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Whitefish Bay students walk out to protest gun violence in schools following the mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas
Whitefish Bay High School students walked out of school Thursday to rally against gun violence, in the wake of the deadly elementary school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, on Tuesday.
At about 11 a.m., students walked out the front of the school and around the side of the building to Lubar Stadium, which houses the school's football field.
At the stadium, a moment of silence was held for the victims of the shootings in Uvalde, Texas, where 19 children and two teachers were fatally shot at Robb Elementary School. Speeches followed, before students returned to class about a half hour after the walkout began.
For some, it wasn't the first time they have protested school violence.
Gracie Lutz, a freshman who participated in the walkout, said she walked out as an elementary school student after the Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida, in 2018. Nothing has changed, she said.
"I'm going to say something, and it's really sad and it's really terrifying to hear myself say that, but it's not shocking because I'm so used to it. So many things are happening, and you just wake up and 20 kids are dead and you're like 'oh, that happened again.' That's heartbreaking, but it's not surprising," Lutz told reporters.
"Talk to your lawmakers. Talk to your friends. Talk to your family. Talk to anybody who has enough authority to help out the problem," she added.
Student Mariella Boudreau, one of the walkout's organizers, said the event was part of the group Students Demand Action's nationwide walkout. Students Demand Action is affiliated with Everytown for Gun Safety, a group that calls for tougher gun laws and an end to gun violence.
"We, as a generation, are the ones typically most affected by this issue, but we have the least say when it comes to impacting legislation and our representatives," she told reporters. "We are not helpless. We are not hopeless. We have voices. I think being able to rally together and speak out our minds makes the most difference."
Another Whitefish Bay High School student who participated in the walkout, Bill Lewis, said people should understand the importance of the issue.
"I think it's definitely an issue of we are allowing people that should not have these kinds of weapons to have them," Lewis said. "Adults right now that are watching that that might have an opinion 'I don't think we should restrict guns, I don't think we should have background checks, etc., etc.' Just look at the news. Look at all the families that have lost children, that have lost so much. That enough alone should be enough."
Don Timmerman and Roberta Thurstin-Timmerman, both volunteers with the Casa Maria Catholic Worker Organization in Milwaukee, stood in support of students, on the sidewalk outside Lubar Stadium.
Don Timmerman held a sign that said "Ban assault weapons! Save kids' lives!" Thurstin-Timmerman held two signs: One said, "Guns produce violence and death!" while the other said, "The NRA (National Rifle Association) has BLOOD on their HANDS. GUN CONTROL NOW!"
"This is the only way this is going to change, if these young people make legislation that makes sense. We have a Constitution that says 'a well-regulated militia.' Well, where are the regulations? There's no regulations. And it's only for a militia. That means a military. That doesn't mean Tom, Dick and Harry should carry a gun and have a right to carry a gun. It's not regulated. That's wrong," Timmerman said.
Thurstin-Timmerman said Casa Maria Catholic Worker Organization has protested in the past at gun shops that have sold guns involved in violent actions. She said assault weapons don't belong in the streets.
"We're so proud that this young group of kids came out and said 'We're against this. We want gun control. We want to go to school and be safe. Come to our school and be safe,'" Thurstin-Timmerman said.
One student estimated about half the student body participated. According to the DPI, 951 students attend the school.
An email and phone message was left with Whitefish Bay High School principal Amy Levek about the walkout. An email was also sent to other Whitefish Bay School District officials. | 2022-05-26T22:36:54Z | www.jsonline.com | Whitefish Bay students protest gun violence after Texas shooting | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/northshore/news/whitefish-bay/2022/05/26/whitefish-bay-students-protest-gun-violence-after-uvalde-texas-school-shooting/9945796002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/northshore/news/whitefish-bay/2022/05/26/whitefish-bay-students-protest-gun-violence-after-uvalde-texas-school-shooting/9945796002/ |
A small plane has crashed in Wauwatosa, police say
Steven Martinez Drake Bentley
A small plane crashed in a residential neighborhood in Wauwatosa on Thursday afternoon, police said.
The plane landed near North 103rd Street and West Courtland Avenue, according to a tweet from the Wauwatosa Police Department. Police asked residents to avoid the area as the scene is secured.
Wauwatosa Police Chief James MacGillis told the media at briefing that around 3 p.m. a call came in about a plane crash in the 4600 block of North 103rd Street.
“When officers arrived on scene, they located a single-engine prop plane that had crashed in the backyard in that 100 block," MacGillis said. "We also located one occupant within the plane, a pilot, we believe to be a 18-year-old male.”
The pilot was transported to the hospital and is listed as critical condition, according to MacGillis.
MacGillis said “there is indication" that the pilot made a distress call before crashing, but officials are still investigating. It is believed that the pilot took off from Timmerman Airport on Milwaukee's northwest side.
The plane landed in Rashad Hicks' backyard.
“I was actually in my room going down to cut the grass," he said. "So, when I was heading down the stairs I heard a big boom, I thought it was like a car or something that hit the house."
Hicks said imaging a plane would ever land in his yard was "far-fetched."
“Kind of didn’t believe that," he said. "… (I) ran outside and it’s a plane in the backyard. And then it was a guy inside the plane. So all I did was to try and coach him to keep breathing, keep breathing, keep breathing.”
Hicks says he cuts his grass once a week and can’t help but think he could of been back there when the plane crashed.
“I know just by the grace of God that I wasn’t there," he said. "… I’m sad that this happened to him and his family. I’m just hoping that he’s all right.”
Both Milwaukee and Wauwatosa police and fire departments responded, as well as the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office.
MacGillis said the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board have been notified and are in route to the scene.
The investigation is ongoing and being lead by Wauwatosa police, assisted by the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office and the Milwaukee Police Department.
MacGillis was not able to confirm the license status of the pilot nor the design specifics of the plane. | 2022-05-26T22:37:00Z | www.jsonline.com | Plane crash in Wauwatosa; police investigating | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/west/news/wauwatosa/2022/05/26/plane-crash-wauwatosa-police-investigating/9949097002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/west/news/wauwatosa/2022/05/26/plane-crash-wauwatosa-police-investigating/9949097002/ |
MADISON – Wisconsin is set to open its 2022 football season at night.
The Badgers’ Sept. 3 opener against visiting Illinois State is scheduled to start at 6 p.m., with FS1 carrying the game.
Details of more than 50 games involving Big Ten teams were announced Thursday.
Here are the details on five other UW games:
Sept. 10 vs. Washington State, 2:30 p.m. on Fox.
Sept. 17 vs. New Mexico State, 2:30 p.m. on BTN.
Oct. 8 at Northwestern, 2:30 p.m. or 3 p.m. Network TBD.
Oct. 15 at Michigan State, 2:30 p.m. or 3 p.m. Network TBD.
Oct. 22 vs. Purdue, 2:30 p.m. Network TBD. | 2022-05-26T22:37:12Z | www.jsonline.com | Wisconsin football to open schedule vs. Illinois St. at 6 p.m. Sept. 3 | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/college/uw/2022/05/26/uws-2022-football-opener-against-illinois-state-set-6-p-m-start/9939821002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/college/uw/2022/05/26/uws-2022-football-opener-against-illinois-state-set-6-p-m-start/9939821002/ |
"Being a good person doesn't cost at all," Packers rookie Quay Walker offers advice to Milwaukee-area high school athletes
As someone who isn’t too far removed from his high school days, Quay Walker urged the athletes at the Milwaukee High School Sports Awards, presented by Festival Foods, to cherish the moment.
“I know being in high school, you always want to get to college, but college is always going to be there,” he said. “But high school, these are people you’ve grown up with your whole life, 11, 12 years, whatever the case may be. It’s going to be strange not seeing those people once you graduate and move on to a new chapter of your life.”
That was the first of many messages the Green Bay Packers 2022 first-round draft pick delivered at the sixth annual award show, which was held Wednesday night at the Pabst Theater.
During a 23-minute Q&A with Journal Sentinel reporter Kassidy Hill, Walker touched on a number of topics including his decision to stay at Georgia despite not having immediate success, the merits of being a multi-sport athlete and how he avoids burning out. He even explained his decision to sign with the Bulldogs after initially committing to Alabama.
Q: What advice would you give your younger self?
A: “Always be thankful for where you’re at. Don’t take nothing for granted. Adversity is going to come your way, just try to come up with a plan of how you can maneuver through it and push through it and fight through everything.”
Q: Why did you stay at Georgia despite not starting until your senior season?
A: “I actually thought about transferring a whole lot of times, but my position coach and Coach (Kirby) Smart, they wouldn’t let me do that that. … Not only that, but that would have been selfish of me because of all the people I have back home looking up to me. It goes back to that word: adversity. I went through that, had to push through and once I did that it let a lot of people know that anything is possible.”
Q: Are you an advocate for playing multiple sports? How can it help or hurt?
A: If you really believe in being an athlete then I believe playing two sports is the best thing to do. Just exploring your options. You never know what you might come across. You may end up liking something more than the other one. I was really in love with basketball, but football got me to where I am today and changed my whole life.
Q: What is the best piece of advice you want to share?
A: No matter what comes your way, just continue to try to fight through. Something I always love to say is that it doesn’t cost much at all to be a good person. Say for instance you go into a convenience store and you walk to the cashier. She might be having a rough day and just by you being kind and gentle, saying kind words (it) can change a person’s whole life. … Even though all of us come from different backgrounds, being a good person don’t cost at all.”
Q: How do you maintain your motivation and avoid burning out?
A: I just go back to why I started. I always remind myself of why I started and remind myself that as a 7- or 8-year-old kid this was a position I always wanted to be in. Once I get back to that standpoint, how I was then, then everything flows from there.”
Q: Why did you choose Georgia after committing to Alabama?
A: They recruited me while I was committed to Alabama because I’m from Georgia. It was a trend for a lot of guys from Georgia to stay home, so I felt good about that. Georgia played Alabama in the national championship (in Jan. 2018) and we lost and it just didn’t feel right knowing I’m from Georgia and I’d be playing at Alabama, helping Alabama beat Georgia. It just wouldn’t feel right at all.” | 2022-05-26T22:37:18Z | www.jsonline.com | Packers rookie Quay Walker offers advice to area high school athletes | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/high-schools/2022/05/26/packers-rookie-quay-walker-offers-advice-area-high-school-athletes/9939830002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/high-schools/2022/05/26/packers-rookie-quay-walker-offers-advice-area-high-school-athletes/9939830002/ |
More:Milwaukee Common Council targets upgrades to streetlights, sustaining city services in next round of federal ARPA funding
“We know the answers to our own problems. But if we don’t have the resources that are rightfully ours to make those things happen, it is hard to address those root cause of violence and poverty,” Tucker-Harris said.
The city, Tucker-Harris added, should be better stewards of the taxpayers’ money, instead of using tricky accounting methods to fill budget holes. Continuing to put money into policing doesn’t work and hasn’t worked for centuries because people are still dying, she said.
The AART has been advocating for participatory budgeting since 2019 when it launched its LiberateMKE campaign. It has gained traction in the Common Council when nine members last year signed a resolution to supporting the initiative, but it was unfunded.
Allison Dirr of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel contributed to this report. | 2022-05-27T00:48:38Z | www.jsonline.com | African American Roundtable wants more public say on ARPA funds | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2022/05/26/african-american-roundtable-milwaukee-wants-more-public-say-arpa-funds/9894700002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2022/05/26/african-american-roundtable-milwaukee-wants-more-public-say-arpa-funds/9894700002/ |
High levels of 'forever chemicals' force Marshfield to shut down 4 city wells
Marshfield is the latest city to find elevated levels of "forever chemicals" in its water supply.
The city found levels of PFAS above the state's current recommended health standard of 20 parts per trillion in one entry point to its water system, according to a news release from the city Thursday. The system consists of three entry points fed by 15 wells throughout the area.
The city shut down the entry point upon learning its results on Tuesday, the release said, as well as the four wells that contribute to it. Residents in the meantime can continue to use their water as normal, as all of the other wells are below the recommended health guidance of 20 parts per trillion.
Marshfield will begin testing the individual wells to find the source of the PFAS and will seek future options to deal with the contamination, such as digging new wells or treating water within existing wells.
More: Wausau has 'forever chemicals' throughout its water system. What the city does next could set a blueprint for other cities
Other communities are discovering PFAS in water supplies. In central Wisconsin, high levels forced Rib Mountain, Rothschild, and Weston to shut down some wells, and the city of Wausau is now providing water filters for residents after contamination was found in all of the city's wells. Eau Claire in northwestern Wisconsin also shut down half of its wells after PFAS were found in its water.
The chemicals aren't regulated by the federal government and the state only has recommended standards, though formal standards are in the works, particularly for PFOA and PFOS, two of the most well-researched compounds in the PFAS family. Those rules would set the limit for drinking water at 70 parts per trillion in drinking water in the state, but they have yet to be approved by the Legislature. | 2022-05-27T00:48:45Z | www.jsonline.com | High PFAS levels force Marshfield to shut down four city wells | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/wisconsin/2022/05/26/high-pfas-levels-force-marshfield-shut-down-four-city-wells/9950692002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/wisconsin/2022/05/26/high-pfas-levels-force-marshfield-shut-down-four-city-wells/9950692002/ |
ST. LOUIS -- The Milwaukee Brewers welcomed a key cog back into the fold Thursday in advance of a big four-game series with the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium.
Josh Hader, who didn't accompany the team to San Diego after being placed on the family medical emergency list, was reinstated following a three-day respite as his wife, Maria, deals with a difficult pregnancy.
"Everything's good at home," said Hader. "Wife and baby are good; that was the main concern, making sure I was there for them. She's dealing with placenta previa and we've had that scare before. It's uncomfortable leaving her alone. But she's good.
"Hopefully we can wait a couple more weeks so he can get some time in the (womb) to grow a little bit more."
Hader, who met the team in St. Louis on Wednesday night, said that his wife is currently 34 weeks along with their first child, a son.
RELATED:Craig Counsell set to become the Brewers' leader in manager victories
"You can't have a natural birth. But with that, you have bleeding," he explained. "And if it bleeds too much, that's when you have to get an emergency C-section, because it's a high-risk pregnancy. If it happens again, we have to get him out.
"But right now it's just calming the storm. Nothing we can really control with it. So, it's her body and how the placenta acts. But the baby's good, she's good which, at the end of the day, is all we're worried about."
Hader also had to leave the team mid-game during its last homestand but returned the following day.
"Hey man, it's family," he said. "I love the game of baseball, but that doesn't come first. At the end of the day, I'm worrying about them and making sure they're all good and healthy. I love being a part of this team, but sometimes it's bigger than baseball.
"That's just kind of where I'm at on it."
The Brewers are getting Hader back at just the right time considering the heavy load their usual setup man, Devin Williams, shouldered in San Diego.
He pitched in all three games for the first time in his career, throwing 55 pitches in all and recording a pair of saves as Milwaukee won the series.
"Stepped up," Hader said of Williams. "Three in a row. That's insane. It's good to see him dominate that lineup with the fastball and the changeup. That was the cool part about it – he mixed it up on them and kept them off-balance.
"I've been watching them on TV and supporting them through that. It was a good series to watch, and especially a good series to take."
Hader threw every day he was away from the team, so there will be no restrictions on his usage manager Craig Counsell said.
The left-hander is in the midst of a record-setting stretch in which he's saved all 15 games he's pitched in to this point.
As for Williams, he'll be off-limits for Thursday at the very least.
"I'll tell you, he's not going to pitch today," Counsell said. "But we'll kind of see what happens and see how he feels. It's a possibility for tomorrow, but we'll play that by ear."
Counsell noted some important bullpen growth occurred in San Diego in Hader's absence, with a number of different pitchers stepping into different roles and, ultimately, stepping up.
"Some really good things happened," Counsell said. "Hoby Milner pitching a big inning was really important for us. Luis (Perdomo) doing what he did last night, then Devin pitching three days in a row.
"Maybe all that stuff doesn't happen if Josh isn't around – and that's not to say that we don't want Josh around, because we obviously do – but you learn some things about your team and some guys get put in some other roles, and I think they gain confidence from it and develop from it."
Miguel Sánchez was optioned to Class AAA Nashville in the wake of Hader's reinstatement, but the right-hander will remain with the team with its upcoming Monday doubleheader against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. | 2022-05-27T00:48:51Z | www.jsonline.com | Josh Hader rejoins Milwaukee Brewers after family medical emergency | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/mlb/brewers/2022/05/26/josh-hader-rejoins-milwaukee-brewers-after-family-medical-emergency/9939419002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/mlb/brewers/2022/05/26/josh-hader-rejoins-milwaukee-brewers-after-family-medical-emergency/9939419002/ |
MADISON - A top leader of the state Legislature is open to measures that would allow teachers to be armed, a potential solution Republicans are floating as the public clamors for action to protect children from being murdered in their classrooms by shooters.
Republican lawmakers and candidates for governor are proposing ways to bring more armed staff into schools as a way to deter school shooters instead of backing popular ways to make it more difficult for assailants from getting guns in the first place, including expanding background checks and implementing new "red flag" laws.
Arming teachers is "on the table" for Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, a spokeswoman said. But she noted he is more focused on increasing the number of retired officers and armed guards in schools following a shooting at a Texas elementary school this week.
More:Timeline: How Texas elementary school shooting, deadliest since Sandy Hook, unfolded
More:Texas officials investigate whether police acted fast enough to stop shooter at Uvalde school
GOP candidate for governor Kevin Nicholson proposed Wednesday to give schools funding to hire armed guards if he is elected and said Thursday in some circumstances, "allowing some teachers who are trained and licensed to carry in order to protect our students may also be warranted."
The ideas are unlikely to gain traction under Democratic incumbent Gov. Tony Evers, who suggested Thursday he would veto legislation that would arm teachers.
"I don’t think there are many teachers that feel that’s a real good idea. Teachers are prepared to teach. I was a teacher, and it’s a big enough job besides being a security guard, too," he told reporters at a meat processing facility in the Brown County village of Denmark.
"And I think the chances of arming teachers and having something horrible happen because they’re not trained appropriately and all that. There are better ways. I’d like to think about finding ways to keep guns away from people who are going to cause these types of problems."
Lobbyists for the Wisconsin Association of School Boards and Wisconsin Education Association Council did not immediately answer whether they support the idea of allowing teachers to carry firearms in classrooms.
Democratic Rep. Deb Andraca, who is a licensed teacher and holds a concealed carry permit, said a better idea is to implement a law that allows judges to temporarily bar people deemed to be a danger to others or to themselves to have guns, a proposal that has been rejected by Republican lawmakers.
"I've never met another teacher who thinks this is a good idea," she said. "As a teacher and as someone who has a concealed carry permit, the two don't go together. They do not make our classrooms safer."
Nicholson and Rebecca Kleefisch, who also is seeking the GOP nomination for governor, said Wednesday they support increasing armed staff in schools as a deterrent.
Kleefisch also said school staff should receive more training to "identify kids experiencing adverse events" and that children should have easy access to mental health treatment in schools.
Evers said the idea of beefing up numbers of law enforcement or security guards in schools made him uncomfortable and that the plan could require more staff than schools could find.
"It’s something to think about, but making our schools armed camps I don’t think necessarily helps the learning environment. And those decisions are also made locally," Evers said. "There’s also probably about 2,500 school buildings in the state — it’s not going to happen, there’s not enough people to do it. And I’m not sure we want to turn our learning institutions into armed camps."
Evers said he would rather pass legislation that could help flag gun buyers that could be dangerous.
"Obviously, everybody’s just saddened and horrified by what happened in Texas, but we were saddened and horrified too many times over the last 10 to 20 years. So, I think it’s time that we have that discussion," Evers said.
"I’d really like to be able to work with the Republican Legislature to get something in place, especially around making sure that we have a red flag law that works in Wisconsin, could possibly make sure that it’s safer for us and for the people that own guns and for the people that are around people that own guns." | 2022-05-27T13:33:56Z | www.jsonline.com | Wisconsin Republicans float arming teachers after school shootings | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/2022/05/27/wisconsin-republicans-float-arming-teachers-after-school-shootings-robin-vos-kevin-nicholson/9944387002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/2022/05/27/wisconsin-republicans-float-arming-teachers-after-school-shootings-robin-vos-kevin-nicholson/9944387002/ |
MADISON – Greg Gard and his staff have utilized the transfer portal to fill two roster spots by signing a pair of guards expected to be key members of Wisconsin’s rotation next season.
They continue to search for a replacement for Chris Vogt, however.
Vogt transferred to UW from Cincinnati last season and served as the perfect complement to starter Steven Crowl and helped the Badgers win a share of the Big Ten regular-season title.
He averaged 2.9 points, 3.1 rebounds, led the team in blocks (26) in just 12.8 minutes per game and allowed the staff to limit Crowl to 25.3 minutes per game in his first season as a starter.
“We don’t win the Big Ten without Chris Vogt,” Gard said after the regular season.
What are the staff’s options if they can’t land a transfer similar to Vogt?
The only other big man on the current roster is 6-foot-9, 239-pound Chris Hodges.
However, Hodges did not play as a high school senior because of COVID-19 concerns and redshirted last season. He might have to develop more quickly if Crowl is the only experienced big man on the roster next season.
Could Hodges give UW at least a few minutes per game against teams with bigger centers, teams such as Purdue and Indiana?
Another option would be to go with smaller lineups whenever possible.
Tyler Wahl’s versatility would be critical in that scenario. Wahl can play any frontcourt position and generally causes matchup issues for larger, less mobile players.
Chucky Hepburn (7.9 ppg) likely will be more assertive offensively as a sophomore and should average double-figure points.
The addition of Kamari McGee from UW-Green Bay and Max Klesmit from Wofford should compensate for the departures of Lorne Bowman and Brad Davison.
Klesmit, who played two seasons at Wofford, chose UW over offers from South Carolina and Vanderbilt of the SEC, Clemson and Colorado State.
The graduate of Neenah High School should be able to slide into Davison’s spot.
Klesmit started two games and played in 19 as a freshman at Wofford. He averaged 8.2 points and 2.7 rebounds per game and shot 37.3% from three-point range (25 of 67), 46.6% overall (54 of 116) and 84.6% from the free throw line (22 of 26).
He started 31 games last season and averaged 14.9 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.6 steals per game. He shot 34.0% from three-point range (68 of 200), 44.6% overall (156 of 350) and hit 83.7% of his free-throw attempts (82 of 98).
McGee, a graduate of Racine St. Catherine’s High School, played one season at UW-Green Bay. He should give UW a second dependable point guard to complement Hepburn.
McGee started the final 21 games for the Phoenix and finished at 11.3 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game. He shot just 38.8% overall, including 27.5% from three-point range, but many of the shots were contested and late in the possession.
In addition, he played his best ball down the stretch and averaged 17.6 points and 5.4 rebounds and shot 50.1% (34 of 67), including 40.0% from three-point range (6 of 15), in the final five games.
Like Hepburn, McGee is a tenacious defender who can also break down opposing defenses off the dribble.
It is too early to know whether incoming freshman guard Connor Essegian will be ready to contribute next season.
Essegian, who starred at Central Noble High School, finished as the No. 10 scorer in the history of the state of Indiana with 2,526 points.
Here are some of the players ahead of Essegian and where they played college ball: Damon Bailey (3,143, Indiana), Deshaun Thomas (3,018, Ohio State), Romeo Langford (3,002, Indiana), Rick Mount (2,595, Purdue), Eric Hunter (2,583, Purdue) and Trevon Bluiett (2,568, Xavier).
The development of several players on the current roster could be critical.
Jahcobi Neath (1.6 ppg, 1.5 rpb) battled a left-knee injury that required surgery after the season. He played in only 23 of 33 games and only occasionally showed the explosiveness that is one of his strengths.
Jordan Davis is a better shooter than he showed last season when he hit just 8 of 28 three-pointers.
Can forward Markus Ilver, who showed promise in preseason practice before hitting the freshman wall and playing a total of 29 minutes, blossom?
Can forward Carter Gilmore provide quality minutes off the bench?
The Badgers are scheduled to depart for France on Aug. 7 for a four-game tour. Will they have a reserve center on the roster to help take pressure off Crowl? | 2022-05-27T13:34:14Z | www.jsonline.com | UW still needs to add a reserve center to complement Steven Crowl | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/college/uw/2022/05/27/uw-still-needs-add-reserve-center-complement-steven-crowl/9908872002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/college/uw/2022/05/27/uw-still-needs-add-reserve-center-complement-steven-crowl/9908872002/ |
The 2022 NBA Finals will have a Wisconsin flavor, with Golden State featuring two Milwaukee natives (Jordan Poole of Milwaukee King and Kevon Looney of Milwaukee Hamilton). The opponent will have its own Wisconsin tie, either Miami with Tyler Herro of Whitnall High School or Boston with Stevens Point's Sam Hauser.
Hauser has played only sparingly in the playoffs, but he'll get a ring just the same if the Celtics prevail. Looney already has a couple rings to his name but will be looking for another while Poole searches for his first. Herro has reached the NBA Finals before but will be on the lookout for his first ring.
These are the Wisconsin high school alumni (meaning they played at any point in their careers) who appeared in the NBA Finals, including those who came away with championships.
Dick Schulz (1948 with Baltimore Bullets)
It's before the modern concept of NBA basketball, but the Racine Park alumnus does get credit for winning a ring in 1948 with the Baltimore Bullets, beating the Philadelphia Warriors in six games for the Basketball Association of America title. He also appeared in the Finals in 1949, this time with the Washington Capitols.
Bud Grant (1950 with Minneapolis Lakers)
Perhaps you know the Superior alumnus as the Minnesota Vikings coach who's in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Perhaps you know him as one of the greatest athletes Wisconsin has ever produced, who played in both the NBA and NFL (and CFL, for that matter, where he became a Winnipeg Blue Bombers legend). In 1950, he scored 5.5 points per game as the Minneapolis Lakers defeated the Syracuse Nationals, 4-2.
Jeff Webb (1971 with Milwaukee Bucks)
Webb played at West Milwaukee High School, then Kansas State and then for one season with the Bucks, and it was a good one. In 1970-71, he played in 29 games with the NBA champion after winning a spot on the team with an open tryout, all while briefly teaching history and physical education at Racine Horlick High School and commuting back and forth.
"To be able to play with two of the greatest players that ever played (in Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Oscar Robertson), that was something I never thought of," Webb said during the Bucks' playoff run. "Lucius Allen was third guard, and I was the fourth guard, and he hurt his back as we were getting ready for a West Coast swing. I moved up to third guard. We proceeded to go on a 20-game winning streak, and I felt like I was contributing; I just happened to be in the right spot at the right time."
Fred Brown and John Johnson (1979 with Seattle SuperSonics)
Johnson (Messmer) scored 11.6 points with 8.4 rebounds per game in a 4-1 series win over the Washington Bullets to claim the championship, while Brown (Milwaukee Lincoln) scored 9.2 points per game. Both were top draft picks, with Johnson taken seventh in 1970 and Brown sixth in 1971.
They also appeared with the Sonics in the 1978 Finals, a gut-wrenching 4-3 loss to the Bullets in which a 3-2 series lead slipped away. Brown led the Sonics in scoring in that series at 19.1 points per game.
Jim Chones (1980 with Los Angeles Lakers)
Chones, the Racine St. Catherine's legend who went on to star at Marquette University, wasn't given much shine as a character in "Winning Time," the HBO dramatic re-telling of the 1980 Lakers team that won the NBA tile and gave rise to "Showtime," but he played just as many minutes as a player who did get a prominent role, Michael Cooper. Chones saw action in all six games, tallying 8.3 points and 7.0 rebounds per contest as the Lakers toppled the Philadelphia 76ers, 4-2. Chones, who was 30 at the time, played two more years in the NBA before going overseas.
Caron Butler (2011 with Dallas Mavericks)
It's a cruel twist of fate that Butler, who played at Racine Park, was injured during a game against the Bucks in Milwaukee and couldn't compete in the postseason that season for the Mavericks, who went on to beat the Miami Heat for the crown. Butler played in one Western Conference finals but never saw playing time in the Finals. Butler is now an assistant coach for the Heat.
Kevon Looney (2017-18 with Golden State Warriors)
Looney has two rings, since he was also part of the 2016-17 Warriors, though he was injured and unavailable to play in that postseason. But in 2018, he quietly did the dirty work as the Warriors repeated, playing in all four games of the sweep over Cleveland. He played sparingly, with 39 total minutes in the series and just 10 points, but he was also on the teams that went to the Finals in 2016 and 2019, and he played 20.8 minutes per game in the latter series against Toronto.
Kostas Antetokounmpo (2020 with Los Angeles Lakers)
Giannis Antetokounmpo got his ring with the Bucks in 2021, but the humorous family circumstance will always be that younger brother Kostas got his ring first, doing so in the "bubble" with a series win over the Heat, 4-2. Kostas, who played at Dominican High School in Whitefish Bay, did not play in the playoff run, however.
Reached Finals
Terry Porter (Milwaukee South), with Portland Trail Blazers in 1990 and 1992 (lost to Pistons, 4-1; lost to Bulls, 4-2)
Tony Smith (Wauwatosa East), with Los Angeles Lakers in 1991 (lost to Bulls, 4-1)
Latrell Sprewell (Milwaukee Washington), with New York Knicks in 1999 (lost to Spurs, 4-1)
Rodney Buford (Milwaukee Vincent), with Philadelphia 76ers in 2001 (lost to Lakers, 4-1)
Devin Harris (Wauwatosa East), with Dallas Mavericks in 2006 (lost to Heat, 4-2)
Tyler Herro (Whitnall), with Miami Heat in 2020 (lost to Lakers, 4-2) | 2022-05-27T13:34:26Z | www.jsonline.com | The state of Wisconsin will be adding to its list of NBA champions | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/nba/bucks/2022/05/27/jordan-poole-kevon-looney-tyler-herro-sam-hauser-aim-at-nba-title-as-warriors-face-celtics-or-heat/9906705002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/nba/bucks/2022/05/27/jordan-poole-kevon-looney-tyler-herro-sam-hauser-aim-at-nba-title-as-warriors-face-celtics-or-heat/9906705002/ |
Morning news anchor Meghan Reistad is leaving WDJT-TV (Channel 58)
WDJT-TV (Channel 58) morning news anchor Meghan Reistad said goodbye to her co-workers and viewers during Friday morning's newscasts on the CBS affiliate and sister station WMLW.
Reistad, who has been co-anchoring the morning news on Channel 58 for more than two years, said she is getting married next month and moving to Minnesota.
"I'll keep you guys all posted on the job situation. You might just have to follow me on social media," she said on the air Friday morning.
Reistad, who is from Minnesota, worked at WMTV-TV in Madison and KAAL-TV in Rochester, Minnesota, before joining Channel 58 in April 2020. She co-anchored the 4:30 to 7 a.m. newscast on Channel 58, and the 7 to 9 a.m. newscast on WMLW.
Reistad is the second morning news anchor to leave Channel 58 for Minnesota this spring. Last month, morning co-anchor Pauleen Le, who's also from Minnesota, left the station for a reporter job at WCCO-TV in Minneapolis.
Earlier this month, Frankie Jupiter was announced as a new morning news co-anchor at Channel 58, filling the roster spot vacated by Le, starting in June. Coincidentally, Jupiter's last day at morning news anchor at his current station, WSTM-TV in Syracuse, New York, also was Friday.
Jupiter will join co-anchor Mike Curkov and meteorologist Justin Thompson-Gee on the morning newscasts for the two stations, owned by Weigel Broadcasting.
More:Adrienne Pedersen is leaving Milwaukee's WISN-TV (Channel 12) and television news; Gerron Jordan is named co-anchor of the morning newscast
More:Gabriella Garza will be the weekend morning news anchor at Milwaukee's WISN-TV (Channel 12) | 2022-05-27T17:12:26Z | www.jsonline.com | Morning news anchor Meghan Reistad is leaving WDJT-TV (Channel 58) | https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/television-radio/2022/05/27/morning-news-anchor-meghan-reistad-leaving-wdjt-tv-channel-58/9959113002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/television-radio/2022/05/27/morning-news-anchor-meghan-reistad-leaving-wdjt-tv-channel-58/9959113002/ |
Two Bay View housing developments, the conversion of a former funeral home to apartments and the construction of 6 duplexes, are planned.
Two housing developments, the conversion of a former funeral home to apartments and the construction of six duplexes, are planned for Milwaukee's Bay View neighborhood.
The former Suminski Family Funeral Home, 2480-2486 S. Kinnickinnic Ave., would be transformed into 14 apartments under plans filed with the city Department of Neighborhood Services.
The three-story, 17,400-square-foot building was purchased in September for $875,000 by BV KK LLC, according to city assessment records.
That investment group is led by Shirley Konopski and Tim Olson, who couldn't be reached for more information.
Along with alterations to the building, the conversion plans call for an addition.
The former funeral home was built in 1922 in the Mediterranean revival architectural style, according to the Wisconsin Historical Society. It operated for several years as the Niemann & Sons funeral home.
Other Bay View properties operated by Konopski and Olson include the former home of Bella's Fat Cat, 2737-2743 S. Kinnickinnic Ave.
That property was part of site where developer Scott Lurie's 2019 proposal called for 200 apartments. Lurie later dropped those plans after they were opposed by nearby residents and then-Ald. Tony Zielinski.
Duplexes proposed for East Oklahoma Avenue in Bay View
Meanwhile, six duplexes are being proposed for 2501 E. Oklahoma Ave., according to plans filed with the department.
Those plans were filed by property owner Renew Bay View LLC, led by Scott Genke, who operates SG Property Development LLC and SG Property Management LLC. Genke couldn't be reached for more information.
Renew Bay View owns both the corner parcel, which has a small house, as well as an adjacent property at 2509 E. Oklahoma Ave. that has a smaller commercial building. Both structures presumably would be razed to make way for the new housing units.
Together, those two parcels total around 10,300 square feet, according to assessment records.
Genke's other Bay View developments include plans for a two-story, 30-unit apartment building at 2860 S. Kinnickinnic Ave. | 2022-05-27T17:12:32Z | www.jsonline.com | Former Bay View Suminski Family Funeral Home to become 14 apartments | https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/real-estate/commercial/2022/05/27/former-bay-view-suminski-family-funeral-home-become-14-apartments/9950506002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/real-estate/commercial/2022/05/27/former-bay-view-suminski-family-funeral-home-become-14-apartments/9950506002/ |
Years ago, Dale Kooyenga wanted something meaningful to hand out at a parade. Now, he's launched Hero Cards.
After more than a decade in politics, state Sen. Dale Kooyenga is diving into a passion project that has nothing to do with bills or budgets.
Instead, it's all about honoring those who served and sacrificed in America's wars.
The startup project is called Hero Cards, billed as "collector cards honoring those who gave 'the last full measure of devotion.' "
"They're cards that highlight, educate and show gratification for American service members who have died for our country," said Kooyenga, a member of the U.S. Army Reserve who recently announced he won't run for re-election.
In the planning stages for several years, Kooyenga and co-founder Craig Du Mez launched the venture at the end of March.
The business will rely on a subscription program, providing 12 cards per month along with a display box to contain a year's worth of cards.
Each card has a portrait of the service member, along with details of their story. The cards will honor those from the Revolutionary War to the present day. The stories will also appear online.
"When you look at the online stories this isn't an obituary site," Du Mez said. "It's a celebration."
Among the first service members celebrated in the collection is Mannert L. Abele, the grandfather of former Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele. The elder Abele, who was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross, commanded the U.S.S. Grunion, a submarine that was reported missing in the summer of 1942.
Hero Cards is registered as a benefit corporation, which Kooyenga said is a company that pledges to make a positive impact on society. Kooyenga, a Republican from Brookfield, was among a bipartisan group of lawmakers who co-authored the bill creating such a designation in Wisconsin in 2017.
Hero Cards plans to provide a portion of every subscription sold to support veteran-focused nonprofits.
In addition, if the business grows, there are plans to employ veterans to research, write and create artwork for the cards.
The aim is to grow slowly and consistently.
"You need to get out there and tell your story to people," Kooyenga said. "We want to crawl before we walk and walk before we run."
How did this all come about? It was a few years back before one Memorial Day when Kooyenga and Du Mez struck up a conversation.
Kooyenga wanted to hand out something meaningful at a Memorial Day Parade.
"I just thought, what a fantastic idea," Du Mez said. "But it shouldn't be limited to one parade and one politician."
They brainstormed. Perfected the idea. Got an infusion of cash from an investor.
And now, here they are. The first cards are printed. And Kooyenga is excited.
On Monday, he'll march in the Elm Grove Memorial Day Parade.
And he'll bring along the Hero Cards. | 2022-05-27T17:12:38Z | www.jsonline.com | Outgoing Wisconsin state senator starts project honoring fallen heroes | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2022/05/27/outgoing-wisconsin-state-senator-starts-project-honoring-fallen-heroes/9945810002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2022/05/27/outgoing-wisconsin-state-senator-starts-project-honoring-fallen-heroes/9945810002/ |
The Milwaukee Bucks may be out of the NBA postseason, but there's plenty of Wisconsin to go around, between Miami's Tyler Herro and Boston's Sam Hauser in the East and Milwaukee natives Kevon Looney and Jordan Poole suiting up for the Golden State Warriors.
And Johnny Davis during the ad breaks.
The La Crosse native and Big Ten Player of the Year this season for the Wisconsin Badgers stars in a regularly recurring Taco Bell advertisement pushing the toasted cheddar chalupa, using the forthcoming NBA draft as a theme.
Davis rose to a national profile with a huge sophomore season this year, though it might be surprising to see a player who's seen as a top-15 pick in the draft promoting a national brand and not necessarily a lock for, say, the top five or higher.
Davis also has endorsement deals with Mountain Dew and Jockey.
Mock drafts have slotted Davis as high as No. 8 to New Orleans and even as low as No. 24 to the Milwaukee Bucks, though primarily he can be found in the 8-15 range. It's not even 100% clear if he'll be the first Wisconsin native off the board, with a lot of mystery around Sussex Hamilton alumnus Patrick Baldwin, who could be found much higher in mock drafts prior to his injury-shortened season last year at UW-Milwaukee.
Milwaukee-born Ochai Agbaji of Kansas will also most likely hear his name in the first round, and Milwaukee natives Alondes Williams and Michael Foster Jr. also figure into draft night. | 2022-05-27T17:12:50Z | www.jsonline.com | Wisconsin's Johnny Davis appearing in Taco Bell ad during NBA playoffs | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/college/uw/2022/05/27/wisconsin-star-johnny-davis-appearing-taco-bell-ad-during-nba-playoffs-using-nba-draft-as-a-theme/9945995002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/college/uw/2022/05/27/wisconsin-star-johnny-davis-appearing-taco-bell-ad-during-nba-playoffs-using-nba-draft-as-a-theme/9945995002/ |
INDIANAPOLIS – Helio Castroneves has noticed the difference in the tone of the questions he’s being asked, and he likes it.
“Last year, remember, a lot of you guys were like, ‘Hey, you’re running out of time’ … all that,” Castroneves said of the days leading up to last May 30, and really for a half-dozen Mays before that.
“Now that’s changed. The question’s changed: ‘What about five?’ ”
When the bubbly Brazilian passed beneath the checkered flag on the final lap of the 105th Indianapolis 500, he became the fourth member of the exclusive club of four-time Indianapolis 500 winners at age 46 and 30 years after his mentor Rick Mears had become the third.
Not long after Castroneves stopped his car on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway front stretch, climbed the fence with his crew and bearhugged hundreds of friends, rivals and Indy legends, the narrative changed.
Now two interesting possibilities for compelling Indy history seem within reach.
Castroneves could start his own club, or someone else could eventually join him, Mears, Al Unser and A.J. Foyt with four wins.
More:Helio Castroneves' drive for 5th Indy 500: 'Indianapolis, it brings out the best in me'
More:Here are the Indy 500 2022 betting odds, with favorites and long shots
“This business today – and especially today – the competition is so tight today and so strong, the depth of the talent and the teams, the engineers, the teams and drivers is as strong as it’s ever been,” Mears said. “It’s as tight as it’s ever been.
“Helio’s obviously got a good shot to be the first five-time. And I’m sure he’s going to be standing up in the seat trying to make it happen. But there’s a lot, lot of guys running quick.”
If Castroneves is to go back-to-back – as he did in 2001-02 for his first two Indy victories – he’ll have a longer drive than ever. He’ll start 27th Sunday, outside the ninth row. In 21 previous Indy starts, he has started deeper in the field only once, and his wins have come 11th, 13th, first and eighth.
“I want it a lot,” Castroneves said. “I want to do something nobody ever did. That’s what A.J. said: Records are made to be broken. We tied the record. Now it’s time to do something nobody ever did.
“Am I going to fight for it? Absolutely right. Is it going to happen? We’re going to see on Sunday.”
Foyt (1961, ’64, ’67, ’77) won for the first time in his fourth start and for the last time in his 20th, at age 42. He would compete 15 more times and then retire on pole day before the 1993 race.
Unser (1970, ’71, ’78, ‘87) picked up his first win in his fifth start and his last in his 23rd try, five days before his 48th birthday. He would run Indy five more times.
Mears (’79, ’83, ’88, ‘91) won in just his second try and completed the quad in the shortest span and at the youngest age, 39. He retired after the ’92 season.
Castroneves (2001, ’02, ’09, ’21) was the first driver to win Indy twice in his first two tries. After losing his full-time IndyCar ride with Penske – the most successful team in Indianapolis 500 history with 18 victories – at the end of 2017, Castroneves ran the race three more times with Penske and then joined Meyer Shank part-time last year and delivered the team its first IndyCar victory.
More:Helio Castroneves on heated 2002 Indy 500 win: 'Wait, it's yellow but Tracy is passing me'
“I said to Helio last year in a text, I said I’m just very privileged to race against him in his era,” said Scott McLaughlin, who is about to start his second 500 for Castroneves’ former team. “He’s a legend of the sport and not many people can say they raced against one of the four-time club members.
“I very much enjoy racing him. I enjoy passing him. And I’m excited for how the race unfolds and what the script is going to be … potentially with Helio to have that history-making achievement. Hopefully he’s around a few more years to try it regardless if he doesn’t get it this year.”
With no three-time winners active, the four-time foursome can’t grow Sunday, but Takuma Sato (2017, 2020) and Juan Pablo Montoya (2000, 2015) could move within a step.
Time is running out on them, though, as it seemed to be on Castroneves in recent years. Sato is 45 and Montoya 46.
Ditto for 41-year-old Scott Dixon, who has won six championships and will start on the pole Sunday – for the fifth time – but has won the 500 just once (2008).
“I’m not sure Helio would swap any,” Dixon said. “Indy is so special, so unique. I think what he’s been able to achieve is I think for all of us very cool to see it in the modern day.”
Of the eight past winners in the field, Alexander Rossi (2016) is the youngest at age 30 and Simon Pagenaud (2019) second at 38. So if another four-time winner does come along anytime soon, it’d seem more likely to be one of the younger drivers without a 500 win yet.
Those who come to mind include reigning NTT IndyCar Series champion Alex Palou, who is 25 and finished second last year; Rinus VeeKay, who is starting on the front row for the second time in three tries at age 21; and 22-year-old Colton Herta and 23-year-old Pato O'Ward, if they’re not pulled to Formula One for extended stretches of their careers.
“There’s definitely a lot of talent, but it also takes a lot of luck to make that happen,” said owner/driver Ed Carpenter, whose team includes VeeKay. “There’s plenty of people that’ve come along that have what it takes to win four or more, but it’s not as simple as that in a 500-mile race.
“I’m sure it’ll happen eventually; whether Helio creates a new club or someone else (joins), time will tell.” | 2022-05-27T17:13:08Z | www.jsonline.com | Can Helio Castroneves win 5th Indy 500, pass Mears, Unser, Foyt? | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/motor/2022/05/27/can-helio-castroneves-win-5th-indy-500-pass-mears-unser-foyt/9955317002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/motor/2022/05/27/can-helio-castroneves-win-5th-indy-500-pass-mears-unser-foyt/9955317002/ |
Construction is set to being this fall on a mixed use development with 480 apartments and 12,000 square feet of retail space along the lakefront in St. Francis.
City Administrator Mark Johnsrud confirmed the estimated construction start time following a May 25 special common council meeting. The council unanimously approved a planned unit development zoning ordinance and development agreement with Atlanta-based Campbell Capital Group.
The project will sit on over 21 acres at 3700 S. Lake Dr. and is to be called 3700 on the Lake, similar to Campbell’s other development, 42 Hundred on the Lake, which is less than a mile away and opened in July 2021. The design also mirrors the previous project.
Construction will happen in two phases.
“St. Francis is expecting both phases to provide an increase of over $82 million to total assessed values,” Johnsrud said.
Phase one includes a building with portions ranging from four to five stories high with one level of under-podium parking, 8,000 square-feet of first floor retail space and 280 luxury apartments on the second through fifth floors.
Phase two includes a similar four- and five-story building with 4,000 square feet of retail space and 200 apartments.
Project documents indicate 78% of the units will be one-bedroom, 20% two-bedroom and 2% three-bedroom. Units will feature stainless appliances, quartz/granite countertops, tile showers and washer/dryer combo units in-unit.
Additionally, a club room overlooking Lake Michigan is included for each phase of the development, a two-story clubhouse/lease office, a pool, courtyards, lounge with coffee bar, fitness center, business center, outdoor recreational area with bike storage, grill area and parking.
The development agreement also requires a 4.62-acre “no build” area on the southern end of the property with parking and is to be used as a private park with unobstructed views of Lake Michigan.
Project documents indicate the city’s approval “was influenced by developer’s inclusion of specific building heights and preserving a view of Lake Michigan from the South Lake Drive right-of-way.”
“Apartments within the two- to five-story development will provide views of Lake Michigan and the Downtown Milwaukee skyline,” Johnsrud said. “The development agreement provides for a perpetual easement for public view corridors of Lake Michigan.” | 2022-05-27T20:22:59Z | www.jsonline.com | Massive apartment, retail project coming to St. Francis lakefront | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/south/news/st-francis/2022/05/27/massive-apartment-retail-project-coming-st-francis-lakefront/9938168002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/south/news/st-francis/2022/05/27/massive-apartment-retail-project-coming-st-francis-lakefront/9938168002/ |
Vanessa Swales Alison Dirr
Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson on Friday called a proposal to require payment to the city to hold the 2024 Republican National Convention a "poison pill" even as he expressed optimism that the Common Council would ultimately throw its support behind the event.
Johnson declined to answer whether he would veto any legislation that required a payment to the city, saying he would have to see what comes out of the council.
However, he said he was certain requiring such a payment would not bode well for Milwaukee's effort to beat out Nashville in the bid to host the RNC.
“I think it amounts basically to a poison pill that could kill the deal,” Johnson said Friday. “Inserting a dollar amount into this agreement — knowing full well that it would kill the deal — is a nonstarter for me.”
His comments come after three council members on Wednesday put forward a proposal to require the RNC host committee to provide the city $6 million to address housing, higher education and workforce development if the convention were to come to Milwaukee.
Ald. JoCasta Zamarripa, the amendment's lead sponsor, briefly discussed the proposal at the close of a key council committee meeting Wednesday. The measure did not receive a vote by the Steering and Rules Committee, which for now has also delayed a vote on the framework agreement to bring the convention to the city.
The delay was a result of a surprise deadline, political tensions and a push for Milwaukee's cash-strapped city government to benefit financially from the potential event.
The agreement could still get a vote at the council meeting Wednesday.
Mayor Cavalier Johnson optimistic about Republican National Convention in Milwaukee
Johnson on Friday said while it remains his expectation that the council will approve the contract, "Obviously, there is work to be done."
As he has before, Johnson touted the opportunity the RNC presents for the city's businesses and overall economy during the time the convention would be in town and as other conventions seek to locate here.
He said he had spoken with members of the Republican National Committee and the host committee since the council committee vote.
"All of us are going to continue to do the work that's necessary in order for us to make sure that there's the outcome that all of us want to see, which is acceptance of the contract so that the city of Milwaukee will host the Republican National Convention in 2024," he said.
He also said outreach from his administration to the council would continue to try to ensure support for the agreement.
As for the 2024 Democratic National Convention, Johnson said Milwaukee was not to his knowledge in the running for that event. .
After a successful bid for the 2020 DNC, Milwaukee was set to take center stage in national politics, but with on-going concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic, the convention became a mostly virtual event.
Chicago, Atlanta and New York City have all made official bids to host the DNC. | 2022-05-27T20:23:05Z | www.jsonline.com | Cavalier Johnson expects common council support for RNC in Milwaukee | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2022/05/27/mayor-cavalier-johnson-expects-common-council-support-2024-republican-national-convention-milwaukee/9962752002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2022/05/27/mayor-cavalier-johnson-expects-common-council-support-2024-republican-national-convention-milwaukee/9962752002/ |
Elliot Hughes Rory Linnane
SLINGER -- Law enforcement in Slinger reported an arrest and no injuries after receiving a call of a student at Slinger Middle School with a gun Friday.
The Washington County Sheriff's Department said no gun has been recovered as of early Friday afternoon.
The Sheriff's Department reported the school went on lockdown shortly before 12:30 p.m. Friday and it will remain that way until a search of the school is finished.
The department said parents should gather at a staging area at Kettle Moraine Bowl, about a mile south of the school, 521 Olympic Drive.
A screenshot of a districtwide email to parents that was posted to social media said, "A student at the middle school, in the hallway, yelled that they had a gun. We are processing through that right now. At this point, it is still an active investigation but we believe this may have been a case of a foolish statement coming from a possibly joking manner."
The email said Slinger High School, Slinger Middle School and Slinger Elementary are all on lockdown.
Jay Keickhafer, who has three children in middle school, said he found out when his wife got a text from the school.
“I was nervous, just not knowing,” he said. “Just hoped for the best. That’s all you can really do in this situation.”
He got an email at 1:16 p.m. from the school district indicating a student in a crowded hallway had stated, “I have a gun.” That student was in custody and the situation was stabilized, the email said.
At 1:46, another email said the threat was found not to be credible.
Keickhafer said he thought officials handled it well.
“Everything happened the way it should have happened,” he said. | 2022-05-27T20:23:11Z | www.jsonline.com | Slinger Middle School lockdown after report of gun, suspect in custody | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2022/05/27/slinger-middle-school-lockdown-report-gun-suspect-custody/9964273002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2022/05/27/slinger-middle-school-lockdown-report-gun-suspect-custody/9964273002/ |
MADISON – Democratic Gov. Tony Evers said Friday he prays a top Republican does not appoint attorney Michael Gableman to the state Elections Commission because he can't think of anyone less equipped to do the job.
Evers made the comment two days after Republican commissioner Dean Knudson announced he would step down from the bipartisan panel after coming under fire from his own party.
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos of Rochester will get to name Knudson's replacement. He has said he hasn't ruled anyone out, leaving open the possibility he could appoint Gableman, a former state Supreme Court justice who has been conducting a taxpayer-funded review of the 2020 election at the behest of Vos.
"We all know Gableman has spent the last year — and a lot of our money, frankly — on things that have been obviously found to be incorrect time after time after time, and I can't think of anybody less capable and less prepared to sit on the Wisconsin Elections Commission than him," Evers told reporters Friday.
"So I'm hopeful that the speaker just said that because he didn't want to irritate him. But at the end of the day, if that is a choice that he makes — which I pray that he doesn't — it will be one that will absolutely be the worst, the worst, worst. It would be bad news."
Before he was hired, Gableman claimed without evidence that the presidential election had been stolen. Once on the job, he conferred with conspiracy theories and called for lawmakers to explore decertifying the election even though doing so is legally impossible.
The commission, which consists of three Republicans and three Democrats, has faced a litany of criticism from Republicans after Joe Biden beat Donald Trump in Wisconsin. Recounts and court rulings have confirmed Biden's win.
A former lawmaker and Trump supporter, Knudson has defied some in his party by saying the election was conducted properly. He said Wednesday he was leaving the commission because he no longer had the support of Republicans.
Among those who have criticized Knudson is U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, who didn't want Knudson to serve as chairman of the commission.
Evers said he often disagreed with Knudson but was disappointed to see him leave the commission.
"Apparently if you disagree with the last election, you're toast, and what a story to tell about the state of Wisconsin," Evers said. "He should have — I understand why he did what he did. But it's somewhat understandable because essentially he's been thrown out of the party." | 2022-05-27T20:23:23Z | www.jsonline.com | Tony Evers says Gableman on Wisconsin Elections Commission: 'bad news' | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/2022/05/27/governor-tony-evers-says-michael-gableman-incapable-of-serving-wisconsin-elections-commission/9963781002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/2022/05/27/governor-tony-evers-says-michael-gableman-incapable-of-serving-wisconsin-elections-commission/9963781002/ |
Milwaukee County, which doesn't have a health department, but an Office of Emergency Management, which has been leading the county's vaccine efforts, updated its COVID-19 dashboard on Thursday and it revealed new information about area vaccines use.
A new feature of the dashboard displays vaccination rate by municipality, which shows all of Milwaukee's suburbs have higher vaccination rates than the city. With the exception of West Milwaukee, which is in a statistical tie with the city of Milwaukee for last place at 60% of its population receiving one dose.
The municipality with the highest vaccine rate is River Hills, 94% of its population has received one dose, while 57% of its population has received a booster dose.
In addition to River Hills, Whitefish Bay and Fox Point all have one-dose vaccination rates above 90%. All three have booster vaccination rates above 57%.
Shorewood and Bayside each have one-dose vaccination rates at 85% of its population, with booster rates above 55%.
Wauwatosa (79%), Greendale (79%), Glendale (78%), Franklin (76%), Oak Creek (75%) Brown Deer (73%), Hales Corners (71%), Greenfield (70%), Saint Francis (69%), Cudahy (65%), South Milwaukee (63%) and West Allis (62%) round out the rest of the county's one-dose vaccination rates.
Similar to national rates, booster rates in most Milwaukee municipalities continue to lag, with 13 of the 19 municipalities showing a booster rate below 50%. The city of Milwaukee is as low as 27%.
The new data from the county also shows that the older you are the more likely you were to get vaccinated, for both one-dose and booster.
When you look at the data by race, you find that the race with the highest percentage of residents who have received one dose are Native Americans (80%), while 79% of the Asian population, 65.7% of the white population and 62.7% of the Hispanic or Latino population received one dose.
Only 48.8% of the Black population in Milwaukee County has received one dose.
The preferred vaccine in Milwaukee County was Pfizer, roughly 64.1% of the population chose Pfizer for their first dose, while 30.3% chose Moderna and 5.6% chose Johnson & Johnson.
The preferred location to receive a vaccine was retail. Roughly 39% of the population received their first dose at a retail location, a little less than 35% chose a health care setting, and a little more than 20% chose a health department.
Lastly, the data shows that the majority of the population that is booster-eligible (received two doses) chose to get the booster dose. Although roughly 54% of booster-eligible residents in the city of Milwaukee chose to get the booster, all the suburbs are higher, with the exception of West Milwaukee.
On the state level, Wisconsin continues to average more than 1,700 vaccine dose a day, with roughly 840 doses being boosters. More than 64% of the population has received one dose, while more than 34% have received a booster dose.
Latest COVID-19 numbers (statewide)
Seven-day average of daily cases: 1,838 (up 672 cases from one month ago)
Seven-day average of confirmed daily deaths: 4 (up two deaths from a month ago)
Seven-day average of new deaths reported within 30 days of death: 4 (up three deaths from a month ago) | 2022-05-27T23:12:11Z | www.jsonline.com | Milwaukee's suburbs have a higher vaccination rate than the city | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2022/05/27/milwaukees-suburbs-have-higher-vaccination-rate-than-city/9957302002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2022/05/27/milwaukees-suburbs-have-higher-vaccination-rate-than-city/9957302002/ |
Waukesha seeks designs for permanent memorials for the victims of the Christmas Parade tragedy
Waukesha moved one step closer this week to a permanent memorial for the victims of the Waukesha Christmas Parade tragedy.
Last month, the Waukesha Parade Memorial Commission announced it was considering creating three sites to memorialize the six people killed at the Waukesha Christmas Parade on Nov. 21, 2021. Police and prosecutors say Darrell Brooks Jr. drove his SUV into the crowd. The incident also injured dozens.
Now, the commission is seeking concept designs for two memorials: a smaller site of recognition along Main Street, the parade route; and a larger memorial in Grede Park.
Artists and architects or anyone with a similar skill set are encouraged to submit a design proposal, the commission said. Submissions are accepted for either one site or both.
To submit a proposal, you must review the design submission packet, fulfill the requirements listed and email the commission your design.
The deadline to submit a proposal is July 8 at 4 p.m.
The city once had a temporary memorial at Veterans Park, but that was removed last year. | 2022-05-28T01:45:39Z | www.jsonline.com | Waukesha seeks designs for permanent memorials for parade victims | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/2022/05/27/waukesha-seeks-designs-permanent-memorials-parade-victims/9970240002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/2022/05/27/waukesha-seeks-designs-permanent-memorials-parade-victims/9970240002/ |
Ah, Madison. Home to the state capital and its flagship university. Squeezed onto an isthmus between Lake Mendota and Lake Monona, with three other lakes in the area. Bike lanes and outdoor activities galore, with restaurants and bars to match.
All of those qualities make Wisconsin’s second most populous city a popular destination for visitors, especially future, current and past college students.
So what to do when you’re done touring campus or jumping around at Camp Randall?
There are plenty of options, and everyone’s must-do lists are different. But here are some quintessential Madison things every visitor should do at least once.
A visit to the capital wouldn't be a visit without seeing the Capitol itself. Free tours are offered daily and offer a look at the building that was modeled after the U.S. Capitol. The dome, the only granite dome in the country, also is one of the largest by volume. The building is the tallest in Madison — cemented by a state statute that forbids any building within a mile from being taller. During the summer, the tour takes visitors to the sixth floor museum and observation deck for views from near that highest point.
The building is open to the public from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends and holidays. Free tours are offered daily year round, except on select holidays. They start at the information desk in the central Rotunda on the hour (except for noon) from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday, with an extra 4 p.m. tour on weekdays in the summer. The tour lasts 45 to 55 minutes and is accessible up to the fourth floor. Reservations are not required. See tours.wisconsin.gov or call (608) 266-0382 for more information.
The University of Wisconsin’s Memorial Union Terrace on Lake Mendota is the place to be in Madison in the summer. Colorful sunburst chairs and tables are scattered around the Terrace for taking in views of the lake and live music on summer weekends, with a giant chair serving as a prop for graduation photos. Brats, burgers, barbecue and beer are available outside, with pizza, salads, ice cream, coffee and more available inside. On the west side of the Terrace, Outdoor UW rents kayaks, canoes and stand-up paddle boards for paddling on the lake.
State Street is in the heart of Madison, connecting the UW campus with the Capitol. The street is only open to pedestrians, cyclists and buses, and is lined with shops, bars and restaurants from chains to local favorites. It's about a half mile walk from the west end to the east, perfect for a leisurely stroll with shopping, eating and drinking along the way.
At the western end, the University Book Store sells all manner of UW apparel, plus textbooks for students.
Also near the western end, State Street Brats is a quintessential college bar and one of the best spots to watch a game if you're not going to Camp Randall or the Kohl Center. The bar and restaurant is known for its red brat, made from pork and beef, which gives it the red color. Other bar favorites round out the menu, including burgers and cheese curds, plus vegetarian and gluten-free options. A beer garden outside fills up quickly on nice days.
Near the eastern end is The Orpheum Theater, which was built as a vaudeville venue and movie theater in 1926 and today plays host to local and national acts throughout the year.
Also near the eastern end is Paul's Club, a popular bar known for a large petrified oak tree that rises from the center of the bar and survived a fire in 1993 and a move in 2012.
Picnic Point
Part of UW’s Lakeshore Nature Preserve, this peninsula jutting out into Lake Mendota offers nearly 360-degree views of the lake, the Capitol and the university. From Lot 130, it's less than a mile walk along a wheelchair accessible path to the Point. Six reservable fire pits are scattered along the route, with firewood and grates provided.
Picnic Point is a small part of the 300-acre preserve that stretches along 4.3 miles of the shoreline. A handful of trails travel through the preserve, including through a resorted prairie, to Frautschi Point for more great views, and to Raymer’s Cove, lined by small sandstone cliffs.
It would be easy to spend an entire day in this 1,200-acre National Historic Landmark on the south side of Lake Wingra, with more than 17 miles of trails winding through restored prairie, wetlands and woodlands. Start at the Visitor Center, 2880 Longenecker Drive, which sits on the northern edge of the Curtis Prairie, the world’s oldest ecologically restored prairie. Trails around the center also wind through the 4-acre Wisconsin Native Plant Garden, which contains hundreds of native species, and the Longenecker Horticultural Gardens, which has one of the continent’s largest displays of lilacs. To the north and east are two woodlands with a handful of effigy mounds.
The Arboretum is free to visit. Pets and picnics are not permitted. The Visitor Center is open 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday and 12:30-4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Trails and parking lots are open 4 a.m.-10 p.m. daily.
RELATED:Wisconsin's prairies shine in late summer, from Lapham Peak to the UW Arboretum
RELATED:Lizard Mound in Washington County will become Wisconsin's newest state park
Another free natural opportunity in Madison, Olbrich’s 16 acres of outdoor gardens feature everything from roses and hostas to wildflowers and ferns. The gardens are also home to a Thai Pavilion, a gift from the Thai government and the Thai Chapter of the Wisconsin Alumni Association to the university. The pavilion is only one of four outside of Thailand, and the only one in the continental U.S.
Also at Olbrich is the Bolz Conservatory, a glass pyramid greenhouse filled with tropical plants and free-flying birds that hosts a popular butterfly exhibit every July.
Both the outdoor gardens and the conservatory are wheelchair accessible. The outdoor gardens are free to visit and are open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. daily April-September and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. daily October-March. The Bolz Conservatory is open 10 a.m.-4 p.m. daily; admission is $6 for visitors age 13 and older, $3 for children (ages 6-12) and free for kids 5 and younger. Admission is free for everyone from 10 a.m. to noon Wednesday and Saturday.
Babcock Dairy Store or Chocolate Shoppe ice cream
Custard might be king in Wisconsin, but in Madison, these two battle it out for ice cream queen status.
Babcock wins when it comes to history. The dairy plant there has been producing ice cream using the same recipe since 1951 and selling it in a student-run store on campus at 1605 Linden Drive, along with Daily Scoop locations in Memorial Union and Union South. The main store usually has around 22 flavors available, from staples like Union Utopia (vanilla with peanut butter, caramel and fudge) to specials like Bec-key Lime Pie, which was first made in 2013 in honor of then-Chancellor Rebecca Blank.
You can now find more than 100 Chocolate Shoppe ice cream flavors in 400 restaurants and shops around the country — including Chocolate Factory locations in the Milwaukee area — but it's better closer to the source. The company has four locations in the Madison area, including one at 468 State St. Zanzibar Chocolate, made with three kinds of chocolate, is a favorite, and has inspired spinoffs like Zanzimint and Zoreo. The shop also offers a variety of allergy-friendly and vegan options.
You’ll have to visit on a Saturday to peruse this farmers market on the Capitol Square, which bills itself as the country’s largest producers-only market. Vendors sell everything from flowers and fruit to baked goods and beef. Some popular vendors sell out before the market ends; get there early for the best selection. The market is open 6:15 a.m.-1:45 p.m. April-November. In the winter, the market moves indoors to the Garver Feed Mill.
There’s also a smaller market held on the 200 block of Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. from 8:30 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. on Wednesdays in the summer.
Biking in Madison
Madison is the best city in Wisconsin for urban biking, with a platinum award from the League of American Bicyclists, the second-highest award given to bicycle-friendly communities, and the only one in Wisconsin. Paved bike trails and protected bike lanes wind through the city and along its lakes. Try the John Nolen Path and Monona Trail around the southern half of Lake Monona for views of the Capitol and city skyline.
BCycle is the city’s bikeshare system, with a fleet of e-bikes and dozens of stations scattered around the city. Passes for single rides (up to 30 minutes) are $5; day passes are $15.
The history of Madison's other lakeside terrace is an interesting one that involves one of the country's most famous architects, Frank Lloyd Wright. The Wisconsin native first proposed a design for a civic center linking Lake Monona with the Capitol in 1938, but his vision wasn't realized until 1997. The curvilinear design mimics another one of his famous commissions, New York City's Guggenheim Museum.
The building's Rooftop Garden offers views of the lake and the Capitol, and includes a memorial plaque and benches dedicated to Otis Redding, the "King of Soul Singers" who was killed in a plane crash on Lake Monona while on his way to a concert in Madison in 1967.
Also on the rooftop is the Lake Vista Cafe, offering lunch with a view from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.
Hourlong tours of the building are offered at 1 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. They cost $5 for adults, $3 for students (ages 5-17) and are free for kids 4 and younger.
Bucky statues
In 2018 the Madison Area Sports Commission launched Bucky on Parade, a public art display that featured 85 life-sized Bucky Badger statues around town. Many of them were auctioned off that year to raise money for Garding Against Cancer, but you can still see a handful outside businesses around town, including #GameDayBucky at the University Book Store on State Street, Ringo 2.0 at State Street Brats, Jump Around Bucky at the Great Dane downtown, Graduation Bucky at Bascom Hall, and Friday Night Fish Fry Bucky at The Edgewater hotel.
Madison breweries
Milwaukee might be Wisconsin’s Brew City, but Madison has its share of breweries, including specialized producers like ALT Brew, a completely gluten free brewery, and Funk Factory Geuzeria, which brews traditional Lambic beers.
Ale Asylum is one of the biggest, in an old warehouse with a two-story patio on the north side of town. Two are within a block of the Capitol (and each other): Young Blood, offering an IPA- and sour-focused lineup, and the Great Dane, a brewpub that now has five locations around Wisconsin.
On the East Side, Giant Jones is one of the few women-owned breweries in the state, with a lineup of certified organic beers. Look for the pink door around the corner from Old Sugar Distillery, another spot worth a visit if spirits are more your style.
Mickies Dairy Bar
An institution in the shadow of Camp Randall, Mickies serves football-sized portions for breakfast and lunch in a diner setting that hasn’t changed much from when it opened in 1946. Red swivel stools still surround the counter in the center of the room, with small booths lining the walls. Malts and milkshakes, massive chocolate-chip pancakes, and the Scrambler — potatoes topped with three scrambled eggs, a choice of meat, two vegetables, cheese and gravy — are favorites. Lines to get a table inside the seat-yourself restaurant can be long on weekends; get there early or go during the week for a shorter wait. The diner is open 7 a.m.-2 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday, and 6 a.m.-2 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
The aptly named Old Fashioned serves not only Wisconsin’s signature drink — muddled by hand with Korbel brandy, of course — but also its signature appetizer: beer-battered cheese curds — some of the best in town. The restaurant on the Capitol Square features other Wisconsin items on its menu including beer cheese soup, Green Bay-style chili (that’s served over spaghetti noodles, like Chili John’s in Green Bay), and fried cod, perch or walleye every day.
L’Etoile or Graze
The farm-to-table French-inspired restaurant L'Etoile is the spot to go for a classy night out. Chef-owner Tory Miller is a James Beard award winner, and the views of the Capitol match the food. Reservations are recommended and are available online.
L'Etoile's more casual (but still classy) cousin, Graze, is next door. Also owned by Miller, the gastropub restaurant serves a Friday fish fry and weekend brunch in addition to a regular menu that features everything from burgers to bibimbap. There's also a street-side patio with views of the Capitol. Reservations are available online, although you might have better walk-in luck than at L'Etoile. | 2022-05-28T14:16:33Z | www.jsonline.com | 15 things you have to do in Madison, from the Terrace to State Street | https://www.jsonline.com/story/travel/wisconsin/2022/05/28/things-to-do-madison-memorial-union-terrace-picnic-point-dane-county-farmers-market-mickies-graze/9962503002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/travel/wisconsin/2022/05/28/things-to-do-madison-memorial-union-terrace-picnic-point-dane-county-farmers-market-mickies-graze/9962503002/ |
MUSKEGO - The historic church stands picture-perfect, a postcard-like image.
With its beige-brick edifice, St. Paul's Lutheran Church's second building was erected in 1905 along Janesville Road to stand tall and elegant in a rural community, many decades in advance of the emergence of the city of Muskego as an upscale lake municipality.
The community has changed, and so has the church's congregation, which now views the historic building through a different lens.
In an online letter on St. Paul's website, church officials on May 20 acknowledged they had reached a "difficult decision" to fully phase out the 117-year-old building, ultimately leading to its demolition at some point.
"As the congregation begins to plan for future additions, the congregation approved taking this church building down so that we can preserve elements of the building in new and remodeled construction so that we might continue to honor the gospel ministry that took place in this building," the letter said, adding: "There are no plans for demolition in the immediate future.
The church, S66 W14325 Janesville Road, pledged to offer tours to both the congregation and the community before any demolition begins.
The decision is purely financial, given the limits of the church building that preceded the implementation of standards already in place at St. Paul's newer facility, built in 1978, behind the 1905 facility, the church said.
"For the last 44 years, this building has not been used regularly," the church said in its letter. "The lack of parking, handicapped accessibility, adequate bathrooms and air conditioning makes refurbishing this building for future ministry use impractical.
"While St. Paul’s celebrates the ministry that took place in this building, it was determined that the investment of ministry dollars to preserve a vacant building is not
good use of the resources God has given us."
St. Paul's church administrative officials did not return phone calls seeking more information on the decision, including the timeline for demolition and what aspects might be preserved through remodeling.
Should St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Muskego be preserved?
Local preservationists are distraught over the plan.
A Muskego Historical Society's Facebook post about the anticipated demise of the 117-year-old building generated 100 comments, specifically to the question "What would you do to save this Muskego landmark?"
Some residents suggested the site should become a historical landmark or preserved by some other means, including starting a GoFundMe account to support the necessary renovation work.
One person noted that a relative is buried in the church's cemetery, which surrounds three sides of the 1905 structure on a campus that also includes a school and day care center.
No one from the historical society was available for an interview. An officer, who asked not to be quoted, acknowledged being aware of the church's decision, but also noted that the organization has no role in it and hasn't met in some time.
St. Paul's Lutheran Church has a history almost as deep as Muskego, which was established as a town in 1838 on land that was previously a Native American village. The church erected its first building in 1838 on the same site of the 1905 church.
More:Here's a look at seven 19th-century church buildings in the Milwaukee suburbs.
More:Volunteers restore historic Pewaukee church | 2022-05-28T19:06:52Z | www.jsonline.com | Historic Muskego church, built in 1905, to be demolished for expansion | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/waukesha/news/muskego/2022/05/28/st-pauls-lutheran-church-muskego-built-1905-demolished-expansion/9919305002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/waukesha/news/muskego/2022/05/28/st-pauls-lutheran-church-muskego-built-1905-demolished-expansion/9919305002/ |
'It's an honor': Volunteers place 35,000 flags at veterans' gravesites for the Memorial Day ceremony in Milwaukee
Some came to remember their family members. Others brought children to teach a lesson about service.
All wanted to honor the sacrifice made by America's military veterans.
Hundreds of volunteers placed 35,000 flags across Wood National Cemetery in Milwaukee, one for each gravesite, in preparation for Monday's annual Memorial Day ceremony.
Among them were 6-year-old Myrtle Huolihan and her 4-year-old brother, Timothy. The kindergartener's Daisy and Brownie Girl Scout troop from Wilson Elementary in West Allis took part in the volunteer event.
"I hope it's at least a start to educating them about our military and what our veterans do and their service for us," said their mother, Amanda Huolihan, whose husband served two tours in the Army National Guard, one in Afghanistan and the other in Iraq.
"They're so little and it's so hard to explain how important it is," she added. "It's really important to honor those who serve other people. I want them to be those people when they're older."
Ken Janca, of Menomonee Falls, was one of the first to arrive at the cemetery Saturday morning. Now retired, he regularly volunteers through the fraternal organization of Catholic Financial Life, which first took part in the flag-marking effort last year.
Even before then, Janca said his family stopped at Wood National Cemetery nearly every Memorial Day to visit the grave of his grandfather, who served in World War I. Janca's father served in World War II.
"It's a great feeling just to thank our servicemen for what they did for our country all these years," he said.
Leon Woolford, an Air Force veteran who was stationed in Thailand from 1973-77, also has relatives laid to rest at the cemetery where he now works. His grandfather's brother and his adopted parents — the couple who took him in when he moved to Milwaukee from Chicago — are buried there.
"It's an honor," said Woolford, of his work as a cemetery technician.
He started his job more than 17 years ago, after being introduced to it as a participant of the Veteran Affairs' comprehensive work therapy program.
"I love this job because I help people," he said. "It's something that I wanted to do to give back, and I found it, and it was just perfect."
Monday marks a return to a public Memorial Day ceremony, after private events were held the last two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, said Laura Beckel, a cemetery technician and Army veteran who served as a medic from 2010-17.
Volunteers also are needed to remove flags starting at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday. Beckel, Woolford and other cemetery staff inspect each flag, drying them if necessary, before storing them for next year.
Memorial Day first was observed on May 30, 1868, in honor of Civil War soldiers and included the tradition of decorating gravesites with flowers, wreath and flags.
"It's a day to honor and remember our veterans that gave us everything," Beckel said.
What to know about Milwaukee's Memorial Day ceremony
What: Memorial Day ceremony themed "Remember and Honor" to honor fallen veterans, their families and prisoners of war or missing in action who never made it home
When: 9 a.m. Monday with an opening concert, followed by the official program at 9:25 a.m. and an aircraft flyover at 10 a.m.
Where: Wood National Cemetery on the Milwaukee VA campus, 5000 W. National Ave.
More:4 things to do in Milwaukee during Memorial Day weekend 2022 | 2022-05-28T19:06:58Z | www.jsonline.com | Veterans' graves at Wood National Cemetery decorated for Memorial Day | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/milwaukee/2022/05/28/veterans-graves-wood-national-cemetery-decorated-memorial-day-milwaukee/9960242002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/milwaukee/2022/05/28/veterans-graves-wood-national-cemetery-decorated-memorial-day-milwaukee/9960242002/ |
ST. LOUIS - There was lots more injury news for the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday.
But not all of it was bad.
To begin with, Brandon Woodruff reported to Busch Stadium in the morning with some soreness in his right ankle. Otherwise, he was moving freely and felt good, he said.
The right-hander was forced from the game heading into the fifth inning of the Brewers' 4-2 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday night with what was later described by manager Craig Counsell as irritation.
Woodruff was receiving treatment on the ankle but holding off from doing anything physically until Sunday, which is when he and the team should have a better read on the plan moving forward for him.
"His body's a little sore to begin with from pitching, so I don't think we'll have anything before Chicago," Counsell said. "We'll give him until Chicago before we start figuring things out.
"I do think the next start is in question, and that's what we've got to figure out."
Woodruff's next scheduled start would come Wednesday against the Cubs at Wrigley Field, where Milwaukee will wrap up a three-city, 11-game road trip.
One player who definitely won't see action in Chicago will be shortstop Willy Adames, who Counsell said was to depart St. Louis on Saturday night to begin a minor-league rehab assignment.
"Willy's going to work out today here on the field and then he's going to leave and play tomorrow in Carolina," he said, referring to the Brewers Class A affiliate. "Then (Class AAA Nashville) is going to Durham on Monday, and he'll join them.
"It'll be a multi-game appearance. I don't expect to see him in Chicago."
Adames, on the injured list since May 16 with a high left ankle sprain, has been aggressively rehabbing and working out as the road trip has progressed.
"I'm in a place where I'm really close," Adames said. "For now, I'm just following orders. We're doing the best we can so I can be back as soon as I can. I'm going crazy. I've been fighting a lot with Counsell.
"I'm trying to force it a little bit more and push it harder. But at the end of the day, they're being cautious and they want me to be the best that I can and be back (permanently)."
The Brewers did make a couple roster moves, placing right-hander Luis Perdomo on the IL with right elbow effusion and recalling Miguel Sánchez from Nashville.
Perdomo took over after Woodruff was injured Friday and pitched two scoreless innings. He's 1-0 with a 1.74 earned run average in seven appearances (10 1/3 innings).
"He just had some swelling in his elbow after pitching last night," Counsell said. "Everything else checked out good, so we'll have to get that swelling out, which will probably take 3-5 days. Then, we'll go from there and see what happens."
Sánchez had been optioned to Nashville on Thursday after Josh Hader was reinstated from the family medical emergency list but never left the team with a Memorial Day doubleheader against the Cubs looming.
Mark Mathias was selected from Nashville on Tuesday in the wake of Hunter Renfroe going on the IL but hadn't seen action in a game until Saturday, when he started in place of Kolten Wong at second base.
It's been a long road back for the 27-year-old, who'd last played in the majors with the Brewers on Sept. 5, 2020.
He shown promise as a utility player, hitting .278 in 16 games before suffering a serious shoulder injury the following spring and subsequently undergoing season-ending surgery.
"I've just tried to stay ready this whole week," Mathias said. "Every rep in that rehab room was worth it. I had surgery May 4 of last year, so we're at a year and a couple weeks now. It's all worth it, man, at the end of the day, being back in a major-league clubhouse.
"It's exhilarating, it's rewarding and I'm grateful. This was my second labrum surgery, and not a lot of guys come back from that.
"I'm thankful, for sure."
Counsell pointed out that Mathias earned his way back to the majors, both by getting through the arduous rehab process and then by hitting .336 with four home runs and 16 runs batted in with an OPS of .974 in 27 games with Nashville.
"He's quietly kind of gone off at Triple-A. He's been incredible," Counsell said. "He's played really, really well. Really, he's hit like he's never hit before in the minor leagues. And that's just a credit to him.
"Mark just a hard worker. You can't get him to not work hard. That's just what he's going to do every day. It's what he did in his rehab, and why he's put himself in this position." | 2022-05-28T19:07:04Z | www.jsonline.com | Injury updates on Milwaukee Brewers Brandon Woodruff and Willy Adames | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/mlb/brewers/2022/05/28/injury-updates-milwaukee-brewers-pitcher-brandon-woodruff-and-shortstop-willy-adames/9955579002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/mlb/brewers/2022/05/28/injury-updates-milwaukee-brewers-pitcher-brandon-woodruff-and-shortstop-willy-adames/9955579002/ |
Keondra Sanford walked down to a block party Saturday, one she had never attended before.
She weaved through the crowd with her children, ages 8, 6 and 3, who eagerly checked out the giveaways: crayons, bilingual books, stickers, sunglasses and more.
Sanford chatted with staffers from the city Health Department and learned more about free COVID testing.
"It's been great," she said of the event. "It's good that they're coming out into the community and doing something different."
Now in its 10th year, Heal the Hood promotes peace and positivity. It's part block party, part resource fair, and it goes where people need it. The annual event took place amid a continued rise in deadly violence across the city this year.
Heal the Hood founder Ajamou Butler said the effort has lasted for so long because of grassroots support.
"We couldn't do it just off our own drive to do it," Butler said. "If it's not supported by the community, by the hood, by the people, it's not going to happen."
In the past 10 years, other groups and nonprofits have started and stopped, for various reasons, but Heal the Hood remains.
"I'm honored that God and the community has chosen Heal the Hood to say we want to bring that back, we want to support that, we want to pour into that," he said.
City and county leadership also support Butler's work. The event has had strong backing from Ald. Milele Coggs. Although the location changes each year, it always is in the 6th aldermanic district, which Coggs represents.
This year, it took place on Wright Street, between North 1st Street and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.
Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, Mayor Cavalier Johnson and Police Chief Jeffrey Norman stopped in Saturday, while staffers with multiple government agencies sat at tables offering everything from gun locks to toothbrushes.
"It's important for us to be a part of this, to show up," Norman said. "We cannot talk about engagement if we're not showing it."
And it can help lower crime, too.
A report four years ago examined the blocks surrounding where Heal the Hood took place. It found a drop in violent crime the week after the event, compared with the week before the event, said Jessica Butler, project manager for 414LIFE, a violence interruption program.
The finding was not surprising to Butler, who has helped plan Heal the Hood for eight years. She is not related to Ajamou Butler.
"It all works together," she said. "Folks get resources, they get to be in community, they get to know what it feels like to feel safe."
Heal the Hood one of many anti-violence efforts over holiday weekend
Heal the Hood was one of several community events planned for the holiday weekend, considered the kickoff to summer and a time when gun violence typically rises.
As of Wednesday, 85 homicides had been reported in Milwaukee, a roughly 42% increase from the same time last year when there were 60, police data showed. The violence has continued since then with two more homicides reported overnight Friday.
"This weekend in particular is a full-court press for public engagement around connecting families with resources and connecting with young people who are at highest risk as well as adults who are at risk," said David Muhammad, deputy director for the Milwaukee County Department of Health and Human Services.
The county's Credible Messenger effort — a collective of nonprofit agencies and others who are mentoring young people — will be present in neighborhoods identified by the city's Office of Violence Prevention, Muhammad said.
The goal is to have 50 messengers on the ground throughout the weekend, he said. Their job is to give out anti-violence resources and connect with local families about upcoming opportunities, like learning how to de-escalate conflicts. Several were doing that at Heal the Hood, where Muhammad served as the event's co-host.
"Giving somebody pamphlet is one thing, connecting someone is another," Muhammad said.
He gave a recent example: A young person under county supervision had been part of an ongoing conflict between two groups. The teen's home was shot up two weeks ago and several of his relatives, including his mother, were injured and taken to a hospital.
"The mother was terrified of going home and drove around the city trying to buy time," Muhammad said.
The teen's mentor through the Credible Messenger program and other county and city departments worked together to help get the family clothes, an emergency hotel stay, stable housing and the first month's rent, he said.
"That's what this kind of collaborative looks like," he said. | 2022-05-28T21:13:16Z | www.jsonline.com | Milwaukee comes together at 10th Annual Heal the Hood block party | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/milwaukee/2022/05/28/milwaukee-comes-together-10th-annual-heal-hood-block-party-peace-anti-violence/9960297002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/milwaukee/2022/05/28/milwaukee-comes-together-10th-annual-heal-hood-block-party-peace-anti-violence/9960297002/ |
In-Depth: From the Capitol riot to vaccines and climate change, a look back
By: Nick Bradshaw, CNN, and AP
January 3 - The 117th Congress is sworn in.
January 3 - President Donald Trump pushes Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to "find" votes to overturn the election results after his loss to President-elect Joe Biden.
A woman holds a cutout of President Donald Trump's face at a rally in Washington in support of Trump called the "Save America Rally" on Jan. 6, 2021. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
January 6 - Following Trump's rally and speech at the White House Ellipse, pro-Trump rioters storm the US Capitol as members of Congress meet to certify the Electoral College results of the 2020 presidential election. A total of five people die, including a Capitol Police officer the next day.
January 6 - Facebook and Twitter temporarily lock Trump's accounts on their platforms after his supporters stormed the Capitol building to protest the election results. On January 8, Twitter announces Trump's account is suspended permanently.
Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden smiling during the second and final presidential debate Thursday, Oct. 22, 2020, at Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
January 7 - Congress formally affirms Biden's 2020 victory, completing a final step in the electoral process after a mob incited by Trump breached the US Capitol on January 6 and forced lawmakers to evacuate both the House and Senate chambers.
January 7 - Biden nominates Judge Merrick Garland as attorney general.
January 7 - Two of Trump's Cabinet secretaries -- Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos-- announce their resignations, citing the riot at the US Capitol.
January 8 - Trump announces he will not be attending Biden's inauguration on January 20.
January 11 - House Democrats formally introduce articles of impeachment, charging Trump with "incitement of insurrection."
In this image from video, Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., the president pro tempore of the Senate, who will preside over the impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump, swears in members of the Senate for the impeachment trial against former President Donald Trump in the Senate at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021. (Senate Television via AP)
January 13 - The House votes to impeach Trump for a second time following the president's role inciting last week's riot at the US Capitol. The House votes 232 to 197 to impeach.
January 20 - In the final hours of his presidency, Trump issues 73 pardons and 70 commutations, including Steve Bannon.
President-elect Joe Biden, left, and Vice President Mike Pence, right, watch as Lady Gaga steps off the stage after performing the national anthem during the 59th Presidential Inauguration at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, on Jan. 20, 2021. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
January 20 - Biden is sworn in as the 46th president and Kamala Harris is sworn in as the 49th vice president.
Saul Loeb/Pool Photo via AP
Joe Biden is sworn in as the 46th president of the United States by Chief Justice John Roberts as Jill Biden holds the Bible during the 59th Presidential Inauguration at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021.
January 20 - Harris formally swears in three new Democratic senators, Warnock, Ossoff and Alex Padilla. Padilla is California's first Latino senator.
Kamala Harris is sworn in as Vice President by Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor as her husband Doug Emhoff holds the Bible during the 59th Presidential Inauguration at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, Pool)
January 25 - The House impeachment managers formally trigger the start of Trump's second impeachment trial after they deliver the charge against Trump to the Senate. He is the first president in history to be impeached twice.
January 25 - Biden signs an executive order to repeal a Trump-era ban on most transgender Americans joining the military.
February 2 - In its fourth-quarter 2020 earnings report, Amazon announces that Jeff Bezos will step down from his role as chief executive in the third quarter of 2021. He will transition to the role of executive chair, and Amazon Web Services CEO Andy Jassy will become a chief executive officer.
February 4 - Johnson & Johnson officially asks the US Food and Drug Administration for an emergency use authorization of its Covid-19 vaccine.
In this image from video, House impeachment manager Rep. David Cicilline, D-R.I., speaks during the second impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump in the Senate at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2021. (Senate Television via AP)
February 9 - Trump's second impeachment trial begins with a four-hour debate on the constitutionality of the proceeding. On February 13, the Senate votes to acquit Trump, voting that Trump was not guilty of inciting the deadly January 6 riot at the US Capitol. The final vote is 57 guilty to 43 not guilty, with seven Republicans voting to convict.
February 12 - The Senate approves legislation to award a Congressional Gold Medal to Capitol Police Officer Eugene Goodman, who became a national hero for his actions defending the Senate during the siege of the Capitol on January 6.
A man walks across a frozen lake at Cottonwood Park in Richardson, Texas, Thursday, Feb. 18, 2021. Temperatures in the region continue to remain below freezing heading into Friday. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
February 15 - Winter storms and freezing temperatures wreak havoc across Texas.
February 17 - Texas Sen. Ted Cruz is photographed boarding a flight to Cancun, Mexico, as millions in his home state are without power or water. He returns home the following day after facing fierce criticism on social media.
February 18 - Perseverance, NASA's rover, lands on the surface of Mars. The rover has been traveling through space since launching from Cape Canaveral, Florida, at the end of July 2020.
February 22 - The US surpasses 500,000 coronavirus deaths. Biden speaks at a candle lighting ceremony to mark the grim milestone.
February 22 - The Supreme Court clears the way for New York prosecutors to obtain Trump's tax returns, dealing a massive loss to the former president, who has fiercely fought to shield his financial papers from prosecutors. The documents will be subject to grand jury secrecy rules that restrict their public release.
A crane is used to lift a vehicle following a rollover accident involving golfer Tiger Woods, Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2021, in the Rancho Palos Verdes suburb of Los Angeles. Woods suffered leg injuries in the one-car accident and was undergoing surgery, authorities and his manager said. (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu)
February 23 - Golfer Tiger Woods suffers serious injuries to both his legs after a single-vehicle rollover crash Tuesday morning in Rancho Palos Verdes, California.
February 26 - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention vaccine advisers vote to recommend the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine for the US, and CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky almost immediately signs off on the recommendation. It is the first of the three authorized Covid-19 vaccines that come in a single dose.
February 26 - The US intelligence report on the murder of Jamal Khashoggi is released to the public. The report finds that Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman approved the operation to capture or kill the Saudi journalist. "We assess that Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman approved an operation in Istanbul, Turkey, to capture or kill Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi," the report's executive summary states.
March 11 - Biden signs the American Rescue Plan, a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 economic relief package.
Ben Crump via CNN
An undated photo of George Floyd provided by family attorney Ben Crump.
March 12 - The city of Minneapolis will pay the estate of George Floyd $27 million after the city council unanimously votes to settle a lawsuit with his family.
Candice Choi/AP
Flowers, candles and signs are displayed at a makeshift memorial on Friday, March 19, 2021, in Atlanta. Robert Aaron Long, a white man, is accused of killing several people, most of whom were of Asian descent, at massage parlors in the Atlanta area. (AP Photo/Candice Choi)
March 16 - Eight people, including six Asian women, are shot and killed at three Atlanta-area spas. The 21-year-old suspect, Robert Aaron Long, is arrested in Crisp County, 150 miles south of Atlanta.
March 17 - The Internal Revenue Service delays this year's tax filing deadline by roughly one month, to May 17.
Police outside a King Soopers grocery store where a shooting took place Monday, March 22, 2021, in Boulder, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Flatirons Community Church
Boulder Police Officer Eric Talley was a devout Catholic, a former IT professional who became a police officer after the death of a friend, a kind and funny man who loved board games, loved helping solve other people’s problems, flying drones, and Star Trek. And above all, Talley was a loving son, husband and father to seven children who was their “unsung hero,” those who knew him said at a memorial service Tuesday in Boulder.
March 22 - Ten people, including a Boulder police officer, are killed in a mass shooting at a supermarket in Boulder, Colorado. Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa, the 21-year-old suspect, faces 10 counts of murder in the first degree.
March 25 - Republicans in Georgia pass a sweeping election bill, making it the first presidential battleground state to impose new voting restrictions following Biden's victory. The new law imposes new voter identification requirements for absentee ballots, empowers state officials to take over local election boards, limits the use of ballot drop boxes and makes it illegal to approach voters in line to give them food and water.
April 2 - Major League Baseball announces that this season's All-Star Game and draft will not be held in Atlanta in response to Georgia's recently passed voting laws. On April 6, it is announced the All-Star Game will take place at Coors Field in Denver.
April 8 - Biden announces he is directing his administration to tighten restrictions on so-called ghost guns and pistol stabilizing braces that allow the weapons to be used more accurately. The steps - which include nominating a gun control advocate to lead the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives - fulfill a commitment Biden made in the aftermath of two deadly shootings last month to take "common sense" steps right away to address gun violence.
FILE - This photo provided by Ben Crump Law, PLLC. shows Daunte Wright and his son, Daunte Jr., at his first birthday party. Wright, 20, was killed during a traffic stop by a white suburban Minneapolis police officer on Sunday, April 11, 2021. (Ben Crump Law, PLLC. via AP)
April 11 - 20-year-old Daunte Wright, a Black man, is fatally shot by Officer Kim Potter during a traffic stop in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota. Potter is charged with second-degree manslaughter.
April 13 - The CDC and FDA announce they are recommending that the United States pause the use of Johnson & Johnson's Covid-19 vaccine over six reported US cases of a "rare and severe" type of blood clot.
April 15 - A former employee shoots and kills eight people and wounds several others at a FedEx Ground facility near Indianapolis' main airport.
People walk through George Floyd Square after shots were fired on the one year anniversary of George Floyd's death on Tuesday, May 25, 2021, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Christian Monterrosa)
Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, listen as Assistant Minnesota Attorney General Matthew Frank, questions witness Donald Williams, as Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill presides Tuesday, March 30, 2021 at the Hennepin County Courthouse in Minneapolis, Minn. Chauvin is charged in the May 25, 2020 death of George Floyd. (Court TV via AP, Pool)
April 20 - A jury finds former Minneapolis Police officer Derek Chauvin guilty of all three charges against him in the killing of George Floyd. Chauvin is convicted of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter.
April 29 - A man runs to escape the heat from multiple funeral pyres of COVID-19 victims at a crematorium on the outskirts of New Delhi, India
April 30 - The Biden administration announces the United States will restrict travel from India starting May 4 in response to the surge of coronavirus cases and variants being observed in the country.
May 2 - SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule returns from space and makes a parachute landing in the Gulf of Mexico, returning four astronauts from a record-setting mission to the International Space Station. The astronauts' safe return marks the end to NASA and SpaceX's landmark mission, dubbed Crew-1, which set a record as the longest time in space - over five months - by a crew that launched aboard an American-built spacecraft.
May 5 - Facebook's Oversight Board upholds Trump's suspension from using its platform. The landmark move affirms the company's decision to suspend Trump in January after the US Capitol riots. The decision also applies to Facebook-owned Instagram where he has an account. The board says Facebook must review the decision within six months.
May 7 - One of the largest US fuel pipelines is paralyzed after a ransomware cyberattack forces a temporary shutdown of all operations. Colonial Pipeline pays the hacking group that carried out the cyberattack.
May 10 - The FDA expands the emergency use authorization for Pfizer's Covid-19 vaccine to include people ages 12 to 15. This is the first Covid-19 vaccine in the United States authorized to use in younger teens and adolescents.
FILE - In this Dec. 17, 2019 file photo, Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., speaks with reporters at the Capitol in Washington. A deepening divide among Republicans over President Donald Trump's efforts to overturn the election runs prominently through Wyoming, the state that delivered Trump's widest prevailing margin by far. Eleven Republican senators saying they will not be voting Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, to confirm President-elect Joe Biden's victory include Wyoming's newly sworn in Sen. Cynthia Lummis, a Cheyenne-area rancher and former congresswoman. Vocal opponents of any such move include Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney, leader of GOP messaging in the House as its third-ranking Republican (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)
May 12 - House Republicans vote to oust Rep. Liz Cheney from her leadership post after she publicly rejected for months Trump's lie that he won the 2020 presidential election. New York Rep. Elise Stefanik is elected as her replacement.
Men carry a dead child pulled from the rubble of a destroyed residential building in Gaza City following Israeli airstrikes on May 16, 2021, that flattened three buildings and killed at least two dozen people, according to medics. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
May 16 - Israeli airstrikes on May 16, 2021, flattened three buildings and killed at least two dozen people, according to medics.
May 17 - The border crisis is still a hot topic with people crossing.
May 18 - New York Attorney General Letitia James' office announces James is joining the Manhattan district attorney's office in a criminal investigation of the Trump Organization. Her office's investigation into the Trump Organization, which has been underway since 2019, will also continue as a civil probe.
May 19 - The House votes to approve legislation to establish an independent commission to investigate the violent insurrection on January 6 at the US Capitol, with 35 Republicans breaking with their party to support the bill.
May 20 - Biden signs a bill into law aimed to counter a rise in anti-Asian hate crimes during the coronavirus pandemic.
May 20 - The Justice Department confirms the Trump administration secretly sought and obtained the 2017 phone and email records of CNN correspondent Barbara Starr, the latest instance where federal prosecutors have taken aggressive steps targeting journalists in leak investigations.
May 23 - The Wall Street Journal reports on US intelligence report findings that three researchers at China's Wuhan Institute of Virology fell ill in November 2019 and were hospitalized, a new detail about the severity of their symptoms that could fuel further debate about the origins of the coronavirus pandemic.
Attorney General Merrick Garland, accompanied by Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Kristen Clarke, right, speaks at a news conference at the Department of Justice in Washington, Thursday, Aug. 5, 2021, to announce that the Department of Justice is opening an investigation into the city of Phoenix and the Phoenix Police Department. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
May 25 - The Senate confirms (51-48) Kristen Clarke as the first woman, and the first woman of color, to lead the Justice Department's Civil Rights division.
May 26 - Amazon announces it has made a deal to acquire MGM, the home of James Bond and one of the most iconic movie studios in Hollywood. The deal, which is valued at $8.45 billion, gives Amazon an extensive library of film and TV shows that is can use to fill out its Prime Video content offerings.
May 26 - A gunman opens fire at a public transit rail yard in San Jose, California, killing nine Valley Transportation Authority employees before killing himself.
May 28 - The Senate fails to advance a bill to create an independent inquiry to investigate the deadly January 6 Capitol Hill riot. Only six GOP senators vote in support of the bill.
June 3 - The Biden administration announces a plan to share the first 25 million Covid-19 vaccine doses with the rest of the world and an overall framework of distributing at least 80 million doses by the end of June. At least 75% of these donated vaccines will be shared with the global vaccination program called Covid-19 Vaccines Global Access, or COVAX, and 25% will be shared directly with countries in need.
June 17 - Biden signs legislation establishing June 19 as Juneteenth National Independence Day, a federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States.
June 21 - The Supreme Court rules (9-0) against the NCAA, saying that student athletes can receive education-related payments, in a case that could reshape college sports by allowing more money from a billion-dollar industry to go to players.
Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Carl Nassib (94) leaves the field after an NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons, Sunday, Nov. 29, 2020, in Atlanta. The Atlanta Falcons won 43-6. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
June 21 - Carl Nassib, a defensive lineman with the Las Vegas Raiders, becomes the first active NFL player in league history to announce that he is gay.
This photo provided by Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, search and rescue personnel search for survivors through the rubble at the Champlain Towers South Condo in Surfside, Fla., section of Miami, Friday, June 25, 2021. The apartment building partially collapsed on Thursday. (Miami-Dade Fire Rescue via AP)
Rescue workers walk beside the rubble as rescue efforts continue where a wing of a 12-story beachfront condo building collapsed, Thursday, June 24, 2021, in the Surfside area of Miami.(AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
June 24 - A 13-story residential building partially collapses in the South Florida community of Surfside, killing 98 people.
June 24 - Rudy Giuliani, the former personal lawyer for Trump, is suspended from practicing law in New York by an appellate court that found he made "demonstrably false and misleading statements" about the 2020 election.
June 25 - Chauvin, the police officer who killed George Floyd on a Minneapolis street in 2020, is sentenced to 22-and-a-half years in prison. Under Minnesota law, Chauvin must serve two-thirds of his sentence, or 15 years -- and then will be eligible for supervised release for the remaining time.
Volunteers and Multnomah County employees unload cases of water to supply a 24-hour cooling center set up in Portland, Ore. on Wednesday, Aug. 11, 2021, as a dangerous heat wave grips the Pacific Northwest. (AP Photo/Gillian Flaccus)
June 28 - US cities in the Pacific Northwest, including Portland and Seattle, report their hottest temperatures on record.
June 30 - Bill Cosby is released from prison after Pennsylvania's highest court overturns his 2018 sexual assault conviction, saying the disgraced actor's due process rights were violated.
July 1 - New York prosecutors charge the Trump Organization and Trump Payroll Corporation with 10 felony counts and Chief Financial Officer Allen Weisselberg with 15 felony counts in connection with an alleged tax scheme stretching back to 2005.
July 2 - US defense officials report that the last US troops have left Bagram Air Base, marking the end of the American presence at the sprawling compound that became the center of military power in Afghanistan.
July 7 - Giuliani's law license is suspended in Washington, DC, after he temporarily lost his license in New York for pushing election lies.
Zaila Avant-garde of Harvey, Louisiana, became the first African American winner of the Scripps National Spelling Bee in its nearly 100-year history.
July 8 - Zaila Avant-garde, 14, becomes the first African American to win the Scripps National Spelling Bee.
July 11 - Richard Branson becomes the first person to ride into space aboard a rocket he helped fund. Also on board the supersonic space plane developed by his company, Virgin Galactic, are employees Beth Moses, Colin Bennett and Sirisha Bandla, as well as pilots Dave Mackay and Michael Masucci.
July 20 - Jeff Bezos goes to space and back on an 11-minute ride aboard the rocket and capsule system developed by his space company, Blue Origin. Also onboard is Bezos' brother, Mark Bezos, Wally Funk, an 82-year-old pilot and one of the "Mercury 13" women who trained to go to space in the 20th century but never got to fly, and 18-year-old recent high school graduate Oliver Daemen, who was Blue Origin's first paying customer.
July 27 - The House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack on the United States Capitol kicks off its first hearing with harrowing testimony from officers who experienced firsthand the violent events of that day at the hands of a pro-Trump mob.
July 28 - Simone Biles withdraws from the individual all-around competition at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics to focus on her mental health, USA Gymnastics announces.
August 3 - New York Attorney General Letitia James releases a report that finds New York's Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo sexually harassed 11 women and created a "hostile" work environment. On August 10, Cuomo announces he will resign.
(AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
August 17 - Rages through parts of California.
August 18 - US health officials and medical experts announce that booster doses of the Covid-19 vaccine will be offered this fall, subject to authorization from the FDA and sign off from the CDC.
August 23 - The FDA grants full approval to the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine for people ages 16 and older, making it the first coronavirus vaccine approved by the FDA.
STR/AP
Hundreds of people gather near the international airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2021. The U.S. military and officials focus was on Kabul’s airport, where thousands of Afghans trapped by the sudden Taliban takeover rushed the tarmac and clung to U.S. military planes deployed to fly out staffers of the U.S. Embassy, which shut down Sunday, and others. (AP Photo)
August 26 - An explosion takes place outside the Kabul airport as the United States and other countries try to evacuate their citizens and Afghans at risk from the Taliban. Thirteen US service members and dozens of Afghan citizens are killed.
Kathy Gannon/AP
Taliban fighters stand guard inside the Hamid Karzai International Airport after the U.S. withdrawal in Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, Aug. 31, 2021. The Taliban were in full control of Kabul's international airport on Tuesday, after the last U.S. plane left its runway, marking the end of America's longest war. (AP Photo/Kathy Gannon)
August 29 - Hurricane Ida makes landfall as a Category 4 hurricane in Louisiana. The storm claims the lives of at least 34 people across Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi, destroying businesses and neighborhoods and knocking out power to hundreds of thousands. On August 31, what's left of Ida makes its way to the Northeast. At least 60 people are killed across New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia.
August 30 - General Frank McKenzie, the commander of US Central Command, announces the last US military planes have left Afghanistan. The departure marks the end of a fraught, chaotic and bloody exit from the United States' longest war.
September 1 - A controversial Texas law that bans abortions at six weeks goes into effect after the Supreme Court and a federal appeals court fail to rule on pending emergency requests brought by abortion providers.
September 17 - A United States military investigation into an August drone strike in Kabul finds that it killed 10 civilians, and the driver of the vehicle targeted was likely not a threat associated with ISIS-K, McKenzie announces at the Pentagon.
ASSOCIATED PRESS(Required)
Haitian migrants wade across the Rio Grande from Del Rio, Texas, to Ciudad Acuña, Mexico, on Sept. 19, 2021, to avoid deportation to Haiti from the U.S. (AP Photo/Felix Marquez)
September 19 - Haitian migrants wade across the Rio Grande from Del Rio, Texas, to Ciudad Acuña, Mexico, on Sept. 19, 2021, to avoid deportation to Haiti from the U.S.
September 22 - The FDA announces it has granted authorization for emergency use of a booster dose of Pfizer's Covid-19 vaccine in people ages 65 and older, people at high risk of severe disease and people whose jobs put them at risk of infection.
Amr Alfiky/AP
FILE - This photo from Wednesday, June 26, 2019, shows R&B singer R. Kelly arriving at the Leighton Criminal Court in Chicago for arraignment on sex-related charges. (AP Photo/Amr Alfiky, File)
September 27 - A jury finds R&B singer R. Kelly guilty on a total of nine counts - one count of racketeering, with 14 underlying acts that include sexual exploitation of a child, kidnapping, bribery and sex trafficking charges, and also eight additional counts of violations of the Mann Act, a sex trafficking law.
October 3 - The identity of the Facebook whistleblower who released tens of thousands of pages of internal research and documents indicating the company was aware of various problems caused by its apps, is revealed on "60 Minutes" as Frances Haugen. On October 5, Haugen testifies before a Senate subcommittee.
October 7 - The Senate Judiciary Committee releases a sweeping report about how Trump and a top lawyer in the Justice Department attempted to overturn the 2020 presidential election.
FILE - Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket latest space passengers from left, Audrey Powers, William Shatner, Chris Boshuizen, and Glen de Vries raise their hands during a media availability at the spaceport near Van Horn, Texas, Wednesday, Oct. 13, 2021. Glen de Vries, 49, and Thomas P. Fischer, 54, died in crash of a single-engine Cessna 172 that went down Thursday, Nov. 11, in a wooded area of Hampton Township, N.J. (AP Photo/LM Otero, File)
October 13 - Ninety-year-old William Shatner who gained fame portraying Captain Kirk on the original "Star Trek," grazes the edge of outer space onboard the New Shepard spacecraft, developed by Jeff Bezos' rocket company, Blue Origin. He is the oldest person to go to space. With him are three crewmates.
October 14 - Vaccine advisers to the FDA vote unanimously to recommend emergency use authorization of a booster dose of Moderna's Covid-19 vaccine.
October 15 - The White House announces that foreign visitors who are fully vaccinated against Covid-19 will be able to travel to the United States starting on November 8.
October 15 - Vaccine advisers to the US Food and Drug Administration vote unanimously to recommend people receive a booster dose of Johnson & Johnson's vaccine at least two months after their first dose.
October 28 - Mark Zuckerberg announces that Facebook will change its corporate name to Meta, effectively demoting Facebook's namesake service to being one of the company's subsidiaries, alongside Instagram and WhatsApp, rather than the overarching brand.
October 29 - The US Food and Drug Administration issues emergency use authorization for Pfizer's Covid-19 vaccine for children 5 to 11. This is the first Covid-19 vaccine authorized in the United States for younger children. On November 2, Walensky announces she is endorsing a recommendation to vaccinate children, following the CDC's independent vaccine advisers' vote in favor of the child-sized doses.
November 5 - Congress passes a $1.2 trillion bipartisan
An Amtrak train departs 30th Street Station moving parallel to motor vehicle traffic on Interstate 76 in Philadelphia, Wednesday, Oct. 27, 2021. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
bill after months of internal deliberations. On November 15, Biden signs the bill into law.
November 8 - The United States reopens its borders to vaccinated international travelers, ending a 20-month travel ban. Fully vaccinated travelers from 33 countries -- including the United Kingdom and much of Europe -- can now enter without needing to quarantine, provided they have proof of vaccination and a negative viral test.
November 8 - Four astronauts splash down off the coast of Florida aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, capping off their six-month stay in space.
November 10 - A SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule carrying four astronauts launches atop a Falcon 9 rocket, marking the kickoff of SpaceX's fifth crewed mission to orbit. This mission, called Crew-3, is the fourth mission in a partnership between SpaceX and NASA to make routine trips to the ISS in order to keep the 21-year-old space station adequately staffed.
FILE - Britney Spears arrives at the Los Angeles premiere of "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" on July 22, 2019. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)
November 12 - A Los Angeles judge terminates Britney Spears' 13-year conservatorship.
November 18 - Two men convicted of the 1965 assassination of Malcolm X, Muhammad A. Aziz and the late Khalil Islam, are exonerated after more than half a century. A 22-month investigation by the Manhattan District Attorney's office and attorneys for the men found that evidence of their innocence, including FBI documents, was withheld at trial.
November 19 - Biden temporarily transfers power to Harris while he is under anesthesia for a routine colonoscopy. Harris becomes the first woman to hold presidential power.
Kyle Rittenhouse appears for an extradition hearing in Lake County court Friday, Oct. 30, 2020, in Waukegan, Ill. Rittenhouse is accused of killing two protesters days after Jacob Blake was shot by police in Kenosha, Wis. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, Pool)
November 19 - Kyle Rittenhouse, the teenager who killed two people and shot another during unrest in Kenosha, Wisconsin, is acquitted of first-degree intentional homicide and four other felony charges.
Holiday decorations frame a police officer Walks in downtown Waukesha, Wi. after a vehicle plowed into a Christmas parade injuring more than 20 people Sunday, Nov 21. 2021. (AP Photo Jeffrey Phelps)
November 21 - Six people are killed and more than 60 are injured when an SUV plows into a Christmas parade in Waukesha, Wisconsin. Police later identify the suspect as Darrell E. Brooks Jr.
November 24 - Travis McMichael, Gregory McMichael and William Bryan Jr. are all found guilty of murder in the killing of Ahmaud Arbery.
November 30 - Ethan Crumbley, 15, allegedly opens fire, killing four students and injuring seven others at Oxford High School in Michigan. Crumbley is charged as an adult with terrorism causing death and four counts of first-degree murder. He also faces seven counts of assault with intent to murder and 12 counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.
December 1 - The United States' first confirmed case of the Omicron coronavirus variant is identified in California.
People help retrieve items from a destroyed home Saturday, Dec. 11, 2021, in Mayfield, Ky. Tornadoes and severe weather caused catastrophic damage across several states Friday, killing multiple people overnight. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
Devastating images from Arkansas, western Kentucky, Missouri, southern Illinois and Tennessee show the devastation left behind by a series of tornadoes that blew through the region on Friday. As of Monday morning, officials have confirmed that at least 78 people in those states are dead, and dozens more are still missing.
December 10-11 - More than 100 people are feared dead after a series of tornadoes rips through several states in the Midwest and South.
December 15 - The United States surpasses 800,000 Covid-19 deaths. | 2022-01-01T01:39:57Z | www.kxxv.com | ') } | https://www.kxxv.com/news/in-depth/in-depth-from-the-capitol-riot-to-vaccines-and-climate-change-a-look-back | https://www.kxxv.com/news/in-depth/in-depth-from-the-capitol-riot-to-vaccines-and-climate-change-a-look-back |
A man walks past a parked vehicle with a bullet holes in the rear window on Friday, Dec. 31, 2021, in Philadelphia. Two gunmen fired more than 65 rounds on a Philadelphia street last night, sending nighttime pedestrians on a busy block teeming with markets and restaurants scrambling for cover and injuring six people, at least one of them critically, police said Friday. | 2022-01-01T21:42:25Z | www.kxxv.com | ') } | https://www.kxxv.com/news/over-65-shots-fired-on-busy-philadelphia-street-6-wounded | https://www.kxxv.com/news/over-65-shots-fired-on-busy-philadelphia-street-6-wounded |
Cold and Windy Sunday
CENTRAL TEXAS — Blustery winds and morning temperatures in the 20s and 30s for your Sunday! Quite a change from the past few days. With the blustery winds, the wind chill will be in the teens today around dawn, maybe even in the single digits for a few. That air is going to feel even colder than usual because we've had such warm weather lately so be sure to bundle up. We will only warm up to the low 40s this afternoon and Monday morning won't have the winds but the actual temperatures will be just as bitter with lows falling to the teens. A little warmer for Monday afternoon in the 50s, but no precipitation will occur through the next few days.
We will see a bit of a warm up in the middle of the week but then we another strong cold front is possible, pushing us back into the 30s and 40s! | 2022-01-02T14:20:26Z | www.kxxv.com | ') } | https://www.kxxv.com/weather/cold-and-windy-sunday | https://www.kxxv.com/weather/cold-and-windy-sunday |
(AP Photo/Mstyslav Chernov)
An Afghan woman holds her children as she waits for a consultation outside a makeshift clinic at a sprawling settlement of mud brick huts housing those displaced by war and drought near Herat, Afghanistan, Dec. 16, 2021. The aid-dependent country’s economy was already teetering when the Taliban seized power in mid-August amid a chaotic withdrawal of U.S. and NATO troops. The consequences have been devastating for a country battered by four decades of war, a punishing drought and the coronavirus pandemic.
“Day by day, the situation is deteriorating in this country, and especially children are suffering,” said Asuntha Charles, national director of the World Vision aid organization in Afghanistan, which runs a health clinic for displaced people near the western city of Herat. “Today I have been heartbroken to see that the families are willing to sell their children to feed other family members.”
Arranging marriages for very young girls is common in the region. The groom’s family pays money to seal the deal, and the child usually stays with her parents until she is at least around 15. Yet with many unable to afford even basic food, some say they’d allow prospective grooms to take very young girls or are even trying to sell their sons.
When her husband told her he had sold Qandi, “my heart stopped beating. I wished I could have died at that time, but maybe God didn’t want me to die,” Gul said, with Qandi by her side peering shyly from beneath her sky-blue headscarf. “Each time I remember that night ... I die and come back to life.”
Gul rallied her brother and village elders and with their help secured a “divorce” for Qandi, on condition she repays the 100,000 afghanis (about $1,000) her husband received. It’s money she doesn’t have.
Gul says she isn’t sure how long she can fend off the family of the prospective groom, a man of around 21.
“I am just so desperate. If I can’t provide money to pay these people and can’t keep my daughter by my side, I have said that I will kill myself,” she said. “But then I think about the other children. What will happen to them? Who will feed them?” Her eldest is 12, her youngest - her sixth - just two months.
He can’t repay money he borrowed to fund his wife’s treatments, he said. So three years ago, he received a down-payment for his eldest daughter Hoshran, now 7, in an arranged marriage to a now 18-year-old.
The family who bought Hoshran are waiting until she is older before settling the full amount and taking her. But Abdullah needs money now, so he is trying to arrange a marriage for his second daughter, 6-year-old Nazia, for about 20,000-30,000 afghanis ($200-$300).
“We don’t have food to eat,” and he can’t pay his wife’s doctor, he said.
Buying boys is believed to be less common than girls, and when it does take place, it appears to be cases families without sons buying infants. In her despair, Guldasta thought perhaps such a family might want an 8-year-old. | 2022-01-02T20:38:02Z | www.kxxv.com | ') } | https://www.kxxv.com/news/parents-selling-children-shows-desperation-of-afghanistan | https://www.kxxv.com/news/parents-selling-children-shows-desperation-of-afghanistan |
4 Syrians die after burning coal for heat
(AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)
Syrian Maher al-Abdallah, center, mourns his wife and three children who died in their sleep after inhaling toxic fumes from burning coal to heat their room, during their funeral procession in Al-Wasta village near the southern port city of Sidon, Lebanon, Sunday, Jan. 2, 2022. Lebanon, a country of 6 million people, is home to 1.5 million Syrians who fled the now decade-old civil war in their country. | 2022-01-02T22:24:39Z | www.kxxv.com | ') } | https://www.kxxv.com/news/4-syrians-die-after-burning-coal-for-heat | https://www.kxxv.com/news/4-syrians-die-after-burning-coal-for-heat |
Texas A&M faculty to work remotely, citing COVID-19
COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Texas A&M faculty and staff are being asked to work remotely due to a rise in COVID-19.
From Jan. 3-7, employees will work from home except for those whose duties need to be performed on-site.
"Talk to your supervisor if you're unsure about whether you should return to the office/workplace tomorrow, Jan. 3, or if you should work remotely," said Greg Hartman, A&M's chief operating officer & senior vice president, in a statement. | 2022-01-03T01:59:41Z | www.kxxv.com | ') } | https://www.kxxv.com/brazos/texas-a-m-faculty-to-work-remotely-citing-covid-19 | https://www.kxxv.com/brazos/texas-a-m-faculty-to-work-remotely-citing-covid-19 |
Madison County Sheriff's Office Texas (Facebook)
MADISON COUNTY, Texas — Traffic on I-45 is currently backed up due to a crash that followed a pursuit, said police.
The incident occurred on IH45 southbound near 138 MM.
Madison County deputies are assisting officers with a burglary call in progress, that has led to vehicle and foot pursuits.
Two suspects are in custody, said the Madison County Sheriff's Office in a statement.
Commuters should expect major delays. | 2022-01-03T03:42:06Z | www.kxxv.com | ') } | https://www.kxxv.com/news/local-news/pursuit-crash-on-i-45-heavily-delays-traffic-2-suspects-arrested | https://www.kxxv.com/news/local-news/pursuit-crash-on-i-45-heavily-delays-traffic-2-suspects-arrested |
(Carlin Stiehl/Kalamazoo Gazette via AP)
U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., speaks at a rally with striking Kellogg workers at Festival Market Square in downtown Battle Creek, Mich., on Friday, Dec. 17, 2021. Kellogg's reached a new tentative agreement this week with its 1,400 striking cereal plant workers that could bring an end to the strike that began Oct. 5. The results of the contract vote are expected to be released next week.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Several hundred striking workers at a manufacturing facility owned by Berkshire Hathaway have picked up some high-profile support from U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, but the company’s CEO, Warren Buffett, has declined to get involved in the contract dispute.
Sanders, who has been a longtime supporter of labor unions, sent a letter to Buffett this week urging him to intervene in the dispute between Berkshire’s Precision Castparts unit and the United Steelworkers Local 40 union in West Virginia to make sure workers get a fair contract.
“At a time when this company and Berkshire Hathaway are both doing very well, there is no reason why workers employed by you should be worrying about whether they will be able to feed their children or have health care,” Sanders wrote to the billionaire. “There is no reason why the standard of living of these hard working Americans should decline. I know that you and Berkshire Hathaway can do better than that.”
At Special Metals, the company has been offering only a $2,000 signing bonus and modest raises in the later years of the contract that Sanders said won’t keep up with the current high inflation rate. The company also proposed more than tripling the amount that employees would pay for their health insurance.
“When you have an extremely profitable, well-financed corporation owned by one of the wealthiest guys in the world, you know what, you should not be demanding wage cuts from your workers and cuts in their health care benefits. That’s just wrong,” Sanders said in an interview Wednesday.
The Vermont independent and former presidential candidate has been working with unions across the country this year, and he even joined striking Kellogg’s cereal plant workers at a rally earlier this month before they agreed on a new contract. Sanders said workers at Berkshire’s 90-odd companies shouldn’t have to make major concessions this year when the conglomerate reported a $10 billion profit in its most-recent quarter.
Buffett has long said that he allows the companies Berkshire owns to largely operate independently once he names their CEOs. Buffett focuses on finding the best ways to invest Berkshire’s roughly $150 billion in cash while staying out of the day-to-day operations of the Omaha, Nebraska-based company’s subsidiaries.
“Our companies deal individually with their own labor and personnel decisions (except for the selection of the CEO),” Buffett said in a letter back to Sanders. “We have never purchased or sold a company because of its union or non-union status. Some of our companies have as many as a dozen unions; others have none.”
Berkshire Hathaway owns an eclectic mix of different businesses, including Geico insurance, BNSF railroad, a number of major utilities, several large manufacturers alongside more retail operations like Dairy Queen and See’s Candy.
Buffett did not respond Wednesday to questions from The Associated Press about the labor dispute. He told Sanders in his response that he would forward the senator’s letter to the CEO of Precision Castparts in Portland, Oregon, but that he won’t make any recommendations to him.
“He is responsible for his business,” Buffett said about the head of the aviation parts manufacturer.
Chad Thompson, president of the local union, said workers aren’t expecting to see significant raises in this contract, but they want to hang onto the benefits they already have and receive raises similar to what they have received in the past.
“We’re willing to talk about paying a little more here and there or maybe not getting as much of a raise as what we usually get in contracts to try to offset that,” Thompson said. “We’re willing to pay what we think is fair — what we can agree to as fair — but we just don’t think they’re there. We don’t think they’re even being in the ballpark of fair.”
“Our desire is to achieve a respectful and productive relationship with our employees, and we have ultimately achieved that goal in previous contract negotiations over many years,” Dugan said. | 2022-01-03T16:03:32Z | www.kxxv.com | ') } | https://www.kxxv.com/news/buffett-rejects-bernie-sanders-call-to-intervene-in-strike | https://www.kxxv.com/news/buffett-rejects-bernie-sanders-call-to-intervene-in-strike |
BELL COUNTY, Texas — A 31-year-old man is hospitalized after colliding into an Amtrak train in his pickup truck.
The incident occurred at 5:20 p.m. Wednesday at the railroad crossing in Mills Lane, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.
The man was driving westbound on Mills Lane when he failed to yield at the railroad crossing for the approaching southbound train.
The train then collided with the rear passenger side of the pick-up truck.
The driver was transported by air ambulance to Scott & White Hospital in Temple for incapacitating injuries.
No injures or derailments were reported from anyone on the Amtrak train. | 2022-01-04T14:45:01Z | www.kxxv.com | ') } | https://www.kxxv.com/hometown/bell-county/man-hospitalized-after-crashing-into-amtrak-train-wednesday-afternoon | https://www.kxxv.com/hometown/bell-county/man-hospitalized-after-crashing-into-amtrak-train-wednesday-afternoon |
FILE - In this March 4, 2021, file photo, a sign reading "Welcome Back Now Open" is posted on the window of a Morton's Steakhouse restaurant as a man works inside in San Francisco. The Institute for Supply Management, an association of purchasing managers, reported Monday, April 5 that the U.S. services sector, which employs most Americans, recorded record growth in March as orders, hiring and prices all surged. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File) | 2022-01-04T16:58:12Z | www.kxxv.com | ') } | https://www.kxxv.com/news/national/a-record-4-5-million-americans-quit-their-jobs-in-november | https://www.kxxv.com/news/national/a-record-4-5-million-americans-quit-their-jobs-in-november |
WACO, Texas — Baylor vs. TCU has been postponed in accordance with Big 12 guidelines.
In accordance with the guidelines, matches with fewer than 7 available players (due to COVID-19 or injures) or with less than 1 available coach, will be postponed.
The match was set to take place Wednesday, Jan. 5, at the Ferrell Center.
Purchased tickets will remain valid for the later rescheduled match, additional information will be released when available. | 2022-01-04T21:03:17Z | www.kxxv.com | 1 weather alerts 1 closings/delays | https://www.kxxv.com/hometown/mclennan-county/baylor-vs-tcu-womens-basketball-match-postponed | https://www.kxxv.com/hometown/mclennan-county/baylor-vs-tcu-womens-basketball-match-postponed |
The Killeen Police Department said is trying to identify a suspect in the aggravated robbery of a business.
Police said the male suspect entered a business at the 4300 block of East Stan Schlueter Loop on New Year's Eve around 10:30 p.m. The man displayed a black semi-automatic handgun, demanded money, and then fled the business on foot with an undisclosed amount.
The suspect is described as wearing a white hooded shirt with multicolored stripes, a baseball hat with a red bill, a black jacket, black pants, and black shoes, according to Killeen police. | 2022-01-05T00:45:41Z | www.kxxv.com | 1 weather alerts 1 closings/delays | https://www.kxxv.com/hometown/bell-county/killeen-police-searching-for-suspect-in-new-years-eve-aggravated-robbery | https://www.kxxv.com/hometown/bell-county/killeen-police-searching-for-suspect-in-new-years-eve-aggravated-robbery |
The Killeen Police Department released a statement clarifying information on a news article posted by the Killeen Daily Herald on Friday.
The new article, according to Killeen police, was about a local committee wanting to decriminalize marijuana in the City of Killeen.
"The news article stated that Ms. Shirley Fleming, one of the committee organizers, invited Police Chief Charles Kimble to attend this meeting, however, it did not state that Chief Kimble declined the invitation," said Killeen police in the statement.
Kimble declined the invitation on several occasions, said Killeen police. Additionally, no member of the police department will attend the meeting.
"We want the community to know that department does not support to decriminalize marijuana and we will continue to follow the statute, Texas Health and Safety Code 481.121 – Possession of Marijuana, which is the Texas State Law," said Killeen spokesperson Ofelia Miramontez. | 2022-01-05T02:28:07Z | www.kxxv.com | ') } | https://www.kxxv.com/hometown/bell-county/killeen-police-clarify-decline-invitation-to-meeting-on-decriminalization-of-marijuana | https://www.kxxv.com/hometown/bell-county/killeen-police-clarify-decline-invitation-to-meeting-on-decriminalization-of-marijuana |
There are currently over 1,800 active COVID cases in Bell County and that number is climbing fast with the incident rate going from 179 on Dec. 28 to 511 on Jan. 3.
This has the Bell County Health district raise its threat level from level 3 to level 2.
”More and more people are getting sick. We know that the Omicron variant is highly transmissible and we may be seeing some more Delta variant out there as well,” said Amy Mersiovsky, director of the Department of Nursing at Texas A&M Central Texas.
It is a trend that Central Bell County Fire and Rescue is seeing when they host a testing site twice a week.
"In the past 4 to 5 months, we’ve had anywhere from 10 to 20 a day compared to that last couple of days we’ve been doing the test, we’ve had 200 to 300 people,” said Chief Douglas Mckinney of Central Bell County Fire and Rescue.
That is just for their site which they intentionally hold on Monday and Friday only.
”We’re trying to keep it to where there is enough time in between. To where if you got exposed on Tuesday, it would give you time to start seeing some of the symptoms on Friday.” said Chief Mckinney.
In fact, more and more testing sites like the one at Central Bell are seeing more line up to get tested.
”The number of cases is ballooning. The numbers of patients in the hospitals are again going up and the positivity rates in the tests have just gone through the roof again.” said Mersiovsky.
Central Bell says they are seeing around 30 percent of the tests come back positive and as the lines get longer and longer, so too does the wait time.
"It could be anywhere from a 30-minute wait to a two-hour wait before you get tested. So, make sure that you use the restroom. Make sure you have food, water, and things of that nature while you wait in line,” said Chief Mckinney.
Central Bell County Fire and Rescue is running its testing site on Monday and Friday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. | 2022-01-05T04:11:40Z | www.kxxv.com | ') } | https://www.kxxv.com/hometown/bell-county/bell-county-health-district-raises-covid-threat-level-as-testing-lines-get-longer | https://www.kxxv.com/hometown/bell-county/bell-county-health-district-raises-covid-threat-level-as-testing-lines-get-longer |
WACO, Texas — Consumers have seen meat prices go up at the grocery stores, but farmers and ranchers say they've yet to make more money. In fact, production prices are costing them too.
Tracy Tomascik raises beef cattle in Central Texas and he told 25 News these last few years have been difficult for people in his industry.
"I can speak for everybody in the livestock industry across the state," Tomascik said. "Things have been challenging for the most part when it comes to producing the livestock, the commodity that we sell and these families make a living off of."
The Biden Administration has stepped in to help now with an announcement Monday morning.
"The main issue is there's a lack of options for farmers and ranchers to sell their products," Deputy Director of the National Economic Council, Baharat Ramamurti, said. "The meatpacking industry is highly concentrated. There are only a few different options and in some regions of the country, there may be only one option for farmers and ranchers to sell their products. That means they have to take whatever price they are offered."
The president announced a $1 billion plan to build more meat processing plants across the U.S.
Local farmers tell 25 news they're happy to hear about the changes, but we won't see the effects overnight.
"To the consumer, it's going to be a delayed impact because it takes years to go through the regulatory obstacles to create these facilities and then on top of that you have to have the labor," Tomascik said.
Labor shortages are another challenge to the meat industry, but the Biden Administration has plans to tackle that.
"Part of the funding is actually $100 million specifically for increasing the pipeline of workers going into this field," Ramamurti said. "There's funding for partnerships with labor unions, partnerships with community colleges."
They hope the outcome of this investment will lead to lower prices for buyers. | 2022-01-05T04:11:58Z | www.kxxv.com | ') } | https://www.kxxv.com/news/local-news/biden-1-billion-plan-to-help-farmers-and-ranchers-in-texas | https://www.kxxv.com/news/local-news/biden-1-billion-plan-to-help-farmers-and-ranchers-in-texas |
He was known by many aliases; we know him as Billy the Kid.
There’s an unsolved mystery centered in Central Texas around the notorious outlaw. Was he gunned down at age 21 in New Mexico, or did “the kid” cheat death and live to age 90 in a quiet corner of Hamilton County?
Many considered it settled that he was shot, killed, and buried in Fort Sumner, New Mexico in 1881 at the hands of Sherriff Pat Garrett. Or was he? Did he in fact end his days as a very old man in Central Texas living under the name of Brushy Bill Roberts?
“It's always been a tourist attraction and we've always been proud of it," said Sue Land, director of the Billy the Kid Museum. "And we don't celebrate the fact that he was an outlaw or a killer."
Land believes Brushy Bill Roberts was Billy the Kid, there is not a body in the grave in Fort Sumner, and that Sheriff Pat Garrett killed the wrong man and claimed it was “the kid” to collect the reward money.
“We believe he was Brushy Bill," said Historian Robert Dean, president and treasurer of the museum.
“This boy walks up on the porch," said Dean. "He was a Vaccaro on the ranch. Well, that's a Mexican cowboy back then. Well, Billy the Kid was called a fair-haired kid, and he sure wasn't a Mexican. But Billy Barlow was and he was riding with the kid at that time. Pat Garrett shot him twice in the back. He fell over. Pat Garrett takes the body before dawn. The next morning hires people, digs a grave, and puts the body in a grave before dawn the next morning. What was the haste to put the body in the grave?”
And the museum has copies of affidavits dated after 1881 showing an ongoing search for Billy the kid.
"It's a no-brainer to me, you know?" said Dean. "They were still looking for Billy the Kid and putting the posters and warrants out in 82 and 83. Now if he's dead in July of 81, why are they were looking for two and a half years and possibly still looking for him? Did you think really anybody back then believed he was dead? And nobody believed he was dead or they wouldn't have been looking for him.”
Dean and Land believe Billy the Kid escaped to Mexico then later returned to Texas in 1883. As an expert horseman, Brushy Bill even trained Teddy Roosevelt's rough riders.
“This is a story nobody wanted to believe until proof was found. He trained the horses for the rough riders," said Land. "He was even with them when they were loading them on the ship to go to Cuba.”
But Brushy Bill Roberts never claimed to be Billy the Kid—until shortly before his death when he wanted to get the pardon that had been promised him back in the 1800s by then governor of New Mexico, Lew Wallace. They even checked the old man’s body for scars from wounds Billy the Kid was known to have suffered.
"And he had them all in the correct places," said Dean. "And why would anybody self-inflict? Why would somebody shoot himself five or six times and stab himself with a knife just to prove something, you know?”
Brushy never received his pardon because New Mexico officials didn’t believe he was really the kid.
Adding to the mystery: DNA confirmation isn’t possible … flooding washed away the graves in new Mexico.
"There is no bodies in those graves out there," said Dean. "In 1908, the Pecos river changed course and took out the cemetery at Fort Sumner, so, they went all down the river. So, any chance for DNA verification? Impossible. They have nothing to do it with there.”
What’s not in dispute? The mystery surrounding Brushy Bill Roberts and Billy the Kid is great for the town of Hico.
Wild West fans visit the museum by the score... many of them hoping "The Kid" did turn from his killing ways and lived a long life to redeem his past. | 2022-01-05T04:12:11Z | www.kxxv.com | ') } | https://www.kxxv.com/news/traveling-texas-with-ann-harder/central-texas-city-museum-is-the-hub-of-billy-the-kid-mystery | https://www.kxxv.com/news/traveling-texas-with-ann-harder/central-texas-city-museum-is-the-hub-of-billy-the-kid-mystery |
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A Corpus Christi native died in an apparent shooting Friday night in Humble, Texas.
According to KPRC in Houston, Calogero Duenes was shot in the parking lot of a Chuck E. Cheese.
According to Duenes' wife, Amber Uresti, he was shot while holding his 6-year-old daughter's birthday cake. He also leaves behind a 3-year-old daughter.
“My three-year-old keeps saying the same thing, that ‘I saw Daddy lying on the floor — I saw Daddy on the floor,'" Uresti said. “My six-year-old cries herself to sleep. I mean she’s holding onto his shirt crying."
Uresti says she and Duenes had been together for 10 years, ever since the couple started dating while they were 15-year-old students at Ray High School.
“I honestly don’t know what I’m going to do without him," she said. "I mean it’s difficult. I mean he was awesome. He was a great father, a great husband, great provider. I mean, he was my world."
A restaurant where the couple used to work is holding a fundraiser to help his family cover the funeral costs.
That event runs from 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Saturday at Huerta's Tamales — a school-bus-turned-food-truck at Kostoryz and Golihar.
So far, Humble Police have not made an arrest in the murder, but Uresti vows to put pressure on them to do so.
“I want justice for my husband," she said. "I mean, nobody should go through this. And I really really really want justice, and I’m not going to stop." | 2022-01-05T13:42:51Z | www.kxxv.com | 1 weather alerts 1 closings/delays | https://www.kxxv.com/news/local-news/texas-man-shot-dead-at-chuck-e-cheese | https://www.kxxv.com/news/local-news/texas-man-shot-dead-at-chuck-e-cheese |
OPELOUSAS, La. — The Opelousas Fire Department is investigating a fatal fire that claimed the lives of two boys.
According to Fire Chief Charles Mason, it happened at a home in the 1900 block of Jake Drive in Opelousas.
The chief says the fire was reported at 1:22am on Wednesday, January 5. Firefighters arrived on scene at 1:26am and found the home fully engulfed in flames.
Four occupants - two adults and two children - were able to escape the fire, but Mason says the bodies of two male occupants were found in the home.
Chief Mason says the two boys are 11 and 12 years old.
The fire department says that one other child was taken to the hospital with injuries. Those injuries are not believed to be life threatening.
The State Fire Marshal sent deputies to help the OFD with the investigation into the cause of the fire. | 2022-01-05T15:47:40Z | www.kxxv.com | ') } | https://www.kxxv.com/two-boys-killed-during-early-morning-house-fire-in-opelousas | https://www.kxxv.com/two-boys-killed-during-early-morning-house-fire-in-opelousas |
In the U.S., college graduates owe more than $1.7 trillion in student loans, but the pause on federal student loan repayment has provided some relief for borrowers during the pandemic.
"After six months, I was able to buy myself a new lens that really really helped me elevate my portrait style and helped me be able to grow my business in that sense," Caldwell said.
The average graduate in Texas owes more than $26,000 in student loans. The federal payment pause recently extended from January to May, is meant to keep extra monthly payments from weighing borrowers down.
"This allows them additional time to either get their house in order, so to speak, or to get a job, or to make sure they can survive the pandemic as it goes on," said Rob Tennant, assistant professor of accounting at Texas A&M University-Central Texas.
With less income going towards loans, Tennant said more income can also go towards the local economy.
Pausing the payment, however, may cause problems in the future.
"When it ends, people can find themselves in a difficult spot because they've now reallocated those funds for other elements of their budget," Tennant said.
Caldwell said while people shouldn't put the payments over their own well-being, she said borrowers do have to make some sacrifices to be financially stable once the repayment starts up again.
Repayment begins in May, but borrowers are able to continue to make payments now to cut down on the amount owed later. | 2022-01-05T21:20:31Z | www.kxxv.com | ') } | https://www.kxxv.com/hometown/mclennan-county/student-loan-repayment-freeze-gives-borrowers-some-relief-but-not-forever | https://www.kxxv.com/hometown/mclennan-county/student-loan-repayment-freeze-gives-borrowers-some-relief-but-not-forever |
CENTRAL TEXAS — The newest data shows last month was the warmest December for the Lone Star State since 1889.
The modern record era started shortly after that, meaning December 2021 is now the hottest December on the books, taking the top spot over December 1933. The average temperature that month was 53.3 degrees. In contrast, December in the state usually averages 46.9 degrees.
John Nielsen-Gammon, the Texas state climatologist, says that going forward we should expect to see more record highs than record lows.
"We're averaging about two degrees warmer now than we were back in average across the 20th century," said Nielsen-Gammon.
The warm and dry weather patterns last month prompted new droughts to pop up and made existing droughts worse. Central Texas managed a bit of rain, but western parts of the state have gone without rain for weeks.
"The cool season grasses for cattle grazing aren't growing," said Nielsen-Gammon. "A lot of winter wheat didn't emerge or is not healthy, so it can't be used for grazing at this time."
While crops have taken a hit, the bug population might not.
"The warmer temperatures will decrease the amount of mortality that we normally see with insects, just based on exposure to cold temperatures," said Laura Weiser Erlandson, associate professor of biology at Texas A&M - Central Texas.
Does that mean we're in for a spring full of mosquitoes? That's where the drought might actually be beneficial.
"Really the main factor for mosquitoes is the amount of water that's available," said Erlandson. "It's really just kind of whether or not the pools that their larva and eggs are in dry up."
We're starting to enter a more "normal" pattern for temperatures, but there is some concern that the pieces are coming into place for a scorching summer.
"If it stays dry for the next several months, I'm actually pretty concerned we could see something like we did in 2011 with an extremely hot summer," Neilsen-Gammon said.
Two of the dominoes have already fallen: autumn and the beginning of winter were both quite dry. If that trajectory continues, it could culminate in some serious heat by the end of spring. Fortunately, that's still several months away and there is plenty of time for the weather to take a wetter turn. | 2022-01-06T02:22:32Z | www.kxxv.com | 1 weather alerts 1 closings/delays | https://www.kxxv.com/hometown/texas/last-month-was-texass-warmest-december-in-the-modern-record-era | https://www.kxxv.com/hometown/texas/last-month-was-texass-warmest-december-in-the-modern-record-era |
American adults spend an average of 11 hours per day staring some kind of a screen, but that can have serious mental health consequences.
"There's been a lot of research that's showing that too much screen time is associated with depression, especially in the younger population," said Dr. Eman Attaya, M.D., a diagnostic radiologist from Lubbock and a member of the Texas Medical Association Council on Health Promotion.
That research and increase in suicide among adolescents inspired the "Turn it off Today" campaign, which encourages families to spend less time on screens throughout the day.
Depression, anxiety, increased stress and sleep disturbances are all possible effects of overuse of devices for adults and teens. Now, even infants are being affected by screen overuse.
"Studies are now showing that it actually alters the brain, the integrity of the white matter of the brain," Attaya said. "It's causing developmental delays and cognitive delays."
The TMA offers some possible daily goals for adults and teens who want to limit their screen time:
Turn off notifications on my devices
Use the time limit setting on my devices
Employ device options (e.g., flip phone, limited apps, no notifications)
Monitor app use from my phone
Turn It Off one hour before bedtime
Turn It Off one day a week for eight weeks
Turn It Off 6-8 p.m.
They offer possible daily goals for children as well:
"Now everybody's communicating through a text message, through devices, and you're losing that social, face-to-face connection," Attaya said.
The TMA recommends replacing screen time with "green time", or spending more time outdoors.
For more tips on how to reduce your screen time this year, visit the Texas Medical Association website. The TMA also offers pledge cards for families to sign to commit to reducing the time they spend on screens. | 2022-01-06T05:33:04Z | www.kxxv.com | ') } | https://www.kxxv.com/hometown/texas/turn-it-off-today-texas-medical-association-encourages-texans-to-cut-down-on-screen-time | https://www.kxxv.com/hometown/texas/turn-it-off-today-texas-medical-association-encourages-texans-to-cut-down-on-screen-time |
A 25-year-old Texas man is at large after escaping from police in a Waco area hospital. Police say he is accused of multiple offenses, including attacking a mother and her daughter at a Sonic drive-thru.
Itasca police said the suspect, Casey Phillips, began his crime spree by allegedly shooting at another vehicle out of his window while driving in Burleson. He abandoned that vehicle in Itasca following the shooting and broke into an unoccupied 18-wheeler, according to police.
Phillips then left behind the 18-wheeler, with a weapon inside, and approached a mother and her 17-year-old daughter at a Sonic drive-thru.
"He attacked them with a knife ordering them out of the car, stabbing the 17-year-old," said police. "An individual in the vehicle behind them in line at the Sonic drive-thru was able to intervene and disarm the suspect, putting himself at risk."
However, Phillips was able to gain control of the vehicle, pushing the 17-year-old girl into the passenger seat with the mother. Police said he then "began driving erratically through the parking lot."
The mother was able to get the door open and tried to pull her daughter out with her; according to police, both were injured after escaping and jumping from the moving vehicle.
"The vehicle was not pursued as officers were not yet dispatched," said Itasca police. "The vehicle was followed by citizens who gave dispatchers updates."
The vehicle then wrecked east of the city and rolled, according to police. A Hill County deputy and an Itasca sergeant arrived and took custody of Phillips who was then transported to what law enforcement thought was Hill Regional Hospital.
"Dispatch advised that they were going to Hill Regional when in reality they were going to Waco," said Itasca lieutenant William T. Fausnacht. "The city is roughly 2000 people and typically there’s only one officer on duty at night."
Leaving the city unattended is not permissible for officers, according to Fausnacht.
"There were several miscommunications with several agencies that lead to the subject being able to arrive at the hospital unattended and leave the hospital shortly after, with likely major injuries, against medical advisement," said Fausnacht.
Police said Phillips is from Plano, but has ties to the Hubbard area. | 2022-01-06T09:30:31Z | www.kxxv.com | ') } | https://www.kxxv.com/hometown/mclennan-county/texas-man-escapes-police-after-attacking-woman-17-year-old-daughter-at-sonic-drive-thru | https://www.kxxv.com/hometown/mclennan-county/texas-man-escapes-police-after-attacking-woman-17-year-old-daughter-at-sonic-drive-thru |
Could doulas be the answer to improving birth outcomes in Central Texas?
Waco Family medicine joined forces with Community Doulas of Waco to launch a paraprofessional training program aimed at improving birth outcomes in the area.
The program trains women in the community in fields like lactation, perinatal education, and birth and postpartum doula work. The goal of the program is to improve birth outcomes in Central Texas, while also providing moms who complete the training with another source of income.
Grace Morris-John is one of nine moms who was given a scholarship through the program. As a stay-at-home mom with four kids, balancing her studies takes a lot of discipline.
“When they’re taking naps, I’m usually reading or doing something,” explained Morris-John.
Morris-John said she was inspired to become a doula after she had bad experiences with the births of her first two children. She says her second child was born with the cord wrapped around his neck, but no one at the hospital told her.
“Having those experiences — knowing what I know now after having them — I don’t want anybody else to have to navigate that themselves,” said Morris-John. “Having a doula, I would have had a voice to actually voice my concerns.”
For the birth of her third child, Morris-John hired a midwife. For her fourth child, she hired a doula through Community Doulas of Waco. She says it made all the difference.
“If you’re going into labor stressed that can have a big impact on you. It can make your labor take longer. It increases your risk of complications. People underestimate the effect just being stressed can have on you having a baby.”
After her experience, Morris-John talked to her husband about becoming a doula herself, but they didn’t have the funds for her training. That’s when she got an unexpected call from Community Doulas of Waco — offering her a scholarship to help her go through training for free.
“I was so excited. I was so excited.” said Morris-John, “If I hadn’t gotten the scholarship, it would have been at least a couple of years until I could get started. And now I’m halfway done.”
Alarming Statistics
Waco Family Medicine funded the scholarships in response to alarming statistics. According to March of Dimes, the US has one of the worst rates for maternal death among developed countries. More than 700 women die from childbirth each year and around 600 thousand women face serious health challenges.
For communities of color the risks are even higher. According to the CDC, black and indigenous women are 60% more likely to experience preterm birth than white women and their babies are twice as likely to die before their first birthday.
“It’s been around for decades — that gap, but at Waco Family Medicine we’re saying that’s unacceptable,” said Emilie Cunningham, the Director of Programs for Women and Children at Waco Family Medicine.
Cunningham says she and her team were looking for out-of-the-box ideas to help change these statistics. Cunningham says they noticed that there was a shortage of peer support available to pregnant women of color in the Waco area. They believe doulas could help fill this gap.
“Doulas kept rising to the top because they are rooted in relationship, and that’s the secret sauce, right?” said Cunningham. “The secret sauce is access, kindness, and information that's relevant to you … Doulas increase maternal confidence, improve outcomes for both mothers and baby, and breastfeeding success.”
For Grace Morris-John, balancing four kids and her studies is a lot to juggle. But she’s on a mission to have an impact — one mom at a time.
“I’m so, so happy that I’m getting to do it,” said Morris-John, “I’m grateful to them for helping me make my dream come true.”
Waco Family Medicine says they're planning to expand the program in 2022.
You can find more information about Community Doula’s of Waco’s program and mission on their website: https://communitydoulaswaco.org/. | 2022-01-06T22:41:55Z | www.kxxv.com | ') } | https://www.kxxv.com/hometown/mclennan-county/could-doulas-be-the-answer-to-improving-birth-outcomes-in-central-texas | https://www.kxxv.com/hometown/mclennan-county/could-doulas-be-the-answer-to-improving-birth-outcomes-in-central-texas |
BRYAN, Texas — After being sedated and intubated for well over a day following Tuesday's house fire, one member of the McPeake family has passed away.
Organizers for the McPeake family GoFundMe campaign announced on Thursday that Trish Ragland, mother to Jon Paul McPeake, died while surrounded by family at a Houston hospital.
She had suffered a serious injury after trying to escape Tuesday’s house fire on Carter Creek Parkway in Bryan. The online campaign notes she had already endured serious health issues before the day of the tragedy.
“Due to the heat and the smoke inside the home, she was not able to get out back through the front door, so she tried to get out the window," relayed Ethan Ballard, deputy lieutenant fire marshal with the city of Bryan.
A neighbor told KRHD that they tried to help Ragland climb out that window, but she was still unable to maneuver through. Jon McPeake was able to save most of his family, pulling them out of the fire, but Ballard said that Ragland was in a particularly difficult spot for even the firefighters to assist.
“Yeah, even having an escape plan, it may not have even helped her," Ballard said. "... What we did was what we call a 'vent enter search,' or VES, where our guys actually go into the window, close the door, and then they try to search the room and rescue the occupant... With that, they started the fire extinguishment, and the other crews grabbed hose lines to help put out the fire.”
The GoFundMe notes that Ragland passed away surrounded by family.
The McPeakes continue to publicly express their gratitude towards the community during this dark time of losing their belongings, pets, and their loved ones.
The mother of the family, Brittany McPeake, gave this statement to KRHD:
“This community has been phenomenal to us," she wrote. "We have so many donations we are trying to get through. I am overjoyed with the support we have received.”
As of Thursday afternoon, more than $25,000 had been raised for the family on GoFundMe. Another friend has started a Mealtrain sign-up schedule for the community to bring food to the family of six.
Those campaigns can be reached here:
Meal Train for The McPeake Family
Fundraiser for Brittany McPeake by Brittany McPeake : McPeake Family Fire (gofundme.com) | 2022-01-07T00:23:56Z | www.kxxv.com | ') } | https://www.kxxv.com/brazos/grandmother-hospitalized-from-bryan-fire-dies | https://www.kxxv.com/brazos/grandmother-hospitalized-from-bryan-fire-dies |
Reward increased for most wanted sex offender, fugitive
The Texas Department of Public Safety is searching for a fugitive who is wanted for child molestation and intercourse with a 1-year-old girl.
Texas DPS said the reward for the Texas 10 Most Wanted Sex Offender, 35-year-old Bobby Joe Flores Jr. of Duncanville, has been increased to $6,000 for information leading to his arrest for the month of January.
Flores has been wanted since October of 2019, the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office, "issued a warrant for his arrest for continuous sexual abuse of a young child." Duncanville police also issued a warrant for the man in January of 2020 for non-compliance with his sex offender registration requirements.
Flores moved to Texas in 2014, after he was convicted for failure to register as a sex offender in Indiana.
The fugitive is described as 5 feet 5 inches tall, with tattoos on his neck, chest, abdomen, arms, and left wrist.
"He also has scars on his left arm and wrist," said DPS.
To be eligible for cash rewards, tipsters can provide information to authorities by:
Calling the Crime Stoppers hotline at (800) 252-8477.
Submitting a web tip through the DPS website.
Or, by submitting a Facebook tip.
All tips are anonymous — regardless of how they are submitted. | 2022-01-07T00:24:02Z | www.kxxv.com | ') } | https://www.kxxv.com/hometown/texas/reward-increased-for-most-wanted-sex-offender-fugitive | https://www.kxxv.com/hometown/texas/reward-increased-for-most-wanted-sex-offender-fugitive |
BRAZOS COUNTY, Texas — The price of used cars is now no longer what it used to be. A new report from the AP says the average price of cars tops out at $29,000 across the U.S.
With the drastic change to the market, we get an inside look from this general manager who says it’s something he’s never seen before.
”Definitely seeing values in prices are at an all-time high still with the shortage of lack of new car inventory as far as stock units on the lot," said Jason Pennell. "It’s still driving the demand and forcing the used car market to be at an all-time high,”
All problems stemmed from the start of the pandemic when the production of cars and parts slowed down.
“Even fixing your car the prices have gone up too unfortunately because our supplies have gone up," said Johnny Uresti, service manager at Pete's Auto Center. "Parts have gone up, everything is kind of going up with inflation going crazy right now, so you don’t have options, price is high, you know the best situation is going to fix the car you have”
Uresti recommends doing your research before committing to unreasonable prices but also suggests picking a local mechanic for any work on your vehicle to save some cash.
“For anybody looking to buy a car you got to be prepared to buy as quickly as you can but at the same time be careful about the price because it’s going to be expensive,” said Uresti.
Although costs are up, Pennel says it’s also a benefit for consumers looking to trade-in.
“Their trades are worth more than they’ve ever been worth," added Pennell. "With the shortage out there, demands out there for dealers to buy more cars and it’s really driven up used car prices and trade-in values.”
Experts say these inflated prices may be sticking around for the foreseeable future. | 2022-01-07T01:59:35Z | www.kxxv.com | ') } | https://www.kxxv.com/brazos/local-dealer-shares-inside-look-at-used-car-market | https://www.kxxv.com/brazos/local-dealer-shares-inside-look-at-used-car-market |
According to a study by ISEECARS.com, the cost of a used car in Texas rose by nearly 25 percent in November of 2021 alone and that number is still going up.
It's a trend experts say is a mixture of supply chain issues and a rise in demand for used cars.
”Especially now that people have started going back to work and they’re tired of being hunkered down for the past to years. So, they’ve faced the new day and they want a new car,” said Dr. Rob Tennant, Professor of Economics at Texas A&M Central Texas.
They don’t just want a new car, they want one they can afford and as the prices increase so too does the monthly payment.
"$200 payments don’t hardly happen anymore. $2,000 cash cars don’t really happen anymore,” said Cory Simek, Owner of The Key Kennect Auto Dealership in Killeen.
A lot of that is due to dealers having to pay more for the vehicle they plan to sell.
”It’s not us, it’s just the way the prices have raised on everything. Food, houses, the car market is no different. We’ve been paying 30 percent to 40 percent more on all our vehicles,” said Simek.
Experts don’t see this trend ending anytime soon.
”I wouldn’t be surprised if this last through the middle of the year. It is hard to predict past that but, but I don’t see anything changing fundamentally in the next 4 to 6 months,” said Dr. Tennant
The bottom line, as dealers continue to pay more for their vehicles, you will too. | 2022-01-07T01:59:47Z | www.kxxv.com | ') } | https://www.kxxv.com/hometown/bell-county/used-car-prices-skyrocket-in-central-texas | https://www.kxxv.com/hometown/bell-county/used-car-prices-skyrocket-in-central-texas |
CENTRAL TEXAS — Not much is known about the ability of animals to spread COVID-19 to humans, but researchers say it's worth investigating as more cases were discovered in Texas deer.
A recent study published by scientists at the University of Texas at El Paso found the presence of COVID-19 in white-tailed deer in Texas. According to the UTEP team, the study shows that deer may need to be considered as a possible transmission point to humans.
"Animals are getting the infection from us, but most of the risk to us is pretty low to receive it back from an animal," said Amy Mersiovsky, director of the department of nursing at Texas A&M - Central Texas.
Simply coming in contact with an infected deer may not be enough to contract the virus. Making contact with viral particles and then touching your eyes or mouth is a less-common way of catching the virus but it can still happen. However, the virus spreads most easily when someone inhales airborne particles containing COVID.
"The main problem is breathing in those air particles from someone that has COVID-19," said the director of the Waco-McLennan County Public Health District LaShonda Malrey-Horne. "So, if you're within six feet of them, you're likely to be able to breathe in those air particles."
In fact, airborne transmission is precisely how animals are able to receive the virus from humans. Deer are part of a growing list of animals known to have become infected. Several cases have already been reported nationwide in companion animals such as dogs and cats.
"We're sneezing and coughing with COVID," said Mersiovsky. "They inhale the virus just like we would inhale it from another human, and that's how they're getting it."
Not much is known about the geographic spread of infected deer in Texas. The UTEP study looked at blood samples from deer in Travis County (Austin) with over one-third of the samples showing COVID antibodies. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department declined to comment on the parts of the state with the highest concentration of infected deer. A statement made by the TPWD press office states that they are not testing deer for the coronavirus and they do not find the UTEP study to be of concern.
COVID test kits aren't being used for the purpose of testing animals. Instead, scientists are able to confirm cases by detecting the presence of antibodies. Other states like Illinois and New York have reported antibodies in about 40 percent of their samples, similar to the results in the UTEP study.
Simply eating meat from an infected animal shouldn't be enough to pass COVID to you, but hunters usually know to avoid meat from a deer that appears ill.
"You harvest an animal that's sick, you look at it, you decide it's probably sick, then you probably don't want to eat that," said Mersiovsky.
Hunters who were exposed to deer over this past hunting season don't need to rush out to get tested, but in the meantime, researchers at UTEP and the CDC will continue to explore the contagious effects of animals. | 2022-01-07T02:00:00Z | www.kxxv.com | ') } | https://www.kxxv.com/news/local-news/covid-19-found-in-white-tailed-deer-in-texas | https://www.kxxv.com/news/local-news/covid-19-found-in-white-tailed-deer-in-texas |
Green died Wednesday, Dec. 29, after his long-time career of 20 years within the city. The flag will fly at half-staff through Sunday, Jan. 9. Services are to be held on Saturday.
According to the City of Killeen, Green was hired in May of 1990 as the Finance Director. He became the Acting City Manager in March of 2005 and was shortly thereafter that year appointed city manager.
He left the city in March of 2011. | 2022-01-07T05:10:52Z | www.kxxv.com | ') } | https://www.kxxv.com/hometown/bell-county/city-of-killeen-flag-ordered-to-half-staff-in-honor-of-former-city-manager | https://www.kxxv.com/hometown/bell-county/city-of-killeen-flag-ordered-to-half-staff-in-honor-of-former-city-manager |
House Majority Leader Matt Lehman, R-Berne, speaks during the first day of the legislative session at the Statehouse, Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2022, in Indianapolis.
Health officials on Thursday added 150 COVID-19 deaths, most occurring over the past three weeks, to Indiana’s death toll. The state has averaged more than 40 such deaths a day since early December, and the pandemic total has reached almost 19,500. | 2022-01-07T14:13:39Z | www.kxxv.com | ') } | https://www.kxxv.com/news/natural-immunity-added-to-indiana-vaccine-exemption-bill | https://www.kxxv.com/news/natural-immunity-added-to-indiana-vaccine-exemption-bill |
(Chip Somodevilla/Pool via AP)
FILE - Chairman Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., delivers opening remarks during the House select committee hearing on the Jan. 6 attack on Capitol Hill in Washington, on July 27, 2021. The Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol insurrection by pro-Trump supporters and right-wing group members shattered the sense of security that many had long felt at Capitol as rioters forcefully delayed the certification of President Joe Biden's election victory. But for people of color, the attack was more than a violent challenge to a free and fair election, it was an eerily familiar display of white supremacist violence. | 2022-01-07T16:16:39Z | www.kxxv.com | ') } | https://www.kxxv.com/news/national/hatred-in-the-eyes-how-racist-rage-animated-jan-6-riots | https://www.kxxv.com/news/national/hatred-in-the-eyes-how-racist-rage-animated-jan-6-riots |
UMHB Head Football Coach Pete Fredenburg retires
Cru Athletics
University of Mary Hardin-Baylor Head Football Coach Pete Fredenburg announced he is retiring Friday afternoon in Belton.
The 2018 Texas Sports Hall of Famer has held a successful 24 years at UMHB after starting in 1998. According to UMHB, defensive coordinator Larry Harmon has been promoted to head coach.
The Cru advanced to the NCAA postseason 17 times with 47 playoff wins; according to the UMHB announcement, with national titles in 2018 and 2021.
"Pete’s remarkable accomplishments have brought national recognition to the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor," UMHB President Dr. Randy O’Rear said. "Even more important is the investment he has made in the lives of our student-athletes, which will pay dividends for generations to come.” | 2022-01-08T01:10:52Z | www.kxxv.com | ') } | https://www.kxxv.com/hometown/texas/umhb-head-football-coach-pete-fredenburg-retires | https://www.kxxv.com/hometown/texas/umhb-head-football-coach-pete-fredenburg-retires |
(Houston Police Department via AP)
In this Oct. 7, 2020, photo provided by the Houston Police Department shows Sahara Ervin. Court records show that Ervin, the mother of a 2-year-old girl whose body was found in a Houston bayou in 2020, has pleaded guilty for her role in her daughter's death. Ervin pleaded guilty to tampering with evidence, a human corpse, during a court hearing Wednesday as part of a plea agreement. <br/><br/> | 2022-01-08T04:25:07Z | www.kxxv.com | ') } | https://www.kxxv.com/hometown/texas/mother-pleads-guilty-in-2-year-old-houston-girls-death | https://www.kxxv.com/hometown/texas/mother-pleads-guilty-in-2-year-old-houston-girls-death |
CENTRAL TEXAS — The pandemic has created some rough times for us all, but not everyone is comfortable with talking about their mental health struggles from these past two years.
With mounting pressure to meet market demand and worries over skyrocketing input costs, it's no surprise farmers have had an increased sense of stress during the pandemic.
"Anxiety is up. Fatigue and exhaustion is up," said Vince Erickson, public information officer for Heart of Texas Behavioral Health. "Grief has gone up. These things can play upon mental and behavioral health."
Adapting to our "new normal" hasn't been easy for everyone. Mental health experts want people to know that there's no shame in seeking out help.
"So what do we do? Let's have a conversation about it," said Erickson. "And it's okay to not be okay because right now, look at what's going on out there right now."
Those conversations are happening more frequently among farmers, according to a new poll released by the American Farm Bureau Federation. People involved in agriculture showed a greater initiative to discuss their struggles with family and professionals last year versus 2020.
"The numbers are going down as far as someone's unwillingness to talk about these kinds of issues. Stigma is going down," said Shelbie Lambert, outreach education coordinator for UT-Tyler.
The poll responses indicated that financial issues and weather were major contributors of stress in farmers. The American Farm Bureau Federation is using the poll, conducted for the past three years, to determine the impacts of COVID-19 on the well-being of farmers. They also hope to come to some solutions about how to offer help.
While progress is being made, it's clear from the polling that there is still a stigma in agriculture surrounding medical care for mental issues. It's a notion that therapy would appear "weak" next to the "tough" image of farming and ranching.
"If there's anything to describe those in agriculture, it's 'strong,' "independent.' They've overcome a lot, they've come a long way," said Lambert.
The research found that while overall stress in farmers is up from 2020, nearly half of the respondents said they were more likely to seek help from a professional than they were a year ago. The American Farm Bureau Federation has set up a network of resources for anyone looking for mental care, called Farm State of Mind. You can find a link to that on our 25 News app. | 2022-01-08T04:25:19Z | www.kxxv.com | ') } | https://www.kxxv.com/news/local-news/farmers-opening-up-about-mental-health-amidst-pandemic | https://www.kxxv.com/news/local-news/farmers-opening-up-about-mental-health-amidst-pandemic |
HEARNE, Texas — Hearne city council passed a solar energy buyback ordinance on Tuesday, which states that Hearne residents who install solar panels on their homes can receive $0.048 per kilowatt-hour for any excess energy storage.
City officials told KRHD that this power purchased by Hearne from private citizens will then be used by the city as they meet the energy needs of their own municipal utility customers.
“The consumer needs to be aware of what contract he or she is signing," advised Ed Hirs, energy fellow with the University of Houston. "Who owns the panels... and is the electricity all on your side of the meter [where] you get to use it or does it go out into the grid and you have to shunt it back?”
Hirs, an energy expert, suggested that while solar panel installations can be beneficial to homeowners, it’s critical that the buyer beware and read contracts closely to see who actually owns the panels and power.
He noted that solar panels, batteries, and installation cost thousands of dollars. Plus, that cost could take many years to pay off or earn back. But, panels could theoretically reduce or eliminate a homeowner's municipal electric bill.
"If you’re generating enough electricity to be self-sufficient, you’re fine," he said. "Most folks will keep the grid coming in because there are times, of course, when the sun doesn’t shine.”
Megan Tucker and Ryan Kearnes of ADC in Bryan arrange solar installations all across Texas and hope to get in on the Hearne market with the new ordinance. Tucker herself is a resident of Hearne and said there’s been no other option for her than municipal power and the state energy grid.
She’s happy to see the ordinance come around.
“This gives a lot of opportunities for people who were in the dark through the winter storm, and just gives opportunities in general," Tucker said. "Because, Hearne has kind of been undeveloped, but it is becoming a bigger city day by day.”
Tucker and Kearnes pointed out that while solar panels do cost thousands of dollars, loans for homeowners with credit scores as low as 600 are available.
"Energy prices have doubled since 2003, so this is something where you can lock your bill in for the next 30 or 40 years," Kearnes commented.
Plus, Kearnes explained that with adequate battery storage, solar customers may have their own resources should the power grid fail. | 2022-01-08T05:58:43Z | www.kxxv.com | ') } | https://www.kxxv.com/brazos/city-of-hearne-instills-buyback-ordinance-to-pay-homeowners-who-install-solar-panels | https://www.kxxv.com/brazos/city-of-hearne-instills-buyback-ordinance-to-pay-homeowners-who-install-solar-panels |
The IRS is now taxing cash app transactions
Using apps like Cash App was once not taxed. In the new year, the IRS will be taxing cash app transactions over 600 dollars.
The app has 36 million monthly users, 63 percent of smartphone users have the app downloaded on their phone. Most of them are ordinary people who use it as a means to send and receive funds; the others are small business owners and consumers.
Co-Owner of Sign Sisters Waco, Ashley Josha said, "Cash app is about 90% of how we get our money."
Business owners in the Central Texas area are a bit concerned about this new reality.
Finance Professor at Texas A&M says, "It appears as though the government is clamping down and wants to get their cut." He said, "Cash app is moving towards having a record of all the transactions you've done in a given quarter or year." | 2022-01-08T05:58:55Z | www.kxxv.com | ') } | https://www.kxxv.com/hometown/bell-county/the-irs-is-now-taxing-cash-app-transactions | https://www.kxxv.com/hometown/bell-county/the-irs-is-now-taxing-cash-app-transactions |
(AP Photo/Antonio Calanni, File)
FILE - In this Oct. 5, 2014 file photo, Irish singer Sinead O'Connor performs during the Italian State RAI TV program "Che Tempo che Fa", in Milan, Italy. O'Connor emotionally pleaded for help and opened up about her struggles with mental illness in a Facebook video posted on Thursday, Aug. 3, 2017. A follow-up Facebook said to be made on O’Connor’s behalf late Monday said the singer was OK. | 2022-01-08T19:37:55Z | www.kxxv.com | ') } | https://www.kxxv.com/news/irish-singer-sinead-oconnors-17-year-old-son-found-dead | https://www.kxxv.com/news/irish-singer-sinead-oconnors-17-year-old-son-found-dead |
College Station Lincoln center promotes health through Dr. King's message
COLLEGE STATION, Texas — New year's resolutions are in full swing, but with gyms full of people determined to get in shape, keeping up with health and wellness might be a heavy lift for many of us.
One Brazos valley center is using the words of an American icon to inspire focus.
Dr. King inspired and motivated people to believe in their dreams, now the Lincoln center is helping the community not only dream but put them to work.
“When we talk about dream works," said Cheletia Johnson, Lincoln Center supervisor.
"We all know that Dr. King had a dream and his dream included character building, lifestyle changes, and so here at the Lincoln center those are the things we want to promote a better living for everyone,”
The Lincoln Center is hosting its first in-person health and wellness event encouraging the community to start the year off on the right foot.
”Most people are usually health-conscious at the beginning of the year," said Johnson.
"I'm just like okay, why not put together a health and fitness expo and then it’s also a way for us to show the community what we are providing at the center, as far as fitness,”
The Lincoln Center offers a variety of physical fitness classes like Zumba and more.
But wellness is much more than physical, which is why organizers say wellness is a multi-step approach.
And it was important to include the health department's mobile vaccine efforts; they're offering COVID vaccines and boosters.
Other resources were in attendance like the Texas A&M AgriLife extension and so much more.
”Better Living for Texans specifically works with limited resource audiences and really getting those resources to that groups that otherwise would not receive them,” said Katie Zender, Texas A&M AgriLife extension service, Better Living for Texas program.
Dr. King made fighting injustice his life's mission and that included fighting for better health services and health care for all. That's why Cheletia Johnson says inspiring the next generation to get healthy is so important.
“When we talk about physical fitness and exercise it just takes movement as long as you’re doing something for at least 15 to 30 minutes a day and your body is moving that is exercise," said Johnson.
The Lincoln Center hopes to have health and wellness events each quarter and will add services that offer something to all members of the Brazos Valley community. | 2022-01-09T00:36:31Z | www.kxxv.com | 1 weather alerts 1 closings/delays | https://www.kxxv.com/brazos/college-station-lincoln-center-promotes-health-through-dr-kings-message | https://www.kxxv.com/brazos/college-station-lincoln-center-promotes-health-through-dr-kings-message |
(Karlin Chan via AP)
In this Wednesday, Oct. 27, 2021, photo provided by Karlin Chan, Chinese immigrant Yao Pan Ma is shown hospitalized after he was attacked in April while collecting cans in the East Harlem neighborhood of New York. Ma died Dec. 31 and his attacker, forty-nine-year-old Jarrod Powell, who was previously charged with attempted murder, felony assault and hate crimes charges, now faces a homicide charge.
Ma and his wife- - who Chan said is “devastated” by what happened to her husband — immigrated to the U.S. in October 2018 from China, where Ma was a dim sum chef. After arriving in the U.S., Ma obtained work as a general kitchen worker at a Chinese restaurant, making pastries and performing other kitchen tasks. However, when the pandemic hit, Ma lost his job when the restaurant closed during lockdown. He hadn’t worked long enough to qualify for unemployment benefits, Chan said. | 2022-01-09T02:14:09Z | www.kxxv.com | ') } | https://www.kxxv.com/news/chinese-immigrant-attacked-in-nyc-dies-months-later | https://www.kxxv.com/news/chinese-immigrant-attacked-in-nyc-dies-months-later |
KILLEEN, Texas — A 31-year-old man is dead – and Killeen police are seeking information tied to his death.
According to Killeen police, officers were dispatched to the 300 block of 22nd Street - at around 2:56 p.m. The man had not been heard from for several days, a Killeen Police Department news release said.
"The department is asking anyone who may have seen anything or has any information about this incident, to contact the Killeen Police Department," the release said. | 2022-01-09T03:53:07Z | www.kxxv.com | ') } | https://www.kxxv.com/hometown/bell-county/31-year-old-man-found-dead-information-sought-killeen-police | https://www.kxxv.com/hometown/bell-county/31-year-old-man-found-dead-information-sought-killeen-police |
Not much rain in store this week.
As for the rest of the workweek, temperatures will be on the rise. We'll see some 60s on Wednesday and Thursday, and then some low-70s on Friday. The next cold front will be pushing through on Saturday morning. The warmest part of Saturday will be before dawn, then temperatures will fall through the day. That may be our best chance for some decent rain in the coming days. | 2022-01-09T23:53:43Z | www.kxxv.com | ') } | https://www.kxxv.com/weather/cool-tomorrow-with-partly-cloudy-skies | https://www.kxxv.com/weather/cool-tomorrow-with-partly-cloudy-skies |
(Huang Wei/Xinhua via AP)
In this photo released by China's Xinhua News Agency, emergency officials work at the site of an explosion in southwestern China's Chongqing municipality, Friday, Jan. 7, 2022. A lunchtime explosion at a cafeteria killed more than a dozen people in southwest China on Friday, authorities said. A gas leak is the suspected cause, the Chongqing city government said in an online statement. | 2022-01-10T02:52:31Z | www.kxxv.com | ') } | https://www.kxxv.com/news/16-dead-in-lunchtime-blast-at-cafeteria-in-southern-china | https://www.kxxv.com/news/16-dead-in-lunchtime-blast-at-cafeteria-in-southern-china |
BRAZOS COUNTY, Texas — People are packing up and heading to Texas.
U-haul says the Lone Star State ranks first in the nation for one-way rentals, with Bryan-College Station making the nation's top 10 destinations.
Indeed, people are moving to Texas just like the Martinez's.
”My husband and I moved to Bryan-College Station in June of last year from Southern California,” said Marilyn Martinez, new College Station resident.
Over 2-million people loaded up for Texas, according to U-Haul's annual growth index.
The data shows Americans are leaving for southern states during COVID - with Texas, Florida and Tennessee taking the top three spots.
Meanwhile, California remained at the top for outgoing migration.
”They told us that everything was going out and nothing was coming back to Southern California and that it was just very difficult to rent one one-way coming from California to Texas,” said Martinez.
The Bryan-College Station area ranked 7th for top 10 U.S cities for one-way trips.
U-Hauls study points to Texas A&M's expansion with more student enrollment and more job opportunities.
“U-haul lot down the street from my house has literally been full since I got here and the trailers just sit there," said Martinez.
"They don’t ever leave, so they come here and they don’t ever go back,”
College Station officials say the local economy has grown roughly three percent each year.
And they expect that to stay the same in 2022.
”So when you look at some of the revenue streams in terms of retail sales and hotel occupancy, those are two areas that are good economic indicators for our community as a whole,” said Natalie Ruiz, College Station director of economic development and tourism.
The city says big companies are taking notice as well.
Just last month, FUJIFILM Diosynth announced a three-million-dollar expansion.
“And in addition to that there will be another one hundred and fifty high paying jobs around the 80 thousand dollars a year marks," said Ruiz.
"So it’s really critical as a community to be able to have those high paying jobs for folks for your community to continue to grow,”
And as the local population grows so are the number of tourists.
According to visit college station, hotel occupancy levels are back to pre-pandemic numbers. | 2022-01-10T04:25:28Z | www.kxxv.com | ') } | https://www.kxxv.com/brazos/aggieland-proves-people-are-moving-to-texas-leaving-california | https://www.kxxv.com/brazos/aggieland-proves-people-are-moving-to-texas-leaving-california |
Cowboys get rhythm, higher seed for playoffs
(AP) — Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys didn’t see the regular-season finale at Philadelphia as meaningless because they wanted to feel an offensive rhythm going into the playoffs.
The Cowboys and 49ers meet in the playoffs for the first time since three consecutive NFC championship games in the 1990s. Each of those winners (Dallas during the 1992 and ’93 seasons, San Francisco in ’94) went on to win the Super Bowl. Their eighth postseason meeting is tied for second most in the Super Bowl era. The Cowboys and Rams have met nine times. | 2022-01-10T19:09:21Z | www.kxxv.com | ') } | https://www.kxxv.com/news/cowboys-get-rhythm-higher-seed-for-playoffs | https://www.kxxv.com/news/cowboys-get-rhythm-higher-seed-for-playoffs |
FILE - Robert Jordan, incoming Southwest Airlines CEO, is interviewed outside the New York Stock Exchange, Thursday, Dec. 9, 2021. Jordan will become the chief executive of Southwest Airlines, replacing Gary Kelly, the longest-serving CEO among major U.S. carriers. As the airline's next CEO, he faces no shortage of challenges. Southwest is trying to recover from the pandemic that led to its first full-year loss in nearly half a century. And it's trying to rebuild its staff that wasn't bulked up enough when travel rebounded this year. | 2022-01-10T19:09:27Z | www.kxxv.com | ') } | https://www.kxxv.com/news/incoming-ceo-at-southwest-air-faces-numerous-challenges | https://www.kxxv.com/news/incoming-ceo-at-southwest-air-faces-numerous-challenges |
A new investigator on the case has some leads with DNA evidence, and Wright hopes someone who didn’t talk almost 30 years ago will come forward now, whether it’s because their knowledge about the killings eats at them or they aren’t sure if what they know is important,
“I want you to really dig down in your memory bank. If you saw something that you might not have felt was significant, tell us anyway,” the sheriff said. | 2022-01-10T19:10:27Z | www.kxxv.com | ') } | https://www.kxxv.com/news/sheriff-hopes-dna-guilty-feelings-solve-family-killings | https://www.kxxv.com/news/sheriff-hopes-dna-guilty-feelings-solve-family-killings |
The Temple Police Department is searching for a 20-year-old man.
Temple police said Robert (Bob) Joe Mares is 5’ 7”, with green eyes, brown hair, and a goatee.
Mares was last seen on Friday, Jan. 7 at the 1700 block of South 39th Street. He was last seen wearing slide sandals, black pants, a hooded sweatshirt, and a silver chain necklace. | 2022-01-10T22:37:03Z | www.kxxv.com | ') } | https://www.kxxv.com/hometown/bell-county/temple-police-searching-for-missing-20-year-old-man | https://www.kxxv.com/hometown/bell-county/temple-police-searching-for-missing-20-year-old-man |
SportsRed Zone
Mart football coach Kevin Hoffman, winner of three state titles, announces retirement
Jack Allen KXXV
MART, Texas — After seven seasons in charge, Mart Head Football Coach/Athletic Director Kevin Hoffman announced his retirement Monday afternoon.
Hoffman took over as the Panthers' Head Coach back in 2016. In his seven seasons at the helm, he led Mart to four state championship appearances, winning three. He was the first Mart coach to win back-to-back state titles.
Prior to serving as head coach, Hoffman was an assistant in Mart for six more seasons.
The Panthers went 83-8 under Hoffman. They won at least 12 games in every year of his head coaching tenure.
The Mart AD/HFC position is posted on the school district's web site. | 2022-01-10T22:37:46Z | www.kxxv.com | ') } | https://www.kxxv.com/sports/red-zone/mart-hfc-ad-kevin-hoffman-announces-retirement | https://www.kxxv.com/sports/red-zone/mart-hfc-ad-kevin-hoffman-announces-retirement |
25 News partners with Carter BloodCare to host annual blood drive
WACO, Texas — 25 News partnered with Carter BloodCare to bring back an annual blood drive on Monday. Anyone who is eligible to donate was encouraged to visit one of the three locations in Waco, Temple and Killeen.
"From the start of the pandemic to now, it's been a struggle to get donors out to the busses, out to the donor center," Field Recruiter Mike McCoy said.
That’s why they say it is so crucial for people to attend blood drives and make a donation.
Waco resident Pamela Hamic was one of the many who showed up to donate on Monday because she said she wanted to do a good deed. She hadn't donated in a while but decided to after she heard just how low they were on blood.
"I just needed to do something good," she said. "In the current world situation there's not a lot I can do to help people, but I can come out and donate and that's why I came here."
The goal was to get about 70 donors across all three locations, which could save as many as 210 lives. Those donations are crucial for the blood bank, which only has a one-day supply of all blood types.
"We have to look at other avenues, reach out to other blood centers to see if they can supply blood to us," McCoy said. "But right now we're having to supply to those blood centers which makes it even more of a critical need for us."
If you missed Monday's blood drive, you can still donate. To make an appointment, you can visit: https://www.carterbloodcare.org/. | 2022-01-11T00:15:49Z | www.kxxv.com | ') } | https://www.kxxv.com/hometown/mclennan-county/25-news-partners-with-carter-bloodcare-to-host-annual-blood-drive | https://www.kxxv.com/hometown/mclennan-county/25-news-partners-with-carter-bloodcare-to-host-annual-blood-drive |
FILE - Registered nurse Sara Nystrom, of Townshend, Vt., prepares to enter a patient's room in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, in Lebanon, N.H., Jan. 3, 2022. The omicron variant has caused a surge of new cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. and many hospitals are not only swamped with cases but severely shorthanded because of so many employees out with COVID-19. <br/><br/> | 2022-01-11T00:15:55Z | www.kxxv.com | ') } | https://www.kxxv.com/hometown/mclennan-county/us-hospitals-letting-infected-staff-members-stay-on-the-job | https://www.kxxv.com/hometown/mclennan-county/us-hospitals-letting-infected-staff-members-stay-on-the-job |
Inflation overtakes COVID as number one concern for most Americans
It's no secret that the global supply chain has been seeing massive delays for months causing prices to increase on everything from automobiles to cigarettes.
"A supply chain that is still severely strained makes it difficult for suppliers and companies to have the inventory necessary to meet that demand,” said Dr. Rob Tennant, Associate Professor of Economics and Accounting at Texas A&M Central Texas.
Now Mickey’s Convenience Store #14 in Killeen, is having to explain to customers that their favorite items are costing more because vendors are charging them more.
"It comes from the vendors down. If they raise their prices, then we have to raise ours. If not, then we make no money, then we are out of a job and the business goes under,” said Brenda Hernandez, Store Manager at Mickey’s Convenience Store #14.
Since the holidays, Hernandez has seen a rapid increase in vendor prices.
"First of the year, everything started going up more than it already was. Cigarettes are 20-cents more, beer is going up, all the sodas, everything is going up,” said Hernandez.
The customers are noticing, and some are not happy.
"It’s not our fault. It's just, we’re on one side and y’all are on the other. We try to keep them calm and make them understand.” said Hernandez.
Experts say these rising prices and supply chain issues will continue for some time.
"I would expect the supply chain issues to continue through the middle of the year, like around June,” said Dr. Tennant.
As the vendor's prices continue to go up, so too will the prices you see in stores, and the folks at Mickey’s #14 in Killeen are asking for patience as it is costing them too. | 2022-01-11T01:54:47Z | www.kxxv.com | ') } | https://www.kxxv.com/hometown/bell-county/inflation-overtakes-covid-as-number-one-concern-for-most-americans | https://www.kxxv.com/hometown/bell-county/inflation-overtakes-covid-as-number-one-concern-for-most-americans |
Texas A&M Mays Business School professor Dr. Anthony Klotz talked with KRHD news back in October, predicting what he termed ‘the Great Resignation.’
“It may be worth giving it a try, and you realize - this isn’t as bad as I thought it was, or I actually enjoy it, or it’s actually nice getting some separation between my personal life and my professional life," Klotz said.
His theory describes how Americans who otherwise would have left their jobs in normal circumstances, held off on quitting while the pandemic and mass layoffs were going on. Now, that build-up of pending resignations is bursting.
“I was looking at making a transition," said Caroline Brewton, a Texan who switched jobs in 2021. "I was really looking at quality-of-life issues. I’d had long commutes, and I wasn’t necessarily able to telework.”
For Texans like Brewton, finding a job that didn’t require her to drive two hours each day (thus allowing her to see her family more) was key to her changing careers.
Another reason Dr. Klotz said Americans are resigning, is that during the pandemic, they had time to ponder what they truly valued; spending time with loved ones, following dreams and passion projects, and leading a purposeful life.
“When I was in that role, I wasn’t feeling challenged," said Amber Woolwine, another Texan who switched jobs in 2021. "They had made a lot of changes I didn’t like.”
Woolwine explained that she left her job of four years for one that not only paid her more money but gave her more engaging and difficult tasks to do. Woolwine and Brewton said that Americans like themselves are joining the Great Resignation, not because they don’t want to work, but because they are learning to value themselves.
“It’s nice to kind of be able to look at your work, what you’re doing, and how far you’ve come personally with what you’ve learned, and just say, ‘you know what? I deserve more because I can do more and go do more," Woolwine commented. "Because that’s what happened with me.”
While millions of people are quitting their jobs, millions are also signing up for new jobs. The U.S. Department of Labor reported that while 4.5 million Americans quit their jobs in November, 6.7 million Americans started new jobs. | 2022-01-11T03:29:39Z | www.kxxv.com | ') } | https://www.kxxv.com/brazos/texans-discuss-why-they-chose-to-change-careers-during-great-resignation | https://www.kxxv.com/brazos/texans-discuss-why-they-chose-to-change-careers-during-great-resignation |
WACO, Texas — Area schools like Baylor and McLennan Community College are reopening to in-person classes this month, despite the record-breaking number of cases in McLennan County. They are, however, adding more precautions as students head back to class.
The outline of McLennan Community College's COVID-19 policies can be found here. Baylor University's COVID-19 update can be found here. | 2022-01-11T05:03:37Z | www.kxxv.com | ') } | https://www.kxxv.com/hometown/mclennan-county/mclennan-community-college-baylor-move-forward-with-in-person-classes-and-covid-precautions | https://www.kxxv.com/hometown/mclennan-county/mclennan-community-college-baylor-move-forward-with-in-person-classes-and-covid-precautions |
Texas A&M coach Deon Lendore dead after fatal car accident
COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Olympian Deon Lendore died in a car crash Monday, according to NBC Sports Analyst Ato Boldon.
As a volunteer assistant coach, Lendore worked alongside student-athletes in A&M's Track & Field program.
Lendore graduated from A&M in 2015, appearing in the last three Olympic games throughout his time as a student-athlete.
He earned bronze in the 4x400m event at the 2012 London Olympics, representing Trinidad and Tobago. | 2022-01-11T14:14:04Z | www.kxxv.com | ') } | https://www.kxxv.com/brazos/texas-a-m-coach-deon-lendore-dead-after-fatal-car-accident | https://www.kxxv.com/brazos/texas-a-m-coach-deon-lendore-dead-after-fatal-car-accident |
Yet on Friday, the government reported that the unemployment rate sank in December to 4.2% from 3.9% in November and is down from 6.7% a year earlier — the fastest 12-month drop in the jobless rate since records began in 1948. (It followed the largest increase in unemployment on record in 2020.) | 2022-01-11T14:14:22Z | www.kxxv.com | ') } | https://www.kxxv.com/news/national/question-for-fed-has-it-waited-too-long-to-fight-inflation | https://www.kxxv.com/news/national/question-for-fed-has-it-waited-too-long-to-fight-inflation |
(AP Photo/Jonathan Mattise)
Former Nashville Police Officer Andrew Delke speaks via webcam from jail during a parole meeting on Monday, Jan. 10, 2022, at the Downtown Detention Center in Nashville, Tenn., as his attorney, David Raybin, center, looks on. Delke, who is white, waived his right to a parole hearing under a plea deal for fatally shooting 25-year-old Daniel Hambrick in 2018 while the Black man was fleeing on foot and holding a gun. Delke received a three-year sentence under his plea deal, though attorneys on both sides say that will likely mean serving a year and a half with standard credits. | 2022-01-11T15:45:29Z | www.kxxv.com | ') } | https://www.kxxv.com/news/convicted-ex-officer-waives-parole-hearing-under-plea-deal | https://www.kxxv.com/news/convicted-ex-officer-waives-parole-hearing-under-plea-deal |
3 Caldwell volleyball players guilty of unlawful restraint of teammate
Caldwell ISD
CALDWELL, Texas — Three Caldwell High School volleyball players pleaded guilty Tuesday to misdemeanor charges after being accused of forcibly stripping a teammate in September.
A Milam County judge approved a plea agreement for misdemeanor unlawful restraint, a deal that carries a lower sentence than their original felony charges of indecency with a child by exposure.
The students must pay a $4,000 fine and complete one year of deferred adjudication.
The teenagers were indicted by a Milam County grand jury in November, facing accusations of forcefully stripping another student on the way back from a volleyball match.
Warrants were filled and the girls were arrested in October by Milam County law enforcement.
A fourth student is expected to be sentenced at a later date.
Caldwell ISD has since released the following statement:
In November 2021, Caldwell ISD completed the investigation of an incident that occurred on a CISD. The disciplinary action as a result of the investigation was in accordance with our Student Code of Conduct.
Upon receiving confirmation from the Milam County District Attorney of the outcome to the students’ charges, Caldwell ISD will reassess the disciplinary action in accordance with our Student Code of Conduct.
Kim Pagach, Caldwell ISD, director of communications | 2022-01-11T20:21:12Z | www.kxxv.com | ') } | https://www.kxxv.com/news/local-news/3-caldwell-volleyball-players-accept-plea-deal-after-teammate-forcibly-stripped-on-bus | https://www.kxxv.com/news/local-news/3-caldwell-volleyball-players-accept-plea-deal-after-teammate-forcibly-stripped-on-bus |
Connally Independent School District
The Connally Independent School District announced it will be closing its campuses until Tuesday, Jan. 18 due to a COVID-19 case surge.
On Tuesday the district said in a letter to parents, staff, and students that the McLennan County Health Department made the recommendation.
"This closure is an effort to help reduce the spread of Covid-19 in our district," said Connally ISD. "Our hope is that the closure will provide those who are positive with the virus or exposed to others with the virus, the time to isolate and recover.”
Connally ISD schools will resume in-person learning on Wednesday, Jan. 19. Meanwhile, the district said the closure will allow time for deep cleaning of the campus facilities.
"We know the hardship this may present to families, but we want to do everything we can to ensure the health and safety of our students and team. Please continue to monitor for symptoms and if your child tests positive for Covid-19, contact your students’ campus nurse,” the school district said.
The district said it is working to coordinate a drive-through testing event at this time, and more details will be released. | 2022-01-11T23:26:38Z | www.kxxv.com | ') } | https://www.kxxv.com/hometown/mclennan-county/connally-isd-closing-campuses-due-to-covid-19-surge | https://www.kxxv.com/hometown/mclennan-county/connally-isd-closing-campuses-due-to-covid-19-surge |
This image provided by the FBI taken from a video security camera in the U.S. Capitol building on Jan. 6, 2021, shows a man wearing a Trump 2020 winter cap and a bullet proof vest beside a wooden coat rack, standing among other rioters. The FBI identified the man as Dustin Thompson. Federal authorities say Thompson illegally entered the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 and while he was there stole the coat rack. (The FBI via AP)
A North Texas man has pleaded guilty to picketing in the U.S. Capitol while holding a beer can, according to court records. | 2022-01-11T23:26:42Z | www.kxxv.com | ') } | https://www.kxxv.com/hometown/texas/texan-pleads-guilty-capitol-breach-role-holding-beer-can | https://www.kxxv.com/hometown/texas/texan-pleads-guilty-capitol-breach-role-holding-beer-can |
Caldwell ISD students plead guilty to unlawful restraint, sentenced to probation
CALDWELL, Texas — Caldwell High School volleyball players Katherine Hart, Marina Brinkman, and Kadie Hartman all pleaded guilty today in a Milam County Court.
Documents released from the Milam County Clerk show that all three women pleaded guilty to the class A misdemeanor charge of unlawful restraint – a significant change from the original felony offenses of indecency with a child, and unlawful restraint by organized criminal activity.
Caldwell ISD made this statement to KRHD early Tuesday afternoon in response to the convictions:
"In November, 2021, Caldwell ISD completed the investigation of an incident that occurred on a CISD [bus]. The disciplinary action as a result of the investigation was in accordance with our student code of conduct. Upon receiving confirmation from the Milam County district attorney of the outcome to the students’ charges, Caldwell ISD will reassess the disciplinary action in accordance with our student code of conduct.”
Each of these three defendants will be placed on one year’s probation, in which they must complete 40 hours of community service, refrain from contacting the victim, and begin payments of a $4,000 fine, along with court fees. The orders of deferred adjudication explain that the women’s public records will be expunged once they have completed their probation successfully.
“This is a classic case of a pants-ing incident, which happens a lot in our schools," said lawyer Craig Greening in an October interview with KRHD. "Is it right to do it? No, but it is something that happened. It’s a prank.”
The case for a fourth co-defendant, fellow volleyball student, and Greening's client, Sophie Goodman, has yet to reach its conclusion. Goodman’s attorney insisted that the teenager had been over-charged.
The four women were originally accused of working to pin down the victim while on a school bus, forcing her shorts and spandex off her body, exposing her genitals, as she struggled and asked them to stop.
Several Caldwell ISD staff were on the bus at the time of the incident last September, according to police. | 2022-01-12T02:27:55Z | www.kxxv.com | ') } | https://www.kxxv.com/brazos/caldwell-isd-students-plead-guilty-to-unlawful-restraint-sentenced-to-probation | https://www.kxxv.com/brazos/caldwell-isd-students-plead-guilty-to-unlawful-restraint-sentenced-to-probation |
As the race for governor gets underway, a conversation about marijuana decriminalization has also made its way back to the political stage in Texas.
At a campaign stop in Edinburg, Texas, Abbott explained his desire to not overwhelm the state's prison system with low-level marijuana offenders.
"Prison and jail is a place for dangerous criminals who may harm others and small possession of marijuana is not the type of violation that we want to stockpile jails with," Abbott said.
O'Rourke has been an outspoken supporter of marijuana decriminalization in Texas.
"Legalizing marijuana is the right thing to do," O'Rourke said in a statement to 25 News. "We can stop locking Texans up for a substance that’s legal in much of the rest of the country & allow police to focus on violent crime."
In 2021, Texas lowered the punishment for possession of small amounts of marijuana and expanded its medical marijuana programs.
Marijuana decriminalization advocates, like Jax James, the executive director of Texas NORML, support a regulated market for cannabis in the state.
"Having cannabis be outlawed is just not really feasible not only for consumers but for law enforcement as well," James said.
Despite the benefits for law enforcement and tax revenue that advocates point to, critics are concerned about the health and behavioral effects of legalizing recreational marijuana.
"I think it would be foolish to follow some of the rules, say in Colorado or Washington State, where they've legalized it even more so than tobacco," said McLennan County Republican Party chairman Bradford Holland.
Holland said the Republican party recognizes the medicinal benefits that cannabis has and that minor possession cases aren't worth filling jails over, but that O'Rourke's platform goes too far.
"[Texans] want their guns legal and their drugs illegal, and I think he wants to do it the other way around," he said. | 2022-01-12T05:33:29Z | www.kxxv.com | ') } | https://www.kxxv.com/hometown/texas/texas-gubernatorial-candidates-talk-marijuana-decriminalization-on-campaign-trail | https://www.kxxv.com/hometown/texas/texas-gubernatorial-candidates-talk-marijuana-decriminalization-on-campaign-trail |
Deputies with Constable Mark Herman's Office in Houston responded to a disturbance at the 14900 block of Mueschke Road on Monday.
The victim said that she was being followed by a known male, Ali Gharrawi, and was in fear of being harmed by him.
"During the course of the investigation, it was discovered that he placed a tracker on the victims vehicle, and threatened to harm her if he found her with someone else," said a statement released by police.
Gharrawi was arrested and booked into the Harris County Jail, charged with Felony Stalking. His bond is set at $2,500. | 2022-01-12T05:33:35Z | www.kxxv.com | ') } | https://www.kxxv.com/hometown/texas/texas-man-arrested-charged-after-allegedly-placing-tracker-on-womans-car | https://www.kxxv.com/hometown/texas/texas-man-arrested-charged-after-allegedly-placing-tracker-on-womans-car |
Family displaced after early morning house fire in Waco
25 News Staff
WACO, TX — A Waco family is without a home following an early morning house fire.
The Waco Fire Department responded to the area of S. 16th Street and Connor Avenue just after 1:30 Wednesday morning.
Firefighters were able to get to the home within minutes.
Thankfully, the family was able to get out safely. No one was hurt.
The fire is now out, but firefighters are working to put out hotspots.
It is not clear right now whether the home is a total loss, but the damage is extensive.
The family is now staying with another family member.
Be sure to stick with 25 News for the latest on this developing story... | 2022-01-12T09:24:35Z | www.kxxv.com | ') } | https://www.kxxv.com/news/local-news/family-displaced-after-early-morning-house-fire-in-waco | https://www.kxxv.com/news/local-news/family-displaced-after-early-morning-house-fire-in-waco |
Level 1 (severe uncontrolled community transmission)
The health district said the change is based on the, "rapidly increasing incidence rate, positivity rate, and surge in hospitalizations." Current COVID-19 data can be found on the health district's website at www.bellcountyhealth.org.
"Bell County has continued to see a rapid rise in active cases since the threat level was adjusted on Jan. 4th, and the incidence rate is now as high as it was in January 2021," said the health district. "The rapid rise in cases is largely attributable to the Omicron variant, which now accounts for over 90% of new cases in Bell County."
According to the health district, one month ago the incidence rate was 50 active cases per 100,000 population; but on Tuesday it went to 1044 active cases per 100,000 population.
"Because of the increased spread and contagiousness of the Omicron variant, we strongly encourage full vaccination and a booster dose if eligible," said the Bell County Public Health District. "While the Omicron variant appears to cause less severe disease than previous variants, we are still seeing many people developing severe disease and requiring hospitalization, especially in persons who are not vaccinated."
A threat level one strongly recommends that unvaccinated individuals minimize indoor activities where there are large crowds or social distancing is not possible, according to Interim Director Nikki Morrow.
"Use of high quality, well-fitting masks such as 3-ply surgical masks, KN95 or N95 masks provide the best protection, and are strongly recommended even for those who have been vaccinated, but especially for those who have not completed the vaccine series or had a booster, or who have contact with people who are at high risk of severe disease," said the health district.
Anyone who has been exposed to or tested positive for COVID-19 should closely follow the recently revised recommendations for isolation or quarantine, according to Local Health Authority Dr. Janice Smith.
“While allowing persons to return to work after only 5 days of quarantine or isolation if they are not having symptoms, the individual must wear a mask for an additional 5 days," said Smith. "For those unable or unwilling to wear a mask, the isolation and quarantine periods are still 10 days.” | 2022-01-12T23:57:13Z | www.kxxv.com | ') } | https://www.kxxv.com/hometown/bell-county/bell-county-now-covid-threat-level-1-severe-uncontrolled-community-transmission | https://www.kxxv.com/hometown/bell-county/bell-county-now-covid-threat-level-1-severe-uncontrolled-community-transmission |
College Station firefighters tear up old city hall for rescue training
COLLEGE STATION, Texas — The old College Station city hall is soon to be demolished, with the first steps of the process starting Thursday morning. But throughout the week it’s been of use to the community in a very unique way, one last time.
Shattered glass, walls filled with ax holes, kicked-down doors, and simulation theater smoke were behind every corner of the former city hall building on Texas Avenue. For the past three days, dozens of firefighters have been performing mayday rescues of their colleagues in the hallways.
"Crews who are stationed at the stations near this location have pre-planned this building, and we’re familiar with it as city employees," said CSFD Capt. Stuart Marrs. "But we haven’t seen it like this. We haven’t seen it full of smoke, lights off, with the offices empty."
While firefighters in the Brazos Valley have many props and tools for training in-house and through the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service [TEEX], working in a large office space like this is something different.
“There are a lot of things we’ve learned," said CSFD battalion chief Josh Varner. "I think we’ve done maybe 18 scenarios, and you know, we have a script, but we’ve never been able to go the exact same way in all 18 scenarios.”
It’s been almost nine years since the Knights of Columbus lodge fire in Bryan, which killed two local firefighters. Though these types of scenarios don’t happen every day, being able to practice them well is critical.
“Some of the people here today were at that fire, were on scene at that fire," said Marrs. "So being able to practice the mayday communications and mayday protocols in a safe environment... is a big benefit.” | 2022-01-13T03:12:18Z | www.kxxv.com | ') } | https://www.kxxv.com/brazos/college-station-firefighters-tear-up-old-city-hall-for-rescue-training | https://www.kxxv.com/brazos/college-station-firefighters-tear-up-old-city-hall-for-rescue-training |
CENTRAL TEXAS — It's hard to find something that hasn't been affected by supply shortages over these past few months, food being no exception.
Texans like Chuck Graham have noticed their grocery bills spiking as of late.
"Everybody's been paying the same price for it," said Graham. "That's all we can do. Hope that we elect the right people to get in there and fix this."
Just like our trips to the store, schools have also felt the impact of price hikes as they work to make sure kids have enough to eat. Rudy Frett, the director of foodservice at Midway ISD, says they've been dealing with higher food costs all year long.
"We have a great supplier that we get a lot of our supplies from, and they've been great, but I mean we've been having to deal with the same issues," said Frett.
The USDA heard the calls for help, and it's stepping in to provide new funding. $750 million is being sent out to schools across the country to help reimburse meal programs. Midway ISD made it through the pandemic so far without compromising its meals, but the district says it's happy to get more support.
"Even if our products might be a little bit different from time to time just because of supply chains, we're still providing the same amount of meals and still providing the same quality day in and day out," said Frett.
The extra funding comes after the USDA sent a billion dollars last year so schools could offer free lunches to all students regardless of family income. Frett says the money went a long way in offering peace of mind during the pandemic. Not only that but he's seen a decrease in the insecurities of students who would normally be on a free lunch program. Kids no longer have to feel shame about their level of need.
"Just having a balanced meal that students are able to, universally free, go through our lines and grab for breakfast and lunch, I mean it's been huge," said Frett.
The USDA is making sure the new funding is going directly to school districts rather than contracted food suppliers, helping schools get the leverage they need to make it through another semester as supply chain woes continue. Schools won't have to worry about penalties if they cannot meet the usual meal standards and regulations. | 2022-01-13T03:12:36Z | www.kxxv.com | ') } | https://www.kxxv.com/news/local-news/usda-approves-750-million-in-aid-for-school-meals | https://www.kxxv.com/news/local-news/usda-approves-750-million-in-aid-for-school-meals |
Cochran, known for his descriptive writing, began his 1996 story marking the 20th anniversary of the killings at the Davis mansion with this line:
“The murderous ‘man in black’ appeared at the remote Cullen Davis mansion that steamy summer night wearing a woman’s black wig and carrying a .38 revolver.”
Cochran was inducted into the Texas Newspaper Foundation Hall of Fame in 2018.
He won numerous awards over his career, including Star Reporter of the Year from the Headliners Foundation, the top individual award given annually to a Texas journalist. | 2022-01-13T13:47:23Z | www.kxxv.com | ') } | https://www.kxxv.com/news/one-of-a-kind-former-ap-reporter-mike-cochran-dies-at-85 | https://www.kxxv.com/news/one-of-a-kind-former-ap-reporter-mike-cochran-dies-at-85 |
The Army is bumping up signing bonuses to $50,000 to reel in some new service members.
“Right now there’s no real end dates on the $50,000 enlistening bonus. When I came in, it wasn’t available,” said Staff Sgt. Courtney Clary.
Clary decided to joined the Armed Forces in 2012, after meeting a recruiter at McGregor High School. Now a recruiter himself, he is hoping more aspiring soldiers get in to cash in.
“Whenever I’m trying to talk to these guys about doing it, is say it literally doesn’t get any better than it is right now,” said Clary.
Clary said the signing is only for those deemed highly skilled.
“It’s going to be somebody that scored higher than 50 on the ASVAB," Clary said. "Someone who is physically qualified across-the-board. Additionally, it’s somebody who’s gonna be mentally and physically fit."
Recruiter Capt. Robert Mancuso said the extra money provides incentive to recruits to fill positions in high demand, like fire control specialists or a signal intelligent voice interceptor.
“Those jobs that offer the highest incentives are those jobs that require the most training, upon completing Army Basic training," Mancuso said. "The time slots and the dates we can offer that training is more limited.”
This is one of the hardest times of the year to recruit and it’s being made even more difficult with the pandemic in full swing. There are more than 150 openings right now that qualify for the $50,000 bonus. They expect that amount of openings to keep increasing. | 2022-01-13T21:16:05Z | www.kxxv.com | ') } | https://www.kxxv.com/hometown/bell-county/u-s-army-offering-50k-signing-bonus | https://www.kxxv.com/hometown/bell-county/u-s-army-offering-50k-signing-bonus |
'Extraordinary pressure' DSHS deploying extra help to Texas hospitals
WACO, Texas — The Texas Department of State Health Services is sending extra help to hospitals across the state as hospitals fill up to levels not seen since the delta surge last fall.
On Wednesday, the state COVID-19 dashboard showed more than 2,000 Texans had been admitted to a hospital with the virus in 24 hours. More than 11,000 COVID-19 patients are currently hospitalized in total.
"Our emergency department is probably the busiest that it has been in recent history," Tresa McNeal, hospitalist physician at Baylor Scott & White told 25 News.
Texas DSHS said they have been helping relieve some pressure on hospitals since early in the pandemic. In this current wave, more than 2,400 health care workers, many from out-of-state agencies, have been deployed to work at hospitals across the state. DSHS has a goal of 4,000 extra workers.
The extra staff is funded by federal dollars. At its peak in early October, about 7,700 extra staff members had been contracted to help around the state.
Although the omicron variant is less severe than previous variants, the sheer contagiousness of the variants explains the high number of cases and hospitalizations.
"Even if it's a smaller percentage of people ending up in the hospital, with the number of infections so high, that's still going to lead to very, very high hospitalizations," said DSHS spokesperson Chris Van Deusen.
Ascension Providence and Baylor Scott & White Health released a joint statement on Wednesday about the surge and the assistance provided by DSHS. The hospitals said, in part:
"Ascension Providence and Baylor Scott & White Health welcome additional medical personnel available through the state and will continue to work with the state to meet the current staffing challenges."
The hospitals are also asking people to remember that emergency rooms should not be used strictly for testing purposes.
Testing centers around the state can be found by calling 2-1-1 or visiting the 211 Texas website. | 2022-01-13T21:16:11Z | www.kxxv.com | ') } | https://www.kxxv.com/hometown/mclennan-county/extraordinary-pressure-dshs-deploying-extra-help-to-texas-hospitals | https://www.kxxv.com/hometown/mclennan-county/extraordinary-pressure-dshs-deploying-extra-help-to-texas-hospitals |
Need for blood dire across the country, same story in Brazos Valley
COLLEGE STATION, TX — If you were in a room with three other adults, the CDC says at least one of you is afraid of needles.
Whether it’s an immunization, giving blood, or having your blood tested, someone will always be wary of getting that poke.
It seems that was the case for AJ Renold, the executive director of the American Red Cross Heart of Texas Region.
The first time she donated blood she lived in College Station but was a student at Texas A&M. She fainted.
"I didn't donate for a long time after that, because I was like, that's scary,” she said grinning, as she thought back on the moment.
However, like most things in life, it came full circle and she began donating again about two years ago when she started working for the American Red Cross.
"It's my job to get out there and ask people to help,” she explained. “It's part of a volunteer effort and community effort, and if I can do it, so can you.”
Her couple-times-a-year donations are just a few in the pool of donations that are lacking during the pandemic.
In fact, the national American Red Cross released information saying the organization is experiencing the worst blood shortage we’ve seen in over a decade.
“Blood is only good for 45 days once it's collected,” explained Amber Duvall, a blood bank technical specialist at St. Joseph Health said. “It doesn't last forever, so those constant donations are incredibly vital to us.”
She said blood runs dry quickly and patients are in constant need of it. Two things that remained the same.
“One donation can actually save four lives,” Duvall said. “It can go into four different blood products and health for four different people.”
Without folks like Renold or organizational blood drives, the dire need for blood will continue to flow on.
“It's an amazing feeling that something that really can take, you know, about 30 minutes, the whole process in and out literally can save lives in my community,” Renold said.
If you’d like to donate or hold a blood drive, visit the American Red Cross's website. | 2022-01-13T23:00:14Z | www.kxxv.com | ') } | https://www.kxxv.com/brazos/need-for-blood-dire-across-the-country-same-story-in-brazos-valley | https://www.kxxv.com/brazos/need-for-blood-dire-across-the-country-same-story-in-brazos-valley |
WACO, Texas — New research is showing promising results for people who are at high risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers are testing whether they can identify the disease before symptoms appear through a blood test.
The new tests could have a life-changing impact on people like Waco resident Reece Flood who are at high risk for Alzheimer’s. When Flood was growing up, he watched his parents take care of his grandparents.
“I watched both my mother’s mother and my father’s father suffer from and pass away with dementia,” explained Flood. “That happened in my high school to college years.”
When Flood became an adult, he started noticing symptoms in his parents as well. Eventually, both his mother and father developed the disease.
“I’ve stepped into the role that [my parents] used to be in – of caretaker and making sure they’re ok – but also of watching their deterioration from that point of view.”
Now Flood helps care for both his parents, runs his own business, and has a family of his own. Given his family history, he understands the risk for himself.
“I feel like it’s only a matter of time before this disease hits me. At some point, my son is probably going to be in my shoes today. The only way to stop that is going to come from research.”
That’s why new breakthroughs like blood-based screening give so much hope. It could allow people like Flood to catch the disease before symptoms ever show. Andrew Taurins is the Executive Director of the Capital of Texas Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association. She says blood-based screening would help people start preventative treatment earlier.
“If you can catch it earlier, there are medications that they can give. That’s why early detection can be so important,” said Taurins. “The longer that they can hold onto their memoires, the longer they can hold onto the lives that they know.”
The blood tests look for the presence of beta-amyloid. This protein can accumulate and form plaques on the brain that have been linked with the development of Alzheimer’s.
“It’s really an incredible possibility to have an easier way to determine if someone can benefit from a treatment. [It’s much easier] than the extensive testing that has to go into it now,” explained Taurins.
Blood screening could also open the door to new preventative research. Before, it was difficult to test whether drugs could help slow the disease in early-stage patients because it was hard to identify early-stage patients to participate in clinical trials.
Already a clinical trial called AHEAD is using blood screening to identify participants. They’re currently enrolling around 1,100 people to study whether lecanemab, a monoclonal antibody, can delay or prevent the onset of Alzheimer’s symptoms. | 2022-01-13T23:00:15Z | www.kxxv.com | ') } | https://www.kxxv.com/hometown/mclennan-county/blood-tests-for-alzheimers-take-a-major-step-forward | https://www.kxxv.com/hometown/mclennan-county/blood-tests-for-alzheimers-take-a-major-step-forward |
A deceased person found on a rural county road just south of Mexia has been confirmed to be a 55-year-old Waco man who was last seen Sunday.
The Waco Police Department was notified that Willie Rhodes’ body was found in Limestone County just after noon on Thursday.
"We are conducting a joint investigation with the Limestone County Sheriff's office on a deceased person located on a county road south of Mexia," said the Texas Rangers.
According to police, Willie Rhodes was last seen leaving work at 6:20 a.m. on Sunday from the Cefco gas station on 1620 South 18th Street. His vehicle was later recovered in Coolidge, Texas.
"Willie Rhodes has been missing since Sunday and our officers believe he may be in immediate danger," said Waco police on Tuesday.
The Limestone County Sheriff’s Office, The Texas Rangers, and the Waco Police Department will be conducting a joint follow-up investigation. | 2022-01-14T00:41:15Z | www.kxxv.com | ') } | https://www.kxxv.com/news/local-news/central-texas-authorities-investigating-after-body-found-outside-mexia | https://www.kxxv.com/news/local-news/central-texas-authorities-investigating-after-body-found-outside-mexia |
Shepard's Heart pantry starts food distribution on MCC campus
WACO, Texas — Shepard’s Heart Pantry and McLennan Community College are working together to tackle food insecurity in Waco. Together they started a new monthly food distribution on campus.
Nearly 14,000 pounds of food were brought to campus on Thursday and packed into bags for people in need.
Gager said the goal is to help anyone who struggles financially, which is a growing issue in Waco.
"The housing costs are so high," Gager said. "If they have children, childcare costs are so high. Now the food costs are getting so high. They got to have some relief somewhere."
Thursday's distribution brought that relief for many people, including Waco resident Daniel King.
"It takes a very big load off of the wallet," King told 25 News. "With the prices these days, $100 doesn't go anywhere."
King was able to pick up 40 pounds of food to feed his family.
"With five people in the house, it doesn't last very long but I am thankful for every bit of food I can get," he said. "If you need help, don't let pride get in your way. Come get help."
The campus distribution will happen on the second Thursday of each month from 3 to 4 p.m. | 2022-01-14T02:21:40Z | www.kxxv.com | 1 weather alerts 1 closings/delays | https://www.kxxv.com/hometown/mclennan-county/shepards-heart-pantry-starts-food-distribution-on-mcc-campus | https://www.kxxv.com/hometown/mclennan-county/shepards-heart-pantry-starts-food-distribution-on-mcc-campus |
In-Depth: Texas and the New Race for Space
What's behind all the roaring and shaking in McGregor these days?
MCGREGOR, TX —
IN THE BEGINNING:
Texas has always been big in the space program, but it’s getting bigger.
almost every company that takes off into that “wild blue yonder” has a presence here and many,
including SpaceX in Central Texas, will expand their footprint.
Space, the final frontier…it’s what brought Hefzi-Ba Ramirez to hear a NASA scientist speak at TSTC.
"I am actually planning to use my avionics degree, my associate’s degree to go into the Air Force," she said.
After World War Two’s win, America and it’s allies took a victory lap… while behind the Iron Curtain the biggest axis power of them all, the Soviet Union, saw its future in the stars.
The Soviets surprised the world with the first man-made satellite. There wasn’t much to it, just a radio beeper inside a ball with antennas, but everyone on earth, it seemed, heard those beeps, and to some, they sounded like a warning. The Soviets then followed with a dog in space… and finally Yuri Gagarin makes one small pass around the earth becoming the first man in space.
"American Democracy competing with the Soviet Union with communism in there if you look at the first years in space it looks like the soviets are in the forefront of technology and success," said NASA Historian Brian Odom.
So President Kennedy doubles down on the space program, and he places his bet in a Texas town that would later become synonymous with space travel.
"in a city noted for progress, in a State noted for strength, and we stand in need of all three," said John F. Kennedy.
At Houston’s Rice University, Kennedy challenges the U.S. to put a man on the moon by end of the decade.
For years, the military had charge of whatever space program America had. The challenge to the moon would put that work into a civilian agency.. one created during the years of Dwight Eisenhower, a wartime general who envisioned the exploration of space as a peaceful venture.
"President Kennedy has a huge question. He's hot that interested in space but he understands the propaganda value and knows how those discoveries will change our lives," said Odom.
President Kennedy outlined the nation’s space program, saying the concept of a free nation must extend out into space and anywhere else a free people might
benefit. "For the eyes of the world now look into space, to the moon and to the planets beyond," he said.
The enthusiasm Jack Kennedy created for space still endures today, especially in the heart of youngTexans like Ramirez . "I wanna be an astronaut," she said.
TEXAS MAKES ITS MOVE
In the beginning of the space program, Texas was a bystander.. yet our leaders at the time saw opportunity, not only to get Texas moving into the future, but also putting Texas on the world stage.
When NASA Comes to TSTC…. Students turn out by the hundreds…. students, many of whom say, they’ve dreamed of the stars all their lives.
As president Kennedy arrived in Texas for a Rice University speech on September 12th 1962, hat he says changes America and Texas, forever. In fact, it would establish Texas as an important part, perhaps THE most important part of the emerging national space program.
"We set sail on this new sea because there is new knowledge to be gained, and new rights to be won, and they must be won and used for the progress of all people," said President Kennedy.
Because the US had failen behind as the then Soviet Union, launched the first Satellite, the first man, the woman and even the first dog into space.
At the same time the US had very public failures, and Kennedy pointed out, the Soviets surely did too.
"We have had our failures, but so have others, even if they do not admit them. And they may be less public. To be sure, we are behind, and will be behind for some time in manned flight. But we do not intend to stay behind, and in this decade, we shall make up and move ahead." he said.
And we did as NASA moves it operation center to Texas. Originally designed for Maryland’s Goddard Space Flight Center, it would come to Houston’s swampy Clear Lake area where Rice had donated land and politicians had urged the move.
"They definitely wanted something that had mild weather. They wanted an Air Force base nearby. So we had Ellington Air Force base that was close by we had a mild climate which they wanted. They also wanted an area where there was a lot of cultural activities for their employees. So that was a big draw for NASA. They wanted local universities nearby because of course, they were going to have these engineers and scientists that needed potentially more training and they wanted to draw also from that workforce that we had here in Houston as well," said Jennifer Ross-Nazzal, Historian at NASA's, Johnson Space Center.
Houston had everything… plus some very important politicians, steering the exploration of the stars, to the lone star state. Brazos Valley, (then Houston) Congressman Albert Thomas became the driving force behind NASA’s arrival in Houston.
"I think really, Albert Thomas deserves most of the credit for bringing NASA down here. When they were building that center up in Maryland, the Goddard Space Flight Center, he actually had wanted NASA to build a center here. And he told the administrator at the time that he wasn't going to give them a red cent if they didn't move the facility," said Ross-Nazzal.
Houston would later become synonymous with space travel as it changed the way people looked at Texas forever.
"...and do all this, and do it right, and do it first before this decade is out--then we must be bold.," said President Kennedy at his now-famous speech at Rice University.
And he couldn’t have picked a better place than Texas, a place known for not just its boldness, but it’s intelligence and its hard-working people.
Instructors at Waco's TSTC believe they have more than a few future rocket scientists here, Including everyday Texans like Hefzi-Ba Ramirez who plans to take to the skies but a little closer to home, telling us she plans to use her avionics degree in the Air Force, and as she, NASA and others, fly off into that wild blue Yonder, they’ll have the backing of an army of Texans who made it possible for their trip.
HOUSTON... WE HAVE NO PROBLEM....
Whether you live in McGregor.... or Manor you may have noticed increased activity when it comes to the nations space program.
And most of that action happened right here in Texas. Houston became synonymous with space travel in the Apollo Program.... could we strengthen our brand in the privatization of space?
As President John F. Kennedy prepared to roll out the nation's space program, he hitched his star, to the Lone Star State, as a symbol of progress.
"This city of Houston, this State of Texas, this country of the United States was not built by those who waited and rested and wished to look behind them. This country was conquered by those who moved forward--and so will space," said John F. Kennedy, the 35th U.S. President.
President Kennedy sealed the deal, making Houston the center of manned space flight for NASA, as Texas had already begun to emerge as a high-tech hub.
In the years that followed, we would hear the word "Houston" sprinkled thorough any conversation between astronauts and mission control.
And with each mission, NASA learned more about, not only space, it learned about earth itself....as Mr. Kennedy predicted.
"Science and education will be enriched by new knowledge of our universe and environment, by new techniques of learning and mapping and observation, by new tools and computers for industry, medicine, the home as well as the school," he said.
You might say the space program outdid itself, exceeding even the president's crystal ball.
Consider these products we use every day, which came straight from the Space program:
The technology that puts cameras into cell phones, Memory Foam, Scratch-resistant sunglasses, the Dustbuster, GPS, and LED lighting,
NASA Historian Brian Odom says, They all got their earliest uses, in the early days of the space program, which centered on Texas.
"Going to the moon was an incredibly important thing, right? Because you're you're looking at how do we... move ourselves off of Earth and out into other places... and that's what we're doing from the Mercury program, Gemini and Apollo, up to about Apollo 14, but Apollo 15 is a little different. You really are diving into the geology of the moon. You're really beginning with a Lunar Roving Vehicle. You can really expand your science out really do some research, right? So you got Apollo 1516 and 17. After 17 you do come back in and you say okay, where do we go from here?" he said.
The obvious choice at the time...Mars. but with the Vietnam War still going, and some troubling economic trends at home, President Richard Nixon decides the needs at home are greater than the needs of outer space.
NASA stays closer to home...
" Skylab launching America's first station in space, sending three crews to do incredibly important research and learning about low Earth orbit. And the space shuttle will go on launch in April 1981. And we'll have this incredibly important suite of missions where we learn about low Earth orbit we learn about access to low Earth orbit, building a space station, launching the Hubble Space Telescope, Chandra X Ray Observatory, and then servicing those missions," said Odom.
All run, from the Johnson Space Center in Houston. Texas has a foothold in the door.
"What was once the furthest outpost of the old west, Houston will be the furthest outpost on the new frontier of science and space," said President John F. Kennedy.
But can it maintain that foothold in the face of a private enterprise free-for-all over space?
TO BOLDLY GO...
NASA ran the American space program as a solo act for the first 40 or so years of its existence. Now you can count more than a handful of successful companies all making money, or about to... off of space,
Most have major operations in Texas, but can Texas keep its hold on these companies?
TV's Captain Kirk explains the thin band of air around the earth, minutes after he steps off a Blue Origin capsule.
This time his beaming face has nothing to do with "Scotty", as actor William Shatner connects in a way he never expected, to the character he's played off and on, for a lifetime.
He returned from his first-ever trip into space, speaking almost in religious terms.
"Everybody in the world needs to see this....." he says in an almost reverent way.
Amazon Founder Jeff Bezos, may not run the nation's top private space company, but he sure knows how to get attention, having the actor whose 4 year mission in television space still plays in re-runs today.
Where's NASA in all this? The whole plan at Blue Origin, comes directly from NASA research, as the space agency started handing off little pieces of the space program to private companies, years ago.
"At what point does does NASA leave off and private can private enterprise takeover? Where's that? Where's that sweet spot? That's a great point. And I think, you know, it depends on exactly what you're looking at, right? Because if you're looking at something from the aeronautics portfolio, you know, the X vehicles, you're learning a lot of important things there. And it still is that r&d, right you're the government can invest money in solving questions. Private industry, for the most part can't do it's not in its you know, there's no market maybe yet for that for that ability. But, you know, NASA the government can can inject money into the into a problem, but some r&d behind it and then get that to the private industry as much as as quickly as it can," said NASA Historian Brian Odom.
And from a wide field at first, three private companies have become the most recognizable names in the game.
Of those... two located major operations in Texas.
Sir Richard Branson located in New Mexico, what you might call, "Texas lite".
Just as the railroad barons Cornelius Vanderbilt, James hill, Collis Huntington shaped modern travel. The space barons, Elon musk, Jeff bezos and Richard Branson almost through sheer force of will, aim for the stars, shaping our future travel.
Bezos has a base in West Texas out near El Paso, in Van Horn where he's spent untold millions on building the Blue Origin launch site, offices and necessary infrastructure for his 275 Employees and 50 contractors.
Outside of Texas, Blue Origin has its headquarters in Kent, Washington, 20 minutes south of Seattle. ... Cape Canaveral, FL. Home to its New Glenn manufacturing, orbital launch and support facilities. . other operations you'll find in Arlington, VA. ...Huntsville, AL. .. and Los Angeles.
Blue Origin's capsule takes off from the Van Horn site, the reusable main rocket lands here, and the capsule tumbles to earth, nearby.
Richard Branson and Burt Rutan joined forces to get Virgin Galactic off the ground. Their company takes a different approach to space launches, believing the cheapest and easiest way to get off the ground... hitch a ride on a specially built mother ship to take you to the edge of the atmosphere where you unlink, hit the afterburners and sail off into the darkness.
Even though Virign had a successful first flight, issues with the stability of the space plane forced virgin to push back the start of regular service sending its stock price in for a hard landing.
uncertainty about Virgin's future also raises questions about it's home base, Spaceport America. Virgin is the biggest tenant at the facility just outside Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. Managers though say with other, new tenants moving in, Virgin's success becomes less important to Spaceport's survival.
Though privatization of the space program got off to a slow start by many accounts, Today, NASA refers with pride, to it's private partners, and one of it's early success stories, SpaceX, charting a path laid out with government research.
" From that you can get incredibly important things like the you know, the ability of SpaceX to get people to the International Space Station to kind of dominate transportation paradigm in low Earth orbit," said Odom.
"This experience is something unbelievable," said Shatner.
Because if TV's Captain Kirk has it right, we may all get to ride a rocket into space in the years ahead.
"What you have given me is the most profound experience i can imagine," Shatner told Jeff Bezos.
"I hope I never recover from this," he said.
SPACE WHO?
Space X moved in near McGregor about 20 years ago.
You might say McGregor's been booming for a long time.... most recently with SpaceX.
"They originally started off probably a couple 100 acres and now they occupied 4000 acres of our industrial park. What started as a couple of employees. Now they're in probably close to 1000 and it's still expanding," said Mc Grgor Mayor jim Hering.
What we now know as McGregor's SpaceX facility, began as a world war two era explosives factory called the "Bluebonnet Plant".
Phillips Petroleum moved in for a while with a test lab for different types of fuel.
Rockets arrived, when a small rocket company called Rocketdyne moved in to learn the secrets of the German V-2 rocket and put them to "American Use".
During that time, Rocketdyne's research helped lead to the creation of the v Saturn 5 rocket which sent men to the moon.
the turn of the century brought SpaceX here, and the site grew along with the company.
""This is the horizontal test stand. This is the very first place we fired a rocket was right here" said SpaceX Co-Founder Tom Mueller, in a SpaceX-prepared video.
Rocket genius Mueller designed, built and tested rockets from here for years, retiring in 2020.
His pre-produced tour of SpaceX McGregor shows us some of the highlights.
"The block house is an underground bunker control engine testing like the Merlin booster engine, we're setting up a test of the the daily duty cycle Falcon nine," Muller says.
The engine tests at McGregor roar loudly and shake the ground for miles... something neighbors know all too well by now.
Space X actually has three rocket testing stands, including it familiar-looking tall gantry.
When you hear how powerful these engines are made, all the shaking and roaring seems to make sense.
'" The Falcon nine first stage up here that we're getting ready to do the sort of historical the first folder burn up all nine engines so there's nine engines running 95,000 pounds each. That's a total of 860,000 pounds for about 170 seconds" says Mueller.
And the engines generate lots of heat.
"Right in there where that black type comes down and it goes into the exchangers because the exhaust of course coming out of that thruster is about 3000 degrees. " Mueller adds.
McGregor also tests the Space X capsules.
"Dragon capsule just started into qualification. This is the first fully flight Dragon capsule we built" Mueller says.
And they've already proved useful as movers of people and cargo.
Why all the testing? to see how much effort it takes to get man in space, and keep him there as long as he needs.
How much is that?
"Fully loaded this tank 535,000 pounds are compelling. Visibly those nine engines will consume that 535,000 pounds and burn it in 170 seconds," Mueller explains.
In a fraction of the time it takes to boil an egg, we can rocket to the stars... thanks to the history and legacy of this old bomb factotry on the outskirts of McGregor.
The mayor says you can expect to see Space X growing right along with Texas.
"Well, I think you can look up just what SpaceX is doing about themselves and you can see what a major component it is of our state economy, with SpaceX and Elon Musk driving everything they're doing and you can look down as far south Texas and Boca Chica now where they are setting the rockets off literally putting them into orbit from there he's got a huge footprint now in Austin," said Hering.
But lately, some people have shared concerns about the amount of rocket testing at Space X and a big increase in the number and intensity of the tests.
The noise keeps coming from SpaceX at a more requent pace these days and that's got neighbors and government leaders concerned.
Many would like the help of a higher authority to do something about the increased noise, but while airport neighbors can lean on the Federal Aviation Administration for help with noise, no federal authority has jurisdiction, when it conmes to rockets neighbors can only rely on local authotities.
Georgette and David Waggoner have the perfect house on the perfect street, in perfect little Texas town.... that is... until the ground shakes as a giant roar gets louder.
If you've ever lived near an airport... imagine what life may look like, or sound like, living near a spaceport of the future.
Waggoners don't have to imagine the future.
They're living it today, as neighbors of the Space X Rocket testing facility.
"What's it like living next to the rocket facility? Well, you get used to it. It's interesting." they said.
It also gets un-nerving say other neighbors who talk of where the latest SpaceX rocket test sits on the earthquake richter scale.
"The noise itself, I mean I grew up next to a b-52 base so I'm used to noise... But when they do a full-blown test, test or something and it's 0 to 100, it shakes the house off the foundation and stuff, I mean, it literally shakes the whole house": said David Waggoner.
"And we have physical damage as a result. Cracked Ceilings, Alabaster doves that have fallen off the shelves.... and pictures just falling," said the Waggoners.
...Alabaster doves that for years, belonged to to Georgette's recently dearly departed mother.
Even with an recently accelerated testing schedule at SpaceX, the Waggoners say they generally support the work there and its growing importance.
Arnie Derrickson admits the plant can get noisy, but he calls the accompanying light show, worth it.
"I used to live across from a railroad track. THAT was annoying. This is nothing. It's really nice a night when that thing comes up it is a sight to see," said the Oglesby resident.
Pretty perhaps, but scientists have proven even too much of a good thing can cause harm.
It's why neighbors of the Burbank, Califnornia airport complained and even sued, about the noise from commercial planes from the time the airport opened over 40 years ago... right up until today
It's why the both Burbank AND the FAA keep tabs on the issue and report on it with regularity.
It's also why, people on flights in and out of Burbank, often feel like astronauts as their planes take off, and immediately go into a steep climb, into space.
and It's also why, when landing, the planes fly over the mountains and then go into a steep, some call it a "crash dive" for the runway.
Burbank says that, and other abatement projects have reduced the airports noise footprint by 95 percent.
Back in McGregor, the FAA has no jurisdiction over rockets, making noise control a local issue in the hands of McGregor's mayor.
"The problem is, it has to do with how they're testing the rockets with the vertical and horizontal with the size of those engines... look, that company moves literally at the speed of sound," said James Hering, McGregor Mayor
But not apparently when the problem IS the sound no matter what the speed.
"Maybe some of the paramaters that have been set up for protection, maybe that's been outgrown or outstripped by some of what they are testing now.
We've raised those questions with SpaceX.
We believe that they're fully aware of it and they tell us they're gonna fix 'em," said Mayor Hering who even put the promise in writing in an open letter to the people of McGregor.
He says Space X plans to build another vertical rocket gantry to help lessen the sound problem.
The most recent negotiations between SpaceX and McGregor, reportedly took place in 2016.
A KXXV report from 2019 reveals SpaceX had paid McGregor more than half a million dollars in so-called noise fines since that new deal took effect.
The city uses that money on projects it otherwise couldn't afford and to keep taxes low, in a time when property values have also begun to rocket off into the stratosphere.
Neighbors say, as they pick up from the disarray caused by the latest big SpaceX test, there HAS to be a way to bring the noise down, without bringing The Texas space program down with it.
"Well, I just wish they could put up some kind of "Sound Wall" or something because sound waves, just divert it, they could just divert it," said David Waggoner.
Could they? We may not know until or unless McGregor suggests.... or demands it.
McGREGOR, WE HAVE A PROBLEM...
Central Texas has been buzzing lately.... after the shaking stops, that is, about the increased activity at the SpaceX Rocket Testing facility in McGregor.
Neighbors say it practically shakes their homes off their foundations.
Arnie Derrickson's, home backs right up to the SpaceX rocket testing complex.
He says it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out when things don't go right.
"Every now and then they'll have a "blowout" I call it a blowout. I don 't know. I don't know anything about Space OR X but you know, you'll see a black cloud and think, "oooh that didn't go so well."
Everything hasn't exactly been coming up Roses for SpaceX, under a tight deadline to get it's new "Starship" off the round permanently and regularly.
Insiders say the all-important "Raptor" rocket engine has become a thorn to the iiiii o company, behind schedule and apparently not up to specs.
So SpaceX revved up the testing.
"You can go for a while and never hear them, and then they just start up and it's boom boom boom any where for 8 to 9 o clock at night," said Georgette Waggoner of Oglesby.
Elon Musk may like to talk about trips to Mars, but make no mistake, The main mission at spaceX centers on getting off this rock.. at a fraction of the current cost.
Things got so bad, so quickly, Musk even mentioned bankruptcy, which came as a surprise to experts.
"We already have technology that we can kind of throw away and we're up at atmosphere.
it's just very expensive the way you make it cheaper, which is to make it more commercially viable is to make it reusable and so that those are the challenges he's facing right now, how do I make these engines work in a way that I can turn them very quickly and make this profitable and he's going through all those iterations and that's I think this comments about bankruptcy aren't necessarily literal in the immediate future, or even even ever, but I think what he's he's very realistic, in a sense that he's saying this is unproven technology we're developing as we go and things could always not work out," explained University of North Texas professor, Dr. Michael Bomba, who wrote an extensive report on the space program several years ago for then Texas Governor Rick Perry.
A couple couple of Vice Presidents found out the hard way about the trial and error of the space program.
Published reports say Founder Elon Musk took control of the Raptor project as Vice President of Propulsion Will Heltsley left to seek bluer skies.
Behind Heltsley? retired Air force Colonel Lee Rosen, Vice President of Mission and Launch Operations, and Ricky Lim a senior director in mission and launch.
A handful of other long-haulers also left at the end of a stock buyback program that valued SpaceX at 560 dollars a share, for a total of 100 Million dollars, according to the Consumer News and Business Channel.
With so much at sake, Leaders in McGregor who also have a lot invested in the success of SpaceX have to walk a fine line.
"How much do you balance the needs of people versus the needs of the company? "That's a very important question. It's becoming more and more important as the past few months have gone by, I mean, we don't, as a city council we don't dodge the question, we know that is has gotten louder. We know that the disruptions have gotten greater. Nobody in the council is surprised by that, neither is our city manager and so there is, there's a very difficult balance that we have to try to maintain." said McGregor Mayor Jim Hering.
The city already imposes mutually agreed-upon penalties which between 2017 and 2019 brought in more than half a million dollars
And while the city refers to the payments as noise penalties, SpaceX prefers to call the sum. a "Community investment".
The nearby town of Oglesby has more people closer to the spaceX action than McGregor, but doesn't get a penny.
McGregor already has a bit of a problem with its fast growth. Property Values here have "skyrocketed" if you will, to some of the highest in Central Texas.
Herring has a goal as lofty as that of Musk himself. He wants to "grow" McGregor while keeping its "small town" feel.
He's not taking the Space X's problems lightly, especially when it comes to the testing and shaking.
"Does it concern me at all? For the sake of physical harm? No. For the sake of it shaking up a small country town and changing the livelihoods of people, yes," said Hering.
Musk explained his bankruptcy threat by noting the need to say on schedule with his company's satellite internet deployment and the commitment to send at least one starship into space every two weeks in the new year, and you can't do either with a faulty engine, which some observers say, has a "flatulence problem".
So these folks with a front-row seat to the Texas Space program, watch... and wait for the next time their shelves full of family moments leap to the floor as SpaceX tests another engine to the skies.
"What do you do just put the pictures back up and hope for the best? Yeah we do, and scoot 'em back a little more each time. What do you do ? They gotta be somewhere. And we knew they were here when we moved here" say the Waggoners.
The Waco Herald Tribune reported, In earlier negotiations SpaceX the city created a Rocket Motor Testing Zone in McGregor, which is an area within a mile of the center of the testing complex.
SpaceX agreed to move its testing deadline from 10 p.m. to 9 p.m., except in special cases the city must approve beforehand. It also would abide by decibel limits the city would apply up to three miles from the center of SpaceX’s territory.
McGregor established a threshold of 115 decibels, to the noise produced by a loud motorcycle or power saw, according to the Center for Hearing, Speech and Language. If SpaceX exceeds that limit, it must pay a fee of $7,500 and discuss with city officials what it will do to ensure it does not repeat the violation.
The Tribune reported City Manager Kevin Evans said the company’s tests are typically below 100 decibels and have never exceeded the 115-decibel mark.
Other regulations would impose fees up to $50,000 if SpaceX testing exceeds 125 decibels. A typical ambulance siren is at 120 decibels, according to the Center for Hearing, Speech and Language.
The restrictions on sound take into consideration the decibel level testing creates within 3 miles.
Future testing generally was restricted between the hours of 9 p.m. and 7 a.m., and all tests involving a rocket engine that generates 2 million pounds of thrust must be conducted during daylight hours. Evans said SpaceX itself suggested the city adjust the late-night deadline according to Texas Public Radio.
All the noise and shaking at the SpaceX testing facility comes as the company seeks to expand both here and down on the gulf coast.
Arnie Derrickson and his daughter calls themselves... space pioneers.
"So how do I feel about being a part of Texas' space future as a neighbor this place was great. You know, my daughter lives in Florida. As a matter of fact, you know, obviously SpaceX has things there as well. I pride here to testing ground. We're part of the future!" said the Oglesby man.
Neighbors around the SpaceX rocket testing center in McGregor grudgingly admit it. They're part of the space program too, making sacrifices somewhat smaller than Elon Musk or Tom Mueller... depending on how you look at it.
Like it or not, they all share in the success of the nation's private space program, a program heavily invested in Texas.
The two biggest players in commercial space, Spacex and Blue origin both have major operations in Texas.
Jeff Bezos Blue Origin has launch and support facilities for his mostly space tourism flights near ElPaso outside Van Horn.
SpaceX launches from Boca Chia, and tests its rockets outside Waco, in McGregor.
Over the summer CEO Elon Musk announced expansion at both.
A new manufacturing plant in Mc Gregor would produce the company's "Raptor" engines, currently having a few development issues.
Plans call for SpaceX to make 2 to 4 raptors a day, 800-1000 engines a year.
"Our community was built on rocket testing with Hercules going all the way back in world war two," said Mc Gregor Mayor Jim Hering.
Mc Gregor Welcomed SpaceX here in 2003 when it was barely more than an idea.
Since then it's become the most important private space company and an important asset to mcgregor.
"When you have a town the size of McGregor about 5-thousand people you got 1000 or at least around that maybe employed in McGregor. Granted a lot of those people don't live in McGregor but they're close-by and having that many people coming into your town on a daily basis it certainly drives a huge portion of the economy," said Hering.
SpaceX and the city expanded its lease agreement last year giving the company the option to purchase the 43-hundred acres it currently leases.
The lease includes so called "Noise fines" and other clauses the mayor says, put an extra half million dollars into the city budget to pay for community needs.
Hering says as SpaceX grows, McGregor will grow too.
"We are seeing some inquiries even right now next to SpaceX, and if they end up doing some manufacturing here which we think is gonna happen really soon, that we could probably seee some more activity on record,"said the Mc Gregor Mayor.
But Derrickson says not everybody welcomes the expansion as he does.
"A lot of people in town, in McGregor that are worried about them expanding but (SpaceX)They just go about their business," he explained.
Many don't like the possibility of McGregor losing its small town feel, but mayor says, whatever growth happens will aim to keep that atmosphere.
Arnie says Texas needs companies like SpaceX as the county looks to the stars for new opportunities.
"Do I think that Texas has a future in this space businesses? Sure. Hope so. Obviously, makes a lot of job opportunities. For people. And that's the number one thing people need right now. That just , good paying jobs if they pay from what I understand pretty good money," said Derrickson.
PUBLIC VERSUS PRIVATE
As Central Texas keeps moving and shaking thanks to increased rocket testing from SpaceX, you may wonder about other rocket testing centers.
How does the SpaceX complex in McGregor compares to the biggest and busiest rocket test site in the world?
"William Bradford, speaking in 1630 of the founding of the Plymouth Bay Colony, said that all great and honorable actions are accompanied with great difficulties," said John F. Kennedy, 35th President of the United States, in his important 1962 Speech at Rice University.
President Kennedy's quote never prove more true than with America's space program. After early failures, NASA aimed to lessen its chances with rigorous testing of it's rockets , as it aimed for the moon.
Like SpaceX, in McGregor, NASA had a little trouble with the neighbors as it began its rocket testing program.
It led to the construction of this test site in Southwest Mississippi, now known as the John C. Stennis Space Center.
"Even in Marshall Space Flight Center back in the 1960s when they were testing the first stage of a Saturn five, that was okay when you had a small population but as it as it grows, you're basically you know, you're becoming a nuisance to the community, almost breaking windows and that sort of thing. And that's kind of where Stennis came from. Government not bought a bunch of his one little piece of a huge swath of property the government owns. So he has he bought buffer lands around there, right? It did. Yeah, that was one of the things they made sure they did. Right. So you move to this place where there's not a lot of people, you figure out where your core activity is going to take place, and then you build the buffer around it, and no one's gonna move into that. Buffer right we're gonna maintain that no matter what," said NASA Historian Brian Odom.
In fact, NASA moved 5 communities out of its 125-thousand acre buffer zone so the noise of its rocket testing wouldn't harm them.
Why? A noice decibel chart from Penn State University explains. It starts with our threshold of hearing and shows various regular activities and the noise they create, a noisy office? 60 Decibels.
From here we cross the threshold where prolonged exposure can cause hearing damage.
A 737 passing overhead? 90 Decibels, and a train passing nearby 100.
A rock concert 110 Decibels and and air raid siren at 50 feet 120.
That noise alone can cause immediate harm to our ears say experts.
Now... compare all that to a Saturn V rocket... now we're talking 200 Decibels.
Now let's compare those buffer zones.
NASA has 125,000 acres of land between it and its neighbors.
Currently space x employs just under 600 people at the McGregor site which covers almost 43-hundred acres. In comparison to NASA’s similar facility in Mississippi, SpaceX neighbors sit much closer to the action.
From space you can tell a lot more.
NASA's Stennis with 125-thousand acres of buffer shows as a large, thick ring around the nerve center. McGregor's SpaceX has only a thin line and neighbors surrounding it on all sides. The nearest neighbor to Space X a little over 1.3 miles away, just over 7600 feet.
The Space X rocket testing facility has many similarities to NASA's huge testing complex in Southwest Mississippi;... but it also has many more differences, especially when it comes to neighbors.
When NASA went to tests its rockets, it chose hundreds of thousands of acres of swampland along South Misississippi's Pearl River for the Stennis Space Center, which today has become a bustling center of technology.
How do you deal with the growth and still keep your mission in a program that well you can't hide it from the neighbors?
Yeah, I think still its you know, Stennis has been incredibly valuable to South Mississippi. I think there's no doubt about that. And I think a lot of these centers, that's what we see the impacts they make in the communities," said Brian Odom, NASA Historian.
Local leaders say SpaceX arrived in 'Central Texas because it found one of the few, if only, ready-made rocket testing centers created in world war two and used until the 1970's.
It doesn't have quite the buffer zone NASA has, but, it McGregor's mayor says it has similar economic potential.
"It brings jobs unlike any job in Central Texas as far as the wage scale on an average the technology that comes with the the people that come with it. Look, I think those are good things if they're managed properly. We can provide good housing for them. We have great school districts for kids to be in. We provide people who are a part of our community that are that are doers instead of takers they're givers," said Jim Hering, McGregor's Mayor.
South Mississippi has boomed since Stennis opened, as its new neighbors found balance in the drawbacks and benefits of their location.
That's a little tougher to do in McGregor but the city continues talks with SpaceX .
The Waco Tribune-Herald reported, In earlier negotiations with SpaceX the city created a Rocket Motor Testing Zone in McGregor, an area within a mile of the center of the testing complex.
SpaceX agreed to move its testing deadline from 10 p.m. to 9 p.m.. in special cases the city must approve beforehand.
SpaceX also promised to abide by decibel limits the city would establish up to three miles from the center of the SpaceX propert.
McGregor established a threshold of 115 decibels. According to a Penn State University Chart on noise, that's some where between a rock concert and an air raid siren at 50 ft.
If SpaceX exceeds that limit, it pays a fee of $7,500 and tells city officials what it will do to ensure it does not repeat the violation.
Other regulations would impose fees up to $50,000 if SpaceX testing exceeds 125 decibels. about the loudness of a typical air raid siren which is 120 decibels, according to the Penn State Chart.
The Waco Herald-Tribune reported City Manager Kevin Evans said the company’s tests typically come in below 100 decibels and have never exceeded the 115-decibel mark. We could find no information publicly available on the more recent tests.
The restrictions on sound take into consideration the decibel levels within 3 miles. That's fine for Mc Gregor but not so good for Oglesby at 2.9 miles
The SpaceX agreement generally restricted testing between the hours of 9 p.m. and 7 a.m., and all tests involving a rocket engine that generates 2 million pounds of thrust must take place in the daytime.
McGregor's city manager said some of the restrictions even came from SpaceX itself according to the Tribune.
"If you're not moving forward, you're going back and really no such thing as just let's just stay asleep a little status quo. town I think. I don't think you can do that," said Mayor Hering.
But Hering vows to hang onto McGregor's small town feel... as long as possible, if not longer.
When it comes to living with the Space program, No one put it better than Jack Kennedy, as he quoted William Bradford.
"All great and honorable actions are accompanied with great difficulties, and both must be enterprised and overcome with answerable courage.
MEET YOUR NEIGHBOR
If you live anywhere within, say, 30 miles of the spaceX testing facility, you've no doubt felt the presence of your neighbor more than once, especially lately.
But what do you know about the company, and espcially the man behind it?
Like the Railroad Barons of old, the New Space Barons, Jeff Bezos, Richard Branson and Elon Musk stand to shape the future of transportation.
Elon Musk set himself apart from all the other so-called "space barons" early-on.
"I think he's kind of a Howard Hughes of our generation in a way." said Dr. Michael Bomba, University of North Texas.
Those who've studied him, like Bomba, say Musk and SpaceX moved ahead, because Musk knew, to succeed , he had to Boldly go, where no private company had gone before.
"Elon musk always struck me, as being the real deal because he actually was showing what he was doing," said Bomba.
It follows advice the space mogul gave students at the University of Southern California, during their commencement in 2014.
Musks first piece of advice... work harder than anyone... and sacrifice.
"When my brother and I were starting our first company, instead of getting an apartment, we just rented a small office and we slept on the couch and we showered in the YMCA.
We’re so hard up that we had just one computer So the website was up during the day, and I was coding at night.
7 days a week, all the time," he said.
Musks second step to success, surround yourself with good, smart, accomplished people.
"Either be with, join a group that’s amazing, that you really respect.
Or, if you’re building a company, you’ve got to gather great people.
I mean, all a company is is a group of people that have gathered together to create a product or service.
So depending upon how talented and hard working that group is,
and to the degree in which they are focused cohesively in a good direction,
that will determine the success of the company," said the Billionaire.
Now here's where Musk caught Dr. Bomba's attention: Musk walked the walk more than he talked the talk.
"Focus on signal over noise", said Musk.
"At Tesla, we’ve never spent any money on advertising.
We’ve put all the money into R and D and manufacturing and design to try and make the car as good as possible.
And, I think that’s the way to go. For any given company, keep thinking about,
Are, these efforts that people are expending, are they resulting in a better product or service?"
And if they’re not, stop those efforts.
Dr. Bomba Says that's what set Musk apart from the other would-be space barons.
"There were a lot of companies that were just sort of..: You know, they would have these concepts and drawings and this is what we want to do, but there was never anything to show, and you can go to my website at spacex and there was like a rocket engine and he's like this will blew up for this reason. Or we don't know I believe we're still trying to figure it out," said Bomba.
Musk set a goal and took the most direct path he could find to get there,
"You boil things down to the most fundamental truths you can imagine, and then you reason up from there.
And this is a good way to figure out if something really makes sense, or is it just what everybody else is doing.
It takes a lot of effort. But if you’re trying to do something new, it’s the best way to think," Musk told the graduates.
"That that's what I mean like you know, he was really trying to do this other guys were just sort of looking for money and maybe go to the next step, but he was he was already on step, two, three and four so...." Bomba said.
So, that's how SpaceX moved the needle for privtate space companies, proved his determination to NASA and won millions in government contracts to supply the International space station and more.
All the roaring and shaking around SpaceX in McGregor and Olglesby has a purpose, and no, its not just to annoy the neighbors.
The testing aims to take us to the stars.
"So I would encourage you to take risks now, and to do something bold," said Elon Musk to the USC Class of 2014.
Born and raised in South Africa, he left for his mother's native Canada to avoid mandatory military service.
He later made it to Stanford University where he attended classes for all of two days when he quit to began his career as an entrepreneur.
After creating and selling companies, including an online city guide used by newspapers, and an online bank that would later become PayPal, Musk, with more than several million in his pocket, looked to the skies and saw profits that stretched to infinity and beyond.
He built SpaceX, first into an automated freighter to the International space station where Just last week, one of his dragon capsules delivered Christmas gifts and supplies.
But Musk wasn't content to do just short hauls. He knew NASA had ambition to get back to the moon and then to Mars, and positioned himself as a man who could help NASA astronauts get there.
What drew Musk to Texas?
A ready made rocket testing center in McGregor helped, built during world war two, used by the air force, Phillips Petroleum, and finally Rocketdyne... the proving ground had already played an important part in testing that led to the Saturn V rocket which sent man to the moon.
Texas also held advantages when it came to launching rockets.
"Exactly yeah the proximity, you know the reason that you would put a lunch side down in South Texas, is the closer you are to the equator the greater lift the rocket you have and that's just a Part of physics and so building McGregor makes sense because you're already going to be in South Texas you're at the south most point.
In the continental us, and then you bring in these rockets from a much shorter distance it makes it a lot easier.
But why Musk's push to the stars? The answer may have come in this presentation to the International Astronautical Congress in 2017.
"I think fundamentally the future is vastly more exciting and interesting if we're a space-faring civilization and a multi-planet species than if we're not," said Elon Musk, the SpaceX CEO.
Musk expects to have a role in NASA's next act and eventually its trips to the moon and, yes, Mars.
"You want to wake up in the morning and think "the future's going to be great". And that's what being a space-faring civilization is all about," said Musk.
He plans to get there, on a rocket originally code named "BFR" I'll let your imagination figure that one out.
To pay for it, SpaceX began work on a smaller "workhorse" if you will. Totally re-usable
"Well, I think you know Elon musk has been working with SpaceX from from the early 2000s, so I think it's been a very sort of gradual iterative development is technology And so I think things have improved, but you know, he said lots of failed launches, And, and that and that's part of the process of learning how to make this work. What he's trying to do is interesting and essential really to make space travel and expensive, which is to reuse components, because. You know, we already have technology that we can kind of throw away and we're up at atmosphere.
it's just very expensive the way you make it cheaper, which is to make it more commercially viable is to make it. reusable and so that those are the challenges he's facing right now, how do I make these engines work in a way that I can turn them very quickly," said Bomba.
To that end, SpaceX developed huge tanks with stronger than ever carbon fiber matrix.
SpaceX's troubled Raptor engine, the one shaking McGregor and Olgesby so much remains a work in progress, but it boasts the highest thrust to weight ratio of any engine ever made.
Work on perfecting takeoffs and landings in different types of atmospheres continues with an aim to having a fleet of so-called shuttles with automated refuling operations as needed along the way.
Even as work continues on that, Musk has a backup plan.
" If you build a ship that's capable of going to Mars, what if you take that same ship, and go from one place to another on Earth? So we looked at that, and the results are quite interesting."
"Most of what people consider to be long-distance trips would be completed in less than half an hour," said Musk.
Researchers like Michael Bomba have already begun thinking about that.
As the new race for space heats up with private companies pushing to lift off and aim for the stars, many of them located in Texas.
But is Texas ready for the space business?
Texas long ago, began laying the groundwork for producing an educated workforce, something that's already begun paying off.
In the New Race for Space, no document tells more about the state of Aerospace in Texas than a report, originally commissioned by Governor Rick Perry.
As SpaceX started making inroads to what had, until then, been a totally "government run" space program, Governor Perry prepared to sell the Lone Star State to the emerging Space Barons.
Dr. Michael Bomba, Now, at the University of North Texas, Authored the report.
"Working with governor's office, we did meet with Jeff Bezos at one point to talk about Blue Origin. We didn't learn too much about it, but it was an interesting experience. And we met with Burt Rutan, another time and and it was like it was a very exciting creative tune back then because everybody was getting into this and nobody knew what exactly how was that would turn out. " said Bomba.
It turned out, Texas had a strong foothold in Aerospace and a good argument for growing the business.
But at the time, NASA took a wait-and-see approach.
"What I saw working with the governor's office was there was there was not a significant amount of interaction between our efforts and NASA. At the time, NASA was really interested in engaging it with the commercial side. I think they were waiting to see how far we got along.
That was the Bush administration and under the Obama administration, there was a greater push for space commercialization because they realized that that was how it was going to move forward.
They wanted to get it off our balance sheet and have snail's pace. Exactly, exactly. Yeah. It was really a funding issue," said Bomba.
THE WORKFORCE
But lots of companies had already put funding into the lone star state.
In Central Texas, Waco held the big areospace cards with SpaceX and L3, and TransDeigm Subsidiary Marathon Norco.
We found L3 very busy on our last visit to it's site adjacent to the State Technical College.
As L3 merged with the Florida-Based Harris Corporation, TSTC Leaders said they stood ready to up their game to supply new high tech companies with a trained and ready workforce.
”We're excited about growing that workforce with L3, not just in our traditional graduate model, but in customized training and providing needs for their specific contracts,” said, Adam Hutchinson, TSTC Waco Provost.
TSTC not only courted L3, but it also snagged Elon Musk's other big brand, Tesla... training mechanics and other good paying Tesla jobs, but you don't hear TSTC toot that particular horn much.
TSTC Already partners with several aerospace and high tech companies including some that have become household names. You say you haven't heard that? Well, it's no surprise, because high tech companies guard their secrets very carefully, and often have what they call non-disclosure agreements. That means TSTC doesn't talk about them and they certainly don't talk about them.
Other parts of the state tried to up their game. If they didn't have a big aerospace presence they made it sound that way, usually by re-branding their airport.
"Some of the airports read they renamed themselves as space ports" said Bomba.
Is that a marketing gimmick, more than anything?
"Potentially, I mean, some of them may have had a client who was interested in space activities and all the airport can do is be a good host. But it's really up to the business," said the business expert and professor at the University of North Texas.
Dr. Bomba, the author of a report on the state of aerospace in Texas, says the lone star state stands strong in the race to attract more of the space business here.
Edgar Martinez wants to fly for an airline someday, And believes the training he gets at Waco's Texas State Technical College will get him there.
"TSTC really cares about their students in general, and what they're studying" said Martinez.
But it's just as likely, he may fly a rocket to the space station or the moon.
The author of the most authoritative report so far on Texas and the Aerospace business, belileves, not even the sky's the limit for Texas and the New race for space.
How do experts expect this technology to develop in the years ahead and where are we headed?
"Well, that's interesting question, because, you know, obviously, it needs to have a commercial application. You know, they're building out these satellite based internet systems probably happened first. There may be other applications that we haven't thought about yet. Access to space of courses, space tourism, and then if we ever actually put some sort of man base on the Moon or on Mars and the future and servicing that will be a big effort so.." said Dr. Bomba.
So, we may need the kind of high-tech trained students the State Technical College turns out every day.
A recent deal to train Tesla workers here, points to a bright future, one some current students here have only recentlly begun to consider. including two I talked to about careers in space.
These gentleman wanted to be pilots. When asked "What would I What would you say if I told you in the future, you may be able to fly rockets instead of playing? What do you think? Would you want to do that?" One young man said, "Heck, yeah." the other said, "No, I think I'll stay with the planes".
So there's there's certainly interest in space, it's just that it's not occured to many people, they have a future in space, or it's a future their children could have.
"Yeah, I definitely think so. And, you know, there's also as with automobiles, there's going to be a drive towards autonomous aircraft as well. So that's an IT that's just kind of a personal interest of mine is observing how that technology is developing," said Dr. Bomba.
And it all depends on making trips to space commercially viable... thats the reason for all the roaring and shaking across central Texas these last several months, finding a way to get off this rock in a way that won't break a billionaire.
SpaceX, for now, remains a step or two ahead of the others.
CEO Elon Musk says, all he has to do here is launch a starship twice a month, all next year to make this viable commercially.
"Wow. I don't know. I mean, I think I think he seems to get things done through sheer force of will alone, right, right. I guess my point earlier, they have a lot of pressures they've burned through a lot of money. They're dependent upon new innovations as they go along. And so, you know, I think he's among the most qualified people to make that happen.
But there are no guarantees you know, and so I hope it does for the state of Texas and for for the future, space commercialization, but you know, we just have we just have to wait and see," said Bomba.
To be sure, SpaceX has made a believer out of NASA which awarded it a contract for a lunar landing vehicle.
Meantime it's got Students here taking a harder look at their futures.
"This opens up a lot more doors for students in general TSTC is very well rounded with ap mechanics and pilots, ATC too. with the merger going on, it can really open some doors for many people" said Martinez.
DON'T FORGET YOUR CAMERA
In the past man could only dream of going to the stars.
Since the 1960's we've taken our first steps there, but before we do, companies have found a popular side business... launching tourists into space.
25 News shows us sending Junior, or grandma on a short trip on a rocket can help man get to Mars, faster.
When popular former NFL player and TV show host, Michael Strayhan blasted off into space on a Blue Origin Capsule, many thought it. a novelty.
But the so called space barons choose people like him, the daughter of the first American in space Alan Shepherd, former astronaut-in training Wally Funk... and even TV's Captain Kirk... to make space travel appealing to the rest of us... and later on, sell us tickets for a trip like theirs.
And Texas has a starring role in that plan.
When Dr, Michael Bomba of the University of North Texas, worked for Governor Rick Perry, he looked hard at the then-exploding space business, but back then, space tourism hardly registered at all
"I can tell you this, this goes back pretty far, so this is an early 2000s and governor Perry at the time was very interested in promoting the Space commercial commercialization in Texas.
The foundation laid in that report, and the long Texas tradition in aerospace AND outer space, helped lure more space related companies, here.
In looking for ways to pay for space commercialization, business leaders saw space tourism, as an easy way to make easy money, as they continue the hard work to go even further out.
" You know I think i'd like i'd like to think some of it, you know kind of built the foundation for what we have today, but you know there's a lot of work that happened after that so, Why is it, I think it did, because I mean the very idea of US civilians, be able to go up into space fill your Shatner can do it yeah. It could be available to all of us one day, you know for a price so."
So until then, we keep our eye on the sky for our favorite celebrity to pass overhead in a space capsule. Maybe they'll wave to us. And keep in mind... down the road, we could join them, as some of the few, who've gone where few have gone before.
Have you bought your ticket to the moon, yet?
If you haven't, you still have time.
Celebrities like Michael Strayhan, and rich people, which, I guess, you could count Strahan as both... seem to make up the only civilians who've ever left earth's atmosphere for the vacuum of space, besides astronauts.
The new space barons aim to change that.
SpaceX and Blue Origin have located significant operations here, while Virgin Galactic works from this futuristic "Spaceport" in New Mexico.
All three have incorporated some kind of "ticket to space program" in their business plans.
SpaceX found a litle a little more success by branding itself, a kind of "FedEx to the stars", using the money it made by sending robotic "Dragon Capsules" loaded with cargo to and from the international space station... on its manned programs, and its founder's dream of going to Mars.
That Left Blue Origin and Virgin galactic to fight over space tourism, as they work to grow their business with the government and others.
"So the idea being that these what your research has shown and really what's what you guys have done, to try to blaze the trail for all this ends up being in the public domain. Now companies seem to come in and take the baseline that you created and build upon that was created another dimension of the economy? I guess, because of that, because now you're talking space tourism. That was unheard of most of my lifetime space travel was almost a paramilitary thing. Most of my life. Now I can buy a ticket from Jeff Bezos, again or Elon Musk down the street and go for a 20 minute ride. n, maybe I go to the moon someday, but it's interesting. "said Bomba. You might call the stakes, "out of this world".
A study last year from "Research and Markets" shows space tourism currently generates 44 and a half million dollars a year... now get ready for blast off, because ten years from now, experts predict the business will zoom to almost 100 times that... with a compound annual growth race of almost 25 percent.
In simpler terms: The global sub-orbital space tourism market is estimated to reach $396.6 million in 2031, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 24.46% during the forecast period 2021-2031.
Try getting that kind of interest rate at your bank and you'll see why folks with plenty of cash in their pocket, and the stars in their eyes , make it their business, to send us on a 12 minute vacation that's out of this world.
Down the road, some companies plan to send us up for a week aboard a spaceship... with longer-range plans calling for a vaction on the moon... don't forget your golf clubs.... and Maybe even Mars.
You might call a dog the first space tourist. The Soviet Union sent "Leika" a Husky-Spitz mix into space, making Leika the first living thing we know of to orbit earth.
Leika didn't survive the trip, giving her life for the exploration of space, now giving provate companies, and yes even the Russians a chance to make a buck from the Leika's legacy.
Back here at home, Texas early-on laid the groundwork for space tourism
"so the legislature also gave a small amount of seed funding to counties, who are interested in developing a commercial Spaceport.. said Dr Bomba."
A few managed to get a spaceport designation, while they wait for the business to catch up.
And even so, Bomba says, in the end, businesses will dictate where we'll eventually find spaceports, and not local governments with dreams of dollar signs.
And while space may get the most attention, Dr. Bomba point out, you'll find faster growth a little closer in, in all-new, all-cargo airports like Alliance in Fort Worth.
While Hong Kong and Memphis remain king in moving overall tonage by air, Alliance and a few others keep growing, with Fort Worth beco Oming perhaps the biggest in these "Single-play" airports.
But what interested Dr. Bomba most as he wrote of the state of aerospace for Governor Perry, the amount innovation.
"I think that really was interesting and I was also fascinated I think by you know, this being the early part of space commercialization being 15 years ago. sort of the ideas that were being percolating at that time, I mean it's really kind of exciting period." he said
He calls the innovation that got Michael Strayhan and other space tourists off the earth... almost Texan... and just the start.
Strayhan calls it, fantastic.
2022 holds big opportunities for hte nation's space program and it's private partners like spaceX and Blue Origin, their workers. and maybe a little relief for neighbors.
SpaceX isn't in business to annoy the neighbors, but recently it's done a pretty good job of it.
"I'm used to it but it's aggravating, very aggravating," said Anna Keiser of McGregor.
While some Central Texans wear the badge of "space pioneer" proudly, others say, they can do without the noise and the title.
This year, as NASA returns to the moon, private companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin, will work alongside the agency to support this new mission called Artemis.
A program designed not just to expand our knowledge. but also our understanding of ourselves, and our economic opportunity.
"To keep it and sustain it, we have to find commercial applications for and then practical uses and things that make our lives better," said Dr. Michael Bomba of the University of North Texas.
But in the meantime, we have a whole lot of movin' and shakin' goin' on.
Sometimes it may seem as if the roaring and shaking around the SpaceX rocket testing center will never stop.
But some experts say, a NASA program launching this year, moon could give us a little relief in the years ahead.
"Rattles the doors, everything rattles, you can't even hear the TV," Keiser told 25 News Reporter Andrew Lamparski.
He experience, and that of her neighbors, point out the price of progress.
Thursday evening, January 6th, McGregor's fire department responded to a grass fire at SpaceX, well away from most of the rockets, but pointing out, once again,the front row seat some in McGregor and Oglesby have to the action.
NASA officials like to talk bout the many benefits of the space program, while they too, remember the sometimes high cost.
AirSafe.com reports almost 20 people have died in accidents related to space travel, all but one, related to NASA.
So to borrow a phrase from Buzz Lightyear, the agency has taken very careful steps as it once again looks, to infinity and beyond.
"And so that's where we are today. And we're building the Artemis program right now and the plan is to launch the first first woman and the first person of color and land on the moon.
Go to the moon learn to live there sustainably right some sources, animal presence on the moon we learned valuable lessons and then going to Mars. There's a lot that needs to be learned but it's a NASA showing one thing over the generate over the generations in the decades is that you know it learns the hard lesson. That's that's what we do. And that's you know, it's inspiring said Brian Odom, NASA Historian
And this time NASA won't go it alone. Private Space partners, including Texas companies SpaceX and Blue Origin, will play important roles.
" NASA is building the Space Launch System you know, NASA in its in its, its contract partners, Boeing, right. So the building space launch system, that's the vehicle that's going to take us back to the moon, you know, along the way, we're going to get support from from contractors, right. So we're getting support from commercial space. The International Space Station, you look at what's happening there. You look at the who is it that's going to take astronauts to and from low Earth orbit? Well, that's commercial space, right." said Odom.
As Artemis leads to an eventual base on the moon, private space companies will haul the freight and carry the load.
The new "buzzword" in space? "Sustainability" not just in making the moon livable.... but in making trips to infinity and beyond, pay for themselves. (sorry Buzz Lightyear).
"if you look across the world right now, you know space is just growing in leaps and bounds and so many different players again, but as we sit back and as we watch the Artemis program playoff, that's, that's where these where it's going to be very unique, very different than what we've seen before. But that's the only way we can do it and make it sustainable," Odom explained.
And that brings us back to all the moving and shaking in McGregor. Sustainability in space, may make life for some of us here, a little less sustainable, for now.
"Our front door will not stay level. It's a storm door, glass, heavy, but it won't stay level," said Kaiser.
But there's hope. Because the Artemis program includes a moon-orbiting space station called Gateway, where some believe, testing of NEW kinds of rockets can take us to Mars, without disturbing the neighbors on the moon, too much.
TO INFINITY....
You might call, little Cooper Hill, the future of the Texas Space program.
He only plays with rockets today... tomorrow he could fly one to Mars.
"They're talking about going to the moon sometime soon. would you like to go to the moon? Maybe when I'm old."
In the meantime, He'll get to learn about how SpaceX makes its rockets take off.... and land... standing up, how Blue Origin capsules kiss the lips of earth's atmosphere as it gives passengers... a "lift".
In short, little Cooper will likely have a bit of a say, in the direction of space program, as it gives free markets a free-er hand in where resources should go,
All things that started to develop before his birth, and will continue to influence his future.
Cooper's Dad calls it a "future of excitement", recalling his own trip, as a boy, to the Kennedy Space Center.
"I thought it was inspiring I think there is something inside all of us that's interested in space and something outside what we currently see, and it's really neat that it's in Central Texas."
Central Texas always played a small but vital role as the American space program began, something which changed the lone star state forever.
"Well, certainly, Texas was very much an agricultural state at the time, and very much, you know, oil, gas that was driving really the economy. And I think Texas helped to reshape that economy once the decision was made in 61. To build this center here in Houston. You really start to see the growth of aerospace and you start to see the change in our economy," said Jennifer Ross-Nazzal of NASA's Johnson Space Center.
But the arrival of SpaceX at the turn of the century eventually fired the starting gun on a NEW Race for Space... one in which companies, not governments competed for supremacy.
It's a race Texas leaders say, tney can win with the "can-do" spirit that made the Republic what it is today, as it grows its influence for tomorrow.
The kind of thing that can provide young Texans like Cooper, with a high-paying job and a better life.
"what do i think about it? I like it" said young Mr. Hill.
... AND BEYOND
How will Texas fare in the new race for space?
it's a race where private companies have become just as important as the government.
Texas gained a foothold early, and now faces the challenge of maintaining that lead among a host of competitors.
But boosters in the state says, Texas has a bit of a secret weapon.... something that runs through the character of every resident of the lone star state.
Little Cooper Hill sets his sights high when it comes to his toy rockets. He;s always looking for that, step, or stomp that sends his rockets higher and farther.
"Why do I like rockets so much? Because I can fire 'em. and it looks like they more like have countdowns" said the Castle Heights boy.
Texas, in much the same way started doing the same kinds of things, to maintain or increase its share of the growing aerospace business, in the "New Race for Space".
But how new?
Today's society might seem just like the one President Kennedy described in this 1962 Speech
"For we meet in an hour of change and challenge, in a decade of hope and fear in an age of both knowledge an ignorance." said JFK
What's different about THIS race for space.... competition... not with the Soviets, but between ourselves.
Again, President Kennedy: "and no nation which expects to be the leader of other nations can afford to stay behind in this race for space." he said.
What he said about nations, now applies to states, all scrambling to grab their share in the new race for space, in which private companies, and not the government, call the shots.
Texas elbowed its way to the table in the early days, and now can compete as an equal to California and Florida, the other two big space powerhouses. as all the space companies compete with each other.
To succeed, these businesses have to find not only concepts that work in space, but have applications that can pay royalties for use on the ground for years after: The new "Economics for Space"
Bomba: And, and so that's going to be one of the challenges is, we can do a lot of things, but what do we do with it well, once we have it, you know how do we, how do we, how do we make money off of it to be, you know a little bit crass.
Well it's got its got pay for itself. Exactly yeah," said Dr. Michael Bomba of the University of North Texas.
Paying your own way...something rather new to the space business, and something likely to stay with us a long time.
SpaceX will likely pay is noise fees to McGregor for years to come, as the city looks for other, complementary businesses to grow alongside it's noisy neighbor,.
Jim Hering, McGregor Mayor
"If you're not moving forward, you're going back
I'm really optimistic about about the year the aerospace and again, the industrial park that we have," said McGregor Mayor, Jim Hering.
Why? Because we Texans have endured hardship for far less. We know that to stay a leader of states, the Republic of Texas must fight to stay ahead, to make sure in the minds of the public "Texas means space".
"You know, my daughter lives in Florida. As a matter of fact, you know, obviously SpaceX is down there as well. I live at the proving ground We're part of the future!" said SpaceX neighbor Arnie Derrickson of Oglesby.
A future firmly rooted in the past. as the decedents of pioneers of one type, become pioneers in another very different sort of realm.
"it reminds me of a poster that I've seen, I haven't seen it recently, but it's a poster of an astronaut in the MMU sort of floating in space that says "Texas still in the frontier business," recalled Jennifer Ross-Nazzal, of Houston's sprawling Johnson Space Center.
Something we Texans take pride in, even if it does cost us some of our prized possessions.
"What do you do just put the pictures back up and hope for the best? Yeah we do, and scoot 'em back a little more each time. What do you do ? They gotta be somewhere," said Georgette and David Waggoner of Oglesby.
They gotta be somewhere, and so do we. and in a way only we Texans can, we endure the hardships hoping to enjoy the benefits in the years ahead.
And as the New Race for Space aims for the stars, and the promise they hold, others look into that future in a never-ending search for answers
what's going to be the next major breakthrough? So that's one of the wonderful things about NASA is that it can take this on these challenges," said NASA Historian, Brian Odom.
And feed a steady stream of new opportunities for states that host space operations, the more businesses you have the bigger the benefit.
Sterling Hill believes the future holds a sky full of opportunities for his son.
"Every kid is interested in rockets and I think you're gonna get more ideas and more competition which I think is gonna drive innovation. So, yeah, I think it's real exciting." he said.
Has Texas earned its way in the new race for space? almost certainly,
can it hold its ground among a host of competitors? Experts say its likely.
But can the lone star state grow its share of the aerospace business amid a constellation of options?
Those in the know say it will take a typically Texan determination to see us through, as we all boldly go, where no one has gone before.
Perhaps President Kennedy said it best when described the reason for the first race for space.
"We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy but because they are hard,"he said.
Texans have sacrificed for the space program, but it's opened a door of opportunity for a new generation.
A generation that knows whether they walk through that door or not, they'll benefit from it's many discoveries.
Maybe that what's got Cooper, for now, wanting to keep his feet on the the ground.
"Would I rather go into space or stay here on the ground? I'd rather stay here on the ground and watch."
.... But he will still have the option of space, something he'll no doubt become more comfortable with,as Texas aims to become the world's "Space Place" for many years to come
While the space race of the 1950's and 60's served to counter communism.... Today's version aims to tame that dark wilderness all around us and promote a new space model where free enterprise rules, and all benefit from, the "New" Race for Space. | 2022-01-14T02:21:48Z | www.kxxv.com | 1 weather alerts 1 closings/delays | https://www.kxxv.com/news/25-investigates/in-depth-texas-and-the-new-race-for-space | https://www.kxxv.com/news/25-investigates/in-depth-texas-and-the-new-race-for-space |
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