So I just want to make sure (police) have my address in case they need to come by.”
The caller said the dog suffered some burns from the lightning strike.
“Not horribly, he is walking around, which was good, but he definitely should probably receive some kind of medical attention,” the caller said to dispatchers.
The man said in the recording that he planned to take the dog to a veterinarian to get checked out.
Tedesco, who was rushed to the hospital Thursday, ultimately died from her injuries. Officials said the child and the 18-year-old woman were in stable condition.
Police said Tedesco and her two daughters had just left Keeth Elementary when the lightning strike occurred. Police initially believed that Tedesco was waiting on one of her daughters to be released from school when the strike happened. Gia was not injured, officials said Friday.
Seminole County Public Schools released a statement Thursday, saying:
“This afternoon one of our Seminole County Public Schools’ students from Keeth Elementary and a member of their family were involved in a weather-related event. Shortly after the scheduled start of dismissal, a rapidly developing storm resulted in the immediate suspension of dismissal procedures. Unfortunately, the Keeth Elementary Cougar and their parent were struck by lightning at/near Trotwood Park. Emergency responders transported both the student and parent for treatment.
“Seminole County Public Schools and Keeth Elementary School remain committed to the safety and security of all students and will continue to take safety precautions in the event of inclement weather. Additional counselors will be on campus to support students and/or staff impacted by this event. Our thoughts are with the families, students, and staff.”
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/08/19/listen-911-calls-show-panic-after-deadly-lightning-strike-in-winter-springs/ | 2022-08-19T18:49:22 | 1 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/08/19/listen-911-calls-show-panic-after-deadly-lightning-strike-in-winter-springs/ |
BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – Whether it’s the beaches, incredible rocket launches or attractions, the Space Coast is home to some pretty unique things and the tourism office wants someone to paint a mural to show them off.
The Space Coast Office of Tourism is looking for an artist to capture “the essence of the area as a vacation destination, highlighting the ‘Only Here’ experiences, and creating an exciting and welcoming atmosphere.”
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The tourism office is opening a submission form for artists who would like to be part of the art in the Space Coast Visitor Information Center in Cocoa Beach.
“The final project should include elements from the five pillars of tourism on Florida’s Space Coast including Space, Beaches/Surfing, Cruises, Nature/Outdoor activities, and leisure (such as dining, shopping, and visiting attractions.),” the website reads.
Applications are due by Sept. 2 and final selections will be made on Sept. 23.
Click here to submit your application.
You can listen to every episode of Florida’s Fourth Estate in the media player below: | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/08/19/what-makes-the-space-coast-great-tourism-office-wants-mural-artist-to-show-visitors/ | 2022-08-19T18:49:28 | 0 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/08/19/what-makes-the-space-coast-great-tourism-office-wants-mural-artist-to-show-visitors/ |
SNELLVILLE, Ga. — Brookwood High School in Snellville is mourning the loss of an assistant football coach and former player who was remembered in glowing terms by the program and former coaches.
It was not publicly disclosed how Isa Washington, the assistant defensive line coach for the Brookwood Broncos, had passed away.
"A son. A brother. A teammate. A coach. A Bronco," the football team's Twitter account posted. "You loved big. You smiled big. You made us all laugh and inspired us with your passion for friends, football, and family. You will never be replaced. We love you, Is."
PJ Katz, the offensive coordinator at Brookwood, wrote that as a player for the Broncos Washington "played the game the right way" and then, after graduating from the program, "coached it with an incredible desire to be great."
"Thank you for everything, Isa. I love you. Rest In Peace," Katz wrote.
Jake Crews, who wrote that he coached him in his earlier years at Grayson High School, tweeted he was a "phenomenal kid" who was "one of those kids that you love to coach, and made the job even more fun."
The cornerbacks coach at rival Parkview High School, Brian Miller, wrote "prayers to the Brookwood community!" and the Parkview team account added, "Thoughts and prayers are with the Brookwood Community." | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/isa-washington-brookwood-high-school-football/85-064c41ad-d417-487d-9aa6-2c4a848bd987 | 2022-08-19T18:52:08 | 1 | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/isa-washington-brookwood-high-school-football/85-064c41ad-d417-487d-9aa6-2c4a848bd987 |
CASCADE, Idaho — As the threat of the Four Corners fire reaches closer to private homes, people like Jos Zamzow are being forced to decide if they should pack up their memories and leave, not knowing what they will come back to.
Zamzow's longtime family cabin is near Cascade Lake. As he loads up his vehicle, he can see smoke rising above.
"There's almost my entire life of memories up here in summertime and this idea that this could all be gone, it's sad, it makes you sick to your stomach," Zamzow told KTVB.
The Valley County Sheriff's Office issued evacuation orders Thursday as the fire, near the border of the Payette and Boise National Forests, breached the nearby ridge. According to officials, it began with a lightning strike.
People closer to the fire were ordered to leave immediately, while others are on standby, ready to pack up and evacuate at a moment's notice.
"We decided last night we weren't going to come, and I woke up this morning and just realized there are irreplaceable things here," Zamzow said.
The fire has grown to nearly 6,000 acres. 395 personnel are out in the area trying to contain it -- and so far, there is no luck. The Four Corners Fire is currently at 0% containment. Planes are scooping water from the lake to try to combat it.
"You can hear the fire planes above," Zamzow said. "It's kind of eerie."
The fire is burning in grass and timber, including sub-alpine fir, which is prone to torching and sending firebrands into the air causing spot fires ahead of the main fire front. Heavy smoke is also impacting communities throughout Valley County. Fire activity may increase again Friday afternoon, as there is a possibility of thunderstorms with gusty, erratic winds, but only a slight chance of rain.
Residents near Campbell Creek north to Black Bear Road are advised to leave immediately. Those near Campbell Creek south to Raspberry Road are advised to be ready to leave at any time.
"I've gotten everything we can't replace with money," Zamzow said.
There is a possibility of a shift in winds and thunderstorms that could move the fire later today and the rest of the week. Residents and crews are waiting to see where it will go.
"We'll head down the hill and watch the news and hope that we get wind -- or rain -- or firefighters who are able to make progress," Zamzow said.
For a map of the fire locations, click here. Check back with KTVB for updates. | https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/wildfire/family-packs-up-cabin-to-evacuate-during-threat-of-wildfire-cascade/277-051ce915-70a1-4f22-b15b-0dc187579f2a | 2022-08-19T18:56:18 | 0 | https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/wildfire/family-packs-up-cabin-to-evacuate-during-threat-of-wildfire-cascade/277-051ce915-70a1-4f22-b15b-0dc187579f2a |
The unemployment rate in Texas fell for a sixth consecutive month in July to 4 percent, the lowest level since February 2020.
In the San Antonio metro area, unemployment was unchanged at 4 percent, the Texas Workforce Commission said Friday.
The nationwide rate fell to 3.5 percent in July, also the lowest rate since February 2020, just before the pandemic pushed unemployment to record highs.
“Since January of this year, Texas has added 406,800 jobs, the most growth we’ve recorded during that time frame in any year,” said Bryan Daniel, workforce commission chairman. “This also marks the ninth consecutive month we have set employment records in Texas.”
Average hourly wages in San Antonio increased slightly to $27.62 in July, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. But wage growth in the city has largely stagnated this year after rising swiftly in 2021.
Workers in San Antonio saw average hourly earnings increase 8 percent in July from a year earlier, roughly in line with the 8.5 percent rate of inflation over the same time period.
Texas added 72,800 jobs in July, with the biggest employment gains coming in the education and health services sector.
Bureau of Labor Statistics data on job openings and worker turnover for June show employers hired the fewest workers since January.
Still, there were 988,000 job openings statewide in June, the third-most since the data begin in 2000. March and April were the only months with more job vacancies in Texas.
Texas employers laid off 88,000 workers last month, the third-fewest monthly layoffs on record.
With unemployment at 3.1 percent, both Amarillo and the Austin-Round Rock area had the lowest jobless rates of the state’s metro areas. The McAllen-Edinburgh-Mission area had unemployment of 8 percent, the highest in the state.
With joblessness declining in San Antonio over the past year, the city’s Ready to Work job job training program has gotten underway this summer with the first handful of graduates completing commercial drivers license training in June.
Workforce Solutions Alamo — the regional arm of the Texas Workforce Commission — last week announced a new career center it opened at the San Antonio Food Bank in part so residents can apply for Ready to Work job training or seek other resources there.
To apply for Ready to Work, San Antonio residents can visit readytoworksa.com or call 311.
diego.mendoza-moyers@express-news.net | https://www.expressnews.com/business/local/article/Texas-unemployment-falls-for-sixth-straight-17384769.php | 2022-08-19T18:58:56 | 1 | https://www.expressnews.com/business/local/article/Texas-unemployment-falls-for-sixth-straight-17384769.php |
Kyle City Manager Scott Sellers is on paid administrative leave pending an investigation into an internal complaint.
The city council voted at the end of last month to place Sellers on leave and appointed Assistant City Manager Jerry Hendrix as acting city manager. The council did not discuss publicly the nature of the complaint or the timeframe for the investigation.
Sellers was hired in January 2015 to be city manager for the City of Kyle, according to the city’s website. Before that, he was city manager for the City of Kilgore from October 2011 through December 2014. He worked for the City of Montrose, Colorado, from 2008 through 2011 first as assistant city manager and then as acting city manager.
Hendrix kicked off his time with the City of Kyle in September 2006 as the director of communications, according to the city. He became director of community development in 2011 before moving up to chief of staff in 2013. In October 2021, he climbed the ranks again, becoming assistant city manager, overseeing the public library, Economic Development Department, Police Department, Environmental Trades & Services Department, and Parks and Recreation Departments.
megan.rodriguez@express-news.net | https://www.expressnews.com/news/local/article/Kyle-city-manager-on-paid-leave-pending-17384761.php | 2022-08-19T18:59:21 | 0 | https://www.expressnews.com/news/local/article/Kyle-city-manager-on-paid-leave-pending-17384761.php |
During her childhood on Long Island, Talli Dolge suffered from migraines powerful enough to bring on panic attacks. At 10, she was diagnosed with a panic disorder.
Her mental health struggles intensified through her teen years. In her senior year of high school, she couldn’t bring herself to leave her family’s home for six months, leading to another diagnosis, of agoraphobia. For a while, she battled suicidal thoughts.
The same person who once could not step outside her home is now one of the leading advocates for mental wellness in San Antonio, giving speeches and writing essays in which she opens up about her past and offers advice to others struggling with anxiety.
Commentary: San Antonio can lead on innovative mental health care
Her greatest impact comes through the San Antonio Mobile Mental Wellness Collaborative, a partnership she formed in 2019. The collaborative coordinates the efforts of local nonprofits in order to provide free counseling and other mental health services to students in five local school districts, as well as to their families and the districts’ teachers and administrators.
While growing up has always been hard, today’s children and teenagers have to grapple with new sources of anxiety: the isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic and the high-pressure world of social media, to name a few. Meanwhile, there is a lack of mental health resources in many parts of San Antonio, especially in low-income neighborhoods on the South, East and West Sides.
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Through the mental wellness collaborative, Dolge is setting out to change that. Far from adding to her own anxiety, she finds the work therapeutic.
“Part of living with a mental illness has been living in hiding and in shame and in isolation for a lot of my life,” she said. “When I decided to go a little bit more on the public platform, it has helped me immensely knowing that first of all, I’m not alone in this process, and also that I’m able to affect change in the way somebody else may look at having a mental illness.”
Five nonprofits offer services through the partnership: the Children’s Bereavement Center of South Texas, helping those grieving the loss of a loved one; Rise Recovery, with a focus on substance abuse; the Clarity Child Guidance Center, providing counseling to children and their families, with an in-patient unit; Joven, a youth organization; and Family Service, helping families overcome challenges, whether financial, educational or behavioral.
The partnership, which now operates under the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute, has grown fast in the three years since it formed, thanks to the support of donors such as the H.E. Butt Foundation and Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas.
In its first school year, 2019-2020, it operated only in South San Antonio Independent School District, reaching about 1,700 people, Dolge said. Since then, it has spread into the districts for Harlandale, Edgewood, San Antonio and Judson. In the most recent school year, nearly 8,200 people made use of its services, she said.
“It could never have been done by one organization alone,” she said. “The biggest message is the collaborative effort. There is no way that one of us could have done this work.”
Marian Sokol, the executive director of the Children’s Bereavement Center, praised Dolge for her persistence and for working to reduce the stigma of mental illness.
“It’s been more difficult than any of us could have imagined, in part because in San Antonio, you’re not dealing with a single school district, you’re dealing with many school districts. Each has their unique needs, their unique processes,” she said of the partnership. “The need is enormous, but resources are not. The optimism she has and the persistence that she has and the drive is impressive.”
Learning from her own past
During the worst months of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dolge gave speeches over Zoom about living with a mental illness. Meanwhile, the pandemic sparked a relapse of the anxiety disorder she’s suffered from all her life.
“I was talking about living with a mental illness, and at the same time hiding a piece of myself — having a hard time getting out of bed in the morning, having a hard time even brushing my teeth on certain days,” she said.
In December of last year, she wrote an essay for KSAT in which she described how she “ate and drank my way into a major depression and severe anxiety” during the pandemic.
The decision to be more “vulnerable” about her ongoing struggles has changed her life, she said.
“Even though I had been talking about it, that was the first moment that I didn’t feel like I was hiding anymore,” she said of the essay. “I didn’t have to feel the shame and the guilt of continuing to live in the shadows.”
She points to her senior-year battle with agoraphobia as the reason she pursued a career in the mental health sector. Her high school had “good intentions,” she said, but it didn’t have the resources to help someone battling such a severe illness.
Commentary: Mental health recovery is about finding people, place and purpose
Yet her career took a few detours before she made it to the mental health field.
After earning a bachelor’s in drama therapy and a master’s in education and counseling from the State University of New York at Brockport, she took a job with Disney selling resort properties; she would work on and off for the company for nine years. The job helped give her an “entrepreneurial spirit,” she said, teaching her “how to sell things and how to raise money and work with some of the largest organizations and corporations in the world.”
She later worked for Hilton Worldwide before coming to San Antonio to serve as senior director of marketing, branding and sales for the Witte Museum.
Meanwhile, she worked with a therapist who helped her “retrain her thoughts,” she said.
“She works with me on such an open basis that there is no judgment, no matter what I do, no matter what old habits I go back to,” she said. “I’m going to say that therapy is the thing that has been the most constant in my life — probably one of the biggest things that if I did not keep up with it, I’m not sure where I would be.”
She had always preserved an interest in advocacy for mental health — for a while she hosted a mental health podcast named Dearest Oprah.
During her time at the Witte, she realized she wanted to take her career in a new direction, with more of a focus on mental health. In 2018, she took a position as CEO of the Jewish Family Service of San Antonio, a nonprofit with a focus on mental health that serves people of all faiths throughout the community.
Bringing care to students
Dolge said she had the idea for the partnership when she saw a photograph of students at South San Antonio ISD holding signs asking for more mental health resources within the district.
At that time, the district had only one social worker for 9,000 students, she said.
She brought together the leaders of local mental health nonprofits to discuss combining their efforts to bring a “comprehensive mental health and wellness program” into local schools. From the start, she knew she wanted the services to be available not only to students but their family members and school employees.
“This could not be just about the students,” she said. In her youthful struggles with mental illness, “it was my family who was suffering as well.”
The partnership launched a pilot program in South San ISD in 2019. Before long, other school districts were approaching the partnership asking whether it could offer such services to their own students. One of those was Harlandale.
“We found out about South San ISD, and we were really interested,” said Brian Jaklich, the district’s social work coordinator. “Her passion for this was so inspiring.”
The partnership operates differently in each district based on its resources and needs. It is funded almost entirely through grants from charities, foundations, the city and the federal government, with school districts picking up a small share of the cost — for Harlandale ISD the cost is “minimal,” Jaklich said.
In November 2020, the partnership helped Harlandale ISD to open the Harlandale Care Center off of South Flores Street. There, students and their families — and even members of the community who don’t have children in the district — can access free counseling through the partnership. Employees of the nonprofits also visit students on school campuses.
The care center has been a great resource, helping to reduce the stigma of mental illness in the district at a time when current events such as the COVID-19 pandemic, school shootings and the rising cost of living are creating stress for families, Jaklich said.
Related: Boxer Ryan Garcia overcomes bout with mental health issues
“A lot of times, families just don’t have access to services, because of transportation or because of the lack of services in this area on the South Side,” he said.
He said he considered Dolge to be “kind of like a mentor.”
“In all honesty, I adore her,” he said. “She is a person that when you talk with her, she’s so energetic, she’s so passionate about making sure these programs work. She is so accessible — if you need anything, just call her. She’s always super-positive.”
At the beginning of this year, the partnership moved from Jewish Family Service to operate under the umbrella of the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute, a mental health nonprofit headquartered in Dallas that provides services across the state.
“It became too big for one organization; that was really the challenge,” Dolge said of the shift.
She now hopes to expand its offerings to more school districts and to do more outreach to educate people about mental illness.
The goal is for the partnership to act as more of a “prevention program” than a “crisis program,” she said, keeping people from descending into a mental health crisis by teaching them different ways of coping. Our society has made great strides in its awareness of mental health, she said, but there is still a long way to go.
“We’re talking about anxiety, depression, isolation — things that we did not see so many years ago as a piece of our life,” she said.
Yet with the proliferation of smartphones and other stressors, “we are seeing this huge uptick in anxiety-related mental health challenges right now, on a level that I don’t think we’ve prepared ourselves for.” | https://www.expressnews.com/news/local/article/San-Antonio-mental-health-advocate-17384640.php | 2022-08-19T18:59:28 | 1 | https://www.expressnews.com/news/local/article/San-Antonio-mental-health-advocate-17384640.php |
A billboard in Los Angeles uses the mass shooting in Uvalde as a way to discourage Californians from moving to Texas.
"The Texas miracle died in Uvalde. Don't move to Texas," the billboard reads.
A photo of the billboard warning California residents about moving to the Lone Star State was posted to Reddit on Thursday. The billboard, which does not appear to promote a company or website, shows a photo of a hooded man with sunglasses and an exed-out "Don't Mess with Texas" slogan.
The post on Reddit's Los Angeles forum follows several others showing and/or asking about similar billboards in other parts of California, including San Francisco. The post was also shared on Reddit's Texas page.
Reactions to the post have been mixed.
"Pretty (expletive) evil to use the death of children to promote your agenda, no matter what it is," one Reddit user, Darnitol1, commented on the Texas post.
"It’s us, isn’t it," another user, mSoGood08, wrote. "It’s Texas that’s paying for that billboard to deter Californians from moving here. I wouldn’t put it past us."
On ExpressNews.com: Mapping where new San Antonio residents are moving from
The "Texas Miracle" referenced on the billboard is a reference to the Texas regulatory and political system that helped the state escape some of the most "severe shocks" of the Great Recession from 2007 to 2009, according to Texas Monthly. The reference started with former Gov. Rick Perry, who coined the phrase in 2011 during his presidential run.
Uvalde was the site of a mass shooting on May 24, where 19 students and two teachers were killed at Robb Elementary.
According to Houston TV station KHOU, more than 161,000 former California residents moved to Texas from 2018 to 2021, with 11,244 of those settling in Bexar County. More Californians moved to Texas than from any other state during that time.
shepard.price@express-news.net | @shepardgprice | https://www.expressnews.com/news/local/article/Texas-miracle-Uvalde-billboard-LA-17384423.php | 2022-08-19T18:59:34 | 0 | https://www.expressnews.com/news/local/article/Texas-miracle-Uvalde-billboard-LA-17384423.php |
The Seguin Police Department shared a social media post on Wednesday to its official Facebook page warning parents not to overshare information in their kids' back-to-school photos.
The original post by a Minnesota-area sheriff's department shows two photos of a deputy holding different signs, one with too much information and the other with the right amount of information.
"Back-to-school photos often reveal personal information about your child," Carver County Sheriff's Office wrote in the post. "School name, grade, age and identifying features, etc. — these can all be used by predators and scammers."
The photo with the sign with too much information gives the student's full name, school name, the teacher's name and grade. The second photo's sign only gives the student's first name along with their favorite subject, favorite activity, and one way they plan to change the world.
Related: First day of class for each school district
"No matter your privacy settings or friends, it's best to keep personal information to a minimum," the sheriff's department wrote.
According to FOX TV station in Cleveland, parents also shouldn't use addresses, geotag or take a photo of their child in a uniform that might identify what school the student attends. Experts also recommend turning off facial recognition and not tagging children in social media photos.
shepard.price@express-news.net | @shepardgprice | https://www.expressnews.com/news/local/article/Viral-social-media-oversharing-parents-17384562.php | 2022-08-19T18:59:40 | 0 | https://www.expressnews.com/news/local/article/Viral-social-media-oversharing-parents-17384562.php |
Parts of the San Antonio area may experience much-needed rain this weekend into early next week, with the possibility of wet weather through Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service. The rain may also cool things down.
There is a 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1 p.m. Friday followed by a 30 percent chance before 10 p.m., NWS forecasters are predicting.
You might also like: As Edwards water restrictions toughen, stricter enforcement in SA
However, Jason Renyen, an NWS meteorologist, said that it’s unlikely that rain will blanket all of San Antonio.
“Not everyone will receive rainfall today,” Renyen told the Express-News. “Over the weekend, the better rain chances focus on the southeast of San Antonio down toward the coastal plain. But there are some opportunities for some isolated showers in and around San Antonio.”
There is a 20 percent chance of rain and thunderstorms before 1 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Both days could see partly sunny skies and daytime highs of 96 and 95 degrees, respectively, according to the weather service.
Showers and thunderstorms are possible through Monday afternoon, with a 40 percent chance by night.
“The rain chances are definitely increasing in your area after that, and we’re currently forecasting a 50 to 60 percent chance of rain Monday through Wednesday,” Renyen said.
Dig deeper: An 'Extreme heat belt' will impact parts of Texas by 2053, but not in San Antonio, a report says
Texans across the state are facing water restrictions as the state experiences its worst drought since 2011. Almost the entire state of Texas is experiencing a severe level of drought, and only a few corners of the state, such as El Paso, are not “abnormally dry” amid this year’s particularly hot summer.
Renyen said the rain San Antonio experienced last week as well as the wet weather forecasted this week could have a small impact on the drought and scorching weather.
“With the heavier rainfall at the end of the week, some of the rainfall amounts that we’re forecasting could bring very slight improvements in drought conditions in your area,” Renyen said. “We have seen some recent improvements in the drought monitor off the southwest of San Antonio when the heavier rainfall occurred last week with that tropical system. As far as the drought conditions go, it all depends on where the heavier rainfall sets up this week.”
The increased chances for rainfall this weekend and into next week, along with the cloud cover, could bring some reprieve from the heat, Renyen said.
“We’ll be back down to more seasonable temperatures for August here on the weekend — kind of in the upper 90s,” he said. “And then next week, with the better chances of rainfall, the highs could be slightly below normal in the low 90s or upper 80s.”
timothy.fanning@express-news.net | https://www.expressnews.com/news/local/article/san-antonio-rain-chances-17384362.php | 2022-08-19T18:59:46 | 0 | https://www.expressnews.com/news/local/article/san-antonio-rain-chances-17384362.php |
Indianapolis grocer pays $92K to workers for failing to pay minimum wage
Three La Canasta grocery stores in the Indianapolis area failed to pay more than $46,000 to meet minimum wage and overtime wage laws, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
The department recovered more than $92,000 in back wages and damages for 18 workers who were paid a flat weekly rate to stock shelves, serve customers and run the cash register. Indiana has the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour.
"The wages recovered for these 18 workers makes a significant difference in their ability to support themselves and their families,” Wage and Hour Division District Director Patricia Lewis in Indianapolis said in a statement. “Historically, small grocers employ young, low-wage and vulnerable workers who may not understand their rights to basic wage protections like overtime and minimum wage.”
Alejandro Hernandez, the owner of the store, said through an interpreter that he received bad advice from his accountant.
The stores have switched to paying hourly plus overtime, he said. Employees will clock in-and-out on a tablet, according to the Department of Labor.
In fiscal year 2021, the Wage and Hour Division's Midwest Initiative recovered some $172,000 in back wages for more than 200 workers in the grocery industry.
The most common problems were violations of overtime, minimum wage and child labor standards. | https://www.indystar.com/story/news/local/2022/08/19/la-canasta-indianapolis-pays-92k-to-workers-who-didnt-get-minimum-wage/65411076007/ | 2022-08-19T19:02:01 | 1 | https://www.indystar.com/story/news/local/2022/08/19/la-canasta-indianapolis-pays-92k-to-workers-who-didnt-get-minimum-wage/65411076007/ |
What to Know
- Newborn found wrapped in a T-shirt, abandoned in bushes at an apartment complex.
- The baby's mother is a juvenile and it's unclear if she'll face abandonment charges.
- Texas' Baby Moses law allows new parents the option of surrendering their unharmed child with no questions asked and no risk of criminal prosecution for abandonment.
An abandoned newborn boy found in the bushes outside an apartment complex Thursday morning in Waxahachie is in good condition and is now in the custody of Child Protective Services, police say.
Waxahachie Police said someone found the child in the bushes at the Bent Tree Townhomes on the 1700 block of South Interstate 35E at about 8:30 a.m. and called 911 to report the discovery.
Officers arrived at the scene and found the newborn baby boy wrapped in a T-shirt.
The infant was taken to Baylor Scott & White Medical Center in Waxahachie where he was said to be in good condition. Custody of the baby was turned over to Child Protective Services.
The child's mother is a juvenile and has been located, police confirmed to NBC 5 Friday morning. It's not yet clear if the child's mother will face charges but investigators are said to be working with the Ellis County District Attorney to consider whether charges should be filed.
Texas law provides for safe haven locations where parents can drop off unwanted children and avoid abandonment charges.
Local
The latest news from around North Texas.
Anyone with information to share is asked to contact investigators Jill Turner and Elizabeth Glidewell with the Waxahachie Police Department at 469-309-4400 or by email.
WHAT IS TEXAS' BABY MOSES SAFE HAVEN LAW?
Texas' Baby Moses Safe Haven law was signed into law in 1999 by then Gov. George Bush. The law allows a person the opportunity to voluntarily and safely surrender unharmed newborn babies and relinquish their parental rights with no questions asked.
Should a person have a child younger than 60 days old that they're unable to care for, the baby can be left with an employee at a designated safe place such as a hospital, fire station, free-standing emergency center, or emergency medical services (EMS) station.
If taking a baby to one of the "Safe Baby Sites," the caretaker is encouraged to leave the baby physically in the hands of a person and not outside and alone where someone may not immediately find and care for the child.
Parents who leave their children at a safe haven site with an employee will not be prosecuted or face criminal charges for abandonment or neglect and their identities will remain confidential. Employees may ask questions about family health history to assess the child's immediate needs for care.
Babies left at a fire or EMS station will be taken to a children's hospital to receive any medical attention they need.
ONLINE RESOURCES
Since 1999, there have been over 2,000 babies saved with the Safe Haven program. For more information, contact The Baby Safe Haven toll-free hotline is 1-888-510-BABY. | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/newborn-abandoned-in-bushes-in-good-condition-juvenile-mother-found/3052148/ | 2022-08-19T19:04:00 | 0 | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/newborn-abandoned-in-bushes-in-good-condition-juvenile-mother-found/3052148/ |
ABSECON — Two men face drug charges after they were found inside a vehicle reported stolen out of Trenton, police said Friday.
An officer patrolling the White Horse Pike early Friday morning was alerted by their license plate reader to the vehicle's stolen status, police said in a news release. The vehicle was stopped, and both the driver, Jordan Eaddy, 31, of Philadelphia, and passenger Amani Abdullah, 18, of Somers Point, were detained.
Both men were found to be in possession of more than 200 wax folds of heroin, police said.
Each was charged with possession of a controlled dangerous substance and possession with intent to distribute. Eaddy was additionally charged with receiving stolen property, and Abdullah also was charged with hindering apprehension, police said.
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Both men were released on summonses pending court. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/2-riding-in-stolen-car-found-with-heroin-absecon-police-say/article_327ea512-1fd9-11ed-a1d0-fbb9d5aa787c.html | 2022-08-19T19:04:19 | 1 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/2-riding-in-stolen-car-found-with-heroin-absecon-police-say/article_327ea512-1fd9-11ed-a1d0-fbb9d5aa787c.html |
Here’s an update of the COVID-19 numbers in the state.
New positive cases: 2,092
New deaths: 7
Total positive cases: 2,257,440
Total number of deaths: 31,348
Total vaccine doses administered: 14,184,302
Rate of transmission: 0.89
CASES BY COUNTY
Atlantic: 63,581 cases, 973 deaths, 381,534 doses administered
Cape May: 12,658 cases, 269 deaths, 134,699 doses administered
Cumberland: 37,801 cases, 584 deaths, 187,418 doses administered
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Ocean: 153,578 cases, 2,898 deaths, 704,698 doses administered
Source: N.J. Department of Health
Figures as of 1 p.m. Aug. 19 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/new-jersey-reports-more-than-2-000-new-covid-19-cases-7-new-deaths/article_b2fd8562-1fe5-11ed-8d92-772e1c423748.html | 2022-08-19T19:04:25 | 0 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/new-jersey-reports-more-than-2-000-new-covid-19-cases-7-new-deaths/article_b2fd8562-1fe5-11ed-8d92-772e1c423748.html |
'Creating positive relationships': Brockton police throw a party and you're invited
BROCKTON — What do police officers and parents have in common? According to Brockton police officers Nichole Anderson and Joe Miranda, who are parents themselves, it's "all about creating positive relationships with kids."
Both officers, alongside the rest of the Brockton Police Department, are inviting members of the community to the Brockton Fairgrounds on Saturday, Aug. 20, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. to engage with police officers in a positive environment, outside of law enforcement.
"My partners and I started looking online to find creative ways to bridge the gap between families and the police," Anderson said. "The inspiration from this jamboree came from a national police awareness event called National Night Out."
Officers from the department will be at the event to engage in activities with kids including face painting, "dunking an officer," and to answer any questions the community may have about creating a safe environment and how policing plays a role.
"It's important to interact with kids at a young age so that we build those relationships over time," Miranda said.
Jose Jimenez, a Brockton school bus driver and parent of two boys, is excited to attend the Jamboree on Saturday with his family. "It is nice to see that the police want to help create positive change in the community," he said.
What can be done:Is low-level drug dealing a 'quality-of-life' issue in Brockton?
"It's awesome that we can build healthy relationships and be sociable with the police," Jennifer Jimenez, Jose's wife and administrator for South Middle School, said. "It helps us parents and our children see that the police can be reachable and it helps our kids be aware of the police's presence in our community."
Anderson, who is a school resource officer at South Middle School, works closely with Jennifer and said her passion for helping kids is now multiplied as she is a new mom.
"My job definitely impacts my role as a mom and vice versa," she said. "I want the kids to see that they can have a really positive relationship with the police and eventually, I want my daughter to see me in action and take attributes from me into her relationships with the police to change the cycle."
All aboard:Ride the Cape Cod Flyer from Brockton to the beach — beer, bikes and pets optional
Additionally, Jennifer Jimenez said, "many students ask to speak with Officer Anderson to deal with issues going on at home."
Having school resource officers allows for kids who might otherwise, eventually, get in trouble with the law, if not for early positive relationships with the police, to feel like they are not alone, Anderson said.
"Oftentimes, these kids have no one else to confide in with their situations at home," Anderson said, "so it's good for them knowing they have someone to go to to feel safe."
Miranda, who grew up in Brockton, said there have always been police officers in all the schools in the city.
"The program has gone under different names, but the passion to help the kids remains the same," he said. "It helps build neighborhood camaraderie."
"In order to build trust with the community, we have to understand there is always room for improvement," Anderson said. "The Brockton Police Department does an amazing job, but we have to take the good with the bad."
The city's new police chief, Brenda Perez, is the first woman and first person of color to take on the role. And, Miranda added, much of the city's police force reflects Brockton's diversity as well.
"Chief Perez understands the issues that much of the community goes through because she herself is Puerto Rican. It's already hard as it is to be a part of a marginalized community, but we feel better knowing the police want to engage with us and that they represent us," Jose Jimenez said.
Staff writer Namu Sampath can be reached at nsampath@enterprisenews.com, or you can follow her on Twitter @namusampath. Thank you, subscribers. You make this coverage possible. If you are not a subscriber, please consider supporting quality local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Brockton Enterprise. | https://www.enterprisenews.com/story/news/local/2022/08/19/brockton-police-community-jamboree-fairgrounds-saturday-august-20/7834159001/ | 2022-08-19T19:16:42 | 1 | https://www.enterprisenews.com/story/news/local/2022/08/19/brockton-police-community-jamboree-fairgrounds-saturday-august-20/7834159001/ |
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — A Wichita police officer featured in several KSN News stories is battling cancer. His fellow officers are trying to raise money to help him and his family.
Officer Daniel Gumm, an 18-year-veteran of the Wichita Police Department, has metastatic esophageal cancer that has spread to his liver. His name may not be familiar to you, but his story might be.
Gumm is a K-9 handler. He and K-9 Officer Rooster responded to a domestic violence call in March 2017. As Gumm and Rooster tried to take the suspect into custody, Rooster was shot and killed.
Rooster was the first WPD K-9 officer killed in the line of duty. After his death, there was an outpouring of sympathy from the community, a large memorial service at Century II, and the City name a dog park after Rooster.
Gumm spoke at the memorial service. Then, months later, he met with KSN News at K-9 Rooster Dog Park to talk about his memories of Rooster and to introduce his new K-9 partner, Bane.
Gumm is a U.S. Army veteran who has spent his entire professional career helping and giving back to his community. He is married with three children and enjoys spending time at the lake with his family.
The Honore Adversis Foundation is trying to help the family in this difficult time. The local non-profit organization is known for helping law enforcement officers in their time of need.
There are several ways you can help the Gumm family.
Officer Daniel Gumm Benefit Dinner and Auction — Saturday, Aug. 20
This event is from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Church of the Holy Spirit, U.S. 54 (Kellogg) and 183rd Street West. Admission is free, but donations will be accepted at the door. Dinner will be provided by the Wagonmasters, Cargill, Stroots Lockers, Cracker Barrel, and Broadway Burgers.
There will be a silent auction featuring more than 75 items. The highlight of the evening is a live auction that includes these items:
- One full night of thermal coyote hunting, fully guided for two people, guns and ammo provided
- Fully guided turkey hunt in central Kansas, including three days and two nights of lodging
- Vintage 16 gauge Remington Wingmaster shotgun
- Four tickets to KU vs. KSU at Allen Fieldhouse, seven rows above the KU bench; includes 4 VIP lounge food and drink wrist passes
- Sig Sauer P220 .45 handgun, used but in great condition
- Winkler belt knife, the brand of knife chosen by Navy SEALS and Special Forces of the United States military
- Seven-day-seven-night stay at a beach condo in San Diego, California
- Guided fishing trip in north-central Kansas with Buck’s Guide Service; includes one night of lodging and eight hours of fishing for three people
- Four custom-made fire pits: one KSU, one KU, one Chiefs and one WSU
- One half-carat diamond women’s necklace donated by Jewelry Savers
- Signed authenticated Patrick Mahomes Chiefs jersey
- Custom-made concealment coffee table with fingerprint entry; includes home-defense shotgun
- Wichita Police Department K9 unit ride-along
- Morgan Wallen date night: Two Morgan Wallen concert tickets for Intrust Bank Arena on Aug. 25, dinner for two at Texas Roadhouse and a one-night stay at the Marriott
- Four premier KU Basketball tickets, team-signed 2022 KU National Championship basketball, access to the team shoot-around before the game, a tour of Allen Fieldhouse and the KU Basketball Hall of Fame
#294STRONG T-shirt Fundraiser — please order by Aug. 20
Gumm’s eldest daughter created a T-shirt that features a picture of a snarling bear and a quote from the Bible: “You know your father and his men; they are fighters, and as fierce as a wild bear robbed of her cubs.” 2 Samuel 17:8
The T-shirts sell for $20. Click here to place an order.
#294STRONG 5K Run and One-Mile Family Fun Run/Walk — Sept. 3
This fundraiser will be at 455 S. Wichita, across from the Hyatt Regency Hotel. The 5K starts at 8 a.m. The one-mile begins at 9 a.m. Click this link to register.
The event will also include breakfast provided by Chick-Fil-A (donations are encouraged), Touch-A-Truck, displays of law enforcement vehicles, and the opportunity to meet local K-9 heroes.
Financial donation
If you would prefer to make a financial contribution, donations are being accepted on behalf of Officer Gumm and his family at HonorDuringAdversity.org. Click on the yellow “donate” button. All proceeds and donations will benefit Officer Gumm and his family in his fight against cancer.
Other events
Check The Honore Adversis Facebook page for any other future fundraising events for Gumm. | https://www.ksn.com/news/local/community-effort-to-help-wichita-police-officer-fighting-cancer/ | 2022-08-19T19:18:16 | 0 | https://www.ksn.com/news/local/community-effort-to-help-wichita-police-officer-fighting-cancer/ |
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — First responders and emergency services responded to a call of a near-drowning that left one person in critical condition on Friday afternoon.
The call came in just before 2 p.m. from the 1900 block of Siefkin St.
Sedgwick County Dispatch confirmed one injury.
This is a developing story. KSN has a crew headed to the scene and will update this story as more information comes available. | https://www.ksn.com/news/local/one-critical-after-near-drowning-in-east-wichita/ | 2022-08-19T19:18:22 | 0 | https://www.ksn.com/news/local/one-critical-after-near-drowning-in-east-wichita/ |
HERSHEY, Pa. — With school beginning again next week for many Central Pennsylvania students, a Dauphin County police department is sharing some tips to help ensure kids get back to school safely.
Derry Township Police reminded residents Friday that students in the area will be returning to school on Monday, August 22.
Here are some safety tips shared by Derry Township Police:
- Drivers, please slow down. Not only in school zones, but in areas where there may be increased pedestrian activity and in areas where school buses may be making their stops.
- Motorists must always be vigilant for school buses dropping off and picking up students.
- Pedestrians should use sidewalks where available and should cross roadways in marked crosswalks.
- Parents should supervise children and model proper walking safety for them.
- Students should not be distracted by mobile phones or other devices and, if using headphones or similar devices, should keep the volume low enough to hear traffic and the environment around them.
"Please consider the added vehicular, school bus, bicycle, and pedestrian traffic, during morning and afternoon hours," the department said Friday. "We hope all students, teachers, and staff have a great school year." | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/dauphin-county/derry-township-back-to-school-safety/521-7ea9f1f0-6515-429b-9fa4-c6cb3b5547bc | 2022-08-19T19:24:20 | 1 | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/dauphin-county/derry-township-back-to-school-safety/521-7ea9f1f0-6515-429b-9fa4-c6cb3b5547bc |
DAUPHIN COUNTY, Pa. — Police are searching for a missing teen in Lower Paxton Township.
Pramis Bhattarai, 16, was last seen at home around 10:30 a.m. Friday, according to Lower Paxton Township Police.
He is described as an Asian male, and was last seen wearing a yellow hooded jacket and bright red pants. He was riding a blue bicycle, according to police.
Anyone with information on Bhattarai's whereabouts is requested to contact the Lower Paxton Township Police Department at 717-558-6900 or submit a tip online. | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/dauphin-county/missing-person-pramis-bhattarai/521-42d1c238-b0f6-42b7-9074-37b92c638b13 | 2022-08-19T19:24:27 | 1 | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/dauphin-county/missing-person-pramis-bhattarai/521-42d1c238-b0f6-42b7-9074-37b92c638b13 |
LANCASTER, Pa. — The Lancaster City Bureau of Police announced that they have signed on to the 30x30 Pledge.
The pledge is a series of low or no-cost actions policing agencies can take to improve the representation and experiences of women in law enforcement. Ultimately, the goal of the 30x30 Initiative is to reach 30% of women in police recruit classes by 2030.
While 30x30 is focused on advancing women in policing, these principles are applicable to all demographic diversity, not just gender.
"The Lancaster City Bureau of Police, under the leadership of Chief Mendez, is actively working to improve representation and the experiences of women officers in our Bureau," said Officer Ziyi Skatz, project lead for Lancaster's 30x30 initiative.
"We are honored to make this critical pledge and look forward to working with and learning from agencies across the country who share our commitment," said Skatz.
The current staffing of female sworn officers with the City of Lancaster Bureau of Police is 7.7%.
More than 190 agencies have signed the pledge, ranging from major metro departments to mid-sized, rural, university and state policing agencies.
Women currently make up only 12% of sworn officers and 3% of police leadership in the U.S. This underrepresentation of women in policing has significant public safety implications. Research suggests that women officers:
- Use less force and less excessive force
- Are named in fewer complaints and lawsuits
- Are perceived by communities as being more honest and compassionate
- See better outcomes for crime victims, especially in sexual assault cases | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/lancaster-city-bureau-of-police-pledges-to-hire-more-female-cops-pennsylvania/521-3ced73cf-0dc6-4f58-81a1-53126fc6da96 | 2022-08-19T19:24:33 | 0 | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/lancaster-city-bureau-of-police-pledges-to-hire-more-female-cops-pennsylvania/521-3ced73cf-0dc6-4f58-81a1-53126fc6da96 |
The City of Midland has reported that Robert Allen Dickson has filed to run for Midland mayor.
Dickson will join Lori Blong on the Nov. 8 ballot. City of Midland elections on that day include mayor and Districts 3 and 4. The sign-up period to put a name on a local ballot continues through Monday.
Other candidates on the city ballot are Jack Ladd Jr. for District 3 and Amy Stretcher Burkes and Jim Gerety for District 4. | https://www.mrt.com/news/local/article/City-Second-Midlander-files-for-mayor-17384806.php | 2022-08-19T19:26:20 | 1 | https://www.mrt.com/news/local/article/City-Second-Midlander-files-for-mayor-17384806.php |
WILMOT -- Crowds packed the grandstands and lined up along the center of the fairgrounds with their phones ready to record the combine demolition derby Thursday night.
After the announcer finished his countdown, the combines, each decked out in paint jobs ranging from unicorn-themed decorations to an imitation Tonka trunk, stepped on the gas to start knocking each other out of the competition.
In the first round of the demolition derby, 10 of the 17 combines competing were knocked out of the competition and dragged away to make room for the next and final round of competition.
After lining up once again, the combines ruthlessly went after each other. Amidst a pileup of around three combines, a red and yellow combine with the name “Adam” written on the front was declared the “last man standing” by the announcer.
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Edward Simionescu and Alex Broyles, both of whom are Lake County residents, said they enjoyed the show. Thursday night was Broyles’ first time at the demolition derby, and Simionescu’s second time.
“I’ve never seen anything like this in my life,” Broyles said. “Just shock and awe.”
They heard about the demolition derby from a friend who was part of the event.
Prior to the derby, spectators flocked to the grandstands and center ring of the track to watch the truck and tractor pulls.
Participants from the state of Wisconsin and parts of Illinois came to show off their truck or tractor’s capability to pull a weighted trailer across 300 feet of dirt track.
Some of the categories within the competition included street-legal diesel trucks, altered stock trucks, 9,500 pound farm stock tractors, semis, PI Hot Farm tractors and PI Pro Farm tractors.
Mike and Julie Berthold of Hoffman Estates, Ill., sat to watch the tractor and truck pulls for the first time along with their friend Deborah Harris of Des Plaines, Ill., who invited them out to the event.
“I want to see what the truck pulls are all about and learn more about that, “ Julie said.
Harris was most excited about the combine demolition derby, which was what initially piqued their interest.
“That’s what got them started,” Harris said. “They said, ‘Oh, I’ve never seen that! Let’s go!’”
Mark Olszewski, of Kenosha, and Nicole and Charlotte Olszewski, of Wilmot, claimed a spot on the grandstand well before the tractor pulls started to watch Nicole’s husband and son in the tractor parade.
Nicole said her family usually attends tractor pulls in Kenosha and Walworth counties.
“We usually go to the tractor pulls… here and in Walworth County,” she said. “It’s like our family tradition.”
Mark said he enjoys going and seeing people have a good time.
“I just like to see all the people having a good time,” he said. “And (I like) to be able to come out and enjoy it and not be concerned with everything going on in the world.” | https://www.kenoshanews.com/news/local/watch-now-farigoers-flock-to-the-truck-and-tractor-pulls-and-stay-for-combine-demo/article_fbfbba3a-1fbe-11ed-9198-bb1b1a433e58.html | 2022-08-19T19:26:26 | 1 | https://www.kenoshanews.com/news/local/watch-now-farigoers-flock-to-the-truck-and-tractor-pulls-and-stay-for-combine-demo/article_fbfbba3a-1fbe-11ed-9198-bb1b1a433e58.html |
Midland’s labor market continues to rebound from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic as the unemployment rate declines and the labor force increases.
The Texas Workforce Commission said Friday unemployment in its Midland metropolitan statistical area (MSA) – which includes Midland and Martin counties – inched down to 3.5% in July from 3.6% in June. The rate is well below the 5.6% recorded last July.
Odessa reported a similar decline, to 5.1% from 5.3% in June and below the 8.2% reported a year ago.
“We’re trending in the right direction,” Willie Taylor, chief executive officer of the commission’s Workforce Solutions Permian Basin, told the Reporter-Telegram in a telephone interview.
Still, Taylor said he was puzzled by the MSA’s loss of 1,000 jobs from June to July – 500 each in the Mining, Logging and Construction sector and the Government sector. He said he would look into that data but said the loss of government jobs could be due to temporary jobs with school districts lost during the summer break.
Despite the job loss, Taylor said the region continues to see growth and people working.
“We don’t have enough people, especially in health care, education, transportation, automotive, diesel, welding, HVAC,” he said. “I’ve never seen a market like this.”
Such a tight labor market continues to push wages higher, with Taylor noting that wages in the Mining, Logging and Construction sector surpassed $1 billion in the first quarter of the year. That’s triple second-place Trade, Transportation and Utilities with $373 million.
“We’re doing well,” said Taylor. “We need to get creative and make sure we maintain our workforce and training. We need to convince our high school graduates to think about what careers they need to go into. There’s a lot of training resources available rather than generating debt.”
Midland’s civilian labor force dropped by almost 700 to 103,608 from 104,263 in June but is above the 102,900 counted last July. The number of employed Midlanders fell below 100,000 – to 99,961 in July from 100,483 in June but is above the 97,136 working last July.
Midland reported 106,600 non-farm jobs in July, down 1,000 from June’s 107,600. The decline was led by a 500-job loss in the Mining, Logging and Construction sector and another 500-job loss in the Government sector. A 100-job loss in the Other Services sector was offset by a 100-job gain in the Manufacturing sector – the only sector to gain from June to July.
For the 12 months from July 2021 to July 2022, Midland added 4,300 jobs, led by 2,300 new jobs in the Mining, Logging and Construction sector. Leisure and Hospitality has seen 1,100 new jobs while Trade, Transportation and Utilities added 600 jobs. Manufacturing created 400 new jobs and Professional and Business Services 300 jobs. The Financial Activities and Other Services sectors each added 200 new jobs.
Those gains were offset by the loss of 600 jobs in the Government sector and 200 jobs in the Education and Health Services sector.
Statewide, Texas reported an unemployment rate of 4%, down from 4.1% in June and the lowest jobless rate since February 2020. The state added 72,800 jobs during the month and has added 736,700 jobs since July 2021. For the ninth consecutive month the state reported record highs in employment, reaching 13,513,100 for the month.
Amarillo and Austin-Round Rock reported the lowest unemployment at 3.1 percent each, followed by College Station-Bryan and Midland at 3.5% each. McAllen-Edinburg-Mission had the highest unemployment at 8%.
Preliminary numbers for July with June numbers in parentheses:
Amarillo 3.1 (3.2)
Austin-Round Rock 3.1 (3.1)
College Station-Bryan 3.5 (3.6)
Midland 3.5 (3.6)
Abilene 3.6 (3.7)
San Angelo 3.6 (3.8)
Dallas-Plano-Irving 3.7 (3.8)
Sherman-Denison 3.7 (3.8)
Lubbock 3.8 (3.8)
Fort Worth-Arlington 3.9 (3.9)
Tyler 3.9 (4.1)
Waco 3.9 (4.0)
San Antonio-New Braunfels 4.0 (4.0)
Wichita Falls 4.1 (4.2)
Laredo 4.5 (4.8)
Killeen-Temple 4.7 (4.8)
El Paso 4.8 (4.9)
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land 4.8 (4.8)
Longview 4.8 (4.8)
Texarkana 4.8 (4.7)
Victoria 4.8 (4.9)
Odessa 5.1 (5.3)
Corpus Christi 5.7 (5.8)
Brownsville-Harlingen 6.8 (6.9)
Beaumont-Port Arthur 7.3 (7.3)
McAllen-Edinburg-Mission 8.0 (8.1)
Source: Texas Workforce Commission
Midland Unemployment
January 2022 4.4 percent
January 2021 7.8 percent
February 2022 4.3 percent
February 2021 7.3 percent
March 2022 3.5 percent
March 2021 6.7 percent
April 2022 3.2 percent
April 2021 6.2 percent
May 2022 3.3 percent
May 2021 5.7 percent
June 2022 3.6 percent
June 2021 6.2 percent
July 2022 3.5 percent
July 2021 5.6 percent
Source: Texas Workforce Commission and Reporter-Telegram archives | https://www.mrt.com/news/local/article/Commission-reports-loss-of-1-000-jobs-in-Midland-17384783.php | 2022-08-19T19:26:26 | 1 | https://www.mrt.com/news/local/article/Commission-reports-loss-of-1-000-jobs-in-Midland-17384783.php |
A 48-year-old Midland woman died Wednesday, succumbing to her injuries from an accident Monday evening on Farm-to-Market Road 307, according to the Department of Public Safety.
Gina Marie Daugherty was walking east in the middle of the roadway around 9:47 p.m. Monday when a 2010 Dodge Ram 2500 with a trailer approached where she was walking, according to DPS. It was on FM 307, 8 miles east of Midland, that the driver’s side mirror struck Daugherty, according to DPS.
She was transported to Midland Memorial Hospital in critical condition that night and then died on Wednesday. | https://www.mrt.com/news/local/article/DPS-Midland-woman-dies-after-being-hit-on-FM-307-17384309.php | 2022-08-19T19:26:32 | 0 | https://www.mrt.com/news/local/article/DPS-Midland-woman-dies-after-being-hit-on-FM-307-17384309.php |
Driver critically injured after crashing into tree along Interstate 75 in Manatee County
A driver crashed into a tree and sustained critical injuries after losing control of his car early Friday morning in Manatee County.
The 36-year-old Bradenton man was driving on Interstate 75 at mile marker 218, which is between the State Road 70 and 64 exits.
While negotiating a left curve in the right lane, he lost control of his Infinity Q50. He traveled off the interstate, crossed the shoulder and crashed into a tree and wire fence at around 1:45 a.m., according to a report from the Florida Highway Patrol.
Earlier crash on I-75:Fiery crash on I-75 in Sarasota kills two, shutting down lanes
Manatee County crash:19-year-old motorcyclist dies in crash in Manatee County
He was taken to Blake Medical Center with critical injuries.
The crash remains under investigation. | https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/local/2022/08/19/interstate-75-crash-driver-critically-injured-after-losing-control-hitting-tree-manatee-county-fla/7842829001/ | 2022-08-19T19:29:51 | 0 | https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/local/2022/08/19/interstate-75-crash-driver-critically-injured-after-losing-control-hitting-tree-manatee-county-fla/7842829001/ |
Ron Feinsod will not seek second term as Venice mayor; four council seats up for grabs Nov. 8
VENICE – Mayor Ron Feinsod said Friday that he will not seek a second term on the Venice City Council, creating an opening for other candidates to seek the post during qualifying week Aug. 22-26.
Nick Pachota, who is currently vice mayor, filed to move from Seat 5 to run for the mayor's slot earlier this year.
Feinsod said in a Friday phone interview that: “I’ve addressed every issue I originally ran on and at this point I can accomplish more from the outside than I can from the inside.”
With four of the seven council seats could be up for grabs, Venice voters can dramatically reshape a council that has drawn fire in recent months for approving new land development regulations that were opposed by a majority of people who spoke at the public hearings and workshops before their final approval July 12 on a 5-0 vote.
Related:Venice residents hope to repeal new land development rules
Feinsod has already shaped this year’s election after he researched the city charter and suggested that the disappointed residents gather signatures to petition to seek a repeal of those regulations in a citywide referendum on the November. 2023 ballot.
“The citizens' referendum is moving forward very quickly with a tremendous amount of public support and I know that the people who are running for office are going to have to take a stand on what their positions are on the main concerns of the citizens of Venice,” Feinsod said.
Earlier: Venice City Council will choose from six applicant for vacant seat
Pachota and fellow incumbent Council Member Rachel Frank, are both on this year’s ballot, with Frank shifting from her appointed position in Seat 2 to run for Seat 6.
Meanwhile, Dick Longo has filed to run for the one-year term remaining for Seat 2 and two new candidates – Rick Howard and Ron Smith – have filed to fill Seat 5.
A third candidate, Tanya Parus, had originally filed to run for Seat 5 but announced on Aug. 17 that she had withdrawn for personal reasons.
“I will be back when God takes my hand to walk this journey again!,” Parus told the Herald-Tribune in a text message. “And I can never doubt he knows best!"
As qualifying unfolds, Howard and Smith will learn whether another candidate will join them in a bids for Seat 5, while Longo and the incumbent council members will learn whether they will face opposition in November.
In 2021, Seat 4 candidate Jennifer Lewis filed her complete paperwork on the last day.
Longo, Howard and Smith all skirted a direct answer on a question about revisiting the land development regulations ahead of the potential citizens' referendum.
A second chance for one year on Venice City Council
Longo, a Sawgrass resident and founding member of the Central Venice Coalition, expressed interest previously in being appointed to Seat 2 as a replacement for Brian Kelly, and has lived in the city since 2014.
That appointment went to Frank, who decided to run this year to succeed Joe Neunder in Seat 6 for a three-year term, instead of filling out the Seat 2 term.
At that time Longo wasn’t sure he’d run for council this year but the one-year seat holds appeal.
“With the one-year seat remaining, there are things I’d like to get done,” Longo said.
As a key cog of the Central Venice Coalition, Longo was free to consult with city officials and council members one on one – something that would end for him as a council member because of Florida’s Sunshine Law.
“I am anxious to get on the council and have an impact and maybe set a tone,” Longo said. “My goals on the council are going to bring hopefully a level of respect that is not alway there.”
He said respect of the council needed to be nurtured, as well as respect from council members of city residents.
An interest in preserving the city's charm
Howard, who retired as a vice president at Labcorp – one of the largest clinical laboratory networks in the world – after 25 years, grew up in LaBelle, in Hendry County and used to visit Venice with his family.
Howard and his wife Laura moved to Venice in 2020, and the youngest of their three children, Samantha, 17, is a dual enrollment student at Venice High School and the State College of Florida Collegiate School program.
Before working at Labcorp, Howard was a paramedic in Lee County.
Howard and his family chose Venice over other coastal cities partly because of his childhood memories and partly because of the city's charm.
“I honestly care about Venice; I used to come here when I was a little kid in lieu of Fort Myers. It was just as easy to get to as Fort Myers Beach or the Fort Myers area. It wasn’t near as congested,” Howard said of Venice. “We love the quaintness, the charm and I care about what happens to Venice. I think it’s an adorable spot.”
Howard noted that he’s reading the newly adopted land development regulations, to better understand what – if not resolved in the coming months by the current council – will be a driving issue in the election.
“I'm drinking from a fire hose and absorbing this stuff as fast as I can, to learn all of the details around these hot buttons,” Howard said “They’re going to be campaign issues, no doubt.”
An interest in mediation
Smith first came to Venice in the 1980s, when he served as city editor for the Venice edition of the Herald-Tribune.
At 48, he decided to go to law school and after graduating from Florida State and went on to become a prosecutor for 12 years in Florida’s 20th Judicial Circuit.
He retired to Venice in 2020, in part to take care of his since deceased wife.
He has also become more involved in the community – including performing on stage at the Venice Theatre.
Smith originally filed to run for Seat 2 but friends convinced him to move to Seat 5 and the longer three-year commitment that goes with it.
He said that the turmoil that developed during the passage of the land development regulations and the aftermath – which includes the petition drive and the city considering a court challenge to that effort – makes him sad.
“It’s my belief that I can help mediate that,” Smith said, who added that he’s taken a course from the state Supreme Court in mediating disputes.
“I don’t think we should be in court fighting each other, I don’t think we should be having a referendum on the entire land development regulations – maybe there's some accommodations that can be made, if you can get people to talk to each other,” Smith said.
Smith said he feels rezoning, the comprehensive plan and height exemptions are prerogative of the City Council.
“I’m not anti-growth but I would be very protective of those three things,” Smith said. “I think changes in the comprehensive plans should be rare and rezoning should be when it’s for the benefit of the whole community, not one developer.”
The final slate of candidates will be known after 12:30 p.m. Aug. 26.
Council members can run for up to three consecutive three-year terms and must sit out at least one year before they can run again.
The six City Council members earn $10,200 annually and the mayor, who technically occupies Seat 7, earns $12,000.
Earle Kimel primarily covers south Sarasota County for the Herald-Tribune and can be reached at earle.kimel@heraldtribune.com. Support local journalism with a digital subscription to the Herald-Tribune. | https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/local/venice/2022/08/19/venice-mayor-ron-feinsod-not-seeking-reelection-city-council-seats-open/10355183002/ | 2022-08-19T19:29:57 | 1 | https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/local/venice/2022/08/19/venice-mayor-ron-feinsod-not-seeking-reelection-city-council-seats-open/10355183002/ |
GILBERT, Ariz. — A person had to be transported to a local hospital after a school bus crashed into a van in Gilbert on Friday morning, the city's police department said.
Officers responded to the scene on Higley Road between Chandler Heights and Riggs roads where the driver was trapped inside the van, the department said. The individual was extracted and transported to a local hospital due to their injuries.
The bus driver and three of the 58 students riding the bus were evaluated for minor injuries, police said.
The roadway was closed as investigators looked into the collision. It has since been reopened.
Police have yet to release the following information:
- The events leading up to the collision
- The cause of the collision
- The identities of both the drivers
- The extent of the van driver's injuries
This is a developing story. Tune in to 12News for the latest information.
Latest Arizona news
Catch up on the latest news and stories on our 12 News YouTube playlist here.
Deaths on Arizona roads
Data from the Arizona Department of Transportation shows that roadway fatalities have been gradually rising in Arizona over the last decade:
- 2011: 825 deaths
- 2012: 821 deaths
- 2013: 844 deaths
- 2014: 774 deaths
- 2015: 895 deaths
- 2016: 952 deaths
- 2017: 1,000 deaths
- 2018: 1,010 deaths
- 2019: 982 deaths
- 2020: 1,057 deaths
ADOT offers driving tips on its website to help keep people safe on the road.
"There’s always room for improvement when it comes to road safety," the department said on its website.
ADOT's suggestions include:
- Don’t speed or drive aggressively
- Never drive while under the influence of substances
- Avoid distractions while driving
- Wear your seatbelt and make sure all passengers are doing the same
- When an emergency vehicle is on the side of the road, move over
- Stay extra aware in work zones
- Be prepared for weather conditions that make driving dangerous
"Real-time highway conditions are available on ADOT’s Arizona Traveler Information site at az511.gov, by calling 511, downloading the AZ 511 app and through ADOT’s Twitter feed, @ArizonaDOT," the department said. | https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/valley/gilbert-school-bus-van-crash-one-person-hospitalized/75-c43beab0-fc1e-4137-a3c5-b79020c0ac18 | 2022-08-19T19:30:10 | 0 | https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/valley/gilbert-school-bus-van-crash-one-person-hospitalized/75-c43beab0-fc1e-4137-a3c5-b79020c0ac18 |
PHOENIX — Editor's Note: The above video is from an earlier broadcast.
The Phoenix Veteran Affairs Health Care System says it has resumed conducting surgeries in a facility that had been infested with rodents.
The VA was forced to halt surgeries and relocate a number of patients at its Community Living Center earlier this month after staff discovered ceiling damage that had been caused by rats.
A VA spokesperson said Friday that 11 days have passed without any sign of rodents in the facility's operating room, thus prompting the VA to resume scheduling surgeries.
But patients will not be moved back into the CLC area since two rodents were caught Wednesday on the facility's second floor, the spokesperson said.
The VA has not observed any new rodent activity in other parts of the facility. Staff is continuing to station cameras in strategic locations, utilize extensive trapping, and seal all possible entry points in the building.
The Phoenix VA has been the subject of national scrutiny over the last decade after whistleblowers revealed in 2014 that veterans were dying because they waited too long to receive medical care.
An Arizona veteran was awarded $2.5 million by a judge in 2017 after proving his terminal cancer could have been cured if the Phoenix VA had diagnosed it sooner.
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12News+ showcases live video throughout the day for breaking news, local news, weather and even an occasional moment of Zen showcasing breathtaking sights from across Arizona. | https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/valley/phoenix-veteran-facility-resumes-surgeries-rodent-problem-affairs/75-4ed70a80-b38a-4f4d-9935-df340cbfaddd | 2022-08-19T19:30:16 | 0 | https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/valley/phoenix-veteran-facility-resumes-surgeries-rodent-problem-affairs/75-4ed70a80-b38a-4f4d-9935-df340cbfaddd |
DALLAS, Texas — You won't believe Lisa Fonseca's story.
It's a coincidence so amazing I uttered 'no *expletive* way' when she told me.
Oak Cliff and social media are losing their collective minds after a tiger cub was seized by law enforcement on Wednesday near 2700 Meadow Gate Lane.
It was found caged by federal agents and the Dallas Police Department as they served a warrant surrounding weapons charges to popular rapper Trapboy Freddy.
Lisa Fonseca watched all the commotion unfold outside of her home next door.
She recently moved to the area after serving hard time (living) on the street where the 'Grand Prairie Cobra' got loose.
Yes, what a nightmare. Fonseca told WFAA she lived a few houses down from the snake escape.
That West-Banded African cobra made so many headlines when it went missing in August last year. To this day, it's never been found, but wildlife experts say it's 'doubtful' that it's still alive.
The snake's owner, 23-year-old Lawrence Matl, was arrested for "intentionally, knowingly, recklessly, or with criminal negligence releases a regulated snake from captivity."
Today, Fonseca learned wildlife seems to follow her wherever she goes.
"I came out yesterday and saw a lot of cops, yellow tape, and a lot of unmarked vehicles," Fonseca said. "Then they took out a kennel, and I didn't get to see what was in it."
"Today, I found out it was a tiger."
What. Are. The. Odds.
"What a coincidence, right?" Fonseca said with a laugh. "The tiger looked cute, though. If I can live two houses from a cobra, I can survive a tiger."
If you're wondering, it is possible to own a tiger in Texas, and all you need is a permit and proper insurance. You must also notify local animal control or your sheriff and meet caging requirements.
But it is illegal to own a tiger within the city limits of Dallas and Houston.
Down in H-Town last year, a giant tiger escaped its owner's house and sparked panic while roaming a neighborhood.
Video of the tiger prowling around suburbia was a sight you couldn't forget.
Fonseca says she may not have been able to handle another escape.
"Yeah! What would have happened if it got older, grew up, and escaped? I don't even want to think about it," she laughed.
But Fonseca says she's glad it wasn't another cobra living next door.
We asked her: What animal is she going to run into after this?
"We'll soon find out! To be continued!" she said, laughing. | https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/woman-lived-street-grand-prairie-cobra-escaped-moved-next-door-oak-cliff-tiger-found/287-30f579b3-093e-42f7-9644-6b72cca6d9e2 | 2022-08-19T19:30:23 | 0 | https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/woman-lived-street-grand-prairie-cobra-escaped-moved-next-door-oak-cliff-tiger-found/287-30f579b3-093e-42f7-9644-6b72cca6d9e2 |
The Bethlehem Planning Commission unanimously approved plans for a six-story, 55-unit apartment building in a busy commercial area of the city’s South Side.
Developer Plamen Ayvazov, who is behind the redevelopment of the former Boyd Theatre on Broad Street, plans to feature a combination of one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments and retail space on the first floor at 128 E. Third St., site of the former headquarters of Keystone Homebrew Supply.
The sixth floor will be “set back” from the rest of the building. The existing building will be demolished.
Ayvazov plans to rent between 60 and 70 parking spots from a lot behind the building for future residents. The development would also provide two bike racks outside of the building for tenants’ use.
Planning Commission members praised the development’s design and location.
“In terms of density where density belongs, this is a home run,” commission member Matthew Malozi said.
Members asked Ayvazov what steps he would take to make the building environmentally friendly. Ayvazov indicated he is looking to add solar panels to the building, but was struggling to find a company that could do so.
Chair Robert Meloski suggested Ayvazov speak to city council and the mayor to find sources of funding to install the solar panels.
The development is proposed in the South Side Historic District. Ayvazov secured approval from the South Side Historic Commission to demolish the existing building and construct the new one, and will apply next month for approval of the building’s materials.
Ayvazov’s company, Monocacy General Contracting, is redeveloping the former Boyd Theatre into a six-story, mixed use building. | https://www.mcall.com/news/local/bethlehem/mc-nws-bethlehem-east-third-street-plamen-ayvazov-20220819-pvcy3qyzlvdxfl2ylaw2c5uk2q-story.html | 2022-08-19T19:40:59 | 1 | https://www.mcall.com/news/local/bethlehem/mc-nws-bethlehem-east-third-street-plamen-ayvazov-20220819-pvcy3qyzlvdxfl2ylaw2c5uk2q-story.html |
LEANDER, Texas — Leander officials on Thursday reported an effluent, or waste, discharge into part of Brushy Creek. During the construction of planned improvements at the Leander wastewater plant at 10201 RM 243, waste from the plant was inadvertently discharged into Brushy Creek.
An estimated 4.5 million gallons of "unauthorized effluent" was discharged into the creek from the plant's outfall location between Aug. 15-17. The discharge happened after one of the plant's basins was temporarily disabled for construction.
The amount spilled is in excess of the limit set by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. TCEQ officials notified the City of the damage to aquatic life in Brushy Creek near Journey Parkway the afternoon of Aug. 17.
The area affected by the sewage overflow extends along Brushy Creek from the wastewater treatment plant to Journey Parkway. The City reported that signs have been placed in prominent areas along the creek to notify the public.
Property owners of privately-owned drinking wells within half a mile of the affected area will be notified in person, the City said.
City officials also said they are working with the TCEQ on remediation activities, involving cleanup of creek areas over the next few weeks.
RELATED: Leander, Cedar Park affected by underwater leak in pipeline that brings water from Lake Travis
Construction activities are still ongoing and contractors are working to restore plant operations to normal working conditions.
In the meantime, the City issued several precautions as required the State of Texas:
- Persons using private drinking water supply wells located within 0.5 miles of the spill site or within the potentially affected area should use only water that has been distilled or boiled at a rolling boil for at least one minute for all personal uses including drinking, cooking, bathing, and tooth brushing. Individuals with private water wells should have their well water tested and disinfected, if necessary, prior to discontinuing distillation or boiling.
- Persons who purchase water from a public water supply may contact their water supply distributor to determine if the water is safe for personal use.
- The public should avoid contact with waste material, soil, or water in the area potentially affected by the spill.
- If the public comes into contact with waste material, soil, or water potentially affected by the spill, they should bathe and wash clothes thoroughly as soon as possible.
PEOPLE ARE ALSO READING: | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/45-million-gallons-of-wastewater-leaks-into-brushy-creek/269-ce1f73b3-c6a3-46db-b7b7-b7a1a8d7edea | 2022-08-19T19:43:09 | 1 | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/45-million-gallons-of-wastewater-leaks-into-brushy-creek/269-ce1f73b3-c6a3-46db-b7b7-b7a1a8d7edea |
DUNEDIN, Fla. — After spending some time healing at Clearwater Marine Aquarium, three sea turtles made their way back home on Thursday.
CMA successfully released two critically endangered Kemp’s ridley sea turtles and one juvenile green sea turtle at Honeymoon Island State Park — marking a total of 28 rehabilitated sea turtle releases this year alone.
The turtles were all taken to the aquarium and rehab facility due to injuries from human interaction, rescuers wrote in a release.
Bryce Canyon, a juvenile Kemp’s ridley sea turtle named after the state park, was found severely entangled in fishing line and a buoy on Aug. 6 off of Madeira Beach. Luckily, CMA says the line did not severely injure the turtle's flippers, though it did have swelling and inflammation.
Yum Yum, another juvenile Kemp’s ridley sea turtle, was found on July 12 floating in a canal near Hudson. CMA says the turtle "has severe carapace deformities from a previous traumatic injury."
But, after a month at the aquarium, it was foraging well and showing no signs of buoyancy issues.
Carbonara is a juvenile green sea turtle who was accidentally captured in a fishing net on Feb. 19 off Clearwater Beach. Besides the "large fibropapilloma tumors on both eyes," CMA says Carbonara was in good condition. The turtle had all the tumors successfully removed before it was released.
All three turtles were cleared for release by CMA’s staff veterinarian and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Just last week, CMA released Tri, Brussels Sprout, Garlic, Moira Rose and Tzatziki, four green sea turtles and one Kemp's ridley sea turtle.
You can check on all the sea turtles currently rehabilitating at CMA on the aquarium's website. | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/pinellascounty/sea-turtle-release-clearwater-marine-aquarium-honeymoon-island/67-054ec85e-6154-4977-98c7-21d4f547be79 | 2022-08-19T19:48:39 | 0 | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/pinellascounty/sea-turtle-release-clearwater-marine-aquarium-honeymoon-island/67-054ec85e-6154-4977-98c7-21d4f547be79 |
SEATTLE — Sound Transit announced Thursday that some western Washington communities waiting for light rail service will have to wait longer, citing a myriad of issuing plaguing construction from Lynnwood to Federal Way and its eastern extension to Redmond.
The Sound Transit Board System Expansion Committee received the news in a detailed report Thursday that laid out the causes for the delay including pandemic challenges to the months-long concrete strike that ended in April.
The report also revealed the new expected project opening timeline for the East Link and Redmond extension, Northgate to Lynnwood and Angle Lake to Federal Way extensions.
East Link and Redmond extension
The opening of the East Link will be pushed back at least one year beyond the previously scheduled mid-2023 opening, according to the report.
The biggest challenge facing the East Link extension is the construction quality and durability concerns about plinths, or raised concrete structures, that support the tracks.
According to Sound Transit, work to fix problems with the concrete plinths on both the east and west sides of the I-90 floating bridge has led to the discovery of further issues. The contractor addressing the plinth's concerns also discovered issues with mortar pads, rebar placements and track fasteners, according to the report. Sounds Transit said the contractor is working to re-cast the plinths and address the other issues, including an emphasis on training and improved quality control.
The East Link extension launches the new 14-mile 2 Line that will include 10 new stations from Seattle to Redmond.
The delay in construction of the 3.4-mile extension to downtown Redmond is due to the concrete strike and pandemic-related impacts, power connection issues and staffing shortages, according to Sound Transit. The extension was previously scheduled for mid-2024 but will be pushed backed four to six months.
Federal Way extension
The report said it is still too early to determine the exact delay for the extension from Angle Lake to Federal Way, but Sound Transit expects the project completion to extend into 2025, months later than its original late-2024 opening.
Sound Transit said the Federal Way extension encountered an unexpected ground instability issue in Kent, adjacent to Interstate 5.
Contractors could potentially have to redesign a segment of the line near I-5 and South 259th Place after discovering a liquefiable layer of soil, according to the report.
On July 19, a slide led to the precautionary closure of multiple southbound I-5 lanes. Sound Transit said the slope has been temporarily stabilized and that it is working with the Washington State Department of Transportation for a permanent fix. The liquefiable layer of soil may force Sound Transit to come up with a new design approach for that section of the light rail.
The 7.8-mile Federal Way extension will eventually open three new 1 Line stations in Kent, Des Moines, Star Lake and Federal Way downtown.
Lynnwood extension
Completion of the north expansion from Northgate to Lynnwood may be impacted by four to six months longer than its previously scheduled mid-2024 opening date, the report said.
Sound Transit said the delayed project completion date is only slightly longer than the four-month delay caused by the concrete strike.
The 8.5-mile Lynnwood extension adds four new stations in Shoreline, Mountlake Terrace and Lynnwood and will serve both the 1 Line and the new 2 Line. | https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/sound-transit-delays-light-rail-extension-projects/281-44892cda-23b9-41f1-be1c-8e55bc0ef8a9 | 2022-08-19T19:48:46 | 0 | https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/sound-transit-delays-light-rail-extension-projects/281-44892cda-23b9-41f1-be1c-8e55bc0ef8a9 |
MONROE, Wash. — Every evening at dusk, typically starting at the end of August and into September, thousands of Vaux’s swifts circle the chimney at Frank Wagner Elementary School in Monroe. The birds fly in a circular motion and then descend into an old chimney to roost.
It’s a spectacle the Pilchuck Audubon Society has turned into an annual event called “Swifts Night out.”
The event is free to the public and provides an opportunity for families to witness one of the largest flocks of Vaux’s swifts in North America.
Swifts Night Out was put on a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but it's back in 2022.
“I’m excited to experience a real Swifts Night Out in person,” said Brian Zinke, executive director of the Pilchuck Audubon Society.
The first year the Audubon Society hosted a Swifts Night Out event, they counted an estimate of 14,000 swifts entering the brick chimney at Frank Wagner Elementary School.
“It’s a thrill. It’s almost addictive,” explained Larry Schwitters, who oversees the Audubon Society’s Vaux’s Happening project.
Schwitters said his passion is studying Vaux’s swifts. The birds spend the winter in Mexico and Central America and migrate north in the summer to take advantage of the long daylight hours farther from the equator.
Vaux’s swifts would traditionally roost in old, dead hollowed out trees, but with larger cities and fewer forests, those are far and few between.
“So, they’ve learned to roost inside of chimneys, masonry chimneys, old ones built before 1940 that didn’t have a liner in them so they can hook their claws and hang inside them,” Schwitters explained. “Now, there’s not a lot of those left, especially in earthquake country.”
The city of Monroe happens to be on the migration path and has the perfect old masonry chimney at Frank Wagner Elementary School, drawing thousands of birds to the area every year.
“It’s not something you can see everywhere, and you can’t see it every day of the year,” said Zinke. “It’s a certain time, and it really is a spectacle when you can see that many birds flying into one place at a time.”
In past years, a Swift Night Out was held in September, but the Vaux’s swifts have been arriving around mid-August for a few years. This year, the Audubon Society decided to bump the event up to August 20 to try and hit peak season for their arrival.
But as of Thursday night, no Vaux’s swifts have been seen yet in the chimney.
“Wildlife are wild. We can’t predict them. We’re still learning about them,” said Zinke. “We’ve been doing this survey for 14 some odd years now, and we’ve learned a lot, but there’s still so much more to learn about them. So, just when we think we have them figured out, they surprise us.”
Schwitters has been tracking the arrival of the swifts at other known roosting spots in Washington state. They saw 500 arrive at a chimney in Selleck, and 56 arrived near Mount Rainier Thursday.
The Pilchuck Audubon Society officially pronounced the start of the migration through the Pacific Northwest based on those numbers.
A Swift Night Out is happening no matter the number of birds. They’ll have a presentation, informational booths and fun activities for kids.
The event starts Saturday, August 20 at 4 p.m. at Frank Wagner Elementary School.
Watchers can also see the inside of the chimney. A camera streams live as thousands of birds layer themselves inside like shingles. | https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/vauxs-swifts-night-out-frank-wagner-elementary-school-monroe/281-da7473cf-1657-4271-a9c0-35e2627b0769 | 2022-08-19T19:48:53 | 1 | https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/vauxs-swifts-night-out-frank-wagner-elementary-school-monroe/281-da7473cf-1657-4271-a9c0-35e2627b0769 |
DALLAS (KDAF) — It’s all good man! Well, hopefully, that’s what your lawyer will be telling you next time you’re in a sticky civil or, forbid, a criminal situation.
Having a good lawyer in your back pocket is important for a plentiful of reasons whether it be finances, family, criminal, civil, or if you’re out there filing suits, a good lawyer is a must-have. BestLawyers.com has released a comprehensive list of the best lawyers across the country, which includes Dallas, Texas.
The publication says these attorneys are, “The best legal talent in the world, case closed.” Here’s a quick look at some of the best lawyers in the Dallas area from many different practices:
- Michael V. Abcarian – Employment, Labor & Litigation
- Matt C. Acosta – Litigation
- Brad Adatto – Health Care
- J. Cullen Aderhold – Real Estate
- Rodolfo R. Agraz – Employment
- Charla G. Aldous – Medical, Personal Injury, Product Liability
- Steve Aldous – Personal Injury
- Sherri T. Alexander – Commercial, Health Care
- David B. Allen – Securities Regulation
- Vincent J. Allen – Patent, Intellectual Property
- P. Bradley Altman – Personal Injury
- William K. Altman – Personal Injury
- Katherine Anand – Commercial
- Jeffery O. Anderson – Family Law
- Mark Anderson – Personal Injury
- Cindy K. Ansbach – Immigration
These are just a few of the top lawyers in the Dallas area; BestLawyers.com has a massive list and you can find more lawyers in your Texas area or anywhere in the U.S. by clicking here. “We believe the best lawyers know who the best lawyers are. It’s our founding principle and remains unchanged, for more than four decades.” | https://cw33.com/news/local/better-call-saul-report-releases-list-of-the-best-lawyers-in-dallas-other-texas-cities/ | 2022-08-19T19:55:29 | 1 | https://cw33.com/news/local/better-call-saul-report-releases-list-of-the-best-lawyers-in-dallas-other-texas-cities/ |
DALLAS (KDAF) — You all know the song from Madagascar, “I like them big, I like them chunky!” A hippopotamus over at the Dallas Zoo was living her biggest, chunkiest and cutest life on Friday.
The Zoo shared out some pictures of its hippo Boipelo’s 16th birthday! Unlike most 16-year-olds, she didn’t go full diva mode and happily accepted her wonderful watermelon birthday treat. They even made her a driver’s license so she can legally whip around the zoo in all her chunky beautiful glory.
Dallas Zoo tweeted, “Fun snaps from Boipelo’s 16th bday bash, featuring tasty ice treats, a hand-carved celebratory watermelon, and an official driver’s license for our girl made by the crafty hippo team!” | https://cw33.com/news/local/cuteness-overload-dallas-zoo-celebrates-hippos-sweet-16-on-friday/ | 2022-08-19T19:55:35 | 1 | https://cw33.com/news/local/cuteness-overload-dallas-zoo-celebrates-hippos-sweet-16-on-friday/ |
DALLAS (KDAF) — Everyone loves a good brunch and brunch can be had at any time, but a food court in Plano is serving it up on the weekends only!
Atop the third floor of Legacy Hall sits Brunch Club. Now, what makes this spot unique is that it is only open Fridays from 6 p.m. til late, Saturday and Sunday. The breakfast-lunch spot aims to serve its diners with southern comfort from start to finish.
The food court says, “Brunch Club is the second concept in Legacy Hall for Chef Curtis, who opened Dock Local in 2020. This new restaurant offers the perfect menu for a classic brunch craving any time of day.”
It’s filled with classics and delicious-sounding menu offerings like crab cake benedict, buttermilk cakes, classic nachos, triple play pickle fries, Nashville hot fish slider, and even more bites and glorious sides. So, if you’re feeling brunchy, Brunch Spot is the spot for you. | https://cw33.com/news/local/plano-food-court-adds-weekend-only-brunch-spot-to-list-of-eateries/ | 2022-08-19T19:55:41 | 0 | https://cw33.com/news/local/plano-food-court-adds-weekend-only-brunch-spot-to-list-of-eateries/ |
DALLAS (KDAF) — Oktoberfest. It’s one of those things where everyone can gather together and set aside all differences to enjoy some beer drinking, great music and German foods-galore.
It’s all due to the wonderful creation of beer and celebrating it together with merry times. Trips To Discover has put together a list of the best places around the country to catch some unique and superb celebrations for this yearly festivity.
The publication writes, “Oktoberfest in the U.S. roughly follows the same calendar, with plenty of beer drinking, bands playing oompah, German foods like bratwurst being served, and entertainers and servers donning dirndls.”
Texans will sure to rejoice once they learn the two places TTD say are among the 14 best Oktoberfest celebration destinations in the country:
First, it’s Addison Oktoberfest in Addison, Texas! “Considered the “OG” of Texas Oktoberfests, the Addison Oktoberfest has been taking place for 35 years. Recognized as one of the most authentic festivals outside of Munich itself, this four-day festival in mid-September features German culture, music, food, and beer with a Texan twist on the original.”
Secondly, it’s Fredericksburg Oktoberfest in Fredericksburg, Texas! “The town was founded by German immigrants in 1846, and it honors its history in a big way this time of year. Held over three days, there will be tuba players leading traditional marches, arts and crafts, 50 varieties of beer, vendors selling everything from alpine wool hats to heart-shaped gingerbread cookies, and the famous Hauptstrasse Chicken Dance will be assuredly danced.”
Addison’s celebration is set to take place from September 15-18; while Fredericksburg’s is set for Sep. 30 – Oct. 2. For the full list of the best Oktoberfest celebrations in the U.S. click here. | https://cw33.com/news/local/report-says-this-north-texas-hosts-one-of-the-best-oktoberfest-celebrations-in-the-country/ | 2022-08-19T19:55:47 | 1 | https://cw33.com/news/local/report-says-this-north-texas-hosts-one-of-the-best-oktoberfest-celebrations-in-the-country/ |
The Institute for Contemporary Art at VCU will host its first ever RESONATE Podcast Festival this fall on Oct. 14-15.
The festival will include workshops with industry leaders in the VPM + ICA Community Media Center, a live podcast pitch competition, one-on-one consultations, exhibitions, and special performances featuring Sharon Mashihi of Appearances and Nick van der Kolk of Love + Radio.
"Whether you are a student curious about podcasting, a producer looking to pick up additional skills or an avid listener who wants a look behind the scenes," the podcast festival is open to everyone, according to organizers,
“RESONATE brings the aesthetic, educational and community aspects of podcasting together, all in one place,” said Chioke I’Anson, ICA at VCU director of community media. “Our workshops address the elements of podcasting that novices and even mid-career producers have the most trouble mastering. We’ve got art exhibitions, opportunities for you to talk directly to the experts, and even a live party where three producers will compete for a podcast contract from VPM. This is an immersive auditory experience, featuring some of the coolest podcasters in the business."
The festival is also hosting a "pitch party," where it invites established and aspiring podcasters to pitch their best idea for a chance to receive funding and production support to produce a pilot episode of their show. Submission directions are available at: https://www.resonatepodfest.com/pitch-party.
Three finalists will be selected to present their idea at the RESONATE Podcast Festival Pitch Party in front of a panel of judges and a live audience for a chance to win a $10,000 production contract to create a pilot episode of their podcast with VPM. All finalists will receive free passes to the 2022 RESONATE Podcast Festival.
Tickets to the festival are $50-$75 for adults, $20-30 for students. More information is available at https://www.resonatepodfest.com/.
The RESONATE Podcast Festival will take place at the ICA at VCU located at 601 W. Broad St.
Top 5 weekend events: RVA Duck Race, Down Home Family Reunion & The Shins | https://richmond.com/news/local/institute-for-contemporary-art-at-vcu-to-host-podcast-festival-in-richmond/article_f8a38744-5718-54d8-bc36-1f36908b4afa.html | 2022-08-19T20:03:23 | 0 | https://richmond.com/news/local/institute-for-contemporary-art-at-vcu-to-host-podcast-festival-in-richmond/article_f8a38744-5718-54d8-bc36-1f36908b4afa.html |
Summer may be winding down, but there's still plenty to do on Saturday in Casper.
Riverfest, the annual fundraiser for Platte River Trails, is set to run from noon to 5 p.m. at Crossroads Park, just north of downtown. Meanwhile, the 5150' Festival returns to David Street Station from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Marking its 30th year Saturday, Riverfest celebrates the North Platte and the trails that wind along it. It features Casper's Duck Derby, where people can buy one of the hundreds of rubber ducks that float down the river for a chance at cash and other prizes. The duck drop is set for 3:30 p.m.
New to the festival this year is a microbrew competition. There's also unlimited craft beer tasting of regional and local breweries, live music from Mastermind of Monkey and Jeff Stanley and several food trucks.
The 5150' Festival, meanwhile, will feature headliner Ian Munsick, a rising country artist who hails from Wyoming. Also on the bill are the Munsick Boys, which consists of two of Ian's brothers, Tris and Sam, and their father Dave.
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John Kirlin and the High Plains Drifters and Lacy Nelson are also on the bill.
Along with live entertainment, the festival will include mechanical bull riding, axe throwing, vendor booths, drinks and food trucks. | https://trib.com/news/local/casper/riverfest-5150-festival-highlight-events-in-casper-this-weekend/article_eb875522-1fe8-11ed-afce-0be7051d10b5.html | 2022-08-19T20:09:22 | 1 | https://trib.com/news/local/casper/riverfest-5150-festival-highlight-events-in-casper-this-weekend/article_eb875522-1fe8-11ed-afce-0be7051d10b5.html |
A fake charter school poll that was posted on the Wyoming Department of Education's Twitter account last weekend was the result of the account being "hacked," a department spokesperson said.
"We didn't create the survey," spokesperson Linda Finnerty told the Star-Tribune.
The poll was on the department's Twitter page for "a couple days" before it was deleted on Sunday, by which time it had one comment, two shares and one like, according to Finnerty. She said the account's password has since been changed.
The incident was first reported on Wednesday by the Jackson Hole News and Guide, which shared a link to the poll that had been taken directly from the Twitter post.
The poll asks participants to rate how much they favor or oppose "giving parents more options when choosing a public school," "allowing schools to make quick, effective changes to improve student achievement," "giving schools and teachers more flexibility" around curriculum and teaching methods, and other questions that seem angled in favor of charter schools.
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The state of Wyoming, the University of Wyoming and the Wyoming School-University Partnership retweeted the post, according to the Jackson Hole News and Guide.
On Thursday, the Wyoming School-University Partnership posted an apology about the survey on Twitter.
"We apologize for any confusion that this survey may have caused and we have since deleted the phony survey from our social media posts," it says.
We apologize for any confusion that this survey may have caused and we have since deleted the phony survey from our social media posts. https://t.co/njCDU1YuSa#WyomingEducation #WyoEdChat
— Wyoming School-University Partnership (@WyoSUP) August 18, 2022
Finnerty said the education department's IT team doesn't have further information right now about who might have posted the survey, although she asserted that it was not posted by someone who had authorized access to the Twitter account. Only two people have authorized access, according to Finnerty. She said that neither of them are top-level department administrators.
The department's IT team is looking into where else the poll might have been shared, according to Finnerty. She said the department recommends people not to engage with the survey if they come across it.
Charter schools have been a topic of some contention in Wyoming.
The state hasn't historically been too welcoming to charter schools. There are five of them in the state right now. But last year, the Legislature passed a bill that allows the State Loan and Investment Board to approve charters for schools. Before, only school districts could do that.
The new law opened the door for three potential schools — Prairie View Community School in Chugwater, Wyoming Classical Academy in Mills and Cheyenne Classical Academy — to apply for charters through the new approval process.
While some welcome the charter schools as an expansion of options for students who learn better in different ways, others are concerned that they could siphon funding from traditional public schools.
And there are people who are concerned about the potential religious overtones of some charter schools. The proposed charter schools in Mills and Cheyenne are based on a “classical” model of education that was developed by Hillsdale College, a private Christian college in Michigan. The college’s Barney Charter School Initiative has opened charter schools across the country, including three in neighboring Colorado.
Others say that, because charter schools are still public schools, they will be held to the same secular standards as traditional public schools. | https://trib.com/news/local/education/education-departments-twitter-account-was-hacked-to-post-fake-charter-school-survey/article_e4bf29ec-1f3c-11ed-91e1-d7aeea0dcd7a.html | 2022-08-19T20:09:29 | 0 | https://trib.com/news/local/education/education-departments-twitter-account-was-hacked-to-post-fake-charter-school-survey/article_e4bf29ec-1f3c-11ed-91e1-d7aeea0dcd7a.html |
RICHMOND, Va. — Former Virginia Gov. Doug Wilder has withdrawn a lawsuit he filed against leaders of Virginia Commonwealth University following a public personnel dispute in which Wilder had pushed for the firing of an employee he accused of threatening him.
The dispute at the center of the lawsuit began earlier this year when a former VCU employee sent Wilder a series of texts critical of Wilder’s ties to Republican Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, the Richmond Times-Dispatch has reported. Wilder, a Democrat and the nation’s first elected Black governor, did not endorse Youngkin but served on his transition team.
Wilder perceived the employee’s words as harassment and expressed dissatisfaction months later when VCU had not fired him.
The lawsuit alleged that the school’s leadership has damaged the “political influence” and “historical achievement” of Wilder, who works at the university in the School of Government and Public Affairs named for him.
Spokespeople for Wilder and VCU declined to comment to t he Richmond Times-Dispatch.
The employee who sent the texts, who was also named in the suit, did not immediately respond to the newspaper’s request for comment. | https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/ex-gov-doug-wilder-drops-lawsuit-against-vcu-leaders/2022/08/19/bfaafbca-1ff7-11ed-9ce6-68253bd31864_story.html | 2022-08-19T20:14:19 | 0 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/ex-gov-doug-wilder-drops-lawsuit-against-vcu-leaders/2022/08/19/bfaafbca-1ff7-11ed-9ce6-68253bd31864_story.html |
RICHMOND, Va. — Virginia ended the 2022 fiscal year with a $3.2 billion cash surplus, a sign of both a healthy economy and some overtaxation, GOP Gov. Glenn Youngkin said Friday as he presented lawmakers with a review of the state’s finances.
“Our balance sheet is in a strong position, and our substantial reserve funds have grown sharply from their pre-pandemic levels. Together we are lowering tax burdens and making the critical investments needed to strengthen Virginia,” he said in his speech.
The fiscal-year-end surplus was the result of $2 billion in unplanned revenues and about $1.2 billion in unspent appropriations, Youngkin said. The compromise budget lawmakers passed in June anticipated some of that surplus, so some will be reallocated and some directed to a constitutionally mandated reserve deposit, Youngkin said. That will put the state on track to having nearly $4.3 billion in total reserves by fiscal year 2024.
Youngkin said that still leaves about $400 million that he wants set aside as a tax cut “down payment.” His administration is still working out all the elements of the amendments to the 2022-2024 spending plan he will formally propose in mid-December for General Assembly consideration, he said.
The governor said despite the bright spots in Friday’s report, he was concerned that Virginia has yet to recover 119,000 of the jobs shed early in the pandemic, and he condemned federal policies he said have “created” the current inflationary environment.
“I think we’re strong enough to weather it. But there are storm clouds on the horizon we need to be aware of,” he said in an interview with The Associated Press ahead of his address.
Youngkin also used his approximately 25-minute speech to herald accomplishments of his first seven months in office, and he offered a preview of three policy areas he said his administration was committed to tackling: rising violent crime and housing costs, and unmet Chesapeake Bay cleanup goals.
Democratic Sen. Janet Howell, chair of the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee, said this year’s financial report was the best she’d received in her 30 years in the General Assembly. But she said she was concerned that Youngkin’s calls for additional tax relief may be premature, given the nation’s current economic uncertainty.
“We don’t know what it’s going to be like in several months. Hopefully we’ll be able to do some tax relief, but it’s not necessarily in the bag,” she told reporters after the meeting.
Howell also praised the tone of Youngkin’s speech, saying he indicated a willingness to work across party lines with the politically divided General Assembly.
“I respect him for that,” she said.
Other Democrats criticized Youngkin on Friday, suggesting the $400 million the governor wants for tax relief would be better off reinvested into core government services. And some turned to the issue of abortion, warning that if lawmakers pass a 15-week abortion ban, something Youngkin backs, it would harm the state’s business prospects.
“What major employer wants to relocate to a state that outlaws women’s healthcare choices?” tweeted Democratic Del. Eileen Filler-Corn.
In the interview, Youngkin ruled out the prospect of lawmakers taking up abortion legislation any sooner than the start of the 2023 regular session in January. Some abortion rights groups have recently raised concerns that lawmakers might consider a ban as soon as a Sept. 7 reconvened session.
Youngkin has tapped a group of lawmakers, all Republicans, who he said he expected would work this fall in a “bipartisan” way to arrive at legislation that has a chance of passing both the GOP-controlled House and the Senate, which Democrats control by the narrowest possible margin.
“I have strongly encouraged them to work towards a 15-week bill. I think that that is a a good place for Virginia to land,” he said.
Youngkin, who is increasingly mentioned as a possible 2024 presidential contender, has been recently been ramping up travel across the country to meet with donors and campaign with other GOP candidates for governor.
He said Friday his itinerary hasn’t been mapped out beyond an upcoming trip to stump with Tudor Dixon, the Republican nominee for Michigan governor.
As for a potential presidential bid, he said: “My family and I have really not discussed anything to do with that. I’m really focused on the big job that I have at hand.” | https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/with-state-finances-strong-youngkin-wants-more-tax-cuts/2022/08/19/78193b6c-1fef-11ed-9ce6-68253bd31864_story.html | 2022-08-19T20:14:26 | 0 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/with-state-finances-strong-youngkin-wants-more-tax-cuts/2022/08/19/78193b6c-1fef-11ed-9ce6-68253bd31864_story.html |
MERRILLVILLE — Residents of Indiana's most populous town won't be able to access any services at Merrillville Town Hall Friday.
In a brief statement issued in response to "rumors," the Merrillville Police Department said Friday afternoon town officials, in consultation with police, have decided to close the town hall building, located at 7820 Broadway, for the day.
"There is no specific type of incident that occurred in Merrillville, nor is there an immediate threat," police said. "This was done as a precautionary measure. Further information will be released if it becomes available."
The Merrillville Community School Corp. also has placed its buildings on "lock in" status, meaning indoor activities at the schools will continue but there will be no outdoor activities for the remainder of the school day.
A statement from the school district said the action is in response to "some negative community activity north of Merrillville."
Jiffy Lube of Indiana, an unlikely patron of the arts, is commissioning more artists around the state to paint murals on its stores, including on Broadway in Merrillville. | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/merrillville/rumors-prompt-closing-of-merrillville-town-hall-for-the-day/article_a12b1f37-bb25-53b7-b37f-74ffc9a9409f.html | 2022-08-19T20:21:36 | 1 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/merrillville/rumors-prompt-closing-of-merrillville-town-hall-for-the-day/article_a12b1f37-bb25-53b7-b37f-74ffc9a9409f.html |
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