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PHOENIX — If a federal judge lets the Jan. 6 Committee access Kelli Ward's phone records it will endanger not only her rights, but those of the entire Arizona Republican Party, her lawyer says.
Attorney Alexander Kolodin said the subpoena issued by the committee against the leader of Arizona's Republican Party seeks to discover with whom Ward communicated about her "concerns" about the 2020 presidential election.
"That will inevitably lead to the questioning of, and further subpoenas issued to, the thousands of Republicans in contact with plaintiffs," Kolodin wrote. That includes not just Ward but her husband, Michael, both of whom were part of a slate of fake electors submitted to Congress saying, incorrectly, that Donald Trump had won the state's 11 electors.
"If the subpoena is not quashed, members of the AZGOP will be made to feel that every time they communicate with party leadership, they risk those communications disclosed to law enforcement followed by a knock on the door (or worse) from federal investigators," Kolodin told U.S. District Judge Diane Humetewa. "A stronger risk of associational chilling can scarcely be imagined."
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Those claims are getting an argument by Douglas Letter, the general counsel for the U.S. House of Representatives. He told the judge in his own legal filing that assertions of a chilling effect are "purely speculative."
Anyway, Letter said, the committee wants only call data, things like the numbers of calls and texts sent and received, not actual content.
"The Select Committee is not seeking sensitive donor information," he said.
But the real key, Letter said, is that this is not some wide-ranging request. He pointed out what the committee wants covers only from Nov. 1, 2020, just prior to Election Day, through Jan. 31, 2021.
"That date range was specifically designed to obtain information referring are relating to activities surrounding the 2020 presidential election, including false assertions that the election had been stolen and actions related to the appointment of an alternative slate of electors from Arizona," he said. And Letter told Humetewa those are "activities that directly concerned the Jan. 6 attack."
It is Ward's role in all of that the committee seeks to discover.
Central to the legal fight, Letter said, is the legitimate power and role of the committee in finding out the causes of the attack.
"There can be no greater interest than investigating the first attempt to obstruct the peaceful transfer of power of its kind in our nation's history," he said. And Letter said the committee needs that information to recommend changes in law to prevent future attacks like the one that occurred when rioters entered the Capitol to stop the electoral vote count.
Kolodin, however, told the judge there's nothing that getting Ward's phone records will tell committee members that isn't already known. That includes sending the alternate slate of electors should legal challenges to the results here succeed.
In fact, he said, Ward even published a book earlier this year about the election and her activities.
But Kolodin said there's a bigger problem with the committee seeking information about Ward's activities involving the alternate slate of electors.
"The connection between that action, which took place on Dec. 14, 2020, and the riot at the Capitol on Jan. 6, is far from obvious," he said. But Kolodin said it is only the riot that is within the committee's purview.
"Nevertheless, the committee has swept any actor who had concerns about the 2020 presidential election into its causative narrative about Jan. 6," he said.
Letter, however, said the committee does not view the her actions in Arizona and the riot as unrelated.
"Dr. Kelli Ward participated in multiple aspects of these attempts to interfere with the electoral count in Jan. 6," he said. "She told officials in Maricopa County to stop counting ballots and promoted inaccurate allegations of election interference by Dominion Voting Systems."
In sending the set of unauthorized set of electoral votes to Congress, Letter said Wake "mischaracterized (them) as representing the legal votes of Arizona.''
And that's not all.
"While Congress was recessed due to the mob's violence and attack on the Capitol, Dr. Ward continued to advocate for overturning the results of the election," Letter said, citing a Jan. 6 Twitter post. And even after the riot and congressional certification of Biden's win, he said, Ward continued to maintain that the slate of fake electors contained "the rightful and true presidential electors for 2020."
Humetewa has set no date for a hearing.
Howard Fischer is a veteran journalist who has been reporting since 1970 and covering state politics and the Legislature since 1982. Follow him on Twitter at @azcapmedia or email azcapmedia@gmail.com. | https://tucson.com/news/local/subscriber/kelli-ward-arizona-gop-at-risk-if-personal-phone-records-released/article_f3b82b86-27fe-11ed-9731-73c9f59081e1.html | 2022-08-30T22:02:47 | 0 | https://tucson.com/news/local/subscriber/kelli-ward-arizona-gop-at-risk-if-personal-phone-records-released/article_f3b82b86-27fe-11ed-9731-73c9f59081e1.html |
ATLANTA — Editor's note: The video above is from previous reporting.
A federal appeals court ruled a lawsuit against two officers accused of excessive force could go to trial. Jamarion Robinson, 26, was shot at least 59 times while a U.S. Marshals task force tried to arrest him in 2016.
Monteria Robinson, Jamarion's mother, filed a civil lawsuit. The lawsuit was dismissed last year, ruling the officers had sovereign immunity. However, on Tuesday, a federal appeals court said that immunity did not extend to shooting an unconscious suspect.
At issue is a video taken by a neighbor. In the video, you hear rapid gunfire, then a flashbang, which officers threw to make sure Jamarion was dead or unconscious. Officer statements insist no shots were fired after that flashbang. However, on the video, you distinctly hear another quick burst of gunfire.
Jamarion's mother believes at least one officer shot her son while he was incapacitated.
The court said there was no evidence to indicate Clayton County Officer Kristopher Hutchens fired his weapon after the flashbang, so it ruled the case against him should remain dismissed.
However, it said there was enough evidence to suspect Detective Daniel Doyle or U.S. Marshal Eric Heinze could have fired their weapon. It ruled the case against them for their actions after the flashbang only could go to a jury to determine if either used excessive force. The court's ruling only leaves one officer to answer questions about that day. Detective Doyle died in 2020.
Officer Hutchens and Inspector Heinze remain charged with murder in Fulton County’s criminal case related to the events of that day. Both have plead not guilty.
11Alive has reached out to Monteria Robinson's family attorney for comment.
This is a developing story. Check back often for new information.
Also download the 11Alive News app and sign up to receive alerts for the latest on this story and other breaking news in Atlanta and north Georgia. | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/jamarion-robinson-appeals-court-civil-case/85-339da717-2c9d-4df4-aeae-70a31c5a6c2b | 2022-08-30T22:04:17 | 0 | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/jamarion-robinson-appeals-court-civil-case/85-339da717-2c9d-4df4-aeae-70a31c5a6c2b |
A former bank president accused of defrauding banks in Beulah and Glen Ullin has pleaded guilty, and two others charged in the case are set to do the same.
Brady Torgerson, 34, in June entered into a plea agreement with prosecutors on two counts of bank fraud, according to federal court documents. He entered formal pleas at a Tuesday hearing.
The indictment against Torgerson also included charges of misapplication of funds, making false entries in bank records and aggravated identity theft. Those charges were dismissed under the terms of the agreement.
The alleged activities occurred while he was employed by The Union Bank in Glen Ullin and First Security Bank-West in Beulah, court documents show.
Brady Torgerson’s father, Brent Torgerson, 60, and Kelly Huffman, 32, are charged with misapplication of bank funds. Huffman is scheduled for a change-of-plea hearing on Sept. 21. Brent Torgerson’s change-of-plea hearing is Dec. 13, according to court documents.
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Brady Torgerson will be sentenced Nov. 28. Prosecutors under the terms of the agreement will recommend a sentence within a court-approved guideline range of up to 3 ½ years in prison. Restitution of $451,000 also is outlined in the document, as is a recommendation for three years of supervised release.
Authorities say Brady Torgerson attempted to defraud both banks by issuing funds to people not entitled to them, failing to register bank transactions, creating fraudulent loan obligations and trying to conceal the activities.
Brent Torgerson is accused of issuing a cashier’s check for more than $724,000 to his son without obtaining promissory notes and other necessary financial paperwork while he was a loan officer at The Union Bank. Huffman while working at First Security Bank-West allegedly issued a $125,000 check advance to another bank at Brady Torgerson’s request.
The State Banking Board in July banned Brady Torgerson from working at any financial institution in North Dakota, saying his alleged unsound practices might cost First Security Bank-West more than $1 million.
The board said Brady Torgerson in 2020 while president of First Security Bank-West made loans above the bank’s legal lending limit, made loans at a reduced interest rate, made 91 loans totaling $12.7 million without securing liens or gathering financial information, and distorted the bank’s financial position on quarterly reports.
The bank had to set aside $1.02 million to cover potential losses. The amount is roughly equal to the bank's average annual earnings in the last five years, the board said.
Brady Torgerson was hired by First Security Bank-West in July 2017 and appointed president that day. He was appointed to the bank’s board of directors in September 2017, according to information from the state board. He resigned both positions Jan. 19, 2021. He worked as a loan officer at The Union Bank in Glen Ullin before the board's order.
The board also stated that Brady Torgerson issued bank money orders at First Security Bank-West without proper corresponding accounting entries. A few days after his resignation, Torgerson returned 20 missing bank copies of money orders totaling $724,558 to the bank’s Robinson branch, the state board said. He also brought a cashier’s check in the same amount from another financial institution, the board said.
The charges against the men carry possible 30-year prison sentences and $1 million fines. | https://bismarcktribune.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/torgerson-pleads-guilty-to-bank-fraud-in-beulah-glen-ullin-2-other-suspects-set-to/article_be417952-289f-11ed-969a-fb696d967f1a.html | 2022-08-30T22:08:22 | 0 | https://bismarcktribune.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/torgerson-pleads-guilty-to-bank-fraud-in-beulah-glen-ullin-2-other-suspects-set-to/article_be417952-289f-11ed-969a-fb696d967f1a.html |
Salsas, cheeseburgers battle it out at state fair
The fiery taste of New Mexico can be found at state fair competitions
ALBUQUERQUE - Everyone knows New Mexico is the place to get a green chile cheeseburger and salsa, however, who makes the best? You’ll have to attend the New Mexico Green Chile Cheeseburger Challenge and Battle of the Salsas at the New Mexico State Fair to find out.
The 2022 Green Chile Cheeseburger Challenge will take place at noon on Monday, Sept. 12, in the Agriculture Building Courtyard. This contest has seen some tough competition in recent years, bringing in New Mexico’s most renowned restaurants for a chance to claim victory.
Competitors prepare their burgers live before the mouth-watering goodness is passed to the judges. The panel of judges will consist of prominent figures in New Mexico to determine the champion of this twist on an American classic.
Fairgoers will also have a chance to taste the traditional competition as well. Fairgoers are invited to watch the event before being allowed to taste and rank the competitors themselves. Only a limited number are able to participate and are admitted on a first-come, first-serve basis. Once the judging is completed, both Judge’s Choice Winners and People’s Choice Winner are crowned.
Oso’s Grill from Capitan won big last year by claiming both the Judge’s Choice and People’s Choice awards. Brian Cleckler, owner and chef of Oso’s Grill, said the competition has done amazing things for the company.
“This is a great competition for New Mexico, as it creates a huge draw for New Mexico products and shows the many flavors found in our state,” said Cleckler. “I have had people come from across the United States come in and want to try our burgers since the competition, It has done great things for the business.”
New Mexico Secretary of Agriculture Jeff Witte said this is a great way to celebrate the unique foods found in the state.
“The green chile cheeseburger is an iconic food in New Mexico,” said Witte. “The New Mexico Green Chile Cheeseburger Challenge at the New Mexico State Fair is a fantastic contest that gathers the community to celebrate and enjoy some of the best food in the state. Using New Mexico home-grown agriculture products to make one of our favorite meals is a great way to celebrate the agriculture industry in New Mexico.”
However, the Green Chile Cheeseburger Challenge isn’t the only thing bringing some spice to the fairgrounds. The New Mexico Department of Agriculture announces the return of the spiciest competition at the New Mexico State Fair, the Battle of Salsas. Be warned, this is a battle of the taste buds and will crown the best salsa in the Land of Enchantment.
The battle will take place at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 10, also in the Agriculture Building Courtyard. The first 150 people in attendance will serve as judges. Each judge will be given individually-packaged salsa samples, a bag of tortilla chips and a ballot. After judges try all the salsas, cast their votes and submit their ballots, the result will be tallied, and the top three winners will be announced as the most enchanting salsas in the land.
Last year’s winner of Battle of the Salsas was The Bossy Gourmet with its Hatch Green Chile Salsa. Since winning Battle of the Salsas, Lenny Pelifian, The Bossy Gourmet CEO, said business has been booming for the company.
“The win opened up a lot of avenues for us, even in other states,” said Pelifian. “Our business has grown 45% since the win, everything has just taken off since the competition. This competition is great, as people get the opportunity to taste New Mexico products from across the state.”
This contest has become a long-standing tradition at the fair and is a great way to showcase one of New Mexico’s signature foods through a friendly and spicy competition.
“Battle of the Salsas is a great way to taste your way through the vivid flavors of New Mexico,” said Witte. “It is an even better way to support New Mexico products and New Mexico agriculture.”
For more information about the mouthwatering Green Chile Cheeseburger Challenge or Battle of the Salsas, please visit the New Mexico State Fair website or contact the NMDA Marketing and Development Division at 575-646-4929. | https://www.lcsun-news.com/story/news/local/new-mexico/2022/08/30/salsas-cheeseburgers-battle-it-out-at-new-mexico-state-fair/65463820007/ | 2022-08-30T22:09:39 | 1 | https://www.lcsun-news.com/story/news/local/new-mexico/2022/08/30/salsas-cheeseburgers-battle-it-out-at-new-mexico-state-fair/65463820007/ |
Globe Life Field in Arlington is the new home of the 2023 American Rodeo, event organizers announced Tuesday.
The American Rodeo is touted as an open competition that brings together top professional rodeo champions and “everyday, hardworking cowboys and cowgirls from across the country”. The annual event is celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2023, lasting between March 8 and 11.
The announcement Tuesday was made by the company Teton Ridge.
“I think what’s really cool about an event like this, it’s sort of a merge of western sports and mainstream. When you come into a venue like this, you can’t but be inspired,” Teton Ridge president Joe Loverro said.
In years past, Loverro said the event was held at AT&T Stadium in Arlington. The 2023 event is also longer in duration to give rodeo fans a “festival feel," he said.
“The thing I pointed out, and I think is most important is the ability to bring fans on to the field. That field access that we’re going to provide gives them a chance to get closer to the action than really, anywhere,” he said, explaining the decision to change venues. “With what’s been built here in the city of Arlington, it’s a draw in its own right but to have four days of rodeo and culminating with the American and all with concerts each night? I think it’s really special.”
For the past 31 years, Bodacious Bar-B-Que has called Arlington home. Owner Fran Ruegsegger said their business relies on regulars and visitors. They are located less than a mile away from the stadiums.
GLOBE LIFE FIELD
"We still smoke everything in house and do it the old-fashioned way,” Ruegsegger said. “Rodeo and barbecue, they go together. So, it’s a win and win for Arlington and the local restaurants.”
Expanding The American Rodeo will be a good thing for local businesses like hers, she said.
“It’s huge. A lot of times, we will have the out-of-towners that come in on their first day and they’ll be impressed with it, they’ll come back before they leave and go back out of town,” she said. “So, if they’re here three or four days, they’ll want barbecue at least a couple of those. They’ll want Tex Mex, a couple of those. It’s a blessing.”
She added that business at Bodacious Bar-B-Que has improved but it has not returned to pre-pandemic levels. They are also challenged by rising costs due to inflation. Any additional business is helpful, she said.
“It’s unbelievable. Most people really do not understand how much everything [prices] has gone up,” she said. “We’re holding on our own and God has provided.”
Globe Life Field seats more than 40,000 people. Event organizers said they expect the stadium to be full during The American Rodeo in 2023, but they do not have exact projections yet. | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/2023-american-rodeo-moving-to-globe-life-field-in-arlington/3060550/ | 2022-08-30T22:09:39 | 1 | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/2023-american-rodeo-moving-to-globe-life-field-in-arlington/3060550/ |
New Mexico governor issues pardons to 6 people
SANTA FE - New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Monday pardoned six people for convictions ranging from fraud and larceny to burglary and drug trafficking.
The pardons represent another round of clemency decisions for the first-term Democratic governor who is seeking reelection. She has pardoned 56 people overall.
The governor’s office said nearly all of the pardoned offenses stem from crimes committed a decade or more ago and all but one involved non-violent offenses.
Among those pardoned was Cynthia Jaramillo, who escaped from serial killer David Parker Ray in 1999. The governor's office said Jaramillo, who had a drug trafficking conviction on her record, has since dedicated her life to supporting women facing homelessness and addiction.
Ray, known as the "Toy Box Killer," is believed to have committed crimes against women from 1957 until he was captured in 1999. Though no bodies were found, Ray was accused by his accomplices of killing several women, and was suspected by the police to have murdered as many as sixty women from Arizona and New Mexico while living in Elephant Butte, approximately seven miles north of Truth or Consequences.
Ray allegedly soundproofed a semi-trailer, which he called his "toy box", and equipped it with items used for sexual torture. He is believed to have kidnapped between five and six women a year, holding each of them captive for around three to four months.
Jaramillo reportedly grew up on the streets of Albuquerque, according to an interview she did with the True Consequences podcast. In it, she also explains how she escaped from Ray.
Warning: The contents of this podcast are graphic, and describe sexual assault and torture in graphic terms.
The others who were granted clemency were Bridgette Yvette Tabor, Jack Ferguson, Travis Earl Gatling, Randall E. Johnston and Kathleen Woerter.
The governor’s pardoning power extends to all crimes committed under state law except for impeachment and treason. A pardon restores certain rights, such as the right to vote and the right to hold public office.
The state Parole Board reviews pardon applications and makes non-binding recommendations to the governor. The board's recommendations for those who benefited from the most recent round of pardons were not immediately available on Monday.
Lujan Grisham’s predecessor, Republican Gov. Susana Martinez, pardoned just three people during her eight years in office. Martinez denied at least 72 pardon applications, including 13 in which the state Parole Board had recommended approval.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Others are reading: | https://www.lcsun-news.com/story/news/local/new-mexico/2022/08/30/woman-who-escaped-serial-killer-david-ray-parker-pardoned-in-new-mexico/65463899007/ | 2022-08-30T22:09:45 | 0 | https://www.lcsun-news.com/story/news/local/new-mexico/2022/08/30/woman-who-escaped-serial-killer-david-ray-parker-pardoned-in-new-mexico/65463899007/ |
Brandy Bottone, the pregnant Plano mom who attracted international attention when she received a traffic ticket for riding solo in a high-occupancy lane, wanted to prove a point.
She said she believes that under Texas’ new abortion law, her unborn baby counted as a second living person, so she was not in violation of the law that requires two people in a vehicle in an HOV lane.
She is proving her point. Her traffic citation was dismissed earlier this month without a court hearing.
The Dallas County District Attorney’s office moved to dismiss the ticket with the following legal language: “Based on a review of the facts and circumstances of this case, and the applicable law, the state moves to dismiss the case.”
Click here to read more on her case from our partners at the Dallas Morning News.
Sign up for our Breaking Newsletter to get the most urgent news stories in your inbox. | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/pregnant-hov-lane-mom-gets-first-ticket-dismissed-then-gets-another/3060581/ | 2022-08-30T22:09:45 | 1 | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/pregnant-hov-lane-mom-gets-first-ticket-dismissed-then-gets-another/3060581/ |
ALBANY — Sometimes business people come up with great ideas ... all at the same time.
That would appear to be the case in Albany, as new restaurants are springing up in the metro area like mushrooms after a spring shower ... the kind of mushrooms chefs use in their recipes, of course.
“From a business standpoint, it looks like this is the perfect time to open a new restaurant,” Jenna Luke, the manager/social media manager for Fuzzy’s Tacos on U.S. 82, said.
Luke has reason to express optimism after Fuzzy’s record-breaking success in southwest Georgia. The franchise had the best opening of any of the 150 or so stores in the chain’s portfolio. That bodes well for the Georgia Area Restaurant Group that owns the new Fuzzy’s, which, Luke said, plans to open 50 restaurants in the next five years. The group currently owns the Albany restaurant and one in Auburn, Ala.
Fuzzy’s shares the limelight with a slew of other restaurants that are either open now or are about to open. Some of them include the Decanter Chop House and The Tavern Sports Lounge and Poolside Grille, both located at Stonebridge Country Club, as well as La Luna and Bianca’s, both on Dawson Road.
Those new dining establishments are not, however, the only culinary news in southwest Georgia.
The celebrated Pearly’s restaurant on Dawson Road is set to change ownership on Thursday, as are regional 3 Squares Diners that were purchased by the same group. Throw in new food trucks that are about to hit the streets and the re-opening of the DED Event Center on Radium Springs Road — plus the strongly rumored return of Gargano’s on Slappey Drive — and it’s easy to see why foodies in the region are licking their chops.
“They (Stonebridge management) came to me and my wife and talked with us about opening restaurants at the club, and we kicked the idea around for a while before I turned them down,” Rob Michie, the celebrated chef/owner of Cork’s Charcuterie in Albany, said. “They came back later, and after a while I decided ‘let’s give it a go.’ They offered this beautiful space, and we basically gutted it and started rebuilding. They’ve been very generous with the facilities.
“We’re looking at opening in maybe the second or third week of September.”
Like Cork’s, the Decanter Chop House will be an upscale restaurant serving high-grade beef, chops and seafood. The spacious restaurant will leave space open for ballroom dancing and other events, and eventually will feature valet parking.
Downstairs at the country club, Michie said staff will serve “upscale finger foods” (like a “bourbon-soaked quail breast Wellington”) at the poolside grill and offer seven televisions for sports viewing.
“I’m partnering with some celebrity chefs on this project; in fact, I’m bringing in my niece who is an award-winning executive chef in New York,” Michie said. “My main focus is going to be Cork’s, but I am not going to be absent from the restaurants. I’ll be splitting my time.”
As the remodeling continues, Michie said he expects Decanter to be open Thursdays-Saturdays from 4-11 p.m. The Tavern will be open Tuesdays-Saturdays from 11 a.m. to “8 or 9 p.m.”
Bo Henry and the Stewbo’s Group have been ready to open their newest venture, the La Luna Taco Cantina (and, yes, they know the sign-maker left the “n” out of Cantina ... they’re making the changes) for weeks. They have their business license; they have their liquor license. But what they don’t have are 30 margarita machines that were scheduled to be here “in about three weeks” for the last four months or so.
“I’m ready to open, but we can’t have a final inspection without all of our equipment in place,” Henry said Tuesday. “You just have to be patient; there’s nothing you can do. American Fryer, one of the biggest suppliers of restaurant equipment, now is telling everyone you need a 43-week lead time for orders.”
Henry said he expects La Luna to be a good fit with Albany diners and that it will be different enough to distinguish itself from other Mexican restaurants in the area.
“We’ll offer something different, not traditional Mexican food,” he said. “Ours will be more Americanized, Tex-Mex and street taco-type stuff.
“The trouble is we can’t hire all our people yet because we don’t know when we’ll open. I wish we could open next week; this has taken longer than any other restaurant we’ve opened.”
Henry’s expected date to open?
“In about three weeks,” he quipped.
In a nod to the difficulty many establishments are having in hiring staff, Luke noted that Fuzzy’s, while fully staffed now, had to “borrow” employees from other “taco shops” in Albany.
“It’s great that other establishments were willing to pitch in and work with us,” she said. “We are still looking to hire other staff.”
Bianca’s, which is working out its kinks through “soft-openings” right now, is expected to open to the public shortly after Labor Day. The restaurant will seat diners through reservations only, at least initially.
And while Gargano’s owner/namesake Johnny Gargano has closed his historic restaurant in recent weeks, sources close to the chef indicate he is “taking a mental break before reopening.”
The DED Event Center, located on Radium Springs Road across from Albany State University’s East Campus, offers space for events large and small. Once the Savoy restaurant, the space had sat vacant for some time, being used occasionally for special events, owner Winfred Dukes said.
“I made sure I had my Christmas parties there every year,” he said. “We’ve been continuously using it. Now we’re doing a little more marketing. Things are happening.”
The businessman initially considered opening a restaurant himself in the building but ultimately gave that idea a pass.
“We did a business plan for a restaurant,” he said. “With everything you’ve got to do, you’ve really got to have your heart in it.”
The kitchen is currently being renovated, and once that’s completed a chef will be available to provide meals at the facility. Dukes said he is now working on getting the word out about the availability of the location.
“It’s for weddings, family reunions, repasts, dinners, baby showers,” he said. “Whenever you need a facility to be able to provide accommodations. We’re in the process of bringing in a caterer for that function.”
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Error! There was an error processing your request. | https://www.albanyherald.com/local/restaurant-revival-a-number-of-new-restaurants-are-opening-in-metro-albany/article_cc9e5804-2899-11ed-8315-5bfe52158b45.html | 2022-08-30T22:10:49 | 1 | https://www.albanyherald.com/local/restaurant-revival-a-number-of-new-restaurants-are-opening-in-metro-albany/article_cc9e5804-2899-11ed-8315-5bfe52158b45.html |
MIDDLE TOWNSHIP — A Millville man died as the result of a crash Thursday in the Swainton section of the township.
A Honda Accord being driven north on Route 9 by Theodore O’Donnell Jr. crossed the centerline and hit a Nissan Versa that had been heading south on Route 9, police said Tuesday in a news release. The Accord continued in the southbound lane and hit a Ford F-150 behind the Versa.
Police responded to the crash near Route 9 and Eagle’s Way about 4:15 p.m. Route 9 was closed for about two hours due to the crash, police said.
The Cape May Court House Volunteer Fire Company extricated O’Donnell, a 44, from his car. He was taken to Cape Regional Medical Center, where he was later pronounced dead, police said. The driver of the F-150 was also taken to the hospital.
The Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office assisted police. Goshen and Green Creek fire police and Inspira Health Systems also responded. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/accident-and-incident/millville-man-dies-after-middle-township-car-crash/article_7b681ff4-28a0-11ed-979d-af426f321c98.html | 2022-08-30T22:13:49 | 0 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/accident-and-incident/millville-man-dies-after-middle-township-car-crash/article_7b681ff4-28a0-11ed-979d-af426f321c98.html |
AtlantiCare will distribute free naloxone Wednesday to mark International Overdose Awareness Day.
The event will run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with pharmacists and recovery specialists on hand at pharmacy locations at AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center, City Campus at 1925 Pacific Ave. in Atlantic City, and Mainland Campus at 65 W. Jimmie Leeds Road in Galloway Township.
Walk-ins are welcome and there is no registration required, AtlantiCare said in a news release. Distribution will be limited to one per customer while supplies last.
Naloxone, often administered under the brand name Narcan, is used to reverse overdoses caused by opioids.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates there were more than 108,000 overdose deaths in the United States in 2021, the highest calendar-year total on record. Of those, just fewer than 82,000 are believed to have involved opioids. There were an estimated 3,068 overdose deaths in New Jersey in 2021, of which 2,692 are believed to have involved opioids.
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AtlantiCare credits Helene and Robert Hordes for facilitating the event through their donation to the AtlantiCare Foundation.
For more information, call 609-404-7444. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/atlanticare-to-distribute-free-naloxone-wednesday/article_f9341068-289c-11ed-8d0f-4b499bc47131.html | 2022-08-30T22:13:56 | 1 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/atlanticare-to-distribute-free-naloxone-wednesday/article_f9341068-289c-11ed-8d0f-4b499bc47131.html |
ATLANITC CITY — A 20-year-old city resident was arrested in an armed robbery that occurred Monday afternoon in the 200 block of N. South Carolina Avenue, police said.
Zion Key was charged with armed robbery, possession of a weapon, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, possession of a controlled dangerous substance, possession with intent to distribute and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Officer John Bell spoke to the 23-year-old victim, who said he was robbed at gunpoint by a man he knew, police said Tuesday in a news release.
Bell sent out a description of the man to other officers. Detective Christopher Smith found Key, who police said fit the description, on Gordon’s Alley. Smith and other responders subsequently stopped and searched Key, police said.
Police said Key was in possession of a handgun, suspected crack cocaine, a digital scale and drug-packaging materials.
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Key was sent to the Atlantic County jail. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/atlantic-city-man-charged-with-armed-robbery/article_9a1cfbf8-288d-11ed-8f91-c7bd26df7926.html | 2022-08-30T22:14:02 | 1 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/atlantic-city-man-charged-with-armed-robbery/article_9a1cfbf8-288d-11ed-8f91-c7bd26df7926.html |
NORTH WILDWOOD — A city man is accused of breaking into a home and stealing about $1,500 worth of jewelry from inside.
Ryan Johnson, 33, became a person of interest after police investigated the burglary Thursday near Ninth and Central avenues. Forced entry was made into the home, with the jewelry missing from a bedroom, police said Tuesday in a news release.
Johnson was spotted by two officers riding his bike the following day. He was stopped near 26th and New Jersey avenues, arrested and sent to the Cape May County jail, police said.
Johnson was charged with burglary, theft, criminal mischief and possession of drug paraphernalia.
— Eric Conklin | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/north-wildwood-man-stole-jewelry-from-home-police-say/article_e443241a-28a5-11ed-ac12-3fb55984188c.html | 2022-08-30T22:14:08 | 1 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/north-wildwood-man-stole-jewelry-from-home-police-say/article_e443241a-28a5-11ed-ac12-3fb55984188c.html |
A Philadelphia man will spend as much as a decade in prison after pleading guilty to an Atlantic City carjacking.
Judge Bernard DeLury Jr. sentenced Kevin Wade to 10 years in prison Aug. 24, the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office said Tuesday in a news release.
Wade, 61, pleaded guilty to one count of carjacking.
In April 2021, he forced a person out a car in Atlantic City and then traveled in the car through the city and neighboring municipalities while police chased him. The chase concluded when Wade lost control of the vehicle and crashed.
Wade had requested that his sentence be reduced from 10 years to eight. The court denied his request. It also ordered that Wade pay restitution to the victim over damages caused to the stolen car.
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He must serve 85% of his sentence, per the state’s No Early Release Act, before he is eligible for parole. Wade also will be subject to parole supervision for an additional five years in the case that parole is granted. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/philadelphia-man-sentenced-for-atlantic-city-carjacking/article_dbe46d6a-2887-11ed-8511-affc2368a33b.html | 2022-08-30T22:14:14 | 1 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/philadelphia-man-sentenced-for-atlantic-city-carjacking/article_dbe46d6a-2887-11ed-8511-affc2368a33b.html |
EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP — Beginning Wednesday and lasting through Sept. 9, a detour will be in place in the northbound lane of Bargaintown/Fire Road between Zion and Mill roads from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., weather permitting, for utility work by South Jersey Gas.
The southbound lane will remain open, Atlantic County officials said Tuesday.
Northbound motorists are advised to follow the posted detour and plan travel time accordingly or seek an alternate route. Police and traffic directors will be on site to assist.
The northbound lane will reopen each evening but close again by 7 a.m. the following morning, the county said in a news release. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/detour-to-take-effect-on-egg-harbor-township-road/article_eb09d444-289e-11ed-aa2d-979a94a0db9e.html | 2022-08-30T22:14:21 | 0 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/detour-to-take-effect-on-egg-harbor-township-road/article_eb09d444-289e-11ed-aa2d-979a94a0db9e.html |
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Breaking news and the stories that matter to your neighborhood. | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/long-awaited-road-work-begins-on-washington-avenue/3349360/ | 2022-08-30T22:18:05 | 0 | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/long-awaited-road-work-begins-on-washington-avenue/3349360/ |
New Jersey is using $6.5 million of federal aid to help collect and digitize school blueprints for first responders, Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy said Tuesday.
The American Rescue Plan funds will help the state's Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness and the state police devise maps for about 1,500 public and private schools. An additional 1,500 schools already have such digital graphics available, according to the administration.
The maps are critical to help police and other responders react to emergencies in what could be unfamiliar environments, officials say.
“With the epidemic of gun violence reaching every part of our communities, including our schools, we offer our families not empty promises, but concrete investments in tools and resources that will keep our students safe,” Murphy said in a statement.
The announcement comes nearly a month after Murphy signed legislation requiring the state's nearly 600 school districts to set up threat assessment teams aimed at stemming any violence in schools. The bill was introduced two days after the Uvalde, Texas, school shooting.
That measure goes into effect in the 2023-2024 school year.
The legislation calls for a “multidisciplinary” team that will include a school psychologist, counselor, social worker, or other school worker with similar expertise; a teacher; a principal or other senior administrator; a schools law enforcement officer or a worker who serves as a liaison with police; and the designated school safety specialist. The guidelines the teams are supposed to follow are to be set up by the state Department of Education in consultation with state law enforcement and Homeland Security officials. | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/new-jersey-allots-6-5m-for-school-blueprints-for-first-responders/3349106/ | 2022-08-30T22:18:06 | 1 | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/new-jersey-allots-6-5m-for-school-blueprints-for-first-responders/3349106/ |
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) – East Tennessee State University (ETSU) unveiled a new program Tuesday to put future nurses on the track to serving rural and underserved communities.
ETSU’s Quillen College of Medicine announced the start of EQUIP (Extending Quillen to the Underserved through an Integrated Program), which aims to find and mentor students who want to provide primary care to those underserved areas.
“Quillen College of Medicine has an exceptional history of increasing access to health care, specialty care and medical knowledge for our region,” said Dr. Tom Kincer, associate dean for Rural and Community Programs, in a release. “EQUIP is an exciting continuation of that mission, allowing Quillen to attract a more diverse student body and create a pathway that brings broader medical care coverage to all.”
The program will focus on finding both high school and college students who show an interest in rural medicine, which the college describes as critical.
“Currently, we have a shortage of about 20,000 physicians in our rural communities,” Kincer told News Channel 11. “Getting physicians to go back to rural communities is difficult, and we know that the best way to do that is to train students from those rural communities to go back to those underserved communities.”
Any students who complete the program “will be granted a guaranteed interview when they apply to Quillen,” a release from ETSU states.
EQUIP is limited to 20 high school students and 15 college students at each year level. There is no cost to being part of the program or attending any of its events.
Applications have opened for the program, and more information is available online. | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/etsu-launches-equip-to-improve-nursing-in-rural-areas/ | 2022-08-30T22:21:12 | 0 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/etsu-launches-equip-to-improve-nursing-in-rural-areas/ |
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) – Fishing is one of Tennessee’s most popular outdoor activities. However, with the exception of one Free Fishing Day each year, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) requires anglers to be licensed to catch fish in the state.
There are a variety of hunting and fishing license packages available through the TWRA. Any valid sportsman license will cover trout fishing, and most fishing licenses can be supplemented with trout privileges. Even one-day licenses can be upgraded for small fees to include trout fishing.
Catching a trout without the proper licensing can result in different penalties.
TWRA Public Information Officer Matthew Cameron told News Channel 11 that the minimum fine for illegally catching trout is $10 plus court costs. However, Cameron said the court costs can vary greatly between the different court systems with rural communities generally having higher costs.
An angler could also potentially lose their fishing license if they have illegally caught a trout, but Cameron said that penalty is usually reserved for repeat offenders or anglers who have seriously exceeded certain limits.
TWRA officers can also fine improperly licensed anglers if it is clear that they are targeting trout in trout-inhabited waters and using specific bait.
In total, the TWRA reports there are five species of trout found in Tennessee waterways, all of which can be found in Northeast Tennessee. Those include:
- Rainbow trout
- Brown trout
- Lake trout
- Brook trout
- Cutthroat trout
Of those five, brook trout are the only species native to Tennessee. The rest are stocked by officials, with cutthroat trout being introduced to state waterways in 2021.
To see the TWRA’s fishing license options, click here. | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/whats-the-penalty-for-illegally-catching-trout-in-tennessee/ | 2022-08-30T22:21:18 | 0 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/whats-the-penalty-for-illegally-catching-trout-in-tennessee/ |
GAS TRACKER: Minnesota average at $3.77 per gallon, Iowa at $3.51 Aug 30, 2022 Aug 30, 2022 Updated 3 hrs ago 0 Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Here's the latest as of Aug. 30. Gas prices IA/MN Infogram Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save More From KIMT News 3 News Mason City man gets probation for road rage incident May 16, 2022 News Alternate side parking starts Sunday evening in Mason City Updated Feb 20, 2022 Local Drivers encouraged to consider choosing ethanol at the pump Updated Mar 10, 2022 Archive Treasure Island Resort & Casino is hosting live entertainment again Updated Dec 2, 2021 Iowa Sen. Grassley visits with North Iowa constituents Updated Jan 28, 2022 Cerro Gordo County Mason City woman accused of stealing from a church pleads not guilty Updated Dec 2, 2021 Recommended for you
Cerro Gordo County Mason City woman accused of stealing from a church pleads not guilty Updated Dec 2, 2021 | https://www.kimt.com/news/local/gas-tracker-minnesota-average-at-3-77-per-gallon-iowa-at-3-51/article_e182e648-14d2-11ed-9744-c791856883d2.html | 2022-08-30T22:21:48 | 0 | https://www.kimt.com/news/local/gas-tracker-minnesota-average-at-3-77-per-gallon-iowa-at-3-51/article_e182e648-14d2-11ed-9744-c791856883d2.html |
RUSHVILLE, Ind. — State police have issued a Silver Alert for a missing Rushville man.
William Farley, 91, was last seen around 8:20 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 30, driving a white 1996 Lexus ES300 with Indiana license plate C711DG.
Farley is described as a 5-foot, 6-inch white male, who weighs 194 pounds and has white hair and blue eyes. He was last seen wearing a black baseball cap, a dark blue and gray plaid button-up, long-sleeved shirt, black and gray flannel pajama pants and black tennis shoes.
He is believed to be in extreme danger and may require medical assistance.
Anyone with information on William Farley or his whereabouts is asked to contact the Rushville Police Department at 765-932-3907 or call 911.
Amber Alert vs. Silver Alert: What's the difference?
There are specific standards a person's disappearance must meet in order for police to declare an Amber Alert or a Silver Alert.
Amber Alerts are for children under the age of 18 who are believed to have been abducted and in danger. Police also need to have information about a suspect and their car to issue an Amber Alert.
Silver Alerts are for missing and endangered adults or children. They are much more common for missing people. It was not until last year when the standards for Silver Alerts were expanded to include children.
In both situations, these alerts must be issued by police. | https://www.wthr.com/article/news/local/indiana/silver-alert-declared-for-missing-91-year-old-rushville-man-william-farley/531-0be2627b-5c6b-48ed-a594-01ba07e25ca2 | 2022-08-30T22:24:19 | 0 | https://www.wthr.com/article/news/local/indiana/silver-alert-declared-for-missing-91-year-old-rushville-man-william-farley/531-0be2627b-5c6b-48ed-a594-01ba07e25ca2 |
MARION, Ind. — Indiana State Police is investigating after a woman riding a moped was hit by a semi-truck that, investigators say, disregarded a red light to cause the crash.
Marion police officers and state troopers were called to the crash just before 10:15 p.m. Monday night.
Troopers say Sharice Bilbee, 29, of Marion, was riding a moped on Baldwin Avenue. At the same time, Sohil Singh, 25, of Canada, was driving a semi-truck pulling an empty flatbed trailer on Fourth Street.
Both drivers were nearing the intersection of Baldwin Avenue and Fourth Street.
When Bilbee got to the intersection, she had the green light and the right of way.
However, when Singh got to the intersection, he allegedly disregarded a red traffic light and pulled into the intersection, striking the moped.
According to ISP, Bilbee was pronounced dead at the scene. Singh was not injured.
Investigators say alcohol and/or narcotics are not suspected as being a contributing factor in the crash. | https://www.wthr.com/article/news/local/marion-indiana-woman-on-moped-killed-in-crash-with-semi-truck/531-b19a8d2d-4331-48e3-85b4-f898affdd29b | 2022-08-30T22:24:25 | 0 | https://www.wthr.com/article/news/local/marion-indiana-woman-on-moped-killed-in-crash-with-semi-truck/531-b19a8d2d-4331-48e3-85b4-f898affdd29b |
MONTICELLO, Ind. — Monday's storms wreaked havoc throughout the region, including in Fulton County where a tree fell on a Monticello man's car, leaving him critically injured and trapped in his truck until first responders could get him free.
According to Indiana State Police, Hunter Smolek, 22, was driving a Ford F150 pickup truck south on State Road 25 at around 4:13 p.m.
At the time, a storm with heavy winds was passing across the state. The storm sparked severe thunderstorm watches and warnings in counties throughout the state and caused more than 400,000 utility customers in Indiana and Michigan to lose power.
Troopers say Smolek was driving through the storm when a tree from the west side of the road fell on top of his truck, trapping him.
Firefighters had to extricate Smolek. He was taken to a Lafayette hospital in critical condition, Indiana State Police said. At last check, troopers said Smolek was "talking and alert."
The Indiana Department of Transportation used a payloader to remove the tree from State Road 25.
The road was closed for approximately 2 1/2 hours.
Nearby Huntington County also had several trees that went down during the storms.
Drivers were being told to proceed with caution in the county as first responders worked to clear the roadways.
The storms caused damage across central Indiana, including in Russiaville and Eaton, where viewers shared photos of trees and limbs that had fallen during the storm.
PHOTOS: Storm damage in central Indiana on Monday, Aug. 29, 2022 | https://www.wthr.com/article/news/local/monticello-indiana-severe-weather-man-injured-during-storms-tree-fall-truck/531-b05f36f9-63ae-41ef-a8e3-26439fa578db | 2022-08-30T22:24:31 | 1 | https://www.wthr.com/article/news/local/monticello-indiana-severe-weather-man-injured-during-storms-tree-fall-truck/531-b05f36f9-63ae-41ef-a8e3-26439fa578db |
HAMMOND — Lake County’s former tourism leader is striking back at a political opponent who has denounced him as having squandered public money, and against his former employers for firing him.
Lawyers for Speros Batistatos filed a lawsuit this week in U.S. District Court seeking his reinstatement as head of the South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority.
He also wants the court to award him unspecified monetary damages not only from tourism officials, but also Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. and several other individuals whom he claims had a hand in his termination last year.
Lawyers for Batistatos and the tourism body couldn’t be reached Tuesday for comment.
Batistatos long promoted Lake County as a tourist mecca in spite of The Region’s reputation as an all-work, no-play corner of the state where amusements were hard to find among its gritty smokestacks.
The Indiana General Assembly created the convention and visitors authority in 1983, funding it from state hotel taxes. The authority first hired Batistatos six years later as its executive director.
Over the decades, Lake County became a destination for air show, convention and festival goers. The agency's website states Lake County lodging, entertainment, recreation, shopping and food and beverage business bring in nearly $1 billion annually.
The SSCVA promoted Batistatos in 1993 to president and CEO and persuaded him to return to the job in 2005 after he left the area to pursue other career goals.
But Batistatos’ brash style rubbed some the wrong way, particularly McDermott.
The 38-page court complaint kicking off the litigation recounts attacks McDermott launched on the tourism leader over McDermott’s “Left of Center” podcasts. The suit claims McDermott defames Batistatos as an unelected official who used public money from the tourism board’s multi-million-dollar budget to reward friendly communities and punish those — like Hammond — who challenged him.
McDermott also questioned Batistatos’ six figure salary — $244,000 last year according to a state government payroll database — and lavish expenses on personal entertainment.
McDermott said last fall he had no role in Batistatos’ downfall and that his criticisms were opinions protected by freedom of speech guarantees.
Batistatos states he had wanted to continue working with the tourism agency for another four-and-a-half years, but the board fired him July 15, 2021.
Batistatos began quarreling last year with members of the tourism agency’s controlling board, including its chairman Andrew E. Qunell. Batistatos is suing Qunell personally, along with McDermott and five other individuals.
Batistatos and board members fought over how to spend $388,500 in federal pandemic relief money the board received. Some wanted to hand out no-strings-attached $25,000 grants to 15 communities. Batistatos opposed this proposal as unlawful and accused the board of covering its decisions about the grants in a secrecy that violates the state’s Open Door Law.
Batistatos states in the suit the board fired him in retaliation for his whistle-blowing activities against the grants.
Batistatos, who is 59, further claims his termination constituted age discrimination because his replacement, former Crown Point Mayor David Uran, is 10 years younger.
Batistatos also alleges his removal violated terms of his work contract with the tourism board.
PHOTOS: Historic Dunes buildings are being restored
"I didn't interfere with (Batistatos') employment contract. I criticized the way he did his job as a public figure spending millions of dollars of taxpayer money," Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. said.
Then-President and CEO of the South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority Speros Batistatos, right, talks about the organization's relationship with the city of Crown Point during the 2021 State of the City event at Bulldog Park in downtown Crown Point. Former Mayor David Uran, who now heads the SSCVA, is at left. | https://www.nwitimes.com/business/local/former-lake-tourism-czar-sues-over-criticism-and-firing/article_c61e37fb-a02e-5cf2-af1e-0cffda1db908.html | 2022-08-30T22:26:12 | 0 | https://www.nwitimes.com/business/local/former-lake-tourism-czar-sues-over-criticism-and-firing/article_c61e37fb-a02e-5cf2-af1e-0cffda1db908.html |
Harbour Trust & Investment Management Co. is marking 25 years in business.
The Michigan City-based financial services firm celebrated its anniversary with a ribbon-cutting ceremony with the Michigan City Chamber of Commerce and the Michigan City Economic Development Corp. It manages more than $700 million in assets.
“We would not be here today without the support of our founders, Bob Rose and Leon Dargis. Harbour Trust was started on the simple thought of providing trusted client relationships each and every day," President and Chief Operating Officer Stephanie Oberlie said. "That is our mission, every day, and each person here signed up to follow through on that mission.”
The company serves clients in Northwest Indiana and beyond, boasting a 97% customer retention rate.
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"The success of Harbour Trust can be attributed to the relationships we have built with our clients, our staff, our vendors, and our shareholders," Founding Partner and Chairman Bob Rose said. "It is a far more difficult, expensive, and regulated industry than it was 25 years ago, but the secret to success remains the same — building strong, lasting relationships."
“We would also not be where we are without having invested in very talented staff. I truly believe that if the company continues to make sound decisions, this will be a $5-to-$10-billion trust company at our 50th anniversary. Not one sole person is responsible for our success. We got to where we are today as a team, and we will continue to see success by working together.”
The company at 1024 N. Karwick Road was founded in 1997.
"Harbour Trust has been a great partner and resource to not only the Chamber, but to the greater Michigan City community as well," Michigan City Chamber President Katie Eaton said.
For more information, visit www.harbourtrust.com. | https://www.nwitimes.com/business/local/harbour-trust-marks-25-years/article_8e5cb501-9e65-588a-82ec-6f4f99512ef0.html | 2022-08-30T22:26:13 | 0 | https://www.nwitimes.com/business/local/harbour-trust-marks-25-years/article_8e5cb501-9e65-588a-82ec-6f4f99512ef0.html |
HAMMOND — A federal judge sentenced a hitman for the Latin Dragon Nation street gang to prison.
U.S. District Court Judge Judge Philip P. Simon imposed a 35-year sentence Tuesday on Gustavo Mata, 30, of Chicago.
Mata pleaded guilty April 28 to racketeering conspiracy charges that he worked with other Latin Dragons members beginning in 2009 to shoot rival gang members and engage in drug and firearms trafficking.
He admitted killing a Chicago man in 2012 whom he suspected of being a rival gang member.
Mata is among 19 members or associates of the Latin Dragons street gang indicted since 2017 for violent drug dealing across Chicago and Northwest Indiana.
This case was the result of investigations by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; and police departments in Hammond, East Chicago, Merrillville and Hobart, the Lake County Sheriff and Illinois police.
All 19 have been convicted over the years. Mata becomes the 16th to be sentenced to prison terms ranging from one to 35 years.
Mata was charged with selling Xanax and marijuana over the years and firing guns at several people.
Mata was with two other Latin Dragons members July 1, 2012, on a back porch in a South Chicago neighborhood when he shot and killed 49-year-old Kelly Vann, of Chicago, whom he thought was a rival gang member.
Mata was facing a jury trial last spring and was in jeopardy of receiving a sentence of life imprisonment when he signed a plea agreement in late April to give up his right to make federal prosecutors prove the case against him in return for leniency.
Court records indicate Mata has previous criminal convictions for aggravated unlawful use of a weapon in 2011 and being a felon in possession of a firearm the following year.
Gallery: Recent arrests booked into Lake County Jail
"Kelsie stated she would never leave her children home alone during the daytime while they were awake, however she thought they were asleep, so she left them overnight," police said.
The judge questioned whether the defendant would be able to pay $1,000 a month in restitution for two years. If she misses a payment, she could have her probation revoked and be sent to jail.
The arresting officer said in his incident report he did not immediately arrest the woman because he not see her exposing herself as he did with the man.
Hammond firefighters also arrived on scene and attempts were made to revive the child, who was taken to Franciscan Health Hammond hospital, police said.
The truck driver told police he was traveling east on U.S. 20 in Gary when he stopped for a red light and two people in a red Ford Edge behind him got out and argued with him about a traffic issue. | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/latin-dragons-hitman-sentenced-to-prison-for-2012-homicide/article_1ca29676-4b03-5c6b-bb59-4f725095a1e4.html | 2022-08-30T22:26:14 | 1 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/latin-dragons-hitman-sentenced-to-prison-for-2012-homicide/article_1ca29676-4b03-5c6b-bb59-4f725095a1e4.html |
CROWN POINT — A Lake County patrol officer charged with improperly using the 911 system to stalk a fellow officer, who is also the mother of his child, admitted to a commander that he "messed up" in misusing his access to the system, according to newly filed charging information.
Patrolman Nicholas Katalinic was charged Monday with felony stalking and misdemeanor harassment by means of a telephone call, court records show.
"(The alleged victim) advised that Katalinic told her he was spiraling out of control and did not know what to do," a court document says.
The woman told state police, who investigated the allegations, that she and Katalinic share custody of a 7-month-old child and had been in a relationship for about two years up to June 8, a charging document reads. She said Katalinic had been harassing her and possibly stalking her since the breakup.
She said Katalinic called her June 12 questioning her whereabouts and making various accusations about her location and what she was doing.
"(The alleged victim) advised that at one point during the conversation, he told her, 'You do know your car has GPS right?' " the charges read. "(The woman) told us that the location which Katalinic told her she was located at was accurate."
Lake County Sheriff Oscar Martinez Jr. said Katalinic is on paid administrative leave and the allegations will be forwarded to the Lake County Police Merit Board "for appropriate action consistent with Merit Board rules and regulations."
"The safety and well-being of our officers are always of utmost concern, which includes providing a safe and professional work environment," Martinez said.
Katalinic was hired as a civilian employee of the sheriff’s department May 13, 2013, became a reserve officer and then was sworn in as a police officer on Dec. 26, 2016, Martinez said.
State police said they began investigating the case July 6 upon the request of Martinez. The offenses allegedly occurred June 12 through July 1.
The case centers around allegations that Katalinic contacted Lake County dispatch in an attempt to learn the whereabouts of his former girlfriend and used the police Spillman system to conduct numerous searches for residences near the woman.
An investigator listened to two calls from Katalinic to the 911 center, during one of which he allegedly requests the woman's police vehicle to be put on duty, according to a charging document.
"Katalinic tells the dispatcher he was doing some 'extra (expletive)' right now, but not actually 'working,' " the document reads.
Katalinic then asks the dispatcher to take the same vehicle off duty.
"I learned from (Lake County Sheriff’s Police Chief Vince) Balbo that when a Lake County officer is placed on-duty, the GPS unit in their police vehicle is activated and shows the current location of the vehicle," police said.
The woman further told investigators of an incident on July 1 when Katalinic had their child and called to say the child was having trouble breathing, according to a court document. When Katalinic said he was taking the child to a hospital, he asked what hospital she was nearest to since he did not believe she was at home and accused her of "sleeping around."
"(The alleged victim) advised that at the end of the call, Katalinic told (her) that he was going to ask one more time and if she lied, she would not hear from him until 10:00 a.m. the next morning when he returned their child," police said. "(The woman) advised she told Katalinic that she was home and Katalinic hung up the phone. (She) told us that she feared for her daughter’s safety, so she called 911 to have her child checked out."
The woman reportedly told investigators that when Katalinic does not have their child, he contacts her up to three times a day.
"(The alleged victim) said that Katalinic had acted erratically during their entire relationship, and that during their relationship Katalinic required (her) to share her location with him on cellular applications," police said.
The woman said the reason she continued to talk to Katalinic is because of the joint custody of their child.
"(The woman) stated that said she believes that her daughter was being used by Katalinic to get to her," police said. "(The alleged victim) clarified on July 19, 2022 that she has felt threatened and intimidated by Katalinic’s actions towards her."
Katalinic was among five Lake County officers last year who were awarded the Exemplary Service Award.
Gallery: Recent arrests booked into Lake County Jail
Porter/LaPorte County Courts and Social Justice Reporter
Bob is a 23-year veteran of The Times. He covers county government and courts in Porter County, federal courts, police news and regional issues. He also created the Vegan in the Region blog, is an Indiana University grad and lifelong region resident. | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/update-lake-county-cop-stalked-fellow-officer-former-girlfriend-and-was-spiraling-out-of-control/article_9d8979c0-acc8-573a-a14d-64cd1a86347e.html | 2022-08-30T22:26:20 | 0 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/update-lake-county-cop-stalked-fellow-officer-former-girlfriend-and-was-spiraling-out-of-control/article_9d8979c0-acc8-573a-a14d-64cd1a86347e.html |
TRINITY — A Trinity teen died and three other people were seriously injured in a crash Monday night on Finch Farm Road, the Highway Patrol said.
Troopers responded about 9:10 p.m. Monday to Finch Farm Road near Saddle Club Drive for a report of a crash.
Emily Jane McAllister, 18, of Trinity was driving a 2004 Acura TSX north on Finch Farm Road when she crossed the center line and hit head-on a 2016 Ford Escape SUV driven by 57-year-old Monica Lannett Jacoby, the patrol said in a news release.
Troopers said an 18-year-old passenger in McAllister's vehicle, Sidney Brittian Langston of Trinity, died at the site of the crash. Neither Langston nor McAllister was wearing a seatbelt, the patrol said.
McAllister suffered life-threatening injuries and was taken to Moses Cone Hospital in Greensboro.
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Jacoby and a 14-year-old passenger in her SUV suffered serious injuries. Both were also taken to Moses Cone Hospital.
The patrol did not say what may have led to the crash. Troopers said the wreck remains under investigation and charges are pending.
Finch Farm Road was closed for about two hours. | https://greensboro.com/news/local/accident-and-incident/teen-killed-in-randolph-county-wreck-monday-night/article_3153f9c2-289d-11ed-a592-ab218d27a212.html | 2022-08-30T22:27:08 | 1 | https://greensboro.com/news/local/accident-and-incident/teen-killed-in-randolph-county-wreck-monday-night/article_3153f9c2-289d-11ed-a592-ab218d27a212.html |
Five educators from Midland Christian School have sued the City of Midland, the Midland Police Department and Detective Jennie Alonzo, following the exoneration of the five on false allegations that they failed to report a sexual assault in January, according to a statement from the educators’ attorney Rusty Hardin.
The school’s own investigation determined what happened was nothing more than locker room horseplay among members of the baseball team, according to Hardin’s law firm. Nearly 90 days later, a Midland County grand jury investigating the incident declined to indict any of the five plaintiffs in the case. They are:
· Former Superintendent Jared Lee
· Former Principal Dana Ellis
· Former Assistant Principal Matthew Counts
· Former Athletic Director Greg McClendon
· Former Head Baseball Coach Barry Russell
“This was one of the most egregious cases of irresponsible police action I’ve seen in decades of practicing law,” said Hardin in the press release. “This detective personally decided that these educational professionals were guilty, despite a complete lack of credible evidence and impeccable reputations. She then embarked on a course of conduct designed to ruin their careers.”
According to the lawsuit, the locker room incident happened in January 2022, when a sophomore player poked a freshman player on the buttocks – over his clothes – with a bat. By the time the story reached the police department a week and a half later, the details had been embellished to the point that there was a claim the freshman had been sexually assaulted.
The lawsuit says at no time did any school official have reasonable cause to believe the freshman had been sexually assaulted, according to the press release. The freshman himself denied repeatedly that it was anything more than roughhousing in the locker room. When they were asked, all of the students involved gave the same version of the events, the release added.
“What happened here is that Midland Police had tunnel vision. They heard a false, unreliable report from a parent based on schoolhouse gossip and went with it,” Hardin said in the release.
The lawsuit accuses investigators of carrying out a false, biased, and vindictive campaign against the plaintiffs, including arresting the five on school grounds and then “perp-walking” them in front of news cameras that the police arranged to be present.
The filing also accuses Alonzo of swearing to information she knew to be false in an arrest warrant affidavit, most seriously that the school knew of a sexual assault and failed to report it—which was not true.
The case is Jared Lee et al. v. City of Midland et al., No. 7:22-cv-185, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas.
Rusty Hardin is prominent attorney based in Houston. Among his recent clients was NFL quarterback Deshaun Watson | https://www.mrt.com/news/local/article/Midland-Christian-educators-file-civil-rights-17407566.php | 2022-08-30T22:28:03 | 0 | https://www.mrt.com/news/local/article/Midland-Christian-educators-file-civil-rights-17407566.php |
Five former Midland Christian educators have filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the city of Midland, the Midland Police Department's Jennie Alonzo, Rosemary Sharp and Camilo Fonseca.
The five plaintiffs in the case are:
· Former Superintendent Jared Lee
· Former Principal Dana Ellis
· Former Assistant Principal Matthew Counts
· Former Athletic Director Greg McClendon
· Former Head Baseball Coach Barry Russell
The educators are being represented by attorney Rusty Hardin. Hardin is a prominent attorney based in Houston. Among his recent clients was NFL quarterback Deshaun Watson
Here's a look at the complaint: | https://www.mrt.com/news/local/article/Read-Midland-Christian-educators-complaint-17407702.php | 2022-08-30T22:28:09 | 1 | https://www.mrt.com/news/local/article/Read-Midland-Christian-educators-complaint-17407702.php |
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Want to adopt? There are plenty of dogs and cats waiting for their furever home.
Every week, volunteer photographer, Tasha Sport, photographs some of the animals available for adoption. The adoption fee is $62 and includes microchip, rabies vac, license, tag and alter.
On a monthly basis, the shelter takes care of approximately 350 – 400 pets.
Here's more information on how you can adopt:
To adopt one of these pets, please call the Shelter to set an appointment at (432) 685-7420.
Hours of operation: Monday - Closed, Tuesday -Thursday- 9:30-5:30 & Friday- 9:30-4:30
1200 N. Fairgrounds Road | https://www.mrt.com/news/local/article/Want-to-adopt-Check-out-these-adoptable-animals-17407234.php | 2022-08-30T22:28:16 | 0 | https://www.mrt.com/news/local/article/Want-to-adopt-Check-out-these-adoptable-animals-17407234.php |
HOUSTON — Ten years ago, a company calling itself Texas Central High-Speed Railway announced plans for a trailblazing bullet train that would whisk passengers between Dallas and Houston in 90 minutes. Company leaders exuded confidence that the trains would be running up to 205 miles per hour by 2020.
The potential for an American high-speed rail line captured the imagination of Texans and national train enthusiasts alike. At one point during an event celebrating the unbuilt high-speed rail line, then-Vice President Joe Biden told a Dallas crowd, “You’re going to lead this country into an entirely new era of transportation.”
But a decade on, there are still no new tracks between Dallas and Houston.
Through multiple business entities who often use some version of the Texas Central moniker, developers of the project spent years raising hundreds of millions of dollars for construction, fighting conservative lawmakers’ attempts to dampen their plans and buying land needed to lay the tracks. Perhaps the biggest battle, though, came from legal challenges to the company’s claims that state law allows it to forcibly purchase property when owners aren’t willing to voluntarily sell.
In June, the Texas Supreme Court settled the matter and handed the company what could be a watershed victory, ruling that Texas Central can use eminent domain for its high-profile project. By the time the court ruled, though, Texas Central’s board had reportedly disbanded and its CEO and president had resigned. The project’s original timeline had already gone off the rails (at one point the construction was slated to begin in 2017). And land acquisition seems to have all but stopped in the last two years, according to land records reviewed by The Texas Tribune.
A spokesperson for the company, who is employed by a consulting firm that handles Texas Central’s media requests, says the project is still in the works.
“Texas Central is continuing to seek further investment, and is moving forward with the development of this high-speed train,” Tom Becker, a senior managing director with FTI Consulting, said in a statement. “We appreciate the continued support of our investors, lenders, and other key stakeholders, as we continue to advance this important project.”
But the company and Becker have declined to answer specific questions about the leadership exodus, apparent slump in land acquisition, funding prospects and status of permits Texas Central would need to move forward. A federal transportation agency says it hasn’t had contact with the company in two years. The portion of Texas Central’s website that once listed executive leaders is now blank — as is the list of current job openings.
Texas Central’s relative silence on the recent developments has left supporters of the project, who would like to see two of the state’s largest economic engines more easily connected, in limbo. Opponents, who have long railed against the idea of a private company using eminent domain to seize Texans’ land, are cautiously hoping Texas Central won’t rebound.
Even if the company resurges, there remain major obstacles ahead to acquire land and finance an increasingly expensive project described as “shovel ready” as recently as 2020. The stakes of the high-speed rail project extend beyond the company and Texas. The 240 miles of relatively flat land between Dallas and Houston has long been heralded as the ideal location for what Texas Central and its supporters say could be the first leg of a national high-speed rail system that transforms the country.
There are few infrastructure projects in the country that can compare in size to the Texas rail line. A California high-speed rail project between Los Angeles and San Francisco also faces significant political, financial and legal hurdles. But Michael Bennon, the program manager at Stanford University’s Global Infrastructure Policy Research Initiative, hangs a lot of hope on the Texas project given the relatively short distance, estimated frequency of travel and the landscape between the two cities.
“If you can’t do high-speed rail in that corridor, it’s hard to imagine it working anywhere else,” Bennon said.
A decade in the making
The announcement of the Dallas-Houston bullet train came more than two decades after another, failed high-speed rail project in Texas that collapsed after $70 million in investments in the early 1990’s.
The most recent attempt at high-speed rail drew widespread attention and support. Texas Central has long billed the project — modeled after the Japanese Shinkansen bullet train — as an accessible, safe alternative to car travel in Texas. Among the selling points: an estimated $36 billion in economic benefits, an environmentally friendly solution to plane travel and a revolutionary step forward for large-scale infrastructure in America. The hype cast the train as a game changer for Texas and America.
“There’s no doubt once people ride this train, they will want trains like this to go other places,” Holly Reed, Texas Central’s former managing director of external affairs, said in 2018.
In addition to Biden’s 2015 endorsement, plans for high-speed rail in Texas saw formal support from former President Donald Trump, several state leaders and close to 100 businesses and organizations. The company’s board and advisors featured a plethora of prominent names, like billionaire and former Houston Astros owner Drayton McLane and Ron Kirk, the former Dallas mayor and former Texas secretary of state.
RELATED: Building Texas bullet train hinges on Congress passing bipartisan infrastructure bill, CEO says
But Republican state officials, who have long controlled the Legislature and state government, were caught between the collision of two things they and their voters support — minimal restraints on the private industry and protecting Texas landowners’ property rights.
In the summer of 2016, Texas Central began its efforts in earnest to acquire land along the route of the line, contacting property owners and submitting documentation to retain the option to purchase acres in the 10 counties the rail line would cross.
Along the way, Texans’ free-market enthusiasm often clashed with private property advocates who criticized the efforts of the company to push the railroad through rural land to benefit two already bustling urban behemoths.
Donovan Maretick, a Navy veteran who lives in Harris County, has fought the company’s efforts to survey and purchase his land. He moved to a more rural area of the state to seek some quiet for his family — and he doesn’t intend to give that up so a private entity can build an intercity bullet train.
“I rose to the occasion to fight for the country, and I’ll be damned if I’m not gonna rise to the occasion to fight for my little piece of country. And that’s what we’ve had to do as individual landowners for the last six years.” Maretick told the Tribune.
Throughout multiple legislative sessions, some Republican lawmakers sought to limit how the project could be developed or financed. Others tried to kill it outright. But Texas Central’s project repeatedly emerged largely unscathed.
State Sen. Royce West, D-Dallas, has maintained his support for the development endeavor, though he’s well aware of how rural and urban interests are often at odds on the matter.
“The time has come for us as Texans to recognize that we need another mode of transportation to get people around the state,” West said in an interview with the Tribune. “Just like anything else, you have to build this for the future.”
In October 2020, with another legislative session on the horizon, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott threw his “full support” behind the project in a letter to Yoshihide Suga, then the prime minister of Japan. By then, the Japan Bank of International Cooperation had loaned the venture $300 million.
“Public support and momentum are on our side, and this project can be completed swiftly,” Abbott wrote.
The governor also claimed Texas Central had “all the necessary permits to begin construction” — something the Tribune found was not, and still isn’t, true. Lawmakers representing Texans who own land in the project’s path expressed disappointment at the letter. Abbott’s office later said the “information it was provided was incomplete” and it would review the matter, but did not respond to multiple follow-up questions from the Tribune at the time.
And the governor still isn’t talking. This month, Abbott’s office did not return multiple requests for comment about the matter.
After Abbott’s 2020 letter to the Japanese prime minister, Carlos Aguilar, Texas Central’s CEO at the time, also declined to answer specific questions, but said the company was “focused on finalizing financing and getting ready for execution."
A plan derailed
In June, the Texas Supreme Court ruled that Texas Central Railroad & Infrastructure and Integrated Texas Logistics, a partner in the rail project, have eminent domain power because they are “interurban electric railway companies.” The decision, based on the Texas Transportation Code, enables the high-speed railway project to move forward with surveying and forcibly buying private property.
Trey Duhon, president of Texans Against High-Speed Rail, said the decision surprised him and set a dangerous precedent.
“You’re not supposed to be able to exercise this authority or power without some checks and balances,” he told the Tribune. “This opinion really opens the door and allows anyone who wants to build an electric railway anywhere in the state of Texas the ability to do so.”
But having the ability to use eminent domain doesn’t mean the process will be easy — or cheap. And one expert in eminent domain law said the company may still face a major legal hurdle in exercising its eminent domain authority.
Luke Ellis, an Austin lawyer who teaches eminent domain law at the University of Texas School of Law, told the Tribune that project opponents could still mount legal challenges that hinge on what’s called a “public use” clause. That provision of law requires that an entity using eminent domain can only do so when creating something for “public use.” Ellis said there remains an outstanding question whether the train qualifies as “public use.” The Texas Supreme Court didn’t rule on that question, leaving it open to future legal challenges.
What’s more, eminent domain isn’t a fast and clean operation. If a landowner doesn’t want to sell, Texas Central would likely have to sue and kick off what’s called a separate condemnation process — complete with arguments and hearings — for each landowner who won’t voluntarily give up their land and doesn’t agree that the money Texas Central offers is adequate compensation.
These two legal obstacles could stall Texas Central’s momentum if construction gets underway, Ellis said, but only up to a certain point. Entities with eminent domain authority can take possession of private property once a designated commission determines the land’s value and that amount is paid into an account. While both parties can appeal the decision and take it to a jury, entities like Texas Central have an advantage.
“There’s a legal mechanism that allows them to begin construction of the project even before the eminent domain lawsuit has fully resolved,” Ellis said.
Texas Central has long said it would use eminent domain only as a last resort and it would prefer to amicably buy the land needed for the project. How many parcels it needs has long been a mystery. While Texas Central has released a map of the line’s route, it has remained mum for years on how many purchases it would take to amass the land needed for the project.
The company has negotiated with landowners to reserve the option to purchase land along the route. In some instances, the railroad developer acquired those parcels of land. Yet in others, the purchase options expired or the company agreed to release those contracts, allowing landowners to sell to another buyer.
According to a Tribune review of public land records, the company ramped up land acquisition efforts in 2016. But since 2020, there’s been a steep decline in options filed and deeds amassed on behalf of Texas Central.
In several counties in the past two years, Texas Central has resold property it had purchased to other buyers. Texas Department of Transportation officials confirmed the state agency purchased a handful of acres from the railroad company in Madison County for $75,000. Public documents filed between May 2021 and April 2022 showed that the railroad company sold off more than 170 acres in Navarro County.
The Tribune reached out to McLane, the board of directors’ former chair; several former advisors, including Kirk; and the company’s listed partners. They either did not respond or they directed inquiries to Katie Barnes, the director of right of way at Texas Central, who declined to answer questions.
Continued resistance
Meanwhile, the cost of the project will likely continue to grow. Initially estimated to cost $12 billion, McLane expected the project to cost $30 billion by 2020.
In 2019, Texas Central announced it had raised $450 million in capital commitments for the project, which included the $300 million loan from the Japan Bank of International Cooperation. In written testimony to Congress in 2021, Aguilar, the CEO at the time, said the company had made $700 million in private investments into the project.
Just before the Supreme Court ruling this year, Aguilar explained his resignation via a LinkedIn post after Spanish news outlet La Información reported that the board had disbanded and he was leaving.
Aguilar said he “could not align our current stakeholders on a common vision for a path forward,” but spoke highly of the plans — and Texas Central employees.
“Most of the ‘graduates’ of our effort will continue to contribute to our economy through their roles at other companies,” he wrote.
During Aguilar’s tenure, the project cleared two key regulatory hurdles. The Federal Railroad Administration approved the bullet train between the two Texas cities and released an environmental impact statement for the project in 2020. While those were stepping stones needed to keep the project on track, they didn’t completely clear the way for the company to begin building.
The Surface Transportation Board, a federal agency that primarily regulates freight trains, ruled in 2016 that it did not have jurisdiction over Texas Central’s plan to build a rail line between Dallas and Houston because it would not be part of an interstate rail network.
Texas Central appealed, and STB said in July 2020 the company could submit another application for consideration. But the agency hasn’t heard back from the would-be railroad builders, a STB spokesperson told the Tribune.
Many proponents of the project still stand behind it, even if there are few, if any, details about its future.
“The Texas Association of Businesses fights for policies that help employers make the largest impact on their communities. High speed rail would not only expedite business operations but would connect job creators to talent in other areas. With an estimated economic impact of $36 billion, TAB maintains its support of this project,” Rebecca Grande, TAB policy manager, said in a statement.
Texas Central’s critics and opponents are cautious about declaring the project dead, even if it appears the company has lost necessary momentum to bring its ambitions to life.
Maretick, the Harris County landowner, says Texas Century might have won the battle in the Texas Supreme Court, but he won’t give up the war for his property. He hopes the burden of future legal battles will hinder the project to such a degree that the power of eminent domain will be but a “pyrrhic victory” for Texas Central.
“A victory that they won, but it came at too high of a cost,” he said.
This story comes from our KHOU 11 News partners at The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans - and engages with them - about public policy, politics, government, and statewide issues. | https://www.newswest9.com/article/news/local/texas/texas-bullet-train/285-e5fd10b9-25ac-40d8-9be3-387d5d82a792 | 2022-08-30T22:29:12 | 0 | https://www.newswest9.com/article/news/local/texas/texas-bullet-train/285-e5fd10b9-25ac-40d8-9be3-387d5d82a792 |
ODESSA, Texas — The University of Texas Permian Basin and Midland Health have announced an expanded partnership that will benefit the School of Nursing at UTPB.
UTPB will rename the simulation lab to 'The Midland Health Simulation and Learning Resource Center at UTPB', as Midland Health's financial contribution will help improve the SIM lab.
“Partnering with our local healthcare providers is essential in meeting the needs for both students and staff,” said Dr. Minerva Gonzales, Associate Dean for The College of Health Sciences and Human Performance. “This expansion to our already existing partnership strengthens our abilities to better serve the people of the Permian Basin.”
This symbiotic relationship will allow both students at UTPB and current nurses at Midland Health to better their skills, while also having the ability to learn how to operate new medical equipment in the SIM lab.
“As we produce more nurses in the region, we will need additional clinical space to train new and experienced staff. I am excited about the opportunity to continue growing the knowledge and expertise of our nursing workforce in the Permian Basin through this innovative partnership,” said Dr. Kit Bredimus, Chief Nursing Officer/VP Nursing at Midland Health.
This agreement adds to a successful marriage between UTPB and Midland Health from September of 2021 in which students had the opportunity to work alongside nurses to gain clinical hours for their graduation requirements. | https://www.newswest9.com/article/news/local/university-texas-permian-basin-simulation-lab-partnership-midland-health/513-a361ce97-8ba3-4e5d-b3b5-012fc39edccb | 2022-08-30T22:29:18 | 0 | https://www.newswest9.com/article/news/local/university-texas-permian-basin-simulation-lab-partnership-midland-health/513-a361ce97-8ba3-4e5d-b3b5-012fc39edccb |
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The latest news from around North Texas. | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/dog-days-of-summer-dozer-diesel-quon-and-kermit/3060610/ | 2022-08-30T22:31:31 | 0 | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/dog-days-of-summer-dozer-diesel-quon-and-kermit/3060610/ |
State auditor has two criminal guilty verdicts upheld, one tossed ahead of election
A judge on Tuesday upheld two criminal misdemeanor guilty verdicts against Delaware Auditor Kathy McGuiness as she heads toward her Democratic primary next month.
While upholding the two guilty verdicts against McGuiness for hiring her daughter, the judge threw out a separate misdemeanor conviction for rigging a state contract in an illegal manner.
Found guilty while in office
In July, McGuiness became the only statewide-elected official in Delaware's history to be charged with and found guilty by a jury of crimes while in office. She was convicted of conflict of interest for hiring her daughter, structuring for allegedly rigging a state contract for a political consultant as well as official misconduct, a verdict that hinged on the other two guilty verdicts.
Immediately after the state presented evidence at trial, McGuiness' attorney, Steve Wood, asked the judge to toss the charges, arguing the state had presented insufficient evidence to convict McGuiness. He also later asked the judge to grant McGuiness a new trial, arguing the court had allowed unfair evidence irrelevant to the charges to taint the jury's deliberations.
Tuesday's ruling saw New Castle County Superior Court Judge William C. Carpenter largely reject Wood's arguments. It means the court will now schedule a hearing to sentence McGuiness to what all expect will be a term of probation along with a fine. A date for sentencing has not been set yet.
PREVIOUSLY:Jury returns verdicts in Delaware Auditor Kathy McGuiness criminal corruption case
McGuiness has not let her place in Delaware history dissuade her from knocking on doors seeking a second term as state auditor. She faces Democrat Lydia York in the Democratic primary on Sept. 13.
This is a breaking news post. Check back for more details and a copy of the full ruling.
Contact Xerxes Wilson at (302) 324-2787 or xwilson@delawareonline.com. Follow @Ber_Xerxes on Twitter. | https://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/local/2022/08/30/judge-upholds-two-convictions-against-delaware-auditor-kathy-mcguiness/65464910007/ | 2022-08-30T22:34:40 | 0 | https://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/local/2022/08/30/judge-upholds-two-convictions-against-delaware-auditor-kathy-mcguiness/65464910007/ |
SYLACAUGA, Ala. (WIAT) – The Sylacauga Police Department has released a statement clarifying they are not the agency responsible for arresting a local pastor after receiving hateful messages online Tuesday.
According to SPD Chief of Police Kelley Johnson, the police department’s Facebook page has been recently receiving “hate mail and hateful messages” concerning the arrest of Michael Jennings. He addressed the public via the department’s Facebook that they had no involvement in the arrest of Jennings.
“This message goes out to all of the geniuses out there that can’t tell that there is a difference in Sylacauga PD and Childersburg PD,” Johnson stated in the post. “Open up your ears when you listen to the news and videos.”
Jennings was arrested in May while watering his neighbor’s plants in Childersburg. It’s possible the hate mail was mistakenly sent to SPD because he is a pastor at Vision of Abundant Life Ministries, which is located in the city. | https://www.cbs42.com/news/local/sylacauga-police-receiving-hate-messages-intended-for-childersburg-pd-due-to-pastors-arrest/ | 2022-08-30T22:38:19 | 1 | https://www.cbs42.com/news/local/sylacauga-police-receiving-hate-messages-intended-for-childersburg-pd-due-to-pastors-arrest/ |
Redding landmark Lim’s Café to close after nearly 90 years
Lim’s Café, Redding’s oldest restaurant that has served generations of customers, will close next week after nearly 90 years.
Jeannie Lim, one of four siblings who own the business founded by their father, Peter Lim, sat at the counter Tuesday morning. She said it’s difficult to let go.
“This is my father’s legacy, that’s why,” she said. “He came from China when he was really young. It was one of those success stories.”
Founded in 1933 on Tehama Street, Lim’s Café moved from Yuba Street, its second location, to North Market Street in 1957. It’s been serving up Chinese and American food for breakfast, lunch and dinner ever since.
Larry Duncan, 74, eats breakfast at Lim’s about five days a week. He was getting his usual bowl of oatmeal on Tuesday.
“I like their ham and eggs, but I can’t have that anymore — plugs up the arteries. So, oatmeal it is,” Duncan said with a chuckle.
“I’m a very large supporter of mom-and-pop businesses and it’s kind of a shame that 90 years of history is ending. But all good things come to an end,” he added.
Local businessmen Jeff Garrett and Lon Tatom are buying the building. Garrett, who also owns Redding restaurants Jeff’s California Cattle Co. and Lumberjacks, said they purchased the property and plan to do deferred maintenance to fix up the building for another restaurant.
Garrett said the building was for sale and they look at it as an investment. Garrett and Tatom also recently purchased the Churn Creek Road building, which today is home to the restaurant Super Burrito.
“I think it’s a decent spot and I think another restaurant would do well there,” Garrett said of Lim’s.
Peter Lim opened his restaurant in 1933 on Tehama Street after immigrating from China. Lim also served in the Army in World War II. The restaurant opened before Shasta Dam was built.
North Market Street was a bustling thoroughfare when Lim's moved in 1957 to its current location.
"He built the café side, and you know this was (Highway) 99, and he was so busy, the next year he built the dining room," Jeannie Lim said.
Pictures of Peter Lim and their mother, May Lim, hang on the wall in the restaurant.
Lim remembers getting a call from her parents in the mid-1970s. They were going to sell the restaurant unless the kids wanted to take it over. Jeannie was living in Sacramento, oldest sister Pat Lee was in San Jose and their younger sister Bonnie Lim was in Redding.
Brother Ron Lim, also part owner, worked in the restaurant in high school, but then went off to college to become a pharmacist. For nearly 40 years, Lim owned Lim’s Pharmacy before retiring in 2017 after selling his business to Walgreens.
"I worked there since I was 8 years old," he said. "My dad told me when I was a teenager, whatever you want to do, don't do this. So I didn't."
Lim said the family appreciates the support Lim's Café has received for so many years.
"The family thanks everyone. All of our customers are basically like an extended family. For many families, we were the traditional once-a-week family meal for big occasions, especially holidays."
Jeannie Lim said operating the restaurant during the COVID-19 pandemic was a challenge, but the ability to do curbside pickup softened the financial hit. She believes the last several months, since around the start of the Russia-Ukraine War, have been especially difficult.
The Buzz: Restaurant location returning to Redding with dishes customers loved
“Some of our prices tripled, which was really hard,” she said of supply-chain issues. “We’re not the only ones struggling. The Sailing Boat (restaurant) sold.”
Kerri Chew has worked at Lim’s Café for 15 years. She also worked at the Far East Café for Lim’s uncle, Willy Yee, on Hilltop Drive years ago.
“I mean, I knew I wouldn’t be here forever, but I didn’t realize it was happening so fast,” Chew said. “I love this place. It’s my second home. It’s kind of surreal right now.”
The café's neon sign also has lit up North Market Street for generations.
"It comes with the building because it's attached, so I'm not sure what they're going to do," Jeannie Lim said when asked about the fate of the iconic beacon.
Sept. 6 will be the last day of business for Lim’s Café.
“I don’t know yet,” Lim said when asked if she’s planning anything for the last day. “We probably should do something. We should have a big blowout party.”
David Benda covers business, development and anything else that comes up for the USA TODAY Network in Redding. He also writes the weekly "Buzz on the Street" column. He’s part of a team of dedicated reporters that investigate wrongdoing, cover breaking news and tell other stories about your community. Reach him on Twitter @DavidBenda_RS or by phone at 1-530-338-8323. To support and sustain this work, please subscribe today. | https://www.redding.com/story/news/local/2022/08/30/redding-landmark-restaurant-lims-cafe-closing-after-nearly-90-years-chinese-food-favorite/7939970001/ | 2022-08-30T22:39:20 | 1 | https://www.redding.com/story/news/local/2022/08/30/redding-landmark-restaurant-lims-cafe-closing-after-nearly-90-years-chinese-food-favorite/7939970001/ |
UPDATE: (5:53 P.M. Tuesday, Aug. 30) – Neighbors in the Lower Donnally Road area of Kanawha City tell WOWK 13 News they heard gunshots in the area at the time of a fatal shooting this afternoon.
Witnesses tell 13 News many people were out and about at the time, on typical evening walks or cutting grass, when the shooting took place.
Those who knew the victim say they are shocked by the incident and that the victim was “a kind person.” The victim’s identity has not been released by authorities at this time.
CHARLESTON, WV (WOWK) – One person has died after a shooting in Charleston.
The incident happened around 4:36 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 30 in the 700 block of Lower Donnally Road in the Kanawha City area.
According to Kanawha County Dispatchers, one person has been detained in the investigation.
This is a developing story. WOWK 13 News will provide details as new information becomes available. | https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/1-dead-in-kanawha-city-shooting/ | 2022-08-30T22:39:39 | 1 | https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/1-dead-in-kanawha-city-shooting/ |
Thirty-three years of business are coming to a close for Wally’s Deli in Emmaus at the end of September.
The location at 1245 Chestnut St. will close due to a staff shortage, according to a post by co-owner Susan Roberts on the business’s Facebook page.
The location would need another full-time staffer or two part-time staffers in the next couple of weeks to remain open, she said.
The deli’s Allentown location, 711 N. 17th St., is remaining open.
The state Independent Fiscal Office indicated Monday that Pennsylvania has an “unusually high demand for 105,000 additional workers.”
Roberts said a lack of resources has made it difficult for the deli’s salaries to be competitive with other businesses, especially as the regular cost of living goes up.
“Not that I don’t value my people very immensely, I value them very much, but we have no corporation behind us,” Roberts said. “It’s just us.”
She added that while she doesn’t expect to open another location, she’s confident the Allentown location will survive. Even then, Roberts said, it wouldn’t retain the same flow of customers as before.
Susan and Walter Roberts run Wally’s Deli with help from their daughter, Alisha, according to their website.
The Morning Call previously recommended the two locations, writing “You can tell they take sandwiches seriously...” | https://www.mcall.com/news/local/mc-nws-wally-deli-closure-20220830-zb42dw6mwfbfpprnbw45qrxm7u-story.html | 2022-08-30T22:42:29 | 1 | https://www.mcall.com/news/local/mc-nws-wally-deli-closure-20220830-zb42dw6mwfbfpprnbw45qrxm7u-story.html |
PROSPER, Texas — Attorneys for two young girls, who alleged they were repeatedly sexually assaulted by a Prosper ISD bus driver, say that more possible victims are now coming forward.
"The family is so concerned about confidentiality and specifically further damage to their kids, that they debated for a while whether they wanted to take any action at all," attorney Levi McCathern said of the family that sounded the alarm first. "Which in my mind would have been a tragedy. But I understand it."
On Monday night, parents at a packed Prosper ISD school board meeting called for the superintendent's resignation, citing their belief that the problems with bus driver Frank Paniagua were known long before any action was taken.
"Frankly, I will say it right to the camera," McCathern added, "the superintendent of this school district needs to be replaced by someone who cares enough about the kids, to take a black eye when they have a bad person out there."
In a lawsuit filed Aug. 25, McCathern and fellow attorney Kristin Hecker allege that two young girls, just 5 and 7 years old, endured "over 100 instances of abuse" and that "Prosper ISD was willfully indifferent in recognizing, preventing, interceding, and responding to any suspicion of—let alone actual instances of—sexual misconduct involving its administrators and students."
The girls, identified in the lawsuit only as Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2, say Paniagua, over the course of an entire school year, would assault them after all other students left the bus.
The lawsuit claims he "systematically ensured Jane Doe 1 was the last student off the bus so he could assault her at the back of the bus for three to five minutes every morning that she was on his bus."
"Every part of these kids got explored by this man's hands. Every part," McCathern said.
"This abuse occurred every day the girls were on the bus. They were on the bus three to four times a week for nine months," said attorney Kristin Hecker.
"We also know he took the bus places and parked it for extended periods of time and assaulted these children," McCathern said. "We have some now that are coming forward that he parked this bus for an hour."
In a written statement to WFAA, Prosper ISD issued this response:
"We are horrified that an employee violated the trust of our families and students, as Prosper ISD's foremost priority is to protect our students' safety and well-being at all times. We strongly condemn the actions of any adult who would cause mental or physical harm to a child, and we do not tolerate such behavior.
The district took swift and thorough action when we were first made aware of the allegation against this former employee. We would like to provide more details about this matter, but, because of pending litigation, we are not able to offer any additional information at this time."
"I've been told the school is trying to take the position that they told all of the other parents on the bus what had occurred. That is absolute nonsense," McCathern said, citing other parents who told him they only learned about Paniagua and the allegations once the lawsuit was filed.
Prosper ISD police reviewed surveillance video from Paniagua's bus on May 9, 2022. He was arrested two days later and booked on charges of aggravated sexual assault of a child, continuous sexual abuse of a child victim under 14 and indecency with a child - sexual contact.
Paniagua died on June 10 after his arrest and booking into the Collin County Jail, where he reportedly jumped off the jail's second floor.
Now, the attorneys say other Prosper ISD families are contacting them with similar stories about the bus driver.
"And something this brazen, it's not going to be the first time that he's done something like this," said Hecker. "But more and more come forward every day and it's absolutely shocking."
The Prosper ISD school board has since hired an independent law firm to review and investigate the district's response to the allegations and overall situation. | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/more-families-coming-forward-abuse-allegations-prosper-isd-bus-driver/287-c6ee64f7-d206-4229-928d-a25d1eaef471 | 2022-08-30T22:46:03 | 0 | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/more-families-coming-forward-abuse-allegations-prosper-isd-bus-driver/287-c6ee64f7-d206-4229-928d-a25d1eaef471 |
BRISTOL, Tenn. (WJHL) — Tennessee Hills broke ground on a $21 million expansion in Bristol, Tennessee on Thursday, hosting more than 100 people in a celebration at the site.
The expansion marks site number three for the regional distillery. The Bristol location will join existing Tennessee Hills operations in Jonesborough and Johnson City. The construction phase is set to take around 18 months before it can officially open to the public.
“I hope everybody gets the opportunity to feel like what it feels like today. To see your dream start to come to fruition,” said Stephen Callahan, founder of Tennessee Hills.
The new location will be right across the street from the Pinnacle in Bristol, the former site of American National University, high on a hilltop overlooking the shopping and restaurant hub.
“When we first started this eight years ago, we had no idea it was gonna grow to this level. It’s a true testament of perseverance, true grit and what can happen when a community of people get behind a certain product or certain brand,” said Callahan.
Tennessee Hills is a familiar name locally when it comes to authentic and innovative spirits. For Callahan’s business partner Scott Andrew, this expansion is the next step in cultivating Tennessee Hills as a “lifestyle brand.”
“We see this hill and this area in Bristol as the trailhead for Tennessee whiskey, for NASCAR, and for country music. This is the birthplace of country music. We’re gonna be on the first hill making whiskey in the state of Tennessee,” said Andrew.
By next fall, Tennessee Hills hopes to open a 34,000-square-foot distillery in Bristol, pumping out more than 7,000 bottles of spirits in a span of hours; a big jump from the 1,000 bottles a week produced now in Jonesborough.
“We want to see this scaled on a national level to bring all that attention into the state and business through tourism,” said Andrew.
The Bristol site will also include space to teach classes on distilling through a partnership with East Tennessee State University.
It will also be home to a museum dedicated to Tennessee’s rich history and its moonshining and whiskey origins.
The site is expected to eventually pump millions of dollars into the local economy. Tennessee’s commissioner for economic development, Stuart McWhorter, was in town for Tuesday’s event. Gov. Bill Lee was scheduled to attend the groundbreaking, but canceled public events this week due to the recent announcement of his wife’s cancer diagnosis.
“On behalf of Gov. Lee and the State of Tennessee, it is my pleasure to break ground on Tennessee Hills’ new expansion into Bristol and Sullivan County,” McWhorter said to a packed room of supporters.
The City of Bristol has also donated another 45 acres of land adjacent to the Pinnacle to pair with this project. Tennessee Hills plans to open an adventure and entertainment park there in the near future. | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/tennessee-hills-breaks-ground-on-21-million-bristol-expansion/ | 2022-08-30T22:50:51 | 0 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/tennessee-hills-breaks-ground-on-21-million-bristol-expansion/ |
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) — The U.S. Navy Band’s country and bluegrass ensemble will perform a free concert in Johnson City next week.
Named Country Current, the group will perform Friday, Sept. 9 at Founders Park beginning at 7 p.m.
The seven-member ensemble performs a blend of modern country and cutting-edge bluegrass. Each member is skilled at multiple instruments.
In addition to Country Current, the U.S. Navy Band has five other performing ensembles, including the Concert Band, Ceremonial Band, Sea Chanters chorus, Commodores jazz ensemble, and Cruisers popular music group. | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/us-navys-country-and-bluegrass-ensemble-to-perform-in-johnson-city/ | 2022-08-30T22:50:57 | 0 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/us-navys-country-and-bluegrass-ensemble-to-perform-in-johnson-city/ |
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — Authorities in Virginia are investigating the fatal police shooting of a federal fugitive.
As officers approached the Toyota, Ainsworth fired a gun from inside his vehicle, according to police. Three officers returned fire.
Ainsworth died at the scene. Authorities said a a gun was recovered from inside the truck.
Ainsworth’s most recent address was Omaha, Nebraska, according to authorities. Online court records indicate that he has convictions for bank robberies in Nebraska, Minnesota and New Mexico, and has also been convicted of escape. | https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/federal-fugitive-fatally-shot-by-police-in-virginia/2022/08/30/cd0cee0e-28b2-11ed-a90a-fce4015dfc8f_story.html | 2022-08-30T22:53:31 | 1 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/federal-fugitive-fatally-shot-by-police-in-virginia/2022/08/30/cd0cee0e-28b2-11ed-a90a-fce4015dfc8f_story.html |
SAN MATEO, Calif. (AP) – A resident of a San Francisco Bay Area senior citizens home died after being mistakenly served dishwashing liquid as drinking juice, the home said.
Three residents of Atria Park Senior Living Facility in San Mateo, about 20 miles (32 kilometers) south of San Francisco, were taken to the hospital after they were served the drink on Saturday morning, KRON-TV reported.
“We have been working with local authorities, who have informed us that one resident passed away. Our sincerest condolences are with the family,” Atria told the station in a statement.
The facility has suspended employees involved while it investigates, and the facility also is cooperating with authorities, the statement said.
Other details weren’t immediately released.
However, Marcia Cutchin told KRON-TV that the dead resident was her mother, 93-year-old Gertrude Elizabeth Murison Maxwell.
Maxwell arrived at the hospital with “severe blistering of her mouth and throat and esophagus,” Cutchin said.
Atria told the family that the substance was an “alkaline cleaning solution that eats protein,” she said.
Her mother had dementia and was incapable of feeding herself, she said.
Maxwell leaves eight children and 20 grandchildren, her daughter said. | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2022/08/30/1-dead-after-seniors-served-dishwashing-liquid-at-california-elderly-care-facility/ | 2022-08-30T22:58:36 | 0 | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2022/08/30/1-dead-after-seniors-served-dishwashing-liquid-at-california-elderly-care-facility/ |
BEDFORD COUNTY, Va. – A 53-year-old man is now in custody after leading authorities on a high-speed chase Monday night, according to the Bedford County Sheriff’s Office.
At about 11 p.m., the sheriff’s office was alerted about a truck blocking the road and a possible disturbance on Planters Drive, located in the Huddleston area of Bedford County.
The suspect had already left the scene when deputies arrived, but while there, deputies learned of an assault and property damage in connection to the incident.
After patrolling the area, deputies found the dump truck involved and attempted to stop it, however, the suspect refused to do so, according to authorities.
This led to a pursuit starting in the Huddleston area of Bedford County and ending in the Town of Bedford.
In the end, the suspect, who has now been identified as Steven Harold Behnke, of Lynchburg, was taken into custody.
Behnke is facing the following charges:
- Felony - Eluding Law Enforcement
- Driving Under the Influence
- Assault on a Family Member
- Property Damage
We’re told Behnke is currently being held at the Blue Ridge Regional Jail Amherst Facility without bond. | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2022/08/30/53-year-old-man-facing-several-charges-after-pursuit-in-bedford-county/ | 2022-08-30T22:58:43 | 0 | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2022/08/30/53-year-old-man-facing-several-charges-after-pursuit-in-bedford-county/ |
PITTSYLVANIA COUNTY, Va. – A happy ending to a sad story: you may remember when we told you about dozens of dogs that were seized from a home in Pittsylvania County back in April.
Fast forward four months and they have all been adopted into forever homes and are doing better than ever.
This is thanks to the staff at the Pittsylvania Pet Center and the community, who worked endlessly to help all 68 Labradoodles recover.
Staff at the Pittsylvania Pet Center will likely never forget the day of the seizure.
“I was scared,” said Pet Center Operations Manager, Christine Warren. “I had never been so scared in my entire career as I was that night. We knew that they had been starving because they were all skin and bones, so when we fed them, we fed them slowly. If we fed them too fast, then they would’ve thrown up all the nutrients that they had eaten.”
Brent Weinkauf, Director of the Pittsylvania Pet Center went on to add, “The real struggle came with unloading them. They were all scared to death, they all wanted to bite. Not out of anger or aggression, but out of fear.”
The transformation since then is one that speaks for itself. The dogs went from being scared to death to learning how to play and “just be dogs.”
Their hair, which had to be shaved due to matting, has all grown back as well.
“They’re all in homes and they’re all having great lives,” Weinkauf said. “From day one, that’s what kept us going, because we knew that if we put in the time and the hard work there was going to be a positive outcome.” | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2022/08/30/68-dogs-seized-from-pittsylvania-county-home-in-april-find-forever-homes/ | 2022-08-30T22:58:49 | 1 | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2022/08/30/68-dogs-seized-from-pittsylvania-county-home-in-april-find-forever-homes/ |
It’s now illegal for those under 21 to buy cans of whipped cream in New York, according to NBC News.
Apparently, the law was first enacted back in November 2021 in an attempt to prevent teens from using nitrous oxide, or laughing gas, in the whipped cream canister as a narcotic. This is often referred to as “whippits” or “whip-its.”
While the age requirement has been in effect for nearly nine months, it’s something that is taking many by surprise.
Meghan Massey, 43, told NBC News that she was carded earlier this month when trying to purchase a can.
“I thought: ‘What is going on?’ I was looking in my cart. What am I being ID’d for? I was so confused,” said Massey, while laughing. “I was mortified. Why am I being ID’d? What is going on right now? I’m 43 with gray hair.”
While it may seem like a laughing matter to some, New York State Senator Joseph Addabbo believes it’s much more than that.
“This new law is an important step in combatting a significant problem for many neighborhoods throughout my district,” Addabbo said when the bill passed in the fall of 2021. “The need to limit the access and sale of whippits first became apparent after receiving constituent complaints about empty canisters on neighborhood streets. Used whippits piling up in our communities are not only an eye sore but also indicative of a significant nitrous oxide abuse problem.” | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2022/08/30/new-york-bans-sale-of-canned-whipped-cream-to-those-under-21/ | 2022-08-30T22:58:55 | 0 | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2022/08/30/new-york-bans-sale-of-canned-whipped-cream-to-those-under-21/ |
ROANOKE, Va. – One person is dead after a house fire in Roanoke last week, according to Roanoke Fire-EMS.
Crews responded to the 1500 block of Andrews Road in Northwest Roanoke at about 7:21 a.m. for the report of the fire.
We’re told it started in the basement and was quickly extinguished. Authorities add that there was no damage done to the outside of the house either. A dog also died in the fire, according to officials.
Authorities said the blaze caused $40,000 in damage.
The Fire Marshal’s Office continues to investigate this incident. | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2022/08/30/one-person-dead-after-northwest-roanoke-house-fire/ | 2022-08-30T22:59:01 | 1 | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2022/08/30/one-person-dead-after-northwest-roanoke-house-fire/ |
ROANOKE, Va. – Roanoke Police were called to the Guys and Dolls Billiards Bar late Monday night for the report of shots fired.
We’re told that no one was hurt but there was property damage reported.
10 News crews were at the scene and saw damage to a pickup truck.
Stay with 10 News as this breaking news story develops | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2022/08/30/police-respond-to-shots-fired-on-williamson-road-in-roanoke/ | 2022-08-30T22:59:07 | 0 | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2022/08/30/police-respond-to-shots-fired-on-williamson-road-in-roanoke/ |
CARROLL COUNTY, Va. – A suspect has been taken into custody after shooting at a Carroll County deputy, according to the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office.
We’re told it happened on Tuesday at about 4 a.m. on Wagon Trail in the Cana area of the county.
Authorities say they had been responding to a 911 call, but after arriving, a deputy was shot at by someone inside.
While the area is safe and the scene is secured at this time, law enforcement will remain at the scene and continue to be in the area, according to the sheriff’s office. | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2022/08/30/suspect-taken-into-custody-after-shooting-at-carroll-county-deputy-authorities-say/ | 2022-08-30T22:59:13 | 0 | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2022/08/30/suspect-taken-into-custody-after-shooting-at-carroll-county-deputy-authorities-say/ |
ROANOKE, Va. – Total Action for Progress in downtown Roanoke is looking for help. Like many other organizations, TAP is looking to fill more than 20 positions as soon as possible.
The nonprofit is inviting the community to a job fair on Wednesday, Aug. 31 and Thursday, Sept. 1 at Hotel Roanoke.
TAP has plenty of openings both full-time and part-time. The organization’s biggest need is in the classroom.
The educational department has recently seen a big turn over and they are looking to fill those roles soon. This includes teachers, child care aids and enrollment specialists.
Valerie Goad, the Human Resources Assistant for TAP says, “Come on out. Come meet our teachers, meet our staff that is going to be doing the interviews. Also, you can go to our website and it’s got all of the information about our agency.”
If you plan on coming out, make sure to bring your resume. Staff will be on site conducting interviews on both days.
TAP offers full benefit packages and the fair will be from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2022/08/30/tap-hosting-job-fair-at-hotel-roanoke-to-fill-more-than-20-vacant-positions/ | 2022-08-30T22:59:20 | 1 | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2022/08/30/tap-hosting-job-fair-at-hotel-roanoke-to-fill-more-than-20-vacant-positions/ |
LYNCHBURG, Va. – A former E.C. Glass High School student was arrested Monday after trespassing on school grounds and claiming he had a gun, according to the Lynchburg Police Department.
At about 11:37 a.m., authorities were alerted of the juvenile walking across the parking lot and shouting that he had a firearm.
A school employee reported the incident immediately and the school went into lockdown.
Lynchburg Police officers report that they were able to find and arrest the teen behind Dollar General at 2312 Memorial Avenue just minutes later.
We’re told officials did not find a firearm during the investigation.
The teen was taken to the intake office at Lynchburg Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court. | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2022/08/30/teen-arrested-for-trespassing-at-ec-glass-high-school-claiming-he-had-gun/ | 2022-08-30T22:59:26 | 0 | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2022/08/30/teen-arrested-for-trespassing-at-ec-glass-high-school-claiming-he-had-gun/ |
ROANOKE, Va. – The Roman family has always had a passion for helping others.
Most recently, Shaquan Roman, the Outreach Coordinator for Eastern Appalachian Adult & Teen Challenge, opened a new Roanoke City office in hopes of reaching more people.
The program is a faith-based addiction treatment program for men, women and teenagers. They also help people experiencing homelessness and other people struggling.
“We just have an environment here that’s safe where we can talk about the issues, and we can go through a program that will help people get freedom and actually not go back to where they got freed from,” Roman said.
Shaquan comes from a family that has always had a desire to help people. His dad is none other than Roanoke City Chief of Police, Sam Roman.
“We have always take the posture in the family to be in the business of helping others and so it’s just great to see him continue that work,” Sam Roman said.
According to the Virginia Department of Health, there were 56 drug overdoses in the Star City back in 2020.
Two years later and looming effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a worry the rise in addiction numbers will continue.
“One thing about addiction is it always grows when someone is alone,” Shaquan Roman said.
However, through the work of the Eastern Appalachian Adult and Teen Challenge, youth and adults can get the help they need to return to a life without addiction.
Watching his son and the work he’s doing, Sam Roman said he couldn’t be more proud.
“It means a lot. To see both he and his wife really work toward the goal of helping others and so that does my heart good,” Roman said. | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2022/08/30/the-business-of-helping-others-how-one-family-continues-to-provide-for-roanoke/ | 2022-08-30T22:59:32 | 0 | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2022/08/30/the-business-of-helping-others-how-one-family-continues-to-provide-for-roanoke/ |
ROCKBRIDGE COUNTY, Va. – UPDATE
This crash has now been cleared.
ORIGINAL STORY
Those driving on I-81N in Rockbridge County can expect delays due to a tractor-trailer crash in Augusta County, according to VDOT.
At about 4 a.m. Tuesday, crews were called near the 211 mile marker in the Greenville area of Augusta County.
Authorities say the crash involved a hazardous materials spill and resulted in the closure of both northbound lanes.
At this time, northbound I-81N traffic is being rerouted at exit 200 in Rockbridge County. This has led to a 5.5-mile traffic backup near this exit.
Drivers are asked to avoid southern Augusta County and northern Rockbridge County on northbound I-81 and Route 11 if possible.
VDOT will reopen both northbound lanes when hazmat cleanup is complete, which could take up to several hours.
Stay with 10 News for the latest updates on this crash | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2022/08/30/tractor-trailer-crash-causing-delays-on-i-81n-and-route-11-in-rockbridge-county/ | 2022-08-30T22:59:39 | 1 | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2022/08/30/tractor-trailer-crash-causing-delays-on-i-81n-and-route-11-in-rockbridge-county/ |
ROANOKE, Va. – Join us at 9 a.m. for an update on what’s happening right now and what you need to know today.
Not free at 9? Don’t worry, we’ll post the complete show when it’s finished so you can watch whenever you’d like!
ROANOKE, Va. – Join us at 9 a.m. for an update on what’s happening right now and what you need to know today.
Not free at 9? Don’t worry, we’ll post the complete show when it’s finished so you can watch whenever you’d like!
Copyright 2021 by WSLS 10 - All rights reserved. | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2022/08/30/watch-live-the-morning-sprint-august-30-2022/ | 2022-08-30T22:59:45 | 0 | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2022/08/30/watch-live-the-morning-sprint-august-30-2022/ |
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — With temperatures across Northern California reaching 100 degrees for a multi-day stretch, many cities and counties continue to run cooling centers.
See below for a list of cooling centers opening in the area.
Sacramento County cooling locations
Elk Grove
Wackford Community Center
- 9014 Bruceville Road
Sept. 1 through Sept. 3 (2 p.m. to 8 p.m.)
The Center at District56
- 8230 Civic Center Drive
Sept. 4 through Sept. 7 (2 p.m. to 8 p.m.)
Both facilities can be reached by public transit.
Folsom
Folsom Public Library meeting room
- 411 Stafford Street
- Sept. 2, Sept. 3 and Sept. 6 (10 a.m. to 7 p.m.)
- Sept. 4 and Sept 5 (12 p.m. to 7 p.m.)
Sacramento
Auburn Boulevard Outreach and Engagement Center (limited space for pets)
- 3615 Auburn Boulevard
Sept. 1 through Sept. 7 (2 p.m.to 10 p.m.)
Three Sacramento County facilities are also operating as cooling centers from Sept. 1 through Sept. 7, opening at 8 a.m. and closing at 9 p.m. Cooling center hours on Sept. 3 and 4 are 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.
The facilities include:
- DHA Annex (1725 28th Street)
- DHA Customer Service Center (2450 Florin Road)
- DHA Customer Service Center (5747 Watt Avenue)
"(Department of Human Assistance) will be initiating outreach for Weather Respite Motel Sheltering with check-in starting Wednesday, Aug. 31 and a tentative check-out of Thursday, Sept. 8," said a county spokesperson.
Rancho Cordova
Rancho Cordova city officials recently announced they are opening its city hall as a cooling center from Sept. 1 through Sept. 6 to "help the community beat the heat."
Rancho Cordova City Hall
- 2729 Prospect Park Drive, Rancho Cordova, CA
Sept. 1 through Sept. 6 (2 p.m. to 8 p.m.)
San Joaquin County cooling locations
Lodi
Lodi Community Center
- 415 S. Sacramento Street.
Monday through Friday (8 a.m. to 5 p.m.)
Manteca
Manteca Transit Center
- 220 Moffat Boulevard, Manteca, CA
Tuesday through Saturday (1 p.m. to 9 p.m.)
Stockton
Boggs Tract Community Center
- 533 S. Los Angeles Street, Stockton, CA
Monday through Friday (8 a.m. to 5 p.m.)
Garden Acres Community Center
- 607 Bird Avenue, Stockton, CA
Monday through Friday (8 a.m. to 5 p.m.)
Gospel Center Rescue Mission
- 445 S. San Joaquin Street, Stockton, CA
Daily (8 a.m. to 8 p.m.)
Kennedy Community Center
- 2800 S D Street, Stockton, CA
Monday through Friday (8 a.m. to 5 p.m.)
Northeast Community Center
- 2885 E Harding Way, Stockton, CA
Wednesday (8 a.m. to 5 p.m.)
Taft Community Center
- 389 W. Downing Avenue, Stockton, CA
Monday through Friday (8 a.m. to 5 p.m.)
Thornton
Thornton Community Center
- 26675 N Sacramento Boulevard, Thornton, CA
Monday through Friday (9 a.m. to 8 p.m.)
Tracy
Larch Clover Community Center
- 11157 W. Larch Road, Tracy, CA
Monday through Friday (8 a.m. to 5 p.m.)
Tracy Branch Library
- 20 E. Eaton Avenue, Tracy, CA
Monday and Thursday (10 a.m. to 8 p.m.)
Tuesday (10 a.m. to 7 p.m.)
Wednesday (1 p.m. to 6 p.m.)
Friday through Saturday (10 a.m. to 5 p.m.)
Sunday (12 p.m. to 5 p.m.)
Lolly Hansen Senior Center (Residents 50 and older)
- 375 E. 9th Street, Tracy, CA
Monday through Friday (8 a.m. to 4 p.m.)
Saturday (10 a.m. to 6 p.m.)
West Valley Mall
- 3200 N. Naglee Road, Tracy, CA
Monday through Saturday (11 a.m. to 8 p.m.)
Sunday (12 p.m. to 7 p.m.)
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Stanislaus County cooling locations
Modesto
Modesto Public Library
- 1500 I Street, Modesto, CA
Monday (12 p.m. to 8 p.m.)
Tuesday through Thursday (10 a.m. to 6 p.m.)
Friday through Saturday (10 a.m. to 5 p.m.)
Turlock
Turlock Public Library
- 550 Minaret Avenue, Turlock, CA
Monday through Tuesday (10 a.m. to 6 p.m.)
Wednesday (12 p.m. to 8 p.m.)
Thursday (10 a.m. to 6 p.m.)
Saturday (10 a.m. to 5 p.m.)
Oakdale
Oakdale Public Library
- 151 S. 1st Avenue, Oakdale, CA
Monday (12 p.m. to 6 p.m.)
Tuesday (2 p.m. to 8 p.m.)
Wednesday through Thursday (12 p.m. to 6 p.m.)
Saturday (11 a.m. to 5 p.m.)
Ceres
Ceres Community Center
- 2701 4th Street, Ceres, CA
Tuesday through Friday (12 p.m. to 6:45 p.m.)
Ceres Public Library
- 2250 Magnolia Street, Ceres, CA
Monday (2 p.m. to 8 p.m.)
Tuesday through Thursday (12 p.m. to 6 p.m.)
Saturday (11 a.m. to 5 p.m.)
Hughson
Hughson Community Center
- 2307 Fourth Street, Hughson, CA
Monday through Friday (8 a.m. to 5 p.m.)
Hughson Public Library
- 2412 3rd Street, STE A, Hughson, CA
Tuesday through Friday (12 p.m. to 6 p.m.)
Saturday (11 a.m. to 5 p.m.)
Newman
Newman Public Library
- 1305 Kern Street, Newman, CA
Monday (12 p.m. to 6 p.m.)
Tuesday (2 p.m. to 8 p.m.)
Wednesday through Thursday (12 p.m. to 6 p.m.)
Saturday (11 a.m. to 5 p.m.)
Newman Family Resources
- 1300 Patchett Drive, Newman, CA
Monday through Friday (8 a.m. to 5 p.m.)
Closed for lunch (12 p.m. to 1 p.m.)
Patterson
Patterson City Hall Lobby
- 1 Plaza Circle, Patterson, CA
Monday through Friday (8 a.m. to 5 p.m.)
Patterson Public Library
- 46 N. Salado Avenue, Patterson, CA
Wednesday (2 p.m. to 8 p.m.)
Thursday (12 p.m. to 6 p.m.)
Saturday (11 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.)
Riverbank
Riverbank Community Center
- 3600 Santa Fe St. Riverbank, CA
Mon., Tues., Thurs. (9 a.m. to 1 p.m.)
Friday (10 a.m. to 12 p.m.)
Riverbank Police Department
- 6727 3rd Street, Riverbank, CA
Monday through Thursday (9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.)
Riverbank Public Library
- 3442 Santa Fe Street, Riverbank, CA
Monday through Tuesday (12 p.m. to 6 p.m.)
Wednesday (2 p.m. to 8 p.m.)
Thursday (12 p.m. to 6 p.m.)
Saturday (11 a.m. to 5 p.m.)
Waterford
Waterford City Hall
- 101 E Street, Waterford, CA
Monday through Friday (8 a.m. to 5 p.m.)
Waterford Public Library
- 324 E Street, Waterford, CA
Monday through Tuesday (12 p.m. to 6 p.m.)
Wednesday (2 p.m. to 8 p.m.)
Thursday (12 p.m. to 6 p.m.)
Saturday (11 a.m. to 5 p.m.)
County areas
Denair Public Library
- 4801 Kersey Road, Denair, CA
Monday through Thursday (12 p.m. to 6 p.m.)
Empire Public Library
- 98 I Street, Empire, CA
Tuesday through Thursday (12 p.m. to 6 p.m.)
Friday and Saturday (11 a.m. to 5 p.m.)
Keyes Public Library
- 4420 Maud Avenue, Keyes, CA
Monday through Wednesday (9 a.m. to 4 p.m.)
Thursday (11 a.m. to 6 p.m.)
Salida Public Library
- 4835 Sisk Road, Salida, CA
Monday (10 a.m. to 6 p.m.)
Tuesday (12 p.m. to 8 p.m.)
Wednesday through Thursday (10 a.m. to 6 p.m.)
Saturday (10 a.m. to 5 p.m.)
Watch More from ABC10: How to keep your home cool during heat waves | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/california/cooling-centers-northern-california/103-2e5f1d14-cd16-4b16-861b-1ef6e5fdccc5 | 2022-08-30T22:59:48 | 1 | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/california/cooling-centers-northern-california/103-2e5f1d14-cd16-4b16-861b-1ef6e5fdccc5 |
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California could soon become the seventh state to make sure people won’t lose their jobs if they smoke marijuana when they’re off the clock.
State lawmakers on Tuesday passed a bill that would stop companies from punishing workers who fail a certain type of drug test that detects not whether a person is high, but whether the person has used marijuana at all in recent days.
These tests, which rely on urine or hair samples, look for a substance that the body makes when it breaks down THC, the main psychoactive compound in marijuana. But that substance, called metabolites, can remain in a person's body for weeks after using marijuana, according to the Mayo Clinic, meaning people can fail a drug test even though they are not impaired.
The legislation would prevent workers from being punished from failing these types of drug tests. Companies could still punish employees for failing other types of tests that use saliva and are better at determining if a person is currently high.
The bill now goes to the desk of Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has until the end of September to decide whether to sign it into law.
“Nothing in this bill would allow someone to come (to work) high,” said Assemblymember Bill Quirk, a Democrat from Hayward and the author of the bill.
California was the first state to legalize medical marijuana in 1996, and it was one of the first states to legalize recreational marijuana in 2016. But the state has been slow to pass laws protecting workers who use marijuana on their own time.
Six other states — Nevada, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Montana and Rhode Island — have laws protecting workers’ rights to use recreational marijuana, according to the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. Twenty-one states have laws protecting workers who use medical marijuana from discrimination.
Labor unions argue it isn’t fair to punish employees for doing something that is legal outside of their job and doesn’t interfere with their responsibilities at work.
“Using outdated cannabis tests only causes employees to feel unsafe and harassed at work, it does not increase workplace safety," said Matt Bell, secretary-treasurer for the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 324.
The bill includes a number of exceptions to protect employers. It does not apply to companies that must perform drug testing to receive federal funding or comply with federal contracts. It also doesn’t apply to anyone working in the building and construction trades, an industry that benefits from lots of federal funding.
Still, the California Chamber of Commerce opposed the legislation because it would “create a protected status for marijuana use” in state law that bans discrimination in the workplace.
“Put simply: marijuana use is not the same as protecting workers against discrimination based on race or national origin,” the chamber wrote in a letter to lawmakers.
Watch more from ABC10: California lawmakers approve fast food workers bill | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/sacramento/california-protect-workers-who-use-marijuana-at-home/103-2df81af4-fe91-4f46-9981-3b782eebe02b | 2022-08-30T22:59:54 | 0 | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/sacramento/california-protect-workers-who-use-marijuana-at-home/103-2df81af4-fe91-4f46-9981-3b782eebe02b |
Charges of endangering safety
A 48-year-old Bristol man is facing criminal charges after allegedly selling drugs to a man who overdosed, refusing to help save him and then threatening him if he talked to law enforcement about it.
Sanford A. Hill was charged Tuesday in Kenosha County Circuit Court with first-degree recklessly endangering safety as a repeater and intimidation of a victim. Both counts are felonies.
According to the criminal complaint, on June 1 a woman arrived at a Salem Lakes residence in the 23000 block of 126th Place and found a man struggling to breath after ingesting two pills allegedly sold to him by Hill.
The woman called 911 and a Sheriff’s Department deputy soon arrived and administered the man NARCAN and began chest compressions on him.
When questioned about the June incident this month the woman reportedly told investigators she went to the Salem Lakes residence to purchase marijuana from Hill. When she left her home she reportedly spoke to Hill over the phone and he told her there was a man at the house who needed NARCAN.
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While en route to the residence, the woman reportedly told Hill to call 911 but he stated, “I cannot, I have stuff on me right now, you need to take care of it,” according to the complaint. Hill reportedly left the residence before deputies arrived and took the man’s pills with him.
On Monday, investigators spoke to the man who overdosed and he reportedly admitted to purchasing pills from Hill that he believed to be a controlled substance. The man also stated he took two pills and then remembers waking up in an ambulance.
The man reportedly later tried to contact Hill to obtain the rest of his pills so he could give them to law enforcement but never received them. Hill had reportedly told the man that “if you give my name to the police I will make sure you get killed and die.”
According to state court records Hill has a lengthy criminal history.
Last week, Hill was charged here with 12 felony counts in a separate case including two counts of manufacturing and delivering fentanyl and possession of improvised explosives.
Woman accused of stealing from Walmart
A 30-year-old Kenosha woman is accused of stealing expensive merchandise from an area department store on multiple occasions last month.
Jordan B. McKenna was charged Tuesday with four felony counts of felony retail theft after allegedly stealing nearly $2,000 worth of merchandise from the Somers Walmart, 3500 Brumback Blvd.
According to the criminal complaint filed in Kenosha County Circuit Court, on four separate occasions in July McKenna entered the store and placed barcodes belonging to clearance items on much more expensive items. She allegedly paid for the more expensive merchandise after placing the clearance barcodes on them in the self-checkout lanes. She is also accused hiding some other items in her purse and then leaving without paying for them.
Among the items allegedly stolen from the store are a treadmill, bicycle, vacuum cleaner and baby monitor. Kenosha County Sheriff’s deputies reportedly viewed surveillance footage showing the woman committing such crimes by loss prevention staff.
When questioned by investigators about why she allegedly stole the items, McKenna reportedly stated that her family was struggling with money issues, according to the complaint.
Her initial appearance at Intake Court Tuesday was Tuesday. She was given a $2,000 signature bond.
A preliminary hearing is set for Sept. 15.
Mugshots: Racine County criminal complaints, Aug. 29, 2022
Today's mugshots: Aug. 29
These are images of people charged with a crime in Racine County. Booking photos are provided by Racine County law enforcement officials. A defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty and convicted.
Gregory Jordan
Gregory Jordan, Zion, Illinois, disorderly conduct (domestic abuse assessments), criminal damage to property (domestic abuse assessments).
Keyosha M. Pipkins
Keyosha M. Pipkins, 800 block of Hamilton Street, Racine, battery to a law enforcement officer, misdemeanor bail jumping, resisting an officer, possession of drug paraphernalia, disorderly conduct, misdemeanor retail theft (intentionally take less than or equal to $500).
Johnny M. Walrup Jr.
Johnny M. Walrup Jr., 1200 block of Carlisle Avenue, Racine, criminal damage to property, disorderly conduct, felony bail jumping.
Amarion L. Webb
Amarion (aka RichCrew) L. Webb, 5000 block of Biscayne Avenue, Racine, attempting to flee or elude an officer, second degree recklessly endangering safety, obstructing an officer.
Jimmie L. Carter Jr.
Jimmie L. Carter Jr., 600 block of Yout Street, Racine, drive or operate a vehicle without owner's consent, felony bail jumping.
Dorian L. Franklin
Dorian L. Franklin, 1600 block of Woodrow Avenue, Racine, strangulation and suffocation (domestic abuse assessments), disorderly conduct (domestic abuse assessments).
Austin J. Fugarino
Austin J. Fugarino, 3700 block of 10th Avenue, Racine, substantial battery (domestic abuse assessments), disorderly conduct (domestic abuse assessments).
Angela M. Granata
Angela M. Granata, San Francisco, California, misdemeanor retail theft (intentionally take less than or equal to $500).
Henry B. Gryer Jr.
Henry (aka Hennessey) B. Gryer Jr., 1100 block of Washington Avenue, Racine, possession of narcotic drugs, possession of THC, felony bail jumping.
Jacqueline M. Heidt
Jacqueline M. Heidt, Franksville, Wisconsin, second degree sexual assault by correctional staff, deliver illegal articles to inmate, misconduct in public office (excess authority). | https://www.kenoshanews.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/court-roundup-bristol-man-accused-of-endangering-safety-kenosha-woman-accused-of-stealing-from-walmart/article_50be2414-2897-11ed-87bd-6b2b5d50ac83.html | 2022-08-30T23:01:21 | 0 | https://www.kenoshanews.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/court-roundup-bristol-man-accused-of-endangering-safety-kenosha-woman-accused-of-stealing-from-walmart/article_50be2414-2897-11ed-87bd-6b2b5d50ac83.html |
For hundreds of local police officers, firefighters and other emergency workers in Kenosha County, 911 dispatchers are the critical link between them and the public they serve.
Employed by the city-county Joint Services, a merger that has been in effect since 1982, dispatchers are also in short supply.
Currently, Joint Services, which handles public safety 911 calls for the city police and fire departments, along with the county sheriff’s department, and other municipal fire departments, has eight 911 dispatcher vacancies.
Staffing losses
Staffing losses, have come as a result of a combination of retirements and resignations, according to Director Josh Nielsen, who was appointed in February to oversee the agency which has an annual operating budget of just over $10 million. Nielsen was previously assistant director under Thomas Genthner, who retired.
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“Our full staff in the Communications Center is 40 people total. And, that includes management, supervisors and then, dispatchers,” said Nielsen in an interview earlier this month. “If we’re at that level, we would be doing really well.”
Because of the shortages, staff in the call center have been working overtime with some members working 12-hour day double shifts. Nielsen and his staff have also looked to recent retirees to help fill the voids and assist with training newer members.
Historically, dispatch centers nationwide have a turnover rate of about 19% to 20%, but the “great resignation” in the aftermath of the pandemic has pushed those rates higher, he said.
“And, that’s where our turnover rates are. It’s gone up and down over the years, but these last several years have been some of the most difficult,” said Nielsen.
Multiple factors
Joint Services has lost its dispatchers to a number of factors, including finding work in public safety communications centers in surrounding communities that have offered competitive, if not better pay. Some also find the job is not for them and have found work elsewhere altogether with similar pay.
At the end of July, the Communications Center lost another dispatcher to Gurnee Police Department.
“We’ve lost several employees to them over the years. They make significantly more money than what we’re paying,” he told the committee. “So that’s been an issue.
“The overtime puts pressure on them. It’s a 24/7 job. It’s working weekends, holidays, all that kind of thing and folks right now are able to go find jobs making more money … and it’s just a struggle to retain employees,” he added.
Work-life balance
For many, it’s also about being able to balance their personal lives with a demanding job, according to Kenosha County Board Supervisor Monica Yuhas, who is also the chair of the Joint Services Board.
“We have dispatchers who are working 16-hour shifts. It’s not about the overtime anymore. It’s about their mental health and the ability to spend some time at home with their families,” Yuhas told the board’s Executive Committee at the July 27 meeting. “During this next budget cycle, we’re going to have to find some creative ways to pay our dispatchers more than what we’re doing now.”
According to an internal compensation schedule and pay rate analysis of 15 comparable agencies in Wisconsin and northern Illinois, the starting pay for a Kenosha 911 dispatcher is just under $22.25 an hour, with only three other agencies earning lower hourly wages. At the of top the nine-step scale, or after a nine-year period, the highest hourly wage a Kenosha dispatcher can earn is $28.18.
Dispatchers in 11 other agencies earn greater wage than those in Kenosha, according to the analysis. Walworth County, which is just to the west of Kenosha County, has a starting hourly wage of $22.99 with dispatchers earning up to $30.65 per hour. Three other agencies closest to Kenosha County also pay the highest hourly wages. In Racine County, dispatchers earn $28.08 an hour to start and $37.72 per hour at the top of scale. The starting and ending hourly wage in Lake County, Ill., is $29.26 and $40.54, respectively. At the top paying agency, Gurnee (Ill.) Police Department, a dispatcher’s wage starts at $30.32 an hour and $42.49 at the top of scale, according to the analysis.
Lower wages
On top the lower wages are the combination of factors that have led the agency’s dispatchers seek work elsewhere.
“It’s the stressors, it’s the schedules. And then you had the civil unrest (in 2020) and the pandemic, and so the folks here never got a reprieve from any of it,” he said. “They were here working during all that. They were working throughout the entire COVID process.”
Nikki Beranis, the Joint Services communications manager added: “There was no working from home for this.”
“And all of that just compounded the normal stress that you have doing that job,” Nielsen added.
Joint Services’ Communications Center is the single public safety answering point for nine agencies in Kenosha County, according to Nielsen.
Annually, more than 320,000 calls are processed through the center, including 65,000 911 emergency calls from the public. Dispatchers also answer non-emergency lines for the city and county public safety agencies. They are the local dispatch unit for the Wisconsin Mutual Aid Box Alarm System.
In addition, they operate multiple telecommunication systems at once, performing tasks simultaneously with enhanced and wireless 911, “Text to 9-1-1” and mapping through computer aided dispatch. They provide pre-arrival instructions, such as, CPR, emergency medical dispatch, radio systems and automatic vehicle location, among others.
Searching for solutions
It’s what Yuhas wants the County Board to do, as well, as Joint Services staff and elected officials seek ways in which Kenosha can remain competitive with other employers.
While Racine, for example put its American Rescue Plan Act money toward raising dispatcher wages, Nielsen is conscientious that the federal funding will not last. Monies under the pandemic relief bill must be spent by 2024.
Some Executive Committee members suggested putting federal funds toward bonuses along with studying potential pay increases and how they might be funded in the 2023 budget. Nielsen said he’d like to move the needle to where the starting pay through top of scale pay can be raised to approach median salaries, or about $25 and $30 an hour, respectively. Looking to the future, still others, wondered whether the jobs could expand out to the Kenosha County Center at highways 45 and 50, which has an emergency back up center, or eventually become work-from-home, remote occupations.
For the first time, the call center has looked to its retirees to help temporarily fill in the gaps, including training a new generation of dispatchers, according to Beranis. Currently five dispatchers are undergoing the nine-month training process, but are not part of the eight Joint Services still needs to hire, she said.
Yuhas said the county needs find a way to attract and retain dispatchers, who called them “our first line in public safety.”
“They deal with the residents. They also deal with law enforcement,” she said. “They’re the eyes and ears of our law enforcement who are on the roads and we need to ensure that we have 911 dispatchers who are not overworked and underpaid.” | https://www.kenoshanews.com/news/local/kenosha-county-losing-911-dispatchers-to-agencies-with-better-pay-other-employers/article_da1731fc-2283-11ed-b64a-47013cd3a9c5.html | 2022-08-30T23:01:28 | 1 | https://www.kenoshanews.com/news/local/kenosha-county-losing-911-dispatchers-to-agencies-with-better-pay-other-employers/article_da1731fc-2283-11ed-b64a-47013cd3a9c5.html |
A magnitude-2.3 earthquake struck parts of northern New Jersey Tuesday evening, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The small quake hit around 5:14 p.m., and lasted about 30 seconds, according to a USGS official. The entire event likely passed in less than a minute and struck less than three miles west of Morris Plains, in Morris County, and was about three miles below ground.
The earthquake is very likely connected to the Ramapo Fault Line, which runs southwest to northeast through Morristown and is considered an active fault line, a geophysicist with the agency told NBC New York.
Geophysicist Jonathan Tytell said that Tuesday's quake is the largest since 2015, when a magnitude-2.6 earthquake hit near Mendham, just a few miles away from Tuesday's event.
While not a very powerful quake, Tytell said that it is strong enough for people in the area to clearly feel.
"If you’ve living on top of the quake, it will feel like a truck just hit your house," Tytell said. | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/magnitude-2-3-earthquake-hits-morris-county-in-nj/3844981/ | 2022-08-30T23:04:08 | 0 | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/magnitude-2-3-earthquake-hits-morris-county-in-nj/3844981/ |
ORLANDO, Fla. – A 58-year-old man has been arrested and charged with arson for setting fire to Goff’s Drive In, a historic Orlando ice cream shop in Orlando.
Alfred Jerome Kirkland was arrested in connection to the arson, according to the arrest affidavit.
The iconic ice cream shop, which opened in 1948 and is located on S. Orange Blossom Trail, was engulfed in flames on May 20.
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Police were able to view footage from multiple surveillance cameras from surrounding businesses in their investigation and also used DNA to help identify Kirkland.
The camera footage showed a man walking behind Goff’s before the fire and leaving the same way after the fire was started.
At one point, the footage shows a man walking along a fence on the north side of the ice cream shop’s property, place his bag on the ground and crawl under the fence, taking the bag with him. Smoke is then seen in the background, coming from the area of Goff’s. Around 30 seconds later, the man crawls back under the fence, police say.
An OPD Crime Scene Investigator visited the scene and observed a red spot under the fence where the man made his entrance and exit. They determined the red spot was blood and submitted the sample to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to be tested.
A search using the Combined DNA Index System, or CODIS, provided an offender match to Kirkland.
Kirkland was booked into the Orange County Jail, but has since been released on a surety bond.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/08/30/arrest-made-in-connection-with-arson-at-historic-orlando-ice-cream-shop-police-say/ | 2022-08-30T23:05:53 | 1 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/08/30/arrest-made-in-connection-with-arson-at-historic-orlando-ice-cream-shop-police-say/ |
ORLANDO, Fla. – The Bionic Me exhibit at the Orlando Science Center has interactive elements that help educate adults and children, inspiring the future innovators of technology that helps improve mobility.
Dr. Jeff Petrie is an orthopedic reconstruction surgeon with AdventHealth and said he sees patients ranging from teens to seniors.
“People who may play pickleball, tennis, golfing and running. What I tend to see is issues with the knees and the hips and patients coming in with arthritis or early symptoms of arthritis,” Petrie said. “It’s important to do some stretching and strengthening.”
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While Petrie performs surgeries like hip replacements to improve mobility and reduce pain, there is some tech helping others get around like exoskeletons and prosthetics, technology highlighted in the Bionic Me exhibit at the Orlando Science Center.
“This is a marriage of science and technology to make the human experience better and decrease pain,” Petrie said.
Interactive exhibits demonstrate the design and biomechanics behind prosthetics. You can step into an exoskeleton consisting of motors and metal frames that mimic bones and joints. The technology increases movement, strength and endurance.
You can also race against a Paralympian and learn about sports prosthetics, technology creating innovative solutions to bone loss and paralysis. These exhibits may inspire children, Petrie said.
“I think that leads to the next generation of people who are innovating this kind of technology,” Petrie said.
The Bionic Me exhibit runs through Sept. 5 at the Orlando Science Center located at 777 E Princeton Street in Orlando.
There are opportunities to get free admission if you are a Bank of America and Merrill cardholder.
The first full weekend of every month, Bank of America and Merrill and Private Bank credit and debit cardholders can receive free admission to Orlando Science Center on Saturdays and Sundays through the Museums on Us program.
About Museums on Us
Museums on Us weekends includes access to Orlando Science Center’s four floors or exhibits and experiences such as giant-screen films, workshops in The Hive: A Makerspace (ages 8+), and so much more!
Eligibility
Offer is open to all Bank of America and Merrill Lynch debit and credit card holders and is valid for one complimentary general admission per cardholder.
To gain free entry, present your Bank of America or Merrill Lynch card and a photo ID at Guest Services upon arrival. Non-cardholders, including children, are not eligible for free admission.
Both the credit or debit card and matching photo ID must be presented at the time of the visit to gain free entry.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/08/30/bionic-me-exhibit-inspires-future-generation-of-prosthetic-engineers/ | 2022-08-30T23:06:00 | 1 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/08/30/bionic-me-exhibit-inspires-future-generation-of-prosthetic-engineers/ |
In addition to delivering Christmas trees, the founders of Tree Drop are now delivering houseplants all year long.
Jerry and Courtney Jasmin said they started their business back in 2017 when Courtney couldn’t find a fresh Christmas tree. She said the one she did find was “basically dead” and she was disappointed with her lackluster options.
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So she and her husband came up with a solution, a Christmas tree business that delivers, decorates and comes to clean-up the old tree after the holidays.
If that’s not enough to put you in the Christmas spirit, the Jasmins said they take their old trees to Free Canes For Veterans, which is run by a man that turns old Christmas trees into free custom canes for veterans.
In July 2022, they decided to expand their services so they could serve Central Florida residents year-round. They said since they already deliver trees, this felt like a natural fit, adding “we didn’t even have to change our name.”
Their team of professionals now focuses on delivering medium to large houseplants and trees to homes and businesses in Central Florida. Their inventory includes snake plants, swiss cheese monstera plants, fiddle leaf fig trees and more.
The company also offers cool plant inspired merchandise including pillows, hats, and a “plant parent” sweatshirt.
You can learn more about Tree Drop by clicking here. | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/08/30/christmas-tree-delivery-business-in-orlando-expands-heres-what-else-you-can-get/ | 2022-08-30T23:06:06 | 1 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/08/30/christmas-tree-delivery-business-in-orlando-expands-heres-what-else-you-can-get/ |
ORLANDO, Fla. – Toufayan Bakery, the maker of Publix GreenWise Organic Animal Crackers, announced a voluntary recall of a batch of the cookies “due to an undeclared tree nut allergen,” according to a statement from Publix.
The product was distributed to Publix Supermarkets in seven states, including Florida. The other states were Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee.
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The cookies have an expiration date of Feb. 5, 2023, and the UPC is 0-41415-12009-9, which can be found on the back of the pouch.
The recalled batch comes in 8-ounce packages and may contain coconut, which may cause a serious or life-threatening allergic reaction to anyone with a allergy or severe sensitivity to tree nuts, according to the release.
Publix said that an investigation determined the problem was caused by a breakdown in the production and packaging process.
Customers that purchased the Publix GreenWise Organic Animal Crackers can return the product to their local store for a full refund.
Anyone with questions about the recall may contact the Toufayan Bakery at 1-813-754-5565.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/08/30/company-recalls-greenwise-organic-animal-crackers-sold-at-publix-stores-across-southeast/ | 2022-08-30T23:06:12 | 0 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/08/30/company-recalls-greenwise-organic-animal-crackers-sold-at-publix-stores-across-southeast/ |
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Millions more Americans will likely soon have more buying power when it comes to home loans.
President Joe Biden announced his student loan forgiveness plan which could eliminate between $10,000 and $20,000 worth of college debt for those who are eligible.
Less debt not only means more relief but potentially more opportunities.
When someone visits the office of Elsa Davila, mortgage sales manager for Gateway Mortgage, hopeful for a home loan, there are three important factors she is checking:
A good credit score, employment history, and the buyer's debt-to-income ratio.
"That plays a big power, debt-to-income ratios or the acronym DTI, that's what it boils down to," Davila said. "We see how much debt you have versus how much income you have coming in."
During this process, student loans play an important factor. Davila adds that even if the loans are in forbearance or you're not making a payment, it is still calculated into your debt. Which means it can lower your buying power when it's time to start looking for that perfect home.
"Absolutely. They come in here and say I only have a car payment, but they have $60,000 worth of student debt," Davila said. "It's not something you can just pay off or take away."
That's where student loan forgiveness comes into play. According to Maria Serna, assistant director of financial aid at TAMU-CC, the average Islander debt has gone down from $18,000 in 2018 to $14,000 in 2022.
"If your average debt is $14,000 and President Biden is forgiving up to $20,000, you can have all your loans forgiven. That is huge for our recent graduates especially," Serna said.
She added that they were able to lower the average debt over the past few years with different programs offered at the university as well as monthly loan workshops. According to Serna, the workshops have seen people who have been making payments for over 20 years on the interest alone and haven't even hit the principal amount yet.
"Taking away this $20,000 can take off the interest of someone who graduated in the '80s," Serna said. "Now those payments can finally start chipping away at the principal balance. I'm not exaggerating when I say this is lifechanging for so many people."
Serna said TAMU-CC is still well under the national average when it comes to college debt. They hope more people take advantage of their monthly loan workshops, which are also open to the community.
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ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – The family of a 19-year-old woman found shot in a car at an Orange County apartment complex in June held a news conference on Tuesday to plead for help in finding the killer.
Raniyah A’shanti Gandy was shot and critically injured at The Park at Highgate on North Powers Drive near Silver Star Road. She was taken to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.
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Deputies said the gunshots were likely fired from another vehicle. Video from the scene showed bullet holes in the driver-side window of a car, with dozens of evidence markers nearby.
Chanta Parson, Gandy’s mother, spoke alongside attorney Greg Francis surrounded by family members.
“I lost my one and only child and we’re here today. We are devastated. She came from a very loving family. And I’m asking the public to please, any information that you may have, no matter how small you think it is, please call Crimeline,” she said. “You can remain anonymous if that’s what you’re worried about. We are hurting. We have a tremendous void.”
Francis said Gandy was visiting a friend at the apartment complex when the shots were fired. He said it is unknown whether the friend was in the car or by the car, but the person was in the vicinity.
“Given the amount of bullets that were found on the scene, it seemed like that, that at least her car was a target. I don’t know if in fact she was the target,” he said when asked if she was caught in crossfire.
The attorney said tips on the shooting continue to “trickle in,” but he hopes there will be more of a push for information after the news conference and with a higher reward for any tip leading to an arrest.
Earlier this month, Crimeline doubled a reward for information leading to Gandy’s killer to up to $10,000.
“That’s why we’re here today to make sure that there is a name and a face and not just some random victim but in fact, this was a young lady who was a member of a family who was very enterprising and someone who should not have been killed like this,” he said.
The woman’s mother described her daughter as vibrant, outgoing and fun. She said her daughter had plans to start her own business.
“Please come forward, the violence has to stop. Another mother doesn’t need to be sitting in the position that I’m at right now. It’s very tough for me. The violence needs to stop,” she said.
Anyone with information is urged to call Crimeline at 800-423-8477.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/08/30/family-of-19-year-old-found-shot-in-car-seeks-helping-finding-her-killer/ | 2022-08-30T23:06:18 | 0 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/08/30/family-of-19-year-old-found-shot-in-car-seeks-helping-finding-her-killer/ |
FORT SMITH, Ark. — The ongoing monitoring of cancer-causing chemicals in the ground from when Whirlpool operated a manufacturing plant in Fort Smith shows that the pollution plume is shrinking. Some hot spots remain, according to the firm hired by Whirlpool to keep tabs on the problem.
The publicly-held appliance manufacturer closed the plant at 6400 Jenny Lind Road in June 2012, moving most production jobs to Mexico. One year later, officials with Benton Harbor, Mich.-based Whirlpool admitted to leaking trichloroethylene (TCE), a cancer-causing chemical, into properties north of the Fort Smith plant, which sat on 153 acres.
Copenhagen, Denmark-based Ramboll was hired by Whirlpool to monitor the pollution and provide remediation plans and information to the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ). The company began remediation in October 2015 with injection wells around what was then the known plume.
Click here to continue reading from our content partners Talk Business & Politics.
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To report a typo or grammatical error, please email KFSMDigitalTeam@tegna.com. | https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/local/whirlpool-fort-smith-contamination/527-54c6ab59-8071-4bcd-b195-3f2a8b6423d8 | 2022-08-30T23:06:21 | 0 | https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/local/whirlpool-fort-smith-contamination/527-54c6ab59-8071-4bcd-b195-3f2a8b6423d8 |
ORLANDO, Fla. – Six states, and the Federal Trade Commission, are suing a rental listing platform accused of paying for fake positive reviews for people looking for affordable housing.
Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody said Roomster Corp. and its owners, John Shriber and Roman Zaks, also charged for access to phony listings, taking in tens of millions of dollars from renters.
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California, Colorado, Illinois, Massachusetts and New York are also part of the legal complaint against the company.
Roomster’s website and mobile apps have users pay a fee to access listings like rental properties, roommate requests and sublets. The company claims the listings are authentic and verified, but Moody accuses the company of misrepresenting to lure customers to pay for access to listings that turned out to be fake.
“The complaint filed today alleges these defendants deceived consumers looking for affordable housing options by filling the internet with fake reviews and other misrepresentations,” Moody said in a statement. “The alleged deceptive acts siphoned tens of millions of dollars from mostly lower-income people seeking a rental property. I’m proud to take action today with the FTC and other states to hold Roomster accountable for their wrongdoing.”
To view the complaint, click here.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/08/30/florida-joins-ftc-crack-down-on-rental-listing-platform-duping-consumers/ | 2022-08-30T23:06:25 | 0 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/08/30/florida-joins-ftc-crack-down-on-rental-listing-platform-duping-consumers/ |
HIGHLANDS COUNTY, Fla. – A Florida wildlife director had his arm amputated earlier this month after a routine interaction with one of his park’s large alligators in Highlands County, a Facebook post read.
Greg Graziani, who runs Florida Gator Gardens in Venus, Florida, and has been working with reptiles since the age of 7, received a partial amputation on his left arm on Aug. 17, before eventually losing the whole body part, the wildlife park and breeding facility wrote in the post.
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“The accident was an extreme injury that left Greg’s hand connected by one tendon. A tendon and some muscle that the surgeon had to untwist 6 times during the initial surgery,” according to the post.
Despite Graziani’s good health otherwise, which gave doctors hope they might be able to save the arm, “it was clear that the hand was simply not able to recover (as) crushing injuries and avulsions are the hardest injuries to reattach and we had all of it,” park officials said.
Florida Gator Gardens emphasized working with animals always poses a risk, adding the alligator involved in the incident was uninjured and continues to stay at the wildlife park.
“Every time we work with any of our animals, we never fail to acknowledge the gravity of the situation,” according to park officials. “We are working with an animal where collaboration and training between species is something that is taught, and it usually goes against quite a few natural instincts. This is true for all of them- from the nuisance alligators down even to our terrier. Every animal is given a level of respect and acknowledgement for their power, behavior, natural instincts, and training.”
This incident comes after Graziani almost lost his right arm about 10 years ago in 2013. Following that close call, wildlife park officials said Graziani “came back more determined to share his passion for reptiles with the world,” something that has continued even through his most recent attack.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/08/30/florida-wildlife-director-loses-arm-in-2nd-gator-attack-within-span-of-a-decade/ | 2022-08-30T23:06:31 | 0 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/08/30/florida-wildlife-director-loses-arm-in-2nd-gator-attack-within-span-of-a-decade/ |
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – A Lake Nona High School senior was awarded a big honor over the summer. Jackson Chase was recognized at the National High School Musical Theatre Awards, also known as the Jimmy Awards, as Best Performer in an Ensemble. Chase was selected to go to New York City for the Jimmy Awards after winning the Applause Awards at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts.
“Housing. Food. Nine days of a crazy musical theatre intensive with the biggest names on Broadway, truly,” Chase said. “My big thing is in a community like the arts, you should just be grateful that you’re there and my goal was just to have a good time and this award was chosen by people who were with us all week. The judge said the person that showed incredible ensemble spirit and was just game to play and have fun and really had such good energy and was always working so hard and I was so honored.”
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And cheering Jackson on the whole time? His parents, who also happen to be his teachers. Justin Chase is the choral director at Lake Nona High School and Gail Chase is the theatre teacher, director and thespian sponsor.
”There really aren’t words to describe the feeling of watching your child walk out onto a Broadway stage,” Gail Chase said. “We knew at a very young age that he was made for this world. Everybody loves to throw accolades on a star, the one in the spotlight, and that’s not what makes for a great performance. It’s the collective. The ensemble.”
Jackson Chase actually spends four of his seven class periods in his parents’ classes.
“I think it’s just being consistent with every kid. The best teachers treat every kid like their own kids and hold them to those really high standards, so I think we’re in good shape,” Justin Chase said.
Now Jackson looks ahead to the spring.
“College auditions are coming up in the spring. I mean, it’s a journey. If you want to be a performer, you’re only as good as your last performance. So you’re never quite finished,” Justin Chase said.
Jackson said his college wish list is composed of 12 schools, and he’s open to wherever the future takes him.
“Of course, Broadway is the dream. There are so many other opportunities that are not Broadway that provide such a great experience for performers. You can make art anywhere... it doesn’t matter if it’s a small podunk town, Iowa on a potato farm, it doesn’t matter. You can make art anywhere. You never know where life is going to put you, but the goal is to find someplace that values me for the artist I am,” he said.
And what about following in his parents’ footsteps?
“I think that theatre is so inspiring and if you can get that to someone so young and they can be the future,” he said.
Jackson is currently preparing for a concert in October and a tour in March with the Lake Nona Singers, the ensemble directed by his dad.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/08/30/lake-nona-high-school-senior-receives-honor-at-national-high-school-musical-theatre-awards/ | 2022-08-30T23:06:37 | 0 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/08/30/lake-nona-high-school-senior-receives-honor-at-national-high-school-musical-theatre-awards/ |
ORLANDO, Fla. – A gunman on Tuesday robbed a Fifth Third Bank in Orlando, according to police.
According to the Orlando Police Department, the man walked into the bank at 8600 Lee Vista Boulevard around 9:15 a.m. and displayed a note and a handgun to a bank employee.
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Police said the man fled the bank with an undisclosed amount of money.
No injuries were reported and an investigation is ongoing, OPD said.
Anyone with information about the bank robbery is asked to call the Orlando Police Department or Crimeline at 407-423-8477 or **8477 (TIPS).
Note: Given the information provided, this map depicts the general area of the robbery and not necessarily its exact location.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/08/30/man-robs-orlando-bank-at-gunpoint-police-say/ | 2022-08-30T23:06:43 | 0 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/08/30/man-robs-orlando-bank-at-gunpoint-police-say/ |
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Leaders in Orange County unanimously approved a new plan to help residents who are struggling to make rent.
During a meeting on Tuesday, commissioners discussed the federally funded Emergency Rental Assistance 2 Program.
Through the new plan, Orange County officials said there are fewer requirements, which means more renters would be eligible for the funds.
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To qualify for the new assistance program, renters would have to show proof of financial hardship during the pandemic. Unlike the previous program, though, the hardship doesn’t have to be caused by COVID-19.
For instance, a rent increase above 10% is considered a financial hardship. There are also income requirements, which restrict eligibility to households that make 80% or less of the area median income.
The new program comes as Orange County voters are set to decide on a government rent control ordinance in November. Under the proposal, most rent increases would be capped at the rate of inflation.
The ballot measure is being challenged by three realty and property management companies who argue that commissioners haven’t proven there’s a housing emergency.
Officials said they’re still working to update the county’s website with information on the Emergency Rental Assistance 2 Program, which is planned for an opening date of Oct. 1.
Black Men Sundays talks about building generational wealth. Check out every episode in the media player below: | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/08/30/orange-county-commissioners-unanimously-approve-plan-to-help-struggling-renters/ | 2022-08-30T23:06:49 | 1 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/08/30/orange-county-commissioners-unanimously-approve-plan-to-help-struggling-renters/ |
OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. – Drivers can still see the sign that reads “desperately seeking bus driver” outside the school bus compound on Simpson Road.
Despite months of job fairs and incentives, Randy Wheeler with Osceola County Schools Transportation Services said there are currently 23 bus routes that still do not have drivers.
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“Our routing department has been very busy these first weeks balancing out the workloads (and) the ridership. Our buses are built... to accommodate about 77 students,” he said.
Wheeler explained they are using substitute drivers from a separate company to cover those routes but in the meantime, the district still needs at least 30 new drivers to fill in the gaps and cover for other drivers when they call out sick.
“Our staff improvises solutions every morning to get all of those students to school. So they typically break their routes up,” Wheeler said.
More than 30 applicants showed up to their job event last month, though that wasn’t the case on Tuesday.
Only a few people came in for interviews.
“We also increased bus driver and attendants’ pay. A bus driver in their first year with no previous experience can start at $16.50 per hour and a bus attendant at $15 an hour,” Wheeler said.
Wheeler said they currently have a class with ten bus drivers in training but it’s going to take a couple of weeks until they can get behind the wheel.
Those interested in applying can do so here.
And the Osceola school district isn’t the only one in need of school bus drivers.
Orange County is also in need of about 100 drivers. Those interested are invited to apply online or at one of the county’s upcoming job fairs, scheduled for 9 a.m. until noon on Sept. 12, 19 and 26 at the Eric Olson Compound, Pine Hills Compound and Hanging Moss Compound respectively. For more information, click here.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/08/30/osceola-county-still-needs-at-least-30-more-school-bus-drivers/ | 2022-08-30T23:06:55 | 0 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/08/30/osceola-county-still-needs-at-least-30-more-school-bus-drivers/ |
POLK COUNTY, Fla. – Dwann Davis admits a one-letter typo on her email address created a one-in-a-million mistake that could leave her without funds from the homeowner assistance fund, or HAF, for up to 6 months.
“When I registered, I hit a V instead of a C for cloud,” Davis told News 6. “When I realized the mistake, I registered again the next day and that’s when I received a registration number.”
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News 6 confirmed Davis received a registration number and there was a voice message from a Department of Economic Opportunity representative asking if she needed additional assistance for her application about 11 days before the Aug. 26 deadline.
The veteran Polk County school teacher sent a scathing email to the DEO last week after the application deadline had passed, writing in part, “Thank you for letting me down! …. And you wonder why teachers leave the profession.”
Vanessa Brito, founder of the Facebook Homeowner Assistance Fund Help page and longtime advocate for unemployment applicants, told News 6 mistakes in applications is one of “the most recurring issues.”
“When it comes time to modify any application, it has become absolutely impossible,” Brito said. ”There is no circle of communication at the DEO, from registration to application to the disbursement of payment, even in the review of the application.”
News 6 has been working with the DEO to make sure anyone that is eligible for HAF awards receives the funds.
Last week alone, nearly 1,000 people were awarded mortgage and utility funds by the DEO team.
DEO spokesperson Leigh McGowan told News 6 the DEO has prevented 90 foreclosures to date “to keep Floridians in their homes.”
“While we cannot share details specific to HAF applicants, it is important for your readers and viewers to know that DEO is working hand-in-hand with homeowners directly and with mortgage lenders and service providers to ensure that payments are applied to the accounts of Florida homeowners who have been approved to receive assistance,” McGowan said.
She told News 6 that the DEO is reviewing the Davis application issue.
If you have an unemployment or HAF problem, email makeendsmeet@wkmg.com or text the words “Make Ends Meet” to 407-676-7428.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/08/30/polk-county-teacher-says-typo-may-cost-her-homeowner-assistance-funds/ | 2022-08-30T23:07:02 | 0 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/08/30/polk-county-teacher-says-typo-may-cost-her-homeowner-assistance-funds/ |
SANFORD, Fla. – Loggerhead Distillery in Sanford will now allow guests to enjoy craft cocktails made with their in-house spirits, according to a news release.
The addition comes after the passage of SB 46, which was signed into law earlier this year. The law allows craft distilleries to sell cocktails made from their own products at their distillery.
[ADD YOUR BUSINESS TO THE FLORIDA FOODIE DIRECTORY]
Loggerhead, located at 124 W. 2nd St., is now planning to expand its existing tasting bar to allow more room for guests to sit and enjoy a drink, the release states.
“Some of the drinks featured at the bar include the Loggerhead GTR, featuring Loggerhead’s Key Lime Gin with Elderflower tonic and a rosemary simple syrup, and a Cranberry Sour with Loggerhead’s 7x Vodka, cranberry, and freshly squeezed lime juice,” the release reads.
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Loggerhead opened in Sanford in 2019 and offers a variety of spirits including vodka, rum, bourbon and gin.
Check out the Florida Foodie podcast. You can find every episode in the media player below: | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/08/30/sanford-distillery-adds-craft-cocktails-for-customers-to-enjoy-after-new-florida-law-passes/ | 2022-08-30T23:07:08 | 1 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/08/30/sanford-distillery-adds-craft-cocktails-for-customers-to-enjoy-after-new-florida-law-passes/ |
PALM COAST, Fla. – Sheriff’s deputies in Flagler County say they captured a South Carolina man wanted in a DUI crash that killed two people last year.
The sheriff’s office said it arrested Randall Howard, 46, at the motel on Kingswood Drive in Palm Coast Monday. They said he was staying there while working for a high-speed internet company.
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Howard is wanted after a May 13, 2021 crash in Calhoun County, South Carolina. Investigators said Howard had methamphetamine in his system when he ran off the road and smashed into a large box truck parked in the emergency lane.
He’s being held without bond on two counts of driving under the influence resulting in death.
Howard also faces felony drug charges in Flagler County because deputies said they found crystal meth in a shirt pocket while searching him. | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/08/30/south-carolina-fugitive-captured-at-palm-coast-motel-deputies-say/ | 2022-08-30T23:07:14 | 1 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/08/30/south-carolina-fugitive-captured-at-palm-coast-motel-deputies-say/ |
ORLANDO, Fla. – Universal Orlando is getting ready for its yearly celebration of all things macabre and to help build the hype, the park is giving guests a peek at the specialty food items they will be able to enjoy.
[ADD YOUR BUSINESS TO THE FLORIDA FOODIE DIRECTORY]
Some of the specialty items will be available at themed food and beverage locations throughout the event while others will be available at select CityWalk restaurants and Universal hotels, according to a news release.
Check out the Florida Foodie podcast. You can find every episode in the media player below:
Some of the treats include:
- Major Sweets Ice Cream Sandwich: Candy-corn sugar cookies filled with sweet corn ice cream (vegetarian)
- Maggot Covered Cheese Dog: A Korean-style hot dog with fresh mozzarella, rolled in puffed rice, topped with gochujang drizzle and black sesame seeds
- Save Your Tears Signature Cocktail: This signature drink mixes bourbon, peach brandy, single-pressed lemon juice, agave nectar and bitters – topped with peach bursting boba and served in a souvenir cup
- Lil’ Boo’s Spicy Pumpkin Bun: A steamed bun filled with spicy butternut squash influenced by the beloved Halloween Horror Nights character (vegetarian)
[RELATED: News 6 wants to send you to Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights]
- Garlic Philly Cheese “Stake”: Tender shaved beef served on a black hoagie slider roll with caramelized onions, peppers, sautéed mushrooms, muenster cheese sauce and roasted garlic aioli
- Burning Skull: Includes tequila, lime juice, simple syrup, mango nectar, pineapple juice, smoked chili bitters, jalapeno and basil concentrate, shaken and served in a light-up molded skull cup
- Día de los Muertos themed items: Includes offerings inspired by Latin flavors such as Tamales Día de los Muertos (gluten-free) – pork tamales topped with red mole sauce and cotija cheese; and Roasted Sweet Potato & Mushroom Street Tacos (vegan and gluten-free) – roasted sweet potato and mushroom tacos topped with onions, vegan crumbled cheese and cilantro; also served with birria consommé
- Fried Zombie Brains: Fried cauliflower florets tossed in spicy gochujang sauce and garnished with toasted sesame seeds and scallions (vegan)
- Petrified Rat Tails: Funnel fries with creamy crab dip, sliced scallions and seasoned with herbs and spices
- Tombstone Red Velvet Cake Pop: A red velvet cake pop coated in buttercream on a bed of crushed chocolate cookie crumbs and garnished with white chocolate bones (vegetarian)
- Pizza Skull: Pepperoni and cheese stuffed skulls served with a marinara dipping sauce
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Returning fan-favorites:
- Pizza Fries: Fries piled high with sausage, pepperoni, marinara sauce and loads of cheese. Also available this year are:
- Vegan Pizza Fries – topped with marinara sauce, vegan cheese, vegan pepperoni and vegan sausage crumbles.
- S’mores Fries: Sweet potato fries drizzled with melted chocolate, graham cracker crumbs and marshmallows
- Traditional Twisted Taters (vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options): Fried spiralized ribbon potato thinly sliced and skewered with season salt, garlic parmesan, sour cream & chives, or ghost pepper seasoning options. Guests can also enjoy these variations:
- Blood ‘n Guts Twisted Tater - smothered with chili and roasted red pepper queso
- Fiery Twisted Tater with Queso (vegetarian) – complete with white cheese sauce and sprinkled with flaming hot crunchy cheese puffs, and ghost pepper seasoning
Halloween Horror Nights run from Sept. 2 through Oct. 31. | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/08/30/universal-orlando-shows-off-sinfully-delicious-menu-for-halloween-horror-nights/ | 2022-08-30T23:07:26 | 0 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/08/30/universal-orlando-shows-off-sinfully-delicious-menu-for-halloween-horror-nights/ |
POLK COUNTY, Fla. – Video taken from the front porch of a Florida home shows a Door Dash driver drop off an order and then stealing a package near the door, according to the sheriff’s officials.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office said Moises Rios Avila delivered food to a home in unincorporated Davenport on Aug. 21.
[TRENDING: Ask Trooper Steve: Is it illegal in Florida to use a radar detector in your car? | Here’s what’s happening in the tropics | Win tickets to Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights | Become a News 6 Insider (it’s free!)]
Video shows Avila drop off a bag of food and before he took a package that was left outside the home. While carrying the package, he walks toward his car before looking back at the camera and then running to his vehicle, the video shows.
When deputies found Avila, the sheriff’s office said he claimed it was a “prank.”
Avila was arrested on charges of burglary and petit theft.
It’s not known what was in the stolen package.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/08/30/video-shows-florida-door-dash-driver-stealing-package-from-front-porch/ | 2022-08-30T23:07:32 | 1 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/08/30/video-shows-florida-door-dash-driver-stealing-package-from-front-porch/ |
DeLAND, Fla. – Lost letters from a prisoner of war found in Central Florida are soon making their way home.
The DeLand Naval Air Station Museum is currently holding them after a couple recently found them and dropped them off.
“It says he was a POW in the Second World War. Ensign Jimmy Mullins,” the museum’s Special Projects Manager Scott Storz said.
[TRENDING: Ask Trooper Steve: Is it illegal in Florida to use a radar detector in your car? | Here’s what’s happening in the tropics | Win tickets to Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights | Become a News 6 Insider (it’s free!)]
The letters, photos, a hat and folded American flag were found by the couple at a garage sale. The letters were addressed to and from Jimmy Mullins. Many were written while he was a prisoner of war in Japan for three years.
“We only read a bit of them and quit because they were written when letters were really written,” Storz said.
Articles published in the 1940′s showed Mullins’ mother did not know if he was alive or not for over a year before he sent the letters. They said he was later released from Japan, promoted to commander, got married and had two children.
Storz said working with a Pensacola Naval Base librarian and a Central Florida genealogist, they started looking for Mullins’ children.
“He and his wife had both passed and a son and a daughter had both passed on,” he said.
That’s when they discovered he had a granddaughter who still lives in the state.
Next week, it will be the museum’s first on-site reunion for the granddaughter and the items. Storz said they’re now trying to find the couple who found the items because they didn’t leave a name or say where the garage sale was where they were found.
“I know my mom and I had moved around a lot so it must have been a box that got mislabeled or misplaced somewhere,” Mullins’ granddaughter Emily Smart said.
Smart said she’s never seen many of the photos and items. She’s thrilled the museum found her so she can learn more about her hero grandfather.
“I’m excited to get to see them and be able to show my kids! Tell them ‘Hey, you didn’t get to meet these people but these people were a big part of my life and I want you to know this and to see them,’” she said.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/08/30/wwii-prisoner-of-wars-lost-letters-items-to-be-reunited-with-family-in-florida/ | 2022-08-30T23:07:39 | 0 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/08/30/wwii-prisoner-of-wars-lost-letters-items-to-be-reunited-with-family-in-florida/ |
FORT KENT, Maine — Police have safely located an 81-year-old Fort Kent man after issuing a silver alert on Monday.
The man was last seen on Sunday around 9 a.m., according to a news release issued by the Maine Department of Public Safety. He was thought to have wandered away on foot from a location near his home.
Police said the man suffers from cognitive issues and is visually impaired. | https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/local/silver-alert-issued-for-81-year-old-fort-kent-man-police/97-aeff2288-450d-4829-ab12-5827242cf866 | 2022-08-30T23:09:13 | 1 | https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/local/silver-alert-issued-for-81-year-old-fort-kent-man-police/97-aeff2288-450d-4829-ab12-5827242cf866 |
Former O'Connor High School football player Charles Trammell was hit by a car and killed Saturday near downtown Fort Worth.
Trammell, a defensive lineman for Texas Wesleyan, was helping stranded students change a tire, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Fort Worth police said the crash occurred around 9:20 p.m. on the Highway 287 ramp to Interstate 30 westbound near downtown, the Star-Telegram said.
Police believe the driver of the car was intoxicated.
The Star-Telegram reported Miguel Angel Lopez, 28, of Fort Worth, has been charged with intoxicated manslaughter with a vehicle and accident involving a death, according to Tarrant County Jail records. He’s being held on $80,000 bond, $40,000 for each charge.
The impact knocked Trammell off the bridge, which is 60 feet high.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates. | https://www.expressnews.com/news/local/article/Ex-O-Connor-football-player-Charles-Trammell-hit-17408592.php | 2022-08-30T23:18:28 | 0 | https://www.expressnews.com/news/local/article/Ex-O-Connor-football-player-Charles-Trammell-hit-17408592.php |
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San Antonio officials are looking to expand the city’s Animal Care Services department as the shelter warns it will fall short of its euthanasia goal for the first time in five years.
Based on projections, the city estimated that 88 percent of all animals brought to the shelter were released from October to July in fiscal year 2022.
Ninety percent or higher is the accepted “no-kill” standard that shelters use across the United States. The live release rate is the number of all pets adopted, rescued and transferred to another shelter or lost pets returned to owners.
Lisa Norwood, ACS spokeswoman, said they are doing more outreach going into the new fiscal year, which starts Oct. 1. The shelter has reached out to residents through strategic planning engagements and surveys used at town hall meetings. Norwood said feedback from the sessions helped frame next year’s budget request.
“The intention is to put in place proactive measures to help us get back on the right course,” Norwood said. “And not just hit 90 percent but surpass it. There’s always room to do more, be better, and that’s what we intend to do.”
The department is slated to get $21.4 million in San Antonio’s upcoming budget, up 15.6 percent from $18.5 million last year. About $1.2 million of the funding would help ACS make improvements and hire 14 new employees. Additional positions include nine veterinary staff and five employees to expand the customer service team that responds to 311 and ACS calls.
The rest of the extra funding will go toward vaccine clinics, with a city goal of vaccinating 2,400 pets per year; spay and neuter surgeries, with a target of 12,455 free surgeries per year; and funding to upgrade three play yard structures.
Separate from the budget, Animal Care Services is set to get a new $17.3 million veterinary hospital through San Antonio’s 2022 bond program.
District 2 Councilman Jalen McKee-Rodriguez represents the East Side, where many residents are frustrated by stray animals. At a staff presentation Tuesday afternoon, he worried the city isn’t increasing the budget for Animal Care Services at the same rate as other departments.
“When they want to walk in their neighborhood, or when they’re trying to walk their dog, they’re being attacked by packs of stray animals,” McKee-Rodriguez said of the residents he represents.
While he wants to see the live release rate increase, he also wants to be sure ACS looks at other measures of success that would determine how well the city cares for animals.
A nationwide trend
Norwood said because of veterinary shortages, ACS has conducted nationwide outreach and worked with nonprofits and private practices across Texas and San Antonio to bring more pet sterilization services to the community.
She said this fiscal year, 17 percent of the 21,000 animals brought in were owner surrenders, the largest percentage of that type of intake in five years. Fifty-six percent of owner-surrendered pets to ACS were relinquished due to job loss or eviction.
Norwood said currently, there is a four-to-five-month wait for people to make an appointment to surrender a pet. In the interim, she said, ACS provides access to trainers, free and low-cost veterinary resources and additional tools to find placement for their pets outside of the shelter.
Large-scale impounds of six or more pets increased from 333 in 2021 to more than 400 in 2022. In 2021, ACS brought in 56 pets from evictions; in 2022 brought in 239.
Norwood said historically, ACS has had greater difficulty finding placement for larger dogs, and this year is no different. One of the ways ACS has addressed that concern is by allowing staff to foster, including keeping pets in offices, with several large dogs housed on campus. At the end of the workday, some cats and dogs go home with their ACS foster and some will stay overnight in crates at offices, depending on their needs.
This year, from October to July, 2,377 animals were euthanized. In 2021, 1,741 were euthanized over the same time — a nearly 37 percent increase. The shelter’s highest overall live release rates were in fiscal year 2018 with 91.6 percent and fiscal year 2020 with 92.1 percent.
Bethany Colonnese, ACS chief operations officer, said factors that led to the decrease in the live release rate include large numbers of animals taken in from evictions, a national veterinarian shortage and a downturn in the economy. She said the shelter received more dogs and cats not spayed or neutered, a higher rate of unhealthy pets and fewer adopters. In 2022, October through July, there were 3,783 adoptions; there were 4,380 adoptions during the same time in 2021. Since fiscal year 2018, ACS has reported a 61 percent increase of injured animals brought to the shelter.
“Unfortunately, when those things do not align, we’ll start to see a decrease in the live release rate,” Colonnese said. “We as a shelter have to make a decision about how we’re going to react to that.”
Shelters nationwide have reported similar issues. According to Best Friends Animal Society, 83 percent of 4.6 million dogs and cats taken in at shelters were released alive in 2021. Best Friends’ mission is to end euthanizing cats and dogs at the nation’s shelters.
In January, the society reported that issues at shelters have become more difficult during the pandemic. A survey of 150 animal agencies and shelters said the coronavirus contributed to shorter hours, reduced adoption events, less pet care support and a decrease of in-person volunteers.
Holly Sizemore, chief mission officer for Best Friends Animal Society, said COVID changed the way shelters operate. She said during the pandemic, there were a lot of safety net programs that are not around now.
“It’s clear that staffing shortages have made it hard for shelters,” Sizemore said. “Animals are not getting adopted. Intake is rising compared to last year, and adoptions are slowing, and that puts a lot in a crisis moment.”
According to a Mars Veterinary Health study, an estimated 2,500 to 2,600 graduates join the workforce each year, with around 2,000 veterinarians retiring from the field.
Sizemore said the shortage across the United States is making it hard for individual pet owners and shelters who depend on veterinarians to keep operations running effectively.
“It is daunting,” Sizemore said, “but we’re finding with the right program in place, we can mitigate the problem.”
Megan Stringer contributed to this report.
vtdavis@express-news.net | https://www.expressnews.com/news/local/article/San-Antonio-no-kill-standard-17407929.php | 2022-08-30T23:18:34 | 1 | https://www.expressnews.com/news/local/article/San-Antonio-no-kill-standard-17407929.php |
Thousands of down power lines pose threat in Metro Detroit, DTE says
More than 250,000 people are without power Tuesday afternoon and a teenager was killed by a downed, electrified power line after a Monday night storm ripped through southeast Michigan.
DTE Energy Co. said there are more than 3,000 power lines down in its service territory, posing a threat of electrocution to anyone who comes too close. The company warned people to stay away from the downed lines, which might be buried by debris, and said it was securing the dangerous lines "as quickly as possible."
"It's a really hard day for everyone at DTE," DTE president Trever Lauer said at a press conference Tuesday in Detroit. "These are the worst days you could possibly have in our business."
A 14-year-old Monroe girl was electrocuted Monday night when she touched an electrical line that had fallen outside her home. First responders who arrived at the scene found her in contact with an energized wire.
The next morning, a pair of boys from Warren were hospitalized because of a downed power line outside McKinley Elementary School. The 8-year-old remained in critical condition after touching the downed line. His 10-year-old brother knocked him away from the line with a book bag.
Marking and securing downed lines is the first priority for DTE's response crews and a 1,000-member crew are coming from five other states to help respond to the storm, Lauer said. The utility then will focus on restoring power to health care facilities and nursing homes, then customers with electric medical equipment and then substations.
Lauer said he expects most customers to have power by Friday.
Lauer spoke at the corner of Grenier Street and Goulburn Avenue on Detroit's eastside, where a tree in a resident's yard crashed into the street during the storm, knocking out a power line and snapping three poles. Roughly 1,400 customers were without power because of the downed line.
Most of the trees that caused downed power lines were not in DTE's right of way, Lauer said. He said the utility company could not have trimmed them except by the request of a property owner.
DTE was scrutinized by customers, energy advocates and state legislators last year after a major storm swept through the region and left some customers without power for nearly a week.
The company agreed last year to put an additional $353 million into tree trimming between 2021 and 2023. The Michigan Public Service Commission said the company earned millions of dollars from "unexpectedly higher profits from changed electricity use patterns of its retail customers amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic" and said the work would not be funded through customers' rates.
Michigan ranks low among other states in terms of number of power outages per customer, length of power outages and the time it takes to restore power after an outage, according to 2019 industry data compiled last year by the Citizens Utility Board of Michigan, a nonprofit that advocates for residential energy customers in Michigan.
DTE ranked second worst, after Consumers Energy, for having lengthy average restoration times among Michigan electric providers, according to the board's 2021 utility performance report. It ranked fifth worst for average duration of outages and frequency of outages.
"We know DTE has done not as good a job as it should have of keeping the maintenance schedules that would allow for reliable service in the area," Citizens Utility Board president Keith Cooley said. "And this is something that we've seen year over year."
Cooley said DTE promises to do more to provide reliable service, but that he has yet to see those promises come to fruition.
DTE is pursuing a rate increase that would raise residential gas and electric customers' bills 8.8%, about $10 on each average monthly bill, and increase industrial customers' bills 4.1%.
Lauer said rate increases would pay for improving reliability.
Cooley, like some demonstrators who rallied against the proposed rate hike in Detroit this month, said it is unfair for customers, especially low-income customers, to shoulder the cost.
"Why should we be paying higher rates when the service is, and has been, poor all along?" he said. "They need to start taking that (money) out of the stockholders and the company itself until they get to a place where customers are getting the kind of service they expect. Clean, reliable and affordable service."
Most residents of the Village of Wolverine Lake were without power Tuesday because of the storm, Administrator David Gillam said. The damage was extensive, with downed branches, large, uprooted trees, and boats and boat hoists lifted from their docks and tossed around the lake.
"This is, probably, in terms of intensity, it's got to be near the top of the scale," Gillam said.
The village has escalated tree trimming in the public right of way since major summer storms last year, he said. While Gillam said DTE customers in Wolverine Lake want reliable service, he said that should be balanced with cost increases.
"I think we’d all like to see more of the trees taken down if that’s gonna keep us from having the more routine power outages — and I would say this was not routine, this storm for us — but again at what cost? On the other hand, we see DTE goes to the (Public Service Commission) in Lansing, and they are asking for millions and millions and millions of dollars of rate increases, and I don't know if people have the stomach for that either."”
Staff Writer Charles Ramirez contributed.
ckthompson@detroitnews.com | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/detroit-city/2022/08/30/thousands-down-power-lines-pose-threat-metro-detroit-dte-says/7940430001/ | 2022-08-30T23:19:22 | 0 | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/detroit-city/2022/08/30/thousands-down-power-lines-pose-threat-metro-detroit-dte-says/7940430001/ |
Carnation Mall walkers take their final laps
ALLIANCE ‒ Friends Bruce Rininger and Robert Tucker briskly strolled the empty mall Tuesday, taking lap after lap around the interior.
It would be their final walk around the Carnation Mall.
Soon, the mall ― which opened in 1983 ― will be padlocked and demolished to make way for a new Meijer store and other development. Fairmount Properties, based in Orange Village, took ownership of the property at 2500 W. State St. earlier this month.
The disappearance of the mall means more than a loss of shopping options for the community. For many people, it's also place where they exercise.
More:Five things to know about conceptual plan for Carnation Mall
Rininger, 68, of Smith Township said he has been walking at Carnation Mall for at least a decade. Tucker, too.
The men said the mall surface was easier on their feet but they also took walks outside around the property. Both were sad for their walks there to end. For them, it was place to stay active and socialize.
"You'd see a lot of people in here to talk to," said Tucker, 80, of Alliance.
Rininger, with a chuckle, added: "Neither one of us likes change."
But they've accepted it.
Both men said they'll find other places, like Walmart, to get their walks in.
'I just can't believe I've lived to see the beginning and the end of it.'
Cathy Seacrist, 75, of Sebring, and Judy Smith, 64, of Salem, also took laps around the mall Tuesday.
For them, the mall was a place to walk when the weather wasn't the best.
"I remember when (the mall) was built and it was a big deal for Alliance. It was a bustling, busy place," Seacrist said. "My son used to go into the arcade. I can't imagine how much money we put in that arcade."
So does Rininger, who remembers the farmland that the Carnation Mall was built on.
But Seacrist and Rininger said the mall had seen its better days.
"Let's face it, it's really in bad disrepair," Seacrist said. "Everything comes to an end, I guess."
Smith described the advent of shopping malls as "a magical and wondrous thing" and she never envisioned their demise. She said she still shops at Southern Park Mall in Boardman regularly.
"I thought this would be shopping for the future. We would always shop under an enclosed environment. There would always be a variety of stores to shop from and there would be some two or three stories," she said.
Smith added: "I just can't believe I've lived to see the beginning and the end of it. They're done now."
Reach Benjamin Duer at 330-580-8567 or ben.duer@cantonrep.com.
Follow on Twitter @bduerREP | https://www.cantonrep.com/story/news/local/alliance/2022/08/30/alliance-carnation-mall-walkers-closed-2022/65464106007/ | 2022-08-30T23:22:35 | 0 | https://www.cantonrep.com/story/news/local/alliance/2022/08/30/alliance-carnation-mall-walkers-closed-2022/65464106007/ |
Cochise County sheriff: 7-year-old student had 2 guns, ammunition in backpack
A 7-year-old boy at a Cochise County school was discovered with two guns and ammunition in his backpack on Monday, according to the Cochise County Sheriff's Office.
Deputies arrived and met with school officials and the second-grade student, who they learned was discovered with a gun and ammunition inside of his backpack. After searching his backpack, they found a second handgun.
The Cochise County Sheriff's Office did not identify the student nor specify what school the incident occurred at.
The parents of the student were contacted, and a "juvenile referral" was completed for charges of misconduct with a weapon and a minor in possession of a firearm.
Similar incidents have taken place in Arizona this year. On Thursday, a gun was confiscated from a fourth-grade student attending Legacy Traditional School in Queen Creek.
And in March, a 15-year-old teenager was arrested after he brought a gun to Verrado High School and had it confiscated by officials.
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/2022/08/30/cochise-county-sheriff-7-year-old-boy-had-2-guns-ammo-in-backpack/7942704001/ | 2022-08-30T23:22:35 | 0 | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-breaking/2022/08/30/cochise-county-sheriff-7-year-old-boy-had-2-guns-ammo-in-backpack/7942704001/ |
Fort Wayne's annual Labor Day picnic is back this year after a two-year absence.
More than 30 local labor unions have joined the Northeast Indiana AFL-CIO to host the event that typically attracts about 6,000 people to Headwaters Park.
It was canceled in 2020 and 2021 because of COVID-19. The 2020 picnic would have been the event's 39th consecutive year.
This year's picnic is from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Headwaters Park East. Labor Day Picnic Committee members have invested more than 1,000 volunteer hours to host the event, officials said.
Free chili, hot dogs, beer and soft drinks are among the draws. The event also features bingo, live music and children's activities. Burmese workers will prepare and share food native to their homelands.
No union affiliation is required to attend the annual picnic. The gathering celebrates all workers, even those who are unemployed.
The event began in 1982 and was held south of Fort Wayne off U.S. 27. In 2008, the event was moved to Headwaters Park because of its popularity. | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/annual-labor-day-picnic-to-return-to-headwaters/article_5201cdac-28a2-11ed-a426-0f0d737fe9dd.html | 2022-08-30T23:31:23 | 0 | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/annual-labor-day-picnic-to-return-to-headwaters/article_5201cdac-28a2-11ed-a426-0f0d737fe9dd.html |
Auburn Garrett Drive-In property owner Julia Yarde was sitting at her nearby business – JY Design & Print – on Monday afternoon just before 5 p.m. when the intensity of the storm outside began to increase.
“I was working after hours, and I noticed it was getting really dark,” Yarde said. “Then the rain started, and then it started hitting the windows.”
She looked out the window and watched as the wind and sky, which she said looked like a hand, took hold of the drive-in’s lone screen.
“It just went down and grabbed the screen, twisted it, and tossed it,” Yarde said. “I’m just reliving it right now – it scared the daylights out of me. I was in shock.”
Yarde then called the company that insures the theater as well as Bruce Babbitt, operator of the Auburn Garrett Drive-In. She said the screen – only the second in the 71-year history of the theater – had been up for at least 35 years, and Babbitt said the towers behind the screen have become compromised over time.
“This screen has been up for decades, and I think it just deteriorated enough that this particular storm was the one to take to damage it,” Babbitt said. “If this would have hit it 20-25 years ago, I think it could have withstood it.”
He’s glad it happened closer to the end of the summer drive-in season – and that it didn’t happen during a movie.
“There wasn’t a lot of good product on the horizon for us,” Babbitt said. “I personally didn’t know how we would get through September and October with so little movie releases.”
The theater, one of only a few drive-ins left in northeast Indiana, first opened in 1951. Babbitt said with so few remaining, “every drive-in is important.”
“It is iconic, and we haven’t changed much over the years so lots of generations have come out there to watch movies,” Babbitt said. “There’s a nostalgia that comes into play, and I’ve come to the realization that it is very important to the area, let alone the community.”
Hundreds of community members left comments offering condolences and support on the theater’s Facebook page after the storm. Many suggested crowdfunding for support and offered to help in other ways that Babbitt said he’s not sure would help.
“We’re getting some people that want to help. We have people offering services and materials,” Babbitt said. “We are so grateful, but we are just going to have to wait to hear what the insurance adjusters say.”
He said they’ve already put a call in to Selby Screens, one of the few remaining drive-in screen companies and the same company that installed the current screen.
Yarde also said she’s not sure exactly how to proceed funding-wise and that the first step is to assess the damage and see exactly what needs to be replaced and what could be repaired. She also mentioned the possibility of starting a fundraiser through the website GoFundMe.
“The community support has been so amazing,” Yarde said. “I just had two calls from a construction company that wants to help; I have another individual that’s a leader in the community that suggested certain people to call.”
While the theater is done for the year, Yarde vowed that the Auburn Garrett Drive-In will eventually reopen.
“We’re going to rebuild, no matter what,” Yarde said. “It may take the community to do it, but thank goodness we were insured.”
Most Allen County residents’ electrical service has been restored by Tuesday afternoon, Indiana Michigan Power.
High wind gusts, lighting and rain during Monday’s storm affected more than 18,000 I&M customers across their service area, the company said, including 4,000 in Fort Wayne on Monday night.
As of 4 p.m. Tuesday, 115 Fort Wayne area customers were without service, according to a news release, and power was expected to be restored by 11 p.m.
In total, I&M reported 64 damaged poles, 160 downed wires and 14 damaged transformers as a result of the storm.
Devan Filchak of The Journal Gazette contributed to this story. | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/storm-destroys-auburn-garrett-drive-in-screen-power-restored-for-most-in-fort-wayne/article_0a8a1046-28ad-11ed-9d20-3305ff7130e8.html | 2022-08-30T23:31:29 | 0 | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/storm-destroys-auburn-garrett-drive-in-screen-power-restored-for-most-in-fort-wayne/article_0a8a1046-28ad-11ed-9d20-3305ff7130e8.html |
PENNSYLVANIA, USA — Governor Wolf announced Tuesday that Pennsylvania flags will be at half-staff to honor Private Alyssa Cahoon.
Cahoon, 17, suffered sudden cardiac arrest while training with the Pennsylvania National Guard at Fort Jackson in South Carolina.
She died on Thursday, Aug. 25.
Her family has since learned that Cahoon had a rare heart condition called Heart Arrhythmia.
In accordance with the U.S. flag code, the United States and commonwealth flags on the Capitol Complex, at all commonwealth facilities, and all public buildings and grounds throughout the state will fly at half staff.
At this time, it is unclear when the ruling will be lifted.
All Pennsylvanians are invited to participate in the tribute. | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/wayne-county-native-alyssa-cahoon-honored-gov-wolf/521-541e91b5-6c11-41cd-93de-5d593c647159 | 2022-08-30T23:31:56 | 1 | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/wayne-county-native-alyssa-cahoon-honored-gov-wolf/521-541e91b5-6c11-41cd-93de-5d593c647159 |
BOISE, Idaho — The Spirit of Boise Balloon Classic will take to the skies over Ann Morrison Park this week, its 31st year flying over Boise.
The event is free and runs from Friday, August 31 through Sunday, September 4. All launches are weather-permitting, with most taking place between 7:15 and 9 a.m..
Attendees can look forward to “Kids’s Day” on Wednesday, where kids can take a free tethered ride in a balloon, the “Night Glow Spectacular” where balloons will be lit up under moonlight, and the “Dawn Patrol”, an early-morning flight.
The event will also host a tribute to longtime KTVB meteorologist Larry Gebert, who passed away in April.
Gebert was heavily involved with the Balloon Classic, broadcasting from it every year. The event will honor him with a speech before a lone balloon is launched. The balloon will carry three pennants that will float through the wind.
“He impacted us down here at the Balloon Classic just because of who he was and what he did,” Laurie Spencer, producer for the Spirit of Boise Balloon Classic said. “He greeted everyone with a smile, everyone was a friend, and he gave so much to the community. If you looked at his calendar, every day was jam-packed full of stuff and we were so lucky to be able to have a very small part of him for so many years.”
Fifty balloons will be launching over the course of the week, including special-shaped balloons of a sloth, tiger and rocket ship.
The event has been a staple of Boise since 1999, when it took place at the Boise River Festival. In 2010 the event became the Spirit of Boise Balloon Classic.
“We help make memories for those people. It’s one of the things I enjoy most,” Spencer said.
Even if you don’t attend the event, you may still spot balloons soaring through the sky over downtown Boise.
“As you’re going to work in the morning, you might see these balloons light up,” Spencer said. “They’re going to look like 75-foot tall Chinese lanterns floating through the sky and it is amazing.”
Schedule of events:
Wednesday
6:45 a.m. – Balloons are on the launch field for Day 1
7:25 a.m. – “Cap Ed Kid’s Day”
Thursday
6:30 a.m. – Balloons are at the park
7:20 a.m. – Optional Flight for Media Day
Friday
7:10 a.m. - Tribute launch in honor of Larry Gebert
7:20 a.m. – Mandatory flight
5:30 p.m. – Night Glow Activates begin: Food, vendors, and live music
8:05 p.m. – “Nite Glow Spectacular”
Saturday
6:00 a.m. – Dawn Patrol
7:20 a.m. Mandatory flight
Sunday
6:00 a.m. – Dawn Patrol
7:20 a.m. – Final flight
Larry Gebert: In Loving Memory
Watch more stories and tribute about Larry in our Youtube playlist: | https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/spirit-of-boise-balloon-classic-this-week/277-070ae443-2d04-484b-aed4-51a79209df0f | 2022-08-30T23:33:18 | 1 | https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/spirit-of-boise-balloon-classic-this-week/277-070ae443-2d04-484b-aed4-51a79209df0f |
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Renovations are underway at the Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport.
The construction project will bring major changes to the aquarium’s Rocky Shores, Sandy Shores and Coastal Waters galleries. The aquarium also plans to build a new gallery space dedicated entirely to sea jellies.
The café will also get an upgrade.
The areas under construction will be temporarily closed starting Sept. 6.
The admission prices will remain the same during construction. Guests will still have access to a variety of other exhibits and features, the aquarium said.
“As a non-profit organization, ticket sales and memberships support the care of Aquarium animals along with conservation and rehabilitation efforts,” the Oregon Coast Aquarium wrote in a press release.
The project is part of the second phase of the aquarium’s Capital Campaign for improvement. Construction is expected to be completed in spring 2023. | https://www.koin.com/local/oregon-coast/some-galleries-close-during-oregon-coast-aquarium-renovation/ | 2022-08-30T23:33:33 | 1 | https://www.koin.com/local/oregon-coast/some-galleries-close-during-oregon-coast-aquarium-renovation/ |
DICKSON CITY, Pa. — Dickson City borough officials say they cringe every time it rains, dreading that Commerce Boulevard will flood, causing the road to be closed. The issue is a drainage problem located in a tricky spot.
"The biggest hang-up was who was going to assume responsibility for it because it was complicated. You know, the stormwater was collected in one land development, and it kind of passed under a road that Dunmore borough owns, and then it goes into a catch basin owned by another developer," explained borough manager Cesare Forconi.
Business owners in the area have been very frustrated because the flooding meant it would be difficult for customers to get around the road closure. Now they're happy to hear there's a fix in the works.
"We don't have to worry about every time it rains like today that the road's going to be shut down. So yeah, we're really happy about that," said Kristy Latwinski, manager of Buff City Soaps.
Heavy rain caused Commerce Boulevard to be closed again on Tuesday. The Dickson City Police Department announced the reforming of "Lake Commerce," making light of a bad situation.
Buff City Soaps did the same earlier this year, even creating a soap called Lake Commerce.
"People still come in talking about it. They thought it was hilarious. The soap sold very well, and they've even customized it and other things such as laundry. It's become really popular here," Latwinski said.
All jokes aside, Dickson City officials are thankful that the end of Lake Commerce is in sight.
"Tentatively, I think it's about a 30-day project," Forconi said. "Let's hope it gets in there, and that's barring any unforeseen other problems that might arise when they start doing it."
Work to fix the drainage problem is expected to begin sometime in October.
See news happening? Text our Newstip Hotline. | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/lackawanna-county/an-end-to-lake-commerce-in-sight-commerce-boulevard-dickson-city-buff-city-police/523-21579f0e-982d-4399-85be-24e9085378d5 | 2022-08-30T23:36:33 | 1 | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/lackawanna-county/an-end-to-lake-commerce-in-sight-commerce-boulevard-dickson-city-buff-city-police/523-21579f0e-982d-4399-85be-24e9085378d5 |
STROUD TOWNSHIP, PA — Almost five years after St. Luke's Monroe Campus opened its doors to patients, the hospital near Stroudsburg already needs more space.
"When we first opened, we didn't realize there was such a health care need. That need hasn't been relenting. The pandemic probably increased it. More people have moved here, and there's that continued need for health care in Monroe County," said Don Seiple, the president of St. Luke's Monroe Campus.
With shovels in the ground and a toss of dirt, officials at St. Luke's Monroe Campus broke ground on a major expansion project.
The new four-story patient care tower will feature 36 more hospital beds, expanded surgical services, additional outpatient programs, and a state-of-the-art radiology suite.
Dr. Douglas Degler says the expansion is overdue.
"We have 98 beds. Our average daily census has been up to 140 sometimes, and, you know, throughout the pandemic, we've had to struggle to find places to put outpatients to continue to provide the care that they need," Dr. Degler said.
The new patient care tower will extend from the existing hospital, nearly doubling the size of the hospital.
"We are looking at a $90 million investment in the community with over 200 construction jobs over the course of the project and then initially probably 50 to 60 full-time employees in the building as well," Seiple said.
The new patient care tower at St. Luke's Monroe Campus near Stroudsburg is expected to open in early 2024.
See more Healthwatch 16 stories on YouTube. | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/monroe-county/st-lukes-monroe-campus-to-expand-expansion-patient-care-tower-hospital-beds/523-86b1b8ef-90b0-46d6-9f1f-e4a3992e0664 | 2022-08-30T23:36:39 | 0 | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/monroe-county/st-lukes-monroe-campus-to-expand-expansion-patient-care-tower-hospital-beds/523-86b1b8ef-90b0-46d6-9f1f-e4a3992e0664 |
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Breaking news and the stories that matter to your neighborhood. | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/it-hurts-this-summer-wasnt-great-for-business-down-for-nj-shore/3349388/ | 2022-08-30T23:36:40 | 1 | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/it-hurts-this-summer-wasnt-great-for-business-down-for-nj-shore/3349388/ |
KYLE, Texas — The Kyle Police Department (KPD) is partnering with the Hays and Caldwell County Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) to provide extra safety measures for households that have guns.
In a Facebook post, KPD said it will provide 200 gunlocks to Child Protective Service (CPS) investigators. This move is a part of a larger initiative: Project Child Safe.
Most child firearm-related accidents happen while children are in the care of a parent or adults. Participating police departments and CPS are partnering with Project Child Safe to help lessen the chance of these fatalities from happening.
"Partnerships like this will help kids and families remain safe and prevent these tragedies in the future," the post said.
Project Child Safe is a safety education program developed by the National Shooting Sports Foundation that aims to promote firearm safety. They offer and distribute firearm safety kits through partnering law enforcement agencies.
According to their website, "the kits include a cable-style gun-locking device and a brochure that discusses safe handling and secure storage guidelines to help deter access by unauthorized individuals."
Several Central Texas police departments partner with Project Child Safe, such as the Austin Police Department, Travis County Sheriff's Office, the Burnet County Sherriff's Office and the Williamson County Constable Precinct.
The Texas DFPS 2021 Child Maltreatment Fatalities and Near Fatalities Annual Report found that eight children died in firearm-related incidents. This is an increase in accidents from the average seven children that have died from firearm-related accidents each year over the past decade.
KPD advises parents to teach their kids to stop, leave the area and tell an adult if they see a gun.
The department also has five safety tips regarding children's safety for parents who own guns:
- Keep your gun unloaded.
- Do not store bullets and guns in the same place.
- Use cable locks or trigger locks
- Use locks with no keys, such as combination, magnetic or electronic locks.
- Store guns in a lock box, vault or safe.
PEOPLE ARE ALSO READING: | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/kyle-police-gun-lock-program/269-19715cf9-09a4-450d-a3ce-522a033d78c8 | 2022-08-30T23:41:24 | 1 | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/kyle-police-gun-lock-program/269-19715cf9-09a4-450d-a3ce-522a033d78c8 |
SHELDON, Iowa — The small northwest Iowa city of Sheldon planned to make the opening of a time capsule one of the centerpiece events of its 150th anniversary this weekend, but it ran into a slight problem.
No one is sure where the time capsule is buried.
“We’re trying to find instructions on exactly where it’s at before we just start digging,” said Sheldon Chamber of Commerce Director Ashley Nordahl. “We think we know where it is, but to dig up concrete in the park when we have such a big event going on, we’re just postponing that to a little bit later in the year.”
The time capsule was buried 50 years ago during Sheldon's centennial celebration and over time its specific location became a bit fuzzy. Event organizers had planned to open the time capsule during a town birthday celebration Friday morning featuring birthday cake and coffee. They then planned to place new items inside the capsule and rebury it.
The other events will go on as planned, with the time capsule unveiling delayed until workers can find it. To do that, the city will hire a company with an underground radar system that helped the nearby city of Sibley find its time capsule earlier this year.
“We still have every intention of finding it and digging it up,” Nordahl said. “It’s just a little more involved than what we originally had planned.”
Sheldon, a city of 5,178 people about 160 miles northwest of Des Moines, was founded in 1872. | https://www.weareiowa.com/article/news/local/sheldon-iowa-missing-time-capsule-150th-anniversary/524-fdb37061-ebe4-4e31-99d3-0aab0ab7b7f3 | 2022-08-30T23:44:21 | 1 | https://www.weareiowa.com/article/news/local/sheldon-iowa-missing-time-capsule-150th-anniversary/524-fdb37061-ebe4-4e31-99d3-0aab0ab7b7f3 |
WAUKEE, Iowa — Two people were found dead in a Waukee home Monday morning, according to the Waukee Police Department.
Police say they responded to the 2600 block of Abbott Drive for an unknown problem Monday at 10:36 a.m.
Officers located two bodies upon arrival, later identified as 39-year-old Jennifer Greimann and 50-year-old Dev Puri.
Greimann was a nurse practitioner with UnityPoint Health in Des Moines, while Puri was a radiation oncologist with MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center.
UnityPoint said in a statement:
"We are deeply saddened to learn of the loss of our colleague and friend, Jennifer Greimann. Jennifer was a nurse practitioner in our UnityPoint Health – Des Moines Center for Liver Disease and had just recently celebrated her 17th anniversary with our organization. She began her career as a medical/surgical nurse working on an inpatient unit at Iowa Methodist Medical Center. For the last four years, she worked in our Center for Liver Disease as an advanced registered nurse practitioner. She was an amazing healthcare provider as she cared deeply for her patients. We will miss her smile, humor and friendship. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family during this incredibly difficult time."
"We are greatly saddened by the sudden loss of radiation oncologist Dev Puri, MD. We pray that God’s healing love surrounds us all in this time of pain and sadness," MercyOne said in a statement.
Police say this is an apparent murder-suicide and poses no threat to the public. More information will be released after autopsies are completed, Waukee PD said.
Local 5 will update this story as more information becomes available. Download the We Are Iowa app or subscribe to Local 5's "5 Things to Know" email newsletter for the latest. | https://www.weareiowa.com/article/news/local/waukee-police-death-investigation-2-people-found-in-home/524-7eaee616-38d3-4832-a3d2-a6e1941e9e07 | 2022-08-30T23:44:27 | 1 | https://www.weareiowa.com/article/news/local/waukee-police-death-investigation-2-people-found-in-home/524-7eaee616-38d3-4832-a3d2-a6e1941e9e07 |
Old High mourns librarian's death
Wichita Falls High School staff members and students were saddened by the death of Robin Daws, a longtime school librarian, according to a post Tuesday on Wichita Falls ISD's Facebook page.
Daws worked at Old High for 13 years and was a valued member of the WFISD team, according to the post.
Daws, 51, died Tuesday in Graham after a short illness, according to her obituary in the Graham Leader.
"Mrs. Daws was part of the Old High family for many years and dedicated herself to bringing the power of reading to our students," WFHS Principal Christy Nash said in the post.
"Our entire WFHS family is suffering the loss of our friend and colleague. Our deepest sympathies go to her family and loved ones," Nash said. "She will be greatly missed."
Counselors and other support staff members will be available for students, teachers and families as needed, according to the Facebook post.
"Please keep her family and friends in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time," officials said in the post.
Daws died Tuesday at the Garden Terrace Healthcare Center in Graham, according to the obituary. She graduated with a degree from Texas Tech University in 1993 and earned a master's degree in library science from Texas Woman's University in 2003.
She taught in Stamford and Olney where she was named director of the Olney Community Library in 2002, according to the obituary. She later became librarian at WFHS.
"Robin was always happy, joyful, friendly, and usually had a smile on her face," according to the obituary.
Her family will host a private celebration of life in her honor, according to the obituary. | https://www.timesrecordnews.com/story/news/local/2022/08/30/wichita-falls-high-school-mourns-librarian/65465077007/ | 2022-08-30T23:44:39 | 1 | https://www.timesrecordnews.com/story/news/local/2022/08/30/wichita-falls-high-school-mourns-librarian/65465077007/ |
ATLANTIC CITY — Police arrested a Mays Landing man they say was selling drugs Monday night on Texas Avenue.
Detectives conducted a surveillance operation in the first block of South Texas Avenue in response to complaints. In the process, they watched Jamal Morgan engage in several suspected drug transactions, police said Tuesday in a news release.
At 9:57 p.m., detectives exited their unmarked vehicle and approached Morgan, identifying themselves as police. Morgan attempted to flee but was quickly detained, police said.
Morgan, 25, was found to be in possession of numerous baggies of crack cocaine amounting to about 3 grams and $103 in cash, at which time he was placed in custody. A subsequent search revealed a loaded revolver concealed in a satchel Morgan was carrying, police said. He also was wanted on several outstanding warrants.
People are also reading…
Morgan was charged with unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of a controlled dangerous substance, possession with intent to distribute, distribution within 1,000 feet of a school and possession of a weapon during a drug distribution offense.
The investigation was led by Detective Alberto Valles with the assistance of Detectives Eric Evans and Nick Berardis. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/atlantic-city-police-say-mays-landing-man-was-selling-drugs-on-texas-avenue/article_2ab1ab58-28b8-11ed-aeb9-f369a8a7b16c.html | 2022-08-30T23:47:07 | 1 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/atlantic-city-police-say-mays-landing-man-was-selling-drugs-on-texas-avenue/article_2ab1ab58-28b8-11ed-aeb9-f369a8a7b16c.html |
CAMDEN — A brother of a former Margate firefighter on trial for his role in a multimillion-dollar state health care fraud scheme told a federal jury Tuesday he initially thought the business of having patients fill out prescriptions for compound medications and profiting from their health insurance was legal but later realized "he was going down the rabbit hole."
Thomas Sher, the brother on trial, sat beside his attorney while his brother Michael told a jury he recruited Thomas into a scheme that authorities said cost the government's health care plan $50 million. Michael Sher, 45, pleaded guilty in 2018 to helping defraud state health insurance plans.
On Tuesday, as part of his plea agreement, he was called by prosecutors to testify against Thomas Sher. Under oath, Michael Sher told jurors that Thomas would help market compound prescription drugs to other people, who would submit the cost to their health insurance plan.
People are also reading…
Authorities say the scheme, which transpired between July 2014 and April 2016, used recruiters, subordinates known as “sub-recruiters” and at least two out-of-state pharmacies that conspired to cheat New Jersey health insurance plans.
Thomas Sher is on trial before U.S. District Court Judge Robert Kugler in federal court in Camden, with the prosecution arguing through testimony and prescription forms that the former Margate firefighter and Northfield resident pushed unnecessary compound supplements and creams onto people with state health plans.
In turn, he'd make money based on the prescriptions filled out by a Margate physician, Dr. John Gaffney. Gaffney would obtain the forms through William Hickman, a local pharmaceutical salesman who has since pleaded guilty for his role. Prosecutors said Central Rexall Drugs, a Hammond, Louisiana-based pharmacy, would fill the prescriptions.
CAMDEN — A local doctor who approved compound prescriptions made through a health care fraud…
From March to December 2015 alone, Thomas Sher was paid more than $93,000 in commission, his brother testified.
As part of his arrangements, Michael Sher said he would receive 30% of a prescription's cost from Hickman. He would then give half of that money to his brother Thomas, Michael Sher testified.
Michael Sher, also a former Margate firefighter, told the jury he operated as a recruiter, while his brother was a sub-recruiter.
Michael Sher testified he was first approached by Hickman at a private meeting to join him in the venture.
Similar to Monday, several prescription recipients testified for the prosecution Tuesday, telling the jury Thomas Sher touted the meds as beneficial to their health, including being advantageous to weight loss.
Michael Sher also told the jurors about Gaffney's role. Gaffney has already pleaded guilty to charges in the case and testified early as part of his plea agreement.
CAMDEN — The trial of a Margate firefighter accused of participating in a scheme that defrau…
Sher said he and Hickman discussed taking care of Gaffney for his growing role in issuing prescriptions. Hickman felt Gaffney needed to be "taken care of" for his help in fueling the scheme, Michael Sher said.
Initially, a gifted wine bottle was suggested, but Hickman insisted the doctor be given more, directing Michael Sher to "slip" him about $10,000 during a December 2015 dinner party, Michael Sher testified.
Michael Sher never told Thomas Sher about Gaffney's payment.
Gaffney told the jury Monday that he authorized about 220 prescriptions that were often provided to him by Hickman and Matthew Tedesco, who, like Hickman, has pleaded guilty to helping lead the scheme.
Joseph Grimes, Thomas Sher's attorney, contests his client joined the operation intending to conduct legitimate business.
During opening arguments last Wednesday, Grimes told the jury he intends to show that Thomas Sher only offered metabolic supplements and other specialty prescriptions that he knew of from his fitness ventures, as a means of improving people's health.
The trial resumes Wednesday in federal court. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/ex-margate-firefighter-on-trial-in-health-fraud-scheme-made-over-93-000-in-commission/article_c4234946-2894-11ed-98d6-5751fbe41103.html | 2022-08-30T23:47:13 | 1 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/ex-margate-firefighter-on-trial-in-health-fraud-scheme-made-over-93-000-in-commission/article_c4234946-2894-11ed-98d6-5751fbe41103.html |
CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE — Officials at Cape Regional Medical Center announced in an email Tuesday that the facility would no longer provide maternity/obstetric care as of Saturday, Sept. 10.
That’s five days sooner than previously stated.
In July, Susan Staeger, the hospital’s public relations manager, confirmed that the hospital would no longer provide the service, citing a lack of physicians. In the Tuesday announcement, Staeger stated that Cape May County’s only hospital would work closely with other health service providers.
“Cape Regional Health System’s leadership is working closely with Shore Medical Center and AtlantiCare to develop a detailed plan for them to provide maternity services to the residents of Cape May County,” she wrote. “All obstetricians who are in practice in Cape May County currently provide perinatal and maternity care at either AtlantiCare or Shore Medical Center.”
People are also reading…
For women at the north end of the county, it can be closer to travel to an Atlantic County hospital than to travel to Cape Regional. But for someone in the southern end of Cape May County, it can be a 40-minute ride to Somers Point, more than twice the distance than to Cape Regional.
It is an increasingly common situation. A federal report found that the number of OB-GYNs is likely to decrease even as demand increases, while the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists found in 2017 that half of the counties in America did not have a single OG-BYN. The organization stated that overwhelming workloads were leading to OB-GYNs burring out, and other studies have found that practicing OB-GYNs are getting older and facing a more intense workload.
Things are even worse in the South, the West and Midwest. A study by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in March 2021 projected the Northeast region would have an adequate number of women’s health care providers, while envisioning significant deficits in other regions.
But those statics may be of little interest to expecting families in Cape May County.
“County emergency medical services are aware of the need to take women in labor or with pregnancy-related conditions to AtlantiCare or Shore Medical Center,” Staeger wrote. “The Southern New Jersey Perinatal Cooperative is providing resources to assist with communication and education to the community and access to transportation to hospitals that can provide maternity care.”
The emergency department at Cape Regional remains available for life-threatening emergencies, but Staeger said for any pregnancy-related concerns that cannot be managed in their personal obstetrician’s office, patients should plan to go directly to AtlantiCare, Shore Medical Center or another hospital. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/maternity-services-to-end-at-cape-regional-on-sept-10-sooner-than-first-expected/article_300cfec2-28ae-11ed-ad29-47b17ca56858.html | 2022-08-30T23:47:19 | 0 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/maternity-services-to-end-at-cape-regional-on-sept-10-sooner-than-first-expected/article_300cfec2-28ae-11ed-ad29-47b17ca56858.html |
Attorney General Mark Brnovich is suing the city of Tucson for mandating its employees get vaccinated against COVID-19 last August, alleging the mandate's implementation was discriminatory and violated state law.
The Arizona Attorney General’s office filed a civil complaint in Maricopa County Superior Court on Tuesday outlying allegations that the city “discriminated against employees based on disability and/or religion, and engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination” when it mandated employees get vaccinated against COVID-19, according to the complaint.
City officials were not able to comment on the lawsuit Tuesday.
The Tucson City Council voted in August 2021 to require its more than 4,000 employees to get vaccinated or face five-day, unpaid suspensions. But a slew of legal challenges and new direction from the council continuously pushed back the mandate’s effective date.
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Employees could qualify for exemptions from the mandate because of a disability or a sincerely held religious belief by submitting an accommodation request to human resources.
But enforcement of the mandate was paused after a Sept. 7 decision from Brnovich declared the mandate is illegal. Weeks later, a Maricopa County Superior Court judge struck down a group of state laws, including a law that had barred local governments from mandating certain COVID-19 mitigation measures, giving Tucson the go-ahead to enforce the mandate.
Unvaccinated employees could be subject to weekly testing requirements, more stringent mask-wearing guidelines, travel restrictions and eligibility restrictions for certain assignments, while vaccinated employees could be rewarded with a floating holiday and restoration of 80 hours of pandemic leave.
City Manager Michael Ortega previously said about 300 employees could face suspensions for violating the mandate last October, but that those suspensions would be scattered throughout the year. It's unknown how many have, and have yet, to be issued suspensions.
Brnovich’s civil complaint alleges the mandate was discriminatory because the city “subjected employees who could not comply with (the city’s) vaccine directives because of sincerely-held religious beliefs and/or disability to discipline,” the complaint says, adding at least 377 employees requested medical exemptions and 352 requested religious accommodations.
It’s unclear how many city employees were granted and denied exemptions to the vaccine mandate.
"Tucson dictated a widespread vaccine mandate without regard to its impact on the liberties and civil rights of its employees," Brnovich said in a news release Tuesday. "Many of those affected are first responders, and it’s our turn to be there for them. The city’s misguided vaccine mandate is an ugly example of government overreach that we must vigorously oppose."
The attorney general is asking the court to order Tucson to pay back any employees who were suspended for violating the mandate, require the city to train management and mayor and council on “disability-based and religion-based discrimination in the workplace” and to issue a public apology.
Brnovich ran for election to the U.S. Senate this year but lost in the Republican primary. His term as the state’s top law enforcement officer expires in January.
Contact reporter Nicole Ludden at nludden@tucson.com | https://tucson.com/news/local/arizona-ag-sues-tucson-over-its-covid-vaccine-mandate/article_da5c5440-289a-11ed-a5a3-4b6a437db6d5.html | 2022-08-30T23:48:14 | 0 | https://tucson.com/news/local/arizona-ag-sues-tucson-over-its-covid-vaccine-mandate/article_da5c5440-289a-11ed-a5a3-4b6a437db6d5.html |
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