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BOISE, Idaho — The Boise City Council on Tuesday approved millions in federal recovery money for Boise families hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic.
More than $34 million was approved through the American Rescue Plan, which will be used for affordable housing, childcare, small businesses' recovery, mental healthcare, food insecurity, parks and Boise's Climate Action Roadmap.
Seven projects are outlined by the City of Boise through the federal recovery funding.
“The pandemic and recovery haven’t been the same for everyone. Now more than ever, we must support and care for all the people of Boise to ensure we’re truly a city for everyone,” Boise Mayor Lauren McLean said. “We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity with these funds. That’s why we spent the second half of last year getting online feedback and having community meetings, to make sure we got it right. Which we did. These projects will help all Boiseans come together to tackle the biggest challenges we’re facing and allow us to create our shared vision of this city’s future, where everyone can thrive.”
The first approved project is $12 million for affordable housing. McLean said the funding focuses on creating 250 units of housing for families exiting homelessness and 1,250 units for families earning 60% of the median income in the area.
Boise's second project sets $10 million aside for climate action. The city said the funding helps Boise transition its buildings to clean energy and purchase renewable energy in the future.
In June 2021, the city council unanimously approved a carbon-neutral goal for the city government by 2035 and the entire Boise community by 2050. The goal of Boise's Climate Action Roadmap is to have all city facilities carbon neutral and they will achieve that by electrifying fleets, electrifying buildings, and expanding Idaho's geothermal systems. The city also has a City of Trees Challenge to plant 100,000 trees by the year 2030.
$2 million of the approved funding will be used to install smart lighting systems, security cameras, and defibrillators in Boise's largest parks. McLean said Ann Morrison Park, Julia Davis Park and Cecil D. Andrus Park will feature charging stations, internet access ports and Wi-Fi hot spots.
The city said the final four projects will go directly to, "those who need it most."
Childcare workers and providers will receive $3.75 million in incentive pay to combat an affordable childcare shortage.
Small businesses in Boise can apply this summer or fall to receive funds from the $2 million set aside to support local companies. The City of Boise said, "the mayor knows that creating a new resilient economy means supporting our local small businesses."
$1.5 million will go towards a food security project. Boise plans to develop a local food system, having an agency work with service providers. Nonprofits can apply to take part in the program this summer or fall.
Lastly, Boise is using $2 million to support mental health providers and programs for underserved and uninsured residents. Mental health providers can apply this summer or fall to take part.
To learn more information, visit the City of Boise's website.
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https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/boise-millions-in-federal-funding-covid-recovery/277-3b148b23-0ba4-4e8e-8256-cc622e3b42a5
| 2022-05-24T23:01:41
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https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/boise-millions-in-federal-funding-covid-recovery/277-3b148b23-0ba4-4e8e-8256-cc622e3b42a5
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BOISE, Idaho — This story originally appeared in the Idaho Press.
Idaho Gov. Brad Little flew to Nashville on Tuesday morning for a Republican Governors Association conference, but as he has since July, retained all his duties while he’s gone, rather than relinquishing them to the lieutenant governor.
Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin has angrily objected to the change – previously, Idaho governors have turned to the lieutenant governor or the next state official in the line of succession to fill in while they’re gone – but hasn’t mounted any legal challenge to it. An Idaho Attorney General’s opinion issued in October found that a court could uphold the governor’s interpretation that the lieutenant governor only steps in as acting governor when the governor is “effectively,” rather than just physically, absent. Courts in states with similar constitutional provisions have split on that question, the opinion noted, with half finding that governors aren’t “effectively” absent when they still can carry out their duties of office remotely.
On Tuesday morning, a volunteer manning McGeachin’s office at the state Capitol for her twice-a-week, half-day office hours said she wasn’t in and wasn’t expected in, but that he’d relay a message seeking comment.
Shortly afterward, McGeachin tweeted, “Once again, Gov. Little violated the State Constitution by leaving Idaho without informing the duly elected Lt. Governor. Idaho’s Lt. Governor is to serve as Acting Governor when the Governor is out of state. Instead, Little informed an unelected reporter.”
The Idaho Constitution, in Article IV, Section 12, says the duties of the governor fall to the lieutenant governor in cases of the governor’s “absence from the state, or inability to discharge the powers and duties of his office.” The legal quibble between Little and McGeachin is over the definition of “absence.” The Constitution doesn’t require the governor to inform the lieutenant governor when the governor leaves the state.
The two officials’ offices are on the same floor in the state Capitol, but McGeachin’s office has largely been closed and locked in recent weeks. She no longer has any paid staff, having overspent her office’s budget for the fiscal year; she lives in Idaho Falls.
Emily Callihan, Little’s director of communications, said the governor is due to return to the state Thursday night.
She also referred to an Oct. 29, 2021 letter that Little sent McGeachin that said, “From time to time my duties as Idaho’s elected Governor require me to travel temporarily out of the state on official business. Consistent with the Oct. 7, 2021 opinion from the Office of the Attorney General (enclosed), mere physical absence of the elected Governor from the state does not invoke Article IV, Section 12 of the Idaho Constitution or transfer any gubernatorial powers from the Governor to the Lieutenant Governor.”
“In the event I am ever unable to perform the official duties of Governor as may be required due to disability, effective absence, or otherwise, rest assured that my staff will notify your office immediately,” Little wrote. And he wrote that barring such a notification, “There is neither a need nor authorization for you to act in an acting Governor capacity.”
Twice before, in May and in early October, McGeachin issued executive orders as acting governor attempting to overturn Little’s policies on local mask mandates and COVID-19 testing in schools. Each time, Little immediately and retroactively rescinded the orders. In October, he did so from Texas, hours before he flew back to Idaho, in line with his office’s new legal position on “effective,” vs. physical, absence.
“He is performing his duties as governor out of state this week,” Callihan said Tuesday.
Little is joining 19 other GOP governors at the RGA conference in Nashville. Callihan said they’re set for policy discussions on issues including the economy, energy and health care.
Little has been active in several organizations with his fellow governors from other states; he currently is the chair of the Western Governors Association, but doesn’t currently hold a leadership position with RGA.
Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte also is attending the RGA meeting in Nashville, his office confirmed; as is Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon.
McGeachin unsuccessfully challenged Little in the GOP primary last week; he won the eight-way primary with 52.76% of the vote, while she came in second with 32.28%.
Betsy Z. Russell is the Boise bureau chief and state capitol reporter for the Idaho Press and Adams Publishing Group. Follow her on Twitter at @BetsyZRussell.
This story originally appeared in the Idaho Press. Read more at IdahoPress.com
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See the latest news from around the Treasure Valley and the Gem State in our YouTube playlist:
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https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/idaho-press/little-heads-to-governors-conference-in-nashville-keeps-duties-to-snub-mcgeachin/277-36090ab7-d787-48eb-89e6-88d5630cb27e
| 2022-05-24T23:01:47
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https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/idaho-press/little-heads-to-governors-conference-in-nashville-keeps-duties-to-snub-mcgeachin/277-36090ab7-d787-48eb-89e6-88d5630cb27e
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NORMAL — Russ Hany spent 14 years as a student and faculty member at Illinois State University not for the multiple degrees he received, but rather to be part of the Gamma Phi Circus.
"That was really why I stayed, because I liked everything about it," said Hany, now an IT analyst at State Farm. "I liked the people. I liked working with it and building things up."
Founded in 1929, the university's Gamma Phi Circus performs under Redbird Arena, a tent built of fiberglass panels that hovers roughly 100 feet high. The unique performance troupe seeks to support acrobatic and circus arts in higher education.
Hany has self-published two books about Gamma Phi: "A Circus in the Paper" in 2020, which is a collection of articles from ISU newspaper The Vidette, and "90 Years of Circus Art and People" in February this year. Both are available on Amazon. Hany has also been the unofficial record keeper of Gamma Phi Circus for decades, but said he has never accepted money for his work.
Jerry Polacek, Gamma Phi director from 1970 to 2004, said that Hany's love for Gamma Phi has been his greatest contribution to the circus. "I'd say his contribution, him as a performer — very good, juggling in particular," Polacek said. "But him as a persistent, consistent person, he loves Gamma Phi and will do almost anything to put video and pictures together. He's amazing that way."
Since 1985, Hany said, he has been filming Gamma Phi shows and acts that he was not actively participating in. "Once I was out of the shows," he said, "I would go back every year and film every show. This year was the first I didn't film."
Polacek said, "Russ has always been very outgoing that way, very sociable."
When Hany received his bachelor's degree in economics in December 1990 after eight and a half years as an undergraduate, he decided to attend the graduation ceremony the next spring in a unique way.
"I wasn’t too nervous about dressing up like a clown," Hany said, "because I already had my degree. It was already framed on the wall. They couldn’t take it away," he said, chuckling.
Polacek said that Hany had not told anyone that he planned to dress up. "He kind of walks to the tune of his own drummer," Polacek said.
Hany said his own parents did not know about the stunt. "They’re in the arena and they see some clown coming in," Hany said, "and there’s 3,000 people graduating. They’re like, 'He wouldn’t. No, he wouldn’t.' Then they saw the 8½ on the hat," he laughed. "They were just not happy."
Shortly after he sat down, he said, a note was passed to him from his parents. It read, "Russ, we're leaving."
Performing in the blood
You could say that Hany's life began with the circus. "My parents met at Gamma Phi in 1950," Hany said. His father, Darwin, was a gymnast, while his mother, Imogene, performed the trapeze.
Hany is the fourth of four children, and the family regularly attended Gamma Phi circus growing up. He may have started attending shows as early as 1967, when he was just 2, he said.
Despite the family history, Hany said his parents did not teach their kids how to be circus performers. "It's kind of hard to teach your kid trapeze if you don't have a trapeze," he said.
Instead, he said that his older siblings taught him some tricks.
"My sister taught me how to ride a unicycle," Hany said. "She bought one at a garage sale somewhere. And I learned before my feet could actually push the pedals all the way around." Hany's brother taught him how to juggle.
Even though Hany already knew how to unicycle and juggle by 1983, his first year at ISU, he said that he was too nervous to join.
"I was going to join the first year because of course I knew all about it," Hany said. "My parents met there. But I chickened out at the front door."
Hany joined the following year, "and then I got hooked," he said.
Polacek said that the circus was a positive influence for a young Hany. "I think that the circus really helped him as a person, too," Polacek said, "because it's such a supportive group." Polacek said that Hany "found his niche and really flourished."
However, Hany said that, because he spent so much energy in Gamma Phi, his grades began to suffer. With the prospect of having to drop out, Hany said that he had to think outside the box. "I thought well, faculty and staff can be in Gamma Phi. So I got a full-time job at ISU."
Polacek said that Gamma Phi allows anyone at ISU to join. "We are open to the faculty and staff and students. It's not super common, but we've had many over the decades," he said.
For the better part of the next decade, Hany worked full-time at ISU and performed in the circus. In the summers, Hany said he would take trips to the East Coast to teach kids circus acts.
"There was a thing called Circus of the Kids where we put up a flying trapeze, and we put up a biweekly circus for all the kids," Hany said. "I taught juggling, fire eating, flying trapeze, trick bike (and) roller skating."
For fire eating, he said, there really is no secret. "You're pretty much just extinguishing the oxygen (with) your mouth. You're putting real fire in and just taking the oxygen away from it," Hany said.
"There are challenges to fire-eating, like, if you have a mustache," he said. At one Christmas show, he burned his facial hair while performing.
The assistant director, acting as emcee, announced to the crowd that "'yes folks, Russ just burned his mustache off,'" Hany recalled. "You could smell the burnt hair for the next week."
One year, Rob Miller traveled with Hany to perform with Circus of the Kids. Miller would return to ISU and, with the help of physical education teacher Thomas Romance, found Jr. Gamma Phi Circus at Metcalf Elementary school in 1986.
Hany said that Romance later pledged for Gamma Phi Circus in 1989, after he had founded Jr. Gamma Phi.
Performance memories
In his 14 years with the circus, Hany was able to compete on the international stage as well. "I competed in the International Circus Festival in Sarasota for four years," he said.
"We're competing against Ringling Brothers, the Russian circuses, Cirque du Soleil," Hany said.
"(A Russian team) had this jump rope act where they just had jump ropes going around the whole groups of them. So there were two-highs and three-highs (people standing on others' shoulders)," Hany explained. "The two-highs are jumping it and the three-highs are jumping it, and there's just people all over. We watched that and went, 'Well we didn't win this year.'"
Hany also spent some time on WGN in "The Bozo Show," and there is one act that stands out to him above the others.
"When 'Bozo' ended, I called them up and I said 'Do you have the one act where I almost broke Bozo’s teeth?'" Hany said. The executives at WGN knew exactly what Hany was referencing, but could not find their copy of the tape. So Hany offered to send WGN his only VHS copy with the promise that they would send it back to him undamaged.
The trick in question was knocking something out a volunteer’s mouth, usually a cigarette, with a bowling pin. But there was a problem. Hany said the producers told him: "'You’re not putting anything in Bozo’s mouth that looks like he’s smoking.'"
After deciding to substitute a carrot for the cigarette, Hany said "we just figured that they’d put the tapered end (of the carrot) in his mouth." Instead, Hany said, they put the comically large end of the carrot in the clown’s mouth. During the course of the act, Bozo’s teeth sunk further into the vegetable, Hany said, "so he’s got a solid lock on that, and I didn’t know it." Instead of lightly knocking the carrot out of Bozo’s mouth, the carrot cracked and the clown fell on his back.
"Someone grabbed the carrot and we had it at home. And you could see his teeth print in there and where the carrot cracked when I hit it," Hany said. "It’s on YouTube, I think."
The next time that Hany was on Bozo’s show, he asked the clown if he remembered Hany’s last performance. Bozo joked, "'I had to get all these teeth replaced,'" Hany said.
Hany is retiring soon, from his job at State Farm and as pro-bono record keeper for Gamma Phi. "I don't know, I think I might be at my peak. I handed a lot of the history back to the current director, Marcus (Alouan)," he said. "I'm kind of thinking, that might be it."
Polacek said that Hany will not be idle long.
"He'll find something," Polacek said. "He'll find some way to connect that with Gamma Phi Circus."
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https://pantagraph.com/news/local/watch-now-meet-the-man-who-may-be-gamma-phi-circus-biggest-fan/article_eb3a4106-d876-11ec-8426-7b07c6394c45.html
| 2022-05-24T23:04:33
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https://pantagraph.com/news/local/watch-now-meet-the-man-who-may-be-gamma-phi-circus-biggest-fan/article_eb3a4106-d876-11ec-8426-7b07c6394c45.html
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Last week, the bipartisan Water Resources Development Act of 2022, legislation led by chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Peter DeFazio, advanced out of committee and will now head to the House floor for consideration.
This legislation provides for improvements to Oregon and the nation’s ports, inland waterways, locks, dams, flood protection, ecosystem restoration, and other water resources infrastructure under the authority of the U.S. Corps of Engineers.
“One of my top priorities in Congress has been ensuring we are making the right investments to help Oregon’s waterways and ecosystems thrive,” Chair DeFazio said. “This important legislation we advanced today will help unleash the full potential of Oregon’s ports and harbors, protect our communities and environment, sustain good-paying jobs, and provide critical authorizations and improvements to Corps projects.”
WRDA 2022 includes numerous provisions that benefit Oregon including:
• Directing the Corps to repair and maintain jetties and breakwaters to a standard that would make them resilient to the effects of climate change such as rising sea levels and increasingly extreme weather.
• Requiring the Corps to study the availability of public and private dredging across the country and recommend increasing federal resources if necessary.
• Clarifying the authority of the Corps to manage flood control operations including compensation to Canada related to the Columbia River Basin, in the event that the Columbia River Treaty expires in 2024.
• Authorizing the Corps to provide assistance to Oregon State University to conduct a study on the associated impacts of wildfire on water resource ecology, supply, quality, and distribution in the Willamette River Basin.
• Allowing ports to contribute funds in order to speed up Corps’ reviews of proposals.
• Improving the environmental justice Planning Assistance to States program, increasing outreach and community engagement and awareness of Corps authorities and providing more projects at full-federal expense in environmental justice communities.
Authorizing $2 million for wastewater infrastructure in the city of Brookings and the Port of Brookings Harbor.
Authorizing $6 million for water and wastewater infrastructure in the city of Monroe.
Authorizing $25 million for water and wastewater infrastructure in Lane County.
Authorizing $50 million for water related environmental infrastructure in Benton, Coos, Curry, Douglas, Lane, Linn, and Josephine counties.
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https://theworldlink.com/news/local/defazio-led-bipartisan-water-resources-development-act-passes-committee/article_c74505fa-da07-11ec-bf52-23be5a836480.html
| 2022-05-24T23:06:05
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https://theworldlink.com/news/local/defazio-led-bipartisan-water-resources-development-act-passes-committee/article_c74505fa-da07-11ec-bf52-23be5a836480.html
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“Preachin’ and a cryin’, tell me that I’m lyin’ about a job That I never could find.”
— The Silhouettes
It’s time for politicians, who’ve never been known not to turn a talking point into a cliche, and would-be citizen reformers to find another dead horse to beat.
From the tiniest communities in this state and country to the seats of power in capital cities like Atlanta and Washington, D.C., would-be office-holders who are seeking favor from the people who would put them in office — and in line to collect all that PAC influence money — and government employees who are paid to perpetuate the programs of poverty at some point make a show of promising to solve societal ills by “looking for more good-paying jobs.”
Which is absolute bull.
Not that seeking businesses to locate and bring their millions into a community isn’t a worthwhile quest. But these people who tell us “jobs are our No. 1 priority” are merely blowing smoke. Why do a little homework, they apparently think, when cliches do just fine?
This is among the tidbits Georgia Chamber President/CEO Chris Clark pointed out at the recent New Georgia Economy summit at Albany State University: For every unemployed Georgian, there are now three jobs available.
Wait a minute, you cliche — and BS — spreaders quickly chime in, anxious not to lose one of those easy talking points that stir up the electorate. Sure, there are three jobs open for every unemployed Georgian, but a lot of those unemployed Georgians are not capable of filling these jobs. They don’t have the training or education.
To which I reply: Whose fault is that?
I have been writing a series of stories about the wonderful Adult Education program Anthony Parker, Linda Coston and their staff have built at Albany Technical College, and here is one cold, hard truth I’ve gleaned from my conversations with the folks at Albany Tech: Anyone who did not finish high school — no matter the reason, there is no judging here — can get into that program and get an equivalency degree, which is a first step toward snagging one of those good-paying jobs.
Oh, and the cost for the relatively short amount of time it takes to attain this goal? Not a penny.
But, some might say, not willing to give up their prime stir-up-the-masses talking point, the jobs that are available today require a higher level of training, a college degree or some kind of specialized skill set.
Which is true. But, as long-serving Albany City Commissioner Jon Howard pointed out to me during a not-so-long-ago conversation, there is absolutely no reason for young people in this country, especially young people who come from an impoverished or challenging background, not to get a college education. There are so many grants, scholarships and loan opportunities — and let’s not forget the push to offer free college tuition, which is, of course, ridiculous, but that’s never stopped anyone from asking — that the only thing stopping an individual from getting that needed degree is his or her lack of desire to get one.
We don’t need politicians to push for “more jobs for our un- and underemployed.” What we need is for politicians to work with religious institutions, with Albany Tech and Albany State, and with all the other entities of higher education out there to get these people who, for whatever reason, gave up on trying and chose to settle for the easy way out, to pull up their bootstraps and become their best self. Encourage them to, maybe for the first time in their lives, choose the road less taken. Trade in the handouts, the gaming of the system and the full-on criminal activity for a pathway that leads to self-pride and the promise of an honest-to-God career.
You politicians who think coddling people who refuse to take advantage of the opportunities available to them — just throw more money and benefits at them and they’ll stay quiet — is helping solve societal ills are fooling yourself more than you are the electorate. You are doing no one a favor when you keep preaching that lie of “We have all these problems because there are no jobs.”
You want to really have an impact on an area like southwest Georgia where poverty is so rampant? Tell some of the able-bodied folks to get off their asses, get educated, and go to work.
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https://www.albanyherald.com/local/carlton-fletcher-its-time-for-the-truth-about-the-jobs-situation/article_7a92d4ec-db53-11ec-ae4a-2ff760a90778.html
| 2022-05-24T23:13:11
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https://www.albanyherald.com/local/carlton-fletcher-its-time-for-the-truth-about-the-jobs-situation/article_7a92d4ec-db53-11ec-ae4a-2ff760a90778.html
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The “special master” has spoken, and New York State Senate candidates are now planning their campaigns, based on the senate district lines he’s drawn. For most, this means losing some constituents, and taking on some new ones.
Out of four candidates who've represented part of the new 53rd Senate District and could have been considered an incumbent, one -- Sen. Joe Griffo -- is running in the district, which includes all of Oneida and Madison counties and part of Herkimer and Chenango counties. Of the others, Senator Fred Akshar is running for Broome County Sheriff, Sen. Rachel May is running in the 48th, and Sen. Peter Oberacker will run in the 51st Senate District.
Out of four potential incumbents in the 51st district, which is Otsego county, plus, parts of Delaware, Broome, Sullivan, Ulster, Scoharie and Chenango Counties, there are four who've represented people here and could, therefore, be considered incumbents. But only one -- Oberacker -- is running here.
The interesting race could be the 49th District, which includes all of Hamilton, Fulton and Jefferson and Lewis Counties, and part of St. Lawrence and Otsego Counties. There is no incumbent, who's represented people here before, running here now. No incumbent advantage, or, disadvantage, as the case may be.
Candidates started gathering signatures Saturday, May 21. Those petitions need to be turned into the board of elections between June 8 and 10. Independent nominating petitions have until June 27 through July 5.
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https://www.wktv.com/news/local/nys-senate-race-whos-running-where/article_e2e54bee-dba6-11ec-9ca7-d7d1879e6cef.html
| 2022-05-24T23:31:37
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https://www.wktv.com/news/local/nys-senate-race-whos-running-where/article_e2e54bee-dba6-11ec-9ca7-d7d1879e6cef.html
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Nebraska's banks earned considerably less in the first quarter than they did a year ago.
According to data released Tuesday by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., the state's banks collectively earned $291 million in the first three months of the year.
That was down more than 15% from the first quarter of 2021, when the banks collectively earned $352.
Earnings in Nebraska were better than the nation as a whole. The FDIC reported that U.S. bank profit in the first quarter was $59.7 billion, a decline of more than 22% from a year ago.
"In the first quarter, net income declined from the year-ago quarter as the banking industry raised provision expenses to reflect loan growth as well as economic and geopolitical uncertainty,” FDIC Acting Chairman Martin J. Gruenberg said in a news release.
Gruenberg also said that inflation, rising interest rates and continued pandemic and geopolitical uncertainty "will likely be headwinds for bank profitability, credit quality, and loan growth” going forward.
The nine banks headquartered in Lincoln saw a smaller decline, earning a combined $56.6 million in the first quarter, an 8% decline from the first quarter of 2021.
The states with the lowest minimum wage relative to cost of living
States With the Lowest Minimum Wage Relative to Cost of Living
The real value of the fed min wage is worth 43% less than in 1968
Only 30 states have min wages above the federal min of 7.25
Officials from the Lincoln company also said they expect President Joe Biden to issue an executive order soon forgiving up to $10,000 of student debt per person.
The mining company that wants to extract a rare heat-resistant element from the ground under southeast Nebraska says a new report shows the deposit it plans to mine holds a significant amount of other rare elements.
The Clean Harbors waste disposal company is bringing a new type of incinerator to its Kimball facility. Officials plan to add more than 100 jobs with the expansion, slated to open in 2024.
A former Omaha meatpacking plant employee, who was denied unemployment benefits after he was fired for refusing to perform the job duties of two people, will likely receive retroactive benefits.
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https://journalstar.com/business/local/nebraska-bank-earnings-drop-in-first-quarter/article_ee0ac894-4bc1-56e7-9df7-2f5b8e12d74c.html
| 2022-05-24T23:32:38
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https://journalstar.com/business/local/nebraska-bank-earnings-drop-in-first-quarter/article_ee0ac894-4bc1-56e7-9df7-2f5b8e12d74c.html
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The Lincoln Community Foundation is again set to help raise millions of dollars for local charities.
Thursday marks the 11th annual Give to Lincoln Day -- an event dedicated to giving back to area nonprofits and promoting philanthropy. A record total of 479 charities of all shapes and sizes have registered for the event, up from 456 last year.
“The level of generosity that exists in this community is both humbling and eye opening" said Alec Gorynski, the new president of the Lincoln Community Foundation. The event has raised $41 million over the first 10 years, with the possibility of reaching the $50 million mark this year.
Give to Lincoln Day is expected to break last year's record of $8 million raised.
How to donate Online: GivetoLincoln.com
In-person: Locations across Lincoln on Thursday.
* Lincoln Community Foundation, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
* Tower Square, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
* West Gate Bank branches, hours vary
Donations will be accepted online until 11:59 p.m. on Thursday. Donors can choose specific charities to designate gifts to or choose to help them all. The full list of organizations is available at GiveToLincoln.com .
Each donation made will qualify for a portion of a $500,000 match fund sponsored by the Lincoln Community Foundation, presenting sponsor West Gate Bank and other businesses.
Through Thursday, donations can be dropped off at the Lincoln Community Foundation from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., any West Gate Bank in Lincoln until 6 p.m. or during a community festival planned at Tower Square on the day of the event. Checks should be made to the Lincoln Community Foundation with the selected charity written in the memo line.
Donations can be tracked on the website throughout the day on Thursday.
Alec Gorynski, president and CEO at Lincoln Community Foundation.
COURTESY PHOTO BY KELLY BURKEN
“Give to Lincoln Day is really special because it’s that one moment in time in this city where everyone comes together and says let's raise money and give to the causes that matter most to us," Gorynski said. "We’re part of something special, and we can recognize it and celebrate it together”
The Tower Square Festival will return for the first time in two years on Thursday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 13th and P streets.
Around 70 of the registered organizations will be present to offer activities and information about their missions.
“It’ll be a place where we can gather together and celebrate this really generous community we live in," Gorynski said.
Top Journal Star photos for May
Yuliia Iziumova (left) hugs her mother Oksana Iziumova Wednesday, May 18, 2022, at the Lincoln Airport. It was the first time they'd been together in more than three years. JAIDEN TRIPI, Journal Star
JAIDEN TRIPI Journal Star
Lincoln High's Javon Leuty celebrates his win in the Class A boys 110-meter hurdles Thursday, May 19, 2022, at Omaha Burke Stadium. JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star
JUSTIN WAN Journal Star
Fans run to catch a foul ball during a baseball game between Nebraska and Michigan State on Thursday, May 19, 2022, at Haymarket Park. JAIDEN TRIPI, Journal Star
JAIDEN TRIPI Journal Star
Lincoln High's Landon Kruse competes in the wheelchair Class A boys 800-meter race at the state track and field meet Thursday, May 19, 2022, at Omaha Burke Stadium. GWYNETH ROBERTS, Journal Star
GWYNETH ROBERTS Journal Star
Elkhorn North celebrates on the field after defeating Waverly in the Class B baseball championship game Friday, May 20, 2022, at Tal Anderson Field in Omaha. KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
KENNETH FERRIERA Journal Star
Autumn LaDeaux-Baxter (left) ties poles together while saying a prayer as leaders of the Niskíthe prayer group work to assemble a tipi during a protest outside City Hall on Wednesday, May 18, 2022. The group wants legal protections of a Native sweat lodge, which is on about 2 acres of private land surrounded by Wilderness Park and across the street from the planned Wilderness Crossing development near First Street and Pioneers Boulevard. KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
KENNETH FERRIERA Journal Star
Fremont's Braden Taylor celebrates winning the Class A boys 3,200-meter relay at the state track and field meet Wednesday, May 18, 202, at Omaha Burke Stadium. GWYNETH ROBERTS, Journal Star
GWYNETH ROBERTS Journal Star
Lincoln Public Schools Superintendent Steve Joel plays a game of spike ball with eighth graders Hayden Tenopir (left) and Drew Van Dyke on Tuesday, May 17, 2022, at Mickle Middle School. JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star
JUSTIN WAN Journal Star
Nebraska’s Jackson Brockett pitches against a Michigan State batter Thursday, May 19, 2022, at Haymarket Park. JAIDEN TRIPI, Journal Star
JAIDEN TRIPI Journal Star
Josh Vinson Jr. runs with a pool noodle during the second annual Josh Fight Saturday, May 21, 2022, at Bowling Lake Park. Vinson Jr. remains the reigning champion, winning the crown for a second year. JAIDEN TRIPI, Journal Star
JAIDEN TRIPI Journal Star
Lincoln Southwest's Jaida Rowe carries the team trophy after Southwest won the Class A girls team race at the state track and field meet Thursday, May 19, 2022, at Omaha Burke Stadium. JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star
JUSTIN WAN Journal Star
Millard West's Dylan Driessen collides into Millard South's Camden Kozeal while stealing second base in the first inning during the Class A championship, Thursday, May 19, 2022, at Tal Anderson Field in Omaha. KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
KENNETH FERRIERA Journal Star
Bloomfield's Alexandra Eisenhauer (left) reacts after finishing ahead of North Platte's Hayley Miles in the Class D girls 100-meter dash at the state track and field meet on Saturday, May 21, 2022, at Omaha Burke Stadium. KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
KENNETH FERRIERA Journal Star
Teacher Maria Ramos pours milk as children aged 18 months to 3 years eat lunch at The Children's Place child care center Tuesday, May 17, 2022. According to a report from the Buffett Early Childhood Institute, 87% of providers received some kind of COVID-19 relief funding in the last year. GWYNETH ROBERTS, Journal Star
GWYNETH ROBERTS Journal Star
Lincoln East's Garrett Springer celebrates after hitting a double against Millard West during a Class A state baseball game Thursday, May 19, 2022, at Tal Anderson Field in Omaha. KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
KENNETH FERRIERA Journal Star
Photographer Michael Farrell gets ready to take a group photo as members prepare to tear down the Niskíthe Prayer Camp on Wednesday, May 18, 2022. JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star
JUSTIN WAN Journal Star
Lincoln East's Belinda Rademacher reacts after defeating Lincoln Southeast's Camilla Ibrahimova (not pictured) in the No. 1 singles championship at the Class A girls state tennis meet Friday, May 20, 2022, at Koch Tennis Center in Omaha. KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
KENNETH FERRIERA Journal Star
The boys Class B 3,200-meter race enters its third lap at the state track and field meet Wednesday, May 18, 2022, at Omaha Burke Stadium. KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
KENNETH FERRIERA Journal Star
Bishop Neumann's Kamdyn Swartz reacts after winning the Class C boys 300-meter hurdles during the state track and field meet, Saturday, May 21, 2022, at Omaha Burke Stadium. Journal Star
KENNETH FERRIERA Journal Star
Axtell's Calvin Johnson (left) looks as he passes Falls City Sacred Heart's Jakob Jordan to win the Class D boys 3,200-meter relay at the state track and field meet Friday, May 20, 2022, at Omaha Burke Stadium. JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star
JUSTIN WAN Journal Star
Part of Reception and Treatment Center's expansion project includes 384 new beds seen on Wednesday, May 18, 2022. JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star
JUSTIN WAN Journal Star
Lincoln Southeast’s Corynne Olsen (2) (from left) Maggie Hayes (0) and Sidney Wettlaufer (21) hold each other after placing second in the girls Class A state championship game Monday, May 16, 2022, between Lincoln Southeast and Gretna at Morrison Stadium. JAIDEN TRIPI, Journal Star
JAIDEN TRIPI Journal Star
Omaha Skutt Catholic celebrates their state championship win over Norris in the girls class B state championship game on Monday, May 16, 2022, at Morrison Stadium. JAIDEN TRIPI, Journal Star
JAIDEN TRIPI Journal Star
Nebraska softball players take a selfie during the Nebraska women’s softball watch party of the NCAA tournament selection show on Sunday, May 15, 2022, at Bowlin Stadium. JAIDEN TRIPI, Journal Star
JAIDEN TRIPI Journal Star
Lincoln’s Hunter Clanin (14) misses the diving catch during a game on Sunday, May 15, 2022, between Sioux Falls and Lincoln Saltdogs at Haymarket Park. JAIDEN TRIPI, Journal Star
JAIDEN TRIPI Journal Star
Omaha Skutt Catholic's Dylan Toth (right) reacts to a Skutt goal as Waverly’s Austin Neddenriep watches the ball hit the back of the net during the Class B boys state soccer semifinals game on Saturday, May 14, 2022, at Morrison Stadium. JAIDEN TRIPI, Journal Star
JAIDEN TRIPI Journal Star
Waverly's Eli Russell (second right) and Wyatt Fanning (second right) leap on to pitcher Payton Engle (first left) as they celebrate with their team after an upset win over Norris during a boys Class B first-round game at Warner Park on Saturday, May 14, 2022, in Papillion. KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
KENNETH FERRIERA Journal Star
Norris base runner Kale Fountain celebrates as he reaches home plate to score in the fourth inning against Waverly during a boys Class B first-round game at Warner Park on Saturday, May 14, 2022, in Papillion. KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
KENNETH FERRIERA Journal Star
Soon-to-be graduates walk through Creighton's campus outside of a girls class A semifinal game at Morrison Stadium on Friday, May 13, 2022, in Omaha. KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
KENNETH FERRIERA Journal Star
A bicyclist rides toward downtown on the 13th Street bike lane on Friday, May 13, 2022. GWYNETH ROBERTS, Journal Star
GWYNETH ROBERTS, Journal Star
Goldenrod Pastries owner Angela Garbacz (left) talks with Molly Ebbers of Lincoln on Thursday, May 12, 2022. JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star
JUSTIN WAN Journal Star
Dee and Ronald Baddorf (from left) scratch Lucy, their mini-pig, Tuesday, May 10, 2022. The Baddorfs are hoping the Lincoln City Council will approve a waiver so they can keep Lucy at their Lincoln home. JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star
JUSTIN WAN Journal Star
Lincoln Southwest’s Alex Kosmicki (23) dribbles to the goal as Papillion-La Vista South’s Jenasy Schultz (1) goes for the save during the girls A-4 district championship game Tuesday, May 3, 2022, at Seacrest Field. JAIDEN TRIPI, Journal Star
JAIDEN TRIPI Journal Star
The Husker dugout erupts in cheers as Sydney Gray (bottom) reaches home plate after scoring the second solo home run of the fifth inning against Indiana, Sunday, May 8, 2022, at Bowlin Stadium. KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
KENNETH FERRIERA Journal Star
Exterior of a Ford TRIPI-Motor 5-AT, seen on Thursday, May 5, 2022. JAIDEN TRIPI, Journal Star
JAIDEN TRIPI Journal Star
The Omaha Bryan boys soccer team celebrates its District A-7 boys championship win over Lincoln Southeast, Thursday, May 5, 2022, at Omaha Bryan High School. JAIDEN TRIPI, Journal Star
JAIDEN TRIPI Journal Star
Runners make their way through the final stretch of the 2022 Lincoln Marathon Sunday, May 1, 2022. JAIDEN TRIPI, Journal Star
JAIDEN TRIPI Journal Star
Lincoln Southwest players celebrate the goal by Jillian Lane (third from left) with Lincoln East's Page Monson reacting in the background during the second half of a Class A girls state soccer first-round match, Monday, May 9, 2022, at Morrison Stadium in Omaha. JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star
JUSTIN WAN Journal Star
Lincoln East's Jesse Chartier (left) embraces with teammate Kayma Carpenter after losing to Lincoln Southwest in a Class A girls state soccer first-round match, Monday, May 9, 2022, at Morrison Stadium in Omaha.
JUSTIN WAN Journal Star
Supporters of Donald Trump blow kisses, give cheers and vie for position as Trump takes the stage during a Trump rally for Charles Herbster at the I-80 Speedway on Sunday, May 1, 2022, near Greenwood. KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
KENNETH FERRIERA Journal Star
Lincoln Southeast's Lilly Talley (left) and doubles partner Lily Rippeteau celebrate a point in the No. 2 doubles finals of the Heartland Athletic Conference Tournament on Wednesday, May 11, 2022, at Woods Tennis Center. GWYNETH ROBERTS, Journal Star
GWYNETH ROBERTS Journal Star
Lincoln East's Elijah Jobst (8) blocks a shot by Lincoln Southwest's Lane Kruse (16) during a Class A boys state soccer first-round match Tuesday, May 10, 2022, at Morrison Stadium in Omaha. GWYNETH ROBERTS, Journal Star
GWYNETH ROBERTS Journal Star
Juju Tyner (center, in green) holds a sign in support of Roe vs. Wade as she joined others in a pro-abortion rights rally on Tuesday, May 3, 2022, on the north steps of the Capitol. GWYNETH ROBERTS, Journal Star
GWYNETH ROBERTS Journal Star
Midland’s Matt Ross dives but misses the ball hit by a Doane hitter during a GPAC Tournament game Friday, May 6, 2022, in Crete. JAIDEN TRIPI, Journal Star
JAIDEN TRIPI Journal Star
A crowd of supporters cheer on Jim Pillen as he takes the stage during an election night party at the Embassy Suites, Tuesday, May 10, 2022, in Lincoln. KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
KENNETH FERRIERA Journal Star
Tim Brox fills out his voting ballot at the Redeemer Lutheran Church offices, Tuesday, May 10, 2022, in Lincoln. KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
KENNETH FERRIERA Journal Star
Lincoln East players celebrate as they see the district championship plaque after defeating Omaha Westside during the District A-4 baseball final at Den Hartog Field, Saturday, May 7, 2022. KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
KENNETH FERRIERA Journal Star
Lincoln East’s Paige Poppe (13) and Columbus’ Liberty Larsen battle to head the ball during the girls A-5 district championship game, Tuesday, May 3, 2022, at Seacrest Field. JAIDEN TRIPI, Journal Star
JAIDEN TRIPI Journal Star
Crete players celebrate after a goal in the 20th minute by Osvin Garcia Velasquez (second from left) during the B-5 district championship Saturday, May 7, 2022, in Waverly. KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
KENNETH FERRIERA Journal Star
Reach the writer at 402-473-2657 or jebbers@journalstar.com
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https://journalstar.com/news/local/record-number-of-nonprofits-registered-for-give-to-lincoln-day/article_8fbb244b-1018-55bb-9798-74b57fa1541e.html
| 2022-05-24T23:32:50
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https://journalstar.com/news/local/record-number-of-nonprofits-registered-for-give-to-lincoln-day/article_8fbb244b-1018-55bb-9798-74b57fa1541e.html
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BALTIMORE — A Maryland man has pleaded guilty to making threats against the National Security Agency and its employees, prosecutors said Tuesday.
U.S. District Judge Stephanie A. Gallagher sentenced Conlon to six months of home detention as part of three years’ probation.
Authorities said the FBI identified Conlon early last year as the person behind threats called into an FBI tipline to blow up the NSA and shoot government employees. According to the plea, the FBI traced a threatening call from last Dec. 29 to Conlon, in which the caller discussed a plot to blow up NSA headquarters and shoot NSA workers.
Officials said another caller to the tipline two days later threatened the White House and that the call also was traced to Conlon.
When Conlon was arrested, he acknowledged he might have made the threatening communications which, in fact, he had, according to the plea documents. Conlon sent the communications with the intent to threaten NSA employees, or with the knowledge that the communications would be viewed as a threat, according to the plea.
The NSA headquarters office is based at Fort Meade.
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https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/maryland-man-pleads-guilty-to-threats-to-nsa-and-nsa-workers/2022/05/24/4874e194-dbb7-11ec-bc35-a91d0a94923b_story.html
| 2022-05-24T23:38:36
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https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/maryland-man-pleads-guilty-to-threats-to-nsa-and-nsa-workers/2022/05/24/4874e194-dbb7-11ec-bc35-a91d0a94923b_story.html
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ALEXANDRIA, Va. — A Virginia high school student died on Tuesday when he was stabbed in the midst of a large fight at a shopping center, police said.
As officers attempted to control the group, they found the student, who died after he was taken to a local hospital, police said.
Investigators are looking at surveillance video and interviewing witnesses to the fight, police said. Alexandria City High School put its King Street and Minnie Howard campuses on a “secure the building” status due to the stabbing, and school officials staggered afternoon dismissal so that students would leave in smaller groups led by staff.
Police do not have a suspect in custody. The shopping center is a popular lunch spot for students from the high school. Last September, a teen was shot near the same McDonald’s.
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https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/police-say-virginia-high-school-student-stabbed-to-death/2022/05/24/a36e1eb8-dbb1-11ec-bc35-a91d0a94923b_story.html
| 2022-05-24T23:38:42
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https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/police-say-virginia-high-school-student-stabbed-to-death/2022/05/24/a36e1eb8-dbb1-11ec-bc35-a91d0a94923b_story.html
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MEADOWVIEW, Va. (WJHL) — Authorities say two people were killed in a crash Tuesday evening on Interstate 81 in Washington County, Virginia.
According to the Virginia State Police, the crash happened around 4:35 p.m. on northbound Interstate 81 near mile marker 24.
The VSP said two vehicles were involved in the crash, both of which caught fire.
The crash remains under investigation.
According to VDOT, all northbound lanes remain closed and traffic is being detoured off at Exit 22.
This is a developing story. Look for updates on WJHL.com.
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https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/vsp-2-killed-in-i-81-crash-in-washington-county-va/
| 2022-05-24T23:40:37
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https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/vsp-2-killed-in-i-81-crash-in-washington-county-va/
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Taylors pastor named in report on Southern Baptist sexual abuse handling
Frank Page, pastor of Pebble Creek Baptist in Taylors and a former president of the Southern Baptist Convention, is named throughout a major report that criticizes the denomination's handling of sexual abuse allegations including during his tenure as the denomination's leader.
One Southern Baptist Convention staff member told investigators about hearing Page make critical comments about Christa Brown, a victim of sexual abuse and advocate. Page told the investigators he regretted some of those words, according to a 288-page report released over the weekend by Guideposts, which was commissioned by the convention to investigate the SBC's sexual abuse response.
Page told The Greenville News on Tuesday that he never made such comments.
"I never spoke ill of any victim," he said. "They were met with great respect."
Brown, who said the report's release could change the denomination as much as the 2004 John Jay report changed the Catholic Church, said she received hate mail and violent threats, which she blamed on the Executive Committee.
"(She) recounted that almost every SBC survivor she’s ever talked with – and there have been many – has said that the effort to report an abusive pastor caused even greater trauma than the sexual abuse itself," according to the report.
Page is accused in the report of hearing victims' stories and taking little to no action on their requests, whether for protections against future abuse or forums where other Baptists could share stories of abuse.
Page, who no longer has a leadership role with the convention, said the path forward should be what he has long sought: Local churches taking responsibility and reporting to law enforcement with state and regional Baptist associations taking a stronger role in monitoring allegations to prevent potential abusers from moving from one church to another.
"Every pastor, including myself, decries and hurts over any true abuse or molestation," he said.
'Ignored, disbelieved':Southern Baptist Convention sexual abuse report details cover up, decades of inaction
For years, Page was one of three people in the SBC's leadership who would hear survivor calls, according to staffers who spoke to investigators.
Southern Baptist is the largest denomination in South Carolina, accounting for one in seven worshipers nationally and a higher proportion in the state where there are more than 2,100 Southern Baptist churches, many but not all affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention.
Upstate megachurches:What are the biggest churches in the Upstate? Here's a look at the megachurches
Page served as president of the Southern Baptist Convention from 2006 to 2008 and president of the convention's Executive Committee from 2010 to 2018. The executive committee acts on behalf of the full convention when it is not in session.
It was later revealed Page was ousted following an extra-marital affair with a church staffer. He was previously pastor of First Baptist in Taylors and for several years has led Pebble Creek Baptist Church in Taylors as lead pastor.
Related:Top Southern Baptist leader finds new church after resigning over inappropriate relationship
More:Southern Baptist churches are dropping Southern identity as SC churches consider change
The report from Guidepost Solutions, an investigative firm, was explosive and implicated some SBC leaders in ways that surprised many. The report followed a months-long investigation that an overwhelming majority of Southern Baptist voting delegates authorized at the convention's annual meeting in June 2021 in Nashville.
Here are some key takeaways from the report and its release
The report, released on May 22, exposed a pattern of SBC leaders ignoring reports of abuse at Southern Baptist churches and dismissing survivors' recommendations for reform.
Often, the legal counsel for the Nashville-based SBC and the SBC Executive Committee that acts on behalf of the full convention when it is not in session advised leaders to do nothing due to concerns of legal liability, the report said. The report also:
- Revealed that high-ranking staff maintained a list with hundreds of names of ministers accused of sexual misconduct for 10 years, but did nothing with that list. At one point, the list had 703 names. Meanwhile, those same leaders told survivors that proposals for a clergy abuse database violated the convention's governance structure.
- Detailed a credible allegation of sexual assault against former SBC president Johnny Hunt a month after his term ended in 2010. Hunt denied the allegation in a statement Sunday night.
- Showed that many SBC leadership mocked or slandered abuse survivors behind survivors' backs over email.
The Guideposts report points to his departure as an example of the secretive and protective nature of the Executive Committee of the denomination, several of those who worked closely with him were kept "in the dark," according to the report. Several staffers told investigators it was typical of the Executive Committee to prioritize the reputation of the convention.
SBC sexual abuse report:What the Southern Baptist Convention sexual abuse report says about its leaders and other key findings
The report says staffers were not trained or guided in how to handle sexual abuse reports.
In public speeches and writings, Page has spoken about some abuse claims:
"I am thankful that any attention to this issue brings a heightened level of awareness on the part of our churches and people. However, please realize that there are groups who claim to be one thing when in reality they are another. It would be great if the many groups who are claiming to be groups of advocacy and encouragement in ministry were that which they claim. Please be aware that there are groups that are nothing more than opportunistic persons who are seeking to raise opportunities for personal gain." - Frank Page, writing a Point of View article in the Florida Baptist Witness in response to a 20/20 program on Baptist sexual abuse.
According to the report: Page accused a survivor group of having a hidden agenda of setting up the nation’s largest Protestant body for lawsuits. Years later, SNAP called on Mr. Page to apologize for denigrating their motives and to reconsider the feasibility of an offender database. Mr. Page declined to apologize, noting that his statement “was addressed to opportunists rather than to suffering victims — a group for which I have great compassion.”
Page told abuse survivors there was little he could do to help.
A tenet of the Baptist faith is that individual churches retain autonomy, so while the denomination may shape the church and its worship, Baptist churches retain their independence from centralization.
In 2006, Page told a survivor's group that he would pass along the possibility of informing church members of abusers since the convention had no means of enforcing stronger actions.
He said in a letter to the group that "on more than one occasion, the churches I have pastored have had to deal with abusive situations. Fortunately, that has not involved ministers but has involved elected leaders and others. In each case, we have acted decisively and quickly to deal with these situations. However, with all that being said I do realize the importance of your concern. The possibility of providing some kind of "informing" may be possible. I simply do not know. However, please know I will not ignore this request."
Page said he lacked authority over Baptist churches and was powerless to do more than urge them to behave properly, according to the report.
Liam Adams of The Tennessean contributed to this report.
Mike Ellis lives in Powdersville and tells South Carolina stories with a focus on Anderson County and Pickens County along with faith and investigations. He's always looking for the next story that people need to read, please send any tips or feedback to mellis@gannett.com
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https://www.greenvilleonline.com/story/news/local/2022/05/24/taylors-pastor-frank-page-named-report-on-southern-baptist-convention-sexual-abuse-scandal/9912216002/
| 2022-05-24T23:41:18
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https://www.greenvilleonline.com/story/news/local/2022/05/24/taylors-pastor-frank-page-named-report-on-southern-baptist-convention-sexual-abuse-scandal/9912216002/
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/local/14-children-1-teacher-killed-in-texas-school-shooting/3704025/
| 2022-05-24T23:42:32
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/local/14-children-1-teacher-killed-in-texas-school-shooting/3704025/
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Preventive maintenance of outdoor warning sirens in Bismarck will be conducted Wednesday.
Individual sirens might be sounded briefly throughout the day, for about 10-15 seconds. The public should not be alarmed, according to the city.
If there were an emergency, all sirens would be sounded simultaneously for three minutes, similar to the monthly test.
For more information on the outdoor warning system, go to https://www.bismarcknd.gov/495/EmergencyManagement.
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https://bismarcktribune.com/news/local/bismarck/bismarck-outdoor-warning-sirens-to-be-tested/article_00f526ae-dbac-11ec-b8db-93a7639d0ce4.html
| 2022-05-24T23:50:45
| 1
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https://bismarcktribune.com/news/local/bismarck/bismarck-outdoor-warning-sirens-to-be-tested/article_00f526ae-dbac-11ec-b8db-93a7639d0ce4.html
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A Parshall woman accused of allowing an infant in her care to starve to death two years ago has been sentenced to five years in prison.
Paige Howling Wolf, 27, in December entered into a plea agreement on charges of involuntary manslaughter and three counts of child neglect.
Law enforcement and medical personnel in June 2020 responded to a call of an unresponsive infant at a Parshall residence. An autopsy showed the child died from chronic starvation, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Four other children -- three of whom authorities said had methamphetamine in their systems -- were taken from Howling Wolf’s care. She was indicted by a federal grand jury in October 2020.
U.S. District Judge Daniel Hovland in addition to prison time ordered Howling Wolf to spend three years on supervised release, court documents show. Hovland handed down the five-year sentence on the involuntary manslaughter charge and four-year sentences on each of the child neglect counts. Howling Wolf will serve all of the sentences at the same time.
People are also reading…
The judge further ordered Howling Wolf to pay $4,000 in restitution on each of the four counts, court records show.
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https://bismarcktribune.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/parshall-woman-sentenced-to-5-years-in-prison-in-infant-starvation-death/article_3d4ebacc-db7d-11ec-8640-3fda093078e3.html
| 2022-05-24T23:50:51
| 0
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https://bismarcktribune.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/parshall-woman-sentenced-to-5-years-in-prison-in-infant-starvation-death/article_3d4ebacc-db7d-11ec-8640-3fda093078e3.html
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The North Dakota State High School Track and Field Meet at the MDU Resources Community Bowl later this week is expected to draw thousands of people and cause some traffic congestion in Bismarck.
About 1,500 Class A and Class B boys and girls athletes are scheduled to compete Thursday through Saturday, according to North Dakota High School Activities Association spokesman Tom Mix.
The Bismarck-Mandan Convention and Visitors Bureau expects the event to bring a total of 7,500 people to the capital city.
"We anticipate the attendees at this tournament will spend around $725,000 in our community while they are here," bureau CEO Sheri Grossman said.
Traffic congestion is expected near Interstate 94's Exit 157, in the area of the Community Bowl, and some street closures are planned on the nearby Bismarck State College campus.
The North Dakota Highway Patrol and the state Transportation Department are advising motorists to expect heavy traffic flow in the Exit 157 area Thursday through Saturday.
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Specific times of concern will be from 3-5 p.m. Thursday for the parade of athletes, and from 8-9 a.m. Friday. Drivers might experience stopped traffic, slow-moving vehicles and several buses transporting athletes to the track meet. Motorists are urged to allow extra travel time and and to use alternative routes if possible.
At the BSC campus, starting at 9 a.m. Wednesday, Edwards Avenue will be closed to through traffic west of Schafer Street. Access to campus buildings will be maintained. Canary Avenue west of the Community Bowl parking lot access also will be closed to through traffic. No detours will be in place. The closures will remain until late Saturday afternoon. Motorists are asked to use alternate routes.
Other disruptions
Separately, city officials have delayed the planned closure of Front Avenue between the Seventh Street and Ninth Street one-ways until after Memorial Day weekend. The closure had been set to begin Tuesday, as workers install a new water main. The closure is expected to be in place for two weeks. No detour will be in place.
West Main Avenue westbound traffic lanes will be reduced to one lane and then detoured into the eastbound traffic lane starting at 9 a.m. Thursday, while a contractor installs bird netting under the railroad structure. When work in the westbound lanes has been completed, traffic will be switched to head-to-head in the westbound lanes. Lake Street will be closed to traffic. The Rosser Avenue westbound on ramp and the eastbound Rosser off ramp will be closed. Work will continue into late evening.
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https://bismarcktribune.com/news/local/state-track-and-field-meet-to-bring-thousands-impact-bismarck-area-traffic/article_2e286c2e-db90-11ec-ac0d-33758118ac21.html
| 2022-05-24T23:50:58
| 1
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https://bismarcktribune.com/news/local/state-track-and-field-meet-to-bring-thousands-impact-bismarck-area-traffic/article_2e286c2e-db90-11ec-ac0d-33758118ac21.html
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PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Authorities said one man is in custody after a hostage situation on a MAX train on Mt. Hood Avenue and Cascades Parkway near Portland International Airport.
According to the Portland Police Bureau, the Special Emergency Response Team also responded to the scene.
TriMet announced MAX Red Line Service has been disrupted, however, shuttle buses are available between Gateway Transit Center to Portland International Airport. There is no shuttle bus service to Mt. Hood Avenue.
This is a developing story.
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https://www.koin.com/local/multnomah-county/police-respond-to-max-near-portland-international-airport/
| 2022-05-24T23:59:10
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https://www.koin.com/local/multnomah-county/police-respond-to-max-near-portland-international-airport/
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https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/sky-high-housing-costs-in-philadelphia-area/3250165/
| 2022-05-24T23:59:58
| 1
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https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/sky-high-housing-costs-in-philadelphia-area/3250165/
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SAN ANTONIO — Several victims in Tuesday's mass shooting at a Uvalde elementary school continue to battle their injuries at medical facilities, and at least two blood drives have been announced for community members looking to donate.
The University Health system, based out of San Antonio, says its donor rooms have availability for the next several days. More information can be found here.
The region's primary blood bank, the South Texas Blood and Tissue Center, has also organized a blood drive for Wednesday at Uvalde's Herby Ham Activity Center (248 FM Road 3447). Walk-ins are welcome, STBTC says, and interested donors can also make an appointment ahead of time here.
At least 15 people died in the shooting, including 14 children and one teacher, according to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. Uvalde Consolidated ISD authorities said the suspect, an 18-year-old man, was also deceased.
This story will be updated with other donation opportunities as they are announced.
---
Learn more about KENS 5:
Since going on the air in 1950, KENS 5 has strived to be the best, most trusted news and entertainment source for generations of San Antonians.
KENS 5 has brought numerous firsts to South Texas television, including being the first local station with a helicopter, the first with its own Doppler radar and the first to air a local morning news program.
Over the years, KENS 5 has worked to transform local news. Our cameras have been the lens bringing history into local viewers' homes. We're proud of our legacy as we serve San Antonians today.
Today, KENS 5 continues to set the standard in local broadcasting and is recognized by its peers for excellence and innovation. The KENS 5 News team focuses on stories that really matter to our community.
You can find KENS 5 in more places than ever before, including KENS5.com, the KENS 5 app, the KENS 5 YouTube channel, KENS 5's Roku and Fire TV apps, and across social media on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and more!
Want to get in touch with someone at KENS 5? You can send a message using our Contacts page or email one of our team members.
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https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/texas/uvalde-texas-elementary-shooting-how-to-help-blood-drive/273-3e5e38c6-4fd4-4474-8088-86946fbb706a
| 2022-05-25T00:11:20
| 0
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https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/texas/uvalde-texas-elementary-shooting-how-to-help-blood-drive/273-3e5e38c6-4fd4-4474-8088-86946fbb706a
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FOLSOM, Calif. — It's time to put on your cowboy boots and start buying everything red, white, and blue because the Folsom Pro Rodeo is returning for its 61st annual event.
The Folsom Pro Rodeo features nightly fireworks, the Flying Cowboys Motorcross, the infamous American Flag Skydiver and fair food for all to enjoy.
This family-friendly summer tradition, celebrating patriotism in the United States and the Folsom community, will be held July 1-3 at the Dan Russell Rodeo Arena.
"We appreciate all our loyal fans and ticket buyers as many of you have made the Folsom Pro Rodeo an annual tradition to share with your families," Joe Gagliardi, the CEO for the Greater Folsom Partnership, said. "Thank you for your ongoing support and we look forward to welcoming you back."
General admission tickets are on sale starting at $29 on the Folsom Pro Rodeo website. Groups of four can purchase a family pack of four tickets for $99.
Choose Folsom encourages those interested in the event to visit the Folsom Pro Rodeo Facebook for event updates.
Read more from ABC10:
- Folsom resident raises money to buy coworker a car after learning about his financial struggles
- 'I saw one and was ready to grab the flame thrower' | What experts say Folsom residents need to know about cockroaches
- 'We play for Bryce' | Oak Ridge High School teen battles cancer with his teammates on his side
ABC10: Watch, Download, Read
Watch more from ABC10: Oak Ridge High School teen battles cancer with his teammates by his side
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/folsom-orangevale/folsom-pro-rodeo-returns-over-4th-of-july-weekend/103-1c953253-b94b-4b01-ae77-c80dcf91f33f
| 2022-05-25T00:21:32
| 1
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/folsom-orangevale/folsom-pro-rodeo-returns-over-4th-of-july-weekend/103-1c953253-b94b-4b01-ae77-c80dcf91f33f
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ROSEVILLE, Calif. — A West Park High School student was booked into juvenile hall after police in Roseville say they found him with a list of students he potentially wanted to harm. Police said the student had also previously brought a gun to school.
It's unclear when the student reportedly brought a gun to school, but Roseville police said in a Facebook post that they received a report regarding the student on May 21. According to police, the student had both brought a gun to school and identified people to harm.
An investigation was launched, and Roseville police contacted the student along with other students and parents associated with the report.
On Monday, police say they contacted and questioned the student again, searched the student's backpack and found a list that included what they called "a reference of wanting to potentially harm the specified students."
The students and parents associated with the list were contacted, and the involved student was booked into juvenile hall on charges of making criminal threats.
Police say the school and students are safe and that there's no ongoing threat. Due to being a minor, police have not released the student's name.
The incident remains under investigation.
WATCH ALSO:
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/roseville/roseville-student-westpark-high-school/103-e567489e-5ed3-4bf0-846c-074f854a8995
| 2022-05-25T00:21:38
| 1
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/roseville/roseville-student-westpark-high-school/103-e567489e-5ed3-4bf0-846c-074f854a8995
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CARMICHAEL, Calif. — The River City High School student who drowned on the American River Saturday was an Afghan refugee who dreamed of serving the country in the Air Force or working as a police officer, according to his family.
18-year-old Omar Sofizada was swimming near Ancil Hoffman Park in Carmichael during a family reunion when he went out into the water and didn't come back.
The Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District said he was removed from the water in a rescue boat just after 6:30 p.m. Saturday evening. On Sunday, the Sofizada family confirmed to ABC10 that he had died.
Sofizada immigrated to the United States with his siblings from Afghanistan in September, after the withdrawal of U.S. armed forces there. His older brother and parents had moved to the U.S. several years earlier.
"I have never experienced such a pain in my entire life," said older brother Ahmad Sofizada, who traveled to Sacramento from Texas where he currently serves in the Air Force.
The elder Sofizada said his brother was thinking of following his footsteps by joining the Air Force after graduation.
"He always liked to help people. Serve people. That’s what I’m doing right now, serving this country, and that’s what he wanted to do, too," Sofizada said.
More than 100 relatives, neighbors and community members came together in prayer for Sofizada in a Monday night memorial.
"The way that we look at it, the separation from Omar is temporary, because in the afterlife, we will all get back together," said Ahmad Sofizada. "All of our family members will be together, and we’ll meet him again."
WATCH ALSO:
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/sacramento/omar-sofizada-american-river-drowning/103-360bf49e-943e-443e-81f2-b87f5b93fd70
| 2022-05-25T00:21:44
| 1
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/sacramento/omar-sofizada-american-river-drowning/103-360bf49e-943e-443e-81f2-b87f5b93fd70
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SAN ANTONIO — Several victims in Tuesday's mass shooting at a Uvalde elementary school continue to battle their injuries at medical facilities, and at least two blood drives have been announced for community members looking to donate.
The University Health system, based out of San Antonio, says its donor rooms have availability for the next several days. More information can be found here.
The region's primary blood bank, the South Texas Blood and Tissue Center, has also organized a blood drive for Wednesday at Uvalde's Herby Ham Activity Center (248 FM Road 3447). Walk-ins are welcome, STBTC says, and interested donors can also make an appointment ahead of time here.
At least 15 people died in the shooting, including 14 children and one teacher, according to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. Uvalde Consolidated ISD authorities said the suspect, an 18-year-old man, was also deceased.
This story will be updated with other donation opportunities as they are announced.
---
Learn more about KENS 5:
Since going on the air in 1950, KENS 5 has strived to be the best, most trusted news and entertainment source for generations of San Antonians.
KENS 5 has brought numerous firsts to South Texas television, including being the first local station with a helicopter, the first with its own Doppler radar and the first to air a local morning news program.
Over the years, KENS 5 has worked to transform local news. Our cameras have been the lens bringing history into local viewers' homes. We're proud of our legacy as we serve San Antonians today.
Today, KENS 5 continues to set the standard in local broadcasting and is recognized by its peers for excellence and innovation. The KENS 5 News team focuses on stories that really matter to our community.
You can find KENS 5 in more places than ever before, including KENS5.com, the KENS 5 app, the KENS 5 YouTube channel, KENS 5's Roku and Fire TV apps, and across social media on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and more!
Want to get in touch with someone at KENS 5? You can send a message using our Contacts page or email one of our team members.
|
https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/uvalde-texas-elementary-shooting-how-to-help-blood-drive/273-3e5e38c6-4fd4-4474-8088-86946fbb706a
| 2022-05-25T00:21:50
| 1
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/uvalde-texas-elementary-shooting-how-to-help-blood-drive/273-3e5e38c6-4fd4-4474-8088-86946fbb706a
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COLUSA COUNTY, Calif. — Firefighters are responding to the River Fire in Colusa County near the Sacramento River.
At around 4:30, the Colusa County Sheriff's Office said the fire had burned 500 acres with 30% containment.
Deputies say due to the wind direction being unpredictable, "notifications are being made to residents in the area for precaution on the north side of the Sacramento River on the west side of River Road in Colusa." Deputies are "not calling for an evacuation" at this time.
The city of Colusa is asking the community to not travel north on Highway 45 and River Road. The city is also asking the community to avoid the State Park, Levee Park, and Main Street.
The city has created a detour at Bridge Street and Market Street.
Deputies say the Emergency Operations Center will attempt to keep the public updated as more information comes available.
At this time, firefighters are advising residents avoid the outdoors, close any open windows, and bring their pets inside to ensure they remain safe and healthy.
EVACUATIONS:
As of 3:45 p.m., the Colusa County Sheriff's office had not issued any evacuation orders.
STAY INFORMED:
- City of Colusa, California on Facebook
- Colusa County Sheriff's Office on Facebook
- Cal Fire on Twitter
FIRE MAP:
WILDFIRE PREPS
According to Cal Fire, the 2021 fire season started earlier than previous years, but also ended earlier, as well. January 2021 saw just under 1,200 acres burned from nearly 300 wildfires. Fires picked up in the summer when the Dixie Fire burned in five Northern California counties — Butte, Plumas, Shasta, Lassen and Tehama. The Dixie Fire started on July 13 and wasn't contained until Oct. 25, burning nearly 1 million acres. It has since become the second-largest wildfire in state history and the largest non-complex fire.
Overall, 2.5 million acres were burned in 2021 from 8,835 wildfires. Over 3,600 structures were destroyed and 3 people killed.
If you live in a wildfire-prone zone, Cal Fire suggests creating a defensible space around your home. Defensible space is an area around a building in which vegetation and other debris are completely cleared. At least 100 feet is recommended.
The Department of Homeland Security suggests assembling an emergency kit that has important documents, N95 respirator masks, supplies to grab with you if you’re forced to leave at a moment’s notice. The agency also suggests signing up for local warning system notifications and know your community’s evacuation plans best to prepare yourself and your family in cases of wildfires.
Some counties use Nixle alerts to update residents on severe weather, wildfires, and other news. To sign up, visit www.nixle.com or text your zip code to 888777 to start receiving alerts.
PG&E customers can also subscribe to alerts via text, email, or phone call. If you're a PG&E customer, visit the Profile & Alerts section of your account to register.
What questions do you have about the latest wildfires? If you're impacted by the wildfires, what would you like to know? Text the ABC10 team at (916) 321-3310.
Watch more from ABC10: Sacramento County at 'high fire danger' as vegetation dries fast, goats brought in
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/wildfire/colusa-county-fire-near-sacramento-river/103-5cfeea88-91fe-4180-b970-1a2bcbc4ce2d
| 2022-05-25T00:21:56
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/wildfire/colusa-county-fire-near-sacramento-river/103-5cfeea88-91fe-4180-b970-1a2bcbc4ce2d
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Delaware Gov. John Carney on Tuesday vetoed a bill to legalize possession of up to one ounce of marijuana by adults for recreational use, drawing the wrath of fellow Democrats who have fought for years to make weed legal.
In vetoing the measure, Carney reiterated his previously expressed concerns about legalizing recreational pot — concerns that did not dissuade fellow Democrats from pushing the legislation through the General Assembly.
“I recognize the positive effect marijuana can have for people with certain health conditions, and for that reason, I continue to support the medical marijuana industry in Delaware,” Carney said in returning the bill to the state House. “I supported decriminalization of marijuana because I agree that individuals should not be imprisoned solely for the possession and private use of a small amount of marijuana — and today, thanks to Delaware’s decriminalization law, they are not.
“That said, I do not believe that promoting or expanding the use of recreational marijuana is in the best interests of the state of Delaware, especially our young people. Questions about the long-term health and economic impacts of recreational marijuana use, as well as serious law enforcement concerns, remain unresolved.”
Carney’s veto comes just days after legislation to establish a state-run marijuana industry in Delaware failed to clear the state House for a second time. The Democrat-controlled chamber voted 23-15 on Thursday to approve the bill, which fell two votes short of the required supermajority. The proposal requires a three-fifths majority in both the House and Senate because it creates a new tax, consisting of a 15% levy on retail marijuana sales.
Last week’s vote came two months after a similar measure failed in the House on a 23-14 vote, and just hours after Carney’s office received the companion legalization bill. Without legalization, the creation of a state-run pot industry is a moot issue.
It’s unclear whether Democratic lawmakers will try to override Carney’s veto, which would be a rare occurrence. The last time Delaware lawmakers held a vote to override a veto was in 1990. The last time they succeeded was in 1977, when the House and the Senate voted to override then-Gov. Pete du Pont's veto of the state's budget bill.
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Rep. Ed Osienski, a Newark Democrat and chief sponsor of both bills, said in a statement that he was “deeply disappointed” by Carney’s decision and would review his options.
Senate Democrats echoed Osienski's assertion that Carney had chosen to “ignore the will” of Delawareans.
“The members of the Delaware General Assembly have been fighting for years to end the failed war on marijuana and we will not be stopped by this latest setback,” read a statement from chief Senate sponsor Trey Paradee and Senate president Dave Sokola.
Betsy Maron, chairwoman of the Delaware Democratic Party, said she was confident that lawmakers could trump Carney's veto and make legalization a reality.
“Last year, we went as far as to include it in our party platform, which passed unanimously at the 2021 state convention,” Maron said in a statement. "Delaware’s voters have further solidified their voice on the matter by electing Democratic candidates to the legislature that support legalization. We are confident those legislators will override the veto knowing they have the support of Delaware’s Democrats.”
Osienski carved the legalization and industry-creation proposals into two separate bills in late March after the House rejected broader legislation that sought to do both. That cleared the way for passage of the legalization bill, which did not include any tax provision and thus required only a simple majority.
The legalization bill cleared the Democrat-controlled Senate with no Republican support. Sen. Bruce Ennis of Smyrna was the only Democrat joining GOP lawmakers in opposition. Two Democrats, including Speaker Pete Schwartzkopf, voted against the l egalization bill in the House, along with 12 of the 15 GOP representatives. Ennis and Schwartzkopf are both retired state troopers.
Supporters of a state-run marijuana industry argue that it would create jobs, boost state coffers and shrink the illegal black market.
Opponents contend that legalization and a state-licensed cultivation and sales would lead to increased marijuana use among teens and young adults, expose business owners to liability, and result in more traffic deaths and injuries. They also say establishing a state-run market with a 15% tax on retail sales would do little to eliminate illegal sales.
The Associated Press reported earlier this year t hat legalization had done little to discourage black market sales in California, and that some licensees there are simultaneously participating in the black market in order to make a profit. California’s governor has now proposed a temporary tax cut for the marijuana industry to help struggling businesses.
Currently, recreational marijuana use is permitted in 18 states and the District of Columbia.
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https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/delaware-gov-john-carney-vetoes-marijuana-legalization-bill/3249599/
| 2022-05-25T00:30:41
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https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/delaware-gov-john-carney-vetoes-marijuana-legalization-bill/3249599/
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https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/delaware-governor-vetoes-bill-legalizing-recreational-marijuana/3250230/
| 2022-05-25T00:30:47
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https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/delaware-governor-vetoes-bill-legalizing-recreational-marijuana/3250230/
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Huntington, WV (WOWK) – An annual fundraising event is returning to Huntington this weekend.
The BrewGrass Festival 2022 is set to take place Saturday, May 28, from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. at 210 11th Street in the Historical Heritage Station in Huntington. The event was originally created by Ray Frye, the owner of Taps at Heritage, and continues to be put on by Taps Heritage and a team of volunteers each year.
Festival organizers say the event raises money for the West Virginia Veteran’s Home in Barboursville, and also for the community of Huntington by attracting attendees to the area.
Bands from the Tri-State performing at the festival include Cutler Station, Long Story, Jason Mays Band, and Drift Mouth. The event will also feature local food and merchandise vendors, as well as a wine tent, craft beer and cider.
Tickets for the event are available at eventbrite.com or can be purchased at Taps at Heritage, located at 210 11th Street Suite #9 in Huntington. Organizers remind attendees that they must be 21 years of age or older to consume alcoholic beverages at the event.
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https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/brewgrass-festival-returns-to-huntington/
| 2022-05-25T00:37:45
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https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/brewgrass-festival-returns-to-huntington/
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GREENUP COUNTY, KY (WOWK) — It is the moment community members have been waiting for, Flatwoods Officer Tommy Robinson has officially arrived home.
“This type of call any police officer answers countless times, and you just never think that it’s going to happen,” said Allen and Gina Woods, friends of Robinson. “He was so close to death, and if it had gone either way, he would not be here today.”
On Tuesday, dozens of law enforcement officers, first responders and community members gave Officer Robinson a warm welcome while escorting him back home from his rehabilitation center.
“It’s humbling that everybody is standing behind Tommy and wanting to be behind his recovery,” said Flatwoods Chief David Smith.
Officer Robinson was responding to a call about a suspicious person earlier this month when he was shot in the line of duty.
His fellow first responders were there the moment after the shooting happened, and on Tuesday as he made a very special journey home.
“I’m grateful for the community backing us up and thankful for all the officers and firefighters and EMS showing up to support his return home,” said Chief Smith.
Many of those welcoming home their local hero were emotional during his arrival.
“It’s a miracle come true for him to come home,” said the Woods. “To finish his rehab and be supported by his family and friends.”
Officer Robinson’s family and friends said it hasn’t been an easy recovery for him, saying they could not have done it without the support from their community.
“To see him up and able to come home, it’s just unbelievable.” said the Woods. “It was emotional. I couldn’t help but cry. It kind of gives you that lump in your chest kind of feeling. It’s just really nice that everyone comes out to support him.”
As Officer Robinson begins the next phase of his healing chapter, his friends said there is one thing he is really looking forward to.
“He said the one thing he wanted to be able to do again was hold his grandkids again,” said the Woods. “I think he’ll be able to do that.”
Chief Smith said this is just the beginning of welcoming Officer Robinson home, and that more events are planned to help support the officer and his family.
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https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/flatwoods-officer-shot-in-line-of-duty-welcomed-home/
| 2022-05-25T00:37:51
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https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/flatwoods-officer-shot-in-line-of-duty-welcomed-home/
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LEXINGTON, Ky. (FOX 56) – A small-town boy with big dreams who just turned 20 years old, is now the winner of American Idol’s 20th anniversary season.
Noah Thompson won the title on Sunday night. His new single One Day Tonight is already number one on iTunes.
Thompson said it feels surreal.
“I think it is still sinking in, I feel so blessed and great to be home and I get to see my family for a little bit and take this all in, this is a big thing for all of, us not just myself,” Thompson said.
The city of Louisa has shown how proud they are of Thompson, the city is decked out with posters and pictures in support of the star.
“I have not actually gotten out yet, because it is kind of a crazy thing. You know just pulling up, I mean there is pictures everywhere. My face is just all over the place, this support, this town has been amazing and I just love everybody,” Thompson said.
Thompson said anyone who comes from a small city can easily achieve the goals they have set, including dreams as big as American Idol.
“You just need to go and have fun not worry and stress about how everyone feels about you or all of the millions of things that are going to come through your mind do not matter,” Thompson said.
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https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/it-is-still-sinking-in-noah-thompson-talks-american-idol-win/
| 2022-05-25T00:37:57
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https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/it-is-still-sinking-in-noah-thompson-talks-american-idol-win/
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RIO GRANDE, OH (WOWK) – The University of Rio Grande was granted 270 acres of land from the Bob Evans Corporation.
Now, in partnership with The Ohio State University, they are providing new class options to students.
Some of the new courses include animal welfare and behavior, feeding management, and the science of meat quality.
They are hoping these classes will teach students to work on/run their own farm, as well as providing the opportunity for students to acquire other careers like engineering.
Rio Grande officials say it’s time students locally have an opportunity like this.
“There’s not a lot of agricultural opportunities for our students. We have a lot of agriculture throughout the region, so now they have a local option to stay close to home and learn about something they love,” says Ryan Smith, the President of Rio Grande University and Rio Grande Community College.
Bob Evans’ children were in attendance of the announcement ceremony and agreed their dad would have been proud of this partnership.
“Dad worked often with Ohio State. He tapped into the Ohio State Professors often for their knowledge on these items. Sometimes he agreed, sometimes he disagreed. Sometimes he learned, sometimes they learned. They worked together and so this really is about that again, so it’s wonderful and I’m just looking forward to the growth of this program,” explained Evans’ daughter Debbie Donskv.
The universities say they will start the new programs in the fall and look forward to growing them in the semesters following.
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https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/rio-grande-announces-partnership-with-ohio-state/
| 2022-05-25T00:38:03
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https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/rio-grande-announces-partnership-with-ohio-state/
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The speed limit on the Hood River-White Salmon Interstate bridge will be lowered to 15 mph starting on Thursday, May 26.
During their April 19 meeting, the Port of Hood River Board of Commissioners directed staff to implement the speed reduction as one immediate action to help extend the serviceable life of the nearly 100-year-old steel structure until a replacement bridge is constructed. The port’s consulting bridge engineers have advised that two main factors cause accelerated deterioration to the bridge deck — vehicle speed and weight.
Bridge Engineer Harvey Coffman of Coffman Engineers said, “The impact of vehicle wheels pounding on a bridge roadway is a principal factor of increased stress on a bridge. The amount of impact is directly related to how fast the vehicle is moving. Driving slower reduces the wheel pounding and the impact substantially. This can help reduce the structural fatigue and significantly improve the bridge service life, while reducing the need for repairs and maintenance.”
Port crews will install new speed limit signage on the bridge on Wednesday, May 25, including digital radar speed signs. Speed limit on the bridge is enforceable by all local law enforcement entities in Oregon and Washington.
For more information, contact the Port of Hood River via email to porthr@gorge.net.
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https://www.columbiagorgenews.com/hoodriver/news/local/speed-reduced-on-hr-bridge/article_f7650c2c-dbaf-11ec-93aa-a3e862cb7830.html
| 2022-05-25T00:42:02
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https://www.columbiagorgenews.com/hoodriver/news/local/speed-reduced-on-hr-bridge/article_f7650c2c-dbaf-11ec-93aa-a3e862cb7830.html
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For the first time since 2019, summer camps are back in Hood River. The Hood River Vally Parks and Recreation Department (HRVPD) has partnered with the Hood River County School District to take over programming responsibilities for summer camp. Summer Camp Coordinator Delaney Karrels is working to create a fun and engaging experience for the youth of Hood River. With six different “themes” across two sections of camps, Karrels and HRVPRD are hoping to bring a sense of diversity to the week-long camps.
“We want to encourage the campers find something that sparks an interest,” said Karrels.
HRVPRD is hosting camps with themes like mythical creatures camp, where kids will explore dragons, the Loch Ness monster, a phoenix, and other legends of folklore. There will be two science camps, but content will differ. Campers will explore the outdoors and experience different cultures the Gorge has to offer in other sections.
The camp is open to anyone in the Gorge area ages 5-14, or in the grade range of kindergarten to eighth grade. Spots are limited, though. Recreation Supervisor Jaime Rivera said they can only accept a maximum of 50 kids per camp.
Karrels and HRVPD will offer four different themes — each lasting one week starting July 5 — and offer them twice this summer. The first round of camps are scheduled for Mondays through Fridays, 9.a.m. to 3 p.m., with options for additional care before and after the regularly scheduled hours. Visit the HRVPRD website to see more about specific dates and times.
Camps cost anywhere from $315 to $389, but the HRVPD are offering scholarships to families who may not be able to meet that price tag.
Camp leaders are encouraged to apply. Applicants must be at least 16 years of age and available for training beginning June 27. Call the HRVPRD office or email Jaime Rivera at jaime@hoodriverparksandrec.org to begin the application process.
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https://www.columbiagorgenews.com/hoodriver/news/local/summer-camps-return-to-hood-river/article_31e2ab16-dbb0-11ec-8bc5-27c49af98c36.html
| 2022-05-25T00:42:08
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https://www.columbiagorgenews.com/hoodriver/news/local/summer-camps-return-to-hood-river/article_31e2ab16-dbb0-11ec-8bc5-27c49af98c36.html
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A Memorial Day Ceremony will be held at the White Salmon Cemetary
Monday, May 30, 2022 from 12:45 to 2 p.m.
The White Salmon Cemetary is located on Snowden Road, White Salmon.
The event is hosted by American Legion Evan Childs Post 87 and will include a color guard salute and military flyover as a wonderful tribute to our veterans.
Everyone is welcome.
Seating is provided for first 200 guests.
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https://www.columbiagorgenews.com/hoodriver/news/local/white-salmon-hold-memorial-day-events/article_96130ddc-dbb6-11ec-b9b7-8b61c8892685.html
| 2022-05-25T00:42:14
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https://www.columbiagorgenews.com/hoodriver/news/local/white-salmon-hold-memorial-day-events/article_96130ddc-dbb6-11ec-b9b7-8b61c8892685.html
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THE DALLES — The Head Start program in Maupin has temporarily closed due to the loss of its only certified teacher, which has forced the program to adopt a “home-based” model that offers homework and limited classroom time with parents on site, according to Nancey Patten of Child Care Partners.
Child Care Partners, based at Columbia Gorge Community College, provides training and professional development for the early learning and education work force and serves Gilliam, Hood River, Sherman, Wasco and Wheeler counties.
Patten addressed the issue before the Wasco County Board of Commissioners May 18. She said at least one caregiver with a bachelor’s degree is required to run the program, and the certified teacher left the program. The remaining teacher is not certified.
“They can’t reopen until they have a qualified teacher,” Patten said. “Until then, they are working on a home-based model.” Because parents are directly involved and present, a certified teacher is not required for the home-based program.
“They will be back up and running when the have a teacher,” Patton said.
Maupin City Manager Kevin Lewis described the situation as a vicious circle, especially for family-based childcare providers who are making only $12 an hour. “That is terrible,” he said of the low wage opportunity.
“This is more than a business model issue, this is sustaining our future,” he said. Lewis said that as a volunteer Emergency Medical Service first responder (EMS), he has seen a lack of volunteers in the area because young adults leave to find work elsewhere. “We can’t maintain our rural communities, if people don’t stay in our community and volunteer. Infrastructure is no good if we don’t have people staying around,” he said.
Jordan Belozer, a former coordinator with Head Start in Tygh Valley, told the board via Zoom his own experience was exactly as Lewis described. “I had to leave my position once I had kids, because I couldn’t find childcare for my own kids,” said.
Workforce shortage
Finding a new certified teacher for the Maupin Head Start program could take awhile. The Gorge region — like most of the state and nation — is currently facing a critical workforce shortage in childcare.
“The real crisis is the workforce,” Patten explained, noting there are currently 75 to 80 unfilled childcare job openings in the region just among existing programs.
The lack of qualified staff has limited the number of children that can be served in existing programs as well as the number of new providers available in the region.
Substitute teachers are also hard to find, forcing providers to shut down when a staff member is unable to work.
Caregivers at all levels are impacted, she said. “This workforce shortage also impacts ability to find a family-level childcare provider,” she said. “They are self employed, but it’s hard to do, with no health insurance, no retirement ... it’s a home business.”
With the exception of government-funded programs like Head Start, most childcare providers “live under the poverty level,” Patten said. The average wage for home-based childcare is $12 an hour. “They are not getting rich doing this.”
Patten said providers could charge more, but parents can’t afford to pay more. “Childcare costs more than a college education, and parents just can’t afford it,” she said. Over half of the providers in the region are giving families a break, or accepting delayed payment. “But all that effects their bottom line as well.”
In a home care setting, which can handle up to 10 kids of mixed ages, providers charge $4-$5 an hour. “That has to cover wages, food, materials, repair, liability insurance ... the cost of childcare is significantly more than that,” Patten said.
The lack of childcare effects every aspect of a community, Patten said, and solutions were needed everywhere, and especially in the south end of Wasco County, she said.
Funding supports
Patten said the time may be right for changing the childcare picture.
“Everyone is talking about the importance of childcare,” she said. “This is a prime opportunity to support childcare in our communities, raising awareness and building support.
“We need more space,” she added.
Patten noted that during the pandemic, state and federal grants were available to help childcare providers, including reopening grants and stabilization grants.
About 98% of the childcare providers in Wasco County received emergency stabilization grants during the COVID-19 pandemic closures. Grants were also received to help Child Care Partners provide more specialized business training to help support childcare providers with the business skills they need to succeed, Patten said.
Nevertheless, 18 providers have closed in the county in the past few years, five due to the pandemic. Others closed due to retirement, health issues, moving, changing careers, doing foster care or providing care for family members.
Barriers
In addition to workforce issues, Wasco County has additional barriers to expanding childcare services, chief among them the total lack of usable, publicly accessible space in which to house a care center.
“No usable space currently exists” in the county, Patten said. “The empty buildings we have aren’t appropriate.” In addition, there is a lack of funding for remodeling and getting such a facility up and running.
“It’s going to take a community effort to support a new childcare center in our region,” Patten told the Wasco County board. “We only have specific criteria childcare centers (like Head Start). The only other options (in the county) are family childcare centers.”
Regionally, some private childcare providers are finding success, Patten noted. “Some programs are doing very well, but they are serving our upper-income families and charge more,” she explained.
In Hood River County, for example, there are more large family-certified childcare homes. “There has been a lot of work done over the past couple of years,” Patten said. “Some large operations have closed, but another provider has stepped in and that has really helped.”
Hood River has 20 providers, compared to seven in The Dalles, she said.
Moving forward
“We’ve got to engage on this,” said Commissioner Steve Kramer. “We have the data. We need to get that data to those who could potentially help us with this issue,” he said. Expressing his frustration in trying to deal with childcare and similar pressing issues impacting the county, Kramer said, “We don’t have money for mental health, for law enforcement, for childcare, for so many things. It’s across the board. The economics of all of this needs to be taken into consideration.”
Commissioner Kathy Schwartz also expressed frustration, noting that the state’s decision to create a new department related to childcare didn’t solve the problem. “We need subsidized care, not a new state department. That doesn’t trickle down to the need,” she said. “It’s frustrating.”
Dan Spatz, executive director for institutional advancement at Columbia Gorge Community College, said the college was looking at building a small facility, with 2 or 3,000 square feet of space for an infants and toddlers childcare program, to be operated in conjunction with the childcare workforce training programs at the college.
Patten, whose office is affiliated with the college, noted caring for infants and toddlers is the most expensive type of care.
“We are starting with the hardest one,” Spatz said, noting they had to be careful not to start out too large, and didn’t have a working model to work with.
“If we can resolve the greatest need on a small scale, then we can grow it,” Spatz said. “There is no successful model of rural childcare in Oregon.”
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https://www.columbiagorgenews.com/news/local/pandemic-labor-shortage-worsens-childcare-crisis/article_5aff2a92-dbb0-11ec-93ba-bff9702fc4a1.html
| 2022-05-25T00:43:19
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https://www.columbiagorgenews.com/news/local/pandemic-labor-shortage-worsens-childcare-crisis/article_5aff2a92-dbb0-11ec-93ba-bff9702fc4a1.html
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August 23, 1935 – May 2, 2022
JoAnn (Blanchard) Pollock passed away quietly at home in Florence, Oregon, the morning of Monday, May 2, 2022. She was 86 years old. JoAnn was born in Corvallis, Oregon on August 23, 1935.
JoAnn was predeceased by her husband of 62 years, Barnett “Barney” Alexander Pollock. Barney passed away May 11, 2018 in Florence. He was born June 25, 1928, in Lebanon, Oregon. Barney and JoAnn met in Eureka, California and were married on June 28, 1956. They lived in California until 1966 when they returned to the Oregon Coast to live in the Coos Bay area where Barney worked for Weyerhaeuser until he retired in 1990. After his retirement, Barney and JoAnn traveled for several years all over the United States camping in their travel trailer. They settled down in Florence where they worked as camp hosts at NACO and Odd Fellows Park.
Although Barney and JoAnn never had any children of their own, they were extremely close to and became “Aunt JoJo” and “Uncle Barney” to Robert and William Cline, the twin children of Susan Hall (formerly Cline) and Chase Cline. “JoJo” was a constant companion to Susan and an immense help in raising the twins. It was her “nephew” Robert that cared for JoAnn over the past few years of her life and was with her during her final days. She will be remembered for her love of shopping, Saturday night Bingo, her wonderful sense of humor, and her great love of animals. She will be missed by the many people whose lives she touched.
JoAnn will be laid to rest alongside her husband in Florence. Donations can be made in her honor to the Oregon Coast Humane Society in Florence, Oregon, or to your local animal shelter.
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https://theworldlink.com/news/local/obituaries/joann-blanchard-pollock/article_b909df72-dbb2-11ec-86c1-eb29f8114829.html
| 2022-05-25T00:55:00
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https://theworldlink.com/news/local/obituaries/joann-blanchard-pollock/article_b909df72-dbb2-11ec-86c1-eb29f8114829.html
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Arizona clemency board rejects death row prisoner Frank Atwood's request for mercy
The Arizona Board of Executive Clemency voted unanimously on Tuesday to deny Frank Atwood's request for commutation of sentence, reprieve or pardon.
The clemency hearing was conducted at Eyman prison complex in Florence, Arizona, just over two weeks before Atwood is scheduled to be executed on June 8. He was sentenced in 1987 for the kidnapping and murder of an 8-year-old girl in Pima County, Vicki Lynne Hoskinson.
Board Chair Mina Mendez said when confronted with a request for clemency from a death row prisoner, she asks herself if there was any miscarriage of justice in the case.
"Based on my review of the entirety of the record, I found that the evidence considered by the jury to be overwhelming evidence of Mr. Atwood’s guilt," she said. “Mr. Atwood is not innocent — not by any stretch of the imagination.”
Atwood's legal team spent several hours Tuesday morning attempting to poke holes in the evidence presented at his jury trial, as well as presenting new evidence that they said proved his innocence. Several members of Atwood's Greek Orthodox church spoke at length about how he had transformed his life to become a devout and practicing Christian.
Atwood himself spoke for a few minutes at the end of the day, maintaining his innocence, and telling the victim's family that he hoped his execution would bring them peace.
Despite the testimony from his supporters, the Board of Clemency members said they did not believe Atwood had changed at all.
“I don't see a transformed person," said board member Michael Johnson, "and I don't see any reason to grant any type of clemency at this time."
Johnson said he believed Atwood was guilty and that he had not taken responsibility for his actions. He discussed how Atwood had previously been convicted of sexually assaulting a child before the conviction for Hoskinson's murder, and had "made no effort to change his lifestyle when he was out.”
Atwood's attorneys told the board that Atwood had achieved educational degrees while in prison, but Johnson said that work didn't atone for his crimes.
"He's a pedophile," Johnson said, "and he's done nothing to correct the situation he was involved in.”
Mendez cited testimony from Hoskinson's family, who she said had been significantly impacted by the murder. She said the board had received "hundreds and hundreds" of letters in support of the victim's family, including letters from classmates of Hoskinson who reported the trauma had changed their lives from an early age.
The majority of public comments supporting Atwood were mainly focused on opposition to the death penalty, according to Mendez, which she said was a matter for the legislative branch of government.
Alternative sought: Atwood requests execution using nitrogen gas instead of cyanide
In Arizona, Board of Executive Clemency members are appointed by the governor. Board members review cases and hold hearings to decide whether to make recommendations to the governor, who can then take their advice or ignore it.
Board member Louis Quinonez said Atwood displayed a pattern of sexual violence from an early age. “He had lifelong self-control issues," Quinonez said, "and recurring instances of disorderly conduct all the way through 2021” while he was in prison.
“The nature of the offenses clearly rises to the level of capital punishment,” Quinonez said.
Board member Sal Freni said when a detective was interviewing Atwood and asked him if he felt he was responsible for the crimes, Atwood responded that he had calculated his potential sentencing if he were convicted of killing Hoskinson.
“It's not a confession," Freni said, "but it's certainly not a denial."
Debbie Carlson, Hoskinson's mother, said she felt Vicki's presence in the room at the Eyman prison complex.
"I have felt her all day," she said. "I felt her before I even left our home this morning. I feel her now as she knows we are here taking final justice for her.”
Through tears, Carlson told the board about the impact her daughter's murder had on her family, which she called "the most horrific day of our lives."
"It's been a long journey," she said to the board. "The trial took two and half years to get to, and it took almost four decades to get to this point."
While Carlson said Atwood's execution would not bring her closure, it would at least mark the end of a long and painful legal process, which she believed would bring her and her family some relief.
"It will end this inmate from harassing our family, filing frivolous appeals, and end him making a mockery of our criminal justice system," Carlson said. "It will end that black cloud that hangs over our heads."
Have a news tip on Arizona prisons? Reach the reporter at jjenkins@arizonarepublic.com or at 812-243-5582. Follow him on Twitter @JimmyJenkins.
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https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-breaking/2022/05/25/arizona-clemency-board-rejects-death-row-prisoner-frank-atwood-request-for-mercy/9865559002/
| 2022-05-25T00:55:06
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https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-breaking/2022/05/25/arizona-clemency-board-rejects-death-row-prisoner-frank-atwood-request-for-mercy/9865559002/
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Phoenix police release edited bodycam video of police shooting at Chili's restaurant
Phoenix police released edited bodycam footage Monday from an incident on May 9 where officers shot a suspect at a Chili's restaurant after receiving multiple 911 calls.
The shooting took place near Seventh Street and Bell Road after officers received a call of a man breaking windows and throwing bottles at cars, police said in a release.
Police said the officers found a man holding a "river rock" and acting erratically who matched the description given by 911 callers, according to the release.
The critical incident video, released Monday, includes audio from three 911 calls made in the area. According to the video, one caller described the man as "violent."
Video footage from both officers shows them approach the man and order him to drop the rock and get on the ground as one officer holds a Taser and the other points his gun at the man.
Footage shows one officer telling the other to put away a Taser and instead use a stun bag.
Sgt. Phil Krynsky, a department spokesperson, said in the video the man was outside the effective distance of a Taser, leading to the request for a stun bag. The stun bag is considered a less-lethal alternative, according to Krynsky.
Footage from one officer shows the man running away. The officer is seen chasing after him while continuing to order the man to drop the rock. The officer chasing the man is heard requesting a stun bag multiple times during the chase, according to the footage.
The video cuts and continues in another parking lot of a shopping center.
Footage shows the man temporarily leaving the view of the camera and quickly coming back into view in the patio of a Chili's restaurant, before raising his arm and appearing as though he is about to throw the rock. He does not throw the rock, and officers continue to ask the man to drop the rock, footage shows.
The man is seen approaching a door that leads inside of the restaurant. Officers order the man to not enter and as the man opens the door and walks in, an officer shoots his gun at him at least three times, the footage shows.
The man is seen laying on the floor when an officer approaches the restaurant and opens the door, footage shows.
Krynsky says in the video officers would put a tourniquet on the man to help his injuries before being taken to a hospital.
According to Krynsky, the officer involved in the shooting has been with the Phoenix Police Department for 15 years.
An investigation into the incident was ongoing. No further information was available as of Tuesday afternoon.
Reach breaking news reporter Adam Terro at adam.terro@arizonarepublic.com.
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https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix-breaking/2022/05/24/bodycam-footage-released-phoenix-police-shooting-restaurant/9913365002/
| 2022-05-25T00:55:12
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https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix-breaking/2022/05/24/bodycam-footage-released-phoenix-police-shooting-restaurant/9913365002/
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Phoenix police restricts access to 32nd Street, Union Hills Drive after officers shot at
Adam Terro
Arizona Republic
Phoenix Police placed restrictions near 32nd Street and Union Hills Drive after a person shot at police, Sgt. Andy Williams said in a statement.
Due to the ongoing police situation, around 4:20 p.m., Williams asked the public to avoid the area. Police also asked residents to stay indoors if they are living nearby, according to a tweet.
No further information regarding the shooting, victims or the suspect was available.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Reach breaking news reporter Adam Terro at adam.terro@arizonarepublic.com.
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https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix-breaking/2022/05/24/phoenix-police-officers-shot-near-32nd-street-union-hills-drive/9916485002/
| 2022-05-25T00:55:18
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https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix-breaking/2022/05/24/phoenix-police-officers-shot-near-32nd-street-union-hills-drive/9916485002/
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Is gas tax relief coming again for Maryland? Hogan, Franchot differ on who can approve it
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan and Comptroller Peter Franchot are urging each other to take steps to ease high gas prices this summer by suspending taxes on fuel, but the officials say they are limited in what they can do on their own.
Hogan, a Republican, called on the comptroller to immediately take steps to “halt or minimize” an annual automatic gas-tax increase that was approved by the legislature in 2013 to index the tax to inflation. The comptroller's office announces the increase on or before June 1 of each year, to take effect July 1.
“I know that you agree we should do more to give Marylanders a break from these punishing prices," Hogan wrote to Franchot, a Democrat. "That is why it is my hope that you will use every legal and regulatory power at your disposal to halt or minimize the impact of the accelerating gas taxes, and that you consider granting an extension for paying the taxes and removing penalties for unpaid tax, including the revocation of business licenses.”
Susan O'Brien, a spokesperson for Franchot, said the comptroller cannot unilaterally halt or suspend the automatic increase to the tax.
“Delaying motor fuel tax returns, as the governor seems to be suggesting, would have no impact on consumers who are suffering at the pump,” O'Brien said. "It would only help Big Oil delay their tax payments.”
In a letter to the governor, Franchot said he agreed that increasing the gas tax at a time when rising costs of goods and services are imposing more financial burden on families and small businesses “is both morally and economically irresponsible.”
The comptroller, who is the state's tax collector, said the failure to pass a bill to end that automatic increase has put officials in a situation “where we are looking for legal and regulatory loopholes to prevent this devastating tax hike from taking place.”
Hogan has supported legislation to permanently end the automatic tax increase, but the bill has not gained traction.
Franchot urged the governor to “immediately proclaim a State of Energy Emergency” to suspend the state's motor fuel tax until September.
“Doing so would not only provide relief for Marylanders from the current motor fuel tax rate, but it will also temporarily prevent an increase to the gas tax from taking effect,” Franchot wrote.
The comptroller also noted the state is in a strong fiscal position to absorb the financial impact of a gas tax suspension.
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More:As Ocean City workers struggle to find housing, why the fallout hurts tourist economy
But the governor's office says the law cited by the comptroller applies to supply shortages, not taxes and fees.
In March, the General Assembly, which is controlled by Democrats, reached an agreement with Hogan for a one-month suspension of the state's 36-cents-a-gallon gas tax. The suspension expired last month.
“While I was disappointed that our gas tax holiday came to an unnecessary halt, I hope you will respond with executive action during this economic emergency and temporarily suspend the gas tax — which will increase to 43 cents — for four months," Franchot wrote. “My office stands ready to implement a gas tax holiday once again as we seamlessly and effectively did last month.”
The average price for a gallon of gas in Maryland was about $4.61 on Monday, according to AAA. The national average is about $4.60 a gallon.
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https://www.delmarvanow.com/story/news/local/maryland/2022/05/24/md-gas-tax-holiday-when-will-prices-go-down/9904799002/
| 2022-05-25T00:57:13
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https://www.delmarvanow.com/story/news/local/maryland/2022/05/24/md-gas-tax-holiday-when-will-prices-go-down/9904799002/
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Second suspect faces murder charge in death of Accomack man in fire at Oak Hall home
A second suspect has been charged with murder in the death of an Accomack County man last December whose body was found after a suspicious fire at a home in Oak Hall, Virginia State Police say.
Wendy Dawn Taylor, 46, of New Church was charged with murder and arson in the death of 62-year-old Edward Bruce Mears Jr., who was found in his burning home when police and firefighters responded to the fire on Dec. 4, 2021, at a home in the 6000 block of Lankford Highway in Oak Hall.
Taylor, who is currently incarcerated in Worcester County, Maryland, in connection with her alleged involvement in a separate criminal activity, has been charged with murder in the first degree, murder in the second degree, arson of an occupied dwelling, breaking and entering with intent to commit a violent felony, and robbery.
Taylor is the spouse of Gary Fleig Sr., who was charged last December with first and second degree murder and arson for his role in the death, police said.
The State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Chesapeake Field Office, was called in by the New Church Fire Department to investigate the suspicious fire. Agents who responded to the residence noted at the time that the victim had a gunshot wound to the face and a deep laceration to the neck.
Related: Virginia man charged with murders, arsons and burglaries in Worcester, Accomack
More: Eden woman charged in kidnapping of 1-year-old; child found safe, police say
Fleig, Taylor and another New Church resident, 54-year-old Coy Edward Bailey, also face multiple charges, including attempted murder, arson and burglary, in connection with an armed burglary Dec. 3, 2021, in Pocomoke City.
Fleig also faces murder and other charges in relation to the death of 43-year-old Maurice Lamont Fiddermon, of Temperanceville, whose body was found Dec. 6 in a field behind a home in Oak Hall. Fiddermon had died from apparent gunshot wounds, the Accomack County Sheriff's Office said at the time.
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https://www.delmarvanow.com/story/news/local/virginia/2022/05/24/woman-charged-murder-and-arson-death-man-oak-hall-fire-accomack-county-virginia/9904794002/
| 2022-05-25T00:57:19
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https://www.delmarvanow.com/story/news/local/virginia/2022/05/24/woman-charged-murder-and-arson-death-man-oak-hall-fire-accomack-county-virginia/9904794002/
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https://www.idahopress.com/news/local/boise-approves-34-million-in-federal-funding/article_0ecf8fb2-6c54-5df6-a3a3-bc3bf38e9a98.html
| 2022-05-25T01:00:12
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https://www.idahopress.com/news/local/boise-approves-34-million-in-federal-funding/article_0ecf8fb2-6c54-5df6-a3a3-bc3bf38e9a98.html
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Originally published May 24 on KTVB.COM.
After approving Interfaith Sanctuary's appeal to gain a conditional use permit for a new shelter in April, the Boise City Council held a hearing to review and adopt the proposed conditions.
The city council voted to approve the adoption of the listed conditions in a 4-2 vote.
"The hearings that we had, I think we said that night, were unprecedented in the amount of time spent reviewing the record," Boise Mayor Lauren McLean said. "We've gathered since that meeting to discuss how we provide service to those that need it, that will be new residents in the neighborhood, and at the same time ensure that the conditions that (were) created to work with the neighborhood, are implemented."
During the hearing, the only proposed adjustment to the listed conditions was changing the word "home" to "shelter" in the permit, which was approved.
"I do appreciate the change of the word 'home' to 'shelter' cause it's not a home, and that really is our end goal here," councilmember Jimmy Hallyburton said. "Making sure we are putting people in permanent housing solutions and that this is really a step to get them there. That really is a small change as far as the words go, but it's a very important one because I think that that really needs to describe our long-term commitment to getting folks into a home."
The appeal was to address the previous decision made by the Boise Planning and Zoning Commission which denied Interfaith Sanctuary of a conditional use permit to use the former Salvation Army building on West State Street as a shelter.
After a week of emotional testimony, both for and against the appeal, the city council voted to approve the conditional use permit in a 4-2 decision. However, Interfaith Sanctuary was given a list of 30 conditions that need to be met under the conditional use permit.
"This wasn't an easy decision, and there are many sides to it. This is designed to ensure that the neighborhood, in fact, does not suffer undue harm, undue burden from this decision," council president Elaine Clegg said. "That will depend on ensuring that these conditions are upheld, and upheld fully."
Some of the conditions include adjusting the maximum capacity of beds to 205, a six-month review with the potential of modifying or adding conditions, safe syringe disposal, separating family spaces from individual spaces and limiting outdoor activities from 7 p.m. to 9 a.m.
"This isn't the end, this is the beginning," Clegg said, "and I hope what it's the beginning of is better serving those who need this shelter. We have that opportunity right now to do something, not just what we can, but something better."
Another condition of the permit requires neighborhood concerns to be brought up first with Interfaith Sanctuary's executive director, Jodi Peterson-Stigers.
In about six months, Interfaith Sanctuary will meet with the city council again to ensure that those 30 conditions are being met. No date has been scheduled for that meeting yet.
"We have had to push ourselves to meet the needs of everyone in our community, certainly those who are most vulnerable in our community," councilmember Lisa Sánchez said. "I feel that we had to do everything we possibly could to make sure folks are adequately cared for, certainly having the basic needs of having shelter"
Interfaith Sanctuary will need to go through the regular facility approval processes with the city’s Planning and Development Services Department, including a design review process, before it can open the new shelter.
The council members' final vote was as follows:
Elaine Clegg- Y
Holli Woodings- Y
Patrick Bageant- N
Jimmy Hallyburton- Y
Luci Willits- N
Lisa Sanchez- Y
More from KTVB.COM:
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BOISE — An Idaho woman was sentenced Tuesday to two months in jail for her participation in the Jan. 6, 2021, siege of the U.S. Capitol building.
Pam Hemphill of Boise will also be on probation for three years and must pay a $500 fine, U.S. District Senior Judge Royce Lamberth said.
Hemphill pleaded guilty earlier this year to one misdemeanor count of parading, demonstrating or picketing in the Capitol building. In exchange, prosecutors dropped three additional misdemeanor charges.
During Hemphill’s sentencing hearing, Lamberth said it’s “tempting to be lenient,” but he can’t justify letting her just walk away after her offenses at the Capitol.
“Because it’s such a serious event in the history of our country, that I have to agree with the government’s recommendation in this case,” the judge said. “I believe there has to be a penalty when there is a serious offense like this.”
Like many other defendants who have been charged in connection with the siege, Hemphill posted videos to social media sites that showed her in Washington, D.C., in the days surrounding the insurrection and at the Capitol when it was happening.
In one video, she compared breaking windows at the federal building to actions protesters at the Idaho Statehouse had taken the previous year. In another, she said she avoided getting into trouble after being found inside the Capitol by telling police that she became lost after being pushed into the building by the crowd. The videos were later removed.
“Sometimes when I see those videos I want to give you the maximum,” Lamberth said. “Also, know you appear to me to be a sincere person who made a mistake. I can’t justify for anyone who ended up in your posture here to just walk away.”
Hemphill told the judge that she regrets everything she said and did on Jan. 6. She said she intended to record the protest but got caught up in the moment.
“It was as if I was at a football game cheering the team on from the stands,” Hemphill said. “I never should have left the stands in the first place.”
But Prosecutor Sonia Mittal told the judge that Hemphill repeatedly told police at the Capitol that she needed help, then egged the crowd on and filmed the violence against police. She also lied to officers, claiming she was trying to calm the crowd and that she had been pushed into the Capitol by other rioters, the prosecutor said.
“This defendant repeatedly asked police for help while undermining their efforts,” Mittal said, and “consistently drew resources away from police while they were desperately needed.”
Mittal also noted that Hemphill was involved in the protest at the Idaho Statehouse a year earlier that resulted in glass in a door being shattered as protesters tried to yank it open. The prosecutor rejected Hemphill’s claim of being a “citizen journalist.”
“This is not the actions of a journalist,” Mittal said. “This is the action of a rioter.”
Hemphill’s attorney, Nathan Silver II, said she “either followed the crowd or helped urge it on, but she didn’t harm the police.”
“I think she got carried away with all the excitement and said things that she never should have said,” Silver told the judge.
More than 800 defendants have been charged with federal crimes related to the Capitol insurrection. More than 290 of them have pleaded guilty, mostly to misdemeanors, and more than 170 have been sentenced.
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https://www.idahopress.com/news/local/boise-woman-gets-2-months-jail-for-us-capitol-riot-actions/article_faa178eb-73f5-5f52-8a91-221e76644db1.html
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BOISE — Idaho Gov. Brad Little flew to Nashville, Tennessee, on Tuesday morning for a Republican Governors Association conference, but as he has since July, retained all his duties while he’s gone, rather than relinquishing them to the lieutenant governor.
Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin has angrily objected to the change – previously, Idaho governors have turned to the lieutenant governor or the next state official in the line of succession to fill in while they’re gone – but hasn’t mounted any legal challenge to it. An Idaho Attorney General’s opinion issued in October found that a court could uphold the governor’s interpretation that the lieutenant governor only steps in as acting governor when the governor is “effectively,” rather than just physically, absent. Courts in states with similar constitutional provisions have split on that question, the opinion noted, with half finding that governors aren’t “effectively” absent when they still can carry out their duties of office remotely.
On Tuesday morning, a volunteer manning McGeachin’s office at the state Capitol for her twice-a-week, half-day office hours said she wasn’t in and wasn’t expected in, but that he’d relay a message seeking comment.
Shortly afterward, McGeachin tweeted, “Once again, Gov. Little violated the State Constitution by leaving Idaho without informing the duly elected Lt. Governor. Idaho’s Lt. Governor is to serve as Acting Governor when the Governor is out of state. Instead, Little informed an unelected reporter.”
The Idaho Constitution, in Article IV, Section 12, says the duties of the governor fall to the lieutenant governor in cases of the governor’s “absence from the state, or inability to discharge the powers and duties of his office.” The legal quibble between Little and McGeachin is over the definition of “absence.” The Constitution doesn’t require the governor to inform the lieutenant governor when the governor leaves the state.
The two officials’ offices are on the same floor in the state Capitol, but McGeachin’s office has largely been closed and locked in recent weeks. She no longer has any paid staff, having overspent her office’s budget for the fiscal year; she lives in Idaho Falls.
Emily Callihan, Little’s director of communications, said the governor is due to return to the state Thursday night.
She also referred to an Oct. 29, 2021, letter that Little sent McGeachin that said, “From time to time my duties as Idaho’s elected Governor require me to travel temporarily out of the state on official business. Consistent with the Oct. 7, 2021 opinion from the Office of the Attorney General (enclosed), mere physical absence of the elected Governor from the state does not invoke Article IV, Section 12 of the Idaho Constitution or transfer any gubernatorial powers from the Governor to the Lieutenant Governor.”
“In the event I am ever unable to perform the official duties of Governor as may be required due to disability, effective absence, or otherwise, rest assured that my staff will notify your office immediately,” Little wrote. And he wrote that barring such a notification, “There is neither a need nor authorization for you to act in an acting Governor capacity.”
Twice before, in May and in early October, McGeachin issued executive orders as acting governor attempting to overturn Little’s policies on local mask mandates and COVID-19 testing in schools. Each time, Little immediately and retroactively rescinded the orders. In October, he did so from Texas, hours before he flew back to Idaho, in line with his office’s new legal position on “effective,” vs. physical, absence.
“He is performing his duties as governor out of state this week,” Callihan said Tuesday.
Little is joining 19 other GOP governors at the RGA conference in Nashville. Callihan said they’re set for policy discussions on issues including the economy, energy and health care.
Little has been active in several organizations with his fellow governors from other states; he currently is the chair of the Western Governors Association, but doesn’t currently hold a leadership position with RGA.
Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte also is attending the RGA meeting in Nashville, his office confirmed; as is Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon.
McGeachin unsuccessfully challenged Little in the GOP primary last week; he won the eight-way primary with 52.76% of the vote, while she came in second with 32.28%.
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https://www.idahopress.com/news/local/little-heads-to-governors-conference-in-nashville-keeps-duties-in-snub-to-mcgeachin/article_ce8f79bb-5efd-5b28-8af6-c40619e557e9.html
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Former Idaho state Rep. Aaron von Ehlinger testifies on his own behalf during day three of his rape trial at the Ada County Courthouse, Thursday, April 28, 2022, in Boise, Idaho.
Ada County prosecutors argued last week that former lawmaker Aaron von Ehilinger should not have a right to bail after he was found guilty of rape, according to a response to his motion asking to be released and for a new trial.
Von Ehlinger was convicted in April of raping a 19-year-old intern — and his defense requested acquittalor a new trial, with von Ehlinger being released on his own recognizance partnered with a set bond pending the matter.
The prosecution filed a response to the motion last week on Thursday, saying von Ehlinger should be denied the release due to the charge and verdict itself, as well as his trip outside the country when a warrant was out for his arrest.
Von Ehligner was extradited from Georgia in October of last year following an out-of-country trip that he said was business-related, the Lewiston Tribune reported.
Additionally, von Ehlinger has prior criminal history, which includes inattentive driving, possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, reckless driving and one count of carrying a concealed weapon under the influence that was later dismissed, court records show.
The response said that von Ehligner testified he also owns multiple firearms — he would have to surrender those based on the defense’s request for release.
According to Idaho Criminal Rule 46, the determination of whether a defendant should be released on their own recognizance is based on multiple factors, but some include whether or not the defendant is likely to flee the area and if they have a prior criminal history.
“The State respectfully requests the Court continue to hold Defendant without bond pending sentencing in this case and deny Defendant’s Motion without a hearing,” the response said.
A hearing is set for June 13 at 9 a.m.
Alexandra Duggan is the crime / public safety reporter for the Idaho Press. Follow her on twitter @dugganreports.
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https://www.idahopress.com/news/local/state-objects-to-von-ehlinger-being-released-on-his-own-recognizance/article_6e7ee946-2e15-582f-afa3-eaf27c4ef9c5.html
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MINNEAPOLIS — On Tuesday morning, the first set of identical twins graduated into the Minnesota State Patrol.
Sisters Jamie and Jessica Bird were among a class of 12 troopers who recently completed a 14-week training session at Fort Ripley.
"When we first got there, everyone was like, 'Um, we're never going to be able to tell you apart, ever,'” Jamie laughs.
"After a few weeks, some of the cadets were still trying to figure it out."
Jamie and Jessica get that a lot.
Not only are they twin sisters who look alike, growing up in Barnum, Minnesota near Duluth, they pretty much did everything together.
"We played every sport together, our main sport being hockey. Had every job together. Growing up in a small town, there wasn't many job opportunities, so whatever job she had, I also had,” Jessica says.
Both sisters played hockey at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, and both of them transferred to St. Cloud State University to finish their degrees.
And both decided at the same time to join the Minnesota State Patrol.
“In high school we wanted to be nurses. We took a nursing class and realized it wasn’t for us. Our aunt, who was a police officer at the time, asked if we wanted to do a couple of ride-a-longs, and we were like ‘Oh yeah, for sure.’ And that’s how we really got interested in law enforcement,” Jessica says.
Both of their parents saw this decision coming.
Rick and Sandi Bird say their daughters always showed an interest in helping people, and once one of the girls showed an interest in something, the other one had to get involved.
"When one did it, the other one wanted to beat her, so they were always in competition,” Rick Bird laughs.
The sisters received their badges during a graduation ceremony Tuesday morning at the University of Minnesota.
Their official start date with the Minnesota State Patrol is Tuesday, May 31, and both sisters have been assigned to the same station in Montevideo.
"So, we'll be in the same station,” Jamie says.
“Yep, partners, partners in crime,” Jessica adds. “Wouldn’t want to do it with anyone else.”
Jamie and Jessica say they'll start out working different shifts, but they're hoping to have similar schedules someday down the road.
So, if you're driving down the road and get pulled over by two of the same person, don't be alarmed, it's just the Minnesota State Patrol's first set of identical twins keeping the roads safe.
Watch more local news:
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https://www.thv11.com/article/news/local/sisters-become-first-set-of-identical-twins-to-join-minnesota-state-patrol/89-0dfa0060-7b8a-4007-b1bf-2c3c5014bf2e
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PORTLAND, Ore. — A hostage situation on a MAX train prompted a heavy police presence near Cascade Station on Tuesday afternoon. One man was taken into custody, a spokesperson for the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) said.
Around 2:20 p.m., officers responded to the Mount Hood Avenue transit center by Cascade Station, not far from Portland International Airport (PDX), for a call about a disturbance on a MAX Red Line train.
A man was holding two people hostage — the MAX operator and a passenger — and he was armed with a knife and what appeared to be a "hot dog skewer," Comm. Tina Jones said in a press conference.
"Obviously dangerous implements, and there was concern for the safety of the lives onboard the train," Jones said.
Jones said the man had been in custody the night before the incident after a physical altercation with police during which he'd been in an apparent mental health crisis. She said he was placed on a police hold until Tuesday morning and was released.
After attempting to negotiate with the man, who at one point referred to the MAX conductor and passenger as "hostages," Jones said officers with PPB's Special Emergency Reaction Team used two flash bangs to debilitate him and take him into custody.
"These are the nightmare calls that we never want to have but that we train for, and I'm very, very proud of my team, obviously all the teams that came out today," Jones said.
The situation temporarily disrupted MAX Red Line service between the Gateway Transit Center and Portland International Airport. TriMet said delays were expected to continue through 5:45 p.m.
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https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/hostage-situation-max-cascade-station/283-f5016f86-f9f0-4c10-b40f-9808e485cfbf
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OREGON, USA — As dozens of states around the country introduce and enact anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, advocacy groups in Oregon are becoming more vocal to maintain protections.
On a rainy Friday in May, a crowd gathered in front of the Oregon State Capitol in Salem, rallying in support of transgender youth.
"We need to stand up for trans kids and all of our kids," said Nancy Haque, executive director of Basic Rights Oregon, the advocacy group that organized the rally. "We're out here fighting for them."
Basic Rights Oregon (BRO) is tracking ongoing anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric around the state.
That included campaign issues advertised by Republican candidate for governor Stan Pulliam. He made anti-transgender initiatives a key part of his campaign, promising to ban transgender athletes from girls' sports.
"My girls shouldn't have to play against boys," Pulliam said in a television ad alongside his teenage daughters.
"That seems really focused on destroying the mental health of already vulnerable youth," Haque said. "Feeling like they shouldn't exist. And those feelings lead to suicidality."
A national survey by the Trevor Project showed 94% of LGBTQ+ youth reported that recent politics negatively impacted their mental health. About 42% seriously considered suicide, including half of transgender and nonbinary youth surveyed.
In 2016, Oregon state guidance made it clear to schools that transgender youth should be treated consistent with gender identity and not be excluded from any program or activity.
However, a Willamette Week question to gubernatorial frontrunners showed most conservative candidates would push to change that and allow discrimination in sports based on gender identity. That included two candidates who will be on the November ballot: Betsy Johnson, an unaffiliated candidate, and Christine Drazan, a Republican.
"It has become a battlefield — a wedge issue," described Jenn Burleton, who runs the TransActive Gender Project at Lewis and Clark College, advocating for transgender rights. "I do a great deal of debunking of myths."
That type of advocacy has continued for decades.
"In Oregon, we have fought over 30 anti-LGBTQ ballot measures," Haque explained.
Basic Rights Oregon worries more could be on the way.
The Human Rights Campaign reported a record 34 states introduced specifically anti-transgender bills in 2021. Seven more states added to that in the first few weeks of 2022.
Other states such as Texas and Florida have enacted laws that limit LGBTQ+ speech and health care, and in some cases, criminalize such care.
"It's coming around again," said Robin Will, president of the Gay & Lesbian Archives of the Pacific Northwest (GLAPN). "It's happening all around us and a whole lot faster than I thought."
The renewed push for anti-LGBTQ+ laws reminds him of Oregon Measure 9.
The 1992 ballot measure would have banned Oregon schools from mentioning homosexuality, lumping it in with pedophilia and other "abnormal" and "perverse" behaviors. The bill would have also prohibited AIDS education. A similar bill, also titled Measure 9, was introduced in 2000.
The sponsor of the bill, Lon Mabon, paid more than $100,000 to promote the campaign, according to old reports by KGW.
"People had to hide who they were," Kristan Knapp told KGW last year.
Knapp was one of the LGBTQ+ advocates who fought Measure 9.
"We had all been pretty marginalized and beaten down during that campaign," she described.
Advocates had to pour more than $1 million dollars into an opposition campaign to defeat Measure 9.
"Which doesn't mean we won anything," Will said. "It means we kept things from getting worse."
Now, more than 20 years later, similar efforts are solidifying themselves at smaller, local levels.
One example was the Newberg School Board's vote to ban Black Lives Matter and LGBTQ+ Pride symbols.
"To get political symbols out of our schools," board chair Brian Shannon said at the time.
"They're not political!" Haque said of these identities. "And if you believe in an individual's rights, then it's people's right to be who they are."
Basic Rights Oregon said organized groups are gaining traction in the fight against LGBTQ+ representation in schools.
Parents' Rights in Education (PRIE) has campaigns in multiple states, including Oregon, rallying parents around a number of hot-button issues, including mask and vaccine mandates and curricula deemed "controversial."
PRIE representatives have fought school districts over subjects mentioning transgender issues and gender identity.
"There are only two sexes, I know what my body parts are!" Suzanne Gallagher of PRIE said at an Oregon meeting last year.
Nobody from PRIE responded to KGW's request for comment.
However, a member of another group, Oregon Moms Union, did.
“So much division right now on all fronts,” said Kori Haynes, Clackamas County chair of Oregon Moms Union and Republican candidate for Oregon House District 39.
Earlier this year, Haynes pushed against North Clackamas School District for using a "genderbread" person worksheet in her son's fifth grade class.
The Genderbread Person worksheet is a free tool that aims to help children understand differences between gender identity, expression and attraction.
However, Haynes said the way it was presented to her son's class involved students circling parts of the worksheet.
"He came home very embarrassed," Haynes said. "There were girls in class watching what he was going to circle.”
Haynes argued the activity fell under sex education and should have required a warning to parents prior to the lesson.
Paplin Media Group reported the district said the worksheet was in response to some students "using derogatory language about the gender and sexual identity of fellow students." Newsweek reported the topic of gender identity did not fall into the statute needed to notify parents, according to the Oregon Department of Education.
Haynes said she does not stand for bullying of other students for their gender identity.
“We do need to have compassion,” Haynes said.
She was glad the district responded to support impacted students, but said the specific class-wide lesson should still have come with a warning to parents.
“Made you feel blindsided,” she said. "A lot of confusion."
Unlike some other members in these parents' rights groups, Haynes said she is open to LGBTQ+ and gender identity topics being discussed in school.
“I do think these things need to be learned," Haynes said. "I think they just need to be a little more thoughtful and intentional ... If somebody doesn’t want some of these things presented to their child in fifth grade, but maybe is okay with it in freshman – or you know, a little bit later – I feel like that should be their right."
Regardless of intent, transgender advocates and community members said the debate around their existence as "controversial" weighs heavily upon youth.
Burleton with the TransActive Gender Project offered youth encouragement.
"Continue to believe that you can thrive and survive and be the amazing human being you already are," she said.
Meanwhile, according to the Associated Press, some Democratic lawmakers in Oregon have joined more than a dozen other states in pushing to offer legal refuge to displaced transgender youth and families. That means families being pursued with legal action in other states for providing kids with gender-affirming care would not be pursued in places like Oregon.
However, as anti-LGBTQ+ efforts gain traction around the country, Basic Rights Oregon said it will be up to voters to stay vigilant and decide the future of discriminatory policy in Oregon.
"Take nothing for granted," Haque said. "We need to be really aware at this moment of all the attacks that are happening on our community and really put them to the forefront."
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UVALDE, Texas — More than a dozen students and a teacher were killed in a mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas on Tuesday. Several others were treated for injuries.
The following is what we know as of 6:55 p.m. Central:
Where was the Texas school shooting?
The shooting happened around 11:30 a.m. at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.
Uvalde is about 90 minutes west of San Antonio. According to the Associated Press, it's home to about 16,000 people and is the seat of government for Uvalde County. The town is about 75 miles from the border with Mexico.
Robb Elementary is in a mostly residential neighborhood of modest homes.
The school has students in second, third and fourth grade, according to local police.
It was the last week of school, according to the school's website.
How many victims were there?
Eighteen students and three adults, including a teacher, were killed, according to State Sen. Roland Gutierrez, who said he was briefed by state police. It's not clear if the shooter, who is also deceased, is included in that number.
The names and ages of the victims have not been released.
Three people wounded in the attack are hospitalized in serious condition, according to the Associated Press.
Who was the Robb Elementary school shooter?
The suspected shooter was identified as 18-year-old Salvador Ramos, according to Abbott.
Authorities said that the shooter is believed to have acted alone.
"It's believed that he abandoned his vehicle and entered into the Robb Elementary in Uvalde with a handgun," and possibly a rifle, according to Abbott.
A Border Patrol agent who was nearby when the shooting began rushed into the school without waiting for backup and shot and killed the gunman, who was behind a barricade, according to a law enforcement official speaking to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk about it.
The agent was wounded but able to walk out of the school, the law enforcement source said.
Ramos was from the area, Abbott said.
What was the shooter's motive?
No information about the possible motive in the Robb Elementary School shooting has been released.
What did President Biden say about the shooting?
President Joe Biden was briefed on the shooting and addressed the nation on Tuesday night shortly after he returned to the White House from his trip to Asia, according to White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.
How can I help victims of the Texas school shooting?
We are gathering resources and will update this story when more information is available.
There will be a blood drive at Herby Ham Activity Center in Uvalde on Wednesday from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. That's located at 248 FM 3447. Click here for more information.
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Casino owner sues Lincoln and Tiverton, claims properties were over-assessed due to COVID-19
Bally’s, owner of the state’s two casinos, has sued the towns of Lincoln and Tiverton, claiming their property taxes should be reduced due to the impact of COVID-19.
In separate lawsuits filed in Superior Court, Bally’s claims that government mandates significantly limited business operations at both Tiverton Casino & Hotel and at Twin River Lincoln Casino Resort, which were closed for a period of time and then re-opened with reduced hours.
Despite the casinos’ limited operations in 2020 and the beginning of 2021, Bally’s said the towns failed to apply an “economic obsolescence factor” to the December 2020 assessment. Economic obsolescence is a loss in value due to causes beyond the physical asset.
More:Twin River employees accuse casino of failing to pay adequate overtime in class-action suit
Bally's appealed assessment of both RI casinos
Bally’s says the Lincoln tax assessor assessed Twin River at $108.4 million in December 2020 – the same value as the previous year. Bally’s appealed the assessment in October and the town later denied it.
Bally’s contends that the assessments of both casinos constitute “an illegal tax” on the two properties.
In a nearly identical suit against Tiverton, Bally’s claims that the assessment of its casino and hotel was assessed at $60.4 million in December 2020. Again, Bally’s appealed the assessment and again, the appeal was denied.
In both suits, the company says the December 2020 assessments were greater than the fair market value of the properties.
The Journal has reached out to David Robert, Tiverton’s tax assessor, and Lincoln’s assessor, Brenda Keeble.
More:Elsewhere, casinos are having their best year ever. So why are they struggling in RI?
More:As COVID fades, Rhode Island casinos ease restrictions on smoking
Bally’s Twin River employees demand pre-pandemic staff levels
Meanwhile, dozens of Bally’s Twin River employees, wearing red T-shirts that said “Bally’s United,” gathered in front of Providence City Hall on Tuesday to demand that the company restore pre-pandemic staff levels and hours at the casino. The workers were joined by other Bally’s employees, Local 26 leaders (the hospitality and food service workers’ union) and Providence City Council members Jo-Ann Ryan and Carmen Castillo.
With their union contract expiring on July 1, workers called for the full reopening of the casino and significant wage increases.
Employees claim the casino business has remained profitable despite the pandemic. In 2021, they said, gambling revenues at Twin River rose to nearly 81% of pre-pandemic levels.
But, they said, before the pandemic there were three times as many full-time workers as there are now. Among the 260 workers currently on the schedule, workers said only 64 are employed full time. Because the casino is understaffed, employees said they are exhausted after their shifts, according to a statement from Local 26.
Linda Borg covers education for the Journal.
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https://www.providencejournal.com/story/news/local/2022/05/24/casino-owner-ballys-sues-lincoln-and-tiverton-over-property-values-twin-river-tiverton-casino/9909937002/
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Until a better picture is developed with one project, the Mason City Municipal Airport will have to wait on another.
The Mason City Airport Commission rejected the submitted bids for the general aviation terminal expansion project on Monday. Rejection of the bids will delay the terminal improvements but will not affect the commercial terminal project.
The general aviation terminal is a smaller facility and a part of the airport where private aircraft come and go from. Airport manager David Sims said this project would expand the office space and lobby space to make room for customers that use the building.
The project had a budget of approximately $706,000 that was to be funded through the CARES funding that Mason City Municipal Airport received. Since the bids were rejected, funding for the general terminal will be determined after the commercial terminal costs are known.
At the May 9 meeting, the commission opened bids for the general expansion project. Henkel Construction submitted a $976,745 bid and Dean Snyder Construction submitted $1,066,095 as their bid. The contract was going to awarded at a May 16 special meeting but was pushed back to Monday.
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Sims said there were administrative issues with both of the bids but the commission had the option to use solutions to clear up the issues.
"Any money spent over and above on this project detracts from the budget of the commercial terminal, which is still unknown as we're in design development at this point in time," said Sims. "We will within the next few months have a much better idea of what the budget or what the actual cost of the commercial terminal will be."
Higher bid figures was contributed to several factors like material costs and since the project would be a federal project according to Sims. He added if the commission rejected the bids, they could ask why the bids were priced higher than the estimate.
Contingency funds for the commercial terminal could be used for the general terminal if the commission felt comfortable enough. Currently there is $1 million set as contingency, which could turn the project into a locally funded item according to Sims.
Several of the commission members expressed concerns they had about the bids that were priced over the estimate.
"I think it's the desire of the airport commission to get this done. We need it but I don't know if we can justify 38% over estimate," said commission member Gary Wattnem.
Commission member David Guetzko motioned to reject the two bids, adding he did not want to jeopardize the commercial terminal.
Sims said rejecting the bids will push the timeline back a year for the general terminal. As more details about the commercial terminal are developed, a better idea of how to go forward with the general terminal will form.
Abby covers education and entertainment for the Globe Gazette. Follow her on Twitter at @MkayAbby. Email her at Abby.Koch@GlobeGazette.com
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https://globegazette.com/news/local/mason-city-municipal-airport-rejects-general-terminal-bids/article_d016f20f-2abb-55e5-9912-9512863a8a89.html
| 2022-05-25T01:07:44
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https://globegazette.com/news/local/mason-city-municipal-airport-rejects-general-terminal-bids/article_d016f20f-2abb-55e5-9912-9512863a8a89.html
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DES MOINES, Iowa — Brady-Giglio lists are lists typically compiled and kept by attorneys in a district or state attorney's offices. The document compiles police officers who have had alleged incidents of misconduct or complaints that put their credibility into question.
Rep. Steven Holt, R-Denison, says the state's current system is inconsistent and outdated
"So I like to call this the Brady-Giglio Wild Wild West," said Holt.
Holt, along with other lawmakers, worked on a proposal to address some of these concerns. The measure passed through both the Senate and House and now heads to Gov. Kim Reynolds' desk for a vote.
"There was no rules in terms of what would place a person on the list," said Holt. "Some lists were being kept in county attorney's hands, some lists were being kept on computers. So it was just all over the board, no due process for officers. Nothing."
Travis Hamilton, a former police officer, said he was surprised when he found out his name had been added to one of these lists in Iowa.
"I was not even aware that there was such a thing as a Brady-Giglio list."
Hamilton says he was unaware until a reporter asked him about his name being on a Brady-Giglio. He believes his name was added following a complaint filed against him while working for the Boone Police Department.
"His interpretation of it was that I had ordered this young male to empty his pockets," Hamilton said. "And in my side of the story is that I asked him to empty his pockets."
Hamilton maintains his conduct during the interaction was by the book, adding he was frustrated to not be given the chance to make his case before his name was placed on the list.
"And the explanation of that was that any attorney could put anybody on it that they wanted," Hamilton said. "For really any reason, and there was no way to get off of it."
This new legislation addresses some of those frustrations by setting statewide criteria for what places an officer on these lists, and gives the officer a heads up.
"First of all, an officer has to be notified that they're being placed on the list," Holt said. "They can basically appeal and say, 'You know, this is why I think I should not be on the list.' They go through that process. Ultimately, then the county attorney decides whether they're placed on the list or not."
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https://www.weareiowa.com/article/news/local/local-politics/brady-giglio-bill-governor-kim-reynolds-police-reform/524-5ea3ec00-b631-44d1-8703-bda240617767
| 2022-05-25T01:08:10
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https://www.weareiowa.com/article/news/local/local-politics/brady-giglio-bill-governor-kim-reynolds-police-reform/524-5ea3ec00-b631-44d1-8703-bda240617767
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DES MOINES, Iowa — After weeks of inactivity, Iowa lawmakers returned to the statehouse Monday getting to work on a number of final measures.
One of those bills to pass was Senate File 2367, a measure to remove sales tax from feminine hygiene products as well as child and adult diapers. Also included in the bill, the removal of income tax on bonuses approved by Gov. Kim Reynolds which were delivered to police officers, teachers, child care workers, and correctional officers.
Deer hunters will be also able to use semi-automatic rifles during a newly-created antlerless season in January under a bill approved by lawmakers and sent to the governor.
The measure given final approval Tuesday by the House is designed to help control the deer population and respond to complaints that excess deer eat corn and are hazardous to motorists.
“The purpose of this season is not to hunt for sport but to manage the size of the herd, which is why more efficient and effective firearms are being authorized,” said Republican Sen. Ken Rozenboom, of Oskaloosa.
Rep. Todd Prichard, D-Charles City, a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve, opposed the bill. He noted the AR-15 type rifles allowed for hunting were similar to those he was trained to use in the military and that ammunition authorized in the bill can travel up to 2½ miles.
He said he had about 200 hours of basic rifle marksmanship training to learn how to handle similar weapons and be combat certified.
Deer hunting with AR-15 rifles is allowed in other states. Many states have restrictions for when they can be used and regulate the type of ammunition allowed.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
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https://www.weareiowa.com/article/news/local/local-politics/statehouse-bills-governor-kim-reynolds-bonuses-tax-feminine-hygiene-rifle-hunting/524-6e8867fb-ce49-4ffe-9643-02e17325c426
| 2022-05-25T01:08:16
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https://www.weareiowa.com/article/news/local/local-politics/statehouse-bills-governor-kim-reynolds-bonuses-tax-feminine-hygiene-rifle-hunting/524-6e8867fb-ce49-4ffe-9643-02e17325c426
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AMES, Iowa - It was a double dose of state championships Tuesday for the Lake Mills boys golf team.
Powered by Bennett Berger’s individual state championship, the Bulldogs striped their way to the Class 1A team state title at Ames Golf and Country Club.
Berger finished with a two-day total of 150, four strokes clear of Newman Catholic’s Tim Castle, who earned runner-up honors.
Lake Mills’ Garrett Ham finished fifth individually as well, and North Butler’s Nolan Reser was 12th.
Lake Mills finished with a two-day team total of 673, 16 strokes clear of East Buchanan. North Butler finished fourth in the team race.
In Class 2A, Osage junior Leo Klapperich finished tied for seventh with a 150 total, five strokes off the leader.
Osage, with a score of 645, finished 8th in Class 2A.
Charles City’s Trevor White finished 16th in Class 3A.
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https://www.kimt.com/sports/local/paced-by-bergers-individual-title-lake-mills-wins-1a-state-golf-title-newmans-castle-takes/article_67477cb4-dbb0-11ec-95da-93f9f3d913bd.html
| 2022-05-25T01:20:48
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https://www.kimt.com/sports/local/paced-by-bergers-individual-title-lake-mills-wins-1a-state-golf-title-newmans-castle-takes/article_67477cb4-dbb0-11ec-95da-93f9f3d913bd.html
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Several years ago a 11-year-old Brianna Lieneck was killed as a result of a boating accident. Her death sparked Brianna’s Law, which basically requires boaters to take a boating safety course prior to going out on the water. Oneida County Sheriff Rob Maciol says the idea is to get everyone up to speed on safety requirements, and when you're required to take the course is based on your age.
"So by 2025 every single person operating a vessel will have to go through the boater safety course."
Lifejackets are probably the number one safety concern, and thanks to newer technology, Oneida County Sheriff’s Marine Patrol's Sgt. Scott Kahl says most kids are wearing them.
"The products that are out there are probably a little more kid friendly than what used to be when I was a kid, because the kids don’t want to wear those big bulky lifejackets. They don’t want to be in those all day while they’re out here on the water, but with the newer stuff they don’t mind it."
In boating accidents, 7 out of every 8 victims that drown weren’t wearing a life jacket. To cut down on your chances of an accident take the time to learn about the lake you’ll be boating on. On Oneida Lake the rock wall at the end of the canal can be a real issue. Sylvan Beach Assistant Fire Chief Ryan Clark knows the fire department has responded there a number of times.
"The rock wall’s pretty well marked out, but we do understand that people do end up on the rock wall due to lack of knowledge."
Sgt. Kahl says the wall is well marked, so boaters should know they can't cross even when the water level rises above some of the wall.
"It’s the 10% that don’t know this lake and then they look at this, and they’re like oh what do those red buoys mean, oh I wonder what those lights mean, and they try to drive through there and then they wreck on the wall."
When you’re on the water it’s best to constantly take mental notes of your exact location. If you do end up in trouble, you’re going to want to relay your location as accurately as possible.
"If you can give us 3 points of what you see, and which ones you’re closer to, that will give us a better idea of where you actually are on this lake because it’s 20-something miles long, and 6-7 miles wide at its widest parts."
Here's some information on the boater safety courses, and who’s required to take them:
Boater Safety Courses to begin for the 2022 boating season
The first two classes will be conducted on April 9th & April 16th, 2022 at the Westmoreland Fire Department, 101 Station Road, Westmoreland, New York, and on June 25th, 2022 at the Forestport Town Hall, 10275 State Route 28, Forestport, New York.
All classes begin promptly at 9:00 A.M. and because it is an 8 hour class, it is recommended that everyone bring snacks, drinks, and/or a lunch. This class is limited to 30 students and additional classes will be offered at a later date if the need arises.
In New York State:
A. As of January 1, 2020, everyone operating a motorized vessel will need a safety certificate by 2025. This is a requirement of the new legislation known as “Brianna’s Law:
1. If you were born on or after January 1, 1993, you will need the certificate by the first time
you operate a vessel in 2020.
2. If you were born on or after January 1, 1988, you will need the certificate by the first time
you operate a vessel in 2022.
3. If you were born on or after January 1, 1983, you will need a certificate by the first time
you operate a vessel in 2023.
4. If you were born on or after January 1, 1978, you will need a certificate by the first time
you operate a vessel in 2024.
5. If you were born before 1978, you will need a certificate by the first time you operate a
vessel in 2025.
To sign up for this free, eight hour class, just follow this link at https://parks.ny.gov/recreation/boating/safety-courses.aspx. Once there, find a class in your area by entering your location. When you find a class you are interested in, click the “View Event” tab, and the class information page will open. Verify that this is the class you are interested in and then click the “Register Now” tab and follow the instructions to register. If you have any questions, please call the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office at 315-765-2222 and speak with Sue Goding.
To find additional class dates and locations, you can visit the NYS Office of Parks Recreation and Historic Preservation’s website at www.nysparks.com/boats or call 1-800-336-2628 to get information on the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary & U.S. Power Squadron Boater Safety Course dates and locations.
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https://www.wktv.com/news/local/national-boaters-safety-week/article_b5a600d0-dba9-11ec-b837-374db15ab8ed.html
| 2022-05-25T01:24:02
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https://www.wktv.com/news/local/national-boaters-safety-week/article_b5a600d0-dba9-11ec-b837-374db15ab8ed.html
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PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Tuesday marked the first day timed use permits will be required for personal vehicles to travel along the Waterfall Corridor in the Columbia River Gorge. Permits to visit Multnomah Falls will also be required starting Tuesday
U.S. Forest Service and Oregon Department of Transportation officials say these permits are meant to reduce congestion and improve the overall visitor experience along the Historic Columbia River HIghway.
Permits will be required to visit all federal lands adjacent to the Waterfall Corridor and to visit Multnomah Falls from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. between May 24 and Sept. 5, 2022. The Waterfall Corridor extends between the Bridal Veil off-ramp and Ainsworth State Park.
The timed use permits for the Waterfall Corridor and the timed use permits for visitors using the I-84 Exit 31 parking lot for Multnomah Falls are two separate systems and are not interchangeable.
“The Columbia River Gorge is one of Oregon’s most iconic and popular destinations,” said Multnomah County Commissioner Lori Stegmann. “But for both residents and visitors the traffic congestion has contributed to frustration and long waits.”
Stegmann said the goal is to provide people with easier access to the scenic beauty in the Gorge and reminds people that 2022 is the pilot year for the Waterfall Corridor timed use permits and changes can be made in the future if necessary.
Both permits will be available up to two weeks before people plan to visit either the Waterfall Corridor or Multnomah Falls. They’re available to purchase for a $2 transaction fee at Recreation.gov. There will also be a limited number of in-person, same-day permits available for no charge at locations such as the Gateway to the Gorge Visitor Center in Troutdale and the Cascade Locks Historical Museum.
Each permit allows people access during a certain time slot. For the Waterfall Corridor, people can arrive just east of the Bridal Veil off-ramp at Exit 28 or Exit 35 at Ainsworth State Park at any time during their time slot.
For Multnomah Falls, visitors should arrive at the I-84 Exit 31 parking lot during their time slot. Once people arrive, they can stay for as long as they’d like.
The permits do not guarantee parking anywhere along the Waterfall Corridor or at the Multnomah Falls lot.
There are also options for people to visit the Waterfall Corridor or Multnomah Falls without a permit. Visitors can take Columbia Area Transit from the Gateway Transit Center in Portland, from Cascade Locks, and from Hood River. They could also take a tour with the Sasquatch Shuttle and Gray Line Waterfall Trolley, which both service the Waterfall Corridor.
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https://www.koin.com/local/timed-use-permits-now-required-for-waterfall-corridor-multnomah-falls/
| 2022-05-25T01:26:32
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https://www.koin.com/local/timed-use-permits-now-required-for-waterfall-corridor-multnomah-falls/
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https://www.postregister.com/news/local/city-of-idaho-falls-flying-flags-at-half-staff-to-honor-former-mayor/article_d5666715-a77f-5509-b2f0-0741d5d982a9.html
| 2022-05-25T01:27:21
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https://www.postregister.com/news/local/city-of-idaho-falls-flying-flags-at-half-staff-to-honor-former-mayor/article_d5666715-a77f-5509-b2f0-0741d5d982a9.html
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BOISE, Idaho — After 72 years, Army Pfc. Kenneth L. Bridger, 17, of Colville, Wash., was finally laid to rest during a military honors ceremony in Twin Falls Saturday, May 21.
Bridger was reported missing in action on Nov. 30, 1950, while serving alongside his fellow U.S. troops during the war against North Korea.
"Every U.S. service member is committed to never leave a fallen comrade behind. It is in our creed," Major General Michael Garshak, Idaho's adjutant general, said. "Although it has taken over 70 years to return Pfc. Bridger from the battle fields of Korea, it is comforting to me and to all who serve to know that we fight for a country that will never give up in keeping that promise. It is an immense honor to be a part of this ceremony and return Pfc. Bridger home to his final resting place with his family."
Bridger enlisted into the U.S. Army from Colville, Wash., but many of his remaining family lives in Idaho. Four of Bridger's living siblings, along with their families, attended the ceremony. Bridger was laid to rest next to his mother and brothers.
Garshak presented Wilber Bridger, Pfc. Bridger's brother and oldest surviving relative, the U.S. flag and the Purple Heart on his brother's behalf. Bridger's brothers Lynn and Halbert "Lee" Bridger along with his sister, Florence Fiscus, received the U.S. flag from the Idaho National Guard.
The four siblings also received POW/MIA flags from the National League of the POW/MIA Families and local POW/MIA Awareness Associations in his honor.
Pfc. Bridger was also awarded the Army Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Service Medal with three Bronze Service Stars, the Combat infantryman Badge, the United Nations Service Medal and the Republic of Korea-Korean War Service Medal.
A flyover was performed by the Idaho Army National Guard's State Aviation Group using two UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, and the Idaho National Guard joint honor guard preformed taps and the folding of the flag presentation.
It was the last night of his unit's stand on the defensive perimeter south of Pungnyuri Inlet on the east side of the Chosin Reservoir, North Korea when Bridger went missing.
After the battle, Bridger's remains could not be recovered. It took nearly 72 years for his remains to be repatriated, and he was accounted for on Jan. 26, 2022.
Pfc. Bridger's remains were returned to Twin Falls May 17, at the Magic Valley Regional Airport, and were met by members of the Magic Valley POW/MIA Awareness Association. Bridger's only living relatives now live in the Twin Falls area.
A patriotic escort of flags and motorcycles escorted Pfc. Bridger from the airport to Park's Magic Valley Funeral Home.
According to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, more than 7,600 Americans are still unaccounted for from the Korean War.
Bridger's name is amoung those recorded on the American Battle Monuments Commission's Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, along with others who are still missing from the Korean War. A rosette will be placed next to his name indicating he has been accounted for.
Pfc. Kenneth LeRoy Bridger laid to rest
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https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/korean-war-mia-laid-to-rest-in-twin-fallsafter-72-years/277-0794d020-54a5-496d-96da-4adb15628819
| 2022-05-25T01:29:44
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https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/korean-war-mia-laid-to-rest-in-twin-fallsafter-72-years/277-0794d020-54a5-496d-96da-4adb15628819
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A good school can lead to a lifetime of opportunities. Myriad data shows that lifetime earnings dramatically increase with every degree obtained. Bachelor’s degree holders will earn an average of roughly $26,000 more each year than high school graduates. And for those who decide that pursuing a college degree is not the best postsecondary option, a good school will provide students with the tools and support to make that choice, and the foundational skills necessary to succeed in the workforce.
For many families, the school district is a top criteria when deciding where to buy a home. But this consideration and ability to choose is not a luxury all families can afford, especially in today’s wildly competitive housing market.
One important proxy of a quality education is per-student spending. According to the most recent Census data available, the national average per-pupil expenditure in fiscal year 2019 was $13,187. Several recent studies suggest that increased spending per student correlates with higher academic achievement, particularly in districts serving predominantly low-income students. Since public schools are largely funded by property taxes, schools in low-income areas suffer the most from a lack of funding for critical expenditures like staff salaries and benefits, transportation, instructional resources, and support services.
There are more than 13,000 school districts in the U.S., each one slightly different, for better or worse, than the next. However, several common denominators exist and, when compared, can serve as indicators of what makes an impactful district.
Stacker compiled a list of the best school districts in Nebraska using rankings from Niche. Niche ranks school districts based on a variety of criteria including academics (SAT/ACT scores and state proficiency tests), teacher salaries, expenses per student, and access to extracurricular activities.
#10. Elmwood-Murdock Public Schools (Murdock)
- Number of schools: 2 (472 students)
- Graduation rate: 90% (74% reading proficient and 74% math proficient)
- Average teacher salary: $51,269 (12:1 student to teacher ratio)
#9. Lincoln Public Schools (Lincoln)
- Number of schools: 73 (42,258 students)
- Graduation rate: 82% (56% reading proficient and 56% math proficient)
- Average teacher salary: $55,237 (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
#8. Bennington Public Schools (Bennington)
- Number of schools: 6 (3,288 students)
- Graduation rate: 92% (74% reading proficient and 73% math proficient)
- Average teacher salary: $51,068 (17:1 student to teacher ratio)
#7. Gretna Public Schools (Gretna)
- Number of schools: 8 (5,838 students)
- Graduation rate: 98% (68% reading proficient and 74% math proficient)
- Average teacher salary: $50,845 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
#6. Chadron Public Schools (Chadron)
- Number of schools: 4 (976 students)
- Graduation rate: 92% (59% reading proficient and 62% math proficient)
- Average teacher salary: $52,652 (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
#5. Diller-Odell Public Schools (Odell)
- Number of schools: 2 (237 students)
- Graduation rate: 90% (72% reading proficient and 72% math proficient)
- Average teacher salary: $55,154 (9:1 student to teacher ratio)
#4. Westside Community Schools (Omaha)
- Number of schools: 14 (6,094 students)
- Graduation rate: 89% (60% reading proficient and 59% math proficient)
- Average teacher salary: $57,643 (14:1 student to teacher ratio)
#3. Pender Public Schools (Pender)
- Number of schools: 2 (393 students)
- Graduation rate: 90% (77% reading proficient and 87% math proficient)
- Average teacher salary: $54,312 (11:1 student to teacher ratio)
#2. Millard Public Schools (Omaha)
- Number of schools: 36 (24,038 students)
- Graduation rate: 93% (66% reading proficient and 65% math proficient)
- Average teacher salary: $55,568 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
#1. Elkhorn Public Schools (Elkhorn)
- Number of schools: 17 (10,322 students)
- Graduation rate: 97% (82% reading proficient and 84% math proficient)
- Average teacher salary: $52,076 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
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https://journalstar.com/news/local/education/lincoln-school-board-considers-3-7-pay-raise-for-substitute-teachers/article_1c46382d-65f4-5d3d-a840-a3a8a0e4830e.html
| 2022-05-25T01:38:45
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https://journalstar.com/news/local/education/lincoln-school-board-considers-3-7-pay-raise-for-substitute-teachers/article_1c46382d-65f4-5d3d-a840-a3a8a0e4830e.html
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A new report based on the First Street Foundation’s (FSF) Wildfire Model evaluated that Coconino County has a “severe risk” of wildfire.
According to the high-precision report, 76,113 properties — 99% of all properties in the county — have “some risk of wildfire over the next 30 years.” Risk of wildfire includes 99% of residential properties, 98% of commercial properties, 76% of critical infrastructure and 92% of social facilities such as churches, schools, or museums. The report states that roughly 80 million properties across the contiguous U.S. are at risk of wildfire.
A news release from FSF claims the report provides a “first of its kind analysis” spurred by the reality that “wildfire has become one of the most common and dangerous climate perils, increasingly spreading from heavily forested areas to more populous urban and suburban environments.”
The FSF wildfire model builds upon existing tools, such as those used by the U.S. Forest Service, that are meant for fire officials. What makes the new report unique is that it is climate-adjusted and property-specific, designed to give homeowners a “Fire Factor” for evaluating current and future fire risk.
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Report data is available to the public with a search-by-address function that allows users to access a property-specific risk assessment.
“The lack of a property-specific, climate-adjusted wildfire risk for individual properties has severely hindered everyone from the federal government to your average American,” said Matthew Eby, founder and executive director of First Street Foundation. “As a changing climate drives more frequent and severe wildfire events, Fire Factor will prove critical in ensuring everyone has the insights they need to understand their personal risk to avoid and protect against the devastating impact of a wildfire.”
In and around the Flagstaff area, there is some Fire Factor variability from home to home. For example, a house in Flagstaff’s downtown Southside is evaluated to have a Fire Factor of 6 — a 13.59% chance of being in a wildfire over the next 30 years — while a home just a half-mile away near Wheeler Park is evaluated to have a Fire Factor of 7 — an 18.30% chance of being in wildfire in the next 30 years. Farther out of town, the Fire Factor may bump up to 8 — a 20% chance of wildfire — for homes such as those on Copeland Lane, where the Tunnel Fire recently burned.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reports over $79.8 billion in costs associated with the occurrence of wildfires between 2018 and 2021. The estimate does not factor in the costs of land management or indirect long-term costs.
For each property-specific evaluation, the FSF report provides a Fire Factor number alongside insights such as past examples of fire in the area, potential damage, potential fire intensity, preventative and recovery measures.
Despite the high level of risk in the FSF report, the new data is unlikely to have an impact on things like insurance rates for homeowners in Coconino County, said Bill Tollis of High Country Insurance.
“I've been doing this for 18 years now,” Tollis said. “I have not seen rate increases due to fire activity.”
Tollis did mention that fire activity can cause some holds on “binding authority,” which may affect new policies being taken out during a fire, but “typically, two weeks after the fire passes, everything lifts and we're back to normal.”
The FSF report also includes evaluations of flood risk. To access the report or search for a property-specific risk evaluation, visit riskfactor.com.
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https://azdailysun.com/news/local/report-99-of-coconino-county-properties-at-risk-for-wildfire/article_51d9fca6-dad6-11ec-aaaf-7b0f1a20e5dc.html
| 2022-05-25T01:39:15
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https://azdailysun.com/news/local/report-99-of-coconino-county-properties-at-risk-for-wildfire/article_51d9fca6-dad6-11ec-aaaf-7b0f1a20e5dc.html
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The Flagstaff Eagles had seven athletes participate in the Arizona Multis State Meet in the heptathlon and decathlon on Friday and Saturday in Mesa. Out of 54 total athletes who had to qualify with scores in each of the 10 track and field events for the boys decathlon and seven for the girls heptathlon, the Eagles had three girls and four boys spanning three different age classes.
In the heptathlon, freshman Cody Langdon finished 10th overall and placed second of all freshmen in the competition. Juniors Ciara Garcia and Alexis Taylor earned 13th and 14th, respectively, out of the 24 competitors.
The boys were a more veteran group. Seniors Scott Palmer, Ryan Hatch and Benjamin Ketchner finished fifth, 16th and 17th overall, respectively, out of 30 athletes. Junior Owen Firth took 21st.
Coach Matt Barquin was impressed with the athletes' efforts all season, but especially in the state meet.
“The athletes did really well. A huge battle of that meet is not letting a negative moment affect a positive. At times when they did struggle, they were able to mentally bounce back,” he said.
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He added that, with four non-seniors of the seven that qualified, there is a lot more success to look forward to with Flagstaff's multiple-event participants.
“It shows that we’re not done. It’s not just one star athlete and I put them into the meet. It’s something we’re building at Flag High. It’s my third year being here that we’ve qualified athletes, and it’s becoming a program here that we’re proud of,” Barquin said.
Star Chasers 'desperate' for host families
The Flagstaff Star Chasers, a summer collegiate baseball team set to play their first season in Flagstaff in June, are facing having to shut down the season due to a housing shortage for the out-of-state college players looking to live locally for the summer.
The Star Chasers, according to general manager Randy Barber, are in need of families to host 13 or 14 players for the summer. Hosts will receive season tickets and will be honored throughout the season.
Flagstaff's home opener is set for June 7 at Coconino High School, with practices and initial team meetings to begin the week before.
Wrestling rules
The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) changed its policies on facial hair for wrestlers in the 2022-23 school year. Wrestlers can now have hair on their entire face and chin, provided a skin check can still be conducted by officials. Previously, the rules stated wrestlers had to be hair-free other than sideburns and a neat moustache.
In addition, the NFHS ruled that, in the event a skin check cannot be performed, a wrestler will be permitted to trim the facial hair to within the guidelines and must do so before competing. A wrestler may also choose to wear a face mask in lieu of making adjustments to the facial hair.
“We have been systematically removing barriers of participation in our sport,” said Elliot Hopkins, NFHS director of sports, sanctioning and student services and liaison to the NFHS Wrestling Rules Committee. “It started with allowing the optional two-piece uniform, then modifying the hair rule, providing options for state associations with three choices of weight classes for boys and adding three separate girls’ sets of weight classes and now this change. Literally, there is no rule-based reason that a young person cannot participate. We accept all students who want to learn how to wrestle with no restrictions and encourage them to try out for their school team.”
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https://azdailysun.com/sports/local/local-roundup-fhs-athetes-compete-in-state-decathlon-heptathlon/article_61c68288-db94-11ec-9644-f7b4732afed3.html
| 2022-05-25T01:39:40
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https://azdailysun.com/sports/local/local-roundup-fhs-athetes-compete-in-state-decathlon-heptathlon/article_61c68288-db94-11ec-9644-f7b4732afed3.html
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A year ago, Rufus Rusholme-Cobb was just trying to figure out directions to his new school, much less thinking about what might lie ahead in his academic and athletic career.
Fast-forward to Tuesday, and Rusholme-Cobb -- a transfer student who spent his senior year at Coconino High School -- signed his letter of intent to play basketball at Franklin Pierce University in New Hampshire during a ceremony at the school’s gymnasium.
In one season of high school basketball, Rusholme-Cobb led the Panthers in average points (11.4) and assists (3) as the lead guard. The Panthers went 16-4 and won the Grand Canyon Region with a record of 10-2.
After signing his letter of intent, Rusholme-Cobb took a moment to reflect on his “crazy” experience in Flagstaff. He’d always dreamed of playing college basketball, but said it was surreal actually to be signing to do so.
“If you’d told me a few years ago that I’d be here now, I’d say, ‘No way.’ It’s been a roller coaster at times; like when I first got here I didn’t think I’d fit in,” he said. “And now I’m part of the family here at Coconino. These guys are part of my family forever.”
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There was a similar fit when he took a visit to Rindge, New Hampshire, home of the Ravens, who went 18-11 last season. He got to see the campus and meet many of his future teammates and coaches. It seemed to him that everything felt right.
“They had this one guy from England who’s pretty similar to me, and I sort of meshed with him really well. I remembered the relationships I made there right away were brilliant, and the coaches were lovely. I don’t have to pay a dime for college, so it’s not a hard choice,” Rusholme-Cobb said.
Coconino Principal Stacie Zanzucchi remembers, as part of the senior’s journey, that he barely had time to get a night’s sleep before he got to Coconino the first time. Rusholme-Cobb flew on a Thursday in the summer from New Zealand, spent most of the next two days traveling and showed up to a summer practice on a Saturday.
His original host family lived near Lake Mary, and Rusholme-Cobb did not have an American driver’s license. So he had to ride a bicycle many miles to get to the school, showing up a little confused and very tired to meet Zanzucchi and the team for his first taste of high school in the United States.
He moved to a closer home, though, and many teammates and coaches stepped up to give him rides to games and practices throughout the year. In return, they got a quality player and person along for a season.
“He quickly made friends and teammates here, and it was definitely the right place for him,” Zanzucchi said. “We’re super proud of Rufus. It’s been such a pleasure and a joy to get to know him.”
Mike Moran, who retired after the winter season from the Panthers head coach position, thoroughly agreed.
“It’s a great honor to be here today next to him,” Moran said. “All the things he did here for the basketball team, he’s been a great young man and I’m really proud of him.”
Rusholme-Cobb will finish the remaining days of school and graduate as a Panther. His parents are also set to come visit and a take a vacation out west, then they will travel home together in June for the summer before he returns to New Hampshire in August to begin his collegiate career.
He said he will try to find some teams to practice with, and will spend the majority of the time at home preparing for competition at the next level.
“I’m going to work out, lift some weights and hopefully put some weight on me,” he said. “It’s actually winter at home, so I’m just going to be working.”
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https://azdailysun.com/sports/local/rufus-the-raven-coconino-senior-rufus-rusholme-cobb-signs-to-franklin-pierce-university/article_1afea56c-db97-11ec-a57f-732415e59b0c.html
| 2022-05-25T01:39:46
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https://azdailysun.com/sports/local/rufus-the-raven-coconino-senior-rufus-rusholme-cobb-signs-to-franklin-pierce-university/article_1afea56c-db97-11ec-a57f-732415e59b0c.html
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Midland and Pioneer Natural Resources’ unique private-partnership to upgrade the city’s wastewater treatment plant has earned it the Governor’s Environmental Excellence Award for water conservation from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
In its application for the award, the city of Midland described issuing a request for proposals for the existing wastewater plant upgrades in March 2014, specifically related to water use for the oil and gas industry. Pioneer Natural resources was chosen to provide the upgrades and use the treated wastewater.
Under a contract signed by city officials and Pioneer, Pioneer invested $125 million for the upgrades. Total cost was $133.5 million with the city contributing $4.25 million in funds and $9.25 million in water credits. After approval by the Texas Senate, received exclusive rights to the reuse water. The project was completed in March 2021.
According to the application, the complete facility can currently treat for reuse up to 15 million gallons per day or 357,142 barrels per day for oil and gas industry reuse. Pioneer currently uses the majority of the plant flow, approximately 10 million gallons per day and projects continued usage, allowing the company to cease sourcing groundwater for its operations and conserve fresh water – saving an estimated 30 acre-feet of water per day – while allowing the city to make necessary infrastructure upgrades.
With the upgrades, Midland went from strictly mechanical treatment to a biological system. The partnership allowed the city to stop land applications of sludge and effluent, as it had done for 50 years, thus improving groundwater quality.
In its application, the city said it believes the public-private partnership between Pioneer serves as a model of how private industry can help finance needed upgrades to aging infrastructure.
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https://www.mrt.com/news/local/article/City-of-Midland-wins-environmental-award-for-17195195.php
| 2022-05-25T01:50:04
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https://www.mrt.com/news/local/article/City-of-Midland-wins-environmental-award-for-17195195.php
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Storms delivered rain and dangerous hail to areas of Midland on Tuesday.
The National Weather Service on its Facebook page reported a “severe storm” was passing over parts of Midland. The post also stated “This is a VERY dangerous storm with reports of baseball-sized hail or larger."
In northwest Midland, rain totals of one-half inch were reported in less than one hour. The National Weather Service reported this weekend that 0.57 inch of rain has fallen since Sept. 1.
As of 5:53 p.m., the National Weather Service had not reported any rain at Midland International Airport as the storms that impacted Midland had missed the NWS office.
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https://www.mrt.com/news/local/article/NWS-Baseball-sized-hail-reported-in-Midland-17196387.php
| 2022-05-25T01:50:11
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https://www.mrt.com/news/local/article/NWS-Baseball-sized-hail-reported-in-Midland-17196387.php
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Amid an ongoing construction boom happening in Northwest Cape, contractors are only allowed to start work at 7 a.m., but some residents said early Tuesday morning on Northwest 38th Place, a concrete truck was idling in a residential neighborhood starting at 6:30 a.m.
Having moved to Northwest Cape Coral in 2015, Donna Bikus remembers a tie when North West Cape Coral wasn’t as loud. Nowadays, she says houses are going up everywhere.
But now the only thing slowing down that growth, are rules put forward by the City of Cape Coral. Rules like a 7 a.m. hard start time for construction. But on Tuesday morning, neighbors said a concrete truck was loudly idling and ready to go at 6:30 a.m. sharp.
“It was a Concrete company,” Bikus said, “and you get a lot of the saws, they will come out like they are doing right now. Cement saws.”
On Tuesday, the construction crews working on the street didn’t want to speak on camera, but explained that when it comes to pouring cement, its important to get as early a start as possible.
“I don’t blame them at all. If the sun is up before 7, they want to start before it gets that hot,” Bikus added.
Meanwhile, the City of Cape Coral wants people dealing with loud crews starting too early to give them a call.
“I’m very glad that it’s actually happening now, it’s good for the Cape to expand like this,” Bikus said.
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https://nbc-2.com/news/local/2022/05/24/cape-residents-frustrated-by-early-morning-construction/
| 2022-05-25T01:54:34
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https://nbc-2.com/news/local/2022/05/24/cape-residents-frustrated-by-early-morning-construction/
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The clock is ticking for Florida lawmakers to help bring down skyrocketing home insurance costs.
Republicans are considering a couple options but democrats argue the plan caves to big insurance companies.
One GOP plan says an insurance company can’t deny you if your roof is less than 15 years old. It also says if your roof is 15 years or older you can’t be denied if an inspection reveals it’s good for another five years.
Micahel Higer is an attorney with Berger and Singerman and said lawmakers need to better regulate the insurance industry.
“Focus on the insurance industry side in terms of better regulating the insurers and then your rates, my rates and the average homeowners rates will be under control,” Higer said.
He is blasting a plan that also caps fees attorneys can collect when fighting an insurance claim in court.
“By attacking the lawyers here they’re denying the average consumer access to the legal system,” Higer responded.
Democrat Charlie Crist is running for governor and blasting the GOP plans accusing them of caving to big insurance companies.
Bill Carbo’s rising rates had him taking matters into his own hands after his rates were too high.
“It was a significant increase. So I decided to shop for my insurance,” Carbo said.
He was lucky to find a better rate.
“They did an inspection and as far as I know everything was fine. They wrote the policy and we’re happy,” he explained.
However that is not the norm according to lawmaker Jenna Persons-Mulicka.
“I’m hearing from constituents daily saying that they’re losing policies, rates going up. What kind of relief can we see as soon as possible,” Persons-Mulicka said.
Lawmakers have until Friday to try and figure it all out and fix the insurance crisis plaguing the state.
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https://nbc-2.com/news/local/2022/05/24/florida-lawmakers-are-running-out-of-time-to-lower-the-cost-of-home-insurance/
| 2022-05-25T01:54:40
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https://nbc-2.com/news/local/2022/05/24/florida-lawmakers-are-running-out-of-time-to-lower-the-cost-of-home-insurance/
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GRAY, Tenn. (WJHL) — The Hands On! children’s museum was beloved when Andy Marquart became its new CEO in 2013 — but a bit like a well-worn stuffed animal is beloved.
Loved for its ark full of stuffed animals (real ones), its “grocery store” and its slide into a “coal mine,” the downtown Johnson City fixture also featured decaying infrastructure, inadequate parking and a paucity of high-quality exhibits.
Fast forward nine years and Marquart is leaving a facility with at least twice the floor space and a raft of newer exhibits, a like-new building that the museum doesn’t even pay for and a unique partnership with East Tennessee State University’s Gray Fossil Site.
Leaving, nonetheless, is what the Missouri native is doing, headed to Columbia, S.C. to take the reins at EdVenture Children’s Museum. His last day at Hands On! is June 17.
“He’s been such a pleasure to work with and he’s done so many wonderful things for the museum, he’s just going to be really missed,” Hands On! Board Chair Helen Harmon said Tuesday. “We’re really happy for him at the same time.”
Marquart spoke to News Channel 11 Tuesday and reflected on his tenure at what is now called Hands On! Discovery Center Tuesday, shortly after EdVenture made the choice of its new director public.
The museum’s board of directors had discussed various plans for a new building in the years preceding Marquart’s arrival, but finances made it a difficult lift.
“There was some work that needed to be done,” Marquart said of the museum when he arrived. Much of that was down to what he called “crumbling infrastructure” that left any CEO with hands somewhat tied. Donor largesse had to address acute needs that operating revenue couldn’t cover and curtailed the ability to enhance what Marquart called “informal learning” that is key to successful museums.
“We couldn’t take all those (donor) dollars and fund an exhibit or a program, we had to fund a new HVAC system or another leak in the building or something else and that really interferes with your ability to grow your mission and impact,” Marquart said.
But within a couple years of his arrival, Marquart began discussions with ETSU about an innovative proposal: marry Hands On’s strengths and potential with the world-renowned fossil site’s research and attractiveness to the curious of all ages.
Marquart said some of the challenges when he arrived were financial, some just required blood, sweat and tears, but all were daunting without the potential game-changing prospect of a Hands On!-ETSU partnership.
“There’s a lot of things that go into solving those problems and once we made the decision to relocate to the Gray Fossil Site that allowed us to leverage donor funds to invest in all of those other gaps I was mentioning earlier in informal learning and what we wanted to do from an impact perspective,” he said.
After a multi-year process, Hands On! moved into the fossil site for good in 2018. Marquart said the move has catapulted the museum forward on about every level imaginable.
“Not only is the museum in a sound financial space and will continue to be but also our programmatic efforts have grown exponentially,” he said.
Hands On! boasts one of the state’s top educational outreach programs, reaching kids as far afield as Southeast Kentucky and Western North Carolina. He said without the world class paleontological site, even a partnership that saved money wouldn’t be as impactful.
He said a key to offering a successful museum or attraction is having something no one else has. “There are specimens and findings here that aren’t found anywhere else in the world, and that makes it really special.
“When you bring an informal learning and family education component like Hands On and plant it here in the middle of a unique site like the Gray Fossil Site, then you’ve reached a potential that others could only dream of.”
That’s gotten lots of attention at museum conferences and impressed professionals who visit for museum accreditation purposes. Marquart said they mention having seen similar models but nothing exactly like the Hands On!-ETSU partnership.
“I think the reason why is because we didn’t carbon copy anything and try to put it in here,” he said. “We did what’s best for ETSU, for the Center for Excellence in Paleontology and for Hands On! Discovery Center … and that’s why it’s worked out so well.”
Now Marquart, who has also been chairman of the Johnson City Convention and Visitors Bureau and led the board of the Northeast Tennessee Tourism Association, said it’s time for someone to take Hands On! to the next level. He said he doesn’t believe the museum has reached its fullest potential and needs someone “who will come in with ideas that I haven’t thought of and no one else has thought of.”
Marquart praised the other members of Hands On!’s leadership team. Vice President of Marketing and Operations Kristine Carter and VP of Education and Community Engagement Heather Watson will split interim leadership duties as a board committee conducts a national search.
He said the supportive board and strong team will help give his successor time to make their own mark.
“They’ll be able to absorb the environment before turning something on its head or saying ‘we want to go do this,'” Marquart said. “So really just from an operational perspective and from everything else the museum is so stable that it’s really going to allow a long runway for the next director to have some success.”
Harmon said the board is hopeful.
“We’re hoping to find somebody who’s going to continue and expand upon a lot of the great work Andy’s done.”
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https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/ceo-who-led-hands-on-move-expansion-leaving-after-nine-years/
| 2022-05-25T01:56:04
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https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/ceo-who-led-hands-on-move-expansion-leaving-after-nine-years/
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POUND, Va. (WJHL) — Town of Pound Mayor Stacey Carson submitted her resignation during Tuesday night’s Town Council meeting.
She resigned “effective immediately.”
Carson mentioned a disagreement over some equipment and wishing to be reimbursed by the town for certain items.
The town is facing the possible revocation of its charter after state lawmakers passed legislation to repeal it if the town does not turn things around.
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https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/pound-va-mayor-stacey-carson-resigns-effective-immediately/
| 2022-05-25T01:56:10
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https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/pound-va-mayor-stacey-carson-resigns-effective-immediately/
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UVALDE, Texas — A family in Uvalde is desperately searching for a fourth-grade student whom they haven't heard from since a deadly shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde.
Ileana Torres' family is asking anyone with information on her whereabouts to contact them.
"We are in disbelief of this tragedy that happened and we have not yet gotten any answers of where her whereabouts are at," the girl's aunt said. "Please, if anybody has any news on her, any hospitals that have any information on her, please reach out to us and let us know that she is at y’all’s facility and just praying for a safe return home."
The Texas Department of Public Safety has confirmed that 18 students were killed in the shooting, along with two adults and the suspected shooter.
"We have no idea (where she is) and it's not like her," she said. "It's not like my niece not to reach out because when she feels that she's threatened or scared, she's always calling on her cell phone. She'll blow up somebody until somebody answers her. And up to right now to this minute, we have not gotten a one phone call from her. And her phone is off."
Torres' aunt spoke about the process that some families are currently going through as authorities work to identify the students killed in the school.
"They would ask you for a picture, just a picture, the description of what they were wearing this morning," she said. "And it was hard. They did take my sister to the back to identify, thinking it was my niece, but it wasn't my niece."
Like many in Uvalde, the Torres family is holding on to hope and looking for answers.
"I'm just praying that my little one is okay," she said. "I believe in the power of prayer and I believe that I want to tell myself that she's okay. And I'm going to keep telling myself that she's okay and she's going to come home."
This was the last week of school for Uvalde, and Ileana was feeling mixed emotions ahead of the last softball game of the season.
"She was very excited about her softball game today. She was kind of nervous," she said about the most recent conversation she had with her niece. "I talked to her last night and she was kind of nervous, saying that it was her last game and she didn't want softball to end. And she was excited because there were gonna, I guess, announce the ones that made it to all stars. And she was also saying like, 'what if I make it? I'm gonna be so nervous.' And I was like, 'girl you got this. You're gonna be good at it. You got this.' So she was excited."
Uvalde CISD has canceled the remainder of the school year and extracurricular activities.
"Law enforcement is doing what they can and what's expected," she said. "And just for the safety and for everybody and wanting everybody to have hopefully they find their loved ones. That's all I can say. I hope they find their loved ones."
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https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/texas/family-searches-student-missing-deadly-shooting-uvalde-elementary-school/273-cbcc238b-4dbd-49b4-986d-3f883e15bae3
| 2022-05-25T02:14:02
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https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/texas/family-searches-student-missing-deadly-shooting-uvalde-elementary-school/273-cbcc238b-4dbd-49b4-986d-3f883e15bae3
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FLOYD COUNTY, KY (WOWK) — One person was arrested and charged with illegal drug trafficking and four were arrested on outstanding warrants after an investigation found drugs and a firearm at a Floyd County residence.
According to the Floyd County Sheriff’s Department, deputies and officers from Pikeville PD did a joint investigation into a residence in the Toler Creek community.
Law enforcement says they found 40 grams of crystal meth and other drugs, drug paraphernalia, digital scales, and a firearm.
Terry Rogers, 48 of Toler Creek, is being charged with Trafficking in a Controlled Substance, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and other drug-related charges, according to deputies.
They say they arrested four other people from Roger’s residence on outstanding warrants. Their names have not been released.
They are all at the Floyd County Jail, according to deputies.
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https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/5-arrested-after-drug-trafficking-investigation-in-floyd-county/
| 2022-05-25T02:17:02
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https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/5-arrested-after-drug-trafficking-investigation-in-floyd-county/
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BLOOMINGTON — Workers, residents and people passing through downtown Bloomington on Tuesday afternoon received a quick lesson in Cyrillic script — a writing system used for various languages across Slavic and Eurasian countries.
As part of the Cyrillic Alphabet Day on Tuesday, Great Lakes Consortium Professional Fellow Rado Atanasov, from Bulgaria, was teaching people how to write their name in Cyrillic script as way to introduce them to new languages.
The Great Lake Consortium Professional Fellows Program is a two-way exchange program involving 30 professionals from five selected European countries — including Albania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia — and 15 mentors from the United States who are actively involved in programs related to citizen participation and community advocacy.
Funded by the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs Office of Citizen Exchanges, Atanasov said he came to Bloomington on May 15 and has been learning ways to enact community engagement with different approaches, like his pop-up Cyrillic lessons.
"There isn't a lot of community engagement in Europe ... and as far as I understand, community organizing is trying to rectify this problem with different approaches," Atanasov said. "I'm trying to learn more about this community organizing approach and implement all the tools and all the knowledge in general in Bulgaria."
Based on the Greek alphabet, Cyrillic script is derived from the Greek uncial script. It is augmented by the older Glagolitic alphabet, which is the oldest known Slavic alphabet believed to be created in the 9th century by Byzantine monk Saint Cyril and improved on by his disciples, Atanasov said.
Eventually the Cyrillic alphabet replaced the Glagolitic alphabet as a universal basis for other alphabets in various languages, especially those of Orthodox Slavic origin and non-Slavic languages influenced by Russian, Atanasov said.
"Around 250 million people speak it and it's the second biggest script after Latin, based not by the number of people that speak it but by the number of languages which includes the dialect," he said. "So there are around 140 different types of languages, plus dialects, that utilize the Cyrillic alphabet to speak their language."
McLean County Museum of History archivist George Perkins said he knew of Cyrillic but never learned how to read, write or speak it, so it was surprise to him to see Atanasov offering lessons right outside the museum as he was heading home from work.
"I've done quite a little bit of traveling and I think that anytime that you can bring people together to discuss their culture and their language, it's a good thing," Perkins said.
Louis Goseland, mentor and local community organizer with the Great Lakes Consortium, said the activity was an opportunity for people to broaden their horizons and understand that there are some interesting differences that take place across the world.
"It's rare that you get the opportunity to encounter an entirely different alphabet, especially in our community," said Goseland, who is hosting Atanasov until he leaves on June 12. "It's a good chance of creating some level of cultural exchange."
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Action Wellness
Rescue dogs Senna (right) and Miles (left) at Action Wellness, 2710 E. Lincoln St. in Bloomington, who are owned by clinic director and chiropractor Jessica Bruin.
Rachel Stechman's shop dogs Magic (right) and Miagi (left) who go to work with her at her traveling pet grooming business, Magic Paws Paws Mobile Grooming, in Lincoln.
Dr. Judy Ronan Woodburn's Norwegian Elkhounds named Zeni and Zeta are brought into her clinical psychology practice at Carle Behavioral Health, 3024 E. Empire St., in Bloomington, for "therapy dog days."
Central Illinois pets at work: Reader-submitted photos
Businesses and employees in and around Bloomington-Normal share their pets at work. Have one to share? Email mateusz.janik@lee.net.
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Action Wellness
Rescue dogs Senna (right) and Miles (left) at Action Wellness, 2710 E. Lincoln St. in Bloomington, who are owned by clinic director and chiropractor Jessica Bruin.
COURTESY OF DENISE O'NEAL
Country Financial
Country Financial manager Christine Franklin's Belgian Malinois, named KC, works from home with her.
COURTESY OF CHRISTINE FRANKLIN
ETC Shoppes & Storage
Shop dog Gunner “Gunny” Alexander at ETC Shoppes & Storage, 1804 N. Towanda Barnes Road in Bloomington.
Clay Jackson
Goodfield Shoe Repair
David Johnston, owner of Goodfield Shoe Repair, 214 W. Peoria St. in Goodfield, has three shop dogs.
COURTESY OF DAVID JOHNSTON
Sewing Studio
Shop dogs Zuko, left, and Sheena at Sewing Studio, 216 Shiner St. in Hudson.
COURTESY OF VICKIE BEOLETTO
Shooting Star Florist
Rescue Pomeranian Loki at Shooting Star Florist, 1613 Commerce Parkway in Bloomington, with owner Andrea Beyer.
COURTESY OF ANDREA BEYER
State Farm
Office dog Archie with State Farm Insurance agent Axel Jimenez at his office, 1520 E. College Ave. in Normal.
COURTESY OF AXEL JIMENEZ
Sud's Family Limited Partnership
Suniti Sud's office dog Raji, who is based out of Sud's Family Limited Partnership, 303 Landmark Drive in Normal.
COURTESY OF SUNITI SUD
The Massage Spot
Massage dog Honda at the Massage Spot, 103 W. Monroe St. in Bloomington.
COURTESY OF CINDY TERMUENDE
Gingerbread House Toys
Shop dog Wink at Gingerbread House Toys, 915 E. Washington St. in Bloomington.
Clay Jackson
Waiting Room Records
Shop cat Murph at Waiting Room Records, 113 W. North St. in uptown Normal.
Clay Jackson
Magic Paws Mobile Grooming
Rachel Stechman's shop dogs Magic (right) and Miagi (left) who go to work with her at her traveling pet grooming business, Magic Paws Paws Mobile Grooming, in Lincoln.
COURTESY OF RACHEL STECHMAN
Carle Behavioral Health
Dr. Judy Ronan Woodburn's Norwegian Elkhounds named Zeni and Zeta are brought into her clinical psychology practice at Carle Behavioral Health, 3024 E. Empire St., in Bloomington, for "therapy dog days."
"The amount of growth that you've done in such a short amount of time ... you've won, period, end of story, to me," Katy Perry told the Normal native, who placed third.
"It’s gonna make me cry," Leah Marlene's former kindergarten teacher said, ahead of the "American Idol" finalist's visit to Prairieland Elementary. "We’re just so proud of her."
"If you told me a year ago that I'd be looking out at a sea of thousands of people right now ... I would have never, in a trillion, billion, kajillion years, believed you."
A Gibson City teenager was killed in a Wednesday evening crash on Illinois Route 9 about 6 miles east of Bloomington, Illinois State Police said Thursday.
In the wake of Leah Marlene Day, including her parade and concert, the Town of Normal and McLean County Unit 5 took a breath Wednesday, still reveling in the whirlwind of welcoming the “American Idol” finalist home.
Radoslav Antanasov, right, speaks with George Perkins of the McLean County Museum of History about the origins of the Cyrillic alphabet on The Day Of Slavonic Alphabet, May 24, in downtown Bloomington.
May 24 is recognized by many Slavic speakers, and is a national holiday in Bulgaria, as The Day of the Slavonic Alphabet. It celebrates the creation of the Cyrillic alphabet used in several countries in Eastern Europe.
Rachael Masa, left, and George Perkins listen to Radoslav Antanasov, right, talk about the history of the Cyrillic alphabet Tuesday in downtown Bloomington.
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https://pantagraph.com/news/local/watch-now-downtown-bloomington-pop-up-teaches-residents-about-cyrillic-script/article_29362ef4-db9a-11ec-9052-93085faa0838.html
| 2022-05-25T02:18:00
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https://www.azcentral.com/videos/news/local/arizona-people/2022/05/24/phoenix-police-shooting-suspect-vandalizing-businesses-north-phoenix/9915329002/
| 2022-05-25T02:22:08
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Monkeypox is a 'low risk' to the general public, top US health official says in Phoenix
Monkeypox is a low risk to the general American public and is not comparable to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a senior U.S. health official who was in Phoenix Tuesday.
Dr. Rachel Levine, assistant U.S. Secretary for Health, said that monkeypox "is not another COVID-19" and that the risk to the general public is low.
Levine made her comments at the Phoenix Indian Medical Center after holding a private listening session about burnout with health care workers along with U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy.
"This is not a coronavirus. It is a completely different virus. It's spread by close personal contacts, so it's spread in a completely different way," Levine said. "The CDC is monitoring however the situation really closely, both in the United States and internationally. ... The cases so far have not been severe."
In early May, the World Health Organization confirmed a case of monkeypox in a British traveler returning from Nigeria, where the disease is endemic.
As of Tuesday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had confirmed one case of monkeypox infection in the U.S., in an adult male in Massachusetts with recent travel to Canada.
Monkeypox:How worried should you be? We asked some Arizona experts
U.S. Surgeon General: The CDC is tracking monkeypox 'very, very closely'
Murthy said the CDC is working closely with doctors, nurses and states to make sure sufficient monitoring is in place, should additional case arise.
"Right now, the number of cases and suspected cases is quite small and quite limited," he said. "If you look at the last time the United States dealt with a significant outbreak of monkeypox, every individual who contracted the virus in that case made a full recovery."
The U.S. also has a supply of vaccines that the CDC believes will be effective against monkeypox, which is reassuring, he said.
"People should know that this is an issue the CDC is tracking very, very closely in partnership with local and state authorities," he said. "Monkeypox is a virus that presents with symptoms that are like the flu and can also present with a rash and that rash can last sometimes for a couple of weeks."
The last time the U.S. saw an outbreak of monkeypox was in 2003, when the CDC reported 47 confirmed and suspected cases after some people came into contact with infected pet prairie dogs housed alongside a shipment of small mammals from Ghana.
Monkeypox does not occur naturally in the U.S., but cases have happened that were associated with international travel or importing animals from areas where the disease is more common, the CDC says.
The CDC is urging healthcare providers in the U.S. to be alert for patients who have rash illnesses consistent with monkeypox, regardless of whether they have travel or specific risk factors for monkeypox and regardless of gender or sexual orientation.
Health care workers are feeling bullied and harassed at work, advisory days
Murthy and Levine held a private listening session with health care workers in Phoenix on Tuesday and discussed the surgeon general's national advisory on health worker burnout.
They were joined by Dr. Loretta Christensen, Indian Health Service chief medical officer, and Dr. Claire Nechiporenko, a pediatrician and acting director of ambulatory services at the Phoenix Indian Medical Center.
The national advisory says that among 26,174 state, tribal, local and territorial public health workers surveyed during March and April 2021, nearly 23.4% reported feeling "bullied, threatened or harassed at work."
Murthy said he is visiting health care workers across the country to learn and talk about how to build a broader movement to address health care worker burnout. Even before the pandemic, health care workers were feeling burned out, he said.
"Health care workers faced wave after wave of patients with COVID-19 as they sustained verbal and physical attacks as well," he said. "Of course, they had to deal with the onslaught of misinformation, which has been one the great plagues during this pandemic."
Some of the common words Murthy said he's heard from health care workers during listening sessions include heartbroken, traumatized, burned out and exhausted. Sectors outside of government need to address the problem, too, he said.
"We need private insurance companies, health systems, we need educational institutions and all of society to all step up so that we can ultimately take care of our health care workers," he said.
Reach the reporter at Stephanie.Innes@gannett.com or at 602-444-8369. Follow her on Twitter @stephanieinnes
Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today.
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https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-health/2022/05/24/u-s-surgeon-general-says-cdc-closely-tracking-monkeypox/9910429002/
| 2022-05-25T02:22:26
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SEATTLE — The Seattle City Council voted 6-3 to advance two measures related to police hiring incentives.
The council passed a resolution put forward by Councilmember Sara Nelson signaling support for funding a police staffing incentive program by lifting a budget proviso restricting the Seattle Police Department (SPD) from using salary savings.
The council also passed an ordinance by Councilmember Lisa Herbold authorizing the city to offer relocation assistance for recruits in several hard-to-fill positions with the city, including police officers.
The ordinance also authorizes $650,000 toward relocation benefits for police hires and an additional recruiter. Another $350,000 will be allocated to recruitment advertising and assisting with the search for the city's next police chief.
It comes at a time when there is a continued push related to public safety and new ideas for how to supplement a staffing shortage.
On Tuesday, members of five different neighborhood business associations suggested the city find 2023 funding for new roles to supplement the police. That could include a community coordinator, or civilian patrol unit and funding for assistance in replacing windows or removing graffiti.
“As we've seen the police force shrink, [we’ve] seen that folks in my position have had to do things we've never done before,” said Erin Goodman of the SODO Business Improvement Area, who spoke during the Tuesday morning meeting. “We 100% advocate for and want an appropriately staffed police department but we’re in the situation we're in, these are proposals that we think will compliment or staff a police response.”
“We need a civilian foot patrol. That's the number one thing I hear from businesses. They remember when there were officers walking around,” she said.
Down the street, Todd Biesold of Merlino Foods said they need help.
“We had seven rifle rounds put into the building, put out four windows and a city light meter,” he said, noting police response was slow. “They’re spread too thin. They’re not coming.”
“The window that got replaced here, it was 1,200 bucks. I don’t care what sized company you are, 1,200 bucks is 1,200 bucks,” he said.
Prior to the incentive vote, Councilmember Andrew Lewis noted that, “Police staffing is necessary, but it’s not sufficient for the public safety crisis we’re facing.” He was one of the majority votes.
The Downtown Seattle Association released a statement on the incentives vote, saying:
“This action, and Mayor Harrell’s forthcoming comprehensive SPD recruitment strategy, will help ensure Seattle is competitive and able to attract new recruits. This is a critical first to restoring public safety in our city. SPD has been woefully understaffed for decades and hasn’t kept pace with the growth of our city. A right-sized department is essential to improving response times and instilling confidence in community safety. Residents, visitors and workers feeling secure in our city is essential for recovery.”
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https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/seattle/seattle-city-council-police-hiring-incentives/281-7a9accb4-6fde-4cd9-895d-5bdd2354b14d
| 2022-05-25T02:26:11
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https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/seattle/seattle-city-council-police-hiring-incentives/281-7a9accb4-6fde-4cd9-895d-5bdd2354b14d
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SEATTLE — Students protested Tuesday after the Seattle Pacific University (SPU) Board of Trustees voted to uphold rules that ban LGBTQ+ staff from working at the school.
The demonstration was one of the largest walk-outs SPU has seen in years. Hundreds of students left their classrooms Tuesday morning and walked to Demaray Hall to demonstrate in front of the university president's office.
Protestors said the board's decision discriminates against sexual orientation and doesn't reflect the students on campus.
"We want gay faculty. We want gay staff," chanted student organizer Reena Sidhu.
Hundreds showed up wearing rainbow masks and holding signs showing their dismay over Monday's decision.
"This is a student issue but this is a staff and faculty issue, they've been here holding love in their hearts for us while we were really upset yesterday, but I can't even imagine what it's like being policed by your workplace," said Sidhu.
The board decided to keep a policy that bans sexual activity between same-sex couples, extramarital sex and cohabitating before marriage for employees.
"We gave them two thousand signatures on a petition that we published in four days and they took all of that, then they said we're listening to you and then they voted against us," said student organizer, Chloe Guillot.
Faculty like Professor of Sociology Kevin Neuhouser showed up to speak in support of his students.
"We claim you as ours and we will do everything we can to do right by you," he said.
Students say they've spent years trying to make a change. For some faculty, it's been decades.
"It's been a long road of trying to keep students safe," said SPU English Professor and Honors Program Director Chris Chaney. Chaney has taught at the school for 22 years.
In a statement, the Board said they chose to remain in 'communion' with the Free Methodist Church which defines marriage between a man and a woman.
The rally prompted Interim President Pete Menjaras to address the crowd.
"I also know you're disappointed with the recent announcement by the board of trustees and I can't speak for them. I also know that you want change and change isn't happening fast enough for you and I recognize that," he said.
When Menjaras was asked about the board's decision he referred to a written statement the school issued on Monday.
Students ended the rally by walking into Demaray Hall to hold a sit-in. They plan to stay there all night.
President Menjaras also said the Board of Trustees would be on campus this Thursday to talk with students, staff and faculty.
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https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/seattle/seattle-pacific-university-student-walkout-lgbtq-staff-hiring-rule/281-13fa168c-490d-4560-a1a0-9ac69cb0c872
| 2022-05-25T02:26:17
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https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/seattle/seattle-pacific-university-student-walkout-lgbtq-staff-hiring-rule/281-13fa168c-490d-4560-a1a0-9ac69cb0c872
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Tonight: Quickly moving storms developing across central Alabama. Most are staying below severe weather limits, but they are dumping heavy rain
Tomorrow: WEATHER AWARE through Thursday as we are expecting more strong storms. The time line will start around noon Wednesday and continue through late Wednesday evening. It will not be a washout all day, but some storms could produce locally heavy rainfall. The storms Wednesday will produce heavy rain, strong winds in excess of 60 mph and possibly some large hail. The tornado threat, although low end, comes into play Thursday.
THURSDAY: We will get a short break from the rain and storms around midnight Thursday morning through sunrise. By 7am a line of heavy rain and embedded supercells will come racing in from Mississippi. This will be a very organized line and will stretch north to south, moving due east. Rain and storms likely to start at 7am and moving out by 5pm.
Although all types of severe weather Wednesday will primarily be the hail and wind threat along with locally heavy rain. Thursday will include a possible tornado with a line of heavy rain and possible flash flood. Rainfall amounts between now and Thursday afternoon will range between 2-3″.
MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND: Fortunately, the rain will be ending Thursday and Friday we will return to sunshine. The sun-filled sky sticks around for the weekend and temperatures will be trending up as well. We’re back to around 90 by Memorial day on Monday.
Be sure to follow the CBS 42 Storm Team:
Follow Us on Facebook: Chief Meteorologist Ashley Gann, Meteorologist Dave Nussbaum, Meteorologist Michael Haynes and Meteorologist Alex Puckett
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https://www.cbs42.com/news/local/weather-aware-wednesday-and-thursday-storms-and-heavy-rain-likely/
| 2022-05-25T02:28:16
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DALLAS — Not too long ago, a home-buying story like Wendi Hinson’s would not have been believable.
“We put in seven bids. Every single bid was well over asking. Sometimes we put in a bid without ever seeing the house,” Hinson said.
Six of those offers were rejected.
“It was never even close,” she said. “We ended up going about $60,000 over our original budget. For a house built in the 1970s.”
Hinson and her husband had just had a baby. They were moving to North Texas from Austin for work and assumed the local real estate market would be better than central Texas.
“We were wrong,” she said.
Kishwar Mehdi’s had a similar experience.
He and his wife started shopping for homes near the end of 2020.
A baby was on the way and they were hoping to purchase in Hurst, Euless, or Bedford to stay close to family.
“Every offer we were putting in for months kept being rejected,” Mehdi said. “It was demoralizing at times. But we had to take it on the chin and keep moving.”
The Mehdis came to the realization the HEB area was not attainable.
Their baby is now 8 months old, and they will finally close on new construction in the Eagle Mountain area at the end of May.
“This was a grueling experience. It wasn’t fun,” Mehdi said.
According to the Re/Max National Housing Report, Dallas-Fort Worth saw the largest spike in home sales prices in the nation.
Home prices are up 39.5% over 2021.
The report says the median home price in DFW was $362,782 in April.
That’s well over Stephanie and Marco Meza’s budget. And as mortgage rates tick up, their budget gets squeezed.
“At first we’d do like $275,000 to $300,000 and then the rates went up. So, we started looking at $250,000 to $275,000. And then the rates went up more and then we started to $225,000 to $250,000,” said Marco.
The Mezas were looking for a three-bedroom, two-bath brick home in an older neighborhood.
They preferred Dallas, but it was “out of our price range,” Marco said.
They put in three offers on homes that were rejected. All those offers were over asking, “but you have all these other people that are going $40,000 or $50,000 over asking price,” Marco said.
The Mezas are in their late 30s. They’ve been married seven months and compared looking for a home to being on a dating app.
First thing every day, they looked at listings.
“I mean literally at 5:00 in the morning,” Stephanie said.
It was also the last thing they did every night.
“This is our daily routine for six months,” she said.
Going to look at a home felt like speed dating.
“It would hit on a Thursday. By Saturday it would say, ‘multiple offers, highest, best offer by Monday,’” Stephanie described. “It’s literally 24 hours for you to decide if you want a home or not, which is outrageous.”
The Meza’s realtor is Lisa Moya King of Sotheby’s.
“I think the most I’ve ever had to do with a buyer is probably 22 offers,” King said. “There have been times when buyers have gotten emotional. And I’m like, I don’t know who you believe in, but I believe there are these real estate gods. And when it’s supposed to happen, it’s gonna happen.”
She said she has to remind her clients – and herself – to breathe and believe in the process.
King and her team recently sold two homes on Bryan Parkway in Dallas, one street from historic Swiss Avenue.
One home was listed for $1.195 million. It sold for $1.4 million.
The house across the street sold for $200,000 over the $895,000 asking price.
King isn’t shocked by the numbers anymore.
“Every year we think it’s going to normalize, and the market is going to slow. But we still have a housing shortage,” she said. “So as long as we have that shortage, it’s simple economics. Supply and demand.”
She said she counsels buyers who are overpaying to remember that purchasing a home is a long-term investment.
“Do not expect to put your house right back on the market and get what you paid for it,” she said.
King said she’s starting to see a few indications of market “softening.”
In ZIP code 75228 in east Dallas, King said she’s seen some price decreases and homes sitting on the market for not just days, but a week or two.
And in ZIP code 75233 in southwest Dallas County, King saw a $50,000 price reduction on a five-bedroom, three-bath house.
“So, keep looking,” she said. “Have patience.”
King helped the Mezas put in what she calls a “super clean” offer on a home in Garland.
The definition of super clean, according to King, is no option period, “probably doubling or tripling earnest money, and an appraisal waiver.”
Also, “not asking for any sort of home warranty, closing as soon as you can, and giving a leaseback for free to the seller to live in their house until they find the next one.”
It worked.
The Mezas closed on the home in Garland one week after they put in the offer.
“I cried,” Stephanie said.
It was a crazy process, they said, but worth it.
“Good things don’t come easily,” Marco said.
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https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/homebuying-supposed-demoralizing-but-north-texas/287-d89932b3-af6a-48b7-a53c-abc7dfade619
| 2022-05-25T02:34:42
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UVALDE, Texas — At least 20 people, including 18 children, are dead following a Tuesday shooting at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, according to local officials. There are several others, both students and adults, being treated for injuries.
The alleged shooter was killed, local police confirmed. He has been identified as 18-year-old Salvador Ramos. It is believed that the shooter acted alone.
Uvalde officials say the shooting started at 11:32 a.m. Tuesday at a building at Robb Elementary that houses 2nd, 3rd and 4th graders. All campuses were placed under lockdown due to the gunfire.
In an update at 4:15 p.m. Tuesday, officials said families of the deceased were being notified and services were being offered.
School shootings in Texas
From 1970 to today, there have been 135 school shootings in Texas, based on data tracked by the Naval Postgraduate School’s Center for Homeland Defense and Security.
This is the second-most in the country, behind only California, which has had 164.
The Uvalde school shooting is now the deadliest school shooting in Texas' history, bypassing the 1996 University of Texas Tower shooting which killed 18.
Tuesday's shooting comes after just over four years to the day that 10 people, eight students and two teachers, were killed on May 18, 2018 at Santa Fe High School.
In terms of mass shootings, which can be defined as an incident that involves several victims of gun violence, Texas has had 129 from 2013 through August 2019, based on data from the Gun Violence Archive. This is the fourth most in the country, behind California (257), Illinois (209) and Florida (147).
In 2019, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed a series of bills focused on school safety, in wake of the Santa Fe High School shooting. The bill instructed school districts to implement emergency operation plans that included requiring certain training for school resource officers and ensuring school district employees were trained to respond to emergencies.
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https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/school-shootings-in-texas/287-2bb88ab7-b717-4307-9981-6e784bdbf15d
| 2022-05-25T02:34:48
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https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/school-shootings-in-texas/287-2bb88ab7-b717-4307-9981-6e784bdbf15d
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UVALDE, Texas — A family in Uvalde is desperately searching for a fourth-grade student whom they haven't heard from since a deadly shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde.
Ileana Torres' family is asking anyone with information on her whereabouts to contact them.
"We are in disbelief of this tragedy that happened and we have not yet gotten any answers of where her whereabouts are at," the girl's aunt said. "Please, if anybody has any news on her, any hospitals that have any information on her, please reach out to us and let us know that she is at y’all’s facility and just praying for a safe return home."
The Texas Department of Public Safety has confirmed that 18 students were killed in the shooting, along with two adults and the suspected shooter.
"We have no idea (where she is) and it's not like her," she said. "It's not like my niece not to reach out because when she feels that she's threatened or scared, she's always calling on her cell phone. She'll blow up somebody until somebody answers her. And up to right now to this minute, we have not gotten a one phone call from her. And her phone is off."
Torres' aunt spoke about the process that some families are currently going through as authorities work to identify the students killed in the school.
"They would ask you for a picture, just a picture, the description of what they were wearing this morning," she said. "And it was hard. They did take my sister to the back to identify, thinking it was my niece, but it wasn't my niece."
Like many in Uvalde, the Torres family is holding on to hope and looking for answers.
"I'm just praying that my little one is okay," she said. "I believe in the power of prayer and I believe that I want to tell myself that she's okay. And I'm going to keep telling myself that she's okay and she's going to come home."
This was the last week of school for Uvalde, and Ileana was feeling mixed emotions ahead of the last softball game of the season.
"She was very excited about her softball game today. She was kind of nervous," she said about the most recent conversation she had with her niece. "I talked to her last night and she was kind of nervous, saying that it was her last game and she didn't want softball to end. And she was excited because there were gonna, I guess, announce the ones that made it to all stars. And she was also saying like, 'what if I make it? I'm gonna be so nervous.' And I was like, 'girl you got this. You're gonna be good at it. You got this.' So she was excited."
Uvalde CISD has canceled the remainder of the school year and extracurricular activities.
"Law enforcement is doing what they can and what's expected," she said. "And just for the safety and for everybody and wanting everybody to have hopefully they find their loved ones. That's all I can say. I hope they find their loved ones."
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https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/texas/family-searches-student-missing-deadly-shooting-uvalde-elementary-school/273-cbcc238b-4dbd-49b4-986d-3f883e15bae3
| 2022-05-25T02:34:54
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https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/texas/family-searches-student-missing-deadly-shooting-uvalde-elementary-school/273-cbcc238b-4dbd-49b4-986d-3f883e15bae3
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UVALDE, Texas — It's a parents' worst nightmare: An active shooter at their child's school with 18 children and three adults dead.
Hours after many parents from Robb Elementary School in Uvalde first learned about Tuesday's mass shooting, they are still waiting to learn if their children are okay.
The frantic parents have gone from the school to the hospital to the civic center and no one can tell them what happened to their child.
Late Thursday, they began swabbing the parents for DNA at the civic center.
Jesse Rodriguez was there Tuesday evening still searching for his 10-year-old daughter Annabelle Guadalupe Rodriguez.
"They don't know where she's at..., her name is not here," Rodriguez said. "They're not letting us in at the hospital right now so we don't know where to go."
He said the hospital turned them away and the civic center had no answers either.
They gave Annabelle's name to a Texas Ranger and showed him her picture. He promised to call if he learned anything.
"We're talking to you guys, cause somebody's got to tell us where my daughter's at," Rodriguez told us.
Federico Torres was at the civic center trying to find his son. He said 10-year-old Rogelio was in Mr. Reyes' class.
Robb Elementary School has an enrollment of just under 600 students, and it has students in the second, third and fourth grades. This was the school's last week of classes before summer break.
“My heart is broken today,” said Hal Harrell, superintendent of the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District. “We’re a small community and we’re going to need your prayers to get through this."
He said the school will be closed and all school activities will be canceled until further notice. Harrell also said grief counselors would be available starting Wednesday morning.
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https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/texas/uvalde-school-shooting-parents/285-88005709-1e4a-41a7-95b5-3c9204347548
| 2022-05-25T02:35:00
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https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/texas/uvalde-school-shooting-parents/285-88005709-1e4a-41a7-95b5-3c9204347548
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Pandemic-era federal waivers guaranteeing free meals for all children will expire in July, marking a big change before school begins this fall.
TRI-CITIES, Tenn. (WJHL) — At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic the federal government through the U.S. Department of Agriculture created waivers to change the rules regarding who receives free or reduced meals at schools nationwide.
They made it to where every student qualifies to eat for free, without the need for an application or direct qualification under the existing parameters to determine a family’s financial need.
The pandemic-era waivers are set to expire on June 30. If they are not extended, it will mean big changes this fall at schools nationwide.
“All of the rules go back to the way they were before,” said Karen McGahey, food service director for Johnson City Schools. “If students or families feel there is a need and want to apply for meal benefits they will have to complete an application.”
For the past two years those applications have not been required, any student could get free breakfast and lunch at school in light of heightened need during the pandemic.
With a return to normal set for this fall, it is a change school districts are reluctant to embrace.
“We have for years lobbied and hoped for universal meals for all children. We just feel that that should be a safety net,” said McGahey.
News Channel 11 contacted every city and county school system in the Tri-Cities region. Each school nutrition director responded that they want the waivers to be extended, guaranteeing students will have access to free meals.
“Personally I wish that we could just continue this program and continue to offer meals at schools for all kids. If they are hungry, they are not going to learn,” said Jennifer Walker, supervisor of nutrition for Kingsport City Schools.
The school districts got that wish for the past two years, but now leaders fear the timeline is too rushed to properly warn parents of the changes.
“I am concerned there has not been enough communication to families for them to understand the meals won’t be there when their kids go back to school,” said Walker.
It is possible the federal government could choose to extend the USDA waivers. This means that free meals might be available for all students this fall. However, school districts are forced to plan as if they are not, and the benefits are going away.
“That would be wonderful if the waivers were extended and we could start the year back with all students eating at no cost,” said McGahey.
Until an answer is known, school system leaders are urging families to make sure to apply for benefits this summer or at the start of the school year in August if your child could qualify for free or reduced lunch.
They expect many more families will be in need than in years past due to high costs of food and gas amid rising inflation.
“We anticipate that the numbers will jump up,” said McGahey.
However, they fear many parents will not apply because for the past two years they have not had to. Leaders worry this means students will not get the benefits they need.
“I am concerned about next year and what that means for our families,” said Walker.
The message from the school systems is to make sure if you believe you qualify for free or reduced lunch for your child, do not forget to apply.
The only exceptions are for families who receive SNAP benefits or food stamps already, they automatically qualify for free or reduced lunch.
Some schools in local districts are CEP qualified, which means all students are automatically enrolled for free meals due to the school being in an area that is economically disadvantaged. Families at those schools do not need to apply.
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https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/the-guarantee-of-free-school-meals-for-all-students-set-to-end-what-you-need-to-know/
| 2022-05-25T02:46:34
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https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/the-guarantee-of-free-school-meals-for-all-students-set-to-end-what-you-need-to-know/
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'Indispensable' volunteers advocate for children in court, but lots more help is needed
Birthday parties. Adoption hearings. Academic milestones. Whatever is going on in the lives of Marvis Strickland's foster children, their court-appointed special advocate is there.
"She's part of our family," said Strickland, 47, who lives in Oak Ridge and works at Y-12. He's been fostering children for three years and adopted his now-16-year-old son.
CASAs — court-appointed special advocates — are the glue that holds together the foster care system, providing a stable presence for children, helping families navigate court appointments and advising judges on what's best for kids.
And more volunteers are desperately needed in East Tennessee.
Jamie Cotton is a Scott County general sessions and juvenile judge. His court is the “first and last stopping place” for dependency and neglect cases, the kind court advocates are appointed to so kids are protected.
“The CASA information they give to the court in their report, often coupled with the perspectives of the (attorney), is indispensable for the court to make good decisions,” Cotton said.
As cases of abused children soar, more volunteers are needed to work on behalf on kids in unsettling circumstances.
Reported cases of child abuse increased by 5,000 in Tennessee from 2020 to 2021, according to Kids Count Data Center.
CASA of the Tennessee Heartland has a waiting list of 300 children in the three counties it covers: Anderson, Blount and Scott. Of those 300, about half would immediately be assigned a CASA if one was available.
Adults of all backgrounds and qualifications can be a CASA. Volunteers average 10-15 hours monthly in time with their child, checking in with relevant adults and court hearings.
Kesha Waters, executive director of CASA of the Tennessee Heartland, would like to see the number of volunteers double in the next five years - but even one more would make a difference now.
Tennessee child abuse cases rising
In 2021, there were 72,805 reported cases of child abuse in Tennessee, according to Kids Count Data Center.
Scott County had 322 cases of child abuse in 2021, according to Kids Count. Anderson County had 1,064 and Blount County had 1,360. Those figures are all increases over the previous five years.
Cotton has been on the bench for 32 years. The court he presides over now is vastly different from when he started.
“The turning point in the last three decades has been drug abuse,” Cotton said. “And it has changed everything.”
Twenty-five years ago, a trial to terminate parents’ rights might last two days as the court dove into the details of abuse.
“Since the emergence of pervasive substance abuse, these termination trials are brief and short because the parents are unable to overcome their struggles with drugs,” Cotton said. Sometimes, his ruling is a default termination because the parents failed to appear.
Termination of parents’ rights is a legal prerequisite to adoption in Tennessee. Parents are given at least a year to overcome their problems.
“Our first and predominant concern is to place the child with family,” Cotton said. “The focus of all we do on the first round is trying to get that child was loving family.”
The goal of both the law and judges, in cases where children are separated from the parents, is to reunite them if it can be done safely. Volunteers play a crucial role in those decisions, and their continuation is integral to child safety.
What do volunteer child advocates do?
"Advocate is another word for champion," said Waters.
CASA is a national nonprofit dedicated to advocating for neglected and abused children in juvenile court.
There are CASA programs in 56 counties in Tennessee, including Knox, and together those chapters prevent hundreds of children from slipping through the cracks. In the last five years, CASA of Tennessee Heartland has served nearly 1,000 children.
CASA is the “glue” that keeps the system together, Waters said. Advocates help foster parents and foster children, who are complete strangers, adjust. The volunteer knows a child’s likes, dislikes and fears — even personal details like their favorite flavor of ice cream — that humanize children.
"Their foster parent, while amazing, on average a child will change foster home in Tennessee about eight times,” Waters said. “Every time this child moves, they're getting a new home, a new school, they don’t know anything or anyone.”
But the volunteer is the constant, especially as the organization asks volunteers to stick with a case until a child is in a permanent home. Volunteers visit their child at least once a month one-on-one.
The main responsibility is to advocate for a child in juvenile court. But volunteers also fill in the gaps for foster families trying to navigate not just the court system, but parenting itself.
“Just the act of being a parent is hard,” Strickland said. “On top of it, you have to sometimes deal with the court system, and when you interact with DCS, that needs to be navigated correctly also. My CASA fills that gap, and she's like, ‘You know what, this is normal. This is normal parenting.’”
The CASA assigned to his 13-year-old foster daughter gives Strickland insight into the world of teenage girls. She also helps him address truancy charges and line up community service.
“When the CASA comes, she’s here to listen to us and make sure we have what we need,” Strickland said.
What it's like to volunteer as an advocate
As the volunteer spends time with the child, whether it's at home, at school or at a park, they’re evaluating the circumstances of their lives.
“Is it safe? Does the child feel safe? Is this location or home providing them with the safety and security they need? If the judge has ordered therapy, is the child receiving therapy? At school, do they need a special education plan?” Waters said.
Volunteers answer those questions and more when they submit reports to the court. Each volunteer writes an overview, including what brought the child into the system, what’s been recommended for the biological parents and what the volunteer recommends for the future.
It’s here the volunteer compares the needs of the child to their current placement. Maybe the child is afraid of dogs, and the foster home has multiple dogs. Maybe the school they’re at doesn’t offer the support services they need.
They cut through the noise to find what's best for the child.
Judges follow 95% of the recommendations from CASA volunteers, Waters said.
“That's huge,” Waters said. “That means that we've done our due diligence, we are acting in a very professional manner, we've made recommendations that allow the judge to think and see this makes sense for the child.”
When does CASA get involved?
Whether a volunteer is pulled in to a case is up to judges, who make referrals to Waters’ team.
Children in dependency and neglect cases are provided a guardian ad litem by the courts.
The guardian ad litem works in tandem with the CASA volunteer, but guardians can have many cases and less interaction with the child, so the volunteer has a crucial voice.
As a juvenile judge, Cotton decides when CASA is pulled onto a case. Some of the decision-making is intuitive, but some depends on the case's complexity.
If Cotton can see the unsuitable situation is temporary – a parent is unemployed, or recovering from illness – and relatives are ready to step in, Cotton likely won’t call in a volunteer.
“If I feel like the case may have a good outcome in the very near future, I might not tap into that precious resource,” Cotton said.
But if the problems run deep — the children have emotional issues or are behind academically, or red flags like frequent moves or drug abuse pop up in the parents’ history — Cotton knows he’s in for a long haul and wants someone to look in on the child.
As a judge, Cotton is dependent on the quality and authenticity of information he’s provided.
“I can tell you on many occasions that the work of a CASA volunteer, by facilitating the flow of vitally important information about the child, has literally saved the child from being placed on a destructive and tragic path,” Cotton said.
The volunteer is the one who brings him information on behavioral and emotional issues because of their ability to interact with those around the child.
“The teacher, who are probably the most valuable eyes and ears in the entire system, will have noticed behavioral issues with a child that that suggests emotional harm,” Cotton said. “And so that teacher’s perspective, brought to me by the CASA worker but not revealed in a typical environmental neglect case, may take the case in a different direction.”
Importantly, volunteers are not making final judgements or decisions for children. The ultimate ruling is still up to judges, and CASA serves at their discretion.
But Waters does get calls directly from families asking for a CASA volunteer.
“Every time someone calls me and is like, ‘I really need a CASA for my foster kids’ or whatever, I hear these stories and my heart breaks because they do need one,” Waters said. “They do deserve one.”
CASA assigns volunteers to one case at a time, and one case may have multiple children. But that one-to-one ratio leads to a waiting list.
Waiting for a champion
Children waiting for a CASA advocate aren’t left in the dark. Project coordinators keep up with every case so that when a volunteer is available, they can quickly be brought up to speed.
But that’s a heavy case load.
“Of the children who we are monitoring, and who if we had a CASA volunteer we would assign one to that case today, in all three of our counties it's about 176 children,” Waters said.
Anderson County drives up the waiting list because courts automatically refer every juvenile case to CASA. In other counties, the referral is more selective. The bulk of the need is in Scott County.
“They have the most need because they have the least resources, and the number of children we could serve or would serve if we had volunteers for them would probably triple,” Waters said.
Cotton agrees. If more volunteers were available, he would refer more cases to CASA.
“If the children look good to me in the courtroom and to the guardian ad litem appointed on their behalf, I’ll save that resource because I have so many difficult cases and CASA volunteers are finite,” Cotton said.
Children on the waiting list continue to move through the system. They may appear in court, be shuffled through placements or move schools as DCS tries to find a solution. What they’re missing, Waters said, is familiarity, consistency and a voice.
“You're missing that champion and that person on the mountaintop screaming for you.”
Volunteers needed, but tough to recruit
Court advocates are crucial, but finding volunteers is an uphill battle.
“It's so hard to recruit volunteers for court work,” Cotton said. “The fear of coming in a courtroom, they dread it.”
Waters said it’s not as scary as it sounds. Volunteers submit their written reports ahead of time, and if they are ever called to testify, they are informed ahead of time as well.
Volunteers don’t have to appear in court alone. Their project coordinator will go with them.
Still, the time needed to appear in court and with families can be a barrier.
"It's a job without getting monetary compensation,” Waters said.
CASA requires annual evaluations and adherence to national standards. If a volunteer joined today, Waters said it would take six weeks before they could be assigned to a case due to the required training.
Volunteers go through 30 hours of training, including court observations, before they are sworn in by a judge. Once approved, they choose a case that speaks to them.
CASA asks that volunteers stick with a case until it’s resolved “because you don't want one more person to come into life and leave again,” Waters said.
Helping takes its toll
Sometimes, volunteers don’t return for another case because of the emotional toll.
“We see these families who are at their worst. We see cases that are horrible, and so it's not this feel-good role,” Waters said. “It's taxing, it's stressful and it requires a lot of energy. It requires for you to put your biases to the side.”
Waters said they have 64 volunteers across three counties. She would love to see that doubled in five years, but that’s a bit of a dream.
“It's not easy to get a volunteer. I could walk into a room of 100 people and talk to them about what we do, and maybe one person will be like, ‘You know what, I think this speaks to me,’” she said.
Children who are brought to juvenile court average around two years as they move through the system. CASA volunteers average about three years.
“We need men, we need minorities. We don't have a huge population of Black and brown children but we have enough, and children need to see themselves in someone else that's speaking to them,” Waters said.
When Waters took over as director, CASA had 12 volunteers in Anderson County. Now they have 25. In Blount County, they only had five; now they have 30.
But as volunteer corps grows, the need is growing too.
”In this rural county, if we didn't have CASA, undoubtedly I would have made decisions perhaps not in the best interest of children,” Cotton said. “And that's the bottom line.”
How to learn more
Adults interested in volunteering can visit the website for CASA of the Tennessee Heartlands at casatnh.org or Knox County CASA at knoxcountycasa.com.
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https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/local/2022/05/25/tennessee-child-abuses-cases-advocates-needed/9808927002/
| 2022-05-25T02:49:41
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https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/local/2022/05/25/tennessee-child-abuses-cases-advocates-needed/9808927002/
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SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Spurred by Tuesday's deadly elementary school shooting in Texas, California senators approved giving people the power to sue those who traffic in illegal firearms, mimicking a Texas law that is intended to deter abortions.
Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom sought the bill as a gibe to the U.S. Supreme Court after the justices gave preliminary approval to a Texas law allowing people to go after those who provide or assist in providing abortions. The California bill would automatically be invalidated if the Texas law is eventually ruled unconstitutional.
Democratic Sen. Anthony Portantino pointed to the Texas shooting, where 15 people were killed. He said California should use Texas’ abortion law as a model for good. “Let’s use that plan for something that keeps us safe, and not something that punishes women,” he said.
The California version would allow people to file civil lawsuits against anyone who distributes illegal assault weapons, parts that can be used to build weapons, guns without serial numbers, or .50 caliber rifles. They would be awarded at least $10,000 in civil damages for each weapon, plus attorneys fees.
The move comes in the wake of recent mass shootings, including the Texas school, a grocery store in Buffalo, New York, and elsewhere, including what police call a gang shootout that killed six people and wounded 12 people within blocks of the California state Capitol last month.
Aside from the political statement, proponents said the measure addresses a so-far intractable problem of deterring the use of homemade or untraceable “ghost” guns. The problem is growing rapidly even though California already has some of the nation’s strictest firearms rules.
“Increasing gun violence in California is not an indictment of tough laws. It is a wake-up call for adopting even more prudent gun laws to (deter) these latest illegal weapons,” Portantino said.
Gun owners’ organizations and even some gun control advocates have questioned the wisdom of creating what amounts to a bounty to encourage people to bring civil actions to punish crimes.
But only Republican Sen. Andreas Borgeas spoke against the bill, saying that legislators should empower law enforcement to act against those who have guns illegally. He supported other measures, like requiring that guns have serial numbers.
“The private right of action, however, I think is taking this bill way too far,” he said, because it would encourage lawsuits by plaintiffs' attorneys.
The measure passed on a 24-10 vote, with Democratic Sen. Melissa Hurtado joining Republicans in opposition.
Senators approved three other gun control bills, sending them all to the state Assembly over the opposition of Republican lawmakers.
One would require schools to annually send parents information on the safe storage of firearms and immediately report threats of mass violence. But Portantino removed the most controversial provision, which would have required parents to report gun ownership to school officials.
The second would bar gun shows on state property, with Democratic Sen. Dave Min arguing the state should not be abetting firearm sales.
The third, also by Min, would require dealers to install safeguards to deter illegal gun sales and thefts, including digital video surveillance systems.
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/california/california-democrats-push-legislation-allowing-lawsuits-over-illegal-guns/103-3ad73956-7683-40b5-8c18-2deda249c10b
| 2022-05-25T02:53:49
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/california/california-democrats-push-legislation-allowing-lawsuits-over-illegal-guns/103-3ad73956-7683-40b5-8c18-2deda249c10b
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CALIFORNIA, USA — California continues to deal with cyclical drought scenarios, but each year as water demand rises, water resources are strained.
California Governor Gavin Newsom proposed the idea that, if local water regulators can't find a way to lower water usage among customers, he would consider setting regulations statewide.
UC Davis assistant professor and urban ecologist Alessandro Ossola says there is a balance that needs to be met when it comes to urban landscapes and drought tolerant plants. Across the state, some regions require more water than others, like valley spots as opposed to coastal areas.
Somewhere between 40% and 50% of water is used on residential landscape. Without greenery and big shade, urban areas can often see much higher temperatures due to all the concrete.
"About 50% across the entire state of California, 50% of water for residential uses is used for landscaping. Of course, there are differences if we are in urban areas along the coast, they use less water overall compared to inland urban areas. But still, that's a significant amount of water that we can't afford any more to be wasted, particularly this year" Ossola said.
It's called the urban heat island index. It can cause downtown areas to experience much hotter temperatures due to black tops absorbing sunlight. With trees, shade and even vines growing onto homes and buildings, heat can be reduced. Finding that balance though between watering vines and keeping a city cool can be difficult.
Jennifer Funk, a UC Davis professor of plant sciences, says our native species, including California's Valley Oak trees, are key in lowering temperatures while still being resistant to drought.
"Valley Oaks are probably one of the species that used to be really common before we cut them all down. And so Valley oaks, they can... actually grow these really, really deep roots, and so they can access groundwater, you know? Water that's just really deep in the soil" Funk said.
Trees are prevalent to our area as native species, but so are grasses and shrubs.
"What's great about those plants is once they're established, their root systems are really deep. And so again, they can really draw on some of that water year round," Funk said.
For a pop of color in the yard, annual flowers like poppies, lavender and goldfields need very little water and can withstand a lot of sunshine.
Watering early in the morning is important for helping plants retain the water throughout the day. Plants that only need a little water, a couple times a week, are ideal.
"We really need to select plants that can withstand these conditions, not only acute conditions, like we might have been on this particular year, but really conditions that might be perpetrating over decades now," Ossola said.
WATCH ALSO:
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/california/drought-tolerant-landscape-state-water-usage-issues/103-54ee58a4-8bfb-40e8-b0e7-e4080544707b
| 2022-05-25T02:53:55
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/california/drought-tolerant-landscape-state-water-usage-issues/103-54ee58a4-8bfb-40e8-b0e7-e4080544707b
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SACRAMENTO, Calif. — An 18-year-old gunman opened fire Tuesday at a Texas elementary school, killing at least 18 children, officials said.
The death toll in Uvalde, Texas also included three adults, according to Texas State Sen. Roland Gutierrez, who said he was briefed by state police on the fatalities. But it was not immediately clear whether that number included the assailant.
After the news of yet another mass shooting, California Gov. Gavin Newsom took to Twitter with strong and pointed words.
"Another shooting. And the GOP won’t do a damn thing about it," Newsom wrote. "Who the hell are we if we cannot keep our kids safe."
Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg also released the following statement hours after Newsom's initial words:
“I am heartbroken for the families that will never see their children again.
What should have been a normal school day has been darkened by another horrific act of violence. We cannot accept this as normal even in the constancy of these preventable tragedies.
Newtown. Parkland. And now, Uvalde.
My prayers and love go out to the victim’s families.
America must reckon with the sickness of gun violence. The status quo will only result in more death."
According to the Associated Press, Tuesday's shooting was the deadliest shooting at a U.S. grade school since a gunman killed 20 children and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut, almost a decade ago. It also came just 10 days after a gunman in body armor killed 10 Black shoppers and workers at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York, in what authorities say was a racist attack.
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/california/gavin-newsom-texas-school-shooting-robb-elementary-school-uvalde/103-1f89f30f-632f-4ac6-913f-c1ce92dfce0f
| 2022-05-25T02:54:02
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/california/gavin-newsom-texas-school-shooting-robb-elementary-school-uvalde/103-1f89f30f-632f-4ac6-913f-c1ce92dfce0f
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LODI, Calif. — Police say two Lodi residents and a Lodi police detective were hospitalized Tuesday after a chase ended with an assisting unmarked police car being struck by the residents' vehicle.
All three were taken to a local hospital. The suspects were only identified as a 29-year-old man and 33-year-old woman. The man was arrested on suspicion of suspicion of felony evading and other felony charges. The woman was arrested for multiple warrants and on suspicion of possession of drug paraphernalia.
California Highway Patrol detectives are investigating the collision.
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/lodi/lodi-police-hospitalized-during-car-chase/103-173b7744-b372-48dd-944c-bd90a48a00ed
| 2022-05-25T02:54:08
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/lodi/lodi-police-hospitalized-during-car-chase/103-173b7744-b372-48dd-944c-bd90a48a00ed
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Phoenix police arrest 2 men suspected of second-degree murder
Phoenix police arrested two men suspected of fatally shooting a man whom they confronted after seeing him near their vehicle early Tuesday morning.
Sgt. Andy Williams, a department spokesperson, said officers responded to a "theft of vehicle" call near 20th Street and Palm Lane at around 4:50 a.m.
Officers found 27-year-old Patrick Pierson suffering from a gunshot wound inside a crashed vehicle and pronounced him dead at the scene, Williams said.
The two men confronted Pierson when they saw him near their vehicle and shot him when he got into his own vehicle to leave. Pierson crashed a short distance away, Williams said.
Williams said both men, who remain unidentified as of Tuesday evening, were booked into jail on second-degree murder charges.
Reach the reporter Perry Vandell at 602-444-2474 or perry.vandell@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @PerryVandell.
Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today.
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https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix-breaking/2022/05/24/phoenix-police-arrest-2-men-suspected-second-degree-murder/9918532002/
| 2022-05-25T03:14:24
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https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix-breaking/2022/05/24/phoenix-police-arrest-2-men-suspected-second-degree-murder/9918532002/
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An LPD officer stands guard at a house on 30th and P streets Sunday morning as an investigation continues into an early morning incident that left two dead and a third injured.
Pat Sangimino, Journal Star
Two people were killed Sunday in a shooting that stemmed from a house party at a duplex near 30th and P streets.
The Lincoln Police Department on Tuesday identified the two victims of a Sunday morning fatal shooting near 30th and P streets.
They are 42-year-old Patricio Urias and 26-year-old Zachariah Palomo, according to a news release from the department.
Officers responded to a duplex near 30th and P streets at about 2:20 a.m. Sunday after a man called police and said he had been shot, Police Chief Teresa Ewins said at a Monday-morning news conference.
Police found Urias and Palomo with gunshot wounds inside the duplex. Both died at the scene. A third shooting victim, 19-year-old Jose Soto, showed up at a Lincoln hospital shortly after the original 911 call. Police said he was treated and left the hospital a short time later.
Ewins said officers recovered two handguns but had not made arrests in the shooting as of Monday. The shooting stemmed from a house party at the residence, the chief said.
The homicide was one of multiple incidents in a four-day span that left three dead and several injured.
The Lincoln Police Department says they have arrested two people — 32-year-old Derrick Pearson and 31-year-old Briana Jelinek — on suspicion of manslaughter in connection to a 57-year-old man's death early Thursday morning in central Lincoln.
"She is in a position of trust, where she is tasked with ensuring the safety of inmates, ensuring the safety of her co-workers, as part of her job ... and she violated that," Deputy Lancaster County Attorney Chris Reid said.
Police said 45-year-old Rodney Badberg punched the man three times and kicked him once before fleeing the area on foot, leaving the man bleeding on the sidewalk.
"I want to be clear — there is no active threat at Southwest High School today," Principal John Matzen said in an email to parents after Lincoln Police investigated "disturbing comments and photos mentioning violence at Southwest."
Henry Lee Jones, a resident of 2801 F St., was pronounced dead at a local hospital after a fight broke out around 6:30 a.m. Thursday near the intersection in front of his house, Assistant Police Chief Jason Stille said.
Prosecutors formally charged a 32-year-old man and 31-year-old woman with manslaughter and first-degree assault on Monday, four days after they allegedly confronted and killed a 57-year-old in a property dispute, police said in court records.
An LPD officer stands guard at a house on 30th and P streets Sunday morning as an investigation continues into an early morning incident that left two dead and a third injured.
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https://journalstar.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/lincoln-police-identify-two-men-killed-in-early-sunday-morning-shooting-near-30th-and-p/article_ffa3f02d-1fae-5883-a3bf-33f0c58a9ee3.html
| 2022-05-25T03:38:38
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https://journalstar.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/lincoln-police-identify-two-men-killed-in-early-sunday-morning-shooting-near-30th-and-p/article_ffa3f02d-1fae-5883-a3bf-33f0c58a9ee3.html
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Plans to construct an addition at Lincoln North Star High School that will include a hangar-style space for the school's burgeoning aviation focus program are ready for lift-off.
On Tuesday, the Lincoln Board of Education approved a $5.4 million bid with Scheele-Kayton Construction of Lincoln to head up the project, which will include a 13,000-square-foot addition on the southeast side of North Star.
The two-story addition will contain two smaller labs and one gymnasium-sized space officials are colloquially referring to as the "hangar" that will be able to accommodate aircraft.
Lincoln Public Schools -- in partnership with Duncan Aviation -- piloted the Aviation and Technical Education Focus Program in 2019, using STEM curriculum developed by the Aircraft Owners & Pilots Association.
The district purchased three flight simulators, too, for the program, which offers coursework on general aviation, technical and mechanical aspects of aircraft systems, and flying.
Tuesday's bid will also pay for renovations to family and consumer science space at North Star, similar to work at the district's five other existing high schools.
LPS has committed about $1.5 million in money set aside for focus programs in the 2020 bond issue to pay for the addition. Duncan Aviation and the Boys and Girls Club of Lincoln and Lancaster County -- which offers after-school programming at North Star and will use the space -- are pitching in the rest, with Duncan contributing the majority of those funds ($3.3 million).
While the project is $400,000 over budget, Director of Operations Scott Wieskamp said LPS has savings from other bond projects to absorb the cost.
Construction could begin as early as this summer, Wieskamp said, with a tentative completion date set for next summer so it can be ready for the 2023-24 school year.
"We're excited to get the project going," Wieskamp said.
In the first year, 45 kids enrolled in the program's classes, followed by 70 last year. This year, that number soared, with 215 enrolled in aviation classes.
Due to the popularity, LPS is applying for a $500,000 grant from the Federal Aviation Administration to expand the program and its course offerings. The grant would also pay for the development of internship programs, teacher professional development and dual-credit tuition and student scholarships.
The deadline to apply for the grant is June 10.
The district is also looking at potentially partnering with JetLinx, a private jet management company, for hands-on coursework, as well as the University of Nebraska at Omaha and Iowa Western Community College for dual-credit and post-secondary programming.
Zach Hammack, a 2018 UNL graduate, has always called Lincoln home. He previously worked as a copy editor at the Journal Star and was a reporting intern in 2017. Now, he covers students, teachers and schools as the newspaper’s K-12 reporter.
In a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court on Monday, Thomas claimed a no-trespass order handed down to him from the district in September prevented him from experiencing his first grader's school year.
The mission to show Tom Cruise a good time as he prepared to film "Top Gun" in 1985 fell to Lt. Walter E. Carter, Jr., known to his fellow naval aviators as Slapshot, and to the Cornhusker state as University of Nebraska President Ted Carter.
The Nebraska native has spent her whole life working hard, and it's all about to pay off in June when she receives her degree from Stanford University.
“Everything I’m doing right now, I’m treating it (like) it's the last time I’m doing it,” LPS Superintendent Steve Joel said. “I try to get there a little bit early, try to stay a little bit late, try to talk to as many people as I can talk to.”
Out of the more than 750 providers surveyed by the Buffett Early Childhood Institute, two-thirds said they are experiencing staff turnover, with 69% reporting staff leaving the early childhood field entirely.
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https://journalstar.com/news/local/education/lps-planning-hangar-style-addition-at-north-star-to-house-aviation-program/article_52fc450e-a58f-530d-b0f8-4b2eb9bce8a1.html
| 2022-05-25T03:38:45
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https://journalstar.com/news/local/education/lps-planning-hangar-style-addition-at-north-star-to-house-aviation-program/article_52fc450e-a58f-530d-b0f8-4b2eb9bce8a1.html
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DETROIT, Ore — It has been extremely challenging the last couple of years for residents of Detroit, Oregon. Wildfires destroyed the small town over Labor Day Weekend of 2020, and businesses who rely on the lake have been struggling because of low water levels the last two years.
The good news is that with the unofficial start to Memorial Day weekend just days away, Detroit Lake is the fullest it’s been in two years.
Lucas Lunski is the marina manager at Detroit Lake Marina. He’s been open for the last two weeks, and he said that they have been busy with people wanting to rent boats. Seeing the lake this full is a welcome sight to him, because the last two years have been cut short.
“Even in 2020, we got a late start because of COVID and we had to wait until almost June to get open, and then we were able to get to work to get set up ... and then three months later everything burns down,” said Lunski.
RELATED: 'It's a good thing': Climate scientists rejoice at western Washington's chilly, snowy spring
Last year, the lake was only open for six weeks because of low water levels. Just two months ago, Lunski thought it was going to be a third summer in a row where he would be struggling to keep his business and his docks above water.
At one point early this spring, the lake was down to just a narrow creek that was three to four feet deep before all of the rain and snow started to fall, according to Lunski.
“It was pretty dry, and then come the later part of March and April the weather changed," Lunski said, "and in the middle of April we were finally able to move docks and then there was 10 feet of snow and it rained for three weeks straight.”
All of that precipitation has now brought the lake up to what’s considered “full pool” — or where the lake is considered at capacity — at 1,563 feet above sea level. The Army Corps of Engineers keeps it five feet lower to reduce any pressure on the Detroit Dam, so right now the lake is holding at 1,558 feet heading into the holiday weekend.
Chris Gaylord, a spokesperson for Army Corps of Engineers, said they keep the lake lower to reduce any uncontrolled release at the dam, in case there were to be a large earthquake.
Lunski and other business owners in Detroit are hoping the season stretches all summer long this year.
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https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/detroit-lake-full-two-years-memorial-day-weekend/283-7369b7d5-9258-42ef-8d67-a5cd6d3a7a2d
| 2022-05-25T03:39:40
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https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/detroit-lake-full-two-years-memorial-day-weekend/283-7369b7d5-9258-42ef-8d67-a5cd6d3a7a2d
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PORTLAND, Ore. — For the second time this year, a judge rejected a ballot initiative that could have dramatically changed how money is spent on Portland’s homeless crisis.
The initiative came from People for Portland, an advocacy group led by political strategists aimed at putting pressure on elected officials to solve homelessness. They’ve been working on this for several months, yet the court continues to rule it unconstitutional.
The basis for the initiative dates back to two years ago, when voters approved a tax on high-income earners that would provide $250 million a year for supportive housing services.
People for Portland's ballot initiative would redirect 75% of that money to build more emergency shelters — as opposed to the wider array of housing options prioritized at present — and enact no-camping laws. On Wednesday, the court ruled it unconstitutional, saying that it violated Metro code.
This was the second time People for Portland tried passing this ballot initiative. It's been rebuffed both times in court, without making it to voters.
The group said in a statement: “We are very disappointed in this ruling. It represents a dramatic change in Oregon’s initiative system that will limit the ability of the people to have a say in their government.”
Dan Lavey, one the group’s founders added, “We’re not giving up. We will find a new and different way to drive change.”
According to a People for Portland survey, 74% of Portland-area voters want existing metro tax dollars to go toward helping people get off the streets and into shelters and 75% of voters believe current spending to end homelessness is ineffective.
But for many people involved in Portland's response to homelessness, the ballot initiative betrays a deficit of the nuanced approach required to actually transition people into housing.
“Shelter doesn’t end homelessness — people are still homeless in shelter,” said Patricia Rojas, Metro’s regional housing director.
Metro welcomed the court’s decision. They believed the voter-approved supportive housing service fund has already been working without this initiative.
“In the first nine months alone, the program has created hundreds of shelter beds, has helped hundreds of individuals out of homeless and into housing and has supported over 2,500 households by avoiding homelessness and keeping their housing to begin with rent assistance,” said Rojas.
Nonprofits focused on finding permanent housing for the homeless also felt the ruling was a win for the city.
“The centerpiece of this initiative calling for 75% of funds to be spent on shelter was the wrong direction from our over 53 years of experience to providing services to vulnerable people, particularly housing services," said Laura Golino De Lovato, the executive director of the Northwest Pilot Project. "Shelter is a part of the continuum, but it is not the answer to housing — shelter is not housing. shelter is shelter.”
People for Portland said it will look at legal options and find new ways to get more people into shelters.
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https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/homeless/were-not-giving-up-judge-rejects-people-portland-ballot-initiative-second-time/283-a4855a01-64f3-48d5-acf3-c5c893ccfb96
| 2022-05-25T03:39:46
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https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/homeless/were-not-giving-up-judge-rejects-people-portland-ballot-initiative-second-time/283-a4855a01-64f3-48d5-acf3-c5c893ccfb96
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CALDWELL, Idaho — Growing up blocks from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, Marie Osborn seemed destined to become a nurse, and she did get a nursing degree, but then she got married and had five kids and turned her focus on the family.
Her husband, working for IBM, was tasked with running the company’s operations in Southern Idaho in the 1960s.
They would camp out in the Sawtooths every summer, and occasionally someone would run through the campground looking for medical help, and Marie, as a nurse, would step in. That is when she would begin to get a glimpse into her future.
Fast forward to mid-May in Caldwell as the College of Idaho Class of 2022 prepares for graduation.
Among the fresh new graduates is a now 91-year-old Marie, wearing a graduation tam and gown.
“An extraordinary trailblazer in the state of Idaho and across the world,” said Jim Everett the co-president of the College of Idaho. “She started the first medical clinic in Stanley, she is Idaho's first-ever nurse practitioner.”
She said that this isn’t where she saw herself five decades ago, but her son, Doctor John Osborne said she answered a call.
“One time, there was a terrible car accident up there. There were four kids involved, and it took a very long time to get the ambulance from Hailey,” John said. “And she said, 'you know, someone needs to do something about this, someone needs to do something about helping these rural communities with healthcare.’”
That someone would be Marie, with some help from Idaho lawmakers, in 1972.
“At that time, Idaho was the first state in the nation to license nurse practitioners,” John said. “To try to respond to the needs of rural communities. Mom was the first licensed.”
With that new license, the 41-year-old mother of five opened Stanley’s first emergency clinic, on June 19, 1972. At first it was a crisis care center.
“Well, it's a huge tourist area,” Marie said. “People do some of the dumbest things in the middle of the night.”
But then people began coming to the clinic for non-urgent medical needs.
“Then people started coming in for their allergy shots, and blood pressure checks and chest pain, you sort of have to end up a jack of all trades,” Osborn said.
Working in the backcountry was something Marie was familiar with.
“She was the sole provider for about 6 thousand square miles of backcountry,” John said.
But she needed help, so she put together a team of EMTs.
“Marie was offering the EMT classes, and I took her class in 1975,” said Steve Lipus, an EMT who worked for Marie for 24 years. “When there was an incident in the backcountry: climbing accident, fell off a horse, somebody broke a leg or cardiac incident; we were pretty much the lead getting in the quickest way we could, mostly running.”
Marie continued to help the community for nearly 30 years.
“You know you don't think about that, you just start, and you do, and it gets more and more interesting,” Marie said. “I like not knowing what's coming in the door.”
‘Not knowing’ was kind of a theme for the clinic’s early days.
“This was a new concept of a nurse practitioner, no one knew what it was and mom in many ways had to define it,” John said.
One of the bright spots in her career was setting up a pre-med internship program with the College of Idaho in the mid-70s. Marie’s students learned the importance of medical care in rural communities through the program.
“When people ask what I was, I say I was a super nurse,” Marie said. “Because basically, that's what you are.”
Marie left the Stanley clinic in 1999, but she left it in good hands, and it didn’t mean she stopped working. She went on to help rural clinics around Idaho like Horseshoe Bend, Idaho City, and Emmett, finally ending up in Boise to serve those with little or no income, and little to no insurance.
She saw her last patient at the age of 80.
Today, Marie is celebrated for the work she has done throughout the state, receiving an honorary doctorate.
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https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/208/idahos-first-nurse-practitioner-honored-at-graduation/277-c9b8554e-26b4-40c6-8b31-b4bc3e095b34
| 2022-05-25T03:41:17
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https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/208/idahos-first-nurse-practitioner-honored-at-graduation/277-c9b8554e-26b4-40c6-8b31-b4bc3e095b34
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UVALDE, Texas — It's a parents' worst nightmare: An active shooter at their child's school with 18 children and three adults dead.
Hours after many parents from Robb Elementary School in Uvalde first learned about Tuesday's mass shooting, they are still waiting to learn if their children are okay.
The frantic parents have gone from the school to the hospital to the civic center and no one can tell them what happened to their child.
Late Thursday, they began swabbing the parents for DNA at the civic center.
Jesse Rodriguez was there Tuesday evening still searching for his 10-year-old daughter Annabelle Guadalupe Rodriguez.
"They don't know where she's at..., her name is not here," Rodriguez said. "They're not letting us in at the hospital right now so we don't know where to go."
He said the hospital turned them away and the civic center had no answers either.
They gave Annabelle's name to a Texas Ranger and showed him her picture. He promised to call if he learned anything.
"We're talking to you guys, cause somebody's got to tell us where my daughter's at," Rodriguez told us.
Federico Torres was at the civic center trying to find his son. He said 10-year-old Rogelio was in Mr. Reyes' class.
Robb Elementary School has an enrollment of just under 600 students, and it has students in the second, third and fourth grades. This was the school's last week of classes before summer break.
“My heart is broken today,” said Hal Harrell, superintendent of the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District. “We’re a small community and we’re going to need your prayers to get through this."
He said the school will be closed and all school activities will be canceled until further notice. Harrell also said grief counselors would be available starting Wednesday morning.
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https://www.thv11.com/article/news/local/uvalde-school-shooting-parents/285-88005709-1e4a-41a7-95b5-3c9204347548
| 2022-05-25T04:01:20
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https://www.thv11.com/article/news/local/uvalde-school-shooting-parents/285-88005709-1e4a-41a7-95b5-3c9204347548
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Spurred by mass shooting in Texas, California closer to allowing lawsuits over illegal guns
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Spurred by Tuesday’s deadly elementary school shooting in Texas, California senators approved giving people the power to sue those who traffic in illegal firearms, mimicking a Texas law that is intended to deter abortions.
Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom sought the bill as a gibe to the U.S. Supreme Court after the justices gave preliminary approval to a Texas law allowing people to go after those who provide or assist in providing abortions. The California bill would automatically be invalidated if the Texas law is eventually ruled unconstitutional.
“Let’s stop pretending that these mass shootings are an inevitable horror we have to experience on a regular basis,” Newsom tweeted.
Democratic Sen. Anthony Portantino pointed to the Texas shooting, where at least 15 people were killed, though the toll may be higher. He said California should use Texas’ abortion law as a model for good. “Let’s use that plan for something that keeps us safe, and not something that punishes women,” he said.
Landmark weapons database law:California agents seized 1,500 illegal guns in 2021
The California version would allow people to file civil lawsuits against anyone who distributes illegal assault weapons, parts that can be used to build weapons, guns without serial numbers, or .50 caliber rifles. They would be awarded at least $10,000 in civil damages for each weapon, plus attorneys fees.
The move comes in the wake of recent mass shootings, including the Texas school, a grocery store in Buffalo, New York, and elsewhere, including what police call a gang shootout that killed six people and wounded 12 people within blocks of the California state Capitol last month.
Aside from the political statement, proponents said the measure addresses a so-far intractable problem of deterring the use of homemade or untraceable “ghost” guns. The problem is growing rapidly even though California already has some of the nation’s strictest firearms rules.
“Increasing gun violence in California is not an indictment of tough laws. It is a wake-up call for adopting even more prudent gun laws to (deter) these latest illegal weapons,” Portantino said.
Constant fear:It's not just Uvalde, Texas — gunfire on school grounds is at historic highs in the US
Bloodshed since Sandy Hook:Uvalde school shooting among deadliest school attacks in past 10 years
Gun owners’ organizations and even some gun control advocates have questioned the wisdom of creating what amounts to a bounty to encourage people to bring civil actions to punish crimes.
But only Republican Sen. Andreas Borgeas spoke against the bill, saying that legislators should empower law enforcement to act against those who have guns illegally. He supported other measures, like requiring that guns have serial numbers.
“The private right of action, however, I think is taking this bill way too far,” he said, because it would encourage lawsuits by plaintiffs’ attorneys.
The measure passed on a 24-10 vote, with Democratic Sen. Melissa Hurtado joining Republicans in opposition.
3 other gun control bills approved
Senators approved three other gun control bills, sending them all to the state Assembly over the opposition of Republican lawmakers.
One would require schools to annually send parents information on the safe storage of firearms and immediately report threats of mass violence. But Portantino removed the most controversial provision, which would have required parents to report gun ownership to school officials.
The second would bar gun shows on state property, with Democratic Sen. Dave Min arguing the state should not be abetting firearm sales.
The third, also by Min, would require dealers to install safeguards to deter illegal gun sales and thefts, including digital video surveillance systems.
Shootings more lethal than 2020 by 171%:Texas shooting highlights new FBI active shooter data: incidents up 52% in 2021
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https://www.redding.com/story/news/local/california/2022/05/24/uvalde-texas-mass-shooting-texas-elementary-spurs-california-gun-control-law-lawsuits-illegal-guns/9916826002/
| 2022-05-25T04:05:33
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https://www.redding.com/story/news/local/california/2022/05/24/uvalde-texas-mass-shooting-texas-elementary-spurs-california-gun-control-law-lawsuits-illegal-guns/9916826002/
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UVALDE, Texas — It's a parents' worst nightmare: An active shooter at their child's school with 18 children and three adults dead.
Hours after many parents from Robb Elementary School in Uvalde first learned about Tuesday's mass shooting, they are still waiting to learn if their children are okay.
The frantic parents have gone from the school to the hospital to the civic center and no one can tell them what happened to their child.
Late Thursday, they began swabbing the parents for DNA at the civic center.
Jesse Rodriguez was there Tuesday evening still searching for his 10-year-old daughter Annabelle Guadalupe Rodriguez.
"They don't know where she's at..., her name is not here," Rodriguez said. "They're not letting us in at the hospital right now so we don't know where to go."
He said the hospital turned them away and the civic center had no answers either.
They gave Annabelle's name to a Texas Ranger and showed him her picture. He promised to call if he learned anything.
"We're talking to you guys, cause somebody's got to tell us where my daughter's at," Rodriguez told us.
Federico Torres was at the civic center trying to find his son. He said 10-year-old Rogelio was in Mr. Reyes' class.
Robb Elementary School has an enrollment of just under 600 students, and it has students in the second, third and fourth grades. This was the school's last week of classes before summer break.
“My heart is broken today,” said Hal Harrell, superintendent of the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District. “We’re a small community and we’re going to need your prayers to get through this."
He said the school will be closed and all school activities will be canceled until further notice. Harrell also said grief counselors would be available starting Wednesday morning.
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https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/texas/uvalde-school-shooting-parents/285-88005709-1e4a-41a7-95b5-3c9204347548
| 2022-05-25T04:05:55
| 1
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https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/texas/uvalde-school-shooting-parents/285-88005709-1e4a-41a7-95b5-3c9204347548
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CALDWELL — Members of the Canyon County Board of Commissioners and the county’s Planning and Zoning Commission gathered Monday evening to discuss the latest updates to the county’s comprehensive plan, which will be used to guide development in the county through 2030.
County staff released the latest draft of the plan on May 17, said Elizabeth Allen, a planner with the county. The meeting included a presentation on updates to the plan from the previous draft, followed by a discussion of the plan and whether to move it forward to the public hearing stage. The meeting did not include time for public comment.
Officials and employees emphasized that the plan is a guiding document, but will not unto itself be legally binding and will not take away property rights.
“When you’re looking at that map and you see it says, ‘intensive agriculture,’ that does not mean that a person doesn’t have property rights to make (an) application to change that plan or to change their zoning,” said Commissioner Keri Smith, referring to draft land use maps in the plan. “So the opposition letters to not move forward, that we’re taking away property rights is just not true.”
Once the plan is adopted through a public hearing process, it would be used as a guide to develop ordinances that will put the plan in action, Allen said.
The meeting drew a crowd of about 30 people, about a third of whom raised their hands to indicate they had read the latest draft of the plan. The county is still soliciting comments for the current plan, which is accessible through the county’s website. Comments can be submitted through the county’s feedback page for the plan, or by emailing growingtogether@canyoncounty.id.gov.
LATEST CHANGES: “RESIDENTIAL AGRICULTURE;” SCHOOLS
Allen presented an overview of the latest changes to the draft plan Monday night. One change in the new draft is the designation of “agricultural transition zone” to “residential agriculture,” or “R-A.” The change is meant to indicate that land owners can put a home on that land, Allen said.
There is some ambiguity with the category, as it could be considered both an agricultural zoning designation as well as a residential zoning designation, Allen said. With how the plan is phrased currently, a landowner in that type of zone would not necessarily need to apply for comprehensive plan map amendment to change the parcel in question from an agricultural to a residential designation, Allen said.
Steve Fultz, the director of Canyon County Development Services, noted that there has been talk of creating an agricultural commission for both land use hearings and to “address some of these more complicated and complex questions ….”
The previous draft of the plan included a chapter with information on schools, public services, and facilities, Allen said. The current draft’s Chapter 6 is dedicated exclusively to a discussion of schools, Allen said, including adding a policy to consider the “aggregate impact” of residential development on school capacity, Allen said.
CONCERNS: INPUT, RIGHTS, PROPERTY VALUES
Part of Monday’s discussion centered on whether residents, particularly farmers, have had enough time to provide input on the plan.
Commissioner Leslie Van Beek said that though she understands feedback on the plan has been collected on an ongoing-basis, she is concerned that some farmers may have not been able to take time to provide feedback.
“So that’s a question I have — when is that opportunity for the working farmer to be included in this plan?” Van Beek asked, noting that the plan says that the input of farmers is “vital to the success of the plan.”
“I don’t know that I necessarily agree with other people that don’t own land driving decisions for people (that do),” she said.
Harold Nevill, a planning and zoning commissioner, disagreed.
“I think that is verging on un-American,” Nevill said. “It’s one person, one vote, and it doesn’t make any difference the size of the landholding that you hold.” Landowners do have the right to come in before the county, make their case, and be granted due process, he said.
Allen said that outreach to gather feedback for a new plan began in 2019. This included the formation of an agricultural working group which met 14 times, conducting two surveys, one focusing on “agricultural perspectives,” and one on “rural communities,” and several rounds of open houses, she said. The information gathered so far is included in the public involvement summary for the draft, she said. And they are still open to receive comments from the public, she said.
“To be honest, if we push this out further, we might do more of a disservice to the community based on the outreach that we’ve done, and also keep in mind that we’ll be updating this plan on an annual basis,” she said.
Commissioners also raised the question of whether designating an area as agricultural land would hamper farmers from being able to sell it for a desirable price.
Van Beek said designating land a certain way could change its perceived value. For example, if land is changed to commercial or industrial, it changes its “opportunity cost,” she said.
Ron Amarel, a commissioner on the planning and zoning commission, agreed that the issue merited further discussion.
“If we follow the plan and we say, ‘this is agriculture,’ and we can’t develop there, then what happens?” Amarel said. “The value of that land could drop.”
Allen said the county is working with Boise State University to determine if “transfer development rights” would be feasible in the county, and are generally working to give property owners more options when it comes to deciding what to do with their land, she said.
Earlier drafts of the plan have emphasized the importance of preserving farmland, as previously reported.
HEARINGS: A FORUM FOR PUBLIC TESTIMONY
The next step for the draft plan is to schedule public hearings, which will be several hours long and will include time for public testimony on the plan, Allen said.
Those dates could be scheduled in late June or early July, and that time frame is subject to change, said Joe Decker, public information officer for the county.
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https://www.idahopress.com/news/local/latest-draft-of-canyon-county-comprehensive-plan-ready-for-comment/article_254ca822-4c0a-5d75-b780-d88eb326c662.html
| 2022-05-25T04:11:31
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https://www.idahopress.com/news/local/latest-draft-of-canyon-county-comprehensive-plan-ready-for-comment/article_254ca822-4c0a-5d75-b780-d88eb326c662.html
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An off-duty police officer was killed in a motorcycle crash in South Philadelphia Tuesday evening.
The 27-year-old officer was riding out of a parking lot along the 3300 block of South Broad Street around 7 p.m. when he collided with a car passing by. The officer was thrown off his motorcycle and died from his injuries.
The driver of the other vehicle remained at the scene and is cooperating with police, officials said.
Police have not yet revealed the officer’s identity. They continue to investigate the crash.
This story is developing. Check back for updates.
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https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/off-duty-officer-killed-in-motorcycle-crash-in-south-philly/3250462/
| 2022-05-25T04:12:42
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https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/off-duty-officer-killed-in-motorcycle-crash-in-south-philly/3250462/
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| 2022-05-25T04:16:51
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‘I picked up the sword’: Port Orange resident recognized for military caregiving
PORT ORANGE – For Port Orange resident Julie Guleff, decades of dedication as a military caregiver can be expressed in one sentence: “To care for him who shall have borne the battle.”
The phrase, engraved in stone on the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., and in every Veterans Affairs facility, is one Guleff took to heart when she began caring for her father, a Korean War vet, and then her husband, Steve, a Vietnam vet.
This year, Guleff was recognized for her journey. The Elizabeth Dole Foundation selected Guleff and 11 other military caregivers from around the country as its 2022 Class of Dole Caregiver Fellows.
New facility:VA breaks ground on new Daytona Beach clinic for primary care, mental health, specialties
Charity:Spruce Creek Fly-In quilters group to donate 10 blue and yellow quilts to Ukrainian refugees
More:Daytona’s Sheila Minor recognized with national award for Alzheimer’s outreach work
Guleff will join the 254 past and present Dole Caregiver Fellows, who represent all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia, to bring attention to the challenges facing America’s 5.5 million military caregivers — the spouses, parents, family members and other loved ones who take care of wounded, ill or injured service members or veterans at home.
“Being a military caregiver is a source of pride to defend and care for those who gave so much for our country and our people,” Guleff said in a statement published in the foundation’s website.
“The (Veteran Affairs) motto ‘To care for him who shall (have) borne the battle and for his widow, and his orphan,’ is engraved in stone and in every VA facility,” she added. “I take that to heart, and it is the least I can do to repay those who fought for our freedom. It is an enormous source of pride that I should be able to contribute.”
The Elizabeth Dole Foundation was founded in 2012 by former Sen. Elizabeth Dole, wife of the late U.S. Sen. and Army veteran Bob Dole. The organization “adopts a comprehensive approach in its support and advocacy, working with leaders in the public, private, nonprofit and faith communities to recognize military caregivers’ service and promote their well-being,” according to the foundation’s website.
"Not only does (Guleff) advocate for the veterans in her life, but she is using her voice to ensure caregivers like her have the resources and support they deserve,” said Elizabeth Rotenberry, the foundation's fellows program manager, in an email to The News-Journal. “We're honored to announce Julie as a member of the foundation's 2022 Dole Caregiver Fellows class and look forward to all she will accomplish."
Facing the stigma and other difficulties
Born in New York, Guleff spent most of her childhood moving around the world because of her father’s job. His position at the Mobil Oil Company was still connected to military service. She and her family lived in England, Indonesia, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Japan and Norway.
Guleff came back to New York after high school, met her first husband and had two children. It wasn’t until the late 1990s when her father, retired and living in Florida, started to have health problems and need her assistance.
Frequently, she traveled back and forth between upstate New York and Florida to care for her parents.
Guleff had been trying to get her father to go to a Veterans Affairs (VA) facility to help with his treatment for years, when in 2004 he had a major stomach issue and started using the department’s services.
“Like most veterans, his answer was ‘That’s not for me, that’s for other guys,’” Guleff said in an interview.
Her first experience with the VA wasn’t all positive. Guleff said the staff at the Palm Beach Gardens (where her parents lived) VA facility didn’t seem prepared to care for her father after he awoke from a three-month coma.
He died a few days after he was transferred to a local hospital.
When her father passed away, she and her two sons, then in high school, uprooted their lives to Florida to care for Guleff’s mother. Her caregiving journey continued when she met her husband Steve, a Vietnam veteran, in 2005.
Guleff’s experience caring for her father helped her realize that her husband could try to take advantage of the VA services as well.
“I picked up the sword once again and I have been doing that with Steve. I spent many days walking the floors of the VA helping orchestrate his care and noticing where the lack was and what could be made better,” Guleff said. “I walked him through the whole process: connecting with doctors, with social groups, with other (veterans).”
Five years into his treatment, Steve’s health began to rapidly decline, and he was diagnosed with prostate cancer and other complications related to Agent Orange exposure. Guleff had to quit her job to provide 24/7 care. She helps Steve with daily activities, scheduling appointments and managing medications.
Like Guleff’s father, Steve never used any of the VA’s services because he felt they weren’t “for him,” but for those who really needed the help. After some convincing, Guleff compelled him to get the services he needed, and she became his caregiver.
She said she recently discovered that Steve has three distinguished-service medals from Vietnam. When she asked him about them, her husband said, “No, I don’t want them, I don’t deserve them. Those are for other guys — I came home alive.”
She said that the stigma related to veterans asking for help and the difficulties most of them find navigating the VA’s system are two major obstacles for both veterans and their caregivers.
“Even still, that stigma is attached to (veterans in need of care),” Guleff said. “It seems to me with the VA and military people in general and all these organizations, there is a lot of guilt and shame and stigma attached to asking for help, and thus we have all the problems that we see today.”
Meeting the Elizabeth Dole Foundation and the work ahead
Decades into the life of a military caregiver, Guleff stumbled upon the Elizabeth Dole Foundation through an ad on Facebook last November.
After contacting the foundation and learning more, Guleff tried its respite care system and had a nurse take care of her husband for a few days. Although she was able to take a little break, she admits stepping away from her decades-long routine worried her.
“I was like ‘No, I can’t be gone a day, everything’s going to fall apart if I walk away for a minute,'” Guleff said. “But if I didn’t walk away for a minute, I was going to end up face down, and that doesn’t help anybody.”
She then offered herself to help the foundation in anyway she could as a way to say thanks.
She was asked to speak on a virtual call with representatives from the foundation to discuss her journey as a caregiver and how she could help the foundation.
“That turned into an interview, which turned into being selected as the state of Florida representative for the (2022 class of Dole Caregiver Fellows), which is way above my pay grade,” she said. “But now that it has sunk in a little bit, I realized that’s what I have been doing all along.”
In the role, Guleff will “serve as a leader, community organizer and advocate for military caregivers in her state and nationwide,” according to a foundation press release.
Fellows are trained by the foundation and empowered to share their stories directly with national leaders in the White House, Congress, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and other government agencies, as well as decision-makers in the business, entertainment, faith and nonprofit communities.
“Our fellows are the heart of our work and with the 11 fellows in this year’s class, in the foundation’s 10th year, we are adding to the diversity of voices representing America’s hidden heroes,” said Steve Schwab, CEO of the Elizabeth Dole Foundation, in the press release. “Through their advocacy and community organizing, these fellows will call attention to the most urgent, emerging issues facing caregivers, as well as decades-old problems that demand our nation’s action.”
Guleff and the other 11 caregivers selected for the program spent this week in Washington, D.C., meeting with members of Congress to discuss the future of Veterans Affairs and the importance of the work done by caregivers across the country.
“It’s not about me, it’s about the 5 million of us (caregivers),” Guleff said.
“We all have the same mission; we all have the same goal,” she added. “This is a forever project. I am going to carry this locally and speak on behalf of the Elizabeth Dole Foundation and for fellow veterans, military people and for caregivers forever more. Because it’s that important.”
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https://www.news-journalonline.com/story/news/local/volusia/2022/05/24/port-orange-resident-julie-guleff-recognized-military-caregiving/9814317002/
| 2022-05-25T04:21:24
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https://www.news-journalonline.com/story/news/local/volusia/2022/05/24/port-orange-resident-julie-guleff-recognized-military-caregiving/9814317002/
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COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. — A boat, beer cans and bikes. Those are just some of the discarded items you’ll find collecting in one area of Golden Gate Estates. Now neighbors want people to stop treating their homes as a landfill.
Chris Satter bought his Golden Gate Estates home for the privacy, woods and wildlife. Ever since he moved in, he said trash troubles have plagued his end of 4th Avenue SE.
“It’s a constant problem,” said Satter. “Probably at least once a month somebody is dumping.”
He said trucks used to bring their trash to the side of the road, visible to Satter and his neighbors. Now, the trash sits about 100 yards into a 5-acre plot of woods out of his immediate sight.
Satter said the trash is ruining some neighbors way of life.
“A lot of the neighbors enjoy going back there, walking their dogs and their pets,” he said. “You have to watch out there’s broken glass everywhere, there’s tires and it’s not a good thing.”
Pictures of the latest dumping has others who live on the street, like Kevin Carvajal, feeling disrespected.
“That’s just crazy people are dumping there and thinking they can get away with it,” said Carvajal.
Satter said he’ll call code enforcement who will come and remove illegally dumped items, but the problem just keeps getting worse.
“There’s just very little management of these undeveloped lands out here,” said Satter.
Neighbors said they believe enforcement and catching the people in the act may be one of the only ways to stop it.
“Not only are you trashing the environment and making it a dirtier place but you’re disrespecting all your neighbors who work so hard to keep our streets and out homes and our properties clean and beautiful,” said Satter.
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https://nbc-2.com/news/local/2022/05/24/dumping-at-golden-gate-estates-homes-has-neighbors-enraged/
| 2022-05-25T04:37:46
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https://nbc-2.com/news/local/2022/05/24/dumping-at-golden-gate-estates-homes-has-neighbors-enraged/
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