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2022-09-19 04:34:04
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Few Republican candidates for Oregon governor have managed to develop significant support from voters, according to a poll conducted this week.
A survey of likely Republican voters by Salem-based Nelson Research found that more than two out of three are undecided with less than two weeks to go until county election offices begin mailing ballots for the May 17 primary election. Even when asked who they would lean toward voting for if they had to choose today, nearly half the respondents said they couldn’t decide.
J.L. Wilson, the firm’s principal, told the Capital Chronicle no campaigns paid for the poll. It included only 13 of the 19 Republicans who will appear on the ballot.
Wilson said the results show that it’s likely the winner of the GOP nomination won’t win a large share of the vote. That’s far different from races over the last decade. Dennis Richardson, who went on to serve as secretary of state, won two-thirds of the primary vote in 2014, Bud Pierce captured 48% in 2016 and Knute Buehler won the primary with 46% of votes in 2018.
“You’ve got a lot of candidates with some built-in constituencies,” Wilson said. “It’s hard for me to see the winner getting much more than 20%. It’s gonna be closely contested between a handful of candidates and probably in the high teens.”
Pierce, a Salem physician, and Christine Drazan, the former House Republican leader from Canby, polled the best. A combined 10.7% of respondents said they would vote for Pierce or lean toward him, and 8.2% would vote for or lean toward Drazan.
Without including “leaners,” Pierce and Drazan were at 6.5% and 6.3%, respectively.
Sandy Mayor Stan Pulliam also outpaced the rest of the pack, with 4.2% of respondents saying they would vote for him and another 1% saying they leaned toward him if they have to choose.
Former Oregon Republican Party chair Bob Tiernan and anti-tax activist Bill Sizemore, both of whom have been active in state politics since the ’90s and were late comers to the race, both cracked 5% if voters were told they had to choose.
The poll was conducted between Monday and Wednesday and included 520 likely Republican voters. Also on Thursday, Democratic state Treasurer Tobias Read released a poll conducted for his campaign that showed former House Speaker Tina Kotek leads him in the Democratic primary for governor with most Democrats undecided.
“Candidates and the public at large think that people are paying attention 30 days out when in fact they are not, and that’s reflected in your high undecided numbers,” Wilson said. “People really don’t start paying attention to a primary election until a ballot is in their hands, and so it is very common to have very high undecided numbers, even 30 days out.”
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https://www.heraldandnews.com/klamath/poll-no-clear-frontrunner-in-gop-primary-for-oregon-governor/article_46dc430d-b724-5963-8eda-7698ec5319d3.html
| 2022-04-15T06:09:29Z
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Former House Speaker Tina Kotek leads state Treasurer Tobias Read in the Democratic primary for governor, but the majority of Democratic voters haven’t decided who to support, according to a poll released Thursday by the Read campaign.
Between April 7 and 11, California-based FM3 Research surveyed 653 registered voters who are likely to vote in the May 17 Democratic primary. It found that 25% would support Kotek, 20% would support Read and more than half have yet to make up their minds.
The firm’s president, Dave Metz, said in a briefing with reporters Thursday morning that the poll showed a “wide open” race between Read and Kotek. Pollsters didn’t ask about the other 13 Democrats running for governor.
“Voters have been pretty late to engage in this race,” Metz said. “They just haven’t been paying very close attention so far, so there’s going to be a lot of activity over the course of these last couple of weeks.”
County election offices will begin mailing ballots to registered Democrats on April 27, one day after the April 26 deadline to register to vote or choose a party. Voters can return their ballots by mail or drop them off at the county election office or official dropboxes by May 17. For the first time this year, ballots postmarked by May 17 will be counted if they arrive within a week after the election.
The Read campaign’s poll showed that he didn’t receive a larger share of voters who planned to support Nick Kristof, the former New York Times columnist who was ruled ineligible to run because he wasn’t living in Oregon three years ahead of the election.
Pundits speculated that Kristof’s absence would help Read, as both were trying to appeal to the same group of moderate voters and positioning themselves as outsiders. Read explicitly invited Kristof’s supporters to back his campaign and has been endorsed by Sheryl WuDunn, Kristof’s wife and writing partner.
A November poll by FM3 for the Read campaign showed Kotek and Kristof tied at 19%, with Read at 14% and 1% supporting Casey Kulla, a Yamhill County commissioner who has since dropped out of the governor’s race to run for commissioner of the Bureau of Labor and Industries. Since then, Kotek and Read each picked up 6%, but more voters are undecided.
Thomas Wheatley, an adviser to Kotek’s campaign, noted that Read began running television ads weeks ago. Filings with the Federal Communications Commission show Read first began running ads on cable networks on March 21, while Kotek’s first ads ran this week.
“The treasurer has been running TV ads all by himself for weeks and clearly his message isn’t resonating,” Wheatley said. “Even his own polling shows that Tina Kotek is a stronger candidate for governor. Tina begins advertising this week and her lead will only grow from here. This poll may well show the high water mark for the Treasurer’s campaign.”
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https://www.heraldandnews.com/klamath/poll-tina-kotek-leads-tobias-read-in-democratic-governor-primary-many-voters-undecided/article_fd7aa004-fcb3-53b5-8a75-bc4d56e84023.html
| 2022-04-15T06:09:36Z
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https://www.heraldandnews.com/news/local_news/four-die-including-13-year-old-girl-in-fiery-crash/article_8b7540ce-fcad-5c09-b2df-ee24dc3f84e7.html
| 2022-04-15T06:09:42Z
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The University of Oregon will launch a new bachelor’s degree and certification program in children’s behavioral health to meet growing needs in state and regional schools.
When it comes to school psychologists, Oregon has about one per 1,400 students, according to the National Association of School Psychologists. It recommends one per 500 students.
The new Ballmer Institute will award bachelor’s degrees and certificates in children’s behavioral health, and will be based in Portland. It will make the University of Oregon the first university in the country to offer a bachelor’s degree program in children’s behavioral health.
The bachelor’s program is awaiting state approval of the curriculum, and the university expects new students will begin their classes in fall 2023. A shorter certification program could begin enrolling students sooner, according to Randy Kamphaus, who will lead the institute. Kamphaus was formerly the dean of the University of Oregon’s College of Education and a professor in the School of Psychology.
The non-degree certification program is for school counselors, teachers and other instructional staff who want to learn about the latest research and innovations in childhood behavioral health, or transition to serving in mental and behavioral health work within their schools, Kamphaus said.
At a public meeting Tuesday, he briefed U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley on the Institute’s plans and its potential to graduate a pipeline of at least 200 new childhood behavioral and mental health specialists per year, with the first graduating class in 2027.
At the briefing, Wyden said mental health among Oregon youth was an urgent problem.
“There are far too many kids living in mental health deserts,” he said. “This is particularly hard in rural Oregon.”
Merkley has been trying since 2019 to get his Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Act passed by Congress but has not succeeded. The act would allot each state at least $1 million to staff buildings with mental health care professionals.
At the briefing, both Merkley and Wyden said they hope that the Ballmer Institute will be the pipeline of professional staff that schools have been missing, and that it can be a regional and even national hub for such training.
Despite the passage of the Student Investment Account in 2019, when the Oregon Legislature allocated $200 million to help schools pay for mental health staff, schools have continued to struggle with hiring, according to Merkley.
“The legislature is committed to having the resources available, but we have to have the people,” he said.
Toya Fick, executive director of Stand for Children, a national nonprofit in Portland that works with schools to improve graduation rates and student outcomes, was also at the briefing. Fick said recent state investments in hiring staff to help with student mental and behavioral health haven’t been fully realized during the challenges of the last few years.
“We were excited because resources would flow into schools. Then, 10 months later, Covid happened,” she said.
She said Portland Public Schools currently has more than 200 job openings “about 100 of them are in mental health. Teachers, principals, they need support,” she said.
Kamphaus said he will begin to hire faculty for the bachelor’s and certification programs as soon as possible, including 15 clinical professor practitioners who will supervise students in the field. The first cohort of behavioral health specialists training through the Ballmer Institute will get hands-on experience working in Portland Public Schools and eventually at districts across the state.
The Ballmer Institute was funded by a $425 million donation from Connie and Steve Ballmer, a former Microsoft CEO. Connie Ballmer is a graduate of the University of Oregon and has served on the university’s board of trustees.
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https://www.heraldandnews.com/state-leaders-hope-new-behavioral-health-graduates-can-fill-persistent-gaps-in-oregon-schools/article_26a81273-3325-5a7e-8e53-38bf51b53211.html
| 2022-04-15T06:09:48Z
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2 dead, more than 200 homes charred in New Mexico wildfire
(AP) - Firefighters took advantage of a brief break in the weather but gusty winds were expected to return Friday to southern New Mexico where a wildfire has claimed two lives and charred more than 200 homes.
The fire has forced the evacuation of about 5,000 people in the mountain community of Ruidoso, where the remains of a couple were found near a burned home as they tried to flee.
New Mexico State Police confirmed the blaze killed the two people after it started Tuesday from a windblown, downed power line. Their names have not been released.
Thousands of customers in the area remain without power, and Ruidoso schools have been closed until next week.
“We’ve had students who’ve lost their homes. We have to support them on Tuesday” when school resumes, said high school English teacher Sara Ames Brown. She said Thursday she was with students when they were evacuated by bus, with flames visible in the forest outside as they drove away.
Fire crews used a break in what had been a steady stream of relentless gusts to make headway against the flames on Thursday.
Incident Commander Dave Bales said the strategy was “attack while we can,” noting that winds were expected to pick up again Friday.
“We’re trying to keep this fire as small as possible, especially because it’s right in the community,” he said. “We’ve had a loss of a lot of structures so our crews are right there on the fire front going as direct as possible.”
The fire moved into a more densely populated area on Ruidoso’s northeastern side Wednesday afternoon, prompting more evacuations. Laura Rabon, a spokesperson for the Lincoln National Forest, interrupted a fire briefing and told people to get in their cars and leave after the flames jumped a road where crews were trying to hold the line.
Crews kept the flames from pushing further into the village on Wednesday, and Rabon said that progress continued Thursday as helicopters dropped water and ground crews secured lines on the east and south sides. They also put out hot spots in the neighborhoods where the flames raced through earlier this week.
The fire has torched an estimated 9 square miles (23 square kilometers) of forest and grass, and the strong winds that battered the area have left behind toppled trees and down power lines. Due to the power outage, the school district’s servers were down and email wasn’t working.
Six new large fires were reported Wednesday: three in Texas, two in Colorado and one in Oklahoma. In all, wildland firefighters and support personnel were trying to contain 11 large fires that have charred more than 40 square miles (103 square kilometers) in five states.
The National Interagency Fire Center reported Thursday that since the start of the year, 18,550 wildfires have burned about 1,250 square miles (3,237 square kilometers). That’s well above the 10-year average of 12,290 wildfires and 835 square miles (2162.64 square kilometers) burned.
Hotter and drier weather coupled with decades of fire suppression have contributed to an increase in the number of acres burned by wildfires, fire scientists say. The problem is exacerbated by a more than 20-year Western megadrought that studies link to human-caused climate change.
Elsewhere in New Mexico, wildfires were burning northwest of Ruidoso, along the Rio Grande south of Albuquerque, in mountains northwest of the community of Las Vegas and in grasslands along the Pecos River near the town of Roswell.
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Montoya Bryan reported from Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Davenport from Phoenix.
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Cedar Attanasio contributed reporting from Santa Fe. Attanasio is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/15/2-dead-more-than-200-homes-charred-new-mexico-wildfire/
| 2022-04-15T06:15:46Z
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Richlands’ Chloe Perkins signs with SWCC softball
Published: Apr. 15, 2022 at 12:45 AM EDT|Updated: 1 hours ago
RICHLANDS, Va. (WVVA) - Richlands High School’s Chloe Perkins put pen to paper on Thursday. She signed her LOI to play softball at Southwest Virginia Community College.
Copyright 2022 WVVA. All rights reserved.
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https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/15/richlands-chloe-perkins-signs-with-swcc-softball/
| 2022-04-15T06:15:52Z
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Shady Spring and Tazewell win, advance to Coppinger championship game
Coppinger Tournament at Bowen Field
Published: Apr. 15, 2022 at 12:43 AM EDT|Updated: 1 hours ago
BLUEFIELD, Va. (WVVA) - Shady Spring and Tazewell will meet for the Coppinger Tournament championship game at Bowen Field on Friday at 6 PM.
SEMIFINAL SCORES:
Shady Spring 12 - Marion 4
Tazewell 8 - Chilhowie 3
Copyright 2022 WVVA. All rights reserved.
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https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/15/shady-spring-tazewell-win-advance-coppinger-championship-game/
| 2022-04-15T06:15:59Z
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Texas moves to ease border gridlock over ‘sense of urgency’
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The logjam of trucks at the U.S.-Mexico border finally began breaking Thursday after nearly a week as Texas Gov. Greg Abbott eased off his latest dramatic action over immigration that has gridlocked some of the world’s busiest trade ports and taken a mounting economic toll.
“There is a sense of urgency now to reach deals that did not exist before,” Abbott said.
The two-term Republican governor, who for days has allowed commercial trucks to backup for miles into Mexico after requiring them to stop for additional inspections in Texas, lifted that order for bridges in El Paso and other cities after announcing a new security agreement with the neighboring Mexican states of Chihuahua and Coahulia.
The rollbacks come as Abbott has faced intensifying pressure over the policy he rushed into place April 6 as part of an ongoing fight with the Biden administration over the flow of migrants and drugs. Inspection orders remain in other parts along Texas’ 1,200-mile border, including the busy Rio Grande Valley, but Mexican trade leaders were optimistic those would also end soon.
The deal with Gov. María Campos Galván of Chihuahua, who joined Abbott for the announcement in the Texas Capitol, set in motion the biggest relief yet for traffic that has snarled the Texas-Mexico border and raised warnings of higher prices for U.S. shoppers and spare grocery store shelves.
“People like me who buy millions of dollars of produce a week are starting to curb their purchases toward other regions of the country,” said Brent Erenwert, CEO of Brothers Produce in Houston, which relies heavily on imports from Mexico.
The inspections ordered by Abbott came in response to the Biden administration announcing last month it would wind down a public health law that has limited asylum-seekers in the name of preventing the spread of COVID-19. When that happens, the number of migrants coming to the U.S. is expected to increase.
It was the second consecutive day Abbott has lifted inspections at some bridges, starting Wednesday with Laredo, which was the busiest U.S. port of entry for trucks last year. Traffic coming into the Texas at the Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge, where more produce crosses than any other land port in the U.S., has also resumed after a dayslong protest by Mexican truckers came to an end.
One custom agency based in Mexico, the Association of Customs Agents of Reynosa, on Thursday put the losses at the Pharr-Reynosa bridge at $7 million a day.
The agreements between Abbott and Mexico’s governors have varied.
Across from Laredo, Nuevo Leon Gov. Samuel García had told Abbott his state would put in place checkpoints and policing. For Chihuahua, Galvan provided a security plan she said was in the “implementation stage” and includes agreements to share intelligence captured by security cameras and other technology. Later Thursday, Abbott also announced a similar agreement with the Mexican governor of Coahulia.
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, a Republican who has urged Abbott to walk back the inspections order, said Thursday one major agricultural company told him that 100 trucks sent to Mexico for deliveries have been unable to come back across because of the congestion.
He questioned what the holdout achieved, and in the case of Abbott’s agreement with Nuevo Leon, said it did not appear substantive.
“They’re just basically going to leave it up in good faith,” Miller said. “There’s no enforcement, no reckoning on that if they don’t.”
The White House, the Mexican government, trade groups and reeling businesses have bashed the extra inspections as redundant and a new burden on an already fragile supply chain.
Abbott’s border inspections come at a time when U.S. supply chains are already overwhelmed. A surge in demand from customers — the result of a surprisingly fast recovery from the devastating coronavirus recession of 2020 — caught businesses by surprise and led to bottlenecks at factories, ports and freight yards. It’s also pushed up prices, contributing to the highest inflation in 40 years.
COVID-related factory shutdowns in China and the rocketing cost of shipping goods across the Pacific Ocean have many companies looking to Mexico, where there’s no ocean to cross and there’s relief from the political and trade disputes between Washington and Beijing.
“A lot of companies, right now, they’re looking at Mexico as a way to bypass ocean dependency,’’ said Bindiya Vakil, CEO of the supply chain consultancy Resilnc. “If I’m one of those companies, I’m looking at this new regulation on the Texas border and I’m really concerned because this means additional delays, and that was supposed to be my solution — to go to Mexico and avoid the ocean altogether.’’
The U.S.-Mexico border is crucial to the U.S. economy. The United States last year imported $390.7 billion worth of goods from Mexico, second only to China.
But as the inspections taper off in Texas, Abbott says he will continue putting migrants on buses and sending them to Washington, D.C., calling it a message to President Joe Biden. “If he’s not going to come to the border, we’re going to take the border to him,” Abbott said.
U.S. Customs and Border Protections Commissioner Chris Magnus said Thursday that Abbott was moving migrants without “adequately coordinating” with the federal government. The first bus arrived Wednesday, and Abbott said more are on the way.
___
Associated Press reporters Paul Wiseman in Martinsburg, West Virginia, Maria Verza in Mexico City and Elliot Spagat in San Diego contributed to this report.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/15/texas-moves-ease-border-gridlock-over-sense-urgency/
| 2022-04-15T06:16:05Z
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As Russia loses key ship, Zelenskyy praises nation’s resolve
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — On a day that saw Moscow suffer a stinging symbolic defeat with the loss of its Black Sea fleet flagship, Ukraine’s president hailed his people for their resolve since Russia invaded in February and for making “the most important decision of their life — to fight.”
In his nightly address, Volodymyr Zelenskyy told Ukrainians late Thursday that they should be proud of having survived 50 days under Russian attack when the invaders “gave us a maximum of five.”
Back then even friendly world leaders urged him to leave, unsure whether Ukraine could survive, he said: “But they didn’t know how brave Ukrainians are, how much we value freedom and the possibility to live the way we want.”
Listing the ways Ukraine has defended against the onslaught, Zelenskyy noted “those who showed that Russian warships can sail away, even if it’s to the bottom” of the sea.
WARNING: Videos may contain graphic content.
It was his only reference to the guided-missile cruiser Moskva, named for the Russian capital, which became a potent target of Ukrainian defiance in the opening days of the war. It sank Thursday while being towed to port after suffering heavy damage under circumstances that remained under dispute.
Ukrainian officials said their forces struck the vessel with missiles, while Moscow acknowledged a fire on board but not any attack. U.S. and other Western officials could not confirm what caused the blaze. In any case, the loss was a symbolic defeat for Russia as its troops regroup for a renewed offensive in eastern Ukraine after retreating from much of the north, including the capital, Kyiv.
The Moskva had the capacity to carry 16 long-range cruise missiles, and its removal reduces Russia’s firepower in the Black Sea. It’s also a blow to Moscow’s prestige in a war already widely seen as a historic blunder. Now entering its eighth week, the invasion has stalled amid resistance from Ukrainian fighters bolstered by weapons and other aid sent by Western nations.
During the first days of the war, the Moskva was reportedly the ship that called on Ukrainian soldiers stationed on Snake Island in the Black Sea to surrender in a standoff. In a widely circulated recording, a soldier responded: “Russian warship, go (expletive) yourself.”
The Associated Press could not independently verify the incident, but Ukraine and its supporters consider it an iconic moment of defiance. The country recently unveiled a postage stamp commemorating it.
If Ukraine carried out the attack, the Moskva likely represents the largest warship to be sunk in combat since the 1982 Falklands War, which saw a similar-sized cruiser called the ARA General Belgrano torpedoed by a British submarine, killing over 300 sailors on board.
The news about the flagship overshadowed Russian claims of advances in the southern port city of Mariupol, where Moscow’s forces have been battling the Ukrainians since the early days of the invasion in some of the heaviest fighting of the war — at a horrific cost to civilians.
Dwindling numbers of Ukrainian defenders in Mariupol are holding out against a siege that has trapped well over 100,000 civilians in desperate need of food, water and heating. David Beasley, executive director of the U.N. World Food Program, told AP in an interview Thursday that people are being “starved to death” in the besieged city.
Mariupol’s mayor said this week that more than 10,000 civilians had died and the death toll could surpass 20,000, after weeks of attacks and privation carpeted the streets with bodies.
Mariupol’s capture is critical for Russia because it would allow its forces in the south, which came up through the annexed Crimean Peninsula, to fully link up with troops in the Donbas region, Ukraine’s eastern industrial heartland and the target of the coming offensive.
The Russian military continues to move helicopters and other equipment together for such an effort, according to a senior U.S. defense official, and it is likely to add more ground combat units soon. But it’s still unclear when Russia could launch a bigger offensive in the Donbas.
Moscow-backed separatists have been battling Ukraine in the Donbas since 2014, the same year Russia seized Crimea. Russia has recognized the independence of the rebel regions in the Donbas.
Maksym Marchenko, governor of the Odesa region, said Ukrainian forces struck the Moskva with two Neptune missiles and caused “serious damage.”
Russia’s Defense Ministry said ammunition on board detonated as a result of a fire, without saying what caused the blaze. It said the “main missile weapons” were not damaged and that the crew, usually numbering about 500, abandoned the vessel. It wasn’t clear if there were any casualties. In addition to the cruise missiles, the warship also had air-defense missiles and other guns.
The Neptune is an anti-ship missile that was recently developed by Ukraine based on an earlier Soviet design. The launchers are mounted on trucks stationed near the coast, and, according to the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, can hit targets up to 280 kilometers (175 miles) away. That would have put the Moskva within range, based on where the ship was when the fire began.
Launched as the Slava in 1979, the cruiser saw service in the Cold War and during conflicts in Georgia and Syria, and helped conduct peacetime scientific research with the United States. During the Cold War, it carried nuclear weapons.
On Thursday, other Russian ships in the northern Black Sea moved farther south after the Moskva incident, said a senior U.S. defense official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal military assessments.
While the U.S. was not able to confirm Ukraine’s claims of striking the warship, U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan called it “a big blow to Russia.”
“They’ve had to kind of choose between two stories: One story is that it was just incompetence, and the other was that they came under attack, and neither is a particularly good outcome for them,” Sullivan told the Economic Club of Washington.
Russia invaded Feb. 24 and has lost potentially thousands of fighters. The conflict has killed untold numbers of Ukrainian civilians and forced millions more to flee.
It has also further inflated prices at grocery stores and gasoline pumps, while dragging on the global economy. The head of the International Monetary Fund said Thursday that the war helped push the organization to downgrade economic forecasts for 143 countries.
Also Thursday, Russian authorities accused Ukraine of sending two low-flying military helicopters some 11 kilometers (7 miles) across the border and firing on residential buildings in the village of Klimovo, in Russia’s Bryansk region. Russia’s Investigative Committee said seven people, including a toddler, were wounded.
Russia’s state security service had earlier said Ukrainian forces fired mortar rounds at a border post in Bryansk as refugees were crossing, forcing them to flee.
The reports could not be independently verified.
___
Associated Press journalists around the world contributed to this report.
Follow the AP’s coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/15/zelenskyy-hails-ukrainians-resolve-50-days-into-invasion/
| 2022-04-15T06:16:12Z
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HONOLULU (KITV4) -- Hawaiian Airlines told KITV4 it's canceling 32 neighbor island flights on Friday, April 15 -- the start of the three-day Easter holiday weekend.
The 32 flights are in addition to the 19 flights Hawaiian Airlines cancelled on Thursday because of a shortage of pilots cleared to fly Boeing 717 planes.
The airline said affected passengers are being notified and accommodated on other flights.
On Friday, Hawaiian Airlines will operate 119 flights within the state.
"We are also substituting our 128-seat Boeing 717 aircraft with larger aircraft – including our 189-seat Airbus A321neos and 278-seat A330s – on 33 of those flights to ensure we can accommodate all guests scheduled to fly with us," said Hawaiian Airlines spokesman Alex Da silva.
One passenger told KITV4 he received an email on Wednesday night notifying him of Thursday's canceled flight and was told to contact Hawaiian Airlines Reservations to reschedule.
He said it took him nearly two hours to rebook his flight from Maui to Oahu and the only solution was to fly out the following morning, which was a big inconvenience for his family.
"We apologize for the inconvenience and thank them for their patience and understanding," Da silva said.
Hawaiian Airlines is catching up on pilot training after its flight simulator was down earlier this year for maintenance.
"With our 717 flight simulator now back online for several weeks, we are training at full capacity to minimize future disruptions," da Silva said.
Marisa Yamane joined KITV4 in January 2022 as an anchor and executive producer. She is an award-winning veteran journalist, who’s spent most of her career in Hawaii. She’s a proud graduate of Iolani School and UCLA.
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https://www.kitv.com/news/business/hawaiian-airlines-cancels-32-interisland-flights-on-friday/article_3bc15a54-bc77-11ec-b9d8-b3205b38a1e8.html
| 2022-04-15T06:20:13Z
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HONOLULU (KITV4) - Legacy of Life Hawaii and the Queen’s Transplant Center wants the public to know that even though there have been advances in medical technology, the demand for organ and tissue donations still exponentially exceeds the number of donors.
Currently there are 351 patients on a waiting list for a life saving transplant in Hawaii. 323 of them are waiting for a kidney and 28 waiting for a liver. There is a critical need for liver donors. Patients who need kidney transplants are put on Dialysis until they find a donor however there is no similar protocol for patients that need a liver transplant.
Reyn Kimura was diagnosed with Liver Cirrhosis in 2018. The 34-year-old patient has currently been admitted in Queens Medical Center for more than a month.
He is on the waiting list for a new liver and said a transplant will make the difference for him and his family.
“It is hard for people to make that decision especially families when a loved one loses their life so suddenly, but a liver transplant would change everything for me and everyone around me. There are so many people that are affected by this,” said Kimura.
Dr. Linda Wong at the Queens Transplant Center said transplant patients on the mainland are prioritized based on distance from donors. Doctors in Hawaii say transplant surgeries work best when done within 24 hours of receiving a donated organ.
“This year has been particularly low in donations. We had potential donors but some of the families didn’t sign the consent form for donations,” said Dr. Chong.
Legacy of Life Hawaii advocates for organ and tissue donations in Hawaii, and wants the community to know how essential, safe and easy it is to become an organ donor. "The need for donations is great right here in our community. Some will potentially die waiting unless we can get more people to agree to donations,” said Felicia Wells-Williams, Director Of Clinical Services at Legacy of Life Hawaii.
If you or anyone you know is interested in becoming an organ donor, you can register at RegisterMe.org to become an, organ, eye or tissue donor.
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https://www.kitv.com/news/growing-need-for-donor-transplants-in-hawaii/article_5fbbdd9e-bc7c-11ec-9015-e3608451b587.html
| 2022-04-15T06:20:18Z
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HONOLULU (KITV4) -- Honolulu gastroenterologist Ankur Jain's seeing more patients waiting to get cancer screenings.
Many of them put off procedures during the height of the pandemic.
"I'm very worried," he said. "If we are catching these cancers at a later stage, unfortunately even with modern treatments, chemotherapy, the overall five-year survival rates will definitely go down."
There was a 90% drop in screenings nationwide in just in the first year of the pandemic alone, according to the American Cancer Society.
The organization said local residents are continuing to delay procedures today -- some because of loss of jobs and health insurance.
Nationwide statistics paint a grim picture.
"Months of limited screening tests resulted in nearly about 80,000 potential missed or delayed diagnoses with limited treatment options and an increase of deaths in the future," said Sarah Luchenbill, associate director for the American Cancer Society in Hawaii. "An estimated 10,000 more deaths are estimated from breast and colorectal cancer alone."
That's why the group and the state Department of Health are pushing new public service campaigns. They're running PSAs in print, radio, television and on social media -- imploring people to get screened.
"It's just an important reminder not to wait because the sooner you can catch something, it's proven to save lives," she said.
Health officials are anticipating the repercussions of the delays will come in the next few years.
There's now a backlog in appointments and many patients are waiting months to get screened. But health officials are urging people to get in line, and get it done -- as soon as possible.
Kristen joined KITV4 in March 2021 after working for the past two decades as a newspaper reporter. Kristen's goal is to produce meaningful journalism that educates, enlightens and inspires to affect positive change in society.
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https://www.kitv.com/news/late-stage-cancers-deaths-expected-to-rise-with-delayed-screenings-during-the-pandemic/article_5cd9844a-bc6e-11ec-9b1d-bf5bd88a941c.html
| 2022-04-15T06:20:18Z
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HONOLULU (KITV4) -- The 50th State Fair will be back this Memorial Day weekend. Since the pandemic, the Annual fair has been postponed for two years.
KITV-4 talked with owner Scott Fernandez about the Fair making its come back and with locals who are excited about the Fair’s return.
Scott Fernandez says he was not even sure if the 50th State Fair would be able to return this year.
From its founding in the Territory of Hawaii in 1903, through today, this third-generation, family-owned business has been entertaining the people of our Islands.
The entertainment company has seen a lot over the decades, and the owner, of E.K. Fernandez Shows, was not even sure he would be able to pull off the fair this year, until, decided to give it a go. Scott Fernandez is the owner, of E. K. Fernandez Shows. "We survived the 1918 pandemic, World War II, of course, we never went through anything like this, we never went through anything like this where we were shut down for 2 years, never in the history, 120 years of history has this occurred. We didn't think we could do it at all, so happy."
And others, like Kalvin Wilson, are also happy to see the 50th State Fair finally return to Hawaii.
Kalvin Wilson is 14-years-old and enjoys the fair. "I like going to the State Fair, especially if you bring friends, you get to do more. I feel like if you're the certain type who likes to go to concerts, like outgoing. I would recommend it for locals and stuff."
Valerie Yap Baldovi was at Ala Moana Beach with her grandchildren visiting from California. She fondly remembers the State Fair and hopes to show the next generation all the fun. "I went there for the rides. And just the fun being around all these people. "
That fun will include new rides, a circus with animals, and food booths provided by local non-profits. Scott is the Grandson of the company founder E.K Fernandez and says with Local Families in mind, his company is trying to keep prices for admission, rides, and entertainment similar to what they were 2 years ago. but he says increasing shipping costs have also upped the price of bringing the 50th State Fair back, Scott Fernandez.
"We're coming out the full force so, after 2 years of these mandates, this will be the only event of this year of this size, for the entire state. " Linda Fernandez.
Scott's Mom, "So multi-generations, who have grown up in this business and we are all about providing happiness, and joy that is our product."
Part of that Joy are the prizes you can win playing games at the Carnival at the State Fair, The popular Squish Mallow is just one of the new prizes you could win. And there will be 24 different styles of the popular stuffed characters.
The 50th State Fair kicks off on May 27 and runs through the 4th of July.
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https://www.kitv.com/news/local/the-50th-state-fair-returns-to-hawaii-memorial-day-weekend/article_3e4b6b7c-bc75-11ec-8550-ab5551c601cc.html
| 2022-04-15T06:20:19Z
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https://www.kitv.com/news/local/thursday-evening-weather-april-14-2022/article_4571f82a-bc80-11ec-b08d-872164e32bb0.html
| 2022-04-15T06:20:20Z
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HONOLULU (KITV4) -- Waimanalo is home to beaches worthy of the big screen and neighbors who want to protect them.
"We're not just looking out for the community, but also environmentally," says resident Mialisa Otis.
"If they're filming towards the shore you have the sand turtles and if you shine a light in the air it's the sea birds," Otis says.
Recently, a resident found an injured sea bird and another dead bird at Kaiona Beach Park. We took those concerns to the city, and learned the supposed dead bird was never recovered and there's no way to known if lighting would have even played a role.
But it is prompting the state film office to reiterate that there are strict permitting procedures in place to protect the environment.
Crews are doing everything necessary to make sure that they don't create harm in the process of making their various projects," says State Film Commissioner Donne Dawson.
Part of that includes not pointing lights into the water and some limitations on night filming and filming near the shoreline. Trisha Kehaulani Watson is among those who trains film crews so they understand the rules.
"I think there's sort of a misperception that these film crews are all from the continent and come in and then know nothing about Hawaii , theres unions a lot of local labor this is an industry that brings a lot of jobs," Watson says.
Tom anchors Good Morning Hawaii weekends and reports for KITV4. He comes to Hawaii after reporting in Nevada, Oklahoma and Georgia. Tom is a proud Terp, graduating from the University of Maryland in 2012.
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https://www.kitv.com/news/waimanalo-residents-concerned-about-impact-of-film-industry-on-wildlife/article_6c7974e0-bc6f-11ec-9ba8-d3dfd506b020.html
| 2022-04-15T06:20:33Z
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https://www.kitv.com/sports/punahou-grad-allisen-corpuz-makes-cut-at-lotte-championship/article_cedd245c-bc7d-11ec-b868-0f038745cc40.html
| 2022-04-15T06:20:39Z
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Biden picks Michael Barr for Fed’s bank regulation post
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden said Friday he plans to nominate Michael Barr, the dean of the University of Michigan’s public policy school, to be the Federal Reserve’s vice chairman of supervision.
The selection of Barr comes after Biden’s first choice for the Fed post, Sarah Bloom Raskin, withdrew her nomination a month ago in the face of opposition from Republicans and one Democrat, Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia. Raskin’s critics had argued that she would apply the Fed’s regulatory authority to climate change and possibly discourage banks from lending to energy companies.
But with Barr, Biden noted the importance of politics in a Friday statement that said his nominee had previously cleared the Senate on a bipartisan basis.
“Michael brings the expertise and experience necessary for this important position at a critical time for our economy and families across the country,” Biden said.
The Democratic president said that Barr “has spent his career protecting consumers, and during his time at Treasury, played a critical role in creating both the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the position for which I am nominating him.”
Barr is the dean of Michigan’s Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy. He was an assistant Treasury secretary for financial institutions during the Obama administration who helped design the 2010 Dodd-Frank regulations after the devastating 2008 financial crisis.
Barr, a Rhodes Scholar who clerked for Justice David Souter on the Supreme Court, also served during the Clinton administration at the White House, the Treasury Department and the State Department.
Despite those credentials, some liberal critics last year blocked Barr’s candidacy to become the Biden administration’s comptroller of the currency, a position that is responsible for regulating national banks. These critics viewed with suspicion Barr’s role on the advisory boards of the financial firms Lending Club and Ripple Labs. They also asserted that he had helped dilute proposals for stricter bank regulations during the Obama administration.
But Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown, the Democratic chairman of the Banking Committee, voiced full support for Barr.
“Michael Barr understands the importance of this role at this critical time in our economic recovery,” Brown said. “I strongly urge my Republican colleagues to abandon their old playbook of personal attacks and demagoguery and put Americans and their pocketbooks first.”
Others offer strong praise for Barr and say he appears well suited for the Fed position.
David Dworkin, president of the National Housing Conference, which advocates for affordable housing, suggested that Barr’s understanding of Wall Street gives him the right mix of “centrist expertise and progressive policy views’' to win confirmation in a closely divided Senate.
Barr would be joining the Fed at an especially challenging and high-risk period for the central bank and the economy.
The Fed is set to raise interest rates aggressively in the coming months to try to reduce persistently high inflation. Yet it will be extraordinarily difficult for Fed Chair Jerome Powell — who is awaiting Senate confirmation for a second term — to slow inflation by raising borrowing costs without also weakening the economy and perhaps even causing a recession.
“This is about landing a very complicated plane on the runway smoothly,” Dworkin said. “It’s very hard to do.”
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/15/biden-picks-michael-barr-feds-bank-regulation-post/
| 2022-04-15T10:03:19Z
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MANOA-- The set to Akea Kahikina's comedy Ho'oilina is adorned with portraits of the playwright's great grandmother.
"It's a love letter to our kupuna, it's a love letter to the things they've left behind for us. And the things we celebrate and carry on," Kahikina said.
The sentiment is paired with the farcical plot of Ho'oilina, meaning legacy, or inheritance. The play's actions surround a will reading after the passing of the matriarch of a wealthy family.
"They are a Kanaka Maoli family living in Kahala on the luxurious slopes of Le'ahi," Kahikina told KITV 4.
The proceedings are turned upside down with the arrival of an unexpected visitor from the mainland. Confusion ensues.
The play is performed primarily in English and Hawaiian but also works in a mix of dialects, "as well as Pidgin English, a little Texan, a little Mahu," Kahikina said.
That's just the beginning of the culture clash, which also manifests visually throughout the caper. Kahikina describes the look as, "Aloha wear, juxtaposed to ABC store dress."
Kahikina is completing the final year of the MFA program in "Hana Keaka", the Hawaiian Theatre discipline. The comedy marks the first full run with large audiences on the mainstage since the pandemic.
Kahikina wanted the audience to connect to Olelo spoken in a contemporary context, so as to illuminate the past.
"And we also question, what is family? How do Hawaiians see family? Is it blood? Or do we go beyond? How do we define who we are related to, and how do we define who is Hawaiian?" Kahikina asked.
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/hawaiian-culture-clash-comedy-debuts-at-uh/article_55b4f624-bc94-11ec-a3fc-2788b01094a7.html
| 2022-04-15T10:24:46Z
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https://www.kitv.com/news/hfd-animal-rescue-volunteers-team-up-to-rescue-trapped-puppy/article_ab801aa8-bc89-11ec-8134-331227111a01.html
| 2022-04-15T10:24:52Z
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https://www.kitv.com/news/local/a-former-oil-executive-decided-to-invest-in-himself-by-taking-a-soft-approach-and/article_632f27e6-bc8c-11ec-9eae-67442b48ac39.html
| 2022-04-15T10:24:58Z
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(CNN) -- The FBI on Thursday blamed hackers associated with the North Korean government for stealing more than $600 million in cryptocurrency last month from a video gaming company -- the latest in a string of audacious cyber heists tied to Pyongyang.
"Through our investigation we were able to confirm Lazarus Group and APT38, cyber actors associated with the DPRK, are responsible for the theft of $620 million in Ethereum reported on March 29th," the FBI said in a statement. "DPRK" is an abbreviation for North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, and Ethereum is a technology platform associated with a type of cryptocurrency.
The FBI was referring to the recent hack of a computer network used by Axie Infinity, a video game that allows players to earn cryptocurrency. Sky Mavis, the company that created Axie Infinity, announced on March 29 that unidentified hackers had stolen the equivalent of roughly $600 million -- valued at the time of the hack's discovery -- on March 23 from a "bridge," or network that allows users to send cryptocurrency from one blockchain to another.
The US Treasury Department on Thursday sanctioned Lazarus Group, a wide swath of hackers believed to work on behalf of the North Korean government. Treasury sanctioned the specific "wallet," or cryptocurrency address, that was used to cash out on the Axie Infinity hack.
Cyberattacks have been an important source of revenue for the North Korean regime for years as its leader, Kim Jong Un, has continued to pursue nuclear weapons, according to a United Nations panel and outside cybersecurity experts.
North Korea last month fired what is believed to be its first intercontinental ballistic missile in more than four years.
Lazarus Group has stolen an estimated $1.75 billion worth of cryptocurrency in recent years, according to Chainalysis, a firm that tracks digital currency transactions.
"A hack of a cryptocurrency business, unlike a retailer, for example, is essentially bank robbery at the speed of the internet and funds North Korea's destabilizing activity and weapons proliferation," said Ari Redbord, head of legal affairs at TRM Labs, a firm that investigates financial crime. "As long as they are successful and profitable, they will not stop."
While many cybersecurity analysts' attention has been on Russian hacking in light of the war in Ukraine, suspected North Korean hackers have been far from quiet.
Researchers at Google last month disclosed two different alleged North Korean hacking campaigns targeting US media and IT organizations, and cryptocurrency and financial technology sectors.
Google has a policy of notifying users who are targeted by state-sponsored hackers.
Shane Huntley, who leads Google's Threat Analysis Group, said that if a Google user has "any link to being involved in Bitcoin or cryptocurrency" and they get a warning about state-backed hacking from Google, it almost always ends up being North Korean activity.
"It seems to be an ongoing strategy for them to supplement and make money through this activity," Huntley told CNN.
The-CNN-Wire
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https://www.kitv.com/news/local/fbi-says-north-korean-hackers-stole-more-than-600-million-in-cryptocurrency-in-single-hack/article_22f6946a-bc8d-11ec-8d0d-bbf2822e5f98.html
| 2022-04-15T10:25:04Z
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United States of America US Virgin Islands United States Minor Outlying Islands Canada Mexico, United Mexican States Bahamas, Commonwealth of the Cuba, Republic of Dominican Republic Haiti, Republic of Jamaica Afghanistan Albania, People's Socialist Republic of Algeria, People's Democratic Republic of American Samoa Andorra, Principality of Angola, Republic of Anguilla Antarctica (the territory South of 60 deg S) Antigua and Barbuda Argentina, Argentine Republic Armenia Aruba Australia, Commonwealth of Austria, Republic of Azerbaijan, Republic of Bahrain, Kingdom of Bangladesh, People's Republic of Barbados Belarus Belgium, Kingdom of Belize Benin, People's Republic of Bermuda Bhutan, Kingdom of Bolivia, Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana, Republic of Bouvet Island (Bouvetoya) Brazil, Federative Republic of British Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Archipelago) British Virgin Islands Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria, People's Republic of Burkina Faso Burundi, Republic of Cambodia, Kingdom of Cameroon, United Republic of Cape Verde, Republic of Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad, Republic of Chile, Republic of China, People's Republic of Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia, Republic of Comoros, Union of the Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, People's Republic of Cook Islands Costa Rica, Republic of Cote D'Ivoire, Ivory Coast, Republic of the Cyprus, Republic of Czech Republic Denmark, Kingdom of Djibouti, Republic of Dominica, Commonwealth of Ecuador, Republic of Egypt, Arab Republic of El Salvador, Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Faeroe Islands Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Fiji, Republic of the Fiji Islands Finland, Republic of France, French Republic French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon, Gabonese Republic Gambia, Republic of the Georgia Germany Ghana, Republic of Gibraltar Greece, Hellenic Republic Greenland Grenada Guadaloupe Guam Guatemala, Republic of Guinea, Revolutionary
People's Rep'c of Guinea-Bissau, Republic of Guyana, Republic of Heard and McDonald Islands Holy See (Vatican City State) Honduras, Republic of Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China Hrvatska (Croatia) Hungary, Hungarian People's Republic Iceland, Republic of India, Republic of Indonesia, Republic of Iran, Islamic Republic of Iraq, Republic of Ireland Israel, State of Italy, Italian Republic Japan Jordan, Hashemite Kingdom of Kazakhstan, Republic of Kenya, Republic of Kiribati, Republic of Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait, State of Kyrgyz Republic Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon, Lebanese Republic Lesotho, Kingdom of Liberia, Republic of Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Liechtenstein, Principality of Lithuania Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Macao, Special Administrative Region of China Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Madagascar, Republic of Malawi, Republic of Malaysia Maldives, Republic of Mali, Republic of Malta, Republic of Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania, Islamic Republic of Mauritius Mayotte Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova, Republic of Monaco, Principality of Mongolia, Mongolian People's Republic Montserrat Morocco, Kingdom of Mozambique, People's Republic of Myanmar Namibia Nauru, Republic of Nepal, Kingdom of Netherlands Antilles Netherlands, Kingdom of the New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua, Republic of Niger, Republic of the Nigeria, Federal Republic of Niue, Republic of Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway, Kingdom of Oman, Sultanate of Pakistan, Islamic Republic of Palau Palestinian Territory, Occupied Panama, Republic of Papua New Guinea Paraguay, Republic of Peru, Republic of Philippines, Republic of the Pitcairn Island Poland, Polish People's Republic Portugal, Portuguese Republic Puerto Rico Qatar, State of Reunion Romania, Socialist Republic of Russian Federation Rwanda, Rwandese Republic Samoa, Independent State of San Marino, Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Senegal, Republic of Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles, Republic of Sierra Leone, Republic of Singapore, Republic of Slovakia (Slovak Republic) Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia, Somali Republic South Africa, Republic of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Spain, Spanish State Sri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic of St. Helena St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Pierre and Miquelon St. Vincent and the Grenadines Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Suriname, Republic of Svalbard & Jan Mayen Islands Swaziland, Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Switzerland, Swiss Confederation Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand, Kingdom of Timor-Leste, Democratic Republic of Togo, Togolese Republic Tokelau (Tokelau Islands) Tonga, Kingdom of Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Tunisia, Republic of Turkey, Republic of Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda, Republic of Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe
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https://www.kitv.com/news/local/hawaii-department-of-health-confirms-xe-variant-detected-in-hawaii-update/article_236ff0d0-bc4c-11ec-bbd4-e7c7f0a700c3.html
| 2022-04-15T10:25:10Z
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WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 27: Senior advisor to U.S. President Donald Trump Stephen Miller watches as U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions delivers remarks during the daily White House press briefing March 27, 2017 in Washington, DC. Sessions announced in a surprise appearance that Justice Department grants would be denied to state and local governments that do not certify they are not so-called sanctuary cities. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
(CNN) -- Former Trump White House adviser Stephen Miller on Thursday testified virtually for roughly eight hours before the House select committee investigating the US Capitol insurrection, a source familiar with the meeting told CNN.
"It got a little chippy," the source said, suggesting Miller was at times a difficult witness. Some executive privilege issues came up during the meeting, the source added.
Miller is under subpoena by the committee and had resisted attempts to appear, including by suing to block the committee from forcing him to hand over documents and meet for an interview. In its subpoena of Miller, the committee cited the role he had played in sharing false claims of voter fraud related to the 2020 election.
The Associated Press first reported on Miller's planned testimony. The committee declined to comment.
The interview comes after two Trump White House lawyers appeared before the committee: former White House Counsel Pat Cipollone and his deputy Patrick Philbin. A source told CNN that former President Donald Trump authorized Cipollone's testimony to the panel. Cipollone is a key player in the 2020 election saga because he pushed back against some of Trump's more egregious attempts to overturn the results.
Miller is among the former Trump officials who could provide the committee with details about what was happening inside the White House on, and leading up to, January 6, 2021.
In its subpoena letter to Miller late last year, the committee noted that he, by his own account, "participated in efforts to spread false information about alleged voter fraud in the November 2020 election, as well as efforts to encourage state legislatures to alter the outcome of the November 2020 election by appointing alternate slates of electors."
Miller and his team also helped prepare for Trump's remarks prior to the riot at the Ellipse on January 6, 2021, had been at the White House that day and was with the President when he spoke at the "Stop the Steal" rally, the committee added.
Miller is just the latest senior Trump official to appear before the committee. Ivanka Trump, the former President's daughter and former senior adviser, sat for an hours-long interview in recent weeks. Her husband, Jared Kushner, also voluntarily appeared before the committee.
This headline and story have been updated with additional reporting Thursday.
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https://www.kitv.com/news/local/stephen-miller-meets-virtually-with-january-6-committee/article_cfca57da-bc8d-11ec-a3b0-83444fd35f89.html
| 2022-04-15T10:25:16Z
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Dry today; showers possible tomorrow
Mainly sunny skies with highs in the 60s and 70s is expected today
It’s a chilly start to the day with temperatures in the 30s and 40s. We will warm up quickly with high temperatures getting up into the 60s and low 70s. Dry conditions are expected as high pressure takes over today.
Clouds will increase overnight as a cold front approaches our area. We may see a few isolated showers very late tonight but most should stay dry. Those clouds will keep us warmer tonight with lows in the 40s and some may stay in the 50s all night long.
Scattered showers are possible at times tomorrow as a cold front swings through. We are not expecting a washout, just occasional showers from time to time. Otherwise, we will see partly cloudy skies with temperatures cooler in the 50s and 60s.
Easter Sunday is looking dry with partly cloudy skies and highs in the 50s and 60s. Sunday night is when some rain will push in due to a low-pressure system. Widespread rain is expected throughout the day on Monday as well and that will cool us down with highs in the 40s and 50s.
We do look to dry out and warm up as we head into the middle of next week. Make sure to stay tuned and catch the latest on WVVA.
Copyright 2022 WVVA. All rights reserved.
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https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/15/dry-today-showers-possible-tomorrow/
| 2022-04-15T12:08:39Z
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Easter Egg Roll returns after 2-year, COVID-induced hiatus
WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House is hoping to stir up some “egg-citement” when the Easter Egg Roll returns on Monday after a two-year, coronavirus-induced hiatus.
President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden expect to welcome some 30,000 kids and their adult chaperones for the egg roll, an egg hunt and other activities.
The first lady, who is a teacher, is calling it the “Egg-ucation Roll,” aides said, and is turning the South Lawn into a school community with a variety of educational stations.
It’s the first Easter Egg Roll to be hosted by the Bidens, who are expected to address the crowd and join in some of the activities, although rain was in Monday’s weather forecast.
The COVID-19 pandemic led the White House to cancel the event in 2020 and 2021.
Besides the egg roll and hunt, the all-day event will include a schoolhouse activity area, a reading nook, a talent show, a place to teach children how farmers supply food, a photo-taking station, a physical “egg-ucation” zone with an obstacle course and other exercise stations, and a “cafetorium” where children and their families will learn to make and eat treats.
The “egg-stravaganza” will get a celebrity splash through the participation of “Tonight Show” host Jimmy Fallon, singer Ciara and actor-singer Kristin Chenoweth.
More than two dozen costumed characters will roam the grounds, including Dr. Seuss’ The Cat in the Hat, the Racing Presidents mascots for the Washington Nationals of Major League Baseball, Rosita and Cookie Monster from “Sesame Street” and Snoopy and Charlie Brown, among others.
Military families will be among the 30,000 participants, including crew members of the USS Delaware and their families. The first lady serves as sponsor of the nuclear attack submarine, which the president commissioned during a ceremony this month in Wilmington, Delaware.
Members of the general public received their tickets through an online lottery.
The egg roll will be the largest event to date at the Biden White House and will unfold in five waves beginning at 7:30 a.m. and ending at 6:30 p.m.
Resumption of this Easter tradition is a sign that the White House is opening up again, despite a recent spurt of COVID-19 cases among members of the Cabinet, the White House staff, Vice President Kamala Harris’ husband and members of Congress, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Some of those cases stemmed from the return this month of the Gridiron Club’s spring dinner.
Self-guided, public tours of the executive mansion are set to resume on Friday in a limited fashion, after they also were halted in 2020 because of the pandemic.
The White House Easter Egg Roll dates to 1878.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/15/easter-egg-roll-returns-after-2-year-covid-induced-hiatus/
| 2022-04-15T12:08:45Z
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Prince Harry, Meghan make surprise visit to queen at Windsor
LONDON (AP) — Prince Harry and his wife Meghan have visited Queen Elizabeth II at Windsor Castle on their first joint visit to the U.K. since they gave up formal royal roles and moved to the U.S. more than two years ago.
The couple’s office says they visited the 95-year-old queen, Harry’s grandmother, Thursday on their way to the Netherlands to attend the Invictus Games. Harry is a founder and patron of the international sports competition for wounded military veterans.
Harry and Meghan stepped down as senior working royals and moved to North America in 2020, citing the unbearable pressure of their roles and racist attitudes of the British media.
The couple, also known as the duke and duchess of Sussex, lost their taxpayer-funded police guard when they walked away, and Harry is suing the British government for refusing to let him pay for his own police security on his visits to the U.K. His lawyers say Harry wants to bring his children — Archie, who is almost 3, and 10-month-old Lilibet — to visit his home country but that it is too risky without police protection.
Harry and Meghan are expected to attend a reception in The Hague on Friday for the Invictus Games, which run from Saturday to April 22.
The visit to the queen came on Maundy Thursday, a day in the week before Easter that the queen for decades marked by distributing silver coins known as “Maundy money” to pensioners at a church service. This year the queen, who has been experiencing mobility issues in recent months and came down with COVID-19 in February, did not attend. She was represented by her eldest son, Prince Charles, and his wife Camilla.
The monarch also is expected to miss the royal family’s Easter Sunday church service. She has continued to perform royal duties, including virtual audiences with politicians and diplomats.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/15/prince-harry-meghan-make-surprise-visit-queen-windsor/
| 2022-04-15T12:08:52Z
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Two men rescued after truck is swept away by flood waters in Alabama
Published: Apr. 15, 2022 at 7:41 AM EDT|Updated: 27 minutes ago
LAWRENCE COUNTY, Ala. (WAFF/Gray News) - Two men had to be rescued after their truck was swept from the roadway by flood waters on Thursday in Alabama.
Deputies with the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office and volunteer firefighters responded to a 911 call and made contact with the men who were sitting on the hood of their truck, WAFF reported. The truck had been swept away by flood waters.
The Morgan County Rescue Squad arrived, and a trained swift water rescue diver stabilized the vehicle with a tow line. The men were then assisted to safety.
The vehicle was removed from the water by the towing company.
Copyright 2022 WAFF via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/15/two-men-rescued-after-truck-is-swept-away-by-flood-waters-alabama/
| 2022-04-15T12:08:59Z
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Ancient tombs discovered underneath Notre Dame
Published: Apr. 15, 2022 at 9:44 AM EDT|Updated: 28 minutes ago
(CNN) - Ancient tombs and statues have been discovered beneath Notre Dame Cathedral during the project to restore it.
Archaeologists carefully examined an area under the cathedral where they found statues, sculptures, tombs and pieces of original church architecture dating back to the 13th century.
Crews have been working to restore the church after it caught fire three years ago.
The excavation was a precautionary measure before scaffolding gets put up to restore part of the roof. That work can now get started after France’s National Archaeological Institute announced it has wrapped up the excavation.
The cathedral is on track to reopen to the public in 2024.
Copyright 2022 CNN Newsource. All rights reserved.
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https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/15/ancient-tombs-discovered-underneath-notre-dame/
| 2022-04-15T14:13:19Z
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Mall store owner accused of shooting 9-year-old girl to be returned to California
LAS VEGAS (AP) — A Southern California shoe store owner accused of shooting and wounding a 9-year-old girl when he opened fire at shoplifters agreed Thursday to be returned from Nevada to face charges in the case.
Police have said that Marqel Cockrell, 20, fled from the California desert city of Victorville in his car just after the girl, identified by family members as Ava Chruniak, was mistakenly hit by bullets on Tuesday as she waited to have her picture taken with a mall Easter bunny.
Cockrell, 20, stood in court and told a Las Vegas judge that he understood that California authorities had 30 days to extradite him. He was not represented by an attorney because Nevada does not provide lawyers for extradition cases.
Cockrell co-owns the shoe store Sole Addicts at the Mall of Victor Valley and was chasing two shoplifters about 6:30 p.m. Tuesday when he fired shots that “instead hit the 9-year-old female victim,” Victorville police said in a statement.
The girl suffered three gunshot wounds, including two in an arm, her grandmother, Moraga-Saldarelli said. One of the bullets fractured an arm bone.
She was released from the hospital on Thursday but will require another operation to repair nerve damage, KCBS-TV reported.
“I will never forgive him. What he did to me is not OK,” Ava told the station from her bed at home. “No one should have a gun in the mall.”
Police have said that Cockrell drove from the mall before responding officers arrived after receiving reports of gunfire and that he was arrested in Nevada’s Clark County, about a three-hour drive from Victorville.
Cockrell is being held at the Clark County Detention Center in Las Vegas. Authorities have said he faces at least one attempted murder charge. Records do not indicate if he has a lawyer who could speak on his behalf.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/15/mall-store-owner-accused-shooting-9-year-old-girl-be-returned-california/
| 2022-04-15T14:13:26Z
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‘Pink Moon’ heralds spring, Passover
Published: Apr. 15, 2022 at 8:15 AM EDT|Updated: 1 hours ago
(CNN) - The full moon will not be called blue this weekend. Instead, it will be called pink!
NASA said the “Pink Moon” will illuminate the sky from early Friday to Monday morning. The moon should be at its peak fullness Saturday afternoon.
This version of a full moon goes by several traditional names.
The “Pink Moon” honors its spring arrival, so it will not actually be the color pink.
It’s also known as the “Fish Moon” because, as coastal tribes note, it appears at the same time the shad fish swim upstream to spawn.
And it’s called a “Passover Moon” because its appearance coincides with the Jewish holiday.
Passover begins at sundown Friday and ends the following week at nightfall on April 23.
Copyright 2022 CNN Newsource. All rights reserved.
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https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/15/pink-moon-heralds-spring-passover/
| 2022-04-15T14:13:33Z
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Police: 3 toddlers exposed to THC through daycare’s crackers; owner charged
STAFFORD COUNTY, Va. (WWBT/Gray News) - A daycare owner has been charged after officials said three toddlers in her care were taken to the emergency room after eating “Goldfish”-type crackers infused with THC.
On March 2, deputies responded to a hospital after a report of several babies with THC exposure, WWBT reported.
Three children, all 1-year-old, were taken to Stafford Hospital Center after their parents observed lethargic and uncoordinated behavior as well as glassy, bloodshot eyes.
The hospital staff recognized the symptoms and confirmed through testing that each child was exposed to THC, the main psychoactive compound in cannabis that produces a high sensation, authorities said.
According to police, the three families were connected to a licensed home daycare provider.
Police said they searched the daycare and collected the crackers around the toddler’s high chairs. Lab results confirmed the crackers had THC in them, authorites
Child Protective Services were brought into the investigation, and the daycare voluntarily surrendered its license.
On Thursday, the daycare owner Rebecca Swanner, 60, turned herself in to authorities. She has been charged with three counts of cruelty and injury to children.
Swanner was released by the magistrate on a $2,000 unsecured bond.
Copyright 2022 WWBT via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/15/police-3-toddlers-exposed-thc-through-daycares-crackers-owner-charged/
| 2022-04-15T14:13:40Z
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Wallaby missing from Memphis Zoo after severe storms
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) - Memphis Zoo is on the search for one of its animals after severe storms wreaked havoc on the city Wednesday.
During the lightning, thunder and thrashing rain a wallaby went missing, WMC reported.
The zoo says it experienced flash flooding inside its KangaZoo exhibit due to the overflow of Lick Creek amid the storm. All animals inside the KangaZoo exhibit were evacuated and relocated to the animal hospital.
After doing a headcount of the animals, zoo officials noticed one wallaby was unaccounted for.
Memphis Police Department is assisting in the search.
The zoo says wallabies are smaller in stature than kangaroos and advise that people do not approach them.
The wallaby was the talk around Overton Park Thursday as hundreds of people enjoyed the break from the week’s severe weather.
While many were keeping their eyes out for the wallaby, some had to make sure they even knew what one looked like.
“I had to look it up. It’s like a smaller kangaroo-type mammal,” Taylor Skees said.
Everyone had high hopes for the missing wallaby.
“I hope they find it and if they do it’s okay,” Utica Ferguson said.
The Memphis Zoo is asking people to call them at 901-333-6500 if they spot the wallaby, and tell them the location and time of the sighting.
Copyright 2022 WMC via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/15/wallaby-missing-memphis-zoo-after-severe-storms/
| 2022-04-15T14:13:47Z
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GOP lawmakers aided Trump election challenge before warning against it, texts show
(CNN) - Two Republicans, once former President Donald Trump’s allies in Congress, called on the administration to stand down after the 2020 election.
Sen. Mike Lee of Utah and Rep. Chip Roy of Texas went from encouraging the White House efforts to overturn the results to ultimately warning about the consequences.
Dozens of private texts to Trump Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, obtained by CNN, show how they were trying to help initially, but by the end, they raised concerns to Trump’s top deputy about his campaign’s effort to stand in the way of the election’s certification.
“We’re driving a stake in the heart of the federal republic,” Roy warned Meadows in a text Jan. 1.
The texts, starting right after the election and going through early January 2021, are now in the possession of the House Jan. 6 select committee.
Roy’s stark warning came after weeks of begging Meadows for hard evidence of election fraud and concerns that the lack of specific evidence was a real problem for the Trump legal team.
“We must urge the president to tone down the rhetoric,” he wrote to Meadows on Nov. 9.
Roy did believe that there were problems with the election. In early December, he went to the House floor imploring his colleagues to look into the thin examples of fraud.
“The American people are raising legitimate questions about the election, and this body is missing in action and doing nothing,” he said Dec. 9.
Lee also started out hopeful there was a path to challenge the election results. In early November, he touted the work of conservative lawyer Sydney Powell, encouraging Meadows to get her an audience with the president and calling her a “straight shooter.”
Less than two weeks later, Powell appeared with Rudy Giuliani in what would become an infamous news conference where the duo made wild, baseless claims.
Lee then changed his tune, calling Powell a “liability” and turning his focus to touting attorney John Eastman.
Lee pushed a plan to convince state legislatures to offer up a set of alternate electors. When that plan fizzled, he decided he was no longer on board.
He texted Meadows on Dec. 16, “I think we’re now passed the point where we can expect anyone will do it without some direction and a strong evidentiary argument.”
Lee and Roy ultimately chose not to join other Republicans to vote against certifying the election.
“Our job is to open and then count, open then count. That’s it. That’s all there is,” Lee said on the Senate floor Jan. 6.
Privately, they were even more emphatic about the Trump team’s efforts.
“The president should call everyone off. It’s the only path,” Roy texted Meadows on Dec. 31.
Lee argued the effort to challenge the election certification was on dangerous constitutional ground.
Three days before Jan. 6, he warned, “I know only that this will end badly for the president unless we have the Constitution on our side.”
They did not, but the Trump team and a group of loyal Republicans went ahead with their plan anyway.
As it became clear their effort would not be successful, hundreds of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol in protest.
As the violence was raging, Roy texted Meadows, “Fix this now.”
He then went to the House floor and placed the blame squarely at Trump’s feet.
“The president should never have spun up certain Americans to believe something that simply cannot be,” Roy said Jan. 6.
Copyright 2022 CNN Newsource. All rights reserved.
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https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/15/gop-lawmakers-aided-trump-election-challenge-before-warning-against-it-texts-show/
| 2022-04-15T16:04:57Z
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It’s not over: COVID-19 cases are on the rise again in US
(AP) - Yet again, the U.S. is trudging into what could be another COVID-19 surge, with cases rising nationally and in most states after a two-month decline.
One big unknown? “We don’t know how high that mountain’s gonna grow,” said Dr. Stuart Campbell Ray, an infectious disease expert at Johns Hopkins University.
No one expects a peak nearly as high as the last one, when the contagious omicron version of the coronavirus ripped through the population.
But experts warn that the coming wave – caused by a mutant called BA.2 that’s thought to be about 30% more contagious – will wash across the nation and push up hospitalizations in a growing number of states in the coming weeks. And the case wave will be bigger than it looks, they say, because reported numbers are vast undercounts as more people test at home without reporting their infections or skip testing altogether.
At the height of the previous omicron surge, reported daily cases reached into the hundreds of thousands. On April 14, the seven-day rolling average for daily new cases rose to 39,521, up from 30,724 two weeks earlier, according to data from Johns Hopkins collected by The Associated Press.
Dr. Eric Topol, head of Scripps Research Translational Institute, said the numbers will likely keep growing until the surge reaches about a quarter the height of the last “monstrous” one. BA.2 may well have the same effect in the U.S. as it did in Israel, where it created a “bump” in the chart measuring cases, he said.
Keeping the surge somewhat in check, experts said, is a higher level of immunity in the U.S. from vaccination or past infection compared with early winter.
But Ray said the U.S. could wind up looking like Europe, where the BA.2 surge was “substantial” in some places that had comparable levels of immunity. “We could have a substantial surge here,” he said.
Both experts said BA.2 will move through the country gradually. The Northeast has been hit hardest so far — with more than 90% of new infections caused by BA.2 last week compared with 86% nationally. As of Thursday, the highest rates of new COVID cases per capita over the past 14 days were in Vermont, Rhode Island, Alaska, New York and Massachusetts. In Washington, D.C., which also ranks in the top 10 for rates of new cases, Howard University announced it was moving most undergraduate classes online for the rest of the semester because of “a significant increase in COVID-19 positivity” in the district and on campus.
Some states, such as Rhode Island and New Hampshire, saw the average of daily new cases rise by more than 100% in two weeks, according to Johns Hopkins data.
Joseph Wendelken, spokesperson for the Rhode Island Department of Health, said despite rising cases, hospitalizations remain relatively low, and that’s the metric they are most focused on right now. About 55 COVID-19 patients are hospitalized, compared with more than 600 at one point in the pandemic.
Officials credit high vaccination rates. State statistics show 99% of Rhode Island adults are at least partially vaccinated and 48% have gotten the booster dose that scientists say is key in protecting against severe illness with omicron.
Vermont also has relatively high levels of vaccination and fewer patients in the hospital than during the height of the first omicron wave. But Dr. Mark Levine, the health commissioner there, said hospitalizations and the numbers of patients in intensive care units are both up slightly, although deaths have not risen.
Data from the Centers for Disease Control shows that new hospital admissions of patients with confirmed COVID-19 were up slightly in New England and the New York region.
On the West Coast, modelers from Oregon Health & Science University are projecting a slight increase in hospitalizations over the next two months in that state, where cases have also risen steeply.
As the wave moves across the country, experts said states with low rates of vaccination may face substantially more infections and severe cases that wind up in the hospital.
Ray said government leaders must be careful to strike the right tone when talking to people about protecting themselves and others after COVID restrictions have largely been lifted. Philadelphia recently became the first major U.S. city to reinstate its indoor mask mandate after a sharp increase in infections. But Vermont’s Levine said there are no plans to bring back any of the restrictions that were imposed earlier during the pandemic.
“It’s going to be hard to institute restrictive, draconian measures,” Ray said. “Fortunately, we have some tools that we can use to mitigate risk. And so I hope that leaders will emphasize the importance for people to watch the numbers,” be aware of risks and consider taking precautions such as wearing masks and getting vaccinated and boosted if they’re not already.
Lynne Richmond, a 59-year-old breast cancer survivor who lives in Silver Spring, Md., said she plans to get her second booster and keep wearing her mask in public as cases rise in her state and nearby Washington, D.C.
“I never really stopped wearing my mask…I’ve stayed ultra-vigilant,” she said. “I feel like I’ve come this far; I don’t want to get COVID.”
Vigilance is a good strategy, experts said, because the coronavirus is constantly throwing curveballs. One of the latest: even more contagious subvariants of BA.2 found in New York state, known as BA.2.12 and BA.2.12.1. And scientists warn that new and potentially dangerous variants could arise at any time.
“We shouldn’t be thinking the pandemic is over,” Topol said. “We should still keep our guard up.”
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Associated Press reporter Wilson Ring contributed from Stowe, Vermont.
___
The Associated Press Health and 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.wvva.com/2022/04/15/its-not-over-covid-19-cases-are-rise-again-us/
| 2022-04-15T16:04:59Z
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K-9 shot, killed during standoff with armed suspect
OXFORD, N.C. (Gray News) – A police K-9 in North Carolina was shot and killed Sunday.
K-9 Major with the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office was killed during a standoff with an armed robbery suspect.
According to the Granville County Sheriff’s Department, officers responded to a report of an armed robbery involving the theft of a vehicle on Saturday. Police could not locate the suspect Saturday, but the following day, officers responded to a report of a suspicious fire at a residence.
During the investigation of the fire, officers determined the armed robbery suspect was possibly hiding under the crawl space of the home. As police tried to clear the crawl space, they were met with gunfire from the suspect and returned fire.
During that time, K-9 Major was struck by gunfire and died. The dog was shot twice with an AK-47 rifle.
Police requested further assistance from other law enforcement agencies, including a crisis negotiator. The crisis negotiator made contact with the suspect and convinced the man to come out from under the crawl space and surrender to authorities.
Aside from K-9 Major, no law enforcement officers were injured.
The suspect, identified as William Darius Eichelberger, 21, was transported to the hospital with minor injuries and released a short time later. He was then taken to the Granville County Magistrate where he was placed under a $250,000 bond.
According to police, Eichelberger was charged with seven felonies, and more charges are forthcoming.
K-9 Major was a 3-year-old German Shepherd and the beloved partner of Corporal Jamie Lariviere. The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office is holding a celebration of life for Major on Monday.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/15/k-9-shot-killed-during-standoff-with-armed-suspect/
| 2022-04-15T16:05:06Z
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South Carolina death row inmate picks firing squad over electric chair
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — A South Carolina prisoner scheduled to be the first man executed in the state in more than a decade has decided to die by firing squad rather than in the electric chair later this month, according to court documents filed Friday.
Richard Bernard Moore, 57, is the also first state prisoner to face the choice of execution methods after a law went into effect last year making electrocution the default and giving inmates the option to face three prison workers with rifles instead.
Moore has spent more than two decades on death row after being convicted of the 1999 killing of convenience store clerk James Mahoney in Spartanburg. If executed as scheduled on April 29, he would be the first person put to death in the state since 2011.
The new law was prompted by the decadelong break, which corrections officials attribute to an inability to procure the drugs needed to carry out lethal injections.
In a written statement, Moore said he didn’t concede that either method was legal or constitutional, but that he more strongly opposed death by electrocution and only chose the firing squad because he was required to make a choice.
“I believe this election is forcing me to choose between two unconstitutional methods of execution, and I do not intend to waive any challenges to electrocution or firing squad by making an election,” Moore said in the statement.
Moore’s attorneys have asked the state Supreme Court to delay his death while another court determines if either available method is cruel and unusual punishment. The attorneys argue prisons officials aren’t trying hard enough to get the lethal injection drugs, instead forcing prisoners to choose between two more barbaric methods.
His lawyers are also asking the state Supreme Court to delay the execution so the U.S. Supreme Court can review whether Moore’s death sentence was a disproportionate punishment compared with similar crimes. The state justices denied a similar appeal last week.
The state corrections agency said last month that it finished developing protocols for firing squad executions and completed $53,600 in renovations on the death chamber in Columbia, installing a metal chair with restraints that faces a wall with a rectangular opening 15 feet (4.6 meters) away. In the case of a firing squad execution, three volunteer prison workers will train their rifles on the condemned prisoner’s heart.
South Carolina is one of eight states to still use the electric chair and one of four to allow a firing squad, according to the Washington-based nonprofit Death Penalty Information Center.
Moore is one of 35 men on South Carolina’s death row. The state last scheduled an execution for Moore in 2020, which was then delayed after prison officials said they couldn’t obtain lethal injection drugs.
During Moore’s 2001 trial, prosecutors said Moore entered the store looking for money to support his cocaine habit and got into a dispute with Mahoney, who drew a pistol that Moore wrestled away from him.
Mahoney pulled a second gun, and a gunfight ensued. Mahoney shot Moore in the arm, and Moore shot Mahoney in the chest. Prosecutors said Moore left a trail of blood through the store as he looked for cash, stepping twice over Mahoney.
At the time, Moore claimed that he acted in self-defense after Mahoney drew the first gun.
Moore’s supporters have argued that his crime doesn’t rise to the level of a death penalty offense. His appeals lawyers have said that because Moore didn’t bring a gun into store, he couldn’t have intended to kill someone when he walked in.
The last person executed in South Carolina was Jeffrey Motts, who was on death row for strangling a cellmate while serving a life sentence for another murder.
___
Liu is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/15/south-carolina-death-row-inmate-picks-firing-squad-over-electric-chair/
| 2022-04-15T16:05:15Z
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Wheels reportedly fall off school bus while it’s in motion
DETROIT (WXYZ) - A middle school bus in Michigan broke down on the side of the road after two wheels apparently detached from the bus while it was in motion.
Fortunately, no one was injured.
A photo of the L’Anse Creuse Middle School bus is making rounds on social media and sparking concern and frustration with parents.
“Nobody said anything to any of us,” Tammy Caparo said. She has a granddaughter in the seventh grade that attends that school.
She says there was no email, phone call or alert to tell families what happened.
Caparo picks her granddaughter up from school, but on social media parents who say their children were on the bus are reporting they didn’t hear from school officials.
“I would hope the school would do more about the safety of the children and reach out to the parents and let them know that they are doing everything they can to make the buses more safe for their children to get on,” Caparo said.
After the incident, many are left wondering how the wheels just rolled off a moving bus.
According to a L’Anse Creuse school official, it appears it was caused by a mechanical failure involving a bolt.
“The district has not had any other issues of this nature in the past,” the official said.
They went on to say that “extensive bouncing” caused by road conditions, such as potholes, could have played a part.
“Wheels just don’t come off of school buses,” said Andy Didorosi, owner of the Detroit Bus Company.
He’s repaired buses for years.
He said they are one of the safest vehicles, and it’s unlikely Michigan roads are to blame for wheels detaching.
“School buses are made to take hundreds of thousands of pounds of force on their axles,” he said. “They are extremely, extremely tough vehicles.”
Didorosi said it’s likely the bolts or lug nuts loosened over time, and the daily inspector missed it.
“And frequently drivers give a vehicle a quick visual inspection, which is oftentimes not enough,” he said.
WXYZ asked L’Anse Creuse if the bus had recently been repaired, as well as when it had its last state inspection, but did not get a response.
Copyright 2022 WXYZ via CNN Newsource. All rights reserved.
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https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/15/wheels-reportedly-fall-off-school-bus-while-its-motion/
| 2022-04-15T16:05:22Z
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WVSP search for male suspect in tire slashing incident
Published: Apr. 15, 2022 at 10:25 AM EDT|Updated: 1 hours ago
BECKLEY, W.Va. (WVVA) - The West Virginia State Police (WVSP) is searching for a male suspect that slashed a tire in Beckley
The incident happened 11 a.m. Tuesday morning at the Mountain State Oral Surgeon office at Brookshire in Beckley.
Anyone with information on the incident is urged to contact Corporal C. A. Dunn at the West Virginia State Police Beckley Detachment at (304) 256-6700
Copyright 2022 WVVA. All rights reserved.
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https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/15/wvsp-search-male-suspect-tire-slashing-incident/
| 2022-04-15T16:05:28Z
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It makes sense for the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens to hold an Earth Day event, but it’s been a while since they have.
Before COVID-19 slowed everything down, the Botanic Gardens was beginning to organize different events for the conservation-focused day. Those sputtered out however, and over the quiet pandemic, it was back to the drawing board for the Gardens.
The team used the time to regroup and brainstorm something new, and now, the Botanic Gardens is presenting a day of workshops and lectures for residents looking to learn how they can better the environment in small, doable ways.
“All the events that we have planned send a message of being healthy with the Earth, with you doing some more Earth-healthy, friendly things,” Director Tina Worthman said. “Just trying to keep a more positive outlook, a different way of looking at things.
“Like, it’s not a trash pickup,” horticulturalist Samantha Day added.
“Right,” Worthman continued. “It’s actually something that’s more positive and will go be more beneficial for your own person, rather than just something else, something that won’t stick with you.”
So, rather than a volunteer event, Day and other horticulturists at the Gardens will try to give people skills they can apply to their own gardens and community.
Among all the new classes and events that the Gardens has planned for the day, there will be two unique time slots April 22-23. On Friday, there will be a “DIY T-Shirt Rug” class held in collaboration with Goodwill, which is donating 200 shirts for the activity.
Day will be leading this class herself, and while she might be an expert in the garden, she’ll be learning how to make a rug right there with the rest of the class. The process involves cutting the shirts up into strips, then braiding and reforming them into a small rug. This class is mostly for the sheer fun of the craft.
On Saturday, the Gardens will host a day-long Community Seed Swap. In an ideal scenario, the event will bring different community gardeners together to share the seeds they have collected from their yield through the years.
“We have a lot of gardeners connected. Some of them are decades into their projects at their house, and they save seeds every year,” Day said. “If they brought their seeds from their house, I was kind of picturing people gathering stuff that they saved themselves and swap with each other.”
In case there aren’t as many veterans there to trade stock, the Botanic Gardens will have packaged seeds to collect and trade with one another. The seed swap will be on Saturday from 12-3 p.m.
In addition to these unique events, there will also be a full schedule of gardening classes that are structured to be more lecture based than a hands-on workshop.
Horticulturalist Isaiah Smith will lead the “Water Wise Planting Workshop,” which is geared toward more experienced gardeners. Smith will walk residents through how they can garden, but still conserve water by growing plants that don’t require as much water to survive.
Other classes revolve around educating participants on similar gardening practices, but open up to more skill levels to participate in.
The “Beginners Guide to Growing Food and Composting” class, for example, will be a basic introduction on how to start a garden for those who have been wanting to grow their own plants, but don’t know where to begin.
“I like to do mostly discussion and just kind of get people to tell me what they’re picturing, and then we can talk about what they’re struggling with,” Day said. “I’m focusing on how, if you live in an apartment ... setting up containers on your patio, or a very easy pallet raised bed that you can throw up in a day so people don’t feel intimidated by gardening.”
Though the classes bring gardeners together, the Botanic Gardens staff see this event as a way to spread how simple it is to make small changes that benefit the Earth.
In their experience, Cheyenne is a very self-motivated community. If someone wants to implement more conservative gardening tactics, they will teach themselves how to do so. Rarely does someone with little knowledge wander into a beginners class.
But that’s exactly what Earth Day is for – to spread how it doesn’t have to be a full-time hobby, and that a lasting impact can be made by implementing basic practices. In just the last year, staff has seen more and more new faces signing up for classes, transplants from California or Texas, even northern Colorado residents that are beginning to make the commute.
“It’s a way to implement these kinds of practices in your everyday life and try to give them some hands-on, realistic ways to make that doable,” Worthman said “That it’s not intimidating.
“It’s not just a day to clean up the park. It’s a way to really change how you live, and it’s not that difficult. It can be fun.”
There are only 20 spots reserved for each class, and the slots are first-come, first-served. The Gardens will do what they can to accommodate everyone, but it depends on the space they have and the amount of materials they can distribute.
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https://www.wyomingnews.com/features/earth-day-can-make-a-year-long-impact-at-the-botanic-gardens/article_2379729a-6486-5dff-8894-42a429fb3858.html
| 2022-04-15T16:15:08Z
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What a depressing descent it’s been for the “Fantastic Beasts” movies, the “Harry Potter” prequel franchise intended to expand the magical world of witches, wizards and muggles spun to life by J.K. Rowling. The first film, “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,” was an assertion of gentle humanity and diversity set in an appealingly designed 1920s New York. Flappers, magic and cool animals, what’s not to like? But the third installment, “Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore,” arriving four years after the second film, “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald,” is a bafflingly bad project that can only be described as “anti-cinema.” It has all the charm and fun of a contractual obligation, and dares to pose the question: what if an entire movie was gray?
Written by J.K. Rowling and frequent “Harry Potter” screenwriter Steve Kloves, directed by David Yates, who helmed the first two ‘Beasties’ and several ‘Potters,’ it’s clear that the powers that be are trying, hard, to regain the magic of “Potter.” “The Secrets of Dumbledore” has been hampered by scandal and COVID-19, and it shows. Embattled actor Johnny Depp, who played big bad Grindelwald, has been replaced by Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen, who is an improvement, and the only actor who seems to be energized in tackling this material. Writer Rowling has also courted controversy online with her regressive views on gender identity, and co-star Ezra Miller has faced some legal setbacks of his own. The entire film screams of “COVID protocols” too, with characters relegated to running around in front of green screen background and inexplicable settings that limit the number of actors in the frame at each time.
None of this excuses how inexplicably bland this film is though. It feels like a bad parody, a shadow of what a film is, not an actual film itself. The color palette is a dreary mud puddle of grays and browns, and there’s no sense of space or geography. It has no weight, no heft, no texture, no color, no sense of magic or wonder in the least. The story itself has no sense of stakes or resonance, and the actors range in affect from lifeless to dutiful to pained. It’s a long two hours and 22 minutes but it flies by simply because there’s no there, there.
The plot concerns Grindelwald’s grasps at power in the magical world because he essentially wants to start a race war with the muggles (humans). Set in the 1930s (or thereabouts), the fascist vibes are thick in the air as the motley crew of Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law), magizoologist Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne), Newt’s brother Theseus (Callum Turner), Hogwarts prof Lally Hicks (Jessica Williams), and muggle baker Jacob (Dan Fogler) set out to foil Grindelwald’s plans by confusing his visions of the future. Does the plan work? Not really, but honestly, who’s to say? After all the running around they still end up at some rigged election in Bhutan (why?) in which a magical creature will select the “pure of heart” to lead the magical world, if anyone still cares. There is nothing of consequence that occurs in this movie, as everyone involved seems to be going through the motions in order to cash a check and fulfill their obligations.
The icing on the cake is the audacity of Rowling to offer up a limp critique of authoritarianism, which is built on a foundation of bigotry and hatred for those deemed “other,” when she has used her public platform to dehumanize trans women and sow fear. She might envision herself as Team Dumbledore, who is gay, by the way, but it’s clear she’s merely one of Grindelwald’s lackeys, which is perhaps why the whole film feels so inert and uncommitted. There isn’t any magic to be found in the “Secrets of Dumbledore,” so it’s best if we all move on, pretend like this never happened, and hope that those intended fourth and fifth movies are quietly put out of their misery.
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https://www.wyomingnews.com/features/movie-review-fantastic-beasts-the-secrets-of-dumbledore-a-new-low-for-franchise/article_1756b7b1-786c-51c8-8670-83e1045a7191.html
| 2022-04-15T16:15:14Z
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“Father Stu”? He’s not a regular priest, he’s a cool priest. A tough priest. A priest who swears (a lot), a priest with a history of boozing and boxing. That’s the story told, at least by the film’s poster, which features a diptych of star Mark Wahlberg, looking rough and rueful in a mug shot, and then beatific in Catholic clergy apparel. The journey between the two photos is the dominion of “Father Stu,” the directorial debut of Rosalind Ross, who also wrote the screenplay, though there’s more to the story of Catholic priest Stuart Long.
It’s fascinating to watch the evolution of what the industry has called the “faith-based film” over the past decade or so, especially with “Father Stu” as an example of how far they’ve come, progressing from low-budget projects aimed at niche audiences to major studio star vehicles, hoping to scoop up a mainstream audience showing up for the latest Wahlberg movie. For Wahlberg, a devout Catholic, Long’s life story as a former boxer and actor turned priest is an ideal one to try his hand at a faith-based film. Released in time for Easter, this R-rated biopic isn’t your typical Catholic programming, but the message to be found in Long’s life and his personal salvation through faith may resonate for a religious audience interested in edgier content.
Though the abundance of f-bombs is an anomaly in a faith-based film, “Father Stu” does adhere to some conventions of the genre. It’s based on a stranger-than-fiction true story, and involves a near-death experience in which Stuart experiences a spiritual visit. Envisioning himself cradled by the Virgin Mary after a harrowing motorcycle accident, Stuart pledges himself to his newfound Catholic faith and ultimately pursues the priesthood despite his original, more prurient motivation for showing up to church, which was, of course, for a woman, Carmen (Mexican star Teresa Ruiz).
The twist is that despite a long life of suffering, including an alcoholic father, Bill (Mel Gibson), the childhood death of his brother, a failed amateur boxing career, and struggles with drinking, God has even more suffering in mind for Stuart. During his time at the seminary, he is diagnosed with inclusion body myositis, a degenerative muscle disease that renders him disabled, but ultimately leads to his greatest spiritual awakening.
It’s a remarkable story, but “Father Stu” is a broad, somewhat brutish film. Ross’ screenplay lightly pummels the audience with the basic beats and beatdowns of Long’s life without ever letting us in on the emotional experience. The characters talk at each other (and at the audience) in vague platitudes, folksy aphorisms, Biblical quotes and street-smart retorts. Wahlberg is in the familiar rapid-fire, rat-a-tat style he has developed over the years, tussling and bantering with everyone around him, not even his encroaching disability slowing down his motormouth. It can be entertaining, but it’s rarely truly engaging, and the tell-not-show approach to the screenwriting renders the characters two-dimensional and hollow. We barely know who anyone really is, aside from Stuart, and large parts of his spiritual progression are all-too-easily glossed over.
Cinematographer Jacques Jouffret brings a naturalist handheld camera, a desaturated color palette, and lots of slow-motion to elevate the look and feel of the film, and the soundtrack is loaded with classic country and blues. It all lends a “prestigious” sheen, though the story itself is often frustratingly shallow. As viewers, we’re observers, not participants, in Stuart’s spiritual journey, and it’s not until very late in “Father Stu,” as the film is dawdling and meandering to its conclusion, when Stuart takes a breath and simply delivers the message of what he’s learned, that the resonance of what we’re to take away from this comes through.
There is a profound grace to be found in “Father Stu,” when everyone gets out of the way to let the message of suffering as spirituality just breathe. But one can’t help but feel like that comes too little and too late to have any significant impact.
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https://www.wyomingnews.com/features/movie-review-message-of-father-stu-is-its-salvation/article_8021f3dd-aa4c-563c-8378-093bd8fc34a7.html
| 2022-04-15T16:15:20Z
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An upcoming movie will have a familiar setting for many Americans who have ever shopped for a Halloween costume.
Christopher Lloyd and Rachael Leigh Cook are set to star in a movie about the seasonal store chain, Spirit Halloween, it was announced Monday.
Spirit’s more than 1,400 locations pop up around North America at the end of every summer, offering Halloween costumes, decor and props.
The Strike Back Studios family adventure film, appropriately titled “Spirit Halloween,” is expected to release just in time for Halloween in October and has a promotional partnership with the titular store.
“When a new Spirit Halloween store appears in a deserted strip mall, three middle-school friends who think they’ve outgrown trick-or-treating make a dare to spend the night locked inside the store Halloween night,” an official summary of the film reads. “But they soon find out that the store is haunted by an angry evil spirit who has possessed the creepy animatronic characters. The kids embark on a thrilling and spooky adventure in order to survive the night and avoid becoming possessed themselves.”
Strike Back president Noor Ahmed said the movie derived inspiration from ‘80s films, particularly Amblin productions like “The Goonies” and “Gremlins.”
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https://www.wyomingnews.com/features/seasonal-store-spirit-halloween-will-be-the-focus-of-new-movie/article_34f855f9-1790-568c-9bc5-df648e3d9c12.html
| 2022-04-15T16:15:26Z
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Sometimes, it just makes you feel gruff.
Seriously, the internet should be the G.O.A.T. invention. It should be a place to connect with friends and share laughs, a safe place to go when you want to be yourself. It should be a place to tell your story, free of danger and full of truth. Nobody should be butting heads online, or be victim of a bullygoat. Instead, as in ”Conversations with People Who Hate Me” by Dylan Marron, we gotta deal with the trolls.
The fact that Marron had a “HATE FOLDER” in his email should speak volumes.
As a gay man and a writer-performer, he expected a certain amount of negativity online; that’s the nature of the internet. But as a creative employee of Seriously.TV, the emailed hate, death threats and homophobia just got to be too much.
Before his job at Seriously.TV, he’d acted, reported, waited tables and cultivated a “prompt” that served him well. “What am I going to do about it?” is what he asked himself every time he was faced with something that bothered him, and this time the answer was a series of conversations with haters who’d commented.
He began to mine the HATE FOLDER for people to talk with.
The first was a guy Marron calls “Josh,” a decent guy who was a lot like Marron. Their conversation, done remotely, was a hit with fans and it gained Marron a lot of “points.” In a small way, it gained him a friend, since he and Josh came to an understanding. Marron was happy with that, and with subsequent “Conversations...”
But after he quit his job at Seriously.TV to go it alone, he found himself at an impasse.
The old way of doing his conversations needed to expand to include a wider angle and different guests. Marron imagined himself bringing together hater and target on bigger subjects. He’d learn more about people – and in the process, he’d learn more about himself.
The lesson was underscored a few Sundays ago: something huge happens, something loud, and everybody’s got an opinion. “Conversations with People Who Hate Me” helps show that we can talk civilly about issues without insults.
But will haters – the people who presumably need this book – be willing to read it?
Surprisingly, on one side of this book, author Dylan Marron shows that that’s entirely possible: once he approached his interviewees, many people who hid behind the ‘net rued their actions and words. Granted, the haters he hosted were highly, carefully curated, but Marron’s approach shows hope.
The other side of the book is the one that teaches tolerance and a sort of Zen approach when you’re the target of a troll. Haters gonna hate, as they say... but with enormous grace and thoughtfulness, Marron offers better ways to perceive it.
Readers looking for another way to invite open dialogue, and those who are aghast at spewing commenters on social media will love this book. If you want to do better, “Conversations with People Who Hate Me” could help make happy bridges.
”Conversations with People Who Hate Me: 12 Things I Learned From Talking to Internet Strangers” by Dylan Marron, c.2022, Atria, $27.00, 272 pages
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https://www.wyomingnews.com/features/todo/for-those-tired-of-internet-hate-conversations-with-people-who-hate-me-shows-hope/article_f1ab302e-6380-5c03-8719-4b06801a99aa.html
| 2022-04-15T16:15:33Z
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Cheyenne and Laramie County
Storytime at Paul Smith Children’s Village
– April 15, 11-11:30. 18 months-5 years. Head over to the Paul Smith Children’s Village to participate in one of the library’s early literacy storytimes. Paul Smith Children’s Village at the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens, 616 S. Lions Park Drive. 307-637-6458
Emoji Eggs: A Craft for Teens
– April 15, 1-3 p.m. Teens will dye and decorate hard-boiled eggs to look like their favorite emoji. Burns Branch Library, 112 Main St., 307-547-2249
Friday Matinee, Pine Bluffs
– April 15, 1:30-3:30 p.m. Spend your Friday afternoons at the Pine Bluffs Branch library to watch a matinee. Each week will feature a different movie. This week’s movie is “Hop” (PG). Pine Bluffs Branch Library, 110 E. Second St. 307-245-3646
Crafty Family Challenge
– April 15, 4:30-5:30 p.m. Gather your family and meet in the Cottonwood Room for this extreme craft challenge. Supplies will be provided, but feel free to bring whatever materials you like. Sign your family up at lclsonline.org/calendar/. Laramie County Library, 2200 Pioneer Ave. 307-634-3561
Friday Night Jazz
– April 15, 6 p.m. 21+. Bring some friends, grab a drink and food, and listen to some beautiful music by Jazztet in the relaxing Hathaway’s Lounge. Two-drink minimum required. Little America Hotel and Resort, 2800 W. Lincolnway. 307-775-8400
Creation feat. Protohype @ The Lincoln
– April 15, 6-7 p.m. Kratos Productions presents CREATION. A night of heavy bass music sounds, dancing, lights, lasers, love and unity. The Lincoln Theatre, 1615 Central Ave. 307-369-6028
WAR @ The Lincoln
– April 15, 8-11 p.m. The legendary band WAR is coming to Cheyenne. The long list of hits includes “Low Rider,” “The World Is A Ghetto,” “Why Can’t We Be Friends,” “The Cisco Kid” and many more. The Lincoln Theatre, 1615 Central Ave. 307-369-6028
Cheyenne Audubon Field Trip
– April 16, 6-9 a.m. Free. A field trip to see sharp-tailed grouse on leks and other prairie birds north of Hillsdale. Call 307-343-2024 to register. The group will leave at 6 a.m. from the front parking lot at Pilot Truck Stop, 8020 Campstool Road. https://cheyenneaudubon.org/
Cheyenne Winter Farmers Market
– April 16, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. A seasonal indoor farmers market with live music where local vendors sell their produce, meats, cheeses, crafts, canned good and more. Cheyenne Depot, 121 W. 15th St. 307-222-9542
Saturday Morning Book Club
– April 16, 10-11 a.m. This month, the club will discuss “The Exiles” by Kristina Baker Kline, and offer coffee and treats. Pine Bluffs Branch Library, 110 E. Second St. 307-245-3646
Easter Egg Hunt at the Louise Event Venue
– April 16, ages 1-3 from 10-11 a.m., ages 4-6 from 12-1 p.m., and ages 7-10 from 2-3 p.m. Free. JazMinn’s Events & Decor presents an Easter egg hunt for younger children. There will also be treats provided by Kates Cookie Shed and photos with the Easter bunny, courtesy of AG Photography. Limited to 40 participants per age group. Sign up on signupgenius.com. Participants must bring their own basket. The Louise Event Venue, 110 E. 17th St. 307-220-1474
Laramie County Library Eggstravaganza
– April 16. It’s time for the yearly Eggstravaganza. This year, the library will be presenting egg-citing workshops for different age groups. Visit its calendar for a full list of events. Attendance for some events will be limited, so sign up at lclsonline.org/calendar/. Laramie County Library, 2200 Pioneer Ave. 307-634-3561
Virtual SaturD&D
– April 16, 1-3 p.m. Join the library’s teen Dungeons and Dragons online community and get started on creating a character today. Don’t have a Discord account yet? No problem. They offers Discord Communities for teens to interact, chat, and play online. To participate, you will need a phone, tablet or computer with internet connection and a Discord account. RSVP for the event at lclsonline.org/calendar/.
”Dutch Hop!” Documentary Film Screening
– April 16, 1-5 p.m. A screening of the documentary “Dutch Hop!” which focuses on the musical and dance traditions of the German-Russian community in Southeast Wyoming, Northern Colorado and Western Nebraska. The filmmakers, Chris Simon and Annie Hatch, will be present for a discussion of the film, followed by a performance and dance featuring Wayne Appelhans and the Dutch Hops from 2-5 p.m. Call John Chrysler at 307-256-2010 for more information. Pine Bluffs Historic High School, 607 Elm Street, Pine Bluffs. 307-630-5320
Glow in the Dark Dodgeball
– April 16, 12-8 p.m. 3rd Annual Glow in the Dark Dodgeball Tournament of Champions is an event that brings Laramie County community members together for friendly competition and to support a great cause. All proceeds earned from tournament registration go to Laramie County Grief Support Group to assist families that have lost a loved one. Event Center at Archer, 3801 Archer Parkway. 307-633-4670
Genealogy: Searching the Newly-Released 1950 Census
– April 16, 3-4:30 p.m. The eagerly-awaited 1950 U.S. Census has just been released and is available for family history researchers to find their families. We’ll show you why this is exciting for genealogists by doing a few demonstration searches in the 1950 census on Ancestry Library Edition and other genealogy databases. Laramie County Library, 2200 Pioneer Ave. 307-634-3561
Beer & Paint Night at Black Tooth
– April 16, 5-8 p.m. $40. Black Tooth’s first Beer and Painting Night event. Local artist Danielle Kirby will lead a class on a painting that could be random, funny or serious. All painting materials are provided by Black Tooth. Tickets include three beers. Black Tooth Brewing Co. 520 W. 19th St. 307-514-0362
Kratos Productions presents: “Creation” ft. Protohype
– April 16, 6 p.m. $25. An EDM showcase of heavy bass music sounds, dancing, lights, lasers, love and unity. The Lincoln Theatre, 1615 Central Ave. 307-369-6028
Easter Day Brunch
– April 17, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. $40 for adults, $15 for children. Enjoy a brunch buffet for the whole family. Private rooms available for an additional fee. Visit www.themetdowntown.com for more information. The Metropolitan Downtown, 1701 Carey Ave. 307-432-0022
Easter Hoppy Hour at Danielmark’s
– April 17, 1-6 p.m. Happy hour in honor of Easter. There will be ham, scalloped potatoes, deviled eggs, and chocolate cupcakes, plus all the “hops” you can fit in your tummy. Danielmark’s Brewing Co., 209 E. 18th St. 307-514-0411
Make it Mondays
– April 18, 1-5 p.m. Get crafty at the library every Monday! Participants will be making beautiful heart paper flowers to celebrate the coming of spring. Burns Branch Library, 112 Main St., 307-547-2249
Coffee Connections at Burns Branch Library
– April 18, 2-4 p.m. Coffee Connections is the place to come for coffee and conversation with your friends and neighbors. On April 18, we will be showing the film “News of the World” (rated PG-13), starring Tom Hanks. Burns Branch Library, 112 Main St., 307-547-2249
”How to Become a Playwright” presentation by Matthew McLachlan
– April 18, 6 p.m. Free and open to the public. As part of the LCCC Foundation’s Cultural and Community Enrichment Series, McLachlan will present on how to become a playwright and how to work with a playwright as part of the Dinneen Writers Series. LCCC Playhouse, Laramie County Community College, 1400 E. College Drive. 307-778-5222
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Craftastic Tuesdays
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{div class=”subscriber-only”}– April 19, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Get crafty on Tuesdays. Take home paper straw tulips set in plastic egg vases that will look perfect for the Easter season. Pine Bluffs Branch Library, 110 E. Second St. 307-245-3646{/div}
Tales Together
– April. 19-21, 10:15-10:45 a.m. and 11-11:30 a.m. An in-person interactive early literacy class for preschool children and their caregivers. Practice new skills incorporating books, songs, rhymes, movement and more. Pick up weekly craft packet from Ask Here desk on the second floor. Call to reserve a spot. Laramie County Library, 2200 Pioneer Ave. 307-634-3561
Food For Thought @ The Metropolitan
– April 19, 11:30 a.m. $25. Cynthia A. Fisher will present “Price Transparency: Delivering Better Health care at Half the Price.” Fisher is founder and chairperson of PatientRightsAdvocate.org, a nonprofit organization seeking health care price transparency. Ticket price includes lunch. The Metropolitan Downtown, 1701 Carey Ave. 307-432-0022
Dinner and a Book Club
– April 19, 5:30-7 p.m. This month’s selection is “Look Again” by Lisa Scottoline. It’s a fast-paced thriller about a mother’s search for her son’s true identity. Join in for a lively discussion and bring a dish to share. Burns Branch Library, 112 Main St., 307-547-2249
LCCC Music Department presents “Let’s Dance”
– April 19, 7 p.m. Free. This concert will feature LCCC’s Brass Band, Jazz and Wind Ensembles and will feature a variety of classic, contemporary, ballroom and folk pieces written to inspire movement. Surbrugg/Prentice Auditorium, Laramie County Community College, 1400 E. College Dr. 307-778-5222
National Poetry Month Celebration
– April 19, 7-8:30 p.m. Poetry lovers will hear poems read by local authors and have a chance to read their own poems, or one from a favorite poet. Presented in partnership with WyoPoets. Laramie County Library, 2200 Pioneer Ave. 307-634-3561
Cheyenne Audubon presents Sage-Grouse Update
– April 19, 7 p.m. Daly Edmunds, Audubon Rockies policy and outreach director, and Vicki Herren, retired Bureau of Land Management national sage-grouse coordinator, will present “Greater Sage-Grouse – The Largest Conservation Effort in U.S. History: The Ups and Downs.” A Zoom link will be available at https://cheyenneaudubon.org/. Laramie County Library, 2200 Pioneer Ave. 307-634-3561
STEAM Connections
– April 20, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Explore a STEAM challenge that promotes creativity, building and problem solving. This month’s STEAM discoveries are building bird nests and LEGO building challenge cards. Pine Bluffs Branch Library, 110 E. Second St. 307-245-3646
Virtual Tales Together
– April 21, 9:30-10 a.m. Free. Join the Laramie County Library for a virtual interactive early literacy class where young children will practice new skills incorporating books, songs, rhymes, movement and more. Pick up weekly craft packet from Ask Here desk on the second floor. RSVP at lclsonline.org/calendar/. Laramie County Library, 2200 Pioneer Ave. 307-634-3561
Fun for Kids! Pine Bluffs Branch
– April 21, 10:15-10:45 a.m. Join us for an interactive storytime session to promote early literacy through books, songs, puppets, crafts and much more. This week’s theme is “Seasons.” Pine Bluffs Branch Library, 110 E. Second St. 307-245-3646
Sit, Stay, Read! Read to a Therapy Dog
– April 21, 4-5 p.m. Everyone loves to hear a story, even our four-pawed friends. Visit the library and practice reading aloud to one of the community’s therapy dogs. Laramie County Library, 2200 Pioneer Ave. 307-634-3561
BUZZ: Adult and Teen Spelling Bee
– April 21, 5-6:30 p.m. Visit the Burns Branch Library for this fun spelling competition, hosted by staff from the Burns and Pine Bluffs branch libraries. The competition’s words will be similar to the word lists used by schools and the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Sign up at either branch library or by calling 307-547-2249 or 307-245-3646. Burns Branch Library, 112 Main St., 307-547-2249
Craft Night: Learn to Make Seed Paper
– April 21, 6-8 p.m. Adults. Celebrate Earth Day with the Seed Library of Laramie County and learn how to make seed paper for planting and gifting. RSVP for this event at lclsonline.org/calendar/. Laramie County Library, 2200 Pioneer Ave. 307-634-3561
”An Evening of One Acts” @ LCCC
– April 21-23, 28-30, 7:30 p.m. $10. LCCC’s spring production is a series of one-act plays over two weekends. Playwright Matthew McLachlan collaborated with the theater department in the creation of these plays. Laramie County Community College, 1400 E. College Drive. 307-778-5222
Earth Day at the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens
April 22, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; April 23, 12-3 p.m., various events and workshops. Visit the Botanic Gardens to celebrate Earth Day and learn easy ways to save money and reduce our impact on the environment. All classes are free and are first-come, first-served. Full list of events online at https://www.botanic.org/adultclasses/. Cheyenne Botanic Gardens, 710 S. Lions Park Drive. 307-637-6349
Classic Conversations: Lunch and Learn Series
– April 22, 12-1 p.m. Join Cheyenne Symphony Orchestra’s William Intrilligator, soprano vocalist Jennifer Bird-Arvidsson, and bass-baritone vocalist Rhys Lloyd Talbot for an informal and entertaining discussion, including musical insights about the concert on April 23. Laramie County Library, 2200 Pioneer Ave. 307-634-3561
Movies at the Library, Burns Branch
– April 22, 1-3 p.m. Join the Burns Branch Library for a family friendly movie and some popcorn. This week’s movie is “The House with a Clock in Its Walls.” Burns Branch Library, 112 Main St., 307-547-2249
Friday Matinee, Pine Bluffs
– April 22, 1:30-3:30 p.m. Spend your Friday afternoons at the Pine Bluffs Branch library to watch a matinee. Each week will feature a different movie. This week’s movie is “Clifford the Big Red Dog” (PG). Pine Bluffs Branch Library, 110 E. Second St. 307-245-3646
Cheyenne Gaming Convention
– April 22, 3 p.m.-midnight; April 23, 8 a.m.-midnight; April 24, 8 a.m.-8 p.m. $50 for three day pass. A charity fundraising video game convention featuring DnD, video games, card games and board games. Red Lion Hotel and Conference Center, 204 W. Fox Farm Rd. 307-638-4466
Teen Craft Afternoons
– April 22, 3-5 p.m. Never know what to do with your hands? Not anymore! Visit craft afternoons and spend some time making unique crafts. Snacks will be provided. Laramie County Library, 2200 Pioneer Ave. 307-634-3561
Count on Planting with Paul Smith Children’s Village
– April 22, 4-5 p.m. Children and families. Like counting games? Enjoy planting? Then this event is for you! Go to the library and join special guests from the Paul Smith Children’s Village to play, learn and plant all in one spot. Laramie County Library, 2200 Pioneer Ave. 307-634-3561
Friday Night Jazz
– April 22, 6 p.m. 21+. Bring some friends, grab a drink and food, and listen to some beautiful music by Jazztet in the relaxing Hathaway’s Lounge. Two-drink minimum required. Little America Hotel and Resort, 2800 W. Lincolnway. 307-775-8400
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Comedy Night at The Metropolitan
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{div class=”subscriber-only”}– April 22, 7:30 p.m. $20. Laughter is good for the soul. Get your giggles on at this 90-minute comedy show featuring two awesome comedians. The Metropolitan Downtown, 1701 Carey Ave. 307-432-0022{/div}
The Samples @ The Lincoln
– April 22, 8-9 p.m. $25. Boulder, Colorado-based band, The Samples, will perform reggae infused rock/pop. The Lincoln Theatre, 1615 Central Ave. 307-369-6028
Yoga Together
– April 23, 10:15-10:45 a.m. 18 months to 5 years old. Experience stories, stretching and fun with a special early literacy class. This month’s theme is “Splish Splash Ducky.” Laramie County Library, 2200 Pioneer Ave. 307-634-3561
Virtual SaturD&D
– April 23, 1-3 p.m. Join the library’s teen Dungeons and Dragons online community and get started on creating a character today. Don’t have a Discord account yet? No problem. They offers Discord Communities for teens to interact, chat and play online. To participate, you will need a phone, tablet or computer with internet connection and a Discord account. RSVP for the event at lclsonline.org/calendar/.
Fur Ball presents Jurassic Bark
– April 23, 5-10 p.m. $110. The Fur Ball is Cheyenne’s pet-friendly gala, which raises money in support of the animals and programs at the Cheyenne Animal Shelter. Little America Hotel and Resort, 2800 W. Lincolnway. 307-278-6195
CSO presents “A Time to Transcend”
– April 23, 7:30 p.m. $10-$50 for in person, $15 per household for livestream. This Cheyenne Symphony Orchestra concert will feature Jennifer Higdon’s “Blue Cathedral” and Brahms’ German Requiem to close the 2021-22 season. This evening will feature vocal soloists Jennifer Bird-Arvidsson and Rhys Lloyd Talbot, plus a large local choir. Cheyenne Civic Center, 510 W. 20th St. 307-778-8561
Wyo Music Showcase
– April 23, doors at 7 p.m. $5, free entry 11 and under. A local rap showcase hosted by Wyoming Wave Recording Studio featuring Trey Wrks, 2une Godi, Compass, Alienation and more. There will also be a raffle. The Louise Event Venue, 110 E. 17th Street. 307-220-1474
Young Readers Book Party
– April 24, 1:15-2 p.m. Grades pre-K to 2. Join the library for a celebration of reading with young readers that’s a little bit early literacy class and a little bit more. The class will read and talk about books, sing, play and learn. This month’s themes are Bird Art and Family Storytelling Games. Laramie County Library, 2200 Pioneer Ave. 307-634-3561
Hausmusik 2: Wyoming Brass Quintet
– April 24, 2 p.m. Adults, $50; students, $25. CSO presents an afternoon with the Wyoming Brass Quintet in the beautiful new Blue Community Events Center at World Headquarters. The recital will be followed by a reception including light appetizers. Blue Federal Credit Union, 2401 E. Pershing Blvd. 307-778-8561
Speed Friending at Blacktooth Brewing Co.
– April 24, 6-9 p.m. $25. This speed friending event will be structured just like speed dating, but for anyone wanting to meet new people. Black Tooth knows it’s difficult to make the first move or initiate a new friend-date, so the team wants to facilitate those connections. Tickets include two beer tokens. Black Tooth Brewing Co. 520 W. 19th St. 307-514-0362
Chicago at the Civic Center
– April 24, 7-10 p.m. $54+. The legendary rock band with horns, Chicago, is coming back to Cheyenne. Cheyenne Civic Center, 510 W. 20th St. 307-778-8561
Make it Mondays
– April 25, 1-5 p.m. Get crafty at the library every Monday! We will be making beautiful heart paper flowers to celebrate the coming of spring. Burns Branch Library, 112 Main St., 307-547-2249
Minute to Win It, Burns Branch Library
– April 25-30, 1-5 p.m. Can you complete our wacky and fun games in just one minute? Compete against your friends and family, or see how fast you can win the games by yourself. Every participant gets a prize. Burns Branch Library, 112 Main St., 307-547-2249
Tales Together
– April 26-28, 10:15-10:45 a.m. and 11-11:30 a.m. Join the library for an in-person interactive early literacy class for preschool children and their caregivers. Practice new skills incorporating books, songs, rhymes, movement and more. Pick up weekly craft packet from Ask Here desk on the second floor. Call to reserve a spot. Laramie County Library, 2200 Pioneer Ave. 307-634-3561
Fun for Kids! Burns Branch Library
– April 26, 10:15-11 a.m. Join in an interactive storytime session to promote early literacy through books, songs, puppets, crafts and much more. This week’s theme is “Bears.” Burns Branch Library, 112 Main St., 307-547-2249
Famous Illustrators
– April 26, 4:15-5 p.m. Grades K-2. Join the library for a peek into how some of your favorite book illustrators make their art. This month, the focus will be on Lois Ehlert. Wear play clothes, as it could get messy. Laramie County Library, 2200 Pioneer Ave. 307-634-3561
Book Discussion Group
– April 26, 6-7:30 p.m. April is known for Earth Day and the sowing of spring seedlings, so join Laramie County Library in reading Octavia Butler’s dystopian novel “Parable of the Sower.” Join the group for tea and scones on the last Tuesday of the month. Laramie County Library, 2200 Pioneer Ave. 307-634-3561
Virtual Tales Together
– April 28, 9:30-10 a.m. Free. Join the Laramie County Library for a virtual interactive early literacy class where young children will practice new skills incorporating books, songs, rhymes, movement and more. Pick up weekly craft packet from Ask Here desk on the second floor. RSVP at lclsonline.org/calendar/. Laramie County Library, 2200 Pioneer Ave. 307-634-3561
Fun for Kids! Pine Bluffs Branch
– April 28, 10:15-10:45 a.m. Join in an interactive storytime session to promote early literacy through books, songs, puppets, crafts and much more. This week’s theme is “Bears.” Pine Bluffs Branch Library, 110 E. Second St. 307-245-3646
Brown Bag Book Club
– April 28, 6-7 p.m. Grade 4-6. Book Club will meet twice during the month of April. The club will chat about the book, do some crazy activities and enjoy a delicious treat. Participants can bring a “brown bag” meal, and drinks will be provided. Participants can pick up “Masterminds” by Gordon Korman from the second floor. Laramie County Library, 2200 Pioneer Ave. 307-634-3561
Movies at the Library, Burns Branch
– April 29, 1-3 p.m. Join the Burns Branch Library for a family-friendly movie and some popcorn. This week’s movie is “Jungle Cruise (PG-13).” Burns Branch Library, 112 Main St., 307-547-2249
Friday Matinee, Pine Bluffs
– April 29, 1:30-3:30 p.m. Spend your Friday afternoons at the Pine Bluffs Branch library to watch a matinee. Each week will feature a different movie. This week’s movie is “Tom and Jerry: The Movie” (PG). Pine Bluffs Branch Library, 110 E. Second St. 307-245-3646
Friday Night Jazz
– April 29, 6 p.m. 21+. Bring some friends, grab a drink and food, and listen to some beautiful music by Jazztet in the relaxing Hathaway’s Lounge. Two-drink minimum required. Little America Hotel and Resort, 2800 W. Lincolnway. 307-775-8400
Cheyenne Audubon Free Talk
– April 29, 7 p.m. Award-winning Pinedale wildlife photographer Elizabeth Boehm will be presenting a free talk, “Bird Photography Using Blinds.” Wyoming Game and Fish Department Headquarters, 5400 Bishop Blvd. 307-777-4600
Art for Art
– April 29, 7-10 p.m. $35. An immersive art experience hosted by Arts Cheyenne. Local and regional artists are coming together to create a multi-sensory evening of enjoying art, with an art auction and experience. The Lincoln Theatre, 1615 Central Ave. 307-369-6028
Southeast Wyoming Concert Series presents Joe Robinson
– April 29, 7 p.m. $20. Joe Robinson’s live “one man” acoustic/electric show is an energetic display of virtuosity and witty, finely crafted lyrics delivered with his personable Aussie charisma. Joe won “Australia’s Got Talent” in 2008 at the age of 17, and has since earned a reputation as one of the world’s greatest guitar players and brilliant song writers. Call 307-214-7076 for more information. South High School Auditorium, 1213 W. Allison Road. 307-771-2410
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Dueling Pianos
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{div class=”subscriber-only”}– April 29-30, 8-11 p.m. $20. Come laugh and sing along in an evening of musical entertainment directed by your requests. The Metropolitan Downtown, 1701 Carey Ave. 307-432-0022
Ongoing
Desert Diamond @ The Outlaw Saloon
– Through April 17, 8:20 p.m. Stop by the saloon for a performance by the band Desert Diamond. 312 S. Greeley Highway. 307-635-7552
Governor’s Capitol Art Exhibition
– Through Aug. 14, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Presented by the Wyoming State Museum, this exhibit compiles 66 different pieces of artwork from artists around the state of Wyoming. Wyoming State Capitol basement extension, 200 W. 24th St. 307-777-7220
41st Annual Western Spirit Art Show and Sale
– Through April 17, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Stephanie Hartshorn, artist and member of the American Impressionist Society, and Mark Vinich, co-founder of Clay Paper Scissors Gallery & Studios, have selected 232 unique pieces of art for this year’s art show. Cheyenne Frontier Days Old West Museum, 4610 Carey Ave. 307-778-7290{div class=”subscriber-only”}
”Mountains and Monochromatic” April Art Show
{/div}{div class=”subscriber-only”}– Through April 30. Wednesday through Friday, 11:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. No explanation needed for the mountains. This art show also features monochromatic works to convey simplicity, peacefulness, starkness, purity or other meaning. It can use different shades of one color, but, by definition, should contain only one base color. Cheyenne Artists Guild, 1701 Morrie Ave. 307-632-2263
Art & Text: Artist as Storyteller
– Through May 17, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Enjoy visual stories and the written word created by K–12 students in Laramie County School District 1. Art is located throughout all three floors of the library. Laramie County Library, 2200 Pioneer Ave. 307-634-3561{/div}
The Front Range
Canyon Concert Ballet presents “Snow White”
– May 7-8, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. $30-$40. This debut production brings to life the legendary fairy tale of Snow White. This production from new Artistic Director Michael Pappalardo will be complete with new sets, costumes and his exquisite choreographic style. Lincoln Center Performance Hall, 417 W. Magnolia St. 970-221-6730
”Black and White in Black and White” Exhibit
–Through May 28, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. $8. This new exhibit features striking photographs attributed to African American photographer John Johnson who took powerful, early 20th-century portraits of African Americans in Lincoln, Nebraska. Greeley History Museum, 714 9th St, Greeley, Colorado. 970-350-9220{/div}
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https://www.wyomingnews.com/features/todo/friday-calendar-4-15-22/article_557c95bc-9ecd-5361-a6a8-e14cd97a69cc.html
| 2022-04-15T16:15:39Z
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Legendary chef and cookbook author Julia Child taped her first TV appearance nearly 60 years ago, on a public TV station in Boston. It was a landmark moment, as Child essentially invented food television, which has gone on to become a behemoth industry in the television, film and now social media industry. It’s only apropos, then, that Child’s legacy continues to loom large, especially with the boom of Julia Child-related content that’s amassing on the airwaves right now.
“Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” producer Daniel Goldfarb has a new biography series out celebrating the American chef who taught the country to cook French. Now streaming on HBO Max, “Julia” stars British actress Sarah Lancashire as Julia Child, in the eight-episode series named after different dishes for which Child was known. David Hyde Pierce stars as her loving husband Paul, and the series charts her rise to the top as a beloved household name and presence in America’s kitchens.
Also titled “Julia,” the new documentary from “RBG” directors Betsy West and Julie Cohen depicts the life of Child in this breezy biographical doc, which was released in late 2021. The film charts her early life and courtship and her storied career as a television innovator in the early days of the medium, as well as her lasting legacy for chefs who have followed in her footsteps and home cooks who have been inspired by her recipes. Rent the film on all platforms for a $5.99 rental.
Of course, the renaissance of Julia Child mania started back in 2009 with Nora Ephron’s hit film “Julie & Julia,” starring Meryl Streep as Child and Amy Adams as Julie Powell, a New York City blogger cooking her way through Child’s oeuvre. Her embodiment of the chef earned Streep one of her many Oscar nominations for Best Actress. Stream it on Starz or rent it for $2.99 elsewhere.
Also new to the Food Network, “The Julia Child Challenge,” which tasks amateur chefs to follow along and master some of Child’s most iconic recipes in this twist on a reality competition cooking show. The prize for the winner is pretty good too: a trip to Paris to study at Child’s legendary alma mater, culinary school Le Cordon Bleu. Stream through discovery+ on Amazon or Hulu, or check it out on Food Network.
But if all you want is the real thing (remember, Julia always advocated for cooking with the real thing too), PBS, Child’s TV home, has a wide variety of her programs available to stream in “The Julia Child” video collection. Just sign in with your local provider and get watching on series like “The French Chef” and “Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home.” Or, Amazon has season one of “The French Chef” available as well. Here’s to finding some culinary inspiration from the woman who taught America to make an omelette almost 6 decades ago.
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https://www.wyomingnews.com/features/todo/what-to-stream-serving-up-julia-childs-legacy-by-the-plateful/article_14a561da-a3cb-5d08-993b-4dee5c962850.html
| 2022-04-15T16:15:45Z
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FRIDAY
Free stress relief clinic: Noon to 1 p.m., Laramie Plains Civic Center Phoenix Ballroom.
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 Percussion Festival free featured concert: 6 p.m., Buchanan Center for the Performing Arts Concert Hall.
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.
UW Music presents “Adzel Duo: Clarinets Alive”: 7:30 p.m., Buchanan Center for the Performing Arts Concert Hall. For tickets, call 307-766-6666 or visit uwyo.edu/finearts.
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.
WEDNESDAY
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.
Albany County post-redistricting meeting: 6-7 p.m., Albany County Commission room at the courthouse. Also via Zoom at {span}tinyurl.com/2p94p7nn. Use {/span}ID: 86733040896 and passcode: 411120.
UW Jazz Studies program presents jazz combos in concert: 7:30 p.m., Buchanan Center for the Performing Arts Recital Hall. Free to attend.
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.
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.
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.
UW Jazz Studies presents UW Jazz Ensembles I and II in concert: 7:30 p.m., Buchanan Center for the Performing Arts Concert Hall. For tickets, call 307-766-6666 or visit 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 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_36f12a42-36fc-503d-a72a-b07738a1ceaa.html
| 2022-04-15T16:15:51Z
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Members of Management Council have approved interim topics for legislative committees to address between this summer and the 67th Wyoming Legislature’s general session in January.
They spent eight hours on Friday listening to the chairpeople of 19 committees disclose what they believed to be the most urgent issues in the state, many of which were rolled over from the 2022 budget session. An additional select committee was also authorized until 2024 to address mental health and substance abuse, in an effort to monitor recently enacted legislation, treatment, reform and transitions in the field.
Outside of discussions on appropriate topics for the next interim, lawmakers considered changing the rules for public testimony. As it stands currently, any member of the public may submit a request to testify remotely until 5 p.m. the day prior to the committee meeting. Arguments were made both for making the deadline the day of or pushing it back to 48 hours prior, but ultimately no adjustment was made.
Joint Judiciary Committee
One of the first committees to come forward and present its proposals for interim study was the Joint Judiciary Committee. Cheyenne-based co-chairpersons Sen. Tara Nethercott and Rep. Jared Olsen, both Republicans, put forward a list of 10 topics.
Nearly every committee is responsible for reviewing agency reports and updates as topics, which left eight specialized issues for members of the Judiciary Committee to consider. Despite the list being large, Olsen told Management Council members he was confident they could work through them because they were smaller in scope. They decided based on stakeholder concerns, recent court opinions, legislation introduced in the previous session and criminal actions.
Priorities include: trespassing; review of recent court opinions; treatment courts and substance abuse issues; Office of Guardian ad Litem-Statutory references; custodians of criminal history records-safeguards; vulnerable persons and professions/sentence enhancement; safety of crosswalks; and state park rangers/retirement participation as law enforcement officers.
Safety of crosswalks is an issue throughout the state, but is especially close to home for Cheyenne legislators. A 13-year-old boy was hit by a vehicle and killed crossing the sidewalk on his way to Cheyenne’s McCormick Junior High in November, with a string of other pedestrians struck throughout the year.
“Priority number seven, safety of crosswalks, and enhancing the need for perhaps criminal sanctions associated with hitting a pedestrian in a crosswalk or pedestrians in general,” Nethercott explained. “We’re seeing an increase of that type of activity across the state, and so there’s also a request from our constituents to review that particular topic.”
Joint Appropriations Committee
Another committee with a large scope of issues impacting residents was the Joint Appropriations Committee. From reviewing the fiscal data book to monitoring the allocation and expenditure of the American Rescue Plan Act funding, the co-chairs said they anticipated handling the billions of dollars the state is responsible for as usual.
The priority interim topics chosen among members of the committee were state employee compensation-enterprise technology services, state loan programs and streamlining the School Capital Construction Account. All are a continuation in one form or another of issues previously brought up by legislators and constituents, with state employee compensation directly correlated to raises approved in 2022 budget session.
“The revisions that we did make, they did not bring many of our state employees to market,” Sen. Drew Perkins, R-Casper, said. “It was well appreciated by state employees, but didn’t get us all the way where we where we ought to probably be.”
In addition to addressing compensation, Perkins said they are reviewing reserve balances and trying to find solutions for difficulties with the employee group insurance and self-employment health insurance program for state employees.
The committee will also partner with the Joint Education Interim Committee and the Select School Facilities Committee to receive a K-12 eternal cost adjustment proposal in October, as well as possibly develop legislation on state fund investments for school accounts. Separate from all three of those committees, the Joint Revenue Committee plans to investigate ideas for sustainable, long-term revenue sources for K-12 education. Members hope to identify one or two options to provide at least $50 million in revenue.
Joint Education Committee
Co-chairs of the Joint Education Interim Committee also shared their desire to find new funding sources and study expenditures in the system, but there were four other major priorities laid out for the Management Council. The first was education programs in primary grades, such as the K-3 reading assessment and intervention program.
A bill meant to support students with reading disabilities was passed in the last session, but Sen. Charles Scott, R-Casper, said it is just a start.
“On literacy, we had a bill this last time that I think just scratched the surface,” he said. “We were introduced to this by the comments of the consultants we hired for recalibration, that we weren’t getting our money’s worth, and that what we were doing was not adequate to prepare many of the kids for the modern economy. That appears to be an accurate assessment.”
Other concerns brought forward were in regards to recruiting and retaining school district personnel; higher education funding, courses, scholarships and workforce development; K-12 education governance and the process to review school district decisions and punishments; and school choice.
Legislators debated for more than an hour on the importance of this year’s interim topics for the committee, not only at the funding model level for public schools and community colleges, but in keeping the institutions well supported.
Joint Corporations, Elections and Political Subdivisions Committee
After holding the large responsibility throughout the 2021 interim and 2022 budget session of handling redistricting, co-chairman Rep. Dan Zwonitzer, R-Cheyenne, said members of the committee will move away from strictly election issues during the upcoming interim. From priorities revolving around energy to pharmacy manager benefits, the only election issue was one update out of the seven proposals.
A considerable issue in the state the Corporations Committee hopes to tackle is solutions for workforce housing, including the sources of the problem, and the social and economic impacts created by it. Legislators voted down an opportunity to build out new programs in the resort areas of Wyoming with American Rescue Plan dollars during the budget session because they said it was one-time funding.
One other priority that has received attention in the Capital City is liquor licenses. The Cheyenne City Council was awarded one retail liquor license due to growth in population, and there were initially 11 applicants hoping to add to the local economy with a new business. Both City Council members and Mayor Patrick Collins have argued the liquor laws are antiquated and negatively impacting entrepreneurs, tax revenues and economic growth.
“We’re really ready to look at different laws and see how we may get a fairer system for municipalities,” Zwonitzer said.
Joint Labor, Health and Social Services Interim Committee
Since there a continuation of the Select Committee on Mental Health and Substance Use was approved, the Joint Labor, Health and Social Services Interim Committee took on more topics outside of this realm. The top priorities presented were in addressing maternal health, behavioral health, organ donors and decedents, as well as aging.
Co-chair Rep. Sue Wilson, R-Cheyenne, said it was the first time in nearly a decade of serving in the Legislature that she saw maternal health addressed. Not only will the committee evaluate ways to improve pregnancy outcomes for mothers and children across the state, they will gather data on the number of babies born to substance-abusing mothers. This comes after a bill was brought forward, but ultimately rejected, to criminally punish pregnant women suffering from addiction.
Members also hope to look at the possibility of extending postpartum Medicaid coverage for mothers, because during the pandemic, it was extended to 12 months from 60 days, and positive results were seen.
“We are understanding from physicians that they’re seeing a lot of better results in terms of mental health and substance abuse issues,” she said. “That actually saved us money to have that.”
Overlapping priorities
There are 20 committees, in total, working together to find solutions and manage issues throughout Wyoming, and with it comes overlap. Even specialized topics such as blockchain technology, military affairs and tribal relations can’t be addressed by one group of the citizen Legislature, which is proven in amendments by the Management Council directing input or collaboration between lawmakers.
But out of overlapping priorities, it is clear the direction the 67th Wyoming Legislature is going.
Representatives and senators plan on investigating funding models for education, capital construction and energy; understanding how to recruit, retain and compensate the state workforce well; investing in energy and infrastructure; supporting land and water conservation efforts; restructuring tax systems; and ensuring residents are healthy and have access to medical care.
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https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/news/agenda-shows-busy-interim-for-state-lawmakers/article_63e79e40-5ed2-5b59-bd31-7d6193812660.html
| 2022-04-15T16:15:57Z
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Jenny Schmidt removes a pizza from the oven at The Alibi Wood Fire Pizzeria & Bakery on Wednesday. The restaurant will be featured on an episode of “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.”
Laramie’s five minutes of fame are going into overtime with the television series “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives” set to feature two more local restaurants.
Tonight, The Alibi Wood Fire Pizzeria & Bakery, 404 S. 4th St., will make an appearance on the popular Food Network show’s seventh episode of Season 35, which follows the famous foodie Guy Fieri as he travels the country looking for the best eats.
“We were excited. It wasn’t something I had thought about before,” restaurant owner Kerri Smith said of being featured on the show.
Smith plans to host a watch party at The Alibi, which will be complete with drink specials made from Fieri’s line of tequila and a Fieri look-alike contest.
The episode, which airs at 7 p.m. tonight, is titled “Pickin’ Up and Chowin’ Down,” and also features restaurants from Cleveland and Anchorage, Alaska.
“In Laramie, Wyoming, a powerhouse pizza-bakery (is) firing up the bomb barbecue pie and standout sandwiches,” says a description of the episode on Food Network’s website.
The Alibi’s moment of recognition comes after three other local restaurants have been featured on the show over the past few weeks: J’s Prairie Rose, Born in a Barn and Sweet Melissa Café.
Restaurant owners and staff from each of those establishments shared the excitement over being featured on the show.
In May, Weitzel’s Wings expects to be featured on an episode about food trucks. Guy and his crew were first spotted in Laramie testing Weitzel’s Wings when the truck was parked outside the Laramie Historic Railroad Depot in November.
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https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/news/another-laramie-restaurant-set-to-premiere-on-triple-d/article_d9dbdbb1-a8d6-5d4a-9ce8-494b40fb8591.html
| 2022-04-15T16:16:04Z
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Laramie drivers have built up a unique relationship with certain roadways over the years.
Because of reduced visibility at some intersections around the city, drivers must creep out into traffic to see both ways before making a turn or otherwise take their chances making a move without full visibility.
Laramie City Council is discussing solutions to the issue and will consider during a meeting Tuesday possible regulations that would create parking restrictions and special rules for large vehicles.
Since 2010, the city has received a series of complaints from residents about intersections that are blocked or have low visibility because of vehicles parked nearby. That can lead to drivers not seeing pedestrians or posted stop signs.
“At some intersections, it’s just as bad because of shrubbery,” said council member Bryan Shuster. “I’ve seen sidewalks where you almost have to go on the grass because the sidewalk is almost covered in shrubbery.”
Local vehicle crash data doesn’t point to any one intersection as the primary offender, although corridors along 9th Street and Grand Avenue tend to have higher instances of accidents where drivers fail to yield, said Laramie Police Department Chief Dale Stalder. The Tree Area, south of Grand Avenue to Spring Creek Drive, also has a high instance of failure to yield incidents.
“We really don’t have one problem area. It happens all over town,” Stalder said.
The primary concern for the city is the prevalence of trailers and RVs that get parked on streets and end up blocking intersections.
Current city ordinances don’t provide many regulations on street parking. City Manager Janine Jordan said the city has the option to restrict parking to different levels, and in some situations that could help solve visibility issues.
One option would be to restrict street parking for all vehicles within 20 feet of an intersection. The city would choose which curbs to paint and where based on traffic analyses and crash data. Residents can already request parking restrictions if they’ve identified problem areas, but a more proactive approach could solve the problem more quickly.
Painting curbs in the entire city could be a multi-year process because of Laramie’s short construction season, Jordan said. In the past, the city has contracted an outside company to do similar work, which has the chance of lengthening the process.
“Unfortunately, we get some comments from the public about bias from the staff,” Jordan said. “Allowing outside engineers to do that through their lens adds some validity to that process.”
The city also considered adding restrictions for parking RVs and trailers on the street, which can take up more visibility than a regular vehicle because of their size.
Homeowners now are allowed to park one RV or trailer outside of a residence.
Council members expressed concern with language in the existing ordinance that could keep renters or visitors from parking their vehicles outside a property.
City Council will hear a first reading of an amendment to the city ordinance to solve some of these issues when it meets next week.
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https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/news/city-aims-to-curb-danger-at-intersections/article_ddeaaf81-2d09-570a-a0bf-beca6dc079d3.html
| 2022-04-15T16:16:10Z
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CASPER — Outdoor recreation is poised to become more accessible.
A bill to modernize mapping of federal lands that was championed by Wyoming’s U.S. senators cleared Congress last week and headed to the president’s desk.
The Modernizing Access to Our Public Land, or MAPLand, Act allocates $47 million to federal land management agencies for the digitization and online publication of maps detailing how public lands can be accessed, when roads and trails are open or closed, what types of vehicles are permitted on those roads and where certain activities, such as hunting, fishing and shooting, are allowed.
It also requires federal officials to update the maps at least twice per year.
Sens. John Barrasso and Cynthia Lummis, R-WY, both co-sponsored the bill, which was introduced in the Senate a year ago and in the House of Representatives last May.
The bill “isn’t just great for land owners and Americans who love the outdoors, it’s great for America’s economy too,” Barrasso wrote in a Star-Tribune column following the bill’s introduction in the House. “The legislation will help boost our growing outdoor recreation industry, as well as the many businesses located near or on public lands.”
Much of Wyoming’s public land is surrounded on all sides by private land. Under current state law, it’s unclear whether the controversial practice of corner crossing — stepping from the corner of one private-landlocked parcel of public land to another — is legal or not.
However, as Barrasso’s column noted, non-digitized agency records, including agreements with landowners allowing access to public lands via private property, can be inaccessible to recreators.
Approved by the House in March with a vote of 414 to nine (Rep. Liz Cheney, R-WY, voted in favor), the bill cleared the Senate by unanimous consent vote last week.
The only opposing votes came from Republicans representing states east of Wyoming, including three from Texas.
“The bill will help fishermen, hunters, and hikers to easily plan their adventures,” Barrasso said in a statement on Friday. “The people of Wyoming understand the importance of promoting outdoor access while ensuring private property rights are protected.”
Some of the West’s most prominent outdoors and conservation groups have watched the bill’s progress closely and celebrated its passage last week.
“Inadequate or faulty data can spell disaster for the public land hunter,” Land Tawney, president and CEO of Montana-based Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, said in a statement. “The importance of reliable, comprehensive information on access opportunities on our public lands cannot be overstated.”
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https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/news/congress-oks-outdoor-access-bill/article_e36a523c-dee4-5aeb-8d92-bb96a08fc61f.html
| 2022-04-15T16:16:16Z
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GILLETTE — Austin Rosenau was supposed to meet his mother at Mount Pisgah Cemetery earlier this month.
It wasn’t a special occasion, per se. And it certainly wasn’t an issue that he missed their afternoon meeting, because there will be plenty more.
Rather, it served as a reminder of how close they now are, as well as just how much their family has changed over the past few years.
That’s because just about every day, his mother, Lana Dicus, visits the hand-picked headstone of her daughter, Tristan, who died by suicide more than a year ago. Now that Austin, his wife Autumn and daughter Aspyn have returned to Gillette from Rock Springs, he can be there beside his mother, remembering their loss together.
He and Autumn are both 29 years old and in the middle of three generations of a family that calls Gillette home. After their own past struggles with mental health and substance abuse, their focus is on living a clean life and raising their daughter to avoid similar missteps.
Aspyn is a happy and healthy 7-year-old, unaware of the lives her parents lived before she was born and the family history she has inherited.
But as parents who have navigated the community mental health resources themselves, they hold the challenge of helping their own child traverse that landscape, or help prevent the need from ever arising.
“Now I’m also trying to break that cycle of these other things that may have stigmas attached, mental health being one of them with my child,” Austin said.
The increased demand for mental health services for adults in Gillette has trended similarly for children and adolescents as well. A similar question of whether there are more problems developing or more people aware of treatment options also looms over the recent uptick.
The mental health problems facing some children this past year haven’t necessarily been new problems, said Lexie Honey, a social worker at the Kid Clinic. Yet the volume of patient visits and referrals is noticeably higher.
Depression, anxiety, ADHD and other behavioral problems have continued to affect children and adolescents, but more have sought help in Gillette this past year. Meanwhile, the number of counselors, therapists and available resources have stayed relatively stable, leading to long wait lists at the Kid Clinic and other providers.
“We’ve seen still the same thing, just more,” Honey said. “If we could have more therapists that would be great.”
Akin to the question surrounding the increase in adults seeking mental health treatments, when it comes to children and adolescents, it’s unclear whether there are more of them needing treatment or more awareness to help them find treatment.
It’s also unclear to what extent the myriad of pandemic-related factors may have contributed to the rise in demand for services. That’s a trend noted nationally.
“It’s hard to say necessarily that it’s the pandemic or if it’s the push that we’ve put on mental health during this pandemic time to be more aware and pay attention to those aspects, to get that help and that it’s OK to ask for help,” Honey said.
In order to accommodate the growing wait list of patients, the Kid Clinic expanded its hours and added a fourth clinician to its staff and hopes to add another.
“We’ve definitely have had people who had to wait, because I can only see so many kids in a week,” Honey said.
Its counselors tried offering 7 a.m. sessions, noon sessions and 5 p.m. sessions to fit in extra kids, Honey said. The early morning ones weren’t very successful and the extra workload took a toll on the well-being of the providers themselves at times.
“We’re doing what we can to try and get them all in,” she said.
Natalie Tucker, chief nursing officer at Campbell County Health, talked about the growing number of behavioral health patients of all ages entering the hospital and emergency room for all different kinds and levels of care. Through that wave, an obvious need for more inpatient and long-term availability for children emerged, she said.
It hasn’t happened only in Campbell County, but throughout the region. Finding long-term placements for children has been a national trend, Tucker said, with a shortage of beds a widespread issue.
“I think we need to have even more availability in the region for kids for long-term placement,” Tucker said. “I think that’s where the shortage really is, that we can tell.”
For kids and teenagers, the path toward treatment often begins with recognition. Although they may not always see it in themselves, changes in mood and behavior, or uncharacteristic comments, are often the warning signs when help is needed.
Part of the increase in referrals has come from an awareness by parents, teachers, friends and peers who recognize and report that kind of change in demeanor. Part of increasing awareness comes from reducing the stigma around mental health.
“At times we’re doing really well, but at times we’re still stuck in that stigma of, ‘We don’t talk about that,’” Honey said. “We have seen that push for being more open and more assessments, talking through things to see what the need is.”
In some cases, comments that may have once seemed harmless are held under higher scrutiny these days, which results in some of the new referrals to the Kid Clinic, she said.
At Gillette College, the increased awareness among students and staff has also led to more referrals at the college, which ties into a broader trend of more need for mental health services in higher education.
‘I think our stigma is reducing, which is a beautiful thing,” said Susan Serge, a counselor and director of student affairs at Gillette College.
The college has an Active Minds chapter, a national nonprofit organization that promotes conversation about mental health, with the goal of reducing stigma and raising awareness.
That recognition is becoming more needed because the long-haul effects of the pandemic may be impacting more students at the college level.
“I do think resiliency is wavering,” Serge said. “I think there have been so many hard hits for our students that it’s just been one thing after another and they’re tired.”
The post-high school time in life, including college years, is still when mental health struggles often manifest in young people. But that has been further complicated for students who graduated from high school and entered college amid the pandemic.
“I would say our sophomores have never had a true college experience and that everything has changed so much that it’s just not the typical, you know, get to know your friends and spend time — that social aspect has really been compromised,” Serge said.
As the college’s counselor, Serge has seen the rise in students entering her doors firsthand, but said that uptick has also shown in the number of referrals for medication management, long-term therapy and even occasional inpatient stays.
“It’s not a new trend, it’s been happening for years, that we’ve seen a huge increase in anxiety and depression specific to college students but just across the board, really, even in our communities,” Serge said. “The pandemic just escalated that.”
The trend in higher education pre-dates the pandemic, but was accentuated by some of the added stressors that students dealt with over the past two years.
Distance learning, financial burdens, less connectivity and in-person social interaction are some of the factors that may have added to the burden students carry around Gillette College. Employees and professors are trained to recognize and report warning signs in students, which helps them find the resources that are available through the college.
Not only have more services been needed, but in some cases, the severity of the depression, anxiety or other problems has been greater than in the past, Serge said. What was once relationship problems or homesickness — typical college trials and tribulations — has morphed in some cases into greater levels of depression and even higher levels of suicidal thinking.
“I think it’s been a really exhausting couple of years but I do have hope that our students are building their resiliency, and they’re doing that by reaching out and getting help when they need it,” Serge said. “That’s what we want for our entire community. We want them to understand that they’re not alone.”
Back in Gillette, Austin mines coal for Black Thunder and Autumn works as a forensic peer specialist and case worker for Personal Frontiers, helping people living through the struggles she and Austin once felt themselves.
Now raising a daughter in the same community where they developed mental health and substance abuse problems of their own, Austin and Autumn feel they have learned the tools to keep their daughter from those same pitfalls.
But the community, in their eyes, may still have some catching up to do.
“I would want more access and funding to these places,” Autumn said. “Less stigma about what is happening around mental health and substance abuse.”
Gillette has mental health services for people who need them, but that doesn’t make those options affordable for everyone. The sheer volume of demand has already tested the timeliness of those services, but cost can also serve as a barrier for many.
Parents often do the best they can with what they know, but that “tough love” parenting model of the past is not one Austin adheres to when it comes to his own daughter. Using the communication skills he learned from his own recovery and treatment processes, he said that open and honest communication is something he wants his daughter to grow up knowing.
“I try to always encourage her to talk about everything, talk about her feelings, talk about what she’s got going on,” he said.
That can mean talking about the fun parts of growing up and going to school, or the more difficult conversations that may await them down the road.
“I just have conversations with her,” Austin added. “(I’m) being honest and open with my child.”
Kids inherit traits and grow up in environments often dictated by their parents, then become adults who pass on traits of their own to the next generation, which does what they can with the circumstances they’re given.
And so the cycle continues.
Both children and adults have contributed to the rise in demand for mental health services in Campbell County. Regardless of their age, patient problems may be as unique as the individuals themselves, but in each community, they share the same pool of resources to lean on when in need.
“We care about our daughter so much that we’re going to seek whatever resources we can,” Autumn said. “And I think that might be the pattern we’re seeing. Maybe it’s not more kids who are aware of it, but it’s more parents.”
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https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/news/demand-up-for-mental-health-services-for-kids-young-adults/article_33678a59-1d4a-58ab-8e01-f06f3b6f99eb.html
| 2022-04-15T16:16:22Z
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CHEYENNE — Kevin Phillips is still getting used to his mustache.
For the most part, he can hardly grow a beard. It comes in thick around his jawline, but he points and laughs at how not a follicle will appear on his cheeks.
After a year of perseverance, the hair above his lip is sculpted with classic, maniacal handlebars that curl up next to his nose. His inspiration was one of his earliest influences, Salvador Dali, who grew his own mustache out to where its ends nearly reached his eyes.
“Everybody is gonna be a brand in the future,” he said over coffee. “It’s like, ‘How do I differentiate myself from them?” In the last month and a half, I’ve decided to go full on with a mustache, and I’m gonna go Salvador Dali with it.”
Phillips is a Front Range artist. He grew up in Nebraska, moved to Cheyenne when he was 16, and now lives in Fort Collins, Colorado. It was here that he pursued a degree in fine art at Laramie County Community College, and where he learned to really critique his own work, refine it and, only after mastering the technicalities, break all the rules.
Phillips has taken on an unexpected new endeavor in the past year, one that’s growing more and more prevalent in the life of a professional artist. He’s sharing his work, critiquing others and creating a community more than he ever expected.
“My brother was the one that convinced me to get a TikTok a couple years ago, and it was like within the first month, my first viral post went crazy.” Phillips said about being “moderately famous” on the popular video sharing app. “Two million views … Hanging art in a coffee shop is nice, and people see it, but $300 to $400 worth of sales isn’t paying the bills when a 15-second clip on TikTok makes thousands of dollars.”
His popularity on TikTok escalated quickly. He’d spent years marketing his artwork on other social media platforms, like Instagram, but had failed to gain a following.
He now has about 55,000 followers that he consistently interacts with. One of his earliest videos reached more than 2 million views, several others are in the hundreds of thousands, while others fail to gain any traction.
“It’s like, that’s Cheyenne,” he said, comparing his number of followers to the city’s population. “Minus the military base, that’s Cheyenne. It’s like, holy smokes, what if everybody in Cheyenne just knew about me? How would I be perceived around here?”
Phillips has a unique art style. He’s influenced by Dali, but then there’s the famous street artists Banksy and Shepard Fairey, and Alyssa Monks, an American figurative painter who creates abstract, hyperrealistic portraits.
For so long, Phillips was absorbing the work of artists like these, incorporating abstract elements and street art techniques to create colorful multimedia projects of pop art and psychedelic oddities.
Phillips mentions the quote ‘Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery’ in reference to the most unexpected experience he’s had online. Recently, he’s been tagged in videos of people recreating some of his original artwork as he did in his tutorials.
“It’s kind of come to a full circle, where I’m seeing people that are recreating pieces that I’ve done. It’s weird,” he said.
But it hasn’t come without a good deal of change – like growing a mustache, for instance. It’s a product of the realization that to build a fanbase, he first must build a persona.
Always the introvert, Phillips now has to work to be a more approachable character. In a sense, the person in his videos is different than himself – he needs to smile, crack jokes and keep energy high. Growing his presence on the popular app has forced him to reconsider how people perceive him.
His image dictates how people interact with him and his content, which makes all the difference in whether his art is selling. Already, he’s started making a small amount of money through some viral videos, and the rest through traffic to his website, all while continuing to gain a following on the app.
It’s a precarious position to be in. On one end, he has to please viewers and structure videos so that the mysterious TikTok algorithm curates them into everyone’s feed. Serve the viewers too much, though, and he’ll lose sight of his craft.
“I’m doing it for the craft,” he said. “I’m putting a lot more thought into the stories that my artwork is telling now. I used to want the artwork to speak for itself. Now, I need to speak for the artwork a little bit more.”
About a year ago, he leaned a little too far into his pop art style with the intent of attracting views on TikTok, sticking mainly to recreating celebrities’ likenesses in colorful portraits. Thanks to this approach, he had a good three- to four-month period where he was questioning his passion for art.
Then he had a realization. Phillips was letting the social media algorithms control him, and there was something to that concept that he wanted to explore.
Combining his fine art experience – including a fascination with color theory – and his talent for multimedia street art, he chased the concept of humanity’s increasing interaction with artificial intelligence.
It’s possible that humans and AI programs aren’t so different in their actions. Phillips came across a growing movement of artwork created by AI, where programmers create algorithms that instruct AI to learn a specific aesthetic to create an image, similar to the inner workings of the human brain.
The result is a new kind of art, one that is the accumulation of thousands of codes. This is what his “Glitch” series is about, along with much of his work since – finding the parallel between AI and how humans interact with one another electronically.
“I wanted to tell a story and put forth the narrative that things are chaotic, but very structured,” he said about his “glitch art.” “That’s kind of an AI type of thing. They create these really crazy looking images, but AI is extremely structured.
“Line by line, you could tell it what it’s doing and why it’s doing it. I’m trying to replicate that, but in a more human way.”
Out of his catalogue, this concept heavily applies to his personal “Last Supper,” titled “Rebirth.”
The painting conceptualizes time as a cyclical entity, creating a chaotic and multifaceted image of color and abstract symbolism, detailed and eclectic, that comes together as one image, similar to the thousands of digital coded dots laid in place by a computer program.
The big difference is that all of Phillips’ work is painted, not digitally designed.
“I’m definitely putting my own twist on it,” he said of his AI-inspired art. “I’m making a reference to how AI interacts with humans and how humans interact with AI. Humans really are being affected by social media and things like it.”
There’s more work to be done in the field of AI art, and Phillips’ ability to forge his own style becomes more evident as he continues to paint. He’s identified a connection between his TikTok presence and his artwork, and his most recent series draws a connection between the hidden algorithms of the popular app and the controlled chaos of AI art.
Visit the online forum Reddit, and search the subreddit called “place.” It’s both a forum and an art movement where thousands of people contribute to one moving image, one pixel at a time. Somehow, complex images comes together in the end, though they’re constantly changing over a span of five minutes.
Phillips remembers watching one of these come together. Then, as the timer wound down, there was a coordinated attack on the final product, anonymous participants sabotaging the image with white pixels.
“It blanked out the whole thing,” Phillips said. “But it was really strange to me how it looked like an AI was doing it. It made me think that AI might be more like us than we think.
“If you told somebody that an AI did that, they would believe it with the way it was branching out.”
Both on the canvas and online, Phillips is learning think in algorithms.
A body of Phillips work will be hanging in Freedom’s Edge Brewing Co. beginning April 14 as a part of the final installment of the second-Thursday Cheyenne Artwalk. His work is also online at https://linktr.ee/KAPGallery.
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https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/news/former-cheyenne-artist-merges-art-ai/article_d4a36573-4c90-5ae4-9229-c7fedfbac848.html
| 2022-04-15T16:16:28Z
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Laramie woman wins writing award
Hollie Sambrooks of Laramie has been named one of two winners of the Wyoming Arts Council’s 2022 Blanchan and Doubleday writing awards.
Sambrooks won the Frank Nelson Doubleday Memorial Writing Award for her entry “The Year She Came.” It recognizes the best writing by a woman and is designed to bring attention to writers in the Cowboy State who have not yet received wide recognition for their work while supporting emerging writers at crucial times in their careers.
Sambrooks, who lives in Laramie with her husband and daughter, moved to Wyoming in 2001 from the farmlands of Australia. She loves to travel, and new being in a new place often inspires her sporadic writing. She said she writes down the things that haunt her and that she cannot bear to forget and finds a touch of magical realism that can be more truthful to the heart of a story than fact.
Sambrooks also won honorable mention for the Neltje Blanchan Memorial Writing Award, which is given for the best writing that is informed by a relationship with the natural world. Brandon McQuade of Gillette was the winner of the Balanchan award.
The awards program is an annual competition administered by the Wyoming Arts Council. For more information, call 307-247-6673 or visit wyomingartscouncil.org.
Cheney, colleagues seek to protect family owned farms, ranches
U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., has joined more than 70 of her colleagues in introducing a bipartisan resolution recognizing the important role of the stepped-up basis in preserving family owned farms, ranches and small businesses.
A long-standing provision in the tax code, the stepped-up basis prevents heirs from paying capital gains taxes on inherited assets such as land, equipment or buildings, according to a news release from Cheney’s office.
“The stepped-up basis is an important provision of our tax code that helps farmers, ranchers and small businesses pass their assets on from generation to generation,” Cheney said in the release. “Our agriculture industry and small businesses have suffered during this pandemic, and should not be saddled with more government overreach and higher capital gains taxes.”
The resolution is supported by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, American Farm Bureau Federation, National Corn Growers Association, American Soybean Association, USA Rice, National Grange and National Council of Farmer Cooperatives.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 98% of farms are family owned. If the stepped-up basis is eliminated, 66% of all mid-sized farms would see an increased tax liability.
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https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/news/local_news/worth-noting/article_c598a501-41b0-5ff7-a352-2348fd9aea17.html
| 2022-04-15T16:16:35Z
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SHERIDAN — Public commenters at the Sheridan County School District 2 Board of Trustees meeting Monday brought up concerns with transgender individuals using bathroom facilities at SCSD2.
Currently, SCSD2 “does not have a specific policy pertaining to the use of restroom facilities under these types of situations,” said Scott Stults, SCSD2 superintendent. He added the law concerning these issues are complex and evolving.
Issues concerning transgender individuals using the bathrooms of the gender they identify with has entered the U.S. Supreme Court in recent years. Previous cases like Bostock v. Clayton County, Virginia, has reinforced the U.S. Supreme Court’s stance on Title VII according to supremecourt.gov as well as upheld Title IX, which “prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in any education program or activity offered by a recipient of federal financial assistance,” according to the U.S. Department of Education website.
In early March, Senate File 51 was passed by the Wyoming Senate but ultimately failed to become law. The bill, also known as the “fairness in women’s sports act” would prohibit “biological males from athletic teams and sports designated for females in public schools” according to the State of Wyoming legislative website. The bill failed for a lack of introduction in the House..
Legislator concerns with the bill were echoed by public commenters Monday.
“Gender identity conflict — otherwise known as gender dysphoria — means that an individual is dissatisfied with their gender. It does not mean they are the gender they wish to be,” said Tara Schultz, the first commenter of the meeting.
Schultz, as well as Andrew Patceg and Brandy Patceg, said it was a moral issue to allow transgender students to use the bathroom matching their gender identity. Commenters shared a concern toward biological males using female facilities like locker rooms and bathrooms.
Andrew Patceg said this is an issue that creates a “breeding ground for predators.”
“It is common sense to keep the facilities separated based on biology rather than identity to keep, to protect women and children,” Andrew Patceg said.
Patceg expressed his concern using instances in which men gained access to women’s facilities. In these cases, biological males used it to commit crimes against women and children or violated their privacy, Patceg said.
“Letting biological boys into girls’ restrooms is immoral. Women and children have been hurt because of this policy, and I don’t want this happening anywhere and I don’t want them happening here,” Andrew Patceg said.
Concerns persisted over the usage of female bathrooms by biological males.
“It is unfair and wrong for my child or anyone else’s child to feel unsafe or sexually intimidated when someone of the opposite sex is allowed to use the bathroom with them,” Schultz said.
Schultz also proposed transgender students have their own bathrooms.
“Why are we, the majority, being forced to change our feelings and beliefs on the imaginary actions of a few. Giving transgender students their own bathroom provides the safety needed for all,” she said.
Brandy Patceg ended the meeting by saying more people need to speak the truth about the issue.
“No one is speaking truth. I would really like to see that start to happen. I don’t blame the kids, who are confused at this age. Their hormones are raging through their bodies and there’s also all sorts of things going on. It could be at home. I don’t blame them. No one is speaking truth to them,” Brandy Patceg said.
At the end of the public comments, Stults encouraged the commenters to reach out to him about concerns and questions.
“As issues arise with students and families, we work with them directly to understand their concerns. It is always our goal to treat everyone with dignity and work to protect all students. We are making a concerted effort to listen and understand all voices, with a clear goal of keeping our students and staff safe,” Stults said to The Sheridan Press.
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https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/news/some-express-concern-over-transgender-bathrooms-at-schools/article_37c0b2df-ebfc-5082-8da8-52bc9dbad7d0.html
| 2022-04-15T16:16:41Z
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Snowflakes caught in a chilly wind whizzed by as Chrystal and Calvin Alpers ate lunch in Cody. They could have seen birds flitting between branches in nearby pines and squirrels scampering from tree to tree, but they were too busy catching up on the morning news while enjoying some fast food together.
Nearby picnic tables were understandably vacant on the wintry spring day, but the couple was comfortable inside one of the new geodesic domes installed next to the Cody Country Chamber of Commerce office.
“They’re kind of convenient,” Calvin admitted. “It’s nice during the winter, because they stay naturally warm from the sun’s radiation.”
They visit the translucent domes “several times a week,” Chrystal said, often bringing their children or meeting them there after school at nearby Cody High School. They cited comfortable furniture and appointments including an attractive animal hide area rug. But the real reason they enjoy visiting is the ability to enjoy time in the park without being blown away by the area’s notorious winds.
They first discovered the domes while on a date night after seeing friends’ posts on social media. Purchased by the Park County Travel Council with funding from the federal government’s Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, they are the newest “Instagrammable” destinations, according to Ryan Hauck, the council’s executive director.
“The demand has been more than what we’re expecting,” Hauck said.
Besides the daily visits by folks looking to share a meal or some time together, Hauck said he’s seen out-of-state school buses full of children come and eat lunch and has had requests from businesses seeking to use the domes for a day and organizations seeking to run events among the six domes.
The domes, which cost about $4,000 apiece from maker Hypedome, meet city codes for wind ratings, built to withstand 85- mile per hour winds and gusts up to 115 mph.
“They can handle that easily,” Hauck said.
Hypedome suggests their structures are perfect as a garden lounge for home or business, a meeting room, or a comfortable glamping pod. They are available in several sizes, including for up to 14 guests.
First designed by Buckminster Fuller prior to WWII, the spherical structure of a dome — using the strength of triangles rather than typical rectangle construction techniques — are able to withstand extreme weather.
“The geometric principles used in construction of eco living domes guarantees an inherent ability to withstand the extreme forces of nature, such as hurricanes, tornadoes and earthquakes, and any climate condition,” according to Pacific Domes, one of the country’s first and largest producers.
The company produces domes for temporary and permanent living options, including models used by researchers in some of the most inclement ecosystems in the world. Yet, despite the ease of building, cost savings and safety, some in Cody feel the construction style sticks out; they rest alongside the chamber building, which features the log construction typical of the Western flair found along the city’s main street.
Several people have gone public with their disapproval.
Diana Nagy gave the project “two thumbs down” in a recent letter to the editor of the Cody Enterprise.
“I feel compelled to chime in on the very unWestern domes located near the Chamber of Commerce building and the Travel Council’s role in placing them there,” she wrote, adding “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.”
Scott Weber was even more vocal about his dislike for the project, writing in a letter to the Enterprise that all of the CARES Act money awarded to the Park County Travel Council was “wasted.” He called the domes a reaction to COVID-19 social distancing recommendations.
“They are a reminder that another scare could come upon us and they are just the ticket to isolate,” Weber wrote.
Hauck, however, said the domes are not intended to isolate visitors or encourage distancing protocols.
“Does it work for COVID 100%? It does. But is it meant for COVID to segregate people? Not at all,” he said. “It’s a great outdoor option to enjoy what we have [in downtown Cody] and get people out of the wind and to create more overnights [by visitors]. It’s a cheap way to gain another attraction in our area.”
Although it didn’t draw much attention at the time, the domes were first discussed at a November meeting of the Cody City Council. Filling in for Hauck, Cody Country Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Tina Hoebelheinrich noted their growing popularity across the globe.
“It really [has] become a standard part of how people have adapted to a pandemic, by moving those intimate dining situations or even just meeting situations out to the outdoors where there’s ventilation and smaller spaces with less public access,” she told the council.
Hoebelheinrich noted that the domes would supplant “old dilapidated picnic tables,” giving both local residents and tourists another outdoor dining option in the winter months.
“Ryan [Hauck] has done such a brilliant job spending that money for projects that make a lot of sense and really would improve our community greatly,” she said. “And I feel like this is one of those projects.”
After asking a couple questions about whether there would be adequate bathroom access in the winter and whether the domes could withstand the wind, councilors unanimously agreed to allow the installation of the structures on city property.
Cody Mayor Matt Hall called the domes a “pretty novel idea” that could enhance the experience for both tourists and locals. But some locals have since complained.
Park County Commission Chairman Dossie Overfield raised the issue during a March 1 meeting, telling Travel Council member Ruffin Prevost that she had received “a lot” of calls about the “plastic bubbles.”
“Most of the phone calls that I’ve received have been negative,” Overfield said, “that they might be OK in the cities but not OK in Cody, Wyoming.”
Prevost said he had also expressed misgivings about the domes.
“I support his [Hauck’s] decision after the fact, but I was not entirely in favor of it,” Prevost told commissioners. “Because I said, ‘I don’t know that this is necessary. And I don’t know how well received it would be.’”
However, other board members felt differently and the plan was approved. Prevost added that he’s seen similar domes prove “very popular” in bigger cities — and he noted they were purchased only after more pressing items were acquired with the CARES Act funding.
For instance, the travel council purchased “every piece of camera gear, every piece of recording equipment or new laptops, everything we could get equipped to do in-house marketing,” Prevost said — something that will “save substantial money over the long haul.”
Hauck has heard the negative feedback about the domes and has no problem with the critiques.
“I think one of the reasons this place is so special is because we have such passionate locals that love where they live,” he said.
Hauck also said those with positive feedback often don’t speak up. Proof of their popularity, he said, is that the domes are drawing interest from other communities and private citizens who love the idea.
“I’ve gotten calls from all over the state asking where I got them, how much cost and how could they get them?” he said. “It’s not just over the state, but locally as well. I’ve had a lot of ranchers call me. They didn’t say this out loud, but I think they’re interested as using these as like a glamping option.”
The Park County Travel Council has tentative plans to hold a grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony for the domes during the city’s Parks and Pancakes Day, which is scheduled for May 6. The domes are open daily, closing at 10 p.m., and will feature festive lighting as soon as power supplies are secured.
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https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/news/translucent-domes-generate-mixed-reactions/article_9c6cb402-9f8d-5e0c-82a5-714b4d3155d4.html
| 2022-04-15T16:16:47Z
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I’ve been a Wyoming Democrat for my entire adult life. I certainly can’t speak for all members of my party, but some elections are easier on my psyche than others.
It helps when I know our candidates are going to be competitive in at least a few races. Registered Republicans outnumber Democrats by more than 150,000. Even if every unaffiliated voter decided to back a Democratic candidate, it would only cut that advantage by 35,000.
Yet, it’s not impossible for Democrats to beat those lopsided odds. Three of Wyoming’s past six governors have been Democrats, and they were all re-elected. Ed Herschler served three terms.
The official candidate filing period doesn’t start until May 12, but it’s mid-April, and the party hasn’t announced hopefuls for any of the five statewide elected offices or Wyoming’s lone U.S. House seat. I haven’t even heard any rumors about candidates, which worries me.
I don’t want to see a repeat of 2014, when no Democrats ran for secretary of state, treasurer or auditor. That was embarrassing for the party, and not healthy for the state. Voters deserve a choice between candidates from both major parties.
It’s important to have Democratic candidates in the big-ticket races where they can also attract voters to participate in contested legislative races. Some of those elections are decided by less than a few hundred votes.
I asked Joe Barbuto, Wyoming Democratic Party chairman, where they’ve been hiding. He said he’s confident there will be a full slate for the major races.
Barbuto said several Democrats are looking at the superintendent of public instruction contest, which doesn’t have an elected GOP incumbent. Jillian Balow, who ran unopposed in her 2018 re-election bid, resigned in January to take a similar, but appointed position in Virginia. She had nearly a year left in her second Wyoming term.
Theoretically, Balow’s replacement has an advantage over other candidates because he’s already in the job. The state Republican Party nominated three far-right candidates over several more qualified moderates seeking the office. Gov. Mark Gordon chose Brian Schroeder, head of a private Christian school in Cody.
Schroeder is running the Department of Education as an extreme-right ideologue. He threw his weight behind several hot-button bills — to ban critical race theory and to ban transgender athletes from girls sports — all of which died.
Schroeder won’t just skate to the nomination in the Aug. 16 primary. One GOP challenger has already emerged: Megan Degenfelder, who was bypassed by her party’s leaders. I’m told other Republicans will also throw their hats in the ring.
Degenfelder was the DOE’s chief policy officer under Balow for four years.
Barbuto said Gordon’s appointment of Schroeder is an example of the governor trying to appease the right wing of his party – a constituency that’s remained suspicious of him.
“I’m not sure that Mark Gordon has been a very popular governor in a lot of ways,” he said. “I don’t think he’s shown much resistance to some of the shenanigans in the Legislature [compared to] past governors of both parties.”
Barbuto said he’ll be shocked if at least one candidate from the extreme right doesn’t challenge Gordon. So would I, since conservative Republicans can’t stop whining about how their candidates split the vote in 2018 and enabled Gordon to win.
Divisive GOP primaries can pave the way for Democratic victories. In 1986, Pete Simpson defeated Bill Budd by a mere 453 votes. A scarred Republican Party couldn’t unite to defeat Democrat Mike Sullivan in the general election.
History repeated itself in 2002, when a bitter battle between primary winner Eli Bebout and Ray Hunkins tore the state GOP apart. Moderate Democrat Dave Freudenthal appealed to enough of Hunkins’ supporters to be elected governor.
Speaking of upsets, what do you think might happen if Harriet Hageman defeats Rep. Liz Cheney in her bid for a fourth term?
Wyoming Republican leaders are deathly afraid Democrats will cross over to vote in their congressional primary and save Cheney’s job. They have drummed the incumbent out of the state party, foolishly declaring she’s no longer their representative.
Cheney’s “crime” was voting to impeach former President Donald Trump. As vice chair of the House panel investigating the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol insurrection, Cheney continues to hold Trump to account.
Hageman is adored by her party’s right wing. Cheney, a conservative who used to have their allegiance — even from her former friend, Hageman! – is now the favorite of the party’s old establishment. They’re the ones Cheney’s detractors denigrate as RINOs — “Republicans in name only.”
Barbuto said Democratic voters will be highly motivated to defeat either Cheney or Hageman.
“We want to make certain [Wyoming’s congressman] is going to look out for working families,” he said. “They don’t want a person who is the exact opposite of that.”
When Republicans fight, Democrats sometimes win. To do so, of course, means one has to step up and run. Not just put a toe in to test the water, but jump all in. And soon, please — I don’t want us to lose these elections because we didn’t even try.
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https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/opinion/contributed_columns/republican-infighting-gives-wyo-democrats-a-fighting-chance/article_c7bfe3d7-68b2-51e0-99df-d4e7a82bf901.html
| 2022-04-15T16:16:53Z
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Goals. We hear about them all the time. Goals at school. Goals at work. Goals for the new year. Goals for our finances, our love life and our status. Goals, goals, goals!
This is not a lecture on how to write a goal and stick to it. I want you to think about the goal that matters the most – your Soul Goal.
You may already be neck-deep in your life goals. You are probably already measuring them, tracking them and think you have everything under control. Yet, are you experiencing a little gnawing inside? Is there a tiny whisper nibbling at your heart? Has it been there for years, but you have hushed it?
That whisper is your Soul Goal. The good news is this is one goal you don’t have to write down, track or measure. You just need to listen to your heart because it is already there.
I believe the soul is the script of all we have been and all we will be. It has drama, action, comedy, heartbreak and love coded into this personal documentary. Yes, there is an intended outcome to the story. I believe the ending to your script is to successfully learn how to love yourself and others. The Soul Goal is our personal method of how we accomplish that.
Have you always had a desire to paint, work with animals or heal?
If we are here to learn how to love ourselves and others, and your inner desire is to paint, then you learn to love yourself through painting. By painting you create art that is a gift you can share with others. In doing so you touch their hearts. You love others by creating your art.
If your inner desire is to heal, you may become a doctor, nurse, counselor or reiki master. You love yourself by following your inner voice and by doing this you heal and love others. You touch their hearts. You love others through healing.
Do you see how this works? Your Soul Goal is the technique by which you reach the outcome of loving yourself and others.
Listen to that whisper. Pay attention to the gnawing. If it is unclear what your Soul Goal is, pay attention to when you feel the most alive, happy and content. This is the criteria for your Soul Goal. And it doesn’t have to be difficult.
I am a writer and a speaker. While working through other careers in my life, the whisper and the gnawing was always there. I would attempt to incorporate snippets of my Soul Goal into my work. I would speak about work topics and I would write heart-filled stories and give them as gifts. I knew when I was doing this I felt the most alive, happy and content.
My Soul Goal is simple. It is one line: Share my life lessons through speaking and writing. In the process, I love myself by doing what makes me feel the most alive. I love others by reaching out with my heart to touch theirs.
I’m not suggesting you give up all of your other goals. School, work, family and life goals matter. I’m not suggesting you quit your job to become a starving artist.
What I am suggesting is that you listen to your heart as it whispers your Soul Goal. I am suggesting you find a way to incorporate this whisper into your life.
You don’t have to create ideas that you format into action steps and turn these into strategies and objectives. You can tiptoe into accomplishing your Soul Goal. Take a painting class one night a week. Volunteer at an animal rescue center or a nursing home. Whatever your whisper is calling you to do, find a place and begin.
Remember, your Soul Goal makes you feel alive, happy and content. It should be fun! It should bring you joy! It just takes loving yourself enough to do what your soul is asking you to do.
Pennie’s Life Lesson: When you fulfill your Soul Goal you feel alive, happy and content.
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https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/opinion/contributed_columns/what-is-your-soul-goal-copy/article_0c1a893a-e47e-531e-9c5a-9052eb41136b.html
| 2022-04-15T16:16:59Z
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I’ve been a Wyoming Democrat for my entire adult life. I certainly can’t speak for all members of my party, but some elections are easier on my psyche than others.
It helps when I know our candidates are going to be competitive in at least a few races. Registered Republicans outnumber Democrats by more than 150,000. Even if every unaffiliated voter decided to back a Democratic candidate, it would only cut that advantage by 35,000.
Yet, it’s not impossible for Democrats to beat those lopsided odds. Three of Wyoming’s past six governors have been Democrats, and they were all re-elected. Ed Herschler served three terms.
The official candidate filing period doesn’t start until May 12, but it’s mid-April, and the party hasn’t announced hopefuls for any of the five statewide elected offices or Wyoming’s lone U.S. House seat. I haven’t even heard any rumors about candidates, which worries me.
I don’t want to see a repeat of 2014, when no Democrats ran for secretary of state, treasurer or auditor. That was embarrassing for the party, and not healthy for the state. Voters deserve a choice between candidates from both major parties.
It’s important to have Democratic candidates in the big-ticket races where they can also attract voters to participate in contested legislative races. Some of those elections are decided by less than a few hundred votes.
I asked Joe Barbuto, Wyoming Democratic Party chairman, where they’ve been hiding. He said he’s confident there will be a full slate for the major races.
Barbuto said several Democrats are looking at the superintendent of public instruction contest, which doesn’t have an elected GOP incumbent. Jillian Balow, who ran unopposed in her 2018 re-election bid, resigned in January to take a similar, but appointed position in Virginia. She had nearly a year left in her second Wyoming term.
Theoretically, Balow’s replacement has an advantage over other candidates because he’s already in the job. The state Republican Party nominated three far-right candidates over several more qualified moderates seeking the office. Gov. Mark Gordon chose Brian Schroeder, head of a private Christian school in Cody.
Schroeder is running the Department of Education as an extreme-right ideologue. He threw his weight behind several hot-button bills — to ban critical race theory and to ban transgender athletes from girls sports — all of which died.
Schroeder won’t just skate to the nomination in the Aug. 16 primary. One GOP challenger has already emerged: Megan Degenfelder, who was bypassed by her party’s leaders. I’m told other Republicans will also throw their hats in the ring.
Degenfelder was the DOE’s chief policy officer under Balow for four years.
Barbuto said Gordon’s appointment of Schroeder is an example of the governor trying to appease the right wing of his party – a constituency that’s remained suspicious of him.
“I’m not sure that Mark Gordon has been a very popular governor in a lot of ways,” he said. “I don’t think he’s shown much resistance to some of the shenanigans in the Legislature [compared to] past governors of both parties.”
Barbuto said he’ll be shocked if at least one candidate from the extreme right doesn’t challenge Gordon. So would I, since conservative Republicans can’t stop whining about how their candidates split the vote in 2018 and enabled Gordon to win.
Divisive GOP primaries can pave the way for Democratic victories. In 1986, Pete Simpson defeated Bill Budd by a mere 453 votes. A scarred Republican Party couldn’t unite to defeat Democrat Mike Sullivan in the general election.
History repeated itself in 2002, when a bitter battle between primary winner Eli Bebout and Ray Hunkins tore the state GOP apart. Moderate Democrat Dave Freudenthal appealed to enough of Hunkins’ supporters to be elected governor.
Speaking of upsets, what do you think might happen if Harriet Hageman defeats Rep. Liz Cheney in her bid for a fourth term?
Wyoming Republican leaders are deathly afraid Democrats will cross over to vote in their congressional primary and save Cheney’s job. They have drummed the incumbent out of the state party, foolishly declaring she’s no longer their representative.
Cheney’s “crime” was voting to impeach former President Donald Trump. As vice chair of the House panel investigating the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol insurrection, Cheney continues to hold Trump to account.
Hageman is adored by her party’s right wing. Cheney, a conservative who used to have their allegiance — even from her former friend, Hageman! – is now the favorite of the party’s old establishment. They’re the ones Cheney’s detractors denigrate as RINOs — “Republicans in name only.”
Barbuto said Democratic voters will be highly motivated to defeat either Cheney or Hageman. “We want to make certain [Wyoming’s congressman] is going to look out for working families,” he said. “They don’t want a person who is the exact opposite of that.”
When Republicans fight, Democrats sometimes win. To do so, of course, means one has to step up and run. Not just put a toe in to test the water, but jump all in. And soon, please — I don’t want us to lose these elections because we didn’t even try.
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https://www.wyomingnews.com/opinion/guest_column/drake-republican-infighting-gives-wyo-democrats-a-fighting-chance/article_14d23061-f7e4-5a5f-b65c-bb187bcaed05.html
| 2022-04-15T16:17:06Z
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The world is facing a crisis of confidence. Whenever a once-trusted institution is caught in a lie, two things happen. First, those betrayed begin to look elsewhere for reliability and truth. Second, the level of proof that they demand becomes higher than before.
That higher level of scrutiny can, in turn, expose other lies. The exposure of these lies shakes confidence in still more institutions and raises the level of scrutiny even higher. Before long, the spiral of increased scrutiny applied to ever more institutions becomes an uncontrollable chain reaction.
Like the chain reaction at Chernobyl, the exponential release of destructive energy will lead to a smoking hole in the ground. That is what we are experiencing on a global scale. Legacy media, the intelligence community, globalist corporations and international NGOs are nearing a meltdown as more and more information becomes available about their blatant and complicit lies.
Unless they quickly restore confidence by public repentance for past lies and absolute transparency, they will sink into irretrievable irrelevance. They may still speak just as loudly as before, but their betrayed constituents increasingly tune them out as part of the background noise.
Soon they are viewed as the anti-truth. People listen to them only to learn what NOT to believe. There has always been a fringe who viewed legacy media and government officials in this way. But today, that group may well be a majority. And, polls indicate that it is growing larger by the day.
From the perspective of news consumers, this meltdown is disorienting – even tragic. But it doesn’t have to be. It can also be a catharsis, a cleaning out of the cobwebs. It gives us an opportunity to ask a more fundamental question: namely, what makes any source reliable or unreliable?
That question is at the heart of epistemology – the study of why we believe what we believe. “What is truth?” That’s the question Pontius Pilate asked Jesus on the day of His crucifixion. On this Good Friday, it still hangs in the air.
“What is truth?” The very question presupposes that truth exists. That is the very first truth. Modern philosophies that deny truth’s existence contradict themselves by claiming that the statement “there is no truth” is itself true. In so doing, they discredit themselves and the entire system they have built.
This is good news for many who have been led falsely into the desert of nihilism. This dead-end philosophy destroys lives with a fundamental lie. It strips life of meaning and purpose, and leaves behind a wake of despair, suicide and murder. The lie of nihilism is the world’s most deadly weapon.
This leads to the second rule of epistemology: Once any source is caught in a single lie, the entire source becomes unreliable. It may still speak some truth from time to time, but it must always be judged by something outside of itself. We experience this whenever we are lied to. We are no longer able to trust that source. This is not a choice, it’s a consequence.
When we recognize this reality, it is immensely helpful. It narrows the field of competing truth sources – drastically. What human being has never told you a falsehood? Which of you has never deceived yourself? Honest answers to these two questions turn our eyes away from every human teacher. As the Psalmist says, “all men are liars” (Psalm 116:11).
Stripped of any confidence in humanity, but armed with the knowledge that truth nevertheless exists, we must conclude that truth transcends humanity. This observation discredits humanism and secularism as lying philosophies. Both falsely claim that human beings can find – or create – truth for themselves.
It is no coincidence that those philosophies that deny the transcendence of truth are the same ones that now deny plain biology, math and logic. This is simply the logical outcome of denying plain truth.
Truth is an integrated whole. It is impossible to deny one aspect of the truth without distorting all of it. This explains why Jesus told Pontius Pilate, “Everyone who is of the truth listens to My voice” (John 18:37).
It was not very long ago that we all knew this. Universities openly acknowledged theology as “the queen of the sciences.” Bacon, Newton and all scientists knew that denial of Jesus would lead down a rabbit hole of nonsense and madness. Like it or not, current events have proved them right.
But our situation is not hopeless. While madness is contagious, there is an inoculation against it. Jesus has promised, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31-32). This, of course, refers to freedom from hell in eternity. But its blessed side benefit is freedom from today’s madness.
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https://www.wyomingnews.com/opinion/guest_column/lange-what-is-truth/article_74d2b0d8-b509-5287-b54b-645171d4ec16.html
| 2022-04-15T16:17:12Z
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Cody Enterprise
CODY — The Park County Republican Party may be setting its sights on a new target of animosity even before its campaign against U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney has completed. That target is U.S. Sen. John Barrasso.
“It’s a disgrace,” Park County committeeman Tim Lasseter said. “He’s headed down the path of Liz Cheney.”
At its meeting last Thursday, the party voted unanimously to send a letter reprimanding Barrasso for his vote to support the $1.5 trillion government spending bill that passed through the Senate on March 15. Within this dense, 2,741 page legislation is funding that can be used by Planned Parenthood, the biggest abortion provider in the United States.
Barrasso was the lone member of Wyoming’s delegation to vote for the bill.
The bill passed with a 68-31 vote, with U.S. Sen. Cynthia Lummis voting against it, as did Cheney in the House.
The bill provides more than $286 million for family planning and additional $575 million for family planning internationally.
Due to the Hyde Amendment, family planning organizations like Planned Parenthood cannot used governmental funds directly toward performing abortion services, but the Catholic News Agency reports that pro-life groups argue that by receiving funds for certain services it can free up other monies for performing abortions.
“While this legislation was far from perfect, Republicans in the Senate negotiated nearly $65 billion in savings over President Biden’s budget request,” Barrasso’s secretary Gaby Hurt said. “The bill secured increased funding for the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security, increased funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and restored $2 billion in funding for border wall construction.”
The county party censured Cheney in 2021 for speaking out against former President Donald Trump and his alleged role in sparking the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. In August, the county party sent a letter saying it no longer recognized her as a Republican, followed by the State GOP a few months later.
“Next time he’s next,” Park County Committeeman Troy Bray said, referring to Barrasso’s next election race, which if he decides to run in, would take place in 2024.
The criticism against Cheney has nothing to do with abortion. In fact, the representative has been one of the staunchest opponents of abortion, as has Barrasso.
Planned Parenthood and Pro Choice America both gave Barrasso a zero score four years in a row due to his votes on abortion issues. Similarly, pro life organization Susan B. Anthony List gave Barasso an A+ grade.
“Senator Barrasso has stood up against extremist nominees of the pro-abortion Biden-Harris administration, against pro-abortion action both in the administration and through legislation advanced by Majority Leader Chuck Schumer,” the List reported. “Sen. Barrasso has voted consistently to defend the lives of the unborn and infants. This includes stopping hard-earned tax dollars from paying for abortion, whether domestically or internationally, and protecting health care provider rights for those who refuse to engage in brutal abortions.”
The organization also said Barrasso spoke in opposition to the confirmation of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra due to his stance on abortion.
But if voting with a flawless conservative record or in lockstep with former President Donald Trump is the mark to meet, Barrasso does come up a little short, which may be part of the Park County GOP’s hostility for the fourth-term senator.
According to political database FiveThirtyEight, 11% of Barrasso’s career votes were not aligned with Trump, including his vote to certify the 2020 election results in Pennsylvania and Arizona. Cheney agreed with Trump on all but 7.1% of issues over her career.
In a recent phone conversation with Barrasso, Park County GOP Chairman Martin Kimmet said the senator defended his vote by saying the money cannot be used for performing abortions.
“He said, ‘It’s just one vote,’” Kimmet recalled.
This prompted committeeman Brad Kolb of Powell to chime in and describe the senator as “one vote Barasso,” bringing great laughter from the audience and a few more references to this moniker over the course of the meeting.
The Planned Parenthood appropriation made up less than .1% of the total bill funding.
Certain members of Congress have gained a reputation for not fully reading through all of the bills they are voting on, a speculation a few committee members attributed to Barrasso in this instance.
Kimmet said if Barrasso had voted against the bill, “he could’ve turned the 18 other (Republican) votes in the Senate and turned that bill,” because of his leadership and influence within the body. Barrasso is the Chair of the Senate Republican Conference and is a ranking member of the Senate Energy Committee.
Lasseter said constituents are doing a much better job following the actions of their elected officials than they had in the past. He said he initially supported a formal censure of Barasso, but stepped back from that idea when decided it would have weakened the impact of the Cheney censure.
The Park County GOP has, of late, been one of the first county parties to react in Wyoming when it comes to chastising elected officials deemed not conservative enough. When it came to the Cheney censure, 19 other county parties followed suit along with the state party. The Republican National Committee censured her in February.
“It’s now more important than ever to hold electeds accountable,” committeeman Richard Jones said.
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https://www.wyomingnews.com/townnews/politics/one-vote-barrasso-rebuked-by-park-county-gop/article_44e51913-f70a-57a2-ba91-92bd2e5151f7.html
| 2022-04-15T16:17:18Z
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CHEYENNE – With the wind at its back, it didn’t take Cheyenne Central long to capitalize on its scoring opportunities Thursday evening.
In the seventh minute of the match, sophomore Sam Smith buried a shot at the top of the penalty area, giving Central a 1-0 lead over Cheyenne South. Senior Caden Smith followed suit, scoring less than two minutes later when he took advantage of South goalkeeper Keagan Potter attempting to make a play on the ball out of the net.
Central rode those early goals to a 9-0 victory at Riske Field.
“I’ve been able to go about six or seven guys off the bench and, typically, you sub in one or two and try to improve something that is maybe broken, and nothing was broken too much tonight,” Central coach Tim Denisson said. “We had a lot of guys anxious to play the game again with all of the bad weather we’ve had.
“The mental preparation and the excitement to play again, despite the wind, was where it should be.”
The flurry of shots continued from the Indians early with Jackson Lewis finding Christian Arbuckle just inside the top of the of the box, where Arbuckle sent the shot in the right side of the netting for a 3-0 Indians advantage in the 13th.
Lewis assisted on Central’s next goal when he lofted a pass from midfield to a slashing Sam Shumway. The pass bounced in Shumway’s path right in front of the frame where he converted with a header in the 25th for Central’s final goal of the half.
“It was perfectly placed by Tristan,” Shumway said. “I stayed onside, got there, and just flicked it in.”
Staying onside was one of the few issues Central had throughout the match. They tallied 11 offsides calls.
South’s best opportunity of the first half came in the 36th minute when Caden Hart found himself in front of the Central goal with room to score, but couldn’t find the back of the net.
“Offensively, we know how to create an overload, we know how to attack on the outside, and we can create opportunities at times, but we weren’t able to finish anything tonight,” South coach Joshua Eastman said. “When we don’t have certain personnel, we fall apart. We just gotta find a way to have better depth.”
Central (5-2-0 overall, 4-1-0 Class 4A East Conference) had eight shots in the first half, seven of those were on goal.
Lewis continued to deal out assists, this time connecting with Caden Smith in the 46th minutes for the Indians’ first score of the second half. The Indians found the back of the net four more times throughout the match – one each from Roscoe Cone-LeBeaumont, Koen Ziemann, Logan Custis, and Aidan Flynn.
Zieman’s score came in the 62nd minute when he dribbled through a slew of Bison defenders and netted a low shot.
“We just couldn’t get back in the midfield, they just had too much speed,” Eastman said. “They beat us in the midfield. We would get up on the attack and they would counter so fast. We had a hard time marking up in the midfield.”
The Indians finished with 15 shots on goal to the Bison’s 4. South (0-8-0, 0-4-0) had 10 total shots to Central’s 22.
“We were working well as a team, everything was clicking and we came off a good win against Campbell County. That was kind of a spark we needed to start working together as a team,” Shumway said. “We just need to continue playing the way we are and building off each other.”
CENTRAL 9, SOUTH 0
Halftime: 4-0
Goals: Central, S. Smith (unassisted), 7. Central, C. Smith (unassisted), 8. Central, Arbuckle (Lewis), 13. Central, Shumway (Lewis) 25. Central, C. Smith (Lewis) 46. Central, Cone-LeBeaumont (unassisted), 50. Central, Zieman (unassisted), 62. Central, Custis (unassisted), 63. Central, Flynn (unassisted), 76.
Shots: CS 6, CC 7. Shots on goal: CS 4, CC 15. Saves: CS 6 (Potter); CC 4 (Cook, White).
Corner kicks: CS 0, CC 3. Offsides: CS 0, CC 11. Fouls: CS 4, CC 5. Yellow cards: CS 1 (Hart, 57).
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https://www.wyomingnews.com/wyosports/high_school/cheyenne_central/centrals-attack-too-much-for-south-in-win/article_61f3d1b4-2d12-557f-95ab-f7c48ab917f9.html
| 2022-04-15T16:17:24Z
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CHEYENNE – First-year Cheyenne Central girls soccer coach Kaylin Olivas thought Cheyenne South controlled the tempo and play during the first half Thursday evening.
The Lady Indians didn’t adapt to what South was throwing at them, Olivas said. That changed during the second half.
Central started to dictate play after catching an early break in the final 40 minutes of a 3-0 victory at Bison Stadium.
“We needed to play more as a team and start introducing our patterns of play more, and improve our movement off ball,” Olivas said. “South did a good job in the first half of forcing us to play into their game and frustrating us. … Instead of moving, checking back and recognizing what (South’s) defense was doing, we were kind of going with them.
“We didn’t allow ourselves opportunities to find each other, and that created problems. Once we changed our movement and started checking into space, it got better because we were forcing (South) to move more.”
Junior Nolee Parker got Central on the scoreboard in the 43rd minute when her shot slipped through the hands of South freshman Trinity Dotson – who was playing goalkeeper for the first time – and into the net.
“That made us pick our heads up and realize we were in the game,” Parker said. “We started playing how we play after that.”
Central outshot the Bison 12-4 overall, but only enjoyed a 4-2 advantage during the first half. The Lady Indians put 10 shots on goal, while holding South to two attempts on frame. Central held a 2-1 edge in shots on goal during the first half.
“We did what we talked about all week, which was shifting as a team, moving up as a team and not letting (Central) dictate what we do,” South coach Brandon McHenry said. “We did everything we wanted to do in the first half.
“We held our own. Our starting goalkeeper was sick, our starting center back was sick, and we had people playing out of position who played awesome in new roles. We played together and played well. Unfortunately, we couldn’t put anything in.”
Parker assisted on Ava Taylor’s goal in the 54th minute that put Central up 2-0. Parker also sent a corner kick in that Madi Moore converted into a goal during the 71st.
“We needed to get our heads in the game,” Parker said. “We know how to play, and we know how to have fun out there, and we weren’t doing that.”
CENTRAL 3, SOUTH 0
Halftime: 0-0
Goals: CC, Parker (Grenfell), 43. CC, Taylor (Parker), 54. CC, Moore (Parker), 71.
Shots: CC 12, CS 4. Shots on goal: CC 10, CS 2. Saves: CC 2 (Osterland); CS 7 (Dotson).
Corner kicks: CC 8, CS 3. Offsides: CC 3, CS 0. Fouls: CC 6, CS 4.
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https://www.wyomingnews.com/wyosports/high_school/cheyenne_central/second-half-goals-lift-central-over-south/article_28641a87-e703-5472-b7d9-53f6a83a8315.html
| 2022-04-15T16:17:30Z
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LARAMIE – Staying warm and keeping possession of the soccer ball were the small victories.
The overall win tilted toward the Laramie High girls when they made one of the few shots on goal count for a 1-0 decision against Cheyenne East late Thursday afternoon at Deti Stadium.
“I am super proud how we settled into the game,” Laramie coach Justine Tydings said. “It was a little hectic and panicky at first, but when we got into a rhythm, we connected better and utilized our outlets a bit better.”
The Lady Thunbderbirds put together an early offensive push with back-to-back scoring opportunities. The first chance was when sophomore Jordan Griess was fouled just outside of the penalty area, but East still had the advantage of play and she just couldn’t get a clean shot. The delayed free kick was then awarded and senior Tayler Miller’s shot deflected off the Laramie defensive wall for an East corner kick that was gathered in by Laramie sophomore goalkeeper Mckenna Barham. It was the only corner kick in the game for either team.
That flurry of dangerous plays for East (1-5-1 overall, 1-3-1 Class 4A East Conference) ended up being two shots off frame inside the first 10 minutes.
The Lady Plainsmen responded in the 20th minute with what proved to be the game-winning goal on their first shot of the contest. Sophomore Taylor Jenkins sent a crisp pass to sophomore Mercedes Garcia, who fired a low shot just past East senior keeper Kiara Kershaw into the left side of the goal.
“(Jenkins) made a lovely pass and we had a wide-open shot, which was what made the goal really amazing,” Garcia said. “It was just good we were there for that.
“We like to get wide so we have more space and connect passes to score more goals like those, and it worked. We did well as a unit, and as a team.”
The contest was played in brutal conditions with a start-time temperature of 38 degrees, and a sustained wind of 30 mph from the West that dropped the chill to 25 degrees.
“It’s hard on your body, the ground is very hard, it’s very cold and the ball is heavy,” Tydings said. “So that’s always a challenge. But the girls did an excellent job overcoming that adversity and didn’t let it affect them one bit.”
East’s first and only shot on goal was after halftime in the 58th minute when Griess fired the ball just outside the left part of the box, but Barham was in position for the save for Laramie (7-1, 4-1).
The T-Birds had six shots. Laramie countered with 10 shots and five of those on goal. Kershaw made four saves.
“To Laramie’s credit they put in the ball they needed to,” East coach Rebecca Valdez said. “I don’t think we played our best ball (Thursday) and we are having some frustrations with that. We are better than the way we played. The kids are frustrated and (the coaches) are frustrated. But sometimes that’s how it goes.
“We tried to throw in a couple different combinations up top to find some offensive burst, but just couldn’t find that.”
The Plainsmen nearly made it a two-goal difference in the 64th minute, but junior Alexia Lucero’s 25-yard shot clanged off the crossbar.
As if on cue, the wind subsided and the sun came out in the final few minutes.
LARAMIE 1, EAST 0
Halftime: 1-0
Goals: Garcia (Jenkins), 20th
Shots: East 6, Laramie 10. Shots on goal: East 1, Laramie 5. Saves: East 4 (Kershaw), Laramie 1 (Barham). Corner kicks: East 1, Laramie 0. Offsides: none. Fouls: East 6, Laramie 6.
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https://www.wyomingnews.com/wyosports/high_school/cheyenne_east/lady-plainsmen-earn-tough-win-against-east/article_d01dff86-1cef-52b5-a1fe-85004d0d07bd.html
| 2022-04-15T16:17:37Z
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LARAMIE – With eight practices in the books, the University of Wyoming is set for its first scrimmage of the spring Saturday.
The Cowboys have incorporated some full contact work over the past four practices, but most of this has been in drills and situational settings. This weekend will present more of a true live action setting, something UW coach Craig Bohl says is paramount at this point in the off-season.
“It will be important for us to get some live work in,” Bohl said. “We’ve had limited live work, and we’re going to need to strap it up and see what goes on out there.”
While recent practices have featured some 11-on-11 situations, Saturday will be a significantly different experience – especially for some of the skill position groups.
The passing game is one area of intrigue heading into the weekend, with the quarterback room being composed of incoming transfers and returners with limited experience, and a handful of wide receivers competing for contributing roles. Junior receiver Wyatt Wieland says “it’s hard to get a good pulse” of where the offense is at just past the midway point of the spring, but “we’ll know a lot more after Saturday when we put the pads on and scrimmage for the first time.”
“We’re definitely looking forward to it,” Wieland said. “It’s just a chance to make some big plays, break some tackles and hopefully score some touchdowns. It’s a whole different environment than practice.”
For new members of the Cowboys’ staff like defensive tackles coach Oscar Giles and offensive line coach Joe Tripodi, Saturday will also mark the closest look to a real game that they’ve seen since arriving on campus.
“This scrimmage is going to really put it all together,” Giles said. “We always talk about practice needs to be hard, so the game can be easy. In the game, you might have a total of 60 or 70 reps. In practice, you probably have 150.
“I’m excited to see what we do. It’s almost like a test. You’ve had all these homework assignments the whole week. Now, the test is on Saturday.”
In other developments from Thursday’s practice, Bohl continued to speak highly of cornerback transfer Jakorey Hawkins, who came to Laramie from Ole Miss this offseason.
“A guy I really noticed is Jakorey Hawkins,” Bohl said during the opening statement of his post-practice news conference. “He just continues to make an impression out there. He has good size, he can run and he’s learning our system. (Cornerbacks coach Benny) Boyd is doing a good job with him, and I think he’s going to be a great, great asset for us.”
On another positive note, the Cowboys did not sustain any injuries during Thursday’s practice. The only reported injury since full-contact work began last Thursday is a hamstring pull to sophomore safety Isaac White, who was jogging on the sidelines during the portion of practice open to the media.
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https://www.wyomingnews.com/wyosports/university_of_wyoming/pokes-gear-up-for-first-scrimmage-of-the-spring/article_de2719ff-1960-5bfe-b914-cba1f2dd0cf0.html
| 2022-04-15T16:17:43Z
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Another cold front and a cooler Easter
Next system Monday brings a cold rain with some wintry mix potential
FRIDAY: A sunny and comfortable day. Not as warm as the last few days but still a warm afternoon and very pleasant. Highs in the mid to upper 60s. Petersburg and Moorefield warmer, in the low 70s. It will be rather breezy through the day but winds will be out of the southwest. Enhanced fire danger because of the breeze and lower humidity.
Clouds increase into the evening and it will be confortable with temperatures in the 60s. Turning chilly overnight with lows in the upper 40s to low 50s.
SATURDAY: A pleasant start with temperatures rising into the 50s and clouds. Breezy again for the day as a second cold front crosses. This will drop temperatures again into the afternoon and moisture will be limited.
Highs for our West Virginia locations in the mid 60s with a few isolated showers late morning into early afternoon.
For the Valley, a few sprinkles or an isolated shower around and after noon and into the afternoon but coverage will be limited. Not everyone will see rain. Breezy and still pleasant for the day with highs around 70, and into the low 70s early afternoon. This will still be a nice day.
Behind the cold front more clearing with sun into the late afternoon and temperatures dropping very late afternoon. Winds letting up after sunset.
Mostly clear and cooler into the evening with temperatures in the 50s. Chilly overnight with lows in the mid to upper 30s.
SUNDAY: A chilly start with temperatures in the 40s and a few clouds. An abundance of sunshine for the day and cool for Easter. Highs in the low to mid 50s. There will not be any wind and plenty of sun, but it will be a cooler day. Chilly for the evening with temperatures in the 40s and cool overnight. Lows in the low to mid 30s. Patchy frost possible.
MONDAY: FIRST ALERT WEATHER DAY- A change to the forecast for Monday. Low pressure will move to our south bringing in rain for most of the day. Because of the cold temepratures to start in the morning there can be a wintry mix, especially across our West Virginia locations and along the western side of the Shenandoah Valley. This will impact your Monday.
A cold start to Monday moring in the 30s with the clouds. Rain should start to move in by mid morning and there can be some snow at onset across the Potomac Highlands, mixing with sleet for the Valley. A cold rain with a wintry mix especially in the moring, then a cold rain into the afternoon. Very chilly with highs only around 40, and into the low 40s. Drying out mid to late afternoon. Total rainfall at this time around 1/4-1/2″. Stay tuned as we update these details for Monday.
TUESDAY: Chilly to start with temperatures rising into the 40s and more clouds than sun. Sticking with clouds for the day with a few peeks of sunshine and still rather cool with highs in the low to mid 50s. Chilly overnight with lows in the mid to upper 30s.
WEDNESDAY: Intervals of clouds to start the day and chilly with temperatures rising into the 40s. A pleasant afternoon with a good amount of sunshine and a few clouds, highs in the mid to upper 50s. Cold overnight with lows in the mid 30s.
As always, you can get the latest updates by downloading and checking the WHSV Weather App.
**A reminder that spring wildfire season is underway for both Virginia and West Virginia. No outdoor burning before 4pm in Virginia until April 30th. No outdoor burning in West Virginia before 5pm through May 31.**
Copyright 2021 WHSV. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/14/another-cold-front-cooler-easter/
| 2022-04-15T17:07:15Z
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Gusty winds threaten to fan New Mexico fire that killed 2
(AP) - Firefighters battling a raging New Mexico wildfire that killed two people and destroyed more than 200 homes in a mountainous community braced Friday for gusty winds that threatened to fan the blaze.
The fire has forced the evacuation of about 5,000 people in the community of Ruidoso, where the remains of a couple were found near a burned home earlier this week as they tried to flee.
The fire sparked by a downed power line had torched an estimated 9.4 square miles of forest and grass as of Friday morning, and the strong winds that battered the area earlier this week left behind toppled trees and down power lines.
The remains of the couple were found Wednesday afternoon near their home after family members notified Ruidoso police that they had tried to evacuate but were unaccounted for. Their identities have not been made public.
Fire crews on Thursday used a break in what had been a steady stream of relentless gusts to make headway against the flames.
Incident Commander Dave Bales said the strategy was “attack while we can.” But the winds in the fire zone about 180 miles south of Albuquerque were expected to pick up again Friday.
“We’re trying to keep this fire as small as possible, especially because it’s right in the community,” he said. “We’ve had a loss of a lot of structures, so our crews are right there on the fire front going as direct as possible.”
Thousands of electrical customers lost power, and Ruidoso’s schools were closed until next week. Schoolchildren were evacuated on Tuesday on buses with flames visible nearby.
Helicopters dropped water on the flames Thursday, and firefighting ground crews created a series of fire lines aimed at preventing the fire from spreading on two fronts while others doused smoldering areas in neighborhoods that the flames raced through earlier in the week.
Elsewhere in the U.S., large fires were reported this week in Texas, Colorado and Oklahoma.
The National Interagency Fire Center reported Thursday that since the start of the year, 18,550 wildfires have burned about 1,250 square miles. That’s well above the 10-year U.S. average of 12,290 wildfires and 835 square miles burned for the same period.
Hotter and drier weather coupled with decades of fire suppression have contributed to an increase in the number of acres burned by wildfires, fire scientists say. The problem is exacerbated by a more than 20-year Western megadrought that studies link to human-caused climate change.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/15/2-dead-more-than-200-homes-charred-new-mexico-wildfire/
| 2022-04-15T17:07:19Z
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Alex Jones to recoup $75,000 in fines in Sandy Hook lawsuit
Published: Apr. 15, 2022 at 12:53 PM EDT|Updated: 13 minutes ago
WATERBURY, Conn. (AP) — Infowars host and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones will be getting back the $75,000 in fines he paid to a Connecticut court for missing a deposition last month in a lawsuit over his assertions that the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting was a hoax.
A Connecticut judge on Thursday ordered the return of the money because Jones eventually appeared at a deposition in Bridgeport last week.
The escalating fines had been aimed at making sure Jones did appear for questioning.
Jones is being sued for defamation by relatives of some of the 20 children and six educators killed in the 2012 Newtown, Connecticut, massacre.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/15/alex-jones-recoup-75000-fines-sandy-hook-lawsuit/
| 2022-04-15T17:07:26Z
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Ancient tombs discovered underneath Notre Dame
Published: Apr. 15, 2022 at 9:44 AM EDT|Updated: 3 hours ago
(CNN) - Ancient tombs and statues have been discovered beneath Notre Dame Cathedral during the project to restore it.
Archaeologists carefully examined an area under the cathedral where they found statues, sculptures, tombs and pieces of original church architecture dating back to the 13th century.
Crews have been working to restore the church after it caught fire three years ago.
The excavation was a precautionary measure before scaffolding gets put up to restore part of the roof. That work can now get started after France’s National Archaeological Institute announced it has wrapped up the excavation.
The cathedral is on track to reopen to the public in 2024.
Copyright 2022 CNN Newsource. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/15/ancient-tombs-discovered-underneath-notre-dame/
| 2022-04-15T17:07:32Z
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Building Bridges for the Greater Good prepares for What We Lost event
STAUNTON, Va. (WHSV) - “I remember the snack shop that was on the next block up. I remember my dentist being in this area, " Ophie Kier said.
Kier, a Staunton native, founded Building Bridges for the Greater Good to foster conversations with the community around dismantling racism and oppression. Years in the making, the organization is preparing for their What We Lost event on April 23.
“We were supposed to present the event on the Saturday the Governor shut down for the Pandemic,” Elaine Rose, president of the organization, said.
The event will welcome community members, students, historians and more to the Booker T. Washington Community Center to detail the history of Staunton’s Urban Renewal projects during the 1960s.
“The majority of the area was from Frederick Street up to Pump Street and from Central all the way to Augusta,” Kier explained.
Research found while Urban Renewal Projects happened in cities around the country, the projects disproportionately affected communities of color.
“To go back and look at all the buildings that were in this area and the fact that city designated as a blighted area and there were Black representatives that tried to sue to keep it from happening and the vote continued, they lost the suit, and then to see this area completely bare nothing but dirt, those are devastating pictures,” Kier added.
Next Saturday’s event will include reenactments of business owners to show what the area was like before the renewal project.
“We would like to see this become a part of the teaching at Staunton City Schools that they are teaching about the Black businesses, not just during Black History Month,” Rose added. “That would be a good thing to share with the students and let them see this reenactment of the businesses that were lost. It might inspire them.”
The What We Lost event is scheduled for April 23 at Booker T Washington Community Center in Staunton from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. For more information, click here.
Copyright 2022 WHSV. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/15/building-bridges-greater-good-prepares-what-we-lost-event/
| 2022-04-15T17:07:39Z
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Easter Egg Roll returns after 2-year, COVID-induced hiatus
WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House is hoping to stir up some “egg-citement” when the Easter Egg Roll returns on Monday after a two-year, coronavirus-induced hiatus.
President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden expect to welcome some 30,000 kids and their adult chaperones for the egg roll, an egg hunt and other activities.
The first lady, who is a teacher, is calling it the “Egg-ucation Roll,” aides said, and is turning the South Lawn into a school community with a variety of educational stations.
It’s the first Easter Egg Roll to be hosted by the Bidens, who are expected to address the crowd and join in some of the activities, although rain was in Monday’s weather forecast.
The COVID-19 pandemic led the White House to cancel the event in 2020 and 2021.
Besides the egg roll and hunt, the all-day event will include a schoolhouse activity area, a reading nook, a talent show, a place to teach children how farmers supply food, a photo-taking station, a physical “egg-ucation” zone with an obstacle course and other exercise stations, and a “cafetorium” where children and their families will learn to make and eat treats.
The “egg-stravaganza” will get a celebrity splash through the participation of “Tonight Show” host Jimmy Fallon, singer Ciara and actor-singer Kristin Chenoweth.
More than two dozen costumed characters will roam the grounds, including Dr. Seuss’ The Cat in the Hat, the Racing Presidents mascots for the Washington Nationals of Major League Baseball, Rosita and Cookie Monster from “Sesame Street” and Snoopy and Charlie Brown, among others.
Military families will be among the 30,000 participants, including crew members of the USS Delaware and their families. The first lady serves as sponsor of the nuclear attack submarine, which the president commissioned during a ceremony this month in Wilmington, Delaware.
Members of the general public received their tickets through an online lottery.
The egg roll will be the largest event to date at the Biden White House and will unfold in five waves beginning at 7:30 a.m. and ending at 6:30 p.m.
Resumption of this Easter tradition is a sign that the White House is opening up again, despite a recent spurt of COVID-19 cases among members of the Cabinet, the White House staff, Vice President Kamala Harris’ husband and members of Congress, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Some of those cases stemmed from the return this month of the Gridiron Club’s spring dinner.
Self-guided, public tours of the executive mansion are set to resume on Friday in a limited fashion, after they also were halted in 2020 because of the pandemic.
The White House Easter Egg Roll dates to 1878.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/15/easter-egg-roll-returns-after-2-year-covid-induced-hiatus/
| 2022-04-15T17:07:45Z
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GOP lawmakers aided Trump election challenge before warning against it, texts show
(CNN) - Two Republicans, once former President Donald Trump’s allies in Congress, called on the administration to stand down after the 2020 election.
Sen. Mike Lee of Utah and Rep. Chip Roy of Texas went from encouraging the White House efforts to overturn the results to ultimately warning about the consequences.
Dozens of private texts to Trump Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, obtained by CNN, show how they were trying to help initially, but by the end, they raised concerns to Trump’s top deputy about his campaign’s effort to stand in the way of the election’s certification.
“We’re driving a stake in the heart of the federal republic,” Roy warned Meadows in a text Jan. 1.
The texts, starting right after the election and going through early January 2021, are now in the possession of the House Jan. 6 select committee.
Roy’s stark warning came after weeks of begging Meadows for hard evidence of election fraud and concerns that the lack of specific evidence was a real problem for the Trump legal team.
“We must urge the president to tone down the rhetoric,” he wrote to Meadows on Nov. 9.
Roy did believe that there were problems with the election. In early December, he went to the House floor imploring his colleagues to look into the thin examples of fraud.
“The American people are raising legitimate questions about the election, and this body is missing in action and doing nothing,” he said Dec. 9.
Lee also started out hopeful there was a path to challenge the election results. In early November, he touted the work of conservative lawyer Sydney Powell, encouraging Meadows to get her an audience with the president and calling her a “straight shooter.”
Less than two weeks later, Powell appeared with Rudy Giuliani in what would become an infamous news conference where the duo made wild, baseless claims.
Lee then changed his tune, calling Powell a “liability” and turning his focus to touting attorney John Eastman.
Lee pushed a plan to convince state legislatures to offer up a set of alternate electors. When that plan fizzled, he decided he was no longer on board.
He texted Meadows on Dec. 16, “I think we’re now passed the point where we can expect anyone will do it without some direction and a strong evidentiary argument.”
Lee and Roy ultimately chose not to join other Republicans to vote against certifying the election.
“Our job is to open and then count, open then count. That’s it. That’s all there is,” Lee said on the Senate floor Jan. 6.
Privately, they were even more emphatic about the Trump team’s efforts.
“The president should call everyone off. It’s the only path,” Roy texted Meadows on Dec. 31.
Lee argued the effort to challenge the election certification was on dangerous constitutional ground.
Three days before Jan. 6, he warned, “I know only that this will end badly for the president unless we have the Constitution on our side.”
They did not, but the Trump team and a group of loyal Republicans went ahead with their plan anyway.
As it became clear their effort would not be successful, hundreds of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol in protest.
As the violence was raging, Roy texted Meadows, “Fix this now.”
He then went to the House floor and placed the blame squarely at Trump’s feet.
“The president should never have spun up certain Americans to believe something that simply cannot be,” Roy said Jan. 6.
Copyright 2022 CNN Newsource. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/15/gop-lawmakers-aided-trump-election-challenge-before-warning-against-it-texts-show/
| 2022-04-15T17:07:52Z
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It’s not over: COVID-19 cases are on the rise again in US
(AP) - Yet again, the U.S. is trudging into what could be another COVID-19 surge, with cases rising nationally and in most states after a two-month decline.
One big unknown? “We don’t know how high that mountain’s gonna grow,” said Dr. Stuart Campbell Ray, an infectious disease expert at Johns Hopkins University.
No one expects a peak nearly as high as the last one, when the contagious omicron version of the coronavirus ripped through the population.
But experts warn that the coming wave – caused by a mutant called BA.2 that’s thought to be about 30% more contagious – will wash across the nation. They worry that hospitalizations, which are already ticking up in some parts of the Northeast, will rise in a growing number of states in the coming weeks. And the case wave will be bigger than it looks, they say, because reported numbers are vast undercounts as more people test at home without reporting their infections or skip testing altogether.
At the height of the previous omicron surge, reported daily cases reached into the hundreds of thousands. As of Thursday, the seven-day rolling average for daily new cases rose to 39,521, up from 30,724 two weeks earlier, according to data from Johns Hopkins collected by The Associated Press.
Dr. Eric Topol, head of Scripps Research Translational Institute, said the numbers will likely keep growing until the surge reaches about a quarter the height of the last “monstrous” one. BA.2 may well have the same effect in the U.S. as it did in Israel, where it created a “bump” in the chart measuring cases, he said.
Keeping the surge somewhat in check, experts said, is a higher level of immunity in the U.S. from vaccination or past infection compared with early winter.
But Ray said the U.S. could wind up looking like Europe, where the BA.2 surge was “substantial” in some places that had comparable levels of immunity. “We could have a substantial surge here,” he said.
Both experts said BA.2 will move through the country gradually. The Northeast has been hit hardest so far — with more than 90% of new infections caused by BA.2 last week compared with 86% nationally. As of Thursday, the highest rates of new COVID cases per capita over the past 14 days were in Vermont, Rhode Island, Alaska, New York and Massachusetts. In Washington, D.C., which also ranks in the top 10 for rates of new cases, Howard University announced it was moving most undergraduate classes online for the rest of the semester because of “a significant increase in COVID-19 positivity” in the district and on campus.
Some states, such as Rhode Island and New Hampshire, saw the average of daily new cases rise by more than 100% in two weeks, according to Johns Hopkins data.
Joseph Wendelken, spokesperson for the Rhode Island Department of Health, said despite rising cases, hospitalizations remain relatively low, and that’s the metric they are most focused on right now. About 55 COVID-19 patients are hospitalized, compared with more than 600 at one point in the pandemic.
Officials credit high vaccination rates. State statistics show 99% of Rhode Island adults are at least partially vaccinated and 48% have gotten the booster dose that scientists say is key in protecting against severe illness with omicron.
Vermont also has relatively high levels of vaccination and fewer patients in the hospital than during the height of the first omicron wave. But Dr. Mark Levine, the health commissioner there, said hospitalizations and the numbers of patients in intensive care units are both up slightly, although deaths have not risen.
Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that new hospital admissions of patients with confirmed COVID-19 were up slightly in New England and the New York region.
On the West Coast, modelers from Oregon Health & Science University are projecting a slight increase in hospitalizations over the next two months in that state, where cases have also risen steeply.
As the wave moves across the country, experts said states with low rates of vaccination may face substantially more infections and severe cases that wind up in the hospital.
Ray said government leaders must be careful to strike the right tone when talking to people about protecting themselves and others after COVID restrictions have largely been lifted. Philadelphia recently became the first major U.S. city to reinstate its indoor mask mandate after a sharp increase in infections. But Vermont’s Levine said there are no plans to bring back any of the restrictions that were imposed earlier during the pandemic.
“It’s going to be hard to institute restrictive, draconian measures,” Ray said. “Fortunately, we have some tools that we can use to mitigate risk. And so I hope that leaders will emphasize the importance for people to watch the numbers,” be aware of risks and consider taking precautions such as wearing masks and getting vaccinated and boosted if they’re not already.
Lynne Richmond, a 59-year-old breast cancer survivor who lives in Silver Spring, Md., said she plans to get her second booster and keep wearing her mask in public as cases rise in her state and nearby Washington, D.C.
“I never really stopped wearing my mask…I’ve stayed ultra-vigilant,” she said. “I feel like I’ve come this far; I don’t want to get COVID.”
Vigilance is a good strategy, experts said, because the coronavirus is constantly throwing curveballs. One of the latest: even more contagious subvariants of BA.2 found in New York state, known as BA.2.12 and BA.2.12.1. And scientists warn that new and potentially dangerous variants could arise at any time.
“We shouldn’t be thinking the pandemic is over,” Topol said. “We should still keep our guard up.”
___
Associated Press reporter Wilson Ring contributed from Stowe, Vermont.
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The Associated Press Health and 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/2022/04/15/its-not-over-covid-19-cases-are-rise-again-us/
| 2022-04-15T17:07:58Z
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K-9 shot, killed during standoff with armed suspect
OXFORD, N.C. (Gray News) – A police K-9 in North Carolina was shot and killed Sunday.
K-9 Major with the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office was killed during a standoff with an armed robbery suspect.
According to the Granville County Sheriff’s Department, officers responded to a report of an armed robbery involving the theft of a vehicle on Saturday. Police could not locate the suspect Saturday, but the following day, officers responded to a report of a suspicious fire at a residence.
During the investigation of the fire, officers determined the armed robbery suspect was possibly hiding under the crawl space of the home. As police tried to clear the crawl space, they were met with gunfire from the suspect and returned fire.
During that time, K-9 Major was struck by gunfire and died. The dog was shot twice with an AK-47 rifle.
Police requested further assistance from other law enforcement agencies, including a crisis negotiator. The crisis negotiator made contact with the suspect and convinced the man to come out from under the crawl space and surrender to authorities.
Aside from K-9 Major, no law enforcement officers were injured.
The suspect, identified as William Darius Eichelberger, 21, was transported to the hospital with minor injuries and released a short time later. He was then taken to the Granville County Magistrate where he was placed under a $250,000 bond.
According to police, Eichelberger was charged with seven felonies, and more charges are forthcoming.
K-9 Major was a 3-year-old German Shepherd and the beloved partner of Corporal Jamie Lariviere. The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office is holding a celebration of life for Major on Monday.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/15/k-9-shot-killed-during-standoff-with-armed-suspect/
| 2022-04-15T17:08:06Z
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Luray intersection improvements begin April 20
LURAY, Va. (WHSV) - The Virginia Department of Transportation has announced that construction is scheduled to begin Wednesday, April 20, on improvements at three intersections in the town of Luray in Page County. The project, which is expected to take about eight months to complete, will enhance safety and improve traffic flow at:
- Northcott Drive and West Main Street (Route 211 Business) – A roundabout will be built at this intersection with 18-foot pavement width and an 18-foot truck apron. West Main Street will be 36 feet wide with a curb and gutter at the roundabout entrance.
- Northcott Drive and Route 211/340 (Lee Highway) – Northcott Drive will be realigned to eliminate a small hill and will have a concrete sidewalk on both sides. The intersection will feature a traffic island and a right-turn lane from Northcott onto Route 211/340.
- West Main Street (Route 211 Business) at Route 211/340 (Lee Highway) – A concrete median will allow only right-in and right-out turns at this intersection. Left-turns from West Main Street onto Route 211/340 will be eliminated.
When construction begins on April 20, Northcott Drive will be closed between West Main Street and Route 211/340. The closure will allow contractors to make roadway improvements and construct a portion of the roundabout.
During this phase of construction, Northcott Drive traffic will be detoured to the south and will use the intersection of West Main and Route 211/340. The remainder of the roundabout will be constructed during other phases of the project.
Throughout construction, motorists should be alert for lane closures and traffic lane shifts. The Virginia Department of Transportation will provide traffic and construction updates throughout the project.
VDOT awarded a $1,646,596.00 construction contract to General Excavation Inc. of Warrenton, Va. The project is scheduled for completion in December 2022. All work is weather permitting.
Additional information about the Luray intersections project is found on the VDOT website. Virginia traffic alerts and traveler information can be found by dialing 511 or clicking here.
Copyright 2022 WHSV. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/15/luray-intersection-improvements-begin-april-20/
| 2022-04-15T17:08:12Z
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Mall store owner accused of shooting 9-year-old girl to be returned to California
LAS VEGAS (AP) — A Southern California shoe store owner accused of shooting and wounding a 9-year-old girl when he opened fire at shoplifters agreed Thursday to be returned from Nevada to face charges in the case.
Police have said that Marqel Cockrell, 20, fled from the California desert city of Victorville in his car just after the girl, identified by family members as Ava Chruniak, was mistakenly hit by bullets on Tuesday as she waited to have her picture taken with a mall Easter bunny.
Cockrell, 20, stood in court and told a Las Vegas judge that he understood that California authorities had 30 days to extradite him. He was not represented by an attorney because Nevada does not provide lawyers for extradition cases.
Cockrell co-owns the shoe store Sole Addicts at the Mall of Victor Valley and was chasing two shoplifters about 6:30 p.m. Tuesday when he fired shots that “instead hit the 9-year-old female victim,” Victorville police said in a statement.
The girl suffered three gunshot wounds, including two in an arm, her grandmother, Moraga-Saldarelli said. One of the bullets fractured an arm bone.
She was released from the hospital on Thursday but will require another operation to repair nerve damage, KCBS-TV reported.
“I will never forgive him. What he did to me is not OK,” Ava told the station from her bed at home. “No one should have a gun in the mall.”
Police have said that Cockrell drove from the mall before responding officers arrived after receiving reports of gunfire and that he was arrested in Nevada’s Clark County, about a three-hour drive from Victorville.
Cockrell is being held at the Clark County Detention Center in Las Vegas. Authorities have said he faces at least one attempted murder charge. Records do not indicate if he has a lawyer who could speak on his behalf.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/15/mall-store-owner-accused-shooting-9-year-old-girl-be-returned-california/
| 2022-04-15T17:08:18Z
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‘Pink Moon’ heralds spring, Passover
Published: Apr. 15, 2022 at 8:15 AM EDT|Updated: 4 hours ago
(CNN) - The full moon will not be called blue this weekend. Instead, it will be called pink!
NASA said the “Pink Moon” will illuminate the sky from early Friday to Monday morning. The moon should be at its peak fullness Saturday afternoon.
This version of a full moon goes by several traditional names.
The “Pink Moon” honors its spring arrival, so it will not actually be the color pink.
It’s also known as the “Fish Moon” because, as coastal tribes note, it appears at the same time the shad fish swim upstream to spawn.
And it’s called a “Passover Moon” because its appearance coincides with the Jewish holiday.
Passover begins at sundown Friday and ends the following week at nightfall on April 23.
Copyright 2022 CNN Newsource. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/15/pink-moon-heralds-spring-passover/
| 2022-04-15T17:08:24Z
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Police: 3 toddlers exposed to THC through daycare’s crackers; owner charged
STAFFORD COUNTY, Va. (WWBT/Gray News) - A daycare owner has been charged after officials said three toddlers in her care were taken to the emergency room after eating “Goldfish”-type crackers infused with THC.
On March 2, deputies responded to a hospital after a report of several babies with THC exposure, WWBT reported.
Three children, all 1-year-old, were taken to Stafford Hospital Center after their parents observed lethargic and uncoordinated behavior as well as glassy, bloodshot eyes.
The hospital staff recognized the symptoms and confirmed through testing that each child was exposed to THC, the main psychoactive compound in cannabis that produces a high sensation, authorities said.
According to police, the three families were connected to a licensed home daycare provider.
Police said they searched the daycare and collected the crackers around the toddler’s high chairs. Lab results confirmed the crackers had THC in them, authorites
Child Protective Services were brought into the investigation, and the daycare voluntarily surrendered its license.
On Thursday, the daycare owner Rebecca Swanner, 60, turned herself in to authorities. She has been charged with three counts of cruelty and injury to children.
Swanner was released by the magistrate on a $2,000 unsecured bond.
Copyright 2022 WWBT via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/15/police-3-toddlers-exposed-thc-through-daycares-crackers-owner-charged/
| 2022-04-15T17:08:33Z
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Police: Man fatally pushed woman into California train
RIVERSIDE, Calif. (AP) — A man accused of fatally pushing a woman in front of a freight train in Southern California has been arrested, authorities said.
The woman, whose name has not yet been made public, was hit by the train Monday morning in the city of Riverside, about 55 miles (89 kilometers) from downtown Los Angeles, police said Thursday.
Riverside police said in a statement that the woman and the man, Kevin Errol Lewis, were in an argument next to the railroad tracks that turned physical.
During the altercation, Lewis allegedly shoved the woman he was in a dating relationship with into the path of the train, killing her, police said.
Officers found Lewis, 41, nearby and detained him, police said. He is being held in jail without bail on suspicion of murder and domestic violence, as well as several outstanding warrants for theft and narcotics violations.
Lewis, whom police described as a transient man, is scheduled to appear in court on April 25, online jail records showed. It was not immediately clear whether he had an attorney who could speak on his behalf.
The killing was similar to a death in New York City in January that shocked the city after after a woman was pushed to her death in front of a subway train beneath Times Square in an apparently unprovoked attack. Police charged Martial Simon, whom authorities said was homeless, in the slaying of Michelle Alyssa Go.
Simon is being held in a hospital prison ward and is scheduled to return to court on Tuesday, online jail and court records show.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/15/police-man-fatally-pushed-woman-into-california-train/
| 2022-04-15T17:08:39Z
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Prince Harry, Meghan make surprise visit to queen at Windsor
LONDON (AP) — Prince Harry and his wife Meghan have visited Queen Elizabeth II at Windsor Castle, on their first joint visit to the U.K. since they gave up formal royal roles and moved to the U.S. more than two years ago.
The couple’s office says they visited the 95-year-old queen, Harry’s grandmother, Thursday on their way to the Netherlands to attend the Invictus Games. Harry is a founder and patron of the international sports competition for wounded military veterans.
Harry and Meghan stepped down as senior working royals and moved to North America in 2020, citing the unbearable pressure of their roles and racist attitudes of the British media.
Since then Harry has made solo trips to the U.K. to attend the funeral of his grandfather, Prince Philip, in April 2021 and to unveil a statue of his late mother Princess Diana last July.
The couple, also known as the duke and duchess of Sussex, lost their taxpayer-funded police guard when they walked away, and Harry is suing the British government for refusing to let him pay for his own police security on his visits to the U.K. His lawyers say Harry wants to bring his children — Archie, who is almost 3, and 10-month-old Lilibet — to visit his home country but that it is too risky without police protection.
Harry and Meghan are expected to attend a reception in The Hague on Friday for the Invictus Games, which run from Saturday to April 22.
The visit to the queen came on Maundy Thursday, a day in the week before Easter that the queen for decades marked by distributing silver coins known as “Maundy money” to pensioners at a church service. This year the queen, who has been experiencing mobility issues in recent months and came down with COVID-19 in February, did not attend. She was represented by her eldest son, Prince Charles, and his wife Camilla.
The monarch also is expected to miss the royal family’s Easter Sunday church service. She has continued to perform royal duties, including virtual audiences with politicians and diplomats.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/15/prince-harry-meghan-make-surprise-visit-queen-windsor/
| 2022-04-15T17:08:45Z
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Shenandoah County crash, Mount Crawford crash causes delays
Published: Apr. 15, 2022 at 11:28 AM EDT|Updated: 1 hours ago
SHENANDOAH COUNTY, Va. (WHSV) - On I-81 at mile marker 267.5 in Shenandoah County, motorists can expect delays due to a tractor trailer crash.
Crews are in the final stages of cleanup. The left lane is still closed. Traffic backups are approximately 6.0 miles. Traffic backups on I-81 South are approximately 5.0 miles.
On I-81 South at mile marker 239 in Rockingham County, motorists can expect delays due to a vehicle crash.
Traffic backups are approximately 4.0 miles. Traffic backups on I-81 North are approximately 1.0 mile.
This is a developing story. Stay with WHSV for the latest information.
Copyright 2022 WHSV. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/15/shenandoah-county-crash-causes-delays/
| 2022-04-15T17:08:53Z
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South Carolina death row inmate picks firing squad over electric chair
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — A South Carolina prisoner scheduled to be the first man executed in the state in more than a decade has decided to die by firing squad rather than in the electric chair later this month, according to court documents filed Friday.
Richard Bernard Moore, 57, is the also first state prisoner to face the choice of execution methods after a law went into effect last year making electrocution the default and giving inmates the option to face three prison workers with rifles instead.
Moore has spent more than two decades on death row after being convicted of the 1999 killing of convenience store clerk James Mahoney in Spartanburg. If executed as scheduled on April 29, he would be the first person put to death in the state since 2011 and the fourth in the country to die by firing squad in nearly half a century.
The new law was prompted by the decadelong break, which corrections officials attribute to an inability to procure the drugs needed to carry out lethal injections.
In a written statement, Moore said he didn’t concede that either method was legal or constitutional, but that he more strongly opposed death by electrocution and only chose the firing squad because he was required to make a choice.
“I believe this election is forcing me to choose between two unconstitutional methods of execution, and I do not intend to waive any challenges to electrocution or firing squad by making an election,” Moore said in the statement.
Moore’s attorneys have asked the state Supreme Court to delay his death while another court determines if either available method is cruel and unusual punishment. The attorneys argue prisons officials aren’t trying hard enough to get the lethal injection drugs, instead forcing prisoners to choose between two more barbaric methods.
His lawyers are also asking the state Supreme Court to delay the execution so the U.S. Supreme Court can review whether his death sentence was a disproportionate punishment compared with similar crimes. The state justices denied a similar appeal last week.
South Carolina is one of eight states to still use the electric chair and one of four to allow a firing squad, according to the Washington-based nonprofit Death Penalty Information Center.
Only three executions in the United States have been carried out by firing squad since 1976, according to the nonprofit. Moore’s would mark the first since Ronnie Lee Gardner’s 2010 execution by a five-person firing squad in Utah.
South Carolina’s corrections agency said last month that it finished developing protocols for firing squad executions and completed $53,600 in renovations on the death chamber in Columbia, installing a metal chair with restraints that faces a wall with a rectangular opening 15 feet (4.6 meters) away. In the case of a firing squad execution, three volunteer prison workers will train their rifles on the condemned prisoner’s heart.
Moore is one of 35 men on South Carolina’s death row. The state last scheduled an execution for Moore in 2020, which was then delayed after prison officials said they couldn’t obtain lethal injection drugs.
During Moore’s 2001 trial, prosecutors said Moore entered the store looking for money to support his cocaine habit and got into a dispute with Mahoney, who drew a pistol that Moore wrestled away from him.
Mahoney pulled a second gun, and a gunfight ensued. Mahoney shot Moore in the arm, and Moore shot Mahoney in the chest. Prosecutors said Moore left a trail of blood through the store as he looked for cash, stepping twice over Mahoney.
At the time, Moore claimed that he acted in self-defense after Mahoney drew the first gun.
Moore’s supporters have argued that his crime doesn’t rise to the level of a death penalty offense. His appeals lawyers have said that because Moore didn’t bring a gun into store, he couldn’t have intended to kill someone when he walked in.
The last person executed in South Carolina was Jeffrey Motts, who was on death row for strangling a cellmate while serving a life sentence for another murder.
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Liu is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/15/south-carolina-death-row-inmate-picks-firing-squad-over-electric-chair/
| 2022-04-15T17:08:59Z
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Stuffed animal containing father’s ashes returned to daughter after donation mix-up
AGAWAM, Mass. (WGGB/WSHM/Gray News) – A very special stuffed animal that was accidentally donated to Savers in Massachusetts was returned to its owner after a monthlong search.
Mary Kirk said the toy, an orange tabby cat from Build-A-Bear, contains her father’s ashes.
The cat was given to Kirk’s son by her father in 2001. When Kirk’s father died four years ago, the family decided to put some of his ashes in a plastic pouch and place it inside the stuffed animal so her son would always have a piece of his grandfather.
However, when the family was getting ready to move last month, Kirk’s husband accidentally donated the stuffed animal to Savers.
Unfortunately, the stuffed animal was no longer at the store when the family went to retrieve it.
After pleading with the public for weeks on social media and hanging signs up at the Savers store, the cat turned up on Kirk’s doorstep. The stuffed animal was shipped in a box, addressed to Kirk, but had no return address.
Kirk said the Build-A-Bear is “much dirtier” than when she last saw him, but she is deeply grateful for its return.
The family is now searching for the anonymous sender so they can properly thank them. Kirk is also offering a $350 reward plus a new stuffed cat.
Copyright 2022 WGGB/WSHM via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/15/stuffed-animal-containing-fathers-ashes-returned-daughter-after-donation-mix-up/
| 2022-04-15T17:09:05Z
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Twitter adopts ‘poison pill’ defense to thwart Elon Musk’s takeover bid
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Twitter said Friday that its board of directors has unanimously adopted a “poison pill” defense in response to Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s proposal to buy the company and take it private.
Twitter said the move, formally called a “limited duration shareholder rights plan,” aims to enable its investors to “realize the full value of their investment” by reducing the likelihood that any one person can gain control of the company without either paying shareholders a premium or giving the board more time. Poison pills are often used to defend against hostile takeovers.
Twitter’s plan would take effect if Musk’s roughly 9% stake grows to 15% or more. Even then, Musk could still take over the company with a proxy fight by voting out the current directors. Twitter said the plan doesn’t prevent the board from engaging with parties or accepting an acquisition proposal if it’s in the company’s “best interests.”
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/15/twitter-adopts-poison-pill-defense-thwart-elon-musks-takeover-bid/
| 2022-04-15T17:09:12Z
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Ukraine war weighs on pope’s Good Friday Colosseum ritual
ROME (AP) — The war in Ukraine loomed over the traditional Good Friday Colosseum procession in Rome, after the Vatican’s choice of a Russian woman to be among the cross-bearers angered Ukrainians.
For the first time since before the pandemic, the solemn torchlit procession at the ancient arena in Rome was to resume on Friday night. Thousands of pilgrims and tourists flocked to the site hours earlier, in hope of catching a glimpse of Pope Francis, who presides over the service from an elevated point near the Roman Forum.
Earlier this week, Ukraine’s ambassador to the Holy See and the archbishop of Kyiv denounced the Vatican’s plan to have a Ukrainian woman and a Russian woman carry the cross together during the procession. They objected to projecting what they saw as the idea of reconciliation while Ukraine is ravaged by war unleashed by Russia.
The Vatican didn’t respond to the protests or announce any program changes.
While Francis has denounced the Feb. 24 invasion and attacks on Ukraine as a “sacrilege,’’ he has refrained from naming Russia as the aggressor, although his references to Russian Vladimir Putin have been clear. The pope is pressing for negotiations to cease the fighting and bring peace, and has offered to go to Ukraine if his presence could further the cause of peace.
But other faithful in the world applauded the decision to pair the two women, who work together at a Rome hospital and are friends, to carry the cross during part of the procession, which recalls Jesus’ suffering as he was being brought to his crucifixion and death.
In Paris, hundreds of Catholics gathered for Good Friday prayers on the forecourt of Notre Dame cathedral, and followed its rector on a procession around the island on the Seine River that houses the medieval landmark.
“Well, you know today the pope has a woman from Ukraine and a woman from Russia holding the cross together at one of the Stations of the Cross,” Jennifer Kilgore-Caradec told The AP at Notre Dame. She called that a “very moving and meaningful symbol.” She added: “I think that real people in the real world are concerned about peace. We want peace, we don’t want war,” which brings suffering and pain. That is “not the message of the Christ on the cross.”
The faithful were not allowed inside the Paris cathedral, since it is still under reconstruction after a 2019 blaze collapsed its spire and destroyed its roof. French President Emmanuel Macron was visiting the cathedral Friday to mark the third anniversary of the fire.
In St. Peter’s Basilica, hours ahead of the Colosseum event, Pope Francis, wearing red vestments to symbolize the blood of Jesus, limped up the central aisle to take his place for an early evening prayer service. Francis, 85, has been suffering from a knee ligament problem.
Usually at the Good Friday basilica service at the Vatican, the pontiff would prostrate himself in prayer. But this time Francis, hobbled by pain for weeks, didn’t do so.
Francis dispatched his official almsgiver, Polish Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, to Kyiv to lead a Good Friday procession in the capital city of war-ravaged Ukraine. Italian Rai state TV said Krajewski on Friday visited two of Ukraine’s hardest-hit locations, Bucha and Borodyanka, both in ruins. At one point, Krajewski prayed over some of the bodies and leaned over to touch one, partially covered, body.
Throughout his papacy, Francis has repeatedly denounced armaments accumulated by nations as unjustified. In an interview broadcast on Italian state TV on Friday, the pope elaborated on his view.
“I understand those governments that buy arms, I understand them. I do not justify them, but I understand them, because we have to defend ourselves,” Francis said. But, he added: “If there were a pattern of peace, this would not be necessary. But we live with this diabolical pattern of killing one another out of the desire for power, the desire for security, the desire for many things.”
Good Friday is one of the main days for Christians during Holy Week, which culminates in Easter, on Sunday.
In Jerusalem, where tens of thousands of faithful traditionally converge on the Israeli city’s Old City to visit sacred sites during Holy Week, Palestinians on Friday clashed with Israeli police at the Al-Aqsa mosque. The site is sacred to Jews and Muslims. This year, Ramadan coincides with Passover, as well as Holy Week.
Medics in Jerusalem said that more than 150 Palestinians were injured, in the most serious violence at the site in nearly a year.
___
John Leicester and Oleg Cetinic contributed from Paris.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/15/ukraine-war-weighs-popes-good-friday-colosseum-ritual/
| 2022-04-15T17:09:19Z
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Virginia COVID-19 cases rise by 1,538 Monday
13,307,361 total PCR tests have been run for the virus in Virginia, with 1,683,267 positive cases.
Due to the number of vaccinations across our region, we will no longer be updating the COVID-19 hotline.
As of Friday, April 15, Virginia has had 1,683,267 total cases of COVID-19, including confirmed lab tests and clinical diagnoses, according to the Virginia Department of Health.
The Virginia Department of Health reports a 5.4% 7-day positivity rate for total PCR testing encounters.
Additional deaths were reported this Friday, leaving the death toll at 20,022.
For a comprehensive summary of COVID-19 cases and testing in Virginia, you can visit the Virginia Department of Health’s website and view their COVID-19 dashboard.
On Sunday, April 18, 2021, vaccine eligibility expanded to all individuals in the Commonwealth age 16 and above.
On Thursday, April 22, 2021, former Governor Northam announced an ease in some of the COVID-19 restrictions for social gatherings that began on Saturday, May 15:
- Social gatherings: The maximum number of individuals permitted in a social gathering will increase to 100 people for indoor settings and 250 people for outdoor settings. Social gatherings are currently limited to 50 people indoors and 100 people outdoors.
- Entertainment venues: Indoor entertainment and public amusement venues will be able to operate at 50 percent capacity or 1,000 people, up from 30 percent capacity or 500 people. Outdoor venues will be able to operate at 50 percent capacity — up from 30 percent — with no specific cap on the number of attendees.
- Recreational sporting events: The number of spectators allowed at indoor recreational sporting events will increase from 100 to 250 spectators or 50 percent capacity, whichever is less. Outdoor recreational sporting events will increase from 500 to 1,000 people or 50 percent capacity, whichever is less.
- Alcohol sales: Restaurants may return to selling alcohol after midnight, and dining room closures will no longer be required between midnight and 5:00 a.m.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced on Thursday, May 13, 2021, vaccinated individuals are no longer required to wear a mask in most circumstances. On Friday, May 14, 2021, Former governor Ralph Northam announced the mask mandate in Virginia would be lifted, and capacity and social distancing restrictions will end on May 28.
Statewide case totals and testing numbers as of April 15
By April 15, the Virginia Department of Health had received reports of 1,208,520 confirmed cases and 474,747 probable cases of COVID-19 across the commonwealth.
Those positive test results are out of 13,307,361 total PCR tests administered in Virginia.
At this point, 49,483 Virginians have been hospitalized due to the disease caused by the virus, and at least 20,022 have died of causes related to the disease.
Where are our local cases?
Here’s a breakdown of cases for our region as of 10:00 a.m. April 15.
Central Shenandoah Health District: 67,114 total cases
Beginning March 10, 2022, the Locality dashboard is no longer being published. Cases by report date and cases by date of illness can be viewed by locality on the Cases dashboard.
Total PCR tests: 426,536
Lord Fairfax Health District: 54,482 total cases
Total PCR tests: 364,317
Northwest Total Outbreaks: 1,030 reported, including 329 in long term health care facilities, 97 in K-12 settings, 75 in healthcare settings, 41 in correctional facilities, 341 in congregate settings, 65 in colleges/universities, and 82 in child care settings.
Note: VDH has changed the way it tracks outbreaks. They are now grouped by regions instead of health districts.
COVID-19 Vaccine in Virginia
The Virginia Department of Health has launched a data dashboard showcasing the number of COVID-19 vaccines that have been distributed and administered throughout the commonwealth.
According to the data dashboard, as of April 15, 7,012,796 people have been vaccinated with at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, and 6,271,411 people are fully vaccinated.
18,646,325 total vaccine doses have been distributed throughout the state.
Recovery
The Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association’s online dashboard indicates that, as of April 15, at least 107,652 COVID-19 patients have been discharged from the hospital.
Unlike the VDH data that reports cumulative hospitalizations, their data on hospitalizations reflects hospitalized patients confirmed positive for COVID-19, and that number is 150.
West Virginia updates
Here at WHSV, we cover Grant County, Hardy County and Pendleton County. The below information is the most recent data from each counties’ health department. You can find West Virginia’s COVID-19 dashboard here.
There are 498,890 total cases in West Virginia as of April 15.
Grant County: 3,771 total COVID-19 cases
Hardy County: 4,178 total COVID-19 cases
Pendleton County: 1,959 total COVID-19 cases
For the latest factual information on COVID-19, you’re encouraged to check both the Virginia Department of Health and the CDC.
Copyright 2021 WHSV. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/15/virginia-covid-19-cases-rise-by-1538-monday/
| 2022-04-15T17:09:26Z
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Missing Wallaby found on Memphis Zoo property
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC/Gray News) - Memphis Zoo says its “wandering wallaby” was found Friday morning.
The little guy was found in the service yard near Rainbow Lake on zoo property after zookeepers spotted new wallaby tracks leading them to him, WMC reported.
He went missing Wednesday following severe storms in Memphis. The zoo says its KangaZoo exhibit began to flood due to the overflow of Lick Creek at the time of the storm and the animals were rounded up to be evacuated and relocated to the animal hospital.
Once they arrived, one wallaby was missing.
The little guy is now back with his marsupial family at the hospital.
The zoo says he is under observation and will be examined by a senior vet.
Copyright 2022 WMC via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/15/wallaby-missing-memphis-zoo-after-severe-storms/
| 2022-04-15T17:09:32Z
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Wheels reportedly fall off school bus while it’s in motion
DETROIT (WXYZ) - A middle school bus in Michigan broke down on the side of the road after two wheels apparently detached from the bus while it was in motion.
Fortunately, no one was injured.
A photo of the L’Anse Creuse Middle School bus is making rounds on social media and sparking concern and frustration with parents.
“Nobody said anything to any of us,” Tammy Caparo said. She has a granddaughter in the seventh grade that attends that school.
She says there was no email, phone call or alert to tell families what happened.
Caparo picks her granddaughter up from school, but on social media parents who say their children were on the bus are reporting they didn’t hear from school officials.
“I would hope the school would do more about the safety of the children and reach out to the parents and let them know that they are doing everything they can to make the buses more safe for their children to get on,” Caparo said.
After the incident, many are left wondering how the wheels just rolled off a moving bus.
According to a L’Anse Creuse school official, it appears it was caused by a mechanical failure involving a bolt.
“The district has not had any other issues of this nature in the past,” the official said.
They went on to say that “extensive bouncing” caused by road conditions, such as potholes, could have played a part.
“Wheels just don’t come off of school buses,” said Andy Didorosi, owner of the Detroit Bus Company.
He’s repaired buses for years.
He said they are one of the safest vehicles, and it’s unlikely Michigan roads are to blame for wheels detaching.
“School buses are made to take hundreds of thousands of pounds of force on their axles,” he said. “They are extremely, extremely tough vehicles.”
Didorosi said it’s likely the bolts or lug nuts loosened over time, and the daily inspector missed it.
“And frequently drivers give a vehicle a quick visual inspection, which is oftentimes not enough,” he said.
WXYZ asked L’Anse Creuse if the bus had recently been repaired, as well as when it had its last state inspection, but did not get a response.
Copyright 2022 WXYZ via CNN Newsource. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/15/wheels-reportedly-fall-off-school-bus-while-its-motion/
| 2022-04-15T17:09:40Z
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Youngkin orders flags flown at half-staff in honor of Virginia Tech shooting victims
RICHMOND, Va. (WDBJ) - Governor Glenn Youngkin announced Friday he will order flags to be flown at half-staff from sunrise April 16 until sunset in memory of the Virginia Tech shooting in 2007 which left 32 people dead, according to Youngkin’s team.
Saturday marks the 15th anniversary of the shooting.
See the governor’s full statement below:
In accordance with the authority vested in me as Governor, I hereby order that the flags of the United States of America and the Commonwealth of Virginia be flown at half-staff on all state and local buildings and grounds in the Commonwealth of Virginia in respect and memory of the 15th Anniversary of the Virginia Tech shooting which took the lives of 32 people.
I hereby order that the flags shall be lowered at sunrise on Saturday, April 16, 2022 and remain at half-staff until sunset.
Ordered on this, the 15th day of April, 2022.
Sincerely,
Glenn Youngkin
Copyright 2022 WDBJ. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/15/youngkin-orders-flags-flown-half-staff-honor-virginia-tech-shooting-victims/
| 2022-04-15T17:09:47Z
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Police: More than 900 civilian bodies found in Kyiv region
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — More than 900 civilian bodies have been discovered in the region surrounding the Ukrainian capital following the withdrawal of Russian forces — most of them fatally shot, police said Friday, an indication that many people were “simply executed.”
The number of dead is double that announced by Ukrainian authorities almost two weeks ago.
Andriy Nebytov, the head of Kyiv’s regional police force, said the bodies were abandoned in the streets or given temporary burials. He cited police data indicating that 95% died from gunshot wounds.
“Consequently, we understand that under the (Russian) occupation, people were simply executed in the streets,” Nebytov said.
More bodies are being found every day, under rubble and in mass graves, he added.
The largest number of victims were found in Bucha, where there were more than 350, he said.
GRAPHIC WARNING: Videos and photos contain disturbing images.
According to Nebytov, utilities workers in Bucha gathered and buried bodies in the Kyiv suburb while it remained under Russian control. Russian troops, he added, were “tracking down” people who expressed strong pro-Ukrainian views.
Meanwhile, Russia’s Defense Ministry promised to ramp up missile attacks on the Ukrainian capital in response to Ukraine’s alleged aggression on Russian territory, an ominous warning that followed Moscow’s stinging loss of its flagship in the Black Sea.
The threat of intensified attacks on Kyiv came after Russian authorities accused Ukraine of wounding seven people and damaging about 100 residential buildings with airstrikes in Bryansk, a region bordering Ukraine. Authorities in another border region of Russia also reported Ukrainian shelling Thursday.
“The number and the scale of missile attacks on objects in Kyiv will be ramped up in response to the Kyiv nationalist regime committing any terrorist attacks or diversions on the Russian territory,” Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said.
Russia issued the warning while it continues to prepare for a renewed offensive in eastern Ukraine. Meanwhile, locals in the pummeled southeastern city of Mariupol reported seeing Russian troops digging up bodies.
In Kyiv, a renewed bombardment could mean a return to the steady wail of air raid sirens heard during the early days of the invasion and to fearful nights sheltering in subway stations. Tentative signs of pre-war life have resurfaced in the capital after Russian troops failed to capture the city and retreated to concentrate on eastern Ukraine, leaving behind evidence of possible war crimes.
Ukrainian officials have not confirmed striking targets in Russia, and the reports could not be independently verified.
However, Ukrainian officials said their forces did strike a key Russian warship with missiles. If true, the reported Wednesday attack on the guided-missile cruiser Moskva, named for the Russian capital, would represent an important victory for Ukraine and a symbolic defeat for Russia.
The warship sank while being towed to port Thursday after suffering heavy damage under circumstances that remained in dispute. Moscow acknowledged a fire on board but not any attack. U.S. and other Western officials could not confirm what caused the blaze.
The Moskva had the capacity to carry 16 long-range cruise missiles. If Ukrainian forces took out the vessel, it was likely the largest warship to be sunk in combat since 1982. A British submarine torpedoed an Argentine navy cruiser called the ARA General Belgrano during the Falklands War, killing over 300 sailors.
The sinking of the Russian warship reduces Russia’s firepower in the Black Sea, although military analysts disagreed on the event’s significance to the course of the war. Either way, the loss was viewed as emblematic of Moscow’s fortunes in a seven-week invasion widely seen as a historic blunder following the retreat from the Kyiv region and much of northern Ukraine.
“A ‘flagship’ russian warship is a worthy diving site. We have one more diving spot in the Black Sea now. Will definitely visit the wreck after our victory in the war,” Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov tweeted Friday in a boast.
In his nightly address Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told Ukrainians they should be proud of having survived 50 days under Russian attack when the invaders “gave us a maximum of five.”
Russia’s warning of renewed airstrikes did not stop Kyiv residents from taking advantage of a sunny and slightly warmer spring day as the weekend approached. More people than usual were out on the streets Friday, walking dogs, riding electric scooters and strolling hand in hand.
In one central park, a small group of people including a woman draped in a Ukrainian flag danced to the music of a portable speaker.
Residents reported hearing explosions in parts of Kyiv overnight, but it was not clear what sites were targeted.
News about the Moskva overshadowed Russian claims of advances in the southern port city of Mariupol, which Moscow’s forces have blockaded since the early days of the invasion. Dwindling numbers of Ukrainian defenders have held out against a siege that has come at a horrific cost to trapped and starving civilians.
Mariupol’s mayor said this week that more than 10,000 civilians had died and the death toll could surpass 20,000. Other Ukrainian officials have said they expect to find evidence in Mariupol of atrocities against civilians like the ones discovered in Bucha and other towns outside Kyiv.
The Mariupol City Council said Friday that locals reported seeing Russian troops digging up bodies that were buried in residential courtyards and not allowing new burials “of people killed by them.”
“Why the exhumation is being carried out and where the bodies will be taken is unknown,” the council said on the Telegram messaging app.
Mariupol’s capture would allow Russian forces in the south, which came up through the annexed Crimean Peninsula, to fully link up with troops in the Donbas region, Ukraine’s eastern industrial heartland and the target of the looming offensive.
Moscow-backed separatists have fought Ukrainian forces in the Donbas since 2014, the same year Russia seized Crimea from Ukraine. Russia has recognized the independence of two rebel-held areas of the region.
Although it’s not certain when Russia will launch the full-scale campaign, a regional Ukrainian official said Friday that seven people died and 27 were injured after Russian forces opened fire on buses carrying civilians in the village of Borovaya, near the northeastern city of Kharkiv. The claim could not be independently verified.
Dmytro Chubenko, a spokesman for the regional prosecutor’s office, told Ukraine’s Suspilne news website, that Ukrainian authorities had opened criminal proceedings in connection with a suspected “violation of the laws and customs of war, combined with premeditated murder.”
A large explosion also struck the eastern city of Kramatorsk, where a missile strike on a train station a week earlier killed more than 50 people as thousands heeding warnings to evacuate the Donbas area waited to leave.
Associated Press journalists in Kramatorsk heard the sound of a rocket or missile and then the blast, followed by sirens wailing Friday. It was not immediately clear what was hit or whether there were casualties. A day earlier, a factory in the same city was hit by an airstrike.
The Russian Defense Ministry said Friday that Russian strikes in the Kharkiv region “liquidated a squad of mercenaries from a Polish private military company” of up to 30 people and “liberated” an iron and steel factor in Mariupol. The claims could not be independently verified.
On Thursday, the Defense Ministry explained the damage to the Moskva by saying that a fire had caused ammunition on board to detonate. Apart from the cruise missiles, the Moskva also carried air-defense missiles and other guns.
The ministry did not say what might have caused the blaze but reported that the crew, which usually numbers about 500, abandoned the vessel. It was not clear if there were any casualties.
Maksym Marchenko, governor of Ukraine’s Black Sea region of Odesa, said Ukrainian forces struck the Moskva with two Neptune missiles and caused “serious damage.” The Neptune is an anti-ship missile recently developed by Ukraine based on an earlier Soviet design.
___
Fisch reported from Kramatorsk. Associated Press journalists around the world contributed to this report.
Follow the AP’s coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/15/zelenskyy-hails-ukrainians-resolve-50-days-into-invasion/
| 2022-04-15T17:09:55Z
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KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa., April 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- More than one thousand people impacted by frontotemporal degeneration (FTD), the most common dementia under 60, came together to connect, learn, and engage with a community that understands the disease at the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration's (AFTD) first-ever hybrid Education Conference, on Friday, April 8.
Persons diagnosed with FTD, care partners, caregivers, researchers, health care professionals, and industry experts attended the 2022 Education Conference, both at the BWI Airport Marriott near Baltimore, as well as virtually. Nearly 200 people attended in Baltimore for the first in-person conference experience since 2019, while more than 1,000 registrants from 29 different countries joined via livestream.
The day consisted of presentations focusing on the latest strides in FTD research, the diverse FTD care partner experience, and the language of dementia, presented by experts in the FTD/dementia field. Both in-person and virtual attendees were able to take part in interactive breakout sessions that took an in-depth look at the key aspects of the FTD journey.
AFTD's Persons with FTD Advisory Council, a group of people living with FTD who help to inform AFTD's work, shared their perspective on living with the disease. Later, AFTD Board member Rita Choula, MA, the director of caregiving at the AARP Public Policy Institute, delivered the conference's keynote address, sharing her mother's journey with FTD and how her family navigated the experience. Ms. Choula sent out a call for individuals and persons impacted by FTD to "be bold" in advocating for care, both for their loved ones and themselves.
AFTD founder Helen-Ann Comstock, AFTD CEO Susan L-J Dickinson, and AFTD Board chair David Pfeifer delivered the conference's closing remarks, in which they reflected on the organization's history as AFTD approaches its 20th anniversary.
Additional featured speakers at this year's event included AFTD Medical Advisory Council member Chiadi Onyike, MD, MHS; David Irwin, MD, principal investigator of the Penn Digital Neuropathology Lab; Tania Gendron, PhD, of the Mayo Clinic in Florida; Angela Taylor, senior director of research and advocacy at the Lewy Body Dementia Association; and Laynie Dratch, ScM, CGC, of the University of Pennsylvania's FTD Center.
About Frontotemporal Degeneration (FTD) and AFTD
Unlike Alzheimer's disease, frontotemporal degeneration (FTD) is a dementia that primarily affects personality, behavior, language, and movement. It most commonly onsets between the ages of 45 and 64. Currently there are no approved disease-modifying treatments for FTD, which affects more than 60,000 people in the United States and today is always fatal.
The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration (AFTD) is the leading nonprofit devoted to helping families affected by FTD today, and driving research to foster accurate diagnosis, treatments, and a cure. Our volunteer-founded organization – driven by thousands of volunteers and donors – reflects a community's determination to #endFTD.
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| 2022-04-15T17:10:07Z
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ST. PAUL, Minn., April 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- 3M's Safety and Industrial Business Group and the National Coalition of Certification Centers (NC3) have announced the winners for the Skilled Trades - 3M Transformational Scholarship for students with a focus in skilled trades. This scholarship will allow schools to help students from diverse backgrounds pursue their dreams in skilled trades while also bridging the gaps of inequality in our communities.
3M and NC3 awarded 50 students, who participated in the NC3 National Career and Technical Education Letter of Intent Signing Day, with a $1,000 scholarship. Created by NC3 in 2014, this event is modeled after the NCAA's National Signing Day for athletes. It is designed to honor students who are entering a technical field and to celebrate the dignity of work. 3M is proud to sponsor this scholarship, as it reflects the company's commitment to lifting diverse perspectives and developing the next generation of leaders. Both are important elements in the Safety and Industrial Business Group's mission of transforming the way work gets done today and into the future.
"We are excited to celebrate these exceptional students and provide support for their continuing education through the Skilled Trades – 3M Transformational Scholarship," said Martha Bennett, global vice president, 3M Safety and Industrial Business Group. "The skilled trades are in high demand among our customers and in all communities where we do business and encouraging diverse perspectives and representation reflects our values and who we are."
This year, over 65 institutions participated in this event across the country. High school students attended the signing ceremonies committing to enter into a skilled trade or career and technical education program for the 2022-23 school year.
"NC3 National Career Technical and Education Letter of Intent Signing Day is one of our most important events of the year because it focuses on the students - those who are our future and will make a great impact on tomorrow's workforce. We are honored to partner with 3M on The Skilled Trades – 3M Transformational Scholarship to support students across our nation achieve their dreams in the skilled trades," said NC3 Executive Director, Roger Tadajewski.
To learn more about NC3 Signing Day and view the recipients of The Skilled Trades – 3M Transformational Scholarship, please visit www.nc3.net/signingday.
ABOUT 3M
At 3M, we apply science in collaborative ways to improve lives daily as our employees connect with customers all around the world. Learn more about 3M's creative solutions to global challenges at www.3M.com or on Twitter @3M or @3MNews.
ABOUT NC3
NC3 was established to help build a workforce prepared to meet the needs of today's and tomorrow's industries by connecting employers and educational institutions in synergistic partnerships that foster effective training, elevation of skilled careers, and employment opportunities. In fulfilling its mission, NC3 builds deep industry-educational partnerships and develops, implements and sustains industry-recognized portable certifications built on national skills standards. We envision an industrial labor market where all workers have jobs they need to thrive and all companies have well-trained employees they need to operate and grow. Learn more at www.nc3.net.
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| 2022-04-15T17:10:14Z
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WASHINGTON, April 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Access to Comprehensive Genomic Profiling Coalition (ACGP) announced today the addition of Blueprint Medicines to its coalition of companies advocating for coverage of comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) for patients living with advanced cancer by U.S. health insurers.
"The addition of Blueprint Medicines upholds the collective commitment from the diagnostics companies, laboratory services providers, and pharmaceutical companies of ACGP to increase access to comprehensive profiling for people living with cancer," said Jim Almas, MD, vice president and national medical director of clinical effectiveness at Labcorp, and the chairman of ACGP. "Blueprint Medicines plays a major role in the fields of oncology and precision therapy and their support of our efforts is welcomed."
CGP testing performed soon after a diagnosis of advanced cancer better informs medical management, including treatment decisions and patient care, which can improve clinical outcomes. In advocating for coverage of CGP, ACGP seeks to educate health insurers and other healthcare stakeholders about the clinical utility and economic value of CGP.
All companies that offer CGP tests or offer a product with CGP are eligible for consideration of membership in ACGP. If you are interested in learning more about becoming a member, please contact us here.
About Blueprint Medicines
Blueprint Medicines is a global precision therapy company that invents life-changing therapies for people with cancer and blood disorders. Applying an approach that is both precise and agile, we create medicines that selectively target genetic drivers, with the goal of staying one step ahead across stages of disease. Since 2011, we have leveraged our research platform, including expertise in molecular targeting and world-class drug design capabilities, to rapidly and reproducibly translate science into a broad pipeline of precision therapies. Today, we are delivering approved medicines directly to patients in the United States and Europe, and we are globally advancing multiple programs for systemic mastocytosis, lung cancer and other genomically defined cancers, and cancer immunotherapy. For more information, visit www.BlueprintMedicines.com and follow us on Twitter (@BlueprintMeds) and LinkedIn.
About the Access to Comprehensive Genomic Profiling Coalition
Access to Comprehensive Genomic Profiling (ACGP) is a collaborative coalition of leading molecular diagnostics companies and laboratories that aims to raise awareness about comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) for advanced cancer patients.
For more information, visit: http://www.accesstoCGP.com
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https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/15/access-comprehensive-genomic-profiling-coalition-welcomes-blueprint-medicines-member/
| 2022-04-15T17:10:20Z
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SCOTRUN, Pa., April 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- After a vigorous review process spanning several months, Brookdale Premier Addiction Recovery has been chosen as an approved in-network substance use disorder treatment facility by Aetna. Effective April 15, 2022, Aetna members will receive in-network coverage at Brookdale's one-of-a-kind facility situated in the stunning Pocono Mountains.
As part of Brookdale's strategic growth plan, the addition of Aetna in-network coverage will make world-class addiction treatment available to more individuals struggling with addiction. Brookdale is currently in-network with Highmark BCBS, Geisinger Health Plans, and Cigna, and accepts many more insurance providers.
"Our commitment is to provide a better patient experience and to make high-quality treatment available to those suffering from substance use disorder," says Ed Allen, Chief Marketing Officer, and VP of Operations.
Due to tremendous growth and success, Brookdale is set to begin Phase-2 of construction this summer increasing its residential capacity to treat more patients. The sprawling 100-acre campus is currently capable of treating 34 detox and 76 residential patients.
"The addition of Aetna expands our reach to more than 22 million members and is a testament to our goal of making world-class treatment available to as many patients as possible," says Allen. "We saw a gap between the services that were available to most people and what was needed and, more importantly, effective in treating this chronic disease. The pandemic has shown us that services like ours are more needed than ever, as more families deal with the devastating impact of addiction."
About Brookdale Premier Addiction Recovery
Brookdale Premier Addiction Recovery opened in 2019 and sits lakeside on 100 acres in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania. The premier addiction treatment facility is most known for innovative clinical services with exclusive amenities including 5-star cuisine, hair salon, recreation/fitness center, indoor/outdoor pools, tennis and volleyball courts, basketball, fishing, and hiking trails. Brookdale offers an easy way to verify your insurance benefits through a secure, online form.
For more information, please contact Ed Allen, Chief Marketing Officer and Vice President of Operations at (877) 620-1410.
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| 2022-04-15T17:10:27Z
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SAN ANTONIO, April 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --Instilled with an innovative entrepreneurial spirit since childhood, San Antonio native Andrew Barlowe applies his past experience and drive for empowering people of all ages in his new interactive self-help book Make It Happen. In it, Barlowe highlights important insights he's learned on his journey and provides readers with applicable tools, step-by-step resources, and open-ended response questions with room for readers to write personalized answers. Filled with personality, humor, and real-world sensibility, Make It Happen takes a unique spin on what it means to make your dreams happen.
Perfect as a motivational resource tool for individuals and small organizations, this short and powerful read is especially impactful for those looking to boost their current initiatives and curriculum.
Organizations based in:
- Education (College+)
- Women and Minority Empowering
- Veteran Assistance Programs
- Business Advancement
Author Andrew Barlowe's journey to success has been anything but ordinary. With only a paper full of ideas and some solid business partners, Barlowe took the entrepreneurial world by storm with his business Barlowe Ventures. Barlowe Ventures serves as a resource for aspiring entrepreneurs, enabling them with tools to convert their ideas to visions, and their visions into reality. By performing services like real estate development, business consulting, and more, Barlowe's Ventures provide individuals and businesses alike the tools they need to spark growth and innovation within their communities.
"Become the best version of yourself you can be. Be someone with character and perseverance. The world has no shortage of smart people."
- Excerpt from Make It Happen
This material may be protected by copyright.
Join Andrew Barlowe for a book signing event on Thursday April 21st from 6 - 8 pm at Brasão Brazilian Steakhouse. Get the opportunity to purchase your copy of Make It Happen and get it signed by the author himself.
Make It Happen by Andrew Barlowe can be purchased for $20.99 on Amazon. For more information please visit ReadMakeItHappen.com or for press inquiries email info@cranecreatives.com.
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| 2022-04-15T17:10:33Z
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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. , April 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Authparency, an initiative of OncoSpark Inc. a leader in value-based-technology enabled services, is focused on transforming the prior authorization process through intelligent workflow and automation. Authparency, built upon more than a decade of clinical and administrative prior authorization intelligence, has been selected for the Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub, which will enable further development and application. The platform was built with features and modules that leverage subject matter experts and interoperability for both medical procedures and drugs/infusion.
Microsoft for Startups brings together the technology, guidance, and support that we need to continue to strategically and fundamentally influence the value to patients and healthcare. Jordan Johnson, Chief Innovation Officer of OncoSpark, said, "This program serves as the foundational catalyst that is needed to harness confidence and speed in our solution that is imperative for patients and providers as we define less restrictive value based clinical pathways."
Authparency was created with the input and experience of 100+ clinicians, patient advocates, benefit navigators and other stakeholders that understand the need for better alignment of patient, payer, and provider. The data collected from the platform is influencing pharma, industry, and health policy as it relates to transparency and access to care, while helping build clinical decision support approval pathways. Authparency has numerous relational modules that create a standardized, transparent, and integrated authorization ecosystem.
Manish Jain, co-founder of OncoSpark, said, "The onerous prior authorization requirements burden practices with a variety of barriers, including issues submitting documentation through disparate health plan web portals. This remains a major problem in healthcare as we are seeing an increase in those seeking specialty care and an even greater increase in barriers to this care. By standardizing the process and creating relational data, we are able to work directly with payers and pharmaceutical companies to drive optimization and value."
As providers and practices operate on razor thin margins and struggle with staffing, bringing tracking, payer connectivity, direct submission, insurance validation, HUB enrollment, and assistance pathways in one integrated platform ensures viability, sustainability, and optimal resource allocation.
Jordan Johnson added, "The commitment and values of the Microsoft and Oncospark teams allow us to serve communities, patients, and providers to reduce barriers in a dynamic and changing environment."
About OncoSpark
OncoSpark is a 400+ member team that is committed to value-based care driven by technology-enabled services through integrated data. OncoSpark's combination of clinical, administrative, and industry expertise has established them as one of healthcare's most trusted partners for practices, payers, providers, and vendors that seek a more effective approach and strategy to the current ineffective operational and financial processes. Contact OncoSpark directly at jordanj@oncospark.com to learn more about our at-risk strategies, RCM management, data solutions, and platforms.
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https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/15/authparency-selected-by-microsoft-startups-remove-friction-prior-authorization-process-eliminate-barriers-healthcare/
| 2022-04-15T17:10:39Z
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TAMPA, Fla., April 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Big Brothers Big Sisters of America (BBBSA), the preeminent leader in one-to-one youth mentoring, appoints Ad Council Chief Equity Officer Elise James-DeCruise, and National Corn Growers Association Chief Executive Officer Jon Doggett to its Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Council, designed to support the organization's longstanding commitment to empower all young people.
James-DeCruise is an award-winning Learning & Development professional and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion practitioner with over 20 years of global experience in the marketing, strategy, design and delivery of programs and experiences for clients, partners and industry professionals within the workforce, marketplace and community. As CEO of the Ad Council, a leading nonprofit that uses the power of communications to drive social change, James-DeCruise oversees the organization's ongoing commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion – ultimately informing every aspect of the Ad Council's mission, workplace culture and public-facing communications.
Doggett brings a wealth of knowledge and public policy experience to the JEDI Council. Prior to becoming CEO of the National Corn Growers Association in 2018, Doggett served as the organization's executive vice president from 2014-2018, and prior to that he served as vice president of public policy for over 12 years, where he managed the organization's Washington, D.C. office and led its public policy efforts.
"I am pleased to welcome Elise and Jon to Big Brothers Big Sisters' JEDI Council. Their collective experience in public policy and diversity, equity and inclusion are welcome additions to the council," said Interim JEDI Council Co-Chair Jana Brown. "I look forward to working alongside them to create more equitable outcomes for the Big Brothers Big Sisters workforce, community, and young people."
Founded in 2021, BBBSA's JEDI Council supports the organization's long-standing commitment to empower all youth. The group, made up of business and nonprofit leaders and experts, brings their expertise and compassion to BBBSA to cultivate strategies, curate concepts, and advise on JEDI issues affecting young people, staff, volunteers, and communities across the country. The formation of this cohort is part of BBBSA's responsibility to create a nondiscriminatory and anti-racist approach to dismantle any inequities within its policies, systems, programs, and services, so all young people can experience a strong mentoring relationship in their lives.
"With youth empowerment at the center of all we do, BBBSA is committed to tailoring our approach to meet the diverse and evolving needs of the young people we serve. The JEDI Council helps us make sure that we continue to pursue our values of upholding justice, equity, diversity and inclusion," said Big Brothers Big Sisters of America President and CEO Artis Stevens. "I am grateful to Elise and Jon for sharing their invaluable expertise with us and look forward to working with them as new members of the JEDI Council."
"I am thrilled to bring my expertise to Big Brothers Big Sisters of America as a new member of the JEDI Council," said Ad Council Chief Equity Officer Elise James-DeCruise. "The organization's commitment to providing a fulfilling and equitable experience for Bigs and Littles is commendable. I look forward to working with the JEDI Council to help Big Brothers Big Sisters examine and enhance its policies and practices to best support the communities they serve."
"I am beyond excited to join Big Brothers Big Sisters of America's JEDI Council," said National Corn Growers Association Chief Executive Officer Jon Doggett. "The nonprofit has an outstanding reputation and I look forward to sharing my public policy experience to help the organization be the most diverse, mission-driven, youth empowerment organization in the country."
To learn more about Big Brothers Big Sisters of America's JEDI Council visit: https://www.bbbs.org/justice-equity-diversity-inclusion/.
About Big Brothers Big Sisters of America
Founded in 1904, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America is the largest and most experienced youth mentoring organization in the United States. The mission of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America is to create and support one-to-one mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth. Big Brothers Big Sisters' evidence-based approach is designed to create positive youth outcomes, including educational success, avoidance of risky behaviors, higher aspirations, greater confidence, and improved relationships. Big Brothers Big Sisters has over 230 local agencies serving more than 5,000 communities across all 50 states. For more information, visit: www.bigbrothersbigsisters.org.
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| 2022-04-15T17:10:48Z
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NEW YORK, April 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Bit Digital, Inc. (Nasdaq: BTBT) (the "Company"), a bitcoin mining company headquartered in New York, announced that it filed its annual report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021 with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") on April 15, 2021.
Fiscal Year 2021 Financial Highlights
- Bitcoin mining revenue increased to $96.1 million from $21.1 million in fiscal year 2020, an increase of 355% year over year.
- Net income increased to $4.9 million in fiscal year of 2021, compared to a net loss of $1.9 million in fiscal year 2020.
- Total assets increased to $179.9 million as of December 31, 2021 from $39.9 million as of December 31, 2020, an increase of 351% year over year.
- Non-GAAP income* from operations increased to $48.1 million from $4.9 million in fiscal year 2020.
- Non-GAAP net income** increased to $52.7 million, or $0.96 earnings per share, compared to $1.9 million, or $0.06 earnings per share in fiscal year 2020.
- We had cash and cash equivalents of $42.4 million, and total liquidity (defined as cash and digital assets) of approximately $93.5 million, as of December 31, 2021.
- Successfully raised $118.8 million of gross proceeds from various private placement transactions and issuance of convertible notes.
* Non-GAAP income from operations excludes the impact of depreciation of property and equipment, and share-based compensation expense.
** Non-GAAP net income excludes the impact of depreciation of property and equipment, impairment on digital assets, loss from disposal of property and equipment, and share-based compensation expense.
Fiscal Year 2021 Operational Highlights
- The Company completed the migration of its miner fleet to North America. 100% of our fleet had exited China as of September 30, 2021 and arrived in North America as of November 17, 2021.
- Earned 2,065.3 bitcoins from our bitcoin mining business, compared to 1,510.2 bitcoins earned in fiscal year 2020
- Treasury holdings were 802.23 bitcoins as of December 31, 2021, compared to 262.62 bitcoins as of December 31, 2020.
- The Company owned 27,744 bitcoin miners and 731 Ethereum miners as of December 31, 2021, with an estimated maximum total hash rate of 1.6 EH/s and 0.3 TH/s, respectively.
- On October 7, 2021, we contracted to purchase an additional 10,000 Antminers from Bitmain under a Sales and Purchase Agreement (the "SPA") at an estimated cost of $65 million. These miners are expected to be fully installed by June 2022 and to increase the Company's miner hash rate by approximately 1.0 Exahash ("EH/s").
- As a result of the hosting agreements signed as of December 31, 2021, the Company had secured hosting capacity sufficient to complete the redeployment of its fleet in North America, with additional signed capacity to facilitate future fleet growth.
- On December 7, 2021, the Company became a member of the Bitcoin Mining Council ("BMC"), joining MicroStrategy and other founding members to promote transparency, share best practices, and educate the public on the benefits of bitcoin and bitcoin mining.
- Approximately 67% of our fleet's run-rate electricity consumption was generated from carbon-free energy sources as of December 31, 2021, based on data provided by our hosts, publicly available sources, and internal estimates, demonstrating our commitment to sustainable practices in the digital asset mining industry.
Strategic Priorities
- Successfully complete full deployment of currently-owned fleet and announced miner purchases
- Continue progress towards our carbon-free goal and overall sustainability profile
- Monitor and execute on attractive miner procurement opportunities
- Evaluate and execute on new growth opportunities
Management Commentary
"In 2021, Bit Digital geographically relocated its entire bitcoin mining operation to North America, the only public miner we know of to have achieved this logistical feat. As of March 15, 2022, we had deployed approximately 39% of our fleet here in the U.S. We and our hosting partners remain focused on completing 100% redeployment, which we target for the second half of 2022.
During the year, we showed our differentiated access to procurement, securing miners both through the spot market and direct channels. Further, amidst a tight market for data center rack space, we secured a robust power pipeline to facilitate growth, with over 200 MW contracted – enough to roughly double our fleet size. We did this while continuing to demonstrate our commitment to sustainability.
Non-GAAP Income from Operations of $48.1 million increased nearly 900% year-on-year, illustrating the growth potential of our business. That this was achieved against the backdrop of fleet migration, with many miners offline, is especially powerful.
Bit Digital is excited for the year ahead, as our team explores pioneering new opportunities and continues its focus on growth."
About Bit Digital
Bit Digital, Inc. is a bitcoin mining company headquartered in New York City. Our mining operations are located in North America. For additional information, please contact IR@bit-digital.com or visit our website at www.bit-digital.com.
Investor Notice
Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. Before making an investment decision, you should carefully consider the risks, uncertainties and forward-looking statements described under "Risk Factors" in Item 3.D of our most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021 If any material risk was to occur, our business, financial condition or results of operations would likely suffer. In that event, the value of our securities could decline and you could lose part or all of your investment. The risks and uncertainties we describe are not the only ones facing us. Additional risks not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial may also impair our business operations. In addition, our past financial performance may not be a reliable indicator of future performance, and historical trends should not be used to anticipate results in the future. Future changes in the network-wide mining difficulty rate or Bitcoin hash rate may also materially affect the future performance of Bit Digital's production of bitcoin. Additionally, all discussions of financial metrics assume mining difficulty rates as of December 2021. See "Safe Harbor Statement" below.
Safe Harbor Statement
This press release may contain certain "forward-looking statements" relating to the business of Bit Digital, Inc., and its subsidiary companies. All statements, other than statements of historical fact included herein are "forward-looking statements." These forward-looking statements are often identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "believes," "expects," or similar expressions, involving known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Although the company believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, they do involve assumptions, risks and uncertainties, and these expectations may prove to be incorrect. Investors should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. The company's actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of a variety of factors, including those discussed in the company's periodic reports that are filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and available on its website at http://www.sec.gov. All forward-looking statements attributable to the company or persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by these factors. Other than as required under the securities laws, the company does not assume a duty to update these forward-looking statements.
Note: Actual operating hash rate will vary depending on network difficulty rate, total hash rate of the network, the operations of our facilities and the status of our miners.
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https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/15/bit-digital-inc-announces-2021-financial-highlights/
| 2022-04-15T17:10:54Z
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Charities, Individuals and Companies Use Technology to Amplify Generosity and Provide Humanitarian Aid
CHARLESTON, S.C., April 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Blackbaud (NASDAQ: BLKB), the world's leading cloud software company powering social good, is pleased to share how its customers are unleashing incredible generosity and raising funds for humanitarian relief to help the people of Ukraine.
"We are in awe of the critical work our customers are doing in this time of crisis and the ways people around the world are getting involved," said Mike Gianoni, president and CEO, Blackbaud. "We applaud the organizations and individuals that are contributing their money, time and resources to causes for Ukraine. Blackbaud's vision has always been to create an Ecosystem of Good® that builds a better world. With nonprofits, individuals and companies all working together as a force for good, we can make a real difference in the countless lives that have been upended by this devastation. We are honored to power giving to help those in need, and our hearts go out to the people of Ukraine."
Nonprofits and Charitable Organizations Providing Critical Funds and Services
Since the start of the conflict on February 24, Blackbaud's nonprofit customers have rallied their staff and supporters to quickly react to the evolving situation—from raising funds to deploying teams and resources on the ground in Ukraine and surrounding countries.
Examples of organizations leveraging Blackbaud technology to engage supporters and raise funds for humanitarian relief include:
- CARE, which is providing food, water, supplies and services for families fleeing Ukraine. CARE's crisis relief efforts have a goal of reaching four million people in need.
- Direct Relief, which has worked with Ukraine's Ministry of Health and other on-the-ground partners to provide critical shipments of 164 tons of medical aid, including insulin supplies, critical care medications, oxygen concentrators and other essential resources.
- TiKVA Children's Home, whose mission is to provide aid and education for at-risk Jewish children and impoverished families in Odessa, Ukraine. TiKVA has successfully evacuated over 3,000 people out of Ukraine and currently has 950 refugees in their care, including 350 orphans.
Individuals Showing Incredible Generosity
On Blackbaud's JustGiving platform, more than $55 million has been raised for Ukraine-related causes through individual giving, with approximately $43 million going direct to charities and $12 million going to people in need or personal causes. More than 14,500 fundraising appeal pages have been created.
Touching examples of generosity through JustGiving include:
- Louenna Hood, a nanny who is crowdfunding to give essential supplies—like diapers, wipes, blankets, clothes and food—to Ukraine refugees in Moldova and has raised more than £170,000 so far
- Deanston Bakery in Glasgow, Scotland, which held a bake sale for Ukraine and raised over £88,000 for the Disasters Emergency Committee Ukraine appeal
- Reuben, a five-year-old boy who played his violin on the streets in London to raise almost £2,000 for Save the Children's Ukraine appeal
- Raj Singh, owner and chairman of the Hartlepool United Football Club in England, who personally donated £250,000 to the club's crowdfunding appeal for Ukraine—the largest single individual contribution in JustGiving history
Companies Stepping Up for the Cause
One in three Fortune 500 companies relies on Blackbaud's YourCause® CSRconnect® solution to power their corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs, including employee giving, matching gifts and volunteering. With the start of the conflict, Blackbaud quickly launched resources to help customers build response programs for the crisis, providing a list of verified organizations focused on humanitarian relief for Ukraine that companies and their employees could give to. Since February 24, nearly $12 million has been raised for those organizations from hundreds of companies through employee donors, spanning nearly 70 countries.
Many companies are running dedicated response programs for Ukraine on the YourCause platform. Of those, 40% have created special match campaigns for the crisis to maximize employee impact, with 20% offering a 2:1 match for employee contributions.
Wells Fargo employees have donated more than $330,000 to the Ukrainian relief effort. The company encouraged donations by featuring relief organizations in their YourCause portal and rewarding employee donations through a grant program. "Wells Fargo has a deep commitment to supporting communities and to responding in times of need," said Anna Bard, senior vice president, head of employee volunteerism and charitable giving, Wells Fargo. "Using the YourCause platform, Wells Fargo rewards employees' contributions through our Community Care Grants program, which provides grants to employees of up to $2,000 annually for their volunteer service and charitable giving and these grants are donated to the charity of their choice. As part of our support for the people of Ukraine, we temporarily increased our employee grants program by 50%, for a maximum of up to $3,000 that employees can direct to charities. We have also pledged $1 million to support humanitarian relief and U.S. service members in the region."
Blackbaud's Commitment
Blackbaud is dedicated to helping social good organizations around the world engage supporters and donors to achieve their critical missions. Our teams are working to enable customers to quickly respond to the crisis in Ukraine, stand up fundraising campaigns, process donations and spread awareness of their efforts.
Blackbaud has made a donation to the International Rescue Committee, which helps people affected by humanitarian crises to survive, recover, and rebuild their lives. In addition, we are encouraging our employees to leverage our matching gift program, which is designed to support employees' choice. Blackbaud will match employee donations to 501c3 charities, ensuring that individual contributions go further.
About Blackbaud
Blackbaud (NASDAQ: BLKB) is the world's leading cloud software company powering social good. Serving the entire social good community—nonprofits, higher education institutions, K–12 schools, healthcare organizations, faith communities, arts and cultural organizations, foundations, companies and individual change agents—Blackbaud connects and empowers organizations to increase their impact through cloud software, services, expertise and data intelligence. The Blackbaud portfolio is tailored to the unique needs of vertical markets, with solutions for fundraising and CRM, marketing, advocacy, peer-to-peer fundraising, corporate social responsibility (CSR) and environmental, social and governance (ESG), school management, ticketing, grantmaking, financial management, payment processing and analytics. Serving the industry for more than four decades, Blackbaud is a remote-first company headquartered in Charleston, South Carolina, with operations in the United States, Australia, Canada, Costa Rica and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit www.blackbaud.com or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.
Media Inquiries
media@blackbaud.com
Forward-looking Statements
Except for historical information, all of the statements, expectations, and assumptions contained in this news release are forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties, including statements regarding expected benefits of products and product features. Although Blackbaud attempts to be accurate in making these forward-looking statements, it is possible that future circumstances might differ from the assumptions on which such statements are based. In addition, other important factors that could cause results to differ materially include the following: general economic risks; uncertainty regarding increased business and renewals from existing customers; continued success in sales growth; management of integration of acquired companies and other risks associated with acquisitions; risks associated with successful implementation of multiple integrated software products; the ability to attract and retain key personnel; risks associated with management of growth; lengthy sales and implementation cycles, particularly in larger organizations; technological changes that make our products and services less competitive; and the other risk factors set forth from time to time in the SEC filings for Blackbaud, copies of which are available free of charge at the SEC's website at www.sec.gov or upon request from Blackbaud's investor relations department. All Blackbaud product names appearing herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of Blackbaud, Inc.
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| 2022-04-15T17:11:04Z
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BOSTON, April 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Boston Hemp Inc, one of largest Delta-8 and hemp wholesalers in the United States, has acquired High Life Holdings LLC, expanding their already extensive market share within the industry. The acquisition would especially raise Boston Hemp's profile in the vape sector, further expanding their HHC, Delta-8, THC-O, and CBD selection, and making them one of the largest online retailers for vape carts and disposable vape products in the industry.
Boston Hemp is located just south of Boston, MA and services over 15,000 stores nationwide. This merger will surely expand Boston Hemp's wholesale network, and in particular, elongate their already visible footprint in the Delta-8 and HHC market. "From a business standpoint, it was a no brainer," said John Lamparelli, CFO at Boston Hemp Inc. "We have been doing business closely together for years and have built a solid relationship, so when the opportunity presented itself, we made the conscious decision of acquiring the brand and expanding our market share extensively" he added.
Outside of its wholesale network, Boston Hemp is a leading online retailer in the industry specializing in hemp derived cannabinoids. As an online dispensary, they have the unique opportunity of servicing all 50 states under the Farm Bill Act signed into law by President Donald J. Trump in 2018. Every product is hemp-derived and meets the federal regulations of <0.3% Delta-9 THC. Alongside vape carts and disposables vape products, they offer flower, hash, shatter, wax, oils, edibles and essentially any other product available at your traditional marijuana dispensary. As the industry continues to grow and thrive, Boston Hemp has lead the way in terms of innovation, revolutionizing the marijuana industry through the introduction of cutting-edge cannabinoids such as HHC and compliant hemp-derived Delta-9 THC edibles.
The addition of High Life LLC will certainly add to their rapid growth and innovative product line. You can browse their entire lineup of products on the Boston Hemp website.
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SOURCE Boston Hemp Inc.
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https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/15/boston-hemp-inc-acquires-delta-8-high-life-holdings-llc-28-million-hemp-industry-acquisition/
| 2022-04-15T17:11:10Z
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LOS ANGELES, April 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Center for Asian Americans United for Self Empowerment (CAUSE) is releasing the first ever video series in which top Los Angeles mayoral candidates answer questions on how they will address important issues to the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. This video series is a component of CAUSE's VOTE Initiatives, a series of efforts designed to help Asian Pacific Americans have the resources to cast an informed ballot, be civically engaged, and be leaders in their communities.
With nearly two dozen candidates interested in being Los Angeles' next mayor, CAUSE recognized a need for voter education and to raise awareness of this particular race that may affect the entire Southern California region. The new representative elected as the Mayor of Los Angeles will represent over 430,000 AAPI residents, home to one of the largest AAPI communities in the United States.
CAUSE Executive Director Nancy Yap interviewed five of the leading mayoral candidates, including Congresswoman Karen Bass, Los Angeles Councilmember Joe Buscaino, real estate developer Rick Caruso, Los Angeles Councilmember Kevin De León, and Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer, on homelessness, public safety, economic recovery, and anti-Asian hate crimes.
The interview topics were selected from a community survey CAUSE conducted to gauge which issues matter most to the AAPI community. This is an unprecedented interview series that directly asks the top mayoral candidates specifically how their plans and administration, if elected, would address these critical issues in relationship to the AAPI community and ensure that the AAPI community is represented in their administration.
"The Mayor of Los Angeles has the power to impact policy beyond the city limits, influencing groundbreaking efforts across the country. Because Los Angeles is home to one of the largest Asian American and Pacific Islander communities in the nation, it is imperative that the mayor understands the needs of these communities. Through this video series, CAUSE was able to have conversations with candidates to ensure they include our communities in their plans for the city and find ways to address challenges facing us such as the increase in anti-Asian hate crimes," said Nancy Yap, CAUSE Executive Director.
Visit: https://bit.ly/cause-lamayor
Contact: Farrah Su, CAUSE Marketing and Communications Manager
Phone: (213) 269-5716 | Email: farrah@causeusa.org
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SOURCE Center for Asian Americans United for Self Empowerment (CAUSE)
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https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/15/cause-releases-2022-los-angeles-mayoral-video-series-first-ever-mayoral-interview-series-created-by-aapi-community/
| 2022-04-15T17:11:17Z
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