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DALLAS (KDAF) — If you’re all about the finances and have a good grasp on what your future plans will be, you might be building up your retirement money/plan. For some, the name of the game is early retirement, that game could be played in this North Texas which ranks among the top 25 best cities for early retirement according to a new study.
Smartasset did a study to determine the best places in the U.S. for early retirement, “In this study, we determined the best places for an early retirement, comparing the 100 largest cities across four categories. They include tax friendliness, elderly care, affordability and livability.”
At the fifth spot on the list, sits Plano, Texas. Smartasset says, “Across the cities we considered, the most affordable Texas city for an early retirement is Plano. This city places in the top 30 across all four categories in this analysis: 16th-best in the tax friendliness category, 27th-best for both affordability and livability and 30th-best for elderly care.
“Plano also has the best effective income tax for retirees (16.24%) and there is no state capital gains tax in Texas. Additionally, it ranks second for housing costs relative to income (19.26%), fifth for violent crime rate (155 per 100,00 residents) and ninth for the number of medical facilities per capita (almost four per 1,000 residents).”
El Paso was also listed among the top 25 at the No. 17 spot. It has a tax friendliness of 59.48, elderly care at 4.57, affordability of 91.21 and livability of 76.75. For more of Smartasset’s findings and tips for succeeding in early retirement, click here.
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https://cw33.com/news/local/this-north-texas-city-ranks-among-top-25-cities-for-early-retirement-study-finds/
| 2022-06-01T16:46:16
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https://cw33.com/news/local/this-north-texas-city-ranks-among-top-25-cities-for-early-retirement-study-finds/
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MERIDIAN, Idaho — Imagine growing up with a family who you thought were your biological parents and siblings, only to find out years later that you were donor conceived. That is the new reality of a Meridian resident, Nichole Mclendon.
“I was not told I was donor conceived. I had told my parent I took a DNA test. They knew I would find it,” said Mclendon.
It started with a random Facebook message from a stranger, that reads: ‘Hey you’re number 58 congratulations. We have the same donor.’
Mclendon said, “I went home that night and opened up my 23 and Me account.”
What was supposed to be a random, fun amazon purchase, made the news that much more concrete.
“I saw I connected to 10 people and it didn’t make sense and my mom says, you and your sister need to come over,” said Mclendon.
McLendon’s half-sister started the search in 1992, since then they have connected with 67 half-siblings born between 1955-1984.
“We are finding a new one every two to three months,” Mclendon said.
She was handed a book with all the information she needed to know about the donor, Henry Hank Heemsoth.
“Hank was a great guy. He served his country. He worked in Detroit. He had 4 boys he raised," said Mclendon.
But the surprises did not end there, Hank worked as a landscaper at the fertility clinic where his wife was a patient, and where Mclendon says he was asked to donate.
“With his wife’s support and encouragement, he donated for, the best we can determine based on talking to his kids, 30 years, weekly. There are a lot of me’s out there, but he did it with a good heart,” said Mclendon.
According to an article published by her half-sister, she says the Detroit area sperm provider estimates there are about 3,000 siblings from Hank. This caused a lot of concerns for her family.
"Thank goodness we have yet to find anyone who has dated a half-sibling or married a half-sibling, but it's entirely possible. When you go out one more generation to my kids and their kids, what does that mean for them," McLendon said.
The number of times a person can donate is different for each clinic and state. Here in Idaho, Nation Wide Egg Donation and Surrogacy says their embryo donor limit is six times.
Nation Wide Egg Donation and Surrogacy’s President, Tiffany Valentine says, "We don't know what goes on beyond when they leave us. You have fertility clinics, I hate to say it, not in Idaho but like in California. I hate to say it, they are like Starbucks, they are everywhere and to keep track of how many times they are donating within a 50-mile radius, and if he's not going through the same agency, it's kind of impossible.”
Although Nichole found out she was a product of a donor at a later age, she hopes other families will be honest and talk to their children at a younger age.
"I understand that desire to have a family, but you have to be honest with your kids. They are a gift and another person is helping you with that gift. Do not lie.” McLendon said.
Watch more Local News:
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/meridian-woman-learns-she-was-donor-conceived-and-discovers-over-67-siblings/277-32cc1db9-d121-4ce6-b36a-acf52a7cd119
| 2022-06-01T16:51:06
| 0
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https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/meridian-woman-learns-she-was-donor-conceived-and-discovers-over-67-siblings/277-32cc1db9-d121-4ce6-b36a-acf52a7cd119
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NAMPA, Idaho — Nampa’s community leaders gathered at the Idaho Hispanic Cultural Center on Wednesday to unveil a new bell that will honor the Mexican community of Idaho for many years to come.
The bell, weighing about 440 pounds and standing at over 35 inches tall, is a replica of the Bell of Dolores, the Mexican Independence Bell, which now sits at the Idaho Hispanic Cultural Center.
It is one of the most important national symbols of Mexico and there are only 5 replicas in the world, one of which is now here in Idaho.
Nampa Mayor Debbie Kling says 25% of the city’s population are of Hispanic and Latino descent.
The bell honors and supports the Mexican migrant families that reside in Idaho’s communities. The bell was donated by Enrique Velasco, an honorary member of the nonprofit, Cosejo de Communidades Hispanas.
Local leaders say this bell will help preserve a part of their country of origin.
Mayor Debbie Kling proclaimed May 31st as a day of freedom and libertad at the ceremony.
Watch more Local News:
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/new-historic-bell-honors-idaho-mexican-community/277-95186717-2895-4353-8491-286871bfa111
| 2022-06-01T16:51:12
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https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/new-historic-bell-honors-idaho-mexican-community/277-95186717-2895-4353-8491-286871bfa111
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Three suspects have been identified in the investigation of the Railroad Fire with the help of a large number of leads from the Flagstaff community.
Names of the three suspects remain unreleased, as they have all been identified as juveniles. Charges are pending and were expected to be formally submitted to the Coconino County Juvenile Court by the end of Tuesday.
The Railroad Fire ignited just after 2 p.m. on Tuesday, May 24, and burned roughly 3.3 acres near the Railroad Springs neighborhood before being fully contained. Shortly after, the Flagstaff Police Department (FPD) sent out a request for information related to individuals involved in the incident. The initial request mentioned a white dual rear-wheel pickup truck that had been observed by witnesses, but the vehicle was later determined to be unrelated, said Sgt. Odis Brockman of the FPD.
Meanwhile, the request produced “a bunch of information that came in from various groups who identified core individuals,” said investigating Detective Alex Chirovsky. A large amount of information came from “juvenile students” who were ostensibly classmates of the suspects.
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“There was also a parent that came forward,” Chirovsky said.
The fruitful community response was likely due to the “nature of our community being so hyper aware recently, especially since the Tunnel Fire,” Chirovsky said. “The best resource for us is everyone being fire wise and paying attention to their surroundings. That response of the community working together is really what made us able to resolve a case like this fairly quickly.”
Investigation has determined that the fire was sparked when the suspects allegedly discharged a flare gun in the area. Their motives are currently unknown.
The suspects have not been arrested as “there is no additional threat of further action from these individuals,” Chirovsky said.
Upon the conclusion of the investigation, charges will submitted to the Coconino County Juvenile Court, where charges will be evaluated on an individual basis. There are currently no scheduled hearings.
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https://azdailysun.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/community-help-vital-to-identifying-railroad-fire-suspects/article_68cbe5fc-e123-11ec-970c-e74f2d86fd3b.html
| 2022-06-01T16:54:22
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https://azdailysun.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/community-help-vital-to-identifying-railroad-fire-suspects/article_68cbe5fc-e123-11ec-970c-e74f2d86fd3b.html
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The Coconino County Board of Supervisors certified the results of the May 17 election at a special session held Friday, May 27. Proposition 438, which means an increase in primary property taxes to fund Coconino Community College (CCC), has been approved.
A total of 22.57% of registered voters in Coconino County participated in this election. Of 20,947 total ballots, 13,339 were in favor of the measure, about 64%. About 95% of votes were cast by early ballot.
The tax rate will increase from 0.4394 cents per $100 of limited property value to 0.7419 cents.
According to a CCC press release, the college will receive one third of the additional funding in the next fiscal year (beginning July 1, 2022) and two-thirds the following fiscal year. CCC will permanently receive the entire amount approved in this measure in the third year, a total of about $6 mil watching BOS meeting lion. The same schedule will also be applied to Coconino County taxpayers, with the amount increasing by one third through the third year and that total continuing.
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Items CCC plans to use these funds for include new career, technical education and training programs, expansions of programs in early childhood education certificate, automotive technology, cybersecurity and nursing. The school also has plans to expand its scholarship program, develop new programs to support training for veterans and county workers and “enhance educational services throughout Coconino County.”
The release noted that CCC has already begun developing plans to begin new programs and expand existing ones, which “will be developed and rolled out over the next several years.”
“On behalf of CCC, I would like to thank the voters and the many community members who worked hard to help the ballot initiative be successful,” said CCC president Colleen Smith. “Because of them, we can continue our good work moving into a bright future serving students throughout Coconino County.”
She added: “Yes, we will still have the lowest tax rate of all community colleges in Arizona, and yes, we will still continue to be good stewards of public funds. However, this additional funding will make a big difference and provide much-need fiscal stability as we move into the future.”
More about the measure can be found at coconino.edu/prop-438.
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https://azdailysun.com/news/local/education/proposition-438-approved-in-special-election-results/article_68020d00-e0f5-11ec-a95b-db0bb75e437f.html
| 2022-06-01T16:54:22
| 1
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https://azdailysun.com/news/local/education/proposition-438-approved-in-special-election-results/article_68020d00-e0f5-11ec-a95b-db0bb75e437f.html
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After a little over a year since Northern Arizona Healthcare (NAH) first announced its plans to move Flagstaff Medical Center (FMC) to a new campus near Fort Tuthill County Park, an application is close to being brought to the City of Flagstaff for approval.
NAH is currently in the process of finalizing its application and has been meeting with city development staff over the past six to eight weeks.
The plan was to have a “substantially completed” application by the end of May, with the zoning process beginning in July, according to Steve Eiss, NAH’s vice president of construction and real estate development.
The plan consists of two hearings and a mandated holding period. The zoning approval would apply to the entire 180-acre campus -- individual approvals (including of the site plan and building review) would still need to be made for each building.
Following the timeline, the plans would first be brought to Flagstaff City Council in September. Certain aspects of planning, largely the specifics needed for building, will need to be completed after the possible approval, meaning a delay in the anticipated start of construction.
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Earlier plans had intended to break ground on construction in September 2022, with the first two buildings — an ambulatory care center (ACC) and hospital -- being completed in 2024 and 2026, respectively.
If everything goes according to plan and the application is accepted by Council in September, Eiss said, construction is expected to begin in February or March of 2023, and the ACC and hospital to be completed in late 2025 and early to mid-2027, respectively.
As for the rest of the planned health and wellness village, “We think the entire build-out of development is going to carry us into the 2040s,” he said.
Eiss added that the delay was not because of an issue with the application, but that the process has gone on longer than expected.
“We’ve tried to really garner as much feedback from not only the city, but some of the community constituents, so some of those processes took a pretty lengthy amount of time,” he said. “ ... It’s a very large, very detailed application that speaks to the dynamic phased nature of this development size and duration from a phasing perspective.”
Overall, he said, NAH’s vision for its new campus hasn’t changed, though some “finer tuning” on aspects such as third-party development has. For example, one of the streets at the north end of campus has been moved slightly south, creating more room for mixed-use residential units.
Eiss said the number of planned units has increased from 175 to 275.
NAH still does not have plans for what will happen to FMC’s current location once the new hospital is finished.
Eiss said they had begun inviting “key stakeholders,” including city councilmembers, residents from nearby areas and the Downtown Business Alliance, to participate in a redevelopment advisory council meant to better understand community needs around the current campus location.
NAH is also in discussions with the city about ways to incorporate this into its general plan process, which is scheduled to be revisited next year.
“Right now, it's still hard to understand and determine exactly what the right new development of that campus looks like with it being so far out,” Eiss said. “We’re probably looking at something that’s going to open in the 2029, 2030 time frame by the time we move the existing hospital and do whatever the redevelopment is. But we’re still committed to some type of redevelopment of the campus that we’re hopeful will benefit the community moving forward.
“ ... In my opinion, getting the right people to the table is the most important thing to understand what the needs are going to be, and then making decisions that have a real timeline put to them is pretty critical. Just think about what can happen to a community from an economic perspective, a business perspective, in seven or eight years. Trying to make some of those decisions now, we’re losing the ability to gain whatever feedback and knowledge we can have down the road.”
The application process has included a deeper look into several of the development's potential impacts.
The risk from wildfire is similar at FMC’s current and future campuses, COO Josh Tinkle said, adding that the hospital’s current location “is actually a little more challenging” in terms of moving patients in an evacuation.
Though plans need to be more finalized to create an emergency management plan for the new campus, NAH has begun taking fire mitigation measures.
It will be starting a forest thinning project on the entirety of the new location, planned to take place from July to the end of August this year, led by the Greater Flagstaff Forestry Partnership. It will be funded by a grant as well as NAH itself. They are also working with the operational fire consultant used by the City of Flagstaff to determine what additional needs the new development might create for the fire department.
The area that will be most impacted by traffic changes from the new construction is the “immediate surrounding area,” Eiss said.
Notably, Beulah Boulevard will need to be widened to a total of four lanes between JW Powell and Lake Mary at some point (it currently has two lanes), with additional traffic lights.
Eiss said NAH is waiting for input from the city, as it is currently reviewing the traffic impact analysis as part of the application process.
“The questions are going to be the phasing of that and the timing,” he said.
They are also trying to coordinate work on finding answers with other development that could happen nearby (to Fort Tuthill or the airport, for example) so that the traffic mitigation measures will support both this development and the rest of the area going forward.
“Right now, we’re laying the groundwork -- trying to set up meetings with MetroPlan, city traffic, ADOT -- to coordinate what that growth really looks like in the future so we can time it all out,” he said. “I think it’s really just making sure we get all the correct parties to the table so we get everybody giving their information and we’re not making decisions in silos.”
The best way to get additional information about the project is to email questions@nahealth.com, both said. An administrative team monitors the address and sends questions to the person who can best answer them; Eiss said he’s answered more than 100 in the past year.
Misconceptions Eiss and Tinkle said they have heard about the development include that it is simpler to retrofit the current campus. They explained this is untrue due to its age, size, and the need to maintain a level of service and care quality. Another is that it will impact taxpayers, but NAH is fully funding it through bonds and cash.
One concern was that moving FMC away from downtown will make it less accessible. But over 60% of patients come from outside of Flagstaff, Eiss said, so having it closer to Interstates 17 and 40 will make access easier for most.
Overall, Tinkle said, the new campus is meant to improve the care FMC is able to provide.
“This is really a decision of how we want healthcare delivered for all of northern Arizona for at least the next 50 years,” he said. “This is a decision to be forward-thinking and progressive in how we deliver care and the level of care that we’re going to be able to deliver in the region. ...We have to get to a platform that has more modern infrastructure so we can continue to deliver those high quality procedures that maybe [weren’t available] when this facility was built."
Tinkle added: "We need to be able to keep up with that growing in the end.”
More about this development is available at nahealth.com/expansion.
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https://azdailysun.com/news/local/nah-gives-updates-on-plans-for-new-fmc-campus/article_481b8d6e-e12b-11ec-9fe3-8f90fc5a0468.html
| 2022-06-01T16:54:23
| 1
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https://azdailysun.com/news/local/nah-gives-updates-on-plans-for-new-fmc-campus/article_481b8d6e-e12b-11ec-9fe3-8f90fc5a0468.html
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SPOKANE, Wash. — A nine-year-old girl, who was attacked by a cougar in Stevens County over the weekend, has been released from the intensive care unit.
Lily Kryzhanivskyy was attacked on Saturday around 11 a.m. at a kids camp near Fruitland, Washington. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) said prior to the attack, Lily was playing hide-and-seek in the woods with two other children. When Lily jumped out to surprise her friends, the cougar suddenly attacked.
Lily was rushed to a hospital and is currently in stable condition.
Her mother described Lily's recovery as "amazing" and told WDFW that Lily wants people to know she was “very brave and tough.”
“We are extremely thankful for this little girl’s resiliency and we're impressed with her spunk, in the face of this unfortunate encounter,” Capt. Mike Sprecher of the WDFW Police said in a written statement. “It happened fast and we are thankful that the adults at the camp responded so quickly.”
The family has started a GoFund Me to help cover medical expenses and time off work. To donate to Lily's GoFund Me, click here.
The cougar that attacked was killed at the scene. Tests on the young male cougar showed the animal did not have rabies.
According to WDFW, this is the first cougar attack in Washington state this year.
WDFW says cougar attacks are extremely rare in Washington. In the past 100 years, there have only 20 cougar attacks in the state. Cougar attacks have only resulted in two know deaths in that same period of time.
If you do encounter a cougar here are some important tips to prevent an attack:
- Don't run. Face the cougar. Talk to it firmly while slowly backing away.
- Do not take your eyes off the cougar or turn your back. Do not crouch down or try to hide.
- Try to appear larger than the cougar. Get above it. If wearing a jacket, hold it open to further increase your apparent size.
- If the cougar does not flee, be more assertive. Shout, wave your arms and throw anything you have available.
- If the cougar attacks, fight back. Be aggressive and try to stay on your feet. Cougars have been driven away by people who have fought back.
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https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/cougar-attack-released-icu-negative-rabies/293-64362de2-57ad-4ecb-ba01-5f22e36fb7cb
| 2022-06-01T16:54:33
| 1
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https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/cougar-attack-released-icu-negative-rabies/293-64362de2-57ad-4ecb-ba01-5f22e36fb7cb
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PORTLAND, Ore. — The transportation sector accounts for about 40% of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). One of the fastest ways to reduce those emissions in the fight against climate change is getting drivers out of gas-powered cars, according to the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT).
The state's goal is to have 90% of new vehicle sales be electric vehicles by 2035. To achieve that, ODOT needs to overcome “range anxiety," a driver’s fear of running out of electricity on the road before reaching a charging station. That remains one of the biggest impediments to drivers purchasing an electric vehicle (EV).
ODOT, with the help of the 2021 federal infrastructure bill, will apply $100 million to expand EV charging statewide along seven designated corridors.
"We'll have quad charging, which means we'll have four chargers in each site," said Amanda Pietz, ODOT's administrator for data, policy, and analysis. "Each charger will be fast-charging. We'll have three that are 150 kilowatts. So when somebody plugs into that expect, maybe a 15 to 20 minute time to charge your vehicle. So pretty quick. But we'll also have a 350 kilowatt charger, which is much closer to the experience of filling up at a gas station."
The five-fold increase in statewide EV charging will also focus on smaller, rural communities where charging has been less available. The added benefit is that local tourism may be bolstered.
"So when they stop... they can shop, so they're charging and then they can shop in the local community," said Pietz.
ODOT said the new charging stations are designed to be somewhat future proof and can be adapted as charging technology evolves.
"I'm not just talking about cars and trucks, but electric bikes and scooters. All different kinds of mobility options to really get people to where they need to go," said Pietz.
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https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/good-energy/electric-vehicle-charging-stations-oregon/283-ed184a5e-fdd3-4e25-a63d-ea85b93c338a
| 2022-06-01T16:54:39
| 1
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https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/good-energy/electric-vehicle-charging-stations-oregon/283-ed184a5e-fdd3-4e25-a63d-ea85b93c338a
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A motorcyclist has died after colliding into a SUV on Tucson’s northwest side Sunday night.
On May 29 at 10 p.m., Jose Fraijo, 26, was traveling south on North La Cañada Drive when a Kia SUV traveling north in the left-turn lane collided with the motorcyclist, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department said. Both drivers were taken to a hospital.
Fraijo was pronounced dead at the hospital, the department said. The driver of the Kia sustained minor injuries.
Neither impairment nor excessive speed were factors in the crash, the sheriff's department said in a news release.
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https://tucson.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/motorcyclist-dies-in-crash-on-tucsons-northwest-side/article_99fc3d6a-e1c4-11ec-8b8c-539f4e39e0b9.html
| 2022-06-01T16:59:11
| 1
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https://tucson.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/motorcyclist-dies-in-crash-on-tucsons-northwest-side/article_99fc3d6a-e1c4-11ec-8b8c-539f4e39e0b9.html
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Marana police are investigating a serious vehicle accident that left a pedestrian dead on Wednesday morning.
North Coachline Boulevard north of West Twin Peaks Road between West Armor Crest Road and West Idle Wild Drive will be closed for an extended period of time, police said.
Details are limited at this time.
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https://tucson.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/pedestrian-struck-killed-in-marana/article_cee41794-e1c1-11ec-bb56-8b687901e2cf.html
| 2022-06-01T16:59:17
| 0
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https://tucson.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/pedestrian-struck-killed-in-marana/article_cee41794-e1c1-11ec-bb56-8b687901e2cf.html
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PHOENIX — One of the leading proponents of the claim of fraud in Arizona elections wants "vigilantes" to monitor ballot drop boxes in the upcoming election.
During an informal legislative hearing Tuesday, Sen. Kelly Townsend, R-Apache Junction, complained about the failure of the Senate to either outlaw drop boxes entirely or require that they be monitored 24 hours a day.
In fact, Townsend wants to deal with the issue of possible fraudulent ballots by eliminating early voting entirely.
But that measure has failed to advance amid concerns about its effects, like one expressed by Senate President Karen Fann, R-Phoenix, about telling the 90% of Arizonans who now vote early, including the elderly, that they instead may have to stand in line in the sun to vote in the August primary.
And Townsend said Tuesday that even if she could line up the votes this legislative session to outlaw drop boxes, or at least require they be monitored, it already is too late to put that in effect for the Aug. 2 primary.
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"That's unacceptable," said Sen. Kelly Townsend, R-Apache Junction, who also was on the Tuesday panel. But she had a solution of sorts that involved the people watching the hearing.
"I have been so pleased to hear of all you vigilantes out there that want to camp out at these drop boxes, right?" she said to applause of the audience. "So, do it."
'People out there watching you'
Townsend said that will send a message to "mules" who carry around and deposit fraudulent ballots into those boxes.
Among the options, she said, will be "trail cameras," normally used to monitor wildlife in remote locations. But that's only part of it.
"We're going to have people out there watching you," Townsend said. "And they're going to follow you to your car and get your license plate.''
Townsend, in an interview with Capitol Media Services after the hearing, defended the call.
"If it's a person committing a crime, why wouldn't you get their license plate?'' she asked. Nor does she consider it intimidation.
She acknowledged that state law allows individuals to deposit not only their own ballots in drop boxes but also those of people who live in the same household. And caretakers also can handle multiple ballots.
"I don't support intimidating people that are sticking grandma's ballot in a box," Townsend said. "But if there's a clear crime, I want there to be a deterrent."
That, then, leaves it up to the person doing the observation to determine whether a crime is taking place.
Townsend said that becomes obvious in certain cases, saying there have been situations where individuals drive up to a drop box with a box or backpack full of ballots. She said it's unlikely that anyone has 30 people living in their home.
Movie claims vote fraud
Toensend's comments came at the end of a presentation to a select group of lawmakers by organizers of True the Vote. That's the organization that provided material to Trump supporter Dinesh D'Sousa for his "2000 Mules" movie claiming massive vote fraud from people depositing multiple early ballots in drop boxes, including here in Arizona despite state laws to the contrary. The Associated Press has labled the analysis "flawed."
Much of what was presented Tuesday was not new but instead came from the movie. That included some video, none of which apparently came from Arizona, of people stuffing ballots into drop boxes.
But there is an Arizona angle to all this.
Guillermina Fuentes, a member of the Gadsden Elementary School District, was indicted last year on ballot abuse, forgery and conspiracy charges. She is set to enter into a plea deal this Thursday.
But the allegations presented by True the Vote contend that the problems with early voting and drop boxes are common.
They said cell phone geolocation data shows the same people — they don't have names but only electronic identification data — going to drop boxes over and over again. Catherine Engelbrecht, the organization's founder, said could happen only because these drop boxes are not monitored.
And Gregg Phillips, also with True the Vote, brushed aside questions about whether such geolocation data is sufficiently accurate to reach the conclusions his organization reached.
Panelists hand-picked
Support for restricting or eliminating ballot drop boxes appeared be unanimous among the members of the panel. That, however, was hardly a cross-section of legislative sentiments as only those chosen by Rep. Shawnna Bolick, R-Phoenix, were allowed to serve and ask questions of the presenters.
Bolick said Democrats were left out because they have shown no interest in supporting any of the measures Republicans have proposed this year to revamp election procedures. She said, though, they were welcome to sit in the audience.
But the panel she chose also did not include Rep. Mark Finchem, R-Oro Valley, who has been pursuing questions of election irregularities since the 2020 election.
Finchem told Capitol Media Services he is glad that Bolick is finally taking the issue seriously. He said she had shown no interest in the November 2020 hearing he organized at a downtown Phoenix hotel where Trump supporters, including Rudy Giuliani, presented what they said was their own evidence of misconduct.
Bolick said that's not true, saying she didn't go to that hearing because it was her daughter's birthday.
And there's something else: Finchem and Bolick are both running to be the Republican nominee for secretary of state. But she denied that Tuesday's event was in any way designed to provide some momentum to her campaign ahead of the Aug. 2 primary.
"I would never question the motives of one of my colleagues," Finchem responded with a smile.
Arrests needed for change
There have been no independent polls in the race. But the most recent campaign finance reports showed Finchem has collected more cash than anyone else at $940,000.
Businessman Beau Lane took in $862,000, followed by Bolick at $213,000 and Sen. Michelle Ugenti-Rita at $123,000.
Rep. Quang Nguyen, R-Prescott Valley, a member of the panel, said he has seen enough and reached some conclusions.
"The only thing I could see coming out of this meeting is people going to jail," he said. "Until people go to jail things may not change."
Townsend added to that, urging the crowd to chant, "What do we want? Indictments. When do we want them? Now."
Bolick said that information gathered from True the Vote will be turned over to Republican Attorney General Mark Brnovich who has said he is looking into election irregularities.
But Brnovich may have to wait.
Information sent to FBI
Phillips, a board member of True the Vote, told lawmakers said information already has been turned over to the FBI. He said it is up to the federal agency what it wants to share with the attorney general.
On Tuesday, Bolick repeated her allegation that the 2020 election was "rigged."
She does have some history on this front.
In 2021 Bolick sponsored legislation to allow the Arizona Legislature to overturn the results of a presidential election, even after the count is formally certified by the governor and secretary of state — and even after Congress counts the state's electors.
The measure had a series of provisions designed to make it easier for those unhappy with elections to go to court.
But the most sweeping would say that, regardless of any other law, the legislature retains ultimate authority in deciding who are the state's presidential electors. And it would spell out that lawmakers, by a simple majority, could revoke the formal certification of the election results and substitute their own decision at any time right up to the day a new president is sworn in.
Bolick said Tuesday, though, that was only a preliminary approach, noting she never advanced the measure.
Howard Fischer is a veteran journalist who has been reporting since 1970 and covering state politics and the Legislature since 1982. Follow him on Twitter at "@azcapmedia" or email azcapmedia@gmail.com.
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https://tucson.com/news/local/subscriber/arizona-gop-lawmakers-make-time-for-election-conspiracy-theorists/article_daa50828-e1ac-11ec-9e1d-839fc1a76faf.html
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Longtime Lakeshore Public Radio host Chris Nolte, who has worked in public broadcasting for nearly 40 years, is stepping away from the mic he's long manned.
Nolte has been on the air with the Merrillville-based NPR affiliate for 13 years. Lakeshore Public Radio said he had "one of the most recognizable voices from Northwest Indiana."
He hosted the local version of “Morning Edition” and the locally produced “Regionally Speaking" on Lakeshore Public Radio, which broadcasts across Northwest Indiana.
“The knowledge my guests brought with them made the show what it is. I’m glad I had the opportunity through Lakeshore to facilitate multiple perspectives over a variety of topics to help listeners form their own take on the news,” Nolte said.
Nolte is a Navy veteran who graduated from Ball State University. Over the years, he worked for many radio stations across Indiana and the Midwest, including WKBV-AM in Richmond, WLW-AM Cincinnati, WFIU-FM Bloomington, WTHR-TV Indianapolis, WIBC-AM and WFYI-FM Indianapolis.
He joined Lakeshore Public Radio in Merrillville in 2009. He's won an award from the Indiana Associated Press Broadcasters Association, interviewed politicians during campaign season and helped the public broadcasting radio station host debates with civic groups like the League of Women Voters.
He will sign off from Lakeshore Public Radio on his final episode of "Regionally Speaking," which will air from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. Friday.
Lakeshore Public Radio plans to continue to air "Regionally Speaking" in the future, with Dee Dotson and Tom Maloney co-hosting together until future notice.
NWI Business Ins and Outs: Culver's, Cosmix Cereal + Ice Cream Mashup and Vita del Lago coming soon; It's My Party under new ownership
Coming soon
Opening June 6
Six Northwest Indiana locations
Butter burgers and cheese curds
Coming soon
New ownership
'Staple in the community'
'You deliver one balloon cactus'
Relocated
Coming soon
WATCH NOW: Riding Shotgun with NWI Cops — Patrolling Lowell with Cpl. Aaron Crawford
Joseph S. Pete is a Lisagor Award-winning business reporter who covers steel, industry, unions, the ports, retail, banking and more. The Indiana University grad has been with The Times since 2013 and blogs about craft beer, culture and the military.
"This building will once again illuminate with light on the southernmost shores of Lake Michigan, not with the fire and fury of the open hearth but with the amber glow and hypnotic flow of iron ore."
"At Gary Primary, we know the future of this plant depends upon our success. Our families, the union and management depend on us. Our communities depend on us and this facility."
White Lodging has sold its last five remaining suburban hotels after selling 25 suburban management projects to Pennsylvania-based HHM for an undisclosed sum earlier this year.
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https://www.nwitimes.com/business/local/longtime-lakeshore-public-radio-host-chris-nolte-stepping-down/article_bc71d1a9-0159-5e2d-b235-98782e5128a2.html
| 2022-06-01T17:06:30
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DALLAS — Investigators are trying to figure out how a man was left dead on the side of the road, according to the Dallas Police Department.
On Tuesday just after 5 a.m., officers responded to a health and welfare call on Eastridge Drive near Ridgecrest Road. This is between Skillman Street and Park Lane in Northeast Dallas.
When officers got to the scene, they found 65-year-old Joseph Syas lying on the sidewalk with a gunshot wound to the face. Dallas Fire-Rescue responded and pronounced him dead.
The motive and circumstances surrounding this murder are under investigation.
Police are asking anyone with information to call Detective Abel Lopez at 214-671-3676 or email abel.lopez@dallascityhall.com.
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https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/65-year-old-man-dies-shot-in-face-dallas/287-da1dc8ed-0502-4357-a27d-dd408ce05413
| 2022-06-01T17:07:35
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FORT WORTH, Texas — Detectives are looking for any witnesses and/or the vehicle involved in a hit-and-run that happened on May 28.
The Fort Worth Police Department said it happened at around 2:45 p.m. the 6300 block of South Freeway near Altamesa Boulevard.
The vehicle is described as a white older model Toyota 4Runner.
According to detectives, the driver crashed into a man and left the scene without helping. The man was found injured in the northbound service road of the freeway.
Anyone who saw this hit-and-run is encouraged to call Forth Worth police at 817-392-4886.
More Fort Worth stories:
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AUSTIN, Texas — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is asking state leaders to form a special legislative committee in the wake of last week's mass shooting at a Uvalde elementary school where 19 students and two teachers were killed.
In a letter to Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dade Phelan, Abbott outlined topics the committee should consider.
"I request that these committees review what steps previous legislatures have enacted, what resources the State has made available to local school districts, and make recommendations to the Legislature and the Executive Branch so that meaningful action can be made on, among other things, the following topics to prevent future school shootings:
- School safety
- Mental health
- Social media
- Police training
- Firearm safety
It is important the process begin immediately," Abbott wrote.
The request falls short of growing calls from some Texas House Democrats for Abbott to call a special legislative session.
State Sen. Roland Gutierrez, who represents Uvalde, made the call for the session to change existing laws.
“To make sure we have a special session on about four issues — number one, raise the age limit to 21 on just like handguns. Number two, we limit magazine capacity. Number three, red flag laws. We absolutely need them. Number four, waiting period huge. It’s important," Gutierrez said last week.
Abbott said last week that existing laws would not have stopped the rampage in Uvalde.
"Evil stole those gifts from their parents on Tuesday," Abbott said during a recorded video message played for the NRA Convention last week. "And also remember this. There are thousands of laws on the books across the country that limit the owning or using of firearms. Laws that have not stopped madmen from carrying out evil acts on innocent people in peaceful communities."
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https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/texas/abbott-calls-for-special-legislative-committee-after-uvalde-school-shooting/285-4742fa32-3223-4b36-885c-642a31417aa8
| 2022-06-01T17:07:47
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Allentown mayor Matt Tuerk has nominated deputy Public Works director Mark Shahda to lead the Public Works department.
Shahda has served as interim director since February, when former director Craig Messinger retired after 33 years with the city. He will take over as director permanently if city council approves the appointment at Wednesday’s meeting.
“Mark’s journey with the City is remarkable: starting as a seasonable [sic] summer hire in 1996 before accepting a full-time position as a Maintenance Worker in 1998,” Tuerk wrote in a memo to city council. “Aside from his work history, Mark has strong ties to Allentown that have been of great benefit in his service to the City.”
Shahda began working for the city 24 years ago as a maintenance worker. He became the city’s streets department superintendent in 2012, overseeing the city’s paving and reconstruction of streets and alleys, and has been deputy public works director in 2019.
As deputy director, Shahda supervised all Public Works departments including Streets, Stormwater, Engineering, Fleet and Building Maintenance, and established the Cost Share Program with the Lehigh County Authority and UGI Corporation, which helped save the city from an additional $5 million project, according to a memo.
Shahda was born and raised in Allentown and is a Dieruff High School graduate.
If confirmed as public works director, Shahda’s yearly salary will be $107,290.
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https://www.mcall.com/news/local/allentown/mc-nws-allentown-mark-shahda-public-works-appointment-20220601-xh3fp7na6zat5drx4wgrpad4za-story.html
| 2022-06-01T17:08:38
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https://www.mcall.com/news/local/allentown/mc-nws-allentown-mark-shahda-public-works-appointment-20220601-xh3fp7na6zat5drx4wgrpad4za-story.html
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Canton's First Ladies National Historic Site closes because of staff shortage
Kelly Byer
The Repository
CANTON – The First Ladies National Historic Site has closed because of "staff shortages."
A notice was posted Wednesday to the National Park Service website and the site's Facebook page that states it will remain closed "until further notice."
"We are sorry for the inconvenience this may cause," the alert concludes.
The historic site consists of the Education Center at 205 Market Ave. S and the Saxton House, where Ida and William McKinley once lived at the corner of Market Avenue S and Fourth Street SW.
Messages left with the president and site manager of the historic site were not immediately returned.
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https://www.cantonrep.com/story/news/local/canton/2022/06/01/first-ladies-national-historic-site-closes-because-staff-shortage/7467221001/
| 2022-06-01T17:20:38
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Saying goodbye: Stark Parks offers 'wind phone' at Quail Hollow for grieving people
LAKE TWP. – Like many others, Daria Sherman has endured the heavy burden of loss. So has Matt Frey.
"I miss my child," Sherman said.
In 2011, Sherman's 19-year-old son Paul was killed in an explosion in Bolivar. Her son-in-law, also Frey's brother-in-law, Christopher Rohr died unexpectedly last August.
In 2020:Stark Parks’ Mindfulness Walk wins statewide award
Together with Stark Parks, the two repurposed their heartbreak to create a place for all who mourn to hopefully find closure. Now available at the 700-acre Quail Hollow Park is a wind phone. It can be found on the all-purpose trail.
"When you don't get to say goodbye to someone, those thoughts and emotions are with you," said Sherman, a Jackson Township psychologist and author who specializes in stress and loss.
Not forgotten:'Phone of the wind' sends powerful message to loved ones lost but not forgotten
The wind phone — inspired by one in Japan — is inside a wooden booth built by Frey. The old-fashioned red phone isn't "connected" to an outside line, meaning people don't dial out and it doesn't receive calls. Instead, it allows a person to have a one-way conversation with a deceased loved one.
It is dedicated to Paul Sherman and Christopher Rohr.
"This gives someone an access point to have that conservation so they can start living again," Sherman said.
What is a wind phone?
The concept of a wind phone started in 2010 when a man named Saski Itaru built a phone booth in his hilltop garden. It was to help him grieve the death of his cousin.
Itaru opened the booth to others after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami that destroyed more than 100,000 buildings, triggered a nuclear disaster and killed almost 16,000 people.
Now, it has become a spiritual place for thousands of people annually who make the trek to the garden and phone booth. Itaru and his booth have become a model for several others across the world.
For example, there is a wind phone in Aspen Mountain, in Woodlands, Texas, and Merritt Island in Florida. And now, Stark County has one.
Frey said he would love to install a couple more in the area.
"I love the open concept because it gives the wind the ability to come through the booth and pick up your message and carry it on," he said Tuesday.
'This has touched my heart.'
Stark Parks announced the wind phone on Facebook in a May 29 post, which drew more than 60 responses and 550 shares. All of the responses were positive and grateful for the project.
More:Stark County walking and running trails you need to walk, hike, run this summer
Justin Crawford, an education specialist at Stark Parks, said Sherman's proposal was brought to their attention through the Friends of Stark Parks, and the agency was fully supportive of the concept.
"Any opportunity Stark Parks can be involved in mental health is an opportunity we are going to integrate into any of the parks," Crawford said, noting the the Mindfulness Walk at Petros Park.
Crawford said they chose Quail Hollow for the phone because, "it is one of the parks that we really get a sense of seclusion," offering a person the serenity and comfort needed to say goodbye.
Later, it was learned Sherman and her son frequently hiked Quail Hollow.
"I'm grateful to Stark Parks," Sherman said.
Crawford said people will not find signage on the all-purpose trail for the wind phone — by design — because they want people to find it naturally.
"We've all had our own struggles with grief and loss and everyone deals with it in their own ways," Crawford said. "I think overall (this) is going to make a positive impact. I think it does help people get that feeling of a proper goodbye."
'It's what people need right now.'
More than a million people have died in the U.S. from COVID-19 since the outbreak started in early 2020. More than 1,700 of those deaths occurred in Stark County.
Sherman said it can be difficult to shoulder all those emotions.
She said the wind phone is just another tool to help people release those emotions and find solace.
"It's what people need right now," Sherman said.
Crawford added: "A lot of people out really are struggling about not being able to say goodbye. I think it's a really great concept and I believe it's going to do the community good."
Reach Benjamin Duer at 330-580-8567 or ben.duer@cantonrep.com
Follow on Twitter @bduerREP
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https://www.cantonrep.com/story/news/local/hartville-lake/2022/06/01/stark-parks-quail-hollow-wind-phone-life-death-ohio/7455332001/
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DALLAS (KDAF) — Arlington is home to many things, Globe Life Field, AT&T Stadium and some incredible local food spots among many other wonderful things. Now, it’s also home to a seven-figure Texas Lottery winner.
The Texas Lottery reports an Arlington Resident has recently claimed a $1 million prize from the May 23 Powerball drawing. That big winning ticket was sold at A&R Food Store on Poly Webb Road.
The winner has chosen to remain anonymous. The ticket matched all five of the white ball numbers drawn, but missed the red Powerball number falling short of the jackpot prize. I don’t think any complaining will transpire over winning $1M though.
“Powerball jackpots currently start at $20 million and roll until the jackpot is won. Players win the
jackpot by matching five numbers from a field of 69 numbers and one Powerball number from a field
of 26 numbers. Drawings occur each Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 10:12 p.m. CT.”
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https://cw33.com/news/local/arlington-resident-claims-1-million-texas-lottery-powerball-prize/
| 2022-06-01T17:35:03
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THE COLONY, Texas (KDAF) — A North Texas licensed professional counselor has just become an Amazon #1 Best Selling author!
Dr. Rachel Sims is an LPC who specializes in marriage, relationships and family therapy. She grew up in The Colony where she graduated from The Colony High School back in 2009. She now practices and lives in Fort Worth, where she is the founder and owner of Uncomplicated Therapy.
Her new book “Are You Love Smart or Love Stupid” became a #1 best seller in the U.S., UK and Australia in the Dating, Marriage and Relationships categories.
“Are You Love Smart or Love Stupid? by Dr. Rachel Sims is a modern-day guide to relationships and dating. From the dos and don’ts to the advice you need to forget,” Miche Arendse said in a review on Readers’ Favorite.
For more information about her book, click here.
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https://cw33.com/news/local/fort-worth-counselor-becomes-amazon-1-best-seller/
| 2022-06-01T17:35:09
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FORT MYERS, Fla. — The Florida Highway Patrol is currently investigating after a wrong-way driver crashed on I-75 near the Lee and Charlotte County line on Wednesday.
The driver was caught driving the wrong way up and down I-75 for several miles until his tires gave out, lost control of the vehicle, and overturned at Mile Marker 149.
FHP said it’s a miracle that no one was hurt or injured.
“This could have ended tragically, someone could have lost their lives,” Lt Bueno said.
The suspect was brought into custody.
The Fort Myers Police Department, who’s also on scene, said the incident stems from an aggravated assault with a firearm investigation which they are currently working on.
This is an active investigation. Count on NBC2 to bring you the latest information as soon as more information is released.
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https://nbc-2.com/news/local/2022/06/01/wrong-way-driver-in-custody-after-crashing-on-i-75-near-lee-and-charlotte-county-line/
| 2022-06-01T17:42:42
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A Community Thrives: Gannett Foundation calls for applications in national, local crowdfunding and grant program
Organizations and nonprofits across the nation were impacted by the pandemic, affecting the services they were able to provide for their communities. Organizations struggled to keep up with the demand, and many people quit their jobs in what has been coined the Great Resignation. Two years into the pandemic, groups are starting to recover, but they need assistance.
The 2022 A Community Thrives program, a $2 million initiative created by the Gannett Foundation, will award grants to groups looking to improve their communities. Gannett, the parent company of the Herald-Tribune, sponsors A Community Thrives.
Since the program’s inception in 2017, more than $17 million has been donated through crowdfunding efforts and disbursed to more than 500 organizations, including many in Sarasota and Manatee counties.
In case you missed it:Charity art sale raises over $2,200 to support the Children’s Guardian Fund
And:Sarasota High School student named 2022 Florida Teen Miss Agriculture USA
A Community Thrives has opened applications for organizations looking to bring awareness to a project that focuses on community building with an emphasis on historically underserved individuals and groups.
“The program offers not only grants but opportunities for organizations to extend their networks and deepen their donor base by creating connections with our consumers," said Sue Madden, director of the Gannett Foundation. "In addition, participation in the A Community Thrives program can result in national and local media exposure. Year after year, we hear fantastic anecdotes from participants on how the program has accelerated development.”
Organizations will raise money by crowdfunding, then they will be eligible for 16 project grants: three $100,000 grants, seven $50,000 grants and six $25,000 grants, according to the website for A Community Thrives.
There are also operating grants for eligible entrants with community operations in Gannett’s markets, incentive grants for groups that raise the most funds and bonus challenge grants for those who wish to compete.
Organizations can apply at https://acommunitythrives.mightycause.com/giving-events/act22/home. The fundraising phase of the program will take place from July 18 through Aug. 12, and recipients will be announced Oct. 5.
Why raise money?
The stories told by journalists in the USA TODAY Network helped inspire the creation of A Community Thrives. Journalists hear amazing ideas to improve American communities.
“A Community Thrives further highlights Gannett’s mission to empower communities to thrive by not only telling their stories, but also providing support to those who need it most,” said Mike Reed, CEO of Gannett and chairman of the Gannett Foundation. “This initiative organically assists quality organizations that share our desire to improve lives, and we are proud to be implementing the program for the sixth year.”
Interfaith Neighbors received a $100,000 grant in 2021 to support the expansion of the Kula Urban Farm in New Jersey that assists the community with a homelessness prevention program and meal programs.
“Communities are important,” Paul McEvily, executive director of Interfaith Neighbors, told USA TODAY in 2021. “People who reside in that community need to understand and appreciate what makes the community thrive, and a community thrives when everyone in that community is doing well.”
Past winners include:
- Coastal Georgia Area Community Action Authority, a $100,000 grant recipient, enabled a Head Start program and provided space for organizations to serve community members.
- 864 Pride, a $50,000 grant recipient, helped support the development of Amaryllis Counseling’s Trans Peer Support Program. 864 Pride hopes to “create and sustain mental health programming that does not currently exist for LGBTQ+ folks and provide funding for LGBTQ+ folks to gain access to medical and mental health care,” according to its donation page in 2021.
- RefugeeConnect, a $25,000 grant recipient, used the funds toward an additional 50 families in the Community Navigation program, which “supports the long-term goals of refugee families living in the Greater Cincinnati area by ensuring that they are connected to the resources and services that enable them to thrive,” the organization wrote on its donation page in 2021.
Contributing: Jeanine Santucci
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https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/local/2022/06/01/gannett-foundation-a-community-thrives-grant-program-2022/7466772001/
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Goodwill Manasota and Gulfcoast Legal Services bring free legal clinics to North Port
A partnership between Goodwill Manasota and Gulfcoast Legal Services will bring free legal clinics to North Port for low-income South County residents.
Staff Attorney James Clegg began at Gulfcoast in 2018, the same year that the nonprofit partnered with Goodwill Manasota to offer legal clinics at one of Goodwill's Bradenton stores. As a housing attorney, Clegg is able to provide counsel to those facing eviction.
“I will always talk to anybody that comes in,” Clegg said. “[But] I focus primarily on housing…and evictions are such a big problem right now.”
Affordable Housing:New program aims to help Venice and Nokomis residents with affordable housing crisis
More:Rise in Sarasota's annual median income means complications for affordable housing
The expansion from Bradenton to North Port was four years in the making. After a pause in the clinics due to the pandemic, Clegg noticed that North Port residents often made an hour trek to Bradenton for legal advice.
“I was like, ‘You have a North Port location, let’s just do something down there,'” Clegg said. “And it finally got to the point where we were able to start doing it.”
In addition to housing advice, Gulfcoast Legal Services offers counsel on credit debt, immigration services and family law.
Deshane Collins, a Good Partner Coach at the North Port Goodwill location, located at 14879 Tamiami Trail, is encouraged by the new clinics, which began last week and will take place the third Thursday of every month, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
“What I'm most impressed about the program is that it allowed our team members, who probably would avoid legal services or legal counsel, to be able to have someone here that they can come to, and engage and speak to, at no charge,” Collins said.
In Collins’ eyes, the program is especially needed in the context of the nationwide eviction crisis. Rent has dramatically risen in Sarasota and Manatee counties, which creates major roadblocks for low-income earners.
“No matter where you go, I mean, rent for a one-bedroom, one-bath is $1,100, $1,300, where we have team members trying to support a family working at $12.50,” Collins said.
Interested?
For appointments at the North Port location, call Deshane at 941-355-2721, ext. 515. For appointments at the Bradenton location, call Margo at 941-355-2721, ext. 190. Walk-ins are allowed, but appointments are strongly recommended.
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https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/local/venice/2022/06/01/free-legal-clinics-come-north-port-low-income-residents/9948813002/
| 2022-06-01T17:46:00
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There is an all-out search for the man police say waited for his victim at her home, threatened her with a knife, and dragged her into a local Bronx park where he raped her Tuesday -- in broad daylight.
The NYPDs continue investigating the attack and were seen at the park Wednesday looking for details as well as witnesses at this point.
Neighbors in the Mott Haven section of the Bronx were stunned to hear that a woman was raped and robbed inside St. Mary's Park around 8:30 a.m. Tuesday.
Surveillance video shows a man kneeling outside the entrance to a home not too far from the entrance to the park. Investigators say he was waiting for a 38-year-old woman coming out of her residence. That's when the suspect allegedly displayed a knife and demanded the victim to follow him into the park, where he allegedly raped her.
Residents in the area are now concerned for their safety following the shocking crime.
Mott Haven resident Destiny Gastón says she now fears for her safety.
"I thank God it hasn’t happened to me, but my heart goes out to the woman who actually has to go through this," Gastón tells News 4 New York.
News
Police say the suspect also took a debit card from the woman and left the area heading to East 141st Street where he apparently made an unauthorized $3 charge on the debit card at a nearby deli.
The man remains on the loose -- a point of concern for neighbors.
The 38-year-old woman who was attacked received medical treatment at a hospital and is now recovering from the assault.
Police urge anyone with information to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/nypd-continues-search-for-suspect-in-shocking-nyc-park-rape-in-broad-daylight/3714872/
| 2022-06-01T17:48:17
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BOISE — It was a partly cloudy day at the Idaho Botanical Garden on Tuesday. Organizers and attendees were worried that the rain from Memorial Day would carry over, but “Antiques Roadshow” had near perfect weather.
“It’s a pretty great opportunity for people and our volunteers,” said Erin Anderson, executive director of the Idaho Botanical Garden, “and every single person that we’ve talked to is so, so excited that they’ve been able to be a part of it.”
Of the around 10,000 applicants, 2,000 received tickets to attend the event, and get their item appraised. If the item and its story was especially interesting, they get a chance to be featured in the 27th season of Antiques Roadshow, premiering in 2023.
“I’m always looking for a great story,” said Marsha Bemko, executive producer of Antiques Roadshow. “I will often pick inexpensive, less valuable items, because I love the story.”
At the beginning of the process, volunteers scanned attendees tickets, who were then directed to the generalist appraisers. Based on their item, they would be told to go to one of 15 sections, like collectables and paintings. Seventy appraisers sat at tables and under canopy tents throughout the gardens, like the meditation and rose gardens.
Two attendees, Cathy and Jason, brought in a collection of presidential campaign pins from Cathy’s late father. Only their first names are used in this article because of Antiques Roadshow’s media guidelines.
Cathy’s father collected hundreds of pins and she has boxes full of them at home. These pins range from Taft to Clinton.
“Before he passed away,” Jason said, “he didn’t tell us much about where he got them. So if we can get experts to tell us more about them, that’s what we’d like.”
If the appraiser thinks the item would be a good fit for the show, they call over one of the producers, or pickers, which includes Bemko. If the picker agrees, then the attendee, if they want to, will be on camera as they get their appraisal.
All of this is done without spoiling what the appraiser knows about the item.
“I have a poker face,” Bemko said. “We really want to know the owner’s honest reaction to what they hear. Are they happy about what we tell them? Are they sad? Does the story line up with theirs? Are they happy regarding the value? The minute we start to fake it — people will know. People are good at sniffing out fakers, especially fake TV.”
Jeff Tucker, general manager of Idaho Public Television, had several stories of the reality of the day. One of his friends brought in a watercolor they had bought for $5, which was valued at around $15,000. Another attendee had a watch they received from their father, who got it from a sheepherder in the Owyhee desert, who found it in a bag in the desert.
It was a Rolex worth $20,000.
This wasn’t Bemko’s and the rest of the roadshow’s first time educating the people of Idaho about their heirlooms. In 2013, they came to Expo Idaho in Garden City, but this time around, they were welcomed to the natural beauty of the Idaho Botanical Garden in Boise.
“When we look at our celebrate component of our mission, we like to focus on cultural arts and history,” Anderson said. “Our site here at the garden is very rich with cultural history. So for us, working with an event that also connects to history makes a lot of sense for our mission and our connection to cultural arts, history and our community.”
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https://www.idahopress.com/news/local/antiques-roadshow-films-at-idaho-botanical-garden/article_13063160-562f-5f26-9938-0bf3382b36de.html
| 2022-06-01T17:55:19
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DES MOINES, Iowa — The League of United Latin Citizens of Iowa is working to bring more support to the families of the Uvalde shooting, and their goal is to have more Iowans help in the process.
Joe Henry, the political director for LULAC Iowa said that following the tragic death of the 21 people in Uvalde, their organization created a call to action and started a fundraiser.
He said this was created because LULAC believes nationwide, as a Latin community, something needed to be done.
Henry also said now the 23 chapters of LULAC in the state are hoping more Iowans get involved and show their support of Uvalde and help raise more money.
"We're all connected," Henry said. "I mean we're a country that has historically had compassion and has helped out...raising funds right now to take care of the families who now have to bury their children and of course the two teachers. Funds need to be provided for that."
The other type of support Henry's organization is looking for from Iowans is a voice. Having multiple voices speak out against gun violence, especially in local areas, would be helpful, according to Henry.
There is no set amount of money LULAC is looking to raise, but anything to help the families pay for funeral costs or potential legal fees if they seek counsel would be helpful, Henry said.
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https://www.weareiowa.com/article/news/local/lulac-urging-iowans-to-help-support-families-impacted-by-uvalde-shooting-through-fundraiser/524-93c7fba0-c44c-42cb-b387-e09657aeaf8f
| 2022-06-01T17:55:27
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https://www.weareiowa.com/article/news/local/lulac-urging-iowans-to-help-support-families-impacted-by-uvalde-shooting-through-fundraiser/524-93c7fba0-c44c-42cb-b387-e09657aeaf8f
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Shasta supervisors consider offering retiring public works director role of acting CEO
It appears longtime Shasta County Public Works Director Patrick Minturn will take on one more job before he retires.
The Shasta County Board of Supervisors will consider appointing Minturn acting county executive officer at its June 14 meeting.
In closed session Tuesday night, supervisors voted 5-0 in favor of the move.
Minturn will fill the role of CEO as supervisors search to replace Matt Pontes, who in a text message to supervisors in May resigned. His last day is June 20, a little over two years after he took the job.
Minturn, too, in May announced his retirement as public works director after 30 years with the county.
Earlier on Tuesday, supervisors voted unanimously to appoint Alfred Cathey as acting public works director.
It is unclear if the board considered Assistant CEO Eric Magrini for the position.
Magrini was the sheriff a year ago. He resigned from that job and was promoted to assistant CEO last June.
Supervisors move forward on new jail
Shasta County supervisors took another step Tuesday toward spending a large chunk of federal COVID-19 relief money on a new jail.
Supervisors voted 5-0 to allocate $25 million of the $35 million from the American Recovery Plan Act (ARPA) the county is receiving toward the construction of a jail.
"Thank you so much. I know there's a lot of effort," District 5 Supervisor and board Chair Les Baugh told staff before the vote. "It took a lot of people to come to those conclusions. We are satisfied."
Deputy County Executive Officer Mary Williams told supervisors that Shasta County will still need to justify to the federal government using the money for a new corrections facility and rehabilitation center.
Supervisor Joe Chimenti said he is confident the county will be able to make its case.
"It's clear to me to see in a community like ours" the toll drug addiction and mental health has taken, Chimenti said.
Supervisors have been told that it would cost $100 million to $125 million for a new jail and rehabilitation center. Pontes has said the new jail facility could be built with a combination of county general fund dollars, state and federal funds and possibly bond funds.
Much of the balance of the ARPA money would be spent on:
- Grants to water districts, community service districts, $2 million
- Grants to fire protection districts and volunteer fire departments, $1.65 million
- Ownership housing development project (10-16 units), $1.65 million
- Workforce retention partnership program with SMART Workforce Center, $800,000
- Administration of funds, projects and contracts, $3.1 million
The county also plans to spend $300,000 to help pay for support services for Goodwater Crossing, the transitional homeless microshelter project the city of Redding approved in May.
Goodwater Crossing: Homeless housing units could open this fall after getting Redding City Council approval
Williams said the county's money would help pay for crisis management and adult protective services for the transitional housing.
Jones pushes for more school resource officers
In the wake of the May 24 school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, that killed 19 children and two teachers, District 4 Supervisor Patrick Jones made a motion Tuesday to get more resource officers at rural county schools.
“I think we have an opportunity to make some changes here. ... The issue of school resource officers is very relevant right now," Jones said. "I would like to make a significant move toward re-establishing a significant school resource officer program. … What I am concerned with is schools in unincorporated areas of Shasta County.”
The motion passed 5-0.
Baugh reminded Jones that schools pay for resource officer positions and not the county.
Jones asked Sheriff Michael Johnson to work with schools and find a way to get more resource officers on rural campuses.
County looks to streamline, speed up solar permitting
Supervisors heard a presentation by the county's resource management department on the process for approving rooftop and ground solar hookups for homes and businesses.
One complaint the county has received is during the course of approving a solar project, building officials will flag a building that doesn't meet code or doesn't have a permit.
Both Jones and Chimenti said that shouldn't happen.
"I want to make sure it's on record that we look at policies that we currently have and that we want to streamline them," Chimenti said. We want to "eliminate the issue of unpermitted structures that are not involved in this requirement not be included in the (solar) permitting process."
Resource Manager Paul Hellman will come back to the board with a more equitable permitting process for solar applicants.
David Benda covers business, development and anything else that comes up for the USA TODAY Network in Redding. He also writes the weekly "Buzz on the Street" column. He’s part of a team of dedicated reporters that investigate wrongdoing, cover breaking news and tell other stories about your community. Reach him on Twitter @DavidBenda_RS or by phone at 1-530-338-8323. To support and sustain this work, please subscribe today.
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https://www.redding.com/story/news/local/2022/06/01/shasta-county-supervisors-considering-patrick-minturn-acting-ceo-role-covid-new-jail-school-officers/7465185001/
| 2022-06-01T17:59:30
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UTICA, N.Y. – Hiring events for the new Amazon facility in Frankfort will be held at the Doubletree by Hilton in Utica over the next few weeks.
The events will be held on the next three Wednesdays, June 1, 8 and 15, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the hotel, located at 102 Lafayette St.
Anyone interested can stop by and learn more about the available positions. The company says they offer competitive pay, benefits and opportunities for advancement.
The Frankfort facility is expected to open this summer.
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https://www.wktv.com/news/local/amazon-holding-hiring-events-ahead-of-summer-opening-of-frankfort-facility/article_7b260426-e1be-11ec-abcf-0bacb8e45541.html
| 2022-06-01T18:04:50
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https://www.wktv.com/news/local/amazon-holding-hiring-events-ahead-of-summer-opening-of-frankfort-facility/article_7b260426-e1be-11ec-abcf-0bacb8e45541.html
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ORLANDO, Fla. – A group of abortion providers in Florida and the American Civil Liberties Union have filed a lawsuit to stop the new law banning abortions after 15 weeks.
The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in Florida court, contends the new law, HB 5, violates the state constitution’s broad protections for individual privacy.
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The Florida Supreme Court ruled in the 1980s that the state’s right to privacy included a woman’s right to an abortion. Whether the conservative-majority court, with several justices appointed by Gov. DeSantis, will uphold that ruling is not clear.
The group, made up of Planned Parenthood, Florida Alliance of Planned Parenthood Affiliates, the Center for Reproductive Rights and the ACLU, say the law endangers women in the middle of a maternal mortality crisis, especially Black women, and forces Floridians to remain pregnant against their will.
They also say the state already has a number of limits to make it harder to have an abortion, from insurance bans to parental consent to forcing patients to take an extra trip to an abortion provider before receiving care.
The lawsuit seeks to block HB 5 from taking effect July 1. The bill bans abortions after 15 weeks from the date of the woman’s last menstrual cycle, and does not have exemptions in the cases of rape or incest. It does include provisions to allow an abortion if the mother could die or be irreversibly impaired physically, but two physicians must approve of the decision.
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https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/06/01/aclu-planned-parenthood-file-15-week-abortion-ban-lawsuit-in-florida/
| 2022-06-01T18:05:21
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https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/06/01/aclu-planned-parenthood-file-15-week-abortion-ban-lawsuit-in-florida/
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ORLANDO, Fla. – The Orlando Science Center began construction on a new exhibit Wednesday that is set to open next year.
The new nature and conservation exhibit, called “Life,” will give visitors a chance to explore three unique habitats through hands-on activities to give them a look at our ever-changing world. The exhibit is for both children and adults, featuring the ocean, swamp and rain forest.
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“I think it’s going to be dramatically different, because it’s a new era. It’s a new time,” said JoAnn Newman, president and CEO of Orlando Science Center.
The $13.5 million project is receiving $10 million in tourist development tax funds.
“This is where we can pique the interest of our young people for the future,” Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings said at the groundbreaking event.
The exhibit will also feature a shark tank, a track for squirrels to run about and a touch tank. Newman said the goal of the project is to help raise awareness about the environment and the threats it faces every day.
“It’s so important for us to experience it, because then it starts to bear that love,” she said.
The “Life” exhibit is expected to open in late 2023.
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https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/06/01/dramatically-different-orlando-science-center-breaks-ground-on-new-exhibit/
| 2022-06-01T18:05:37
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https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/06/01/dramatically-different-orlando-science-center-breaks-ground-on-new-exhibit/
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CASSELBERRY, Fla. – Police in Casselberry arrested two parents on Sunday after their child was found drenched with sweat inside a locked car.
The incident happened in the parking lot of a Home Depot on U.S. 17-92 at around 4:30 in the afternoon, according to police.
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Officers said witnesses heard the car alarm going off on a black Toyota with rolled up windows, where a child was inside trying to unlock the door. One person went and got a Home Depot employee while the other witnesses helped the child unlock the door, an arrest report reads.
Police said the child’s face was flushed and their clothes were drenched with sweat.
According to a report, the parents, Wengen Shi and Caijue Yuan, told officers that they decided to leave the child in the car because they were asleep. They told police they had only planned to be in the store for 10 minutes but they said Home Depot employees took too long.
The temperature outside at the time was 91 degrees, and police said the mother did not know that leaving a child inside a hot car could kill them.
The parents were taken into custody and face child neglect charges, investigators said.
The child was turned over to Child Protective Services for the time being.
In the state of Florida it is illegal to leave a child younger than 6 unattended or unsupervised in a vehicle for longer than 15 minutes, or for any period of time, if the vehicle is running, the child’s health is in danger, or if the child appears to be in distress.
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https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/06/01/parents-arrested-after-child-left-in-car-outside-casselberry-home-depot-police-say/
| 2022-06-01T18:05:43
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https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/06/01/parents-arrested-after-child-left-in-car-outside-casselberry-home-depot-police-say/
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TITUSVILLE, Fla. – A Titusville police officer is now facing a manslaughter charge for a deadly shooting in December, according to the Brevard-Seminole State Attorney’s Office.
The state attorney announced the charge against officer Joshua Payne for the death of James Lowery, 40, in a news release Wednesday. The officer surrendered at the Brevard County jail Wednesday morning on a $15,000 bond.
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Payne was one of multiple officers who responded to a 911 call of a man attacking a woman along South Deleon Avenue on Dec. 26, according to the release.
Payne claimed Lowery looked similar to the suspect — though it was later determined the man was not even involved — and the officer attempted to question him, according to the state attorney.
Lowery ran away, according to the release, and Payne tried to stop him with his Taser, but it had no effect, the state attorney said.
Lowery managed to climb a fence, at which point Payne pulled his firearm and tried to climb the fence while also holding his Taser and gun, the release said. The officer fired a single shot in the process, which killed Lowery, records show.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigated the shooting and turned over its evidence to the state attorney’s office on May 6.
After reviewing the evidence, the state attorney decided to pursue a manslaughter charge against the officer.
No trial date has been set.
See our previous coverage in the media player below:
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https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/06/01/titusville-police-officer-faces-manslaughter-charge-after-deadly-shooting-state-attorney-says/
| 2022-06-01T18:05:49
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https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/06/01/titusville-police-officer-faces-manslaughter-charge-after-deadly-shooting-state-attorney-says/
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WACO, Texas — A Waco home daycare owner and one of her employees pleaded guilty to multiple felony charges on Tuesday. Still, one or even both of the women could avoid prison time entirely.
Pepper Jones, who owned Miss Pepper's Place, and her employee Britany Starr Hale, were arrested after the two turned themselves in in June 2017. Jones was indicted on one count of injury to a child and six counts of endangering a child. Hale was indicted on six counts of injury to a child.
After a five-year delay, the two women appeared in the 54th District Court via videoconference on Tuesday.
Parents of the affected children filed into the gallery hoping to see the defendant's faces. They were disappointed.
"That was a slap to the face," Robert Chavez said. "Why can't you face the parents? We're here."
Judge Susan Kelly then went through every charge one-by-one. Both Jones and Hale pled guilty to each of them. Parents said the admission was a long time coming.
"When they said guilty, you could feel the energy in the courtroom change. You could hear crying in the courtroom. It was a relief because (they) admitted that they were in the wrong," Chavez said.
Despite that admission of guilt, the defendants are not technically found guilty at this time.
Judge Kelly said she would wait until a pre-sentencing investigation was complete before finding either defendant guilty.
This is because attorneys for both Jones and Hale are working towards a probation option called deferred adjudication which could both keep them out of jail and keep a felony conviction off their record. The pre-sentencing investigation will determine if that is an option.
6 News Legal Expert Liz Mitchell said the option is used to keep people who can be rehabilitated out of the prison system if the judge agrees to it.
"The judge feels like you can rehabilitate yourself and you can turn things around. So lets keep you out of the justice cycle, lets keep you from being labeled a felon for the rest of your life, by giving you the option of deferred adjudication," Mitchell said.
If a defendant violates any terms of their deferred adjudication, however, they can be sentenced to the maximum penalty at the judges discretion.
In this case both Jones and Hale are facing a Third Degree Felony charge of injury to a child which can result in a prison sentence of two to 10 years and a fine up to $10,000.
Parents will now need to wait several more weeks to find out what punishment, or requirements, will be result from this case.
Also on KCENTV.com:
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https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/former-waco-daycare-owner-employee-plead-guilty-to-child-injury-charges/500-058bb65f-f059-4838-9771-f7e0dd27335d
| 2022-06-01T18:05:54
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https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/former-waco-daycare-owner-employee-plead-guilty-to-child-injury-charges/500-058bb65f-f059-4838-9771-f7e0dd27335d
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Escape a 'Stranger Things' room, celebrate at a block party, enjoy Shakespeare this week
The unofficial beginning of summer has brought warmer weather and lots to do in Bloomington this coming week. Whether you want to celebrate with others, watch a play, play the piano, listen to Golden Age radio or escape from "Stranger Things" Upside Down, you're covered.
Celebrate art, music and food at Fourth and Rogers Block Party
The third annual Fourth and Rogers Block Party is 5-8 p.m. Friday and this year includes the monthly Gallery Walk. Art, food, and music will be part of the celebration. West Fourth Street will be closed for one block on both sides of Rogers Street. The festivities will take place regardless of weather. A variety of businesses and other organizations, including WonderLab, Lotus Education & Arts Foundation, Artisan Alley, People's Cooperative Market, will provide family-friendly art and activities. For details go to https://bit.ly/3PRWGoR.
MCCT "King Henry IV," Part 1 Shakespeare in the Park
Monroe County Civic Theater, Bloomington's only all-volunteer theater known for showcasing Shakespeare, will present "King Henry IV," Part 1 at 7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. See it for free at Waldron, Hill, Buskirk Park, 331 S. Washington St. Rain location will be announced soon.For more information, go to https://bit.ly/3NlmBnn/.
More:Music in the hills: Bill Monroe Music Park offers jamboree, bluegrass festivals
Bloomington Handmade Market this Saturday
Want some more bling? Or artwork? After checking out Friday's Gallery Walk, go to Saturday's Bloomington Handmade Market, open 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on East Kirkwood Avenue. The juried show will have artists selling everything from prints, jewelry, clothing and quilts to journals, candles and pottery. Go to https://bit.ly/3lYC2FM for more information.
Granfalloon festival is still rolling
Our lives are insane and without purpose, believed Hoosier author Kurt Vonnegut: even the term Hoosier, he said, denotes no real similarities among us Indiana folk. Life's only redemption, he believed, is humankind's whopping kindness.
This year's Granfalloon: A Kurt Vonnegut Convergence has been blasting Bloomington with wit and innovation using literature and music inspired by Vonnegut's life. Much of this year's festival is taking place through Sunday. For locations (around town) and times, go to granfalloon.indiana.edu/.
String, piano sessions Thursday through Saturday
Indiana University's Academy is offering string orchestra and piano sessions twice daily, Thursday through Saturday, for adult string and piano player as its "Music and Creativity Weekend for Strings and Piano." Participants also can choose private lessons and chamber music, health and wellness experiences, and additional creative ventures.
The orchestra has two levels: advanced-beginner and intermediate. Pianists should be advanced-beginner through early-advanced. Chamber music coaching is available, and management encourages pre-formed chamber groups. Evenings will include presentations by Jacobs School of Music faculty and guests. For more, go to https://bit.ly/3NMyKBu.
Brown County Playhouse hosts 3 radio plays in 1 show
Friday from 7:30 -9:30 p.m. your can hear three Golden Age radio plays in one show. "The Undecided Molecule," by Norman Corwin is a funny fantasy. "Sorry Wrong Number" is a creepy broadcast that became a movie. It's about 1940s New York and a bed-ridden woman, alone with a phone and good hearing. Her neighbors' walls are thin. The bonus is a new comedy from the National Audio Theatre Festivals, about a household — run by its dogs. Brown County Playhouse is the organizer, 812-988-6555. Get tickets at https://bit.ly/3NC6SQ.
'Escape the Upside Down' this weekend
If you want an immersive experience with a "Stranger Things" theme, then check out a pop-up escape room in the Graduate Bloomington Hotel's Stranger Things suite. "Escape the Upside Down" will be offered Friday, June 3, through Sunday, June 5.
Hosted by Drima, participants will try to solve the interdimensional puzzle and rescue the town from impending doom. Every ticket holder receives a special Polaroid to commemorate the experience and is entered into a raffle to win a specialty gift box with goodies provided by local businesses. Attendees can enhance their visit by joining the Friday night 80s Dance Party at Root Cellar, free cover and unlimited games at The Cade, discounted admission tickets at WonderLab and other Stranger Things-themed delights. Tickets are $35 per person; for more go to drimaevents.com.
IU professor featured in PBS documentary
Free Shakespeare in the (New York's Central ) Park is 60 years old, and a Bloomingtonian is featured in PBS' new documentary about its founder, Joseph (Joe) Papp. "American Masters: Joe Papp in Five Acts," airs at 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Find PBS at pbs.org.
Dennis J. Reardon, professor emeritus at Indiana University, shares the PBS stage with other stars Papp helped launch, including James Earl Jones and Meryl Streep.
The film is an account of Papp, the world-renowned theater producer, director and arts advocate, who made seeing Shakespeare plays convenient — and free. Papp also founded New York's Public Theater and produced "A Chorus Line," Hair" and "For colored girls who considered suicide/When the rainbow is enuf."
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https://www.heraldtimesonline.com/story/news/local/2022/06/01/annual-block-party-stranger-things-event-and-shakespeare-week/7456265001/
| 2022-06-01T18:08:24
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At the Library: Get an item fixed for free, attend Glow Dance Party for teens this week
Monroe County Public Library provides opportunities for local residents to read, learn, connect and create. The downtown library is located at 303 E. Kirkwood Ave. and the Ellettsville branch is at 600 W. Temperance St. All events are free of charge. Event funding is provided by the Friends of the Library Foundation.
Granfalloon: Rippling effects of incarceration on families
Join in this impactful panel presented in partnership with Political and Civic Engagement (PACE) and inspired by Ashley C. Ford's memoir, “Somebody's Daughter.” Panelists include Ashley C. Ford, author of “Somebody’s Daughter”; Stacy Flynn, assistant director of New Leaf, New Life; Mary Goetze, founder of KAP (Kids with Absent Parents); Beth Harris, grandmother and participant of KAP; and Max E. Smith, a formerly incarcerated person. It’s noon-1 p.m. Friday in the auditorium at the downtown library. Visit granfalloon.indiana.edu to learn more.
Rainbow D&D Club
Drop in, adventure through fantastic realms, then leave when you want. These sessions of Dungeons and Dragons are designed to be short, fun and evolving adventures that anyone can play. All skill levels are welcome. Ages 12-19. It’s 3:30-4:30 p.m. Friday in Ellettsville meeting room A. Drop in.
Know Your Glow Dance Party
Join the library and Kaleidoscope Youth Community for this after-hours fun and free glow stick and black light dance extravaganza. Ages 12-20. It’s 7-10 p.m. Friday in meeting room 1B & 1C combo at the downtown library. Enter from the Kirkwood Avenue entrance. Drop in.
Sensory Playtime
Share books, songs and rhymes with your little one while squishing and smushing your way to the benefits of messy and sensory play! Dress for mess. Ages birth–2. It’s 10:30-11:30 a.m. Saturday in the children’s program room at the downtown library. Drop in.
Fix-It Fair
You’re invited to bring in an item for repair free of charge at the third Fix-It Fair. Local professionals will provide repairs and be available to coach attendees interested in learning how to make their own fixes. Limit one item per person, please. All ages. It’s 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday in various rooms and spaces at the downtown library. Drop in! Watch a video and learn more about what can be fixed at mcpl.info/fixitfair.
Granfallooning the environment: Discussions about ecology, sustainability, end times, and how to avoid them
Scholars from Indiana University and across the Midwest will gather for a series of public panels exploring the intersections of literature, science fiction and environmental stewardship. Panelists include Maria Whiteman, James Coby, Nathan Schmidt, Adam Henze, Shannon Gayk and Scott Russell Sanders. Visit mcpl.info/calendar to view the schedule of panels and their topics. It’s 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday in the auditorium at the downtown library. Drop in.
Books Plus, Virtual Edition: “Crying in H Mart”
All are welcome to join the book discussions – –or just listen. June's title is “Crying in H Mart” by Michelle Zauner, an unflinching, powerful memoir about growing up Korean American, losing her mother and forging her own identity. Age 16 and up. It’s 2-3 p.m. Sunday on Zoom. Please register at mcpl.info/calendar if you have not previously been emailed the Zoom link.
LEGO Club
Unleash your imagination and creativity with fellow LEGO builders. Ages 5–12. It’s 2-3 p.m. Sunday in the children’s program room at the downtown library. Drop in.
Super Smash Bros. tournament
Think you have what it takes to be a Super Smash Bros. champion? Drop in and find out. Ages 12-19. It’s 2-5 p.m. Sunday in The Ground Floor teen space at the downtown library. Drop in.
8-Hour Comic Book Day
The library is teaming up with Vintage Phoenix Comic Books for the annual celebration of comics and manga, and a challenge to create a piece of sequential art from start to finish in one day. Art supplies are provided, as well as prizes, lunch, and snacks. Come by for an hour or stay for the entire day, but don't miss the special anime drawing program from 1-2 p.m. presented by artist Carlos Nieto III of Anime Your Way. Age 7 and older. It’s 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday in meeting room 1B & 1C combo at the downtown library. Drop in.
Preschool Storytime: Special Edition with Kim Howard
Join local author Kim Howard as she reads her Firefly Award-nominated picture book, “Grace and Box”. After the reading, enjoy a mystery game with the author. Ages 3-6. It’s 10-10:30 a.m. Tuesday in the auditorium at the downtown library. Drop in.
Tiny to Two
Families with babies play, sing, read and talk together. Ages birth–3. It’s 10-10:30 a.m. Tuesday in Ellettsville meeting room B or 10-10:45 a.m. Wednesday, outdoors at Switchyard Park’s Pavilion Lawn at 1601 S. Rogers St., Bloomington. Please register at mcpl.info/calendar.
Little Makers
Explore your creativity with different materials and techniques at this fun, open-ended art experience. Dress to mess. For ages 3-6 and their families. It’s 10:30-11:15 a.m. Tuesday in the children’s program room at the downtown library. Drop in.
Painted Pride Pennants
Celebrate your identity this Pride Month by painting your very own Pride flag onto a wooden pennant. Acrylic paints in a rainbow of colors will be provided. Ages 12-19. It’s 3-4 p.m. Tuesday in the Ellettsville Teen Space. Drop in.
Cartoon Tuesdays
Join fans of classic cartoons like “Samurai Jack,” “The Powerpuff Girls” and “SpongeBob Squarepants” for a night of snacks, crafts and toons. Ages 12-19. It’s 7-9 p.m. Tuesday in The Ground Floor teen space at the downtown library. Drop in.
Stuntology: The Art of Entertaining Yourself!
Explore the mysteries and absurdities of the physical world with Stuntologist Sam Bartlett. Using everyday objects, Bartlett demonstrates how you can amaze yourself and amuse your friends with fantastic tricks and easy stunts anyone can do. There are oceans of possibilities. All ages. It’s Wednesday 11 a.m.-11:45 a.m. in Ellettsville meeting room A/B combo or 2:30-3:15 p.m. in the auditorium at the downtown library. Please register at mcpl.info/calendar.
Cosplay Wednesday
Have you ever wanted to bring a favorite character to life? Get the materials and instructions you need to take your cosplay to the next level. This month you’ll cover embroidery skills, and in July you’ll work on character makeup. All skill levels are welcome. Ages 12-19. It’s 5:30-6:30 p.m. Wednesday in The Ground Floor teen space at the downtown library. Drop in.
Preschool storytime and discovery
At preschool storytime, stories, songs and rhymes get your preschooler talking, singing and playing with books and words, followed by preschool discovery — fun, open-ended art experiences, STEAM adventures and letter exploration. It’s 10-10:25 a.m. and 10:30-11:15 a.m. Thursday, June 9, in Ellettsville meeting rooms A and B. For ages 3-6 and caregivers. Register at mcpl.info/calendar.
Miniature Painting 101
The library has the minis, paints, brushes, and know-how — come try your hand at miniature painting. All skill levels are welcome. Ages 12–19. It’s 3:30-4:30 p.m. Thursday, June 9, in The Ground Floor teen space at the downtown library. Drop in.
Crafts in the Stacks
Learn new crafting skills as you try some hands-on DIY projects in The Tween Space. Ages 7-10. It’s 5:30-7 p.m. Thursday, June 9, in The Tween Space at the downtown library. Drop in.
Musical Mastery: Final Touches
Looking to take your music to the next level? Join the library for any or all of the programs in this series to make your songs sound like the pros! In June, you'll cover additional touches, including limiting and normalizing, completing the mastering process for a streaming-ready song. Age 12 & up. It’s 6-7 p.m. Thursday, June 9, in Level Up digital creativity center at the downtown library. Drop in.
In-Person Summer Reading Games are Back
The library’s free all-ages summer reading games are back in person. Read for fun, complete activities, and attend events to earn prizes. Pick up a game board at the downtown library, Ellettsville Branch or on the Bookmobile, now through July 31. This year, the Friends of the Library Foundation will donate $1,000 to the Community Kitchen of Monroe County when the library meets its registration goal of 1,000 people. Learn more at mcpl.info/summerreading.
Tiny Art Show
Looking for something fun to explore? Come view the 3-by-3-inch painted tiny art masterpieces at the Ellettsville Branch Art Gallery, painted by local kids, teens and adults. All ages. Drop in throughout the month of June.
More events online
This is a sampling of this week’s library events. For the full calendar, visit mcpl.info/events.
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What will happen to the Healing Garden at the former IU Health Bloomington hospital?
Claire Arbogast visited the Healing Garden each time she had to go to the IU Health Bloomington hospital. Sometimes her daughter wheeled her out after surgery, other times she would take a moment to herself when visiting a family member or friend. It was a place of relief.
"I would always try to go to the garden and just spend a little time there," Arbogast said. "It was a way to kind of process what was going on in a setting that didn't have square corners and fluorescent lights and tiles on the ceiling and machines."
As demolition looms for the old location of the IU Health Bloomington Hospital, members of the community wonder what will happen to a community garden that soothed patients, family and friends, and healthcare workers.
An empty campus: The old Bloomington hospital is empty. What will remain after demolition?
Hospitals typically aren't a place people desire to be, Arbogast said. The garden offered a space where she could rid herself of stress and intense emotion. The garden, which she described as "restorative" and "nurturing," was a juxtaposition to the cold, harsh and stressful environment of a hospital.
"To be able to just walk out there and sit for a little while in that garden and not think about what's going on inside the hospital or what's going on inside yourself, but just sit there and relax," she said. "It was the simple, good things of life rather than the complexities of what procedure might happen next or what may or may not happen to your friend."
Arbogast is a practiced gardener herself, which helped her connect with the flowering foliage. Since it is mature, she said she hoped IU Health would preserve at least part of the garden that she said "sustained" her.
What was saved and reused
IU Health spokesperson Samantha Kirby said in a statement demolition of the old hospital, at 601 W. Second St., has begun and work on the exterior will begin in a few weeks. Some parts of the previous Healing Garden were dismantled while others are left for the demo team.
The garden was filled with many different plants, shrubs and trees. There was always a piece of nature for patients to look at regardless of the temperature and weather. Many of the trees, shrubbery and large plants were deemed unsuitable for relocation. However, the internal team can repurpose some of the smaller plants and plans to move them to other IU Health public spaces, Kirby said.
Benches that were staggered around the garden are now being used at other IU Health South Central Region locations. Bricks with donors' names were placed throughout the area. Donors, if they wished, received their bricks back. A limestone carving of a running shoe from the Bloomington Health Foundation observed by visitors is now relocated.
Whether she was waiting for an appointment or drinking her Gatorade mixed with contrast solution for a CT scan, Nancy Hiller would spend time in the garden — no matter the season.
"It is just another dimension of feeling cared for, which is certainly what one hopes for from a hospital," she said.
It broke her heart to think of most of the garden being bulldozed, she said, and she hopes an effort was made to save at least some of the plants.
"It's really important that people think of plants and gardens, not just as things that we create for our own use and enjoyment," Hiller said. "But environments that are populated by living beings."
She said the previous garden was beautifully designed with discrete spaces and a circular path. She said it seemed so intentional how the previous garden was put together that it was meant to bring joy and comfort to those who were within it.
"It's so vital to being alive, at the most fundamental level," Hiller said. "It's so important to be able to go outside period, to see the sky and the sun or the rain, because that's where we come from."
IU Health chose contractor Renascent Inc. to carry out demolition of the property, according to a news release. Demolition began in May and will be completed in 2023. Machines will be used to tear down the building, instead of implosion. The release said this work will be conducted to limit disrupting the surrounding neighborhoods.
The city of Bloomington will take possession of the property and plans to develop a new neighborhood in the space.
Is there a healing garden at the new Bloomington hospital?
While a new Healing Garden has been constructed at the new hospital, at 2651 E. Discovery Parkway, few elements of the previous garden were reused. Kirby said in the statement that IU Health understands how nature can be a component to bettering a person's mental and physical health.
The new garden is reliant on the theme of "shades of Southern Indiana," employing native plants and limestone into the design. Landscape architect Josh Schmackers said such decisions added a familiarity and comfort to the area.
The space had different elevations, which he said allowed him to play around with multiple levels and different seating areas.
Budding plans: Old hospital site: Before apartments come, lots of underground work needed
The pathway has markers people in rehabilitation can aim walk to, Schmackers said, giving them a way to track their progress. Additionally, it is well-suited for potential emergencies and provides therapeutic relief for those who need it.
"The meandering sort of layout and geometry of that also lends itself to people kind of wandering and getting lost in the space," Schmackers said.
Large display windows also allow some patients to observe the outdoor space from inside. It was a priority, Schmackers said, to make this space appealing for those receiving treatment. They chose specific plants that would not only be compelling to look at, but would attract wildlife, like butterflies, birds and rabbits.
"It was inspired by the people that it was going to serve," he said. "We were trying to achieve as far as just the power of nature to heal people and getting as much of that influence into the space as we could."
Cate Charron is an intern at The Herald-Times. You can reach her over email at ccharron@heraldt.com or on Twitter at @CateCharron.
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SAN ANTONIO — Authorities are searching for a missing 91-year-old man who was last seen on May 30.
Araujo Espiridion Medina was last seen on Tuesday in the 5400 block of South Zarzamora Street.
San Antonio Police say he is right handed with straight hair and wears glasses. He was last seen wearing a baseball cap, a blue shirt and khaki pants.
If you know where Medina may be, you are asked to contact SAPD's Missing Person Unity at (210) 207-7660.
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https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/officials-searching-for-missing-man-last-seen-on-south-side-news/273-fb22b9c3-15de-47f6-8116-39ce70789890
| 2022-06-01T18:11:37
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AUSTIN, Texas — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is asking state leaders to form a special legislative committee in the wake of last week's mass shooting at a Uvalde elementary school where 19 students and two teachers were killed.
In a letter to Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dade Phelan, Abbott outlined topics the committee should consider.
"I request that these committees review what steps previous legislatures have enacted, what resources the State has made available to local school districts, and make recommendations to the Legislature and the Executive Branch so that meaningful action can be made on, among other things, the following topics to prevent future school shootings:
- School safety
- Mental health
- Social media
- Police training
- Firearm safety
It is important the process begin immediately," Abbott wrote.
The request falls short of growing calls from some Texas House Democrats for Abbott to call a special legislative session.
State Sen. Roland Gutierrez, who represents Uvalde, made the call for the session to change existing laws.
“To make sure we have a special session on about four issues — number one, raise the age limit to 21 on just like handguns. Number two, we limit magazine capacity. Number three, red flag laws. We absolutely need them. Number four, waiting period huge. It’s important," Gutierrez said last week.
In a statement, the Texas State Teachers Association called Abbott's action "very weak."
"Nineteen children and two teachers were killed by an assailant with an assault rifle at an elementary school in Uvalde, and Gov. Abbott’s response is to appoint more committees to study school safety. That’s very weak. The victims’ families and all Texans deserve better than that.
Committees and other groups have studied school safety before, including after the Santa Fe High School shootings in 2018 and the El Paso Walmart shootings in 2019, and schools obviously aren’t safe from mass shooters. This is because the governor and legislators refuse to address the real issue and enact reasonable gun laws to keep guns out of the hands of people who shouldn’t have them. The governor didn’t even put this issue on the agenda for the new committees.
The 18-year-old shooter in Uvalde legally purchased the assault rifle, and that should not have been allowed to happen. And only last year, lawmakers passed and Abbott signed a law allowing most adults to carry handguns without any state licensing or safety training.
Guns kill people, including school children and educators, and there are too many guns out there in the possession of dangerous people. It doesn’t take more committees to figure that out."
Abbott said last week that existing laws would not have stopped the rampage in Uvalde.
"Evil stole those gifts from their parents on Tuesday," Abbott said during a recorded video message played for the NRA Convention last week. "And also remember this. There are thousands of laws on the books across the country that limit the owning or using of firearms. Laws that have not stopped madmen from carrying out evil acts on innocent people in peaceful communities."
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https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/texas/abbott-calls-for-special-legislative-committee-after-uvalde-school-shooting/285-4742fa32-3223-4b36-885c-642a31417aa8
| 2022-06-01T18:11:43
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SMYTH COUNTY, Va. (WJHL) – Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin visited Smyth County Wednesday to share the news that 75 new jobs will be created with the expansion of a company.
A release from the governor’s office states that Scholle IPN will invest more than $31 million to expand operations in Smyth County. Scholle IPN was described in the release as a “global supplier of total flexible packaging solutions.”
Scholle IPN’s existing facility will expand by 73,000 square feet in order make room for new manufacturing lines and other necessary infrastructure.
The release states that Virginia secured the expansion over facilities in Illinois and Georgia. As a result, the expansion will create 75 new jobs in Smyth County.
“Catalyzing economic growth in Southwest Virginia is a priority for my Administration, and we are thrilled that Scholle IPN will reinvest in its Smyth County operation and create 75 high-quality manufacturing jobs,” said Governor Youngkin in the release. “This valued employer continues to demonstrate a commitment to creating new jobs and opportunities for residents in this region, and this significant expansion will further solidify Scholle’s longevity in the Commonwealth.”
Scholle IPN President and CEO Ross Bushnell said the region of Southwest Virginia has grown into an excellent spot for manufacturing.
“By committing over $30 million in the expansion of our Chilhowie, Virginia, facility, we not only better serve the needs of our customers across North America, we also ensure that Chilhowie and the State of Virginia remain at the forefront of our sustainable packaging capabilities,” Bushnell said.
News Channel 11 sent a crew to Youngkin’s announcement in Chilhowie and will have more details on the expansion at 5 p.m.
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WASHINGTON COUNTY, Tenn. (WJHL) – Several outages in Washington County, Tennessee left thousands of BrightRidge customers temporarily without power.
Earlier Wednesday, BrightRidge reported more than 10,000 customers in several communities were experiencing outages. However, as of 2 p.m., most customers had power restored with only 38 still without.
News Channel 11 reached out to BrightRidge to determine what caused the outages and received the following statement:
“BrightRidge crews are working to restore power after a breaker opened at a primary substation early this afternoon. Walters Primary substation feeds several other substations. About 7,000 customers have been restored. Remaining outages should be restored in the near term as BrightRidge crews continue to ensure system safety prior to reenergizing the lines.”
Timothy Whaley, BrightRidge Spokesperson
To check on updates to the electric outages, click here.
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https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/thousands-without-power-amid-brightridge-outages/
| 2022-06-01T18:15:31
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TYBEE ISLAND, Ga. — Smokers and vapers could walk away from the beach with a fine starting Wednesday on Tybee Island.
According to the NBC affiliate in Savannah, WSAV, the island's city council voted for a beach-wide ban on smoking and vaping across the beach.
The council voted for the measure on May 12, after testing a "pilot program" in March that banned smoking around the pier and expired in May.
Residents were able to come forward with any concerns about the issue, and 63% supported the ban.
As soon as beachgoers travel past the crossovers, smoking and vaping are prohibited. Instead, they'll need to head to the parking lot to avoid a fine. Officers are also using surveillance cameras to catch smokers.
The ban started June 1, and officers said they would allow a 3-week grace period before issuing fines. The offense carries a $300 penalty if caught smoking or vaping on the beach.
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https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/tybee-island-bans-smoking-vaping-beaches/85-d78c61f0-51c1-4a62-972b-015683f088c0
| 2022-06-01T18:17:19
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A Delaware County, Pennsylvania, man has pleaded guilty to a felony count in relation to the January 2021 U.S. Capitol riot after his ex-girlfriend turned him in after he reportedly insulted her intelligence for not believing the election was stolen.
Richard Michetti, 29, of Ridley Park, pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court in Washington to a charge of aiding and abetting obstruction of an official proceeding. He was originally also charged with trespassing, violent entry and disorderly conduct.
FBI authorities said a former romantic partner of Michetti alerted authorities about his presence a day after the Jan. 6, 2021, riot by supporters of then-President Donald Trump. Officials said photos showed him inside the Capitol Rotunda.
The affidavit alleged that Michetti said he was there to protest the election results and told the informant in a text message several hours after the siege began “If you can’t see the election was stolen you’re a moron.”
The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that Michetti said little during Tuesday's hearing. He is to be sentenced on Sept. 1, and although the charge carries a maximum 20-year sentence, federal sentencing guidelines call for a prison term of 15 to 21 months, the paper reported.
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https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/delaware-county-man-pleads-guilty-to-felony-charge-in-u-s-capitol-riot/3257803/
| 2022-06-01T18:19:37
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BLOOMINGTON — Famous Dave's closed its doors for the final time Tuesday after 22 years of serving the community at its Morrisey Drive location.
"We enjoyed being a part of Bloomington for 22 years," said Ron Helms, vice president of operations for Mercedes Restaurants, Inc., which ran the barbecue franchise.
The restaurant had 18 employees at the time of its closure, and a "now hiring" sign was still hanging outside Wednesday morning. Helms said the location had not been profitable for some time.
"It's just a sign of the times," said Helms, who has been part of the restaurant industry for over 40 years.
Largely because of the COVID-19 pandemic, he said, the restaurant had to change service from dine-in to delivery only, and then to evening delivery only.
"It just wasn't enough to pay all of our bills on a consistent basis," Helms said.
The restaurant's workers did not get advance notice of the closing, Helms said. However, he said he was attempting to transfer some employees to Alexander's Steakhouse, which is also owned by Mercedes Restaurants, Inc.
As the Normal steakhouse enters its busier season later in the year, he said, it will need more help. "The first people that we'll call are the people affected by our closure," he said.
The restaurant's lease is up at the end of the year, and Helms said the company had been required to give its landlord six-month notice.
As for the food and drink left over, Helms said "we're in the process of transferring what we have in Bloomington to our store in Peoria."
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https://pantagraph.com/business/local/famous-daves-closes-in-bloomington/article_fadf01b2-e1c4-11ec-85b9-5338da71e7af.html
| 2022-06-01T18:31:00
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BLOOMINGTON — Connect Transit will host four community engagement sessions to gauge residents' reactions to a proposed merging of the Lime route into a new route that would serve the community's west side.
The agency said the new route would include stops along Market Street, Rivian Motorway, College Avenue and provide service between Uptown Normal and downtown Bloomington.
The session will take place as follows:
4 to 6 p.m. June 7, Normal City Hall, Room 409, 11 Uptown Circle
4 to 6 p.m. June 9, Connect Transit administration office, 351 Wylie Dr., Normal
Noon to 2 p.m. June 12, Walmart, 2225 W. Market St., Bloomington
10 a.m. to noon June 18, Connect Transit administration office
The news comes after an April vote by the bus system's board of trustees to further connect the far west side with central Bloomington-Normal.
The Lime bus route currently runs from downtown Bloomington to Wylie Drive via Market Street and snakes its way to Uptown Station in Normal before turning around.
The new route would extend service west on Market Street to Rivian Motorway and to Rivian itself, officials have said. It would then follow College Avenue to Uptown Station before returning.
Today’s top pics: Scripps National Spelling Bee and more
The Normal Town Council committed to supporting Connect Transit’s “one rate for all” initiative Monday night, approving a temporary annual payment of $200,000.
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https://pantagraph.com/news/local/connect-transit-seeks-input-on-new-route/article_0d58322e-e1b0-11ec-98d6-cf3b31f0168b.html
| 2022-06-01T18:31:06
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Odessa’s Shijay Sivakumar is among the best 48 spellers in the country.
The soon-to-be ninth-grader made it through Wednesday’s quarterfinals at the Scripps National Spelling Bee.
Sivakumar spelled maniple (a subdivision of a Roman legion, containing either 120 or 60 men) correctly in the fourth round. Scripps reported that 88 spellers advanced to the quarterfinals and 40 spellers were eliminated in the fourth round.
Sivakumar previously told the Reporter-Telegram his best finish in the national bee was 42nd.
The semifinals are scheduled to begin around 3 p.m. (CDT) Wednesday. For those who can’t follow it online, the semifinals will be shown on Ion, beginning at 7 p.m. Wednesday.
Sivakumar’s sister, Shreeya, was eliminated Tuesday. Shreeya was making her appearance in the National Spelling Bee after winning the Reporter-Telegram Regional Spelling Bee.
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https://www.mrt.com/news/local/article/Odessa-speller-advances-to-semis-of-national-bee-17212111.php
| 2022-06-01T18:34:05
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The United States Geological Survey is reporting that two earthquakes happened Wednesday in far West Texas with magnitudes of 4.4 and 4.5, respectively.
The quakes are among the 16 strongest to hit inside the state, according to a list at EarthquakeTrack.com. The first quake – a 4.4 magnitude that took place around 10:01 a.m. – is tied for the 13th strongest. The second quake – a 4.5 magnitude that took place around 10:46 – is tied for the 10th strongest.
The quakes happened in that area west of Mentone, which is located in Loving County and around 91 miles west of Midland. EarthquakeTrack.com put the first quake 21.7 miles north-northwest of the Texas city of Toyah. The depth was 6.1 miles.
The second quake took place in Texas around 33.3 miles south-southwest of Whites City, New Mexico. The depth was 1.86 miles.
The quakes were two of four that took place in that region Wednesday morning. The others were measured at 2.8 and 3.3 magnitude. The latter was the most recent quake, which happened at 11:06 a.m.
EarthquakeTrack.com reported Wednesday that there have been 35 earthquakes in the past seven days, 156 quakes in the past 30 days and 2,089 quakes in the past 365 days.
The strongest earthquake in the state’s history happened on Aug. 16, 1931, near Alpine (6.5 magnitude). There was a 5.0 magnitude quake in the Mentone region on March 26, 2020 – the only 5.0 magnitude or greater quake in the region in the last 25 years.
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https://www.mrt.com/news/local/article/Two-West-Texas-quakes-among-strongest-in-state-17212467.php
| 2022-06-01T18:34:12
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A family taking a Tuesday evening stroll along Antelope Creek was interrupted by a 48-year-old Lincoln man who wielded a knife and hurled threats toward the group as they passed under the O Street bridge, according to police.
Lincoln Police Sgt. Chris Vollmer said a 36-year-old man was walking with his three children — ages 5, 6 and 12 — shortly after 5 p.m. Tuesday when they passed under the bridge near the eastern edge of downtown.
That's when Randal Gordon confronted the group with a knife as he shouted at them, Vollmer said.
The family fled the area and called police, who later found Gordon underneath the same bridge armed with a folding knife, Vollmer said.
Police arrested Gordon on suspicion of terroristic threats and use of a weapon to commit a felony. He was taken to the Lancaster County jail.
Tom Casady's list of the 10 most infamous crimes in Lincoln history
Crimes of the times
This is simply one man’s perspective from the early 21st century (first written in 2010). I had to make a decision about crimes that occurred at locations that are inside the city today, but were outside our corporate limits at the time they occurred. I chose the latter.
Before beginning, though, I have to deal with three crimes that stand apart: the murders of three police officers in Lincoln. I’m not quite sure how to place them in a list. They all had huge impacts on the community, and on the police department in particular. Because these are my colleagues, I deal with them separately and in chronological order.
Patrolman Marion Francis Marshall
Shot in the shadow of the new Nebraska State Capital, Gov. Charles Bryan came to his aid and summoned additional help.
Lt. Frank Soukup
Marion Marshall was technically not a Lincoln police officer, so Lt. Soukup was actually the first Lincoln police officer killed on duty. One of his colleagues who was present at the motel and involved in the gunbattle, Paul Jacobsen, went on to enjoy a long career and command rank at LPD, influencing many young charges (like me) and leaving his mark on the culture of the agency.
Lt. Paul Whitehead
In the space of a few months, three LPD officers died in the line of duty. Frank Soukup had been murdered, and George Welter had died in a motorcycle crash. Paul Whitehead's partner, Paul Merritt, went on to command rank, and like Paul Jacobsen left an indelible mark at LPD and the community.
No. 1: Starkweather
The subject of several thinly disguised movie plots and a Springsteen album, the Starkweather murders are clearly the most infamous crime in Lincoln’s history — so far. One of the first mass murderers of the mass media age, six of Charles Starkweather’s 11 victims were killed inside the city of Lincoln, and the first was just on the outskirts of town. I didn’t live in Lincoln at the time, but my wife was a first-grader at Riley Elementary School and has vivid memories of the city gripped by fear in the days between the discovery of the Bartlett murders and Starkweather’s capture in Wyoming.
The case caused quite an uproar. There was intense criticism of the police department and sheriff’s office for not capturing Starkweather earlier in the week after the discovery of the Bartletts' bodies. Ultimately, Mayor Bennett Martin and the Lancaster County Board of Commissioners retained a retired FBI agent, Harold G. Robinson, to investigate the performance of local law enforcement. His report essentially exonerated the local law officers and made a few vanilla recommendations for improving inter-agency communication and training.
Now I know that many readers are mumbling to themselves “how obvious.” Hold your horses, though. It’s not quite as obvious as you might think. I had two experiences that drove this fact home to me. The first was a visit by a small group of journalism students. Only one member of the class had any idea, and her idea was pretty vague. You need to remember that the Starkweather murders were in 1957 and 1958 — before the parents of many college students were even born.
The second experience was a visit by a Cub Scout den. I was giving the kids a tour of the police station one evening. We were in the front lobby waiting for everyone to arrive. As I entertained the boys, I told the moms and dads that they might enjoy looking in the corner of the Sheriff’s Office display case to see the contents of Starkweather’s wallet — discovered a couple of years ago locked up in the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office safe. After a few minutes, one of the confused fathers asked me who Starkweather was, and why it was significant.
No. 2: Lincoln National Bank
On the morning of Sept. 17, 1930, a dark blue Buick carrying six men pulled up in front of the Lincoln National Bank at the northwest corner of 12th and O streets. Five of the men entered the bank, while a sixth stood outside by the Buick, cradling a machine gun. Observing the unusual events, a passerby called the police. The officer who responded, Forrest Shappaugh, was casually instructed by the machine-gun-toting lookout to just keep going, which he wisely did. Returning with reinforcements, he found that the robbers had already made good on their getaway, netting $2.7 million in cash and negotiable securities.
Ultimately, three of the six suspects were arrested. Tommy O’Connor and Howard Lee were convicted and sentenced. Jack Britt was tried twice but not convicted by a hung jury. Gus Winkeler, a member of Al Capone’s gang, winged a deal with County Attorney Max Towle to avoid prosecution in exchange for orchestrating the recovery of $600,000 in bearer bonds. The following year, Winkeler was murdered in Chicago, the victim of a gangland slaying. The final two robbers were never identified.
The Lincoln National Bank robbery stood as the largest cash bank robbery in the United States for many decades. It precipitated major changes at the Lincoln Police Department. Chief Peter Johnstone was rapidly “retired” after the robbery, the department’s fleet was upgraded to add the first official patrol cars, the full force was armed and a shotgun squad was organized. Forty-four years later when I was hired at LPD, the echo of the Lincoln National Bank robbery was still evident in daily bank opening details, and in the Thomspon submachine guns and Reising rifles that detectives grabbed whenever the robbery alarm sounded at headquarters.
No. 3: The Last Posse
My first inkling about this crime came when I was the chief deputy sheriff. One of my interns, a young man named Ron Boden (who became a veteran deputy sheriff), had been doing some research on Lancaster County’s only known lynching, in 1884. I came across a reference in the biography of the sheriff at the time, Sam Melick, to the murder of the Nebraska Penitentiary warden and subsequent prison break. Melick had been appointed interim warden after the murder and instituted several reforms.
Several years later, a colleague, Sgt. Geoff Marti, loaned me a great book, Gale Christianson’s "Last Posse," that told the story of the 1912 prison break in gory, haunting and glorious detail.
To make a long story short, convict Shorty Gray and his co-conspirators shot and killed Warden James Delahunty, a deputy warden and a guard on Wednesday, March 13, 1912. They then made their break — right into the teeth of a brutal Nebraska spring blizzard. Over the course to the next few days, a posse pursued. During the pursuit, the escapees carjacked a young farmer with his team and wagon. As the posse closed in, a gunfight broke out and the hostage was shot and killed in the exchange, along with two of the three escapees.
There was plenty of anger among the locals in the Gretna-Springfield vicinity about the death of their native son, and a controversy raged over the law enforcement tactics that brought about his demise. Lancaster County Sheriff Gus Hyers was not unsullied by the inquiry, although it appears from my prospect a century later that the fog of war led to the tragedy.
Christianson, a professor of history at Indiana State University who died earlier this year, notes the following on the flyleaf:
“For anyone living west of the Mississippi in 1912, the biggest news that fateful year was a violent escape from the Nebraska state penitentiary planned and carried out by a trio of notorious robbers and safe blowers.”
Bigger news on half the continent than the sinking of the Titanic during the same year would certainly qualify this murder-escape as one of the most infamous Lincoln crimes in history.
No. 4: Rock Island wreck
The Aug. 10, 1894, wreck of a Rock Island train on the southwest outskirts of Lincoln was almost lost in the mist of time until it was resurrected in the public consciousness by author Joel Williams, who came across the story while conducting research for his historical novel, "Barrelhouse Boys."
The wreck was determined to be the result of sabotage to the tracks, perhaps an attempt to derail the train as a prelude to robbery. Eleven people died in the crash and ensuing fire, making this a mass murder, to be sure. G.W. Davis was arrested and convicted of the crime but later received a full pardon. The story was told in greater detail earlier this year by the Lincoln Journal Star.
A historical marker is along the Rock Island Trail in Wilderness Park, accessible only by foot or bike from the nearest trail access points about a half-mile away at Old Cheney Road on the north, or 14th Street on the south.
Here’s the big question that remains unanswered: Was there really significant evidence to prove that George Washington Davis committed the crime, or was he just a convenient scapegoat? The fact that he received a gubernatorial pardon 10 years later leads me to believe that the evidence must have been unusually weak. If he was railroaded, then my second question is this: who really pried loose the tracks with the 40-pound crowbar found at the scene?
No. 5: Commonwealth
On Nov. 1, 1983, the doors to Nebraska’s largest industrial savings and loan company were closed and Commonwealth was declared insolvent. The 6,700 depositors with $65 million at stake would never be fully compensated for their loss, ultimately receiving about 59 cents on the dollar for their deposits, which they all mistakenly believed were insured up to $30,000 through the Nebraska Depository Insurance Guaranty Corporation, which was essentially an insurance pool with assets of only $3 million.
The case dominated Nebraska news for months. The investigation ultimately led to the conviction of three members of the prominent Lincoln family that owned the institution, the resignation of the director of the State Department of Banking and the impeachment of the Nebraska attorney general and the suspension of his license to practice law. State and federal litigation arising from the failure of Commonwealth drug on for years.
At the Lincoln Police Department, the Commonwealth failure led to the formation of a specialized white-collar crime detail, now known as the Technical Investigations Unit. At the time, municipal police departments in the United States had virtually no capacity for investigating financial crime and fraud of this magnitude, and we quickly became well known for our expertise in this area. The early experience served LPD very well in the ensuring years.
No. 6: Candice Harms
Candi Harms never came home from visiting her boyfriend on Sept. 22, 1992. Her parents reported her as a missing person the following morning, and her car was found abandoned in a cornfield north of Lincoln later in the day. Weeks went by before her remains were found southeast of Lincoln.
Scott Barney and Roger Bjorklund were convicted in her abduction and murder. Barney is in prison serving a life term. Bjorklund died in prison in 2001. Intense media attention surrounded the lengthy trial of Roger Bjorklund, for which a jury was brought in from Cheyenne County as an alternative to a change of venue. I have no doubt that the trial was a life-changing event for a group of good citizens from Sidney, who did their civic duty.
I was the Lancaster County sheriff at the time, involved both in the investigation and in the trial security. It was at about this time that the cellular telephone was becoming a consumer product, and I have often thought that this brutal crime probably spurred a lot of purchases. During my career, this is probably the second-most-prominent Lincoln crime in terms of the sheer volume of media coverage.
No. 7: Jon Simpson and Jacob Surber
A parent’s worst nightmare unfolded in September 1975 when these two boys, ages 12 and 13, failed to return from the Nebraska State Fair. The boys were the victims of abduction and murder. The case was similar to a string of other murders of young boys in the Midwest, and many thought that these cases were related -- the work of a serial killer. Although an arrest was made in the case here in Lincoln, the charges were eventually dismissed. William Guatney was released and has since died.
No. 8: John Sheedy
Saloon and gambling house owner John Sheedy was gunned down outside his home at 1211 P St. in January 1891. The case of Sheedy, prominent in Lincoln’s demiworld, became the talk of the town when his wife, Mary, and her alleged lover and accomplice, Monday McFarland, were arrested. Both were acquitted at trial. The Sheedy murder is chronicled in a great interactive multimedia website, Gilded Age Plains City, an online version that builds upon an article published in 2001 by Timothy Mahoney of the University of Nebraska.
No. 9: Patricia McGarry and Catherine Brooks
The bodies of these two friends were found in a Northeast Lincoln duplex in August 1977. Their murderer, Robert E. Williams, was the subject of a massive Midwest manhunt during the following week. Before his capture, he committed a third murder in Sioux Rapids, Iowa, and raped, shot and left for dead a victim who survived in Minnesota. He is the last man to be executed in Nebraska, sent to the electric chair in 1997.
No. 10: Judge William M. Morning
District Court Judge William Morning was murdered in February 1924. He was shot on the bench by an unhappy litigant in a divorce case. His court reporter, Minor Bacon, was also shot, but a notebook in his breast pocket deflected the bullet and saved his life.
Many other crimes
Choosing Lincoln's 10 most infamous crimes was a challenge. Although the top two were easy, the picture quickly became clouded. We tend, of course, to forget our history rather quickly. Many of the crimes I felt were among the most significant are barely remembered today, if not completely forgotten.
Some readers will take issue with my list. In choosing 10, here are the others I considered, in no particular order. They are all murders:
-- Mary O'Shea
-- Nancy Parker
-- Charles Mulholland
-- Victoria Lamm and Janet Mesner
-- Martina McMenamin
-- Regina Bos (presumably murdered)
-- Patty Webb
-- Marianne Mitzner
I also thought about the five murder-suicides in which a mother or father killed multiple family members before taking their own life. Though tragic, these crimes did not command the same kind of attention as the others, perhaps because there was no lengthy investigation, no tantalizing whodunit, no stranger-killer, nor any of the details that come out in the coverage of a major trial.
|
https://journalstar.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/lincoln-man-threatened-family-walking-along-antelope-creek-near-o-street-with-a-knife-police/article_32f2aac8-e677-56a4-ac6a-10b7aefe749f.html
| 2022-06-01T18:34:46
| 1
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https://journalstar.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/lincoln-man-threatened-family-walking-along-antelope-creek-near-o-street-with-a-knife-police/article_32f2aac8-e677-56a4-ac6a-10b7aefe749f.html
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Police are investigating after burglars took $35,000 worth of model trains from a detached garage at an east Lincoln apartment complex last week, according to authorities.
Lincoln Police Sgt. Chris Vollmer said the trains' owner reported the theft near 63rd and X streets shortly before 11 a.m. Thursday.
Vollmer said there was no observable damage to the garage and no sign of forced entry. It's unclear if the structure was locked.
The incident appears to be the second such theft from the same model train collectors, a 56-year-old woman and a 62-year-old man who operate a business out of their home in the area.
About $20,000 worth of collectible toy cars and trains were stolen from a van in the same block of 63rd Street last fall, police said then.
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There weren't signs of forced entry into the van.
Tom Casady's list of the 10 most infamous crimes in Lincoln history
Crimes of the times
This is simply one man’s perspective from the early 21st century (first written in 2010). I had to make a decision about crimes that occurred at locations that are inside the city today, but were outside our corporate limits at the time they occurred. I chose the latter.
Before beginning, though, I have to deal with three crimes that stand apart: the murders of three police officers in Lincoln. I’m not quite sure how to place them in a list. They all had huge impacts on the community, and on the police department in particular. Because these are my colleagues, I deal with them separately and in chronological order.
Patrolman Marion Francis Marshall
Shot in the shadow of the new Nebraska State Capital, Gov. Charles Bryan came to his aid and summoned additional help.
Lt. Frank Soukup
Marion Marshall was technically not a Lincoln police officer, so Lt. Soukup was actually the first Lincoln police officer killed on duty. One of his colleagues who was present at the motel and involved in the gunbattle, Paul Jacobsen, went on to enjoy a long career and command rank at LPD, influencing many young charges (like me) and leaving his mark on the culture of the agency.
Lt. Paul Whitehead
In the space of a few months, three LPD officers died in the line of duty. Frank Soukup had been murdered, and George Welter had died in a motorcycle crash. Paul Whitehead's partner, Paul Merritt, went on to command rank, and like Paul Jacobsen left an indelible mark at LPD and the community.
No. 1: Starkweather
The subject of several thinly disguised movie plots and a Springsteen album, the Starkweather murders are clearly the most infamous crime in Lincoln’s history — so far. One of the first mass murderers of the mass media age, six of Charles Starkweather’s 11 victims were killed inside the city of Lincoln, and the first was just on the outskirts of town. I didn’t live in Lincoln at the time, but my wife was a first-grader at Riley Elementary School and has vivid memories of the city gripped by fear in the days between the discovery of the Bartlett murders and Starkweather’s capture in Wyoming.
The case caused quite an uproar. There was intense criticism of the police department and sheriff’s office for not capturing Starkweather earlier in the week after the discovery of the Bartletts' bodies. Ultimately, Mayor Bennett Martin and the Lancaster County Board of Commissioners retained a retired FBI agent, Harold G. Robinson, to investigate the performance of local law enforcement. His report essentially exonerated the local law officers and made a few vanilla recommendations for improving inter-agency communication and training.
Now I know that many readers are mumbling to themselves “how obvious.” Hold your horses, though. It’s not quite as obvious as you might think. I had two experiences that drove this fact home to me. The first was a visit by a small group of journalism students. Only one member of the class had any idea, and her idea was pretty vague. You need to remember that the Starkweather murders were in 1957 and 1958 — before the parents of many college students were even born.
The second experience was a visit by a Cub Scout den. I was giving the kids a tour of the police station one evening. We were in the front lobby waiting for everyone to arrive. As I entertained the boys, I told the moms and dads that they might enjoy looking in the corner of the Sheriff’s Office display case to see the contents of Starkweather’s wallet — discovered a couple of years ago locked up in the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office safe. After a few minutes, one of the confused fathers asked me who Starkweather was, and why it was significant.
No. 2: Lincoln National Bank
On the morning of Sept. 17, 1930, a dark blue Buick carrying six men pulled up in front of the Lincoln National Bank at the northwest corner of 12th and O streets. Five of the men entered the bank, while a sixth stood outside by the Buick, cradling a machine gun. Observing the unusual events, a passerby called the police. The officer who responded, Forrest Shappaugh, was casually instructed by the machine-gun-toting lookout to just keep going, which he wisely did. Returning with reinforcements, he found that the robbers had already made good on their getaway, netting $2.7 million in cash and negotiable securities.
Ultimately, three of the six suspects were arrested. Tommy O’Connor and Howard Lee were convicted and sentenced. Jack Britt was tried twice but not convicted by a hung jury. Gus Winkeler, a member of Al Capone’s gang, winged a deal with County Attorney Max Towle to avoid prosecution in exchange for orchestrating the recovery of $600,000 in bearer bonds. The following year, Winkeler was murdered in Chicago, the victim of a gangland slaying. The final two robbers were never identified.
The Lincoln National Bank robbery stood as the largest cash bank robbery in the United States for many decades. It precipitated major changes at the Lincoln Police Department. Chief Peter Johnstone was rapidly “retired” after the robbery, the department’s fleet was upgraded to add the first official patrol cars, the full force was armed and a shotgun squad was organized. Forty-four years later when I was hired at LPD, the echo of the Lincoln National Bank robbery was still evident in daily bank opening details, and in the Thomspon submachine guns and Reising rifles that detectives grabbed whenever the robbery alarm sounded at headquarters.
No. 3: The Last Posse
My first inkling about this crime came when I was the chief deputy sheriff. One of my interns, a young man named Ron Boden (who became a veteran deputy sheriff), had been doing some research on Lancaster County’s only known lynching, in 1884. I came across a reference in the biography of the sheriff at the time, Sam Melick, to the murder of the Nebraska Penitentiary warden and subsequent prison break. Melick had been appointed interim warden after the murder and instituted several reforms.
Several years later, a colleague, Sgt. Geoff Marti, loaned me a great book, Gale Christianson’s "Last Posse," that told the story of the 1912 prison break in gory, haunting and glorious detail.
To make a long story short, convict Shorty Gray and his co-conspirators shot and killed Warden James Delahunty, a deputy warden and a guard on Wednesday, March 13, 1912. They then made their break — right into the teeth of a brutal Nebraska spring blizzard. Over the course to the next few days, a posse pursued. During the pursuit, the escapees carjacked a young farmer with his team and wagon. As the posse closed in, a gunfight broke out and the hostage was shot and killed in the exchange, along with two of the three escapees.
There was plenty of anger among the locals in the Gretna-Springfield vicinity about the death of their native son, and a controversy raged over the law enforcement tactics that brought about his demise. Lancaster County Sheriff Gus Hyers was not unsullied by the inquiry, although it appears from my prospect a century later that the fog of war led to the tragedy.
Christianson, a professor of history at Indiana State University who died earlier this year, notes the following on the flyleaf:
“For anyone living west of the Mississippi in 1912, the biggest news that fateful year was a violent escape from the Nebraska state penitentiary planned and carried out by a trio of notorious robbers and safe blowers.”
Bigger news on half the continent than the sinking of the Titanic during the same year would certainly qualify this murder-escape as one of the most infamous Lincoln crimes in history.
No. 4: Rock Island wreck
The Aug. 10, 1894, wreck of a Rock Island train on the southwest outskirts of Lincoln was almost lost in the mist of time until it was resurrected in the public consciousness by author Joel Williams, who came across the story while conducting research for his historical novel, "Barrelhouse Boys."
The wreck was determined to be the result of sabotage to the tracks, perhaps an attempt to derail the train as a prelude to robbery. Eleven people died in the crash and ensuing fire, making this a mass murder, to be sure. G.W. Davis was arrested and convicted of the crime but later received a full pardon. The story was told in greater detail earlier this year by the Lincoln Journal Star.
A historical marker is along the Rock Island Trail in Wilderness Park, accessible only by foot or bike from the nearest trail access points about a half-mile away at Old Cheney Road on the north, or 14th Street on the south.
Here’s the big question that remains unanswered: Was there really significant evidence to prove that George Washington Davis committed the crime, or was he just a convenient scapegoat? The fact that he received a gubernatorial pardon 10 years later leads me to believe that the evidence must have been unusually weak. If he was railroaded, then my second question is this: who really pried loose the tracks with the 40-pound crowbar found at the scene?
No. 5: Commonwealth
On Nov. 1, 1983, the doors to Nebraska’s largest industrial savings and loan company were closed and Commonwealth was declared insolvent. The 6,700 depositors with $65 million at stake would never be fully compensated for their loss, ultimately receiving about 59 cents on the dollar for their deposits, which they all mistakenly believed were insured up to $30,000 through the Nebraska Depository Insurance Guaranty Corporation, which was essentially an insurance pool with assets of only $3 million.
The case dominated Nebraska news for months. The investigation ultimately led to the conviction of three members of the prominent Lincoln family that owned the institution, the resignation of the director of the State Department of Banking and the impeachment of the Nebraska attorney general and the suspension of his license to practice law. State and federal litigation arising from the failure of Commonwealth drug on for years.
At the Lincoln Police Department, the Commonwealth failure led to the formation of a specialized white-collar crime detail, now known as the Technical Investigations Unit. At the time, municipal police departments in the United States had virtually no capacity for investigating financial crime and fraud of this magnitude, and we quickly became well known for our expertise in this area. The early experience served LPD very well in the ensuring years.
No. 6: Candice Harms
Candi Harms never came home from visiting her boyfriend on Sept. 22, 1992. Her parents reported her as a missing person the following morning, and her car was found abandoned in a cornfield north of Lincoln later in the day. Weeks went by before her remains were found southeast of Lincoln.
Scott Barney and Roger Bjorklund were convicted in her abduction and murder. Barney is in prison serving a life term. Bjorklund died in prison in 2001. Intense media attention surrounded the lengthy trial of Roger Bjorklund, for which a jury was brought in from Cheyenne County as an alternative to a change of venue. I have no doubt that the trial was a life-changing event for a group of good citizens from Sidney, who did their civic duty.
I was the Lancaster County sheriff at the time, involved both in the investigation and in the trial security. It was at about this time that the cellular telephone was becoming a consumer product, and I have often thought that this brutal crime probably spurred a lot of purchases. During my career, this is probably the second-most-prominent Lincoln crime in terms of the sheer volume of media coverage.
No. 7: Jon Simpson and Jacob Surber
A parent’s worst nightmare unfolded in September 1975 when these two boys, ages 12 and 13, failed to return from the Nebraska State Fair. The boys were the victims of abduction and murder. The case was similar to a string of other murders of young boys in the Midwest, and many thought that these cases were related -- the work of a serial killer. Although an arrest was made in the case here in Lincoln, the charges were eventually dismissed. William Guatney was released and has since died.
No. 8: John Sheedy
Saloon and gambling house owner John Sheedy was gunned down outside his home at 1211 P St. in January 1891. The case of Sheedy, prominent in Lincoln’s demiworld, became the talk of the town when his wife, Mary, and her alleged lover and accomplice, Monday McFarland, were arrested. Both were acquitted at trial. The Sheedy murder is chronicled in a great interactive multimedia website, Gilded Age Plains City, an online version that builds upon an article published in 2001 by Timothy Mahoney of the University of Nebraska.
No. 9: Patricia McGarry and Catherine Brooks
The bodies of these two friends were found in a Northeast Lincoln duplex in August 1977. Their murderer, Robert E. Williams, was the subject of a massive Midwest manhunt during the following week. Before his capture, he committed a third murder in Sioux Rapids, Iowa, and raped, shot and left for dead a victim who survived in Minnesota. He is the last man to be executed in Nebraska, sent to the electric chair in 1997.
No. 10: Judge William M. Morning
District Court Judge William Morning was murdered in February 1924. He was shot on the bench by an unhappy litigant in a divorce case. His court reporter, Minor Bacon, was also shot, but a notebook in his breast pocket deflected the bullet and saved his life.
Many other crimes
Choosing Lincoln's 10 most infamous crimes was a challenge. Although the top two were easy, the picture quickly became clouded. We tend, of course, to forget our history rather quickly. Many of the crimes I felt were among the most significant are barely remembered today, if not completely forgotten.
Some readers will take issue with my list. In choosing 10, here are the others I considered, in no particular order. They are all murders:
-- Mary O'Shea
-- Nancy Parker
-- Charles Mulholland
-- Victoria Lamm and Janet Mesner
-- Martina McMenamin
-- Regina Bos (presumably murdered)
-- Patty Webb
-- Marianne Mitzner
I also thought about the five murder-suicides in which a mother or father killed multiple family members before taking their own life. Though tragic, these crimes did not command the same kind of attention as the others, perhaps because there was no lengthy investigation, no tantalizing whodunit, no stranger-killer, nor any of the details that come out in the coverage of a major trial.
|
https://journalstar.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/model-trains-worth-35-000-stolen-from-lincoln-garage-police-say/article_a9bba710-a19d-52f8-9aa3-8568c44db562.html
| 2022-06-01T18:34:52
| 0
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https://journalstar.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/model-trains-worth-35-000-stolen-from-lincoln-garage-police-say/article_a9bba710-a19d-52f8-9aa3-8568c44db562.html
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Lincoln Police are investigating after a Nebraska Department of Correctional Services employee had their department-issued ID badge, keycard and duty belt stolen from their vehicle over the weekend, according to authorities.
Sgt. Chris Vollmer said the 45-year-old employee reported the apparent break-in around 8 a.m. Tuesday at the Pinebrook Apartments near Fletcher Avenue and 33rd Street.
The employee reported their handcuffs, pepper spray and corporal badge were stolen along with the other items from their uniform.
Police did not observe signs of forced entry to the vehicle, Vollmer said. It's unclear if the car was unlocked.
An employee at the Tecumseh State Correctional Institution reported uniforms, an ID badge and duty belt stolen from a truck while parked in Lincoln on Friday night.
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Vollmer said it's unclear if the two thefts are related, but noted the incidents occurred under "very different circumstances," pointing to the difference in location and time of day.
"Other than the items taken, there's nothing that obviously links them," he said. "But, follow-up is continuing."
Tom Casady's list of the 10 most infamous crimes in Lincoln history
Crimes of the times
This is simply one man’s perspective from the early 21st century (first written in 2010). I had to make a decision about crimes that occurred at locations that are inside the city today, but were outside our corporate limits at the time they occurred. I chose the latter.
Before beginning, though, I have to deal with three crimes that stand apart: the murders of three police officers in Lincoln. I’m not quite sure how to place them in a list. They all had huge impacts on the community, and on the police department in particular. Because these are my colleagues, I deal with them separately and in chronological order.
Patrolman Marion Francis Marshall
Shot in the shadow of the new Nebraska State Capital, Gov. Charles Bryan came to his aid and summoned additional help.
Lt. Frank Soukup
Marion Marshall was technically not a Lincoln police officer, so Lt. Soukup was actually the first Lincoln police officer killed on duty. One of his colleagues who was present at the motel and involved in the gunbattle, Paul Jacobsen, went on to enjoy a long career and command rank at LPD, influencing many young charges (like me) and leaving his mark on the culture of the agency.
Lt. Paul Whitehead
In the space of a few months, three LPD officers died in the line of duty. Frank Soukup had been murdered, and George Welter had died in a motorcycle crash. Paul Whitehead's partner, Paul Merritt, went on to command rank, and like Paul Jacobsen left an indelible mark at LPD and the community.
No. 1: Starkweather
The subject of several thinly disguised movie plots and a Springsteen album, the Starkweather murders are clearly the most infamous crime in Lincoln’s history — so far. One of the first mass murderers of the mass media age, six of Charles Starkweather’s 11 victims were killed inside the city of Lincoln, and the first was just on the outskirts of town. I didn’t live in Lincoln at the time, but my wife was a first-grader at Riley Elementary School and has vivid memories of the city gripped by fear in the days between the discovery of the Bartlett murders and Starkweather’s capture in Wyoming.
The case caused quite an uproar. There was intense criticism of the police department and sheriff’s office for not capturing Starkweather earlier in the week after the discovery of the Bartletts' bodies. Ultimately, Mayor Bennett Martin and the Lancaster County Board of Commissioners retained a retired FBI agent, Harold G. Robinson, to investigate the performance of local law enforcement. His report essentially exonerated the local law officers and made a few vanilla recommendations for improving inter-agency communication and training.
Now I know that many readers are mumbling to themselves “how obvious.” Hold your horses, though. It’s not quite as obvious as you might think. I had two experiences that drove this fact home to me. The first was a visit by a small group of journalism students. Only one member of the class had any idea, and her idea was pretty vague. You need to remember that the Starkweather murders were in 1957 and 1958 — before the parents of many college students were even born.
The second experience was a visit by a Cub Scout den. I was giving the kids a tour of the police station one evening. We were in the front lobby waiting for everyone to arrive. As I entertained the boys, I told the moms and dads that they might enjoy looking in the corner of the Sheriff’s Office display case to see the contents of Starkweather’s wallet — discovered a couple of years ago locked up in the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office safe. After a few minutes, one of the confused fathers asked me who Starkweather was, and why it was significant.
No. 2: Lincoln National Bank
On the morning of Sept. 17, 1930, a dark blue Buick carrying six men pulled up in front of the Lincoln National Bank at the northwest corner of 12th and O streets. Five of the men entered the bank, while a sixth stood outside by the Buick, cradling a machine gun. Observing the unusual events, a passerby called the police. The officer who responded, Forrest Shappaugh, was casually instructed by the machine-gun-toting lookout to just keep going, which he wisely did. Returning with reinforcements, he found that the robbers had already made good on their getaway, netting $2.7 million in cash and negotiable securities.
Ultimately, three of the six suspects were arrested. Tommy O’Connor and Howard Lee were convicted and sentenced. Jack Britt was tried twice but not convicted by a hung jury. Gus Winkeler, a member of Al Capone’s gang, winged a deal with County Attorney Max Towle to avoid prosecution in exchange for orchestrating the recovery of $600,000 in bearer bonds. The following year, Winkeler was murdered in Chicago, the victim of a gangland slaying. The final two robbers were never identified.
The Lincoln National Bank robbery stood as the largest cash bank robbery in the United States for many decades. It precipitated major changes at the Lincoln Police Department. Chief Peter Johnstone was rapidly “retired” after the robbery, the department’s fleet was upgraded to add the first official patrol cars, the full force was armed and a shotgun squad was organized. Forty-four years later when I was hired at LPD, the echo of the Lincoln National Bank robbery was still evident in daily bank opening details, and in the Thomspon submachine guns and Reising rifles that detectives grabbed whenever the robbery alarm sounded at headquarters.
No. 3: The Last Posse
My first inkling about this crime came when I was the chief deputy sheriff. One of my interns, a young man named Ron Boden (who became a veteran deputy sheriff), had been doing some research on Lancaster County’s only known lynching, in 1884. I came across a reference in the biography of the sheriff at the time, Sam Melick, to the murder of the Nebraska Penitentiary warden and subsequent prison break. Melick had been appointed interim warden after the murder and instituted several reforms.
Several years later, a colleague, Sgt. Geoff Marti, loaned me a great book, Gale Christianson’s "Last Posse," that told the story of the 1912 prison break in gory, haunting and glorious detail.
To make a long story short, convict Shorty Gray and his co-conspirators shot and killed Warden James Delahunty, a deputy warden and a guard on Wednesday, March 13, 1912. They then made their break — right into the teeth of a brutal Nebraska spring blizzard. Over the course to the next few days, a posse pursued. During the pursuit, the escapees carjacked a young farmer with his team and wagon. As the posse closed in, a gunfight broke out and the hostage was shot and killed in the exchange, along with two of the three escapees.
There was plenty of anger among the locals in the Gretna-Springfield vicinity about the death of their native son, and a controversy raged over the law enforcement tactics that brought about his demise. Lancaster County Sheriff Gus Hyers was not unsullied by the inquiry, although it appears from my prospect a century later that the fog of war led to the tragedy.
Christianson, a professor of history at Indiana State University who died earlier this year, notes the following on the flyleaf:
“For anyone living west of the Mississippi in 1912, the biggest news that fateful year was a violent escape from the Nebraska state penitentiary planned and carried out by a trio of notorious robbers and safe blowers.”
Bigger news on half the continent than the sinking of the Titanic during the same year would certainly qualify this murder-escape as one of the most infamous Lincoln crimes in history.
No. 4: Rock Island wreck
The Aug. 10, 1894, wreck of a Rock Island train on the southwest outskirts of Lincoln was almost lost in the mist of time until it was resurrected in the public consciousness by author Joel Williams, who came across the story while conducting research for his historical novel, "Barrelhouse Boys."
The wreck was determined to be the result of sabotage to the tracks, perhaps an attempt to derail the train as a prelude to robbery. Eleven people died in the crash and ensuing fire, making this a mass murder, to be sure. G.W. Davis was arrested and convicted of the crime but later received a full pardon. The story was told in greater detail earlier this year by the Lincoln Journal Star.
A historical marker is along the Rock Island Trail in Wilderness Park, accessible only by foot or bike from the nearest trail access points about a half-mile away at Old Cheney Road on the north, or 14th Street on the south.
Here’s the big question that remains unanswered: Was there really significant evidence to prove that George Washington Davis committed the crime, or was he just a convenient scapegoat? The fact that he received a gubernatorial pardon 10 years later leads me to believe that the evidence must have been unusually weak. If he was railroaded, then my second question is this: who really pried loose the tracks with the 40-pound crowbar found at the scene?
No. 5: Commonwealth
On Nov. 1, 1983, the doors to Nebraska’s largest industrial savings and loan company were closed and Commonwealth was declared insolvent. The 6,700 depositors with $65 million at stake would never be fully compensated for their loss, ultimately receiving about 59 cents on the dollar for their deposits, which they all mistakenly believed were insured up to $30,000 through the Nebraska Depository Insurance Guaranty Corporation, which was essentially an insurance pool with assets of only $3 million.
The case dominated Nebraska news for months. The investigation ultimately led to the conviction of three members of the prominent Lincoln family that owned the institution, the resignation of the director of the State Department of Banking and the impeachment of the Nebraska attorney general and the suspension of his license to practice law. State and federal litigation arising from the failure of Commonwealth drug on for years.
At the Lincoln Police Department, the Commonwealth failure led to the formation of a specialized white-collar crime detail, now known as the Technical Investigations Unit. At the time, municipal police departments in the United States had virtually no capacity for investigating financial crime and fraud of this magnitude, and we quickly became well known for our expertise in this area. The early experience served LPD very well in the ensuring years.
No. 6: Candice Harms
Candi Harms never came home from visiting her boyfriend on Sept. 22, 1992. Her parents reported her as a missing person the following morning, and her car was found abandoned in a cornfield north of Lincoln later in the day. Weeks went by before her remains were found southeast of Lincoln.
Scott Barney and Roger Bjorklund were convicted in her abduction and murder. Barney is in prison serving a life term. Bjorklund died in prison in 2001. Intense media attention surrounded the lengthy trial of Roger Bjorklund, for which a jury was brought in from Cheyenne County as an alternative to a change of venue. I have no doubt that the trial was a life-changing event for a group of good citizens from Sidney, who did their civic duty.
I was the Lancaster County sheriff at the time, involved both in the investigation and in the trial security. It was at about this time that the cellular telephone was becoming a consumer product, and I have often thought that this brutal crime probably spurred a lot of purchases. During my career, this is probably the second-most-prominent Lincoln crime in terms of the sheer volume of media coverage.
No. 7: Jon Simpson and Jacob Surber
A parent’s worst nightmare unfolded in September 1975 when these two boys, ages 12 and 13, failed to return from the Nebraska State Fair. The boys were the victims of abduction and murder. The case was similar to a string of other murders of young boys in the Midwest, and many thought that these cases were related -- the work of a serial killer. Although an arrest was made in the case here in Lincoln, the charges were eventually dismissed. William Guatney was released and has since died.
No. 8: John Sheedy
Saloon and gambling house owner John Sheedy was gunned down outside his home at 1211 P St. in January 1891. The case of Sheedy, prominent in Lincoln’s demiworld, became the talk of the town when his wife, Mary, and her alleged lover and accomplice, Monday McFarland, were arrested. Both were acquitted at trial. The Sheedy murder is chronicled in a great interactive multimedia website, Gilded Age Plains City, an online version that builds upon an article published in 2001 by Timothy Mahoney of the University of Nebraska.
No. 9: Patricia McGarry and Catherine Brooks
The bodies of these two friends were found in a Northeast Lincoln duplex in August 1977. Their murderer, Robert E. Williams, was the subject of a massive Midwest manhunt during the following week. Before his capture, he committed a third murder in Sioux Rapids, Iowa, and raped, shot and left for dead a victim who survived in Minnesota. He is the last man to be executed in Nebraska, sent to the electric chair in 1997.
No. 10: Judge William M. Morning
District Court Judge William Morning was murdered in February 1924. He was shot on the bench by an unhappy litigant in a divorce case. His court reporter, Minor Bacon, was also shot, but a notebook in his breast pocket deflected the bullet and saved his life.
Many other crimes
Choosing Lincoln's 10 most infamous crimes was a challenge. Although the top two were easy, the picture quickly became clouded. We tend, of course, to forget our history rather quickly. Many of the crimes I felt were among the most significant are barely remembered today, if not completely forgotten.
Some readers will take issue with my list. In choosing 10, here are the others I considered, in no particular order. They are all murders:
-- Mary O'Shea
-- Nancy Parker
-- Charles Mulholland
-- Victoria Lamm and Janet Mesner
-- Martina McMenamin
-- Regina Bos (presumably murdered)
-- Patty Webb
-- Marianne Mitzner
I also thought about the five murder-suicides in which a mother or father killed multiple family members before taking their own life. Though tragic, these crimes did not command the same kind of attention as the others, perhaps because there was no lengthy investigation, no tantalizing whodunit, no stranger-killer, nor any of the details that come out in the coverage of a major trial.
Reach the writer at 402-473-7223 or awegley@journalstar.com.
On Twitter @andrewwegley
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https://journalstar.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/second-department-of-correctional-services-employee-targeted-in-lincoln-theft-police-say/article_d43fae2b-254e-5085-aa93-147e7fe1804b.html
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CHARLESTON, WV (WVNS) — The recent record-breaking opioid trial settlement totals more than $160 million, which Attorney General Patrick Morrisey says will directly benefit the Mountain State.
He said Southern West Virginia was hit especially hard by the Opioid Epidemic. Morrisey said money from the settlement will go towards education and resources in the state including regional jail fees.
“We’ll do a needs assessment in every one of the counties across West Virginia and really determine where the needs are most prominent and then you want to target resources to those who need it most,” Morrisey said. “There may be some regions of the state that may need some more beds, there are some regions that may need job retraining, entering the workforce, there’s some regions that need more enforcement because of other opioid problems.”
Morrisey said it is going to be a busy few years but he’s excited to share the settlement with the Mountain State. He added he is glad he took a risk and did not settle early like he was pressured to.
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https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/record-breaking-opioid-trial-settlement-directly-benefits-west-virginians/
| 2022-06-01T18:40:26
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RITCHIE COUNTY, W.Va. – Corporal Justice with the Ritchie County Sheriff’s Department had a unique passenger in his cruiser on Tuesday.
In a video posted to the department’s Facebook page, Justice shows the owl on his passenger floorboard. It did not look thrilled that Justice had interrupted whatever it was doing.
“Current situation…I have an owl in my cruiser. Oh my god, somebody help me,” Justice said in the video with a laugh.
The Facebook post said that the department is ready to accept the owl onto its staff. “Deputy Whoot will be our newest deputy!” said the post.
All Deputy Whoot is missing is a pair of sunglasses to match Corporal Justice.
Deputy Whoot is a Barred Owl, which are common in West Virginia. They eat small animals such as squirrels, mice, birds and even lizards and small fish and crayfish. They are not dangerous to humans and attacks are extremely rare.
You can watch Corporal Justice’s full reaction in the video above.
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https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/ritchie-county-deputy-finds-owl-in-his-cruiser/
| 2022-06-01T18:40:32
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CHARLESTON, WV (WOWK)—Two people have been taken to the hospital after a crash in the Kanawha City area of Charleston.
Kanawha dispatch says that three vehicles were involved in an accident at the intersection of MacCorkle Ave. SE and 36th St.
There is no word on the extent of any injuries at this time.
This is a developing story, and we will provide updates as new information becomes available.
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https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/two-taken-to-hospital-after-kanawha-city-crash/
| 2022-06-01T18:40:38
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KINGSPORT, Tenn. (WJHL) – It’s not unique to law enforcement, but agencies tell News Channel 11 that employee turnover and lower hiring rates are causing a strain on the system.
In general, statistics show that turnover in the workforce has been rising in the last few years.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports the overall turnover rate is nearly 60% and that employees averaged 4.6 years in their current workplace.
Multiple focused reports on law enforcement show police turnover rates are higher than ever before with officers staying with their agencies only for a short period of time before resigning.
In Kingsport, the police department has changed its hiring policy so people can now apply year-round instead of for a short period of time prior to a police eligibility test, which is held every quarter.
“We’ve recently cut off the application deadline to for this upcoming police testing,” said Tom Patton, Kingsport Police Department’s Public Information Officer. “We will be testing on June 14. However, we do accept applications year-round. So if you didn’t get an application in time for this current testing, you can still go ahead and apply.”
The department currently has 12 openings for police officers and one for a corrections officer, but Patton explained that applicants are kept on an ‘eligibility list’ due to high turnover rates.
The next test date will be in a few months, so Patton encourages people to apply in order to bolster that list.
“And then those applications will be held to our next test day, which will probably be about three or four months down the road because I’m confident we’ll still have some additional vacancies to fill by then,” he said.
He added that what the department is facing is not unique.
“At first we thought it was, but then as we also noticed that the same thing was happening in grocery stores, at restaurants, with school teachers and industry and business,” Patton said. “People are much more portable and just don’t stay with a job for 30 years like they used to maybe 30 years ago. So we are seeing less people show up.”
That’s where marketing became a new skill his department had to learn.
“Twenty-five years ago, it was not unheard of for us to not advertise at all other than just an ad in the paper,” he said. “And we would have 300 people show up for maybe one vacancy, and now we have 12 vacancies and it’s not unusual for us to only have about 20 to 30 people show up. So it’s again, it’s just less people to fill more positions.”
Starting salaries for corrections officers at the KPD have recently been increased to $14.64 an hour, which amounts to $30,455 annually. The starting salary for police officer training at KPD is $17.84 per hour, or $37,107 annually, which is a nearly $1,800 increase.
“To be a police officer, you have to be 21 years old, but to be a corrections officer, you only have to be 18,” Patton said. “So it’s a good way to get some experience when you’re younger until you’re old enough to apply to be a police officer. And also it’s a good way to put something on your resume that is criminal justice-oriented so that when you’re looking at a job as a police officer, you can show that you do have some experience in the field.”
The Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office also has several openings, Captain Andy Seabolt told News Channel 11. He said the department has one opening in its patrol division and four in its corrections division.
“The Sullivan County Commission recently increased the beginning rate of pay for corrections officers to $16.80 an hour. That has helped with the recruitment in the Corrections Division,” Seabolt wrote in an email to News Channel 11.
Sgt. Nathan Hall told News Channel 11 that though Tennessee Highway Patrol is hiring to fill vacancies in all eight districts across the Volunteer State’s 95 counties, the agency is not struggling as much as other agencies.
He added that the THP is facing turnover issues just like everyone else.
“Especially the younger generation, they see the mighty dollar, so they’re being lured by better pay or better benefits,” Hall said. “And maybe in a different business or something, but it’s usually the younger generation that does that. But it’s not a large turnover rate. Currently, we have about 60 vacancies statewide out of 95 counties. We have currently four vacancies here in Fall Branch; we have 14 counties and in Fall Branch District we only got four vacancies. So we’re doing pretty good here.”
Hall added that the THP has also increased the application window to 365 days a year instead of seasonally as in the past.
At the end of the day, Patton said law enforcement is still a good career to consider and perhaps starting that career at a smaller department is the best bet.
“So when you see lots of this stuff on national news that might be going on in other communities. We’re not seeing that sort of stuff here,” Patton said. “And we have great community support, and we have great training. We have great people here, and you can make a good living here due to a reasonable cost of living as compared to other areas of the country.”
To apply for positions at the Kingsport Police Department, CLICK HERE.
To apply for positions at the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office, CLICK HERE.
To apply for positions at the Tennessee Highway Patrol, CLICK HERE.
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https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/local-state-law-enforcement-agencies-struggle-to-fill-vacancies/
| 2022-06-01T18:49:22
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MORRILTON, Ark. — The Arkansas State Police are asking for the public's help finding a missing 13-year-old girl.
According to police, Jessica Lynn Lowery was last seen around 11 p.m. on May 30 at the Petit Jean State Park campground.
She was last seen wearing a teal tank top, grey shorts, and blue Crocs.
If you have any information on where she may be you are asking to call the Conway County Sheriff's Office at 501-354-2411.
We will update this article with more information as it becomes available.
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https://www.thv11.com/article/news/local/missing-persons-reports/missing-13-year-old-petit-jean-state-park-campground/91-457a0f5d-da2e-41ab-a458-43f58266ba07
| 2022-06-01T18:50:25
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https://www.thv11.com/article/news/local/missing-persons-reports/missing-13-year-old-petit-jean-state-park-campground/91-457a0f5d-da2e-41ab-a458-43f58266ba07
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Tolls on the Indiana Toll Road will rise July 1, the road's operator, ITRCC, announced this week.
The toll for a typical two-axle passenger vehicle for a trip across the entire length of the road will increase about 10% from $12.28 to $13.50; for a typical five-axle semi, the toll will rise at a similar rate, from $66.30 to $72.88. Tolls vary according to vehicle class, distance travelled and payment method. Detailed toll rates can be found at www.indianatollroad.org .
ITRCC's ability to raise tolls is included in its lease agreement with the state, which also includes an obligation on the company's part to invest in the infrastructure. In its announcement of the increasing tolls, ITRCC said it has spent over $600 million on upgrades since 2016, including the reconstruction of more than 70% of pavement lane miles, interchanges and bridges, reconstruction of the eight travel plazas across the corridor and deployment of an Intelligent Transportation System.
The company also said it is making a major upgrade and modernization of its toll plaza technology and lane system. The project is expected to be completed in late 2022.
Hobart officer charged with fraud in Merrillville investigation; placed on leave, courts say
Woman draws pistol, kills man who was firing AR-15-style rifle into crowd, police say
Coroner identifies Crown Point man killed in crash at intersection of US 231, I-65
Crown Point man dies in U.S. 231, I-65 crash, police say
1 shot at Washington Park Beach in Michigan City, police say
Man sentenced to 12 years for brutally beating wife, pouring boiling water down her throat
Former Porter County cop sentenced to 10 years for child neglect
Serious crash in Crown Point causes closures
Officer remains on force despite guilty plea to felony charge
Corsicana Mattress closing LaPorte plant meant to employ up to 350 just months after opening
UPDATE: Man sought in wake of knife attack at Methodist Southlake Hospital, police say
Portage police release photos of suspect in counterfeit scheme
WATCH NOW: Driver unable to see bicyclist before crash, Cedar Lake police say
One in custody as SWAT responds to Chesterton apartment building, police say
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The Indiana Toll Road, in operation since 1956, extends 157 miles across northern Indiana.
NWI Business Ins and Outs: Culver's, Cosmix Cereal + Ice Cream Mashup and Vita del Lago coming soon; It's My Party under new ownership
Coming soon
Culver's is going to serve up its famous butter burgers, cheese curds and custards in south Hammond soon.
The Terpstra family plans to open its sixth Culver's burger restaurant at 7905 Cabela’s Drive in Hammond on June 6. The fast food eatery, which emerged from Wisconsin and has been exploding in popularity, is located just off Indianapolis Boulevard just south of the Borman Expressway by the Cabela's and Walmart Supercenter.
Culver's founder Craig Culver will visit for an official grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony on June 22.
"Our new restaurant will have 65 team members," franchise owner Fred Terpstra said. "It should draw from Hessville, south Hammond, Munster and people on the west side of Hammond. It should be a good restaurant."
The new Culver's also is expected to draw traffic from the busy interstate highway.
"We're going to have billboards on the interstate to attract traffic to get off the interstate," he said. "It should be a plus for south Hammond. There's also lots of traffic on Indianapolis Boulevard there — about 35,000 cars north and south a day. We've got a sign that's tall enough for people to see."
Joseph S. Pete
Opening June 6
Culver's is known for the slogan "Welcome to Delicious" and an Upper Midwestern menu that includes a lot of Wisconsin cheese and butter as well as a North American cod sandwich, a pork loin sandwich, a beef pot roast sandwich and a grilled Reuben melt.
The 4,200-square-foot restaurant will seat about 120 indoors and another 40 on the outdoor patio.
"That's required for all Culver's. They're popular in June, July and August," Terpstra said. "People come with their families, sit out there on the patio and enjoy their dinners."
The south Hammond location will have two drive-thrus to handle all the traffic.
"At first Culver's only really had a single drive-thru, but they changed their mind a little bit," he said. "The double drive-through capability will be helpful because it's situated in an area where 105,000 people live within five miles of that restaurant. We've been training staff for six months already so team members are ready when we open and it's nothing new."
Joseph S. Pete
Six Northwest Indiana locations
Culver's makes all its food fresh to order. When customers order, they're given a number and told to drive-up and wait for their food to be brought out to them to keep the line moving.
"Usually, from start to finish, when a guest comes in through the drive-thru it takes four or five minutes," Terpstra said. "Usually, it takes two minutes and 55 seconds to get their food."
Top sellers include butter burgers, cheeseburgers, cheese curds, onion rings and custards.
"About 22% of our business is just custard," Terpstra said. "We make it fresh eight or nine times a day. It tastes great. We get our dairy from Wisconsin, our burgers from Wisconsin and our buns from Wisconsin. The buns are delivered five times a week. They're always fresh and soft. You'll never get a bad bun from us. Our food is always fresh to order."
Joseph S. Pete
Butter burgers and cheese curds
The chain has been taking off in popularity, especially in the Midwest.
"It started in Wisconsin and now the state of Indiana has just about as many Culver's locations," Terpstra said. "It's a really good brand. Like the Terpstra name, it's associated with good service and honest. We believe in being honest and taking care of team members."
He opened his first Culver's franchise in 2006. Now he has six locations across the Calumet Region.
"The brand is really big. They now have 865 locations," he said. "I was just trying to do one to bring in a little bit of money. Never in my dreams did I think it would grow like this. Now I have family members from the next generation coming in to help run it. I don't have to work as much. It's a nice situation. The next generation is coming on and working hard."
He's looking to open another location in about a year.
"We're just really blessed," Terpstra said. "We're still busy. We're doing fine with good-volume restaurants because of God up above. It's a strong belief of our family that we owe it all to him."
The Hammond Culver's will be open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week.
Joseph S. Pete
Coming soon
Cosmix Cereal + Ice Cream Mashup will cater to the public's sweet tooth in downtown Griffith.
The new business will share the old Twincade space at 106 N. Broad St. with True BBQ, which also has locations in Munster and Crown Point.
It's an ice cream shop and cereal bar where one will be able to customize a mix or order a specialty mix.
For more information, find the business on Facebook.
Joseph S. Pete
New ownership
It's My Party, a long-running balloon store on U.S. 30 in Dyer, has new owners.
"Our family recently sold our beloved 13-year-old balloon shop in Dyer to two lovely couples," previous owner Amy Cullen said. "It’s My Party was the first balloon business in the Region. We opened in the fall of 2008. Many balloon shops have followed, but we are truly an original."
The business at 1514 Joliet St. offers balloon bouquets, balloon columns, balloon arches, balloon garlands and balloon art for all kinds of parties and special occasions.
Joseph S. Pete
'Staple in the community'
"Our mission has been to provide the best possible balloon experience and our business has grown leaps and bounds year after year," Cullen said. "Half of our customers on any given day are repeat clients and we have hundreds of people that we have served year after year for 13 years. It’s an amazing success story. It’s My Party serves many of the local businesses in the region like Hard Rock Casino, Albert's and Purdue University Northwest, and I believe we are a staple in the community."
Cullen is turning the business over to new owners Alicia Garrett and Michelle Bean Jabczynski.
Garrett was a customer for 12 years who went there last year to get a graduation gift for her daughter. Cullen asked her if she'd like to help out at the shop.
Joseph S. Pete
'You deliver one balloon cactus'
"You deliver one balloon cactus and then you become an owner at the store," she joked.
She worked with Jabczynski for 12 years at the Disney Store.
"My family knows and most of my friends know that celebrating life is my passion," Garrett said. "So I'm super-excited to be able to share that with everybody in the Region."
For more information, visit orderballoonsonline.com , call 219-322-7777 or find the business on Facebook.
Joseph S. Pete
Relocated
Revolution Valparaiso moved to a new location at 5410 N. Calumet Ave. in Valparaiso.
It's an alternative merchandise store that sells vinyl records, clothes, smoking accessories, local art, blown glass art, incense, used books, home decor and detox products. It caters to "eccentric tastes."
It's the kind of place where one can find turntables, tie-dye scrunchies, hemp backpacks, gemstones and exotic oils.
For more information, call 219-464-2814 or find the business on Facebook.
Joseph S. Pete
Coming soon
Che bello! One Italian restaurant leaves, another springs up to take its place.
The Taverna Tonelli space at 521 Franklin St. in downtown Michigan City won't stay vacant for long after the owners couldn't come to terms with the new building owners over a new lease.
A new Italian eatery, Vita del Lago, is moving in and planning to open soon not far from Michigan City's bustling Lake Michigan lakefront. The name translates in English to "Life of the Lake."
If you would like your business to be included in a future column, email joseph.pete@nwi.com .
Joseph S. Pete
WATCH NOW: Riding Shotgun with NWI Cops — Patrolling Lowell with Cpl. Aaron Crawford
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NWI Business Ins and Outs: Sonic, Royal Tea, Aldi, European Wax Center and Region Recovery opening
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https://www.nwitimes.com/business/local/tolls-set-to-rise-on-indiana-toll-road/article_3ac12e68-fddd-598d-bce5-737e31b64f58.html
| 2022-06-01T19:01:59
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https://www.nwitimes.com/business/local/tolls-set-to-rise-on-indiana-toll-road/article_3ac12e68-fddd-598d-bce5-737e31b64f58.html
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A portion of a downtown Bismarck avenue will be closed to through traffic for about a month beginning at 6 a.m. Friday as a contractor works on pavement repairs.
Thayer Avenue between Third Street and the alley between Fourth Street and Fifth Street will be closed, along with Fourth Street from Thayer Avenue to midblock to the south.
Access to the Wells Fargo parking ramps and parking lots will be maintained. Sidewalk access will be maintained for businesses. No detour routes will be in place for motorists.
More information on city street projects is at www.bismarcknd.gov/streets.
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https://bismarcktribune.com/news/local/portion-of-thayer-avenue-to-close-for-a-month/article_1368d8f4-e1d2-11ec-99c6-dbc8adfcda5d.html
| 2022-06-01T19:06:35
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https://bismarcktribune.com/news/local/portion-of-thayer-avenue-to-close-for-a-month/article_1368d8f4-e1d2-11ec-99c6-dbc8adfcda5d.html
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ROANOKE, Va. — A hiker from the Netherlands who fell 50 feet off a cliff just north of the summit of McAfee Knob has died, emergency officials said.
Three all-terrain vehicles and around 30 fire and rescue personnel were joined by three police officers to conduct a rescue attempt, WDBJ reported. Classen died at a local hospital that day.
McAfee Knob is considered among the most popular hiking destinations both in the Roanoke Valley and along the 2,200-mile Appalachian Trail, which extends between Georgia and Maine.
The Roanoke Times reports that in July 2018, Gregg Marr Sr., 67, of Florida, slipped and fell 100 feet from the summit. He was hospitalized and died about a week later.
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https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/hiker-injured-in-fall-from-virginia-cliff-dies-in-hospital/2022/06/01/16e0c08e-e1da-11ec-ae64-6b23e5155b62_story.html
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BALTIMORE — Maryland health officials announced the first heat-related death reported in the state this year on Wednesday.
The department monitors temperature conditions and heat-related illnesses and deaths. Heat-related illness can affect anyone, but officials warn that those most at risk are people under age 5 or over age 65, people with chronic illnesses, people taking certain medications, and those who are exercising or working outdoors.
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https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/maryland-reports-states-first-heat-related-death-this-year/2022/06/01/f17ed85c-e1da-11ec-ae64-6b23e5155b62_story.html
| 2022-06-01T19:07:29
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A second former student has sued North Kingstown schools over a coach's 'fat tests'
A second former student at North Kingstown High School is suing present and past school officials “for personal injuries,” alleging they failed to protect him from the “inappropriate conduct and exploitation” of former coach Aaron Thomas.
Thomas was the boys basketball coach who for 20 years conducted body fat tests on disrobed athletes, some of whom have said they stripped naked while alone with the coach after he asked if they were “shy or not shy.”
The civil lawsuit mirrors allegations made in a lawsuit filed in April by another former student – allegations that several other former students are prepared to claim in court as well: that school officials for years turned a blind eye to Thomas’ behavior and that their “negligence” harmed students.
Timothy Conlon, a lawyer who represents several of those former students, said Wednesday: “How this is going to proceed remains to be seen.” He said he’d like to take “a more global approach with the town as an alternative to a long series of lawsuits.”
The latest suit identifies the plaintiffs as a now 21-year-old former student, “John Doe 23,” and his parents.
In April:Former student sues North Kingstown officials over Aaron Thomas 'fat-testing' scandal
They contend that in the fall of 2017 Thomas recruited the boy for body fat testing even though he didn’t play basketball.
The boy stood before him undressed. Thomas “had positioned himself so as to place his head within 12-15 inches of the boy’s genitals. John Doe 23 was then inappropriately touched by Thomas, who placed his hands within 2-4 inches of the boy’s genitals and used the pretext of pinching his skin” to take a measurement, ‘’all while having his hands there for an extended period.”
“Thomas thereafter continued to solicit John Doe 23, and use his position with the school to press the child to submit to further ‘examinations,’ which the boy either ignored or refused.”
Because of school officials’ “negligence” in protecting the boy from Thomas’s “misconduct,” he sustained years of emotional distress and mental suffering, the suit alleges.
Report:North Kingstown officials violated duty to protect children in 'fat testing' scandal
The suit contends School Department employees “assisted Thomas in normalizing his conduct by allowing him to openly pull young men into private spaces alone, openly portraying the invitation to participate in his ‘testing regime’ as important to their athletic development, which indeed it was not.”
Even when the “misconduct” was reported, as in 2017 and 2018 and at least one other time later, the suit says, two former athletic directors, a principal, a superintendent, and other educators “actively sought to avoid controversy.”
They brushed off parental complaints and failed to properly report and investigate – “effectively signaling” that the School Department administration “could be counted upon to shield offending employees.”
The fallout:North Kingstown superintendent resigns as investigation into former coach's 'fat tests' continues
Thomas, who has denied any wrongdoing, resigned last year ahead of his anticipated firing by the School Committee and as the district’s handling of various allegations erupted in controversy. He has not been charged with a crime.
“Even after termination of Thomas’ employment, defendants failed to warn former students, including John Doe 23, and parents of former students ... or other school districts of Thomas’ behavior and instead withheld all negative information and allegations,” until the rehiring of Thomas at nearby Monsignor Clarke School in South Kingstown “caused public scandal.”
March:Second North Kingstown school administrator resigns amid naked 'fat-testing' scandal
The suit’s long list of defendants includes the current School Committee, former Supt. Philip Auger and former Assistant Supt. Denise Mancieri (both resigned in the wake of a scathing internal report on how they handled complaints about Thomas) as well as the town finance director and former high school athletic directors Howard Hague and Keith Kenyon, who left the school in 2009.
In April, just days after the filing of the first civil case, an allegation surfaced of a former North Kingstown Middle School coach “stalking” a pre-teen girl.
The former coach still worked as a teacher at Davisville Middle School. Interim Supt. Michael Waterman placed him on administrative leave after learning the girl's parents had contacted the U.S. Attorney's Office, which was already investigating the allegations against Thomas.
Then days later Waterman announced two other School Department employees were also being placed on leave – one a school administrator and the other a coach.
The revelations prompted Waterman to announce a restructuring of the schools’ athletic department with more required training for coaches.
School Committee Chairman Gregory Blasbalg said at the time the committee could not comment on the various allegations until several internal and civil-rights investigations – as well as a criminal investigation ongoing in the Thomas matter with the state attorney general – are completed.
Email Tom Mooney at: tmooney@providencejournal.com
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https://www.providencejournal.com/story/news/local/2022/06/01/north-kingston-ri-basketball-coach-school-district-sued-student-fat-test/7469424001/
| 2022-06-01T19:08:27
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Police investigate death of man found shot in crashed car near I-17 and Thunderbird Road
Phoenix police are investigating the death of a man found in a crashed car who they believe was shot on northbound I-17 near Thunderbird Road.
Sgt. Vincent Cole, a spokesperson with Phoenix police, said around 4 a.m. Wednesday police received calls about a vehicle in a ditch. Troopers from the Arizona Department of Public Safety and officers responded to the scene and found a man with gunshot wounds in a car.
Police believe the shooting happened somewhere on northbound I-17 although it is unclear what happened. Cole said the vehicle had multiple bullet strikes.
The identity of the man hadn't been released as of Wednesday morning.
Cole said the exit ramp on northbound I-17 at Thunderbird Road will possibly be closed for a couple of hours.
Reach breaking news reporter Angela Cordoba Perez at Angela.CordobaPerez@Gannett.com or on Twitter @AngelaCordobaP.
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https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix-traffic/2022/06/01/police-man-found-shot-crashed-car-near-i-17-thunderbird-road/7468939001/
| 2022-06-01T19:09:21
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PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A group of elderly residents is filing a lawsuit against the developer of an affordable apartment complex in Northeast Portland for poor living conditions.
Tenants are holding a press conference at 11 a.m. on Wednesday to detail Reach Community Development’s failure to provide a clean and safe residence.
Residents of Allen Fremont Plaza allege they have been forced to live in poor conditions while the building deteriorated over the past seven years.
Tenants say limited elevator maintenance, lack of ventilation, poor lighting and failure to place security cameras around the building have created an unsafe space to live in. Along with this, residents say the restrooms don’t meet their basic hygiene needs.
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https://www.koin.com/local/multnomah-county/elderly-tenants-allege-developer-failed-to-provide-clean-safe-living-conditions/
| 2022-06-01T19:23:21
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https://www.koin.com/local/multnomah-county/elderly-tenants-allege-developer-failed-to-provide-clean-safe-living-conditions/
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Titusville officer arrested in man's shooting death last year during confrontation involving mistaken identity
An on-duty Titusville police officer, who state investigators said shot and killed a man mistakenly believed to be involved in battering a woman, was arrested Wednesday.
The officer, identified as Joshua Payne, bonded out of the Brevard County Jail Complex within hours of being taken into custody. Payne was charged with manslaughter in connection with the Dec. 26, 2021 shooting death of 40-year-old James Lowery.
“I talked to the mother and the sisters to tell them. They just broke out in tears,” said Natalie Jackson, the Orland-based civil attorney who is representing Lowery's family and working with high-profile civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump on the case.
“My thought is that we should be cautiously optimistic. The mother still doesn’t know about what happened in this case. There are body cams and we want to see that. (Lowery) was shot in the back of the head and that should not have happened.” Jackson and Crump will attempt to meet with Brevard County prosecutors in Viera on Friday to discuss other issues with the case.
Payne’s arrest, handled by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, was the first in recent memory of an on-duty Brevard County officer being charged in a case involving the use of deadly force.
The charge of manslaughter includes "recklessness or lack of care when handling a dangerous weapon. The statute can also be proven if the defendant used excessive force during self-defense or defense of another," Todd Brown, spokesperson for the Brevard-Seminole state attorney's office, said in a statement issued on Twitter.
Civil rights attorneys file lawsuit:Crump files public records lawsuit against Titusville PD in officer-involved shooting
Grieving mom awaits decision:Titusville mother waits as state attorney decides if police justifiably fatally shot her son
'We're still fighting for justice':It's been a 'year of hell' say parents of Cocoa teens killed in mistaken shooting by Brevard deputy
The case drew attention from Crump, with family members, including Lowery's mother, who tearfully detailed her belief that Lowery's death was a case of mistaken identity. Several other cases involving the use of deadly force - including decisions from the state attorney's office - have also drawn protests in recent years. Crump has also filed lawsuits or been involved in cases involving the use of force by Brevard County law enforcement agencies.
“My son got killed that Sunday, the day after Christmas, and that following Tuesday, the chief came to my home and said he was very sorry. But they didn’t tell me anything," Linda Lowery-Johnson told FLORIDA TODAY in April, adding that she was struggling emotionally while waiting for any information on her son's case. "I feel like they should talk to us, tell us, so I can see what happened with my son.”
The state attorney reached out to her attorney on Wednesday with news of the arrest.
The shooting incident began Dec. 26 after 911 calls to police reported that a man had attacked a woman along South Deleon Avenue.
Several police officers arrived within minutes during the early evening night call. Payne honed in on Lowery, later saying that Lowery fit the description of the reported suspect, and attempted to stop him for questioning. Lowery, who had been heading home to his mother where he had been celebrating the holiday, then ran.
Investigators said he dropped a small bag of narcotics during the run. Payne continued to run after Lowery, pulling out his Taser and using it on Lowery as he caught up to him.
Lowery broke free and attempted to climb a fence to a residential yard. Payne, who was fitted with a body cam, drew his gun and, according to the FDLE, tried to use both weapons as he climbed the same fence. At that point, records show, Payne fired off a single round, striking Lowery in the back of the head.
The death was declared a homicide by the Brevard County Medical Examiner’s office. Mansalughter as a charge is filed in cases involving what prosecutors determine to be culpable negligence or incidents where force is used without justification.
The Titusville Police Department withheld the officer’s name from the public along with the body cam footage. The jail did not produce a face shot of the officer, who is protected by law from having an arrest image released.
Titusville Police Chief John Lau met with leaders of the NAACP in sessions that were closed to the media and others. The agency did not immediately issue a comment on the case.
A trial date has not been set.
J.D. Gallop is a Criminal Justice/Breaking News Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Gallop at 321-917-4641 or jgallop@floridatoday.com. Twitter: @JDGallop.
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https://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/local/2022/06/01/titusville-officer-charged-manslaughter/7470918001/
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SACRAMENTO, Calif — The reparations movement hit a watershed moment Wednesday with the release of an exhaustive report detailing California’s role in perpetuating discrimination against African Americans, a major step toward educating the public and setting the stage for an official government apology and case for financial reparations.
The 500-page document lays out the harms suffered by descendants of enslaved people long after slavery was abolished in the 19th century, through discriminatory laws and actions in all facets of life, from housing and education to employment and the legal system.
“Four hundred years of discrimination has resulted in an enormous and persistent wealth gap between Black and white Americans,” according to the interim report of the California Task Force to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans.
“As the following chapters will show, these effects of slavery continue to be embedded in American society today and have never been sufficiently remedied. The governments of the United States and the State of California have never apologized to or compensated African Americans for these harms.”
RELATED: 'It has anti-Blackness' | West Campus High students demand change after racist incident in November
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation creating the two-year task force in 2020, making California the only state to move ahead with a study and plan. Cities and universities are taking up the cause, with the Chicago suburb of Evanston, Illinois, becoming the first U.S. city to make reparations available to Black residents last year.
Members of the task force started meeting in June 2021 and will release a comprehensive plan for reparations next year. The committee voted in March to limit reparations to the descendants of Black people who were living in the U.S. in the 19th century, overruling reparations advocates who want to expand compensation to all Black people in the U.S.
California is home to the fifth-largest Black population in the U.S., after Texas, Florida, Georgia and New York, the report said. An estimated 2.8 million Black people live in California, according to the report.
African Americans make up nearly 6% of California’s population yet they are overrepresented in jails, youth detention centers and prisons. About 28% of people imprisoned in California are Black and in 2019, African American youth made up 36% of minors ordered into state juvenile detention facilities.
Nearly 9% of people living below the poverty level in the state were African Americans and 30% of people experiencing homelessness in 2019 were Black, according to state figures.
RELATED: California's Abolition Act: The man aiming to strike 'Involuntary Servitude' from state constitution
Black Californians earn less and and are more likely to be poor than white residents. In 2018, Black residents earned on average just under $54,000 compared to $87,000 for white Californians. In 2019, 59% of white households owned their homes, compared with 35% of Black Californians.
The task force makes sweeping initial recommendations, including within the prison system: Incarcerated people should not be forced to work while in prison and if they do, must be paid fair market wages. Inmates should also be allowed to vote and people with felony convictions should serve on juries, according to the report.
The group recommends creating a state-subsidized mortgage program to guarantee low rates for qualifying African American applicants, free health care, free tuition to California colleges and universities and scholarships to African American high school graduates to cover four years of undergraduate education.
The committee also calls for a Cabinet-level secretary position to oversee an African American Affairs agency with branches for civic engagement, education, social services, cultural affairs and legal affairs. It would help people research and document their lineage to a 19th-century ancestor so they could qualify for financial restitution.
The Black population increased significantly in California during World War II as people migrated from Southern states for war-related work. The Black population of California ballooned from 124,000 in 1940 to more than 1.4 million in 1970.
Despite California being a “free” state, the Ku Klux Klan flourished, with members holding positions in law enforcement and city government. African American families were forced to live in segregated neighborhoods that were more likely to be polluted.
Missouri native Basil Campbell, for example, was purchased for $1,200 and forced to move to Yolo County in 1854, leaving behind his wife and two sons. Campbell eventually paid off his purchase price, married and became a landowner. When his sons petitioned for a portion of his estate after his death, a California judge ruled that marriage between two enslaved people “is not a marriage relation.”
In 1958, a Black school teacher, Alfred Simmons, rented a house from a white person in the all-white neighborhood of Elmwood in Berkeley. The Berkeley chief of police complained to the FBI and the Federal Housing Administration wrote to tell the white landlord that future mortgage applications would be denied because renting to a Black person was an “unsatisfactory risk determination," the report said.
More recently, the home of Paul Austin and Tenisha Tate-Austin was assessed at a much lower price because it was located in a primarily Black part of upscale Marin County, which is where African Americans were forced to live starting in World War II.
“California was not a passive actor in perpetuating these harms," said California Attorney General Rob Bonta. “This interim report is a historic step by the State of California to acknowledge the insidious effects of slavery and ongoing systemic discrimination, recognize the state’s failings, and move toward rectifying the harm.”
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'No Cruising' ordinance overturned by Sacramento City Council, lowriders celebrate
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/california/california-taskforce-details-racist-past-in-reparations-report/103-60421c86-e97b-4b7f-96ed-d0e004616f5e
| 2022-06-01T19:32:24
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Phoenix Greyhound Park demolished in February 2022
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| 2022-06-01T19:57:14
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COVID-19 update: Cases increase by 13,042, weekly positive test percentage continues to rise
COVID-19 cases in Arizona and the portion of tests returning positive for the virus continue to rise, according to the state's latest weekly update.
Health officials on Wednesday reported a high 13,042 new COVID-19 cases and 33 new known deaths over the weeklong period ending May 28. That's the highest case report since Arizona switched to weekly updates at the start of March.
Cases reported from tests done during the past week were the highest they've been in over three months, state data shows, but still far lower than the winter. Case numbers in recent months likely are not showing the full picture of infections as many more people have used at-home test kits and may not report positive results to county health departments.
Reported cases since the pandemic began are at more than 2 million. Known deaths in Arizona are at more than 30,300.
Wednesday marked the 14th of the weekly updates to the state's data dashboard, instead of daily updates that Arizonans became accustomed to following for the latest data on infections, illnesses and deaths.
The previous week's update added 11,498 cases and 40 deaths, compared with 7,204 cases and 29 deaths, 5,490 cases and 41 deaths, 3,911 cases and 238 deaths, 2,350 cases and 99 deaths, 2,377 cases and 29 deaths (low because of a processing error), 2,777 cases and 142 deaths, 6,840 cases and 413 deaths, 10,143 cases (high because of a reporting catch-up) and 385 deaths, 4,566 cases and 336 deaths, 5,153 cases and 457 deaths, 6,549 cases and 382 deaths, and 9,647 cases and 449 deaths the 12 weeks prior.
This week's update shows the differences between data reported for the week of May 22-28 and the week of May 15-21.
Health officials say weekly updates match how public health monitors trends and other disease reporting.
Case numbers generally were relatively lower in the past couple months, and public health experts estimate cases of the highly contagious omicron variant peaked in Arizona around mid-January.
The state data dashboard no longer shows key hospitalization information since Gov. Doug Ducey ended the COVID-19 emergency declaration on March 30. State health officials said hospitals are no longer required to report some COVID-19 surveillance data to the state, meaning certain graphs showing weekly hospitalization levels for the disease and bed usage by COVID-19 patients are no longer updated.
At the time that data reporting stopped, hospitalizations for the disease had dropped steadily since late January.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still reports state hospitalization data for Arizona and showed a 10.4% decrease in the seven-day average of COVID-19 hospital admissions from May 23-29 compared with May 16-22. Hospital admissions last week were down 91.5% from the peak seven-day average in early January 2021.
The number of known deaths in the state was at 30,332 as of Wednesday, after passing 30,000 known deaths in the May 4 update, 29,000 deaths in the March 30 update, 28,000 deaths in the March 9 update, 27,000 deaths on Feb. 10 and 26,000 deaths on Jan. 28. The state surpassed 25,000 deaths on Jan. 13. Deaths are now reported with a four-week lag.
Arizona's overall pandemic death rate since early 2020 is third-highest nationwide.
State data on breakthrough infections
The state in December began publicly disclosing data on breakthrough COVID-19 infections, and state officials say the data underscores the effectiveness of the vaccine — especially for people with booster doses.
Data from April show that 26.7% of cases, 26% of hospitalizations and 23.2% of COVID-19 deaths were among fully vaccinated people without a booster, with much of the rest among unvaccinated people. Fully vaccinated people with a booster made up 35% of reported cases, 29.4% of hospitalizations and 28.6% of deaths in April.
The COVID-19 virus' disproportionate impact on older adults, who are also more likely to have a booster dose, could help explain why a higher percentage of people who were fully vaccinated and boosted died of COVID-19 in March than those who were fully vaccinated and not boosted. The effectiveness of boosters also appears to wane after several months. But the precise explanation for those percentages of deaths is unclear.
Looking at the proportions of deaths by vaccination status does not tell the risk, though. State health officials recommend considering the rates of death among boosted individuals versus unvaccinated individuals, which show significantly lower death rates in vaccinated and boosted individuals compared with unvaccinated individuals.
Health officials emphasize the best protection against severe illness from COVID-19 is to remain up to date with recommended vaccinations, including second booster doses for those 50 and older and people who are immunocompromised.
Unvaccinated people 12 and older in Arizona had a 2 times greater risk of testing positive for COVID-19, 9 times greater risk of hospitalization from COVID-19 and 11.9 times greater risk of dying from COVID-19 in April compared with fully vaccinated people with a booster, according to state data.
Unvaccinated people had a 3.4 times greater risk of testing positive, 7.1 times greater risk of hospitalization and 8.7 times greater risk of dying from COVID-19 compared with individuals who were fully vaccinated without a booster.
As of April 20, there had been 1,867 breakthrough deaths in fully vaccinated individuals, according to state health officials’ preliminary data, which works out to a breakthrough death rate of 0.04% among fully vaccinated people.
Case rates and death reports
The omicron variant and other versions of omicron are still contributing to many of the cases in Arizona, according to results from sequencing labs.
Percent positivity, which refers to the percentage of COVID-19 diagnostic tests that are positive, varies somewhat based on how it's measured. It was high in winter months, a sign of more community spread. Then it was much lower, but has been climbing upward the past several weeks.
For most of December, Arizona's percent positivity for COVID-19 testing was at 11%-13%, before rising to 22% for the week of Dec. 26, 29% for the week of Jan. 2, 32% for the week of Jan. 9, 34% for the week of Jan. 16, 29% for the week of Jan. 23, 22% for the week of Jan. 30, 16% for the week of Feb. 6, 11% for the week of Feb. 13, 7% for the week of Feb. 20, 4% for the week of Feb. 27, 3% for the week of Mar. 6, 3% for the week of Mar. 13, 3% for the week of Mar. 20, 3% for the week of Mar. 27, 3% for the week of April 3, 4% for the week of April 10, 5% for the week of April 17, 6% for the week of April 24, 9% for the week of May 1, 11% for the week of May 8, 16% for the week of May 15 and 19% for the week of May 22. The percentages are now for all diagnostic tests conducted, rather than for unique individuals tested, following a change to the state dashboard.
A positivity rate of 5% or less is considered a good benchmark that the disease's spread is under control.
The state's overall COVID-19 death and case rates since Jan. 21, 2020 still remain among the worst in the country.
The COVID-19 death rate in Arizona since the pandemic began is 416 deaths per 100,000 people as of Tuesday, according to the CDC, putting it third in the country in a state ranking that separates New York City from New York state. The U.S. average is 301 deaths per 100,000 people as of Tuesday, according to the CDC.
New York City has the highest death rate, at 481 deaths per 100,000 people, followed by Mississippi at 418.
Arizona's first known death from the disease occurred in mid-March 2020.
Many of the reported deaths occurred days or weeks before because of reporting delays and death certificate matching.
A total of 2,062,669 COVID-19 cases were identified across the state through May 28.
Vaccination update
Arizonans ages 5 and older are eligible for the Pfizer vaccine, while the Moderna vaccine is approved for those 18 and older. The FDA has approved the Johnson & Johnson vaccine on a more limited basis for people 18 and older. Many individuals are eligible for booster doses, too.
The state reported about 5.1 million people in Arizona — about 71.3% of the total state population — had received at least one vaccine dose through May 28, with about 4.4 million residents fully vaccinated against COVID-19. The state’s data dashboard now separates out doses administered to Arizona residents versus all doses administered in the state.
Arizona's rate of fully vaccinated people out of the total population is 62%, which is behind the national rate of 66.7%, according to the CDC as of Tuesday.
Out of the vaccine-eligible population, people ages five and older, 65.9% of those in Arizona are fully vaccinated, compared with 70.8% at the national level, CDC data shows.
Health experts strongly recommend booster shots for those eligible, especially with the omicron variant spreading. About 46.1% of fully vaccinated Arizonans over the age of 18 had received a first booster shot as of Tuesday, below the national rate of 50.2% for that same age group.
What to know about latest numbers
Reported cases in Arizona: 2,062,669, as of May 28.
Cases by county: 1,305,383 in Maricopa; 260,455 in Pima; 134,363 in Pinal; 62,906 in Yuma; 58,198 in Mohave; 49,058 in Yavapai; 44,800 in Coconino; 38,799 in Navajo; 31,991 in Cochise; 22,769 in Apache; 17,545 in Gila; 16,784 in Santa Cruz; 12,128 in Graham; 5,248 in La Paz; and 2,242 in Greenlee, according to state numbers.
The rate of cases per 100,000 people since the pandemic began is highest in Navajo County, followed by Gila, Apache, Santa Cruz, Graham and Coconino counties, according to state data. The rate in Navajo County is 34,389 cases per 100,000 people. By comparison, the U.S. average rate since the pandemic began is 25,286 cases per 100,000 people as of Tuesday, according to the CDC.
The Navajo Nation reported 54,226 cases and 1,788 confirmed deaths as of Tuesday. The Navajo Nation includes parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah.
The Arizona Department of Corrections reported 14,987 inmates had tested positive for COVID-19 as of Tuesday, including 2,471 in Tucson, 2,278 in Eyman, 2,234 in Yuma, 1,745 in Lewis and 1,277 in Phoenix; 56,085 inmates statewide have been tested. A total of 5,063 prison staff members have self-reported testing positive, the department said. Sixty-two incarcerated people in Arizona are confirmed to have died of COVID-19, with 16 additional deaths under investigation.
The race/ethnicity breakdown of cases since the start of the pandemic in 2020 is 40% white, 29% Hispanic or Latino, 5% American Indian, 4% Black and 2% Asian/Pacific Islander. Race/ethnicity of positive cases since the onset of the pandemic is unknown in 14% of cases, and listed as other race in 6% of cases.
Of those who have tested positive in Arizona since the start of the pandemic, about 21% were younger than 20, 42% were 20-44, 13% were 45-54, 11% were 55-64 and 12% were age 65 or older.
Laboratories had completed 19,622,461 total diagnostic tests for COVID-19 as of May 28, 12.1% of which have come back positive. That number includes both PCR and antigen testing. Percent positivity was at 19% for the week of May 22, higher than recent weeks. The state numbers leave out data from labs that do not report electronically.
The state Health Department includes probable cases as anyone with a positive antigen test, another type of test to determine infection. Antigen tests (not related to antibody tests) use a nasal swab or another fluid sample to test for current infection. Results are typically produced within 15 minutes.
A positive antigen test result is considered very accurate, but there's an increased chance of false-negative results, Mayo Clinic officials said. They say a doctor may recommend a PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test to confirm a negative antigen test result.
Arizona as of Tuesday had the 14th highest overall case rate in the country since Jan. 21, 2020. Ahead of Arizona in cases per 100,000 people since the pandemic began are Rhode Island, Alaska, North Dakota, Kentucky, Tennessee, New York City, Utah, Guam, South Carolina, Wisconsin, Florida, West Virginia and Delaware, according to the CDC.
Arizona's infection rate is 28,159 cases per 100,000 people, according to the CDC. The national average is 25,286 cases per 100,000 people, although the rates in states hard hit early in the pandemic may be an undercount because of a lack of available testing in March and April 2020.
Reported deaths in Arizona: 30,332
Deaths by county: 17,384 in Maricopa; 3,864 in Pima; 1,670 in Pinal; 1,462 in Mohave; 1,215 in Yavapai; 1,183 in Yuma; 911 in Navajo; 615 in Apache; 576 in Cochise; 479 in Coconino; 386 in Gila; 232 in Santa Cruz; 178 in Graham; 144 in La Paz; and 33 in Greenlee.
People age 65 and older make up 21,501 of the 30,332 deaths, or 71%. About 16% of deaths were among people 55-64 years old, 8% were 45-54 and 6% were 20-44 years old.
While race/ethnicity was unknown for 4% of deaths, 56% of those who died were white, 26% were Hispanic or Latino, 7% were Native American, 3% were Black and 1% were Asian/Pacific Islander, the state data shows.
The global death toll as of Wednesday was 6,293,499. The U.S. had the highest death count of any country in the world, at 1,007,254, followed by Brazil at 666,676 and India at 524,636, according to Johns Hopkins University.
Arizona's 30,332 deaths represent about 3% of COVID-19 deaths in the United States.
Republic reporter Stephanie Innes contributed to this article.
Reach the reporter at Alison.Steinbach@arizonarepublic.com or at 602-444-4282. Follow her on Twitter @alisteinbach.
Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today.
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https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-health/2022/06/01/arizona-covid-19-update-adds-cases-deaths/7470352001/
| 2022-06-01T19:57:26
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A Community Thrives: Now is the time to apply for our annual grant program
Organizations and nonprofits across the nation were impacted by the pandemic, affecting the services they were able to provide for their communities. Organizations struggled to keep up with the demand, and many people quit their jobs in what has been coined the Great Resignation.
Two years into the pandemic, groups are starting to recover, but they need assistance.
The 2022 A Community Thrives program, a $2 million initiative created by the Gannett Foundation, will award grants to groups looking to improve their communities. The Knoxville News Sentinel and Gannett, the parent company of our USA TODAY Network, sponsors A Community Thrives.
Since the program’s inception in 2017, more than $17 million has been donated through crowdfunding efforts and disbursed to more than 500 organizations. Nonprofits in East Tennessee have been awarded tens of thousands of dollars.
Now, A Community Thrives is accepting applications once again for organizations looking to bring awareness to a project that focuses on community building with an emphasis on affecting historically underserved individuals and groups.
"With so many organizations doing the hard work of serving our neighbors in countless capacities, we're thrilled to be able to offer a helping hand through A Community Thrives," said Knox News editor Joel Christopher. "Not only can we highlight the missions of these local groups through storytelling, we can offer direct support for their efforts."
Organizations will raise money by crowdfunding, then they will be eligible for 16 project grants: three $100,000 grants, seven $50,000 grants and six $25,000 grants.
There are also operating grants for eligible entrants with community operations in Gannett’s markets like East Tennessee, incentive grants for groups that raise the most funds and bonus challenge grants for those who wish to compete.
Organizations can apply at gannettfoundation.org/act through June 30 at 9 p.m. ET. The fundraising phase of the program will take place from July 18 through Aug. 12, and recipients will be announced Oct. 5.
Our region's 2021 winners
Here's a look at the community organizations in East Tennessee that are making a huge difference. They applied and received grants in the 2021 cycle of A Community Thrives.
Breast Connect: $10,000 grant to empower Knoxville women diagnosed with breast cancer
Joy of Music School: $10,000 grant to help serve at least 20 underserved students learn an instrument
Mooresburg Community Association: $5,000 grant to enable the elderly to live as independently as possible, for as long as possible
Knox Area Rescue Ministries: $2,500 grant to help the poor and needy of Knoxville
Sustainable Future Center: $2,500 grant to improve health and resilience by fostering a co-operative, self-reliant learning community using permaculture principles
Why raise money for communities?
The stories told by journalists in the USA TODAY Network helped inspire the creation of A Community Thrives. Journalists hear amazing ideas to improve American communities.
“A Community Thrives further highlights Gannett’s mission to empower communities to thrive by not only telling their stories, but also providing support to those who need it most,” said Mike Reed, CEO of Gannett and chairman of the Gannett Foundation. “This initiative organically assists quality organizations that share our desire to improve lives, and we are proud to be implementing the program for the sixth year.”
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https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/local/2022/06/01/community-thrives-now-time-apply-gannett-grant-program/7469522001/
| 2022-06-01T20:02:53
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The Oro Valley Police Department is looking for a man who reportedly asked children if they wanted to go home with him, making it the second stranger danger occurrence to happen within one week.
According to an Oro Valley police news release issued Tuesday, two 7-year-old boys were riding bicycles ahead of their parents when they were approached by a man walking his dog. The man then asked the boys if they wanted to go home with him, leaving the area after the boys refused.
The man is described as a white man in his 70s, 5 feet 10 inches tall, 160 pounds, white hair and was walking a medium-sized white-and-brown fluffy dog, police said.
Police were also investigating a similar stranger danger incident in the area of West Molinetto Drive and North Piemonte Way on May 26.
Two 10-year-old children were playing outside their homes when they were approached by a man in a small white sedan, police said. The man reportedly offered the boys $5 each for no reason and sped off out of the neighborhood after they refused.
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One child described the driver as a tanned white male with dark hair, a white shirt and dark purple sunglasses, police said.
It is unknown if these incidents are related or if the males described are the same person, police said. Police are also asking the community to stay vigilant and urge residents to immediately call 911 if they see something suspicious or have further information on the incidents.
Police are also asking parents to have conversations with their children about the dangers of talking to strangers and what they can do to keep themselves safe.
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https://tucson.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/oro-valley-police-investigate-second-stranger-danger-incident/article_cb464cb8-e1c8-11ec-825b-17034c1bfd28.html
| 2022-06-01T20:04:12
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https://tucson.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/oro-valley-police-investigate-second-stranger-danger-incident/article_cb464cb8-e1c8-11ec-825b-17034c1bfd28.html
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ALBANY – Phoebe Putney Health System plans to transform part of its Phoebe North campus into a long-term acute care hospital (LTACH), filling a significant health care need in the community.
“One goal of our Phoebe Focus initiative that we unveiled in 2019 was to use our Phoebe North campus to expand post-acute care services," Health System President & CEO Scott Steiner said in a news release. "Those plans included a long-term treatment facility so patients would not have to leave Albany for that vital care. Unfortunately, the pandemic delayed our plans, but – pending approval from the state – these services will soon be available to our community.
"Phoebe North is already home to our inpatient rehabilitation department, and we will continue to look for opportunities to expand post-acute care services there and enhance the continuum of care available to our patients.”
Phoebe is partnering with Affabilis, a Columbus-based health care company that will lease and operate the long-term care facility. The Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital Board of Directors approved that lease agreement during its monthly meeting Wednesday.
“We currently operate Columbus Specialty Hospital through a successful partnership with Piedmont Healthcare,” Affabilis CEO Dr. Rodney Franklin said. “We often care for Phoebe patients at our Columbus facility now, but we know the distance can cause challenges for those patients and their families. We look forward to providing the same compassionate, quality, long-term care in Albany at a location that is more convenient for many people in southwest Georgia."
LTACHs specialize in the care of medically complex, chronically critically ill patients who require ongoing care and whose length of stay is expected by be 25 days or longer.
“Typical LTACH patients no longer need to be in a regular hospital, but they’re not well enough to go home, and they generally require a higher level of care than they might receive at a rehabilitation center or skilled nursing facility,” Dr. Dianna Grant, Phoebe Putney Health System's Chief Medical Officer, said.
In 2021, PPMH referred 506 patients for care in LTACHs. Because of multiple obstacles, including lack of available beds and staffing shortages, only 46 of those patients were actually placed in an LTACH.
“There was already a great need for this kind of care in our region, and the pandemic only intensified the demand," Grant said. "We have cared for hundreds of COVID patients who stayed in our main hospital for weeks – or even months – to receive services, such as intensive respiratory care and extended care to be weaned off ventilators, that could have been delivered in a long-term care environment."
Because LTACHs focus resources on a limited number of specialized treatments with lower overhead costs, they provide more cost-effective care than if the same patients were kept in general acute care hospitals. They also help hospitals operate more efficiently by avoiding lengthy stays for patients who could be cared for more appropriately in a long-term facility.
“We are not a large corporate entity; we are a Georgia company with a proven track record of meeting the long-term health care needs of patients in our state, and we are excited to partner with Phoebe to expand access to that care," Franklin said. "It is a partnership that makes sense for both organizations, but, more importantly, it will benefit the people in and around Albany."
The plan is to convert around 20,000 square feet of space on the third floor of Phoebe North into a 24-bed LTACH. Facility upgrades and the necessary licensing and approval process could take up to 18 months, so the new hospital should be ready to accept patients by the end of 2023.
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https://www.albanyherald.com/local/phoebe-announces-partnership-to-create-long-term-acute-care-hospital-at-phoebe-north/article_254103f8-e1dc-11ec-aec8-275e17c2c124.html
| 2022-06-01T20:11:53
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YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. — A 25-year-old Grove City woman was gored and tossed into the air by a bison at Yellowstone National Park over the Memorial Day weekend.
The woman, who has not been identified, approached a bison Monday morning and got within 10 feet of the animal. Two other people were also within 25 yards of the same bison, according to a release from Yellowstone
As the bison walked near a boardwalk, the woman approached it. The bison then gored and tossed her 10 feet into the air.
The woman suffered a puncture wound and other injuries. She was taken to a medical center in Idaho. Her condition was not immediately available.
Yellowstone officials say wildlife animals can be dangerous when they are approached. Those who visit the park say to stay more than 25 yards away from all large animals like bison, elk, bighorn sheep, deer, moose and coyotes. People should stay at least 100 yards away from bears and wolves.
This was the first reported incident in 2022 of someone getting too close to a bison and goring the person.
Bison have injured more people in Yellowstone than any other animal and can run three times faster than humans.
You can read more about the park's safety guidance here.
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https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/local/grove-city-woman-gored-bison-at-yellowstone-national-park/530-fadac38a-d78a-4154-b342-3297706d8937
| 2022-06-01T20:23:41
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https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/local/grove-city-woman-gored-bison-at-yellowstone-national-park/530-fadac38a-d78a-4154-b342-3297706d8937
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MORRILTON, Ark. — The Arkansas State Police are asking for the public's help finding a missing 13-year-old girl.
According to police, Jessica Lynn Lowery was last seen around 11 p.m. on May 30 at the Petit Jean State Park campground.
She was last seen wearing a teal tank top, grey shorts, and blue Crocs.
If you have any information on where she may be you are asking to call the Conway County Sheriff's Office at 501-354-2411.
We will update this article with more information as it becomes available.
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https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/local/missing-13-year-old-petit-jean-state-park-campground/91-457a0f5d-da2e-41ab-a458-43f58266ba07
| 2022-06-01T20:23:47
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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark — Summer is officially here for kids across the country and while it’s exciting for kids, it may be stressful for parents dealing with inflation on groceries.
5NEWS spoke with a few schools in the area that have meal programs this summer that offer at least one meal a day for all kids ages 18 and younger.
With things looking more normal than in the last two years, there are some COVID funding bills that are changing the ways things are done.
The quantity and quality of food will still be the same, but the distribution is different. There will no longer be to-go meals and meals must be eaten at the sites where food is provided.
The Springdale School District program starts on June 2. They will be set up at multiple locations and have meals on-site Monday through Thursday where they will serve a cold breakfast and hot lunch.
Click here for more information on the Springdale School District meal program.
Fayetteville School District's program starts next week, June 6.
Lunch will be provided at Ramay Jr. High and they will also have a food truck outside of the Fayetteville Public Library where kids can grab lunch. They will also set up shop at some summer camps like the Boys and Girls Club.
Click here for more information on the Fayetteville School District meal program.
Fort Smith Schools start their program on June 1. They will offer breakfast and lunch at multiple locations throughout the district.
For the last two years, people could pick up meals to go. This year things are back to normal and people will be required to come and eat in the cafeterias Monday through Fridays.
Click here for more information on the Fort Smith School District meal program.
"We don’t know what to expect, our numbers have really been high the last two summers and I’m wondering how all these changes will affect the numbers but we can still expect to feed several thousand meals each day," said Leigh Christian, director of child nutrition for Fort Smith Schools.
Parents can also eat for around $4 a meal.
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https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/local/summer-meal-programs-for-students/527-128d2ed1-b871-4cb3-ae41-2e7598d6b7e7
| 2022-06-01T20:23:54
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SALEM, Ore. — Every public school district in Oregon last year was given the option to ban guns from their properties.
Oregon Public Broadcasting reports that most have declined to do so.
Since a change to Oregon law in September, only 13% of the state’s public school districts have opted to close an exemption that allows holders of a concealed handgun license to carry weapons onto public property where possessing a gun would otherwise be a felony.
According to an analysis by OPB, that list includes some districts in the Portland metro area — though not yet Portland Public Schools — along with more rural school systems. Among the 25 that have banned guns are districts in Klamath Falls, Myrtle Point, Tillamook, Pendleton, Tigard-Tualatin, Lake Oswego and Woodburn.
The vast majority of the state’s 197 public school districts have, to date, taken no action.
Whether or not to prohibit guns in schools has been a contentious point in Oregon, where one estimate suggests gun ownership is more prevalent than in many other states.
The slaying of 19 children and two teachers at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, has many Americans demanding measures to narrow access to firearms — a dynamic on display over the weekend, when independent gubernatorial candidate Betsy Johnson faced heated questions about her pro-gun stance from a crowd in Portland.
Gun rights groups and sympathetic politicians, meanwhile, insist having armed citizens nearby during an attack could limit damage from mass shootings. Opponents of the 2021 Oregon bill have suggested new restrictions are more apt to make public spaces less safe because CHL holders are overwhelmingly law-abiding. Mass shooters, they point out, don’t care about gun bans.
In Oregon, concealed handgun license holders must be at least 21, and are required to undergo a background check and complete a gun safety training course prior to receiving a license. In exchange for those steps, people with a CHL have long been granted leeway to bring their weapons into places where guns are otherwise prohibited.
With SB 554, lawmakers chipped away at that privilege. They banned guns in the state Capitol and the terminal of Portland International Airport, whether or not a person has a concealed handgun license. And they gave public schools, colleges and universities the option to implement their own bans.
A separate provision of state law, unimpacted by the bill, allows lawfully possessed guns on school grounds as long as they are unloaded and locked in a vehicle, regardless of a school board’s actions.
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https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/gun-ban-school-campus-option/283-032d8a16-8c32-4e25-86a9-32ce7d271147
| 2022-06-01T20:36:11
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TRENTON, N.Y. – A tractor-trailer rollover in Trenton left part of Route 365 blocked early Wednesday afternoon.
The Route 365 eastbound ramp to Route 12 is blocked as well as the northbound lane of Route 12 near the ramp until the vehicle can be towed.
It is not yet clear if any other vehicles were involved or if anyone was injured.
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https://www.wktv.com/news/local/tractor-trailer-rollover-in-trenton-route-365-ramp-blocked/article_35b49e3e-e1cd-11ec-9d73-a771bc14d3c3.html
| 2022-06-01T20:41:10
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https://www.wktv.com/news/local/tractor-trailer-rollover-in-trenton-route-365-ramp-blocked/article_35b49e3e-e1cd-11ec-9d73-a771bc14d3c3.html
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BOISE, Idaho — A audit of Idaho's May primary found only six variations from initial results of about 20,000 ballots chosen at random from precincts in eight counties, officials said Wednesday.
The Idaho secretary of state’s office released a third and final set of results from the three-day audit of the May 17 primary election in which about a third of Idaho's nearly 1 million registered voters cast ballots.
The audit found that five of the six variations were due to sorting errors, and that one couldn’t be immediately explained.
“It reinforces what we've been saying for the last several years — that Idaho's election process is solid,” said Chief Deputy Secretary of State Chad Houck.
The audit follows a new law passed unanimously earlier this year by the House and Senate to increase public confidence in election results by checking paper ballots. The audit is a way to also check the equipment and procedures used to count votes in the state's 44 counties.
MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, an ally of former President Donald Trump, made unsubstantiated claims and floated conspiracy theories about the 2020 presidential election in multiple states in an attempt to undermine voter confidence in the outcome. That extended even to Idaho, where Trump easily won the deeply conservative state with nearly 64% of the vote.
But Idaho officials said a partial recount of ballots cast in that election validated the results, rejecting Lindell's claims.
At least three Republican statewide candidates who lost in Idaho's recent primary repeated Trump’s false claims that the 2020 presidential election was rigged. Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin lost to Gov. Brad Little in the primary for governor. Rep. Dorothy Moon and Sen. Mary Souza lost to Ada County Clerk Phil McGrane in the primary for secretary of state.
Ada, Bannock, Bonneville, Idaho, Jerome, Kootenai, Madison and Payette counties took part in the audit.
State officials said a secondary report involving lessons learned will be released later this month.
Watch more Idaho politics:
See all of our latest political coverage in our YouTube playlist:
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https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/208/idaho-primary-election-audit-finds-tiny-miscues/277-6999aa97-9893-4d02-b145-baf4f215a53c
| 2022-06-01T20:42:59
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https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/208/idaho-primary-election-audit-finds-tiny-miscues/277-6999aa97-9893-4d02-b145-baf4f215a53c
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BOISE, Idaho — The U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Wednesday launched its new initiative, 'Our Way Home,' aiming to increase the affordable housing supply in Idaho, Alaska, Oregon and Washington.
HUD Region X Administrator, Margaret Solle Salazar, joined Boise Mayor Lauren McLean and Idaho Housing Finance Association President, Gerald Hunter, at the Thomas Logan Apartments in Boise to launch the four-state initiative.
“We know that communities across the Northwest face a shortage of affordable homes – impacting renters and homeowners, families, seniors and persons with disabilities, veterans, students, and hard-working members of our communities,” Salazar said. “This demands our action – and it is a solvable crisis if we can work together as federal, state, and local partners.”
Our Way Home is led by HUD Secretary Marcia L. Fudge. The initiative focuses on connecting communities in the state with the tools and resources required to boost affordable housing supply.
HUD's affordable housing initiative is built from U.S. President Joe Biden's Housing Supply Action Plan, which was announced May 16. The Biden-Harris Administration's plan features legislative and administrative actions aimed at closing the housing supply crisis in America in five years.
The Housing Supply Action Plan hopes to create and maintain "hundreds of thousands of affordable housing units in the next three years." It also creates $5 billion home grants and funds to preserve housing on tribal lands.
“Easing the burden of housing costs for families is a top economic priority for this Administration. For too long and in too many communities, housing supply has not kept up with the growing demand," Fudge said. "It’s going to take government working at all levels to help close the housing supply gap. I am excited to launch Our Way Home, an initiative that will not only build on the momentum that’s already begun at the federal level, but will also put into focus the unique challenges and successes in communities when it comes to making sure we all find our way home.”
The announcement comes one day after McLean announced the city is joining House America alongside 75 other mayors across the United States.
House America is a federal partnership between HUD and the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH). The program supports a housing-first approach to combat homelessness.
750 affordable housing units will be available in Boise within five years, according to McLean's House America press conference Tuesday. However, Boise needs 21,450 affordable units over the next decade, according to the city's 2021 Housing Needs Analysis.
For more information on HUD's Our Way Home initiative, click here.
Watch more 'Growing Idaho':
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https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/growing-idaho/hud-our-way-home-initiative-increase-idahos-affordable-housing/277-cf07ecef-6350-469f-a6e0-cdcbc3a42b53
| 2022-06-01T20:43:05
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BOISE, Idaho — This article originally appeared in the Idaho Press.
The Boise Greek Food Festival is coming back in-person for its 40th year.
Revelers can enjoy Greek food and pastries as well as a live Greek band and Greek dancing at the Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church on Friday, June 3 and Saturday, June 4.
“It’s going to be the best year yet!” the festival wrote on the event page.
In 2021, The Boise Greek Food Festival operated as a “drive-thru” because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Boiseans could pre-order meals online and pick them up at the Greek Orthodox Church.
“It’s important to keep YOU – and our fabulous grilling and baking team – SAFE!” the festival wrote on Facebook. “This is our biggest church fundraiser of the year – we appreciate your support.”
The festival describes the event as an “annual labor of love” by the church.
Food festivals date back thousands of years to when people celebrated harvests, marked the autumnal equinox and paid homage to deities, the Idaho Press previously reported.
And after two years of COVID-affected festivals, the organizers are ready to be back.
“Get ready to kick off the summer,” the festival wrote on Facebook in February. “We can’t wait to see you all again in person to enjoy amazing food, dancing, pastries and more.”
This article originally appeared in the Idaho Press, read more on IdahoPress.com.
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https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/idaho-press/boise-idaho-greek-food-festival-returning-this-weekend/277-3d3d1798-810a-443b-b898-bb3c7660dc8d
| 2022-06-01T20:43:11
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ROCHESTER, Minn. - So far this year, more than 130 people have died on Minnesota roads. One of the most common factors in these fatalities is distracted driving.
Only July 22, 2003, Randy Stocker and his wife Char's nightmare became a reality. The Stockers two daughters were visiting their grandmother, Randy's mom, Jean, in Illinois. They were going back-to-school shopping - when all of a sudden, they were killed.
Amy and Jenelle Stocker were 19 and 9 years old when their lives were taken from them by a distracted semi-truck driver.
"You always think it's the other person it's going to happen to," said Randy Stocker. "It happened to us this time. And we didn't know what to expect."
In the days and months that followed the accident, Stocker and his wife tried to find their own ways to grieve.
"[My wife] always thought they were coming home. So, it took six months for her to actually realize they're not coming back," said Stocker.
Through this process, Stocker said he found that people felt like they had to "deal" with a griever, when all they really need is comfort, support and understanding.
"You can't grieve wrong, that's the message," said Stocker. "If you feel like crying, if you feel like getting angry - cry, get angry. Don't let people tell you what to do or when to stop grieving or when to stop crying. It's all right here. If you feel like doing it, do it."
Stocker took the stories of his beautiful girls and mother and his own experiences with grief and wrote a book called "Hugs Help" - and the name speaks for itself.
"We wouldn't have survived without hugs," said Stocker. "All the time, strangers would come up to us and give us hugs and say we're thinking about you and we're praying for you. Not much else you can say."
And survive they did.
The Stockers have since moved here to Rochester to be closer to their son and two grandsons, and adopted a daughter who is now a sophomore in college.
Stocker and his family are truly holding the ones they love close.
"She walked into our lives with a big smile on her face. She keeps us going every day. She's an amazing young lady," said Stocker.
In the years since, Stocker has formed two bereavement groups - one in Illinois and one in Rochester to share his story with those who are also feeling the pain of losing a loved one.
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https://www.kimt.com/news/local/hugs-help-a-story-of-loss-grief-and-survival/article_7c7d9622-e1b4-11ec-b915-3764c5b15673.html
| 2022-06-01T20:44:11
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All 11 Democrats serving in the Indiana Senate, including four representing Northwest Indiana, want the General Assembly to reconvene immediately to enact new laws aimed at reducing gun violence in the Hoosier State.
In a letter sent Friday to Gov. Eric Holcomb, the Senate Democrats urge the Republican chief executive to call a special legislative session focused on gun safety following the May 24 Uvalde, Texas, massacre that killed 19 children and two teachers, and wounded 17 others, at Robb Elementary School.
"For the first time ever, the leading cause of death among children is gun violence. This epidemic is unacceptable — made all the more so because we know what can be done to address this harrowing statistic: pass common-sense gun safety regulations," said Senate Democratic Leader Greg Taylor, D-Indianapolis.
The letter says Indiana easily could adopt popular gun safety policies, including universal background checks for gun purchases, safe gun storage mandates, training and permitting requirements for gun owners, and a ban on assault weapons.
"Thoughts and prayers are insufficient in the urgency of this moment," the letter says. "We must not wait until January to show Hoosiers we are serious about protecting families, as we are obligated in our roles to secure our schools and protect our children before the next school year begins in August."
"Our young Hoosiers, our educators, and all of their families and loved ones eagerly wait for their elected leaders to demonstrate a commitment to finally addressing this epidemic."
The governor's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the Senate Democrats' letter urging him to call a special legislative session.
In any case, the policies championed by the lawmakers signing the letter, including state Sens. Michael Griffin, D-Highland; Eddie Melton, D-Gary; Rodney Pol, D-Chesterton; and Lonnie Randolph, D-East Chicago; are unlikely to win majority support in a Republican-controlled chamber that in March voted to eliminate Indiana's permit requirement for carrying a handgun in public, beginning July 1.
Taylor said he hopes that decision also would be reconsidered in a special session because House Enrolled Act 1296, enacted by Holcomb, will make it "easier for an 18-year-old in our state to access a gun than it will be for them to vote."
"Our colleagues across the aisle have expressed their desire to protect innocent lives in our state — this is our opportunity," Taylor said, referring to a letter sent in March by 100 Republican state legislators urging Holcomb to call a special session to further restrict or ban abortion in Indiana if permitted by an anticipated U.S. Supreme Court ruling.
"To quote our Republican colleagues, 'As a state that recognizes that life is a precious gift that should never be neglected, it is our desire that you, as the governor of Indiana, ensure that those values are upheld without delay.' We hope you agree and immediately call us into session to do our duty to serve and protect Hoosiers."
According to the Indiana Constitution, only the governor has the authority to convene the General Assembly after it has adjourned for the year, typically in mid-March in even-numbered years and late April in odd-numbered years.
About 25 people joined Pastor Jason Pena at the Hobart church Wednesday to pray for the 21 victims, teachers, administrators, students, first responders and the family of the offender.
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https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/in-wake-of-texas-school-shooting-hoosier-democrats-seek-special-legislative-session-on-guns/article_43fc9ebb-0968-5f84-bcfc-96eb3d75f8b2.html
| 2022-06-01T20:51:29
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https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/in-wake-of-texas-school-shooting-hoosier-democrats-seek-special-legislative-session-on-guns/article_43fc9ebb-0968-5f84-bcfc-96eb3d75f8b2.html
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CROWN POINT — On a summer evening in 2007 David Uran and his future chief of staff Keith Stevens came up with the tagline "Building a Stronger Community from Within." Standing at Bulldog Park before a crowd of about 500 during his final State of the City address Tuesday night, Mayor Uran said he believes that with the aid of his many city staff members, he has been able to do just that.
The proof, Uran said, is in Crown Point's assessed valuation of over $2 billion, the fact that the city has the lowest tax rate in Lake, Porter and LaPorte counties, the quality of Crown Point's public schools, the city's low crime rate and, most importantly, the team of city staff, citizens and business owners that work to improve Crown Point every day.
"You are all part of this working team moving the citizens and moving this community forward," Uran said.
On Friday, the longtime mayor will start his new position as president and CEO of the South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority. However, before he steps down as mayor, he had one last announcement.
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"I wanted to make this announcement tonight so when I start my job on Friday I'm fair and impartial to everyone, but tonight I'm your mayor and we are proud to say that in 2023, we are bringing the Cal Ripken World Series to Crown Point," Uran said to the cheering crowd.
On Uran's last day in office, June 2 at 6 p.m., the Crown Point Democratic precinct committee will begin the caucus to select his replacement. The decision will be between District 2 Councilwoman Dawn Stokes and longtime Police Chief Pete Land.
Building stronger from within
Throughout Uran's more than 14 years in office, Crown Point has grown from a population of 27,000 to about 34,000. In 2021 alone, 274 single-family homes were constructed in the city. To ensure Crown Point was ready for the influx of residents, the Uran administration focused on improving and maintaining key infrastructure.
Crown Point has plans to repave about 8.7 miles of road in 2022. The city has already begun to redo Clark Street using some of the $1 million received through the Community Crossings grant. Crown Point will also use Community Crossings funding to redo Wells Street.
The city is also in the midst of increasing parking downtown. Part of a three-phase project, construction has begun on the east side of downtown, where 147 parking spaces will be added. The second phase will add parking in the center of downtown and the third phase will look at the west side.
Uran also highlighted some of the improvements that have occurred below ground — such as wastewater and sanitation.
The Public Works Department recently completed a $20 million water system upgrade, replacing service lines and adding two new water storage facilities.
The city is currently looking to partner with the Lake County Council in the creation of a wastewater treatment plant in the southeast corner of Crown Point. Uran said the sanitary plant would help residents in nearby unincorporated areas to get off aging septic systems.
Addressing stormwater and flooding concerns has also been a top priority under Uran. He discussed the upcoming Sauerman's Woods project, where the city plans to create a recreational lake that will double as a retention pond. Located at 1000 E. South St., the park will also be getting a new pickleball court, a skate park and additional parking.
Working with Friends of the Military, the city will also create a walking path around the lake area at Sauerman's Woods with tribute walls detailing the conflicts of World War I and World War II as part of the 10.5-mile Veterans Memorial Trail.
"As you go around and enjoy that lake in a very quiet setting, you get to reflect on the men and women who protect us each and every day," Uran said.
Continued growth
Other quality of life projects such as the Sportsplex, Bulldog Park and increased downtown shopping and dining have increased tourism throughout the city. In 2021, the city opened its first modern hotel and there are plans to open a second.
New developments have brought increased investments. Uran discussed the $200 million Franciscan Health hospital currently under construction at Interstate 65 and U.S. 231, as well as the UChicago Medicine ambulatory micro-hospital and cancer treatment center planned for 10855 Virginia St.
To ensure all of the new development is completed in a responsible way, the Crown Point Building and Planning Department is kept busy with regular inspections. Uran said that in 2021, 6,400 inspections took place in the city.
While the city continues to attract outside investment, Uran said supporting longtime businesses is key. Carriage Court Pizza, Debbies Design's, Evorik Electric and the Yoga Room were all recognized for business longevity. All four businesses have been in the city for over 30 years.
Uran spent much of the evening thanking his team, highlighting the achievements of all 10 city departments. As Uran finished his closing remarks, city staff surprised him with a "Coach Uran" No. 14 jersey — cardinal red and adorned with the Crown Point seal.
Uran's family then gathered around him onstage to watch a short video that featured all the departments thanking Uran for his leadership.
"It's been an honor and a privilege to serve you for 14 plus years and I look forward to making those relationships even stronger," Uran said.
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https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/crown-point/watch-now-uran-thanks-his-team-discusses-ongoing-growth-during-last-state-of-the-city/article_44f15c06-4b62-5c3b-ac14-208aae23f594.html
| 2022-06-01T20:51:35
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PORTAGE — A 71-year-old Gary man was flown to a hospital by helicopter Tuesday after a tree branch fell on the vehicle he was driving, city officials said.
Portage police were dispatched about 12:20 p.m. to a stretch of Central Avenue, about one-tenth of a mile northeast of Willowdale Road, after a limb fell off a tree on the south side of the road and struck the man's car as he headed east, Sgt. Rob Maynard said.
The tree limb also struck power lines, causing an outage, the Portage Fire Department said.
Maynard said he did not recall noticing any high winds after he arrived on scene.
"I’m not an arborist, but the interior of the branch appeared to be rotten at the point where it broke off the tree despite the rest of the branch looking healthy and leafy," he said. "There was nothing noted at the scene that suggested what made the branch fall other than its condition."
NIPSCO crews responded to the scene, and power was restored later Tuesday, the Fire Department said.
A Portage man still with a vice grip-like handshake and sharp mind was preparing for possible combat duty when World War II ended. Walter Spuck, 94, was recognized during the Memorial Day ceremony.
The ordinance requires vendors to display permits from both the county health department and the city parks department. Parks permits must be requested at least a week in advance.
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https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/porter/portage/update-1-airlifted-after-tree-falls-on-vehicle-officials-say/article_7e54cecc-57d8-5547-91bf-4ddd5836bde4.html
| 2022-06-01T20:51:41
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https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/porter/portage/update-1-airlifted-after-tree-falls-on-vehicle-officials-say/article_7e54cecc-57d8-5547-91bf-4ddd5836bde4.html
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LINCOLN COUNTY, WV (WOWK) — A father was arrested on multiple child sexual abuse charges, including incest, and blamed his behavior on his diabetes medication.
According to a criminal complaint, officers were made aware of allegations against Branchland man Everett Justin Smith on May 18. It says he would allegedly sexually abuse his child on and off for about two years and tell them that if they told anyone, he would go to jail.
The criminal complaint says the victim alleges Smith started this when they were five years old and stopped when they turned eight. It says this was when Smith began dating their stepmom.
It further states when they broke up, the child says the sexual abuse started again.
The child told CPS that they had told their grandparents this was happening and they allegedly did not believe the child, documents say.
The grandmother allegedly told the child to say nothing while going to the CPS interview.
Smith has full custody and the child’s mother is, “not in the child’s life,” documents say.
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https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/father-arrested-for-child-sexual-abuse-blames-behavior-on-diabetes-medication/
| 2022-06-01T20:51:48
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https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/father-arrested-for-child-sexual-abuse-blames-behavior-on-diabetes-medication/
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INSTITUTE, WV (WOWK) — If you’re driving down I-64 or on Route 25 in Institute, you may ask yourself: “what is that large flame going up into the sky?”
According to the Kanawha County Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management’s Twitter, work at the Institute Industrial Complex by US Methanol will cause a large, visible flame.
They say US Methanol is in the process of beginning operations at the complex.
According to the Tweet, the flame is a safety feature. The size of the flame will change, but they assure everyone that this is normal.
Steam venting is also a possibility, but they say once it is fully in operation, it will not happen as often.
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https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/whats-that-large-flame-in-institute/
| 2022-06-01T20:51:54
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https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/whats-that-large-flame-in-institute/
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BLOOMINGTON — "Cogs and Corsets: A Steampunk Happening” returns to Bloomington for its fifth year on Friday.
Organizer Cathy Sutliff said people from as far as Colorado and Georgia have been drawn to the event, which celebrates a science fiction subgenre that marries the Victorian era with futuristic technology. An eclectic mix of activities, workshops and vendors will make for a riveting weekend in downtown Bloomington.
Sutliff said the event began as a one-day First Friday event in 2017, later ballooning over the next three years. The Bloomington Center for Performing Arts was a past partner that helped it grow, she said, and organizers continue to work with the McLean County Museum of History.
She said they toned done programs in 2021 so that it wouldn’t be financially detrimental if they had to “pull the tent poles. “
Early indications show this year’s event is already a success. Tickets for two dining and entertainment programs, "The Great Airship Race Murder Mystery Dinner" at Epiphany Farms Restaurant and "Dine with the Dead," have already sold out.
Sutliff said the mystery dinner investigates a mid-air murder that pauses the race in Bloomington, where “all the characters come to life” with improv.
“You have to have good props for that,” she said, adding attendees could be sitting next to performers at their table.
"Dine with the Dead" will be held at Evergreen Cemetery with a lunch provided by Shannon’s Cafe, and is similar to the Cemetery Walk. Sutliff said they’ll discuss Victoria-era tradition and cemeteries were once used at parks.
“We don’t go hanging out with the dead anymore, but cemeteries were the main parks for a while,” Sutliff said.
Sixteen vendors can be found from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday in the McLean County Museum of History. Sutliff said masks are recommended but not required.
She said there will be a tea room during those same times at the Eaton Gallery on Center Street, sponsored by Bloomington Spice Works. Tickets are $10.
There will also be “Tea Dueling” from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Friday. Sutliff said competitors challenge each other to dunking shortbread cookies into tea and eating them before the crumble apart.
Model airship races will be held outside the museum, as will a “teapot race.” Sutliff said remote-controlled cars with attached teapots will charge through an obstacle course.
“Bribery of the judges is available and recommended,” she said. “Chocolate is always recommended.”
Saturday is a “Steamy Night” at Jazz Upfront, where anyone in steampunk attire gets in for free, she said. Entertainment is to be determined.
“We like to look at ourselves as is a steampunk 101,” she said of their workshops, adding the event allows “steam-curious" people to dip their toes into the fandom.
Fans both new and seasoned to the concept can try their hands at making foam armor, get an introduction to sewing or even “patternhacking.” There are also programs on waltz dancing, sensibility issues in Victorian-era nude art, and what birdwatching was like in the Gilded Age.
The Bloomington steampunk event is part of a larger trend. Sutliff noted the Big River Steampunk Festival in Hannibal, Missouri, the Time Traveler's Convention Spring Faire in Quincy, and TeslaCon in Madison, Wisconsin.
New folks are funneled into the fandom for a variety of reasons, she said.
“There are people who are strictly into the literature and never once put on a costume,” Sutliff said. “There are other people who are all about the costumes and never pick up a book.”
What drew her into the craze is the aesthetic. Sutliff adds there’s “fantastical gadgets and machinery incorporated with beautiful metalwork and Victorian details.”
“When things were made back in the Victorian era, they were elaborate and decorative,” she said, “in addition to being functional, which you don't see much anymore.”
Sutliff said people know they’ve “found their tribe” in steampunk from its strong sense of community. She said when they run into issues with costumes or gadgets, others are willing to jump in and help others.
“We’re all about 'STEM', but with an ‘A’ inserted into it,” Sutliff said. “It’s 'STEAM', because you need the arts. You really need the creative problem solving if you’re going to address the science, technology, engineering and mathematics.”
For more information, visit cogsandcorsetsil.com.
Cogs and Corsets
Group photo
Mark Carlon
Brian Simpson, Jessica Nieslawski, Karl Smith
Seth Wheeler
Dianne Hollister, Erich Gilbert
Sponsors
Denise and Matt Geske
Nathan Gaik
The Promenande
The Promenade
Karl Smith, Mickey Lower
Sonja Reece, Brad Glenn
Joe Wright, Patti Griswold
The Promenade rounds the corner
Zen Wishall, Becky Altic
Ken Sprouls, Cathy Sutliff
Jeff Platt, Lori Schambureck
Glenn, Brandon and Michelle Harbin
Katherine Giglio, Moss Thorpe
Dawn and Dori McDonald
Joel Reedy
Katie Roberts, Debbie Scarbrough, Jennifer Roberts
The Beak who does not speak
Ava Thoennes
Gear More, Cassidy Chandler, Lee Neblock
Amy Ferguison, Gwendolyn Allen
Pete Hutchinson, Tracie Nair
Ethan Stockham
Herb Eaton with a young art fan
Herb Eaton, Vicki Tilton, Pam Eaton, Tim Tilton
Bloomington Mayor Mboka Mwilambwe
Contact Brendan Denison at (309) 820-3238. Follow Brendan Denison on Twitter: @BrendanDenison
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https://pantagraph.com/news/local/cogs-and-corsets-steampunk-festival-fires-up-this-weekend-in-bloomington/article_a32bacbe-e1d2-11ec-90c5-1b1cad057078.html
| 2022-06-01T20:54:26
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https://pantagraph.com/news/local/cogs-and-corsets-steampunk-festival-fires-up-this-weekend-in-bloomington/article_a32bacbe-e1d2-11ec-90c5-1b1cad057078.html
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Howard High School of Technology's 2022 graduation
41 PHOTOS
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https://www.delawareonline.com/picture-gallery/news/local/2022/06/01/howard-high-school-technologys-2022-graduation/9961905002/
| 2022-06-01T20:58:48
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Allen Theaters' lineup of free movies this summer
Jessica Onsurez
Carlsbad Current-Argus
The local Allen Theaters movie theater kicked off its Summer Kids Series of free weekly movies Wednesday at with “PAW Patrol: The Movie.”
Each Wednesday throughout June, July and the beginning of August will feature showing of popular kid’s movies, but people of all ages are welcome.
Show times are at 9 a.m., 11:20 a.m. and 1:40 p.m. each Wednesday. Seating will be on a first-come-first-served basis.
Free movies and dates
- June 1 – “PAW Patrol: The Movie”
- June 8 – “Sonic the Hedgehog 2”
- June 15 – “Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway”
- June 22 – “Hotel Transylvania”
- June 29 – “Space Jam: A New Legacy”
- July 6 – “Trolls World Tour”
- July 13 – “The Croods: A New Age”
- July 20 – “Sing 2”
- July 27 – “Boss Baby: Family Business”
- Aug. 3 – “Scoob!”
- Aug. 10 – “Tom and Jerry”
Jessica Onsurez can be reached at jonsurez@gannett.com, @JussGREAT on Twitter at by phone at 575-628-5531.
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https://www.currentargus.com/story/news/local/2022/06/01/allen-theaters-lineup-free-movies-summer/7469929001/
| 2022-06-01T21:00:18
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https://www.currentargus.com/story/news/local/2022/06/01/allen-theaters-lineup-free-movies-summer/7469929001/
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Amateur golfers in Sheffield have banded together under the grassroots team name Lucas' Steps to raise money for Autism.
The Els for Autism Golf Challenge has been a tradition of team Lucas' Steps since its beginning in 2011. Pro golfer Ernie Els put together 30 golf tournaments with two-person teams to fundraise money for autism.
The money raised from the Els for Autism Golf Challenge has funded The Els Center of Excellence in Jupiter, Florida. This center is for children ages 3 to 21 and hosts programs and services for children with autism.
Teams that raise $100,000 for the Els Center of Excellence are given the opportunity to have a classroom named after their team. Team Lucas' Steps has raised over $445,575 in the Els for Autism Golf Challenge, and has thus had four classrooms named Lucas' Steps.
Team Lucas' Steps formed shortly after Lucas Stanbrough of Sheffield was diagnosed with autism. Lucas' uncle Steve Sheppard is a fan of Els, so when the opportunity came to participate in his golf tournament to raise money for autism, Team Lucas' Steps was born.
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"The first year was full of questions, we were excited to raise enough money to attend the Grand Finale event with no ideas what it involved. Little did we know that we would meet the most amazing families and through social media we have been able to watch their children grow and excel through life. The Els Golf Challenge became an extended family" said Lucas' aunt and event coordinator Tracy Shreckengost.
The Els for Autism Golf Challenge lets teams into the Grand Finale after raising $15,000 for the Els Center of Excellence. Team Lucas' Steps has gone on the win the Else Cup Championship four times: 2013, 2015, 2020 and 2021.
Right now Lucas' Steps is at third place in the Els for Autism Golf Challenge fundraising with $8,300. The Blood family, Lucas' grandparents, hosts an annual Golfing Fore Autism at Ridge Stone Golf Club in Sheffield. This annual event started 14 years ago, and proceeds go to the Els for Autism Golf Challenge.
On June 18 at 8:30 a.m. the tournament will start. The Blood family is also selling raffle tickets for $20 with cash payouts up to $1,500, as well as shirts, signed flags, golf clubs and Iowa State University and Iowa Hawkeye tickets. To sign up for the event or buy raffle tickets, contact Tracy Shreckengost at 641-425-6800.
Rae Burnette is a GA and Crime & Courts Reporter at the Globe Gazette. You can reach her by phone at 641.421.0523 or at Rae.Burnette@GlobeGazette.com
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https://globegazette.com/news/local/team-lucas-steps-golfs-for-autism/article_49339a9e-42ee-5e00-be40-f378b3ec3ee3.html
| 2022-06-01T21:04:32
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CLERMONT, Fla. – Police in Clermont have issued a Silver Alert for a missing man they say is diagnosed with dementia.
Forrest Waldy, 80, was last seen Wednesday at 12:20 p.m. in the 1200 block of Zeek Ridge St., in Clermont. Police say he was wearing black Bermuda shorts, a white t-shirt and black sneakers.
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According to a news release, he was last seen driving a gray 2020 GMC SUV with the Florida tag BVNK73.
Police say Waldy is known to have violent tendencies, and says if you see him, please call the Clermont Police Department through the Lake County Sheriff’s Office at 352-343-2101.
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https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/06/01/clermont-police-issue-silver-alert-for-missing-man-with-dementia/
| 2022-06-01T21:07:08
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https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/06/01/clermont-police-issue-silver-alert-for-missing-man-with-dementia/
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OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. – Starting Monday, June 6, every fire engine and fire rescue vehicle in the Kissimmee Fire Department will have an iPad on board to provide onsite telehealth to patients.
It’s all part of their new Tele911 Program.
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“We’ll be the third in the state of Florida to roll it out, and only the fourth in the country, so it’s brand-new,” EMS Battalion Chief for the Kissimmee Fire Department Eric Gentry said.
Gentry said crews will respond to 911 calls as normal, and when they arrive, they will go through a checklist to see if the patient qualifies for the telehealth program.
He said they will then use a smart device to connect patients with physicians.
The goal of the new program is to alleviate non-emergency calls coming to the hospitals.
“We have patients that call to go to the hospital because they ran out of their prescription and they need a refill, we have patients that call because they have a minor injury,” Gentry said.
An added benefit, according to Gentry, is that patients will get a follow-up appointment that can be done from home using their cell phone.
He told News 6 the fire department is trained on the new program and ready to apply it next week.
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https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/06/01/kissimmee-fire-officials-introduce-telehealth-911-program/
| 2022-06-01T21:07:14
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SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. – The Seminole County School Board has voted to cancel their plans for a proclamation supporting LGBTQ+ students and staff at Seminole County Public Schools.
The decision, which was made on the eve of Pride month, is raising questions from many in the community who are wondering why it was suddenly removed from the agenda.
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Superintendent Serita Beamon pulled the proclamation at the start of Tuesday night’s meeting. The district says the decision was directed by the school board.
The board did not formally discuss the item at the meeting, but member Kristine Kraus tells News 6 it was discussed during an afternoon workshop that was open to the public.
Kraus, who introduced the proclamation last year, says the board came to the conclusion that they need to develop a policy on all proclamations before moving this one forward.
A spokesperson for the district sent the following statement explaining the decision to News 6:
“At yesterday’s workshop, the school board desired to have further discussion regarding the creation of a potential district policy that would formalize the process and criteria for proclamations. Therefore, the item was pulled from the agenda at last night’s meeting. The school board will take-up the topic regarding potential policy development again for a more thorough discussion during their upcoming Policy Workshop on July 26.”
Seminole County Public Schools spokesperson
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| 2022-06-01T21:07:20
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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – A long-awaited demolition in Volusia County is finally near completion as the old Treasure Island building on A1A in Daytona Beach Shores is now reduced to rubble.
“The entire time that I’ve been here, this is something that we’ve been waiting for,” said resident Sandy Murphy.
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The once infamous, abandoned resort is now rocks being carried out by equipment in pieces. Longtime residents across the street like Murphy are overjoyed.
“It’s like a relief to watch the trucks of concrete and steel make their way out of that site,” she said.
The property owners have another month to level the ground to a grassy field.
The shell of the resort sat deteriorating since the 2004 hurricanes. In February, the city finally came to a demolition agreement with the property owners.
City leaders even threw a celebration to which hundreds of residents turned out when demolition finally started.
“The deadline for it was not only to have it down but to have it down before hurricane season June 1,” said Mayor Nancy Miller.
Now, locals are also ready to hear what’s coming next.
“Hopefully, it’ll be at least something entertaining that draws a nice crowd,” said resident Gabrial Lopez.
Mayor Miller said the property will also include the Sunny Shores next door. She said per that agreement with the property owners and future developers, there are two options for the property.
“It’s zoned for either a hotel or a condo. Either they can make them separate like with an adjoining walkway in between, or they can take the whole property and do one or the other,” she said.
That agreement also gives allotted time frames for the developer to get building permits and approvals in each option. Regardless of which option they choose, It could be almost a decade before rebuilding starts.
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https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/06/01/treasure-island-eyesore-in-daytona-beach-shores-now-demolished/
| 2022-06-01T21:07:26
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https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/06/01/treasure-island-eyesore-in-daytona-beach-shores-now-demolished/
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ORLANDO, Fla. – Fewer than half of all law enforcement agencies in Florida are accredited, meaning their standards have been reviewed and approved by an independent commission.
For the past nine years, the University of Central Florida’s police department has been accredited by the Commission for Florida Law Enforcement Accreditation (CFA), the state standard. Now for the first time ever, the UCF PD is seeking an additional, significant accreditation only for colleges and universities.
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Cynthia Pugsley, UCF PD’s accreditation manager, is in the process of reviewing all of the department’s documented policies and procedures to include training specifics, weapons, use of force and safety.
“Because you want to have these records when it’s time and when it’s needed if you have to show to the public we are training our people properly,” Pugsley said.
Pugsley’s role is to apply and re-apply for accreditation. To receive approval, an independent commission must review the department’s documentation to make sure it is up to the highest standards.
“Making sure that the agency is being transparent to the public, doing the training that needs to be done, following the state and federal laws,” Pugsley said.
Already UCF holds itself to high standards, as evidenced by its long-held CFA accreditation, Pugsley said.
But a college-specific accreditation by the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators (IACLEA) is even more specific and stringent.
The IACLEA accreditation requires that colleges conform to two federal laws: The Clery Act and Title IX.
The Clery Act, named for a student raped and murdered in her dorm in 1986, requires the school to report crime and crime warnings to students and the public, and specifically:
- Identify reportable locations;
- Identify individuals/organizations as Campus Security Authorities;
- Implement prevention programs for crime; illegal drug use/abuse and distribution; alcohol abuse; and sexual assault and interpersonal violence
- Compile and distribute campus crime statistics;
- Issue emergency notifications and timely warnings when there is an immediate or ongoing threat to the campus community;
- Maintain daily crime and fire logs; and
- Publish annual security and fire safety reports.
Title IX prohibits sex discrimination in education. UCF has its own Title IX Response Team and a Title IX coordinator.
Pugsley expects to complete her review, call for the IACLEA inspection and receive IACLEA accreditation within two years or sooner.
Accreditation is costly—hiring an accreditation manager, coupled with annual fees (IACLEA alone is $3,000 per year) and the price of upgrading policies or adding training—but UCF PD said the cost is an investment in its police department and its campus.
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https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/06/01/ucf-police-department-to-acquire-college-specific-accreditation/
| 2022-06-01T21:07:32
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https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/06/01/ucf-police-department-to-acquire-college-specific-accreditation/
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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — The Central Alabama Pride Board of Directors is hosting its 44th annual Pride in the Magic City kick-off and awards reception Wednesday.
The event begins at 6 p.m. at the Clubhouse on Highland. The community is encouraged to join a cocktail reception to kick off 12 days of events in celebration of equality and acceptance.
The Board will announce the honorees for the following awards:
- Ally Award
- Vision of Pride Awards
- Edie Windsor Award
- Organization of the Year
- Business of the Year
- Entertainer of the Year
- Lifetime Achievement Award
- Simpkins Talley Spirit of Pride Award
- NEW Legacy of Pride Award
- Parade Grand Marshal
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https://www.cbs42.com/news/local/44th-annual-pride-in-the-magic-city-begins-wednesday/
| 2022-06-01T21:10:49
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https://www.cbs42.com/news/local/44th-annual-pride-in-the-magic-city-begins-wednesday/
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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (WIAT) — The Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center is looking for highly-qualified people to fill different roles, such as registered nurses, licensed practical nurses and a housekeeping aide vacancies within the center.
Between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday, there will be a job fair at the VA sports atrium, where applicants can interview for several open positions. Applicants will be selected at the event and given tentative offers.
The salary range for LPN is between $28,758 and $52,341 per year while the range for RNs is between $52,407 and $97,887 per year. The hourly rate for housekeeping aides is between $16.14 and $18.83 per hour. Salary offers may vary based on specialized experience.*
The VA will be conducting all pre-employment checks such as physicals, fingerprints, credentialing (if clinical), and background investigations.
All applicants must bring resume, two forms of ID, a copy of licensure and unofficial transcripts, (RN and LPN’s only), and DD 214 or service connection letter (for veterans). There is a $10,000 recruitment incentive for all RNs and LPNS for a one-year obligation.
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https://www.cbs42.com/news/local/tuscaloosa-va-holding-job-fair-for-nurse-housekeeping-aide-positions/
| 2022-06-01T21:10:55
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https://www.cbs42.com/news/local/tuscaloosa-va-holding-job-fair-for-nurse-housekeeping-aide-positions/
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YORK COUNTY, Pa. — June marks the start of National Foster a Pet Month, and workers at animal shelters say fostering could be key in clearing kennels.
With kitten season in full swing, animal shelters are filling up with young felines. A kitten’s best chance of survival is a foster home until they reach three months of age. Until then, their immune systems are too weak for a shelter environment.
“What we need are fosters to put those kittens into, those homes, because it’s a healthier environment for those kittens,” said Steven Martinez, Executive Director of the SPCA of York County. “Then, when they get to three pounds like little Lemu Emu here, they can have their surgery, we can put them up for adoption and they can find their permanent loving home.”
Many animal rescues are looking to build a more robust network of fosters and shift away from housing animals in kennels.
Pet Pantry of Lancaster County's dog program is 100% foster lead. They do not place dogs in kennels, but that means they can only save as many dogs as they have caring foster families to place them with.
Pet fostering is lifesaving and critical for animal shelters, particularly during the busy summer season.
Some dog kennels are at 100% capacity and they have not dropped below 85% capacity in the past year, which is considered a critical capacity.
“Staffing has been an issue from the start of the pandemic, as you can imagine,” said Kitty Block, President and CEO of the Humane Society of the U.S. “That's why it was so important to have people step up and volunteer and foster.”
The greatest stressors for dogs living in a kennel environment is social isolation. Foster volunteers can help mitigate that animal's stress and give them a better quality of life while they wait for their forever homes.
Fostering a pet also helps with the transition process by giving shelters a better understanding of how a dog or cat behaves around families. People can foster for a day, or several months depending on the need, and leave space at the shelters for animals who need special care or management.
“When you foster one animal, you're really saving two because you're saving the animal that you're fostering, and you're making room for the next animal that needs that spot at the shelter,” said Melissa Knicely, spokesperson for Charlotte Animal Care and Control.
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https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/animal-shelters-pet-fostering/521-7cb1e4b7-589a-43fc-9a7a-5bb12238c50c
| 2022-06-01T21:13:02
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https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/animal-shelters-pet-fostering/521-7cb1e4b7-589a-43fc-9a7a-5bb12238c50c
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ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. — The largest Mennonite denomination in the country took a step toward accepting the LGBTQ+ community.
Over the weekend delegates of Mennonite Church USA voted to officially allow pastors to perform same-sex marriages, as well as apologize for the harm caused by past policies.
The church has a membership of about 62,000 people, according to Executive Director Glen Guyton.
Two measures were voted upon at the denomination’s conference in Kansas City, Mo. The first vote struck down a 20-year-old document called Membership Guidelines that described “homosexual, extramarital and premarital sexual activity as sin to be the teaching position of Mennonite Church USA.” That vote passed 404-84.
The second vote approved a “Repentance and Transformation” resolution that defines the harm caused by previous policies as violence, affirms the rights of LGBTQ+ members of the church and commits to further action. The vote passed with a slimmer margin of 267-212.
“[Some of our members] feel that our LGBTQ people have been marginalized throughout the history of our organization, since we formed in 2001,” Guyton said. “Definitely think it is a statement. I think it’s a step toward a more inclusive body. There’s still a lot of work to do.”
The fact that the vote came just in time for the beginning of LGBT Pride Month is just a coincidence, Guyton said.
The policy shift was welcome news for Christine Baer of Elizabethtown, who grew up in Mennonite Church USA but drifted away from active membership after coming out in college.
“In my own personal journey and discovering who I am as an LGBTQ community member, it’s taken a certain amount of time,” said Baer, who is also an advisory board member for the Lancaster LGBTQ+ Coalition. “In this current period of life, distancing myself from active membership has felt life-giving to me.”
The announcement was also applauded by other Central Pa. LGBTQ+ organizations, such as Rainbow Rose Center in York.
“We don’t expect everyone to get on the same page right away. This is a process and we applaud them for making this effort,” said Tesla Taliaferro, president of the center, which is holding its first in-person Pride event June 11 in Cousler Park.
The resolution is just a guideline, so each church in the denomination can decide whether to honor it.
Still, it’s enough for Christine Baer, who said she may consider becoming an active church member again.
“I think teenage Christine is happy, like maybe I’ve been holding my breath,” she said. “Personally I needed to see this happen.”
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https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/mennonite-policy-change-lgbtq-community/521-f0097809-7134-4016-a183-2931ee34e2a1
| 2022-06-01T21:13:09
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https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/mennonite-policy-change-lgbtq-community/521-f0097809-7134-4016-a183-2931ee34e2a1
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LANCASTER, Pa. — To kick off the official start of Pride Month, Lancaster Pride held a flag raising ceremony at the Lancaster City Visitor Center on Wednesday at noon.
The ceremony was organized in conjunction with the City of Lancaster’s Office of Promotion.
President of the organization, Alex Otthofer, said, "It's a time for us to celebrate our individuality our authenticity and to also gather as a large community. The visibility piece is also very important for us to be here in such a prominent place in downtown."
Many people gathered in front of the center to celebrate and promote the LQBTQ+ community.
Current construction has changed where the flags are flown. Compared to previous years, the flags hang on the visitor center as opposed to the front of city hall. Event organizers said this change is great because it allows them to be seen by passersby more easily.
This was the first of eight events held by Lancaster Pride throughout June. According to Lancaster Pride, the events are designed to "celebrate and uplift Lancaster's LGBTQ+ community."
Communities all across south central Pennsylvania throughout the month of June are celebrating pride.
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https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/pride-month-flag-lancaster-city-vistor-center/521-a0991dab-2082-4c4f-87ce-ebd3bd77db4c
| 2022-06-01T21:13:15
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https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/pride-month-flag-lancaster-city-vistor-center/521-a0991dab-2082-4c4f-87ce-ebd3bd77db4c
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SACRAMENTO, Calif. — In 2021, the city of Sacramento saw significant increases in murder, rape, assault, and gun-related crimes compared to previous years, according to a video news release from the Sacramento Police Department.
On Wednesday, the Sacramento Police Department released a video explaining the city's 2021 crime statistics and how they plan to address violent crime in 2022.
In 2021, there were 58 homicides in Sacramento, which was the highest number of homicides in the city since 2006.
"2021 was challenging for the Sacramento community and our department as we saw a significant increase in homicides, shootings, assaults and other crimes," Chad Lewis a spokesperson for the Sacramento Police Department said in a video news release.
While these increases are concerning, Lewis says in the video they are concurrent with national crime trends as homicides in major American cities have had a 44% increase over 2019.
Here is an outline of Sacramento's 2021 crime statistics:
- 753 shooting reports, a 25% increase over 2020
- 256 reports of victims shot, a 17% increase over 2020
- 1,673 firearms seized, a 34% increase over 2020
- 1,166 arrests made for illegal firearm possession, a 38% increase over 2020
- Of those arrests, 410 of the firearms were found to be "ghost guns"
Crime categories with significant increases in 2021:
- Rape crimes: 31% increase over 2020
- Robbery: 27% increase over 2020
- Total Assault: 16% increase over 2020
- Motor vehicle theft: 26% increase over 2020
- Larceny: 9% increase over 2020
Sacramento police says so far in 2022, the city has already seen the tragic impact gun violence has on our community, the most notable incident of gun violence being the K Street shooting that left six people dead in April.
"As your police department, we remain committed to addressing all forms of violent crime through a comprehensive approach that includes feedback and input from you, the community, to work towards decreasing violence in our city through collaboration," Lewis says.
Lewis also says the Sacramento police is committed to using advanced technology, including their ShotSpotter gunshot detection system which alerts officers about incidents of gunfire in real-time, to make the city safer.
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Watch more from ABC10: McClatchy High School students plan walkout in support of Uvalde victims
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/sacramento/sacamento-crime-statistics-2021/103-6885d8a8-9f25-4c9c-b640-a32186d95730
| 2022-06-01T21:17:40
| 1
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/sacramento/sacamento-crime-statistics-2021/103-6885d8a8-9f25-4c9c-b640-a32186d95730
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Despite reports from several national news outlets, the Ohio woman gored by a bison in Yellowstone National Park on Monday did not die from her injuries.
The Post Register published an article online Tuesday afternoon about the goring in which the woman sustained a puncture wound and other injuries. She was taken by ambulance to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center.
On Tuesday evening, nbcnews.com posted an article stating the woman had died from her injuries. The "Today Show" later posted a similar article. Both outlets later corrected their articles, but in the meantime, several national and international news outlets also wrongly reported the woman had died. Those outlets included The Guardian, The Daily Mail, which cited the NBC article as the source for the information, and Forbes; several others that posted the information have since deleted their articles.
On Wednesday morning the Post Register contacted EIRMC in an attempt to confirm the reports.
A hospital representative responded by text "… our hospital has had no recent patient death as a result of the injuries being described in the NBC report ..."
Under Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act regulations the hospital does not provide condition status for patients unless it has been provided with a patient's name.
Yellowstone National Park officials did not release the woman's name.
A park news release said bison have injured more people in Yellowstone than any other animal.
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https://www.postregister.com/news/local/several-news-outlets-erroneously-claim-woman-was-killed-by-park-bison/article_7d1a9e82-710f-5930-8142-d000bc240f4b.html
| 2022-06-01T21:19:11
| 1
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https://www.postregister.com/news/local/several-news-outlets-erroneously-claim-woman-was-killed-by-park-bison/article_7d1a9e82-710f-5930-8142-d000bc240f4b.html
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BRISTOL, Tenn./Va. (WJHL) — TriPride organizers have released new details about this year’s parade and festival in downtown Bristol.
The event will take place on Saturday, Aug. 27, beginning with a parade down State Street at 11 a.m. and a festival immediately after, around noon, in Cumberland Square Park.
While the event is free, organizers are requiring tickets to enter the festival grounds.
“By making the festival a free, ticketed event, it allows TriPride organizers to better control protestors from disrupting the festival experience,” Jason Willis, TriPride board of directors president, said in a release. “We are committed to a safe, fun environment for all persons who come out to enjoy the day and celebrate the LGBTQ+ community.”
Festival tickets are available online on TriPride’s website and will be available at the security gates on the day of the event.
Organizers also announced the lineup for this year’s festival, which will feature live performances, vendors, food trucks, a kids zone, and more. Attendees can expect to see live performances by Demon Waffle, Beth Snapp, TJ Darnell, Tyler Hughes and Knoxville Gay Men’s Chorus. Additional performers may also be added to the lineup.
“Our goal was to select performers from the LGBTQ+ and allied community that represent a range of genres for everyone’s entertainment, with a special focus on country and Americana as Bristol is the birthplace of country music,” said Entertainment Chair Terry Marek in the release.
The parade will be open to the public and will not require ticketing. Parade participants will begin lining up at 9 a.m. The parade is expected to last for about an hour.
Security precautions will be similar to previous TriPride events. Attendees will pass through metal detectors at the gates, and there will be restrictions on backpacks and bags, signs, and other items. More details are available online.
This will mark TriPride’s third parade and festival. The first was held in Johnson City in 2018 and the second in Kingsport in 2019. Organizers had originally planned to hold the third annual parade and festival in Bristol in 2020 and 2021, but both events were postponed due to the pandemic.
According to TriPride, the 2018 and 2019 events drew around 10,000 people.
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https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/tripride-announces-new-details-about-upcoming-bristol-parade-festival/
| 2022-06-01T21:20:06
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https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/tripride-announces-new-details-about-upcoming-bristol-parade-festival/
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