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SAN ANTONIO — A 17 year veteran with the Bexar County Sheriff's Office was arrested for criminal mischief Saturday morning and is now possibly facing termination from the agency, officials say.
Around 12:55 a.m., Adelina Agosto is reported to have drunkenly showed up to someone's residence. When that person did not answer the door, she reportedly caused damage to the door. The resident then called 911 fearing that someone was trying to break in.
San Antonio Police responded to the scene and arrested Agosto for criminal mischief which is a class B Misdemeanor due to the resident's door being damaged.
BCSO said Agosto is a detention corporal and has been served termination paperwork in accordance with BCSO's policies and procedures with Bexar County Civil Service Rules, BCSO says.
“In my opinion, this tenured corporal choosing to drunkenly destroying the property of another is no better than the criminals we are sworn to guard society against. I personally believe she has no place in this profession, and she will soon have no place in this agency,” Sheriff Javier Salazar said.
Agosto is on unpaid administrative leave and an administrative investigation is taking place. | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/off-duty-bcso-deputy-arrested-criminal-mischief-facing-possible-termination-officials-say/273-38092e9d-4454-467a-acc4-b050ba4f0f1f | 2022-08-20T23:45:23 | 1 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/off-duty-bcso-deputy-arrested-criminal-mischief-facing-possible-termination-officials-say/273-38092e9d-4454-467a-acc4-b050ba4f0f1f |
SAN ANTONIO — At Edgewood ISD (EISD), protecting the community takes a team effort, beyond what a single police department can do alone. The district’s 30 police officers are all trained to respond and neutralize campus threats. Their live feed systems and radio communications allow them to quickly collaborate with San Antonio Police and the Bexar County Sheriff’s Department. District Police Chief Quiroga said some of his officers are trained in special weapons and tactics, and SWAT techniques.
“Do I ever want to use them, no. Are they trained so we can use them, yes,” he said. “But if I have to use them it’s too late, and I don’t want to get to the too late.”
The district police department works to prevent violence and tragedies from occurring. To do that, they need an understanding of what their community needs to be physically, mentally, and socially healthy.
“Our job is to ensure the safety of our campus, our students, but also to ensure their success, we have to think about it that way,” said Chief Quiroga. “I we don’t evolve in that way then we’re never gonna complete service our students.”
Nearly three years ago, the department began creating a community resource center. Today, it’s grown into three buildings where families can access groceries, clothes, shoes, baby and infant items, and even a laundry service room.
“We do this to provide for people, to prevent them from lashing out or getting into the legal system,” Quiroga said.
Pamela Allen, a community advocate and Eagle’s Flight Advocacy founder helps run the 24/7 community center.
“For me, it was just a great fit because I understand that that cycle can be broken,” said Allen. “Growing up how we did and watching my mother’s journey, we understood that taking care of some of those basic needs lessens the trauma of not having enough, not eating, not being able to provide for your family.”
Safety and security remains a priority, though the department focuses on preventing as many threats as possible.
“The unfortunate part is you can’t put a number on prevention, but I know it’s working,” said Quiroga. | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/safety-community-well-being-priority-for-edgewood-isd-police-department/273-fd8426cd-6d95-4432-9e56-6d06149a0df5 | 2022-08-20T23:45:29 | 1 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/safety-community-well-being-priority-for-edgewood-isd-police-department/273-fd8426cd-6d95-4432-9e56-6d06149a0df5 |
SCRANTON, Pa. — A woman was hurt in a shooting Saturday afternoon in Scranton.
Police were called to South Sumner Avenue in the city's west side just before 3 p.m.
When they arrived, they found a woman shot in the leg. The woman was taken to the hospital. There is no word on her condition.
Police are looking for a dark-colored SUV with tinted windows that may have been involved in the shooting.
This is a developing story, please check back for more updates.
See news happening? Text our Newstip Hotline. | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/lackawanna-county/woman-shot-in-scranton-south-sumner-avenue-lackawanna-county-west-side/523-12f472e5-96d7-4dcd-966a-d12a0479b5f9 | 2022-08-20T23:48:13 | 1 | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/lackawanna-county/woman-shot-in-scranton-south-sumner-avenue-lackawanna-county-west-side/523-12f472e5-96d7-4dcd-966a-d12a0479b5f9 |
WEST NANTICOKE, Pa. — Family and friends of 49-year-old Brian Rogozinski are desperately searching the West Nanticoke area after they say he left home and never returned.
"My sister had seen him crossing the bridge, she just so happened to see him because she lives over this way, and by the time she turned around to come back and pick him up, he was gone," explains Josh Rogozinski.
His brothers, Tim and Josh say Brian was last seen on August 10th around 7 p.m. walking along Route 11 toward Plymouth. Investigators say he was last seen wearing a lime green face mask, blue jeans, and no shirt.
"It's tough, it's tough. I am not going to lie to you. It's frustrating to not even have a starting point; we are just wandering around hoping we stumble upon him," said Tim Rogozinski.
"I'm just trying to focus on west Nanticoke, I can't get inside his way of thinking of knowing which way he went, but I would think he would come this way because we grew up here," said Josh.
The view from Skycam 16 shows just how much ground they have to cover. As the days tick by, the worry grows due to Brian's medical history.
"Very, very worried. You know he's been without his medications for over a week now," said Josh.
"He has a history of seizures, he's had epilepsy since he was a child, and I know he has a thyroid problem," explained Tim.
The family asks if anyone out there sees Brian, call 911 immediately.
See news happening? Text our Newstip Hotline. | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/luzerne-county/family-searching-for-missing-man-in-luzerne-county-brian-rogozinski-west-nanticoke-tim-and-josh-rogozinski/523-9d396e99-ce34-4dca-b6ed-9cadda93b1bc | 2022-08-20T23:48:19 | 1 | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/luzerne-county/family-searching-for-missing-man-in-luzerne-county-brian-rogozinski-west-nanticoke-tim-and-josh-rogozinski/523-9d396e99-ce34-4dca-b6ed-9cadda93b1bc |
A possible lightning strike caused a fire at a home in Windermere on Saturday, according to Orange County Fire Rescue.
Authorities said the fire took place along Golden Dewdrop Trail.
The fire was contained to the attic and no injuries were reported, authorities said. | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/08/20/possible-lightning-strike-causes-house-fire-in-windmere/ | 2022-08-20T23:51:40 | 0 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/08/20/possible-lightning-strike-causes-house-fire-in-windmere/ |
Arizona and California, which have battled over the Colorado River for nearly a century, are at it again. This time, Arizona leaders are blaming California, and other states, for putting the burden of stemming the river’s impending crisis on their backs alone.
It became publicly known last week that Arizona and Nevada made a proposal this summer to save a lot of Colorado River water but that California, and possibly the U.S. government, rejected it. While discussing this proposal, leaders of the Arizona Department of Water Resources and the Central Arizona Project said they felt it “unacceptable for Arizona to continue to carry a disproportionate burden of reductions for the benefit of others who have not contributed.”
California officials disagree with that comment, and both sides present numbers backing their case about which one has saved more water. Both sides also continue negotiating.
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“I don’t know if they will get a deal or not,” said Kathy Ferris, a former Arizona Department of Water Resources director and chief counsel. “We have become dependent on an over-allocated supply.”
The path to an agreement is clogged by concerns about priorities for use of the declining river water, Ferris said.
California and Yuma farmers want to protect their senior priority right for river water, while the Bureau of Reclamation commissioner counts on water users to cut a deal that protects the river but ignores priorities, she said. At the same time, she believes some water users are betting that Reclamation is afraid to take unilateral action, which could trigger intense litigation.
“This is uncharted territory. Who’s going to call whose bluff? Who’s going to blink first? Are the feds going to blink? Will California blink, or are we just going to run out of water?” Ferris asked.
‘Keys to the kingdom’
Where few people will disagree is that the Colorado’s fate depends on Arizona and California’s ability to come to terms. California and Arizona control the largest and second-largest allocations, respectively, of river water in the seven-state Colorado River Basin.
Arizona and California “hold the keys to the kingdom,” said Arizona State University water researcher Sarah Porter.
The “kingdom” is a deal to save the river, at least for now, by reducing water users’ take from it by 2 million to 4 million acre-feet a year — an unprecedented cut in the river’s modern history. It was ordered by U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Camille Touton in June, but an agreement to do it has not been achieved.
Word of the latest division between Arizona and California came a few hours after Interior Department and Reclamation officials announced Tuesday they are giving the seven states more time to reach agreement on how to achieve cuts.
The feds said they are starting work on a plan to impose cuts if the states can’t do it on their own — a statement that many critics thought was too timid because the feds had said in June they would intervene if the states failed to reach agreement by now.
At a news conference that day, ADWR and CAP executives said Arizona and Nevada had offered to cut around 2 million acre-feet, but that other “parties in the room” had rejected it. CAP General Manager Ted Cooke said the other parties were California and the federal government.
Later, officials of the Colorado River Board of California, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and the Southern Nevada Water Authority confirmed that an Arizona-Nevada proposal was rejected.
Metropolitan official Bill Hasencamp said Arizona and California each floated “concepts” for water use reductions, but “neither of the concepts were acceptable to all three states,” meaning the Lower Basin states of Arizona, California and Nevada. Reclamation and the Interior Department did not respond to a question about whether they rejected the deal.
The nature of the disagreements is not clear, because the agencies won’t go public on specifics.
A factor clearly weighing on California’s side dates back nearly 55 years and serves as a legal backdrop for today’s ongoing negotiations. It is a key provision in the 1968 Colorado River Basin Project Act, which authorized construction of the $4 billion CAP canal system in Arizona. It gives California a higher priority than Arizona for river water in times of shortage.
In a provision that Arizona had to accept to get California’s support for building the CAP, Arizona must give up all its CAP water supply during shortages before California gives up any of its supply from the river. How that provision might play out, however, remains uncertain.
A divided basin
Arizona and California’s role is important because without federal intervention, there’s no way a seven-state deal will be reached unless Lower Basin states and the Upper Basin states — Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming — agree to one.
The Upper Basin states, while putting forth a detailed plan that suggests future water saving measures are coming, have not offered any immediate cuts.
And as Arizona water officials concede, there’s no chance Upper Basin states will agree to cuts until the Lower Basin states agree to some.
“They want to see more certainty out of the Lower Basin. We haven’t achieved that goal,” said ADWR Director Tom Buschatzke, who with CAP’s Cooke give the Upper Basin proposal an “incomplete.”
Conversely, “We want to see more numbers and certainty out of them. The closer we get, the more they’ll do. The more they do, the closer we’ll get,” Buschatzke said.
As disappointed as Arizona officials might be by the Upper Basin’s plan, “I don’t really blame them, and I’m not making excuses for them, or allowing them to make an excuse,” Cooke said. “There’s more (water) use in the Lower Basin. We have more work to do here, and we have not done what we need to do yet.”
Asked for details about Arizona and Nevada’s proposal, Buschatzke said, “I don’t think there’s a lot of value in trying to get specific about what was in that proposal. The numbers throughout the process of discussion kind of fluctuated, up and down.”
Cooke said the Arizona-Nevada plan, combined with what was approved in the 2019 drought contingency plan, would have reduced the Lower Basin and Mexico’s share of river water from 9 million acre-feet today to 5.6 million.
How the additional 2 million acre-feet in cuts would be divvied up wouldn’t have been “completely proportional” to the three states’ existing shares of river water, but “it was very similar to that,” Cooke said.
If the 2 million were to be split proportionally to the states’ river water allocations, Arizona would give up about 746,000 acre-feet of its 2.8 million acre-feet total allocation, which represents 37.3% of the 7.5 million acre- feet allocated to the Lower Basin. California would give up about 1.172 million acre-feet of its 4.4 million acre-foot share, which represents nearly 59% of the river’s allocated supply. Nevada would give up about 80,000 of its 300,000 acre-feet, which represents 4% of the total supply.
Buschatzke and Cooke noted that so far, Arizona has taken all cuts in river water use that are required by the river’s operating guidelines approved in 2007 and in the 2019 drought plan. Arizona kept 800,000 acre-feet of its water in Lake Mead in 2022 alone, they said, and has left about 2 million acre-feet in Mead since 2014.
“We’re not expecting folks to catch up to this imbalance between Arizona and everybody else,” CAP’s Cooke said. “But certainly we expect that going forward, we expect folks to keep up with the level of contribution that we are making.”
‘California holds all the cards’
Both Arizona officials said, however, that they believe California is negotiating in good faith — “I don’t think that they’re messing around with us, or being disingenuous with us at all. I think we’re on the right path,” said Cooke, despite the remaining issues between them.
Asked to comment on Cooke and Buschatzke’s statements, Hasencamp, of Southern California’s Metropolitan district, said, “I don’t believe it’s accurate to say that Arizona and Nevada proposed a plan for cuts. We never received any such plan in writing.
“What did happen was that Arizona floated a concept verbally on a process to reduce water use. California floated its own concept. Neither of the concepts were acceptable to all three states. So we spent the last two months seeing if we could develop a plan that was acceptable to all three states. We made a lot of progress, but we haven’t achieved that goal yet,” said Hasencamp, Metropolitan’s Colorado River program manager.
In a statement, the Colorado River Board of California added Arizona’s proposal “was very disproportionately weighted against California.”
The board said it also “was not respectful or in line with the existing priority system” for river water users. That system was laid out in the final U.S. Supreme Court decree that ended the protracted Arizona v. California Colorado River water rights litigation of the 1950s and ‘60s and in the 1968 law authorizing CAP’s construction, it said. The board is California’s official negotiator on Colorado River issues.
Ferris observed: “They don’t want to set a precedent that compromises their priorities. California holds all the cards because they hold all the water.”
Chris Harris, the board’s executive director, declined to elaborate to the Arizona Daily Star on California’s views. He refused, for example, to say if board officials believe that being “respectful” of the 1968 law means that Arizona would have to give up all CAP water — which Arizona has vowed not to do.
As California agencies continue discussions with Arizona water officials “it is therefore best if you accept our perspectives … as they are. We have eminent respect and admiration for Tom (Buschatzke) and Ted (Cooke) and fully acknowledge the difficult challenges facing both of our states as we address climate change and drought in the Colorado River Basin,” Harris said.
But in responding to Arizona’s concerns about taking a disproportionate share of water use cuts, the California board said, “The plain reading of the existing relevant elements of the ‘Law of the River’ states that in periods of insufficient mainstream water supplies, the Central Arizona Project’s use of mainstream Colorado River water is subordinated to California’s basic mainstream apportionment of 4.4 million acre-feet.”
By Law of the River, they mean the collection of laws, regulations, court decisions and other legal matters that have governed the management of the Colorado for more than a century.
Yet California agrees that “no one state can do it alone,” the board added.
“California has been involved in these difficult discussions from the beginning and remains willing to continue discussions with the other six states and the United States. California believes that its proposals have been reasonable, significant and respectful of the current framework of the ‘Law of the River,’” said the board.
While the legal plans such as the 2019 drought plan do not require California to leave any water in Lake Mead until it drops further, California has voluntarily left 1.5 million acre-feet in the lake, Hasencamp said. Most of that water was left due to a program that has existed since 2007. It also allows states to take the water back until Lake Mead falls below 1,025 feet — 17 feet lower than the level it stands at today.
“We are taking a small fraction of that back this year (perhaps 150,000 acre-feet or 10%), but overall our efforts to reduce water use have exceeded any other state by a significant amount,” Hasencamp said.
Voluntary vs. mandatory cuts
The dispute is not just about numbers, Buschatzke and Cooke said at their news conference. It’s that in the early days of these negotiations after June 14, Arizona officials thought the water use cuts would be “enforceable, mandatory, whatever words you want to use, so we had certainty thought that the reductions would be completed,” Buschatzke said.
But maybe three or four weeks into the negotiations, it became apparent that some participants were looking more at a voluntary program, which the two officials call unacceptable, he said.
“Voluntary programs create a level of uncertainty … in which we didn’t know if the volumes of water attached to these programs will come to fruition,” Buschatzke said.
Cooke noted that the “500 plus” program that Lower Bain agencies developed late last year to leave 500,000 acre-feet a year in Lake Mead has not reached its goal, although Arizona water users agreed to conserve well over 200,000 acre-feet.
“We can’t have that kind of experience again,” Cooke said.
The difference between voluntary and mandatory may be a matter of semantics, Metropolitan’s Hasencamp replied. To him, voluntary conservation means that the party conserving is financially compensated.
Once an agreement is actually signed, water use reductions become mandatory, he said. That was the arrangement Metropolitan worked out last year to pay $38 million over three years to the Palo Verde Irrigation District near Blythe to leave some of its water in the lake.
“I think this is what we are trying to achieve in our Lower Basin plan, developing compensated reductions in water use,” he said.
But even with the $4 billion for drought relief that was inserted into recently signed federal legislation, “we’re not in a position in the entire Colorado River Basin to consume a large portion of that, and I don’t think that’s the intent of Congress, just to pay people one year at a time to not take water, to be repeated every single year until you run out of money, and eventually out of water,” Cooke said. “We can’t do that.”
‘We need prompt resolution’
On Thursday, CAP officials amplified these concerns in a letter to Interior Secretary Deborah Haaland.
Saying they’re disappointed with the lack of progress among the basin states, CAP Board Chairman Terry Goddard and his predecessor Lisa Adkins said they’re equally disappointed that the Bureau of Reclamation was unwilling to impose water use curbs on them, as Touton had threatened in June to do if no agreement was reached.
“This outcome is inexplicable considering the urgency expressed in Commissioner Touton’s June 14 testimony” before a Senate committee, they wrote.
“We hope it is clear that Arizona alone can’t solve a problem of this magnitude. To be successful, the plan must include equitable participation from all water users across the basin, provide some mechanism to ensure performance and to have the understanding that the United States is prepared to take unilateral action if voluntary efforts are insufficient,” they wrote.
While Reclamation has predicted flows into Lake Powell from mountain snows will reach 8.3 million acre-feet from October of this year until September 2023, that’s far more water than flowed into the lake in the past two years, they wrote. Should the lower flows repeat themselves, just the one-year imbalance between river water supply and use could approach 3 million acre-feet, they said.
“We need prompt resolution to stop this decline. There is no time to waste,” they wrote.
Replying, an Interior spokeswoman, Melissa Schwartz, told the Star that “we do not respond to correspondence through the media.” But Reclamation officials are tracking other questions the Star has asked about the negotiations, “and will respond when they are able,” Schwartz said.
‘It’s time to pay up’
Ferris has for years criticized her former agency and the CAP management for what she felt was a lack of aggressiveness in protecting the Colorado from depletion. But last week, she praised Buschatzke and Cooke for what she called their candid comments.
“It feels to me like everybody’s just flummoxed. Nobody’s been able to get anybody to do anything. I’m impressed that Tom and Ted were as outspoken as they were,” said Ferris, now a senior research fellow at ASU’s Kyl Center for Water Policy. “They’re obviously upset.
“Arizona can’t take this whole thing, the whole burden of conservation. We can’t have the CAP dried up — we just can’t.”
But longtime Arizona environmental activist Robin Silver took a more jaded view of Arizona’s stance. While agreeing that California needs to take more of the water cuts, he noted that Arizona knew back in 1968 that the water would run short, and it agreed to the deal with California giving CAP lower priority for it.
“Now, they want to go back on the deal, when it’s time to pay up. They want the feds to come in and negate their agreement,” said Silver, who works for the Tucson-based Center for Biological Diversity. “The CAP was not sustainable from the very beginning. We should have provided some provision so we wouldn’t strap our kids where we’re leaving them now.”
But ASU’s Porter said the politicians who accepted CAP’s junior priority status didn’t foresee the permanent changes in the Colorado River’s hydrology that were triggered by human-caused warming.
The argument CAP is making is that “we’re dealing with conditions that no one saw coming, so the junior priority shouldn’t apply,” said Porter, director of the Kyl Center for Water Policy.
For Star subscribers: But U.S. officials held off Tuesday on any larger, longer-term cuts in Colorado River water deliveries in the West — which they've said are necessary. Some water officials and environmentalists criticized that lack of immediate action as "punting" and "extraordinarily discouraging."
For Star subscribers: Although officials describe the situation as "fluid" with discussions likely continuing to the last minute, it appears the Upper and Lower Basin states remain far apart on what their relative cuts in water use should be. Here's the latest on the negotiations.
For Star subscribers: Fourteen tribal governments, including eight in Arizona, say the U.S. has wrongly left them out of negotiations over major future cuts of Colorado River water use.
Contact Tony Davis at 520-349-0350 or tdavis@tucson.com. Follow Davis on Twitter@tonydavis987. | https://tucson.com/news/local/subscriber/squabbling-arizona-california-hold-key-to-colorado-rivers-future/article_df83de94-1dbd-11ed-8337-5f30fb27d496.html | 2022-08-21T00:08:47 | 1 | https://tucson.com/news/local/subscriber/squabbling-arizona-california-hold-key-to-colorado-rivers-future/article_df83de94-1dbd-11ed-8337-5f30fb27d496.html |
PALM HARBOR, Fla. — Two people on a motorcycle died due to a car crash in Palm Harbor at 11:20 a.m. Saturday, Florida Highway Patrol said in a news release.
A 66-year-old man was driving a motorcycle with a 62-tear-old woman as a passenger and the pair were heading southbound on U.S.-19 approaching Eagle Chase Boulevard in the left lane, troopers say.
Traffic ahead of the two people on the motorcycle reportedly began to slow down when the man lost control and crashed into another motorcycle that also contained two people heading in the same direction.
Authorities say the collision caused the two motorcycles to head into the middle lane, overturn and then crash into a pickup truck also driving in the same direction with a trailer attached.
FHP says the 66-year-old man died at the scene of the crash and the 62-year-old woman was later pronounced dead after being airlifted to a nearby hospital.
The two people on the other motorcycle involved in the crash reportedly suffered serious injuries. | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/pinellascounty/2-people-dead-palm-harbor-car-crash/67-998a3502-dbf2-4750-b49d-028ff1024d4c | 2022-08-21T00:10:54 | 0 | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/pinellascounty/2-people-dead-palm-harbor-car-crash/67-998a3502-dbf2-4750-b49d-028ff1024d4c |
An F/A-18 Super Hornet from the U.S. Navy’s Strike Fighter Squadron 106 streaks over the Ohio River during a 2019 airshow in Kentucky. Similar planes will soar over the beach this week in Atlantic City.
Dale Greer, provided
The U.S. Air Force precision team, the Thunderbirds, returns to Atlantic City this week as part of the 2022 Meet AC Atlantic City Airshow. The pilots, flying F-16s, will complete a series of intricate, high-speed moves and formations sure to delight the crowds on the city's beaches.
Meet AC Atlantic City Airshow, provided
The Golden Knights, the U.S. Army parachute team, will once again kick off the Atlantic City Airshow when they jump and land on the city's beach as part of their demonstration.
Meet AC Atlantic City Airshow, provided
Pilot Paul Dougherty will bring his aerial act of torque rolls, tail slides and tumbles to Atlantic City. Dougherty, an airshow veteran since 1998, flies a 230 horsepower Christen Eagle or a 1930 Great Lakes biplane.
GLENN I. RIEGEL, provided
Pilot Chris Thomas flies a 1941 North American SNJ-2, used as a trainer by the U.S. Navy and Marines during World War II and the Korean War.
ATLANTIC CITY — The 2022 Meet AC Atlantic City Airshow is ready to soar Wednesday, drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors from around the country and creating a substantial impact on the local economy.
“While the exact economic impacts are not determinable, it is clear to anyone that attends the event that the number of attendees is substantial," said Richard C. Perniciaro, an analyst who conducted a study with the Greater Atlantic City Chamber looking at the impact of the 2019 airshow.
The airshow brings nearly a half-million people into the resort every year and has a solid history of attracting new visitors. According to Perniciaro, of the 500,000 people who attended the show in 2019, almost 175,000 were newer visitors, people who most likely would've not visited the region if not for the show.
The chamber projects this year's show will draw about 400,000, and the chamber's president, Michael Chait, said he expects the economic impact to be substantial.
ATLANTIC CITY — Officials are ordering drones, kites and parasails to stay grounded within a…
Local stakeholders range from law enforcement and public safety departments to vendors, veterans groups and locals businesses, all donating time and effort to make the event an annual summer highlight.
Several area casinos, including Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City, Ocean Casino Resort, Resorts Casino Hotel, Bally's Atlantic City and Harrah's Resort Atlantic City, have partnered with officials for the show and set aside rooms for the more than 200 performers.
"A lot of the organizers for these airshows rely on ticket and concession sales," Chait said. "But for us, we make sure we have great partnerships with area businesses because we want people to come into the city not only for the show, but we want them to come and enjoy the city."
Having a strong relationship with local partners was key in January, when longtime sponsor GEICO dropped its sponsorship.
The insurance company left the show in jeopardy of being canceled, Chait said, until Meet AC, Atlantic City's convention and visitors bureau, stepped up to provide sponsorship.
"We're very thankful to Larry Sieg and the great people at Meet AC because without them, the show was probably not going to happen," Chait said.
CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE — Cape Regional Medical Center will receive almost $1 million from the …
Chait plays a major role in the planning, execution and management of the show. Each show requires two years of advance planning, he said.
"While this one is getting ready to happen, we've already started planning next year's one," Chait said.
But there are other stakeholders who make the show possible.
The Atlantic City Police Department, EMS and Fire Department head up public safety, while Pennsylvania-based David Schultz Airshows directs the event and is responsible for getting the planes in the air.
The South Jersey Transportation Authority provides logistical support and has about 50 trucks on the beach and Boardwalk during the event.
The airshow's theme is "A Salute to Those Who Serve." The event will feature more than a dozen veterans resource organizations spread out on the Boardwalk between Bellevue and Florida avenues to provide attendees the opportunity to discuss services, support and jobs with representatives.
ATLANTIC CITY — What is likely the East Coast’s most famous summer airshow will return Aug. …
The airshow is free to view for spectators. At 11 a.m. Wednesday, the airspace will be cleared for the first act, the U.S. Army Golden Knights, who will kick things off at 11:30 a.m. with their flag jump during the playing of the national anthem.
Several acts including Jim Beasley's P-51 Mustang, Dougherty Airshows, the U.S. Navy's F-18 Super Hornet East Coast Demo Team, Full Throttle Formation Team and Chris Thomas Airshows will perform throughout the day, and the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds will cap off the event with a performance at 3:30 p.m.
For those unable to attend, commentary can be heard on WPG Talk Radio 95.5 FM and 1450 AM. Performers also will be practicing their routines for the show Tuesday.
The Atlantic City Airshow will return to the skies Wednesday. If you are going to be in the resort for the show, here are five essential items to bring to make your experience an enjoyable one.
1. Sunglasses
The airshow will feature several acts that will soar as high as 15,000 feet into the clear blue sky. If you want to keep track of where they are, you are going to spend a lot of time looking up. Therefore, sunglasses should be at the top of your list of things to bring.
2. Snacks and drinks
About 400,000 people are expected to attend the airshow, according to Meet AC. Be sure to pack a cooler full of drinks and snacks because since the show is free to view on the beach, it is going to be filled with people, and you don't want to lose your viewing spot during the show because you forgot to eat lunch.
3. Portable radio
WPG Talk Radio 95.5 FM and 1450 AM will be broadcasting the event with announcers who will describe each aircraft as they come out to perform. If you are unsure which aircraft is performing or want to know a little bit more about each one, be sure to bring a radio or another way to hear the broadcast.
4. Cameras
If you are looking to capture all of the acts as they roar by you, make sure you don't leave the camera behind because you'll definitely have some cool photos to look back on in the future.
(It's worth noting modern smartphones can perform the services of Items 3 and 4 dutifully.)
5. Light clothing
The show begins at 11 a.m. and is expected to wrap up about 5 p.m., meaning that if you are taking the show in from the beach, you are going to spend a lot of time in the hot sun. Meet AC recommends you wear light clothing so your experience is a comfortable one.
The 2022 Atlantic City Airshow is free for the public to watch on the resort's beaches and Boardwalk.
There are quite a few premium spots throughout the city. Here are three of them.
1. Bally's Beach Bar
Located on the beach adjacent to Bally's Atlantic City, Meet AC, the sponsor of the airshow, will be hosting a viewing party so you can take in the show right on the beach while enjoying your favorite summer cocktails and barbecue.
The Vue Rooftop Bar at 123 S. Indiana Ave. provides one of the best places to view the airshow. You can enjoy the event from 23 stories high above the Claridge Hotel and get a 360-degree view of the Atlantic Ocean and the entire city.
The Vue will be hosting a ticketed event for the show. A ticket gets you access to the venue and outdoor decks as well as an all-you-can-eat lunch buffet served from noon to 2 p.m. Seating is available but on a first come, first served basis. Tickets are $119 for adults and $59 for children 10 and under and can be reserved at eventbrite.com.
3. Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall
Boardwalk Hall will host a VIP watch party that features one of the best spots to enjoy the show. Each ticket will include a view from the hall's private outdoor loggia overlooking the Boardwalk, lunch with complimentary Coca-Cola products and water, access to private restrooms reserved only for ticket holders and a parking spot. Tickets are $135 and can be purchased at boardwalkhall.com.
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An F/A-18 Super Hornet from the U.S. Navy’s Strike Fighter Squadron 106 streaks over the Ohio River during a 2019 airshow in Kentucky. Similar planes will soar over the beach this week in Atlantic City.
The U.S. Air Force precision team, the Thunderbirds, returns to Atlantic City this week as part of the 2022 Meet AC Atlantic City Airshow. The pilots, flying F-16s, will complete a series of intricate, high-speed moves and formations sure to delight the crowds on the city's beaches.
The Golden Knights, the U.S. Army parachute team, will once again kick off the Atlantic City Airshow when they jump and land on the city's beach as part of their demonstration.
Pilot Paul Dougherty will bring his aerial act of torque rolls, tail slides and tumbles to Atlantic City. Dougherty, an airshow veteran since 1998, flies a 230 horsepower Christen Eagle or a 1930 Great Lakes biplane. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/atlantic-city-airshow-expected-to-have-major-impact-on-local-economy/article_2d8ab024-1f38-11ed-bf5d-4be667848301.html | 2022-08-21T00:15:03 | 1 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/atlantic-city-airshow-expected-to-have-major-impact-on-local-economy/article_2d8ab024-1f38-11ed-bf5d-4be667848301.html |
ATLANTA — For 21 days, Jannette Jackson has searched for her 24-year-old daughter, Allahnia Lenoir. The young woman was last seen walking into an apartment complex along the1600 block of Peachtree Street in northeast Atlanta on July 30. Her family said she was there with a friend to see two other people but never returned.
"As a mother, that's something that I want to make sure I'm doing the right thing to bring my daughter back home," Jannette Jackson said.
Jackson was in Piedmont Park Saturday with friends and family to hand out fliers. She hopes the increased attention will help someone come forward with information about her daughter.
"I wanted to come out because the community this is a nearby community where young people come. They come to anything that's going on," she said.
Jackson has turned to public events recently, after initially searching around the complex where Allahnia was last seen. She said the last time she was with Allahnia was when she left their home in Douglasville.
Last week, the family hired a private investigator to help with the search. It's their latest effort to help find her, including starting an Instagram page and handing out fliers.
Jackson said she's worried about the outcome and she's expanded her mission to make sure no other family goes through what she's experiencing.
Allahnia stands at 5 feet and 4 inches tall and weighs around 120 pounds, according to police. She has brown hair and brown eyes and was last seen wearing a blue shirt, blue shorts and cream-colored shoes.
If anyone has information regarding her whereabouts, police ask to please contact 911 or 404-546-4235. | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/missing-in-georgia/missing-allahnia-lenoir-search-fliers-piedmont-park-atlanta/85-b8210dfb-867b-4a60-88f8-5af8175099e9 | 2022-08-21T00:15:06 | 1 | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/missing-in-georgia/missing-allahnia-lenoir-search-fliers-piedmont-park-atlanta/85-b8210dfb-867b-4a60-88f8-5af8175099e9 |
On Saturday in Pleasantville, the 10th Annual Lebanese Festival was held with food, dancing, hookahs, and games. Groups were enjoying dancing the Dabke.
MATTHEW STRABUK FOR THE PRESS
On Saturday in Pleasantville, the 10th Annual Lebanese Festival was held with food, dancing, hookahs, and games. Pleasantville residents (l-r) Katherine Peralta, Tina Nammour, Margueyy Nammour, Renee Dababneh, and Selena Nammour.
MATTHEW STRABUK FOR THE PRESS
On Saturday in Pleasantville, the 10th Annual Lebanese Festival was held with food, dancing, hookahs, and games. (l-r) Eshaq Nammour and George Nammour, both from Pleasantville, placing Lebanese flags and other decorations around the event.
MATTHEW STRABUK FOR THE PRESS
On Saturday in Pleasantville, the 10th Annual Lebanese Festival was held with food, dancing, hookahs, and games. (center) Tim Yusef, 10, playing a game where you select capsules from a bin, hoping that are prizes written on a tiny scrap of paper on the inside.
MATTHEW STRABUK FOR THE PRESS
On Saturday in Pleasantville, the 10th Annual Lebanese Festival was held with food, dancing, hookahs, and games. Fadi Kkaram of Linwood cooks up a delicious dish of Saj.
PLEASANTVILLE — A chance to experience traditional Middle Eastern culture, music, dance and a good time brought hundreds of people to the 10th Lebanese Festival this weekend at Our Lady Star of the East Church.
The festival not only benefits the church by raising funds, but also benefits the community by allowing people to learn more about Lebanese culture during this year's three day festival.
Sammy Nammour, the chairperson for Our Lady Star of the East, said the church is a Lebanese Maronite Christian church his family started 11 years ago. There aren't many Maronite Christian families in Pleasantville, but the church quickly became popular for many Lebanese Christians because it's the only one in the area.
"We really look forward to serving people from the community something different," said Nammour.
This would be Our Lady Star of the East's 11th year putting on the festival, if it weren't for the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 bringing everything to a halt.
But the parishioners look forward to putting their "blood, sweat and tears," as Nammour said, into volunteering their time each year to share their culture with the community, while also fundraising for the church.
ATLANTIC CITY — ZaiQim Wilson recently graduated from the Ideal Institute of Technology in P…
"We all work together to make it happen," said Tina Nammour, 21, another of the many Nammour family members who volunteer for and attend the Lebanese Festival annually.
Parishioners who helped out during the event included the owners of the Cedar Food Markets in Atlantic City and the surrounding area, the Sandwich Stop Deli and Grocery, and Kaminsky Bread Distributor.
Selena Nammour, 16, Tina and Sammy's cousin, said anybody who comes to the Lebanese Festival becomes part of their "one big family."
Selena said it's "the little things" that make Lebanese culture great.
"Lebanese culture is very welcoming, entertaining, family-oriented and enjoy everyone's company," she said.
"But the food is the best part. The food is the bomb," added Tina Nammour.
ATLANTIC CITY — City Council narrowly introduced an ordinance to fine gas stations and stora…
Happy parishioners waved in curious attendees who were interested in trying some of the traditional Lebanese dishes at the festival.
There were shish kebabs, chicken shawarma, stuffed grape leaves and manakish with za'atar, which is a Lebanese flatbread loaded with an oil-based seasoning that has sumac, sesame seeds and thyme.
"There's a lot of nice things to learn about the culture," Selena Nammour said.
Women could be seen wearing traditional Lebanese belly dancing hip scarves with tassels, since belly dancing originated in the Middle East. The scarves jingled around as festivalgoers lined up to perform the Lebanese dabke folk dance. A dabke dance team also is performing each festival day.
Some older people at the festival could be seen sitting in the shade smoking hookah, or nargile. Kids could be seen running around laughing, jumping around in the bounce house or playing the Lebanese pill game. By sticking their hand in a giant container filled with hundreds of little blue capsules, kids had the chance to win star-shaped sunglasses, toys, Apple products and other random prizes.
"It allows the community to step out and explore different cultures," Tina Nammour said.
PHOENIX — A former Pleasantville woman was sentenced to consecutive life sentences Friday fo…
Tina said she was pleasantly "shocked" to see how many people were willing to step out of their comfort zone this weekend.
"Many people that come are from outside of the church," said Sammy Nammour. "I'd say 30% of people that come are parishioners of the church, but 70% of people come from outside of the church."
Sammy Nammour said members of the Lebanese community and locals weren't the only people to come out to the festival. People from other parishes also attend the festival, some from as far away as Ohio.
Helana Girgis said coming to the Lebanese Festival was "a lovely way to spend a Saturday afternoon." Girgis, 48, came with her friend who was visiting from North Carolina.
She said she's been to Greece once but never a Lebanese festival, so the two decided to check it out Saturday.
PLEASANTVILLE — Drugs and two firearms were taken off the streets Friday following the arres…
"It's perfect," said Girgis, noting the people were lovely and nice, which made the festival feel like a safe space.
Girgis said she would like to see more events like the Lebanese Festival in the area.
"It brings a sense of community," said Girgis. "It helps different people come together cross-culturally by being able to connect with people you normally wouldn't for a celebration of life."
The festival continues from 1 to 10 p.m. Sunday.
"It only happens once a year, so it's a great time," said Tina Nammour.
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On Saturday in Pleasantville, the 10th Annual Lebanese Festival was held with food, dancing, hookahs, and games. Groups were enjoying dancing the Dabke.
On Saturday in Pleasantville, the 10th Annual Lebanese Festival was held with food, dancing, hookahs, and games. Pleasantville residents (l-r) Katherine Peralta, Tina Nammour, Margueyy Nammour, Renee Dababneh, and Selena Nammour.
On Saturday in Pleasantville, the 10th Annual Lebanese Festival was held with food, dancing, hookahs, and games. (l-r) Eshaq Nammour and George Nammour, both from Pleasantville, placing Lebanese flags and other decorations around the event.
On Saturday in Pleasantville, the 10th Annual Lebanese Festival was held with food, dancing, hookahs, and games. (center) Tim Yusef, 10, playing a game where you select capsules from a bin, hoping that are prizes written on a tiny scrap of paper on the inside.
On Saturday in Pleasantville, the 10th Annual Lebanese Festival was held with food, dancing, hookahs, and games. Fadi Kkaram of Linwood cooks up a delicious dish of Saj. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/pleasantville-church-hosts-10th-annual-lebanese-festival/article_c4fd9d58-20bf-11ed-ac30-2f56beeaeb1a.html | 2022-08-21T00:15:09 | 1 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/pleasantville-church-hosts-10th-annual-lebanese-festival/article_c4fd9d58-20bf-11ed-ac30-2f56beeaeb1a.html |
An amateur boxing tournament will be held next week in Mays Landing.
Battle to Be a Legend Tournament, which will provide local boxers an opportunity to showcase their skills and compete for titles in various weight classes, is set for 5:30 p.m. Aug. 28 at Festival Mall on the Black Horse Pike.
Mays Landing gym Legends Fitness & Boxing will host the new event, which is sanctioned by USA Boxing. Doors will open at 4 p.m. and the first bout will be at 5:30.
“If you have the fire in your belly to be a champion, the Battle to Be a Legend tournament is the perfect opportunity to prove you have what it takes,” Legends Fitness & Boxing Chief Executive Officer David Boateng said in a release.
“This tournament will provide many young boxers with their first chance to fight in a pro-style ring in front of a crowd. They’ll get to show off their skills and athleticism while gaining experience and self-confidence in an environment where sportsmanship and discipline are stressed.”
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Amateur boxers who wish to compete in the tournament are asked to call 609-222-0521 and submit their name, age, weight and record. Weigh-ins will take place at 4 p.m. the day of the event.
Tickets are $40 for general admission and VIP passes are $50. Children 10 years old and under are $20. Tickets can be purchased at legends-fitness.com/boxingbattle. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/sports/local/battle-to-be-a-legend-boxing-tourney-takes-place-next-sunday/article_17e1016e-20ab-11ed-9b74-278b4fe16c0b.html | 2022-08-21T00:15:15 | 1 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/sports/local/battle-to-be-a-legend-boxing-tourney-takes-place-next-sunday/article_17e1016e-20ab-11ed-9b74-278b4fe16c0b.html |
BRISTOL -- "Leave No Child Inside: Summer's Last Fling!" will be held on Saturday, Aug. 27, at the Pringle Nature Center.
The free event will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the center, 9800 160th Ave., in Bristol.
Those attending can enjoy the last of summer with free, self-guided, family-friendly nature activities at the ceter. Nature activities will be posted at the front door of the building.
No registration is required; come and leave as you like. Visit www.pringlenc.org/events for more upcoming events.
6 surprising facts about bees
1. Bees like to 'waggle dance'
Bees can communicate and make decisions by dancing.
When a honeybee scouts out and inspects a new nest it uses a waggle dance to advertise and debate its merits. The better the site, the longer and harder the bee dances. If another bee bumps into a dancing bee, she will go off to inspect the site and if she likes it, she, too, will waggle.
Eventually, the dynamics of the waggle dancing causes about 20 to 30 bees to agree on the best nest site, and they communicate their decision to the rest of the swarm by making high-pitched sounds and by buzzing their wings among the other bees.
Photo by Martin Schutt/picture alliance via Getty Images
2. Bees can use tools
Honeybees in Vietnam and other parts of Asia are threatened by predatory species of giant hornet that attack bee colonies, killing the adults defending the nest and preying on the young bees. In particular, the voracious hornet species Vespa soror is capable of obliterating the hive within hours.
To ward off such attacks, the bees have been observed collecting fresh animal feces and smearing it around the entrance to their hive. The researchers, who published their findings last year, call it "fecal spotting." The study team believe the poop repels the predatory hornets (which are similar to murder hornets) from the nest by reducing time hornets spend attempting to breach the nest.
"Fecal spotting stands out as extraordinary for several reasons. It marks the first report of honey bees of any species foraging for materials that are not derived from plants or water-based fluids. It is also the first clear-cut example of honey bees using a tool in nature," the study said.
Honeybees also signal an imminent attack by making a chilling warning noise.
Photo by Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images
3. Bee poop nearly caused a Cold War confrontation
In the 1980s, "yellow rain" -- tiny splotches of yellow found on jungle foliage in Laos and Cambodia -- were thought to be the residue of chemical weapons. Refugees said that the yellow rain caused illness and death. The allegations prompted the United States to accuse what was then the Soviet Union and its allies of chemical warfare.
Bee experts later found that the yellow dots were excretions by massive swarms of wild honeybees.
AP file
4. Bumblebees get hangry
Plants produce dazzling flowers laden with nectar to attract pollinators but what's an impatient, hungry bumblebee to do when those flowers haven't yet bloomed?
When pollen is scarce, bumblebees damaged tomato and mustard plant leaves in a unique way that resulted in the plant flowering up to 30 days earlier than unnibbled plants, scientists in Switzerland and France found.
For bees, the pollen is a protein source they need to raise their young.
However, warmer temperatures as a result of the climate crisis means that bees are waking up earlier after hibernating for the winter to find the flowers they need for food haven't yet bloomed. Flowering time, which relies on exposure to light, is less affected by climate change. This creates a mismatch that can leaves bees short of food early in spring.
AP file
5. Humans have been exploiting honeybees for thousands of years
A cave painting in Spain thought to be 8,000 years old depicts a human gathering honey from a ladder. Traces of beeswax on pottery also suggest that early farmers kept bees 9,000 years ago. Honey has also been found in ancient Egyptian tombs.
Honey was likely a rare treat in a prehistoric diet that had few sweet foods, and it could have had medicinal uses. Beeswax could have been used to make pots waterproof or as a glue.
Today, honey may offer fresh hope in the fight against antibiotic resistance. It contains natural antibiotics to help the body battle infection. Scientists are working on ways to make the sticky substance easier to apply on wounds, and it could be used in surgery, war zones and our own homes.
AP file
6. Some bees eat meat
The vast majority of bees feed on pollen and nectar, but some species have evolved to feast on meat, substituting dead animal carcasses for flower meadows.
Vulture bees in Costa Rica have guts rich in acid-loving bacteria similar to those found in hyenas and other animals that feed on carrion, scientists at the University of California-Riverside, Columbia University and Cornell University discovered last year.
Their research involved setting up 16 traps baited with 50 grams (1.8 ounces) of raw chicken dangling from branches about 1.5 meters (4.9 feet) above the ground. Though vulture bees feed on flesh, their honey is still sweet and edible, the researchers said.
AP file
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Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. | https://www.kenoshanews.com/news/local/pringle-nature-center-plans-family-summer-fling-on-aug-27/article_0b048b7a-2090-11ed-937c-032e8688e040.html | 2022-08-21T00:18:42 | 1 | https://www.kenoshanews.com/news/local/pringle-nature-center-plans-family-summer-fling-on-aug-27/article_0b048b7a-2090-11ed-937c-032e8688e040.html |
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-fairgoers-flock-to-the-truck-and-tractor-pulls-and-stay-for-combine-demo/article_fbfbba3a-1fbe-11ed-9198-bb1b1a433e58.html | 2022-08-21T00:18:48 | 0 | https://www.kenoshanews.com/news/local/watch-now-fairgoers-flock-to-the-truck-and-tractor-pulls-and-stay-for-combine-demo/article_fbfbba3a-1fbe-11ed-9198-bb1b1a433e58.html |
A crowd of about 50 people, most dressed in purple, made their way down 52nd Street to the Wyndham Hotel with a police escort, chanting and shouting the name of Montreach Mitchell of Kenosha, a domestic violence victim, Saturday afternoon.
Family and friends organized the march in Montreach’s memory, and to raise awareness about domestic violence.
In late May, Montreach was reportedly shot to death in a hotel room by her boyfriend, Timmy Brooks. Brooks later turned himself in to the Milwaukee Police Department, reportedly admitting to police that he shot her in the back of the head after an argument.
Those attending Saturday’s event united in remembering her.
Starting from the Regimen Barber Collective, 1345 52nd St., the crowd was led by Montreach’s three daughters, the oldest not yet a teenager, carrying banner of Montreach, nicknamed “Woo.”
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Monisha Mitchell, Montreach’s younger sister, had come all the way from Arkansas for the event. She said her family has struggled recently.
“This is the third sibling I’ve had to bury,” Monisha said. She warned people that, when it came to domestic violence, “don’t just sit there.”
Phyllis Mitchell, Montreach’s mother and a Kenosha resident, said she hoped some change could come out of her daughter’s death. Phyllis also recently lost her grandson, Anderail Armstrong, to a different kind of violence, after he was murdered on July 4 during a mass shooting.
“I just want this violence to stop,” Phyllis said. “I want to let the public know this stuff is happening, I want this to make a difference.”
As the crowd made its way down 52nd Street, one attendee, a cousin of Montreach, talked about learning of her death.
“It was a painful thing,” said Precious Gooch. “Nobody should have to go through that.”
Montreach’s father, the Rev. Monroe Mitchell, said domestic violence is an issue that cuts across racial and social lines. He asked people to push beyond the stigma of feeling like a “snitch” when they saw domestic violence, encouraging them to “see something, say something.”
“This is something we need to stay aware of,” Monroe said. “We need to stay educated. This is something that affects the whole family.”
In front of the Wyndham hotel, other families of domestic violence victims and a domestic violence survivor spoke to the gathered crowd. Teanna Washington, a Kenosha resident and a domestic violence survivor, shared her story.
“I was scared to leave, I thought he was going to kill me,” Teanna said. “People always tell you to go, but it’s not that easy to leave. But you can do it. I’m here.”
Monisha thanked everyone for their support.
“It’s not always about money or donations,” Monisha said. “Sometimes it’s just showing the love and support that we would show others.” | https://www.kenoshanews.com/news/local/watch-now-memorial-march-held-downtown-for-domestic-violence-victim-montreach-mitchell-of-kenosha/article_87360456-20bf-11ed-8e54-cf7343097a4c.html | 2022-08-21T00:18:54 | 1 | https://www.kenoshanews.com/news/local/watch-now-memorial-march-held-downtown-for-domestic-violence-victim-montreach-mitchell-of-kenosha/article_87360456-20bf-11ed-8e54-cf7343097a4c.html |
WAVERLY — Former Vice President Mike Pence backed Iowa’s top Republican incumbents for re-election at a Bremer County GOP event Saturday.
He also touted the Trump-Pence administration’s purported accomplishments and criticized those of President Joe Biden.
"How times have changed, I hardly have to tell you, that today our country is almost unrecognizable compared to the days of security and prosperity of the Trump-Pence administration," he said.
After being at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines on Friday, he was in good spirits.
Pence was treated to hot dogs and hamburgers at the Waverly-Shell Rock Middle School cafeteria during the second annual “Summer Grill and Chill." During his keynote speech in front of some 150 people he threw in a few jokes.
"The good part about no longer being vice president is you get to drive your own car. The bad part is you get to pay for your own gas," he said.
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Pence was joined by Iowa House Speaker Pat Grassley of New Hartford and state Rep. Sandy Salmon of Janesville, Republicans who both are running campaigns in this year's election.
Charley Thomson, a House District 58 candidate, as well as a number of Bremer County supervisor candidates and other hopefuls were in attendance. Some of them also gave remarks about their campaigns and the state of politics.
"Charley touched on it with the Tenth Amendment issue and I want to camp on that issue today from the state of Iowa's perspective," Salmon said. "I consider the Biden administration to be basically an upgraded version of the Obama administration, and they pledged our nation deeper and deeper into what I would say is lawlessness."
Cub Scout Pack 90 posted and retired the colors. Pence told one of the young scouts during the informal meet and greet that his motto is "study hard, pray harder."
In total, Pence took about 15 minutes to engage in individual small-talk with a couple dozen attendees. He took photos and even signed a few autographs.
“Help is on the way” was Pence's primary message. It came with hope and optimism heading into the upcoming election.
“We’re going to win back the Congress, win back the Senate, win back state houses in 2022 and we’re gonna win back American in 2024,” Pence said.
Some 80 days before the Nov. 8 midterm, the former vice president's call for a change in government hinged on his belief that there is a border crisis, and inflation and gas prices have reached new heights while the overall economy has sunk.
But he buckled down on the “nearly three-quarters of a trillion dollars so-called Inflation Reduction Act that President Biden just signed into law.”
“I mean it’s remarkable to think that, in the midst of an advent of a recession, Democrats in Washington D.C. and President Biden actually raised taxes on job creators and businesses all across Iowa and all across America. I mean Democrats have literally poured gasoline on a raging fire that’s burning down the American economy,” he said.
Pence endorsed the campaigns of Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds and Sen. Chuck Grassley. Additionally, he emphasized his support for Republican Congresswoman Ashley Hinson in the effort to make sure “Nancy Pelosi is never again speaker of the United States House of Representatives.”
He leaned on “encouraging” signs that “the GOP is on a roll” – such as, in his first year since leaving office, a Republican governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general were elected in the blue state of Virginia.
“If you need a little more encouragement, I know you all heard about this, in New Jersey, the Democrat leader of the state Senate lost re-election to a truck driver who raised $150 for his campaign and spent half of it at Dunkin’ Donuts,” Pence said.
Despite Republicans not controlling the House of Representatives, Senate and presidency, he held high “his small part” in bringing a new majority to the Supreme Court, which sent “Roe v. Wade to the ash heap of history where it belongs.”
Among his messages, Pence asked for the reform of adoption laws and the protection of religious liberties, freedom of speech, women’s sports, and the right to keep and bear arms
He also advocated for making the Trump-Pence tax cuts permanent and to ending the “war on energy.”
A familiar message was his commitment to finishing the wall on Mexico’s border, and “ending asylum abuse once and for all.”
“The truth is we have an unprecedented opportunity in this year to lay a foundation for American renewal,” Pence said.
Larry Voss of Tripoli attended the event with his wife, Yvonne, to hear from the Republican speakers and get a better sense of what the future might bring "because who knows what's going to happen these next few years."
He speculated Pence might be thinking about a run for the presidency in 2024.
"I think people are looking forward to the next election, no matter which side you're on," he said. "A lot of things have happened recently, good and bad, and I'm seeing a lot of things that will motivate people."
Rich Dane, of Waverly, was interested in hearing the thoughts of the former vice president on what is happening in Washington D.C.
"I think he did a great job as vice president," he said. "Is he thinking about a run in 2024? I want to know why he thinks we should support him."
Charlie Albright, of Readlyn, said he was hopeful more people would have turned out, but felt all the information "was awesome because it will spread by word of mouth."
"There were a lot of true statements said today," he said. "These people are sticking out their necks for us."
Marva Schuldt, of Readlyn, said Pence's words gave her some hope because of his vision for how to "get back to where we were."
"But I don't know if we'll survive another two years," she said. "Nobody fears Biden. He has no backbone. He's a puppet with no authority." | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/watch-now-pence-visits-waverly-backs-top-republicans-expresses-optimism-that-help-is-on-the/article_d77aceec-921c-55d2-8006-a9b616d8f2aa.html | 2022-08-21T00:42:17 | 0 | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/watch-now-pence-visits-waverly-backs-top-republicans-expresses-optimism-that-help-is-on-the/article_d77aceec-921c-55d2-8006-a9b616d8f2aa.html |
A crowd watches the fun tractor pull during the 57th annual Old Time Power Show at Antique Acres on Friday in Cedar Falls.
CHRIS ZOELLER Courier Staff Photographer
Steam tractors are run at the 57th annual Old Time Power Show at Antique Acres on Friday in Cedar Falls.
CHRIS ZOELLER Courier Staff Photographer
A man uses his Allis Chalmers tractor to pull the sled in the fun tractor pull during the 57th annual Old Time Power Show at Antique Acres on Friday in Cedar Falls.
CHRIS ZOELLER Courier Staff Photographer
Visitors watch the fun tractor pull during the 57th annual Old Time Power Show at Antique Acres on Friday in Cedar Falls.
CHRIS ZOELLER Courier Staff Photographer
A storm approaches during the 57th annual Old Time Power Show at Antique Acres on Friday in Cedar Falls.
CHRIS ZOELLER Courier Staff Photographer
A family rides in a steam powered tractor during the 57th annual Old Time Power Show at Antique Acres on Friday in Cedar Falls.
CHRIS ZOELLER Courier Staff Photographer
A family rides on a tractor during the 57th annual Old Time Power Show at Antique Acres on Friday in Cedar Falls.
CHRIS ZOELLER Courier Staff Photographer
Visitors watch the fun tractor pull during the 57th annual Old Time Power Show at Antique Acres on Friday in Cedar Falls.
CEDAR FALLS — Tractors of all shapes and sizes are filling Antique Acres for the 57th annual Old Time Power Show this weekend.
The three-day event features plenty to do and see during the day and a Parade of Power and tractor pulls to highlight the evenings.
Demonstrations throughout the day include the sawmill operation, blacksmithing, butter churning in the museum, and steam engine-powered tractors running threshing machines and plowing in the tractor field.
Red Allis-Chalmers tractors line the pathways throughout the complex as exhibitors display their antique models for this year's featured tractor manufacturer.
Each day features a Parade of Power, showcasing everything from vintage garden tractors to large steam engines.
Friday night's fun tractor pull allowed anyone to have a crack at the tractor pull sled with their vintage tractors.
Saturday's Night Of Diesel featured a little more muscle with stock and modified tractors and diesel trucks pulling the sled in front of the crowd.
When the weather permits, a steam engine spark show caps off the evening as a steamer races down the darkened track with wood fire embers billowing out of its smokestack.
The event continues Sunday at Antique Acres, 7610 Waverly Road, which is 4-1/2 miles north of Cedar Falls. For ticket information and other details, go online to antiqueacres.org.
In a recent survey of members, Charles Blair-Broeker, a club spokesperson, said the number one priority was beginning the process to increase the number of courts.
A man uses his Allis Chalmers tractor to pull the sled in the fun tractor pull during the 57th annual Old Time Power Show at Antique Acres on Friday in Cedar Falls.
A variety of Allis-Chalmers tractor models are on display as the featured tractor of the 57th annual Old Time Power Show at Antique Acres on Friday in Cedar Falls. | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/vintage-power-on-display-at-annual-old-time-power-show/article_e7a353aa-0849-5333-a613-484752815df4.html | 2022-08-21T00:42:23 | 1 | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/vintage-power-on-display-at-annual-old-time-power-show/article_e7a353aa-0849-5333-a613-484752815df4.html |
A Dallas clinic is meeting the demand for monkeypox vaccines as cases continue to climb in Texas and nationwide.
As of this week, the Texas Department of State Health Services reported 1,119 confirmed cases of monkeypox in Texas. Dallas County has 389 confirmed cases, as of Friday.
At the H.O.P.E. Health Center in Dallas, Tamara Stepheny said there has been a steady demand for the vaccine. Over the last two weeks, they have administered at least 500 vaccine doses. Nearly 100 were signed up for the vaccine at their clinic on Saturday.
MONKEYPOX
Stepheny is the COO of Abounding Prosperity, Inc., which operates the wellness center.
“Initially, we were not able to meet the demands because of the shortage of vaccinations. After the change in the dosage and administration, now we’re able to meet that. So, now I’m excited to be able to provide to everybody that wants the vaccine,” she said. “Monkeypox can affect anyone. There are cases among CIS gender women, heterosexual men, and children in fact now.”
Waylan Keim was in Dallas on Saturday for a concert and said he has had trouble finding vaccine availability in Austin, where he lives.
“We’ve called the city of Austin public health, we’ve called them like three times. We received a call from them but after that, it just went quiet. We haven’t had luck with that,” Keim said.
As of Aug. 10, DSHS has begun shipping an additional 16,340 vials of the JYNNEOS monkeypox vaccine to local health departments and DSHS public health regions. The distribution is based on the number of people currently at the greatest risk of being exposed to the monkeypox virus.
To determine eligibility and make an appointment to receive the vaccine at Abounding Prosperity Inc.'s HOPE Health and Wellness Center, visit the Monkeypox Vaccine Eligibility Pre-Screener. | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/dallas-nonprofit-meeting-monkeypox-vaccine-demand/3053292/ | 2022-08-21T00:49:12 | 1 | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/dallas-nonprofit-meeting-monkeypox-vaccine-demand/3053292/ |
Chin Shin, who everyone knew as Jin, was shot early Monday morning in Fort Worth.
It happened after a traffic accident led to an argument and eventually, gunfire at the intersection of the southbound lanes of South University Drive and Interstate 30.
“It’s been a roller coaster for everybody, going through this in the last several days, but it’s been a very powerful experience to see what he has built in terms of community,” said friend Conrad Alagaban.
Shin's sister and close friends spoke highly of him and his business, Family Karaoke, where they also credited his singing talents.
“He loved karaoke, he loved singing. In fact, if you couldn’t figure out what to do on a particular night that he’s available, his first suggestion is to go karaoke,” said longtime friend Jack Chang.
Shin's family moved from South Korea and planted roots in Dallas when he was young.
Shin was known for his acts of kindness, donating money to the shooting victims of the Korean-owned hair salon, Hair World.
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He also worked tirelessly helping other businesses, his community, and especially his family during the height of the pandemic.
“I am an ICU nurse, and I remember he was really concerned about me. He gathered a bunch of people including my mom, and they all made masks and he brought it all up to the hospital," said younger sister Kerri Shin Mejia. "Those are the kinds of things he does. He didn’t tell me he was doing it. He just showed that he loved me."
She is still in shock at how an argument after an accident escalated to violence.
“This should never happen to anyone. A fender bender should never turn into this. I believe the detectives are going to do what they need to do and I know the truth is going to come out,” said Shin Mejia.
At this time, Fort Worth police have made no arrests, the department confirmed.
There are fundraising efforts to help his daughter and his family with funeral expenses.
https://www.gofundme.com/f/jin-shins-family-funeral-legal-fund | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/family-friends-call-for-justice-after-dallas-business-owner-killed/3053318/ | 2022-08-21T00:49:19 | 0 | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/family-friends-call-for-justice-after-dallas-business-owner-killed/3053318/ |
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The latest news from around North Texas. | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/out-of-city-residents-seeking-monkeypox-vaccines-in-dallas/3053320/ | 2022-08-21T00:49:25 | 1 | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/out-of-city-residents-seeking-monkeypox-vaccines-in-dallas/3053320/ |
Ariana Nez was arrested after she tried to sell $60 worth of meth in January of 2019.
She doesn’t deny the charge.
“I was deep in my addiction. I was just really lost,” Nez said.
She had been using meth since she was 13 years old. At the time of her arrest, she believed she was selling drugs to a friend.
“I knew it was bad," she said. "I knew what I was doing was wrong. I did it to help her out.”
Now Nez is preparing to face sentencing. Like a lot of defendants who have entered a guilty plea, she’s afraid to be incarcerated. For her, this won’t be the first time. What’s different is her mindset.
Nez has been sober for almost three years. She completed both the county inmate substance abuse program (Exodus) and the Guidance Center’s treatment for addiction. She said she’s now certified in peer support. She has a new baby, fiancé, home and job. Her heart is set on becoming a substance abuse counselor and support for runaway teens.
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Her goals have shifted, but she’s still staring down a sentence of two and half to three years behind bars-- a future that looks a lot like her past.
“With my oldest son, I had just turned 18 before I had him. I went to prison six months after he was born. That was due to my drug use also. Getting caught with paraphernalia. I’m not a drug dealer. I’m just an addict. It really hurt me when I went to prison because I had to sign my rights over to my mom. It crushed me,” Nez said. “The second time, I was in county. Three days after my second son was born, my mom picked him up from the hospital and I had to go back to county.”
She told her story between shaky breaths and tears, rocking her baby, Harmony, who is only a few weeks old. Harmony was wrapped in a plush pink and white baby blanket dotted with tropical flamingos.
“I just kept thinking, 'When is this going to end? When is this all going to stop for me?' This time around it just scares me, you know? I don’t want to be away anymore. I have a life that I want to live. I don’t want to be out on the streets anymore," she said. "I just want to be home with my family.”
She built her new family unit and reconnected with her mother and two older children in the time between entering her plea and getting her sentence. The period was longer than usual because of COVID-19, and Nez’s own experience getting sick.
Before Harmony was born, Nez was gripped by extreme morning sickness. She was also diagnosed with COVID. Nez had to get all of her nutrients and medication through an IV for 30 days. She spent much of December and February in the hospital and on bed rest. Her doctor recommended that she not be incarcerated until her baby was born.
Now her healthy daughter has arrived, but Nez knows their days together are numbered.
“I’m not close with my second son because my mom’s had him since he was born. I don’t want that to happen with her. I want her to know that I’m her mom,” She said. “I’m terrified of going back, because I might not have another sobriety date.”
Still, Nez has multiple arrests on her record. She submitted a guilty plea.
“Prosecution serves multiple purposes,” said county attorney Bill Ring. "We make consequences real for criminals so that deterrence has an effect. We protect the innocent public from a climate of crime. And we punish repeat offenders."
In cases like Nez’s, where dangerous drugs change hands locally, sentences can be stiff. That’s according to her attorney, criminal defense lawyer Lee Phillips.
“There’s always been a much harsher approach taken in local cases. Because there is direct harm, the drugs are sold on these streets,” he said.
According to Phillips, Nez was not screened for drug court or offered probation to remain close to her new support systems. He’s also concerned she might not retain her sobriety behind bars.
“Even with time clean, the worst thing you can do with someone like that is prosecute,” Phillips said.
The county attorney, speaking broadly (his office does not address cases that are still be adjudicated at any level), said while recovery for people fighting addiction is a goal for prosecutors, keeping dangerous substances away from Flagstaff is a priority.
“Addiction is a public health issue. We have a recovery court that is designed to treat addictions,” Ring said. “The objective is recovery. Recovery is a process with no guarantees. When recovery works, there is a benefit to the defendant and to society. When it does not work, there is a criminal consequence waiting.
"By contrast, the sale of dangerous and narcotic drugs is a public safety issue of high priority. Sellers are feeding addiction into the community and ruining peoples’ lives. Sellers are spreading misery for profit ... our objective is public safety.”
In a post-COVID world, there has been space for defendants to turn their lives around in the wake of delays.
Phillips said Nez’s case is not unique on that front. He recently defended another woman of color (Nez is Native American, and was born in Cameron) who also achieved sobriety in the time between her drug arrest and sentencing. Her recovery led a judge to prescribe a minimum sentence.
“As a general rule, delay makes a case harder for the prosecution," Ring said. “If a defendant is out of custody awaiting trial and decides to seek treatment, then we encourage that action. Success at treatment might be mitigation … but selling drugs to promote an addicted community is a public safety issue that requires punishment. Personal sobriety does not fix the misery -- the mess -- that the seller has already made.” | https://azdailysun.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/covid-sentencing-delays-offer-opportunity-for-defendants-challenge-for-prosecutors/article_2e933c3a-1f2d-11ed-971e-e3a214b02334.html | 2022-08-21T00:50:58 | 1 | https://azdailysun.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/covid-sentencing-delays-offer-opportunity-for-defendants-challenge-for-prosecutors/article_2e933c3a-1f2d-11ed-971e-e3a214b02334.html |
ROANOKE, Va. – We are just a few days away from the first day of school in Roanoke City.
A new event called Grades Over Guns pops up Saturday to help set students up for success.
Kicking off with music and dance performances, it’s the last hurrah for Roanoke City students before they head back to school.
Nearly a dozen vendors lined Eureka Park to offer savory and sweet treats.
But afterwards, children grinned when they got to pick out their own bookbag.
“It means the world to me,” Jason Hairston said.
Hairston created the Grades Over Guns event to pay homage to Eureka Park. But mainly help students in the area get ready for a successful start.
“When I was younger I remember coming to this center and this center does not get used as much as it should get used by the community,” he said.
With gun violence still on the rise, Hairston said he wants to remind the youth to focus on getting good grades.
“All the kids I come in contact with I just have love for them,” he said. “I want them to understand that the violence that goes on in the city is not something they have to be apart of.”
Organizations like RESET and FED UP came with one main message; put down the guns.
“The more we can instill in them at a younger age the better when they grow up and go through school they will understand the impact that gun violence does,” Rita Joyce, president of Fed Up, said. “Hopefully, just learn it at a younger age when their ears are tender that it will instill and stay with them.”
Hairston plans to host another gathering in January to help students prepare for the second semester. | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2022/08/20/grades-over-guns-hands-out-school-supplies-and-teaches-gun-prevention/ | 2022-08-21T00:59:35 | 0 | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2022/08/20/grades-over-guns-hands-out-school-supplies-and-teaches-gun-prevention/ |
AUSTIN, Texas — After a year of postponed and downsized weddings, couples are racing to the altar. Venues and vendors find themselves booked.
"We've increased by at least 30% on weddings," said Lynsey Reece, King Florist manager.
Some are struggling more than others. The flower industry is one that's had to navigate the high demand amid a flower shortage.
"A lot of farms during the pandemic reduced what they were planting," said Abigail Daigle, Stems Floral Design owner. "For reasons of just not a lot of demand in 2020, but also just not having the ability to work. And so now we're kind of seeing the repercussions."
The flower shortage means Daigle can't promise her brides a specific flower, meaning that sometimes they're forced to make substitutions.
"We're always really clear with our clients going into things that that's kind of always how it works with natural products," added Daigle. "I mean, even pre-pandemic, you can't always count on Mother Nature. So that's kind of always been a thing, but it's definitely worse with the pandemic."
Despite this, they manage. Daigle said 2022 is the best year her business has had in 18 years.
"We are having to turn a lot of people away because we're already booked," said Daigle. "We're booking way further out into 2023 and those types of things."
Now, all she can hope is things settle down soon, so her stock builds back up.
PEOPLE ARE ALSO READING: | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/flowers-shops-shortage-wedding-boom/269-fd43bcbf-2a64-41c7-8a2f-b3cd7c28f784 | 2022-08-21T01:10:55 | 0 | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/flowers-shops-shortage-wedding-boom/269-fd43bcbf-2a64-41c7-8a2f-b3cd7c28f784 |
Nick Thorp cooled off after cycling for nine hours on Saturday with a champagne shower and a cold glass of beer.
Consider it the spoils of victory.
Thorp was one of thousands of cyclists who rolled into Lincoln this weekend from across the world -- including people from 49 states, 17 countries and four continents -- to compete in the 13th annual Gravel Worlds, a biking race that took participants off the beaten path and onto the back roads surrounding Lincoln.
But the 30-year-old from Stillwater, Oklahoma, didn't just come to ride his bike 150 miles in one day. Thorp was doused in fizzing champagne and hoisted onto the shoulders of his friends by winning the weekend double, which combined times of his 150-mile bike ride Saturday with a 50-kilometer run -- yes, 31 miles off the bike -- on Friday.
"I developed a love of the dirt roads in college by running on them. And then when I moved back to Stillwater post-college, I started to bike on them," Thorp said. "I like to bike and I like to run and I like dirt roads. So all three of those things come together at Gravel Worlds."
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Founded in 2010, the Lincoln event hosted by the Pirate Cycling League continues to grow not only in participation numbers, but in the number of events.
If the 50K run or 150-mile bike ride over gravel wasn't enough for you, participants could sign up to compete in the Gravel Worlds Long Voyage, a 300-mile overnight cycling adventure.
Other rides covered 50 kilometers or 75 miles.
Event organizers this year set a goal to have 1,000 women participate.
Kristin Zarr was proud to be among that group, and the goal was one of the main reasons she decided to travel from Madison, Wisconsin, to race.
"It was really cool to see all different women and shapes of women. People have this image of what a cyclist should look like, and we all can do it no matter what we look like," Zarr said. "I thought it was just really uplifting and empowering to see."
Zarr travels across the country to compete in a variety of races every year or two, but she hopes to return to Lincoln for a future Gravel Worlds. Zarr was on the road for over eight hours on Saturday in navigating the 75-mile route that looped near Malcolm, Branched Oak Lake, Raymond, Valparaiso and Raymond Central High School before finishing in Fallbrook.
SchillingBridge Cork & Tap House in Fallbrook was the headquarters for the weekend event.
"The route was great," Zarr said. "It was really pretty, especially early in the morning with the rolling hills. They just went on forever."
At the end of his Friday-Saturday double, Thorp was tired and sore but excited for the rest of his weekend in Lincoln.
"I love Lincoln, and I'm really excited to explore the city a little bit more," he joked. "After my run Friday I did a lot more sleeping and limping than exploring." | https://journalstar.com/news/local/gravel-roads-near-lincoln-are-a-weekend-hot-spot-for-cyclists-from-around-the-world/article_69d88846-811a-5368-954f-ea1985e1b15d.html | 2022-08-21T01:17:10 | 0 | https://journalstar.com/news/local/gravel-roads-near-lincoln-are-a-weekend-hot-spot-for-cyclists-from-around-the-world/article_69d88846-811a-5368-954f-ea1985e1b15d.html |
GREENSBORO — With affordable housing in high demand, colleges across the Triad are responding to more requests from students to find their next home away from home.
N.C. A&T has found success in meeting that growing need by securing more off-campus housing around the university's perimeter in east Greensboro.
Brielle Canady, a junior at A&T, expressed relief as she held tight to the key to her new off-campus, furnished apartment. She was among the students who applied through the university for housing.
"I'm so glad I have a place," she said Tuesday as she prepared to unpack her car.
Her mom, Kisher Canady of Gastonia, was with her for the move and believes the burden of finding housing in this competitive market shouldn't be placed on students.
"This is perfect. For A&T to offer this is wonderful," Kisher Canady said. "We're thankful she was able to get into an apartment."
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Kim Cameron, executive director of the N.C. A&T Real Estate Foundation, said the foundation is a partner to the university and has been strategic about acquiring additional apartments for students.
Brielle Canady was among the nearly 1,800 students moving into five apartment communities managed by the foundation, which expects to close on two more apartment properties in September to add another 350 beds.
Cameron said A&T provides housing for almost 50% of its students, which is significantly higher than the national average of 35%. In addition to providing furnished apartments, the foundation also does not require year-long leases.
"It is a huge convenience," she said, noting that each apartment also has its own washer and dryer and each bedroom has its own bathroom.
Cameron said there are surveillance cameras at the properties and that the foundation plans to increase exterior lighting for additional security. Providing safe, affordable housing for students, she said, continues to be a priority.
"There is such a need to provide affordable housing for students at all colleges," not just in Greensboro, she said.
Looking ahead
Several other universities in the area say they are prepared to assist any students who request housing, but some schools are in a better position than others.
A spokeswoman for Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem said the private school has enough housing for students who want to live on campus.
"We have a three-year residency requirement and the majority of our students do live on campus," said Cheryl Walker, executive director of strategic communications at Wake Forest.
Wake Forest renovated two residence halls — Bostwick and Johnson — this year. At this time, the university does not have plans to build new residence halls.
"Wake Forest is committed to housing students who request to live on campus even after fulfilling the residency requirement," Walker said.
At UNCG, the university guarantees housing to all students who apply by the posted deadlines, according to Timothy Johnson, UNCG's executive director of Housing & Residence Life.
"In recent years when the freshmen class or number of transfer students admitted is larger than expected, housing is certainly impacted," Johnson said. "Likewise, if there is pressure on the off-campus housing market, students may also return to living on campus. We are fortunate to have ample housing options for students, so inventory is not an issue.
"If students apply after the deadlines, we start a waiting list and place students in temporary housing on campus and then reassign them to regular rooms as soon as they become available," Johnson said. "In some cases, we have provided premium housing to students who applied for a less expensive option and honored the lower price point."
UNCG housing rates range from $2,940.50 to $4,553.50 per semester. This fall, new students receive a $1,500 housing discount, Johnson said.
UNCG does not own any off-campus housing. However, between 2011 and 2021, UNCG completed a master housing plan to increase the number of beds on campus and also to diversify housing options.
Over that time, UNCG built seven new buildings, adding almost 1,500 beds. That plan also included major renovations to 11 older buildings (1,300 beds), including a complete rebuilding of the Historic Quad in 2012, Johnson said.
UNCG’s total housing capacity is now around 5,700 beds with a mix of options including traditional residence halls primarily for first-year students and suites and apartments for upperclassmen.
Some see increase in need
At Winston-Salem State University, the school has experienced an increase in students requesting on-campus housing, especially from male students, according to Shawn D. Odom, director of Housing & Residence Life.
"On-campus housing is very tight right now," Odom said. "We recently sent out a letter to inform our students that we have very limited housing accommodations due to an increase in demand for on-campus housing accommodations."
Odom believes that the reason for the increased demand for on-campus housing is due to increased enrollment, as well as the elevated cost of alternative off-campus housing.
"Housing & Residence Life works to assign our students based on the submission dates for their application," he said. "If a student is experiencing extenuating circumstances, we do our best to work with that student and provide them with available resources."
The university's housing accommodations are more economical than some off-campus alternative housing choices, Odom said. The university offers students a variety of housing options, which range from traditional housing to apartment-style housing.
WSSU currently leases one off-campus location for students called "The Flats @ WSSU," which was added to meet the increased demands for on-campus housing. "The Flats @ WSSU" is managed by Housing & Residence Life and students apply for their housing through the department, Odom said.
As WSSU grows, Odom said they are discussing plans to accommodate the increased demand for on-campus housing. To some degree, enrollment may outpace available on-campus housing, he said.
"However, we are working hard to update our facilities and are looking for opportunities to increase our bed space capacity, so that we can meet the increased demands for on-campus housing," Odom said.
He said the university is working to establish a strategic plan to outline and detail summer projects and renovations within some residence halls.
Unique challenges
Appalachian State University in Boone has its own hurdles to make housing more accessible to students — and to make it affordable for those who must live off campus.
Housing in Boone has long been affected by many different factors, according to a university spokeswoman, but the national trend in rising housing prices and the continued transition of rental properties from full-time to short-term vacation rentals is making it even more challenging.
The presence of a major university, the region’s appeal as a tourism and second home destination, and a lack of developable land due to local topography are among the ongoing factors affecting housing, university spokeswoman Anna Oakes said recently.
ASU will have about 6,150 beds this fall semester, which is 30% of the fall 2021 enrollment of 20,641, Oakes said.
All first-year students are required to live on campus. The university also reserves housing for transfer students, as well as sophomores, and juniors and seniors whose scholarships cover housing or who have other needs or requirements that make them eligible for on-campus housing, she said.
Once those slots are filled, the university fills the remaining beds with other students who have applied for on-campus housing. As of Friday, a small number of beds remain open for the fall semester, and University Housing is continuing to offer them to any students who need housing, Oakes said.
There was an increase in reapplications for on-campus housing from current students for this year, which the university's housing staff believe is influenced, at least in part, by the easing of COVID-19 restrictions compared with last year, Oakes said.
Despite this increase, no students remain on the waiting list. University Housing was able to offer a bed to about 1,800 students who had reapplied, and the rest, Oakes said, declined on-campus housing due to making other arrangements.
Chancellor Sheri Everts identified housing as a challenge when she joined the university in 2014, Oakes said. ASU committed to replacing 1,800 beds, and ensuring 500 additional beds — and more parking — with the phased replacement of six residence halls recommended for removal due to extensive deferred maintenance needs.
The $191 million project to build four new residence halls was completed this summer with the opening of the 750-bed New River Hall, Oakes said.
For students wanting to live off campus, Appalachian Student Housing Corp., an affiliated corporation of Appalachian State University, owns and operates University Highlands apartments in Boone. Two-bedroom units are $610 per month (per person) and four-bedroom units are $550 per month — which are below market price for the area. Students can apply for housing through University Highlands, which filled up in February for 2022-23.
To further help students, the university's Office of Off-Campus Student Services provides a searchable database of available rental properties, which includes listings by rental companies and posts by students who are looking to sublet or need a roommate. They also organize a housing fair and provide additional educational resources, including free legal counsel for students, about student housing.
Housing headaches
In July, another university in North Carolina found itself dealing with an unplanned housing issue when about 440 UNC-Charlotte students still needed university-run housing ahead of the new semester that begins this month.
“It’s an unexpected number” that still require such housing this time of year, Christy Jackson, the university’s senior director of communications, told The Charlotte Observer at the time. She said more students who applied for housing decided to stick with it than the university had anticipated.
The university has about 6,000 beds and about 8,000 housing applicants, she said. About 1,560 of those applicants later told the university they found other options or dropped out of the housing process, Jackson said. Or some may have applied too late for a June 1 deadline to be guaranteed housing.
It’s common for students to change their minds about housing plans after they apply to live on campus, she added. Still, the lack of housing availability left some students and parents fuming.
Ibrahim Khan, whose daughter, Fizza Ibrahim, is a sophomore, felt helpless in the face of the school’s housing bureaucracy.
“Why are you overbooked? That’s your fault, not my daughter’s,” he told the Observer. “The school should be providing accommodation.”
When asked if all 440 students would have university-run housing either on- or off-campus by the time the semester starts on Monday, Jackson told the Observer, “that is absolutely our goal.” | https://greensboro.com/news/local/education/some-colleges-see-growing-demand-for-student-housing-on-and-off-campus/article_ac889ba8-1cad-11ed-829c-a31bdcb6ce71.html | 2022-08-21T01:19:36 | 1 | https://greensboro.com/news/local/education/some-colleges-see-growing-demand-for-student-housing-on-and-off-campus/article_ac889ba8-1cad-11ed-829c-a31bdcb6ce71.html |
GRANT COUNTY, Wash. — On Friday, Aug. 19, 2022, Grant County deputies believe they prevented a mass shooting at a concert at the Gorge Ampitheatre after detaining a suspect in possession of two weapons.
According to the Grant County Sheriff's Office, 30-year-old Jonathan R. Moody was arrested outside of the venue after deputies found two loaded 9 mm pistols on him. He has been booked into the Grant County Jail on suspicion of one count of possession of a dangerous weapon and one count of unlawful carrying or handling of a weapon.
The sheriff's office said witnesses at the venue notified deputies around 9 p.m. after noticing the suspect inhale an unknown substance from a balloon and then load the two pistols from the trunk of his car. Moody then concealed the guns in the rear of his waistbelt and an outside-the-waistband holster, according to police.
Witnesses went on to report that Moody was approaching concertgoers and asking them what time the show ended and where people would be exiting the theater.
Police said Moody never entered the venue. Security detained him outside the gates and disarmed him of the weapons. After investigating, deputies arrested him and booked him in the Grant County Jail.
In a Facebook post, the sheriff's office noted that last night's concert series, Bass Canyon, was sold out, meaning there were upwards of 25,000 people attending. Deputies said Moody's possession of weapons, inhaling of a toxicant and questions to concertgoers raised enough suspicion to warrant his arrest.
The sheriff's office said no one was injured in the arrest. The sheriff's office thanked concertgoers for reporting the suspect's activity.
This is a developing news story and we will provide more updates as we receive them.
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To report a typo or grammatical error, please email webspokane@krem.com. | https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/grant-county-deputies-prevent-mass-shooting-gorge-ampitheatre/293-0dbd61e2-5113-477e-a7ca-5b490fc31f9c | 2022-08-21T01:20:33 | 1 | https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/grant-county-deputies-prevent-mass-shooting-gorge-ampitheatre/293-0dbd61e2-5113-477e-a7ca-5b490fc31f9c |
Originally published Aug. 17 on IdahoCapitalSun.com.
A small organization that operates a massive database of Idaho patient medical records filed for bankruptcy Aug. 13, reporting it owes creditors $4 million and is defending itself in three lawsuits.
Chapter 11 bankruptcy would allow the Idaho Health Data Exchange to keep operating while it pays creditors and works through litigation, according to its bankruptcy attorney, Matthew T. Christensen of the Johnson May law firm in Boise.
The health data exchange is a nonprofit organization that provides a centralized repository of health records. It allows participating health care providers to see each other’s records for individual patients — so that, for example, a primary care doctor in Coeur d’Alene could access X-ray records for a patient who was treated for a broken bone in Nampa.
The IHDE currently lists 194 health care providers and organizations among its participants, including the state’s largest health systems.
The Idaho Health Data Exchange launched in 2009 and relied mainly on government funds intended to modernize health records infrastructure. For example, it received $5.9 million of federal funding in 2010 as the designated health information exchange for Idaho.
More recently, the health data exchange received millions of dollars of federal funds per year through the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare. That income stream ended when the HITECH Act, a 2009 law, expired last year, according to the health data exchange’s executive director and its bankruptcy attorney.
New sources of income? ‘We’re working on it’
The data exchange’s staff currently includes three employees and 10 to 12 outside contractors at a time, according to Hans Kastensmith, the executive director of the exchange and a managing partner at Capitol Health Associates, a consulting group based in Washington, D.C.
“We had done a lot of work to right-size the company and keep it moving so it can deliver the service that’s expected of it,” Kastensmith said.
Asked whether the health data exchange found new revenue sources to replenish its income stream, Kastensmith said, “We’re working on it. … We have been working to increase revenue while reducing costs.”
Christensen said the health data exchange had “already sort of restructured how they were proceeding, and relying more on a subscription-based, user fee-based (model),” which was a “fairly stable” business model so far.
The exchange announced in May 2021 that it had secured an $8 million grant from the philanthropic financing arm of a financing firm, Ethos Asset Management.
“IHDE’s and Ethos’s new partnership allows for long-term fiscal stability in an increasingly unstable financial situation for health information exchanges,” Jesse Meldru, the health data exchange’s director of finance, said in the news release. “Changes to federal funding programs … are producing a void in capital nationally for health information exchanges. This changing landscape is producing instability in the market. This partnership will provide long-term financial support for IHDE and enable it to continue and improve on its innovative programs announced in late 2020 and into 2021.”
However, the organization is now defending itself against three lawsuits from companies who say the exchange owes them money.
Bankruptcy follows lawsuits against IHDE
The data exchange’s bankruptcy filing shows it owes several companies money. Three of those companies are suing.
Cureous Innovations, a software services company in Maine, is listed with a total claim of $788,544.
SPUR Catalyst Inc., using the business name SPUR Capital, is an Ohio-based company that sued the IHDE this year. The bankruptcy filing says SPUR’s claim is about $331,311.
The IHDE also lists an $80,330 claim from vendor PointCare LLC, a company based in the Bay Area. PointCare sued the IHDE in Contra Costa County Superior Court last month, alleging the exchange stopped making payments on a two-year, $130,500 contract and still owed $85,350.
The debts to Cureous and SPUR are in dispute, according to the filing.
Christensen said Cureous Innovations claims it wasn’t paid in full for a three-year contract, but that the IHDE believes it did pay what it owed. Cureous Innovations sued in Ada County Court last year and won a prejudgment order that essentially allowed the company to start going after the exchange’s assets, even before the court had ruled on the lawsuit.
That pushed the exchange over the edge of needing bankruptcy protection. The bankruptcy also halts the debt collection process for the time being, Christensen said.
“There were some extraordinary circumstances, based on that litigation, that caused us to do this, to protect (the IHDE and its services),” Kastensmith said in an interview Monday.
The IHDE’s main asset is its database, Christensen said. The records stored and exchanged through that database belong to patients and/or health care providers, not to IHDE, he said. | https://www.idahopress.com/news/local/idaho-health-data-exchange-files-for-bankruptcy-with-4-million-owed-to-creditors/article_4611a4cd-a7dd-571d-a682-1c910dbb5df9.html | 2022-08-21T01:25:48 | 0 | https://www.idahopress.com/news/local/idaho-health-data-exchange-files-for-bankruptcy-with-4-million-owed-to-creditors/article_4611a4cd-a7dd-571d-a682-1c910dbb5df9.html |
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A rip current took the life of one person at Seaside Saturday afternoon despite the efforts of lifeguards and bystanders.
The rescue efforts began around 2:30 p.m. when crews were called to the beach out from 6th Avenue, Seaside officials said. Three lifeguards were already in the water working to save 2 people caught in the rip current. “Multiple bystanders” were also trying to help, authorities said.
Using jet skis, the rescuers helped lifeguards bring both people back to the beach and both were rushed to Providence Seaside Hospital.
However one person, who was unconscious in the water, was not able to be revived, officials said.
No further information is available at this time. | https://www.koin.com/local/oregon-coast/2-caught-in-seaside-rip-current-one-dies/ | 2022-08-21T01:34:31 | 0 | https://www.koin.com/local/oregon-coast/2-caught-in-seaside-rip-current-one-dies/ |
WINCHESTER, Indiana — Storms moved through central Indiana on Saturday, causing damage in some areas of the Hoosier state, including Randolph County, where a landspout tornado popped up at around 3:30 p.m.
The National Weather Service confirmed an EF-0 tornado was spotted and briefly touched down north of Winchester.
It was a sudden, unexpected landspout tornado that had peak windspeeds of 70 mph.
A landspout tornado originates from rotation near the ground and stretches upward, unlike a typical tornado that has its rotation originate from a storm cell and extends downward. Landspouts are normally short-lived and cause little to no damage.
The tornado came and went in just three minutes. During that time, it damaged an old outbuilding, pulling off parts of its roof and scattering them on the ground and across the property where the outbuilding was located.
According to the Randolph County Homeland Security Emergency Management (HSEM), tornado sirens were not activated across the county when the tornado touched down. The only exception to that being in Winchester.
Once the 911 center received reports from the public and responders, they activated Winchester's sirens.
But HSEM said many residents were left wondering why they didn't get any type of warning for this particular tornado.
HSEM posted on Facebook to explain.
"There was no indication that a severe weather event was occurring or predicted until the 911 center started receiving 911 calls," the post said. "...While Randolph County is in a slight risk for severe weather, the Storm Prediction Center did not have Randolph County under a tornado threat. The closest threat was in Illinois and that was a 2 percent threat, or a 98 percent chance of one not occurring."
The post also said that those 911 calls led to a tornado warning being "immediately" issued.
HSEM initially said tornado sirens weren't activated in Winchester because the tornado was reported north of Winchester, but later corrected that post by saying "Once the 911 center received reports from the public and responders, they did activate Winchester's sirens."
More storms are expected in Indiana overnight Saturday into Sunday morning.
According to the National Weather Service, the threat for thunderstorms will increase Saturday night across the western portions of central Indiana. Isolated severe storms with damaging winds and large hail are possible. Lightning, busty winds, small hail and heavy rain are all threats.
RELATED: Landspout does little damage | https://www.wthr.com/article/news/local/landspout-tornado-confirmed-in-randolph-county-indiana/531-4f099279-16bc-4f8e-90a6-d2a21fccc1da | 2022-08-21T01:35:55 | 1 | https://www.wthr.com/article/news/local/landspout-tornado-confirmed-in-randolph-county-indiana/531-4f099279-16bc-4f8e-90a6-d2a21fccc1da |
Class was back in session for Mason City teachers and staff on Friday.
Around 450 Mason City school employees gathered at the high school football stadium before kicking off the 2022-23 year. Several speakers took the mic to speak on a variety of subjects pertaining to the new school year.
Mason City Education Association vice president CarolAnn Eppens and Superintendent Pat Hamilton gave words of encouragement and goals that employees could strive for.
“When you build a great culture, the other stuff follows everything else,” said Hamilton. “So remember the mission, school starts with students. When they walk down those halls, you greet students. You make them feel welcome. You make them feel important and you’ll feel a lot better too.”
The meeting went over annual details about human resources and health related issues, like blood borne pathogens.
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Along with annual information, district employees were given car decals with the new Riverhawk logo. Mason City High School Student Senate members talked about the mascot and how it was a new chapter for them.
District employees got a sneak peak at new pep cheers, which will be introduced to students, and played games against each other as well.
Abby covers education and entertainment for the Globe Gazette. Follow her on Twitter at @MkayAbby. Email her at Abby.Koch@GlobeGazette.com | https://globegazette.com/news/local/mason-city-school-employees-gather-before-year-starts/article_a21e3d0a-c00b-5497-9874-69e1be22c55a.html | 2022-08-21T01:41:19 | 1 | https://globegazette.com/news/local/mason-city-school-employees-gather-before-year-starts/article_a21e3d0a-c00b-5497-9874-69e1be22c55a.html |
Great Falls author Jamie Ford appears on Today Show, gets book optioned for film
Great Falls author Jamie Ford says it took him years to get out from the shadow of his first book, New York Times bestseller “Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet.”
Now, he’s traded that shadow in for an even bigger one.
On Aug. 15, Ford appeared on the Today Show after being picked by co-host Jenna Bush Hager for the Read with Jenna Book Club.
If that wasn’t enough, Bush Hager announced that her production company has optioned Ford’s new book, “The Many Daughters of Afong Moy,” for a TV series.
The book isn’t the first of Ford’s that has been optioned for the screen, but the production of “Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet” has been stalled for years. Ford said the option from Bush Hager seems much more possible.
“I feel like Cinderella and the clock's never going to strike midnight,” Ford told Bush Hager on the show.
Ford was more excited than nervous to be on Today, he said, but it still wasn't his usual authorly adventure. He had a driver who took him from the hotel to the studio − a total distance of about five blocks. He was whisked into a secret, unmarked entrance to the studio. His dressing room was next to Sheryl Crow, although he didn't get to meet her.
"Everyone, they just take great care of you," Ford said. "(Bush Hager and Hoda Kotb) are very disarming, and afterwards I realized that if anyone is going to be a Today Show personality, you have to be a people person. You have to be very approachable and genuine."
Ford followed up the appearance with a longer interview broadcast on Xfinity and an evening bookstore event.
Compared to his first book, which was a sleeper hit, Ford said the immediate momentum of this book has been a relief because you never know how a work will do until it's out there. He said he still had some leftover insecurities after his last book, which wasn't as well-received.
"It wasn't until I'm walking around Times Square looking at the billboard that I turned to my agent and I said, 'I think this book might be OK. I'm starting to believe it now,'" he said.
Ford found out he was going to be on Today in an unconventional way. He said he was on Zoom with a library, talking to the librarian and 40 or so patrons — a regular gig, in other words.
Afterward, he got a message from his publicist saying that his book was being considered for the show and that there had been a bunch of producers listening in on the Zoom call.
“And that’s how I found out,” he said, laughing.
Ford calls his latest book his “epigenetic love story.” He said it’s a book about inherited trauma that features Afong Moy, the first known Chinese woman in the United States. Ford created ancestors and descendants for Afong Moy to fashion a generation-spanning story that’s both historical and speculative.
“The Many Daughters of Afong Moy,” which features six point-of-view characters in six different time periods, is set all over the world and is not written chronologically. That meant a ton of research and juggling from Ford to make it work.
“This one, I really wanted to kick the training wheels off and write a much more complicated book,” Ford said. “If my first book was my freshman book, this is my senior book.”
Ford said he’s known about Afong Moy since the 1990s and had wanted to write about her. However, her story has a tragic ending, and there’s not much that’s really known about her life.
Afong Moy gave performances across America giving audiences bits and pieces of Chinese culture, including foot binding, the use of chopsticks and traditional Chinese songs and dress. She was written about in hundreds of newspapers, Ford said, but never in her own voice. Instead, the people who were monetizing her spoke for her.
Ford said Afong Moy was celebrated and had fame, “and yet she had no autonomy, so she was really living in a golden cage.”
Through his novel, Ford had a chance to extend her story and give her descendants a more redemptive ending.Ford said he’s often asked what he does to create authentic female characters.
“The specific thing I did was live my entire life as just a very sensitive, overly emotive person,” he said. “Being this proto-emo kid in high school that cries at sad movies, it’s not a beneficial character trait in high school, which is more about how far you can throw a football and how much you can bench press. But that sensitivity, I thought it was my weakness, but it became my superpower as an adult.”
Ford said he also has an outstanding female editor and couldn’t imagine a man editing his books.
Going on Today didn’t make Ford nervous. Instead, it was a four-minute video about him and his life that gave him a sleepless night before it was released. He said he didn’t get to see it before it became public, so it was a nerve-racking experience. The final result blew him away, though. He said he absolutely loved it.
Ford still lives in Great Falls, and he talked a little bit about the level of worldwide fame he’s received. When he went on Today, he signed a copy for Bush Hager’s mother, former First Lady Laura Bush. He calls the feeling “surreal.”
“It’s weird,” he said. “I just like to write books. I like the process of writing. That feels good. The fact that someone else wants to read them and they have nice things to say, that’s just like icing on the cake. But the cake itself is pretty filling.”
Ford’s gotten pretty used to his notoriety in the U.S., but he said he’s blown away to get emails from readers in other countries where his books have been translated. He’s also fond of getting feedback from people who are from the same culture as his characters because they have a deeper level of understanding of his writing.
So far, some highlights of Ford’s nationwide book tour include its launch in Seattle. It was at the same bookstore where his first book launched, bringing this part of Ford’s story full-circle.
At a recent engagement in Denver, Ford said he was shown a group of books with misprinted covers because the cyan ink was fading.
“It was like a pack of Life Savers,” Ford said. “It was so cool. It’s a silly little thing but I was just delighted to see that.”
Ford’s been traveling a lot on this book tour, so he’s excited to get back home for his Aug. 25 author event at Cassiopeia Books downtown.
“It’s cool to be out here, but it’s also cool to do an event down at Cassiopeia, see a lot of people in the crowd that I know and then sleep in my own bed,” he said. | https://www.greatfallstribune.com/story/news/local/2022/08/20/great-falls-author-jamie-ford-appears-on-today-show-gets-book-optioned-for-film/65406420007/ | 2022-08-21T01:46:25 | 0 | https://www.greatfallstribune.com/story/news/local/2022/08/20/great-falls-author-jamie-ford-appears-on-today-show-gets-book-optioned-for-film/65406420007/ |
DALLAS — Local leaders, coaches and parents gathered Saturday in Oak Cliff to talk about the issues plaguing youth sports in North Texas and how to prevent violence from happening on and off the field.
This gathering comes one week after a shooting at a Lancaster youth football game left coach Mike Hickmon dead.
According to the arrest affidavit, police said it started over an argument about the score of the game.
Saturday's town hall was called "Call of Action" and had a panel made up of local leaders from many different fields and organizations. The panel discussed how coaches and organizations can better come together along with conflict resolution alternatives. There was also time for parents to ask the panel questions.
Panelist Karen Reese created a sports talk show called "Can We Talk" that is hosted by moms of athletes. She said the first type of action that should be taken is more involved parenting in the home.
"The parents are the ones who are choosing which team, which sports, which coach is teaching our kids," Reese said. "I think, as parents, we need to take a more active role in who we're allowing to mentor and teach our kids."
RELATED: Arrest warrant reveals what allegedly led to deadly shooting of North Texas youth football coach
Panelist Kevin Bennett has been a registered football referee for nine years. He said there needs to be more respect for one another across the board. Panelist Tony X, who said he is an ex-convict, echoed Bennet's message.
"Love is a verb that shows action," Tony X said. "When we love our children and when we love our community, then we can do better for ourselves and our people and our community. Look beyond yourself and think about your brother and your sister."
Community leader and panelist Terrence Randolph said there shouldn't be any smoking or drinking at any of these games. He also said there needs to be more of a police presence and more protective steps taken.
"We need more safety," Randolph said. "Metal detectors. Of course, we need police officers patrolling the games and not just being at the games."
Panelist Gary Cochran leads a ministry called "Cover Dallas with Love." He focused more on the need for different groups and organizations to establish better relationships with each other before tragedies happen.
"Showing up and being present," Cochran said. "That's so we can build relationships, learn and grow together. We can do that. But also when bad things happen or tragedy happens, we don't show up as strangers. We show up as friends. Sisters and brothers. People that already know each other. And connect together."
RELATED: Referee attacked at youth basketball game says he heard coach tell players 'we're going to get him'
Panelist Raymond Alford is the owner of the Big 12 Youth Sports League, which the organization says provides a college-like experience for the teams, coaches and players. He said he has talked with the league's leaders, and that the rules and laws on school grounds and at football fields need to be better understood and better enforced.
"So, if I know that you are not allowed to have your gun on the school grounds, I don't care if you have a license or not — you have to go," Alford said, as an example. "I'm going to go find an officer. We want to give our children a safe place to be. We want to give them a safe environment to be in. When people bring street environments in what's supposed to be a safe place for children, they don't need to be a part of what we do."
Many of the panelists brought up the idea of creating a coalition of local youth leaders from different sports and organizations.
Panelist Tabitha Wheeler-Reagan, who runs the non-profit Village Bridge Center, said once parents and local leaders can hash out the details of what this would look like and who would be involved, she wants to take it to the Dallas City Council and have them officially approve the coalition.
"We can no longer wait until something tragic happens," Wheeler-Reagan said. "The tragedy is any time there is something unpure around our children. Our children lead by example. We are responsible for every child we come in contact with."
After more questions from parents, panelist Terry Mayo X, who is a former professional baseball and football player, said he would like this potential coalition to start setting up events and gatherings for the city's young athletes to spend more time with one another off the field so that they create connections beyond the teammates on each player's respective team.
"What if we were to pull together and collaborate with different events and different organizations in the different leagues?" Terry Mayo X said. "With different organizations that don't look like you so we can do more things together. It's because unity is more powerful than anything in this world. It's more powerful than the atomic bomb itself. So if we came together and unified more knowing just because your logo or your name is different, we still play on the same team. We're playing on the same team of life ." | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/oak-cliff-community-leaders-town-hall-discussing-violence-youth-sporting-events-lancaster-shooting/287-4952dd85-f2f2-493d-9265-9b9174d7b361 | 2022-08-21T01:59:24 | 0 | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/oak-cliff-community-leaders-town-hall-discussing-violence-youth-sporting-events-lancaster-shooting/287-4952dd85-f2f2-493d-9265-9b9174d7b361 |
DES MOINES, Iowa — The butter cow sculpture has been a time-honored tradition of the Iowa State Fair since 1911. It's been shown to generations of Iowans, on proud display inside of the Agriculture Building at the fairgrounds. But on Aug. 20, the butter cow added a unique new chapter to its story, as two lucky Iowa lovebirds began their engagement right inside of its cooler.
Nick Buckton came up with the idea. A lifelong fan of the state fair, he had an idea to make his proposal one to remember.
"You 'butter' believe that I've had this idea for quite a while. I was 'dairy' nervous at first. But, you know, it ended up turning out all right," Buckton said.
Buckton and his now-fiancé, Mackenzie Burger, have been together for about two years. During an ordinary visit to the state fair, the couple stopped to take a look at the butter cow, where they met Sarah Pratt, this year's sculptor.
"I was pretty nervous. I was texting Sarah, the artist, frantically and making sure that everything was in place," Buckton said.
After that "chance encounter," the couple got to take a behind-the-scenes look at the 600-pound sculpture. Once they were in place, Buckton put his plan into action. It all seemed to turn out pretty well when Burger accepted his proposal.
"I just thought Sarah did a great job. I thought we just kind of hit it off. And she was like, 'hey, I want to show you guys the butter cows.' You can't expect this!" Burger said.
With the proposal a success, the Iowa State Fair can add 'great place for engagements' to the long list of reasons why it's so loved. Which begs the question—who knows what fair history will be made next year?
"It's always something to look forward to. There's always something new. You can get engaged at the Iowa State Fair, and it's pretty rad," Buckton said. | https://www.weareiowa.com/article/news/local/state-fair/iowa-state-fair/iowa-state-fair-butter-cow-proposal/524-95c442c3-9159-42c3-bb60-12ec6dd38e1b | 2022-08-21T02:03:50 | 1 | https://www.weareiowa.com/article/news/local/state-fair/iowa-state-fair/iowa-state-fair-butter-cow-proposal/524-95c442c3-9159-42c3-bb60-12ec6dd38e1b |
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — Pinky Cole, founder of Slutty Vegan, has announced that a new location will open in Birmingham on Sunday.
“We are excited to join this historic district and for the opportunity to work alongside the other small businesses within Woodlawn,” said Jason Crain, Slutty Vegan President. “We have a deep appreciation for Mayor Woodfin and his office for welcoming us with open arms, and give special thanks to the Woodlawn Foundation for not only helping us identify this location, but working with us throughout pandemic delays. We look forward to being a part of the renaissance of Woodlawn and hope to impact the community in a positive way.”
Slutty Vegan serves vegan burgers, sandwiches, sides and desserts for takeout and delivery. The restaurant is an Atlanta-based, ‘nationally acclaimed burger joint.’
“We are so excited to sluttify all of Birmingham!” said Cole. “This location is extremely special to us — it’s our first location outside of Georgia, and we couldn’t be more excited to be a part of your community. We hope you are ready for us, because Slutty Vegan is ready to serve an experience to each and every one of you.”
The restaurant will be located in the Woodlawn neighborhood. | https://www.cbs42.com/news/local/slutty-vegan-to-open-in-birmingham-sunday/ | 2022-08-21T02:15:07 | 0 | https://www.cbs42.com/news/local/slutty-vegan-to-open-in-birmingham-sunday/ |
On Saturday, it seemed possible to recognize the day’s meteorological imperfections while also realizing how much we will miss the bright glories of such days when they are gone.
By now, many of us know enough about Washington weather to accept with gratitude any summer day when white clouds billow in a pure blue sky, the breeze is soft and the temperature stays below 90 degrees.
Saturday met the test. On sun-drenched streets you could stop at almost any time and gaze over roofs and above trees to revel in expanses of blue, bedecked with the full-bellied clouds of an untroubled afternoon.
With an official late-day high of 89 in Washington, we may have inhabited an atmospheric border zone between quite warm and somewhat hot. If warm, it seemed no more than comfortably so; if hot, it seemed less than objectionably so.
In either case, Saturday seemed well equipped to provide the luxurious feel and dazzle of a long summer day, even as we sense daylight diminishing, and see the sun go down before 8 p.m.
At any rate, Saturday’s 89-degree high made the day our 10th in a row without touching 90, a fair accomplishment in a Washington summer.
A debt to honesty and accuracy may require acknowledgment of Saturday’s humidity; it made the day a little more moist than many might wish.
But only a little stickier; the heat index, which may tell better than the temperature how comfortable we feel was only slightly elevated, and the air still had plenty of unimpeded sparkle. | https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/saturday-sat-on-the-thermal-border-between-very-warm-and-fairly-hot/2022/08/20/5ea59e00-20e4-11ed-8013-9144b80a9a1f_story.html | 2022-08-21T02:20:38 | 0 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/saturday-sat-on-the-thermal-border-between-very-warm-and-fairly-hot/2022/08/20/5ea59e00-20e4-11ed-8013-9144b80a9a1f_story.html |
MERRILLVILLE — There was almost no discussion about ordinances calling for the closure of the Town Court and to establish a new personnel policy during the Aug. 9 Town Council meeting, but the topics were on the minds of many at the session.
The council on July 26 approved the first reading of both ordinances. Although measures often appear on the council’s next agenda for second and final reading, the ordinances weren’t up for consideration at the council’s Aug. 9 meeting, and they aren’t listed on Tuesday’s agenda.
Many attended the Aug. 9 session to talk about the matters, but as the meeting got underway, Councilman Richard Hardaway indicated public comments are limited to items only on the agenda.
Hardaway also described a civility ordinance adopted by the council in 2019 that indicates people could be barred from participating in a session if they make “personal, impertinent, or slanderous remarks” or if they become “boisterous or delays or interrupts the proceedings, peace or meetings of the Town Council or any board or commission.”
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Hardaway also said any disturbance or disorderly conduct could authorize the presiding officer of a meeting “to restore order and direct appropriate actions including but not limited to having a person physically removed and escorted from the meeting and town property.”
Hardaway was presiding over the Aug. 9 meeting because Council President Rick Bella was absent. Although he remarked about public comments, he said his statement was on behalf of the council.
Merrillville Town Court Judge Eugene Velazco said he takes exception to the council warning residents how to behave.
“That’s not you’re job,” Velazco said. “You’ve never done it to anybody else, why would you do it to us?”
He also said there wasn’t enough advance notice that the topics wouldn’t be on the agenda.
The Town Court ordinance in question states the court would shut down on Sept. 30, and existing cases would be transferred to the Lake County court system. Five councilmen voted in favor of it on July 26, when it was approved on first reading. Councilman Leonard White opposed it and Councilwoman Marge Uzelac abstained.
The measure comes after the council in 2019 decided to shutter the court as of Dec. 31, 2020 for financial reasons. The court was temporarily closed in early 2021, but that changed after Velazco filed litigation against the council to fight the action. That case hasn’t yet been decided, and the court remains open.
Although a new closure ordinance is before the council, the panel’s reason for shuttering the court remains the same as it was in 2019.
Town officials said the court has been operating in the red for years, and the court’s deficit is around $1.6 million.
Velazco said his office has been “handicapped” since he became judge in 2019 because the council had already started efforts to shutter the court before he took office.
“Since then, I have not been able to operate the court fully,” Velazco said.
He said the town court has generated more than $500,000 a year without adding new cases. Velazco said Merrillville’s court, like other municipal courts, must divide the dollars it collects with other entities, and that’s a reason why there has been a deficit.
In regard to the new personnel policy ordinance, Clerk-Treasurer Kelly White Gibson said there are certain sections that don’t apply to her office.
“I will adopt the portions of the personnel manual that are relative to all town employees, but there are certain portions of it that do not apply to the Clerk-Treasurer’s office, never have in the past, and by statue, I would say do not apply now,” White Gibson said.
She said her department is an independent office of the town, and it’s her duty to prescribe how employees are hired, fired and paid, and she shouldn’t have to go through Merrillville’s Human Resources Department for those matters.
Hardaway said the council has no control over the way White Gibson operates her office, and the panel can’t dictate how she manages the entity.
Although the council indicated public comment could only involve agenda items, some residents made some brief remarks about the issues on Aug. 9.
“I would ask that the Town Council recognize the sovereignty and operational necessity of our clerk’s office and Town Court,” resident Darian Collins said.
Resident Verlie Suggs said she wants the council to recognize that White Gibson is entitled to run her office as she see fit.
Suggs said it was “uncalled for” to start Tuesday’s meeting by limiting the comments residents can make, and she hopes more people attend upcoming council sessions to make their voices heard.
“We will never sit back and allow unjustice to take place,” she said. | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/residents-frustrated-by-limits-on-public-comment/article_f872f6fa-a166-5726-92cc-10c4ff6a4e09.html | 2022-08-21T02:28:24 | 0 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/residents-frustrated-by-limits-on-public-comment/article_f872f6fa-a166-5726-92cc-10c4ff6a4e09.html |
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — There is a drastic uptick in ghost guns flooding the streets of Sacramento. But it’s the hands these guns are ending up in which is most concerning to Sacramento Police.
A gun shot is a sound that makes the community shiver, but this one is more dangerous because it’s a ghost gun. Which means it’s untraceable, unregistered and illegal.
A weapon in the community that Sacramento Police doesn’t know is there until they find it. Sergeant Zach Eaton the Supervisor with the department’s Public Information Office has a term for it.
“An explosion of ghost guns,” said Eaton.
Sergeant Eaton says it’s an issue they’ve been tracking for five years but the recent increase is due to the easy accessibility online.
“They’ll come 80% finished and it really doesn’t take much to finish a certain portion of the gun to actually make it a gun and for the pieces to be put together very quickly,” said Eaton.
Garnering it the street name "80 percenter."
Once someone receives their nearly complete gun they can go online where instructions are readily available to finish the piece.
But it’s the hands these guns end up in that’s the main concern.
“We are seeing kids sometimes younger than 15 years old carrying ghost guns in our community and it’s very, very alarming to us that these guns are not traceable, have serial numbers on them we don’t know that they exist,” said Eaton.
Because the sale and production of ghost gun isn’t monitored and there are no background checks; ghost guns are ending up in the hands of children, people without training and violent offenders who aren’t allowed to have weapons. Sergeant Eaton says more guns in the community means more gun violence.
We’re continuing our conversation with the Sacramento Police Department on ghost guns and we will hear about several solutions their working towards to get ghost guns off the streets.
Watch more from ABC10: Dozens ransack Los Angeles gas station | Top 10 | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/sacramento/ghost-guns-appear-sacramento-streets/103-a6a91e9f-1ee3-453e-bb6e-b27e1e96075e | 2022-08-21T02:31:42 | 1 | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/sacramento/ghost-guns-appear-sacramento-streets/103-a6a91e9f-1ee3-453e-bb6e-b27e1e96075e |
The Reporter's Notebook Podcast, Ep. 30: Albuquerque's Muslim community heals
In this week’s episode, we’re talking to Justin Garcia, who covers public safety for the Las Cruces Sun-News. Justin recently traveled to Albuquerque in the wake of the killings of several Muslim men — which set the entire community on edge. Muslims in Albuquerque were fearful of an Islamophobic serial killer after four people were murdered over the span of several months.
But the reality of what happened was much more complicated and much harder to comprehend. On Aug. 9, police arrested 51-year-old Muhammed Syed, a Muslim and known community member. Syed was charged in two of the killings, and authorities say they are continuing to gather evidence to charge him in the other two.
Theories abound about the alleged killer’s motivations; none have yet been confirmed. The married father of six has denied involvement in the killings.
Albuquerque police say "an interpersonal conflict may have led to the shootings" and said the suspect appeared to know several of the victims. Authorities were examining whether he may have been motivated by religious zeal — such as the political and religious divides between Sunni and Shiite Muslims that underlie modern conflict in the Middle East, but those in the community have rejected such divides and refuse to be defined by them.
Now, the community is working to move forward, both with grieving over the deaths and processing how a member of their community could have done this.
Justin was kind enough to join us this week to discuss what he learned during his time in Albuquerque.
Damien Willis is a Lead Reporter for the Las Cruces Sun-News. He can be reached at 575-541-5443, dwillis@lcsun-news.com or @DamienWillis on Twitter.
Others are reading: | https://www.lcsun-news.com/story/news/local/new-mexico/2022/08/20/the-reporters-notebook-podcast-ep-30-albuquerques-muslim-community-heals/65412352007/ | 2022-08-21T02:33:32 | 0 | https://www.lcsun-news.com/story/news/local/new-mexico/2022/08/20/the-reporters-notebook-podcast-ep-30-albuquerques-muslim-community-heals/65412352007/ |
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The latest news from around North Texas. | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/dallas-karaoke-owner-remembered-for-generosity-kindness/3053326/ | 2022-08-21T02:33:38 | 1 | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/dallas-karaoke-owner-remembered-for-generosity-kindness/3053326/ |
LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. — Officials with Lancaster County 911 dispatch confirmed that the coroner was called to a vehicle crash in Manor Township.
First responders were dispatched to the scene of the crash at Seitz and Manor Church Roads at 7:20 p.m. on Aug. 20.
There is no word yet on how many vehicles were involved or what caused the crash, but dispatch has confirmed it is fatal.
Manor Township Police is investigating.
This is a developing story. FOX43 will provide updates as they become available. | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/lancaster-county/coroner-responds-to-crash-in-lancaster-county-manor-township/521-58e90e01-8bca-420d-add3-549c260dacef | 2022-08-21T02:41:40 | 1 | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/lancaster-county/coroner-responds-to-crash-in-lancaster-county-manor-township/521-58e90e01-8bca-420d-add3-549c260dacef |
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) – East Tennessee State University and former athletic director Scott Carter signed a separation agreement on Wednesday, Aug. 17.
According to the document, Carter will be paid his base salary by the University from Aug. 1 2022 to July 31, 2023. The University also states in the agreement it has given Carter the opportunity to report any conduct that would lead to allegations that the University has violated any applicable law.
The full agreement can be read below.
Carter resigned on Aug. 1 and had been with ETSU since 2017. His resignation is said to not be related to Coach Simon Harris’ Title XI allegations. | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/separation-agreement-between-former-athletic-director-and-etsu-in-effect/ | 2022-08-21T02:52:18 | 0 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/separation-agreement-between-former-athletic-director-and-etsu-in-effect/ |
AUSTIN, Texas — A total of three people are recovering in local hospitals following two separate crashes in Travis County on Saturday night.
Austin-Travis County EMS first responded to a single vehicle rollover involving three people shortly before 8 p.m. along Elroy Road. That's off of State Highway 130 near the Austin airport.
Three ambulances and STAR Flight responded to the scene, but the flight was canceled. Three patients were treated at the scene and two of them were later taken to nearby hospitals.
One of those transported had potentially serious injuries, ATCEMS said. The third patient refused transport by ambulance.
ATCEMS then responded to an unrelated motorcycle vs. dog collision just before 8:30 p.m. Medics and STAR Flight responded to the scene at 14701 FM 1100. That's in Manor right off of Highway 290.
The patient was flown to Dell Seton Medical Center with serious injuries.
ATCEMS said no other information about the condition of the dog was available.
PEOPLE ARE ALSO READING: | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/two-taken-hospital-rollover-crash-del-valle/269-f192e056-1e3b-4237-aac3-a2613eb9860c | 2022-08-21T03:00:08 | 1 | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/two-taken-hospital-rollover-crash-del-valle/269-f192e056-1e3b-4237-aac3-a2613eb9860c |
Tucson hiker missing after flash flood at Zion National Park in Utah
A Tucson hiker has gone missing from Zion National Park in Utah after the National Park Service received reports that multiple hikers were swept off their feet by a flash flood in the Narrows near the Temple of Sinawava on Friday afternoon.
Late Friday evening, the National Park Service received a report that Jetal Agnihotri, a Tucson resident, was overdue from a trip to the Narrows.
In response to the report, park rangers monitored the river during the night and mobilized additional searchers early Saturday morning.
According to the National Park Service, more than 20 Zion Search and Rescue Team members are working in the Virgin River area searching for Agnihotri.
After receiving an initial report earlier in the day at 2:15 p.m., the National Park Service sent rangers to "assess the situation."
One hiker was transported to a hospital suffering injuries after being swept downstream several hundred yards near the Temple of Sinawava.
Several hikers were also found on high ground, isolated by high water up Riverside Walk. They were directed by park rangers to remain in place until the water receded, and they then were assisted to safety, said the National Park Service.
"Park rangers and other members of the Zion Search and Rescue Team responded quickly to this event, and we are continuing our efforts," said Jeff Bradybaugh, superintendent of Zion National Park.
Reach breaking news reporter Haleigh Kochanski at hkochanski@arizonarepublic.com or on Twitter @HaleighKochans.
Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today. | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-breaking/2022/08/20/tucson-hiker-missing-after-flash-flood-zion-national-park/7858229001/ | 2022-08-21T03:04:46 | 1 | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-breaking/2022/08/20/tucson-hiker-missing-after-flash-flood-zion-national-park/7858229001/ |
SEATTLE — New data released by the Downtown Seattle Association (DSA) shows the city has had a busy tourist season, with numbers closing in on pre-pandemic levels in a handful of economic recovery categories.
"The comeback will be spectacular," is what the DSA said back in April 2020. Now more than two years later, that line is becoming a reality.
"We hear anecdotally from people all the time that downtown's looking great, it's feeling great, there's a lot of activity and it's vibrant right now and what we want to do is put some numbers behind what people are seeing," said James Sido with the DSA.
The numbers released by DSA on Friday show downtown welcomed 2.9 million visitors in July, which was the highest monthly visitor total since the start of the pandemic. With a boom in visitors, the demand for hotel rooms in downtown reached 94 percent of 2019 levels.
"We're outpacing anything during the pandemic which is a great indicator,” said Sido. “These numbers are not yet at 100 percent across the board because that would mean we're exceeding all the pre-pandemic metrics. But we are outpacing the activity that we've had over the last two years."
Sido believes this current pace is helping give downtown businesses a resurgence.
"That help paint a picture of visitors and economic activity and really when you look at the visitor count, you're looking at largely what we hope are active dollars," said Sido.
Despite the rising metrics, DSA said July saw Seattle office workers returning to downtown at only about 40 percent of 2019 totals. However, they did say that's the highest since the start of the pandemic and are hopeful those numbers along with others will continue to rise.
"It's here, it's still here, it's back and we think that people really sort of rediscovered what they love about downtown, what they love about Seattle," said Sido. | https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/seattle/downtown-seattle-tourism-nearing-pre-pandemic-levels/281-11504ad6-f004-4373-8599-9c280c596351 | 2022-08-21T03:12:31 | 1 | https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/seattle/downtown-seattle-tourism-nearing-pre-pandemic-levels/281-11504ad6-f004-4373-8599-9c280c596351 |
Arizona and California, which have battled over the Colorado River for nearly a century, are at it again. This time, Arizona leaders are blaming California, and other states, for putting the burden of stemming the river’s impending crisis on their backs alone.
It became publicly known last week that Arizona and Nevada made a proposal this summer to save a lot of Colorado River water but that California, and possibly the U.S. government, rejected it. While discussing this proposal, leaders of the Arizona Department of Water Resources and the Central Arizona Project said they felt it “unacceptable for Arizona to continue to carry a disproportionate burden of reductions for the benefit of others who have not contributed.”
California officials disagree with that comment, and both sides present numbers backing their case about which one has saved more water. Both sides also continue negotiating.
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“I don’t know if they will get a deal or not,” said Kathy Ferris, a former Arizona Department of Water Resources director and chief counsel. “We have become dependent on an over-allocated supply.”
The path to an agreement is clogged by concerns about priorities for use of the declining river water, Ferris said.
California and Yuma farmers want to protect their senior priority right for river water, while the Bureau of Reclamation commissioner counts on water users to cut a deal that protects the river but ignores priorities, she said. At the same time, she believes some water users are betting that Reclamation is afraid to take unilateral action, which could trigger intense litigation.
“This is uncharted territory. Who’s going to call whose bluff? Who’s going to blink first? Are the feds going to blink? Will California blink, or are we just going to run out of water?” Ferris asked.
‘Keys to the kingdom’
Where few people will disagree is that the Colorado’s fate depends on Arizona and California’s ability to come to terms. California and Arizona control the largest and second-largest allocations, respectively, of river water in the seven-state Colorado River Basin.
Arizona and California “hold the keys to the kingdom,” said Arizona State University water researcher Sarah Porter.
The “kingdom” is a deal to save the river, at least for now, by reducing water users’ take from it by 2 million to 4 million acre-feet a year — an unprecedented cut in the river’s modern history. It was ordered by U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Camille Touton in June, but an agreement to do it has not been achieved.
Word of the latest division between Arizona and California came a few hours after Interior Department and Reclamation officials announced Tuesday they are giving the seven states more time to reach agreement on how to achieve cuts.
The feds said they are starting work on a plan to impose cuts if the states can’t do it on their own — a statement that many critics thought was too timid because the feds had said in June they would intervene if the states failed to reach agreement by now.
At a news conference that day, ADWR and CAP executives said Arizona and Nevada had offered to cut around 2 million acre-feet, but that other “parties in the room” had rejected it. CAP General Manager Ted Cooke said the other parties were California and the federal government.
Later, officials of the Colorado River Board of California, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and the Southern Nevada Water Authority confirmed that an Arizona-Nevada proposal was rejected.
Metropolitan official Bill Hasencamp said Arizona and California each floated “concepts” for water use reductions, but “neither of the concepts were acceptable to all three states,” meaning the Lower Basin states of Arizona, California and Nevada. Reclamation and the Interior Department did not respond to a question about whether they rejected the deal.
The nature of the disagreements is not clear, because the agencies won’t go public on specifics.
A factor clearly weighing on California’s side dates back nearly 55 years and serves as a legal backdrop for today’s ongoing negotiations. It is a key provision in the 1968 Colorado River Basin Project Act, which authorized construction of the $4 billion CAP canal system in Arizona. It gives California a higher priority than Arizona for river water in times of shortage.
In a provision that Arizona had to accept to get California’s support for building the CAP, Arizona must give up all its CAP water supply during shortages before California gives up any of its supply from the river. How that provision might play out, however, remains uncertain.
A divided basin
Arizona and California’s role is important because without federal intervention, there’s no way a seven-state deal will be reached unless Lower Basin states and the Upper Basin states — Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming — agree to one.
The Upper Basin states, while putting forth a detailed plan that suggests future water saving measures are coming, have not offered any immediate cuts.
And as Arizona water officials concede, there’s no chance Upper Basin states will agree to cuts until the Lower Basin states agree to some.
“They want to see more certainty out of the Lower Basin. We haven’t achieved that goal,” said ADWR Director Tom Buschatzke, who with CAP’s Cooke give the Upper Basin proposal an “incomplete.”
Conversely, “We want to see more numbers and certainty out of them. The closer we get, the more they’ll do. The more they do, the closer we’ll get,” Buschatzke said.
As disappointed as Arizona officials might be by the Upper Basin’s plan, “I don’t really blame them, and I’m not making excuses for them, or allowing them to make an excuse,” Cooke said. “There’s more (water) use in the Lower Basin. We have more work to do here, and we have not done what we need to do yet.”
Asked for details about Arizona and Nevada’s proposal, Buschatzke said, “I don’t think there’s a lot of value in trying to get specific about what was in that proposal. The numbers throughout the process of discussion kind of fluctuated, up and down.”
Cooke said the Arizona-Nevada plan, combined with what was approved in the 2019 drought contingency plan, would have reduced the Lower Basin and Mexico’s share of river water from 9 million acre-feet today to 5.6 million.
How the additional 2 million acre-feet in cuts would be divvied up wouldn’t have been “completely proportional” to the three states’ existing shares of river water, but “it was very similar to that,” Cooke said.
If the 2 million were to be split proportionally to the states’ river water allocations, Arizona would give up about 746,000 acre-feet of its 2.8 million acre-feet total allocation, which represents 37.3% of the 7.5 million acre- feet allocated to the Lower Basin. California would give up about 1.172 million acre-feet of its 4.4 million acre-foot share, which represents nearly 59% of the river’s allocated supply. Nevada would give up about 80,000 of its 300,000 acre-feet, which represents 4% of the total supply.
Buschatzke and Cooke noted that so far, Arizona has taken all cuts in river water use that are required by the river’s operating guidelines approved in 2007 and in the 2019 drought plan. Arizona kept 800,000 acre-feet of its water in Lake Mead in 2022 alone, they said, and has left about 2 million acre-feet in Mead since 2014.
“We’re not expecting folks to catch up to this imbalance between Arizona and everybody else,” CAP’s Cooke said. “But certainly we expect that going forward, we expect folks to keep up with the level of contribution that we are making.”
‘California holds all the cards’
Both Arizona officials said, however, that they believe California is negotiating in good faith — “I don’t think that they’re messing around with us, or being disingenuous with us at all. I think we’re on the right path,” said Cooke, despite the remaining issues between them.
Asked to comment on Cooke and Buschatzke’s statements, Hasencamp, of Southern California’s Metropolitan district, said, “I don’t believe it’s accurate to say that Arizona and Nevada proposed a plan for cuts. We never received any such plan in writing.
“What did happen was that Arizona floated a concept verbally on a process to reduce water use. California floated its own concept. Neither of the concepts were acceptable to all three states. So we spent the last two months seeing if we could develop a plan that was acceptable to all three states. We made a lot of progress, but we haven’t achieved that goal yet,” said Hasencamp, Metropolitan’s Colorado River program manager.
In a statement, the Colorado River Board of California added Arizona’s proposal “was very disproportionately weighted against California.”
The board said it also “was not respectful or in line with the existing priority system” for river water users. That system was laid out in the final U.S. Supreme Court decree that ended the protracted Arizona v. California Colorado River water rights litigation of the 1950s and ‘60s and in the 1968 law authorizing CAP’s construction, it said. The board is California’s official negotiator on Colorado River issues.
Ferris observed: “They don’t want to set a precedent that compromises their priorities. California holds all the cards because they hold all the water.”
Chris Harris, the board’s executive director, declined to elaborate to the Arizona Daily Star on California’s views. He refused, for example, to say if board officials believe that being “respectful” of the 1968 law means that Arizona would have to give up all CAP water — which Arizona has vowed not to do.
As California agencies continue discussions with Arizona water officials “it is therefore best if you accept our perspectives … as they are. We have eminent respect and admiration for Tom (Buschatzke) and Ted (Cooke) and fully acknowledge the difficult challenges facing both of our states as we address climate change and drought in the Colorado River Basin,” Harris said.
But in responding to Arizona’s concerns about taking a disproportionate share of water use cuts, the California board said, “The plain reading of the existing relevant elements of the ‘Law of the River’ states that in periods of insufficient mainstream water supplies, the Central Arizona Project’s use of mainstream Colorado River water is subordinated to California’s basic mainstream apportionment of 4.4 million acre-feet.”
By Law of the River, they mean the collection of laws, regulations, court decisions and other legal matters that have governed the management of the Colorado for more than a century.
Yet California agrees that “no one state can do it alone,” the board added.
“California has been involved in these difficult discussions from the beginning and remains willing to continue discussions with the other six states and the United States. California believes that its proposals have been reasonable, significant and respectful of the current framework of the ‘Law of the River,’” said the board.
While the legal plans such as the 2019 drought plan do not require California to leave any water in Lake Mead until it drops further, California has voluntarily left 1.5 million acre-feet in the lake, Hasencamp said. Most of that water was left due to a program that has existed since 2007. It also allows states to take the water back until Lake Mead falls below 1,025 feet — 17 feet lower than the level it stands at today.
“We are taking a small fraction of that back this year (perhaps 150,000 acre-feet or 10%), but overall our efforts to reduce water use have exceeded any other state by a significant amount,” Hasencamp said.
Voluntary vs. mandatory cuts
The dispute is not just about numbers, Buschatzke and Cooke said at their news conference. It’s that in the early days of these negotiations after June 14, Arizona officials thought the water use cuts would be “enforceable, mandatory, whatever words you want to use, so we had certainty thought that the reductions would be completed,” Buschatzke said.
But maybe three or four weeks into the negotiations, it became apparent that some participants were looking more at a voluntary program, which the two officials call unacceptable, he said.
“Voluntary programs create a level of uncertainty … in which we didn’t know if the volumes of water attached to these programs will come to fruition,” Buschatzke said.
Cooke noted that the “500 plus” program that Lower Bain agencies developed late last year to leave 500,000 acre-feet a year in Lake Mead has not reached its goal, although Arizona water users agreed to conserve well over 200,000 acre-feet.
“We can’t have that kind of experience again,” Cooke said.
The difference between voluntary and mandatory may be a matter of semantics, Metropolitan’s Hasencamp replied. To him, voluntary conservation means that the party conserving is financially compensated.
Once an agreement is actually signed, water use reductions become mandatory, he said. That was the arrangement Metropolitan worked out last year to pay $38 million over three years to the Palo Verde Irrigation District near Blythe to leave some of its water in the lake.
“I think this is what we are trying to achieve in our Lower Basin plan, developing compensated reductions in water use,” he said.
But even with the $4 billion for drought relief that was inserted into recently signed federal legislation, “we’re not in a position in the entire Colorado River Basin to consume a large portion of that, and I don’t think that’s the intent of Congress, just to pay people one year at a time to not take water, to be repeated every single year until you run out of money, and eventually out of water,” Cooke said. “We can’t do that.”
‘We need prompt resolution’
On Thursday, CAP officials amplified these concerns in a letter to Interior Secretary Deborah Haaland.
Saying they’re disappointed with the lack of progress among the basin states, CAP Board Chairman Terry Goddard and his predecessor Lisa Adkins said they’re equally disappointed that the Bureau of Reclamation was unwilling to impose water use curbs on them, as Touton had threatened in June to do if no agreement was reached.
“This outcome is inexplicable considering the urgency expressed in Commissioner Touton’s June 14 testimony” before a Senate committee, they wrote.
“We hope it is clear that Arizona alone can’t solve a problem of this magnitude. To be successful, the plan must include equitable participation from all water users across the basin, provide some mechanism to ensure performance and to have the understanding that the United States is prepared to take unilateral action if voluntary efforts are insufficient,” they wrote.
While Reclamation has predicted flows into Lake Powell from mountain snows will reach 8.3 million acre-feet from October of this year until September 2023, that’s far more water than flowed into the lake in the past two years, they wrote. Should the lower flows repeat themselves, just the one-year imbalance between river water supply and use could approach 3 million acre-feet, they said.
“We need prompt resolution to stop this decline. There is no time to waste,” they wrote.
Replying, an Interior spokeswoman, Melissa Schwartz, told the Star that “we do not respond to correspondence through the media.” But Reclamation officials are tracking other questions the Star has asked about the negotiations, “and will respond when they are able,” Schwartz said.
‘It’s time to pay up’
Ferris has for years criticized her former agency and the CAP management for what she felt was a lack of aggressiveness in protecting the Colorado from depletion. But last week, she praised Buschatzke and Cooke for what she called their candid comments.
“It feels to me like everybody’s just flummoxed. Nobody’s been able to get anybody to do anything. I’m impressed that Tom and Ted were as outspoken as they were,” said Ferris, now a senior research fellow at ASU’s Kyl Center for Water Policy. “They’re obviously upset.
“Arizona can’t take this whole thing, the whole burden of conservation. We can’t have the CAP dried up — we just can’t.”
But longtime Arizona environmental activist Robin Silver took a more jaded view of Arizona’s stance. While agreeing that California needs to take more of the water cuts, he noted that Arizona knew back in 1968 that the water would run short, and it agreed to the deal with California giving CAP lower priority for it.
“Now, they want to go back on the deal, when it’s time to pay up. They want the feds to come in and negate their agreement,” said Silver, who works for the Tucson-based Center for Biological Diversity. “The CAP was not sustainable from the very beginning. We should have provided some provision so we wouldn’t strap our kids where we’re leaving them now.”
But ASU’s Porter said the politicians who accepted CAP’s junior priority status didn’t foresee the permanent changes in the Colorado River’s hydrology that were triggered by human-caused warming.
The argument CAP is making is that “we’re dealing with conditions that no one saw coming, so the junior priority shouldn’t apply,” said Porter, director of the Kyl Center for Water Policy.
For Star subscribers: But U.S. officials held off Tuesday on any larger, longer-term cuts in Colorado River water deliveries in the West — which they've said are necessary. Some water officials and environmentalists criticized that lack of immediate action as "punting" and "extraordinarily discouraging."
For Star subscribers: Although officials describe the situation as "fluid" with discussions likely continuing to the last minute, it appears the Upper and Lower Basin states remain far apart on what their relative cuts in water use should be. Here's the latest on the negotiations.
For Star subscribers: Fourteen tribal governments, including eight in Arizona, say the U.S. has wrongly left them out of negotiations over major future cuts of Colorado River water use.
Contact Tony Davis at 520-349-0350 or tdavis@tucson.com. Follow Davis on Twitter@tonydavis987. | https://tucson.com/news/local/subscriber/squabbling-arizona-california-hold-key-to-colorado-rivers-future/article_df83de94-1dbd-11ed-8337-5f30fb27d496.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=user-share | 2022-08-21T03:26:25 | 1 | https://tucson.com/news/local/subscriber/squabbling-arizona-california-hold-key-to-colorado-rivers-future/article_df83de94-1dbd-11ed-8337-5f30fb27d496.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=user-share |
INDIANAPOLIS — A church in Camby, Indiana, is cleaning up with the hopes of holding service there Sunday morning.
The pastor received a phone call that their church and mobile grocery store had been vandalized.
"She said, 'Hey, I'm sorry to tell you, but all the windows in the church have been busted out.' I said, 'Huh?'" Gale Watson said. "To see the windshield, the doors, all the side windows busted out."
Gale and Lydia Watson just opened the Neighborhood Bible Church on Camby Road in January. The couple is also considered Neighborhood Food Champions for the city of Indianapolis.
Their school bus was retrofitted to take groceries to people in need in Marion County.
"My daughter, Emma, said, 'Mommy, what about all of our hard work?' My son, Gale Jr., he just cried. So, it just broke us a little bit so right now, we're just picking up the pieces," Lydia said.
The couple said a nearby surveillance camera captured two young men seen using a two-by-four on the bus.
PHOTOS: Camby church, mobile grocery store vandalized
The Watsons said IMPD is investigating and might have a lead.
The church is hoping to partner with businesses that can help with the damage. Anyone interested can email them or donate through PayPal at nb.indychurch@gmail.com. | https://www.wthr.com/article/news/local/camby-indiana-church-mobile-grocery-store-vandalized/531-d84b9117-a3c5-464f-adfb-a090a56401f0 | 2022-08-21T03:28:51 | 0 | https://www.wthr.com/article/news/local/camby-indiana-church-mobile-grocery-store-vandalized/531-d84b9117-a3c5-464f-adfb-a090a56401f0 |
Marty Heilman welcomes each participant of his “Play-out” class -- each with what he calls “unique needs” -- with a genuine greeting. There’s often a happy shout of their name, followed by a hug, high-five or whatever sort of custom hello the two parties have come up with.
Heilman, a longtime physical education school teacher in Flagstaff, started the play-out class -- he won’t call it “working out” because it’s play, not work, he explains -- around five years ago. In recent months it moved to Summit Health and Fitness, a local gym.
The group meets every Friday afternoon, usually with about five to eight young adults, to go through functional exercises designed around play. There’s almost always music playing, so even if the students or their caregivers are not into a particular routine -- Heilman said they’re pretty happy to go along with things for the most part, though -- they can simply dance and sing along to the songs.
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Exercises range from doing ladder drills, weights on medicine balls, games of catch or simply whatever else Heilman comes up with that day. It’s all about joy.
“It’s been a tremendous amount of fun. I’ve been coaching fitness for over 30 years, and this is by far the most fun I’ve ever had doing it,” he said. “I look forward to this class all week.”
There is a particular energy Heilman feels from these students he doesn’t regular feel in other classes.
“It lights up the room, regardless of what kind of day I’m having. It raises me up and inspires me," he said. "No matter how busy my day was -- I could have taught eight classes that day and been working the entire time -- but when I get here everything is bright and fun and I love it,”
The class started officially when Mary Haynie, grandmother of class participant Jaclyn, got in contact with Heilman. She had spent years trying to find the right group to have her granddaughter socialize with. Once connected, she put together a group of regulars that have shown up consistently.
The core group that often attends the class regularly hangs out in other capacities. There are weekly trips to the bowling alley, the movie theater or other spots. Several of the students even visited Heilman in the hospital once, carrying good nature and balloons.
Play-out time, though, is a highlight that brings everybody together at a scheduled time.
“It helps them feel like they’re having that full social experience like you might in high school,” Haynie said.
There are no plans for the class to stop any time soon either. Heilman has long-term goals of potentially putting together a whole gym for similar classes. If the funding comes, he wants to take a group to San Diego to visit a friend who teaches people with special needs how to surf.
Immediately, he would like to grow the current class. It can be taught to a wide variety of people with unique needs, as each of the participants already have different abilities. There will certainly be warm welcomes and dancing at every session, though.
“The goal is to give back to the community, to give these special people with unique needs the chance to have that bond, give them a place they can go, get out and exercise and have fun,” Heilman said.
Classes are $10, with most of the money going back to pay for the space. Play-outs are scheduled on Fridays at 3:30 p.m. at Summit Health and Fitness.
For more information email Marty Heilman at coachmarty34@gmail.com. | https://azdailysun.com/sports/local/play-out-class-provides-unique-exercise-opportunity-for-those-with-unique-needs/article_6e37ed28-20b7-11ed-865b-a386d353d13b.html | 2022-08-21T03:32:05 | 0 | https://azdailysun.com/sports/local/play-out-class-provides-unique-exercise-opportunity-for-those-with-unique-needs/article_6e37ed28-20b7-11ed-865b-a386d353d13b.html |
Philadelphia Police said a 7-year-old kid was shot inside a home in northwest Philadelphia Saturday night
Police say the kid received a gunshot wound to the right leg after shots were fired into a residence on the 209 block of E Collom St., at around 9:25 p.m.
the child was transportes to the hospital where he was listed in stable condition.
A 17-year-old teen was taken into custody with a loaded gun although it is unknown if he is connected to the shooting.
There are additional resources for people or communities that have endured gun violence in Philadelphia. Further information can be found here. | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/7-year-old-injured-after-shots-fired-into-home/3341007/ | 2022-08-21T03:34:37 | 1 | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/7-year-old-injured-after-shots-fired-into-home/3341007/ |
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — An outpouring of condolences and support for the family of Representative Gail Finney. The long-time Kansas state representative died this weekend at 63. Some who knew her best call her a warrior, a mentor and a true champion for her constituents.
Rep. Gail Finney served District 84 since 2009. She was a small business owner and enjoyed rallying for both Wichita and state issues.
Several Wichita city council members and community activists remembered their friend on Sunday. Many said the loss hasn’t sunk in yet. Some friends said they talked to her just days ago for her birthday on August 16.
During this difficult time, people are doing what Finney would’ve wanted most–still fighting for their community.
“Gail’s legacy is so much you can see and so much you can’t,” Brandon Johnson, District 1 councilman, said.
“She represented everybody–the little guy to the big guy,” LaWanda DeShazer, a community activist, said. “Even the bill with the transmission lines, it benefits the entire state of Kansas, but it hit home in the little community where she grew up at.”
Finney got power company Evergy to commit to investing $1 million in the Black community after their controversial power line upgrades in 2019.
Johnson worked very closely with her during phase one and hopes to continue the work in honor of her life.
“The timing of her passing as phase two starts with Evergy is not lost on me,” Johnson said. “This time I have to talk to her in a different way.”
State senator Oletha Faust-Goudaeu met Finney when they were in seventh grade. She’s not only losing a colleague but a lifelong friend.
“We were the first black cheerleaders at Allison Middle School,” Faust-Goudaeu said, “and just her energy at that time–it was still like our relationship in seventh grade.”
Faust-Goudaeu said although Finney is longer here to see her legislation through her legacy will move forward as the work continues.
“Gail Finney is a champion for introducing the first medical marijuana bill in the state of Kansas,” the Kansas State senator said.
Some are confident she’ll be remembered for her strength and courage.
“She was the one waving the banner the loudest, the strongest,” DeShazer said.
“In her passing, the bar is pretty high,” Johnson said, “and we all have to live up to that and to be the type of person that she was.”
Finney had several causes she was passionate about. Those issues range from criminal justice reform to legalizing marijuana. Faust-Goudeau and Johnson both hope the legislature will pass bills in her honor during the next legislative session. | https://www.ksn.com/news/local/community-leaders-and-activists-remember-the-life-of-rep-gail-finney/ | 2022-08-21T03:38:59 | 0 | https://www.ksn.com/news/local/community-leaders-and-activists-remember-the-life-of-rep-gail-finney/ |
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — Local businesses and neighbors are taking steps to revitalize the once thriving Ensley community. Renew Birmingham partnered with Pneuma Gallery to host the fourth annual Ensley Renaissance Festival.
Executive director of renew Birmingham, Gerrel Jones, says today’s renaissance festival is a reflection of efforts being made towards revitalizing Ensley. He says this is a redemption story that can only begin with the help of its own residents.
Jones says Ensley has experienced several hardships like high homicide rates and a large decrease in residents, all beginning with the exit of U.S. Steal in 1971.
He says a festival like this is about giving people an opportunity to share time, ideas and a willingness to invest in making those ideas a reality.
Jones says the biggest factor for change is culture and the objective of today is to create momentum among residents.
“Revitalization of underserved communities can only happen in a healthy way with residents invested in it,” said Jones. It doesn’t matter what comes from policy or what comes from top down. If residents don’t get invested, then nothing will work”
President of the Ensley Business Alliance, Brian Rice, says he and other Ensley business owners are committed to figuring out how to grow the business district.
Rice says they are currently working to regrow the Ensley Merchant Association which would help bring new businesses and traffic to those businesses in downtown Ensley.
“We have a huge gap, and we have to figure out how to get more foundations, more corporate interest on how to help the businesses that are here, and how to recruit others to come here and build us up, and build this community up, and I think we can move forward.”
Renew Birmingham has partnered with organizations like East Lake Initiative to help bring resources to Ensley families.
Eli representatives Myron and Jessica Thomas say they are there for residents and families who want to make a life change and believe Ensley has great potential.
“You could see homes being renovated. You could see families become homeowners. You can see families be able to get jobs that they may not be able to qualify without the help from services like us.”
Thomas believes families with goals and dreams can thrive in Ensley. They, along with other organizations, want to help those in need navigate those solutions.
For more information on how to help, Renew Birmingham can be reached via email at info@renewbham.org
To learn more about ELI services, you can visit www.elithrive.com | https://www.cbs42.com/news/local/ensley-renaissance-festival-showcases-reflection-of-revitalization-vision-for-ensley/ | 2022-08-21T03:54:55 | 1 | https://www.cbs42.com/news/local/ensley-renaissance-festival-showcases-reflection-of-revitalization-vision-for-ensley/ |
TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa Police Department says a person was hit and killed by a car after trying to cross a road shortly before 10:30 p.m. Saturday in Tampa.
The driver of the car reportedly remained at the scene of the crash.
Authorities say they have closed eastbound Hillsborough Avenue and drivers will be diverted at North Lois Avenue as they investigate the incident. Westbound of Hillsborough Avenue will remain open.
Police say an update will be provided when all lanes of Hillsborough Avenue reopen. | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/hillsboroughcounty/1-person-dead-roadway-tampa/67-8fc2b2c8-8e4c-4ac2-9c0b-801d3c3280b9 | 2022-08-21T04:05:07 | 1 | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/hillsboroughcounty/1-person-dead-roadway-tampa/67-8fc2b2c8-8e4c-4ac2-9c0b-801d3c3280b9 |
Saturday marked one week since a disagreement between coaches at a little league football game turned deadly, leaving coach Michael Hickmon dead.
Following calls for change, coaches, parents and the community came together to come up with a plan to end senseless violence at youth sports events.
“All of us are Mike Hickmon. I could’ve been Mike Hickmon that day. That could’ve happened to me,” said Leneric Edwards, who knew Hickmon personally.
“He was very conscious of how other people felt. He was a very good guy,” he said.
Edwards also coached Hickmon’s son in track and attended the town hall to be part of the prevention process moving forward.
LANCASTER YOUTH FOOTBALL SHOOTING
“A lot of times when something happens, people lose sight or vision,” said Edwards.
Instead, those who were present focused on what can be done today. That included the formation of a coalition of parents and staff to develop a code of conduct along with enhancing qualifications for coaching staff, moving games to school grounds where rules can be better enforced, and in some cases, employing sheriff’s deputies to stand on the sidelines.
They also pledged to communicate better with each other to keep so-called bad actors out of their organizations and off of their fields.
Monday, the coach accused of killing Hickmon, 39-year-old Yaqub Talim, surrendered at the Dallas County jail. | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/lancaster-community-calls-for-change-after-youth-sports-shooting/3053354/ | 2022-08-21T04:08:59 | 0 | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/lancaster-community-calls-for-change-after-youth-sports-shooting/3053354/ |
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Breaking news and the stories that matter to your neighborhood. | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/oscar-nominated-actor-gary-busey-facing-sex-crime-charges/3341023/ | 2022-08-21T04:13:46 | 1 | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/oscar-nominated-actor-gary-busey-facing-sex-crime-charges/3341023/ |
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Breaking news and the stories that matter to your neighborhood. | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/school-district-workers-vote-to-strike/3341025/ | 2022-08-21T04:13:53 | 0 | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/school-district-workers-vote-to-strike/3341025/ |
LACKAWANNA COUNTY, Pa. — A salute to veterans Saturday in Lackawanna County.
Camp Freedom in Carbondale celebrated the service and sacrifice of veterans at the 4th Annual Summer Salute.
The event was free for all veterans, first responders, their family members, and gold star families.
"The main message is we just want people to know that we're very thankful for people who choose to run towards danger, people who choose their lifestyle is one of running toward danger. That's true American heroism today, we're a little confused sometimes on what heroism is, and I love the fact that we get to say thank you! A thank you with no strings attached to these real American heroes," said Matt Guedes.
Activities included a bounce house, games, raffles, vendors, and a children's fishing derby in Lackawanna County.
Check out WNEP’s YouTube channel. | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/lackawanna-county/camp-freedom-salutes-veterans-carbondale-matt-guedes-lackawanna-county-american-heroes/523-82de668b-b5b8-4b4a-aebf-9b8a6f396a8a | 2022-08-21T04:22:22 | 0 | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/lackawanna-county/camp-freedom-salutes-veterans-carbondale-matt-guedes-lackawanna-county-american-heroes/523-82de668b-b5b8-4b4a-aebf-9b8a6f396a8a |
BLAKELY, Pa. — Peckville Assembly of God Church welcomed veterans to its campus along Business Route 6 for a meal and some entertainment.
The church worked with county officials to put together the event to say thank you and also let the veterans know about services available to them.
"I just want to say I don't think we could say thank you or show our appreciation enough. After all that they've done, so many have given their life to protect and defend our freedoms, those who are faithfully serving both at home and overseas, I think it's the least we can do, you know," said Pastor Terry Drost, Peckville Assembly of God.
Country artist and Lackawanna County native Nate Hosie performed for the veterans in Peckville.
Check out WNEP’s YouTube channel. | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/lackawanna-county/food-and-fellowship-for-veterans-lackawanna-county-peckville-assembly-of-god-blakely/523-5f6344e3-a38c-452d-b472-2671f2eb3722 | 2022-08-21T04:22:29 | 0 | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/lackawanna-county/food-and-fellowship-for-veterans-lackawanna-county-peckville-assembly-of-god-blakely/523-5f6344e3-a38c-452d-b472-2671f2eb3722 |
DUNMORE, Pa. — It was the 2nd Annual Cookies for Courage Fundraiser at the corner of Jessup Avenue and Prospect Street in Dunmore.
5-year-old cancer survivor Avery found strength in a program called Beads of Courage. And now, Avery's family wants to help make sure other kids can participate too.
Beads of Courage give glass beads to chronically ill children.
Each color bead represents a different treatment to help the child explain and be proud of their medical journeys.
"It kind of helps her embrace her story, see how far she's come, gives her the courage to keep going. She loves it so much she wants to make sure other little kids don't stay on the waiting list too long. Last year we cut the waiting list in half," said Stephanie Shivock, Avery's mom.
"I didn't bake any, but it's still lots of fun," said Avery Shivock, Cookies for Courage.
Bead of Courage currently has a lengthy waiting list. More than 100 pediatric cancer patients are waiting for beads.
Avery and her family are hoping to make a dent on that waiting list with their fundraiser in Lackawanna County.
Check out WNEP’s YouTube channel. | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/lackawanna-county/young-survivor-hosts-cookies-for-courage-in-lackawanna-county-avery-stephanie-shivock-beads-of-courage-dunmore/523-70b2fd82-3f9c-48f0-858d-bfd8834c3548 | 2022-08-21T04:22:35 | 1 | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/lackawanna-county/young-survivor-hosts-cookies-for-courage-in-lackawanna-county-avery-stephanie-shivock-beads-of-courage-dunmore/523-70b2fd82-3f9c-48f0-858d-bfd8834c3548 |
Top moments at the 2022 Woodward Dream Cruise
Here we are now, entertain us. So thought 1 million or so souls who descended on Woodward for the 27th Dream Cruise on Saturday, and they weren't disappointed. Here are some of the top moments from Saturday's auto extravaganza.
Cops don't like these donuts
The Dream Cruise is known as a place for noise-making, earth-shaking sports cars, but one driver took things too far for the liking of the Michigan State Police.
About 6:45 p.m. in Birmingham, the motorist was seen laying rubber during spinouts on Woodward. State troopers gave chase on motorcycle and foot and caught up with the donut-maker a short time later. For his moments of fun, the Beamer's driver was pointedly told by a member of Michigan's finest where he could pull off Woodward, then placed in handcuffs.
—Daniel Mears
A shroom-y kind of love
They saw a dog is a man's best friend, and Cameron Petersen brought his four-legged pal with him to the Dream Cruise, with the canine riding shotgun in the 1979 G30 Chevy camper van topped with a giant red mushroom with white polka dots. A bumper sticker advertised this offer, in keeping with the vehicle's groovy vibe: Hippie chicks ride free.
Apparently so do doggies. Demonstrating his affection for his mate, Petersen leaned into the passenger-side window to give his pooch a smooch.
Petersen, 26, said he painted the van's top for himself, but the vehicle got a lot of excited reactions at its first Dream Cruise Saturday.
And Petersen takes the show on the road.
"This is my daily driver. I drive this to work, I drive it to the grocery store, I drive this everywhere, I showed up to someone's funeral in this."
—Anna Liz Nichols
An electrifying debut
Ford's F-150 pickup truck is the long-running best-selling vehicle in America. That's one of the reasons why the debut earlier this year of a battery-electric version, the F-150 Lightning, was heralded as a big moment for electric-vehicle adoption.
The Lightning, which went into production in April, made its Woodward Dream Cruise debut Saturday. Led by comedian and car enthusiast Jay Leno, a procession of Lightnings made their way from Ford Motor Co.'s Dream Cruise spot at Kruse & Muer in Royal Oak to a spot several blocks down before circling back. Police vehicles accompanied the parade — including a unit of the forthcoming F-150 Lightning Pro Special Service Vehicle that's purpose-built for police departments.
Leno was behind the wheel of a custom-painted Lightning he unveiled Saturday. The red-and-white model is a tribute to a 1970s Ford pickup truck owned by Walmart Inc. founder Sam Walton. Leno has a car care product line at Walmart, and he was joined Saturday by Walmart U.S. CEO John Furner.
—Jordyn Grzelewski | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2022/08/20/top-moments-2022-woodward-dream-cruise/7856336001/ | 2022-08-21T04:22:40 | 1 | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2022/08/20/top-moments-2022-woodward-dream-cruise/7856336001/ |
PITTSTON, Pa. — The Annual Pittston Tomato Festival is happening this weekend, and there are both old and new festivities.
The 23rd annual festival run, called the Ultimate Tomato Run, took place Saturday.
The 5K race benefits both Miles for Michael, which helps families dealing with cancer, and Pittston's Shop with a Cop, where police officers help kids have a good Christmas.
And new this year was a 1 1/2 mile youth race.
"It feels really good; it's great to think that Pittston has the community to bring out so many people and support the area," said Preston Klem, Dupont.
The Pittston Tomato Festival continues through Sunday until 9 p.m.
Check out WNEP’s YouTube channel. | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/luzerne-county/pittstons-ultimate-tomato-run-luzerne-county-preston-klem-miles-for-michael-shop-with-a-cop/523-ae448232-7ac5-45ff-b2e7-4a5e529672ea | 2022-08-21T04:22:41 | 0 | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/luzerne-county/pittstons-ultimate-tomato-run-luzerne-county-preston-klem-miles-for-michael-shop-with-a-cop/523-ae448232-7ac5-45ff-b2e7-4a5e529672ea |
WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — A 16-year-old boy was shot multiple times in Williamsport after officials say he fired shots at another man.
Just before 10 p.m. Friday night, Williamsport Police say a man was walking west on Edwin Street when two teenagers in dark clothing approached him.
That's when police say the 16-year-old boy walked behind the man and fired a shot at him. The man was able to pull out his own gun and fire back at the 16-year-old, striking him multiple times.
The 16-year-old was taken to the hospital for his injuries and is in custody awaiting arraignment on several felony charges.
See news happening? Text our Newstip Hotline. | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/lycoming-county/teen-injured-in-shooting-in-williamsport-lycoming-county-edwin-street-williamsport-police-department/523-8611fb14-8706-4240-abf0-66694ffb9273 | 2022-08-21T04:22:47 | 0 | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/lycoming-county/teen-injured-in-shooting-in-williamsport-lycoming-county-edwin-street-williamsport-police-department/523-8611fb14-8706-4240-abf0-66694ffb9273 |
WAYNE COUNTY, Pa. — And early morning fire destroyed a home in Wayne County Saturday.
The flames broke out just after midnight at the place along Chestnut Hill Drive and Dogwood Lane in Lake Township.
That's part of the Hide Out development, a gated community near Lake Ariel.
Everyone made it out okay.
Officials are still investigating that fire in Wayne County.
See news happening? Text our Newstip Hotline. | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/wayne-county/early-morning-fire-in-wayne-county-chestnut-hill-drive-dogwood-lane-lake-township-hide-out-development/523-71917332-cf1a-413a-9028-e5b42e8dacd4 | 2022-08-21T04:22:53 | 0 | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/wayne-county/early-morning-fire-in-wayne-county-chestnut-hill-drive-dogwood-lane-lake-township-hide-out-development/523-71917332-cf1a-413a-9028-e5b42e8dacd4 |
Five people were hospitalized following a crash in Daytona Beach on Saturday, according to the Daytona Beach Fire Department’s Facebook page.
Authorities said the accident occurred at the intersection of Belville and Williamson and involved a pickup truck and a jeep.
The five people hospitalized had to be extricated from the Jeep, authorities said. | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/08/21/5-hospitalized-after-crash-in-daytona-beach/ | 2022-08-21T04:25:21 | 0 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/08/21/5-hospitalized-after-crash-in-daytona-beach/ |
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) – Brenda Mock Brown has signed her appointment to the position of head women’s basketball coach at East Tennessee State University.
Mock Brown will be replacing former head coach Simon Harris and will receive a base pay of $150,000 with additional bonuses for the team’s performance.
The full agreement can be read below. | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/brenda-mock-brown-signs-appointment-notice-to-become-new-head-coach-womens-basketball/ | 2022-08-21T04:31:22 | 1 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/brenda-mock-brown-signs-appointment-notice-to-become-new-head-coach-womens-basketball/ |
A truck overturned on top of a Broadmoor home Saturday morning
A Shreveport family was enjoying their Saturday morning when a crane overturned onto their home.
Shreveport Fire Department received a call just after 9 a.m. to the 100 block of Bruce Avenue on reports of an overturned crane.
Upon arrival, first responders found a tree service crane tipped over into a residence. The fire department said there were no injuries to either the home occupants or the crane operator.
The fire department is still on scene to secure the area as the crane remains overturned. Robert Taggart, Shreveport Fire Department Public Information officer said, "due to the unstable position of the crane it will require specially trained heavy machinery operators to remove this crane. It is unclear exactly how long this will take."
More:Want to be an honorary commander at Barksdale Air Force Base? Here's how
Makenzie Boucher is a reporter with the Shreveport Times. Contact her at mboucher@gannett.com. | https://www.shreveporttimes.com/story/news/local/2022/08/20/truck-overturned-top-broadmoor-home-saturday-morning/7857528001/ | 2022-08-21T04:35:12 | 0 | https://www.shreveporttimes.com/story/news/local/2022/08/20/truck-overturned-top-broadmoor-home-saturday-morning/7857528001/ |
To obtain a monkeypox vaccine in the city of Richmond or Henrico County, residents are asked to fill out an interest form that asks several personal questions: Do you visit sex clubs? How many sexual partners have you had in the past 3 months? Have you engaged in anonymous sex?
Richmond resident Demas Boudreaux wanted a vaccine, but he felt uncomfortable answering the questions and sending his personal information into the World Wide Web, where it could be subject to hacking.
Instead, he sought the vaccine in Roanoke, where the application process involved no personal questions. He called and got his shot a week later.
“Roanoke’s process was infinitely more user-friendly and non-invasive,” said Boudreaux, a member of the state’s LGBTQ advisory board. But he understands why the Richmond and Henrico Health Districts have to ask those questions — to sort out who is most in need of the under-allocated shot.
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“I’m not trying to throw the health department under the bus,” he said. “I do trust the health department, but it feels a little icky.”
Gay men in the Richmond area are unhappy with the limited number of monkeypox vaccine doses available, the personal information the health district is asking them to divulge, and the way some have stigmatized the virus as a gay disease.
“I think there’s obvious frustration about the number of vaccines that are available and how they’re being rolled out,” said Narissa Rahaman, executive director of Equality Virginia, an organization that works on behalf of LGBTQ residents.
There have been nearly 14,000 cases of monkeypox in the U.S., but only 248 in Virginia and 21 in the state’s central region.
All but two have occurred in men, and most are in gay and bisexual men, health officials have said. Symptoms include lesions, fever and body pains. There have been no deaths in the U.S.
The U.S. recently made available an additional 1.8 million doses of the Jynneos vaccine, which was licensed in 2019 to prevent monkeypox and smallpox.
The Richmond and Henrico Health Districts have received 937 doses and distributed more than half. But that’s not nearly enough to cover the roughly 4,000 people who have submitted an interest form.
The Biden administration recently recommended state health departments inject the shot intradermally, or between the layers of the skin, rather than subcutaneously, or under the skin. Injecting it intradermally allows for five doses per vial as opposed to the one dose per vial currently available.
The Richmond and Henrico Health Districts are training their staff to apply the shot intradermally but have not begun doing so, said Dr. Elaine Perry, the districts’ director.
Localities ‘not putting it out there’
When Boudreaux contacted a health district near Roanoke, the district asked him why he wanted a monkeypox shot. Boudreaux responded that he’s gay, and that was enough to satisfy the health district.
About a week later, he drove to the Roanoke area. The timing worked out, as he had a work commitment nearby. After four weeks, he’ll return for a second shot.
“I was able to make it work,” Boudreaux said.
Phil Kazmierczak, a Virginia Beach resident who is also a member of the LGBTQ advisory board, was asked just one question when he sought the vaccine near his home.
The health officials wanted to know if he was eligible for the vaccine according to the state health department’s standards. Residents are eligible if they are gay or bisexual men, transgender women who have sex with men, sex workers, people who work at establishments where sexual activity occurs or people who attend sex-on-premises venues.
Kazmierczak replied that yes, he is eligible. The next day, he received the shot.
He said local officials could do a better job notifying communities how to get it.
“Our local governments are not putting it out there,” he told the advisory council. “They’re just not.”
Asking personal questions helps the Richmond and Henrico Health Districts determine who is at the highest risk, said Dr. Melissa Viray, a deputy director for the departments. With demand outpacing supply, the districts will prioritize the residents with the highest risk.
The local districts considered using a less invasive questionnaire, but decided to keep them while demand is high, Viray said.
To protect personal data from intrusion, the district uses Research Electronic Data Capture, or REDCap, a secure web application developed by Vanderbilt University, to house the information. REDCap is compliant with HIPAA, the federal standard for patient privacy, Viray said. Data is stored on a server internally managed by the health districts.
Staff also limits which employees can access patient records.
“It’s nobody’s business except for those who absolutely have to have it,” Viray said.
‘There’s no such thing as a gay disease’
A lack of information and misinformation are still an issue with monkeypox, so Equality Virginia is doing its best to make sure people are educated, Rahaman said.
The organization is relaying information about the disease from the health department so people can understand the symptoms, how one becomes exposed and demand for the vaccine. That will help people make better decisions.
Equality Virginia is also encouraging people to get tested if they develop symptoms so officials can have a more accurate number of cases in the state.
It’s also doing its best to fight misinformation.
“It’s not a gay disease because there’s no such thing as a gay disease,” Rahaman said.
Last week, Kazmierczak posted to his Facebook that a monkeypox vaccination event would be held at a Norfolk club. He was met with a lack of understanding and a lack of empathy.
“Tell me this is a joke,” commented one person.
“Safe sex is always a better option than experimental vaccines provided by your tyrannical government,” said another. “The last one they forced on the American people should be a glaring example of their complete ineptitude.”
(Jynneos was approved in 2019, but the virus material in the shot is similar to the first smallpox vaccine developed in 1796.)
Another said “90% of monkeypox infections are in men who have sex with men. Change the culture and keep men safe and healthy. It’s safer than vaccines.”
Health experts recommend people interested in the vaccine receive it if eligible.
According to health experts, monkeypox can be spread in ways other than sexual contact. It can be spread by sharing clothing or sheets that haven’t been washed or other skin-to-skin contact. Public health officials have warned college students that campuses could become incubators for the virus.
Should it spread to the community at large, Boudreaux worries the gay community will be blamed, similar to how Asian Americans were targeted for the spread of the coronavirus. Spread of the virus could be curtailed if there were more vaccines, Boudreaux said.
“There’s just not enough vaccine,” he added. | https://richmond.com/news/local/gay-men-in-richmond-frustrated-with-monkeypox-vaccine-supply-invasive-form/article_d9aa427d-6180-52c0-8a1b-cfcca3ee63bd.html | 2022-08-21T04:37:43 | 0 | https://richmond.com/news/local/gay-men-in-richmond-frustrated-with-monkeypox-vaccine-supply-invasive-form/article_d9aa427d-6180-52c0-8a1b-cfcca3ee63bd.html |
SAN ANTONIO — Missing for eight months.
San Antonio police are still searching for 4-year-old Lina Sardar Khil who went missing last year on December 20.
The toddler girl vanished from the playground of the apartment complex where she lived with her family. Lina was 3-years-old at the time of her disappearance. Police told KENS 5 in May that her case has not gone cold and tips are still coming in.
Still, the 20th of each month continues to be a day of despair for the girl's family.
"It's a hard day," said Pamela Allen, a family spokesperson.
Allen said despite efforts made by police and a private investigator from Project Absentis, the little girl remains missing eight months later.
"There's been a few leads that have come in but nothing solid," she said.
Allen said public searches are on pause for now as it's believed Lina is no longer in San Antonio or Texas. Still Allen is big on awareness about the young girl's disappearance. She encourages people to wear buttons with the child's face on it and post her missing flyers.
"We're believing that someone will say something that will lead out to be a good tip." said Allen.
A $250,000 reward is still up for grabs for tips that could lead to where Lina is. A large amount that Allen hopes will eventually lead to answers.
"[Her parents] still hope and pray that one day they'll have this baby in their arms again," she said.
If you have any information about the child's disappearance, the Missing Person Unit's phone number is 210-207-7660. They answer the phone 24 hours a day.
Tips can be anonymous. | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/its-a-hard-day-family-of-missing-lina-sardar-khil-mark-another-month-without-their-daughter/273-4e0e88dc-d4d9-4860-84b0-275f4e1c7c1a | 2022-08-21T04:43:44 | 1 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/its-a-hard-day-family-of-missing-lina-sardar-khil-mark-another-month-without-their-daughter/273-4e0e88dc-d4d9-4860-84b0-275f4e1c7c1a |
SAN ANTONIO — The San Antonio FC and RGV FC Toros, battled to a 2-2 draw on Saturday night, August 20, 2022, at Toyota Field.
The next home game is scheduled on Saturday Sept. 10 at 7:30 p.m.
SAFC and RGV FC leave with draw
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Antonio Morano
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- Off-duty BCSO detention deputy arrested for criminal mischief, facing possible termination | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/safc-ties-against-rgv-fc-saturday-night/273-568dfc82-c278-4578-9e1f-a6ff5afecf36 | 2022-08-21T04:43:50 | 1 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/safc-ties-against-rgv-fc-saturday-night/273-568dfc82-c278-4578-9e1f-a6ff5afecf36 |
BROWNSBURG, Ind. — Police are investigating after a grandmother pulled from a creek at a park in Brownsburg on Wednesday died.
Investigators said the grandmother was walking with her granddaughters at Arbuckle Acres Park located at 200 N. Green Street when the family dog was swept away by the water in White Lick Creek.
Police have confirmed that the two girls went in to save save dog, and the woman followed to save the girls.
After making it back to shore, the woman collapsed.
Bystanders tried to help and attempted to give the woman CPR.
Medics continued attempting CPR, but were unable to revive her.
The coroner has not determined her cause of death.
The creek winds through the park and can be easily accessed on the park's paths.
Authorities have not identified the woman, but Captain Jennifer Barrett of Brownsburg Police said in an email to 13News, "The grandmother is a hero and seemingly this was her last self-sacrificing deed prior to passing."
Police said the dog is still missing.
The Hendricks County Animal Shelter shared the dog's name, Lilly, and her description in a social media post.
NOTE: This story has been updated to remove that the woman drowned and reflect that the cause of death is under investigation. | https://www.thv11.com/article/news/local/grandmother-dies-in-drowning-at-brownsburg-arbuckle-acres-park-white-lick-creek/531-8a3275d7-d61d-4316-8fd4-201fa6cb22ca | 2022-08-21T05:06:20 | 0 | https://www.thv11.com/article/news/local/grandmother-dies-in-drowning-at-brownsburg-arbuckle-acres-park-white-lick-creek/531-8a3275d7-d61d-4316-8fd4-201fa6cb22ca |
ATLANTA — An Atlanta woman knows all too well the effects of gun violence after losing a loved one this year. The two had just become engaged and were planning their future together.
Aaliyah Strong said her now 5-year-old son called Ty Ross dad, and he raised him like his own child.
“My favorite pictures are these two," Strong said as she flipped through an album. “We were at the Aquarium.”
A photo album is full of memories for Strong and her son, who still asks where his dad is.
“'Oh, remember when you, me and dad went there?’ You know like how kids are,’” Strong said of her son.
The memories of Strong's fiancé are extra special because of what happened back in February.
“He was just super friendly, just like a gentle giant, honestly, like just so sweet and loving and charismatic," Strong said. “I remember being at a table and somebody ran to me and told me that he had gotten shot.”
Ross was only 28 years old.
"They rushed him to Grady," Strong added. "They told us he was stable, but hours later he died."
He died after being shot at the Encore hookah lounge where Ross worked as a security guard.
“I just want everybody to just focus on how he was when he was here and not just focus on how he was killed," Strong said.
Strong took action amid her grief and disbelief of losing her best friend.
“I started my non-profit Tyme to Thrive Beyond Grief, which is a non-profit that advocates, educates and assists victims and survivors of gun violence along with their loved ones," Strong said.
Strong said helping others heal has become therapeutic as she deals with her own loss.
“We don't have a lot of resources here in Atlanta for families and loved ones that have been impacted, so I just took it upon myself to be like, let me be that resource for families to be able to reach out to," Strong said.
The young woman -- now turned into an advocate -- has a message for those involved in gun violence.
“A five-second decision is permanent. You can't take that back. You can't give someone their life back," Strong said. "It's just sad. Like people really need to wake up. We're literally killing each other day by day.”
She holds her fiancé's mementos close to her heart. The matching slippers they wore last Christmas are still in the closet they shared.
“This is the obituary from his funeral," Strong said in her living room.
She deals with the lasting impact of gun violence and keeps a shrine in her apartment.
"I always want to remember. I don’t want to forget," she said.
The young woman remembers the dreams she had of what the couple's future could have been.
“It was a chapter. A very life-changing chapter for me," Strong said.
Tyme to Thrive Beyond Grief helps families through different resources, such as affordable therapy and grief counseling. Violence prevention is another goal. Strong talks to people at risk as well as discussing safety protocols with nightlife businesses.
The non-profit has several social media pages and is currently working on a website. Click here for the Twitter page, click here for the organization's Facebook page, and click here for the Instagram page. | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/tyme-to-thrive-beyond-grief-organization/85-ecf391a3-12b9-4d10-a707-54deb0282277 | 2022-08-21T05:06:38 | 0 | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/tyme-to-thrive-beyond-grief-organization/85-ecf391a3-12b9-4d10-a707-54deb0282277 |
OAKFIELD, Maine — UPDATE: Bruce Karch of Oakfield has been found safe, according to a release sent by Maine Department of Public Safety Spokesperson Shannon Moss.
STORY: A 77-year-old man from Oakfield is missing as of Saturday evening according to a release sent by the Maine Department of Public Safety.
Bruce Karch was last seen driving from his home on Nelson Road in Oakfield in a silver Toyota Tacoma. The car has the Maine license plate 3935VG.
Karch is 5'8", 155 pounds, with gray hair and blue eyes according to the release.
Anyone with any information is asked to call the Aroostook County Sheriff's Office at 207-532-3471. | https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/local/silver-alert-issued-for-77-year-old-aroostook-county-man/97-8368e503-a48e-41b2-bbfe-b181e85ada12 | 2022-08-21T05:31:55 | 1 | https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/local/silver-alert-issued-for-77-year-old-aroostook-county-man/97-8368e503-a48e-41b2-bbfe-b181e85ada12 |
SEASIDE, Ore. — One person is dead in Seaside after a dangerous active rip current rescue that involved three lifeguards and two victims, according to the City of Seaside.
On Saturday afternoon at about 2:33 p.m., Seaside Fire and Rescue responded to a report of an active water rescue on the beach near 6th Avenue.
At the scene, three lifeguards were found in the water in an active rip current attempting to rescue two victims. Multiple bystanders were also trying to help out with the rescue, Seaside officials said.
Jet skis were brought out to quickly assist lifeguards with the rescue, and rescuers managed to pull both people from the water.
The victims were transported to Providence Seaside Hospital for treatment and evaluation.
One of the victims, who was unconscious when the rescue team arrived, was later pronounced dead, according to Seaside officials. The condition of the other victim is unknown.
As a reminder, Seaside Fire and Rescue warned beachgoers to use extreme caution when entering the water and to have others present. Avoid areas were rip currents are common and learn how to escape by swimming parallel to the beach, the agency said.
To learn more about rip currents and water safety, visit the Seaside Fire and Rescue website.
Warning signs have been placed near the incident area to advise about immediate rip current danger.
OTHER STORIES: Swimmer's death in the Sandy River marks second this week | https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/one-person-dead-rip-current-incident-seaside/283-20372ba6-0e6c-42c7-bb07-c81931ebe8e3 | 2022-08-21T05:36:41 | 0 | https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/one-person-dead-rip-current-incident-seaside/283-20372ba6-0e6c-42c7-bb07-c81931ebe8e3 |
PORTLAND, Ore. — Perhaps you were outside, enjoying the darkened sky Friday night. Maybe you didn't mean to be looking up at all, and you were just hanging out with some friends or family. But then something caught someone's eye — an odd string of light moving steadily across the sky.
It looked long and thin, definitely not a comet or other natural celestial phenomenon. In fact, it looked more like a train made of fluorescent light fixtures than anything else. Was it aliens?
"We just saw something weird in the sky," one viewer sent in a message to KGW on Friday night just before 10 p.m.
"What is this?? Seen in the sky just now (Friday at 9:50 p.m.)??" Another person asked.
Sadly, that was not a true UAP (unidentified aerial phenomena, as they're called now). We can say with relative certainly that this was a bank of Starlink satellites launched by Elon Musk's SpaceX company.
There's even a website that tracks where Starlink satellites are going to be visible at any given time. They showed up in the Portland area at 9:44 p.m. Friday night, and they'll return around the same time on Saturday, if you look to the northwest. They will be visible Sunday and Monday as well, albeit coming from slightly different directions and appearing a few minutes earlier each night.
"For a few moments, I wondered if they might be Starlink," one viewer said after getting an answer from KGW, "but thought they were typically deployed farther apart."
This was a great observation, and may explain why a particularly high number of people were mystified by the sight on Friday. Usually when Starlink satellites show up, if they're visible at all, they're a little more spaced out — looking like a gaggle of celestial ducklings trailing their duck parent. But right now, they're in a perfect, unbroken line.
The reason for this, according to the experts, is that the satellites become more distinct and idiosyncratic as time goes on. This batch, on the other hand, is brand new — reportedly launched Friday, and dropped into low-Earth orbit. As a result, from our distant perspective on the ground, they almost look like a single object. According to SpaceX, the latest launch carried 53 new satellites.
"We were at the right place at the right time to be able to see what's called 'the train,'" said Jim Todd, director of space science education at OMSI. "For many people, this is the first time they experienced it. They see it because it is fairly new."
The Starlink satellites will eventually grow dimmer as they move into higher orbits and provide high-speed internet to remote areas on the planet. Right now, the satellites are hundreds of miles above us — much closer than traditional satellites, which are much larger but orbit further out into space.
With the moon relatively obscured from us right now, there are good conditions for seeing the Starlink satellites as they orbit over. But, as KGW Chief Meteorologist Matt Zaffino said, it isn't a sure thing.
"All of these are forecast to be very bright displays like we saw tonight," Zaffino said Friday. "However, there is a caveat to that. These are satellites, and everything has to happen just right for those satellites. They're reflecting sunlight, they don't have power on them, they aren't lit themselves like an airplane is … so they have to be oriented the right way."
SpaceX plans to launch thousands of Starlink satellites, which means these unusual streaks of light may not be so unusual.
"This won't be the only time you'll see this train, there's more to come," said Todd. | https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/portland-sky-lights-starlink-satellites/283-934d35ae-b17d-4639-887b-2d3da7719201 | 2022-08-21T05:36:47 | 1 | https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/portland-sky-lights-starlink-satellites/283-934d35ae-b17d-4639-887b-2d3da7719201 |
WILDER, Idaho — A small plane carrying two men crashed in a field near the corner of US 95 and Howe Road in Wilder Friday evening.
Sergeant Michael Chamberlain with the Canyon County Sheriff's Office told KTVB the crash happened around 6 p.m. The two men, one in his 40s and the other in his 60s, reported engine trouble as they were flying to the Parma Airport Friday.
Chamberlain said the men were transported to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries following the crash.
This is a developing story and will be updated when new information becomes available.
Watch more Local News:
See the latest news from around the Treasure Valley and the Gem State in our YouTube playlist: | https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/small-plane-crashes-into-field-in-canyon-county/277-dabed933-3a1f-4030-a6ab-735f720ad94c | 2022-08-21T06:03:01 | 1 | https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/small-plane-crashes-into-field-in-canyon-county/277-dabed933-3a1f-4030-a6ab-735f720ad94c |
CASCADE, Idaho — Fire crews continued their battle Saturday against the Four Corners Fire burning just west of Lake Cascade. The weekend brought encouraging news.
“It's a little bit cooler and you can actually feel the higher relative humidity in the air versus the last few days. So, the fire behavior has been pretty moderate,” said Jesse Bender, Public Information Officer with Great Basin Team 4, the team taking on the Four Corners Fire.
A major plus for the team is the close proximity of Lake Cascade to the fire burning just west.
“A fire like this is the perfect situation for it," Bender said. "We've had up to four of the scooper planes flying in tandem out there and they can just come one right after the others, get their water off the lake and immediately be over the fire area and then right back down to the lake."
Fire managers said the lake’s location promotes fast turnarounds for scooping water and dropping it where it’s needed. A scoop and drop cycle can be done in only seven minutes, but it’s not just about scooping and dropping anywhere in the fire zone -- coordination is key.
“It takes the coordinated effort. We have fire crews on the ground. We have the aviation in the air, and they're working together to accomplish the fire suppression," Bender said. "The firefighters on the ground rely on that assistance a lot to cool down areas so that they can continue working."
Late Thursday into Friday of this week saw fire conditions prompt evacuation orders, some noticed though that scooper planes were not in the sky Friday as the situation intensified. Some are asking why that is -- fire managers said it’s all about weather and visibility conditions.
“After Thursday night when the fire grew a few thousand acres, the following morning, all that smoke settled down across the lake and there was very limited visibility," Bender said. "All of our aircraft, of course, need really good visibility to be able to fly their plane under visual flight rules, VFR and the scoopers specifically require 3 miles of VFR to be able to fly over the fire area, but yesterday's reduced visibility definitely hampered aviation operations. At the same time, the fire activity was a little less too. So that was beneficial."
Visibility is huge, because Lake Cascade remains open to the community for recreation. The Valley County Sheriff’s Office monitors the lake, making sure people stay out of the way of scooper planes collecting water.
“Earlier this morning, we did not have the scoopers running yet, because the visibility was still too low. So, there were a lot of people out on the lake in boats and jet skis," Bender said. "As soon as we found out that the scoopers would be able to come to the fire, the sheriff's office immediately got their deputies out on the lake to make sure that people were out of harm's way and that the aviation operations could be conducted safely."
Pilots of firefighting planes and helicopters also have a limit of how much they can fly each day, so fire managers need to think critically about the best windows to have aerial assets assisting.
“We try to find the right spot between starting them early enough to really have good value on the fire in the morning hours, but not starting them so early that then we don't have flight time left on the other end of the day,” Bender said.
The Cascade Rural Fire Protection District is collecting donations for their community fund to help those who have been forced out of their homes. Click here for details on how to help the community.
Watch more on wildfires in the West:
See all of our latest coverage in our YouTube playlist: | https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/wildfire/aerial-attack-continues-on-four-corners-fire-as-managers-monitor-conditions/277-05ecde14-aa22-4776-9a99-831207141e51 | 2022-08-21T06:03:07 | 1 | https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/wildfire/aerial-attack-continues-on-four-corners-fire-as-managers-monitor-conditions/277-05ecde14-aa22-4776-9a99-831207141e51 |
When Alicia Moyer saw her son, Zac, slip on his athletic prosthetic foot for the first time, one thing went through her mind.
“A bunch of doors just flew open for him,” the mother of 13 said Saturday.
Alicia Moyer sat in the stands behind Zac, 19, before the start of a mobility clinic at the Plassman Athletic Center at Turnstone.
“This means there is one less thing holding him back,” she added.
A year ago, Zac had to have his right leg amputated below the knee after enduring complications from a car crash six years earlier. Despite the disability, the Ohio teen entered his hometown’s 5K race last fall – just eight weeks after his surgery.
“He had to walk with crutches, but he did it,” said Alicia Moyer, who lives in Oak Harbor, Ohio, about 30 minutes southeast of Toledo. Her family includes a mix of biological and adopted children. “This year, his goal is to run in the race.”
Zac was among 20 or so participants at the free clinic hosted by prosthetic manufacturer Össur Americas Inc. and the Challenged Athletes Foundation. More than 50 people attended the event that provided support for amputees getting adjusted, tips on how to move with prosthetics and related activities.
“I don’t like to look at it as a disability, but instead view it as a challenge to overcome,” Zac said, after a surprise announcement by officials revealed he would receive the athletic prosthetic.
“I just keep pushing, one hop closer to my next goal,” he said, speaking to the crowd assembled at the Plassman Athletic Center.
Michael Perez is a clinical manager with an Ohio prosthetic firm that helped Zac get fitted for his limb.
“We just told him he was a finalist, so he didn’t know he would get it,” Perez said.
Elizabeth Vanderweerd, an Össur Americas marketing manager, said insurance companies typically view athletic prosthetics as a luxury item and won’t cover the costs. Limbs can reach upwards of $10,000, she said.
Challenged Athletes Foundation program manager Lauren Gerrbi was glad Zac secured a grant from the organization to pay for his new limb.
“(Amputees) don’t just walk, they run, they’re active,” she said. “They need to be helped and taught how to use prosthetics.”
According to the Amputee Coalition, there are nearly 2 million people living with limb loss in the United States and 185,000 amputations happen in the country each year.
Three years ago, Josh Moore of Fort Wayne lost a leg in a traffic accident.
The 38-year-old was huffing a bit as he sat with a sweat-drenched T-shirt saying that Saturday’s clinic was more intense than others he’s attended.
“Honestly, I just want to be able to live as unassisted as I can,” Moore said. “That’s what I hope.” | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/clinic-gets-amputees-moving/article_45aeeb04-2099-11ed-b3f9-afde8311d42c.html | 2022-08-21T06:12:27 | 0 | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/clinic-gets-amputees-moving/article_45aeeb04-2099-11ed-b3f9-afde8311d42c.html |
Even when it rained, the tempting aroma of Indian food filled the air around the Shoaff Park pavilion Saturday.
At the end of the banquet line at the Sangham Family Picnic, volunteers made dosas on a hot, flat grill, spreading the batter of fermented rice and lentils in a circle larger than the flying discs some kids threw.
When that crepe-like outer shell was browned, the volunteer chefs filled it with a spicy mixture.
Sangham’s annual picnic, which has happened for almost 50 years now, was a cultural celebration of the past, present and future.
Games including Midwestern cornhole were played, as well as the Indian favorite cricket. And alongside the Indian food was a dessert popular at American picnics: watermelon.
About 150 people attended the picnic despite morning rain.
“It was a good, good turnout,” said Rahim Pirani, vice president of Sangham, the Indian Cultural Society of Fort Wayne. It was perhaps the group’s biggest, and people were hungry for it following two years of canceled Sangham events during COVID.
Sangham launched the picnic about the same time the group was formally created in 1975. “It was a small group,” Pirani said of those attended the picnic then.
The group’s name comes from the Sanskrit word, “which has a connotation of joining, confluence or assembly,” according to the group’s membership directory. The creators thought it was an appropriate name in Fort Wayne – being the confluence of three rivers – and for an organization that gathers together groups from the Indian subcontinent area.
It’s not about religion, said Pirani, who’s a Muslim and has lived in Pakistan and Bangladesh.
Sangam President Giselle Bose said the members include Nepalese, Sri Lankan and even U.S. natives, and everyone is welcome.
Group members teach about their culture and keep it alive, but the picnic feels more like a family reunion than a religious observance. Sangham celebrates those types of events, too, including Diwali, the festival of lights, and Holi, the festival of color, also called the festival of spring.
The picnic and Sangham provide a sense of belonging, said Lakshmi Meruva, who has participated in the picnic with her family for about 15 years – ever since moving to Fort Wayne.
“It keeps us grounded in our culture,” she said. “It’s just like family for us.”
Bose said she joined Sangham so her sons could connect with the culture and community. This year, there were lots of south Asian people new to the community since COVID who came to meet and connect with the community.
Sharmila Chakravarty, the organization’s treasurer, said, “This is a nice way just to bring the community together because everybody is busy in their own way.”
Although Sangham started in the mid-1970s, Indian subcontinent natives began coming to Fort Wayne in the 1960s. Pirani said it was for school, he and his wife, Rose, attended Indiana Tech. Then came professionals, he said.
Ram Anantha said Fort Wayne’s Indian community is strong, but it’s missing a few things that exist in larger American cities.
Some are coming soon. One thing announced at the picnic was the opening of an Indian grocery, Khirana, coming to the south side, Bose said. There are also plans for a gathering place.
Anantha is vice president of the Fort Wayne Bhajan Society, which is working on a 25,000-square-foot community center on the northwest side. It’s still in early stages, but they hope to have it open next summer and have Sangham’s 2023 picnic there, he said.
Currently, the group uses the Unitarian Universalist Church at 5310 Old Mill Road as a gathering place.
The center, to be named the Dr. Marubhai Patel Community Center in honor of the $1 million seed money his widow, Amitabhen Patel, donated to the project, is halfway through fundraising, getting $2.5 million for the building and 19 acres and $1 million for an endowment for upkeep.
The center will provide a meeting place for senior citizens, giving them a place to socialize, to pursue spiritual learning of the Bhagavad Gita and Upanishads, to pursue recreation and to have seminars on matters including taxes, legal matters and retirement planning.
For children, it will provide cultural classes and a sense of belonging to the Indian community. For the community, it will provide space for religious events and to celebrate festivities, birthdays and weddings. | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/fort-waynes-indian-community-celebrates-prepares-for-future/article_1ea737f4-20d6-11ed-bff9-9becca075487.html | 2022-08-21T06:12:33 | 0 | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/fort-waynes-indian-community-celebrates-prepares-for-future/article_1ea737f4-20d6-11ed-bff9-9becca075487.html |
As police departments adapt to new methods of finding recruits, they’re keeping an eye on increasing diversity.
Chief Steve Reed said the Fort Wayne Police Department has seen an uptick in female applicants, for example.
Diversity is one of the factors police departments consider in recruiting, even as hiring new officers becomes harder to do these days.
Fort Wayne’s recruitment team is 50% minority. Potential recruits can see officers who look like their communities, “who can show how that path works,” Reed said.
Recruitment Officer Doug Weaver said of the 36 new officers in the department’s 66th Recruitment Class on July 8, five were female – or about 14%. The department’s goal is to be 50% female by 2030.
The number of women is increasing, but only gradually.
Among the 17 new officers in the 65th class in July 2020, four were women. The June 2019 class of 20 recruits included two women. The year before, three women were in the 21-member class.
Racial diversity is also a department goal. Progress in that area is also slow. The majority of recruits in this year’s class were white, with 32 identifying as Caucasian. One was Black, one was Latino and two were biracial.
In 2019, two recruits were Black and three Latino.
Of the two officers of Burmese descent who joined the force in 2018 with the 63rd class, one remains, Reed said. The department would like to attract more, because of Fort Wayne’s large Burmese population.
Chief Deputy Troy Hershberger of the Allen County Sheriff’s Department said, traditionally, police need immigrant officers to communicate more effectively with diverse populations.
More minorities are in confinement officer positions because the department hires patrol officers from its jail guards, so change will start there and move up.
At the beginning of July, 38 of 124 guards were racial minorities, women or both. Among female guards, 26 are white, seven Black, one Latino and two who identified as “other,” he said.
Among the men, nine are Black, one Latino and two identifying as “other.” Hershberger said those two included a Burmese male.
“Our goal is to try and diversify things on the police side,” Hershberger said.
He added it will be easier to move minorities from jail to patrol duties over the next eight years as more baby boomers are expected to start retiring.
July numbers for men in deputy positions included five Blacks, one Latino and three who identified as “other,” including Pacific Islanders, he said.
The deputies also include seven white women and one Black woman, he said. | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/fwpd-works-to-increase-diversity/article_1063d8ce-1ea5-11ed-baa1-07b9c4d3dc4f.html | 2022-08-21T06:12:39 | 1 | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/fwpd-works-to-increase-diversity/article_1063d8ce-1ea5-11ed-baa1-07b9c4d3dc4f.html |
When Nicole Pickering was 17, she joined peers in the Monroeville community to develop a youth center for local high school students.
That was 22 years ago, and what started as the Monroeville Youth Center Council has grown into the Cornerstone Youth Center.
“We did not have a lot of opportunities because it’s such a small town,” Pickering said. “Having Cornerstone to be able to go to gave some kids who didn’t have a safe place somewhere to go.”
Cornerstone is a faith-based, nonprofit that offers enrichment and educational support to local teenagers year-round, according to its website. This year is the Cornerstone Youth Center’s 20th anniversary.
To celebrate, it is hosting “The Time is Now: A Celebration of Who We Were, Who We Are, and Who We Are Becoming,” on Friday at the Hoagland Hayloft. Tickets are $50, and include appetizers, dinner and drinks. The Fort Wayne Funk Orchestra is scheduled to provide music.
Tickets and information are online at www.givetocornerstone.com.
The event will also help Cornerstone launch its new branding, a news release said.
Sarah Adams, executive director for Cornerstone, said the organization is officially changing its name to Cornerstone Community with new logos. The most important part, however, is that the organization is expanding its mission, vision and strategic planning, she said.
“In the last year or two, we’ve transformed into a community center,” Adams said. “What we’ve decided is that if we reach out and not only serve our youth, but also the families and seniors and community members, we could work to make a healthier community overall.”
Cornerstone has created the JOY Program for seniors, which stands for “Just Older Youth,” and offers opportunities for them to spend time with their peers and students. The nonprofit’s website said it offers programs at the center and in the community through day trips.
During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Cornerstone, at 19819 Monroeville Road in Monroeville, also provided biweekly, healthy meal assistance to seniors in the community.
Adams said the organization is not actively offering that service anymore but is working with organizations that can help with nutrition education and food resources for seniors and those with disabilities.
Adams said it’s an honor to be the nonprofit’s executive director and that Cornerstone’s team is “one of the most talented” she’s been part of.
“We’ve always evolved and adapted to try to be that meaningful, positive role in our community,” she said. “We’re really excited about that as we come together and expand into community services. We’ll be able to help bring even more resources, more experiences and just a place for the community to come together.”
Pickering has worked as the program and administrative assistant at Cornerstone Youth Center since January, returning to the place she helped create more than 20 years ago.
“There was no homework help,” she said. “There was nothing really for kids to be involved in if they didn’t participate in sports outside of school.”
Pickering said she saw the important work Cornerstone was doing and wanted to be part of the organization. Since she had been involved as a teenager, Pickering said that was even more reason to return as an employee.
Her favorite part of the center’s services was building relationships with people who showed interest and became active in her life. And Pickering said that lessons she learned from Cornerstone have played a large role in her adult life.
“It helped me learn to be compassionate,” she said. “It helped me to be able to put myself in other people’s shoes because you don’t always see what other people are going through … it helped me learn how other people are living their lives.”
Pickering also said she’s excited about what the future of the organization has in store.
“I’m excited to get to be part of bringing our small community together and, hopefully, being able to bring more people in from outside of our community to participate in what we have going on here,” she said. | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/monroeville-youth-center-celebrating-legacy-looking-forward/article_26629bcc-200a-11ed-ac04-e36d40056286.html | 2022-08-21T06:12:45 | 0 | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/monroeville-youth-center-celebrating-legacy-looking-forward/article_26629bcc-200a-11ed-ac04-e36d40056286.html |
If kids still dream of being police officers when they get older, not enough hold onto that vision when they grow up.
Police departments that serve the Allen County area are realizing that when they try to recruit, seeking qualified candidates who pass the required written, physical and psychological tests.
“Most departments aren’t meeting their hiring goals,” Fort Wayne Police Chief Steve Reed said. That’s state and nationwide.
Indiana State Police Sgt. Brian Walker of Fort Wayne District 22 said larger agencies have the same struggles.
“We’re not different from any other agency,” he said. “We’re pulling from the same pool.”
Many departments are understaffed. Walker said the state police are allotted 1,285 troopers statewide but have 1,147 currently. The Fort Wayne post has 53 troopers, but about 20 years ago, had about 70 to 75.
“We’ve been that way for a while,” Walker said, adding that the situation is poised to get worse. “We’re going to have a lot of people retire in the next few years.”
The Allen County Sheriff’s Department has a dual problem when it comes to staffing. Besides needing deputies on the road doing typical policing work, it needs confinement officers to guard those who are arrested.
“On the police side of things, our numbers are pretty good. It’s on the confinement side” that numbers are thin, said Chief Deputy Troy Hershberger.
The sheriff’s department needs 144 positions filled at the jail but has 125 officers, and it has 141 positions for road officers but just 137 filled. The road officers come from the ranks of the jail guards.
In March, a federal judge told the Allen County Commissioners and Sheriff’s Department that alleviating understaffing was among improvements that need to be made at the Allen County Jail. To avoid creating even more understaffing at the jail, the sheriff’s department is reluctant to move confinement officers into police position even though four are ready, Hershberger said.
“It’s not that we can’t,” he said. “It’s just that we chose not to.”
The department would like to ask for more deputy positions, too, but it won’t until current positions are filled, he added. In eight years, additional positions are likely to open as the baby boomer generation retires.
To try to keep staffing up, police departments are changing the ways they find and hire officers, including beefing up their online presence.
Four years ago, Fort Wayne police put together a recruiting team and new strategy.
Hershberger said the sheriff’s department created a full-time personnel division, now with three employees. It invests in recruitment, such as commercials on local radio or advertisements in malls, spending about $50,000 last year to find candidates.
“They’re out there,” he said. “We’ve got to go find them. We’ve got to entice them.”
Bad publicity melds with rising demands
Reed sees a few reasons why it’s harder for the local police department to hire. Police have been viewed in a bad light publicly, he said. Many departments are watching retention levels increasingly decline.
And the nature of law enforcement has changed. Police departments need to have more technical and digital expertise, such as the ability to use drones during standoffs and investigate social media use. There’s a need for officers with expertise in how computers and phones work and how to get evidence from them. And there’s a need for officers to recognize when social services are needed.
“So we continue to grow as the needs of the community grow,” Reed said. “We’re no longer just patrol officers.”
The fully staffed Fort Wayne force is 485 officers, but Reed expects to ask for 15 more positions for a total of 500 for next year because of what’s required.
Despite the need for more officers, officials maintain strict standards. The process to become an officer in any department is lengthy, and state law requires officers to be 21 by the time they pass a police academy.
The state police requirements include a background check, drug testing, medical and physical testing and passing a polygraph. The state police academy lasts 23 weeks.
“I can’t tell you how to pass (a lie detector test) other than to be honest,” Walker said.
The state police try to get 50 to 60 recruits seated in a class.
“We typically don’t get those numbers,” Walker said. If there are 50 applicants, about 35 to 40 graduate from the academy.
Despite a high dropout rate, standards are enforced.
“We don’t plan on reducing our expectations or reducing our standards on who we hire,” Walker said.
The sheriff’s department also requires its candidates to pass polygraph tests.
The Fort Wayne Police Department graduated its 66th recruit class July 8 from its own state-approved academy with 36 new officers. The process started almost a year before with a written test.
Recruitment Officer Doug Weaver said the department had more than 600 applicants based on recruiting from March to May. That number plummeted to 200 once the process began last summer. Some prospects simply lost interest, he said.
Then the recruits went through physical tests, psychological tests, background reviews and interviews before orientation for the academy. That academy lasts about six months.
New ways to recruit, lateral hiring helps
“This was one of our larger classes,” Reed said. With the graduation, the Fort Wayne Police Department was one short of having all its 485 officer positions full.
With lateral hires – officers coming from other departments and taking an abbreviated training in the department’s academy – even pending retirements won’t diminish a full force.
Weaver said that Fort Wayne is streamlining the process for candidates. A recruiting website is in the works, and communications are done with texts as people respond less often to emails now.
“Every generation’s different,” Reed said. “The days of simply posting a job on a board are gone.”
Weaver said everyone who contacts the department is assigned a recruiter until they either graduate or are no longer interested.
Locally, the department gets involved in Junior Achievement to reach students before high school and recruits at events including the National Night Out.
Scouting for staff is nationwide, and recruitment officers travel to colleges including Olivet Nazarene University in Illinois and to military bases in an effort to build awareness for the department. Fort Wayne has hired candidates from California and New York City.
“They come here because of the work these people are doing,” Reed said.
Walker said the state police look at college fairs, job fairs and military bases, where those who serve are coming to the end of their enlistment.
State police also offer ride along programs for those 18 years and older and internships for college students.
Hershberger said the sheriff’s department recruits locally but is willing to hire anyone who moves to Allen County. The department is also reaching out to youth earlier, he said.
“Those school resource officers aren’t just security guards,” Hershberger said, describing them as mentors, coaches and recruiters.
Every Wednesday, the sheriff’s department offers a written test for those who want to apply for a job in the department and includes a tour of the jail.
“There are not hidden secrets about that jail,” Hershberger said.
For county, jail staffing creates another issue
The change in the Allen County Sheriff’s Department’s process came four to five years ago when officials recognized high turnover at the jail.
“We had to find a creative way to keep the staff at the jail,” Hershberger said.
That’s when they decided that to become a sheriff’s deputy, someone must work as an Allen County corrections officer first.
Working in the jail allows potential deputies to deal immediately with some of the people they’ll encounter on the street and learn how to connect to people, he said. It also requires them to retain composure in difficult situations, such as when they’re having feces and urine thrown at them.
“It teaches you to have thick skin,” Hershberger said. “So when things go bad out there on the street, you already know how they’ll react.”
Hiring street deputies from within allows the department to evaluate their professionalism and whether they are ready to move up. If they’re not, the officers are told why, whether it’s dedication, maturity or level of physical ability.
Promoting from within also saves time because background checks have already been made. “We’ve already vetted them the first time,” Hershberger said.
Confinement officers can also start work at age 18 and be part of the department until they reach 21, the age where they can become full police officers. Some people prefer to work in the jail positions, however, and will stay there.
Hershberger said pay starts at $21.75 an hour, about $45,240 annually. That’s the same level for confinement officers and court security.
Walker said state troopers earn about $46,000 a year as cadets and $50,000 as officers.
Reed said Fort Wayne has also been able to reduce violent crime, which makes local police department positions more desirable. For 2022, the salary is $59,529 for first year and $66,143 for second in Fort Wayne.
Policies rethought on tattoos, drug use
Police departments retain their standards and requirements, but they’re also reconsidering what could be acceptable as society changes, such as tattoos.
The state police’s tattoo policy is that officers can have nothing on the face or on an exposed surface, such as the arms and necks.
“That’s a real restriction for our military candidates,” Walker said.
The Allen County sheriff’s department has similar rules on exposed tattoos, so officers who have tattoos on their arms must wear long sleeves, Hershberger said. The words or images also can’t be offensive in any way.
Society’s different view of drugs has also affected the hiring pool and changed how candidates are considered. Ideally, when someone reaches age 18, they understand choices and effects, Hershberger said.
The no-tolerance policy has gone. At one time, the sheriff’s office wouldn’t consider anyone who’d used hard drugs within 10 years or marijuana in three.
“Now it’s really a case-by-case basis,” he said.
There’s a difference between an 18-year-old who tries marijuana for the first time at graduation and a 25-year-old veteran who’s used heroin 10 times after separation from the armed forces.
For the Indiana State Police, potential recruits cannot have marijuana arrests and cannot have used the drug within the last three years.
Three years is the timeline for use of soft drugs, Walker said. The state police department has a no-tolerance policy for hard drugs.
“We will not waive our drug tests,” Walker said, adding that’s a matter of character qualifications.
“You violate the public trust on some things,” he said, “and you’ll never recover.” | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/police-departments-not-meeting-hiring-goals/article_bc2924f6-1de8-11ed-81db-d7470f9d2a14.html | 2022-08-21T06:12:51 | 1 | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/police-departments-not-meeting-hiring-goals/article_bc2924f6-1de8-11ed-81db-d7470f9d2a14.html |
Northwood Middle School families had a choice this year as they toured the registration tables set up in the gym. Between booths for schedule change requests and athletics, they could make sure their children got the required vaccinations for school.
“We have grabbed so many people that it’s unbelievable,” longtime school nurse Marilyn Mueller said of the pop-up clinic offered in partnership with the nonprofit agency Super Shot.
Fort Wayne Community Schools families who missed vaccination opportunities at registration don’t need to look outside the district to cross those requirements off their to-do lists. The nearly 30,000-student school system is in its fourth year of offering an on-site immunization clinic at the downtown Wendy Y. Robinson Family and Community Engagement Center. Appointments are available year-round on weekdays during school hours except on major holidays. Any FWCS student can be helped, regardless of insurance status.
FWCS is the only Indiana district to offer such a clinic, said officials, who recently welcomed a visit from the Indiana Department of Health. When asked for a comment about its late July visit, the agency sent a statement.
“We are always interested in supporting school districts that have programs in place to support students,” the health department said. “FWCS has a robust back-to-school program where immunizations are made a priority by nursing staff and school leaders.”
But FWCS shares the credit with collaborators Super Shot, which provides the vaccines, and Parkview Community Nursing, whose nurses run the clinic and administer the shots. The St. Joe Community Health Foundation and the Tippman Foundation helped FWCS obtain immunization transport equipment and specialized refrigeration for vaccine storage, respectively, said Mary Hess, the school system’s director of health and wellness.
“It really is a partnership that makes it work,” she said.
Connie Heflin, executive director of Super Shot, agreed. It’s about “sharing our resources,” she said, “and working smart.”
Keeping kids in school
Different immunizations are required at the kindergarten, sixth- and 12th-grade levels. It’s common for FWCS students in those grades – which totaled 6,220 students last year – to start the academic year without the needed shots.
“About half of our kids come to school behind in their immunizations every year,” Hess said, adding students from other states or countries can be further behind.
Mueller, the Northwood school nurse, said a family newly arrived from Africa was among those waiting for shots during registration.
“It will take them maybe a year to catch them up,” Mueller said, “but we’re going to do it.”
Students can be excluded from school if they lack vaccinations, although there are exemptions for medical issues and religious objections.
FWCS’ vaccination program was limited before the vaccination clinic opened, Hess said. Nurses would send letters home with deadlines to get students immunized, sometimes leading to students missing a week or two of school as they waited for their necessary shots.
“We hated seeing kids lose school time,” Hess said.
With the clinic, she said, FWCS wanted to make it as easy as possible for parents to get children vaccinated without disrupting students’ education. The district also conducts in-school immunization clinics when possible. Shots are administered with parents’ written consent.
Advocating for students
Shannon Hunter hadn’t planned on getting her daughter vaccinated during Northwood’s registration, but she said she couldn’t resist the convenience. She sat next to the girl in the school gym, waiting to be called to the locker room for the shots.
“We’ll get everybody that we can,” Mueller said of the pop-up clinic, which was an extension of FWCS’ partnership with Super Shot.
Natalie McLaughlin, who leads Parkview Community Nursing’s efforts with FWCS, said the beginning of the academic year is especially busy for vaccine providers because families are trying to comply with rules. The downtown clinic might not always have immediate openings, she said, but it will notify school nurses of students’ vaccination appointments so the children can stay in school in the interim.
“There’s never a goal for excluding students,” McLaughlin said.
Heflin, the Super Shot executive, said it makes sense for schools to offer the required and recommended immunizations because school nurses are at the forefront of public health for children in the community. She commended FWCS for its programs.
“They really advocate for their students and work to provide wraparound services for their students,” she said.
Protecting against vaccine-preventable diseases is important because diseases once thought to be “completely behind us,” such as polio, are returning, Heflin said. Vaccinating a child not only protects the child but also the child’s classmates and entire school community.
Or, she summarized, it’s “something you do for somebody else.” | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/schools/fort-wayne-community-schools-offers-vaccination-opportunities-to-students/article_50fcf876-1e72-11ed-9f27-a335bfe2822c.html | 2022-08-21T06:12:58 | 1 | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/schools/fort-wayne-community-schools-offers-vaccination-opportunities-to-students/article_50fcf876-1e72-11ed-9f27-a335bfe2822c.html |
Bernard John Griffin
Nov. 13, 1938 - Aug. 16, 2022
MESA, AZ - Bernard John Griffin was born in Gary, IN in 1938. He lived in Merrillville, IN throughout his childhood and spent his remaining years in Mesa, AZ. His bright smile left this world on 8/16/22. He is survived by his sisters (Gerri & Dottie), four children and eight grandchildren. His Celebration of Life will be held on August 27, 2022 at 10:00 a.m. at The Praise and Worship Center 2551 N. Arizona Ave. Chandler, AZ 85225. | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/obituaries/bernard-john-griffin/article_bccaa9dc-e03d-5d44-aa46-93d4ef360d29.html | 2022-08-21T06:25:43 | 1 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/obituaries/bernard-john-griffin/article_bccaa9dc-e03d-5d44-aa46-93d4ef360d29.html |
Cyril M. Blaschke
Nov. 3, 1930 - Aug. 16, 2022
HOBART, IN - Cyril M. Blaschke, age 91, of Hobart, formerly of Glen Park, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, August 16, 2022 at St. Mary's Medical Center in Hobart. He was born November 3, 1930 in Gary, IN. Cyril graduated from Lew Wallace High School in 1949. He served in the Air Force during the Korean War. Cyril worked at Taylor Forge for seven years, U.S. Steel for two years and then worked at Midwest Steel as a roll grinder until retirement in 1995. He married his next door neighbor, Josephine Starcevich, in 1956 and they were married 50 years. They moved to Hobart in 1969 where he resided. He was a member of St. Bridget Catholic Church in Hobart, a 3rd Degree Knight of the Knights of Columbus, a member of the Hobart Moose and a member of Banner Senior Center in Portage.
Cyril was a loving and caring man who enjoyed reading, mostly about cars, cooking, crafts and keeping busy.
He was loved by everyone who knew him. He was preceded in death by his parents-John and Elizabeth (nee Reiser) Blaschke; wife-Josephine; siblings-Sister Dolores, Margaret (Bill) Bombassaro, Joan (Robert) Mathews, Francis (Max) Loucks, Dolores (Leo) Largura, Caroline (Stanley) Lesniak, John "Bud" Blaschke, Earl "Sam" Blaschke; nieces; nephews and great nephews. Cyril is survived by his three children-Mark G. Blaschke of Hobart, Catherine M. Blaschke of Valparaiso and Jeffrey J. Blaschke of Portage; wonderful and loving partner-Dolores Slater of Porter; one sister-in-law-Mary Starcevich; many nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews, great great nieces and nephews.
Visitation for Cyril will be Monday, August 22, 2022 from 2:00 until 8:00 p.m., with a prayer service at 6:00 p.m., followed by a Knights of Columbus Service, at BURNS FUNERAL HOME, 701 East 7th Street, Hobart. Funeral service will be Tuesday, August 23, 2022, starting with prayers at 9:00 a.m. at Burns (Hobart) and then proceeding to St. Bridget Catholic Church, 107 Main Street, Hobart, for a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:00 a.m., Fr. Benjamin Ross officiating. Interment at Calumet Park Cemetery, Merrillville. www.burnsfuneral.com | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/obituaries/cyril-m-blaschke/article_77c02029-1917-5687-aa5a-8b5cd8fcbca3.html | 2022-08-21T06:25:49 | 0 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/obituaries/cyril-m-blaschke/article_77c02029-1917-5687-aa5a-8b5cd8fcbca3.html |
Dorothy May Kohne (nee Anderson)
Jan. 20, 1930 - Aug. 13, 2022
HEBRON, IN - Dorothy May Kohne (nee Anderson), age 92, of Hebron, IN formerly of Duluth, MN, died Saturday, August 13, 2022 in Demotte, IN.
Dorothy is survived by her two sons: Marty (Colleen) Kohne of North Branch, MN, and Peter (Janice) Kohne of Rensselaer, IN; brother, David J. Anderson of Duluth, MN; sister, Kathleen (Verlin) Hoffman of Juneau, AK; step granddaughter, Jennifer (Lupe) Rodriguez; step great-grandchildren: Forrest and Elena; and special friend, Peg Shaffer.
Dorothy was preceded in death by her husband of 60 years, Leroy Kohne; her parents: Martin and Sally (nee Soukkala) Anderson; daughter, Diane Kohne Schuster; sister, Sally Olson; and brother, Martin Anderson.
Dorothy graduated from Denfeld High School in 1947 and attended U.M.D. On June 17, 1950, she married LeRoy M.E. Kohne. She was a member of Elim Lutheran Church and Christ Lutheran Church in Duluth.
In 1973 she moved to Hebron, IN when her husband was transferred to U.S. Steel in Gary, IN. Dorothy was a charter member of St. Michael EV. Lutheran Church in Hebron. Mom was raised in the Lutheran Church and throughout the years was active in Ladies Aid, Alter Society, Quilters, Bible Study, and the Funeral Committee. Her strong faith and moral ethics was a strong influence on us.
Dorothy was a strong advocate of education. Thank you, Mom!
Friends may visit with the family on Tuesday, August 23, 2022 at Geisen Funeral Home & Cremation Services, 624 N. Main St., Hebron, IN 46341, from 4:00 PM until the time of memorial service at 6:00 PM with Pastor Brett Satkowski officiating.
Inurnment will be at Oneota Cemetery in Duluth, MN at a later date.
Memorials may be made in Dorothy's name to Call-A-Ride in Hebron, IN.
Visit Dorothy's online guestbook at www.GeisenFuneralHome.com 219-663-2500. | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/obituaries/dorothy-may-kohne-nee-anderson/article_b8d10441-7e66-5177-af51-b13b5919382e.html | 2022-08-21T06:25:56 | 0 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/obituaries/dorothy-may-kohne-nee-anderson/article_b8d10441-7e66-5177-af51-b13b5919382e.html |
Dr. Thomas Peter Ruff
May 31, 1936 - July 27, 2022
SEATTLE, WA - Dr. Thomas Peter Ruff, 86, passed away on July 27, 2022 in Seattle, WA. Originally from Hammond, IN, Tom and his family moved to Pullman, WA in 1968. He lived in the state of Washington until his death.
Full obituary and service details can be found at www.AcaciaFuneralHome.com. | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/obituaries/dr-thomas-peter-ruff/article_4ff72dca-4d02-57da-bdb9-2d6bf62ee69d.html | 2022-08-21T06:26:02 | 1 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/obituaries/dr-thomas-peter-ruff/article_4ff72dca-4d02-57da-bdb9-2d6bf62ee69d.html |
Eleanor Kay Mirich
In loving memory of my beloved, gracious, beautiful wife, Eleanor. Five years have passed since I lost you, however I have not forgotten you in my prayers and thoughts at home and the mausoleum. My prayer for you always, under God's perpetual light shining upon you, may you rest and sleep in peace with Jesus, Mary and Joseph. I pray to God that I may soon be with my beautiful wife in heaven. I love you Eleanor, Ernest | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/obituaries/eleanor-kay-mirich/article_1fcef558-285f-5213-97d8-afd21474fd8c.html | 2022-08-21T06:26:08 | 1 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/obituaries/eleanor-kay-mirich/article_1fcef558-285f-5213-97d8-afd21474fd8c.html |
Emma Shalla
Nov. 12, 1930 - Aug. 8, 2022
CROWN POINT, IN - Emma Shalla, age 91, of Crown Point, IN, passed away on Monday, August 8, 2022.
Emma is survived by two children; one granddaughter; and one great-grandson.
Friends may visit with the family on Wednesday, August 24, 2022, at GEISEN FUNERAL, CREMATION & RECEPTION CENTER, 606 E. 113th Ave., Crown Point, IN 46307 from 10:00 AM until the time of memorial service at 12:00 PM with Pastor Tom Clark officiating.
Visit Emma's online guestbook at www.GeisenFuneralHome.com 219-663-2500. | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/obituaries/emma-shalla/article_1f4608c7-ed69-5157-b445-4cad9161d139.html | 2022-08-21T06:26:14 | 0 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/obituaries/emma-shalla/article_1f4608c7-ed69-5157-b445-4cad9161d139.html |
Gail Marie Marzotto (nee Roden)
Nov. 22, 1951 - July 19, 2022
Gail Marie Marzotto (nee Roden) left this world on July 19, 2022. She succumbed to breast cancer after a courageous, eleven year battle. Gail was born in Chicago, Illinois on November 22, 1951 to Raymond and Jean Roden (nee Modjeska).
In 1969 she graduated from Elk Grove High School. Gail spent many years as a stay at home mother to her children then went to night school subsequently receiving her degree in nursing from Elgin Community College in 1980.
Gail spent over 40 years as a Registered Nurse practicing in both Chicago's western suburbs and Northwest Indiana. She was highly regarded for her professional expertise. Gail had a wonderful sense of humor, which she used in her excellent care of patients and working with her peers and associates. Her work ethic was second to none and she loved being part of professional teams that made a difference in other people's lives.
Gail's children and family were the main love of her life. The tenderness and loving care she brought to her home life also was prevalent in how she treated close friends of hers and those of her family. Many of her children's friends and school mates have expressed the feeling that she was a second mother to them. If they were part of her kids' lives they were considered part of the Wehling/Marzotto family.
Maintaining close relationships with her fellow colleagues was also very important to her. Even though they may be far apart Gail always tried to maintain contact with her friends wanting to share news of their families.
An animal lover throughout her life, she enjoyed caring for her many pets over the years. Be it dogs, cats, chickens, geese, goats, song birds or her beloved horses, Gail nurtured them all as precious members of her home and cherished family farm.
Gail was preceded in death by her father Raymond Roden, her mother Jean Segeda (Modjeska) and her stepmother Bernice Roden (Winters).
Gail is survived by her husband John of 38 years. She was also a loving mother to her five children, who were her pride and joy: Heather Wehling, David (Victoria) Wehling, Matthew (Caitlin) Wehling, Michael (Elizabeth) Marzotto, and Christopher Marzotto; cherished grandmother to Steven Wehling, Sarah Wehling, and Jack Marzotto. She leaves behind her siblings, Michael (Suzanne Mace) Roden, Susan Tinnes, Jim (Kathy) Roden, and Doug (Sue) Roden along with many nieces and nephews. Said simply, Gail was deeply loved by all of her family and friends. Her love, compassion, kindness, and determination will be sorely missed.
Friends may visit with the family on Saturday, August 27, 2022 at Geisen Funeral, Cremation & Reception Centre, 606 E 113th Ave, Crown Point, IN 46307 from 1:00 PM until time of Memorial Service at 3:00 PM. A reception will follow serving lunch for attendees.
In lieu of flowers, Gail requested donations to be made in her name to either the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital or the American Cancer Society.
Visit Gail's online guestbook at www.GeisenFuneralHome.com 219-663-2500. | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/obituaries/gail-marie-marzotto-nee-roden/article_cc45fb76-537a-5927-9496-7c188628d378.html | 2022-08-21T06:26:20 | 1 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/obituaries/gail-marie-marzotto-nee-roden/article_cc45fb76-537a-5927-9496-7c188628d378.html |
Jesse W. Shalla
Jan. 3, 1927 - July 23, 2022
CROWN POINT, IN - Jesse W. Shalla, age 95, of Crown Point, IN, passed away on Saturday, July 23, 2022.
Jesse is survived by his two children; one granddaughter; and one great-grandson.
Friends may visit with the family on Wednesday, August 24, 2022, at GEISEN FUNERAL, CREMATION & RECEPTION CENTRE, 606 E. 113th Ave., Crown Point, IN 46307 from 10:00 AM until the time of memorial service at 12:00 PM with Pastor Tom Clark officiating.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Salem United Methodist Church in Hebron or to your preferred charity in Jesse's memory.
To view Jesse's full obituary, go to www.GeisenFuneralHome.com 219-663-2500. | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/obituaries/jesse-w-shalla/article_70b3cb6f-d5f4-5d52-a794-8a4eb0cfcc4d.html | 2022-08-21T06:26:27 | 0 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/obituaries/jesse-w-shalla/article_70b3cb6f-d5f4-5d52-a794-8a4eb0cfcc4d.html |
Josephine A. Pajdzik
EAST CHICAGO, IN - Josephine A. Pajdzik, age 91 of East Chicago, IN passed away Tuesday, August 16, 2022. She is survived by five children: Thomas (Jackie) Pajdzik, Gerard (Cindy) Pajdzik, Michael Pajdzik, Peter (Christy) Pajdzik and Pamela Pajdzik; five grandchildren and four great grandchildren; numerous nieces and nephews. Preceded in death by her parents, Joseph and Anna Stanko; husband, Walter T. Pajdzik; daughter, Mary Jo Pajdzik; two sisters and two brothers.
Graveside (Chapel) services will be held Monday, August 22, 2022 at 10:30 am at Holy Cross Cemetery, Calumet City, IL with Rev. Terry Steffens officiating.
Josephine retired from the School City of East Chicago in Food Service. She was an avid Chicago Bulls and Chicago Cubs fan. In lieu of flowers, donation to Fr. Blaney's Share Foundation would be appreciated. To share an online condolence, logon to www.fifefuneralhome.com. | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/obituaries/josephine-a-pajdzk/article_b11a692c-cc35-5c96-8229-e0bb4b3b48bf.html | 2022-08-21T06:26:33 | 0 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/obituaries/josephine-a-pajdzk/article_b11a692c-cc35-5c96-8229-e0bb4b3b48bf.html |
Juanita Joyce Frizzell
Dec. 5, 1935 - July 18, 2022
LAKE DALECARLIA, IN - Juanita Joyce Frizzell (Barman), age 86, of Lake Dalecarlia passed away July 18, 2022. She was born on December 5, 1935, in Hammond, Indiana as the daughter of George and Mary Barman. In addition to her parents and her sister, Marty Walker, Joyce was preceded in death by her husband of 67 years, Bob Frizzell, in March of 2022 and her son, Dale Frizzell, in 2019.
Joyce is survived by her sons, David (Karen) Frizzell and Brian (Julie) Frizzell, and daughter-in-law, Linda Frizzell; grandchildren, Josh (Yiran) Frizzell, Jennifer Frizzell, Jessica Frizzell, Jesse (Kim) Frizzell, Jordan (Kari) Frizzell, Ben Frizzell, Ryan (Amanda) Frizzell, and Nick (Heather) Frizzell; and eight great-grandchildren.
Joyce worked for Tri-Creek School Corporation for approximately 37 years, starting as a part-time cook and retiring as the bookkeeper for the school system's cafeterias. She also worked early in life at Great Oaks Convalescent Home as a nurse's aide. Joyce loved her family, friends, and church community and was an active member of Cedar Lake United Methodist Church. She loved her home on the lake, children, and all kinds of animals.
A service to celebrate Joyce's life will be held on August 27, 2022, at 11:00 a.m., at Cedar Lake United Methodist Church. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to: Cedar Lake United Methodist Church,7124 W. 137th Place, Cedar Lake, IN 46303.
BURDAN FUNERAL HOME in charge of arrangements. www.burdanfuneralhome.com. | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/obituaries/juanita-joyce-frizzell-nee-barman/article_1fd6c488-195b-5432-9d63-1a64e95a3849.html | 2022-08-21T06:26:39 | 0 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/obituaries/juanita-joyce-frizzell-nee-barman/article_1fd6c488-195b-5432-9d63-1a64e95a3849.html |
Ken Yatsko
KOUTS, IN - Ken Yatsko, 76, passed away peacefully with family and his fur babies, Honey and Rosey, by his side on August 17, 2022. He is survived by his cherished and devoted wife, Mary Ann (nee Kusza) of 38 years; children, Pamela (Glen) Berg, Tim Yatsko, Sandra (Greg Wisinski) Yatsko; grandchildren, Brandon, Kaitlyn, Nick, Marrin, Della and Edie; great-grandchildren; Adam, Willow, Nova, Colton, and Jacob; sister: Dolores (Gerald) Rerick; brother: Dan (Linda) Yatsko; and a large extended family. Preceded in death by parents: Andrew and Marcella (nee Berg) Yatsko.
Ken grew up in Gary, IN. He worked for US Steel, starting as a crane operator and was appointed Safety Chairman for USWA Local Union 1066. He was a member and officer for decades. In retirement, he was active with SOAR Chapter 7-1 and was the current president. His proudest work accomplishment was being one of the originators of the Steelworkers Memorial at US Steel on Buchanan Street. He volunteered and served others at the VietNow Homeless Veterans Sandwich Run and at Pacific Garden Mission in Chicago; Ken encouraged others to perform their civic duty by sending postcards to register to vote and making the most phone calls for candidates prior to the 2020 election.
Family was very important to Ken who enjoyed holidays, picnics and family reunions. He was a devoted husband, a caring father and was proud of his children and grandchildren. He was a diehard Chicago Bears and NHRA fan. He enjoyed playing golf. And he was an avid winemaker at OKSTAY Winery.
Please join us for a Celebration of Life at Hillside Funeral Home & Cremation Center, 8941 Kleinman Rd (one block south of Ridge RD), Highland, IN 46322 on Tuesday, August 23, 2022 from 2:00 - 6:00 p.m. Funeral Mass will be at Our Lady of Grace Church, 3025 Highway Ave, Highland, IN 46322 by Father Brian Chadwick on Wednesday, August 24, 2022 at 10:30am. Internment at a later date at Graceland Cemetery in Valparaiso, IN. In lieu of flowers, a tribute gift in Ken's name can be made to Pacific Garden Mission or to a charity of choice.
For additional information, please contact HILLSIDE FUNERAL HOME & CREMATION CENTER KONNIE KUIPER-KEVIN NORDYKE-MICHAEL KUIPER-VASS by calling us at 219-838-0800 or visiting us at www.hillsidefhcares.com. | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/obituaries/ken-yatsko/article_cd5cdcaf-5003-5433-9731-ee9e42de83e8.html | 2022-08-21T06:26:45 | 0 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/obituaries/ken-yatsko/article_cd5cdcaf-5003-5433-9731-ee9e42de83e8.html |
Lorraine M. Demkovich Owens (nee Kozak)
WHITING/SISTERSVILLE, WV - Lorraine M. Demkovich Owens, (nee Kozak) 95, of Sistersville, WV, formerly of Whiting, passed away on Friday, July 15, 2022. Beloved wife of the late Frank J. Demkovich and late Roy G. Owens. She was also preceded in death by her sister, Ethel O'Drobinak and brothers, George Kozak and Gerald Kozak. Survived by her sister-in-law, Marilyn Kozak and many cherished nieces, nephews and cousins. Memorial Mass. Sat., Aug. 27, 2022; 10:00am at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, 119th St. and Lincoln Ave., Whiting, IN 46394; visitation at the church from 9:00am to time of services; interment of cremains to follow at St. John Cemetery, Hammond. Local arrangements have been entrusted to the BARAN FUNERAL HOME, 1235-119th St., Whiting. For the complete obiturary and placing expressions of sympathy go to www.baranfh.com. (219) 659-4400 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/obituaries/lorraine-m-demkovich-owens-nee-kozak/article_7adad57d-afee-5af4-92b8-7aa9d9633c39.html | 2022-08-21T06:26:51 | 1 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/obituaries/lorraine-m-demkovich-owens-nee-kozak/article_7adad57d-afee-5af4-92b8-7aa9d9633c39.html |
Martha Roknich Lash
GROSSE ILE, MI - Martha Roknich Lash age 79, of Grosse Ile Michigan, formerly of Northwest Indiana passed away August 16, 2022 at her home.
Martha was a member of St Sava Serbian Orthodox Church, its Kolo Sestara, Choir and worked at the St Sava Church for many years.
Graduate of Lew Wallace High School and went to IU Bloomington for several years.
Preceded in death by her parents Matjia and Mildred Roknich, sister Sandra Furto and her brother Robert Millich.
Survived by her three loving children: Mark Lash, Dr. Darcy Lash (Cody Muller), Jamie (Jaclyn) Lash; Grandchildren, Nikola Lash, Joseph Lash, Chloe Lash, Allyson Lash and Aidan Ilg Sister in Law DoriLakich, niece Dawn Dikun (Ray) and Jana Maric(Mirko), Kumovi Linda Trkulja and Deena Galich.
Martha loved traveling, theater and sports and would be glued to the TV every year during the NCAA March Madness tournament. She grew up in Gary Indiana and was a very proud first generation Serbian American. In her youth she attended Serbian camp every year. Later, as a young adult she coached the women's serbian basketball team for several years.
However, she will be remembered for her love of her family and her church. She was known by everyone for her strong work ethic and managed Old Mill Pizzeria for many years before finding her way back to St Sava. At St. Sava, she was in charge of catering, bookkeeping, Serb Fest and many events planned through the church.
Overall, her family was the most important thing to her. If they needed her she would drop everything and go wherever she was needed. When her children were young, Marcie was known for coaching her children's sports teams and attending various sporting events they were involved in. She was also involved in school activities and later continued this level of involvement with her grandchildren. She did everything she could to attend family functions all over the world. Any event her family was involved in she was sure to show up regardless of how far she had to travel.
She was well known for her tight hugs, and her sincere, genuine love of life and laughter. She held tight to her Serbian traditions but marched to the beat of her own drum and lived for the moment. She will be forever dearly missed by her family and many other close friends and relatives.
Visitation will be Monday, August 22, 2022 from 4:00 - 7:00 p.m. at CALUMET PARK FUNERAL CHAPEL, 7535 Taft St, Merrillville with a Pomen Service at 7:00 p.m. Funeral Services and visitation will be Tuesday 10:00-11:00 a.m. (visitation) with services at 1:00 a.m. directly at St Sava Serbian Orthodox Church, 9191 Mississippi St, Merrillville with V Rev Marko Matic officiating. Interment Holy Cross (St Sava) Cemetery. For further information please call Mileva or David at Calumet Park Funeral Chapel (219) 736-5840. | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/obituaries/martha-rocknich-lash/article_7c535a21-0d92-500f-9ef9-452d5e73db63.html | 2022-08-21T06:26:58 | 1 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/obituaries/martha-rocknich-lash/article_7c535a21-0d92-500f-9ef9-452d5e73db63.html |
Norma Jo Fleischer
Feb. 2, 1934 - Aug. 6, 2022
CORTLAND, OH - Norma Jo passed away August 6, 2022, while residing at the home of her daughter, Christina, of Cortland. OH, surrounded by her children and grandchildren. Norma Jo was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 49 years, Alfred Fleischer; and her son, Steven Huffman. She will be missed.
Visitation August 22, 2022, from 4:00 -7:00 p.m. at CHAPEL LAWN FUNERAL HOME 8178 Cline Ave. Crown Point Indiana. Burial August 23, 2022 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/obituaries/norma-jo-fleischer/article_06c7ad50-c919-5b25-9405-5f978a0eb6a2.html | 2022-08-21T06:27:04 | 0 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/obituaries/norma-jo-fleischer/article_06c7ad50-c919-5b25-9405-5f978a0eb6a2.html |
Patricia "Pat" T. Lewis (nee Moor)
HAMMOND, IN - Patricia "Pat" T. Lewis (nee Moor), age 93, of Hammond, passed away peacefully surrounded by her loving family on Thursday, August 18, 2022. Pat is survived by her children: David E. (Dianna) Lewis, Christine A. (Jim) Putman, and Jean (Steve) Juskiw; grandchildren: Kenna (Donald), Cassie (Drew), Cody (Angelina), Andrew, and Kathryn; precious great-grandchildren: Hendrix, Bishop, Zephyr, Sophie, Jax, Ella, Milo, Owen, and Mabel Rose; sister, Helen (late, Matt) Grudzien; and several nieces, nephews, and cousins. Preceded in death by her beloved husband, Hubert E. Lewis; parents, Emil and Doretta Moor; and sister, Donna Barnes.
Pat was an accomplished accordion player and organist. She was a fabulous seamstress, quilter, and painter. She was the Hallmark Lady in Woodmar and was a member of the Sigma Alpha Society for 30 years.
A Visitation will be held on Monday, August 22, 2022, from 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM at SOLAN PRUZIN FUNERAL HOME, 14 Kennedy Ave. Schererville, IN. A Service Celebrating Pat's Life will be held at 7:00 PM. Burial private.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Dunes Hospice: www.duneshospicellc.com | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/obituaries/patricia-pat-t-lewis-nee-moor/article_1f3f762c-ff4c-59a4-a2d1-8130eab2143c.html | 2022-08-21T06:27:10 | 0 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/obituaries/patricia-pat-t-lewis-nee-moor/article_1f3f762c-ff4c-59a4-a2d1-8130eab2143c.html |
Rebecca D. Brachna
Oct. 6, 1981 - Aug. 6, 2022
HEBRON - Rebecca D. Brachna, age 40, of Hebron, IN, passed away on Saturday, August 6, 2022 at her home.
Rebecca is survived by her parents: David and Cheryl Brachna of Hebron; brother, Adam Brachna of Hebron; sisters: Renee (Troy) Thomas of Summerville, SC, Rachel (Stevie) Miller of Brook, IN; nieces and nephews: Bryce, Kyla, Becca, Anabelle, Alahna, and Atreyu.
Rebecca was born on October 6, 1981 in Valparaiso. She was involved in the Special Olympics as a child and loved swimming, children, animals especially her dog Dixie, attending meetings at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses, and most importantly her family.
Visitation will be on Saturday, August 27, 2022 from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. with a Celebration of Life to follow immediately afterwards at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses at 557 W St Rd 8 Hebron, IN. Alternatively you may tie into the visitation and memorial service via Zoom with the following link and log in information: www.us02web.zoom.us/j/81703153608?pwd=Ny9uQ1pNY1JyaUFWYThKNFpZZmI4Zz09
Meeting ID: 817 0315 3608
Passcode: 805481
A meal will follow for all family and friends at 3:00 p.m. at the American Legion located at 4 Monroe St., Valparaiso, IN.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be given in Rebecca's name to David and Cheryl Brachna to help defray the cost of funeral expenses.
Visit Rebecca's online guestbook at www.GeisenFuneralHome.com 219-663-2500. | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/obituaries/rebecca-d-brachna/article_29bb21f9-d13f-5490-a6f1-44585cc7060b.html | 2022-08-21T06:27:16 | 0 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/obituaries/rebecca-d-brachna/article_29bb21f9-d13f-5490-a6f1-44585cc7060b.html |
Richard Andriese
LOWELL, IN - Richard Andriese, 74, of Lowell, IN, passed away Wednesday, August 17, 2022. He is survived by his wife, Ruth; children, Randy (Dawn) Andriese, Ryan (Jana) Andriese, Rachel (Steve) Frederick; grandchildren, Tyler, Joshua, Joseph, Owen, Alyssa, Kaiden, MaKenna, Gavin, Cole; Preceded in death by his parents, Anthony and Mary Andriese; sisters, Mary and Norma. Richard was an active member of Lowell Church of Christ. He volunteered at Lowell Healthcare and Cedar Creek Health Campus for many years. He retired from Ford Motor Co. and enjoyed his grandchildren, history memorabilia and automobiles.
Cremation preceding Visitation, Saturday, September 10th from 11:00-11:30 AM, Memorial Service following at 11:30 AM with Pastor Chuck Hochmuth officiating.
SHEETS FUNERAL HOME & CREMATION SERVICES, Lowell, IN. www.sheetsfuneral.com | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/obituaries/richard-andriese/article_f52eecf5-0696-54a4-80df-09838b35f038.html | 2022-08-21T06:27:22 | 0 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/obituaries/richard-andriese/article_f52eecf5-0696-54a4-80df-09838b35f038.html |
Robert McClelland
CEDAR LAKE, IN - Robert McClelland, age 68, late of Cedar Lake, IN and formerly of Alsip, IL, passed away August 13, 2022.
Beloved husband of Jodie (nee Ruzich) for 29 years. Loving father of Robert and William McClelland. Dearest son of the late Robert and Betty McClelland. Dearest brother of Margaret (late Joseph) Stevens and Patricia (George) Wallies. Dear brother-in-law of William (Janice) Ruzich, Kimberly (Daniel) Vukobratovich, and Steve (Gina) Ruzich. Fun-loving uncle of many nieces and nephews.
Bob was the owner of Spanky's Bar & Grill in Dyer, IN and enjoyed an illustrious career in softball, including being inducted into the Chicago 16-inch Softball Hall of Fame.
Funeral services will be held privately for the family. Arrangements entrusted to Elmwood Funeral Chapel and Crematory. For more information 219-374-9300 or www.elmwoodchapel.com | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/obituaries/robert-mcclelland/article_72ab9652-f90d-5956-9b86-b6a12fa43cf2.html | 2022-08-21T06:27:29 | 0 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/obituaries/robert-mcclelland/article_72ab9652-f90d-5956-9b86-b6a12fa43cf2.html |
Stanley Dobosz (Tarzan)
Aug. 12, 1932 - Dec. 27, 2021
CELEBRATION OF LIFE - The Dobosz & Lewis Families invite you to a celebration of Stan's life from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on August 27, 2022 at the St. Mary Church, Hildebrandt Hall located at 525 N. Broad Street, Griffith, IN. | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/obituaries/stanley-dobosz-tarzan/article_ef7a7b48-c126-54ee-88d7-8b8d289b0bbc.html | 2022-08-21T06:27:35 | 1 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/obituaries/stanley-dobosz-tarzan/article_ef7a7b48-c126-54ee-88d7-8b8d289b0bbc.html |
Willie Thomas Patton
Aug. 21, 2017 - Aug. 21, 2022
In Loving Memory of Willie Thomas Patton. Five years ago today, we had to say goodbye. Although, you are not here physically - when the warm sun is on our face, the wind blows through our hair, the birds are singing, the rain is falling and the snow is glistening, we know you are still here with us. Fly high and free my love! Love always and forever, Becky, Derek, Stephanie, Tonya and your grandkids, Logan Kyle and Emma Anne | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/obituaries/willie-thomas-patton/article_db8f2b69-d779-593c-af10-7817c2bff0bb.html | 2022-08-21T06:27:41 | 1 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/obituaries/willie-thomas-patton/article_db8f2b69-d779-593c-af10-7817c2bff0bb.html |
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