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The woman who was pulled from the Atchafalaya River died of accidental drowning.
On Wednesday, SMPSO says they obtained evidence that confirmed the victim, 38-year-old Monique Barrilleaux of Morgan City, died of accidental drowning.
Barrilleaux's body was pulled from the river around 5 miles south of Berwick on Sunday morning, May 1, 2022, by Marine Section deputies.
No foul play is suspected.
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| 2022-05-04T16:39:09Z
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Alabama church of ‘Bloody Sunday’ on endangered places list
An Alabama church that was at the center of the voting rights movement in the 1960s is now eaten up by termites and damaged by water leaks.
Brown Chapel AME Church in Selma tops this year’s list of endangered historic places from the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
The nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., works to highlight and preserve sites that are in danger of being lost.
A Brown Chapel member says the church shut down at the start of the pandemic, and members found extensive damage when they returned.
The building was constructed in 1908 and was the starting point for voting rights marches in 1965.
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| 2022-05-04T16:52:18Z
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Amber Heard to take stand in Johnny Depp’s libel suit
FAIRFAX, Va. (AP) — Actor Amber Heard is expected to take the stand in her own defense in a libel suit filed by her ex-husband, Johnny Depp. Heard’s anticipated testimony Wednesday comes after a psychologist hired by Heard’s lawyers testified she suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder from multiple acts of abuse by Depp, including sexual violence.
The “Pirates of the Caribbean” star is suing Heard in Fairfax, Virginia over an op-ed she wrote for The Washington Post describing herself as “a public figure representing domestic abuse.”
The article didn’t name Depp, but he says he was defamed because it clearly referred to accusations she raised during their divorce.
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| 2022-05-04T16:52:24Z
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Dave Chappelle tackled during Hollywood Bowl comedy show
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Comedian Dave Chappelle was tackled during a performance at the Hollywood Bowl Tuesday night. Security guards then overpowered the attacker, who was taken by ambulance from the scene. Chappelle was able to continue his performance.
The Los Angeles Police Department said Wednesday that the 23-year-old man was carrying a fake handgun with a real knife blade inside it.
Police say the alleged attacker was treated for an unspecified injury and arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon.
Chappelle was performing along with other comedians at the “Netflix Is A Joke” festival. It’s not immediately known if the suspect has retained a lawyer.
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Dolly Parton, Eminem, Richie, Benatar get into Rock Hall of Fame
Eminem, Lionel Richie, Carly Simon, Eurythmics, Duran Duran and Pat Benatar have been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, a list that also includes Dolly Parton, who initially resisted the honor.
Parton had gone on social media to “respectfully bow out” of the process, saying she did not want to take votes away from the remaining nominees and had not “earned that right.”
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation responded by saying ballots had already been sent and it was up to the voters to decide if Parton was elected.
The induction ceremony will be held Nov. 5 at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.
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How to save more when inflation makes your money count less
During inflation, consumers can adjust their spending and saving strategies to help lessen the impact that inflation has on the value of their money.
It’s important to have liquid cash set aside for emergencies, but beyond an emergency fund, there are other ways to save money and help retain its value.
These methods include seeking out higher interest rates on bank accounts, retooling your budget and spending, investing your excess cash, or buying treasury bonds.
No one knows how long this interval of high inflation will last, but the government will adjust the federal funds rate to help slow the economy and prevent hyperinflation.
By CHANELLE BESSETTE of NerdWallet
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Norman Mineta, transportation secretary in 9/11 era, dies
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Norman Mineta, who as federal transportation secretary ordered commercial flights grounded after the 9/11 terror attacks in 2001, has died.
He was 90.
John Flaherty, Mineta’s former chief of staff, said Mineta died on Tuesday at his home in Edgewater, Maryland, east of the nation’s capital. Mineta broke racial barriers in becoming mayor of San Jose, California, earlier in his political career.
He later became the first Asian-American to become a federal Cabinet secretary, serving under both Democrat Bill Clinton and Republican George W. Bush.
As Bush’s transportation secretary, Mineta led the department during the 2001 attacks and was later charged with restoring confidence in air travel in the aftermath of 9/11.
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| 2022-05-04T16:52:48Z
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The heatwave continues for Middle Georgia
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Another day with highs in the 90s awaits Middle Georgia this afternoon.
Today
There will be plenty of sunshine around Middle Georgia again this afternoon as the heat of summer draws on once again. High temperatures in all but two or three spots will be in the lower 90s this afternoon. Cloud fields will develop as the heat of the day builds up, and more isolated pop-up showers and storms will fire up during the late afternoon and evening hours. No severe storms are expected. Winds for today will predominantly come in from the west-southwest at 5-10 mph.
A couple of showers and storms may persist into the early part of tonight, however nothing should last past midnight. Scattered clouds will also persist early, however unlike previous nights we should not see many of those clouds hang around until tomorrow morning. Low temperatures overnight will again be in the low to mid 60s across the region. Winds will be variable at around 5 mph.
Tomorrow
Thursday will be the hottest afternoon of the week as all Middle Georgia locations eclipse the 90 degree mark and many spots push towards the mid 90s. Heat indices could be pushing towards the upper 90s in the hottest spots. Again the wind will come in from the southwest at 5-10 mph, and again showers and storms will fire up in the late afternoon and evening hours, bringing on a bit of relief from the heat for those that see them. Severe weather is also not expected with any of these storms.
Cloud cover will thicken overnight tonight thanks to a warm front that will push through the area. Low temperatures will be kept warmer as a result, mainly staying in the upper 60s. A few spots may not drop below 70 degrees. Winds will be variable at around 5 mph.
Friday and Beyond
Friday will be a bit cooler in the afternoon as a result of a cold front coming in late. Until the front arrives the wind will come in from the west-southwest at about 12-17 mph. Gusts could reach speeds of up to 30 mph. Highs will reach the mid to upper 80s, and one or two spots may still reach 90 degrees. A few isolated showers may fire up in the early afternoon hours, however the main line of storms and related storm activity will not arrive until late. Some scattered storms may arrive first, bringing a risk for some gusty winds and small hail. A possible spin-up tornado cannot be ruled out during this timeframe either. As of now, most of the region is under a Level 1 “Marginal” risk for severe weather Friday afternoon. The southern counties are not currently under any risk zone.
Saturday will be cooler as mostly sunny skies return with winds coming in from the west and west-northwest at 10-15 mph. Highs will be in the low to mid 80s. No isolated storms are expected in the afternoon.
Mother’s Day will also be pleasant with highs in the lower 80s and winds coming in from the north-northeast, adding a bit of a cool breeze to the air. Again, no isolated storms should fire up in the afternoon. Conditions should remain relatively seasonal heading into the second week of May.
Follow Meteorologist Aaron Lowery on Facebook (Aaron Lowery 41NBC) and Twitter (@ALowWX) for weather updates throughout the day. Also, you can watch his forecasts Monday through Friday on 41NBC News at Daybreak (6-7 a.m.) and 41Today (11 a.m).
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Improvements for several New Iberia roads will start next week.
According to the city, work on 10 roads will begin on Monday, May 9, 2022, and is expected to last one month. Glenn Lege Construction will handle the work on the following streets.
- TWENTY ARPENT – From SOUTH LEWIS ST to BAYARD STREET
- PARK AVENUE – From SOUTH LEWIS to LEE STREET
- CHARLES STREET – From SOUTH LEWIS to LEE STREET
- VERA LANE – From JUANITA STREET to DEAD END
- JUANITA STREET – From FONTELIEU DRIVE to VERA LANE
- JENNIFER STREET – From FONTELIEU DRIVE to VERA LANE
- BRIAN STREET – From FONTELIEU DRIVE to CRAIG STREET
- MINK STREET – From FONTELIEU DRIVE to DEARE STREET
- DEARE STREET – From BRIAN STREET TO EAST ST. PETER
- GLENN STREET – From BAYARD STREET TO EVANGELINE STREET
The city says residents and drivers should anticipate time delays. The streets at times will have loose gravel and oil on the roadway.
During construction, it may be necessary to limit access and detour traffic. If a detour is necessary, detour signage will be in place, they say.
The public, they say, should avoid the construction areas and use caution when driving, walking, or biking near construction zones.
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| 2022-05-04T19:40:52Z
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Congressman Sanford Bishop presents checks in Macon
Georgia Congressman Sanford Bishop spent Wednesday in Middle Georgia with big checks in hand.
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Georgia Congressman Sanford Bishop spent Wednesday in Middle Georgia with big checks in hand.
He presented Central Georgia Technical College with a check for $11.4 million.
The money comes from American Rescue Plan funds in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Congressman Bishop also presented checks to the Bibb County School District and Mercer University.
Bishop says more funds are coming to Macon-Bibb to help fight the impacts of Covid.
“The county will receive a tremendous amount through the Rescue Plan, through the Cares Act,” he said. “Over $300 million, so we’re just delighted that we’re able to allocate those resources to bring them home to the second congressional district, to the people of Macon-Bibb County.”
Bishop said the Bibb County School District received $150 million in funding to go toward computers for each student as well as improved internet service.
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| 2022-05-04T22:27:58Z
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Man arrested for drugs and guns while out on bond for similar charges
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — A 22 year-old has been arrested in connection to guns and drugs being found in the 700 block of Tidewater Circle.
According to the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office, Investigators and members of the U.S. Marshals Southeast Regional Task Force were executing a search warrant when they found a Taurus .38 revolver, 14 pounds of marijuana, materials for packaging the marijuana, and about $28,000. It was after finding these things that deputies arrested Jaquez Devontae Durham.
Durham is being held without bond, and is charged with several drug and gun related charges, but he also had a bond surrender from an arrest that took place in November 12th of 2021– for similar drug and gun related charges.
Anyone with information about this case is urged to call the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office at (478) 751-7500, or the Macon Regional Crimestoppers at 1-877-68CRIME.
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| 2022-05-04T22:28:04Z
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WEST DES MOINES, Iowa (WHO) — An Urbandale teenager died Tuesday night after his vehicle crashed into the back of a maintenance truck on I-35.
According to a crash report from the Iowa State Patrol, it happened around 10:40 p.m. on southbound I-35 near the Mills Civic Parkway exit. A dump truck was on the inside shoulder of I-35, conducting maintenance duties, when a southbound Mini Cooper driven by 17-year-old Marshall McManus left the road and struck the back of the truck.
McManus died from injuries he received in the crash. His passenger, 18-year-old Gracie Crow of Norwalk, was transported to Methodist Hospital in Des Moines with serious injuries.
The driver of the dump truck was evaluated on the scene by EMS and released without any injury.
The Iowa State Patrol is continuing its investigation into the accident.
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| 2022-05-04T22:29:19Z
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A Dog's Behavior and Personality Has Little to Do With Its Breed, New Study Shows
Though some specific behaviors are more commonly found in certain breeds, a dog’s breed doesn’t provide much guidance in predicting their overall personality, researchers said in a study published in the journal Science last week.
Think you know exactly what sort of dog you’re getting when you adopt or shop for a particular breed? Think again. A dog’s breed is “generally a poor predictor” of a pet’s behavior, according to a new study.
Though some specific behaviors are more commonly found in certain breeds, a dog’s breed doesn’t provide much guidance in predicting their overall personality, researchers said in a study published in the journal Science last week.
Researchers studied the DNA of 2,155 purebred and mixed-breed dogs and compared those sequences to surveys submitted by owners of 18,385 dogs.
“Although many physical traits were associated with breeds, behavior was much more variable among individual dogs. In general, physical trait heritability was a greater predictor of breed but was not necessarily a predictor of breed ancestry in mutts,” the study notes.
Among behavioral traits, biddability, or how well dogs respond to human direction, was the most heritable by breed, though it varied significantly among individual dogs, the study found.
For less heritable, less breed-differentiated traits, such as how easily a dog is provoked by frightening or uncomfortable stimuli, a dog’s breed is mostly unhelpful, the study found. A dog’s behavior is also not largely informed by its size, the study found.
About 9% of a dog’s behavior can be explained by its breed, the study found. Dogs of the same breed varied greatly in behavior and personality “Thus, dog breed is generally a poor predictor of individual behavior and should not be used to inform decisions relating to selection of a pet dog,” the study noted.
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WASHINGTON — Record-low mortgages below 3% are long gone. Credit card rates will likely rise. So will the cost of an auto loan. Savers may finally receive a yield high enough to top inflation.
The substantial half-point hike in its benchmark short-term rate that the Federal Reserve announced Wednesday won't, by itself, have much immediate effect on most Americans’ finances. But additional large hikes are expected to be announced at the Fed's next two meetings, in June and July, and economists and investors foresee the fastest pace of rate increases since 1989.
The result could be much higher borrowing costs for households well into the future as the Fed fights the most painfully high inflation in four decades and ends a decades-long era of historically low rates.
Chair Jerome Powell hopes that by making borrowing more expensive, the Fed will succeed in cooling demand for homes, cars and other goods and services and thereby slow inflation.
Yet the risks are high. With inflation likely to stay elevated, the Fed may have to drive borrowing costs even higher than it now expects. Doing so could tip the U.S. economy into recession.
Here are some questions and answers about what the rate hikes could mean for consumers and businesses:
Will mortgage rates keep going up?
Rates on home loans have soared in the past few months, mostly in anticipation of the Fed’s moves, and will probably keep rising.
Mortgage rates don’t necessarily move up in tandem with the Fed’s rate increases. Sometimes, they even move in the opposite direction. Long-term mortgages tend to track the yield on the 10-year Treasury note, which, in turn, is influenced by a variety of factors. These include investors’ expectations for future inflation and global demand for U.S. Treasurys.
For now, though, faster inflation and strong U.S. economic growth are sending the 10-year Treasury rate up sharply. As a consequence, mortgage rates have jumped 2 full percentage points just since the year began, to 5.1% on average for a 30-year fixed mortgage, according to Freddie Mac.
In part, the jump in mortgage rates reflects expectations that the Fed will keep raising its key rate. But its forthcoming hikes aren't likely fully priced in yet. If the Fed jacks up its key rate to as high as 3.5% by mid-2023, as many economists expect, the 10-year Treasury yield will go much higher, too, and mortgages will become more expensive.
How will rising mortgage rates affect the housing market?
If you’re looking to buy a home and are frustrated by the lack of available houses, which has triggered bidding wars and eye-watering prices, that’s unlikely to change anytime soon.
Economists say that higher mortgage rates will discourage some would-be purchasers. And average home prices, which have been soaring at about a 20% annual rate, could at least rise at a slower pace.
The surge in mortgage rates “will temper the pace of home price appreciation as more would-be homebuyers are priced out,” said Greg McBride, chief financial analyst for Bankrate.
Still, the number of available homes remains historically low, a trend that will likely frustrate buyers and keep prices high.
Will auto loans get more expensive?
Fed rate hikes can make auto loans more expensive. But other factors also affect these rates, including competition among car makers that can sometimes lower borrowing costs.
Rates for buyers with lower credit ratings are most likely to rise as a result of the Fed’s hikes, said Alex Yurchenko, chief data officer for Black Book, which monitors U.S. vehicle prices. Because used vehicle prices, on average, are rising, monthly payments will rise too.
For now, new-vehicle loans average about 4.5%. Used-vehicle rates are about 5%.
What about credit card rates and other interest rates?
For users of credit cards, home equity lines of credit and other variable-interest debt, rates would rise by roughly the same amount as the Fed hike, usually within one or two billing cycles. That’s because those rates are based in part on banks’ prime rate, which moves in tandem with the Fed.
Those who don’t qualify for low-rate credit cards might be stuck paying higher interest on their balances. The rates on their cards would rise as the prime rate does.
Should the Fed decide to raise rates by 2 percentage points or more over the next two years — a distinct possibility — that would significantly enlarge interest payments.
Will I be able to earn more on my savings?
Probably, though not likely by very much. And it depends on where your savings, if you have any, are parked.
Savings, certificates of deposit and money market accounts don’t typically track the Fed’s changes. Instead, banks tend to capitalize on a higher-rate environment to try to increase their profits. They do so by imposing higher rates on borrowers, without necessarily offering any juicer rates to savers.
This is particularly true for large banks now. They’ve been flooded with savings as a result of government financial aid and reduced spending by many wealthier Americans during the pandemic. They won’t need to raise savings rates to attract more deposits or CD buyers.
But online banks and others with high-yield savings accounts could be an exception. These accounts are known for aggressively competing for depositors. The only catch is that they typically require significant deposits.
Still, savers are starting to see some better potential returns from Treasurys. On Tuesday, the yield on the 10-year note was 2.96%, after having briefly topped 3% for the first time since 2018.
Financial markets expect inflation to average 2.83% over 10 years. That level would give investors a positive, if very small, return of about 0.13%.
“All of a sudden, we end up in this position where fixed income is way more competitive than it was before," said Jason Pride, chief investment officer for Private Wealth at Glendmede.
___
AP Auto Writer Tom Krisher in Detroit contributed to this report.
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Acres & Oak Kitchen selected as ‘Small Business Rock Star’
A middle Georgia small business was selected as a 'Small Business Rock Star.'
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — A middle Georgia small business was selected as a ‘Small Business Rock Star.’
The Georgia Department of Economic Development selected ‘Acres & Oak Kitchen’ in Macon for the honor.
This is all in celebration of Georgia Small Business Week this week.
The goal is to highlight the hard work and determination of the small business community.
Acres & Oak Kitchen owner Evan Acres says his small business is known for its family meals. They will soon open a fourth location in Dublin.
“We’re looking forward to the future,” he said. “God has blessed us in so many different ways and opened so many different doors for us. We’re looking forward to bringing other amazing staff that have allowed us to get to this point. This award doesn’t represent me as an individual. It represents our entire company.”
Acres says he hopes this will inspire other business owners. He encourages everyone to shop local and support a small business.
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| 2022-05-05T03:15:33Z
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Bibb Sheriff’s Office investigating attempted armed robbery at east Macon dollar store
The Bibb County Sheriff's Office is investigating an attempted armed robbery at an east Macon dollar store Wednesday.
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – The Bibb County Sheriff’s Office is investigating an attempted armed robbery at an east Macon dollar store Wednesday.
It happened just after 8 p.m. at Family Dollar, located at 160 Emery Highway.
Deputies were told a man wearing all black with a mask entered the store with a gun and demanded money from the clerk. After not getting any money, he fled on foot.
No one was injured.
Call the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office at (478) 751-7500 or Macon Regional Crimestoppers at 1-877-68-CRIME if you have any information.
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| 2022-05-05T03:15:39Z
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Community groups show appreciation to Bibb County teachers
Fathers Among Men, District 32, and Adjust Your Vision served a barbecue lunch to Appling Middle School teachers.
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT)— It’s Teacher Appreciation Week, and several organizations showed their appreciation to Bibb County teachers on Wednesday.
Fathers Among Men, District 32, and Adjust Your Vision served a barbecue lunch to Appling Middle School teachers. They enjoyed chicken, hamburgers, and hot dogs.
We spoke with Benjalyn King, the 2022-2023 Teacher of the Year for Appling Middle School. King says she feels appreciated throughout the year, and is grateful for the community show of support.
“I just want to thank the community and our stakeholders for just noticing us,” she said. “For just giving us our flowers while we can still appreciate them.”
Visit the Bibb County School District social media pages to see other events for Teacher Appreciation Week.
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Deputies looking for man, vehicle involved in hit-and-run
Deputies say the vehicle involved in the incident is a gray SUV, and was driven by a man with gray hair.
MONROE COUNTY, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT)— The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office need your help in solving a case.
The Sheriff’s Office says deputies were called to the scene of a hit-and-run accident on Juliette Road around 10:45 Tuesday morning.
Deputies say the vehicle involved in the incident is a gray SUV, and was driven by a man with gray hair.
The SUV has possible damage on the driver’s side.
If you have any information, call the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office at (478) 994-7010, or (478) 994-4048.
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| 2022-05-05T03:15:51Z
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ICYMI: Stories you may have missed today on 41NBC News Top stories from May 4, 2022 May 4, 2022 Clayton Poulnott, Over 60 pounds of marijuana recovered during traffic stop Congressman Sanford Bishop presents checks in Macon Macon-Bibb Fire Department prepares for new fire training facility For other stories you may have missed, click here. FacebookPinterestTwitterLinkedin
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| 2022-05-05T03:15:58Z
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Macon-Bibb Fire Department prepares for new fire training facility
It was a bittersweet moment for the Macon-Bibb Fire Department on Wednesday.
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — It was a bittersweet moment for the Macon-Bibb Fire Department on Wednesday.
The fire department lit its last fire at its fire training facility ahead of the facility’s demolition. A $2.8 million facility funded by Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax funds will be built in its place.
The old training facility, located on Tinker Drive in Macon, started off with one building.
For 30 years now, the facility has prepared hundred of firefighters for the dangers they may face when called to duty.
One firefighter says he’s excited for the new facility.
“For me it’s a good thing to tear it down and come back with something new,” he said. “Something that’s really going to remove all the limitations that we have and open up a lot more doors for more training and better training.”
Tyler Stembridge has been with the fire department for 19 years and remembers the one building he trained in.
“We couldn’t really burn that much in there,” he said. “We would have to go to another facility to get that kind of training.”
Fire Chief Shane Edwards says the new training facility will offer more to firefighters.
“We’re actually going to have a flash over simulator built in where we’ll actually be able to train,” he said. “We’ll put our firefighters in real fire where they’ll actually be in there working and then an actual flash fire will take place. That lets our firefighters know what they’ll experience in the real world.”
Fire Chief Edwards says the old training facility was built by firefighters over the years and that the new facility will mark the start of a new beginning.
“We’re able to have our firefighters 24 hours, 7 days a week around the clock doing multiple training scenarios,’ he said. “And it just better improves all of our firefighters for us and the community.”
Construction will start this summer. The facility is expected to be built by the end of 2022.
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| 2022-05-05T03:16:04Z
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Man sentenced to 10 years for trafficking semi-automatic rifles
43-year-old Chadrick Purnell will serve ten years in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release.
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT)— A Macon man convicted for his role in trafficking semi-automatic rifles was sentenced on Tuesday, after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
43-year-old Chadrick Purnell will serve ten years in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, law enforcement used data to identify shell casings collected from shootings in Macon. The shootings were then overlayed on a map, as undercover agents and informants investigated the areas.
From May to July 2021, Purnell and others were under investigation. During that time, the agents and informants purchased nine firearms and crack cocaine from Purnell, who is a convicted felon.
The firearms included two semi-automatic rifles and a shotgun with an obliterated serial number.
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| 2022-05-05T03:16:10Z
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One act of kindness becomes nationwide challenge
Rodney Smith's life changed after he decided one day to get out out of his car to help an elderly man mow his lawn.
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Rodney Smith’s life changed after he decided one day to get out out of his car to help an elderly man mow his lawn.
Smith was in college at the time, and soon decided to start the Raising Men and Women’s Lawn Care Service.
The foundation provides lawn care for the elderly, disabled, single parents and veterans through what Smith calls the “50 Yard Challenge.”
Smith challenges kids across America to mow 50 lawns in their community for free.
If a kid accepts the challenge and mows 50 lawns, Smith will hand deliver them a new lawn mower, weed eater and leaf blower.
“It shows them the importance of giving back to the community and helping those in need,” he said. “Because there are so many elderly, disabled even, veterans that really can’t afford to pay anyone high prices for lawn care. So when a kid can come over for lawn care for free, that now frees that person up to use those extra funds for food and medication and other things they need.”
Smith says he’s cut lawns in all 50 states since starting the foundation in 2015.
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| 2022-05-05T03:16:16Z
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Over 60 pounds of marijuana recovered during traffic stop
During a search, the deputy found approximately 64 pounds of suspected marijuana in vacuum-sealed bags.
CRISP COUNTY, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT)—A traffic stop leads to a drug arrest in Crisp County on Tuesday.
The Crisp County Sheriff’s Office says a deputy pulled over a California man identified as 52-year-old Kristian Stucky, for failure to maintain lane on GA 401/I75 near mile marker 96.
During the stop, the deputy smelled marijuana in the vehicle. During a search, the deputy found approximately 64 pounds of suspected marijuana in vacuum-sealed bags, 3,000 suspected THC Vape Cakes, 42 jars of suspected flavored marijuana, and 16 jars of suspected THC wax.
Stucky was then arrested without incident and taken to the Crisp County Jail.
He’s charged with Trafficking Marijuana, Possession of a Schedule I or II Controlled Substance with Intent to Distribute, and Failure to Maintain Lane.
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| 2022-05-05T03:16:22Z
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Staying hot Thursday with scattered storms
It is really starting to feel like summer in Middle Georgia with two straight 90° days.
We will keep the warm conditions overnight as lows fall into the mid 60s with patchy fog.
Tomorrow will be another hot day as a warm front sits well to our north, bringing in warm, humid conditions.
Highs will once again warm into the low 90s with scattered storms possible after 1pm.
Through the day on Friday we will see muggy and hot conditions again, but with an end in sight.
A cold front will be approaching the area by the afternoon.
This cold front will be giving us just enough instability, and uplift from a low level jet, to see widespread storms.
Right now timing on these storms should be during the afternoon and evening hours.
The Storm Prediction Center has most of Middle Georgia under a level 1 severe threat for Friday afternoon.
Storms will have the potential for damaging winds, large hail, and a tornado.
Make sure you have a way to get warnings on Friday as these storms move through.
After the severe storm threat on Friday we will see conditions improving rapidly.
High temps will be closer to normal, in the mid 80s.
Mother’s Day will be a beautiful day to get out and about as we start a drying trend that lasts into next week.
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| 2022-05-05T03:16:28Z
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In 1966, singer Norma Tanega had a hit with “Walking My Cat Named Dog.” Tanega used an oxymoron and said she always wanted a dog but when she got a cat, it seemed the right thing to do to name it “Dog.”
A similar situation is in place at Jamestown Park Golf Course where there is a cat named Birdie. For you non-golfers, a birdie is a golf term meaning one under par.
Brad Coleman, assistant to Ross Sanderlin, golf and recreation director, said Birdie “was excited to know that he will soon be a local celebrity,” but the 13-14-year-old pale orange and white kitty declined a person-to-cat interview.
“Birdie made his first appearance around the golf course around 2008 or 2009. He was discovered by local golf legend Larry Boswell who used to work at the course. He first noticed Birdie under a bush one morning. When he approached Birdie, the cat bolted for the woods,” Coleman said. “As days passed, Birdie started to come around more often and Larry started putting food out for him. Not long after that, Birdie made the cart barn his home.”
Coleman added that Birdie works the night shift and looks after the carts.
“He will sit on a cart and hang out, but as soon as that cart begins to move he wants no part of it. Sometimes he’ll run alongside the cart while it’s being driven. One might think at times he is part dog.” (Tanega, are you reading this?)
As the official course cat, Birdie works the night shift as security. There have been very little issue with rodents since Birdie has been on duty. He doesn’t bother the geese that plague the course, leaving their chasing up to Golf Maintenance Superintendent Jamie Claybrook’s Weimaraner.
Some cats are naturally friendly, others very standoffish. Coleman said Birdie has gotten friendlier as he gets older but will keep his distance with strangers.
“Some mornings he likes to sit at the entrance and greet golfers as they come in. Just don’t invade his personal space.
“He goes out on the course late in the evenings sometimes, but as he has gotten older he doesn’t typically venture off too far from the cart barn,” Coleman added. “He has good golf etiquette and knows to never interrupt play. Golfers who are here early in the mornings see him often.”
Birdie is well taken care of by those who work at the course, taking him to the vet annually to get check-ups and shots. There is a Birdie Vet Fund jar in the golf shop for anyone to help pay for the visits.
Everyone takes care of the cat’s food.
“We all chip in. Our staff of retired part-time guys here at the course are the real softies though, they spoil him and always make sure he has food and treats,” Coleman said.
Golfers love birdies and Birdie the kitty appears to love Jamestown Park Golf Course and his friends.
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| 2022-05-05T06:50:53Z
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GHSA baseball round two highlights and scores
FPD and North Cobb Christian to faceoff in a game three decider.
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — The GHSA baseball playoffs round two action continued today as teams looked to lock in a spot in the Elite Eight.
One of those teams was the FPD Vikings, who hosted the North Cobb Christian Eagles.
The Eagles hit a two-run home run to right field in the top of the first with two outs.
Then in the top of the second, it’s like deja vu as the Eagles once again hit a home run with two outs to take a 3-0 lead.
The Eagles pitcher was throwing absolute filth until a 53-minute rain delay in the third inning threw his game off.
In the bottom of the fourth, after scoring on a walk with the bases loaded, FPD hits a two-run RBI to center to tie the game at three after four innings.
The Vikings continued tallying runs in the bottom of the fifth as they scored three to take a 6-3 lead.
The rain delay helped FPD as they claimed game one 8-5.
However, North Cobb Christian dominates game two 12-1.
The deciding game will be played tomorrow at 3 p.m. and the winner moves onto the 1A private Elite Eight.
Here are a few more scores from teams in Middle Georgia.
Tattnall Square Academy’s season ends as they get swept by Mount Paran Christian, losing game one 2-1 and game two 5-1.
Bleckley County moves onto the 2A Elite Eight as they swept Pepperell, winning game one 3-1 and game two 2-0. They will face Pace Academy on Tuesday.
Georgia Military College’s season ends as they get swept by Metter, losing game one 10-0 and game two 16-3.
ACE moves onto the 1A public Elite Eight as they swept Bryan County, winning game one 14-0 and game two 9-1. ACE will host Social Circle on Tuesday.
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| 2022-05-05T07:23:53Z
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Puzzle Pieces Intervention Center creates “adulting classes”
Puzzle Pieces Intervention Center in Warner Robins expanded their services to include an adult life skills class.
WARNER ROBINS, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — Being an adult, or “adulting” if you will, can be tough for anyone, and transitioning to adult life can be much harder if you’re dealing with autism or a developmental disability.
“We’re trying to get them to a point where they adjust outside in the community,” said Stephanie Jefferson, Learning Support Specialist for Puzzle Pieces Intervention Center.
The center started an adult life skills class in January that teaches everyday life skills.
“Some people don’t even know how to prepare a meal,” Jefferson said. “So we can teach you how to do that and sort out clothes so that you can wash your clothes.”
Bridgette Arno-Sparks, the Education and Behavioral Consultant for Puzzle Pieces, helps patients develop social and emotional skills. She saw the need to expand to a group setting to help people who need it.
“Being able to meet minimally, once to twice per month, and be able to have on-site facilitation services by our life skills coach,” Arno-Sparks said. “As well as going into the community every six to eight weeks to make sure we’re applying and generalizing those skills.”
Alex Corzine lives with high functioning autism and has worked with Arno-Sparks for four years. His mother, Michelle, says before they found Puzzle Pieces, Alex lost his joy.
“Over the years, and especially over this last year, I’ve really seen that come back,” he said. “He laughs, he smiles, he engages with other people and that’s just been a joy for me.”
While Alex hasn’t taken part in the life skills group class, Arno-Sparks has helped Alex with relationships outside of his home.
“Like work relationships, just friendships, anything like that is helping me to understand people,” he said.
Arno-Sparks says much like the progress Alex has made in four years, the adult life skills group has come a long way in just four months. She says some of the group members didn’t like the class and would say things like:
“I’m not coming to that group again. I don’t like it. Why would I want to have friends? Why would I want to have a job?” Now, they say things like, “Man I love this place. I want to be there. I can’t wait to see my friends.”
She says the development and growth speaks for itself. She believes it won’t be long until the adult life skills group members will be seen in the community making a difference.
You can head to the Puzzle Pieces website if you or someone you know would like to sign up for the adult life skills classes or if you want to work with them.
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| 2022-05-05T07:23:59Z
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Reboot celebrates May the Fourth with Star Wars Trivia night
Five teams with the most points won Star Wars collectibles, arcade tokens to play at the bar and a drink token for one free drink.
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — May the Fourth be with you! Wednesday was the unofficial holiday known as Star Wars day.
Reboot in downtown Macon, celebrated the day with a Star Wars Trivia night.
Participants showed up dressed in Star Wars apparel as they lined up to create teams.
The trivia had different Star Wars related categories with various levels of difficulty.
The five teams with the highest points walked away with prizes including Star Wars collectibles, arcade tokens to play at the bar and a drink token for one free drink.
Reboot hosts trivia nights and karaoke nights once a month. Check their Facebook page for a list and times of the events.
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| 2022-05-05T07:24:05Z
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Since the days of Queen Victoria, the monarch has traditionally invited the public to spend time with her in the gardens of Buckingham Palace and Holyroodhouse. One of the most coveted invitations of the season, guests are selected on the basis of their charity work, or their impact on the local community, dressing in their finery to consume tea and cake alongside Her Majesty.
The Queen’s Summer Garden Parties are back after a two-year hiatus - but Her Majesty might not be in attendance
For the last two years, however, the illustrious occasion has been cancelled, on account of the Covid-19 pandemic. Today though, Buckingham Palace has announced that the parties will take place, with an additional tea hosted by Princess Anne on behalf of her charity, The Not Forgotten Association.
The dates for your diary - should you score an invitation - are Wednesday 11 May, Wednesday 18 May and Wednesday 25 May at Buckingham Palace, or 29 June at the Palace of Holyroodhouse.
The palace has specified that the Queen will be ‘represented by other Members of the Royal Family at this year’s Garden Parties, with details on attendance to be confirmed in due course', leading to speculation that Her Majesty herself will not be in attendance at any of them. This is in keeping with recent reports that stipulate that the Queen will not confirm her presence at any of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations until the day.
First established by Queen Victoria in the 1860s as twice-yearly 'breakfasts', the royal occasions were actually held in the afternoon, and took advantage of the new-found national obsession with tea-drinking. In the 1950s, the Queen folded the traditional debutante presentation party into a third Garden Party, so that new debs could be presented to her there instead.
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| 2022-05-05T12:37:55Z
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The Police High Command on Thursday declared that it was on the trail of the owners of dogs who paid ladies to have sex with their pets for the immediate arrest and prosecution
Force Public Relations Officer, FPRO, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, made this known on his verified Twitter handle on Thursday in Abuja.
According to him, the dog owners will be punished and prosecuted upon their arrest.
He vowed that security agents would not relent until ladies seen having sex with dogs in viral TikTok videos were apprehended and face prosecution to serve as a deterrent to their likes
The FPRO added that men engaging in bestial acts won’t be spared too, just as he restated that posting such videos online won’t be tolerated.
According to him, “unnatural offences: we will extend our search, investigation and punishment to the owners of the dogs caught in the act of having sexual intercourse with ladies or being used for similar offences.
“They also have questions to answer. The offence is punishable under the law, thus condemned. We will soon apprehend the lady and others like her including the men, who have been involved in this criminal and barbaric act.”
Recall that it had earlier been reported that a light-skinned lady in a trending video claimed she was paid a lump sum to sleep with the dog.
The video was said to be recorded in Nigeria and many had wondered why a dog owner would pay a lady seven digits to sleep with his pet.
According to findings, the Criminal Code Act and the Penal Code Act criminalise sleeping with an animal and the act attracts up to 14 years imprisonment in Nigeria.
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| 2022-05-05T12:56:21Z
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LONDON (AP) — Queen Elizabeth II will miss the traditional royal garden party season, where she would normally meet with hundreds of people on the grounds of her residences in London and Edinburgh, palace officials said Thursday.
The 96-year-old monarch will be represented instead by other members of her family, Buckingham Palace said in a statement.
Before the pandemic, the queen invited over 30,000 people each year to the gardens of Buckingham Palace or the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh. The guests, who have all served their community in different ways, have the opportunity to speak with the queen and other royal family members at the parties.
The parties were set to return for the first time in three years starting next week.
The monarch has missed several major events this year and has been carrying out online engagements instead. She spent a night in the hospital in October and only conducted light duties for several months on her doctors’ orders.
In March the queen attended a service honoring the life of her late husband, Prince Philip.
She marked her Platinum Jubilee — 70 years on the throne — in February. Large-scale festivities to celebrate that milestone, including concerts and pageants, will take place later this month and in June.
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| 2022-05-05T14:44:22Z
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Federal officials are promising to add air traffic controllers and take other steps to improve the flow of planes in Florida, which airlines say has become a weak link in the national airspace.
The Federal Aviation Administration said Wednesday that it will add staff at a key air traffic control center in Jacksonville and other places, although it didn’t provide numbers.
The promise came during a two-day meeting between FAA officials and representatives of about a dozen airlines. The airlines told the FAA that the number of Florida flights will shoot past 2019 levels.
Air traffic to Florida picked up more quickly during the pandemic than many other places, and airlines have scheduled even more flights for this summer. That is raising concern about the potential for massive disruptions that could ripple far beyond the state’s borders.
The FAA said it also agreed to update airlines more often about space launches and other events that can squeeze routes airlines use over Florida. Airlines say they have been caught off guard by route closings, forcing them to cancel flights.
Most noteworthy, Southwest Airlinesblamed bad weather and air traffic control in Florida for cascading problems that led it to cancel more than 2,000 flights over three days last October. JetBlue Airways blamed those and other factorsfor widespread cancellations last month.
The FAA said it will make more use of alternate routes — sometimes at lower altitudes, which would increase fuel burn — to keep planes moving after disruptions. The agency said it will also develop a plan for responding to snarls, similar to what it does in the New York City area.
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| 2022-05-05T15:43:54Z
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NEW YORK (AP) — Stanford University will launch a new school focusing on climate change thanks to a $1.1 billion gift from billionaire venture capitalist John Doerr and his wife, Ann, the university announced Tuesday.
The gift, one of the largest single donations to an American institute of higher education, will open the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability this fall. The school combines several existing Stanford departments and institutes and will hire dozens of new faculty members over a decade, as well as establish an accelerator to provide grants for new projects.
“We have designed a school for the future combining knowledge generation and impact, building on the strong foundation established through Stanford’s history of scholarship,” said Stanford President Marc Tessier-Lavigne, in a statement.
Stanford engaged in a years long process to define a vision for a new school focused on climate change. The Doerrs connected with Stanford after learning about the new school, university spokesperson Mara Vandlik said in an email.
“This is the decisive decade, and we must act with full speed, and scale,” John and Ann Doerr said in a statement.
One of Silicon Valley’s most prominent investors, John Doerr is chairman of venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins, where he has worked since 1980, successfully advocating for early investment in technology companies like Google, Amazon and Slack. He has authored a book published last year “Speed & Scale: An Action Plan for Solving Our Climate Crisis Now,” that outlines technology and policy priorities for attaining a livable future. Ann Doerr is the board chair of the online education provider Khan Academy, as well as an advisory trustee and former board member of the Environmental Defense Fund.
Isabelle Leighton, the interim executive director of the Donors of Color Network, hailed the donation, saying it’s exciting to see large, new donations related to climate change but urged donors and universities to include communities currently affected by climate change in finding solutions. Her network has asked major foundations who give to climate change causes topledge 30% of their donations to organizations led by people of color.
“While it’s really great to invest in research and analysis, you have to make sure that you’re looking at the full picture of what we need to do to actually make the change and the shift,” Leighton said. “The people who are most directly impacted by what’s happening from climate change need to be a very strong voice, if not the leading voice, in what the solution needs to look like.”
She pointed to renewal energy projectssupported by a network of frontline communities, the Climate Justice Alliance, as an example.
In addition to the donation from the Doerrs, Stanford received $590 million from other donors. Some of the funds will go toward constructing two new buildings, the university said.
The new school would accept gifts from fossil fuel companies or other industries, Vandlik said.
“Stanford is committed to conducting research that will accelerate the transition to a decarbonized economy worldwide,” she said. “The transition is going to require partnership with industries in order to implement new technologies at the enormous scale required.”
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Associated Press coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. For all of AP’s philanthropy coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/philanthropy.
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| 2022-05-05T15:44:16Z
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An 8-month-old girl died after being left inside a hot car while her father was arrested.
Officials with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said the girl’s father, Davied Whatley left the child in the car while he went into the Snellville Police Department to retrieve firearms that were taken from him in a previous case.
Snellville Police said in order to make sure they weren’t returning a gun to a felon, they ran a background check on Whatley.
They found there was a warrant out for Whatley, related to a misdemeanor probation violation, so they arrested him in the lobby.
The father was taken to the county jail and he bonded out hours later.
Police said Whatley contacted the child’s grandmother after he was arrested.
That was when he she went to the car and found the child inside the vehicle.
The baby girl was taken to the hospital where she was pronounced dead.
Police said Whatley never informed them there was a child in the vehicle during his arrest.
He is now charged with second-degree murder.
The Snellville Police Department has now requested that the Georgia Bureau of Investigation take over the case.
The child’s cause of death has not been released.
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https://www.fox17online.com/news/national/8-month-old-baby-dies-in-car-while-father-is-arrested
| 2022-05-05T15:56:52Z
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Community response to Brightmark no longer coming to Macon-Bibb
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — Talks have come to a halt concerning Brightmark’s Plastics Recycling facility coming to Macon-Bibb.
The community of Macon-Bibb and many others spoke up when they heard of the initial plans, and now, Peg Jones, President of”Save our River, and Stanley B. Stewart, a former mayoral candidate, are both thanking the people for doing so.
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| 2022-05-05T16:24:13Z
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Student injured in shooting at FVSU
FORT VALLEY, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Fort Valley State University’s Police Department is investigating an on-campus shooting that left one student injured.
According to a release from FVSU, Campus Police responded to reports of a single gunshot being fired at a residential facility shortly before 7 p.m., Wednesday evening.
At this time, the university can confirm that one student has been shot. The student was transported to a local hospital.
No additional details are available as this is an ongoing investigation.
Following reports of gunfire, FVSU notified the campus community via the university’s electronic alert system called RAVE and locked down the campus.
The campus was cleared from lockdown shortly after 10 p.m. Additional security measures are underway on campus, including more campus security personnel and enhanced identification protocols. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is assisting.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the FVSU Police Department at (478) 825-6500.
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| 2022-05-05T16:24:19Z
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Thursday to be the hottest of the week; severe weather possible Friday
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Temperatures will push towards the mid 90s today and a cold front could bring some severe weather tomorrow afternoon.
Today
The conditions outside have been pretty similar each day this week, and we will see that once again this afternoon. Plenty of sun with cloud fields that develop into the afternoon hours. Winds will come in from the southwest at 3-7 mph as temperatures soar into the low to mid 90s. The hottest spots today will see highs of 94/95, and heat indices could push as high as 96/97. Isolated showers and storms are likely to pop up in a few spots around Middle Georgia late this afternoon and evening, but other than that no relief from the heat is expected today.
Tonight we will see cloud cover rapidly thicken once the sun sets, giving us mostly cloudy skies heading into Friday morning. It will be the warmest night of the week as a warm front pushes through. That will keep lows in the mid to upper 60s and heat indices in the upper 60s and lower 70s. A few isolated showers will also be possible overnight.
Tomorrow
Following a warm and cloudy morning, conditions will only warm up so much in the afternoon ahead of the cold front. Highs for most of the region will be in the mid 80s, however some of the more southern and eastern counties will still see highs in the upper 80s. Winds throughout the day will mainly come in from the west-southwest at 10-20 mph. Gusts could reach upwards of 30 mph. Storm activity is likely to begin in the afternoon ahead of the cold front’s arrival. As of now the Storm Prediction Center has issued a Level 2 “Slight” risk for severe weather for all of Middle Georgia tomorrow. At this time the primary threats look to be strong wind gusts and some hail, however a tornado or two cannot be ruled out.
Storm activity will last through the evening and taper off once the sun sets. The wind will shift more towards the north overnight as a result of the cold front’s passing, allowing temperatures to cool a bit as humidity begins to finally leave the area. Lows are anticipated to drop into the lower 60s heading into Saturday morning.
Saturday and Beyond
Mother’s Day weekend as a whole looks very nice. Saturday will see mostly sunny conditions with highs in the 80s around Middle Georgia. Wind from the north-northeast will keep things cool. Overnight lows will drop into the mid 50s.
Mother’s Day on Sunday will be mostly sunny with highs in the low to mid 80s. Winds will mainly come in from the northeast. Lows will drop into the low to mid 50s.
A new warming trend will begin next week, however at this time it does not look as though it will be as hot as this week was. Conditions are anticipated to remain pleasant through at least next Wednesday.
Follow Meteorologist Aaron Lowery on Facebook (Aaron Lowery 41NBC) and Twitter (@ALowWX) for weather updates throughout the day. Also, you can watch his forecasts Monday through Friday on 41NBC News at Daybreak (6-7 a.m.) and 41Today (11 a.m).
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| 2022-05-05T16:24:25Z
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Two suspects wanted for armed robbery of Central Georgia Regional Credit Union on Ingleside Avenue
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — Authorities are searching for the two men who held a teller at gunpoint and robbed the Central Georgia Regional Credit Union off of Ingleside Avenue.
According to the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office, the armed robbery took place around 9:05 a.m. on Thursday morning, where it was reported that 2 masked suspects entered the bank. One of the suspects brandished a handgun and demanded money from the bank teller, after receiving the cash the two suspects fled the scene on foot. They were last seen running towards the back of the Abberley at Ingleside apartment complex.
Both suspects are described as male, and they were both wearing masks, black shoes, black pants, sunglasses, and gloves. One of the two was wearing a black hooded jacket, while the other was wearing a black “Reebok” logo sweatshirt.
Nobody was injured during this incident.
Anyone with information about this incident is urged to call the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office at (478) 751-7500 or the Macon Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-877-68CRIME.
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https://www.41nbc.com/two-suspects-wanted-for-armed-robbery-of-central-georgia-regional-credit-union-on-ingleside-avenue/
| 2022-05-05T16:24:31Z
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An 8-month-old girl died after being left inside a hot car while her father was arrested.
Officials with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said the girl’s father, Davied Whatley left the child in the car while he went into the Snellville Police Department to retrieve firearms that were taken from him in a previous case.
Snellville Police said in order to make sure they weren’t returning a gun to a felon, they ran a background check on Whatley.
They found there was a warrant out for Whatley, related to a misdemeanor probation violation, so they arrested him in the lobby.
The father was taken to the county jail and he bonded out hours later.
Police said Whatley contacted the child’s grandmother after he was arrested.
That was when he she went to the car and found the child inside the vehicle.
The baby girl was taken to the hospital where she was pronounced dead.
Police said Whatley never informed them there was a child in the vehicle during his arrest.
He is now charged with second-degree murder.
The Snellville Police Department has now requested that the Georgia Bureau of Investigation take over the case.
The child’s cause of death has not been released.
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https://www.wtxl.com/news/national/8-month-old-baby-dies-in-car-while-father-is-arrested
| 2022-05-05T16:42:24Z
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Police have arrested one person and are searching for another after a shooting in Opelousas last month that left a man and a four-year-old child dead.
The mother of the 4-year-old victim says she has some level of peace knowing one suspect is in custody and police are actively looking for another.
“Oh, I feel good inside and I am also happy that the police are doing their job and I want justice for my baby,” said Iesha Thomas.
On the night of the shooting, Thomas says there was a verbal altercation between her and a neighbor.
After the altercation Thomas says she and the neighbor went their separate ways.
But right after midnight, on Wednesday morning, she heard a loud door slam and bullets inside of her home.
Thomas said after the shots, she found her boyfriend Alton Thomas and her 4-year-old daughter Rakatelyn Colla. Both died in the shooting; three other children were wounded.
Thomas adds she wants justice for the two innocent lives that were taken from her.
“Two innocent people were taken from me, and one was my child, and one was my boyfriend, and I don’t wish that on anyone. So, I want her to suffer and then to suffer and until we put my baby to rest, I’ll feel more relieved,” Thomas says.
Funeral services have been set for Thomas and Colla. Here's our story about that. (link: https://www.katc.com/news/st-landry-parish/services-set-for-victims-of-april-shooting-in-opelousas)
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| 2022-05-05T18:14:26Z
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A man is wanted in connection with a Wednesday shooting on Acadia Street that injured a teenager.
Eunice Police Chief Randy Fontenot says officers are searching for 31-year-old Xavier Bernard Watson.
On May 4, 2022, officers responded to a call of someone being shot in the 200 block of Acadia Street. On arrival officers found a victim sitting inside a vehicle with gunshot wounds.
An investigation revealed that the victim, age 14, was allegedly confronted in the street and shot by Watson. Family members of the victim transported him to the hospital. The victim is doing good expected to be released from the hospital Thursday afternoon.
Watson is currently being sought by the Eunice Police Department he is also listed as wanted in California.
Chief Fontenot asks that anyone who knows the whereabouts of Watson or, has any information about this shooting, please contact the Eunice Police Department at (337) 457-2626 or Crimestoppers at 337-948- TIPS (8477) or report using the P3 app.
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https://www.katc.com/news/st-landry-parish/man-wanted-in-connection-with-eunice-shooting-that-injured-a-teenager
| 2022-05-05T19:53:58Z
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Photo by Holly Barzyk
By Jessica van Dop DeJesus
May 5, 2022
Courtesy of El Pretexto
The farm at El Pretexto, in Puerto Rico's Cayey Mountains
A growing number of Puerto Rican chefs and restaurateurs are turning to homegrown ingredients—and making dining on the island more sustainable.
From the streets of San Juan to the mountains of Cayey, there’s a culinary movement afoot in Puerto Rico that’s making dining on the Caribbean island more sustainable.
The devastation of Hurricane Maria in 2017 amplified the need for Puerto Rico to focus on building its own reliable food system, should another natural disaster strike again. The hurricane caused months-long power outages and about $2 billion in agricultural damage, while creating severe delays in external supply chains upon which the island heavily depends. About 80 percent of food consumed in Puerto Rico has traditionally come from abroad, the majority of it from the mainland United States.
Chefs and restaurant owners across Puerto Rico have begun to address these challenges by creating partnerships with farmers to source ingredients locally as much as possible. “We’re battling power outages, water, the government . . . so creating a sustainable environment also creates a shield against those variables,” says Carlos Portela, chef and owner of Orujo, a fine dining restaurant in San Juan.
More restaurants and bed-and-breakfasts are opening outside of San Juan, especially in areas where chefs—and their guests—can be closer to the source of such ingredients as breadfruit, taro root, and pumpkin, which show up on menus in innovative ways.
“Beyond supporting local farmers, we also buy locally made desserts and coffee. It’s important for us to keep the economy flowing in our communities,” says Jorge Casas, co-owner of O-Markt, a produce distributor with a farm-to-table fast-casual dining concept in the towns of Caguas, Cupey, and Guaynabo.
With this new focus on sustainable farming—and a culinary history featuring Indigenous, European, and African influences—there’s never been a more exciting time to dine in Puerto Rico. Here are a few ways travelers can experience the new wave of sustainability-minded Puerto Rican chefs and restaurateurs.
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Tucked away in the emerald mountains of Cayey, El Pretexto is a tranquil mountain farmstay with a strong culinary focus. El Pretexto opened in 2017, just before Hurricane Maria served a devastating blow to Puerto Rico. Despite this setback, owner Crystal Díaz was able to reopen within a year and grow her business. Here, chickens roam freely around the property, banana plants line the hills, and vegetables like taro roots take shape under the soil. El Pretexto serves breakfast and dinner to its guests upon request. It also hosts a series of pop-up dinners on the weekends featuring notable Puerto Rican chefs, including Jose Carles, Natalia Vallejo, and Francis Guzmán.
Dinners, popular with both residents and travelers, take place on a long communal table with 360-degree views of the Cordillera Central, the mountain range that crosses the island from west to east. In addition to producing many of her own ingredients, such as duck and chicken eggs, pumpkins, cucumbers, and ginger, Díaz also believes in empowering her neighbors through employment opportunities. “Everybody who works at El Pretexto comes from our community,” she says.
A 40-minute drive south of busy San Juan, Bacoa is a countryside restaurant created by Puerto Rican chefs Raúl Correa, Xavier Pacheco, and René Marichal, who wanted a place of their own where they could highlight the flavors that define Puerto Rico. Bringing together Spanish, Taíno, and African ingredients and methods, the chefs dream up menus that incorporate many of the ingredients grown on site at the farm, such as cabbage, pumpkin, zucchini, greens, and herbs. “Aside from what we grow ourselves, we also count on local farms such as Frutos del Guacabo and PRoduce,” says Correa.
As you enter Bacoa, you can smell the smoky scent of grilled steaks and red snapper from the wood-fired grills. Bacoa has also gained a reputation for its vegetable-forward dishes, and the grilled calabaza (Puerto Rican pumpkin) and red beet dip with freshly baked bread are guest favorites.
Located on Vieques, a small island east of the Puerto Rico mainland, Finca Victoria sits atop a hill with views of the coastline of La Isla Nena (Vieques’s nickname). From solar panels to AC-free rooms, the bed-and-breakfast aims to work sustainable practices into its operations as much as possible. “The whole property is run on solar power,” says Sylvia De Marco, the owner of Finca Victoria.
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In a place like Puerto Rico, known for roasted pork and fried fish, Finca Victoria created an entirely vegan experience using Ayurvedic principles. Start the day with yoga and breakfast with mashed taro root and yuca, which resident chef Jordan Dossantos refers to as a “Taíno bowl,” paying homage to the Indigenous people of Puerto Rico. As you walk around the 2.5-acre farm, you are surrounded by banana, papaya, starfruit, and mango trees, whose fruit is used in Finca Victoria’s chutneys, cakes, and cookies.
Finca Victoria opens its doors to nonguests with a Vegan Dinner Series, prepared by resident chefs, including Brittany Lukowski, who has lived in Vieques for more than 10 years. If you can’t make it to Vieques, check out Finca Victoria’s sister property, Casa Botánica, which organizes vegan pop-up dinners in San Juan.
Book now: Finca Victoria
The winding mountainous Road 149 connects the center of Puerto Rico to the town of Ciales. There, Casa Vieja sits on a mountain ledge with a view of the surrounding green vegetation. “We focus on natural flavors,” says Lilliam Ayala, the owner of Casa Vieja. “This is why we buy our ingredients from neighboring farmers and students, like green bananas, plantains, pumpkins, and yautía, which we use for our signature dish, Pastel al Caldero.”
Ayala purchases from farms located in Ciales or such neighboring towns as Finca La Agricultora, Finca Mi Pequeño Paraíso, Finca La Parcha, and Finca Tío Pepo. She says homegrown offerings don’t come without their challenges. “With a weak power grid and a government that creates unfair practices with local businesses, we work very hard to survive, but we’re still here,” she says.
Fine dining restaurant Orujo is owned and operated by husband and wife team Carlos and Armalie Portela. What makes Orujo special is the singular culinary approach to endemic Puerto Rican ingredients envisioned by chef Carlos Portela, who is also a sommelier. “I like to call our style dynamic, experimental, and inspirational,” he says. “We merge different styles—from Indigenous Puerto Rican cooking methods to Spanish techniques—to make something unique in our kitchen.”
Portela’s tasting menu can include up to 17 courses and changes daily—no two dinners are alike. They feature such seasonal items as water chestnut fritters, textured coconut, and seared bonito fish. “We’ve been able to create many of our dishes with 100 percent Puerto Rican–produced ingredients,” Portela said. “We have built relationships with farmers to bring the best ingredients and offer local fish, poultry, and meats. Beyond what is locally sourced, we are also trying to employ zero-waste practices with our ingredients.”
>> Next: Puerto Rico Travel Guide
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| 2022-05-05T22:27:46Z
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The start of the Crawfish Festival in Breaux Bridge is just hours away.
On Friday the festival centering around one of Louisiana's favorite crustaceans will open at 4:00 pm with opening ceremonies at 4:30 pm.
Food, music, arts and crafts, cook-offs, and a crawfish race are just some of the fun that awaits attendees this weekend.
Before that begins though, fairgrounds are open for family night. On Wednesday and Thursday, the public was invited to the Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festival grounds. Wristbands will be $25 dollars per person.
Admission to the festival is below:
- Friday, May 6, 2022 – $5.00
- Saturday, May 7, 2022 – $10.00
- Sunday, May 8, 2022 – $5.00
Advance 3-Day Pass – $15.00 (Available the week of the festival at the festival office or the festival grounds and will not sell out of passes)
See more information on the Crawfish Festival here.
The official kickoff of the Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festival is Friday at 4:00 pm. The festival will close at 4:00 pm on Sunday, May 8, 2022.
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https://www.katc.com/news/st-martin-parish/family-fun-night-sets-up-breaux-bridge-crawfish-festival
| 2022-05-05T23:13:49Z
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The St. Landry Parish School Board has decided to push back the closure and consolidation of schools in the parish.
At a meeting Thursday night, board members were expected to make a decision on closing some schools but instead chose to push back a vote until June after hearing public comments.
This was the board's second meeting on the proposed closures. The board says they are looking for better ways to consolidate resources.
KATC's Drakkar Francois is at that meeting and will have reactions from those in attendance.
The discussion comes after the failure of several tax propositions put to a public vote.
In March, the board asked taxpayers to approve several new taxes which would raise teacher and support worker pay, build four new schools and improve existing schools' athletic facilities. All of the taxes failed, and by a wide margin.
To read about that election, click here.
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https://www.katc.com/news/st-landry-parish/st-landry-school-board-pushes-back-vote-on-closing-consolidating-schools
| 2022-05-06T00:49:10Z
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Flint Energies provides grant for new mural in Fort Valley
Two Georgia cities were awared grants by Flint Energies as part of the company's Rural Murals project. One of the murals will be in Fort Valley.
FORT VALLEY, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — A middle Georgia city is getting another Instagram worthy mural this summer.
Fort Valley won a grant from Flint Energies as part of the company’s Rural Murals program.
Chris Johnson painted the current Fort Valley mural and will paint the two new murals. The other will be located in Buena Vista.
Marian McLemore, Vice Present of Cooperative Communications, says Flint Energies started the art project in 2019. The company wanted to help boost local economies by bringing tourists into rural areas.
“We want the tourists to come off the main interstates,” she said. “So they can dine, shop, visit, site see in these rural communities, and take those selfies in front of the murals.”
Fort Valley’s new mural will be located at 104 East Church Street. The first Fort Valley mural is located at 110 South Camellia Boulevard.
Other murals funded by Rural Murals include:
- 100 North Sumter Street, Oglethorpe
- South Matthews Street, Roberta
- 4 West Main Street, Butler
- 20 South Broad Street, Butler
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| 2022-05-06T03:52:43Z
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FPD fails to advance to the GHSA baseball playoffs Elite Eight
FPD falls to North Cobb Christian 11-3.
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — After splitting a doubleheader, the FPD baseball team hosted North Cobb Christian in a game three decider to see who advances to the GHSA baseball playoffs Elite Eight.
In the top of the first, with a guy on second, the Eagles smash a two-run home run to right field to take an early lead.
However, in the bottom of the second inning, with the bases loaded, the Vikings hit a single to right field, scoring two runs to tie the game. Then the next batter up hits a sac fly to right, scoring one more run as FPD takes the lead 3-2 after two innings.
A simple error in the top of the fourth becomes the most costly mistake for the Vikings. After the misfielding, the pitcher walked one batter and hit two consecutive to give the Eagles the tying run. North Cobb Christian hit a single to right field, scoring one more run to take the lead with the bases loaded. But the damage doesn’t end there. The Eagles would crush a grand slam to left field to take an 8-3 lead.
The error earlier in the inning cost the Vikings the game because after giving up a six-run fourth inning, the Vikings failed to get any runs across the board and lost in the second round of the playoffs 11-3.
However, four other teams from Middle Georgia will be competing in their respective Elite Eight.
In 1A Public, ACE Charter will host Social Circle on Tuesday, May 10.
In 2A, Bleckley County will host Pace Academy also on Tuesday, May 10.
In 4A, Perry will host Cedartown on Monday, May 9.
In 6A, the reigning state champs, Houston County, will host Buford on Monday, May 9.
All the series are still best two out of three, and the teams will play doubleheaders on the first day of competition; if they split, a game three decider will be played the following day.
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| 2022-05-06T03:52:49Z
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Georgia Academy for the Blind students receive 3d touch yearbook from Mercer students
Engineering students from Mercer University presented the graduating class of the Georgia Academy for the Blind with a gift they'll never forget.
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — Engineering students from Mercer University presented the graduating class of the Georgia Academy for the Blind with a gift they’ll never forget.
For the fifth year in a row, Mercer students presented the students with a touch 3D Yearbook. It’s a yearbook many of the students didn’t expect to receive.
“I love this yearbook,” one student said. “It’s going to be one of the things I treasure forever.”
For many people, a yearbook is filled with memories of peers and moments shared together.
Felix Walker says as that as he prepares to graduate, he’ll treasure his peers.
“I don’t classify them as my friends,” he said. “I classify them as my brothers. We’re closer to each other, so I take this yearbook, and I keep it as memories.”
Felix Walker, Rickoy Johnson and Terrance Davis say their bond is like no other. Although they’re going separate ways after graduation, they’ll have something to remember each other.
Johnson was surprised when he heard he was going to get his own yearbook.
“They did a good job here,” Johnson said. “I can tell that, because even though I couldn’t find my face very fast, but yeah I like the work and design and everything.”
Skye Kim and Katie Puckett are both sophomores at Mercer University. They helped create the yearbook. It took them one year to complete.
“I only saw the students’ faces while building it,” Kim said. “And to see them in real life, it kind of felt like meeting celebrities, because I know you, but you don’t know me type of thing.”
14 students received their own yearbook.
“I really like the detail in my hair,” Davis said. “I’m proud of my hair.”
The university says it looks forward to being back at the academy next year to surprise yet another class.
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| 2022-05-06T03:52:55Z
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Houston County Schools hosts first Mental Health Summit
The district hosted its first Mental Health Summit on Thursday.
WARNER ROBINS, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — Children and teens seem to be dealing with more mental health challenges than ever before.
Tangela Brice, the Project AWARE coordinator with Houston County Schools, says the district decided to try something new to connect parents with mental health resources.
The district hosted its first Mental Health Summit on Thursday.
“What we wanted to do is bridge the gap between our parents and our community members who need mental health resources and the community providers in our area,” she said.
Those who attended the summit met with health and community therapy providers.
Laura Whitaker-Shortt, a Senior Outreach Consultant for Piedmont Behavioral Health who was one of the vendors at Thursday’s event, says mentally healthy people are healthier overall. She shared a few signs of a child who is struggling mentally.
“If there’s a change in their behavior, if they’re more active or underactive,” she said. “If they’re sleeping more or sleeping less, if they were very talkative and they’re talking less. Those are all signs that something is going on.”
There were three presentations throughout the day. The first one covered recognizing and addressing anxiety and depression in youth. Brice shared her takeaway from the presentation.
“Tune into yourself,” she said. ‘Tune into your youth or your students or your child. Pay attention to some of those signs and symptoms that could be present.”
Whitaker-Shortt says there’s a stigma around mental health that prevents people from getting care. She says it’s important to normalize mental health from a young age and adds that kids today don’t deal with a stigma like the older generations do.
“With this generation, they’re a lot more vocal about behavioral health and owning their behavioral health,” she said. “So it’s making it a lot easier for them to get access to care, and we’re slowly starting to see that stigma come down in this age group.”
If you missed Thursday’s event and would like to know more about Project AWARE or the service providers who were there, contact the Houston County Student Services Department.
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ICYMI: Stories you may have missed today on 41NBC News May 5, 2022 Clayton Poulnott, Macon-Bibb County files lawsuit against hotel due to public nuisance Naked man attacks woman cutting grass in Lizella Severe storms possible Friday For other stories you may have missed, click here. FacebookPinterestTwitterLinkedin
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Macon-Bibb County files lawsuit against hotel due to public nuisance
Between March 2016 and February 2022, more than 600 emergency calls were placed regarding Bridgeview Inn and Suites on Harrison Road.
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — Macon-Bibb County filed a lawsuit in Superior Court Wednesday against the owners and management of the Bridgeview Inn and Suites on Harrison Road.
County leaders say between March 2016 and February 2022, more than 600 emergency calls were placed regarding Bridgeview, including drug crimes, pandering, armed robbery, rape, and other illicit activity.
“There must be action taken by the owners here and at properties just like it to end the illegal activity. To stop being a breeding ground of violence and drug usage,” said Mayor Lester Miller. “We can’t keep continuing to respond to the same spot repeatedly and having our public safety resources constantly diverted from other areas of town.”
Macon-Bibb County is asking the Court for the following relief:
- that this matter be scheduled for a hearing before in Superior Court;
- that the property be declared a public nuisance;
- that the Court temporarily and permanently enjoin and restrain Defendants from continuing to maintain this nuisance;
- that the Court award judgment in favor of Plaintiff and against Defendants for the requested equitable and declaratory relief sought in the Complaint; and
- that Plaintiff have such other and further relief as this Court deems just and equitable.
“Improving public safety is our community’s top priority, and we have the legal basis to force businesses to take the necessary steps to stop being centers of this dangerous activity,” said Mayor Miller.
Georgia law states that any nuisance which tends to the immediate annoyance of the public in general, is manifestly injurious to the public health or safety, or tends greatly to corrupt the manners and morals of the public may be abated by the order of a judge of the superior court of the county in which venue is proper.
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National Day of Prayer ceremony held in Macon-Bibb
Communities across middle Georgia took a moment Thursday to observe a day of prayer.
MACON, Georgia(41NBC/WMGT) — Communities across middle Georgia took a moment Thursday to observe a day of prayer.
A ceremony took place at noon at Macon’s Rosa Parks Square. Multiple speakers took the podium to pray on behalf of their organization.
Macon-Bibb Mayor Lester Miller also proclaimed the day as a ‘National Day of Prayer’ for Macon-Bibb County.
We spoke with National Day of Prayer Chairperson Margaret McCook about why prayer is so important.
“Prayer is powerful,” she said. “And we need to be praying for our nation right now. The most important thing we can do is pray, pray more because we have more for which to pray.”
This year marked the first partnership between the organizers and Macon’s assisted living facilities.
Monthly prayers are also held every second Wednesday in the Macon-Bibb Government Center.
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Severe storms possible Friday
After another hot but beautiful day in Middle Georgia we will finally be seeing an end to the heat.
Unfortunately that comes with a chance for severe storms in the area for Friday afternoon.
The Storm Prediction Center currently has part of the area in a level 3 (enhanced) severe threat for tomorrow.
This does include a 30% chance for damaging wind gusts, as well as a 10% chance of a tornado.
Now is a good time to make sure you have a way to get your severe weather warnings and also know where your safe place is.
A cold front will be approaching the area, but ahead of the front we will be seeing a line of potentially strong storms moving through during the afternoon.
I will note that if this line moves in during the morning hours, our severe threat will be much less.
This is because the current timing of the storms would push them in at a time of maximum instability and wind shear.
The forecast models have started to agree pretty well that any time after noon will be our start time.
Current forecast thinking would bring the line into the Macon area by around 2pm (this is obviously subject to change).
Once the line of storms moves into the area it will be moving quickly and should be out of Middle Georgia by around 6pm or so.
Once the line moves through the area, severe storms will be unlikely but a few lingering showers will still be possible.
Main threat for our area tomorrow will be damaging winds, but the potential for tornadoes and large hail will be there as well.
Although we will see heavy rain in some storms, flooding is not likely with the speed of the storms.
The forecast isn’t all bad news though.
Sunshine returns to the area for most of Saturday with highs staying much cooler than they have been this week.
Mother’s Day will be a great day to get out and celebrate Mom!
Dry weather will continue into the start of next week, with our next rain chances coming Wednesday afternoon.
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Update: Naked man attacks woman cutting grass in Lizella
Sgt. Clay Williams says a man was shot at a home on Trophy Place Thursday afternoon.
UPDATE (9:10 P.M.): The Bibb County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a death in Lizella on Thursday.
The sheriff’s office says deputies responded to a man assaulting a woman at a home in the 3700 block of Trophy Place just before 5 p.m. Before deputies arrived on scene, the suspect was shot by the victim’s husband.
When deputies arrived, they found a 25-year-old man in the front yard of the home, naked with gunshot wounds to the chest.
It was reported the 67-year-old woman was cutting her grass when the man tackled her off the lawnmower.
The husband of the victim attempted to pull the suspect off his wife but was also attacked. The suspect then began attacking the female again, and that’s when the husband got his gun and shot the suspect.
The female victim was taken to the hospital in stable condition. The victim’s husband had minor injuries and was treated on scene.
The suspect was taken to the Atrium Health Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
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MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – According to the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office, deputies are investigating a shooting in Lizella.
Sgt. Clay Williams says a man was shot on Trophy Place Thursday afternoon.
That is all the information we have at this time.
Stay with 41NBC for updates as they become available.
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Warner Robins holds National Day of Prayer service
Warner Robins held its 31st annual National Day of Prayer at City Hall Thursday.
WARNER ROBINS, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Warner Robins held its 31st annual National Day of Prayer at City Hall Thursday.
Pastors from several churches gathered to lead prayers for education, family race relations and other issues the world faces today.
In 1988, President Ronald Regan declared the first Thursday in May as the National Day of Prayer, and it has continued to be observed since.
Lead pastor for End Time Harvest Church, Melvin Womack, prayed for the youth and gangs in Warner Robins. He says the day of prayer is a reminder that unity and faith can help solve any problem.
“As Doctor King would say, that injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere, so we thank God for people coming together in unity and understand that the things that are plaguing us, they can be solved through God.”
Those in attendance took time to honor first responders and to give thanks to those who keep the community safe.
“It’s great to have the support of the community people praying for you,” Houston County Sheriff’s Office Captain Clay Chambers said. “We’re trying to give back to the community, and emergency service, more or less, they’re serving their community. They care about the community, and so any support that we get is much appreciated.”
Washington D.C. observed a national prayer from the Museum of the Bible at 8 Thursday night.
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Wayne Johnson announces campaign for Georgia’s 2nd Congressional District
Republican Wayne Johnson is running for Georgia's Second Congressional District seat.
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Republican Wayne Johnson is running for Georgia’s Second Congressional District seat.
He spent Thursday afternoon meeting with supporters in Macon.
Johnson says he was born raised and raised in the 2nd district and served time in the U.S. Army. He says he also served as a senior executive in the Trump administration.
During a news conference Thursday, Johnson said his experience separates him from the competition.
“I’ve created thousands of jobs,” he said. “I’ve helped to save billions of taxpayer money when I worked in the Trump administration, so it basically boils down to I have been there and done that and done it well over many years.”
Early voting is happening now in Georgia through May 20.
Election Day is May 24.
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VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis authorized spending up to 1 million euros to free a Colombian nun kidnapped by al-Qaida-linked militants in Mali, a cardinal testified Thursday, revealing previously secret papal approval to hire a British security firm to find the nun and secure her freedom.
Cardinal Angelo Becciu’s bombshell testimony could pose serious security implications for the Vatican and Catholic Church, since he provided evidence that the pope was apparently willing to pay ransom to Islamic militants to free a nun, who was eventually let go last year.
Ransom payment are rarely if ever confirmed, precisely to dissuade future kidnappings, and it’s not known how much — if any Vatican money — actually ended up in the hands of the militants. Prosecutors have accused a Becciu co-defendant of embezzling around half the amount on high-end luxury items for herself.
Becciu, who was once one of Francis’ top advisers as the No. 2 in the Vatican secretariat of state, had withheld his testimony from the Vatican tribunal for nearly two years as a matter of state and pontifical secret. But he spoke freely Thursday in his own defense after Francis released him from the confidentiality requirement, providing the most anticipated testimony of the yearlong trial to date.
Becciu is one of 10 people accused in the Vatican’s sprawling financial fraud trial, which originated in the Holy See’s 350 million euro investment in a London property and expanded to cover other alleged crimes. Prosecutors have accused the defendants of a host of crimes for allegedly fleecing the Holy See of millions of euros in fees, commissions and bad investments.
Becciu, the lone cardinal on trial, is accused of embezzlement, abuse of office and witness tampering, all of which he denies. On Thursday, his testimony covered the charges concerning his relationship with an Italian self-styled intelligence specialist, Cecilia Marogna.
Marogna has told Italian media that she helped negotiate the release of Catholic hostages in Africa on behalf of the Holy See. Vatican prosecutors accuse her of embezzling 575 million euros, citing bank records from her Slovenian holding company that show nine wire transfers from the Vatican in 2018-2019 for unspecified humanitarian ends, and expenditures out of the account at Prada, Luis Vuitton and fancy hotels. Marogna has said the transfers were reimbursements for expenditures and compensation for her services.
Becciu testified Thursday that he hired Marogna as an external security consultant, impressed by her grasp of geopolitical affairs and the trust she enjoyed of two of Italy’s top secret service officials, Generals Luciano Carta and Gianni Caravelli, who accompanied her to a meeting with Becciu in the Vatican in October 2017.
Becciu said he turned to Marogna for help following the February 2017 kidnapping of a Colombian nun, Sister Gloria Cecilia Narvaez, in Mali. She had been kidnapped by al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb, which has bankrolled its insurgency by kidnapping Westerners. During her captivity, the group periodically showed Narvaez on video asking for the Vatican’s help.
Becciu said he had heard from the Vatican’s nuncio in Colombia as well as other sisters from the nun’s religious order asking for help. He said he brought the matter to Francis as well as Marogna, who he said advised him that she could work with a British intelligence firm, The Inkerman Group, to secure the nun’s release.
Becciu testified that Francis authorized him to proceed with the Inkerman operation, and forbade him from telling anyone else about it, including the Vatican’s own police chief. Francis was concerned about the security and reputational implications if the news leaked, Becciu said.
Becciu said he and Marogna met with Inkerman officials at their London office in mid-January 2018.
Inkerman officials said there were no assurances of success and that the total expenditure could reach 1 million euros, Becciu said. Because the Vatican wanted to remain external to any operation, Marogna became the key intermediary and the one to receive periodic payments from the Vatican secretariat of state for the operation, Becciu testified.
Becciu said he provided Francis a preliminary oral readout of the London meeting on Jan. 15, 2018, while the pope was en route to Peru.
“He listened to me and confirmed my intention to proceed,” Becciu testified. “In a subsequent meeting with the Holy Father, once in Rome, I spoke to him in more detail about the conversation we had with the Inkermans and the sum that we should have estimated in broad terms: about 1 million euros, part to pay for the creation of a network of contacts, and part for the effective liberation of the nun.”
“I pointed out that we shouldn’t have gone beyond that figure. He approved. I must say that every step of this operation was agreed with the Holy Father,” Becciu testified.
Narvaez was released in October, 2021, after more than four years in captivity. Soon after, she met with Francis at the Vatican.
Vatican prosecutors say they have evidence that the secretariat of state, in addition to the transfer of 575,000 euros sent to Marogna’s Slovenian accounts, sent an equivalent amount directly to a British bank account held by Inkerman.
Becciu also responded to claims against him concerning Cardinal George Pell, who left his job as the Vatican’s financial czar in 2017 to face historic sex abuse charges in his native Australia, for which he was ultimately acquitted. Pell clashed repeatedly with Becciu during his time at the Vatican and has repeated Italian media claims that Becciu approved money transfers from the Vatican to Australia that in some way aided in the sex abuse prosecution against him.
Becciu on Thursday produced two letters to refute the claims: One from the current secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, explaining that the 1.46 million euros that was wired to Australia was to pay for a domain name “.catholic.” And the other, a Sept. 11, 2015 letter authorizing that expenditure, signed by none other than Pell.
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MILAN (AP) — Across Europe, rising energy prices are testing the resolve of ordinary consumers and business owners who are caught between the continent’s dependence on cheap Russian energy and its revulsion over President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
Governments are trying to replace energy supplies from Russia, mindful that their regular payments are funding a war that has seen thousands of civilian deaths and widespread destruction. They also face a nerve-wracking showdown with Moscow over its demands for payments in rubles, and the possibility that Russia will block supplies, as it did to Bulgaria and Poland last week.
European Union countries import 40% of gas and 25% of oil from Russia, and the current EU timetable doesn’t foresee energy independence from Moscow for another five years. As atrocities unfold, the EU is looking to sharpen sanctions.
The EU’s executive commission on Wednesday proposed phasing out imports of crude oil within six months and refined products by the end of 2022. It must be approved by all 27 member countries, which will be a battle because some are more dependent on Russian oil than others. Still, oil is easier to replace than natural gas, which is used to generate electricity and power industries.
In a poll of 1,230 random voters published last month by German public broadcaster ZDF, 28% said the country should halt natural gas and oil imports immediately, even if it means supply problems, while 54% said it should only happen if the supply is largely secured, and 14% opposed a ban.
It shows how the economic blow is increasingly falling to consumers and businesses, who already saw natural gas prices start to soar last summer. Some of their stories:
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HELP FOR THE POOR IN MILAN
Struggling residents of one of Italy’s lowest-income neighborhoods on Milan’s periphery line up twice a week to ask for help making ends meet. Increasingly, they come clutching utility bills.
Since energy prices began spiking, a kindly three-woman panel that adjudicates the requests at Santa Lucia parish in Quarto Oggiaro have another resource to help the needy: an energy packet funded by the A2A energy company that offers up to 300 euros a year to families who can’t pay their higher utility bills. About 100 families have qualified since September.
Alessandra Travaglini, 54, hit the maximum even before the war as her utility bill doubled to over 120 euros. She has been out of work as an in-home caregiver for two months and hopes the parish can give her even more help.
There’s not much room for cutting back on energy use.
“I don’t cook a lot. I run the washing machine only in the evening or on weekends. I take short showers, I use the oven maybe once a month, and I iron once, maybe twice, a week,’’ Travaglini said. “I am scared. ‘’
She worries that if Italy cuts off Russian energy or if Moscow halts supplies, her life will get even harder.
“I think they have to buy it from Russia, for now,’’ she said. “But for me, Italy has adopted the wrong strategy, because we have become enemies. I think that if Mr. Putin pushes the button, we will be the first targets” in any nuclear attack.
Roberto Bertolini can’t cover his last bimonthly electricity bill of 180 euros on his monthly income of 550 euros, working just three hours a day caring for disabled adults.
The war feels especially close for Bertolini. As soon as he retires, the 66-year-old plans to join his wife in Hungary, which borders Ukraine. He does not think Italy should be buying gas from Russia.
“These sacrifices need to be made,’’ he said. “When I see those images, I change the channel. It is too horrible — women raped, children attacked. They are not easy images. Not showing them isn’t right. But for me, I just can’t look.”
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BELT-TIGHTENING IN BUDAPEST
Kritztian Kobela-Piko, a gas fitter and plumber in the Hungarian capital of Budapest, sees his profession intimately connected with his country’s relationship to Russian energy. And with the capital just a couple of hundred kilometers (miles) from Ukraine, the war is hardly a distant reality.
The 41-year-old independent contractor installs gas boilers, using materials that have become exponentially more expensive. He said he sympathizes with the war’s victims and would be willing to make personal sacrifices if it meant Ukrainians could better defend themselves.
“At most, I will have to tighten my belt a little,” Kobela-Piko said. “But these sacrifices are nothing compared to the situation of people living in Ukraine. I think that this sacrifice is the minimum, something I would do any time out of solidarity.”
Since the war began, many clients have been converting their home heating systems to electricity, uncertain about the future of natural gas.
While Kobela-Piko believes harsher sanctions against Moscow is the right strategy, he said Hungary’s geopolitical situation makes breaking its dependence on Russian energy nearly impossible. Hungary, a former member of the Soviet bloc, gets 85% of its gas and more than 60% of its oil from Russia.
Putting pressure on a country that Hungary depends on for its energy resources “is a very unpleasant situation,” he said.
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RUSSIAN GAS FOR GERMAN GLASS
Carletta Heinz is calculating the impact of a gas cutoff for the 400-year-old glass company she took over from her father as the 13th generation — and for communities in the heart of a glassmaking district in eastern Germany.
The Heinz-Glas Group, which makes bottles for international cosmetic and perfume brands, would have to close a gas-fired facility in the town of Piesau. That would ruin tanks that need to stay above 900 degrees Celsius (1,650 degrees Fahrenheit) to keep molten glass from solidifying. If Piesau has to shut down, it can’t be restarted, and production would go elsewhere.
The company already has transitioned to electricity at headquarters in nearby Kleintettau to lower carbon emissions, but it still needs gas for some processes there.
If a gas boycott leads to government-imposed rationing, Heinz said, then Germany must ensure that glassmakers get at least 70% of their current energy to keep tanks hot and avoid widespread equipment losses. In case of a dire shortage, EU law requires governments to shut off gas to businesses to spare homes and hospitals.
Beyond her company, she is worried about the impact on glass-making companies near the border between the Thuringia and Bavaria regions, which employ 5,000 people directly and 8,000 others indirectly.
Job losses could mean higher carbon emissions if production shifts to countries with fewer environmental protections, said Heinz, 38.
“In Germany, we’re more developed regarding environmental protection. Glass will still be needed and would be produced in other countries, which for our planet would be definitely worse,” she said.
“I am just of the opinion that you first need alternatives. Naturally I’m for everything that hurts Russia and helps Ukraine,’’ Heinz added. “But we need to keep our industry in mind and see that we have a future, because if our industry is ruined then our country can’t help anyone else.”
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SANCTIONS BLOWBACK IN BULGARIA
Nikolay Belev’s income as a construction worker in the Bulgarian capital of Sofia is not keeping pace with gas and oil prices. And he is not ready to take on more pain for Russian sanctions, which he thinks are improper and will only bring more inequity in the EU’s poorest member state.
“These sanctions are meant to weaken Russia’s economy, but in the end, they hit back on my country and particularly on the people with lower incomes, who are the real victims of these sanctions,” Belev said. He also complained that higher energy prices have driven up the costs of his materials — as much as 30% in the last two months.
Bulgaria, a nation of 6.5 million people, once was among Moscow’s closest allies during the Soviet era. Now a NATO and EU member, it is still heavily dependent on Russian energy. Its only oil refinery is owned by Russia’s Lukoil, supplying nearly two-thirds of the country’s energy needs.
The only nuclear power plant, generating over a third of Bulgaria’s electricity, runs on uranium from Russia.
The current centrist coalition government is trying to get on a clearer pro-Western path by looking elsewhere for energy, including gas from Azerbaijan or liquefied natural gas via an pipeline with Greece. The LNG option will mean higher prices.
For Veselina Marinova, an editor who lives with her husband and 83-year-old mother, paying more for energy is a small sacrifice when weighed against the deaths of civilians in Ukraine.
“Nothing can justify the military aggression against a democratic country,” she said. “Of course, my family’s income will suffer because of the inflation fueled by the war. I am always aware that a severe crisis is looming, and that life will get harder. I do believe, however, that we must stay on the right track.”
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Toshkov reported from Sofia, Bulgaria; Spike from Budapest, Hungary.
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Follow AP’s coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
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WASHINGTON (AP) — Lawmakers are working toward compromise on President Joe Biden’s $33 billion Ukraine aid request, even as signs emerge that Democrats may need to swallow another COVID-19 setback and drop their goal of wrapping pandemic spending into the package.
Bipartisan talks among House and Senate Appropriations committee leaders are underway in hopes of producing legislation Congress could vote on as soon as next week, members of both parties say. Changes in Biden’s proposal are likely — the price tag, particularly for military spending, could rise — but there’s wide agreement on the urgency of helping Kyiv and regional allies resist Russia’s 10-week-old onslaught.
Republican budget-writers “are probably knocking some things out and adding some things. But I think by and large, everybody agrees we’ve got to do all we can to help,” said No. 2 Senate GOP leader John Thune of South Dakota. He said some Republicans believe “this package may not be robust enough, but I think it probably strikes close to the right balance.”
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., cited broad backing for the measure Thursday but warned, “This isn’t about battling climate change.” McConnell aides said he was objecting to some proposed funding to international organizations that Republicans have criticized for spending money on alternative energy initiatives.
“If the Senate is serious about helping Ukraine win, we need to show it by passing supplemental assistance. Clean, no strings attached, and soon,” McConnell said.
One participant said bargainers must resolve details of Biden proposals to provide health care, food and other benefits to Ukrainian refugees in the U.S. and to strengthen government powers to use assets seized from billionaire friends of Russian President Vladimir Putin to help Ukraine. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to describe the talks publicly.
When Biden sent his $33 billion proposal to Congress last week, he wrote that “to avoid needless deaths in the United States and around the world,” Congress should include additional billions for COVID-19 tests, treatments and vaccines. Democrats have hoped doing so would pressure the GOP to accept the pandemic spending, which Democrats say is needed to prepare for the virus’ all but inevitable next curveball.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has resorted to more lawyerly language, not specifying that the two issues should be combined. “We need to figure out the best way to get both done, and that’s what we’re going to try to do in the next few weeks,” he told reporters Tuesday.
Minutes earlier, McConnell spelled out his view of the best way forward.
“There is overwhelming bipartisan support for getting the Ukrainians as much help as they need as quickly as possible,” McConnell said. “For that to happen here in Congress, that package needs to be moved without the other extraneous issues.”
While combining Ukraine and pandemic money into one package has broad Democratic support, bargainers say party leaders haven’t made a final decision on that yet. Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., said in an interview that he wants funding for Ukraine and COVID-19 tied together because both are crucial.
“It may” fall out of the bill, Leahy said of the pandemic money, “and I think that would be a mistake.”
Biden’s overall proposal is anchored by $20 billion to help Ukraine and nearby countries defend themselves and replenish U.S. arms shipped to the area. There’s $8.5 billion to bolster Ukraine’s economy and government and $3 billion for refugees and to supplement food supplies around the world disrupted by the war.
The proposal’s fine print, contained in White House documents sent to Congress, adds texture to Biden’s plans.
It would make it easier for Russians with advanced degrees in more than two dozen sciences — including missile propulsion, artificial intelligence, semiconductors and cybersecurity — to get job-based visas and come to the U.S. Besides strengthening the U.S. in those fields, the move would “undercut Russia’s innovative potential, benefitting U.S. national security,” according to the materials accompanying Biden’s proposal.
The documents, which break down Biden’s defense request by each branch of the military, include $800,000 for the new U.S. Space Force. The expenditures are described as covering intelligence analysis, flying hours, weapon system sustainment and other costs, but no other details are provided. The overall U.S. defense budget is around $800 billion.
There’s nearly $600 million for Patriot anti-missile systems in Europe, money to care for wounded Ukrainian troops at an American military medical center in Germany and a proposal to let Afghan refugees who’ve fled to this country since the U.S. withdrawal become lawful permanent residents if they qualify.
Rapid approval of Ukraine aid would let both parties avoid an election-year display of dysfunction by spiraling into a spat over the widely popular cause of helping Ukraine avoid being overpowered by Russia.
Passage of Ukraine aid separately would also preserve GOP hopes of boxing Democrats into a corner on border security, an issue Republicans are banking on in November’s elections for congressional control.
Should Senate Democrats press ahead with a separate pandemic bill, Republicans plan to force a vote on retaining a Trump-era order citing the pandemic as justification for quickly removing asylum-seekers crossing the Mexican border into the U.S. The Biden administration has planned to let that rule expire May 23, and Democrats are divided over whether to extend it.
Already this year, a White House request for $30 billion for the pandemic was cut in half and ultimately dropped by the House. A bipartisan Senate compromise then trimmed it to $10 billion, but stalled over GOP demands for a vote on immigration.
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| 2022-05-06T04:31:16Z
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WASHINGTON (AP) — When the Federal Reserve raises interest rates — as it did Wednesday — the impact doesn’t stop with U.S. homebuyers paying more for mortgages or Main Street business owners facing costlier bank loans.
The fallout can be felt beyond America’s borders, hitting shopkeepers in Sri Lanka, farmers in Mozambique and families in poorer countries around the world. The impacts abroad range from higher borrowing costs to depreciating currencies.
“It will put pressure on all types of developing countries,’’ said Eric LeCompte, executive director of the Jubilee USA Network, a coalition of groups seeking to reduce global poverty.
The managing director of the International Monetary Fund, Kristalina Georgieva, was worried enough last month to warn the Fed and other rate-hiking central banks to stay “mindful of the spillover risks to vulnerable emerging and developing economies.’’
Citing the harsher financial conditions, the IMF recently downgraded the outlook for economic growth this year in developing and emerging market countries to 3.8%, a full percentage point below what it forecast in January.
The Fed on Wednesday raised its benchmark short-term rate by half a percentage point to its highest level since the pandemic hit two years ago, and signaled that more rate hikes will come.
The U.S. rate hikes can deliver long-distance damage in a number of ways. First, they could slow the American economy and reduce U.S. consumers’ appetite for foreign goods.
They also affect global investment: As rates rise in the U.S, safer American government and corporate bonds start looking more attractive to global investors. So they can pull money out of poor and middle-income countries and invest it in the United States. Those shifts drive up the U.S. dollar and push down currencies in the developing world.
Falling currencies can cause problems. They make it more expensive to pay for imported food and other products. That is especially worrisome at a time when supply chain bottlenecks and the war in Ukraine have already disrupted shipments of grain and fertilizer and pushed up food prices worldwide to alarming levels.
To defend their sinking currencies, central banks in developing countries are likely to raise their own rates; some have already started. That can cause economic damage: It slows growth, wipes out jobs and squeezes business borrowers. It also forces indebted governments to spend more of their budgets on interest payments and less on things like fighting COVID-19 and feeding the poor.
The IMF’s Georgieva has warned that 60% of low-income countries are already in or near “debt distress’’ — an alarming threshold reached when their debt payments equal half the size of their national economies.
Despite the risks of collateral damage, the Fed is expected to raise rates several more times this year to combat resurgent inflation in the United States.
The inflationary surge is the result of an unexpectedly strong recovery from the pandemic recession of 2020, a rebound that caught businesses by surprise and forced them to scramble to find workers and supplies to meet customer demand. The result has been shortages, delays in filling orders and higher prices. In March, U.S. consumer prices rose 8.5% from a year earlier — biggest jump since 1981.
By pushing up interest rates, the Fed is hoping to pull off a so-called soft landing — raising rates just enough to slow the economy and bring inflation under control but not enough to tip the U.S. economy into another recession.
Developing countries are worried the Fed waited too long to begin its anti-inflationary campaign and will be forced to raise rates so aggressively it causes a hard landing that hurts the United States and developing countries alike.
“They would have been much better off if the Fed would have reacted more swiftly when the problem started’’ last year, said Liliana Rojas-Suarez, senior fellow at the Center for Global Development.
The Fed does not have an impressive record of engineering soft landings. The last one came in the mid-1990s under Fed Chair Alan Greenspan, an episode that ended unhappily for many developing countries.
“The U.S. was able to manage inflation well and avoid recession,’’ Rojas-Suarez said, “but at the same time created huge spillovers for emerging markets.’’ What followed was a series of financial crises — in Mexico, in Russia and eventually across much of Asia.
Robin Brooks, chief economist at the Institute of International Finance, notes that many emerging market countries are in a much stronger financial position than they were back then, or even in 2013, when Fed plans to cut back its easy money policies sent investment fleeing the developing world.
For one thing, many have beefed up their foreign currency reserves, which central banks can use to buy and support their countries’ currencies or meet foreign debt payments in a crisis. On the eve of the 1997-1998 Asian financial crisis, for instance, Thailand’s reserves were equal to 19% of its economy; now they’re at 47%, according to the institute, a trade group for global banks.
Brooks also says that rising raw materials prices are “a bit of windfall’’ for commodities exporters like oil-producing Nigeria and soybean-producing Brazil.
But some countries remain vulnerable to financial shocks. Among them are those that rely heavily on imported oil and other commodities and that have low reserves compared to what they owe other countries. At the top of Rojas-Suarez’s list of the most exposed to financial risks is Sri Lanka, which last month said it was suspending repayment of foreign debt while it works out a loan restructuring program with the IMF. Also flashing red are Tunisia, Turkey and Mozambique.
Rising U.S. interest rates don’t always spell disaster for developing world countries. If they’re climbing because the U.S. economy is strong — and businesses and consumers want loans to buy things — that means more opportunities for countries with exports to sell into the U.S. market.
But the fallout is very different when the Fed is hiking borrowing costs in a deliberate campaign to slow U.S. growth and wring inflationary pressures out of the economy.
“If higher rates are driven mainly by worries about inflation or a hawkish turn in Fed policy … this will likely be more disruptive for emerging markets,’’ economists from the Fed and the conservative American Enterprise Institute wrote in a paper last year.
Which, worryingly, is what the Fed is doing now.
It’s another blow to countries still contending with big debts, large numbers of unvaccinated people and surging food prices.
“It’s added pressure,’’ LeCompte says, “and how much pressure can governments take?’’
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| 2022-05-06T04:31:55Z
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LONDON (AP) — OPEC and allied oil-producing countries decided Thursday to gradually increase the flows they send to the world, even as Europe’s plan to sanction Russian oil threatens to yank millions of barrels off a global market already thirsty for crude.
The cautious approach from the OPEC+ alliance — which includes non-member Russia — will exacerbate a global energy crunch, with prices expected to rise further for oil and the gasoline, diesel and aviation fuel made from it. Those higher prices will worsen global inflation, eating away at people’s ability to spend money that would otherwise support the economic recovery.
At an online meeting, OPEC+ stuck with its road map to gradually open the oil taps, agreeing to add 432,000 barrels per day in June. The plan is to make those regular increases to restore cuts made in 2020 during the worst of the pandemic recession.
Oil prices have risen — more than 40% this year — as the boost in production remains smaller than what the U.S. and other oil-consuming countries are pressing for to ease high prices at the pump.
Bigger surges in oil prices have been held back by COVID-19 lockdowns in China cutting demand and the U.S. and other member countries of the International Energy Agency releasing oil from strategic reserves.
Still, analysts from Rystad Energy foresee the global market potentially losing up to 2 million barrels within six months if the 27 European Union countries approve a proposal to sanction Russian oil. Moscow is expected to see production fall after losing its biggest oil customer — Europe.
OPEC has made it clear to European officials that the oil cartel is not going to increase production to compensate for lost Russian oil. Some OPEC members already can’t meet their oil production quotas.
Russia is the world’s largest oil exporter with some 12% of global supply, and fears its oil and natural gas could be cut offhave kept energy prices high. Before the invasion of Ukraine, Russian sent around 3.8 million barrels of oil per day to the European Union, where refineries turn it into gasoline and diesel fuel.
If the EU carries through on its plans to phase out crude imports in six months, Russia could try to sell those barrels to countries in Asia that are not participating in the boycott. But it might not be able to find customers for all of the oil displaced from Europe, even at tempting knockdown prices.
For one reason, there is limited pipeline and rail capacity to Asia. While some oil could be redirected by sea, that will depend on the availability of oil tankers willing to deal with Russian crude, given the risk of sanctions. Banks and companies that insure tanker fleets may be reluctant to facilitate the sale of Russian oil.
“Higher prices could be around the corner,” said Bjornar Tonhaugen, head of oil markets research at Rystad Energy. “The oil market has not fully priced in the potential of an EU oil embargo, so higher crude prices are to be expected in the summer months if it’s voted into law.”
U.S. oil prices rose Thursday, up 1.2% after the meeting to $109.01 per barrel, or 43% higher since the start of the year. International benchmark Brent crude rose 1.7%, to $111.81 per barrel.
The price of crude oil accounts for about 60% of the price at the pump in the United States. Average U.S. gasoline prices stood at $4.19 per gallon Wednesday, up $1.29 from a year ago.
Diesel for trucks and farm equipment has risen even more over a year ago, by $2.34, to $5.43 per gallon.
Drivers in Europe, where taxes make up a larger proportion of the price at the pump, are paying more, too. Gasoline prices are averaging 1.95 euros per liter in Germany, or the equivalent of $7.77 per gallon, while diesel has been at 2.02 euros per liter, or $8.05 per gallon.
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| 2022-05-06T04:32:03Z
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The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs wasted nearly $2 million when most of the smartphones bought during the pandemic for homeless veterans went unused, according to an inspector general’s report.
The report, released Wednesday, found that the Veterans Health Administration spent nearly $7 million to purchase 10,000 phones with unlimited prepaid calling plans but that 85% of the phones gathered dust. As a result, it lost $1.8 million in wasted data plan costs. The inspector general also found that $571,000 was wasted on data plans due to poor oversight of its purchase of nearly 81,000 iPads.
The smartphones and iPads were purchased as part of the efforts to increase homeless veterans’ access to telehealth, a program that saw video visits increase from about 2,500 in February 2020 to 38,000 in September 2020. The veterans were enrolled in a Department of Housing and Urban Development VA Supportive housing program.
The inspector general concluded that Veterans Health Administration officials, who were part of the Connected Care program, made a good faith effort to help veterans get smartphones. But they found there was a “lack of information for officials to be able to determine the quantity needed for the targeted veteran population.”
The inspector general recommended improvements in the storage of smartphones and tablets.
It called for the VA to “establish a realistic goal for days in storage along with a process for closely monitoring days in storage for each data plan provider and taking corrective actions when the goal is not being met.” It also called for a cost-benefit analysis, in coordination with contractors, to create a process that starts the data plan charges only after the device has been issued to a veteran.
In the case of the iPads, Connected Care officials purchased 80,930 with prepaid data plans for around $63 million. But these iPads remained in storage on average for 17 days, the inspector general found, which ended up costing the VA more than $571,000 in wasted data plans.
“Officials could reduce wasted data plan costs by establishing a realistic goal for days in storage, closely monitoring days in storage for devices with each type of data plan, and then taking corrective actions when necessary,” the report said.
The VA did not immediately respond to a request for comment. But in the report, the VA’s undersecretary for health concurred with the recommendations.
The agency said it plans to work with its Denver Logistics Center to analyze inventory, tablet use and shipments over the past year. It then will propose guidelines for how long a device should be in storage, a system to monitor that and corrective actions when storage goals are not met. It also plans to consider a new process that either will launch data plans when devices are issued or consider other ways that data plan costs can be reduced.
The VA said the Connected Care program was also transferring excess loaner iPhones to the Veterans Health Administration Homeless Program Office, so that coordinators could provide an iPhone to any veteran lacking stable housing and needing a device.
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| 2022-05-06T04:32:26Z
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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — The Walgreens pharmacy chain has reached a $683 million settlement with the state of Florida in a lawsuit accusing the company of improperly dispensing millions of painkillers that contributed to the opioid crisis, state officials said Thursday.
State Attorney General Ashley Moody said the deal was struck after four weeks of government evidence was presented at trial. Walgreens was the 12th and final defendant to settle with Florida, which will bring in more than $3 billion for the state to tackle opioid addiction and overdoses.
“We now go into battle armed and ready to fight back hard against this manmade crisis,” Moody said at a news conference in Tampa. “I am glad that we have been able to end this monumental litigation and move past the courtroom.”
Walgreens, based in Deerfield, Illinois, said in a statement the company did not admit wrongdoing in the deal, during which $620 million will be paid to the state over 18 years and a one-time sum of $63 million for attorney fees. Walgreens operates more than 9,000 stores in all 50 states, according to the company website. About 820 of those locations are in Florida.
OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma has a tentative nationwide deal that includes $6 billion in cash from members of the Sackler family who own the company. In all, settlements, civil and criminal penalties around the country since 2007 have totaled over $45 billion, according to an Associated Press tally.
The Florida case hinged on accusations that as Walgreens dispensed more than 4.3 billion total opioid pills in Florida from May 2006 to June 2021, more than half contained one or more easily recognized red flags for abuse, fraud and addiction that the company should have noticed and acted upon.
The opioid epidemic has been linked to more than 500,000 deaths in the U.S. over the past two decades, counting those from prescription painkillers such as OxyContin and generic oxycodone as well as illicit drugs such as heroin and illegally produced fentanyl.
In the same case, CVS Health Corp. and CVS Pharmacy Inc. agreed to pay the state $484 million. Teva Pharmaceuticals Industries Ltd. agreed to pay $195 million and Allergan PLC more than $134 million.
Florida has previously obtained millions of dollars in opioid settlements involving McKesson Corp., Cardinal Health Inc., Johnson & Johnson Inc. and AmerisourceBergen Corp.
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| 2022-05-06T04:32:34Z
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Teachers, Principals and parents were in the audience during today’s meeting. Many of them also stood at the podium to make school board members aware of how they feel.
After members of St. Landry Parish School Board heard from many people in the parish who say they don’t want to see schools closed.
“We know that it’s probably going to be revisited; they didn’t say that they weren’t going to revisit them. So, we in the three communities are going to continue to meet, continue to collaborate and continue to prepare for what may come,” said Brenda Lavergne.
The board has said the possible closures are being considered as a way to consolidate resources.
On the table for closure at this point are Grand Prairie, Washington, and Palmetto elementary schools, which are all small schools in rural parts in St. Landry Parish.
“The small community schools are the heart of the school district and they really do keep the community thriving, so they are very important for people to come out and support their small community schools,” said Renee Suire.
A third grader at Grand Prairie says he loves his school and wouldn’t want to attend school anywhere else.
“I feel good about that because we won’t have to transfer to another school,” said Braylen Dailge.
School board members in St. Landry will revisit this issue next month.
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https://www.katc.com/news/st-landry-parish/st-landry-parish-school-board-members-pushed-back-voting-to-close-schools
| 2022-05-06T05:31:28Z
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...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM HST SATURDAY...
* WHAT...East winds 20 to 25 kt. Seas 8 to 10 feet.
* WHERE...Kauai Northwest Waters, Kauai Windward Waters, Kauai
Leeward Waters, Kauai Channel, Oahu Leeward Waters, Maui
County Leeward Waters, and Big Island Windward Waters.
* WHEN...Until 6 AM HST Saturday.
* IMPACTS...Conditions will be hazardous to small craft.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Inexperienced mariners, especially those operating smaller
vessels, should avoid navigating in these conditions.
&&
HONOLULU (KITV4) - The Annual Honolulu Triathlon returns on Sunday, May 15, starting at the Ala Moana Beach Park at 6:00 am.
Event participants will start with a 1500-meter swim, followed by a 25-mile bike along Ala Moana Blvd, Nimitz, to Lagoon Drive, returning to Ala Moana Beach Park, and a 6.2-mile run inside Ala Moana Beach Park. There will be traffic restrictions and closures along the route.
See the press release for detailed traffic flows and a map of affected areas.
Traffic Movement Restrictions:
The Bike Course will be held on the Makai (ocean) side of Ala Mona Blvd from Ala Moana Beach Park, Ewa bound, to Nimitz under the viaduct. The bikes will make a 180 U-turn under the viaduct at Lagoon Drive and then back onto Nimitz and Ala Moana Blvd, to Ala Moana Beach Park (MAKAI SIDE).
Ala Moana Blvd and Nimitz road closure begin at 4 am.
Nimitz to Ward Ave will be open no later than 10:00 am.
There will be restricted cross-traffic on Ala Moana and Nimitz.
A Hot Line will be available, and it will be active from May 8th through May 15th, 24 hours a day. Honolulu Triathlon will post the number on the website.
Do you have a story idea? Email news tips to news@kitv.com
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| 2022-05-06T09:02:43Z
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All modes of severe weather possible this afternoon in Middle Georgia
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – A couple rounds of severe weather are likely in Middle Georgia this afternoon/evening ahead of a cold front.
Today Summary
Following the warmest morning of the week, a weak line of storms arrived in Middle Georgia around 9:00 am. Those will have passed through the region before noon, leaving mostly cloudy conditions to stick around into the afternoon. Hopefully the sun does not come out much today, however if it does the instability of the atmosphere will further increase. High temperatures this afternoon are much lower than yesterday as they top off in the upper 70s to mid 80s. Due to the increased humidity, however, it will feel sticky and uncomfortable all afternoon. If the sun comes out, this feeling will be amplified.
The Severe Threat
The risk for severe weather today in Middle Georgia is a Level 3 “Enhanced” risk, and it is in effect for all counties. A tornado watch will likely be issued for much of the Peach State heading into the later afternoon hours. It will likely remain in effect until 10 or 11 PM EDT tonight. The primary threats with today’s storms are going to be hail and strong wind gusts, however a few tornadoes are definitely on the table. The storms look to initially fire up as a bunch of individual cells which enhances the tornado threat. Even the models that are calling for the storms to arrive as a line have it arriving as a QLCS and not a straight line. A QLCS is a line that has parts that rotate embedded within the line. A few weeks ago when Middle Georgia saw the tornadoes come through was a QLCS system. QLCS tornadoes are not the strongest or longest tracking, however any tornado is dangerous and these still the potential for major damage and to be life threatening. Hail should for the most part remain small, however up to golf-ball size will be possible today. Ambient wind gusts (before the storms fire up) will likely be in the 30-40 mph range, so storm gusts could exceed 60 mph.
Tonight
Once the storms eventually do merge into a line, they will continue to push east until they are out of the region. A few straggling showers may lag behind, but those shouldn’t have a severe risk. Rain activity will slow for most of the region by 10:00 pm, and all activity should be done by midnight or shortly thereafter. Cloud cover will clear for the most part as temperatures drop much lower than they have the past several days, bottoming out in the upper 50s and lower 60s. That’s about 10 degrees cooler than last night. Winds will still remain a bit breezy from the west at 7-12 mph.
This Weekend
Saturday will see highs in the mid to upper 70s and partly cloudy skies as the back end of Friday’s storm system wraps around. This should not bring any rain to Middle Georgia, however the wind will still be pronounced as it comes in from the west-northwest at 12-17 mph. Gusts could reach speeds of 30+ mph during the afternoon. Overnight clouds will clear and low temperatures will drop into the lower 50s. Winds will come in from the north-northwest at 6-12 mph.
Mother’s Day will be rather pleasant as well with highs in the upper 70s and lower 80s and only a few clouds overhead. The wind will be a lot calmer as it comes in from the north-northeast at 5-10 mph. Overnight conditions will be clear with lows in the low to mid 50s. Winds will blow from the northeast at 5-10 mph.
Follow Meteorologist Aaron Lowery on Facebook (Aaron Lowery 41NBC) and Twitter (@ALowWX) for weather updates throughout the day. Also, you can watch his forecasts Monday through Friday on 41NBC News at Daybreak (6-7 a.m.) and 41Today (11 a.m).
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| 2022-05-06T14:37:34Z
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Gray Hwy Wendy’s robbed
Suspect jumped through drive through window.
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — Deputies are looking for a robbery suspect that jumped through the drive thru window of a local Wendy’s. According to a release from the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office, just after 12:00 a.m. a male subject, wearing all black with a mask on, entered the Wendy’s, located at 1073 Gray Highway by jumping through the drive through window.
He pulled out a gun and demanded money from the clerk. After getting the cash, he fled the store on foot.
No one was injured.
Anyone with information is urged to call the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office at 478-751-7500, or Macon Regional Crimestoppers at 1-877-68CRIME.
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| 2022-05-06T14:37:40Z
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Abrams raises $11.7 million in Georgia governor’s race
ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia Democrat Stacey Abrams says donors gave $11.7 million to her campaign for governor in the three months ended April 30.
Abrams said Wednesday that she has more than $8 million in cash on hand. Abrams had $7.2 million in cash at the end of January.
That means she spent almost all she raised during the period. Abrams is unopposed in the May 24 Democratic primary.
Incumbent Republican Gov. Brian Kemp had $10.7 million in cash on April 30.
His cash lead over Abrams shrank as Kemp spent more than the $2.7 million he raised in the period.
Former U.S. Sen. David Perdue, Kemp’s top Republican primary rival, has yet to announce totals.
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| 2022-05-06T18:54:40Z
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Georgia high school athletic group bans transgender athletes
ATLANTA (AP) — The main athletic association for Georgia high schools voted Wednesday to ban transgender boys and girls from playing on the school sports teams matching their gender identity.
The Georgia High School Association now says that students must play on teams that match the sex listed on their birth certificates at birth.
The change was approved unanimously by the association’s executive committee on Wednesday and takes effect for the next school year.
By JEFF AMY
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Maroon 5, Usher to headline benefit to honor Rep. John Lewis
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Maroon 5 and Usher will headline a benefit concert in Atlanta to honor the legacy of the late U.S. Rep. John Lewis.
The Grammy Award-winning pop band and singer will perform during the Beloved Benefit at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium on July 7, concert officials announced Thursday.
The event was rescheduled from its initial date in February due to COVID-19 concerns.
NBC Sports host and correspondent Maria Taylor will serve as the event’s emcee.
Along with Usher and Maroon 5’s performances, the benefit concert will feature a program filled with inspiring community stories.
The funds raised from the benefit will be distributed to several nonprofit beneficiaries, which prioritizes economic and community development.
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| 2022-05-06T18:54:52Z
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Morning Business Report: Johnson & Johnson limit the use of their vaccine
- Johnson & Johnson’s stock fell as the Food and Drug Administration limited the use of their vaccine to people 18 and older. The reason was due to a rare blood clotting disorder.
- Boeing is moving its headquarters to Arlington, Virginia from Chicago.
- Parents say a shortage of baby formula is hitting crisis levels.
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| 2022-05-06T18:54:58Z
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News Production Assistant
41NBC/WMGT Television, the NBC affiliate in Macon, Georgia, is now hiring for the position of part-time news production assistant.
The news production assistant will edit video for our newscast, is expected to master all aspects of broadcast production, and maintain a high level of awareness of news and current events. The successful candidate will demonstrate the ability to follow and execute detailed instructions, the ability to work well under the stress of a live broadcast, while maintaining a good work ethic, energetic demeanor, and the determination to learn flexibility. The successful candidate will be able to work holidays and changing schedules.
DUTIES: Creating graphics for broadcast, operating teleprompter and studio cameras, and news control room tasks, to include audio and video playback, during live broadcasts; supporting all aspects of broadcast newsgathering and production.
EXPERIENCE/EDUCATION: Television experience or work toward a related degree is preferred.
If you are interested in applying for this position please send your resume to:
newsjobs@41nbc.com
Please specify how you learned of this opening.
NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE.
41NBC/WMGT is an equal opportunity employer which seeks and employs qualified individuals without discrimination.
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https://www.41nbc.com/news-production-assistant/
| 2022-05-06T18:55:04Z
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Tech Report: Doordash thrives post-pandemic, E-commerce stocks drop
- Google surveys adults to the precautions in keeping digital lives secure.
- Increased interest rates are the cause of Zillow’s stock fall.
- Doordash continues to flourish post pandemic.
- E-commerce stock drops, as customers slows down on online spending.
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| 2022-05-06T18:55:10Z
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With the Queen now 96 years old, and reportedly experiencing mobility issues, her in-person attendance at events is no longer a given. It’s said she’s keen to do her utmost to appear at the State Opening of Parliament next week, although it’s also been reported that contingency plans are being put in place should her son, Prince Charles, have to step in in her absence.
The Queen wants to attend State Opening of Parliament – but Charles may end up stepping in
According to the MailOnline, Buckingham Palace has indicated that the monarch currently ‘plans to attend’ the event on Tuesday. It’s thought measures are being implemented to reduce how far she’ll have to walk, on account of the Queen’s mobility issues.
She is expected to travel by car from Buckingham Palace to Westminster, which she finds more comfortable than a carriage – a mode of transport she hasn’t used since 2019. She will need to walk from the car to the Palace of Westminster, then from the Robing Room to the Lords Chamber, and climb the three steps up to the throne in the House of Lords.
In an announcement from Buckingham Palace this morning, it was noted that other members of the Royal Family will represent the Queen at this year's proceedings
A royal source reportedly told the Times that whether the Queen attends will be confirmed on the day. The paper also cites a Whitehall source as indicating that backup plans are being put in place nonetheless, and that her son, Prince Charles, will step in to deliver her speech if she is unable to.
Historically, it’s the lord chancellor who reads the speech if the monarch is absent. The Times adds that there had been speculation over whether Dominic Raab might carry out the duty, but these gave way to a ‘firm commitment’ for the Queen’s son to take on the role should his mother be absent. Charles has attended every State Opening alongside the Queen since Prince Philip retired from official royal life in 2017, with the Times speculating that her heir reading the speech would mark a significant shift, signalling his increasing responsibilities.
Next week’s State Opening of Parliament on 10 May marks the official start of the parliamentary year. It’s customary for the Queen to deliver a speech from the Throne in the House of Lords, setting out the government’s agenda for the coming session and outlining proposed policies and legislation.
Throughout her reign, the Queen has only missed two of the annual State Openings: in 1959, when she was pregnant with Prince Andrew; and in 1963, when she was shortly due to give birth to Prince Edward. Even last year, amid ongoing restrictions due to the pandemic, she appeared in person at a reduced version of the event, with just 108 people in attendance as opposed to the usual 600. Much of the traditional pomp and ceremony was also dispensed with, with no military street liners, no military band outside the Palace of Westminster and no Guard of Honour processing from Buckingham Palace.
She follows in the footsteps of Her Majesty, Princess Anne, the Duchess of Cornwall and the Countess of Wessex
The military ceremony for this year has again been downscaled, but only slightly, with eight different units, including The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery and The Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment, still participating. The MailOnline adds that the State Opening will be the most high-profile constitutional event the monarch has appeared at for two years if she attends as planned.
When the monarch attended last year’s event and delivered her speech, written by the government, she chose not to wear the Imperial State Crown. She has not worn the crown to a State Opening for a number of years, since 2016, on account of its weight (two pounds and 13 ounces). It was instead carried in on a cushion and set on a table. She also no longer wears the grand – but cumbersome – Robes of State, instead opting for elegant day dress.
The monarch’s family members have represented her at a number of engagements in recent months, including a series of international royal tours across the Commonwealth, and the Maundy Thursday and Easter Sunday services at St George’s Chapel in Windsor. She did, however, appear at the memorial service for her late husband, Prince Philip, which took place at Westminster Abbey in March.
Buckingham Palace has indicated that the Queen’s presence at Platinum Jubilee events next month will be confirmed on the day, as increasingly seems to be the modus operandi with her engagements. It was also announced this week that although her beloved Garden Parties will return to Buckingham Palace and the Palace of Holyroodhouse this summer, she will be represented by her family members, with no guarantee of her own attendance.
Everything you need to know about the June holiday
Subscribe now to get 3 issues of Tatler for just £1, plus free home delivery and free instant access to the digital editions.
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https://www.tatler.com/article/queen-state-opening-of-parliament-attend-prince-charles-deliver-speech
| 2022-05-06T18:59:33Z
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SPOKANE, Wash. — The City of Spokane, through its Community, Housing, and Human Services (CHHS) Department, initiated a request from qualified agencies to submit proposals to operate a regional flex capacity shelter.
The city restarted the process to select one or multiple providers to operate a possible new regional flex capacity homeless shelter with wrap-around services that will be located at 4320 E. Trent Ave. in east Spokane.
The city restarted the search following concerns about a conflict of interest within the Continuum of Care Board, where two members were parties to one of the proposals. The city said the three proposals were also shared outside of the board evaluators before the board completed its process.
Spokane City Councilmember Jonathan Bingle filed a complaint against the Continuum of Care Board Chair, Ben Stuckart, alleging that he violated ethics through "improper actions in shelter process."
According to a press release from the City of Spokane, the complaints state that Stuckart, who was named as the project manager for Jewels Helping Hands (JHH), participated in a board meeting on April 15 about which proposal to recommend for a new homeless shelter.
Although Stuckart recused himself from the vote of the proposals, the complaint alleges that his continued participation in discussions regarding the proposals "violated the CoC's Conflict of Interest Policy."
“While the pause was disheartening because the demand to provide basic shelter needs to those in crisis is immediate, this re-start in the search process was the right decision in the name of transparency and being careful stewards of taxpayer dollars,” Mayor Nadine Woodward said in a press release. “This new process opens up more options for operators and is customized on how to best address the needs of both our vulnerable individuals and neighbors.”
The new proposal is looking for submissions for two separate projects including a shelter operations and shelter services that aim to help women and men get out of homelessness.
Organizations interested in applying have until Thursday, May 19, 2022, at 5 p.m. to submit their application proposals online at chhsrfp@spokanecity.org. City Council members will review the applications from May 19 to May 26. Selected applications will be approved on June 6. During June, the city will be contracting the selected agencies and the project is expected to start by June 2022.
As described in the Request for Proposals application, a broad-based independent group will make a recommendation on the proposals to Mayor Nadine Woodward, who will then decide whether to forward the recommendation to City Council for final consideration.
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https://www.krem.com/article/news/local/homeless/city-of-spokane-re-starts-shelter-operator-search-process/293-b3c8518b-b955-41c8-8d6e-b40a4ecb10cb
| 2022-05-06T20:36:08Z
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Today, President Biden announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to serve in key roles in his administration - and one of them is from St. Landry Parish.
Donald Cravins Jr. was nominated by the President to be Under Secretary for Minority Business Development within the Department of Commerce.
Cravins, who lives in Maryland, serves as the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at the National Urban League.
Cravins graduated from LSU in 1994. Upon graduation, he attended the Southern University Law Center and obtained a juris doctorate in 1998. In 2004, he was elected to the Louisiana House of Representatives and in 2006, he was elected to the Louisiana Senate. During his tenure in the Louisiana Senate, Cravins was heavily involved in post-Hurricanes Katrina and Rita business recovery issues as the Chair of the Insurance Committee.
In January 2009, Cravins left the Louisiana Legislature to serve as Staff Director and Chief Counsel for the United States Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. In that role, he was instrumental in the passage of the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010. In January 2013, he began serving as Chief of Staff for U.S. Senator Mary L. Landrieu of Louisiana.
In addition to his duties at the National Urban League, Cravins is an adjunct professor at The George Washington University. He also serves as an officer in the District of Columbia Army National Guard. He is a Life Member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and a member of the 100 Black Men of Prince George's County. Cravins’ honors include being inducted into the Southern University Law School Hall of Fame in 2018 and being named a Distinguished Alumnus of LSU in 2015. He and his family reside in Maryland.
The position of Undersecretary of Commerce for Minority Business Development was created following the passage of the bipartisan infrastructure bill in November 2021.
His nomination for the position must be Senate approved.
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| 2022-05-06T20:41:12Z
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HAMILTON, Ohio (AP) — President Joe Biden pledged Friday that 3D printing technology would help return factory jobs to the U.S. and reduce inflationary pressures as he traveled to an industrial Midwestern state with a Senate seat in play to make his case for the future of manufacturing.
Inflation at a 40-year high and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine have caused growing uneasiness about the economy among voters. Biden is staking his presidency in part on the promise that his policies on matters ranging from infrastructure to computer chips can create a more resilient economy.
“The pandemic and the economic crisis that we inherited and Putin’s war in Ukraine have all shown the vulnerability when we become too reliant on things made overseas,” Biden said. “We learned the hard way that we can’t fight inflation if supply chains buckle and send prices through the roof every time there’s a disruption.”
Biden went to United Performance Metals in Hamilton to highlight commitments by five leading U.S. manufacturers to boost their reliance on small and medium American firms for 3D printing. GE Aviation, Honeywell, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon and Siemens Energy have agreed to take part in the program. The president toured the factory with executives.
The promise of 3D printing is that it could reverse the outsourcing of factory jobs and industrial production, allowing for more components to be manufactured in the U.S. An analysis by the consulting firmKearney estimated that the technology could produce $600 billion to $900 billion in economic value by enabling more production domestically.
The president also pressed Congress to approve a stalled competition and innovation bill that the Democratic president says is critical to bolstering domestic manufacturing and helping solve a semiconductor shortage that has delayed production of life-saving medical devices, smartphones, video game consoles, laptops and other modern conveniences.
“Pass the damn bill and send it to me,” Biden said Friday in his remarks.
Biden was in Ohio — where an open Senate seat is up for grabs with the retirement of Republican Rob Portman — shortly after its primary elections. Rep. Tim Ryan easily won the Democratic nomination Tuesday and will face Republican JD Vance, author of the memoir “Hillbilly Elegy.” Ohio would be a difficult pickup for Democrats, as the state backed former President Donald Trump in the 2020 election by 8 points.
GE Aviation and Raytheon set a goal of looking to small and medium firms for 50% of their requests for quotes for products requiring 3D printing or related technologies.
Siemens Energy committed to targeting 20% to 40% of externally sourced 3D print parts and will work with 10 to 20 small and medium firms to help improve their capability. Lockheed Martin has agreed to work with smaller suppliers on research to improve the use of 3D printing as an alternative to castings and forgings. Honeywell is offering technical assistance including part design, data generation, machine operation and post-processing to small and medium suppliers it works with.
The semiconductor chip problem has been building since coronavirus pandemic-related lockdowns shut down major Asian chip factories more than two years ago. Now it could extend past this year, despite the semiconductor industry’s efforts to catch up with demand.
There is bipartisan support for boosting domestic chip production, but lawmakers in the Senate and the House still need to negotiate over differences.
The House in February passed a version of the legislation that could pump $52 billion in grants and subsidies to the semiconductor industry to help boost U.S. production. The bill must now be reconciled with a Senate version passed eight months ago.
House Democrats also tucked in other priorities that have raised Republican concerns about the bill’s cost and scope.
The bill includes $8 billion for a fund that helps developing countries adjust to climate change; $3 billion for facilities to make the U.S. less reliant on Chinese solar components; $4 billion to help communities with significantly higher unemployment than the national average; and $10.5 billion for states to stockpile drugs and medical equipment.
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Associated Press writer Kevin Freking contributed to this report.
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| 2022-05-06T22:25:21Z
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RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Deforestation detected in the Brazilian Amazon broke all records for the month of April, and that followed similar new records set in January and February, reflecting a worrisome uptick in destruction in a state deep within the rainforest.
Satellite alerts of deforestation for April corresponded to more than 1,000 square kilometers (nearly 400 square miles), the highest figure for that month in seven years of record-keeping and 74% more than the same month in 2021, which was the prior record.
It marked the first time that deforestation alerts have surpassed 1,000 square kilometers during a month in the rainy season, which runs from December to April.
“The April number is very scary. Due to the rain, it is traditionally a month with less deforestation,” Suely Araújo, senior public policy specialist at the Climate Observatory, a network of environmental groups, told The Associated Press.
The data come from the Brazilian space agency’s Deter monitoring system, and correspond to the first 29 days of April. Full-month figures will be available next week.
Deter data previously showed 430 square kilometers of deforestation this January, more than quadruple the level in the same month last year. In February, it reached 199 square kilometers, up 62% from 2021.
The Amazon is the world’s largest tropical rainforest and an enormous carbon sink. There is widespread concern that its destruction will not only release massive amounts of carbon into the atmosphere, further complicating hopes of arresting climate change, but also push it past a tipping point after which much of the forest will begin an irreversible process of degradation into tropical savannah.
Amazonas state led deforestation in April, overtaking the states of both Para and Mato Grosso for only the second time on record. That is particularly worrisome, as Amazonas is deep in the rainforest and has remained pristine relative to the so-called arc of deforestation along areas used for agriculture and cattle-raising .
“Amazonas is still a very preserved state. If deforestation explodes there, we will lose control of a region that is outside the traditional deforestation region,” Araújo, a former president of Brazil’s environment regulator, said by phone.
Amazonas’ destruction has been concentrated in the southern part of the state, where President Jair Bolsonaro has promised to pave a 400-kilometer (250-mile) dirt stretch of the BR-319 highway that connects the cities of Manaus and Porto Velho. Anticipation of the paving has generated real estate speculation alongside the highway; land grabbers engage in large-scale deforestation with the expectation that the areas will become legal for agriculture or cattle-raising in the future.
A study released last week by the BR-319 Observatory, a network of environmental non-profits, revealed a nearly 3,000 -kilometer (more than 1,800 mile) network of secondary roads in reach of the highway. The roads are used primarily to get to areas desired by land grabbers and loggers.
Historically, the opening and paving of highways has been the main driver of Amazon deforestation. Easier access drives up land value and makes economic activities, especially cattle-raising, viable.
“We need a regional development model that is compatible with environmental protection. The solution is not simply paving roads,” Araújo said. Governance needs to change entirely, he said, but the opposite is happening. “The Amazon is controlled by landowners, illegal loggers and miners. Crime is the reality.”
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https://www.wpri.com/business-news/brazils-amazon-deforestation-hits-record-for-month-of-april/
| 2022-05-06T22:25:29Z
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LONDON (AP) — Big tech companies like Google and Facebook parent Meta would have to comply with tough British rules under a new digital watchdog aimed at giving consumers more choice online — or face the threat of big fines.
The United Kingdom government on Friday outlined the powers it’s planning for its Digital Markets Unit, a regulator set up last year to take on the dominance of tech giants. It didn’t specify when the rules would take effect, saying only that legislation would come “in due course.”
Authorities in Britain and across Europe have been leading the global push to clamp down on tech companies amid rising concern about their outsized influence and harmful material proliferating on their platforms.
The new U.K. watchdog would enforce rules that make it easier for people to switch between iPhones and Android devices or between social media accounts without losing their data and messages.
The government’s digital department said smartphone users would get a wider choice of search engines and more control over how their data is used. Tech companies would have to warn small companies that do much of their business online about changes to algorithms that could affect their web traffic and revenue.
The watchdog also would get the power to solve pricing disputes between online platforms and news publishers to ensure media companies get paid fairly for their content, the government said.
Tech companies would face fines worth up to 10% of their annual global revenue for breaking the rules, which for the biggest companies would amount to billions of dollars.
Google and Meta did not respond immediately to requests for comment.
The U.K. rules are on top of a separate online safety law that is in the works, which would give users more power to block anonymous trolls and step up requirements for digital platforms to take down illegal material like posts involving child sexual abuse or terrorism.
The European Union has similar laws in the pipeline. The 27-nation bloc’s Digital Services Act will require big tech companies to police their platforms more strictly for harmful or illegal content and services, while its Digital Markets Act is aimed at reining in online “gatekeepers.” Both threaten big fines for violations.
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| 2022-05-06T22:25:37Z
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WASHINGTON (AP) — For the first time, the U.S. came close to providing health care for all during the coronavirus pandemic — but for just one condition, COVID-19.
Now, things are reverting to the way they were as federal money for COVID care of the uninsured dries up, creating a potential barrier to timely access.
But the virus is not contained, even if it’s better controlled. And safety-net hospitals and clinics are seeing sharply higher costs for salaries and other basic operating expenses. They fear they won’t be prepared if there’s another surge and no backstop.
“We haven’t turned anybody away yet,” said Dr. Mark Loafman, chair of family and community medicine at Cook County Health in Chicago. “But I think it’s just a matter of time … People don’t get cancer treatment or blood pressure treatment every day in America because they can’t afford it.”
A $20 billion government COVID program covered testing, treatment and vaccine costs for uninsured people. But that’s been shut down. Special Medicaid COVID coverage for the uninsured in more than a dozen states also likely faces its last months.
At Parkland Health, the frontline hospital system for Dallas, Dr. Fred Cerise questions the logic of dialing back federal dollars at a time when health officials have rolled out a new “test-to-treat” strategy. People with COVID-19 can now get antiviral pills to take at home, hopefully avoiding hospitalization. Vice President Kamala Harris, who recently tested positive but is back working at the White House, is an example.
“Test-to-treat will be very difficult for uninsured individuals,” predicted Cerise, president and CEO of the system. “If it’s a change in strategy on the large scale, and it’s coming without funding, people are going to be reluctant to adopt that.”
Officials at the federal Department of Health and Human Services say the new antiviral drugs like Paxlovid have been paid for by taxpayers, and are supposed to be free of charge to patients, even uninsured ones.
But they acknowledge that some uninsured people can’t afford the medical consultation needed to get a prescription. “We hear from state and local partners that the lack of funding for the Uninsured Program is creating challenges for individuals to access medications,” said Dr. Meg Sullivan, chief medical officer for the HHS preparedness and response division.
The nation has not pinched pennies on the pandemic before.
“We’re well short of universal health coverage in the U.S., but for a time, we had universal coverage for COVID,” said Larry Levitt, a health policy expert with the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation. “It was extraordinary.”
Recently an urgent White House request for $22.5 billion for COVID priorities failed to advance in Congress. Even a pared-back version is stuck. Part of the Biden administration’s request involves $1.5 billion to replenish the Uninsured Program, which paid for testing, treatment and vaccine-related bills for uninsured patients. The program has now stopped accepting claims due to lack of money.
That program, along with a less known Medicaid option for states, allowed thousands of uninsured people to get care without worrying about costs. Bipartisan support has given way as congressional Republicans raise questions about pandemic spending.
The Uninsured Program was run by the Health Resources and Services Administration, an HHS agency. Medical providers seeing uninsured people could submit their bills for reimbursement. Over the last two years, more than 50,000 hospitals, clinics, and medical practices received payments. Officials say they can turn the program back on if Congress releases more money.
The Medicaid coverage option began under the Trump administration as a way to help states pay for testing uninsured people. President Joe Biden’s coronavirus relief bill expanded it to treatment and vaccine costs as well. It’s like a limited insurance policy for COVID. The coverage can’t be used for other services, like a knee replacement. The federal government pays 100% of the cost.
Fifteen states, from deep blue California to bright red South Carolina, have taken advantage of the option, along with three U.S. territories. It will end once the federal coronavirus public health emergency is over, currently forecast for later this year.
New Hampshire Medicaid Director Henry Lipman said the coverage option allowed his state to sign up about 9,500 people for COVID care that includes the new antiviral drugs that can be taken at home.
“It’s really the safety net for people who don’t have any access to insurance,” said Lipman. “It’s a limited situation, but in the pandemic it’s a good back-up to have. It makes a lot of sense with such a communicable disease.”
With COVID cases now at relatively low levels, demand for testing, treatment and vaccination is down. But the urgency felt by hospitals and other medical service providers is driven by their own bottom lines.
In Missouri, Golden Valley Memorial Healthcare CEO Craig Thompson is worried to see federal funding evaporate just as operating costs are soaring. Staff have gotten raises, drug costs have risen by 20% and supply costs by 12%.
“We’ve now exited this pandemic … into probably the highest inflationary environment that I’ve seen in my career,” Thompson said. The health system serves a largely rural area between Kansas City and Springfield.
In Kentucky, Family Health Centers of Louisville closed a testing service for uninsured people once federal funds dried up. The private company they were working with planned to charge $65 a test.
Things are manageable now because there’s little demand, said spokeswoman Melissa Mather, “but if we get hit with another omicron, it’s going to be very difficult.”
Floridian Debra McCoskey-Reisert is uninsured and lost her older brother to COVID-19 in the first wave two years ago. In one of their last conversations, he made her promise she wouldn’t catch the virus.
McCoskey-Reisert, who lives north of Tampa, has managed to avoid getting sick so far. But she’s overshadowed by fear of what could happen if she or her husband get infected.
“If either one of us get sick with COVID, we don’t have a way to pay for it,” she said. “It would likely bankrupt us if we can’t find some other help.”
Retrenchment on the uninsured mirrors some of the bigger problems of the U.S. health care system, said Chicago hospital physician Loafman.
“Quite frankly, we as a society take care of the uninsured for COVID because it’s affecting us,” he said. “You know, a gated community doesn’t keep a virus out … that’s sort of the ugly truth of this, is that our altruism around this was really self-motivated.”
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Hollingsworth reported from Mission, Kansas.
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| 2022-05-06T22:25:45Z
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SONCHAMP, France (AP) — In lush fields southwest of Paris, farmers are joining Europe’s fight to free itself from Russian gas.
They’ll soon turn on the tap of a new facility where crops and agricultural waste are mashed up and fermented to produce “biogas.” It’s among energy solutions being promoted on the continent that wants to choke off funding for Russia’s war in Ukraine by no longer paying billions for Russian fossil fuels.
Small rural gas plants that provide energy for hundreds or thousands of nearby homes aren’t — at least anytime soon — going to supplant the huge flows to Europe of Russian gas that powers economies, factories, business and homes. And critics of using crops to make gas argue that farmers should be concentrating on growing food — especially when prices are soaring amid the fallout of the warin Ukraine, one of the world’s breadbaskets.
Still, biogas is part of the puzzle of how to reduce Europe’s energy dependence.
The European Biogas Association says the European Union could quickly scale up the production of bio-methane, which is pumped into natural gas networks. An investment of 83 billion euros ($87.5 billion) — which, at current market prices, is less than the EU’s 27 nations pay per year to Russia for piped natural gas — would produce a tenfold increase in bio-methane production by 2030 and could replace about a fifth of what the bloc imported from Russia last year, the group says.
The farmers around the Paris-region village of Sonchamp feel their new gas plant will do its bit to untie Europe from the Kremlin.
“It’s not coherent to go and buy gas from those people who are waging war on our friends,” said Christophe Robin, one of the plant’s six investors, who farms wheat, rapeseed, sugar beets and chickens.
“If we want to consume green (energy) and to avoid the flows and contribution of Russian gas, we don’t really have a choice. We have to find alternative solutions,” he said.
Biogas is made by fermenting organic materials — generally crops and waste. Robin likened the process to food left too long in a container.
“When you open it, it goes ‘Poof.’ Only here, we don’t open it. We collect the gas that comes from the fermentation,” he said.
The gas from their plant could meet the needs of 2,000 homes. It will be purified into bio-methane and injected into a pipeline to the nearby town of Rambouillet, heating its hospital, swimming pool and homes.
“It’s cool,” said Robin. “The kids will benefit from local gas.”
Like in the rest of Europe, the production of bio-methane in France is still small. But it is booming. Almost three bio-methane production sites are going online every week in France on average and their numbers have surged from just 44 at the end of 2017 to 365 last year. The volume of gas they produced for the national network almost doubled in 2021 compared to the previous year and was enough for 362,000 homes.
France’s government has taken several steps to quicken bio-methane development since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24. The industry says bio-methane met almost 1% of France’s needs in 2021 but that will increase to at least 2% this year and it could make up 20% of French gas consumption by 2030, which would be more gas than France imported last year from Russia.
The Sonchamp farmers took out 5 million euros ($5.3 million) in loans and received a 1-million-euro state subsidy to build their plant, Robin said. They signed a 15-year contract with utility firm Engie, with a fixed price for their gas. That will limit their ability to profit from high gas prices now but ensures them a stable income.
“We’re not going to be billionaires,” said Robin.
Workers are finishing the construction and the plant is almost ready to be connected to the network. Piles of agricultural waste — wheat husks, pulped sugar beets, onion peelings, even chicken droppings — have been prepared to be fed into the giant bubble-like fermentation tanks.
Winter barley specially grown to make gas will make up about 80% of the 30 tons of organic material that will be fed each day into the plant.
Robin insists that the barley won’t interfere with the growing of other crops for food, which critics worry about. Instead of one food crop per year, they’ll now have three harvests every two years — with the barley as extra, sandwiched in between, Robin said.
In Germany, the biggest biogas producer in Europe, the government is cutting down on crop cultivation for fuels. The share of corn permitted in biogas facilities will be lowered from 40% to 30% by 2026. Financial incentives will be provided so operators use waste products such as manure and straw instead.
Germany is estimated to have over 9,500 plants, many of them small-scale units supplying rural villages with heat and electricity.
Andrea Horbelt, a spokeswoman for the German biogas association, said the production of bio-methane could be doubled in a matter of years but also wouldn’t be cheap.
“Using biogas for electricity is more expensive than solar and wind, and will always remain so,” she said.
At the end of their gas-making process, the Sonchamp farmers will also get nitrogen- and potassium-rich wastes from the fermenters that they’ll use to fertilize their fields, reducing their consumption of industrial fertilizer.
“It’s a circular economy and it’s green. That pleases me,” Robin said. “It’s a superb adventure.”
___
Jordans reported from Berlin.
___
Follow all AP stories on the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine,
Read AP stories on climate change issues at https://apnews.com/hub/climate.
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| 2022-05-06T22:25:51Z
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WASHINGTON (AP) — Addressing concerns about the working conditions for some Capitol Hill aides, Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced on Friday a $45,000 minimum annual salary for House staff and teed up for a vote next week a resolution that would pave the way for aides to join a union.
While jobs on Capitol Hill are highly coveted and can lead to big salaries down the road, the work often involves grueling hours and low pay in a region where steep housing costs can leave little money for other necessities.
Lawmakers set the pay for their aides. The money comes from an allowance made available to each member to cover rent, equipment, salary and other expenses incurred in performing their official duties.
Pelosi noted that the recent approval of a 21% increase in that allowance should more than cover the increased salaries. She encouraged members to use the increase “to honor the committed work of your staff members.”
“Doing so will open the doors to public service for those who may not have been able to afford to do so in the past,” Pelosi said. “This is also an issue of fairness, as many of the youngest staffers working the longest hours often earn the lowest salaries.”
The average cost of renting a one-bedroom apartment in Washington is about $2,425 a month, according to Rent.com. And the average price of a studio is $1,942 a month, which over the course of a year, would still represent more than half the new minimum salary for House staffers.
An advocacy group called Issue One noted in a report earlier this year that the average House staffer in a member office has only been in their position for about 2.5 years, and that lagging pay and other factors had led to what it described as a “brain drain” on Capitol Hill.
“If Congress wants to attract a capable workforce, increasing pay for entry-level workers is the place to start,” said the group, which describes itself as a political reform group that aims to reduce the influence of big money in politics.
The deadline for implementing the $45,000 annual minimum will be Sept. 1. The median salary for staff working for an individual lawmaker was $50,000 last year, according to the House Office of Diversity and Inclusion.
The moves from Pelosi come at a time when the Biden White House is seeking to enact policies designed to strengthen labor unions. Workers for Democratic groups such as the Democratic National Committee and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee have moved to unionize. And those efforts have extended to the House where Michigan Rep. Andy Levin’s resolution provides for the approval of regulations that would give staff the opportunity to collective bargain if they so choose.
It is not possible for one bargaining unit to represent all or most House employees. The collective bargaining that workers undertake would take place separately with hundreds of lawmakers and committees.
Republican lawmakers are generally opposed, calling unions impractical for congressional offices that have unpredictable scheduling changes and unavoidable turnover due to elections.
“This is a concept that can create numerous conflicts of interest and impact members’ constitutional responsibilities to the American people without the guarantee that any improvements for staff well-being would actually materialize,” said Rep. Rodney Davis, R-Ill., during a March hearing on the issue.
But in her letter to lawmakers Friday, Pelosi said congressional staffers deserve the same fundamental rights and protections as workers across the country, including the right to bargain collectively.
A volunteer group of staffers called the Congressional Workers Union has been leading the unionization efforts.
“Next week, the credibility of lawmakers will be put to the test. Will our bosses finally lead by example?” the group tweeted in response to Pelosi’s announcement.
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| 2022-05-06T22:26:12Z
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HAVANA (AP) — A powerful explosion apparently caused by a gas leak Friday killed at least nine people and injured 40 when it blew away outer walls from a luxury hotel in the heart of Cuba’s capital.
No tourists were staying at Havana’s 96-room Hotel Saratoga because it was undergoing renovations, Havana Gov. Reinaldo García Zapata told the Communist Party newspaper Granma.
“It has not been a bomb or an attack. It is a tragic accident,” President Miguel Díaz-Canel, who visited the site, said in a tweet.
Cuban state TV reported that the blast was caused by a truck that had been supplying natural gas to the hotel, but did not provide details on how the gas ignited.
The blast sent smoke billowing into the air around the hotel with people on the street staring in awe, one saying “Oh my God,” and cars honking their horns as they sped away from the scene, video showed. It happened as Cuba is struggling to revive its key tourism sector that was devastated by the coronavirus pandemic.
Cuban state TV reported that at least nine people died and Cuba’s national health minister, José Ángel Portal, told The Associated Press that hospitals had received about 40 injured people.
But he said the number of injured could rise as the search continues for people who may be trapped in the rubble of the 19th century structure in the Old Havana neighborhood of the city.
Granma reported that local officials said 13 people were missing.
“We are still looking for a large group of people who may be under the rubble,” Lt. Col. Noel Silva of the Fire Department said.
An elementary school next to the hotel was evacuated. Two 6-year-old boys and a 2-year-old boy were among the injured, according to officials at the hospital treating them. It’s unclear if the elder boys were students.
Police cordoned off the area as firefighters and rescue workers toiled inside the wreckage of the emblematic hotel about 110 yards (100 meters) from Cuba’s Capitol building.
The hotel was first renovated in 2005 as part of the Cuban government’s revival of Old Havana and is owned by the Cuban military’s tourism business arm, Grupo de Turismo Gaviota SA. The company said it was investigating the cause of the blast and did not immediately respond to an email seeking more details about the hotel and the renovation it was undergoing.
The Hotel Saratoga has been used frequently by visiting VIPs and political figures, including high-ranking U.S. government delegations. Beyoncé and Jay-Z stayed there during a 2013 visit to Cuba.
Photographer Michel Figueroa said he was walking past the hotel when “the explosion threw me to the ground, and my head still hurts…. Everything was very fast.”
Worried relatives of people who had been working at the hotel showed up at a hospital in the afternoon to look for them. Among them was Beatriz Céspedes Cobas, who was tearfully searching for her sister.
“She had to work today. She is a housekeeper,” she said. “I work two blocks away. I felt the noise, and at first, I didn’t even associate” the explosion with the hotel.
Yazira de la Caridad said the explosion shook her home a block from the hotel: “The whole building moved. I thought it was an earthquake.”
Besides the pandemic’s impact on Cuba’s tourism sector, the country was already struggling with the sanctions imposed by the former U.S. President Donald Trump that have been kept in place the Biden administration. The sanctions limited visits by U.S. tourists to the islands and restricted remittances from Cubans in the U.S. to their families in Cuba.
Tourism had started to revive somewhat early this year, but the war in Ukraine crimped a boom of Russian visitors, who accounted for almost a third of the tourists arriving in Cuba last year.
The explosion happened as Cuba’s government hosted the final day of a tourism convention in the iconic beach town of Varadero aimed at drawing investors.
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador is scheduled to arrive in Havana for a visit late Saturday and Mexican Foreign Relations Secretary Marcelo Ebrard said the visit would still take place.
Mayiee Pérez said she rushed to the hotel after receiving a call from her husband, Daniel Serra, who works at a foreign exchange shop inside the hotel.
She said he told her: “I am fine, I am fine. They got us out.” But she was unable to reach him after that.
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After Arbery killing, 16 calls between DA, shooter’s dad
Ahmaud Arbery was jogging near Brunswick, Georgia, on February 23, 2020 when Gregory McMichael and his son Travis chased him down, shot and killed him. Both men have been sentenced to life in prison without parole. William Bryan Jr., the man who recorded the fatal shooting, was also sentenced to life in prison.
SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — Georgia prosecutors say the 2020 killing of Ahmaud Arbery was followed by 16 phone calls between the local district attorney and a former employee later convicted of murder in the shooting.
Former Brunswick Judicial Circuit District Attorney Jackie Johnson was indicted last year on misconduct charges for her handling of Arbery’s death.
The young Black man was chased and killed by three white men who spotted him running in their neighborhood.
No arrests were made for more than two months. In a legal filing Thursday, prosecutors said Johnson and Greg McMichael spoke by phone the day after Arbery’s killing and several other times before his arrest.
Johnson’s attorneys say there’s no evidence she hindered the investigation. Johnson has said she immediately recused herself.
By RUSS BYNUM
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Alabama store flattened as storms race across Southeast
MOBILE, Ala. (AP) — Damage but no injuries are being reported on the Gulf Coast after at least one possible tornado struck Mobile, Alabama.
Violent winds ripped open a Family Dollar store in a heavily populated neighborhood in Mobile and damaged an adjacent supermarket before dawn Friday as tornado warnings covered the area. Damage also was reported to the east across Mobile Bay.
Mobile was near the southwestern end of a front stretching to the Virginia coast where forecasters say severe thunderstorms are possible.
Some 24 million people live in the region.
Earlier storms spawned several tornadoes that ripped through Texas and Oklahoma.
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| 2022-05-06T22:37:00Z
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Andrew, Harry and Meghan won’t appear on Jubilee balcony
LONDON (AP) — Buckingham Palace has finally answered one of the biggest remaining questions about Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
The palace said Friday that Prince Andrew, Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, won’t be on the palace balcony when the monarch greets the public on June 2. The balcony appearance is a centerpiece moment of many royal celebrations.
But the build-up to the ceremonies marking Elizabeth’s 70 years on the throne have been dogged by questions about whether Andrew, Harry and Meghan would be at such a public event amid scandals and family tensions.
Harry said he, Meghan and their two children would travel to the U.K. to join the Jubilee festivities.
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CDC restates recommendation for masks on planes, trains
NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. health officials are restating their recommendation that Americans wear masks on planes, trains and buses, despite a court ruling last month that struck down a national mask mandate on public transportation.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday issued a statement saying Americans age 2 and older should wear a well-fitting masks on public transportation, as well as in airports and train stations.
Last month, a federal judge in Florida struck down a government requirement for masking in public transportation. The Justice Department is appealing the decision.
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GOP works to get out the vote after calling elections rigged
ATLANTA (AP) — Republicans who embraced discredited conspiracy theories about Donald Trump’s 2020 defeat and preached skepticism about elections now need their supporters to trust the system enough to vote for them.
It’s a tricky calculus.
If they continue spreading Trump’s lies that the election was stolen, they risk undermining faith in democracy and having their supporters stay at home.
But if they reject Trump’s claims, they face his wrath and that of his supporters, who wield sizable influence in many GOP primaries.
Surveys show many Republican voters harbor doubts about the 2020 election, and a steady drumbeat of misinformation from cable news pundits and talk radio has helped keep those doubts alive.
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| 2022-05-06T22:37:18Z
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High school student arrested after lockdown at school
ATLANTA (AP) — A Georgia high school student was arrested after the school was placed on lockdown and people at nearby Emory University were told to shelter in place because of reports of a possible armed suspect.
News outlets reported that DeKalb County School District police Chief Bradley Gober said at a news conference that the student, who’s a minor, was arrested just before 4 p.m. and will be charged with aggravated assault and carrying a gun in a school safety zone.
After several students reported believing the student had a gun, the school was put on lockdown.
Emory advised people on its main campus to shelter in place.
After searching a few hours, Emory police found the student on the university’s campus.
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| 2022-05-06T22:37:24Z
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Judge: Marjorie Taylor Greene is qualified for reelection
ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia secretary of state Brad Raffensperger has accepted a judge’s findings and says Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is qualified to run for reelection.
Earlier today, a judge determined that U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene can run for reelection, finding that a group of voters who had challenged her eligibility failed to prove she engaged in insurrection after taking office.
But by law, the decision was ultimately up to Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger.
State Administrative Law Judge Charles Beaudrot announced his decision Friday after a daylong hearing in April that included arguments from lawyers for the voters and for Greene, as well as extensive questioning of Greene herself.
State law says Beaudrot must submit his findings to Raffensperger, who has to decide whether Greene should be removed from the ballot.
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Liam and Olivia once again dominate top baby names list
WASHINGTON (AP) — Olivia and Liam are once again America’s most common baby names.
And Theodore joins the top 10 baby names list for the first time.
The Social Security Administration annually tracks the names given to girls and boys in each state, with names dating back to 1880.
The data is based on applications for Social Security cards.
Based on cultural and demographic trends, the list shows how names can rise and fall in popularity.
Top 10 Baby Names of 2021
Source: Social Security Administration
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More 2020 election clashes in Georgia attorney general race
ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia’s Republican primary for attorney general features yet another Trump-backed candidate challenging a Republican incumbent over the 2020 election.
John Gordon says he wants to investigate former President Donald Trump’s claims of election fraud and that Attorney General Chris Carr isn’t doing enough. Carr says flatly that Republicans lost and there’s no stolen election to investigate.
The winner of the Republican primary on May 24 will take on one of two Democrats running for their own party’s nod.
State Sen. Jen Jordan says she has the experience to beat Carr. Atlanta lawyer Christian Wise Smith says he wants to use the office to further criminal justice reform.
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| 2022-05-06T22:37:42Z
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Nearly 100 dogs rescued following investigation into animal fighting
Nearly 100 dogs were rescued after an investigation into animal fighting in three Georgia counties.
DUBLIN, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Nearly 100 dogs were rescued after an investigation into animal fighting in three Georgia counties.
According to a news release posted by the Washington County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page, the investigation, led by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Laurens County Sheriff’s Office, culminated in the execution of seven search warrants in Laurens, Johnson and Washington Counties.
96 dogs were rescued, according to U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia David H. Estes.
The animals are now in the USDA’s custody for evaluation, according to the release.
“The continuing investigation, with the assistance of personnel from the Laurens County Sheriff’s Office, the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, and the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, targets animal fighting operations in the Southern District and beyond,” the release said.
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Pelosi sets $45,000 minimum yearly salary for House aides
WASHINGTON (AP) — Speaker Nancy Pelosi is addressing concerns about the working conditions for some Capitol Hill aides.
She’s announced a $45,000 minimum yearly salary for House staffers.
She also has teed up for a vote next week a resolution that would pave the way for staffers to join a union.
A volunteer group of staffers called the Congressional Workers Union has been leading the unionization efforts.
It tweets in response to Pelosi’s announcement that “Next week, the credibility of lawmakers will be put to the test. Will our bosses finally lead by example?”
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Powerful blast at Havana hotel kills at least 8, injures 40
HAVANA (AP) — A powerful explosion apparently caused by a natural gas leak has blown away outer walls from a five-star hotel in the heart of Cuba’s capital, killing at least eight people and injuring 40.
Havana Gov. Reinaldo García Zapata told the Communist Party newspaper Granma that no tourists had been staying at the 96-room Hotel Saratoga because it was undergoing renovations.
Officials say about a dozen people are missing and that searchers are hunting for people who may be trapped. An elementary school next door was evacuated after the blast, with no reports of student injuries.
The blast happened as Cuba tries to revive its important tourism sector.
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| 2022-05-06T22:38:01Z
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Sheriff: Car linked to Alabama escapee, jail worker found
FRANKLIN, Tenn. (AP) — Authorities in Tennessee say they have located an abandoned vehicle used by a man wanted in Alabama for murder and the jail official who disappeared with him.
Williamson County Sheriff said via Twitter on Friday that a vehicle used by escaped Alabama inmate Casey White and former Correctional Officer Vicky White was located in Bethesda.
A nationwide manhunt is ongoing for the pair. Casey White was awaiting trial in a capital murder case.
Vicky White was the assistant director of corrections for the jail in Lauderdale County, Alabama.
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| 2022-05-06T22:38:07Z
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Teacher’s aide cuts special needs child’s hair
(CNN/WGCL) A family in Loganville, Georgia is outraged after they say a teacher’s aid cut their special needs son’s hair without permission and for no apparent reason.
The parents themselves have never cut the five-year-old boy’s hair – which they see as a sign of pride.
Carla Royston says she and her husband feel violated following an incident involving their son and a paraprofessional at his school.
On Tuesday, Royston got a call from the principal at Rosebud Elementary School telling her that a teachers aide had cut her 5-year-old son’s hair.
Jax, who has special needs, went to school with two long braids.
Royston says several inches had been cut. Snipped pieces were apparently placed into a bag when she picked him up.
She says her sons teacher explained the class had split into groups. The teacher’s aide was working with Jax and another student.
Moments later, the aide got up, said goodbye to the teacher and left with no explanation.
One of the students told the teacher that the assistant teacher cut Jax’s hair. When she looked by his seat, there was hair on the floor.
In a letter sent to parents on Wednesday the school’s principal expressed concerns, assuring parents the aide would not be allowed on campus until an HR and police investigation are completed.
Royston says the aide was always friendly to her family in the past. Now, she wonders if that was all a front.
“For something like this to happen, it raises questions in our mind did anything else happen that we don’t know about because he cant express it?”, said Royston.
The parents have pulled their son out of the school and plan to take legal action against the teacher’s aide.
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US added 428,000 jobs in April despite surging inflation
WASHINGTON (AP) — America’s employers added 428,000 jobs in April, extending a streak of solid hiring that has defied punishing inflation, chronic supply shortages, the Russian war against Ukraine and much higher borrowing costs.
Last month’s hiring kept the unemployment rate at 3.6%, just above the lowest level in a half-century.
Employers have added at least 400,000 jobs for 12 straight months.
Still, the job growth, along with steady wage gains, will help fuel consumer spending and likely keep the Federal Reserve on track to raise borrowing rates sharply to fight inflation.
That would lead to increasingly heavy borrowing costs for consumers and businesses. Higher loan rates could also weigh down corporate profits.
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| 2022-05-06T22:38:19Z
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After the arrest of three suspects in the case, Opelousas Police have provided more details in a double homicide on Mia Street in Opelousas.
The last suspect wanted in connection with the double homicide, Davieontray Breaux, was tracked down Thursday in Shreveport and arrested.
He is the man Opelousas police say pulled the trigger over a week ago on Mia Street, after an argument with another man.
Police say Breaux returned to the home after the argument, and opened fire, killing 46-year-old Alton Thomas and Rakatelyn Colla, 4, whose funeral was held Friday. Thomas' funeral is tomorrow.
Also arrested in the case was Holly Roberts. Police allege that she called Breaux and the third suspect booked in the case, Felton Martin, after the first argument.
Opelousas police say Roberts was arrested following a traffic stop in Lafayette.
“Lafayette Police initiated a traffic stop on Holly Roberts' vehicle and immediately took her into custody,” said Sgt. Brandon Harris.
Martin was arrested in Baton Rouge the same day the shooting occurred, Harris said.
“Mr. James was in Baton Rouge on a job, and we tracked him down on his job site and at which time he and his supervisor drove up to the convenience store and he was approached by officers and taken into custody,” Harris said.
Holly Roberts, 36, of Opelousas was booked with two counts principal to first-degree murder, three counts principal to attempted first-degree murder and obstruction of justice.
Martin and Breaux both were booked with two counts of first-degree murder, three counts of attempted first-degree murder, home invasion and felon in possession of a firearm.
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| 2022-05-07T01:36:11Z
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Central State Hospital Redevelopment Authority to add cameras to Renaissance Park
A new partnership is forming in hopes of putting a stop to crime at Renaissance Park in Milledgeville.
MILLEDGEVILLE, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – A new partnership is forming in hopes of putting a stop to crime at Renaissance Park in Milledgeville.
Central State Hospital, which has been vacant for several years, has become a tourist attraction for many.
“We have had issues where somebody did take some property from us,” Antebellum Installation sales and services owner Michael Fedeli said.
He located his business at Renaissance Park three and a half years ago.
Fedeli says he installed cameras after someone burglarized his business.
The Central State Hopsital Redevelopment Authority is now partnering with the Milledgeville Police Department to install cameras around the park.
Fedeli loves the idea.
“I think it would help the local security, which usually is just a couple of people, to help monitor what’s going on on a fairly vacant property in the evening,” he said.
A statement from Redevelopment Authority says it’s committed to improving safety and security around the area in order to create new economic opportunities.
The Redevelopment Authority approved $15,000 for the purchase of the cameras.
Right now, the park only has security drivers, but the cameras will offer 24/7 protection.
“I have my own security here, 365 Custom Furniture owner Barak Wood said. “And I haven’t had any issues with anybody breaking in, but a lot of people caught on my cameras and stuff.”
He purchased land at Renaissance Park due to Central State Hospital’s unique history.
Wood says he loves showing people around, because the area is safe.
“We have a lot of troopers coming through,” he said. “Baldwin County (Sheriff’s Office), Milledgeville PD drive through quite a bit. Extra security is always good, especially when it comes to businesses.”
The Redevelopment Authority said in its statement its goal is to protect current businesses while attracting new ones.
A date for the cameras’ arrival and installation hasn’t been set.
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| 2022-05-07T01:52:56Z
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Dry and cooler weather returns for the weekend
Severe storms moved through the southern part of Middle Georgia this afternoon.
As expected, wind was the main impact with most storms today, and we did see a good amount of damage (trees and power lines downed
).
As we head into the rest of the evening dry air will continue to move into the area, cooling us into the 50s.
Saturday will bring a nice day and a return to cooler than normal temperatures.
Highs will top out in the mid 70s here in Macon with winds gusting up to 30 mph.
Mother’s Day will be another great day to be outdoors with just a few clouds hanging around.
Highs will warm to the low 80s, with winds gusting up to around 20 mph.
Weather stays quiet through most of next week as high pressure takes center stage.
Highs will slowly warm to around normal for this time of year with highs in the mid 80s.
Humidity will also be staying low through the week.
Our next chance of rain doesn’t move in until the end of the week, and at this point even that is questionable.
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https://www.41nbc.com/dry-and-cooler-weather-returns-for-the-weekend/
| 2022-05-07T01:53:02Z
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