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Delta Air Lines drops surcharge for unvaccinated employees
Published: Apr. 13, 2022 at 1:22 PM EDT|Updated: 20 minutes ago
ATLANTA (AP) — Delta Air Lines is dropping an extra charge for employees who aren’t vaccinated against COVID-19.
Delta said Wednesday that it has dropped the $200-a-month surcharge, which applied to unvaccinated employees covered by the company’s health plan.
CEO Ed Bastian says Delta is dropping the charge because, he says, COVID-19 is now “a seasonal virus.”
U.S. airlines tried different approaches to encourage employees to get vaccinated — United Airlines made it a mandate.
Delta was the only one to impose an insurance surcharge.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/13/delta-air-lines-drops-surcharge-unvaccinated-employees/
| 2022-04-13T17:43:24Z
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Hyatt’s Michael O. Smith Honored With Prestigious Award
NEW ORLEANS (press release) — Hyatt Regency New Orleans is proud to announce that general manager Michael O. Smith has been awarded the A.I. Botnick Torch of Liberty Award from the ADL (Anti-Defamation League) South Central Region.
ADL is the world’s leading anti-hate organization, exposing antisemitism and extremism, delivering anti-bias education, and fighting hate online. Its mission is to protect the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment for all. The recipients of the A.I. Botnick Torch of Liberty Award are honored for their incredible accomplishments and impact on their community aligned with ADL’s mission.
Michael’s civic engagement includes LGBTQ+ advocacy, arts and culture, education, and religious programming. Michael’s work with the UNCF helped to raise more than $10 million, keeping more than 1,400 students in school and ensuring uninterrupted education to the students of Xavier and Dillard universities. After receiving an honorary doctorate from Dillard University, he concluded 2017 as the Jay A. Pritzker Award recipient attaining the title of “Hyatt Hotels General Manager of the Year.”
In 2019, Michael received the prestigious Loving Cup Award, which has been awarded since 1901 to men and women who have worked unselfishly for the New Orleans community without expectation of public recognition or material reward.
“This award is truly an honor,” said Michael Smith. “Adolph Ira Botnick’s commitment to civil rights and antisemitism during a critical period in American history represented the utmost in leadership and courage, establishing the foundation for ADL’s higher purpose. Our efforts in New Orleans simply strive to follow his great example.”
ADL will recognize the honorees at the annual A. I. Botnick Torch of Liberty Award Reception at the home of Calvin and Frances Fayard, Jr. on May 11, 2022. Bob Brickman and Sandy Levy will present the award to Rabbi Edward Cohn. Chris Robertson and Joel Vilmenay will present the award to Michael Smith.
Tickets are available at www.adl.org/botnicktorch or by contacting the local ADL office at new-orleans@adl.org or (504) 780-5602.
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https://www.bizneworleans.com/hyatts-michael-o-smith-honored-with-prestigious-award/
| 2022-04-13T17:43:27Z
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Donkey on the loose shot and killed after deputies failed to corral it, authorities say
SANTA ROSA COUNTY, Fla. (Gray News) – A donkey on the loose in Florida was killed after deputies were unable to corral the animal.
The Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post that deputies were called to respond to reports of a donkey Tuesday around noon.
Deputies tried several times to coral it but were unsuccessful.
The sheriff’s office says they were told their assistance was no longer needed when an independent livestock contractor arrived to help.
The sheriff’s office later learned the independent livestock contractor shot and killed the donkey.
“Santa Rosa County is known for having a large population of livestock, and (it) is a deep-rooted part of our culture. Because of this, we are deeply troubled by this incident,” the sheriff’s office wrote.
The sheriff’s office has assigned this investigation to its major crimes division.
“The safety and care of animals has been and remains of the utmost importance to the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office,” the post said.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/13/donkey-loose-shot-killed-after-deputies-failed-corral-it-authorities-say/
| 2022-04-13T17:43:31Z
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La. Senate Bill Would Make Industrial Tax Break Tweaks Permanent
BATON ROUGE (The Center Square) — Legislation to make permanent tweaks to Louisiana’s Industrial Tax Exemption Program (ITEP) that Gov. John Bel Edwards implemented through executive order in 2016 has cleared the Senate Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Committee.
The committee approved Senate Bill 151, sponsored by Sen. Rogers Pope, R-Denham Springs, without objection on Monday to enshrine the ITEP changes made through executive order into the Louisiana constitution.
The changes reduce the tax breaks from 100% previously to what’s now 80%, and gives local taxing authorities including school boards, sheriff’s offices, and local government councils where the industrial facilities locate the ability to approve or reject the tax exemptions.
“In my opinion, it’s not that controversial,” Pope told the committee. “It’s about protecting the authority local governments have over giving away their local property tax dollars to business and industry, or a small portion of that, anyway.”
For years, the Louisiana Board of Commerce and Industry was the sole entity responsible for approving or rejecting ITEP exemptions of 100%, and virtually all exemptions were approved. Changes in Edwards’ executive order allowed local taxing authorities to approve or reject exemptions for a portion of the tax revenues, though local officials told the committee most applications are still approved.
Pope said the intent of the bill is to protect the changes from future administrations that could easily repeal Edwards’ executive order by enshrining the changes in the state constitution. That process requires two-thirds approval in both chambers of the Legislature, as well as approval from voters.
SB 151 limits exemptions to 5 years, and requires companies to meet all conditions of the agreement for an extension. It also requires the Board of Commerce and Industry to provide analysis of costs and benefits for each proposed ITEP exemption to local governments.
Numerous parish presidents, as well as school, city and sheriff’s officials testified in favor of the bill, which they said would codify changes to bring continuity and predictability to the ITEP program. Capping the ITEP exemption at 80% also has brought more money into local coffers, they said.
“Now we’re getting 20%, which we never got anything before,” said West Baton Rouge Parish President Riley Berthelot. “It was the state, we didn’t have a voice. So now I think it’s good that we can actually see some of the money.”
The changes allow local officials to gather with company officials to vet projects for impacts to schools, traffic, the environment, and jobs, he said.
“Continuity and predictability is something these businesses are looking for and if we put it in the constitution, I think it goes a long ways,” said St. Bernard Parish President Guy McInnis, who serves on the Louisiana Board of Commerce and Industry.
The bill is also supported by the Louisiana Assessor’s Association, Louisiana Progress Action, the Police Jury Association of Louisiana, the Louisiana School Boards Association, Together Baton Rouge, the Professional Fire Fighters Association of Louisiana, as well as numerous officials representing police, schools, and parishes.
Business interests including the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry (LABI), the Louisiana Chemical Association, the Louisiana Oil & Gas Association, the Louisiana Mid-continent Oil and Gas Association, and representatives from oil and gas companies and the building and contractor trades opposed the bill.
Jim Patterson, LABI vice president of government relations, told the committee enshrining the changes in the state constitution is “highly inadvisable” because it restricts “the agility of the state to respond to forces that operate within the marketplace.”
“This is necessarily a program that’s intended to make us competitive with the other states that are looking for the same manufacturers that we are,” he said.
Patterson argued the changes implemented in 2016 are already hurting the state’s ability to court big business, citing applications for ITEP that have steadily declined in recent years, from 788 applications in 2015, to 619 in 2016, to 197 in 2017, to 150 in 2018, and 146 in 2019. Those figures continued to fall during the pandemic to 89 in 2020 and 86 in 2021, he said.
“I urge you strongly not to go down this road,” Patterson said.
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https://www.bizneworleans.com/la-senate-bill-would-make-industrial-tax-break-tweaks-permanent/
| 2022-04-13T17:43:33Z
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Former Trump chief of staff Meadows removed as North Carolina registered voter
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — An elections board in a North Carolina county has removed Mark Meadows, a former chief of staff to President Donald Trump, from its list of registered voters after documents showed he lived in Virginia and voted in the 2021 election in that state.
Questions arose about Mark Meadows last month, when North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein’s office asked the State Bureau of Investigation to look into Meadows’ voter registration in Macon County in western North Carolina.
In announcing his removal, the Macon County Board of Elections said it has received no formal challenge and is referring the matter to the SBI, the state Board of Elections said Wednesday.
A representative for Meadows did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Macon County District Attorney Ashley Welch asked the attorney general’s office in March to handle any probe into Meadows’ voter registration and said she would recuse herself from the matter. She noted that Meadows, a former congressman from the area, contributed to her campaign for DA and appeared in political ads endorsing her.
Public records indicated Meadows is registered to vote in two states, including North Carolina, where he listed a mobile home he did not own as his legal residence weeks before casting a ballot in that state in the 2020 presidential election.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/13/former-trump-chief-staff-meadows-removed-north-carolina-registered-voter/
| 2022-04-13T17:43:39Z
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Ochsner Health Center-Lockport Reopens 8 Months After Hurricane Ida
LOCKPORT, La. – From Ochsner Health:
On Tuesday, April 12, Ochsner Health Center–Lockport reopened for the first time since Hurricane Ida made landfall on August 26, 2021. The primary care health center was extensively damaged by the Category 4 storm, as was much of the Bayou Region.
“Our community has had more than its share of tough challenges this year, but ours is a deeply caring community and we have been getting through it together,” said Jack Heidenreich, MD, associate medical director for the Ochsner Bayou Region. “We want to celebrate every milestone together, too, and we’re excited to open our doors and welcome patients back to our Lockport clinic.”
For the past eight months, Lockport practitioners have been seeing their patients at the Ochsner Family Doctor Clinic-Mathews and the Ochsner Health Center-Raceland locations.
“I’m sincerely grateful to our team members for their hard work and dedication in bringing the Lockport clinic back to fully operational status to serve our community,” said Juan Awad, CEO of Ochsner St. Anne Hospital, which serves as a major hospital for the region. Ochsner St. Anne also had storm damage, but remained open during and after the storm and was able to return to full operations approximately six weeks after Hurricane Ida.
Ochsner Health Center–Lockport will return to its normal operating hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Fridays. To make an appointment, call 985-532-1620 or visit the website.
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https://www.bizneworleans.com/ochsner-health-center-lockport-reopens-8-months-after-hurricane-ida/
| 2022-04-13T17:43:40Z
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State Board Emphasizes Importance of Pre-Purchase Home Inspections
BATON ROUGE — From the Louisiana State Board of Home Inspectors:
The busy homebuying season usually kicks off in April, making it the opportune time to mark National Home Inspection Month. The Louisiana State Board of Home Inspectors, the state’s licensing agency, uses this time to educate homebuyers on home inspections. Existing home prices are up 15% from a year ago (National Association of Realtors) and the Fed’s rate hikes are increasing mortgage interest rates. With consumers digging deeper into their wallets to invest in a home, it is more important than ever to be vigilant and inspect before buying.
“It is critical for homebuyers to do everything they can to understand and protect their investment starting with a home inspection,” said Morgan Spinosa, COO of LSBHI. This important step in the homebuying process helps identify potential problems that may lead to expensive repairs or safety concerns. It is a visual examination of the major components of a home and its operating systems. The findings from a home inspection will assist the consumer in making a more informed buying decision.
The board strongly encourages potential homebuyers to be present during the inspection and ask questions.
Here are tips on what you can expect from your licensed home inspector:
- An unbiased and professional opinion of the condition of a property
- Documentation of significant visible deficiencies on the day of the inspection
- Professional recommendations
- Specialized knowledge for a more informed home purchasing decision
In 2001, the Louisiana Legislature passed a law requiring all persons performing home inspections to be licensed by the State of Louisiana. This mandate protects the health and safety of prospective homebuyers because they receive a thorough evaluation of the home and its operating systems. The LSBHI regulates residential resale home inspections in Louisiana.
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https://www.bizneworleans.com/state-board-emphasizes-importance-of-pre-purchase-home-inspections/
| 2022-04-13T17:43:46Z
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Homebuyers stymied by fewer homes, high prices, rising rates
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shortly after moving to South Florida for a new job with the U.S. military, Shannon Kaufman and his wife, Wendy, signed up for a whole other mission: buying a home.
For months, they scoured listings, strategizing late into the night on which homes to target and working out how much they could afford, even if it meant using some of their retirement savings.
After visiting 200 listings and making offers on 15 homes that ultimately didn’t pan out, the Kaufmans finally found a home that fits at least some of their needs. They’ll be renting it, however.
“We found a place that’s smaller than we want, but it’ll work until we have something built or until the market cools off,” said Shannon Kaufman, 47.
America’s housing market has grown increasingly frenzied, and prices are out of reach for many buyers, especially first-timers. This spring, traditionally the busiest season for home sales, is more likely to deliver frustration and disappointment for aspiring homebuyers than it is homeownership.
The number of homes for sale nationally remains near record lows, fueling fierce competition among buyers vying for fewer homes. From Los Angeles to Raleigh, North Carolina, when a house does hit the market, it typically sells within days.
Bidding wars are common, often driving the sale price well above what the owner was asking. And would-be buyers planning to finance their purchase with a home loan are often losing out to investors and others able to buy a home with cash. A quarter of all homes sold in February were purchased with cash, up from 22% a year ago, according to the National Association of Realtors. Real estate investors accounted for 19% of transactions in February, up from 17% a year ago.
Nichol Khan, a project manager, and her husband Ed moved to Mesa, Arizona, from Phoenix two years ago to shorten their commute to work. Home prices in the Phoenix area have jumped 20% from a year ago to $500,000, according to Realtor.com.
“The prices just keep going up and up,” Khan said.
The couple has lost out on more than a dozen homes they bid on. Some of the homes ended up selling for less in cash than the couple had offered.
“We don’t have $500,000 in cash,” said Khan, 42. “We just could not be competitive with that.”
Fewer homes on the market and high prices have been the hallmark of the housing market for the past 10 years or so. Now, rising mortgage rates further complicate the homebuying equation. Higher rates could limit the pool of buyers and cool the rate of home price growth — good news for buyers. But higher rates also weaken their buying power.
The average rate on a 30-year home loan has climbed to around 4.7%. A year ago, average rates hovered just above 3%, according to mortgage buyer Freddie Mac. The increase follows a sharp move up in 10-year Treasury yields, reflecting expectations of higher interest rates overall as the Federal Reserve moves to hike short-term rates in order to combat surging inflation.
Would-be buyers who applied for a home loan in February faced a median monthly mortgage payment of $1,653, including principal and interest, an increase of 8.3% from a year ago, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.
“It’s hard to believe, but I do think it’s going to be tougher this year, in some respects, than it was in previous years,” said Danielle Hale, Realtor.com’s chief economist. “So far, at least, we have seen the number of homes for sale continue to decline and prices continue to rise. Those two factors combined suggest that the competitive market is going to keep buyers on their toes.”
Buyers should set their sights on homes that are listed well within what they can afford, experts say.
“You should be looking 15%-20% below their limit; that gives them room for appraisal gaps, it gives them room for negotiating,” said Tracy Hutton, a broker with Century 21 in Indianapolis.
Being well prepared sometimes isn’t enough when a homeowner prefers to accept an all-cash offer, rather than sell to a buyer with financing.
Wendy Kaufman in South Florida couldn’t even get into an open house for a property on the market after she revealed the couple had a mortgage backed by the Veterans Administration.
“When they saw I had a VA preapproval they said, ‘Sorry we don’t want to work with you.’” she said.
Sometimes, buyers don’t have a chance to make an offer before a home is snapped up, sight unseen.
In the Miami area, so-called “blind offers” have become common as a way to get around other buyers, said Rafael Corrales, a Redfin agent.
One reason is the ultra-low level of homes for sale, which for the greater Miami metropolitan area, was down 55% in February from a year ago, according to Realtor.com.
While every market is unique, there is one common hurdle across the U.S.: affordability. The median U.S. home price jumped 15% in February from a year earlier to $357,300, according to the National Association of Realtors.
The San Jose, California, metro area had 40% fewer homes for sale in February than a year ago, according to Realtor.com. Buyers there have to navigate some of the most expensive home prices in the nation. The median home listing price climbed 13.3% to about $1.36 million in February from a year earlier.
The market trends are a bit more welcoming for buyers in the Midwest, including the Indianapolis metropolitan area, where the number of homes for sale was down about 23% from a year ago. The median home price there stood at $287,000 in February, up 8.5% from a year earlier.
In Raleigh, home listings were down a whopping 55% in February from a year earlier. Competition for fewer homes helped push the median home price to $430,000, a 9% increase from February 2021.
Those trends made for a more competitive market for first-time buyers like Lisa Piercey and her husband, Alex Berardo. First-time buyers made up 29% of all homes sold nationally last month. That share has averaged 31% annually over the past 10 years.
The couple began looking in December for homes at $350,000 or below. They offered $5,000 over the asking price on two properties but lost out to rival bidders.
“That was all we could afford,” said Lisa Piercey, a 32-year old project manager. “It’s really defeating, really disappointing.”
In the end, the couple bought a townhome in a new construction community, though they see it as a stepping stone to a more spacious house with a big yard.
“Its big enough that we can still start our family and then move when the market hopefully dies down in a couple of years,” she said.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/13/homebuyers-stymied-by-fewer-homes-high-prices-rising-rates/
| 2022-04-13T17:43:45Z
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Website Explores Louisiana’s ‘Milestone Year’ in Economic Development
BATON ROUGE – From Louisiana Economic Development:
Louisiana has launched a new website that provides an interactive record of a landmark year for economic development across the state: $20.5 billion in new capital investment, more than 18,000 new direct and indirect jobs, and widespread innovation and diversification across existing and emerging industries.
LEDAnnualReport.com is designed as a digital supplement to the traditional printed annual report, employing interactive maps, motion graphics and video to deliver deeper and more dynamic information about the state of the state’s expanding economy.
“2021 was a remarkable year for Louisiana Economic Development and a clear signal that local, regional and state efforts to strengthen our business climate are accelerating our growth,” LED Secretary Don Pierson said in a message to readers. “The more than 18,000 new direct and indirect jobs created are among the most ever in a single year for LED. None of this would be possible without the leadership of Gov. John Bel Edwards, the collaboration of our economic development partners across the state, the commitment of statewide political leaders, the creativity of our education partners and the unwavering resilience of the citizens of our state, which produced the transformational accomplishments of 2021.”
The homepage features a Top 20 project wins tracker and interactive map that invites the user to explore economic wins throughout the state. Thirteen interior landing pages showcase a wide range of economic success stories and provides easy navigation to additional feature stories and multimedia content showcasing new and expanding companies; foreign direct investment; small business and community development programs; innovation in clean energy, life sciences and water management; robust entertainment and maturing software development sectors; the state’s ongoing rural revitalization; increasingly important federal partnerships; and the cutting-edge approach of LED FastStart, ranked by Business Facilities magazine as the No. 1 statewide workforce development program for 12 years in a row.
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https://www.bizneworleans.com/website-explores-louisianas-milestone-year-in-economic-development/
| 2022-04-13T17:43:52Z
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Man pretended to be federal marshal to steal car from dealership, police say
TULSA, Okla. (Gray News) – A man in Oklahoma was arrested Monday after police said he attempted to steal a car from a dealership and then pretended to be a federal marshal.
According to the Tulsa Police Department, dealership employees said Randy Cantwell came into the office asking to look at an Audi on the lot. An employee grabbed the keys and went outside with Cantwell to look at the vehicle.
When the employee told Cantwell he couldn’t test drive the vehicle because it was not ready to be driven, Cantwell told the employee he was going to take the vehicle anyway. Police said he then told the employee that he was a federal marshal and had the power to take the vehicle.
Police said the workers blocked the vehicle in to stop Cantwell from stealing it. When Cantwell realized he was stuck, he walked away from the lot.
Officers arrived and spoke with Cantwell, who provided no verification that he was a federal marshal. Instead, he told officers that he became a federal marshal after former President Donald Trump “enacted martial law.”
Police said Cantwell was arrested for false impersonation of law enforcement.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/13/man-pretended-be-federal-marshal-steal-car-dealership-police-say/
| 2022-04-13T17:43:52Z
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Nestle Toll House to roll out stuffed cookie dough
Published: Apr. 13, 2022 at 11:46 AM EDT|Updated: 1 hours ago
(CNN) - Nestle Toll House is stuffing its cookie dough.
The iconic brand has been baking up some tasty new creations with its first-ever stuffed cookie dough.
You’ll have two flavors to choose from – chocolate chip cookie dough with fudge filling and double chocolate cookie dough with salted caramel filling.
The new dough delights are expected in the refrigerated aisle in July.
Copyright 2022 CNN Newsource. All rights reserved.
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https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/13/nestle-toll-house-roll-out-stuffed-cookie-dough/
| 2022-04-13T17:43:59Z
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Orphaned mountain lion cub found by hikers treated at Oakland Zoo
(CNN) – An orphaned mountain lion cub is being cared for at the Oakland Zoo in California.
The little female cub’s name is Rose.
She’s only about 4 to 5 months old, but she’s already a fighter.
She looks skinny in photos the zoo released of her.
Rose was initially spotted by hikers in a preserve in San Mateo, California, and they say she was all by herself and looked unhealthy.
It took some time for wildlife biologists to track her down, but they finally caught up to her and brought her to the zoo Sunday.
She was extremely emaciated, dehydrated and covered in fleas and ticks when she was taken in.
However, the caretakers at the Oakland Zoo say she has a feisty spirit and an obvious will to live, so they’re guardedly optimistic their little Rose will blossom.
If all goes well with her recovery over the next few months, the zoo says it will work to find her a good home.
Unfortunately, she won’t be able to go back to the wild because she’ll have missed out on the crucial time with her mother to learn how to survive on her own.
The Oakland Zoo provides veterinary care for sick, injured, burned or orphaned wild mountain lions through a partnership with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. To learn more, you can visit the zoo’s website.
Copyright 2022 CNN Newsource. All rights reserved.
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https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/13/orphaned-mountain-lion-cub-found-by-hikers-treated-oakland-zoo/
| 2022-04-13T17:44:05Z
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There’s still a way to reach global goal on climate change
(AP) - If nations do all that they’ve promised to fight climate change, the world can still meet one of two internationally agreed upon goals for limiting warming. But the planet is blowing past the other threshold that scientists say will protect Earth more, a new study finds.
The world is potentially on track to keep global warming at, or a shade below, 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) hotter than pre-industrial times, a goal that once seemed out of reach, according to a study published Wednesday in the journal Nature.
That will only happen if countries not only fulfill their specific pledged national targets for curbing carbon emissions by 2030, but also come through on more distant promises of reaching net zero carbon emissions by mid-century, the study says.
This 2-degree warmer world still represents what scientists characterize as a profoundly disrupted climate with fiercer storms, higher seas, animal and plant extinctions, disappearing coral, melting ice and more people dying from heat, smog and infectious disease. It’s not the goal that world leaders say they really want: 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) since pre-industrial times. The world will blast past that more prominent and promoted goal unless dramatic new emission cuts are promised and achieved this decade and probably within the next three years, study authors said.
Both goals of 1.5 degrees and 2 degrees are part of the 2015 Paris climate pact and the 2021 Glasgow follow-up agreement. The 2-degree goal goes back years earlier.
“For the first time we can possibly keep warming below the symbolic 2-degree mark with the promises on the table. That assumes, of course, that the countries follow through on the promises,” said study lead author Malte Meinshausen, a University of Melbourne climate scientist.
That’s a big if, outside climate scientists and the authors say. It means political leaders actually doing what they promise.
The study “examines only this optimistic scenario. It does not check whether governments are making efforts to implement their long-term targets and whether they are credible,” said Niklas Hohne of Germany, a New Climate Institute scientist who analyzes pledges for Climate Action Tracker and wasn’t part of this study. “We know that governments are far from implementing their long-term targets.”
Hohne’s team and others who track pledges have similarly found that limiting warming to 2 degrees is still possible, as Meinshausen’s team has. The difference is that Meinshausen’s study is the first to be peer-reviewed and published in a scientific journal.
Sure, the 2-degree world requires countries to do what they promise. But cheaper wind and solar have shown carbon emissions cuts can come faster than thought, and some countries will exceed their promised cuts, Meinshausen said. He also said the way climate action works is starting with promises and then policies, so it’s not unreasonable to take countries at their word.
Mostly, he said, limiting warming to 2 degrees is still a big improvement compared to just five or ten years ago, when “everybody laughed like ‘ha, we’ll never see targets on the table that bring us closer to 2 degrees,’” Meinshausen said. “Targets and implemented policies actually can turn the needle on future temperatures. I think that optimism is important for countries to see. Yes, there is hope.”
About 20% to 30% of that hope is due to the Paris climate agreement, but the rest is due to earlier investments by countries that made green energy technologies cheaper than dirty fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas, Meinshausen said.
Yet, even if that’s good news, it’s not all good, he said.
“Neither do we have a margin of error (on barely limiting to 2 degrees) nor do the pledges put us on a path close to 1.5 degrees,” Meinshausen said.
In 2018 the United Nations’ scientific expert team studied the differences between the 1.5- and 2-degree thresholds and found considerably worse and more extensive damages to Earth at 2 degrees of warming. So the world has recently tried to make the 1.5 degrees goal possible.
Earth has already warmed at least 1.1 degrees Celsius (2 degrees Fahrenheit) since pre-industrial times, often considered the late 1800s, so 2 degrees of warming really means another 0.9 degrees Celsius (1.6 degrees Fahrenheit) hotter than now.
Meinshausen’s analysis “looks good and solid, but there are always assumptions that could be important,” said Glen Peters, a climate scientist who tracks emissions with Global Carbon Project.
The biggest assumption is that nations somehow get to promised net zero carbon emissions, most of them by 2050 but a decade or two later for China and India, said Peters, research director of the Cicero Center for International Climate Research in Oslo, Norway.
“Making pledges for 2050 is cheap, backing them up with necessary short-term action is hard,” he said, noting that for most countries, there will be five or six elections between now and 2050.
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Follow AP’s climate coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/climate
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Follow Seth Borenstein on Twitter at @borenbears
___
Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives support from several private foundations. See more about AP’s climate initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/13/theres-still-way-reach-global-goal-climate-change/
| 2022-04-13T17:44:12Z
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95-year-old woman takes shelter in bathtub during possible tornado
CHARLESTON, Ark. (KHBS) – A woman put her 95-year-old grandmother in a bathtub to keep her safe from a tornado in Charleston, Arkansas, Monday night.
“Well, I’m glad she did. I might have got blown away if she didn’t,” Sue Neissl said.
The bathtub and the house her late husband built more than 70 years ago kept Neissl safe.
“We have a storm cellar out behind the house, but we didn’t have time to get it,” she explained.
Neissl’s granddaughter, Carla Woods, took shelter in a closet with her 3-year-old daughter as the storms hit.
“As soon as we got in there, we heard the loud sound. It might have been a small tornado, but to us it was very scary,” Woods explained, adding her daughter pretended they were playing hide and seek.
Woods said they never heard the sirens alerting them to the tornado threat.
The Franklin County emergency manager said the sirens were not working when the tornado warning was issued.
The tornado sirens have since been repaired and are now functioning properly.
Copyright 2022 KHBS via CNN Newsource. All rights reserved.
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https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/13/95-year-old-woman-takes-shelter-bathtub-during-possible-tornado/
| 2022-04-13T19:27:54Z
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Actor Cuba Gooding Jr pleads guilty to forcible touching
NEW YORK (AP) — Actor Cuba Gooding Jr. pleaded guilty Wednesday to one count of forcible touching in a protracted criminal case accusing the Oscar-winning “Jerry Maguire” star of violating three different women at various Manhattan night spots in 2018 and 2019.
The single guilty plea came nearly three years after Gooding’s arrest in the case that saw several delays as his lawyers sought to get the charges reduced or dismissed. It had been scheduled to go to trial at least twice, with an April 2020 trial date scuttled as coronavirus cases surged in New York and the state shut down most court matters.
Gooding, 54, was arrested in June 2019 after a 29-year-old woman told police he squeezed her breast without her consent at Magic Hour Rooftop Bar & Lounge near Times Square.
A few months later, he was charged in two additional cases as more women came forward to accuse him of abuse. The new charges alleged he pinched a server’s buttocks after making a sexually suggestive remark to her at TAO Downtown and forcibly touched a woman inappropriately at the LAVO New York nightclub, both in 2018.
Gooding pleaded guilty to the LAVO nightclub allegation.
Gooding had previously pleaded not guilty to six misdemeanor counts and denied all allegations of wrongdoing. His lawyers have argued that overzealous prosecutors, caught up in the fervor of the #MeToo movement, are trying to turn “commonplace gestures” or misunderstandings into crimes.
The judge had ruled that if the Gooding case went to trial, prosecutors could have called two additional women to testify about their allegations that Gooding also violated them. Those women, whose claims did not result in criminal charges, were among 19 other accusers whom prosecutors were seeking to call as witnesses.
Along with the criminal case, Gooding is accused in a lawsuit of raping a woman in New York City in 2013. After a judge issued a default judgment in July because Gooding hadn’t responded to the lawsuit, the actor retained a lawyer and is fighting the allegations.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/13/actor-cuba-gooding-jr-pleads-guilty-forcible-touching/
| 2022-04-13T19:28:01Z
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Biden approves $800M in artillery, helicopters for Ukraine
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Wednesday approved $800 million in new military assistance to Ukraine, including artillery and helicopters, to bolster its defenses against an intensified Russian offensive in the country’s east.
Biden announced the aid after a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to coordinate the delivery of the assistance, which he said included artillery systems, artillery rounds, and armored personnel carriers, as well as helicopters.
“This new package of assistance will contain many of the highly effective weapons systems we have already provided and new capabilities tailored to the wider assault we expect Russia to launch in eastern Ukraine,” Biden said in a statement.
Biden said the U.S. will continue to work with allies to share additional weapons and resources as the conflict continues.
“The steady supply of weapons the United States and its Allies and partners have provided to Ukraine has been critical in sustaining its fight against the Russian invasion,” Biden said. “It has helped ensure that (Russia President Vladimir” Putin failed in his initial war aims to conquer and control Ukraine. We cannot rest now.”
WARNING: Videos may contain graphic content.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/13/biden-approves-800m-artillery-helicopters-ukraine/
| 2022-04-13T19:28:07Z
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Case against Clinton lawyer in counsel’s probe can proceed
WASHINGTON (AP) — The criminal prosecution of a Hillary Clinton campaign lawyer charged with lying to the FBI during the Trump-Russia investigation can move forward, a judge ruled Wednesday in denying a defense bid to dismiss the case.
The ruling means Michael Sussmann, charged last year by special counsel John Durham, remains set for trial on May 16 in Washington’s federal court.
Sussmann is charged with lying to the FBI during a September 2016 meeting in which he relayed concerns from cybersecurity researchers about a potential secret back channel of communications between servers of the Trump Organization and Russia-based Alfa Bank. The FBI investigated the matter but ultimately found no such suspicious links.
Prosecutors allege that Sussmann misled the FBI’s then-general counsel by saying that he was not attending the meeting on behalf of a particular client when he was actually presenting the information on behalf of the Clinton campaign and a technology executive with whom he had worked.
In order to prosecute someone for a false statement, the Justice Department must prove that the statement was not only fictitious but also “material” — that is, capable of influencing a government agency’s decision-making or functions.
In this case, Durham’s team says that had the FBI known Sussmann was representing the interests of the Clinton campaign at the meeting, it would have done more to examine his motives and the reliability of his information as it considered whether to open an investigation based on the tip he provided.
Sussmann’s lawyers have argued that his ties to the Clinton campaign were already well-known to the FBI and have rejected the idea that that relationship could have meaningfully influenced the FBI’s decision to investigate.
U.S. District Judge Christopher “Casey” Cooper said in a six-page ruling Wednesday that the dispute was ultimately up to a jury to decide.
“The battle lines thus are drawn, but the Court cannot resolve this standoff prior to trial,” Cooper wrote.
Durham, a former U.S. attorney in Connecticut, was appointed in 2019 by then-Attorney General William Barr to look for government misconduct during the investigation into Russian election interference in 2016 and possible ties to Donald Trump’s presidential campaign.
Sussmann is one of three people charged so far. The other two are Kevin Clinesmith, a former FBI lawyer who pleaded guilty to altering an email and received probation, and Igor Danchenko, a Russian analyst and source of information for Steele who was charged in November with lying to the FBI during a 2017 interview.
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Follow Eric Tucker on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/etuckerAP
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/13/case-against-clinton-lawyer-counsels-probe-can-proceed/
| 2022-04-13T19:28:14Z
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Country music superstar, Brad Paisley, announced as guest speaker for second annual GameChanger Golf Classic Dinner
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. (WVVA) - Brad Paisley, a global country music superstar, and West Virginia native will be the keynote speaker at the second annual GameChanger Golf Classic Dinner on Wednesday, June 1, at the world-famous Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs.
The GameChanger Golf Classic is sponsored by MVB Bank, and is a two-day event that begins with a reception on June 1. Paisley with be the guest speaker at the dinner held at 7 p.m.
The 18-hole Golf Scramble featuring celebrity captains from the business and sports world begins with a shotgun start on the Greenbrier’s picturesque Old White course.
AThe day will begin with a golfer’s breakfast that will be held prior to the start of the event followed by the ‘Power of Prevention Luncheon’.
In addition to Paisley’s keynote remarks, West Virginia Governor Jim Justice, who serves as Head Coach of GameChanger and under whose leadership the initiative has grown exponentially, will also deliver remarks as will West Virginia’s United States Senators Joe Manchin and Shelley Moore Capito, who both endorse GameChanger.
Copyright 2022 WVVA. All rights reserved.
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https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/13/country-music-superstar-brad-paisley-announced-guest-speaker-second-annual-gamechanger-golf-classic-dinner/
| 2022-04-13T19:28:21Z
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Find your park: National parks waiving entrance fees to start National Park Week
(Gray News) - As part of National Park Week in April, all national parks will be waiving entrance fees to kick off the week of activities.
On April 16, guests can head to any national park for free, according to the National Park Service.
National Park Week 2022 will run from April 16-24. Parks across the country will host various special programs, events and digital experiences.
Representatives with the NPS said there are more than 400 national parks available to visit, and this year’s National Park Week theme is “sPark Connections.”
A list of this year’s theme days is below:
April 16: sPark Discovery National Park Week kicks off with a fee-free day to encourage everyone to find something new by visiting a national park, especially one that may be close to home, a park you haven’t considered visiting, or one you never realized is a national park! What new national park will you discover? #sParkDiscovery
April 17: sPark Creativity National parks have inspired artistic expression and creativity for generations. What is your park muse? What masterpiece can you create? #sParkCuriosity
April 18: sPark Collaboration We get along with a little help from our friends. Meet our many partners that help expand our reach and offerings and connect people to parks. How can you get involved or participate in opportunities? #sParkCollaboration
April 19: sPark Innovation The National Park Service incorporates the latest technology to support conservation and preservation efforts while consistently working to improve the visitor experience. How can we surprise you with innovation? #sParkInnovation
April 20: sPark Opportunities On Workforce Wednesday, learn about the work we do and the employment opportunities available in the National Park Service and with partner organizations. How can you join? #sParkOpportunities
April 21: sPark Preservation The National Park Service is a leader and partner in the preservation of historic, cultural, natural and recreational resources nationally—and even internationally! How can you get involved in preservation? #sParkPreservation
April 22: sPark Action On Earth Day, we look at the health of the environment and how we impact its well-being and vice versa. What actions can you do to contribute to a healthy world? #sParkAction
April 23: sPark Curiosity The National Park Service preserves and protects unique places with fascinating stories and unique landscapes. What are you curious about? What fascinating things can you discover? #sParkCuriosity
April 24: sPark Memories Generations of visitors have created lasting memories in national parks. What memories and traditions will you create? #sParkMemories
Find your nearest national park here. According to the park service, entrance fees are waived on the first day of National Park Week to encourage people to come out to enjoy their national parks.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/13/find-your-park-national-parks-waiving-entrance-fees-start-national-park-week/
| 2022-04-13T19:28:27Z
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Former YMCA camp counselor arrested on child porn charges
PALM BEACH, Fla. (Gray News) – Police in Florida have arrested a former YMCA camp counselor after they say they found images and video depicting the sexual abuse of children at his home.
Detectives with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office said they were investigating Isaac Gabriel Yunes on over 30 child pornography charges.
Upon obtaining a search warrant, detectives conducted a search in his home, where they say they discovered several images and videos depicting child sexual abuse on his device, as well as items linking Yunes to several Snapchat accounts that have been reported for child sexual abuse. Yunes attempted to destroy his cellphone and denied the allegations, according to detectives.
Police say Yunes worked as a camp counselor at the Palm Beach County YMCA from 2017 to 2019.
Yunes was taken into custody on April 8 and was transported to the Palm Beach County jail.
Yunes is being charged with possession of child pornography and destruction of evidence.
Anyone with information on Yunes is urged by Palm Beach County detectives to call 561-688-4080.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/13/former-ymca-camp-counselor-arrested-child-porn-charges/
| 2022-04-13T19:28:34Z
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Greenbrier County Sheriff’s Dept. swears in newest member
Published: Apr. 13, 2022 at 2:52 PM EDT|Updated: 36 minutes ago
GREENBRIER COUNTY, W.Va. (WVVA) - William Tyler Cutlip took his oath of office as the newest member of the Greenbrier County Sheriff’s Department on Tuesday, April 13, 2022.
Sheriff Sloan commented, “Tyler is certainly a welcome addition to our ranks and he is eager to begin his new career. Although he will not be working independently until his graduation from the State Police Academy and completion of his field training probationary period, we expect that he will be a tremendous asset to our department and the county. We look forward to his service with the Greenbrier County Sheriff’s Office and his commitment to public service for the citizens of Greenbrier County.”
Copyright 2022 WVVA. All rights reserved.
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https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/13/greenbrier-county-sheriffs-dept-swears-newest-member/
| 2022-04-13T19:28:43Z
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Police identify student killed in Kansas City middle school stabbing as 14-year-old boy
Published: Apr. 13, 2022 at 2:58 PM EDT|Updated: 30 minutes ago
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - Law enforcement has identified the child killed Tuesday in a middle school stabbing.
The Kansas City Police Department said that 14-year-old Manuel J. Guzman died from his injuries after he was stabbed at Northeast Middle School.
Officers stated that the student suspect has been charged with first-degree murder, armed criminal action and unlawful use of a weapon. His case will be handled through juvenile court in Jackson County.
Kansas City has experienced four homicides in a 24-hour span, prompting Mayor Quinton Lucas to make a plea on social media for more youth mental health services, as well as cracking down on illegally trafficked firearms.
Copyright 2022 KCTV via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/13/police-identify-student-killed-kansas-city-middle-school-stabbing-14-year-old-boy/
| 2022-04-13T19:28:49Z
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What happened to Aaron? Death of boy with autism exposes issues in Kansas care system
WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH/Gray News) - Part 1 of the KWCH investigation into the death of Aaron Carter, a 6-year-old with autism who died within two months of being adopted, reported on his needs of those of children like him, particularly in the foster system.
In Part 2, KWCH spoke to people about struggles in Kansas to meet those needs and what needs to be done to make things better.
Aaron Carter came into Jamie and Tina Miller’s home as a foster child just before he turned 3 years old in 2017. It took time to discover he had autism, and it took every bit of the three years he spent with the Millers to bring him from a child who could not communicate and didn’t respond to anyone around him to a boy who liked to dance, helped with chores and rode horses.
When the Millers decided they wanted to adopt Aaron, they found out that the cost to provide him the therapy and care he required would be overwhelming once he was no longer a ward of the state.
“We couldn’t pay for it out of our own pocket. We financially couldn’t do it, but by then we’d had him long enough and he had made such huge strides. It was like tearing you apart,” Tina Miller said.
A young, recently married couple in Wichita said they wanted to adopt Aaron. The couple met him, began the adoption process and eventually became acquainted with the Millers.
“We ate supper with them, and we just told them everything that had happened, that could happen and that needed to happen to keep him safe and happy,” Jamie Miller said.
Aaron went to live with his prospective new parents in December 2020. Less than two months later, the boy who’d made such huge strides was dead.
The official account of Aaron’s death reads that he had a tantrum while taking a bath and hit his head on the tub. Tantrums were something the Millers had cautioned Aaron’s new parents about.
“If he got upset he would yell and scream or throw a tantrum, but that’s the only way he could voice any of his feelings or opinion or anything was by throwing a tantrum,” Jamie explained.
Struggling to implement applied behavior analysis therapy
Sean Swindler with the Kansas Center for Autism Research and Training explained tantrums for those unfamiliar with children with autism.
“When I put $1 in the candy machine, and the candy bar’s dangling and just won’t come down, I know I want it. What do I do? I shake the candy machine,” Swindler said. “Kids with autism are the same way. If I can’t communicate what I want, what I need, I’m going to figure out a way to tell you.”
Aaron was figuring that out with fewer tantrums, thanks to applied behavior analysis therapy.
“ABA therapy is applied behavior analysis,” Swindler explained. “Therapy that’s been shown, through research, to help kids with autism improve. Especially if it’s delivered before the age of 6 to 8 years old.”
The Millers say Aaron received ABA therapy four to five times a week. Once he moved to Wichita that therapy stopped, ending both his routine and stifling his path to communication.
“A lot of children with autism, having that routine is incredibly important,” Swindler said. “By stopping that therapy, you are reducing that child’s ability to communicate. You’re reducing that child’s ability to kind of learn and grow and giving him those tools.”
Those tools are difficult to find in Kansas, and they’re often out of reach of those who need them most.
“Mental health isn’t treated the same as physical health by a lot of our health care system. Take all those in your mind, magnify by 10 when you put autism in the middle of that,” Swindler said.
In 2014, Kansas passed a law saying private insurers must cover ABA therapy for autism, but experts say that’s not as clear cut for children on Medicaid.
Medicaid reimbursements can be slow and don’t necessarily pay enough for the required therapy. Consequently, questions of whether ABA therapists will be paid enough, or at all, prompt many to practice in other states.
“I think a lot of states with large rural populations are having a brain drain and have trouble keeping people at home. For people that practice a particular field like ABA therapy. The things that do keep people at home are the ability to actually bill for services and serve your population for one,” Swindler said.
Few qualified therapists practicing in Kansas means those seeking the therapy can be left waiting.
“Even if you have the best insurance and the best circumstance, you might be waiting quite a while to get that autism evaluation. When you add in a child in foster care who might be going between different foster parents or doesn’t have that permanent oversight of their medical history, kids do get missed, or kids get a diagnosis but that doesn’t catch back up to them. All sorts of things happen there,” Swindler said.
What happened in Aaron Carter’s case?
Aaron died while waiting to be seen by a new ABA therapist. In Kansas, the autism waiver program provides support and training to parents. Currently, the program is funded for just 65 children with 386 on the waiting list.
Swindler suggested people contact state lawmakers to have them make changes to keep ABA therapists in Kansas and get children like Aaron the chance they deserve.
“The way to make it better is you have to have a concerted effort among all the interested parties to strategically attack the problem,” Swindler answered.
ABA therapy is the most widely used therapy for autism spectrum disorder. The University of Kansas was one of the first schools to begin developing the therapy in the 60s and 70s. It continues to train world-class ABA therapists. Many of whom then go to other states to practice.
Copyright 2022 KWCH via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/13/what-happened-aaron-death-boy-with-autism-exposes-issues-kansas-care-system/
| 2022-04-13T19:28:56Z
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https://www.wyomingnews.com/townnews/military/today-tomorrow/article_1f9a619b-df2f-51b5-b538-7d9b95b85aea.html
| 2022-04-13T19:40:24Z
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After months of preparation by the city, registration is open for Laramie landlords to document their rental properties.
The required registration is part of a new ordinance passed in January that sets minimum living standards for rental properties and provides recourse for tenants if landlords fail to meet those standards.
The basic standards include items such as structural integrity and functioning plumbing, heating, electricity and appliances. They also include safety standards such as working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and the absence of mold and pests.
According to the new ordinance, if landlords have not responded to a tenant’s request to have a problem fixed within 10 days, they can file a complaint with the city manager’s office, which will then conduct an investigation and set a deadline for the repairs to be completed if necessary. Landlords who fail to comply with the schedule will receive a fine.
“The city of Laramie wants to work with both owners and tenants to ensure that rental units are safe and meet the minimum habitability standards,” said Todd Feezer, assistant city manager. “The ordinance is intended to increase communication between owners and tenants. It outlines standards and processes to resolve issues if they occur.”
The city plans to answer questions and provide on-site consultations upon request for landlords seeking clarification on how to meet the minimum habitability standards.
As of April 1, landlords can fill out a form with basic information about their properties. On the form, they must acknowledge either that their property meets the minimum habitability standards or that they need to make repairs to meet these standards by Dec. 31.
The cost of registration is $20 per unit per year, and landlords can either fill out an online or paper form, which can be picked up at the offices of the city clerk or city manager. Landlords with properties not registered by Dec. 31 could be charged a fee of at least $100 for each month the property goes unregistered, Feezer said.
By Monday, only one person had registered a property, but the city expects most of the registrations to be completed in the coming months, said Deputy City Clerk Ryan Shoefelt.
The complaint process and enforcement of the minimum habitability standards will go into effect at the start of the new year.
If tenants have complaints before then, they can reach out to the city for help communicating with their landlords and encouraging them to work toward a solution. Tenants also should make sure they understand Wyoming state statutes related to renting, Feezer said.
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https://www.wyomingnews.com/wyomingbusinessreport/industry_news/economy_and_labor/city-rental-housing-registration-begins/article_ad71a3c2-bb53-11ec-9e51-6379e6f3805e.html
| 2022-04-13T19:40:30Z
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CHEYENNE – Local stakeholders came before the Cheyenne City Council on Monday to advocate for the business proposals they hope to see come to fruition.
Ten applicants presented their visions for the one available retail liquor license to City Council members over the past few weeks, and this was the first opportunity for public comment from community members. While there was support for many of the ideas brought forward, only one will be chosen at the end of April to receive the license.
The restriction is set by state law, which city government officials and entrepreneurs have criticized throughout the application process. They have also brought it to the attention of the Wyoming Legislature. At a Management Council meeting last Friday, lawmakers listened to the concerns and approved retail liquor licenses as an interim topic for the Joint Corporations, Elections and Political Subdivisions Committee.
But one applicant at the City Council meeting said getting it on the agenda wasn’t enough, and residents should stand together to change the process.
“Stand united to bring some common sense to our liquor licenses, perhaps providing different types of licenses,” said April Brimmer Kunz, who has previously served in the state Legislature. “Please, let your legislators know how the antiquated liquor licenses are hurting economic development in the state of Wyoming that we desperately need.”
As an applicant, Brimmer Kunz was in the minority of speakers who appeared during the public testimony, and she did not advocate for her own business venture. Many of the owners seeking the license let community members share their thoughts on the proposals, and only one idea received negative feedback from a stakeholder.
Jeremy Bay shared research on the relationship between gambling and suicide risk, as well as additional contributors, such as financial difficulties, employment challenges and emotional distress. He also said gamblers had high rates of alcohol and substance abuse disorders within the community.
“I ask that as you consider this liquor license, that alongside the revenue for the community, you also consider the human impact and the cost of medical care that it may result in,” he said.
Although many proposals were not discussed at the meeting, all of the other stakeholders who testified only had high praise to give, especially for projects impacting the downtown’s West Edge district. The three frontrunners based on public comment were the Old Cheyenne Elevator, Railspur and Ace’s Range, as no others were endorsed openly.
All three are designed for community gathering, drinks and entertainment, with unique needs for the retail liquor license. Owners of the Old Cheyenne Elevator hope to host food trucks, sell local spirits, and renovate the historically blighted property into a West Edge campus.
“They’ve proven that they can take this iconic space and rehabilitate it to something that is of duty and value to this part of town,” Blossom Yoga Studio owner Jill Lovato said. “I’m really excited about the family aspect of their proposal, and I’m really excited to think about having people also drawn to the property. It will, no doubt, benefit my business, and businesses that are located right there.”
Railspur is another proposal located near 15th Street. It would turn the current West Edge Collective building into a coffee bistro by day and a trendy bar by night. West Edge Collective and Micro Pop-Up Concepts developers want to not only include food trucks and a beverage boutique, but host events and provide a concert space.
“The Railspur is a convergence of two development opportunities that are going to be incredible for downtown Cheyenne: the 15th Street Railway Project and the Reed Avenue Rail Corridor Project,” a lifelong resident said. “And I believe that Railspur will not only blossom in this location, but will add to the continued growth of these two areas.”
The final proposal to receive considerable public support was Ace’s Range, which will provide entertainment through high-caliber golfing and shooting simulators. Members of the Brimmer Kunz family are co-owners and want to sell alcohol without a bar and grill, although they will allow customers to order food from surrounding local businesses. They received support from the golfing community, as well as families looking for a unique experience.
“This is precisely the opportunity that, since I’ve been here, we really haven’t had,” Brian Murray said. “And I go down at least 100 miles south of the border to find that in neighboring states.”
Residents will have two more opportunities to share their perspective on the proposals – April 20 and April 25.
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https://www.wyomingnews.com/wyomingbusinessreport/industry_news/economy_and_labor/stakeholders-advocate-for-select-retail-liquor-license-proposals/article_94b72776-bb53-11ec-9552-d3858e062ccd.html
| 2022-04-13T19:40:36Z
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CHEYENNE – A resolution stating support for community forums and initiatives encouraging kindness, civility, cooperation and respectful dialogue was unanimously passed Monday night by the Cheyenne City Council.
It was sponsored by council member Michelle Aldrich following the approval of a bias-crimes ordinance last month, which punishes malicious harassment based on factors such as race, sexual orientation and more. Aldrich was the only council member to vote no on the ordinance, not because she disagreed with the intent, but because she said it did not address the root of the issue.
“I think you can hold people accountable, (but) I’m not sure that local laws are the way to do it,” she said. “I think it has to really become part of our culture and our community.”
She told the Wyoming Tribune Eagle she brought forward the additional resolution because she didn’t want government officials to think they had done their job by only passing the ordinance and walking away from the conversation. She hopes to address community bias, discrimination and inclusivity through building relationships and strong communication.
“I wanted to make sure that we continue to support the conversation, activities and the things that are going on in the community to further the discussion about not only why these things are happening in our community, but why they’ve happened historically in our community,” the Ward 3 representative said. “And how we can take action in order to change that.”
Aldrich was not alone in her desire to make a statement on the issue, and “recognize that modeling civility and kindness are important for everyone, especially young people in our community.” Members of the public came forward at the meeting to share their support for the resolution.
“I’m sure that you would have to agree that this resolution has been beautifully crafted to clearly speak to the challenge of inclusivity and equality, which council has set to constituency back in February with the introduction of the harassment ordinance,” resident Sandra Payne said. “Your people have heard your admonishments, and now we plead with you, our leadership, to hang tough with us, and guide us through the next phase of this process.”
She asked council members to vote yes to the resolution because it was a next step in growing as a community, which other residents said was necessary through dialogue.
“By passing this resolution, you’d be telling us, the public, that you are interested and you personally support citizens coming together in cooperative initiatives like the recent unity forum,” resident Bob Wilson said, “and other efforts and initiatives that would reduce divisiveness, and help everyone feel safe and valued.”
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https://www.wyomingnews.com/wyomingbusinessreport/industry_news/government_and_politics/city-council-passes-resolution-encouraging-civility-and-respectful-dialogue/article_c1341944-bb53-11ec-ab2e-ebd8d78ef57c.html
| 2022-04-13T19:40:42Z
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23 injured in Texas storms; more tornadoes forecast in US
SALADO, Texas (AP) — Nearly two dozen people were injured when tornadoes swept through central Texas as part of a storm system that was expected to spawn more twisters and damaging winds Wednesday.
The storms caused widespread damage Tuesday in Salado, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) north of Austin. Bell County Judge David Blackburn said 23 people were injured, one of them critically. Twelve of the injured were taken to hospitals, Blackburn said.
“There’s not much left,” said Blackburn, the county’s top elected official. “Large trees are uprooted and overturned and stripped. Buildings really reduced to rubble. ... Power lines, power poles, are scattered all over the place. It’s pretty devastating.”
Photos on social media showed grapefruit-size hail associated with that storm.
Tornadoes were also spotted Tuesday in Iowa, but there were no reports of serious injuries. In Lincoln, Nebraska, powerful wind gusts knocked down tree limbs and caused some roof damage. A possible tornado also caused damage in the small southern Minnesota town of Taopi near the state’s border with Iowa.
Mower County Sheriff Steve Sandvik said dispatchers began getting calls from residents trapped in their damaged homes not long after a tornado warning siren sounded at 10:30 p.m. Tuesday. There were no reports of serious injuries. Weather service crews were assessing damage in the area Wednesday.
More tornadoes were in the forecast Wednesday for parts of the mid-South and in the Mississippi River Valley, the Storm Prediction Center said.
Hurricane-force winds, intense tornadoes and large hail were possible in Arkansas, Illinois, Tennessee, Missouri, Kentucky, Mississippi, Indiana, Louisiana and Alabama, forecasters said. Little Rock, Arkansas, and Memphis, Tennessee, were among the cities that could see the worst weather Wednesday, the Storm Prediction Center said.
Elsewhere, the North Dakota Capitol, schools, government offices and interstates remained closed Wednesday as a blizzard continued to bear down on the state.
A blizzard warning issued by the National Weather Service remained in effect through Thursday for most of western and central North Dakota where up to 2 feet (60 centimeters) of snow was expected.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/13/23-injured-texas-storms-more-tornadoes-forecast-us/
| 2022-04-13T21:18:31Z
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In the early morning hours of March 27, an unspeakable tragedy happened in Salem.
Four homeless residents of our community died when a driver left the road and struck their tent encampment. Two more were gravely injured, but survived. Three of the four killed were under 30, as was one of the two who were injured.
More than two weeks have passed, but the most important question remains unanswered. Why were those people camping next to a high-speed roadway?
They camped there because there was nowhere else to go, because they were seeking safety in a world with no safe space. Just to be clear, trespassing camps is sometimes necessary for public health and safety reasons.
But from Los Angeles to Seattle, enforcement actions have driven homeless populations into hard-to-reach, slow-to-trespass parcels, next to high-speed roadways. Increasingly large numbers are essentially herded from one spot to another, and every time that happens the desperation grows. The sanctuary of even a dangerous camp near speeding cars, over no camp, is often irresistible.
So why don’t they just go to shelters?
There are often beds available. Are people choosing to be outside when they could shelter in a safer environment? Yes, they are. But there are some things to understand here.
There are not enough shelter beds in Oregon to accommodate our entire homeless population. There are especially not enough low barrier shelter beds to meet the demand, places where you can bring your pet, your partner, and find a room without sobriety requirements. We are adding these high-leverage beds as fast as possible.
In the meantime, people often feel “safer” sleeping outside, even if it’s next to a high-speed roadway.
So what can we do? We need strategic patience. It took us 30 years to get here, and it will take us at least 20 more to get out. We don’t have anything close to enough resources to end it faster. All we can do is reduce the number outside over time.
Any number reducing itself over time eventually reaches zero. That timeline is under ideal conditions, with smart and consistent public policy. What if we’re not smart?
I have worked with thousands of homeless people – housed many of them, sheltered others, and sometimes walked them to their graves. The hard truth is that homelessness is not a crisis created by compounding poor personal choices. It may be hard to believe but our current generation did not invent drugs, violence nor bad choices.
We haven’t fallen from a golden age of personal responsibility into chaos. There are larger, macro-economic forces that are cold, impersonal, complex but also insidious in creating conditions where people have no choice but to live outside.
We have not yet seen the worst of it.
All the forces creating homelessness grow worse each year: high housing/rental costs, too few units, the drug crisis, limited mental health services, and a dangerously frayed social safety net. It’s likely we won’t see the peak numbers of American homeless for another decade. We can only stick with data-driven proven practices: low-income housing subsidies, street outreach, wrap-around services and low-barrier non-congregate shelters. We stick with a generational commitment to the principle that we leave no one behind. That every person has infinite worth, that if we allow even a single life to be extinguished or the promise of it to go unrealized, that we are all the lesser for it.
What will not work?
We have a laundry list of failed approaches dating back 40 years. We cannot arrest, incarcerate, trespass, or enforce our way out of this crisis. None of those things will house so much as a single homeless person. You cannot successfully criminalize someone’s right to exist, and tough-love approaches have very little historical success. They didn’t work with the war on drugs 25 years ago and they won’t work today.
That worthy poor, moral systems approach gave us high barrier shelters, “housing ready” strategies, and programs based on compulsion and not choice; in short the very programs and shelters our homeless cannot use today.
We each must take personal responsibility for every soul in abject poverty outside. Our unsheltered homeless are a canary in a coal mine, one that shows something much more fundamental and serious is wrong. If we return to the failed policies of the past, we risk turning a serious issue into an unsolvable one. And if we fail to provide people a place to go, the tragedy of March 27 will happen again.
Jimmy Jones is the executive director of the Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Agency in Salem. The agency provides anti-poverty and harm-reduction programs in Marion and Polk counties, and some program areas serve as many as 11 Oregon counties. Jones also serves as the chair of the Legislative Committee of the Community Action Partnership of Oregon.
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https://www.heraldandnews.com/klamath/same-stale-answers-won-t-solve-oregon-s-homeless-challenges/article_19819c04-b347-5a61-bdb0-78991a02c123.html
| 2022-04-13T21:18:31Z
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Amazon adds 5% ‘fuel and inflation surcharge’ to seller fees
(AP) – Amazon is taking a step to offset its rising costs, announcing Wednesday it will add a 5% “fuel and inflation surcharge” to fees it charges third-party sellers who use the e-commerce giant’s fulfillment services.
The Seattle-based company said on its website that the added fees, which take effect April 28, are “subject to change” and will apply to both apparel and non-apparel items.
Amazon didn’t immediately respond to a request for further details on the move. But in a notice sent to sellers Wednesday, the company said its costs had gone up since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic due to increases in hourly wages, the hiring of workers and construction of more warehouses.
It said it had absorbed costs whenever possible, and only increased fees to address permanent costs and to be competitive with other providers. Amazon competitors FedEx and UPS both have fuel surcharges.
“In 2022, we expected a return to normalcy as COVID-19 restrictions around the world eased, but fuel and inflation have presented further challenges,” the company said in the notice. The latest fee hike follows one announced in November and which went into effect in January.
Federal data released Tuesday showed inflation jumped 8.5% in March, its fastest pace in more than 40 years. Gasoline prices have rocketed 48% in the past 12 months.
Amazon’s third-party marketplace, where independent merchants list millions of their products, is a huge part of its business. It has about 2 million sellers, and more than half the goods sold on Amazon.com come from these sellers.
Last year, sellers paid Amazon about $103 billion in fees, which made up about 22% of the company’s revenue. The online retailer said the new fees will apply to products ordered before April 28 but shipped and delivered after that date.
Amazon has long faced accusations of undercutting merchants that sell on its platform by making “knock-offs,” or very similar products, and boosting their presence on the site.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/13/amazon-adds-5-fuel-inflation-surcharge-seller-fees/
| 2022-04-13T21:18:32Z
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Amber Alert issued for south Alabama 2-month-old
Published: Apr. 13, 2022 at 4:40 PM EDT|Updated: 35 minutes ago
DOTHAN, Ala. (WSFA/Gray news) - An Amber Alert has been issued for a south Alabama 2-month-old.
Officials say 2-month-old Messiah Richards was abducted. He was last seen near South Appletree in Dothan wearing a white onesie with blue socks.
Alabama Law Enforcement Agency officials said Messiah is believed to be with MarQuec Banks and Alexis Richards.
The abductors are believed to be traveling in a dark blue Volkswagen SUV with an unknown Alabama tag. Their direction of travel is unknown at this time.
Anyone with any information on their whereabouts or sees them is asked to call 911.
Copyright 2022 WSFA via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/13/amber-alert-issued-south-alabama-2-month-old/
| 2022-04-13T21:18:40Z
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Architectural firm chosen for Lonnie Gunter, Jr. Center for Industrial History
PRINCETON, W.Va. (WVVA) - Johnson + Bailey Architects P.C. has been announced as the architectural firm in charge of developing the Lonnie Gunter, Jr. Center for Industrial History, which will be located on the East side of Mercer Street.
The firm will be utilizing a large block of the street that includes the old Wheby’s grocery store. The center will include a collection of historic steam engines, early vehicles and machinery used in agriculture among other historic pieces.
“Staying here in the historic district which is on the national registry for historic places. Bringing this museum into compliment the existing railroad museum and the agricultural museum is going to make this whole stretch of town a museum district. It will be a multi-day destination and a heritage tourism destination,” said Executive Director of the RiffRaff Arts Collective, Lori McKinney.
The Johnson + Bailey Architects P.C. firm is based in Murfreesboro, Tennessee but the lead architect for the project, John Trail grew up in Rock, West Virginia.
Copyright 2022 WVVA. All rights reserved.
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https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/13/architectural-firm-chosen-lonnie-gunter-jr-center-industrial-history/
| 2022-04-13T21:18:46Z
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Beckley Deputy Chief sworn-in as Chief of Police
BECKLEY, W.Va. (WVVA) - On Wednesday, a new Chief of Police was named for the City of Beckley.
From the moment Dean Bailey- former Deputy Chief- stepped into law enforcement 25 years ago, he dreamed of one day being named chief. His dream has now become reality.
“The very first day that you’re a policeman, it’s a position you strive to succeed to get,” Bailey said of his new position. “It’s something I’ve always worked toward.”
Wednesday was Bailey’s first full day in office following Chief Lonnie Christian’s retirement on Tuesday.”
He was sworn in by Mayor Rob Rappold in front of his family, friends and colleagues. Emotions were high as Bailey raised his hand in oath, checking the box on what he describes as a major milestone in his life. After the papers were signed, Bailey expressed his eagerness to get to work and begin laying the foundation for his goals as chief.
“I’m very excited to start this new position. I’m just thankful that the mayor and city council has faith in me to be able to continue on to serve the citizens of Beckley.”
Having known Bailey for quite some time, Mayor Rappold says he has no doubt he will serve the city well.
“You know, he’s highly respected by the force, very personable. I’m sure he cracks a whip when he has to. I haven’t seen that side of him yet. But he’s just very well liked by everybody.”
With an entire career dedicated to the people of Raleigh County, Bailey looks forward to continuing his service in a different way.
“I love this place; I love this city,” he shared. “I always have. I grew up here pretty much my whole life so it’s a great thing to be able to serve the people of Beckley in this capacity.”
In addition to Bailey, another officer with more than 20 years experience was sworn-in on Wednesday. Chief of Detectives Dave Allard will be filling Bailey’s Deputy Chief position. In addition to his detective experience, Allard is also the department’s liaison for the FBI.
A replacement has not yet been named to fill the Chief of Detectives position.
Copyright 2022 WVVA. All rights reserved.
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https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/13/beckley-deputy-chief-sworn-in-chief-police/
| 2022-04-13T21:18:53Z
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CAUGHT ON CAMERA: Man tosses Molotov cocktails at Florida home, police say
FORT PIERCE, Fla. (CNN) - A man was caught on camera throwing Molotov cocktails at a house, according to police.
It happened on Sunday in Fort Pierce, Florida.
In the video, a man is seen running up to the window of a house and throwing something inside. Flames were then seen starting to shoot out of the window.
Police reported the object was a Molotov cocktail.
The man is then seen running out of frame and another Molotov cocktail appears to be tossed over the roof, before rolling and landing at the side of the house.
Family of the homeowner said there were three people inside when all of this happened and fortunately, they are all doing OK.
Police, however, are still searching for the man in the video.
Copyright 2022 CNN Newsource. All rights reserved.
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https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/13/caught-camera-man-tosses-molotov-cocktails-florida-home-police-say/
| 2022-04-13T21:18:59Z
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Local company helps raise funds for high school seniors
MERCER COUNTY, W.Va. (WVVA) - The Mayor of Bluefield, West Virginia, presents checks to schools to help with costs for project graduation. The money comes from donations by customers at Grants locations.
Mayor Ron Martin says more than 50 schools will be receiving money from the program. The top three receivers were Bluefield, Montcalm and Princeton High Schools.
“The money ultimately comes from the customers and this year and they’ve done a great job. Across the company they’ve raised twenty five thousand dollars,” said Martin.
“For us this money is very important. We have very high expectation on what we can achieve there. For us it’s just one last safe time for all of us to hang out as a class,” said Dustin Brewster, a senior at Princeton Senior High School.
Martin says this is the seventh year of doing the fundraiser and they look forward to doing it again next year.
Copyright 2022 WVVA. All rights reserved.
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https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/13/local-company-helps-raise-funds-high-school-seniors/
| 2022-04-13T21:19:07Z
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Man arrested after shooting dog in face, police say
JUPITER, Fla. (Gray News) – Police in Florida arrested a man who they say shot and injured a dog, leaving the animal for dead.
The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office said Boots the dog was shot in the face at Kennedy Estates Park in Jupiter on Friday. He suffered a fractured lower jaw, causing several of his teeth to be knocked out.
Boots was taken to an emergency vet where he is currently recovering.
The investigation led police to Benjamine Brown, who they say surrendered Wednesday without incident.
Brown was arrested and booked into Palm Beach County Jail.
Police said Boots will be adopted once he is fully healed.
Anyone else with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-458-TIPS.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/13/man-arrested-after-shooting-dog-face-police-say/
| 2022-04-13T21:19:13Z
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Police: No charges for man who killed teen in self-defense during fight
LAS VEGAS (KVVU/Gray News) - Las Vegas police are investigating a fight between a teen and a man that led to a deadly shooting earlier this week.
FOX5 reports officers with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said the shooting happened in a neighborhood in the west part of town early Monday morning.
A police department spokesperson said a man was walking in the area when he encountered the teen. The two then got into a dispute, and the 16-year-old pointed a gun and threatened the man.
According to police, the man was lawfully armed and shot the teen out of self-defense.
The Clark County Coroner’s Office later identified the teen as Christian Murphy, of Las Vegas.
Police said no criminal charges were filed against the man involved in the incident and he was not arrested. The case will be submitted to the Clark County District Attorney’s office for review.
The original altercation is part of an ongoing investigation, according to police.
Copyright 2022 KVVU via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/13/police-no-charges-man-who-killed-teen-self-defense-during-fight/
| 2022-04-13T21:19:22Z
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Showers, a few t-storms possible for the first half of Thursday
Temps will be a bit cooler, but still seasonable despite the rain tomorrow
A cold front approaching the area will bring a renewed chance of rain by Thursday morning. We look to see a few showers here & there tonight (mainly north of I-64), but most will stay dry Wednesday evening. We’ll otherwise be partly cloudy, breezy, and mild overnight, with lows holding in the 50s for most.
Thursday will bring rain for the first part of the day. From roughly sunrise until around 1-2 PM, we’ll see scattered showers, with a few possible embedded thunderstorms. While severe weather is not expected across our area, we could still see a few t-storms with locally heavy rain and occasionally gusty winds. Highs on Thursday will be a bit cooler, but not unseasonable, still hitting the upper 50s-mid 60s for most.
By late Thursday afternoon, we will quickly clear and dry out. Winds will shift direction from SW to NW Thursday evening, allowing for a cool-down into Thursday night. Skies will be mainly clear, but temps will drop into the 30s. Especially in deeper sheltered valleys, we could see some frost develop. into early Friday AM.
Friday will bring a nice end to the work week- we’ll be mainly clear, dry, and seasonable with highs in 60s. Friday night, we’ll see gradually increasing cloud cover and low temps in the 40s.
A weak front will move into the area this weekend but will lack significant moisture. We’ll therefore see a mix of sun and clouds on Saturday and Sunday, but rain chances should stay on the lower end. (Generally, a few spotty showers here & there are expected through the Holiday weekend). High temps through the weekend will be in the 50s and 60s, while low temps will be in the upper 30s-low 40s for most.
Next week, a stronger frontal system will move in, bringing wider-spread rain to start next week. We could see a few snowflakes back in the mix to by Monday evening...stay tuned!
BLUEFIELD, W.Va. (WVVA) -
Copyright 2022 WVVA. All rights reserved.
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https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/13/showers-few-t-storms-possible-first-half-thursday/
| 2022-04-13T21:19:28Z
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US agencies: Industrial control system malware discovered
BOSTON (AP) — Multiple U.S. government agencies issued a joint alert Wednesday warning of the discovery of malicious cyber tools created by unnamed advanced threat actors that they said were capable of gaining “full system access” to multiple industrial control systems.
The public alert from the Energy and Homeland Security Departments, the FBI and National Security Agency did not name the actors or offer details on the find.
But the CEO of one of the cybersecurity companies involved in the effort, Robert M. Lee of Dragos, says it has high confidence the malware was developed by a state actor and was configured to initially target liquified natural gas and electric power sites in North America.
Lee would not name the state actor, referring questions to the U.S. government. Nor would he explain how the malware was discovered, other than to say it was caught “before an attack was attempted.”
“We’re actually one step ahead of the adversary. None of us want them to understand where they screwed up,” said Lee. “Big win.”
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, which published the alert, did not immediately respond to a request for details on the discovery or threat actor.
The U.S. government has warned critical infrastructure industries to gird for possible cyberattacks from Russia as retaliation for severe economic sanctions imposed on Moscow in response to its Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine.
Lee said the malware was “designed to be a framework to go after lots of different types of industries and be leveraged multiple times. Based on the configuration of it, the initial targets would be LNG and electric in North America.”
He said the malware, dubbed Pipedream, is only the seventh such malicious software to be identified that is designed to attack industrial control systems.
Lee said Dragos, which specializes in industrial control system protection, identified and analyzed its capability in early 2022 as part of its normal business research and in collaboration with partners.
He would offer no more specifics. The U.S. government alert offers thanks to Dragos, Mandiant, Microsoft, Palo Alto Networks and Schneider Electric for their contributions.
Schneider Electric is one of the manufacturers listed in the alert whose equipment is targeted by the malware. Omron is another.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/13/us-agencies-industrial-control-system-malware-discovered/
| 2022-04-13T21:19:35Z
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Michigan police release video showing officer knelt on Black man, fatally shot him
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) — A Black man face-down on the ground was fatally shot in the back of the head by a Michigan police officer, the violent climax of a traffic stop, foot chase and fight over a stun gun, according to videos of the April 4 incident released Wednesday.
Patrick Lyoya, 26, was shot outside a house in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The white officer repeatedly demanded that Lyoya “let go” of his Taser. At one point, the officer demanded, “drop the Taser!”
Police Chief Eric Winstrom released four videos, including critical footage of the shooting recorded by a passenger in Lyoya’s car on that rainy morning.
“I view it as a tragedy. ... It was a progression of sadness for me,” said Winstrom, a former high-ranking Chicago police commander who became Grand Rapids chief in March.
Video shows Lyoya running from the scene after an officer stopped him for driving with a license plate that didn’t belong to the vehicle. They struggled on the front lawn of a few homes while Lyoya’s passenger got out and watched.
In the final moments, the officer was on top of Lyoya, kneeling on his back at times to try to subdue him.
“From my view of the video, Taser was deployed twice. Taser did not make contact,” Winstrom told reporters. “And Mr. Lyoya was shot in the head. However, that’s the only information that I have.”
State police are investigating the shooting. Kent County’s chief medical examiner, Dr. Stephen Cohle, said he completed the autopsy on the day of Lyoya’s death, but that toxicology tests haven’t been completed.
The traffic stop was tense from the start. Video shows Lyoya, a native of the Democratic Republic of Congo, getting out of the car before the officer approached. He ordered Lyoya to get back in the vehicle but the man declined.
The officer asked him if he spoke English and demanded his driver’s license. The foot chase began soon after, video shows.
Winstrom didn’t identify the officer, a seven-year veteran who is on paid leave during the investigation.
“Me being from Chicago for the last 20 years, I’ve handled many police shootings myself, so I do have a lot of experience in this,” the chief said. “I was hoping to never have to utilize that experience here.”
Video was collected from Lyoya’s passenger, the officer’s body-worn camera, the officer’s patrol car and a doorbell camera.
City Manager Mark Washington warned that the videos would lead to “expressions of shock, of anger and of pain.” Some downtown businesses boarded up their storefronts, and concrete barricades surrounded police headquarters.
More than 100 people marched to Grand Rapids City Hall before a City Commission meeting Tuesday night, chanting “Black lives matter” and “No justice, no peace.”
Winstrom last week said he met Lyoya’s father, Peter Lyoya, and that they both cried.
“I get it as a father. ... It’s just heart-wrenching,” the chief told WOOD-TV.
As in many U.S. cities, Grand Rapids police have been occasionally criticized over the use of force, particularly against Black people, who make up 18% of the population.
In November, the Michigan Supreme Court heard arguments in a lawsuit over the practice of photographing and fingerprinting people who were never charged with a crime. Grand Rapids said the policy changed in 2015.
A downtown street has been designated Breonna Taylor Way, named for the Black woman and Grand Rapids native who was killed by police in Louisville, Kentucky, during a botched drug raid in 2020.
___
White reported from Detroit. AP reporters Corey Williams in West Bloomfield, Michigan; David Eggert in Lansing, Michigan; and John Flesher in Traverse City, Michigan, contributed to this story.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/13/video-michigan-officer-knelt-black-man-fatally-shot-him/
| 2022-04-13T21:19:46Z
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‘You don’t want this feeling’: 3-year-old killed by stray bullet while lying in bed
BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB/Gray News) - Devin Page Jr. had just started preschool, loved playing with his siblings and loved his family.
“He was a great, a very smart, intelligent 3-year-old. He was always happy, you know he loved the dance, he loves school, he loves green, he loves trucks, he loves everything,” his mother, Tye Toliver, told WAFB.
On Tuesday night, bullets flew through his window and killed him in his sleep.
“Until it happens to you, until the gun is shot at your house, you know, until the bullets come through your window, you don’t get involved. You have nothing to say,” his grandmother, Cathy Toliver, said. “But you don’t want this feeling that we have right now. You don’t want the feeling of knowing that you’ll never see your grandbaby or your son again. You don’t want that feeling.”
The family said they tried to leave their house after hearing gunshots nearby several nights in a row.
“After the first couple of weeks I was trying to move out because of the neighbors because of the drama, it was always fighting. they were shooting at each other with guns,” Tye Toliver said.
But the mother was told she would have to pay thousands to move.
“I try to stick it out, now that I stick it out, this is the outcome of what happened - my son got killed,” Tye Toliver said.
Neighbors said this street was not always like this.
“When I hear these shootings, I roll over on the floor and get down on the floor, scared to death,” neighbor Hattie Scales said.
The people who live on the street want the violence to stop.
“I want something to be done. I want the killers firsthand, I want justice for my son,” Tye Toliver said.
“It’s the only way we’re going to find strength right now is by the grace of God and with family and friends. you’ve got to keep hope alive and we are going to continue to fight for our grandson,” Cathy Toliver said.
A memorial balloon release will be held at Sherwood Park on North Sherwood Forest Drive Saturday, April 16 at 3 p.m.
The family has also set up a GoFundMe to cover his funeral expenses. You can donate to it by clicking here.
Copyright 2022 WAFB via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/13/you-dont-want-this-feeling-3-year-old-killed-by-stray-bullet-while-lying-bed/
| 2022-04-13T21:19:52Z
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Amazon said Wednesday that for the first time in company history it will charge sellers a 5% fuel and inflation surcharge.
The e-commerce giant said the new fee will begin April 28 and is being imposed because inflation has worsened significantly in recent months.
"In 2022, we expected a return to normalcy as Covid-19 restrictions around the world eased, but fuel and inflation have presented further challenges," Amazon wrote in memo that was provided to CNN by the company. "It is unclear if these inflationary costs will go up or down, or for how long they will persist, so rather than a permanent fee change."
Amazon spokesman Patrick Graham told CNN that the fee only applies to sellers that choose to use Amazon's fulfillment services, which include storing, packing and shipping products. Others sellers that do not use Fulfillment by Amazon will not be impacted. News of the surcharge was first previously reported by Bloomberg News.
Amazon's fee hikes on sellers could translate to higher costs to consumers as businesses seek to pass along rising expenses to their customers.
Suppliers sharply raised prices by 11.2% in March, the most on records that go back to 2010, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said Wednesday. Consumer prices spiked by 8.5% year-over-year in March, the biggest jump since 1981.
Amazon said in its memo that the company has attempted to minimize the impact of inflation.
"Like many, we have experienced significant cost increases and absorbed them, wherever possible, to reduce the impact on our selling partners," Amazon said. "When we did increase fees, we were focused on addressing permanent costs and ensuring our fees were competitive with those charged by other service providers."
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https://www.kitv.com/news/business/amazon-is-adding-a-5-fuel-and-inflation-surcharge/article_57c01449-2b4e-59aa-9988-3236df53de36.html
| 2022-04-13T21:59:27Z
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HONOLULU (KITV4) -- You may have noticed the price of poke and seafood is on the rise. Restaurant owners and managers tell KITV4 they're also seeing an increase in cost.
Seafood markets say they're seeing shortages in some cases.
You may be seeing trouble when you pull out your wallet to pay for fish and seafood, but it's the fishing industry that's threatened right now.
As fisherman Paul Dodder prepares to once again head out to sea. Expenses are on his mind.
"Fuel prices are always the number one expense," said Dodder.
Diesel fuel we're told is up 50%. But there are other costs as well.
"Baits and supplies for your crew, all of that has increased 40%-50%," said Hawaii Longline Association Executive Director Eric Kingma.
Those costs on top of increasing demand are driving prices up.
"Demand was increasing when things opened up. Tourism has opened up. Supply has come up a little bit then. Fish prices are up 15% to 20% higher now than pre-pandemic," said Kingma.
Kingma says the cost of shipped-in fish has risen higher than that caught locally. But what's shipped in is usually lower than what is caught here, because of lower labor costs overseas. If that fish floods the market...that could doom local fishermen.
"You could have situations where imports flood the market and the local price drops through the floor. Prices remain high and vessels could tie up rather than choosing to go out and fish," said Kingma.
While it's doubtful, there is a possibility fishermen could be pushed too far.
"Fishermen could say, it's going to be too expensive to go fishing if the price is not high enough," said Kingma.
For right now however there's still the desire to go out and earn your living.
"There's the same amount of fish out there we are bringing in,but I got to go now to go catch them and earn my living," said Dodder.
Fishermen KITV4 spoke to, told us they plan to head out tomorrow. We hope that continues.
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| 2022-04-13T21:59:33Z
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FILE - In this Feb. 5, 2020, file photo workers sort through tomatoes after they are washed before being inspected and packed, in Florida City, Fla., The surging cost of energy pushed wholesale prices up a record 11.2% last month from a year earlier — another sign that inflationary pressure is widespread in the U.S. economy. The Labor Department said Wednesday, April 13, 2022 that its producer price index — which measures inflation before it reaches consumers — climbed at the fastest year-over-year pace in records going back to 2010 and rose 1.4% from February. Energy prices, which soared after Russia’s Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine, were up 36.7% from March 2021.. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee, File)
WASHINGTON (AP) — The surging cost of energy pushed wholesale prices up a record 11.2% last month from a year earlier — another sign that inflationary pressure is widespread in the U.S. economy.
The Labor Department said Wednesday that its producer price index — which measures inflation before it reaches consumers — climbed at the fastest year-over-year pace in records going back to 2010 and rose 1.4% from February. Energy prices, which soared after Russia’s Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine, were up 36.7% from March 2021.
The wholesale inflation report came out a day after the Labor Department reported that consumer prices last month jumped 8.5% from a year earlier — fastest annual clip since December 1981.
Under pressure to combat rising prices, the Federal Reserve raised ts benchmark short-term rate by a quarter-point last month and has signaled that it plans several more hikes this year.
Resurgent inflation isn’t just a U.S. phenomenon. The United Kingdom’s Office for National Statistics reported Wednesday that British consumer prices rose 7% in the 12 months that ended in March, the fastest pace in 30 years, pulled up by soaring energy costs.
An unexpectedly quick economic recovery from the pandemic recession of 2020 caught businesses by surprise. Their scramble to meet surging customer demand overwhelmed factories, ports and freight yards. The Ukraine war and draconian COVID-19 lockdowns in China have further disrupted supply chains over the past month.
“With a new wave of lockdowns in China and the war in Ukraine raging on ... risks to the inflation outlook remain firmly to the upside,″ economists Mahir Rasheed and Kathy Bostjancic of Oxford Economics wrote in a research report.
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| 2022-04-13T21:59:39Z
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NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks edged higher in morning trading on Wall Street Wednesday as investors reviewed the latest round of corporate earnings and an upbeat report from Delta Air Lines that bodes well for the broader travel industry.
The S&P 500 rose 0.3% as of 10:19 a.m. Eastern. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 53 points, or 0.2%, to 34,276 and the Nasdaq rose 0.9%.
Travel-related companies were among the biggest gainers after Delta reported strong revenue during its first quarter and solid bookings. The update is encouraging for the broader travel sector as airlines, cruise lines and hotels prepare for the summer vacation season.
Delta rose 4.7% and rival American Airlines jumped 8.1%. Delta and United Airlines both rose more than 4%. Cruise line operators Carnival and Royal Caribbean also both rose more than 3%, along with Expedia Group.
Technology stocks also did much of the heavy lifting for the broader market. Pricey valuations for many of the bigger technology companies lend more weight to directing the broader market higher or lower.
Banks slipped following a disappointing earnings report from JPMorgan, which fell 3.1% after revealing a sharp drop in profits as it wrote down nearly $1.5 billion in assets due to higher inflation and the Russian-Ukrainian War.
Bond yields fell. The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 2.66% from 2.72%.
The gains for stocks follow three straight losses for the benchmark S&P 500 index brought on by persistent worries about inflation and the tough medicine the Federal Reserve is planning to use against it, higher interest rates.
The Labor Department reported that the surging cost of energy pushed wholesale prices up a record 11.2% last month from a year earlier — another sign that inflationary pressure is widespread in the U.S. economy. That report comes a day after the department reported that consumer prices remain at their highest levels in generations.
The persistently rising inflation has prompted the Federal Reserve to tighten its monetary policy in order to temper the impact of inflation on businesses and consumers. The central bank has already announced a quarter-percentage point rate hike and is expected to continue raising rates through the year.
The Fed revealed in the minutes from its latest meeting that it’s prepared to hike short-term rates by half a percentage point, double the usual amount, at some upcoming meetings, something it hasn’t done since 2000.
Lingering concerns about inflation and rising interest rates have been worsened by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The conflict has made for volatile energy prices as oil supplies already remain tight amid rising demand. U.S. crude oil prices rose 1.4% and are up nearly 40% for the year. That has driven up gasoline prices and added to inflation’s hit on people’s wallets.
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| 2022-04-13T21:59:45Z
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| 2022-04-13T21:59:52Z
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HONOLULU (KITV4) -- A plan by cyber criminals to interrupt Oahu's telecommunications infrastructure has been shut down.
Cyber criminals were targeting an underwater fiber optic cable line to Hawaii supporting internet service, maintained by a private company. Authorities say an international hacking ring targeted a cable line with the intent to disrupt service.
An arrest was made overseas, though homeland security has not yet revealed if the criminals were asking for a ransom or not.
"We have a lot of state sponsored groups that are also hacking and their main purpose is to disrupt our day to day life and our operations. So not necessarily to make money, but just to wreck havoc on our life," John F. Tobin of the Department of Homeland Security told KITV news.
Attila Seress of Cylanda Cybersecurity says instances of online cyber criminal activity has been sky rocketing.
"We started seeing an uptick in the number of cyber incidents starting in December of last year, and since then we have seen it go up over 3 thousand per cent," Seress said.
Do you have a story idea? Email news tips to news@kitv.com
Jeremy Lee joined KITV after over a decade & a half in broadcast news from coast to coast on the mainland. Jeremy most recently traveled the country documenting protests & civil unrest.
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https://www.kitv.com/news/crime/cyber-criminals-thwarted-from-disrupting-oahu-telecommunications/article_b46ee48c-bafe-11ec-a2c6-073b22dcf596.html
| 2022-04-13T21:59:58Z
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The 62-year-old man suspected of shooting 10 people on a subway train in Brooklyn on Tuesday was arrested by patrol officers in New York's East Village neighborhood on Wednesday afternoon, three law enforcement officials told CNN.
Frank James, who police initially described as a "person of interest," was taken into custody hours after officials declared him a suspect in the shooting. His status was elevated after investigators determined he purchased the gun recovered at the scene, law enforcement officials said.
He was the target of a manhunt for less than a day and was captured in Manhattan about five miles from the shooting location.
James is suspected of setting off smoke grenades and firing a handgun 33 times on a crowded N train traveling toward the 36th Street station in Brooklyn's Sunset Park neighborhood. The attack left 29 people injured, including 10 who were shot, though none of the injuries appear to be life-threatening, officials said. Five of the victims were young people commuting to school, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said.
The motive of the shooting is not yet known. The attack is not being investigated as an act of terrorism but authorities have not ruled out anything, NYPD commissioner Keechant Sewell said.
The city issued an emergency alert to residents Wednesday saying James is "wanted" and asking the public for tips. The US Marshals Service joined the manhunt as well, a spokesperson told CNN.
"We're going to catch this person," Mayor Eric Adams said on CNN's "New Day" on Wednesday. "We're going to bring him to justice and hold him responsible for this horrific act on innocent people that are utilizing our subway system."
The subway shooting represents a long-feared nightmare scenario for New York City, which relies heavily on its mass transit system. Subway ridership cratered during the Covid pandemic as many workers stayed home, and ridership has not returned to its pre-pandemic levels, in part due to wariness over an increase in violence on the transit system.
The photo gallery below contains graphic images. Viewer discretion is advised.
How investigators honed in on James
Investigators combing through the shooting scene found a Glock 9 mm handgun, three extended magazines, two detonated smoke grenades, two non-detonated smoke grenades, a hatchet and keys to a U-Haul van, NYPD Chief of Detectives James Essig said.
A credit card that was used to rent the U-Haul was also found, two law enforcement sources told CNN. Two officials told CNN they believe the gun jammed during the shooting.
The U-Haul van was rented by James, police said, connecting him to the incident. The van was recovered near the station and has been cleared by the NYPD's bomb squad, police said.
Investigators did not find any other weapons or explosives in the van, two law enforcement officials said. The officials said it appeared James may have slept in the vehicle. They said a license plate reader detected the van driving over the Verrazzano Bridge from Staten Island into Brooklyn around 4 a.m. Tuesday.
Authorities also tracked the purchase of a gas mask to James through an eBay account, two officials said.
James has addresses in Wisconsin and in Philadelphia, where the U-Haul was rented, Essig said.
His family did not immediately respond to CNN's request for comment.
Within the 36th Street station, surveillance video may not be available. A preliminary review indicates there was some sort of malfunction with the camera system at the station, Adams told WCBS Radio.
Still, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) system has almost 10,000 cameras, including almost 600 cameras on the Brooklyn section where the attack took place, MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said Wednesday.
"The result is that the NYPD has been able to comb through video from other stations and they have actually, as a result, identified three perspectives on the fellow who is wanted for this crime coming into the station," he said.
How the shooting unfolded
People aboard the train car on Tuesday morning said smoke filled the car and gunshots rang out, causing people to push their way to the other side of the train in panic and confusion.
Hourari Benkada, 27, who was shot in the back of the knee, said he thinks he was sitting next to the shooter.
Speaking from a hospital bed Tuesday, Benkada said he'd gotten into the last car of the N train and sat next to a man with a duffel bag who appeared to be wearing an MTA vest. The man let off a "smoke bomb," said Benkada, a housekeeping manager at the New Yorker Hotel.
"And all you see (is) smoke -- black smoke ... going off, and then people bum-rushing to the back," Benkada said. "This pregnant woman was in front of me. I was trying to help her. I didn't know there were shots at first. I just thought it was a black smoke bomb.
"She said, 'I'm pregnant with a baby.' I hugged her. And then the bum-rush continued. I got pushed, and that's when I got shot in the back of my knee."
The shooting started about 20 seconds after the train took off from the 59th Street station and felt like it lasted for nearly 2 minutes, Benkada said. Benkada heard other people in pain, but couldn't see them or the suspect because of the smoke, he said.
Claire Tunkel, 46, who was in the subway car where the shooting took place, described the scene as chaotic. She said she couldn't see anything because of the smoke, but she heard people crying out for help and others saying they were bleeding.
"You couldn't see anything, but you could feel it," she said. People were rushing to the front of the car, and some fell to the ground, she said. "You could feel the bodies."
She took off her jacket and tied it around the leg of a man who suffered a gunshot wound, she told CNN. Tunkel, who later went to the hospital for smoke inhalation, said several victims were lying on the floor of the subway platform after the train arrived at the station.
Suspect talked about mass shootings in rambling videos
James, the suspect in the shooting, has been linked to multiple rambling videos posted on a YouTube channel. A screenshot from one of the videos was used on an NYPD Crimestoppers flyer seeking information about the shooting.
James talked about violence and mass shootings in the videos, including one uploaded Monday in which he said he's thought about killing people who have presumably hurt him.
"I've been through a lot of s**t, where I can say I wanted to kill people. I wanted to watch people die right in front of my f**king face immediately. But I thought about the fact that, hey man, I don't want to go to no f**king prison," he said.
In another video posted last week, James, who is Black, rants about abuse in churches and racism in the workplace, using misogynistic and racist language.
Many of the videos that James uploaded included references to violence, including at a set group of people he believed had maligned him, in addition to broad societal and racial groups that he appeared to hate.
In another video posted last month to the same channel, James said that he had post-traumatic stress. In that video, James said he left his home in Milwaukee on March 20. During the trip eastward, he said he was heading to the "danger zone."
"You know, it's triggering a lot of negative thoughts of course," he said in the video. "I do have a severe case of post-traumatic stress."
In a video posted in February, he also criticized a plan by the Adams administration to address safety and homelessness in the subway in part through an expanded presence of mental health professionals. In a racist and rambling recording, James called the new effort "doomed to fail" and described his own negative experience with city health workers during a "crisis of mental health back in the '90s, '80s and '70s."
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| 2022-04-13T22:00:04Z
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| 2022-04-13T22:00:10Z
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HONOLULU (KITV4) -- More than half a year after the City and County of Honolulu announced plans to tear down the controversial 'Stairway to Heaven' or Ha‘ikū Stairs, the future of the hiking trail once again hangs in the balance.
According to the non-profit in support of preserving the trail, Friends of Ha‘ikū Stairs, a budgetary mistake by the Honolulu City Council is the reason it's back on the agenda.
The budget for the demolition is part of Budget Bill 14 and is on the meeting agenda for Wednesday, April 13. (Click here to look at the meeting agenda)
Only this time around, the price of the demolition project has gone up. In Sept. 2021, Council and Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi signed off on $1-million. According to Budget Bill 14, the price tag now stands at $1.3-million, a 30% increase.
"They made a mistake, it’s a wake up call that we need to get some answers. We need the councilmembers to look at this," said Sean Pager.
Pager is the President of Friends of Ha‘ikū Stairs. FHS says that as of Tuesday, April 11, no reason has been given as to why the budget increased.
FHS now hopes that with this so-called second chance, Council takes a pause and takes a closer look.
"This is a serious endeavor and the City hasn't even begun to grapple with the challenges, let alone cost out all the expenses," said Pager.
According to the Friends of Ha‘ikū Stairs, demolishing the stairs properly could cost upwards of $10-million.
Here is a look at some rough numbers from FHS. According to FHS they are ballpark figures after consulting with experts:
- Erosion control: $5-million
- Helicopters: $3-million
- Sedimentary control: $1-million
- Native species: $1-million
- Consultants/Planners: unspecified amount
"The City’s own planning documents, the 2019 environmental impact statement done by the Board of Water Supply, says they need to deal with erosion control, they need to put in place precautions to stop run off to the bay," said Pager.
An op-ed in the Honolulu Star Advertiser on Tuesday, April 12 agreed with FHS that costs will exceed the $1.3-million. Saying that it doesn't include staff hours for several organizations. (Read the op-ed by Chris Dacus by clicking here)
"We want councilmembers to appreciate that there are serious risks and tax payers have no patience for governments rushing in to poorly planned projects that will lead to costly expenditures," said Pager.
FOR REMOVAL
Those in favor of removing the stairs include Native Hawaiian activists who point to the cultural significance of the area, as well as residents who are sick and tired of hikers trespassing and not respecting their properties as they make their way to the trail.
Ahead of Wednesday's City Council meeting, KITV4 reached out to Esther Kia'aina for comment, vice chair and councilmember for District III which includes where the trail is located.
She is in support of the trail being removed.
Kia'aina was unable to accommodate an interview, but in a previous hearing on the subject said:
"It's about respect for people and for our aina and clearly you have no respect for what was discussed earlier about the wao akua of this area and the sacredness of this area. These people should not be up there."
A NEW PROPOSAL TO SAVE THE STAIRS
The price for the demolition project isn't the only new development since Sept. 2021.
Since the initial decision was made, Friends of Ha‘ikū Stairs has been working on a new proposal to save the stairs.
"We've been consulting widely with different stakeholders in Haiku Valley and listening to concerns, so we are still developing the details," said Pager. "But I will tell you we are committed to a solution that addresses everyone’s concerns."
Some of these solutions include:
- A new public access for hikers to end trespassing
- Public parking for hikers to end homeowner/resident disturbances
- Working with Native Hawaiian communities to ensure cultural respect
"We envision anyone coming to the Stairs would have Native Hawaiian guides that will tell them about the history of the area of the Stairs," said Pager.
To help with the details of the plan, FHS has been working with the Kokohead Coalition, which is the group that rescued, repaired, and maintains the Koko Head Stairs.
According to Pager, Koko Head is one example of how the Ha‘ikū Stairs could be. FHS is also looking at Diamond Head and Hanauma Bay.
FHS' proposal would be that it would come at zero cost for the City, with FHS taking up the financial costs associated with the Stairs.
Pager said they are looking at charging a fee to visitors like at Diamond Head and Hanauma Bay.
"We could generate revenue from fees, we’ve also raised significant private donations and we think we could get more," said Pager.
According to Pager, FHS sees this option as being a positive revenue source that they would like to reinvest into the Ha‘ikū Valley.
"If it’s gone, it’s gone forever," said Pager. "It has huge potential to be a resource to the windward community, a source of investment, and could work in conjunction with other broader visions. So I think we need to come together and figure out a potential instead of just moving forward to demolition."
CITY COUNCIL MEETING, APRIL 13 AT 10 A.M.
In Sept. thousands of residents testified, 90% in favor of keeping the stairs and 10% in favor of demolition.
Now residents have a second chance to have their voice heard on the issue. Both written and oral testimony can be given during the meeting.
"In addition to figuring out how much it’s going to cost, the public should ask if this is even going to fix the problem," said Pager.
According to FHS, in 80 years, the Ha‘ikū Stairs has not had a single accidental death, court case, liability, or aerial rescue.
"You can rip that staircase off the mountain, but you aren’t going to stop people who want to go to that place," said Pager. "It is so famous. The name 'Stairway to Heaven' is so provocative that it’s pulling people in and they are coming and finding more dangerous ways to get there that are causing much of the same problems. People are already shifting to Moanalua."
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https://www.kitv.com/news/local/demolition-of-oahus-popular-haiku-stairs-aka-stairway-to-heaven-to-be-debated-again/article_8ca85528-badb-11ec-974d-3fa78bc1b49b.html
| 2022-04-13T22:00:16Z
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Rep. Kai Kahele defended his part-time work as a commercial pilot for Hawaiian Airlines, saying the arrangement complies with House Ethics rules, and attributed his lengthy absence from the Capitol to the pandemic after questions arose about whether he was breaking any ethics rules for continuing his work with the airline.
Members of Congress are limited to earning a maximum of $29,895 from outside sources of income in 2022, according to rules set by the House Ethics Committee. In a statement, Kahele's office said the Hawaii Democrat had earned $29,151.79 from Hawaiian Airlines in 2021. And so far this year, Kahele has flown three flights for a total of 14.2 flying hours, earning less than $2,861.90.
His outside income also raised questions about a potential conflict of interest, since Hawaiian Airlines has business before the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Kahele serves on that committee, which has jurisdiction over the airline industry.
The House Ethics Committee declined CNN's request for comment.
Kahele's office also explained that he has not voted in person since January because he is worried about new coronavirus variants and lives in a multigenerational family home. But his office said he remains committed to his work in DC.
"To limit his exposure to COVID-19 and the potential to spread the virus, our office has tried to reduce Rep. Kahele's cross-country travel while ensuring he fulfills all of his responsibilities in Congress," Kahele's spokesperson said in the statement provided by the congressman.
"The Congressman has not missed a single vote this year. He continues to participate in HASC and T&I Committee hearings and maximizes his time back home by engaging with his constituents and addressing their concerns at the federal level."
Questions about Kahele's work with Hawaiian Airlines arose after the Honolulu Civil Beat published an in-depth story looking into his attendance at the Capitol this year and his personal income since he entered office. The report found that Kahele has voted by proxy at least 120 times since the start of the year, meaning another lawmaker has cast his votes for him.
Hawaiian Airlines has directly lobbied the federal government on a slew of bills, several of which Kahele is a co-sponsor, and CNN has confirmed the airline contributed to Kahele's campaign every year since 2019. While the arrangement is unusual, Kahele's support for those bills and the donations from Hawaiian Airlines are not illegal.
Hawaiian Airlines did not respond to CNN's multiple requests for comment.
Kahele's office defended his seat on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, saying his background as a commercial pilot offers a "unique perspective."
"The Congressman brings a unique perspective to the T&I Committee as a current and qualified U.S. commercial air transport pilot and strengthens the voices of all pilots, cabin crews and air cargo operators at home in Hawaiʻi and throughout the United States," his spokesman said.
Air Line Pilots Association President Capt. Joe DePete defended Kahele in a statement, saying he is a "strong advocate for aviation safety, frontline workers and those who helped us through the pandemic."
He added: "We salute him for his service to our nation and his commitment to staying grounded in the real world while serving in Congress."
Kahele, a freshman congressman who was elected in 2020 to replace Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, was a pilot before he ran for office. The Honolulu Civil Beat reported that Kahele is considering a run for governor this year.
The-CNN-Wire
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https://www.kitv.com/news/local/kahele-defends-dual-role-as-member-of-congress-and-hawaiian-airlines-pilot-along-with-proxy/article_5b4ad7e2-41d4-589e-889b-4e9e2f1eab43.html
| 2022-04-13T22:00:22Z
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Country
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https://www.kitv.com/news/local/wednesday-weather-breezy-trades-a-mix-of-sun-and-clouds-with-passing-showers/article_bc4adad4-bb36-11ec-a038-c7eddb098ed4.html
| 2022-04-13T22:00:28Z
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In this handout photo provided by the Philippine Coast Guard, residents are evacuated by rescuers in a flooded village in Panitan, Panay island, Philippines on Tuesday April 12, 2022. Heavy rains caused by a summer tropical depression killed at least several people in the central and southern Philippines, mostly due to landslides, officials said Monday. (Philippine Coast Guard via AP)
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The death toll from landslides and floods that hit the central and southern Philippines after a summer tropical depression unleashed days of pounding rain has risen to at least 43, with 28 others missing, officials said Tuesday.
More than 100 villagers were injured in landslides in the hard-hit city of Baybay in central Leyte province over the weekend and early Monday, officials said. Army, police and other rescuers were struggling with mud and unstable heaps of earth and debris to find the missing villagers.
“We are saddened by this dreadful incident that caused an unfortunate loss of lives and destruction of properties,” said army brigade commander Col. Noel Vestuir, who was helping oversee the search and rescue.
Thirty-six of the dead were recovered from the landslides that hit six Baybay villages, military and local officials said. Seven other people drowned in floodwaters in the central provinces of Samar and Negros Oriental and southern Davao de Oro and Davao Oriental provinces.
More rescuers and heavy equipment, including backhoes, arrived in the landslide-hit villages in Baybay, but continuing rain and muddy ground have hampered the efforts. “The challenge is, it’s continuing to rain and we cannot immediately clear the landslide areas,” Vestuir said.
Coast guard, police and firefighters rescued some villagers Monday in flooded central communities, including some who were trapped on their roofs. In central Cebu city, schools and work were suspended Monday and Mayor Michael Rama declared a state of calamity to allow the rapid release of emergency funds.
At least 20 storms and typhoons batter the Philippines each year, mostly during the rainy season that begins around June. Some storms have hit even during the scorching summer months in recent years.
The disaster-prone Southeast Asian nation also lies on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” where many of the world’s volcanic eruptions and earthquakes occur.
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https://www.kitv.com/news/national/death-toll-from-philippine-landslides-floods-rises-to-43/article_d3727ef2-bb3a-11ec-8609-4fc26a11c3b5.html
| 2022-04-13T22:00:34Z
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A former Albany County sheriff and deputy deny accusations of manipulating video evidence related to a wrongful death lawsuit in the 2018 police killing of Robbie Ramirez, a Laramie resident.
Former Albany County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Derek Colling killed Ramirez by shooting him three times during a traffic stop in 2018. A grand jury declined to indict Colling of manslaughter in 2019, but now the county faces a $20 million civil lawsuit filed by Ramirez’s mother, Debra Hinkel, in 2020.
When Colling shot Ramirez, two of the bullets were to his back. Hinkel, along with community advocates, have maintained that the killing was an unjustified use of force against Ramirez, who was unarmed and struggled with mental illness. The lawsuit also claims Colling has a history of excessive use of force, which then-Sheriff David O’Malley has been accused of overlooking.
The accusations
In a motion filed March 10 in the wrongful death lawsuit, Hinkel claims that video submitted from Colling’s body camera was intentionally altered to omit the last five seconds of footage. The video submitted in response to the lawsuit also has no sound and ends a second before Colling begins shooting Ramirez.
Similarly, dash camera video was altered to delete recordings of the beginning of the encounter, as well as secondary camera feeds, the evidence audit log and sound, the motion claims.
These missing pieces of evidence are crucial to the lawsuit, as they would have provided a perspective of the shooting other than Colling’s testimony, Hinkel’s motion says. Video of the final shots Colling took could have supported a claim that Ramirez was not a threat and that Colling’s use of force was not justified.
Albany County officials falsely claimed they didn’t have the body camera log and dash camera video with a time overlay, which would have made it clear that original footage had been altered, according to the motion. Hinkel’s legal team didn’t gain access to the information until after they consulted with experts from Axon, the company that made the body camera.
“When police lose or destroy video evidence of a fatal shooting, the civil rights plaintiff suffers a degree of prejudice that is simply incomparable to other contexts,” the motion states.
Colling and O'Malley respond
In a response filed April 7, Colling’s legal team claims that his body camera became disconnected by accident and that he plugged it back in and informed dispatch when he noticed the disconnection after the shooting.
“(Hinkel’s) chief theory, as it relates to Colling’s alleged bad faith spoliation, is that Colling intentionally unplugged his Axon body camera after the shooting. This is simply not true,” according to the former deputy's response. “During the physical struggle with Ramirez, the Axon body camera wire connection to the battery pack became unplugged. Colling did not realize that the body camera cord to the battery pack had disconnected because his focus was on Ramirez.”
Colling’s legal team also claims that it would have been impossible for Colling or any other deputy to download, edit and reupload the video because that technology is not available for body camera videos. The only way to view videos is through a mobile app, and the app wasn’t working on Colling’s phone, the response claims.
After the shooting, Colling waited in a nearby church with Deputy Jay Peyton before DCI Special Agent Brad Wnuk arrived and took him to Stitches Urgent Care for a blood draw, where he surrendered his body camera and other gear. During this time, he was not out of sight of Peyton and wouldn’t have had an opportunity to alter footage, the response says.
The response also argues that contrary to Hinkel's claims, there was no audio on the dash camera or body camera video, and that while the body camera was powered off for five seconds during the encounter, only one second of this length of time would have shown the shooting because the shots were fired in rapid succession.
In a separate response, O’Malley agrees with Colling’s argument, and adds that the former sheriff shouldn’t be held liable if alterations of evidence were discovered because there isn’t evidence pointing to his involvement.
“No evidence has been presented,” O’Malley’s lawyers write in response to Hinkel’s motion. “Accordingly, no sanctions can be imposed against Colling. This court must deny (Hinkel’s) motions.
Beyond any allegedly altered footage, Hinkel’s motion claims Sheriff’s Lt. John Beeston deleted the original body camera video, as well as the dash camera video and corresponding evidence audit log, in the fall of 2019 after the county attorney said evidence would be preserved for impending civil suits.
The motion requests a default judgment, meaning the court would automatically rule in Hinkel’s favor. O’Malley and Colling both argued a default judgment would be inappropriate.
O’Malley is represented by the law firms Sundahl, Powers, Kapp & Martin LLC and McPherson & Thompson LLC. Colling is represented by Williams, Porter, Day & Neville P.C. and the Wyoming Attorney General’s Office.
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https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/news/former-sheriff-deputy-deny-altering-evidence/article_b14f5ef3-ee70-5e9d-9437-f9f580147f0e.html
| 2022-04-13T22:08:16Z
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While an abundance of starting spots are up for grabs as the University of Wyoming gears up for its fifth practice of the spring, no position battle has a spotlight on it as bright as the one at quarterback.
When 2021 starters Sean Chambers and Levi Williams hit the transfer portal shortly after the season, such was to be expected. These departures spurred some uncertainty, but for those remaining in the quarterback room — as well as the newcomers behind center — the opportunity to take the reins of the offense has been a source of excitement.
Redshirt freshman Hank Gibbs, the most talked about returner at the position, says all of the Cowboys’ quarterbacks are hungry to win the starting job. However, he also indicates the primary focus of the group is doing their part to lead the Pokes to success.
“People want to play, but everybody is very supportive of each other,” Gibbs said. “We understand we’re playing for Wyoming. We don’t have names on the back of our jersey. It’s about playing for Wyoming and going out and getting a win on Saturday. That’s all that matters.”
Gibbs is joined by fellow returners Jayden Clemons and Gavin Beerup, as well as Utah State transfer Andrew Peasley and Snow College product Evan Svoboda, in the competition to claim the starting spot.
UW coach Craig Bohl hinted last week that it is unlikely the Cowboys will name a starter before the end of spring practice. However, the group has been an area of emphasis since they returned to the practice field late last month, with each quarterback receiving a significant share of reps.
“With the way we stage practice, those quarterbacks get quite a few throws,” Bohl said. “I really believe there’s nothing better than 11-on-11 practice reps. That’s something coach (Tom) Osborne taught me, and something coach (Bill) Parcells did when he was an NFL guy. It’s all part of this learning and maturation process.”
Gradual growthGibbs points to these shared opportunities to gain experience in practice as a driving force in his decision to walk on at Wyoming prior to the 2020 season, despite having scholarship offers to play at the FCS level.
After taking an official visit to Tarleton State, the Fayetteville, Arkansas, native felt he could play at a higher level. He also considered pursuing a collegiate baseball career, but the COVID-19 pandemic, which hit during his final semester of high school, threw a wrench into those plans.
There was already a UW connection through his father, Chris, who played at the school in the 1980s. And after catching the coaching staff’s attention at a satellite camp at Lindenwood University just outside St. Louis, he received an offer to walk on with the Cowboys.
“I came home from school one day, and I was like, ‘You know what? I want to go to Wyoming and at least try it out,’” Gibbs said. “I knew Gavin Beerup came in, and then Sean and Levi were the only other quarterbacks on the roster.
“I knew they were going to double-rep, which was huge for me. A lot of schools just have one team going, and as a walk-on quarterback, you’re not going to get in. Coach Bohl does a great job of allowing guys to get film and get coached.”
Gibbs was put on scholarship roughly a week after last year’s Brown and Gold game, something that has only further motivated him.
“I was excited whenever I heard that, but I felt like I could do more,” Gibbs said. “When I came here, I wanted to play. It wasn’t my goal to just get on scholarship and get some validation that way. I wanted to prove some people wrong.”
Bohl has noticed a difference in the young quarterback, particularly when it comes to his mobility.
“He’s done a really good job of taking his body and getting his core strength stronger, so he’s able to run better,” Bohl said. “He’s still not a 4.5 (40-yard dash) guy, which you would describe as a dual-threat guy. He looks like the NFL prototype.
“He stands about 6-foot-6, and he has a strong arm, but mobility is important in our league, so he’s continued to work on that. He’s really smart; I think he’s about a 4.0 (GPA) in school. He also has a good football IQ, so it’s been fun to see.”
UW’s pro-style concepts can create somewhat of a learning curve for quarterbacks, something Bohl has referenced throughout the start of spring practice.
Gibbs acknowledges that there are some challenges in this area. However, he also believes it will benefit him as he continues to work closely with offensive coordinator Tim Polasek on a daily basis.
“I’m taking it day by day and focusing on something to improve, whether it’s footwork or something mechanically throwing the ball,” Gibbs said. “Coach Polasek does a great job of working with us, and he teaches football at a high level.
“We’re learning stuff that a lot of NFL teams do, as far as protections and pointing. It’s a lot, but he always talks about being the CEO and making it your own. At that point, I won’t say it’s easy to play, but if you can get it down, you can really use it to your advantage.”
‘That’s why I left’
With 1,331 total yards and 10 touchdowns during four years at Utah State, Peasley is UW’s most experienced quarterback by a wide margin.
He seemed on track to compete for the starting job with the Aggies heading into last season. However, Logan Bonner followed new USU coach Blake Anderson from Arkansas State, and was ultimately named the starter.
Peasley says the chance to compete for the No. 1 quarterback spot was a major factor in his decision to transfer to Wyoming this offseason.
“That’s why I left,” Peasley said. “All I wanted was an opportunity to work for something and earn it.”
Bohl has praised Peasley over the past two weeks for his ability to quickly grasp the Cowboys’ offense, although the junior is still focused on improving in this area.
“I’ve been studying a lot, trying to get everything correct with execution,” Peasley said. “I know I can throw the ball, and I know I can run the ball, but execution and just being prepared to play (is my biggest focus).”
In addition to his understanding of UW’s scheme, Bohl has also been impressed with Peasley’s improvisation skills.
These were on full display in USU’s 49-45 win over Air Force last fall, as he averaged 13 yards per attempt, while compiling 224 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions. They’ve also started to become apparent throughout the Pokes’ first two full-pads practices of the spring.
“He’s able to improvise and extend plays,” Bohl said. “This is one of the things when you do some of the 11-on-11 work, even though it’s not full-speed tackling to the ground, sometimes there are things that are not scripted. You see a quarterback have to improvise.
“Where he takes the football, he’s showing some maturity, and he’s able to command a huddle. But some of the things we’ve seen is just his ability to extend plays. I think that comes with some of his playing experience he had at Utah State.”
A new No. 17
Svoboda is another quarterback Bohl has mentioned on several occasions over the past two weeks, and did so again less than a minute into his news conference following Tuesday’s practice.
“Evan Svoboda is still in a learning process, but he really has an unbelievably strong arm,” Bohl said. “We have to keep moving him along. He’s a ways away from the other guys, but he has some pretty good ability.”
Having always played out of the shotgun prior to his arrival in Laramie, grasping UW’s system is one area where his coaches would like to see him improve. While not in his comfort zone, Svoboda has embraced the change in offensive style.
“I’ve been in gun my whole life, but it’s actually going really well,” he said. “I enjoy the pro-style offense. I actually like taking the snaps under center, and reading everything and being able to check stuff. ... It’s definitely going to open up some opportunities for us.”
With a powerful arm, underrated mobility and 6-foot-5, 240-pound frame, Svoboda was already bound to draw comparisons to Wyoming great, Buffalo Bills star and fellow junior college product Josh Allen. Donning the No. 17, just as Allen did with the Pokes, will only amplify this.
Svoboda says the number choice was a conscious decision, and one that will drive him to leave his own mark on the Cowboys.
“I believe I can really kind of step into what Josh did here, and hopefully fill those big shoes he had,” Svoboda said. “The legacy he left here is definitely motivating.”
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https://www.wyomingnews.com/wyoming-qbs-welcome-competition/article_23cd7115-c8cc-588c-bfd2-2f59f1831a43.html
| 2022-04-13T22:08:23Z
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Police searching for suspects after stabbing in Port Huron
Police are searching for a suspect after a man was found with stab wounds in Port Huron Tuesday night.
Police responded to the 1300 block of Military Street shortly after 9 p.m. to find a 33-year-old Port Huron man who had been stabbed laying on the ground, Port Huron Police Sgt. Ryan Sheedy said.
The man was taken to the hospital in stable condition, Sheedy said.
Port Huron Police Major Crimes Unit is investigating the crime and road patrol assisted with the investigation, Sheedy said. The department does not yet have any suspects.
Anyone with information about the incident can call the Port Huron Police Department at (810) 984-8415 or the Port Huron Police Department’s Major Crimes Unit at (810) 984-5383.
Anonymous tips can be received through the CAPTURE Hotline at (810) 987-6688, emailed through www.porthuronpolice.org, or texted by downloading the Port Huron PD app on apple or android devices. Anonymous texts can also be received by texting the keyword CAPTURE and their message/tip to 847411.
Contact Laura Fitzgerald at (810) 941-7072 or lfitzgeral@gannett.com.
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https://www.thetimesherald.com/story/news/2022/04/13/police-searching-suspects-after-port-huron-stabbing/7302149001/
| 2022-04-13T22:42:13Z
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Port Huron Northern High School student opens acai food truck
A 17-year-old Port Huron Northern High School student is sharing his passion for healthy living with the community through a new acai food truck.
Nick Robbins opened Port Huron Açaí Monday in the east parking lot of Michigan Dental Group, 522 Michigan St.
An acai bowl is a frozen smoothie bowl made from the acai berry, and can be topped with fruit, nuts, granola, honey, peanut butter or other sweet treats. The menu also features smoothies and kombucha made from vegan ingredients.
Robbins said his health journey began when he failed a fitness test in sixth grade gym. Since then, he has been committed to following a healthy lifestyle by eating right and exercising.
Robbins had his first acai bowl about five years ago and fell in love with the flavor. He said he wants to share his love of healthy eating with the Port Huron community.
"I've wanted to bring something like that to our area recently because we don't really have that many healthy food options and stuff like that, especially we don't really have any places to get acai bowls," he said. "So I wanted to bring that to our community."
So far, the community has been generous with their support and excitement, Robbins said.
"I've also seen a lot of excitement out of people because everybody's like, there is not much of this around in Port Huron and they're just excited to try it and they're happy that we're here," he said.
Robbins originally explored opening a brick and mortar store, but decided on a food truck due to budget constraints. With the help of his mother and family, he purchased the food truck, outfitted it and obtained the permits needed to open the business over the course of the last year.
Future plans for the business include a seating area in the parking lot, complete with artificial grass and tables and chairs.
He also wants to take the food truck on the road, and plans to explore the permit process to be able to take his truck around town and to events, such as to Lakeside Beach in the summer or to Port Huron's First Fridays.
Robbins said this is his first business venture. He wants to learn more about business before attending the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business in the fall.
Robbins opened the truck as part of Port Huron Northern's co-op program, which allows students to spend part of their school day working at a local business in order to gain real world experience. He hopes to one day employ high school students from the co-op program to help man the business when he is away at school.
Port Huron Schools spokeswoman Keely Baribeau confirmed Robbins is in Port Huron's co-op program. Baribeau said students can only do work-based learning if they have or are taking a course that aligns with their work-based learning role.
Katie Leonard was one of several customers in line outside the food truck Tuesday afternoon. She was excited to have a healthy, fast food option come to Port Huron.
She said it will be especially helpful for SC4 students, as it is close to the college and students can grab a bowl in between classes.
"It's refreshing to see that," she said.
The truck is open from 12:30 to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturdays. To learn more, visit facebook.com/porthuronacai.
Contact Laura Fitzgerald at (810) 941-7072 or lfitzgeral@gannett.com.
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https://www.thetimesherald.com/story/news/2022/04/13/port-huron-northern-high-school-student-opens-acai-food-truck/7293359001/
| 2022-04-13T22:42:19Z
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Ketchum: I am a beneficiary of a whites-first social system, that makes me, by default, a racist
A small group from our church have been on a discovery mission for the past couple of years. Personally, I’ve learned a lot.
Our group has focused on racism and how to become anti-racist. We’ve learned that, as white folks, we have benefited from a society built and run by other white folks for more than a couple of hundred years at the exclusion of our Black brothers and sisters.
We’ve learned that, when we wake up each morning, we don’t have to worry about where we can go, what sorts of careers we can call our own, with whom we can associate because of the color of our skin.
Mostly, I’ve learned that, even though I harbor no ill will toward nonwhite folks and have never knowingly engaged in racial discrimination, because I am a beneficiary of a whites-first social system, that makes me, by default, a racist.
I’ve been pondering all of this as I read about First United Church of Oak Park, Ill. For this Lenten season, the church has implemented a program “Fasting from Whiteness.” During Lent, the church exclusively used music that included African-American spirituals, Native American songs and Spanish hymns.
As they expected, once word got out, First United got pushback, mostly from the political right, who characterized what they were doing as “segregation.”
Most of the pushback has come from outside the community, according to an online story from Religion News Service. Morning TV’s “Fox and Friends” picked up the story. After that, reaction was so heavy that the church’s website crashed, said the Rev. John Edgerton, the church’s senior pastor.
The 650-member church is predominantly white and sits in a community that is 66 percent white, according to 2020 U.S. Census data. That’s why Edgerton said it was important for the church to do what it did during Lent.
“It is critically important for white churches to take up this work, because, in the United States, our voice is the majority voice,” he said. "Our message is the one that is always going to get a hearing.”
First United took a bold anti-racism witness. While I’m not convinced the same program would yield results for every white church – one size seldom fits all – it seems like a positive idea that worked in at least one setting and might just work in others.
It’s also good that the experiment came during Lent. Not much has changed since Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. called 11 a.m. on Sunday the most segregated hour of the week in the United States. We white Christians have not been very good at making our congregations look more like the nation as a whole.
On Easter, believers celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, who, if you believe what the Bible tells us, died and rose to redeem everyone’s sins, not just the sins of white folks. Sin knows no racial boundaries.
Jesus, through Scripture, tells us sin is sin, no matter what it is. That means racism – a denial of the goodness of God’s creation of humanity – is a sin and needs to be rooted out of our lives as much as lying, marital infidelity or binge-watching The Simpsons.
I suggest you consider all of this as you stand in front of the empty tomb on Easter Sunday.
Jim Ketchum is a retired Times Herald copy editor. Contact him at jeketchum1@comcast.net.
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https://www.thetimesherald.com/story/opinion/2022/04/13/ketchum-am-beneficiary-whites-first-social-system-makes-me-default-racist/7302869001/
| 2022-04-13T22:42:25Z
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Civics class, community service for voting fraud suspects
THE VILLAGES, Fla. (AP) — Two men from a sprawling retirement community in Florida will have to enter a pretrial intervention program, perform community service and attend adult civics classes in exchange for deferred prosecutions on their charges of voting more than once in the 2020 election.
Charles Barnes and Jay Ketcik, both from The Villages area, must perform 50 hours of community service each and get a grade of C or better in the adults civics class, according to court records filed last week.
In exchange, State Attorney William Gladson will defer prosecuting them on charges of casting more than one ballot in an election.
The men were among four people from the Republican stronghold of The Villages retirement community arrested late last year and early this year on voter fraud charges.
During the last legislative session, Republican lawmakers passed an election police bill pushed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, a potential 2024 GOP presidential candidate, who justified its need by citing unspecified cases of fraud. DeSantis echoed many talking points on voting problems that have gained traction in the GOP after former President Donald Trump’s false claims that his reelection was stolen from him.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/13/civics-class-community-service-voting-fraud-suspects/
| 2022-04-13T23:02:27Z
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Elementary school teacher arrested for possession of ecstasy, police say
OCALA, Fla. (Gray News) – An elementary school teacher in Florida has been taken into custody for possession of MDMA, also known as ecstasy or Molly, after school administrators noticed her acting strangely during school hours, according to police.
The School Resource Officer at Hammett Bowen Elementary School in Ocala told the Marion County Sheriff’s Office he was notified by school administrators Tuesday about first-grade teacher Hiromi Adams. They reportedly told him she was exhibiting concerning behavior, and she was sent to the school’s clinic for a health checkup.
Other teachers reportedly said they had seen Adams going toward the bathroom before leaving the school and believed she may have been attempting to hide something in the bathroom before leaving.
The SRO and school administrators conducted a search of the bathroom, which is also used by students.
During the search, the SRO found a pill bottle with Adams’ name on it. The contents of the pill bottle included a red straw, half of a green pill and a small plastic baggie of green powder. When it was tested, police say the powder proved to be MDMA.
Adams was found off-campus by a Marion County Sheriff’s Office deputy and placed under arrest. When police searched Adams’ person, they said they also found Suboxone.
Adams was then taken to the Marion County Jail.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/13/elementary-school-teacher-arrested-possession-ecstasy-police-say/
| 2022-04-13T23:02:36Z
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It’s National Bookmobile Day
Published: Apr. 13, 2022 at 5:27 PM EDT|Updated: 1 hours ago
MERCER COUNTY, W.Va. (WVVA) - Today is National Bookmobile Day! The Craft Memorial Library’s Bookmobile travels all over Mercer County bringing books to the people. Chuck Jones has been operating the library’s bookmobile for nearly 17 years. He says COVID changed the way he brought literature into schools but adds the library’s end goal remains the same.
“We’re on the road about four days a week. I’ve probably got about fifty stops every two weeks. I go to about ten schools and a dozen head starts, daycare’s. I go to nursing homes, lots of community stops,” said Jones.
You can find the list of Bookmobile stops here: https://craftmemorial.lib.wv.us/index.php/bookmobile/
Copyright 2022 WVVA. All rights reserved.
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https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/13/its-national-bookmobile-day/
| 2022-04-13T23:02:42Z
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It’s National School Librarians’ Day
MERCER COUNTY, W.Va. (WVVA) - Today is National School Librarians’ Day! One school librarian in Mercer County says that she has been serving Mercer County students for over sixteen years and has been at Glenwood School for two years. She says things have changed in some ways such as having more of a digital footprint than before.
“Our county adopted reading series has apps on their personal devices whether it be tablet or laptop. On those personal devices the app will not only have the story that they are currently reading in their classroom but it also differentiates stories to their reading level that they can have access to,” said Library Media Specialist, Missy Moulder.
Not only is Moulder a Librarian at the school but she also teaches math at the school and says being versatile has helped her on her journey.
Copyright 2022 WVVA. All rights reserved.
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https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/13/its-national-school-librarians-day/
| 2022-04-13T23:02:49Z
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Police: Man arrested for sexually assaulting disabled teen over four-year period
LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN/Gray News) - Police in Nebraska have arrested a man for sexually assaulting a developmentally disabled teen over the course of several years.
KOLN reports Lancaster County deputies were called to a Lincoln-area school on Tuesday following a report from a student who said they’d been sexually assaulted by someone they knew.
Police said the teenager was interviewed by the Child Advocacy Center, and a search warrant was then produced to inspect a man’s home.
Lancaster County Sheriff Terry Wagner said the teen explained to investigators that the assaults had been happening over the last three to four years.
Police searched a 53-year-old man’s home before arresting him Tuesday evening. Sheriff Wagner said the man is a convicted felon and had two firearms in his home.
The man was arrested for first-degree sexual assault, abuse of a vulnerable adult, strangulation and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, according to the Lancaster County Sheriff’s office.
Sheriff Wagner said the 53-year-old had been arrested in Texas back in 2005 for indecency with a child but the charge was later dismissed in 2006.
KOLN reports it is not releasing the name of the man arrested to better protect the teen’s identity.
Copyright 2022 KOLN via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/13/police-man-arrested-sexually-assaulting-disabled-teen-over-four-year-period/
| 2022-04-13T23:02:55Z
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Tazewell County Sheriff’s Office celebrates 25th anniversary of 9-1-1 center
TAZEWELL, Va. (WVVA) - The Tazewell County Sheriff’s Office refers to their dispatchers as ‘the heart behind the voice.’ On Wednesday, they celebrated the 25th anniversary of their 911 center.
Sheriff Brian Hieatt said dispatchers are crucial to potentially life-saving decision-making.
It’s more than the 25th anniversary of this operation. It’s also marking the 25th work anniversary of senior dispatcher Christina Shinall, who says she’s witnessed the evolution of this emergency dispatch hub for Tazewell county.
During the celebration, officers boasted that Shinall has received little to no complaints during her tenure. She says conveying kindness while under pressure is paramount to keeping a calm head.
Shinall was recognized by the Virginia State Senate for her 25 years of service to the Tazewell County 911 center.
Copyright 2022 WVVA. All rights reserved.
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https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/13/tazewell-county-sheriffs-office-celebrates-25th-anniversary-9-1-1-center/
| 2022-04-13T23:03:05Z
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Toyota recalls 460,000 vehicles for stability control glitch
Published: Apr. 13, 2022 at 5:25 PM EDT|Updated: 1 hours ago
DETROIT (AP) — Toyota is recalling about 460,000 vehicles in the U.S. to fix a software problem that can inadvertently disable the electronic stability control system.
The automaker says that when the vehicles are restarted, the software in rare cases may not automatically switch the system into the “on” mode. That can disable the system.
The recall covers 2020 to 2022 models including the Toyota brand’s Venza, Mirai, RAV4 Hybrid, RAV4 Prime, Sienna Hybrid, and Highlander Hybrid. Also included are the LS500h, LX600, NX350h, and NX450h-plus from the Lexus luxury brand.
Dealers will update software on the skid control computer to fix the problem.
Owners will be notified by mid-June.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/13/toyota-recalls-460000-vehicles-stability-control-glitch/
| 2022-04-13T23:03:11Z
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WEDNESDAY
UW Board of Trustees meet: 8:30 a.m., online at wyolinks.uwyo.edu/trusteesapr22.
Laramie Tai Chi and tea: Meets at 1:30 p.m. at the north end of the stadium in Laramie Plainsman Park, North 15th and Reynolds. For more information, visit laramietaichiandtea.org.
Wyoming Police and Fire Civil Service Commission meets: 3 p.m., via Zoom. Visit cityoflaramie.org/agendacenter for information. Zoom ID: 85440007. Passcode: 875167.
Albany County Planning and Zoning Commission meets: 5 p.m., Albany County Courthouse, 525 E. Grand Ave., or via Zoom. More information at co.albany.wy.us.
Ivinson Medical Group women’s health prenatal education: 5:30 p.m., Ivinson Memorial Hospital in the Summit Conference Room. Learn more or register at ivinsonhospital.org/childbirth.
THURSDAY
Caregivers for loved ones with Alzheimer’s/dementia: 3 p.m., meet for coffee, pie, understanding and comradeship at Perkins Restaurant & Bakery, 204 S. 30th St. For more information, call 307-745-6451.
Second Story Book Group discusses “Billionaire Wilderness” by Justin Farrell: 6:30-8 p.m., via Zoom. Call 786-877-3912 or email taninel@bellsouth.net for information.
Stitching the Past Together creative aging class: 6:30-8 p.m., Albany County Public Library large meeting room. Students will learn memory-based storytelling through beading techniques in this free course. Register at acplwy.org or at the circulation desk.
PFLAG Laramie meets: 6:30 p.m., St. Paul’s United Church of Christ,, 602 E. Garfield.
Lenten Taize worship services: 7 p.m., First Baptist Church, 1517 Canby St. Every Thursday through Easter.
UW Symphony Orchestra Concertmaster Fund Recital: 7 p.m., Buchanan Center for the Performing Arts. Tickets $40 in-person, $20 for livestream. Call 3766-6666 or visit uwyo.edu/finart_ticket/eventsticketed,aspx.
FRIDAY
Free stress relief clinic: Noon to 1 p.m., Laramie Plains Civic Center Phoenix Ballroom.
Laramie Tai Chi and tea: Meets at 1:30 p.m. at the north end of the stadium in Laramie Plainsman Park, North 15th and Reynolds. For more information, visit laramietaichiandtea.org.
UW planetarium presents “Search for Extra-Terrestrial Life”: 7 p.m., UW Planetarium. Are we alone in the universe?
”Everything but the Kitchen Sink” concert to open UW Percussion Festival: 7:30 p.m., Buchanan Center for the Performing Arts. Free.
SATURDAY
Kiwanis Club of Laramie Easter Egg Hunt: 10 a.m., Kiwanis Park in West Laramie.
Peeps and Paws puppy event by Laramie Animal Welfare Society: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., 1889 Venture Dr. It’s an Easter puppy party!
Free stress relief clinic: 10-11 a.m., Laramie Plains Civic Center Phoenix Ballroom.
Ester Extravaganza: 2-4 p.m., Trinity Baptist Church, 1270 N. 9th St.
UW planetarium presents “Distant Worlds — Alien Life?”: 2 p.m., UW Planetarium. For millennia our ancestors watched the stars and questioned the origin and nature of what they saw. Yet, Earth is the only planet we know for sure to be inhabited.
UW planetarium presents “Liquid Sky, Pop”: 7 p.m., UW Planetarium. Enjoy a custom playlist from today’s top artists.
SUNDAY
Walk with a Doc: 1:30-2:30 p.m., UW Fieldhouse. Hear from health care professionals and get your steps in.
Laramie Connections free Meet and Eat dinner and faith gathering: 4:30 p.m., First Baptist Church, 1517 E. Canby St.
MONDAY
Alcoholics Anonymous meets: Daily at various times in person or on Zoom. For more information, call 307-399-0590 or visit area76aawyoming.org or aa.org.
Survivors of Suicide Support Group: Meets from 5:30-6:45 p.m. at Hospice of Laramie House, 1754 Centennial Drive.
Women for Sobriety meet: 6:30-8:30 p.m. via Zoom. For meeting details, email 1093@womenforsobriety.org.
TUESDAY
Prayers & Squares Quilting Group meets: 9 a.m., Room 1 of Hunter Hall at St. Matthews Cathedral.
Free stress relief clinic: 1-2 p.m., Laramie Plains Civic Center Phoenix Ballroom.
UW planetarium presents “Wyoming Skies”: 7 p.m., UW Planetarium. What’s up in the sky around Wyoming?
Stitching the Past Together creative aging class: 6:30-8 p.m., Albany County Public Library large meeting room. Students will learn memory-based storytelling through beading techniques in this free course. Register at acplwy.org or at the circulation desk.
April 20
Laramie Rivers Conservation District meets: Noon, 5015 Stone Road.
Laramie Tai Chi and tea: Meets at 1:30 p.m. at the north end of the stadium in Laramie Plainsman Park, North 15th and Reynolds. For more information, visit laramietaichiandtea.org.
Award-Winning Author Jesmyn Ward speaks: 5 p.m., UW College of Arts and Sciences auditorium.
Ivinson Medical Group women’s health prenatal education: 5:30 p.m., Ivinson Memorial Hospital in the Summit Conference Room. Learn more or register at ivinsonhospital.org/childbirth.
Relative Theatrics presents “Black Sky”: 7:30 p.m., Gryphon Theatre at the Laramie Plains Civic Center, 710 E. Garfield St. Tickets are $16, and $14 for students and seniors. Get them online at relativetheatrics.eventbrite.com.
April 21
Caregivers for loved ones with Alzheimer’s/dementia: 3 p.m., meet for coffee, pie, understanding and comradeship at Perkins Restaurant & Bakery, 204 S. 30th St. For more information, call 307-745-6451.
Ivinson Medical Group women’s health prenatal education: 5:30 p.m., Ivinson Memorial Hospital in the Summit Conference Room. Learn more or register at ivinsonhospital.org/childbirth.
Relative Theatrics presents “Black Sky”: 7:30 p.m., Gryphon Theatre at the Laramie Plains Civic Center, 710 E. Garfield St. Tickets are $16, and $14 for students and seniors. Get them online at relativetheatrics.eventbrite.com.
April 22
Albany County CattleWomen meet: 11:30 a.m., location tbd. Visit wyaccw.com in the week before the meeting for location and more information.
Free stress relief clinic: Noon to 1 p.m., Laramie Plains Civic Center Phoenix Ballroom.
UW planetarium presents “Earth Day”: 7 p.m., UW Planetarium. Observe our beautiful planet from the ground, sky and space as we learn about glaciers, atmospheric science, meteorology, extreme weather events and climate history.
Violin virtuoso Augustin Hadelich with UW Chamber Orchestra: 7:30 p.m., Buchanan Center for the Performing Arts. Tickets available at uwyo.edu/finearts.
Relative Theatrics presents “Black Sky”: 7:30 p.m., Gryphon Theatre at the Laramie Plains Civic Center, 710 E. Garfield St. Tickets are $16, and $14 for students and seniors. Get them online at relativetheatrics.eventbrite.com.
April 23
Free stress relief clinic: 10-11 a.m., Laramie Plains Civic Center Phoenix Ballroom.
UW planetarium presents “From Earth to the Universe”: 2 p.m., UW Planetarium. The night sky, both beautiful and mysterious, has been the subject of campfire stories, ancient myths and awe for as long as there have been people.
Relative Theatrics presents “Black Sky”: 7:30 p.m., Gryphon Theatre at the Laramie Plains Civic Center, 710 E. Garfield St. Tickets are $16, and $14 for students and seniors. Get them online at relativetheatrics.eventbrite.com.
April 25
Alcoholics Anonymous meets: Daily at various times in person or on Zoom. For more information, call 307-399-0590 or visit area76aawyoming.org or aa.org.
Survivors of Suicide Support Group: Meets from 5:30-6:45 p.m. at Hospice of Laramie House, 1754 Centennial Drive.
Wyoming’s energy economy panel discussion: 6 p.m., online at uweconomists.eventbrite.com. Features four University of Wyoming economists.
Women for Sobriety meet: 6:30-8:30 p.m. via Zoom. For meeting details, email 1093@womenforsobriety.org.
America Sewing Guild Laramie Chapter meets: 7 p.m., United Methodist Church, 1215 E. Gibbon St.
April 26
Prayers & Squares Quilting Group meets: 9 a.m., Room 1 of Hunter Hall at St. Matthews Cathedral.
Free stress relief clinic: 1-2 p.m., Laramie Plains Civic Center Phoenix Ballroom.
April 27
Laramie Tai Chi and tea: Meets at 1:30 p.m. at the north end of the stadium in Laramie Plainsman Park, North 15th and Reynolds. For more information, visit laramietaichiandtea.org.
April 28
Caregivers for loved ones with Alzheimer’s/dementia: 3 p.m., meet for coffee, pie, understanding and comradeship at Perkins Restaurant & Bakery, 204 S. 30th St. For more information, call 307-745-6451.
Stitching the Past Together creative aging class: 6:30-8 p.m., Albany County Public Library large meeting room. Students will learn memory-based storytelling through beading techniques in this free course. Register at acplwy.org or at the circulation desk.
April 29
Free stress relief clinic: Noon to 1 p.m., Laramie Plains Civic Center Phoenix Ballroom.
UW planetarium presents “Mars”: 7 p.m., UW Planetarium. The red planet is host to many questions; did it used to be like Earth? Did it once harbor life? Could it still support life?
April 30
Free stress relief clinic: 10-11 a.m., Laramie Plains Civic Center Phoenix Ballroom.
UW planetarium presents “Mexica Archaeoastronomy”: 2 p.m., UW Planetarium. Illustrates the important role played by astronomical observation for the evolution of pre-Hispanic cultures in central Mexico.
UW planetarium presents “Liquid Sky, Electronica”: 7 p.m., UW Planetarium. Enjoy a custom playlist of music from today’s top artists.
May 2
Alcoholics Anonymous meets: Daily at various times in person or on Zoom. For more information, call 307-399-0590 or visit area76aawyoming.org or aa.org.
Survivors of Suicide Support Group: Meets from 5:30-6:45 p.m. at Hospice of Laramie House, 1754 Centennial Drive.
Women for Sobriety meet: 6:30-8:30 p.m. via Zoom. For meeting details, email 1093@womenforsobriety.org.
May 3
Prayers & Squares Quilting Group meets: 9 a.m., Room 1 of Hunter Hall at St. Matthews Cathedral.
Free stress relief clinic: 1-2 p.m., Laramie Plains Civic Center Phoenix Ballroom.
May 4
Laramie Tai Chi and tea: Meets at 1:30 p.m. at the north end of the stadium in Laramie Plainsman Park, North 15th and Reynolds. For more information, visit laramietaichiandtea.org.
Ivinson Medical Group women’s health prenatal education: 5:30 p.m., Ivinson Memorial Hospital in the Summit Conference Room. Learn more or register at ivinsonhospital.org/childbirth.
May 5
Caregivers for loved ones with Alzheimer’s/dementia: 3 p.m., meet for coffee, pie, understanding and comradeship at Perkins Restaurant & Bakery, 204 S. 30th St. For more information, call 307-745-6451.
Diabetes Support Group meets: 5:30-6:30 p.m. via Zoom. Email questions@ivinsosnhospital.org for the link.
Cinco de Mayo at the Wyoming Territorial Prison State Historic Site: 5:30-7:30 p.m., Horse Barn Theater at the site. Free to public.
Stitching the Past Together creative aging class: 6:30-8 p.m., Albany County Public Library large meeting room. Students will learn memory-based storytelling through beading techniques in this free course. Register at acplwy.org or at the circulation desk.
May 6
Free stress relief clinic: Noon to 1 p.m., Laramie Plains Civic Center Phoenix Ballroom.
May 7
Free stress relief clinic: 10-11 a.m., Laramie Plains Civic Center Phoenix Ballroom.
VFW Post 2221 Commander’s Charity Dinner: 5:30-8 p.m., 2142 E. Garfield St. Tickets 412 at the door, all proceeds to benefit VFW Poppy Fund and Albany County Search and Rescue.
May 9
Alcoholics Anonymous meets: Daily at various times in person or on Zoom. For more information, call 307-399-0590 or visit area76aawyoming.org or aa.org.
Survivors of Suicide Support Group: Meets from 5:30-6:45 p.m. at Hospice of Laramie House, 1754 Centennial Drive.
Women for Sobriety meet: 6:30-8:30 p.m. via Zoom. For meeting details, email 1093@womenforsobriety.org.
May 10
Prayers & Squares Quilting Group meets: 9 a.m., Room 1 of Hunter Hall at St. Matthews Cathedral.
Free stress relief clinic: 1-2 p.m., Laramie Plains Civic Center Phoenix Ballroom.
Albany County Republican Party meets: 6 p.m., Albany County Public Library.
May 11
Laramie Tai Chi and tea: Meets at 1:30 p.m. at the north end of the stadium in Laramie Plainsman Park, North 15th and Reynolds. For more information, visit laramietaichiandtea.org.
Ivinson Medical Group women’s health prenatal education: 5:30 p.m., Ivinson Memorial Hospital in the Summit Conference Room. Learn more or register at ivinsonhospital.org/childbirth.
May 12
Caregivers for loved ones with Alzheimer’s/dementia: 3 p.m., meet for coffee, pie, understanding and comradeship at Perkins Restaurant & Bakery, 204 S. 30th St. For more information, call 307-745-6451.
Stitching the Past Together creative aging class: 6:30-8 p.m., Albany County Public Library large meeting room. Students will learn memory-based storytelling through beading techniques in this free course. Register at acplwy.org or at the circulation desk.
May 13
Free stress relief clinic: Noon to 1 p.m., Laramie Plains Civic Center Phoenix Ballroom.
May 14
University of Wyoming graduation ceremony: 8:30 a.m., UW Arena-Auditorium, undergraduate ceremony for the colleges of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Engineering and Applied Science and School of Energy Resources.
Free stress relief clinic: 10-11 a.m., Laramie Plains Civic Center Phoenix Ballroom.
University of Wyoming graduation ceremony: 10 a.m., Buchanan Center for the Performing Arts, for the College of Law.
University of Wyoming graduation ceremony: 12:15 p.m., UW Arena-Auditorium, for master’s and doctoral students from colleges of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Business, Education, Engineering and Applied Science, Health Sciences and Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources.
University of Wyoming graduation ceremony: 3:30 p.m., UW Arena-Auditorium, for undergraduate ceremony for colleges of Arts and Sciences, Education, Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources and Office of Academic Affairs.
May 16
Alcoholics Anonymous meets: Daily at various times in person or on Zoom. For more information, call 307-399-0590 or visit area76aawyoming.org or aa.org.
Survivors of Suicide Support Group: Meets from 5:30-6:45 p.m. at Hospice of Laramie House, 1754 Centennial Drive.
Women for Sobriety meet: 6:30-8:30 p.m. via Zoom. For meeting details, email 1093@womenforsobriety.org.
May 17
Prayers & Squares Quilting Group meets: 9 a.m., Room 1 of Hunter Hall at St. Matthews Cathedral.
Free stress relief clinic: 1-2 p.m., Laramie Plains Civic Center Phoenix Ballroom.
May 18
Laramie Tai Chi and tea: Meets at 1:30 p.m. at the north end of the stadium in Laramie Plainsman Park, North 15th and Reynolds. For more information, visit laramietaichiandtea.org.
Ivinson Medical Group women’s health prenatal education: 5:30 p.m., Ivinson Memorial Hospital in the Summit Conference Room. Learn more or register at ivinsonhospital.org/childbirth.
May 19
Caregivers for loved ones with Alzheimer’s/dementia: 3 p.m., meet for coffee, pie, understanding and comradeship at Perkins Restaurant & Bakery, 204 S. 30th St. For more information, call 307-745-6451.
Stitching the Past Together creative aging class: 6:30-8 p.m., Albany County Public Library large meeting room. Students will learn memory-based storytelling through beading techniques in this free course. Register at acplwy.org or at the circulation desk.
May 20
Albany County CattleWomen meet: 11:30 a.m., location tbd. Visit wyaccw.com in the week before the meeting for location and more information.
Free stress relief clinic: Noon to 1 p.m., Laramie Plains Civic Center Phoenix Ballroom.
May 21
Free stress relief clinic: 10-11 a.m., Laramie Plains Civic Center Phoenix Ballroom.
May 23
Alcoholics Anonymous meets: Daily at various times in person or on Zoom. For more information, call 307-399-0590 or visit area76aawyoming.org or aa.org.
Survivors of Suicide Support Group: Meets from 5:30-6:45 p.m. at Hospice of Laramie House, 1754 Centennial Drive.
Women for Sobriety meet: 6:30-8:30 p.m. via Zoom. For meeting details, email 1093@womenforsobriety.org.
America Sewing Guild Laramie Chapter meets: 7 p.m., United Methodist Church, 1215 E. Gibbon St.
May 24
Prayers & Squares Quilting Group meets: 9 a.m., Room 1 of Hunter Hall at St. Matthews Cathedral.
Free stress relief clinic: 1-2 p.m., Laramie Plains Civic Center Phoenix Ballroom.
May 25
Laramie Tai Chi and tea: Meets at 1:30 p.m. at the north end of the stadium in Laramie Plainsman Park, North 15th and Reynolds. For more information, visit laramietaichiandtea.org.
May 26
Caregivers for loved ones with Alzheimer’s/dementia: 3 p.m., meet for coffee, pie, understanding and comradeship at Perkins Restaurant & Bakery, 204 S. 30th St. For more information, call 307-745-6451.
Stitching the Past Together creative aging class: 6:30-8 p.m., Albany County Public Library large meeting room. Students will learn memory-based storytelling through beading techniques in this free course. Register at acplwy.org or at the circulation desk.
May 27
Free stress relief clinic: Noon to 1 p.m., Laramie Plains Civic Center Phoenix Ballroom.
May 28
Free stress relief clinic: 10-11 a.m., Laramie Plains Civic Center Phoenix Ballroom.
May 30
Alcoholics Anonymous meets: Daily at various times in person or on Zoom. For more information, call 307-399-0590 or visit area76aawyoming.org or aa.org.
Survivors of Suicide Support Group: Meets from 5:30-6:45 p.m. at Hospice of Laramie House, 1754 Centennial Drive.
Women for Sobriety meet: 6:30-8:30 p.m. via Zoom. For meeting details, email 1093@womenforsobriety.org.
May 31
Prayers & Squares Quilting Group meets: 9 a.m., Room 1 of Hunter Hall at St. Matthews Cathedral.
Free stress relief clinic: 1-2 p.m., Laramie Plains Civic Center Phoenix Ballroom.
Have an event for What’s Happening? Send it to Managing Editor Greg Johnson at gjohnson@laramieboomerang.com.
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https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/announcements/whats-happening/article_275fd838-80ef-5aec-bd09-a4a49bcc711a.html
| 2022-04-14T00:23:07Z
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JACKSON – Hilary Cooley is worried about the season ahead for Grizzly 399 and her cubs, who have yet to emerge from hibernation.
“The future’s not so bright for these guys,” she said during a meeting of state and federal wildlife and land managers last week in Jackson. “They’ve been in a lot of trouble.”
Cooley is the grizzly bear recovery coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service who was called into Jackson Hole last fall to manage 399’s foray into the southern reaches of the valley. In a separate press conference largely focused on the famous 399 and her brood, she and other officials urged Teton County residents to do their part to protect them and other bears: Securing attractants like livestock feed, compost and beehives, and storing garbage inside and in bear-resistant trash cans if it’s outside.
All of that is likely to be required by Teton County if the Teton County Board of County Commissioners passes an update to land development regulations aimed at reducing human-wildlife conflicts. The Wyoming Game and Fish Department has supported those regulations throughout the process.
But the new code likely won’t go into effect until July 1, after 399, her cubs and other grizzlies emerge from their dens.
In that light, wildlife officials are urging individual action to prevent conflict and avoid more drastic management actions.
“It’s not just agencies that can do things,” Cooley said. “It’s probably more important that the public take action, secure their attractants.”
But, if preventative measures fail and 399 or her cubs get into human-related foods, management options like hazing, relocation, euthanasia and sending bears to zoos are being considered.
“All options are on the table,” said Dan Thompson, Wyoming Game and Fish’s large carnivore supervisor.
Cooley confirmed that applies to both 399 and the cubs, though she admitted officials have been “more lenient” for the celebrated sow.
“I think we’ll continue to do that,” Cooley said in a follow-up talk with the Jackson Hole Daily. “But that doesn’t mean she gets a free pass.”
Grizzly bear photographer and advocate Tom Mangelsen said any of those actions “would be incredibly over-reactive and sad.”
“Most of this is preventable,” he said. “I think they should be just very careful with her and not overreact.
“And I think people need to be very aware and secure their garbage and electrify their fences,” Mangelsen added.
In the past two years, 399 and her offspring have accessed livestock feed, garbage and beehives. Conflicts have increased from five in 2020 to 17 in 2021, according to the Fish and Wildlife Service.
Human-related food sources can be deadly for grizzlies and other bears. After getting food rewards, bears can get used to accessing that food source – and aggressive in trying to reach it, potentially posing a danger to humans they encounter. When that happens, wildlife managers often consider relocating or removing bears, either by euthanasia or live placement.
Last year, the Fish and Wildlife Service gave Game and Fish the go-ahead to put down five grizzlies in Teton County that had been relocated after getting into human-related foods and returning to similar sources. Grizzly 399 and her cubs avoided that fate. But their history has wildlife managers concerned, and expecting more conflicts.
Last year, two of 399’s cubs were collared, and the Fish and Wildlife Service spent $60,000 managing 399’s trip through Jackson Hole, which included a jaunt through downtown Jackson.
At one point, federal wildlife officials tailed the ursine family as they traveled.
This year, the celebrity sow is expected to kick off her cubs shortly after emerging from their den, meaning the five bears should be acting independently.
Because of the collaring last year, officials know that two of 399’s offspring are males. They don’t know the sex of the other two. But they anticipate that the males will leave Grand Teton National Park, steering clear of older, dominant male grizzlies’ home ranges.
And officials anticipate conflicts.
“We’re probably going to have to deal with at least one of the cubs in some shape or form,” Cooley said.
Cooley and Grand Teton National Park’s bear management specialist, Justin Schwabedissen, were cautiously optimistic that 399 herself would default to her past offspring-free behavior and stay in the park, away from people. But if 399 or her cubs do get into conflicts this year, officials said the more serious management actions are possible.
That, Cooley and others said, is why it’s so important that individual people secure garbage, livestock feed and other attractants.
Cooley also cautioned that wildlife managers haven’t made decisions, yet, about how they’re going to manage the bears. Rather, they’re just talking about options – and trying to communicate them to the public.
Managing the bears will also look slightly different this year.
Thompson said Game and Fish ceded responsibility for tailing 399 to the Fish and Wildlife Service partly out of concern for its staff.
“They still need to live here and work in the valley,” Thompson said. “We worried about them and their future with some of the people’s feelings toward these particular bears.”
This year, Thompson and Cooley said responsibility for 399 and her cubs will generally fall back to Game and Fish when they’re outside of Grand Teton.
The feds, however, could be called in. The Fish and Wildlife Service is hiring five new conflict-focused staffers, Cooley said. One will be based in Jackson, Cooley said, but not on “399 detail.”
“These bears have a tough year ahead of them,” she said. “And we’re asking for the public’s help.”
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https://www.wyomingnews.com/news/from_the_wire/grizzly-managers-worried-about-399-and-cubs/article_5bae16ca-837a-5c6a-a1a7-b290609d5919.html
| 2022-04-14T00:23:10Z
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CHEYENNE – Rep. Sue Wilson, R-Cheyenne, has announced her plan to retire after a decade of serving in the Wyoming Legislature, even though she never expected to land in politics in the first place.
She raised and provided for her family, worked in the health care industry and taught at Noah Webster Christian School in Cheyenne before she decided to run for the House District 7 seat in 2012. It wasn’t until she was finishing up her role as a social studies teacher that she considered her place in state government.
“I used to tell my students that the government is not ‘them’, the government is us,” she told the Wyoming Tribune Eagle. “So, eventually, you’re kind of going, 'Maybe I need to talk to myself about that, right? Don’t just sit there and complain about other people, get off the couch.'”
Since she was elected, she has served as chair of the House Labor, Health and Social Services Committee for the past three years, in addition to four previous years as a committee member. Wilson also served on the Revenue and Appropriations committees, as well as task forces under the governor.
Her focus on health care carried through to her legislative priorities.
The Cheyenne lawmaker succeeded in passing bills that brought Wyoming into the interstate medical licensure compact, established a state school nurse coordinator and protected state benefits for veterans discharged for not receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. She also worked with fellow legislators to help community health centers gain access to funding, ensure payment parity for tele-mental health services and provide more reimbursement for emergency medical providers.
In this year's budget session, she said she was also proud of securing funding for the suicide prevention lifeline and staff recruitment and retention.
“I also think there’s a certain accomplishment in just trying to work with all sorts of people to problem solve, whether with people in the Legislature or communicating with people outside of the Legislature,” she said.
But there are still efforts she wishes she could have brought to fruition, including bringing down the cost of health care in Wyoming, increasing school choice for parents and clarifying the use of the state's rainy-day fund. She also hoped to find ways to bring providers back into the state, which requires training sites and faculty to teach.
“Those are long-term issues, and I hope to keep working on some of these projects in the private sector,” she said.
Wilson will finish her term through to next January, and carry out her role as chair of the Labor Committee during the 2022 interim. She went before the Management Council last Friday to present the priorities her committee considers most important moving forward, which focused on maternal health, behavioral health, organ donors and decedents, and aging.
She said she is excited to continue her service to the residents of the state, but it's time for her to take a step back and allow for fresh representation.
“The newly redistricted area in north Cheyenne is full of engaged citizens,” she said. “I’m sure they will be well-represented after I retire. It has been a great honor to have the trust of my constituents for the past 10 years.”
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https://www.wyomingnews.com/news/local_news/rep-sue-wilson-announces-retirement-after-a-decade/article_f92ce1b2-df09-55e0-ace6-2d1f49ac222c.html
| 2022-04-14T00:23:12Z
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...Intense Snow Showers and Gusty Winds...
This is a special weather statement from the National Weather
Service Office in Riverton.
* WHAT...Occasional, brief, intense snow showers reducing
visibility with wind gusts of 35 to 45 mph.
* WHERE...Western, Southwestern, and South Central Wyoming.
* WHEN...This Afternoon through 8 PM MDT.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Exercise caution when driving, as
visibility could drop quickly with slick spots.
ROCK SPRINGS -- Western Wyoming Community College will host a poetry reading and book signing on Friday, April 22, from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on campus in Room 1302.
Rock Springs author Barbara Smith will share her first full-length poetry collection, “Putting a Name on It.”
According to Smith, the book offers richly imagined stories of pioneers past and present who have made their home in the high plains in the West, including her own multigenerational family.
She also writes of her contemporary experiences, after arriving in Rock Springs in 1969 as a young teacher and then raising her family and making her home there. Her poetry and essays have been published in numerous collections, including “Wyoming Fence Lines,” “Deep West”, “A Literary Tour of Wyoming.” She also wrote a three-book series, “Leaning into the Wind”, “Woven on the Wind and “Crazy Woman Creek.” Other publications include the Montana anthology, “The Last Best Place”, “Ucross: The First Ten Years”, “Letter from Wyoming, “Blood, Water and Wind and Stone” and “Drive, He Said”, an anthology about Americans and their cars.
Smith’s poems recognize the pioneers from the past as well as those living in the here and now.
“I hope that people would be able to relate their own experiences of living in the modern West to the places and people in these poems,” said Smith.
According to Smith, her poems were written in a span of 40-50 years.
“I started writing more seriously during the boom in the 70s, when I was working, raising a young family and trying to deal with rapid change where we were living,” she shared. “I found that I could really relate to the stories of the early pioneers, my homesteading grandmothers, who faced harsh conditions, isolation, change and managed to claim this place as their own.”
She added, “Many of these early poems in the first section of the book, called "Sisters" come from those experiences.
“The poem ‘Putting a Name on It’ as well as much of the book identifies the desire to lay claim to this place, to say ‘I was here,’ or ‘This place is mine.’”
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https://www.wyomingnews.com/rocketminer/putting-a-name-on-it-smith-shares-wyoming-life-through-poetry/article_d0fa2175-dfde-5d25-9255-c86792cdbccb.html
| 2022-04-14T00:23:13Z
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GREEN RIVER – The Green River High School speech and debate team “are changing the world one round at a time,” according to Coach Dan Parson.
During the Sweetwater County School District No. 2 board meeting on Tuesday night, Parson recognized eight students as finalists for the National Speech and Debate Association tournament.
“All I can say is ‘wow!’ What a comeback Green River speech and debate was able to make,” said Parson. “They volunteered to spend weekend after weekend in public speaking.
“That’s not an easy thing for 14 and 15 year-olds to do!”
“They talk about things that matter, things some people may think are mundane but they’re going to jazz it up and they’re going to educate.”
He added that the students finished in the top 1 to 2 percent.
“They earned the chance to represent Green River High School and our community in Louisville, Kentucky this year.”
The students compete in Louisville June 12 – 17.
“Proud is not a strong enough word of how I feel about these kids – I am inspired by them.”
The following students are the finalists for the NSDA National Tournament:
Carter Tuttle (congress)
Mason Tolleson (drama)
Douglas Leffers (big question)
Abby Smith (oratory)
Abby Mattson (storytelling)
Mia Worrell (Poetry)
Lauryl Kurth (humor)
Faith Duncan (extemporaneous speaking)
Chris Andrews is a 2010 Green River High School graduate. He currently resides in Washington D.C. He has been a volunteer coach for the GRHS Speech and Debate for the NSDA National Tournament for more than a decade.
“I have watched numerous students grow in knowledge, skill, civic-mindedness, and self-confidence through participation in speech and debate,” Andrews expressed. “Participation in speech and debate can be exceptionally valuable in the long run, as students are challenged to learn and grow in ways that are difficult to replicate in other sports and activities or in the classroom.”
He added, “Students at the Green River High School are fortunate to have the opportunity to be part of a team with a rich legacy of success in such a valuable activity. I believe that was true for me years ago, and it is true today.”
Andrews pointed out that without community involvement, competitive speech would be “impossible.”
“My personal philosophy is that, like sports, speech and debate is in some ways an extension of the community and the work students put into it reflects the best of themselves, their school, and their hometown as they spend a long season traveling across the state and the region to compete and get to know their peers through competition.”
According to Andrews, the NSDA National Tournament is the most prestigious forum for such competitions.
“It is a great honor for a student to earn his or her spot,” he shared. “This year's tournament in Louisville, Kentucky has special significance because it is the first in-person NSDA National Tournament since 2019 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
He added that the costs of travel and lodging in Louisville are considerable for the students.
“The coaching staff and booster club are organizing several fundraising events that will help the team engage with the community, increase visibility and help the students make the most of the opportunity they have earned through their hard work this season,” he explained.
One of those efforts is a GoFundMe fundraiser through which anyone can make a charitable donation toward the team's expenses at the tournament. Their goal is to reach $5000. So far, $2500 has been raised.
“Such generosity is a strong positive reflection of the spirit of charity in Sweetwater County and the team is deeply grateful for any contributions toward the effort to help these students succeed.”
Anyone who would like to donate may do so at https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-grhs-speech-debate-succeed-at-nationals
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https://www.wyomingnews.com/rocketminer/speech-and-debate-wolves-prepare-for-national-competition/article_255b5404-d2f8-5821-9403-64773eb12af8.html
| 2022-04-14T00:23:14Z
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...Intense Snow Showers and Gusty Winds...
This is a special weather statement from the National Weather
Service Office in Riverton.
* WHAT...Occasional, brief, intense snow showers reducing
visibility with wind gusts of 35 to 45 mph.
* WHERE...Western, Southwestern, and South Central Wyoming.
* WHEN...This Afternoon through 8 PM MDT.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Exercise caution when driving, as
visibility could drop quickly with slick spots.
Rock Springs band Zamtrip will be the headliners for the multi-band concert taking place at Bunning Hall on Saturday, April 23.
ROCK SPRINGS – In a recent video on Facebook, local band Zamtrip announced the release of their new song, “Fade,” which is available on all platforms on April 22.
The song features Neil Middleton from Utah rock band Royal Bliss.
“Fade is a very special song to us,” said Samantha Newman, lead singer. “It is dedicated to one of our best friends, Josh Whitaker, whom we lost last year.”
Guitarist Cody Zampedri added, “The song is about losing a loved one, getting through it and becoming stronger from it.”
“The song helped me through the loss of my best friend Brandi Finch,” Newman shared. “It’s been a very uplifting, emotional song for me.”
According to Zampedri, the band was scheduled to record a different song until Zampedri sent the studio “Fade.” They stopped working on their current project and immediately started recording “Fade.”
“It’s such an amazing song and we hope it helps anyone who lost a loved one,” Zampedri expressed.
The band will celebrate the release of “Fade” at a multi-band concert on April 23 in Bunning Hall, 603 S. Main St. in downtown Rock Springs with local bands Atlas Falls and Damn Straight.
The show starts at 7 p.m. and all ages are welcome to attend. There will be a full bar on-site for those 21 years old and over. Admission is $10.
Tigers Firearms donated a shotgun for the raffle contest and t-shirts will be available for purchase but are limited.
Tickets can be purchased at zamtrip.com and Pickin’ Palace, 553 North Front Street in Rock Springs. Each band will have tickets available for purchase as well.
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https://www.wyomingnews.com/rocketminer/zamtrip-unveils-new-single-at-local-concert/article_b1ddbdc5-2a08-502b-bbcb-01b2b44dae11.html
| 2022-04-14T00:23:27Z
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Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland took steps last week to protect a wildlife migration corridor to Grand Teton National Park even as a court declined to constrain a gas field across a different part of the route.
Haaland announced a $250,000 grant that will help secure a conservation easement on the Twin Eagle Ranch — formerly the Carney Ranch — on the Upper Green River in Sublette County. The grant will boost The Conservation Fund’s effort to keep development off the ranch that includes the Path of the Pronghorn, where hundreds of antelope trek annually to and from the park in Teton County.
Only days before Haaland announced her seven-state, $2.7-million wildlife migration and habitat grant program, a federal court allowed Jonah Energy to continue its development of the 3,500-well Normally Pressured Lance gas field, which crosses the pronghorn route. U.S. District Judge Scott Skavdahl ruled against three conservation groups that contested the U.S. Bureau of Land Management’s approval of, and conditions on, the 141,000–acre gas field.
The targeted Twin Eagle conservation property is on a ranch about 51 miles along the pronghorn path that extends south from Grand Teton. The NPL field is another 66 miles farther south on a route antelope follow to winter grounds that lie beyond that development. Biologists estimate up to 400 pronghorn use the path.
Both the Twin Eagle and NPL properties also are important habitats for greater sage grouse. The NPL is the site of a winter concentration area where biologists estimate some 2,000 sage grouse congregate.
“We remain unconvinced that the BLM has done enough to protect the Path of the Pronghorn and sage grouse wintering habitat,” said Linda Baker, director of the Upper Green River Alliance, one of the parties to the unsuccessful NPL court challenge. “We’ll keep fighting.”
The Department of Interior’s Twin Eagle grant will help prevent subdivision on the ranch of the late Chris Cline, who died in a helicopter crash in the Bahamas on July 4, 2019. The Conservation Fund’s project “will prevent a high threat of subdivision, maintain these migration corridors, protect habitat (including known nests) in the Greater Sage-Grouse Designated Core Area, support climate resiliency, and provide the opportunity for a future wildlife crossing,” according to a summary of grant funding.
Previous owners of the ranch — members of the Otis Carney family — began protecting the property from subdivision with conservation easements in about 1995. But Cline in 2016 began to build a cabin in one scenic and wildlife easement.
The Jackson Hole Land Trust said the building violated the easement and Cline’s builders subsequently took it down. Some parts of the ranch, owned by Twin Eagle Ranch LLC c/o Cline Trust Co. LLC, apparently remain available for subdivision or development that would be prevented by the new conservation easement.
But farther south along the Path of the Pronghorn — the first nationally recognized wildlife migration route — some antelope will have to navigate the NPL field. Baker’s Upper Green River Alliance, Western Watersheds Project and the Center for Biological Diversity asserted in court that the BLM failed to follow federal environmental and planning laws when it permitted that project.
Skavdahl rejected those claims, saying the BLM conducted its analysis properly, even though the project may affect both pronghorn migration and sage grouse winter habitat. BLM had a “reasoned basis” for its decision, which balanced the project’s goals with potential environmental impacts, he wrote in his 47-page decision filed April 5.
The NPL field is expected to generate $17.8 billion over the next 40 years. Jonah Energy did not respond to a request for comment.
The conservation groups argued that the BLM failed to consider development buffer zones along migration routes. Skavdahl said the federal agency did indeed consider migration, that the agency has limited the development density and has and will require other protections for pronghorn.
The Wyoming Game and Fish Department has not designated a migration corridor through the NPL, Skavdahl wrote. Agency biologists in 2019 recommended designation of a migration corridor for the Path of the Pronghorn. But politicians wrested that authority from the agency before it acted.
“We do know from 15 years of study they avoid intense areas of development,” Baker said of the migrating antelope. “Their migration patterns go through the NPL.”
Pronghorn antelope “have an incredible fidelity to these areas,” she said. “We don’t know why. It’s silly to say they can just go around when we can adjust our habitat more easily than they can.”
NPL also overlaps with part of a winter concentration area where sage grouse flock seasonally. “That’s one of the places they can reliably retire to when snows get really deep,” Baker said.
“It’s the only designated winter concentration area in Wyoming and anywhere,” she said.
The latest data on greater sage grouse in Wyoming indicate an “alarming” likelihood of populations regressing to a 1996 nadir, the state’s former top grouse biologist said earlier this year. Leslie Schreiber, who has since resigned, based her comment on counts of hunter-harvested grouse wings that foreshadow a smaller population this spring.
Wyoming has a healthy sage grouse population, Game and Fish Department director Brian Nesvik told a legislative committee earlier this year.
“It’s at the bottom of a trough in a cyclic trend that we’ve seen throughout time,” he said of the population.
Skavdahl wrote, among other things, that the BLM met its obligations in reviewing NPL’s effect on grouse and had imposed various conservation conditions.
“[T]he BLM was aware of the impacts to sage grouse, including loss of winter habitat, avoidance of the area, and adverse impacts to the overall population,” Skavdahl said. Quoting precedent, he wrote that environmental law “merely prohibits uninformed, rather than unwise decision making.”
Haaland’s $2.7-million grant program will be matched with another $7 million in non-federal contributions that will be distributed to the states and three tribes for 13 projects. In addition to the Twin Eagle conservation effort, the program will aid two others in Wyoming.
A $280,000 grant to the Game and Fish Department will boost a $560,000 project to improve mule deer habitat in the Platte River Valley and in Sublette County. Another $67,800 grant to the Jackson Hole Land Trust will aid a $702,800 effort to permanently protect 980 acres of big game migration habitat in the Upper Green River Basin along Middle Piney and Lead Creeks.
“[A]s habitats and migration routes continue to be impacted by climate change and become fragmented by roads, fences, energy development and other man-made barriers, wildlife are struggling to reach the necessary areas to feed, breed, and find shelter,” Haaland said in announcing the grant program.
Collaborative conservation and honoring private landowner rights are key points, she said. The program will reflect local needs and priorities, improve quality of life for people and support state-led science, she said, much of it focused on the sagebrush ecosystem.
WyoFile is an independent nonprofit news organization focused on Wyoming people, places and policy.
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https://www.wyomingnews.com/wyomingbusinessreport/industry_news/agribusiness/feds-aid-pronghorn-and-sage-grouse-but-court-allows-development/article_6151ac3c-bb74-11ec-89b9-e3dda593fa8c.html
| 2022-04-14T00:23:33Z
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Spc. Zachary Pinc of the 133rd Engineering Company is named Soldier of the Year for the State Best Warrior Competition and received an Army Achievement Medal from Brig. Gen. Steve Alkire at Camp Guernsey Joint Training Center.
A pair of area Wyoming National Guardsmen topped nine other competitors from across the state to win the 2022 Wyoming Army National Guard State Best Warrior competition, including a Laramie man named Soldier of the Year.
From March 31 through April 3 at Camp Guernsey Joint Training Center, soldiers pushed through rigorous events that tested their mental and physical soldiering abilities.
In the end, one soldier and one noncommissioned officer came out on top. Those were Sgt. Tyler Holloway and Spc. Zachary Pinc.
“It makes us more combat effective when we know those skills,” said Holloway, a fires noncommissioned officer with the 115th Field Artillery Brigade in Cheyenne. “The dissemination of information reduces the workload on everyone and makes us a better force as a whole.”
Holloway competed in the State Best Warrior last year, but came up just short of the win, placing second.
He and Spc. Pinc of the 133rd Engineering Co. in Laramie advance to the Region Six Best Warrior Competition, where they’ll compete against guardsmen from Alaska, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Idaho, Oregon and Washington.
Brig. Gen. Steve Alkire, commander of the Wyoming Army Guard, was present to help announce the winners and commend all competitors’ dedication and willingness to participate.
“Trained, engaged, empowered soldiers ready to respond,” he described them. “They didn’t have to do this. They didn’t have to drive up here and compete, but they did. The fact that they did says a lot about who they are.
“To them, I say thank you for making the Wyoming Guard better by participating in this event.”
The Wyoming Army National Guard hosts the regional competition this year at Camp Guernsey on May 16-20.
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https://www.wyomingnews.com/wyomingbusinessreport/industry_news/government_and_politics/laramie-based-guardsman-is-soldier-of-the-year/article_9cee22de-bb74-11ec-b5ea-7be6e625d141.html
| 2022-04-14T00:23:39Z
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ROCK SPRINGS -The Rock Springs Main Street/Urban Renewal Agency (URA) is collaborating with Casey Kuckert Consulting to continue their initiative aimed at helping women entrepreneurs in Sweetwater County. “Ladies That Lunch” are regular conversations that can help build professional and personal networks for support and business growth for Sweetwater County business owners and managers.
Participants can enjoy lunch while meeting other business owners in the area. This is a time to not only network with other business owners but also have real discussions about business issues. Each meeting will focus on a different business-related topic.
“Ladies That Lunch” will continue in April - Tuesday, April 26 at 12 noon at Coal Train Coffee Depot (501 S Main Street, Rock Springs). Anyone is welcome to attend and there is no cost to attend although participants are responsible for their own meals. Participants are encourage to RSVP for the event by calling the Rock Springs Main Street/URA office at 307-352-1434.
The April conversation will feature Kristen Ellifritz, MBA, a Financial Advisor for Eagle Strategies, LLC. Agent, New York Life Insurance Company. During this focused conversation, Kristen will:
· Provide information to understand your current financial situation and future financial needs
· Empower women to make informed financial decisions
This seminar is for informational purposes only. Neither New York Life Insurance Company nor any of its agents are in the business of giving tax, legal or accounting advice. Attendees should consult their own professional advisors to determine the appropriateness of any course of action. Any discussion of investment products is informational only and not intended as a solicitation of those types of products.
According to URA Board Chairwoman, Maria Mortensen, “small businesses drive America’s growth and women are making their marks in this sector of the economy.”
“We wanted to give women-owned business owners an opportunity to network and discuss important issues they may be facing,” Mortensen added.
“The lunchtime discussions have been a wonderful way to connect and we’re excited to continue them this month,” Mortensen concluded.
Organizer Casey Kuckert brought the idea to the Rock Springs Main Street/URA to help support business owners and their growth in the community. She hopes this event brings women business owners together “to encourage collaborating with each other and building strong relationships.”
The Rock Springs Main Street/Urban Renewal Agency is charged with the redevelopment of downtown Rock Springs. As part of their mission, there are three standing committees – Business Development, Promotions and Arts and Culture. For more information on the program, contact the Rock Springs Main Street/Urban Renewal Agency at 307-352-1434 or visit their website at downtownrs.com.
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https://www.wyomingnews.com/wyomingbusinessreport/industry_news/small_business/women-business-owners-are-invited-to-ladies-that-lunch/article_ace8377e-bb74-11ec-ae0c-23b5b98c3d4b.html
| 2022-04-14T00:23:45Z
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https://www.heraldandnews.com/klamath/rag-tag-choir-presents-its-spring-concert-at-ragland/article_40baf7f3-f255-587b-bfda-f0de8f4a9460.html
| 2022-04-14T00:33:41Z
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John Barnes, a human resources representative with Magnolia Automotive Services, LLC, right, jokes with Aundra Robinson, a nurse with the VA, during the Lee County Area Job Fair in Tupelo, Miss., Tuesday, Oct. 12, 2021. Employers are struggling to hire and retain workers. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
A hiring sign is displayed at a restaurant in Schaumburg, Ill., Friday, April 1, 2022. Despite the inflation surge, persistent supply bottlenecks, damage from COVID-19 and now a war in Europe, employers have added at least 400,000 jobs for 11 straight months. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
John Barnes, a human resources representative with Magnolia Automotive Services, LLC, right, jokes with Aundra Robinson, a nurse with the VA, during the Lee County Area Job Fair in Tupelo, Miss., Tuesday, Oct. 12, 2021. Employers are struggling to hire and retain workers. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Rogelio V. Solis
A hiring sign is displayed at a restaurant in Schaumburg, Ill., Friday, April 1, 2022. Despite the inflation surge, persistent supply bottlenecks, damage from COVID-19 and now a war in Europe, employers have added at least 400,000 jobs for 11 straight months. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Oregon’s unemployment rate dipped in March but the state is still down 36,000 jobs from pre-pandemic employment levels, according state economists.
The state also revised down February job gains and reported Wednesday that Oregon’s jobless rate was 3.8% in March. The state's jobless rate is down from 4% in February and down from 6.1% a year ago.
Still, the state’s economy has still not regained all of the jobs lost in 2020 during the economic depths of the pandemic and related shutdowns.
Oregon’s economy lost 282,000 jobs in April 2020 when the pandemic decimated jobs, according to David Carl Cooke, an economist with the Oregon Employment Department. “Oregon’s March 2022 seasonally adjusted total non-farm payroll employment was 36,000 below the prior peak month of February 2020,” Cooke said.
Oregon state employment economist Gail Krumenauer said the state has regained close to 90% of the jobs lost during COVID. Eleven percent of Oregon workers lost their jobs during the pandemic, according to an analysis by the University of Oregon.
The state’s unemployment rate jumped to 13.3%, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The March 2022 unemployment rate of 3.8% is the first time Oregon’s jobless tally has been below 4% since the start of the virus in 2020, according to the state agency.
The state gained 5,600 jobs in March down from 9,700 positions added in February. The state also revised February job gains down from a previous projection of 12,300 jobs. That translates into a 2,600 jobs difference.
The national unemployment rate is 3.6%. The U.S. economy is still down 1.4 million jobs from pre-coronavirus levels, according to BLS. The economy is down 1.5 million positions among restaurants, bars and hotels, 128,000 jobs in manufacturing and 298,000 jobs in health care, according to BLS.
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https://www.heraldandnews.com/news/local_news/oregon-s-unemployment-rate-improves-jobs-still-down-from-pre-covid-levels/article_2c6ff33d-3a67-5269-9797-2e57545aecbd.html
| 2022-04-14T00:33:47Z
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VIDEO: 68-year-old woman rescued after her car plunges off cliff
Published: Apr. 13, 2022 at 7:47 PM EDT|Updated: 54 minutes ago
LOS ANGELES (KABC) - A woman in Southern California was rescued Wednesday morning after her car went over the side of a cliff in Griffith Park.
According to the Los Angeles Fire Department, rescuers were called to assist a 68-year-old woman whose car went off the side of the road at about 7:20 a.m.
The extent of her injuries was not immediately known but she was airlifted from the scene in a helicopter for medical attention, according to emergency crews.
Police did not immediately release the details on how the woman’s car ended up at the bottom of the hill.
Copyright 2022 KABC via CNN Newsource. All rights reserved.
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https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/13/video-68-year-old-woman-rescued-after-her-car-plunges-off-cliff/
| 2022-04-14T00:42:22Z
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Kentucky lawmakers override governor’s veto of abortion ban
FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — New abortion restrictions passed by Republican lawmakers over the Democratic governor’s veto will force the only two abortion clinics in Kentucky to stop providing the procedures for women, at least temporarily, while the new law is challenged in court, abortion-rights activists said Wednesday.
The law will draw immediate federal lawsuits, and attorneys for the clinics will seek a ruling to block the measure to allow the clinics to resume abortions while the case is litigated, the activists said. The two abortion clinics in Kentucky are in Louisville, the state’s largest city.
Immediately after the GOP-led legislature finished overriding Gov. Andy Beshear’s vetoes, the activists said the clinics will be unable to comply with the new restrictions because the state hasn’t set up a now-mandated regulatory process. The measure takes effect immediately.
“Because the law is impossible to comply with, it amounts to a de facto abortion ban, thus violating patients’ federal right to abortion under Roe v. Wade,” abortion-rights groups said in a news release.
Planned Parenthood and the American Civil Liberties Union will file suit challenging the measure, the release said.
The chants of abortion-rights supporters echoed through Kentucky’s Capitol as the legislature swept aside the governor’s veto. The bill calls for regulating the dispensing of abortion pills, but the state hasn’t yet set up the registration process, the groups said. It would require women to be examined in person by a doctor before receiving the medication.
That section of the bill is part of a nationwide push by anti-abortion groups to limit the ability of physicians to prescribe abortion pills by telemedicine, and comes in response to the increased use of pills rather than surgery to terminate early pregnancies.
About half of all abortions performed in Kentucky are the result of medication procedures.
The measure also requires new reporting requirements that violate patient privacy, the abortion-rights groups said.
Another key part of the bill bans abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy. Kentucky law currently bans abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy.
The proposed 15-week ban is modeled after a Mississippi law the Supreme Court is considering in a case that could dramatically limit abortion rights. By taking the preemptive action, the bill’s supporters say Kentucky’s stricter ban would be in place if the Mississippi law is upheld.
About two dozen abortion-rights supporters chanted “bans off our bodies” at the bottom of the stairs leading to the Kentucky House chamber earlier Wednesday as the lawmakers debated the abortion measure. Lawmakers on both sides of the debate mentioned the demonstrators, whose voices could be heard in the chamber as the emotional debate continued.
“It absolutely makes me sick to have to listen to what’s going on out there,” Republican Rep. Norma Kirk-McCormick said.
The House overrode Gov. Andy Beshear’s veto on a 76-21 vote. That sent the measure to the Senate for the final vote. Republicans have supermajorities in both chambers. The demonstrators moved to the other side of the Capitol Wednesday evening and chanted as the Senate debated the measure. The Senate overrode the veto on a 31-6 vote.
Opponents also condemned the bill for failing to exclude pregnancies caused by rape or incest.
“Those are violent crimes,” Democratic Rep. Rachel Roberts said. “This bill forces those women to be violated again.”
In pushing for the override, Kirk-McCormick said: “The abortion of a baby is plain wrong. And I pray that God would have mercy on anyone that would take the life of a child. There’s no mercy for that baby in abortion.”
The strict limits on abortion weren’t the only social issues legislation taken up by Republican lawmakers during the frenzied veto session. They also used their lopsided majorities to finish overriding a Beshear veto of their effort to ban transgender athletes from participating in sports. The override votes won by wide margins in both chambers over the objections of opponents.
“This bill is discrimination in search of children,” Democratic Rep. Josie Raymond said.
The measure would bar transgender girls and women from playing on sports teams matching their gender identity from sixth grade through college. Supporters say it would ensure girls and women compete against other “biological females.”
“The athlete wants a fair playing field,” Republican Sen. Donald Douglas said. “They don’t care about all this other social stuff.”
Republican-led states increasingly have adopted such prohibitions on transgender girls or women, though the culture war-related bans have been challenged in several states as violations of federal law. Opponents of the Kentucky measure predicted the measure also will end up in court.
“The fight won’t stop here,” said Chris Hartman, executive director of the Fairness Campaign.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/14/kentucky-lawmakers-override-governors-veto-abortion-ban/
| 2022-04-14T00:42:29Z
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Amber Alert canceled for missing 12-year-old in Maryland
Published: Apr. 11, 2022 at 4:48 PM EDT|Updated: Apr. 12, 2022 at 11:03 AM EDT
(Gray News) - An Amber Alert for a missing 12-year-old boy in Maryland was canceled on Tuesday.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children announced that the alert had been canceled via Twitter.
Maryland State Police said that the boy had been found unharmed.
State police had issued an Amber Alert on Monday for the boy, who had been missing since April 8.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/11/amber-alert-issued-maryland-missing-12-year-old/
| 2022-04-14T00:52:00Z
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DeLauter out indefinitely with broken foot
HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) - James Madison baseball star Chase DeLauter is out indefinitely after suffering a broken foot in this past weekend’s road series at College of Charleston.
DeLauter’s injury occurred running the bases after he it a double in the top of the ninth in game two of the series on Saturday. JMU head coach Marlin Ikenberry says the program is awaiting more information on the amount of time DeLauter will miss but there’s hope he can return before the end of the season.
“We just don’t know,” said Ikenberry. “We’re not 100% sure what is going to happen.”
DeLauter is one of the best hitters in college baseball and considered to be a potential top-ten pick in the the 2022 MLB Draft later this year. He is hitting .437 with eight home runs and 35 RBI to go along with 10 stolen bases and a 1.404 OPS. He missed time earlier this season after getting hit in the head with a pitch and colliding into the outfield wall in the same game but returned and made a major impact at the plate.
“He’s one of the best players in college baseball,” said Ikenberry. “I hate it for our team, our fans. The opportunity to watch him play is so dynamic. It’s gonna be next guy up. That’s what is going to have to happen.”
Ikenberry says that Travis Reifsnider will replace DeLauter in center field and at No. 2 in the batting order. Former Broadway High School star Bryce Suters could also see more playing time in the outfield with DeLauter sidelined.
News of DeLauter’s injury was first reported by Baseball America and Noah Fleischman of the Daily News-Record.
Copyright 2022 WHSV. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/11/delauter-out-indefinitely-with-broken-foot/
| 2022-04-14T00:52:07Z
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Ex-officer convicted of storming Capitol to disrupt Congress
WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal jury on Monday convicted a former Virginia police officer of storming the U.S. Capitol with another off-duty officer to obstruct Congress from certifying President Joe Biden’s 2020 electoral victory.
Jurors convicted former Rocky Mount police officer Thomas Robertson of all six counts he faced stemming from the Jan. 6, 2021, riot, including charges that he interfered with police officers at the Capitol and that he entered a restricted area with a dangerous weapon, a large wooden stick.
His sentencing hearing wasn’t immediately scheduled.
Robertson’s jury trial was the second among hundreds of Capitol riot cases. The first ended last month with jurors convicting a Texas man, Guy Reffitt, of all five counts in his indictment.
Robertson didn’t testify at his trial, which started last Tuesday. Jurors deliberated for several hours over two days before reaching their unanimous verdict.
One juror, who spoke to The Associated Press only on condition of anonymity, said as she left the courthouse, “I think the government made a really compelling case and the evidence was fairly overwhelming.”
Defense attorney Mark Rollins said Robertson will appeal the jury’s verdict. “While Mr. Robertson disagrees with the jury’s decision, he respects the rule of law,” Rollins said in a statement.
A key witness for prosecutors in his case was Jacob Fracker, who also served on the Rocky Mount police force and viewed Robertson as a mentor and father figure. Fracker was scheduled to be tried alongside Robertson before he pleaded guilty last month to a conspiracy charge and agreed to cooperate with authorities. Fracker testified Thursday that he had hoped the mob that attacked the Capitol could overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.
Robertson was charged with six counts: obstruction of Congress, interfering with officers during a civil disorder, entering a restricted area while carrying a dangerous weapon, disorderly or disruptive conduct in a restricted area while carrying a dangerous weapon, disorderly or disruptive conduct inside the Capitol building, and obstruction. The last charge stems from his alleged post-riot destruction of cellphones belonging to him and Fracker.
During the trial’s closing arguments Friday, Assistant U.S. Attorney Risa Berkower said Robertson went to Washington and joined a “violent vigilante mob” because he believed the election was stolen from then-President Donald Trump. He used the wooden stick to interfere with outnumbered police before he joined the crowd pouring into the Capitol, she said.
“The defendant did all this because he wanted to overturn the election,” Berkower said.
Rollins conceded that Robertson broke the law when he entered the Capitol during the riot. He encouraged jurors to convict Robertson of misdemeanor offenses but urged them to acquit Robertson of felony charges that he used the stick as a dangerous weapon and that he intended to stop Congress from certifying the Electoral College vote.
“There were no plans to go down there and say, ‘I’m going to stop Congress from doing this vote,’” Rollins said.
Fracker testified that he initially believed that he was merely trespassing when he entered the Capitol building. However, he ultimately pleaded guilty to conspiring with Robertson to obstruct Congress.
Under cross-examination by Rollins, Fracker said he didn’t have a “verbal agreement” with anybody to obstruct the joint session of Congress. Fracker said he believed everybody in the mob “pretty much had the same goal” and didn’t need for it to be “said out loud.”
Robertson and Fracker drove with a neighbor to Washington on the morning of Jan. 6. Robertson brought three gas masks for them to use, according to prosecutors.
After listening to speeches near the Washington Monument, Fracker, Robertson and the neighbor walked toward the Capitol, donned the gas masks and joined the growing mob, prosecutors said. Robertson stopped to help his neighbor, who was having trouble breathing. Fracker broke off and entered the building before Robertson, but they reunited inside the Capitol.
Defense attorney Camille Wagner told jurors that Robertson only went into the Capitol because he wanted to retrieve Fracker, who entered the Capitol a few minutes before Robertson. Wagner said the U.S. Army veteran was using the stick to help him walk because he has a limp from getting shot in the right thigh while working as a private contractor for the U.S. Defense Department in Afghanistan in 2011.
Jurors saw some of Robertson’s vitriolic posts on social media before and after the Capitol riot. In a Facebook post on Nov. 7, 2020, Robertson said “being disenfranchised by fraud is my hard line.”
“I’ve spent most of my adult life fighting a counter insurgency. (I’m) about to become part of one, and a very effective one,” he wrote.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Aloi told jurors that Robertson was charged for his actions, not his political beliefs. Wagner also said Robertson should be judged by his actions, not his words.
The town fired Robertson and Fracker after the riot. Rocky Mount is about 25 miles south of Roanoke and has roughly 5,000 residents.
Robertson has been jailed since Cooper ruled in July that he violated the terms of his pretrial release by possessing firearms.
More than 770 people have been charged with federal crimes related to the riot. Over 250 of them have pleaded guilty, mostly to misdemeanors.
Robertson’s trial is one of four so far for Capitol riot defendants. Two others had their cases decided by bench trials before the same judge.
U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden convicted New Mexico elected official Couy Griffin last month of illegally entering restricted Capitol grounds but acquitted him of engaging in disorderly conduct. On Wednesday, McFadden acquitted another New Mexico man, Matthew Martin, of all four charges that he faced.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/11/ex-officer-convicted-storming-capitol-disrupt-congress/
| 2022-04-14T00:52:14Z
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Police: Missing Florida teen found safe
Published: Apr. 11, 2022 at 4:48 PM EDT|Updated: Apr. 12, 2022 at 7:21 AM EDT
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (Gray News) – Police in Florida said a missing 15-year-old girl has been found.
Saige Stiles was safely located by member of the Florida’s Treasure Coast Guardian Angels Chapter who was in the area searching for her on Monday, the Port St. Lucie Police Department said.
Saige was found in good health, officials said.
She had been reported missing Monday morning.
While walking to school, she was on the phone with a friend and said she was being followed. Her friend called 911.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/11/florida-teen-said-she-was-being-followed-way-school-before-disappearing-police-say/
| 2022-04-14T00:52:20Z
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Plea deal rejected by 3 ex-officers in George Floyd’s death
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Prosecutors revealed Monday evening that they offered plea deals to three former Minneapolis police officers charged with aiding and abetting the murder of George Floyd, but said at a hearing that the defendants rejected them.
Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill held the hearing mostly to consider whether he has the authority to allow live video coverage of the upcoming trial set to begin in June for former Officers Tou Thao, Thomas Lane and J. Alexander Kueng. They’re charged with aiding and abetting both manslaughter and murder when former officer Derek Chauvin used his knee to pin Floyd, a Black man, to the pavement for 9 1/2 minutes on May 25, 2020. Kueng knelt on Floyd’s back, Lane held his legs and Thao kept bystanders back.
Lead prosecutor Matthew Frank did not disclose details of the plea offers in open court but said they were identical and were made March 22 after a jury convicted the three in a separate trial in February on federal civil rights charges stemming from Floyd’s death, according to pool reports from inside the courtroom.
Lane’s attorney, Earl Gray, said it was hard for the defense to negotiate when the three still don’t know what their federal sentences will be. The judge in that case has not set a sentencing date, and all three remain free on bail.
Cahill told Frank to file the offers for the record after the jury is seated for the upcoming trial, which is expected to take around eight weeks, including three for jury selection.
Cahill took the rare step of allowing live audiovisual coverage of Chauvin’s murder trial last year, making an exception to the normal rules of Minnesota courts. He cited the extenuating circumstance of the need to balance protecting participants from COVID-19 against the constitutional requirement for a public trial.
Now that the U.S. has entered a new phase of living with the coronavirus, Cahill must decide whether to allow the same sort of access for the trial of Thao, Lane and Kueng. He did not rule during their pretrial hearing, and said he won’t until after the Minnesota Judicial Council — a panel of leading judges and court administrators — meets Thursday to discuss the issue.
Attorney Leita Walker, who represents a coalition of media organizations, including The Associated Press, urged Cahill to allow video coverage again, saying it’s the most reasonable way to ensure public and media access to the trial. She said the public got to watch Chauvin’s trial, and that interest remains high because both involve Floyd’s death. The killing, which was recorded on video, sparked protests around the world and a national reckoning on race.
“The public is just not going to understand why they got to watch that one gavel to gavel and they won’t be able to watch this one,” Walker said.
But Cahill questioned Walker’s assertions that he has the authority to make another exception and that the pandemic is still an extenuating circumstance.
“COVID-19 is less of a pandemic and more of an endemic issue now,” Cahill said.
Cahill noted that while he has publicly said he now believes the legal presumption should be to allow televised trials, he pointed out that that’s not the rule yet. “I’m still sworn to uphold the law,” he said.
Defense attorneys said they still oppose audiovisual coverage of the upcoming trial, and renewed concerns about the willingness of witnesses to testify.
Minnesota court rules generally require the consent of all parties for audiovisual coverage of trials, with fewer restrictions for sentencings. Chauvin’s trial was the first in Minnesota to be entirely televised, from jury selection to his murder conviction to his sentencing to 22 1/2 years in prison. People worldwide tuned into the livestreams.
“I think livestreaming that trial enabled people here and around the world to see the inner workings of a system that was handling one of the most important trials of our time,” Suki Dardarian, senior managing editor and vice president of the Star Tribune of Minneapolis, which is part of the media coalition, said before the hearing.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison’s office initially opposed having cameras in the court for Chauvin’s trial, but now supports them for the other officers’ upcoming trial.
“The Chauvin trial demonstrated the benefits of robust public access to this important case and proved that the Court could successfully navigate the concerns animating the State’s initial opposition to audio and video coverage,” prosecutors wrote last week. “The Court’s commendable transparency inspired public confidence in the proceedings and helped ensure calm in Minneapolis and across the country.”
Due to federal court rules, live video coverage was not allowed for the first trial of Thao, Lane and Kueng this year, when all three were convicted of violating Floyd’s civil rights. Nor was it allowed for Chauvin’s federal case in which he pleaded guilty to civil rights violations. But it was allowed in the December state court trial of former Brooklyn Center Officer Kim Potter in the death of Daunte Wright, who was killed one year ago Monday.
An advisory committee to the Minnesota Supreme Court is considering whether to allow more video coverage of criminal proceedings. It’s due to release its report by July 1.
Cahill, in a letter to the committee, said he had opposed cameras in criminal cases before, but that his experience in Chauvin’s case changed his opinion, and he now believes they should be presumptively allowed, subject to the trial judge’s discretion.
Hennepin County Judge Regina Chu, who presided over Potter’s trial, told the Star Tribune in an interview that both the Potter and Chauvin trials convinced her that cameras can be present without being disruptive.
“I forgot they were even there,” Chu told the newspaper.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/11/judge-weighs-cameras-3-officers-trial-over-george-floyds-death/
| 2022-04-14T00:52:27Z
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10-year-old boy saves little cousin from dog attack
WALTON COUNTY, Fla. (WJHG/Gray News) – Family members are calling 10-year-old Miloe Burgess a hero after he protected his 3-year-old cousin, Rylee Foreman, during a dog attack.
Rylee, Miloe and their other cousins were playing outside at their grandparents’ house in Florida when a dog started attacking Rylee.
“I don’t know what happened, but I know she was screaming,” Miloe told WJHG.
“He laid on top of me,” Rylee said of her cousin.
Miloe called for help as he protected his cousin, and his grandma was able to get the kids inside and away from the dog.
Rylee needed 24 stitches in her arms, legs and feet, but family members said they believe things could have been much worse.
“I don’t know if she’d be here today,” Miloe’s mom Doria Andersen said.
Officials said they don’t see kids as young as Miloe doing things this brave very often: “Just to show that they were brave,” animal control officer Cary Miller said. “Being their age, as young as they were, to step up and take those steps.”
Miloe, who loves to fish, was honored Monday for his actions. A business in the area and the Walton County Sheriff’s Office gave the 10-year-old a new fishing pole, tackle box and lures.
Copyright 2022 WJHG via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/12/10-year-old-boy-saves-little-cousin-dog-attack/
| 2022-04-14T00:52:34Z
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4-year-old found dead in pond after wandering off from apartments, police say
Published: Apr. 12, 2022 at 11:02 AM EDT
STONE MOUNTAIN, Ga. (WGCL/Gray News) - A frantic search for a 4-year-old Georgia boy ended early Tuesday morning after his body was recovered from a pond, police confirm.
The DeKalb County Police Department said Kyuss Williams wandered away from an apartment complex and was reported missing Monday evening. A search led investigators to discover the young boy’s body in a pond just behind the residence around 2:30 a.m. Tuesday.
Police say they do not suspect foul play at this time and believe Kyuss may have drowned.
The investigation remains ongoing.
Copyright 2022 WGCL via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/12/4-year-old-found-dead-pond-after-wandering-off-apartments-police-say/
| 2022-04-14T00:52:43Z
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Alabama elementary school principal accused of ‘excessive paddling’ of student
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WAFF/Gray News) - An Alabama elementary school principal is on leave for paddling a child too much according to authorities.
In a letter obtained by WAFF from the district’s attorney, the principal of Hazelwood Elementary in Lawrence County, Alabama, is accused of using a wooden paddle on a child ten times in a row.
Corporal punishment is legal in the state of Alabama, meaning using paddling as a form of punishment is allowed. But there is a line, which Lawrence County Schools Superintendent Jon Bret Smith says was crossed.
A letter sent to Hazelwood Principal Dr. Datie Priest accuses her of paddling a third-grade student ten times in a row one time and five times in a row during a separate incident.
According to WAFF’s news partners at the Decatur Daily, Smith has said no more than three licks at a time is allowed.
The letter goes on to say Priest told Lawrence County School board members about the paddling on March 11.
She was then placed on detached duty.
Smith says Priest later told him and another supervisor that the child was given a choice of “two licks by his teacher or ten by me and it’s my personal belief that he would not take a paddling from a white teacher.”
Vice president for the Alabama NAACP Bobby Diggs said the organization recommended Priest for the principal position and stands by her, despite the accusations.
“The NAACP remains perplexed that the accusations against Priest were in her personnel file but accusations against Ron Rikard (principal at East Lawrence High School) were not in his file at the central office,” said Diggs. “It is in our opinion that the superintendent is being bias{ed} and discriminatory in the treatment of the two principals.”
Smith said he cannot comment on personnel issues.
State law also requires a student receive a written slip after a paddling. Smith said the student was not given one. The letter includes a few other accusations including leaving work early and mismanaging funds.
Priest is currently on paid administrative leave. However, the school district may not renew her contract, according to the Decatur Daily.
Copyright 2022 WAFF via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/12/alabama-elementary-school-principal-accused-excessive-paddling-student/
| 2022-04-14T00:52:50Z
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Augusta County Sheriff’s Office warns of scam
HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) - The Augusta County Sheriff’s Office has taken several reports and calls from concerned citizens about someone calling portraying to be a Sergeant or a Lieutenant Sholes from the Augusta County Sheriff’s Office. The caller is telling the citizens that he has a warrant for their arrest.
The sheriff’s office does not have a Sergeant or a Lieutenant Sholes that works for the Augusta County Sheriff’s Office. If you get a call from someone stating they are Sergeant or Lieutenant Sholes, simply hang up the phone. Do not engage with this person, as you may fall victim to a scam.
This caller will most likely ask you to get Visa gift cards or some other type of gift card in exchange for being arrested on a warrant. Do not buy any gift cards or send any money to this person.
Additionally, never give out any of your personal information to anyone in situations where you did not initiate the call. No one from the Augusta County Sheriff’s Office will ever ask anyone to buy gift cards or ask for any money in exchange for being arrested.
The Augusta County Sheriff’s Office urges everyone to educate family on this type of scam. Make sure that your parents and grandparents are aware of this scam and other scams that are similar.
If you are ever in doubt about whether it is a scam or not, please do not hesitate to call the sheriff’s office.
Copyright 2022 WHSV. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/12/augusta-county-sheriffs-office-warns-scam/
| 2022-04-14T00:52:57Z
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Babysitter arrested after putting 4-year-old boy in dryer, police say
LAKE COUNTY, Fla. (Gray News) -A babysitter in Florida has been accused of putting a child who was under her care in a dryer.
Authorities in Lake County, Florida, report Amber Christine Chapman, 35, has been charged with aggravated child abuse.
Investigators say that a 4-year-old boy was taken to the UF Health Leesburg Hospital on Feb. 1 and told medical staff that “Miss Amber” had put him in the dryer with towels, and he spun around.
Staff noted multiple areas of bruising on the boy’s head, back and both ears, as indicated by police.
In a recorded interview with the child on Feb. 7, police said the boy told them that Chapman placed him in the dryer, closed the door, and he spun around. The boy also said Chapman opened the door, closed it again, and then went around again.
On Feb. 2, the boy was examined at the Children’s Advocacy Center, according to police. Injuries were found on the boy’s head, abdomen and back.
The team was unable to determine if being placed in the dryer caused the boy’s injuries, but the team told police that the injuries to his back, face, forehead and ears were consistent with what he had told doctors of what had happened.
Police said the boy had frequently been watched by Chapman in the past.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/12/babysitter-accused-putting-4-year-old-dryer-child-sent-hospital-police-say/
| 2022-04-14T00:53:06Z
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Blue Ridge Foster Love continues to help foster and kinship families in the Valley
ROCKINGHAM COUNTY, Va. (WHSV) - After only a few months open, the Blue Ridge Foster Love storefront is filled with anything a child would need, from clothes to hygiene products, to shoes.
Blue Ridge Foster Love provides all of these items at no cost to foster and kinship families in the Valley.
“All of this is donations. At first, it was a lot of my family and friends, but now it is the community that’s donating,” founder Christine Costello said. “I had companies come in and donate their time and energy to remodel the place so it looks entirely different. It looks like a real shop.”
Costello said the store helps 10 to 15 children and families each week, including some emergency situations where a child is placed in foster care overnight or after school.
“They’re grateful that they can just go to one place and everything is completely free to them. They just pick up what they need and they go home or I can shop for them, which I find a lot of foster parents like,” Costello said.
This will be the first year that Blue Ridge Foster Love is able to participate in the Great Community Give, an initiative of the Community Foundation of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County.
The goal for the 5th annual Great Community Give is to raise $1.8 million for over 100 local non-profits serving Harrisonburg and Rockingham County.
While Costello said she has not set a goal for fundraising, she does hope to spread the word about Blue Ridge Foster Love and its mission. She said donations will go toward bigger expenses.
“We have to have new car seats, so those are not cheap. [Car seats], diapers and wipes are our biggest needs,” Costello said. “Baby monitors, I’m finding. When you’re a foster parent and you only have teenagers, you don’t have a baby monitor around, so those kinds of things we’d use donations for.”
Early Giving is happening now through April 19. The Great Community Give is happening on April 20 from 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. If the $1.8 million goal is reached, the Community Foundation will have helped raise $5 million since the Great Community Give started five years ago.
For more information on Blue Ridge Foster Love, click here.
Copyright 2022 WHSV. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/12/blue-ridge-foster-love-continues-help-foster-kinship-families-valley/
| 2022-04-14T00:53:13Z
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Boy bitten by shark in shallow water in Florida
Published: Apr. 12, 2022 at 5:30 AM EDT
(CNN) - A young boy was bitten by a shark in south Florida.
It happened in shallow water in Palm Beach County on Monday, officials said.
He said he saw the shark before it bit his foot and estimates it was about 4 feet long.
Paramedics bandaged the wound and took him to the hospital.
Sharks are not uncommon in shallow water, but unprovoked attacks are rare.
Copyright 2022 CNN Newsource. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/12/boy-bitten-by-shark-shallow-water-florida/
| 2022-04-14T00:53:19Z
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Bus driver charged in student’s death
WAYNE COUNTY, Mich. (WXYZ) - A Michigan bus driver is facing charges following the death of a 13-year-old boy last week.
Zyiar Harris was being dropped off on Wednesday when he was struck by an oncoming vehicle.
“It’s the bus driver’s fault,” his mother Cassandra Jones said.
Investigations revealed that the incident unfolded when 65-year-old bus driver Deborah White allegedly did not activate the bus’s stop sign and lights.
“My son was autistic,” Jones said. “When he got hit, she pulled off. She seen him get hit, and she pulled off.”
Zyiar later died in the hospital due to complications.
White, who worked for ABC Student Transportation, has been charged with second-degree child abuse and failure to stop at the scene, resulting in death.
White is being held on a $50,000 bond.
Copyright 2022 WXYZ via CNN Newsource. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/12/bus-driver-charged-students-death/
| 2022-04-14T00:53:26Z
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Child with autism dies 2 months after adoption
WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH/Gray News) - Aaron Carter was 6 years old when he left his foster family to go live with his newly adoptive parents. Two months later, he died.
KWCH investigative reporter Alex Flippin spent the last year asking questions about the death, about who failed the child and what needs to be done so it doesn’t happen again to someone else.
When Aaron came to stay with foster parents Jamie and Tina Miller just before his third birthday in April 2017, any communication at all was unthinkable. He only started to learn to communicate when he was 5 years old.
“When we got him, they said he was ‘normal,’ but there was absolutely something terribly wrong,” Tina Miller said. “He would go along the wall and run his hand down it and just follow and just circled the entire day, nonstop. And he didn’t talk.
“He didn’t look at you, and if he did, he looked right past you like you didn’t exist.”
He was a boy with autism who had made his way into the foster care system after a rough start to life. The Millers tried their hardest to give Aaron what he needed, even when he had no way to tell them.
“He didn’t have any form of communication,” Jamie Miller said. “If he got upset, he would yell and scream or throw a tantrum, but that’s the only way he could voice any of his feelings or opinion or anything was by throwing a tantrum. He was definitely a challenge.
“The most, I would say he was the most difficult child I was ever around, but he taught me the most of being a parent of any child I’ve been around.”
As foster parents, the couple estimate they have welcomed somewhere between 30 and 50 children into their home. They currently have 10 kids, and three of them are adopted.
Jamie Miller said when they first brought Aaron home, they had decided not to adopt him.
“After he’d been here for three years, we started rethinking that,” he said.
“I said, ‘I can’t let him go,’” Tina added. “(Jamie) was like ‘I’m glad you said that. I feel same way.’”
The Millers worked to find Aaron the therapy experts say was paramount to his development. Three years in, gone was the little boy who looked right through you.
They developed important routines and took precautions for his safety. Aaron began wearing a helmet to protect him during tantrums. It wasn’t the “normal” they may have been used to, but it was a new normal that they say was working.
He learned to communicate, both verbally and by using a special iPad. He helped with chores, at least as much help as any child his age could.
The dream of making Aaron a permanent part of the family, though, was wiped away by the reality of what it would take to do that.
“(Aaron) was assigned a case manager, so I was able to call her. And I asked her, I said ‘Well what if he was to be adopted, what services will carry over’?” Tina Miller said.
The Millers said they learned that if they adopted Aaron, they could not afford to provide what he needed. Shortly after, a Wichita couple said they could.
Jamie Miller said they were believers, lifting Aaron up in prayer every day and hoping when he went to his new family it would be what he needed.
The couple were young and recently married. They had three dogs and other pets but no children.
The Millers met them, shared dinner and then Aaron had some overnight stays to their home. Jamie and Tina Miller said they saw red flags.
“It was apparent immediately that they weren’t interested in the consistency and doing the things that we knew, we had proved over those years, that he needed,” Jamie explained.
The Millers say the couple felt Aaron didn’t need the helmet he wore to protect him during outbursts. The routine Aaron had come to rely on, they say, wasn’t followed during his visits to the couple’s home.
A pre-adoption family assessment by the Kansas Department of Children and Families, obtained by KWCH, stated one of the prospective parents struggled with methamphetamine and amphetamine addiction.
That parent also had a history of being “quick to anger.” The other parent struggled when people were disrespectful, the assessment stated.
The adoption process continued, and overnight visits with the Wichita couple continued as well.
The Millers said he left them Dec. 18, 2020, on what was supposed to be a four-day weekend with the couple before coming back to them for Christmas.
“But he never he never came back home,” Jamie Miller said.
The Millers say Aaron got sick, and he stayed in Wichita over concern it may have been COVID-19.
By Feb. 16, 2021, he was gone. An adoption specialist delivered the unthinkable news to his foster parents.
“She said that Aaron passed away. He is deceased. That’s pretty much all I heard, and I was just screaming at her on the phone,” Tina said. “I was just like, ‘I knew it. I knew this would happen. You all killed him. You put him there. You knew he didn’t belong there.’ And like, ‘He never should have left.’”
The person on the other end of the phone then asked if the Millers would like to bury Aaron at the state’s expense. They had no idea what they would learn by saying yes.
“His face looked horribly deformed,” Tina explained. “He just had bruises all over his face.”
“Every visible part that we could see was bruised,” Jamie added.
The Department of Children and Families summary of Aaron’s death is seven sentences in length. The autopsy reads that Aaron “had a tantrum” while taking a bath and hit his head on the tub.
It also details 68 other injuries covering his entire body. No cause of death is listed.
There is an open investigation by Wichita police, and DCF will not discuss the case. The foster agency, St. Francis Ministries, did not respond to requests for comment, nor did the couple who planned to adopt Aaron.
Aaron’s foster parents said they are angry at the state, who they say set a young couple up for failure.
“The people that made the decision to move Aaron should have known, should have had the training, should have had the experience to know this isn’t going to go good,” Jamie said. “There were so many blatant things, blatantly obvious things that said, ‘No, no, no, no, no.’ And everybody said, ‘Yes, yes, yes.’
“I feel like he died to keep other people safe, because there are so many kids out there that could end up just like him if things don’t change.”
The people he leaves behind are left to wonder what happened and what needs to change so that it doesn’t happen again. What can the state do to set up parents, prospective parents and kids like Aaron to live and thrive?
“I firmly believe that Aaron won, because he’s in heaven now, and he can talk, he can communicate, he can ride a horse. He liked horses. He can do anything he wants to, so he won. That’s the way I see it see it,” Jamie Miller said.
In the second upcoming part of this story, KWCH sat down with an expert in the field of autism research to hear about current challenges in the state dealing with autism within the foster care system and what needs to change.
Copyright 2022 KWCH via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/12/child-with-autism-dies-2-months-after-adoption/
| 2022-04-14T00:53:35Z
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COVID-19, overdoses pushed US to highest death total ever
NEW YORK (AP) — 2021 was the deadliest year in U.S. history, and new data and research are offering more insights into how it got that bad.
The main reason for the increase in deaths? COVID-19, said Robert Anderson, who oversees the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s work on death statistics.
The agency this month quietly updated its provisional death tally. It showed there were 3.465 million deaths last year, or about 80,000 more than 2020′s record-setting total.
Early last year, some experts were optimistic that 2021 would not be as bad as the first year of the pandemic — partly because effective COVID-19 vaccines had finally become available.
“We were wrong, unfortunately,” said Noreen Goldman, a Princeton University researcher.
COVID-19 deaths rose in 2021 — to more than 415,000, up from 351,000 the year before — as new coronavirus variants emerged and an unexpectedly large numbers of Americans refused to get vaccinated or were hesitant to wear masks, experts said.
The coronavirus is not solely to blame. Preliminary CDC data also shows the crude death rate for cancer rose slightly, and rates continued to increase for diabetes, chronic liver disease and stroke.
Drug overdose deaths also continued to rise. The CDC does not yet have a tally for 2021 overdose deaths, because it can take weeks of lab work and investigation to identify them. But provisional data through October suggests the nation is on track to see at least 105,000 overdose deaths in 2021 — up from 93,000 the year before.
New research released Tuesday showed a particularly large jump in overdose deaths among 14- to 18-year-olds.
Adolescent overdose death counts were fairly constant for most of the last decade, at around 500 a year, according to the paper published by the Journal of the American Medical Association. They almost doubled in 2020, to 954, and the researchers estimated that the total hit nearly 1,150 last year.
Joseph Friedman, a UCLA researcher who was the paper’s lead author, called the spike “unprecedented.”
Those teen overdose deaths were only around 1% of the U.S. total. But adolescents experienced a greater relative increase than the overall population, even though surveys suggest drug use among teens is down.
Experts attributed the spike to fentanyl, a highly lethal drug that has been cut into heroin for several years. More recently it’s also been pressed into counterfeit pills resembling prescription drugs that teens sometimes abuse.
The total number of U.S. deaths often increases year to year as the U.S. population grows. But 2020 and 2021 saw extraordinary jumps in death numbers and rates, due largely to the pandemic.
Those national death trends affect life expectancy — an estimate of the average number of years a baby born in a given year might expect to live.
With rare exceptions, U.S. life expectancy has reliably inched up year after year. But the CDC’s life expectancy estimate for 2020 was about 77 years — more than a year and a half lower than what it was in 2019.
The CDC has not yet reported its calculation for 2021. But Goldman and some other researchers have been making their own estimates, presented in papers that have not yet been published in peer-reviewed journals.
Those researchers think U.S. life expectancy dropped another five or six months in 2021 — putting it back to where it was 20 years ago.
A loss of more than two years of life expectancy over the last two years “is mammoth,” Goldman said.
One study looked at death data in the U.S. and 19 other high-income countries. The U.S. fared the worst.
“What happened in the U.S. is less about the variants than the levels of resistance to vaccination and the public’s rejection of practices, such as masking and mandates, to reduce viral transmission,” one of the study’s authors, Dr. Steven Woolf of Virginia Commonwealth University, said in a statement.
Some experts are skeptical that life expectancy will quickly bounce back. They worry about long-term complications of COVID-19 that may hasten the deaths of people with chronic health problems.
Preliminary — and incomplete — CDC data suggest there were at least 805,000 U.S. deaths in about the first three months of this year. That’s well below the same period last year, but higher than the comparable period in 2020.
“We may end up with a ‘new normal’ that’s a little higher than it was before,” Anderson said.
___
The Associated Press Health & Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/12/covid-19-overdoses-pushed-us-highest-death-total-ever/
| 2022-04-14T00:53:41Z
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DMV customers with appointments can check in online
RICHMOND, Va. (WHSV) - Customers visiting the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) may now check in with a mobile device when they arrive for their appointment.
This new convenience lets customers notify DMV they’ve arrived for their appointment by scanning a QR code and submitting a few pieces of information, allowing them to skip a visit to the information desk and instead have a seat in the lobby until their queuing number is called.
Appointment holders who prefer not to use this digital service may still check in at the information desk via the appointments line. Last week, a customer with an appointment waited less than five minutes to be served after checking in on average.
”Given the popularity of appointment opportunities, we are pleased to make the process even more efficient for customers who can plan ahead,” said Acting DMV Commissioner Linda Ford. “Your transaction will go even more quickly if you complete your forms beforehand. Please visit our website to find out which application you need to fill out ahead of time and bring to your appointment.”
DMV is asking customers who change their plans to cancel their appointment to make sure everyone has a fair chance at this sought-after service, as a significant number of appointment holders do not show up.
Canceling an appointment is quick and easy via your confirmation email or dmvNOW.com. Appointments and walk-in service are offered simultaneously Monday through Friday, with Saturdays remaining open for walk-in customers in offices with Saturday hours.
Of appointment customers surveyed this year, 94% would like DMV to continue to offer appointments. Data also revealed that customers continue to prefer DMV service options that don’t require a visit to a traditional service center. Alternate service options include:
- Online: More than 50 services are available at dmvNOW.com
- Mail: Popular services such as driver’s license and vehicle registration renewals may be completed by mail
- Drop-off: Customers needing a title after purchasing a vehicle from an individual (not a dealer) may drop off their applications and supporting documents at a CSC
- DMV Select: Vehicle-related services are offered through our partner offices
- DMV Connect: Appointments can be scheduled for nearly every DMV service with the agency’s mobile teams
Copyright 2022 WHSV. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/12/dmv-customers-with-appointments-can-check-online/
| 2022-04-14T00:53:49Z
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Fentanyl behind doubling of teen overdose deaths over past decade, study says
Published: Apr. 12, 2022 at 2:44 PM EDT
(CNN) – More and more teens are overdosing on fentanyl, according to new research.
Adolescent drug overdose deaths doubled from 2010 to 2021, according to a study published Tuesday in the Medical Journal JAMA.
The research says there were about 500 adolescent overdose deaths in 2010 and more than 1,100 in 2021.
Fentanyl was involved in more than 75% of deaths in 2021.
Researchers say the increase isn’t because more teens are using drugs. It’s because drug use is becoming more dangerous.
Annual drug overdose deaths for all ages have reached record highs in the U.S. recently.
Copyright 2022 CNN Newsource. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/12/fentanyl-behind-doubling-teen-overdose-deaths-over-past-decade-study-says/
| 2022-04-14T00:53:55Z
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Fort Defiance rallies to defeat Turner Ashby in high school softball showdown
Published: Apr. 11, 2022 at 10:14 PM EDT
HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) - A four-run sixth inning helped Fort Defiance defeat Turner Ashby in a high school softball showdown Monday night.
The Indians entered the bottom of the sixth, trailing 3-0, before Brooke Atkins delivered a two-run single and McKenna Mace blasted a two-run homer to put Fort Defiance in front for good. Lilian Berry tossed a complete game and struck out eight batters in the 4-3 victory for Fort Defiance.
Fort Defiance improves to 6-0 overall while Turner Ashby drops to 7-2 overall.
For more high school spring sports scores, click here.
Copyright 2022 WHSV. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/12/fort-defiance-rallies-defeat-turner-ashby-high-school-softball-showdown/
| 2022-04-14T00:54:01Z
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Hungry javelina gets stuck in car, goes for ride in Arizona
CORNVILLE, Ariz. (AP) — A hungry javelina in Arizona ended up going for a drive when it became trapped inside an empty car and bumped it into neutral.
Deputies in Yavapai County responded to a call last week in Cornville, a community 10 miles (16 kilometers) south of Sedona, about a javelina stuck in a Subaru station wagon. Javelinas are pig-like animals that are native to desert environments.
After speaking with the car’s owner and other residents, they determined the car’s hatchback had been left open overnight.
The javelina jumped in to get to a bag of Cheetos. The hatch then closed, trapping the animal inside.
Authorities say the javelina ripped off a portion of the dashboard and the inside of a door in an attempt to escape.
The animal then managed to knock the car into neutral, causing it to roll down the driveway and across the street. The Subaru came to a rest, and the javelina was not injured.
A deputy opened the hatch, and the javelina was able to run back into the wilderness.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/12/hungry-javelina-gets-stuck-car-goes-ride-arizona/
| 2022-04-14T00:54:07Z
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Biden waiving ethanol rule in bid to lower gasoline prices
MENLO, Iowa (AP) — With inflation at a 40-year high, President Joe Biden journeyed to corn-rich Iowa on Tuesday to announce a modest step aimed at trimming gasoline prices by about a dime a gallon at a limited number of stations by waiving rules that restrict ethanol blending.
His action reflects the ways Biden is deploying almost every weapon in his bureaucratic arsenal to ease price pressures, yet the impact appears to be small and uncertain. Inflation has only accelerated in recent months, instead of fading as Biden once promised it would after the recovery from the coronavirus recession following last year’s $1.9 trillion relief package.
A government report Tuesday that consumer prices jumped 8.5% in March from a year ago — the worst reading since December 1981 — only deepened the political challenge for Biden and fellow Democrats ahead of this year’s midterm elections. More than half the increase came from higher gas prices, which spiked in part because of Russia’s war in Ukraine, but costs also jumped for housing, food and other items.
Biden called the inflation report “Putin’s price hike.”
“Your family budget, your ability to fill up your tank, none of it should hinge on whether a dictator declares war and commits genocide a half a world away,” the U.S. president said, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
But in his remarks at the POET biofuels facility in Menlo, west of Des Moines, Biden acknowledged that the waiver on ethanol mixes was a small step.
“I’m doing everything within my power by executive orders to bring down the price,” he said. “It’s not going to solve all our problems, but it’s going to help some people.”
Most gasoline sold in the U.S. is blended with 10% ethanol, a biofuel that is currently cheaper than gas. Biden was announcing that the Environmental Protection Agency will issue an emergency waiver to allow widespread sale of a 15% ethanol blend that is usually prohibited between June 1 and Sept. 15 because of concerns that it adds to smog in high temperatures.
Senior Biden administration officials said the action will save drivers an average of 10 cents per gallon based on current prices, but at just 2,300 gas stations out of the nation’s more than 100,000. The affected stations are mostly in the Midwest and the South, including Texas, according to industry groups.
Administration officials said the EPA has determined that the “emergency” step of allowing more E15 gasoline sales for the summer is not likely to have a significant air quality impact. That’s despite some environmentalists long arguing that more ethanol in gasoline increases pollution, especially during warmer summer months.
The waiver is another effort to help ease global energy markets that have been rocked since Russia invaded Ukraine. Last month, the president announced the U.S. will release 1 million barrels of oil per day from the nation’s strategic petroleum reserve over the next six months. His administration said that has helped to slightly reduce gas prices lately, after they climbed to an average of about $4.23 a gallon by the end of March, compared with $2.87 at the same time a year ago, according to AAA.
“Not only is this decision a major win for American drivers and our nation’s energy security, it means cleaner options at the pump and a stronger rural economy,” Emily Skor, CEO of the biofuel trade association group Growth Energy, said in a statement.
Members of Congress from both parties also had urged Biden to grant the E15 waiver.
“Homegrown Iowa biofuels provide a quick and clean solution for lowering prices at the pump, and bolstering production would help us become energy independent once again,” said Iowa Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley. He was among nine Republican and seven Democratic senators from Midwestern states who sent Biden a letter last month urging him to allow year-round E15 sales.
The trip will be Biden’s first as president to Iowa, where his 2020 presidential campaign limped to a fourth-place finish in the state’s caucus. He will arrive saddled with sagging approval ratings and the high inflation while his party faces the prospect of big midterm election losses that could cost it control of Congress.
The president also planned to promote his economic plans to help rural families and highlight the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure law enacted last fall. That law includes money to improve internet access, as well as for modernizing wastewater systems, reducing flooding threats and improving roads and bridges, drinking water and electric grids in sparsely populated areas.
Biden had hoped Democrats could run on the low 3.6% unemployment rate and an agenda geared toward lifting the middle class, but inflation has hijacked those ambitions and given Republicans a target for criticism.
Iowa Republican Party Chairman Jeff Kauffman was unsparing in his criticism of Biden’s handling of the economy and inflation. But, he said, the temporary move on ethanol was the right one.
“First of all, let me say that that’s a good thing. Absolutely good thing. It would have been nice had he done it earlier,” Kauffman said. “Am I glad about this waiver? Yes I am. Is it enough? Nope.”
The high inflation also poses a threat to Biden’s broader domestic agenda that likely hinges on the vote of Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia. Manchin released a statement saying that the Biden administration and the Federal Reserve failed “to act fast enough,” to curb costs for the American people and that the problem of high prices predates the invasion of Ukraine.
Manchin, whose opposition doomed Biden’s 10-year, roughly $2 trillion measure in December, had recently returned to the negotiating table with the White House. It remains unclear what impact the new inflation data will have on those negotiations.
After Iowa, Biden will visit Greensboro, North Carolina, on Thursday.
The EPA has lifted seasonal restrictions on E15 in the past, including after Hurricane Harvey in 2017. The Trump administration did so in the summer two years later but had that action struck down by a federal appeals court.
A group representing petroleum refiners blasted Biden’s decision, saying the only emergency was his dropping poll numbers.
“We are right there with the administration on wanting to see relief for consumers at the pump, but an unlawful executive order is not how to solve the problem,’’ said Chet Thompson, president & CEO of the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers.
___
Josh Boak and Matthew Daly reported from Washington. AP writers Tom Beaumont in Des Moines and Farnoush Amiri in Washington contributed.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/12/iowa-rejected-biden-president-back-sell-rural-plan/
| 2022-04-14T00:54:14Z
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JMU assistant coach Andrew Wilson named VMI men’s basketball head coach
Published: Apr. 11, 2022 at 9:25 PM EDT
HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) - James Madison men’s basketball head coach Mark Byington is searching for a new assistant coach.
Andrew Wilson, who served as an assistant to Byington at JMU and previously at Georgia Southern, was announced as the head coach at VMI on Monday.
Wilson, who specializes in coaching defense, joined Byington at James Madison after he was hired to lead the program prior to the 2020-2021 season. Wilson was an assistant coach for Byington for seven seasons at Georgia Southern prior to making his way to Harrisonburg.
Copyright 2022 WHSV. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/12/jmu-assistant-coach-andrew-wilson-named-vmi-mens-basketball-head-coach/
| 2022-04-14T00:54:23Z
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Appeals court: Johnson & Johnson must pay $302 million in pelvic mesh case
SAN DIEGO (AP) — A California appeals court has upheld a lower court ruling that Johnson & Johnson must pay penalties to the state for deceptively marketing pelvic mesh implants for women, but reduced the amount by $42 million to $302 million.
Johnson & Johnson had appealed in 2020 after Superior Court Judge Eddie Sturgeon assessed the $344 million in penalties against Johnson & Johnson subsidiary Ethicon.
Sturgeon found after a non-jury trial that the company made misleading and potentially harmful statements in hundreds of thousands of advertisements and instructional brochures for nearly two decades.
California’s Fourth District Court of Appeal issued a ruling Monday that $42 million in penalties assessed for the company’s sales pitches to doctors were unjustified because there was no evidence of what the sales representatives actually said.
But the appeals court said Sturgeon received ample evidence that Ethicon knowingly deceived both physicians and patients about the risks posed by its products, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
Ryan Carbain, a Johnson & Johnson spokesperson, told the Chronicle that the company would appeal the appeals court ruling to the state Supreme Court.
The instructions for use in all of the company’s pelvic mesh implant packages “falsified or omitted the full range, severity, duration, and cause of complications associated with Ethicon’s pelvic mesh products, as well as the potential irreversibility and catastrophic consequences,” Presiding Justice Judith McConnell of the appeals court said in a 3-0 ruling upholding the $302 million in penalties.
She rejected the company’s claim that the fine was excessive, saying it amounted to less than 1% of Johnson & Johnson’s net worth of $70.4 billion.
The products, also called transvaginal mesh, are synthetic and surgically implanted through the vagina of women whose pelvic organs have sagged or who suffered from stress urinary incontinence when they cough, sneeze or lift heavy objects.
Many women have sued the New Jersey-based company alleging that the mesh caused severe pain, bleeding, infections, discomfort during intercourse and the need for removal surgery.
The condition is estimated to affect 3% to 17% of women, and it sometimes becomes severe after age 70.
Johnson & Johnson, the world’s biggest maker of health care products, is contesting other lawsuits over drug side effects, its role in the U.S. opioid epidemic and allegations its baby powder caused cancer in some users.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/12/johnson-johnson-ordered-pay-302-million-pelvic-mesh-case/
| 2022-04-14T00:54:29Z
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