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The Midland City Council will vote Tuesday to buy acreage immediately south of the Scharbauer Sports Complex for the possible addition of more sports fields.
The item calls for the city manager to purchase 6.2 acres of land and appropriate $4.602 million. The land is located generally at Champions Drive and Loop 250, and the money would come from the Sports Complex Unappropriated Fund Balance, according to city council packet documents.
The Reporter-Telegram talked to Councilman Scott Dufford on Monday, and the veteran representative said that the purchase of land represents an opportunity to put two or three fields on that piece of land that he said is contiguous to the other multi-purpose fields.
He said increasing the number of fields to six or seven would allow the city to continue to develop the sports complex area as a place for tournaments and competitions that keep area youth teams in Midland (instead of having to travel to places like Lubbock, El Paso or the Metroplex as often). Currently, there are four football/soccer fields south of the dual-stadium facilities at the west Midland complex.
In 2016, city leaders approved the creation of the sports fields with artificial turf at a cost of $4.5 million. In 2020, the council voted to add lights to the auxiliary fields at a cost of $929,225. All money spent came from the same overflow of sales tax collected when the city sales tax included a quarter-cent for the building of the sports complex (also called the 4B).
City officials have estimated there is around $25 million in the Sports Complex Unappropriated Fund Balance. That money is also used for improvements to the baseball stadium (Momentum Bank Ballpark) and the football/soccer stadium (Grande Communications Stadium), such as turf replacement and stadium improvements.
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https://www.mrt.com/news/local/article/City-leaders-to-vote-on-land-purchase-near-sports-17125953.php
| 2022-04-26T06:58:06
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https://www.mrt.com/news/local/article/City-leaders-to-vote-on-land-purchase-near-sports-17125953.php
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Increasingly, Permian Basin oilfield sites are accommodating bitcoin mining alongside pumping units and natural gas processing plants.
The rise in bitcoin mining operations in the Permian Basin has jumped so significantly in just the last six months that the MOTRAN Alliance has decided to host a workshop on crypto currency and bitcoin mining. The workshop will be at the Petroleum Museum on May 4 beginning at 11 a.m. and should last until 1 p.m.
“It’s part of the future,” James Beauchamp, president of MOTRAN, told the Reporter-Telegram in a telephone interview. He said he recently attended large crypto currency and bitcoin mining conferences and the Permian Basin was being talked about at both events. Large US companies and even foreign companies are setting up operations in the Permian, he said.
“One of the things we’ve done with the coalition is educate and inform folks,” Beauchamp said. He said the workshop will dive into the subject “good, bad and indifferent.”
One topic will be how bitcoin miners can help oil and gas operators with their environmental footprint by utilizing wellhead gas or gas that would otherwise be flared because it’s not pipeline quality or because of a lack of takeaway capacity.
That will be the topic for Kat Galloway, chief executive officer of Artemis Energy, an oil and gas Bitcoin mining company whose goal is to reduce emissions in the oilfield through Bitcoin mining integration.
Cole Harrison, business development manager for Baseline Energy Services, a rental provider of natural gas generators across the country, will discuss off-grid mining with natural gas generators.
Paul Cockerham, who currently manages Fortress Energy’s operated assets as operations engineer and Verde Mining’s flare gas bitcoin mining, will talk about how Bitcoin serves Midland. He has been active in crypto investing and mining since 2017.
“We’re not trying to sell people on converting their 401Ks to cryptocurrency,” said Beauchamp. “We want to understand cryptocurrency.”
He noted the rising demand bitcoin mining is having on the state’s electric grid and said that development could, “One, be a disaster, or two, have a dynamic positive impact (and) create a whole new power source using underutilized, undervalued natural gas. That’s we need this discussion and education – so we can better captain our own ship.”
The workshop is free of charge, but preregistration is requested as lunch will be provided. Registration can be made by email at james@motran.org or by calling 563-6240.
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https://www.mrt.com/news/local/article/MOTRAN-hosting-workshop-on-crypto-currency-17125921.php
| 2022-04-26T06:58:12
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https://www.mrt.com/news/local/article/MOTRAN-hosting-workshop-on-crypto-currency-17125921.php
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PORTLAND, Ore. — Metro will receive an additional $10 million in state funding to pick up dumped trash around the Portland area, a problem that spiraled out of control during the pandemic.
The regional government agency oversees most garbage collection in Multnomah, Clackamas and Washington Counties.
Most of the money, which was allocated in House Bill 5202, will go to cleanup programs, doubling the number of crews responding to reported dump sites from six to 12.
“Over the course of the pandemic, we have seen a significant increase in the amount of illegal dumping and littering, and government has struggled to keep up with the problem,” Metro Council President Lynn Peterson said in a statement.
Metro's garbage cleanup crews, RID Patrol, have cleaned up more than 1,400 sites since January, Metro said. Last March, it took an average of 39 days for crews to clear a reported dump site. That wait time is now closer to about three days.
Metro tracks reported dump sites and cleanups on an interactive dashboard.
"I think you'll start to see results in the coming months and into the summer," said Metro Councilor Duncan Hwang. "The RID Patrols we have going out now are collecting three tons a day, and we'll be adding significantly to that capacity."
Metro said it plans to work with ODOT to increase cleanups along ODOT-controlled land like highways, and to pursue more voluntary disposal options for items that are difficult to get rid of, like derelict RVs and boats, hazardous materials and needles.
Metro also plans to expand programs that provide resources to nonprofits, school districts and local governments that would allow them to handle more dumped trash on their own.
Additional money will go toward things that would address recurring problems, like installing sharps boxes and fencing, graffiti abatement, planting trees and replacing signage.
What Portlanders won't see is Metro clearing homeless camps. The state required that the funding be used solely to "collect, dispose of and increase capacity for dumped garbage" and cannot be used to move camps or fill budget shortfalls.
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https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/metro-10-million-garbage-cleanup/283-4fcceb41-4471-41ef-85c2-3a6c933aa4b4
| 2022-04-26T08:17:50
| 1
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https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/metro-10-million-garbage-cleanup/283-4fcceb41-4471-41ef-85c2-3a6c933aa4b4
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PORTLAND, Ore. — What was once a haven for single pregnant women is the newest addition to the Portland Japanese Garden and its ongoing project, The Japan Institute.
The Salvation Army just sold the Portland property, which is nestled in the West Hills off Alexandra Avenue.
“At the end of the day, this is a safe place for young girls who are in need of help,” said Shawn Higley.
Higley was born on the property in 1963. At the time, his mother was 17 years old.
“She didn’t know what to do,” he said. “She took a Greyhound bus to Portland, to White Shield, and she stayed here for weeks.”
RELATED: A Vancouver couple wanted to adopt two kids from Ukraine, but the war has made it impossible
The White Shield Center was the name of the property, a respite for many women like Higley’s mother who had no where else to turn.
PHOTOS: White Shield Center grounds
“They maybe want to be a mom, but they’re not equipped to be a mom,” said Higley.
After Higley was born at White Shield, he was put up for adoption. When he was older, he began a search for his mother that lasted years. One day he finally found her.
“It was interesting,” Higley said. “It was kind of an out-of-body experience, but I got to say thank you and learned all about my birth father, who I’ve never met.”
“There was a lot of stigma against women who were pregnant out of wedlock who had children without a father present,” said Major Bob Lloyd, who works with the Salvation Army.
Lloyd knows that for many women, this was the last place they saw their children. He showed KGW the room where women would say goodbye to their babies before they were taken out the door for adoption.
“There are so many miracles that happen on this property,” said Cynthia Miguel, who once worked at the property and gave 24/7 care to pregnant teens and women recovering from trauma.
“It was powerful, it was exhausting, it was hard — I got cursed out a lot, but it was beautiful, it was beautiful work,” she said.
That work ended just two years ago when the program closed because of financial issues.
“It was profoundly sad and tragic and heartbreaking,” said Miguel.
The Salvation Army then sold the property to The Japan Institute.
“The girls were devastated, it made a really painful situation ...but the fact that the Japan Institute [is taking over] makes it totally better,” said Miguel.
Some of the proceeds are now going toward local shelters for women and children.
Will Lerner, who works for the Japanese Garden said, "We see it as, we are now the next stewards of this building.”
The planned addition will offer more educational opportunities for artists in the area.
“There’s just so many stories here, so many lives have been impacted, that it feels a little sad to give it away,” said Major Lloyd. “I also know that the Portland Japanese Garden will have some incredible future stories.”
The Japan Institute hopes to complete renovations and open the campus by the end of 2024.
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https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/white-shield-center-unwed-adoption-portland-japanese-garden/283-e5e13bb4-b63f-410a-9419-8df4be65bd24
| 2022-04-26T08:17:56
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https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/white-shield-center-unwed-adoption-portland-japanese-garden/283-e5e13bb4-b63f-410a-9419-8df4be65bd24
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Police are looking for four women they say assaulted a 14-year-old girl and stabbed a 20-year-old woman near Bowling Green Park on Saturday.
Investigators say around 9:40 p.m. the four suspects got into a dispute with the two victims. The 14-year-old was pepper sprayed and the 20-year-old was stabbed in the thigh.
The group then fled into the Bowling Green subway station.
The teen was treated at the scene, and the woman who was stabbed was taken to New York Downtown Hospital.
Anyone with information in regard to this incident is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM, or on Twitter @NYPDTips.
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/group-sought-for-attack-on-woman-and-teen-in-lower-manhattan-nypd/3662821/
| 2022-04-26T08:29:03
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/group-sought-for-attack-on-woman-and-teen-in-lower-manhattan-nypd/3662821/
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The Tupelo Convention and Visitors Bureau launched the Tupelo Cocktail Trail on March 24. Eight downtown restaurants are featured on the trail which can be completed anytime at participants' own pace.
The Tupelo Cocktail Trail features eight downtown restaurants within walking distance of each other. The participating establishments are Jobos, The Grillehouse, Park Heights, Nautical Whimsey, Fairpark Grill, Kermit's Soul Kitchen, Amsterdam Deli and Downunder.
Tupelo visitors or natives who want to participate can pick up a stamp card and map at the Tupelo Visitors Center on Main Street.
The Tupelo Convention and Visitors Bureau launched the Tupelo Cocktail Trail on March 24. Eight downtown restaurants are featured on the trail which can be completed anytime at participants' own pace.
Courtesy
The Tupelo Cocktail Trail features eight downtown restaurants within walking distance of each other. The participating establishments are Jobos, The Grillehouse, Park Heights, Nautical Whimsey, Fairpark Grill, Kermit's Soul Kitchen, Amsterdam Deli and Downunder.
Tupelo visitors or natives who want to participate can pick up a stamp card and map at the Tupelo Visitors Center on Main Street.
TUPELO • Pop, fizz, clink and drink has a new meaning for downtown Tupelo.
The Tupelo Convention and Visitors Bureau recently introduced the Tupelo Cocktail Trail, a special project that has been in the works for nearly a year, crafted for Tupelo visitors and natives alike.
The Cocktail Trail highlights signature drinks from eight downtown Tupelo restaurants and bars: Jobos, Amsterdam Deli, Kermit's Soul Kitchen, The Grillehouse, Park Heights, Nautical Whimsey, Fairpark Grill and Downunder.
Elizabeth Russell serves as the In-Market Strategist for the Tupelo CVB. For her, the Cocktail Trail started out as just an idea more than a year ago.
"I wanted to put some kind of trail together that was food or beverage based for our restaurant partners," Russell said. "It really involved meeting with our restaurants, looking at their menu and talking about the cocktails they were each known for."
The Tupelo Cocktail Trail launched March 24. It features eight restaurants on the downtown Tupelo footpath, all within walking distance of each other.
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If you live in Tupelo or are visiting, you can pick up a map and stamp card at the Tupelo Visitors Center on Main Street or at each of the restaurants. Each map shows the restaurant locations and their featured cocktail.
Upon ordering each establishment's unique beverage, bartenders will stamp the card on the back.
Once participants visit all eight locations and have all eight stamps, they can bring the card back to the Visitors Center and redeem it for a free cocktail shaker.
Russell elaborated that the Tupelo Cocktail isn't a one-time event but rather a year-round activity.
"It's an ongoing, year round activity," she said. "It's self-guided, walkable and you don't have to complete it all in one night or in one weekend," said Russell.
For more information on the Tupelo Cocktail Trail, visit tupelo.net.
BROOKE BULLOCK BURLESON is a digital producer for the Daily Journal. Contact her at brooke.burleson@djournal.com.
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https://www.djournal.com/news/local/cocktail-trail-debuts-in-downtown-tupelo/article_f025dc19-0862-51a0-a047-922f23641711.html
| 2022-04-26T09:28:37
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https://www.djournal.com/news/local/cocktail-trail-debuts-in-downtown-tupelo/article_f025dc19-0862-51a0-a047-922f23641711.html
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TUPELO • After a rough two years brought on by increased surrenders and a global pandemic, the Tupelo-Lee County Humane Society has pushed through some of its growing pains and hopes to increase community support to expand projects and secure more funding.
Following a sharp rise in sheltered animals due to COVID-19 and supply costs due to inflation, representatives of the nonprofit last year addressed both the city and county seeking extra funding by $20,000 a month from each entity.
Since Nelson Gravatt, the late-president of the society's board of directors, sparked discussion to raise funds, the society took steps to reduce costs, implement new programs and continued working with the local officials. Despite this effort, neither the city nor county allocated extra funding.
“We have been in productive talks with the city and county and are hopeful that something positive will come from those discussions,” Society Executive Director Rachel Allred said in a written statement. “Meanwhile, the number of animals in the shelter has leveled off since the height of the pandemic, which has been helpful in terms of bringing down our costs.”
Allred said the society, which incurs $85,000 to $90,000 in monthly expenses, still needed more assistance from local and private entities to help supplement the cost of its services. She said inflation has only made things worse. The city gives the humane society $175,000 annually, while the county gives it $53,000 annually. The city's annual allotment was increased by $15,000 last year.
County Administrator Bill Benson said the county would likely increase the society’s funding but had no solid commitment on how much that increase might be. The topic, he said, would be discussed further during the budgeting season.
“There is no decision of any type,” he said. “There has been no discussion with the full board yet. It is going to be necessary to increase their funding at some level, but I don’t know what that will be.”
Tupelo Chief Financial Officer Kim Hanna said the city planned to inject an extra $10,000 into the society’s coffers, but she could not bring the budget amendment before the council until the city updated its contract with the non-profit.
“We want to help and support them,” she said, adding that before the city could decide to increase annual funding, the city would need to get a full view of the society’s financial situation in the shadow of the pandemic.
City Attorney Ben Logan said the city was working on the contract but had some technical issues to iron out before it would go to the board. He said the earliest it would be brought to the council would be May 17.
At its peak, the shelter had around 340 animals in its care. Its kennel space accommodates 165 animals. Allred told the Daily Journal the Human Society had 242 animals in custody and 135 in the shelter as of Monday. She said during the influx of animals, the society bolstered its fostering program, which helped a lot.
“We have a constant average of at least 100 animals in fostering, and 120 at the peak of the year,” she said, adding that the more animals in fostering the less stressed the shelter is.
On top of the influx of admissions, the humane society also lost a handful of employees. Allred said the non-profit currently has 25 employees, including herself and the in-house veterinarian. She said its budget allows for 33 employees.
Though it had not received extra funding, Allred said the shelter had stabilized intake after implementing multiple programs, including a “match-making system” and managed admissions.
She said the shelter moved away from having prospective adopters roam the kennels looking for a new pet. People instead fill out a form and get options based on their answers. The shelter also has a list on its website of all animals in its care, complete with photos and information on them.
“You fill out the form with basic information about yourself and what you are looking for, and we find the perfect match for you,” she said, adding that she noticed a marked decrease in returns since the program started.
She said the society still allows visitors, but it bars them from the large dog kennels because it increases stress levels on the animals and leads to fewer adoptions.
Allred encouraged those looking to donate or get involved through volunteering to visit the society’s website at tupeloleehumane.org. She also noted there would be an open house on April 30 for the Adopt a Shelter Pet Day and the first annual Nelson Gravatt “Putts for Mutts” memorial golf tournament on June 27 at the Tupelo Country Club.
“We could not carry out our important mission without the private donations that come our way, and we are deeply grateful to our benefactors for helping us persevere through this challenging season,” she said.
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https://www.djournal.com/news/local/humane-society-faces-continued-funding-needs-surrender-rate-stabilized/article_872a0726-b1b1-5a76-abb8-bd1bb3fff246.html
| 2022-04-26T09:28:44
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https://www.djournal.com/news/local/humane-society-faces-continued-funding-needs-surrender-rate-stabilized/article_872a0726-b1b1-5a76-abb8-bd1bb3fff246.html
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Walsh University students set to pitch business idea at national competition
NORTH CANTON – Two Walsh University students have a multimillion-dollar business proposal to address a problem affecting half of the people in world while giving a product away for free.
The idea has landed Walsh students Madeline Weisburn and Joe Knopp, along with Elizabeth D'Arpa from Xavier University in Cincinnati, among 25 college teams in the e-Fest 2022! competition this week at the University of St. Thomas in Minneapolis.
The "Shark Tank"-style business pitch event is sponsored by the Schulze School of Entrepreneurship at St. Thomas.
College competition:Walsh University students will pitch a business idea this week at e-Fest 2022!
More:'Just overwhelmed': Joe Knopp sees dream of providing clean water in Uganda become reality
The team from Walsh calls their business Free. Project, and the goal is to make feminine hygiene products available to all women.
They believe the business can generate more than $1.53 million of revenue in the first year. That's a conservative estimate and the entrepreneurs aren't including one piece of the three revenue streams in the total.
The products are 100% organic tampons and a menstruation bracelet. The company is focused on menstrual equity and ensuring that products are affordable, accessible and safe.
Studies have shown that 75% of women have run into problems finding products and at times have been forced to improvise.
The tampons would be made available for free in different way. Part of the business plan includes offering 18 tampons in a biodegradable package supported by advertising. The package also would carry a QR code linking to the Free. Project website.
It's estimated that women spend, on average, $13.25 each month of feminine hygiene products. It's anticipated that women receiving tampons from Free. Project would consider spending money with the advertisers.
The company also hopes to develop restroom subscriptions and deliver 100 tampons each month to a location where the tampons would be available for free in bathrooms. The business would pay $50 per month for the tampons. Women needing a tampon wouldn't have to pay for the product, as they do now.
Additionally, there would be advertising one the dispensers. An idea is to target universities that would advertise in high school bathrooms.
The 28-day menstruation bracelet would sell for $12 and promote the business and movement. Free. Project plans to donate 10% of profits from bracelet sales to educational programs on menstruation.
The business partners believe the opportunities are promising. They want to target the 12.3 million U.S. businesses owned by women.
They hope to partner with 100 businesses in the first year, establish 250 "period pitstops" and sell 500 bracelets. That would generate more than $1.53 million in revenue, a figure that doesn't include revenue created through the QR code on packaging.
The competition begins Thursday.The top prize is $50,000 to fund the venture. Cash prizes available total $215,000.
Walsh's team was among nearly 100 to submit proposals for the competition. They'll be competing against teams from Cornell University, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest University, Texas A&M and the University of Alabama.
Knopp is no stranger to business competitions. He formed We are the Ripple in 2021 to sell water bottles. For every 1,000 bottles sold, a water well is built in a needy community. So far the company has dug 11 water wells in African villages.
Ohio promoting In-Demand Jobs Week
State officials are hoping businesses will showcase their top jobs next week during the fifth annual In-Demand Jobs Week.
Gov. Mike DeWine and Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, who serves as director of the Governor's Office for Workforce Transformation, are promoting In-Demand Jobs Week as a chance for businesses to open their doors to showcase the top jobs, industries and skills that are available.
DeWine and Husted hope to highlight jobs that pay more than $50,000 per year and require less than a year of training to earn necessary credentials, as opposed to getting a degree or spending years in training.
At the top of the state's list is software developers, who who earn medium pay of $91,000 per year, followed by computer programs ($84,000) and network and computer system administrators ($80,000). Additional computer related jobs, as well as electronics, telecommunications, health care, insurance appraisers, food service managers and firefighters round out the list.
In a press release promoting the event, DeWine suggested that the best way for someone to determine if a job works for them would be to try it out. He's hoping students will have an opportunity to do that next week.
Husted said the state wants to shine a light on career opportunities that lead to higher pay and are in fields where Ohio employers are hiring immediately.
"This year we are specifically bringing awareness to jobs that pay over $50,000 a year and require less than a year of training, giving Ohioans a clear path to their next opportunity," Husted said in a news release.
Statewide housing sales fall
Fewer houses were sold in Ohio during March and the first three months of 2022, the Ohio Realtors reported.
Real estate agents around the state reported selling 11,832 residences during March, down 4.8% from 12,429 sold in March 2021. Meanwhile, the average price of properties sold remains 11.1% higher than last year at $247,123, the organization said.
Real estate agents in MLS Now, which includes Stark and 22 other Northeast Ohio counties, reported selling 3,984 units in March, a 7.3% drop from 4,300 properties sold during the same period last year. The average price increased 12.5% to $218,071.
During the first quarter, real estate agents in the MLS Now group reported selling 10,576 residences, down 1.6% from 10,747 in 2021. Statewide, agents have sold 30,878 units, down 1.4% from 31,319 sold last year.
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https://www.cantonrep.com/story/news/local/2022/04/26/walsh-university-students-pitch-business-idea-national-competition-free-project-e-fest-2022/7415599001/
| 2022-04-26T10:04:05
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https://www.cantonrep.com/story/news/local/2022/04/26/walsh-university-students-pitch-business-idea-national-competition-free-project-e-fest-2022/7415599001/
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Antisemitic incidents in the United States hit an all-time high in 2021, and New York and New Jersey accounted for nearly 30% of the reported total, the Anti-Defamation League said Tuesday.
Incidents (vandalism, harassment, assault) were up sharply last year, the ADL said in its annual summary - a function of pandemic restrictions decreasing, but also backlash to Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip in May 2021.
The ADL recorded 416 incidents in New York in 2021, including a record 51 assaults, most of them in Brooklyn. The group reported another 370 total incidents in New Jersey, a record as well.
“The alarming uptick in antisemitic incidents in our state should be deeply concerning to all - Jews and those outside of the Jewish community,” Scott Richman, regional director for the ADL in New York and New Jersey, said in a statement. “The fact that these incidents included an unprecedented number of vicious assaults - frequently targeting visibly Jewish individuals on the streets of New York, including young children, is incredibly disturbing."
The rise in antisemitic incidents mirrors a broader trend in the city -- hate crimes rose 24% in the first four months of 2021 versus the same period in 2020, and are up another 32% in the same period this year, per NYPD data.
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/antisemitic-incidents-assaults-hit-all-time-highs-in-new-york-and-new-jersey-adl-says/3662954/
| 2022-04-26T11:31:38
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/antisemitic-incidents-assaults-hit-all-time-highs-in-new-york-and-new-jersey-adl-says/3662954/
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CHARLES CITY, Iowa - It may technically say spring on the calendar, but depending on who you speak to, it sure doesn't feel like it. Despite the chill lingering deep into late April, you might be wondering when you can start digging and planting colorful flowers, and maybe some fruits and vegetables.
From geraniums to petunias, each aisle inside the greenhouse at Otto's Oasis seemingly pops out. Owner Jeff Otto recently opened the doors for the season this past weekend.
"Everybody's looking forward to planting outside, just from what we're gathering from people coming in and planning and looking right now."
In light of that vested interest, and ahead of their upcoming open house this weekend, Otto notes of demand for certain plants.
"Some people will come and buy early because we may run out of certain things."
Though the cold temperatures are sticking around longer than most would like, Otto says it's not the first time.
"Four or five years ago on May 2, we had snow falling during our spring open house. It happens, you just have to live with it. You have to bring stuff in and out. It adds a bit of labor, but you have to do what you have to do to save the plants."
If you're looking for a gift for Mom, Otto says hanging baskets are quite popular.
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https://www.kimt.com/news/local/cold-temperatures-affecting-start-of-planting-season/article_a779e014-c52c-11ec-bb90-eff421f2e3c2.html
| 2022-04-26T12:04:07
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https://www.kimt.com/news/local/cold-temperatures-affecting-start-of-planting-season/article_a779e014-c52c-11ec-bb90-eff421f2e3c2.html
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JACKSONVILLE, Ala. (WIAT) — The Faith Temple Christian Center, which houses the lower elementary classrooms and other resources for the Jacksonville Christian Academy, is left crumbling and charred after a fire destroyed the building Saturday night.
For Faith Temple Worship Leader Rachel Blanchard it was more than a building, it was her home.
“It’s been really hard,” she said. “I grew up in the church. My parent’s were married there, I was dedicated there, my children were dedicated there, so its a huge part of who I am and my history.”
Both Rachel and her mother are active members of the church, and teachers at Jacksonville Christian Academy.
“You know I just couldn’t stay and watch it burn,” Rachel’s mother Marie Milner told CBS 42. “You know my parents helped to build the building, my dad was here he would go and work all day at his job to provide for us and he would come over here and work in the evenings.”
According to the school’s Facebook post, the church, lower elementary classrooms, auditorium, and lunch room are all destroyed.
“Anything that you could think of that a teacher would use you know those things are gone now,” Milner explained.
The Jacksonville Fire Marshal said they are teaming up with the State Fire Marshal to investigate the blaze.
If you’d like to help, you can donate by sending money directly to the Jacksonville Christian Academy.
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https://www.cbs42.com/news/local/jacksonville-community-rallies-behind-church-and-school-destroyed-by-fire/
| 2022-04-26T12:31:52
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https://www.cbs42.com/news/local/jacksonville-community-rallies-behind-church-and-school-destroyed-by-fire/
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PLEASANT GROVE, Ala. (WIAT) — Police are asking for the public’s help locating a missing 21-year-old Pleasant Grove woman.
According to Pleasant Grove Police, Tremia Lashay Sanders was last seen around 8:30 p.m. on April 23 in Pleasant Grove. Sanders was last seen wearing a blue Nike dry fit shirt, black athletic pants, and red/white crocs. She is described as 5’2″ and 118 pounds with brown eyes and brown hair.
Anyone with information regarding Sanders whereabouts is asked to call Pleasant Grove Police at 205-744-1735.
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https://www.cbs42.com/news/local/police-searching-for-missing-pleasant-grove-woman/
| 2022-04-26T12:31:58
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https://www.cbs42.com/news/local/police-searching-for-missing-pleasant-grove-woman/
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TUPELO • After a rough two years brought on by increased surrenders and a global pandemic, the Tupelo-Lee County Humane Society has pushed through some of its growing pains and hopes to increase community support to expand projects and secure more funding.
Following a sharp rise in sheltered animals due to COVID-19 and supply costs due to inflation, representatives of the nonprofit last year addressed both the city and county seeking extra funding by $20,000 a month from each entity.
Since Nelson Gravatt, the late-president of the society's board of directors, sparked discussion to raise funds, the society took steps to reduce costs, implement new programs and continued working with the local officials. Despite this effort, neither the city nor county allocated extra funding.
“We have been in productive talks with the city and county and are hopeful that something positive will come from those discussions,” Society Executive Director Rachel Allred said in a written statement. “Meanwhile, the number of animals in the shelter has leveled off since the height of the pandemic, which has been helpful in terms of bringing down our costs.”
Allred said the society, which incurs $85,000 to $90,000 in monthly expenses, still needed more assistance from local and private entities to help supplement the cost of its services. She said inflation has only made things worse. The city gives the humane society $175,000 annually, while the county gives it $53,000 annually. The city's annual allotment was increased by $15,000 last year.
County Administrator Bill Benson said the county would likely increase the society’s funding but had no solid commitment on how much that increase might be. The topic, he said, would be discussed further during the budgeting season.
“There is no decision of any type,” he said. “There has been no discussion with the full board yet. It is going to be necessary to increase their funding at some level, but I don’t know what that will be.”
Tupelo Chief Financial Officer Kim Hanna said the city planned to inject an extra $10,000 into the society’s coffers, but she could not bring the budget amendment before the council until the city updated its contract with the non-profit.
“We want to help and support them,” she said, adding that before the city could decide to increase annual funding, the city would need to get a full view of the society’s financial situation in the shadow of the pandemic.
City Attorney Ben Logan said the city was working on the contract but had some technical issues to iron out before it would go to the board. He said the earliest it would be brought to the council would be May 17.
At its peak, the shelter had around 340 animals in its care. Its kennel space accommodates 165 animals. Allred told the Daily Journal the Human Society had 242 animals in custody and 135 in the shelter as of Monday. She said during the influx of animals, the society bolstered its fostering program, which helped a lot.
“We have a constant average of at least 100 animals in fostering, and 120 at the peak of the year,” she said, adding that the more animals in fostering the less stressed the shelter is.
On top of the influx of admissions, the humane society also lost a handful of employees. Allred said the non-profit currently has 25 employees, including herself and the in-house veterinarian. She said its budget allows for 33 employees.
Though it had not received extra funding, Allred said the shelter had stabilized intake after implementing multiple programs, including a “match-making system” and managed admissions.
She said the shelter moved away from having prospective adopters roam the kennels looking for a new pet. People instead fill out a form and get options based on their answers. The shelter also has a list on its website of all animals in its care, complete with photos and information on them.
“You fill out the form with basic information about yourself and what you are looking for, and we find the perfect match for you,” she said, adding that she noticed a marked decrease in returns since the program started.
She said the society still allows visitors, but it bars them from the large dog kennels because it increases stress levels on the animals and leads to fewer adoptions.
Allred encouraged those looking to donate or get involved through volunteering to visit the society’s website at tupeloleehumane.org. She also noted there would be an open house on April 30 for the Adopt a Shelter Pet Day and the first annual Nelson Gravatt “Putts for Mutts” memorial golf tournament on June 27 at the Tupelo Country Club.
“We could not carry out our important mission without the private donations that come our way, and we are deeply grateful to our benefactors for helping us persevere through this challenging season,” she said.
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https://www.djournal.com/news/local/tupelo-lee-humane-society-faces-continued-funding-needs-surrender-rate-stabilized/article_872a0726-b1b1-5a76-abb8-bd1bb3fff246.html
| 2022-04-26T12:53:11
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https://www.djournal.com/news/local/tupelo-lee-humane-society-faces-continued-funding-needs-surrender-rate-stabilized/article_872a0726-b1b1-5a76-abb8-bd1bb3fff246.html
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A New Jersey software developer was actually a highly trained terrorist scoping out U.S. landmarks in New York City, Washington D.C., and other major cities for possible Hezbollah attacks from 2000 to 2005, federal prosecutors say.
Opening arguments began Monday in the terror trial of 45-year-old Alexei Saab, a Morristown man who allegedly had a double identity while he worked for Hezbollah’s Islamic Jihad Organization, ready to attack Americans at popular locations if Iran was attacked by the U.S., Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel Adelsberg said.
By day, Saab was a software engineer working for technology companies who fit in enough that he became a U.S. citizen, the prosecutor said.
By night, he was “a terrorist and spy” scoping out potential terrorism targets in New York, Boston, Washington, D.C., and abroad in France, Turkey and the Czech Republic, Adelsberg said.
Targets researched by Saab included Rockefeller Center, Grand Central Terminal, all three New York-area airports, the Brooklyn, Triborough and George Washington bridges and the Lincoln and Holland tunnels connecting New Jersey to Manhattan, among other locations, federal prosecutors said.
Saab was arrested in July 2019 after being questioned during 11 sessions over several weeks with FBI agents.
Saab’s lawyer, Marlon Kirton, said all the evidence in the case was from Saab himself and could not be considered reliable.
Local
And he noted that Hezbollah had never attacked Americans in the United States.
In court documents, investigators said Saab told agents he took photographs of buildings and locations including Quincy Market and the Prudential Center in Boston and the Capitol Building, Congress and the White House in Washington, D.C. A video of Fenway Park was recovered from one of Saab’s electronic devices.
“On paper, he lived a normal life when in reality he was a sleeper agent for Hezbollah,” he said.
Besides surveillance activities in the United States, Adelsberg said Saab also operated abroad after joining Hezbollah in 1996. He said Saab tried to kill a man he later understood to be a suspected Israeli spy by pointing a weapon at the individual at close range, but the firearm jammed.
Saab is also facing a marriage fraud charge for allegedly marrying a co-conspirator in 2012 under false pretenses. Saab's lawyer did not contest that charge.
Saab has pleaded not guilty to charges including providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization, conspiracy, receiving military-type training from a foreign terrorist organization, unlawful procurement of citizenship to facilitate international terrorism and citizenship application fraud.
The most serious charge carries a maximum potential penalty of 25 years in prison, though the charges collectively carry potential penalties of over 100 years in prison.
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/feds-nj-man-eyed-empire-state-building-rock-center-ny-airports-for-terror-attack/3662373/
| 2022-04-26T13:02:56
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/feds-nj-man-eyed-empire-state-building-rock-center-ny-airports-for-terror-attack/3662373/
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FORT MYERS, Fla. — Two men were killed in a serious crash on Luckett Road, just west of I-75 in Fort Myers Monday night.
The crash happened on Luckett Road near Golden Lake Road around 8 p.m. between a sedan and a semi-truck, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
Investigators said the driver of the sedan was driving west at a high speed when they lost control and crashed head-on into the semi heading the opposite direction.
The crash caused the sedan to hit a telephone pole and sent debris flying toward a parked car.
The two people in the sedan were pronounced dead on scene.
The driver of the semi, described as a 42-year-old Fort Myers man, was taken to Gulf Coast Hospital with minor injuries, troopers said.
Investigators have not yet identified the two men who were killed in the crash.
One car was towed away after it was split in two, witnesses said.
The road was shut down for hours overnight and has since reopened.
FHP is continuing to investigate.
This is a developing story.
No further details were immediately available.
Count on NBC2 to bring you the latest information as this story develops.
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https://nbc-2.com/news/local/2022/04/26/at-least-one-killed-in-crash-on-luckett-road-in-fort-myers/
| 2022-04-26T13:45:05
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https://nbc-2.com/news/local/2022/04/26/at-least-one-killed-in-crash-on-luckett-road-in-fort-myers/
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DALLAS — Editor's note: On Tuesday, the Biden Administration issued three pardons and 75 commutations. The video published above are the three people the President has pardoned. All North Texans were issued commutations, not pardons.
President Joe Biden on Tuesday announced commutations for six North Texans who were serving lengthy sentences for drug crimes.
Administration officials described the crimes as "non-violent drug offenses," according to a White House news release.
The six North Texans were among a group of 75 people who had their sentences commutated. Three people were pardoned on Tuesday, including a a Kennedy-era Secret Service agent from Chicago convicted of federal bribery charges. Two other people who were pardoned had been convicted on drug-related charges in Texas and Georgia but went on to become pillars in their communities, officials said.
It is important to note that the six North Texans were not pardoned. For the three people pardoned by Biden, their crimes are essentially forgiven. In the commutation cases, they're merely reduced sentences. According to the Biden Administration, the sentences commuted expire on April 26, 2023, with the remainder to be served in home confinement.
"America is a nation of laws and second chances, redemption, and rehabilitation," Biden said in a statement. "Elected officials on both sides of the aisle, faith leaders, civil rights advocates, and law enforcement leaders agree that our criminal justice system can and should reflect these core values that enable safer and stronger communities. During Second Chance Month, I am using my authority under the Constitution to uphold those values by pardoning and commuting the sentences of fellow Americans."
Here are the six people in North Texas who were issued commutations:
- Sharon Louise Boatright – Richardson, Texas
- Offense: Possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine (Northern District of Texas).
- Sentence: 190 months of imprisonment, four-year term of supervised release (December 16, 2013); amended to 188 months of imprisonment, four-year term of supervised release (July 15, 2016).
- Commutation Grant: Sentence commuted to expire on April 26, 2023, with the remainder to be served in home confinement, leaving intact and in effect the four-year term of supervised release.
- Lori Jean Cross – North Richland Hills, Texas
- Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance (Northern District of Texas).
- Sentence: 120 months of imprisonment, three-year term of supervised release (September 12, 2016).
- Commutation Grant: Sentence commuted to expire on April 26, 2023, with the remainder to be served in home confinement, leaving intact and in effect the three-year term of supervised release.
- Deborah Ann Dodd – Forney, Texas
- Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectible amount of methamphetamine or 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine (Eastern District of Texas).
- Sentence: 140 months of imprisonment, five-year term of supervised release (February 19, 2015).
- Commutation Grant: Sentence commuted to expire on April 26, 2023, with the remainder to be served in home confinement, leaving intact and in effect the five-year term of supervised release.
- Nova Neal Finau – Fort Worth, Texas
- Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance (Northern District of Texas).
- Sentence: 140 months of imprisonment, four-year term of supervised release (March 31, 2016).
- Commutation Grant: Sentence commuted to expire on April 26, 2023, with the remainder to be served in home confinement, leaving intact and in effect the four-year term of supervised release.
- Stephanie Hernandez – Dallas, Texas
- Offense: Distribution of a controlled substance (Northern District of Texas).
- Sentence: 120 months of imprisonment, three-year term of supervised release (April 21, 2017).
- Commutation Grant: Sentence commuted to expire on April 26, 2023, with the remainder to be served in home confinement, leaving intact and in effect the three-year term of supervised release.
- Brittany Krambeck – Fort Worth, Texas
- Offense: Maintaining drug involved premises; structuring transactions to evade reporting requirements (Northern District of Texas).
- Sentence: 220 months of imprisonment, three-year term of supervised release (October 29, 2010).
- Commutation Grant: Sentence commuted to expire on April 26, 2024, leaving intact and in effect the three-year term of supervised release.
The Biden Administration also announced Tuesday new steps to support those re-entering society after incarceration. The U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Labor will collaborate to provide job training. New grants are being put into place for workforce development programs. There will be " greater opportunities to serve in federal government," officials said.
The Biden Administration also said it is expanding access to capital for people with convictions trying to start a small business, and also providing more support for health care, housing, and educational opportunities.
"As I laid out in my comprehensive strategy to reduce gun crime, helping those who served their time return to their families and become contributing members of their communities is one of the most effective ways to reduce recidivism and decrease crime," Biden said in his statement. "While today’s announcement marks important progress, my Administration will continue to review clemency petitions and deliver reforms that advance equity and justice, provide second chances, and enhance the wellbeing and safety of all Americans."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/texas-biden-commutations-second-chance-month/287-b1af8812-32e4-4655-83da-91bfb11a6fa1
| 2022-04-26T13:56:02
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https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/texas-biden-commutations-second-chance-month/287-b1af8812-32e4-4655-83da-91bfb11a6fa1
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TEXAS, USA — As Texas’ exploding real estate market dramatically drives up home values, homeowners are getting sticker shock after receiving notice of their properties’ new appraised values — which help determine how much they pay in property taxes.
The growth rate of home values in the state’s major metropolitan areas has surged by double digits. In Harris County, the state’s most populous county, residential values have risen between 15% and 30%, according to Roland Altinger, the county’s chief appraiser.
In Bexar County, the median value of a home appreciated nearly 25% to $265,540.
And in Travis County, where the state’s housing crunch has been most apparent, the median home value has skyrocketed — climbing more than 50% since last year to $632,208.
“We have never seen anything like this,” said Marya Crigler, chief appraiser at the Travis County Appraisal District. “This is unprecedented for us in Travis County. And I think that same unprecedented appreciation is being seen statewide.”
But an increase in value doesn’t necessarily guarantee a dramatically larger tax bill, appraisers and property tax experts caution.
“Many factors complicate how property taxes are calculated,” said Adam Perdue, a research economist at the Texas Real Estate Research Center at Texas A&M University.
It’s likely that at least some local governments will have to cut their property tax rates in order to fall in line with recent state laws meant to slow property tax growth. And the state’s top elected officials are already making new promises to bring down Texans’ property tax bills. But recent laws haven’t stopped property tax growth altogether.
Property tax collections have risen more than 20% since 2017, according to data from the Texas Comptroller’s office. Texans paid an estimated $73.2 billion in property taxes in 2021, which went to school districts, cities, counties and other taxing entities that then use the revenue to fund everything from public schools and police departments to road maintenance.
Facing reelection, Gov. Greg Abbott has deemed property tax reduction a top priority when state lawmakers reconvene next year.
"One of my top goals this coming session is to reduce property tax substantially, and that will reduce the cost of doing business," Abbott said during a March event for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Austin. "It will also reduce the cost of living."
Democratic opponent Beto O’Rourke, a former El Paso congressman, sees an opportunity to lay the blame for the state’s rampant growth in property taxes at Abbott’s feet. In a new line of attack, O’Rourke has pointed out that the amount of property taxes paid by property owners has grown by more than $20 billion since Abbott took office in 2015. (Abbott’s campaign has said the Legislature has spent $18 billion since 2015 to limit how much school property taxes grow.)
“He (Abbott) is the single greatest driver of inflation in the state of Texas, and it's causing real pain to our fellow Texans right now,” O’Rourke said at a Wednesday press conference in southern Dallas.
Here’s a quick primer on how Texas got here:
Why are property taxes in Texas so high?
Texas’ local governments rely heavily on property taxes to pay the salaries of police officers and firefighters and for government services like roads, libraries, parks and public schools. Coupled with the fact that Texas has no state income tax, Texans’ property tax bills are among the highest in the nation.
Texas homeowners pay a higher proportion of their home value toward property taxes than most homeowners in other parts of the nation, according to the Tax Foundation. Texas depends more on property taxes than almost any other state to pay for government services — edged out only by New Hampshire, Alaska and New Jersey.
In no arena is that more apparent than in Texas’ public schools — which depend greatly on property taxes for funding.
School districts use local property tax revenue to cover as much of their base budgets as possible — then the state chips in the rest. Over time, that formula has often resulted in fewer state dollars paying for public education as local property values have grown.
In any given year, revenue from property taxes makes up more than half of the state’s pot of funds to pay for public schools, the rest of which comes from state and federal sources. Of the $69.3 billion that went to public education in fiscal year 2020, property taxes kicked in $38.4 billion while the state provided $23.3 billion. The rest came from federal funds.
As a result, school property taxes make up the bulk of a typical Texas homeowner’s tax bill. More than half of all property tax revenue in the state comes from school property taxes, according to data from the Texas Comptroller’s office.
“The only way to really institute meaningful property tax reductions would either be to find some other revenue source or to substantially cut education budgets,” said Dr. Charles Gilliland, a research economist who studies property taxes at the Texas Real Estate Research Center at Texas A&M University. “Neither one of those options is palatable in today's political atmosphere, so that's how we got into this situation.”
Has anyone tried to fix this?
Texas legislators have tried numerous ways to limit property tax growth.
Lawmakers have raised the state’s homestead exemption — the portion of a homeowner’s home value exempt from taxation — to $25,000.
State law also limits the taxable value of a home from rising more than 10% in a given year on an owner’s primary residence. In Travis County, the median market value of a home grew nearly 54%. But the median taxable value of a home in Travis County rose by about 11% after also accounting for the construction of new homes just coming onto tax rolls for the first time.
In 2019, lawmakers passed a pair of laws aimed at slowing growth. House Bill 3 was an $11.6 billion school finance bill that included $5.1 billion to lower school district taxes, $6.5 billion in new school spending and caps on school districts’ tax rates. Senate Bill 2 required many cities, counties and other taxing units to get voter approval if they want to raise the property tax revenue they collect from all property owners by 3.5% or more than the previous year.
According to a study by the Texas Taxpayers and Research Association, the bills worked — sort of. The study says Texas taxpayers would have shelled out $6 billion more in property taxes than they did in 2021 if not for the two bills — the result of falling tax rates.
But that doesn’t mean everyone’s paying less in taxes. School tax rates dropped by 13% since the bills passed in 2019, but taxable property values rose by 23%, according to the study.
“Values are still rising faster than school tax rates,” said Dale Craymer, president of the Texas Taxpayers and Research Association. “But taxpayers now at least benefit as their values rise. They benefit from falling tax rates. That didn't happen before 2019.”
Meanwhile, ideas like making the sales prices of properties public — which advocates say would ensure properties aren’t exorbitantly valued and that owners of expensive properties are paying their fair share of taxes — have gone nowhere.
What’s on the table now?
With campaign season comes new promises to cut property taxes.
Abbott has touted a “taxpayer bill of rights” that includes proposals to further reduce school property tax rates, make property appraisals more transparent and limit local governments from taking on new debt without voter approval.
On Wednesday, O’Rourke put forth a set of ideas to reduce Texans’ property tax burden. That would include making sure that the state picks up 50% of the tab for public schools, expanding Medicaid to ease the property tax bill for publicly funded hospitals, plus legalizing marijuana and taxing its sale. He also floated the idea of legalizing casino gambling and sports betting as a way of generating more tax revenue.
Texas voters will have the opportunity to cut their own taxes at the May ballot box. On the ballot is a measure to raise the state’s homestead exemption from $25,000 to $40,000 for school district property taxes. The average homeowner would see about $176 in savings on their annual property tax bill, according to Republican state Sen. Paul Bettencourt of Houston, the proposal’s author.
Meanwhile, lawmakers in the state House and Senate are weighing ideas to use state and federal funds to cover some school expenses so that districts could lower property taxes. They’re looking at a $12 billion surplus in state revenue along with $3 billion in federal stimulus dollars that Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dade Phelan set aside to pay for tax relief when the Legislature convenes in 2023.
Whether state lawmakers will be able to use federal stimulus funds to pay for property tax cuts hasn’t been settled. The $3 billion comes out of the American Rescue Plan Act, the $1.9 trillion stimulus bill aimed at pandemic relief, which prohibits the use of stimulus funds for tax cuts.
Texas, joined by Louisiana and Mississippi, sued the federal government last year alleging that the prohibition is unconstitutional. A federal judge in Amarillo sided with Texas earlier this month, but the decision is likely to be appealed.
One idea that has gained momentum in Republican circles is the abolition of school districts’ maintenance and operations tax, which Patrick instructed senators to look into this year.
Craymer, the TTARA president, is dismissive of that.
“I don't think we're getting rid of the school M&O tax anytime soon,” Craymer said. “I don't think we're getting rid of the property tax anytime soon.”
Other ideas abound. During a Thursday meeting of the Texas House Ways & Means Committee, state Rep. Morgan Meyer, a Dallas Republican, asked the comptroller’s office to look into what effect lowering the appraisal cap on residential taxable values and creating such a cap for commercial properties would have on tax revenue.
But lawmakers have left little room for themselves to maneuver on property taxes, observers have said. The state’s lack of an income tax has long been a carrot to attract employers and new residents to Texas. And Texas voters won’t allow one; in 2019, they voted to enshrine a ban on a state income tax in the state’s constitution.
“Texas has kind of painted itself into a corner by now having a constitutional prohibition against what is a major source of funding for other states by concentrating on reducing property taxes, rather than expanding the people who pay their fair share,” said Dick Lavine, senior fiscal analyst with the liberal-leaning Every Texan.
Disclosure: Every Texan, Texas A&M University, Texas Taxpayers and Research Association and US Chamber of Commerce have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here.
This story comes from our KHOU 11 News partners at The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans - and engages with them - about public policy, politics, government, and statewide issues.
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https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/texas/as-texas-home-values-skyrocket-state-officials-wrestle-with-how-to-slow-property-tax-increases/285-d206f15b-4c70-41d9-8939-01e3b74c0802
| 2022-04-26T13:56:08
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https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/texas/as-texas-home-values-skyrocket-state-officials-wrestle-with-how-to-slow-property-tax-increases/285-d206f15b-4c70-41d9-8939-01e3b74c0802
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ROCHESTER, Minn.- The CVCT Respiratory Therapy Program is hosting its 2nd Annual Golden Lungs 5K run for cystic fibrosis.
This run or walk will be from 4:30- 6:30 p.m. in Rochester. The route will start at the Mayo Civic Center and take you to the Double Tree hotel.
After you complete your journey, you will receive a prize.
Organizers say that if you are not able to make it, you can still participate.
At a slightly different fee you can register for a virtual option and complete the 5K on your own schedule.
Another option is simply donating to this cause on the site.
If you're interested, tickets will be $30 for the in-person run and $20 for the virtual option.
The link to sign up is right here.
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https://www.kimt.com/news/local/2nd-annual-golden-lungs-5k-run-for-cystic-fibrosis/article_18fab358-c55a-11ec-8465-77a5d041a1e1.html
| 2022-04-26T14:10:07
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https://www.kimt.com/news/local/2nd-annual-golden-lungs-5k-run-for-cystic-fibrosis/article_18fab358-c55a-11ec-8465-77a5d041a1e1.html
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Emergency pothole repairs snarls morning commute on Route 95
Traffic is backed up on Route 95 north during the morning commute due to emergency pothole repair work, according to the Rhode Island Department of Transportation.
The repairs are being done in the Viaduct work zone in Providence, which is the busiest section of Route 95 in Rhode Island, carrying 220,000 vehicles a day, according to the DOT.
In court:Judge dismisses lawsuit over Route 95 project that damaged ancient Native American village
"Expect delays," the DOT said in a tweet.
Transportation:Rhode Island Public Transit Authority hits potholes on the road to electrification
Getting to the bottom of the problem:Is RI the pothole capital of the United States? 17 roads with 13,000 potholes since 2021
jperry@providencejournal.com
(401) 277-7614
On Twitter: @jgregoryperry
Be the first to know.
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https://www.providencejournal.com/story/news/local/2022/04/26/interstate-95-north-providence-traffic-backup-pothole-repairs-travel-delays/7450503001/
| 2022-04-26T14:17:44
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https://www.providencejournal.com/story/news/local/2022/04/26/interstate-95-north-providence-traffic-backup-pothole-repairs-travel-delays/7450503001/
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Journal's Mark Patinkin to be inducted into Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame
Providence Journal columnist Mark Patinkin is among nine prominent Rhode Islanders set to be inducted into the Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame on Sunday.
Patinkin came to The Journal in 1976 and is one of the nation's longest-serving newspaper columnists. He was a Pulitzer Prize finalist in international reporting for columns written from India, Belfast and Beirut in 1986 on religious violence. He’s written six books and holds honorary degrees from Rhode Island College and Johnson & Wales University. In 2019, Mark was named "Columnist of the Year" for GateHouse Media, now part of Gannett; and in 2020, he won Gannett’s “Best Story-telling” award.
Mark Patinkin's latest column:Warmongering Providence Journal editor is part of a long line of RI rogues
The other inductees are:
James “Jimmy” Burchfield, North Providence restaurateur and professional boxing judge and promoter who founded Classic Entertainment Sports.
Robert I. Burke, owner of Providence's Pot Au Feu restaurant, who also established the Independence Trail Educational Foundation, which teaches local history via a 2.5-mile “Independence Trail” through the center of Providence.
Arnold Buffum Chace Jr., leading Providence businessman and developer, philanthropist and community activist.
Wilfred W. Greene (a.k.a. “Chief Eagle Heart”), a superb all-around athlete who was once the world's seventh-ranked middleweight boxer and later became chief of the Seaconke Wampanoag Tribe.
John B. Harwood, prominent attorney and former speaker of the Rhode Island House of Representatives.
Roberta Mudge Humble, professor emeritus of English at CCRI who is best known for her preservation work with Rhode Island’s 18 historic armories.
Dr. Edward A. Iannuccilli, former practicing physician who has chaired numerous health care boards and committees, and authored several books on his local Italian-American heritage.
Stanley Weiss, prominent Providence civic leader, businessman and developer and one of the nation’s most prominent collectors of fine American antiques.
More from Mark:
- I get COVID a second time, but a milder case, so the shots are working
- Honoring Providence police officer Jimmy Allen on the anniversary of his murder
- Temptations musical transforms PPAC, transports me back to that time
The hall was established in 1965 to honor “any individual who has brought credit to Rhode Island, brought Rhode Island into prominence and contributed to the history and heritage of the state.”
The induction ceremony is Sunday at the Crowne Plaza Pavilion in Warwick. A 5 p.m. social hour will be followed by a 6:15 p.m. dinner, entertainment and the induction ceremony.
Tickets are $100 per person or $950 for a table of 10. They can be ordered by calling (401) 273-1787.
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https://www.providencejournal.com/story/news/local/2022/04/26/rhode-island-heritage-hall-fame-mark-patinkin/7288170001/
| 2022-04-26T14:17:50
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https://www.providencejournal.com/story/news/local/2022/04/26/rhode-island-heritage-hall-fame-mark-patinkin/7288170001/
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VANCOUVER, Wash. — Editor's note: Some may find content in this story offensive.
The Camas High School junior varsity (JV) baseball team is under investigation for allegedly using racist words and actions. The investigation stems from a game between the Camas JV team and Skyview High School's JV team at Camas on April 20.
During that game, witnesses alleged that some Camas JV players made racist comments and noises. In a letter sent to parents last week, Camas High School (CHS) Athletic Director Rory Oster and CHS Principal Tom Morris said Camas is working with Vancouver Public Schools (VPS) to determine what happened during the game.
"Harassment, intimidation, and bullying, including racial slurs, are not tolerated in our school community," they wrote. "We will work to make sure that we get to the bottom of this, including assigning discipline as appropriate. Our goal is to make sure that learning happens for our students and that repair and restoration are made to those harmed."
RELATED: Complaint filed over allegations of racial taunting aimed at Benson High girls basketball players
An updated memo released on Monday said all Camas JV baseball games were suspended pending the outcome of the investigation.
"It starts at the home. It's unacceptable," said Rory Spanier, whose son plays on the Skyview varsity baseball team.
While Skyview’s JV game was rained out on Monday, Skyview's varsity team played Battle Ground in a game relocated to Propstra Stadium in Vancouver. Before the game, both teams shared a moment of solidarity for Skyview’s JV team. Spanier said he was prepared to face Camas High School’s varsity team, which is not involved in the investigation, following Wednesday’s alleged incident with the JV team.
"They finally canceled the game, but we were prepared," said Spanier. "We printed up some anti-racism signs to take the game and stand in solidarity with our players."
On Monday, Skyview baseball coach Seth Johnson posted a statement on Twitter, calling it his personal view about what he believes is right. His statement said, in part, "Over the past few days with my interactions with Camas, at times I have not felt comfortable with where the investigation was heading. They have taken a stance that numerous words overheard by some Skyview players only rhymed with the n-word and the ape sounds coming from their dugout throughout the game were instead seal noises."
Johnson added that with their words and actions, the players involved lacked situational awareness and empathy regarding a Black player on his team and Black people in general. Spanier said he agreed with that.
"I hope that whomever is responsible is held accountable," said Spanier. "I hope that the investigation is taken very seriously because this is the second time at that high school in this calendar year that something along these lines has happened."
In December, the Benson High School girls basketball coach accused the Camas student section of yelling racial slurs at his players during a game in Camas. An outside investigation by VPS determined it was likely that inappropriate language was used, but couldn't confirm if racial slurs were used or which students were involved.
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https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/camas-junior-varsity-baseball-team-racism-allegations/283-d6e41fd0-d530-49ce-9e64-946f6703efd4
| 2022-04-26T14:33:42
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Police are looking for a man they say forced a 22-year-old woman from a Queens subway station in the middle of the morning and brought her to a nearby building lobby, where he allegedly restrained her and exposed himself, authorities say.
The woman was in the Flushing-Main Street station shortly before 10 a.m. Thursday when cops say the stranger walked up to her, grabbed her arm and forced her to walk upstairs and leave the station.
He then made her walk with him down Main Street and to Kissena Boulevard, where he brought her into the lobby of a seven-story building, according to the NYPD.
Once inside, he allegedly restrained the woman and exposed himself. Cops say she resist and managed to break free. She ran off and reported the case to the police.
The victim wasn't physically hurt.
The suspect ran off when she did. He remained on the loose as of mid-morning Tuesday.
Authorities released surveillance video of the suspect (above). Anyone with information about him is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS.
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/woman-escapes-sex-predator-who-forces-her-from-subway-in-broad-daylight-cops/3663451/
| 2022-04-26T14:34:22
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'I’m prepared for it': 17-year-old Diezel Depew wants to become Edgewater’s next mayor
EDGEWATER — Diezel Depew has always been interested in politics and has always been involved in his community.
The 17-year-old Edgewater resident even started (and continues to operate) his own lawncare business when he was just 12 years old.
But on Tuesday, April 5, he took on the biggest challenge of his life when he announced his run for mayor of Edgewater.
“I’m very blessed to have this opportunity to run and support the citizens (of Edgewater),” Depew said in an interview.
More political news:Volusia School Board candidate claims Sheriff Mike Chitwood endorsement in bustling race
And then there were 2:Paul Zimmerman drops out of Volusia County Council District 2 race
Despite his young age and the fact he can't yet vote himself, Depew said he's not afraid of the task ahead.
“I’m prepared for it,” Depew, who will turn 18 in May, said. “Everyone in the community has actually been supportive. I’m bringing forward the issues that they have been talking about for so many years now, and finally they have a politician who will work toward finding the solutions in their little town.”
Depew was born and raised in the southeast Volusia town. He is a senior and the class president at New Smyrna Beach High School, where he will also graduate in May. He said his friends and family “loved it” when they first heard he was running for mayor.
“They’re getting the word out there for me,” he said.
Depew’s mother, Darla, said she is “super proud” to see her son take on this challenge.
“I’m very happy that he’s doing it, and I think he’s doing it for the right reasons,” Darla Depew said.
Her son, she said, has been involved in politics — studying and preparing for political life — for many years, and has truly shown his passion for it.
“I was scared for him — about how people would perceive it,” she said. “But through his whole life, he’s always related to adults very well and enjoyed spending time with older people and learning their wisdom. So I think it’s a good calling for him.”
Helping his community
Depew said he has always felt the need to help his community in any way he could.
“I’m always looking at new businesses I can bring here to Edgewater, businesses that I can personally start,” he said.
Depew started his own lawncare business when he was just 12 years old. He said his parents were against the idea, so he set out to do in on his own.
“My parents did not want me to start the lawn business, so I bought my first lawnmower with quarters and did everything on my own,” Depew said. “So I started pushing it around Florida Shores lawns. I’d knock on your door and if you’d agree, I’d start mowing right away.”
Today, his lawncare service, Deez Cuts Lawn Care, is a proper commercial business. Depew said he takes care of gardening for one of his clients, Burns Science and Technology Charter Community School in Oak Hill.
Depew started attending City Council meetings about four years ago and getting more involved in politics.
“Ever since I can remember, I always wanted to get into politics,” he said. “I’ve always said that it’s always important for politicians to say the truth in what is going on and always relate to the public in any way they possibly can.”
He added: “Politics really involves everyday life for everybody — whether it’s taxation, utility bills, roadways, anything."
Depew said that his principles stand on the Republican side. In his social media pages, he has shared several pictures next to prominent Republican political figures such as Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz.
He said that Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) is someone whose story in politics inspired him to run for office.
“She had next to no political experience whatsoever and she won with no endorsements at all,” Depew said. “The American Dream can always be there as long as you chase it.”
The 17-year-old said that he doesn’t think that his support for such Republican figures will affect his campaign.
“I think people in Edgewater understand that there just needs to be a change, a strong change,” Depew said. “If you know me, you know I’m open to both sides of things and to always see in the middle.”
Hope to get more young people into politics
Depew said he intends to run a grassroots campaign.
“I’m just going to talk to every citizen I possibly can, I’m going to knock on every single door I possibly can,” he said. “The citizens have luckily brought forward issues to me, I’ve been talking to them about it for four years now, and it’s been great.”
In a Facebook post in January announcing he would be on the ballot, Depew listed some of these issues that will be part of his campaign, including “lower utility bill prices,” “less corporate development,” “solve speeding problems in Edgewater,” “clean and protect the Indian River Lagoon,” and others.
Depew has been preregistered to vote since he turned 16, which is not only what allowed him to file his documents to run later this year, but something he encourages other people his age to do as well.
He said he wishes there were more young candidates like himself involved in politics and in their own communities.
“It is so important to have a candidate who is so driven to get young people out there and interested in politics,” he said. “But so far there hasn’t been very many candidates who have done so.”
He said that he plans on taking on initiatives to make politics a bigger part of student life at local schools, so students can learn more and hopefully invest themselves in political life.
“It’s my generation who will inherit the issues of this generation,” he said. “And if my generation does not get involved on a citywide level, a national level, it will continue to have these issues.”
He plans to go to Daytona State College part-time for two years and then possibly transfer to another school to pursue a political science major. But Depew said that education isn’t always everything.
“We have people who are well-educated who truly do not care about public office,” he said. “Education is a big factor, but it’s not everything.”
Depew said this is a career he envisions himself in for “as long as I possibly can.” He plans to serve full-time as Edgewater mayor if elected.
“I’d like to be president one day,” he said. “I just love helping people.”
Besides Depew, only former Edgewater mayor Mike Ignasiak is registered as a candidate in the mayoral race so far. The News-Journal reached out to Ignasiak for comment but has not heard back.
Edgewater mayor, Michael Thomas, declined a request for comment.
The municipal election in Edgewater is scheduled for Nov. 8.
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https://www.news-journalonline.com/story/news/politics/elections/local/2022/04/26/diezel-depew-17-run-edgewater-mayor-november/7202077001/
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SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California lawmakers are considering a bill to make the standard work week 32 hours instead of 40 hours. If it becomes law, it will apply to workers in companies with 500 or more employees.
At the same time, there is a global push to have more companies adopt a shorter work week.
Patton Hindle works from home as the Head of Arts for Kickstarter, a crowdfunding site that helps new businesses raise money. Now, the company is starting its own new project, changing its employee work week from five days to just four.
"Across the board, we're seeing within the company that people are very happy," Hindle said.
She says working 32 hours a week and having an extra day off gives her more quality time with her stepson.
"Instead of me coming back here and sitting down and working, I was able to actually come back, watch a movie, spend time with him and, like, give him the attention and love that he really wanted."
Kickstarter is part of a pilot program with dozens of other companies testing this new model for six months. Joe O'Connor is CEO of 4 Day Week Global, which is running the program. Their research has shown 78% of employees with a shorter week are happier and less stressed. And 63% of businesses find it easier to attract and retain talent.
"It's had an enormous transformative impact on people's lives in terms of improved well-being, improved work-life balance, reduced stress and reduced burnout," O'Connor explained.
A Denver company that adopted a four-day work week saw productivity stay the same, and that's what leaders at Kickstarter are expecting.
"People think that productivity is a function of just hours worked and it really isn't. It matters how focused people are, how engaged they are at work," says Kickstarter Chief Strategy Officer Jon Leland.
When asked if she wants to go back to the five-day work week or have the four-day work week stick around, Patton says, "We definitely want it to stay around."
Hindle is far from alone. In a survey from Qualtronics, 92% of workers support the idea of moving to a four-day work week.
In Iceland, most employees have a four-day work week. Last month, Belgium announced workers can opt to work four 10-hour days.
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https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/local/americans-want-four-day-work-week/285-be79d862-8536-4acf-9166-f1082e52009c
| 2022-04-26T15:30:01
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https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/local/americans-want-four-day-work-week/285-be79d862-8536-4acf-9166-f1082e52009c
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BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Northwest Arkansas natives and stars of HGTV's Fixer to Fabulous Jenny and Dave Marrs are launching a new outdoor collection at Walmart.
The Marrs Collection for Better Homes & Garden features outdoor furniture, rugs, planters, lanterns and pendants.
You can find neutral colors, natural wood and clay items in the collection. Most of the items are available now at Walmart stores and more should be launching soon.
Featured items include:
- Planters (various styles and sizes, $11.97-$49)
- Outdoor Decorative Pillows ($29.97) and Large Outdoor Pouf ($67)
- Accent Lanterns & Solar Pendant Lights (various sizes, $19.97-$97)
- Outdoor Area Rugs (5x7 or 7x10, $78-$149)
- Teak Wood Outdoor Dining Table ($997)
- Teak Wood Porch Swing with Cushions ($897)
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https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/local/bentonville-hgtv-stars-launch-outdoor-collection-at-walmart/527-1da65954-fc76-43ba-9f16-6ba90c14c64a
| 2022-04-26T15:30:07
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https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/local/bentonville-hgtv-stars-launch-outdoor-collection-at-walmart/527-1da65954-fc76-43ba-9f16-6ba90c14c64a
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Fare evasion among the city's public transportation continues to be "an epidemic," according to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority -- prompting the agency to form a panel to look at solutions and deterrents to the issue.
On Tuesday, it was revealed that MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber formed a "blue ribbon panel" aimed at finding solutions on education, equity and enforcement when it comes to fare evasion
The panel is tasked with finding possible solutions and presenting this recommendations by summer, Leiber said.
Schools Chancellor David Banks is among the panelists who will help guide policy when it comes to city students who do not pay their fare.
According to Lieber, 12% of subway riders and one in three bus riders are not paying their fares. This number could translate to a loss of revenue totaling $500 million this year alone.
However, Leiber said that he doesn't want those who skip on paying going to jail, adding that an upgrade on gates and stations can also function as a stronger deterrent.
Fare evasion has been an issue that the MTA has been grappling with for years.
News
The MTA faced a flurry of protests in 2020 across dozens of its stations in the city's five boroughs over the heavy presence of police and the city's crackdown on fare evasion. The MTA said that damage from these protests over the span of a week cost taxpayers $100,000.
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/mta-forms-panel-to-deter-find-solutions-to-fare-evasion-epidemic/3663602/
| 2022-04-26T15:35:14
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/mta-forms-panel-to-deter-find-solutions-to-fare-evasion-epidemic/3663602/
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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kylie Jenner testified Monday that she expressed concerns to her brother Rob Kardashian about his new girlfriend and soon-to-be reality TV co-star Blac Chyna, because she had heard Chyna had a tendency to abuse drugs and alcohol and become violent and had gotten a possible glimpse of it herself.
“I felt it was my duty to express my concerns, but ultimately it was up to him,” Jenner, now 24 and a teenager at the time, said from the witness stand at a Los Angeles trial. She said her brother didn’t heed her warnings, and continued with the relationship.
Chyna is suing Jenner and three other members of the Kardashian family, alleging they defamed her as violent and forced the cancellation of her reality show, “Rob & Chyna,” after one short season.
Both Chyna and Jenner had previous relationships with the rapper Tyga, and Chyna had a child with him. Jenner said Tyga told her dark stories of his time with Chyna and showed her a 6-inch knife scar he said she gave him while abusing drugs and alcohol, Jenner said.
Jenner said that while dating Tyga, she had received at least one threatening text message from Chyna.
“From what I remember she sent me a bunch of devil emojis, and said something like ’counting down the days’ until she could beat me or something,” she said. “I didn’t report it, because I assumed they were empty threats.”
Jenner testified that when Rob Kardashian and Chyna began dating in January of 2016, she didn’t trust that Chyna’s love was genuine.
“I felt like me dating the father of her child had something to do with it, and maybe she was out with my brother for other reasons?”
Still, she said, she was cautiously optimistic after they announced in April 2016 that they were getting engaged, and said in May that they were having a baby together.
“I was happy for my brother at the time,” Jenner said, “but just curious how it would go.”
“Rob & Chyna” would premiere in September, the couple would have a daughter, Dream, in November, and in December they would have an all-night celebration of their show being approved for a second season that turned into a bitter fight.
That dispute, and how violent it may have become, was at the center of testimony from both Chyna and from Jenner’s mother Kris Jenner. Chyna said she was being playful when she wrapped a phone-charging cord around her fiancé’s neck and grabbed his gun. Kris Jenner, who did not witness the fight, testified through tears that she felt that Chyna had tried to “murder” her son.
Kylie Jenner, whose home the two had been living in, testified that in the aftermath of the fight she saw some of the damage, and remembers her brother being emotionally traumatized, but couldn’t recall seeing any evidence of physical injury.
She definitely came away believing the violence had been serious, she testified.
“He used the words, ‘She was trying to kill me’” Kylie Jenner said.
Jenner returns to the witness stand on Tuesday.
The two other defendants, Khloé Kardashian and Kim Kardashian, are expected to testify later in the week. Kim Kardashian was not in court Monday for the first time in the six-day-old trial.
Another witness, Jeff Olde, who in 2016 was a senior vice president of the E! network, which aired both “Rob & Chyna” and “Keeping Up With the Kardashians,” testified that he approved a second season for the show, though further approval from his bosses would still have been needed.
But his excitement for more episodes was based on the idea that it would include the stars getting married.
“I thought it was really promising because with a wedding that gave us a hook for season two,” said Olde. “Everyone loves a wedding.”
Chyna’s lawyer Lynne Ciani pressed Olde over an email he received from Kylie Jenner expressing concerns about violent behavior from Chyna. The email is a key element of Chyna’s defamation case.
Olde testified that it did not especially influence his decision to reverse course on a second season for “Rob & Chyna.”
“I don’t really take direction from 17-year-olds,” he said.
A similar email soon after from Khloé Kardashian also had little effect, he said. He thought the show should be canceled, he testified, because the couple it featured was no longer a couple.
“It was the Rob and Chyna show and there was no more Rob and Chyna,” he said. “It was not the show we bought.”
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Follow AP Entertainment Writer Andrew Dalton on Twitter: https://twitter.com/andyjamesdalton
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https://www.cbs42.com/local/kylie-jenner-testifies-she-warned-brother-about-blac-chyna/
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Here’s a collection curated by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists of what’s arriving on TV, streaming services and music platforms this week.
MOVIES
— Here’s an offer that will be hard to refuse: Paramount+ is playing host to the Godfather trilogy starting on Thursday. Sure, Francis Ford Coppola’s films aren’t hard to come by (they always seem to be playing somewhere on cable), but this is in conjunction with the first three episodes of their making-of miniseries “The Offer” (see below). So leave the gun, takes the cannoli and settle in for 13-some hours of Corleone.
— Not to be confused with Judd Apatow’s Netflix satire “The Bubble” from last month, the streamer also has an anime called “Bubble,” directed by Tetsurou Araki and written by Gen Urobochi coming on Thursday about a Tokyo that’s been cut off from the rest of the world and overtaken by adventurous young people. Oh, and there’s bubbles that break the laws of gravity. Or, starting May 1, you can have a Nora Ephron night with “When Harry Met Sally” and “You’ve Got Mail,” which will also have you quoting “The Godfather.”
— If you’re looking for some fresh rom-com fare, Sophie Marceau stars as an empty-nester looking for a fresh start in “I Love America,” a French rom-com coming to Amazon Prime Video on Friday. So she leaves Paris behind for Los Angeles where an old friend and current owner of a popular drag club tries to help her start dating again. And Hulu has an LGBTQ teen rom-com called “Crush,” starring Rowan Blanchard and Auli’i Cravalho, also streaming Friday.
— AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr
MUSIC
— Future has a new album coming out Friday but hasn’t disclosed its name yet. It’s a follow-up to 2020’s “High Off Life,” and will feature Kanye West, Babyface Ray, Drake and Gunna. Future dropped a video for his newest song “Worst Day” and the artist — just named Best Rapper Alive by GQ magazine — has been busy, appearing on Moneybagg Yo’s single “Hard for the Next,” as well as Drake’s “Certified Lover Boy” cut “Way 2 Sexy.” Future also executive produced West’s latest album “Donda 2,” providing vocals on that project’s “Keep It Burning.”
— Kehlani’s third album — “blue water road” — drops Friday and it sounds as comfortable and sultry as the singer looks on the album’s cover, photographed on an empty beach with her hair flowing. Highlights include first single “altar,” the sexy duet “more than I should” with Jessie Reyez and “up at night” with Justin Bieber. (The two worked together on “Get Me” on Bieber’s 2020 album ”Changes.”) The new album showcases Kehlani’s effortless ability to move from pop, R&B, rap, trance and dance. “To me, the album is like a glass house. It’s light, transparent, and the sun is shining right through it,” she says in a statement.
— Norah Jones is celebrating her breakthrough album “Come Away With Me” with a 20th anniversary reissue including 22 previously unreleased tracks, including “Hallelujah, I Love Him So.” The 20th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition also includes the original demos that Jones submitted to Blue Note, the complete first session demos she made for the label, and the first version of the album that Jones made at Allaire Studios with producer Craig Street, most of which has never been heard before. The full digital collection will be released Friday.
— AP Entertainment Writer Mark Kennedy
TELEVISION
— “The Wire” creator David Simon returns to Baltimore, the setting of his triumphant 2002-08 drama, with “We Own This City,” which he produced with fellow “The Wire” alumni George Pelecanos and Nina K. Noble. The HBO limited series dramatizes the corruption that riddled a Baltimore Police Department task force and its impact on the city. Based on Justin Fenton’s nonfiction book of the same title, the series stars Jon Bernthal, Wunmi Mosaku, Jamie Hector and Josh Charles, along with a number of “The Wire” cast members. “We Own This City” debuts Monday.
— Fans of “The Godfather” are fond of recycling its lines, with “I’m gonna make him an offer he can’t refuse” among the most enduring. “The Offer” is the title of a 10-episode Paramount+ series that dramatizes the behind-the-scenes story of the film’s making, based on producer Albert S. Ruddy’s experiences. Miles Teller plays Ruddy, with Matthew Goode as studio boss Robert Evans; Dan Fogler as director Francis Ford Coppola, and Patrick Gallo as Mario Puzo, on whose novel the 1972 film was based. Three episodes of the series, created and written by Michael Tolkin (“The Player”), debut Thursday, followed by weekly episodes on consecutive Thursdays.
— Showtime’s comedy “I Love That for You” stars former “Saturday Night Live” cast member Vanessa Bayer as Joanna, a woman longing to be a host on a home shopping channel. The series also reflects a chapter of Bayer’s real life, overcoming childhood leukemia, with Joanne trying to escape being tagged as “that cancer girl.” Molly Shannon, another “SNL” alum, co-stars as the channel’s star, with Jenifer Lewis as its founder. “I Love That for You” debuts Friday on streaming and on demand for subscribers, before its on-air cable debut at May 1.
— AP Television Writer Lynn Elber
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Catch up on AP’s entertainment coverage here: https://apnews.com/apf-entertainment.
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SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Law enforcement officials released a trove of video evidence Monday in the ongoing investigation of a fatal October shooting of a cinematographer by actor and producer Alec Baldwin on the set of a Western movie.
Data files released by the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office include lapel camera recordings taken by a commanding officer as he arrives at a film-set ranch where medics are attending to the wounded, with an evacuation helicopter whirring overhead. A search for the gun leads to the movie production’s armorer, who breaks down in tears.
Other videos show investigators as they debriefing Baldwin within hours of the fatal shooting, talking with him inside a compact office — and rehearsal clips that show Baldwin in costume as he practices a quick-draw maneuver with a gun.
Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza said in a statement that the investigation by his agency remains open and ongoing as it awaits the results of ballistics and forensic analysis from the FBI as well as studies of fingerprint and DNA.
“The sheriff’s office is releasing all files associated with our ongoing investigation,” he said in the statement. Those files also include photos of ammunition from the set and examination reports.
At a ranch on the outskirts of Santa Fe on Oct. 21, 2021, Baldwin was pointing a gun at cinematographer Halyna Hutchins when it went off, killing Hutchins and wounding the director, Joel Souza. They had been inside a small church during setup for filming a scene.
In a video taken by police later that day, Baldwin makes a few frantic calls as he awaits a meeting with law enforcement officials.
“You have no idea how unbelievable this is and how strange this is,” he says over the phone.
Under questioning by two investigators, Baldwin pieces together what happened as the gun went off, still apparently unaware that Hutchins would die and shocked to learn that he had been holding a gun loaded with live ammunition. Baldwin said the gun should have been empty for a rehearsal with no filming.
“I take the gun out slowly. I turn, I cock the pistol,” Baldwin says. “Bang, it goes off. She (Hutchins) hits the ground. She goes down. He (Souza) goes down screaming.”
Souza recounted his experience from a hospital emergency room, where he was treated for a bullet wound and questioned by investigators.
Souza described “a very loud bang, and then it felt like someone kicked me in the shoulder.” He knew Hutchins was wounded too and asked if she was OK.
In the Oct. 21 video, Baldwin repeatedly says there were no prior problems of any kind with firearms on the set of “Rust.”
Those statements conflict with more recent findings by state occupational safety regulators, who last week issued the maximum possible fine of nearly $137,000 against the “Rust” film production company.
New Mexico’s Occupational Health and Safety Bureau said Rust Movie Productions must pay $136,793, and distributed a scathing narrative of safety failures in violation of standard industry protocols, including testimony that production managers took limited or no action to address two misfires on set prior to the fatal shooting.
The bureau also documented gun safety complaints from crew members that went unheeded and said weapons specialists were not allowed to make decisions about additional safety training. Rust Movie Productions has indicated it will dispute the findings and sanction.
Baldwin said in a December interview with ABC News that he was on set pointing the gun at Hutchins at her instruction when it went off without his pulling the trigger.
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https://www.cbs42.com/local/police-release-videos-in-probe-of-baldwin-film-set-shooting/
| 2022-04-26T15:40:39
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NEW YORK (AP) — The Metropolitan Opera and the Polish National Opera are organizing a Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra to tour Europe and America from July 28 to Aug. 20.
The orchestra is to gather in Warsaw on July 18 for rehearsals, and will include musicians from Kyiv, Lviv, Kharkiv and Odesa, plus Ukrainian members of European orchestras, the companies said Monday.
Keri-Lynn Wilson, a Canadian-Ukrainian conductor who is married to Met general manager Peter Gelb, will lead musicians who include members of the Kyiv National Opera, National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine, Lviv Philharmonic Orchestra and Kharkiv Opera, plus the Tonkunstler Orchestra of Vienna, the Belgian National Orchestra and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra.
The tour will open at Teatr Wielki, the Polish National Opera, on July 28 and include a televised performance at the BBC Proms in London on July 31. That will be followed by stops at the Chorégies d’Orange Festival in France (Aug. 2); Berlin (Aug. 4); Edinburgh, Scotland (Aug. 6); Snape Maltings in England (Aug. 8); Amsterdam (Aug. 11); Hamburg, Germany (Aug. 13); New York (Aug. 18 and 19), and Washington (Aug. 20).
Programs will include Ukrainian composer Valentin Silvestrov’s Seventh Symphony, Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 2 with Ukrainian Anna Fedorova, either Brahms’ Fourth Symphony or Dvorák’s Ninth Symphony, and Ukrainian soprano Liudmyla Monastyrska in “Abscheulicher! (You monster!)” from Beethoven’s “Fidelio.”
The Met and Teatro Weikl co-produced stagings of Tchaikovsky’s “Iolanta” and Bartók’s “Bluebeard’s Castle” in 2015, and of Wagner’s “Tristan und Isolde” in 2016.
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PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — You’re invited to a drive thru Iftar, which is a meal eaten by Muslims after sunset during Ramadan.
The drive-thru is from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesday at the African Youth and Community Organization office in Northeast Portland.
The organization’s program and development manager Abdirahman Abdirahman joined AM Extra to share more.
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https://www.koin.com/local/drive-thru-iftar-to-celebrate-ramadan-held-in-se-portland/
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PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — 47-year-old Shane Sprenger was last seen at work in Vida, Oregon, an unincorporated area of Lane County, on November 2, 2021.
That morning, Shane left the construction site he was working at to deal with an issue at home. Leaving his power tools plugged in, they were ready to go upon his return. He never returned to work.
Three days later, his truck was located near the Blue River Reservoir.
To support Shane’s family and stay up to date on case information, you can join the Missing In Blue River Oregon Area: Find Shane Sprenger Facebook group.
If you have any information about Shane’s disappearance, contact the Lane County Sheriff’s Office at 541-682-4150, and reference case number 21-6268. The family has set up a $50,000 reward for information that leads to Shane’s location.
To hear an interview with Shane’s sisters, you can listen a special episode from the Murder in the Rain podcast “Missing: Shane Sprenger.”
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https://www.koin.com/local/true-crime-tuesday-what-happened-to-shane-sprenger/
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CROWLEY, Texas — A North Texas track star was shot and killed at a party over the weekend, police and the district confirmed to WFAA on Tuesday.
Rashard Guinyard, 17, was a senior at Crowley High School and planning to attend Abilene Christian University to run track. He signed his National Letter of Intent in February.
"Rashard was a standout scholar and student athlete with a bright future ahead of him," district officials said to WFAA in a statement.
According to Fort Worth police, officers responded to the 3800 block of Altamesa Boulevard for a shooting call. This is west of Edgecliff Village and near Krauss-Baker Park.
When officers arrived, they found Guinyard with at least one gunshot wound and declared him dead at the scene. Police said there was "a large gathering" outside of the Haltom Thrift there and unknown suspects began firing weapons.
Guinyard and others were running away when he was struck by one of the shots, police said.
In a letter from the school to the community, officials said crisis response teams are in place to provide support to students and staff who are grieving.
"The Crowley ISD community is saddened by the death of one of our students who was a senior at Crowley High School. The student died this past weekend in a shooting that occurred at a private party and his death is under investigation. Our hearts go out to his family and friends," the letter read, in part.
School officials also said they urge anyone with information about Guinyard’s death to contact the Fort Worth Police Department.
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https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/crowley-high-school-student-killed-shooting-fort-worth-texas/287-feeddf70-8d01-4c48-b0d7-6c6d814146c5
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DALLAS — Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) announced Tuesday it is providing free transportation to polling locations on the day of the Texas general election, May 7, 2022.
Officials said voters can ride at no charge on all DART buses, trains, the Dallas Streetcar, GoLink, Paratransit Services and the TRE between EBJ Union Station and CentrePort/DFW Airport Station.
DART said riders do not need proof of voter registration to get the free ride.
Riders can use promo code "vote22" at checkout for a complimentary Adult Local Day Pass in the DART GoPass app on May 7.
For everything you should know about the May 7 election in North Texas, click on our voter guide here.
Riders who need customized trip planning can map out their ride with the "plan" tool in the free GoPass app or use the trip planner on DART.org. DART Customer Service can also assist at 214-979-1111.
If you plan your trip directly in Google Maps, enter the voting location as your destination and choose the Transit option (train icon) to get travel directions using DART.
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Here's everything you should know about the May 7 election in North Texas
If you care about who's serving on your city council and who's making decisions for your school district, then you'll want to prepare before heading to the polls.
WFAA
Did you know there's an election May 7?
We won't blame you if it slipped off your radar. While the May 24 election will feature several high-profile runoffs, the May 7 slate is packed with municipal elections.
If you care about who's serving on your city council and who's making decisions for your school district, then you'll want to prepare before heading to the polls.
Also, two statewide propositions focus on changing how property taxes are collected in Texas.
Early voting started Monday, April 25, and will run through May 3, ahead of the May 7 election day. Check with your county elections website for your early voting polling location and hours.
While the full list of elections are numerous across North Texas, we've compiled a list of which cities and towns are on the ballot (spoiler alert: Almost all in North Texas have something at stake) and things you need to know if you're voting.
Click the links below for the full ballots in your county, or visit your city or school district's website.
Dallas County Full election list
Cities with municipal elections (council, mayoral or city propositions) below.
- Addison
- Balch Springs
- Carrollton
- Cockrell Hill
- DeSoto
- Duncanville
- Farmers Branch
- Garland
- Grand Prairie
- Hutchins
- Irving
- Lancaster
- Lewisville
- Rowlett
- Sachse
- Wilmer
School districts with elections (board seats or propositions):
- Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD
- Cedar Hill ISD
- Coppell ISD
- Dallas ISD
- DeSoto ISD
- Duncanville ISD
- Ferris ISD
- Garland ISD
- Grand Prairie ISD
- Highland Park ISD
- Irving ISD
- Lancaster ISD
- Richardson ISD
- Dallas College
Tarrant County Full Election List
Cities with municipal elections (council, mayoral or city propositions):
- Arlington
- Azle
- Bedford
- Colleyville
- Dalworthington Gardens
- Euless
- Flower Mound
- Forest Hill
- Fort Worth
- Grand Prairie
- Haltom City
- Haslet
- Keller
- Kennedale
- Lake Worth
- Mansfield
- Pantego
- Richland Hills
- River Oaks
- Roanoke
- Saginaw
- Trophy Club
- Watauga
- Westlake
- Westworth Village
School districts with elections (board seats or propositions):
- Arlington ISD
- Azle ISD
- Birdville ISD
- Carroll ISD
- Crowley ISD
- Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD
- Fort Worth ISD
- Grapevine-Colleyville ISD
- Keller ISD
- Lewisville ISD
- Mansfield ISD
- Northwest ISD
- White Settlement ISD
Collin County Full Election List
Cities with municipal elections (council, mayoral or city propositions):
- Allen
- Carrollton
- Celina
- Farmersville
- Lavon
- Melissa
- Murphy
- Nevada
- Parker
- Prosper
- Sachse
School districts with elections (board seats or propositions):
- Allen ISD
- Celina ISD
- Community ISD
- Frisco ISD
- Lovejoy ISD
- Prosper ISD
- Rockwall ISD
- Trenton ISD
- Whitewright ISD
Denton County Full Election List
Cities with municipal elections (council, mayoral or city propositions):
- Argyle
- Bartonville
- Carrollton
- Celina
- Copper Canyon
- Corinth
- Cross Roads
- Denton
- Double Oak
- Flower Mound
- Fort Worth
- Highland Village
- Justin
- Krum
- Lewisville
- Little Elm
- New Fairview
- Northlake
- Oak Point
- Pilot Point
- Ponder
- Prosper
- Roanoke
- Sanger
- Shady Shores
- Trophy Club
- Westlake
School districts with elections (board seats or propositions):
- Argyle ISD
- Aubrey ISD
- Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD
- Celina ISD
- Denton ISD
- Era ISD
- Frisco ISD
- Krum ISD
- Lake Dallas ISD
- Lewisville ISD
- Little Elm ISD
- Northwest ISD
- Ponder ISD
- Prosper ISD
- Sanger ISD
Surrounding Counties Find Your Ballot Here
Check the ballots for surrounding North Texas counties here:
Property Tax Vote Statewide Propositions
All Texans have the opportunity to vote for or against two amendments to the Texas Constitution during the May 7 elections. Both are related to property taxes.
Here is how the State of Texas Proposition 1 will appear on voters' ballots:
"The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to provide for the reduction of the amount of a limitation on the total amount of ad valorem taxes that may be imposed for general elementary and secondary public school purposes on the residence homestead of a person who is elderly or disabled to reflect any statutory reduction from the preceding tax year in the maximum compressed rate of the maintenance and operations taxes imposed for those purposes on the homestead."
And here is how Proposition 2 will appear:
"The constitutional amendment increasing the amount of the residence homestead exemption from ad valorem taxation for public school purposes from $25,000 to $40,000."
How To Vote What You Need To Bring
Our friends at KVUE compiled this list of things you need to know, if you're voting in Texas.
Are you registered to vote?
The deadline to register to vote in the May 7 election was April 7. If you're not sure if you're registered to vote in this election, you can check on the Secretary of State's website.
What to bring to a polling site to vote
To vote in person in Texas, you must present a valid photo ID. Below is a list of valid forms of identification:
- Texas drivers licenses issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS)
- Texas Election Identification Certificate issued by DPS
- Texas Personal Identification Card issued by DPS
- Texas handgun license issued by DPS
- U.S. Military Identification Card that contains the person's photograph
- U.S. Citizenship Certificate that contains the person’s photograph
- U.S. passport
Here’s a list of what to bring if you do not have one of the accepted forms of photo ID and “cannot reasonably obtain one”:
- Copy or original of a government document that shows the voter’s name, address, including voter’s voter registrations certificate
- Copy of or original current utility bill
- Copy of or original bank statement
- Copy of or original government check
- Copy of or original paycheck; or
- Copy of or original of (a) a certified birth certificate from a U.S. state or territory or (b) a document confirming birth admissible in a court of law which establishes the voter’s identity
If you are unable to present a valid photo ID but can present one of the above forms of supporting ID, you will need to fill out a Reasonable Impediment Declaration.
How to request a mail-in ballot
To vote by mail in Texas, you must be 65 years old or older, sick or disabled, out of the county on Election Day and during the early voting period or confined in jail but otherwise eligible.
The last day to apply for a mail-in ballot for the May 7 election is Tuesday, April 26 (received, not postmarked). You may submit your application by mail, email (ebbm@traviscounty.gov), fax (512-854-3969) or in person.
To vote by mail in Texas, you must be 65 years old or older, sick or disabled, out of the county on Election Day and during the early voting period or confined in jail but otherwise eligible.
Get To The Polls How To Ride DART For Free
Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) announced Tuesday it is providing free transportation to polling locations on the day of the Texas general election, May 7, 2022.
Officials said voters can ride at no charge on all DART buses, trains, the Dallas Streetcar, GoLink, Paratransit Services and the TRE between EBJ Union Station and CentrePort/DFW Airport Station.
DART said riders do not need proof of voter registration to get the free ride.
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Bloomington's income tax collection rose 10 times faster than inflation in past decade
As Bloomington leaders are contemplating a county income tax hike, state data show the city's income tax collections in the past decade have outpaced inflation by a factor of 10.
However, Jeff Underwood, the city's controller, said that those numbers are skewed in part because income tax collections were artificially low 10 years ago because of the effects of the last recession.
He also said some of the city's revenue streams, such as parking revenue, have dropped off sharply during the pandemic, and now the city is seeing sharp cost increases related to employees and raw materials such as asphalt and fuel.
Mayor John Hamilton's proposal to raise the income tax to 2.2% — from the current 1.345% — has gotten some pushback from the local business community, county officials and taxpayers who believe the hike would be too big, in part because local residents already are dealing with higher costs related to items including food, gasoline and housing.
Monroe County Council member Geoff McKim said he also takes issue with the mayor's contention that the local income tax has not been increased in decades. Local leaders added a public safety income tax in 2016, McKim pointed out, and that just gets added to the income taxes people pay already.
More:Some Monroe County officials question scope, method of Bloomington mayor's income tax idea
Members of the county council and the Ellettsville and Stinesville town councils will get to vote on approving or rejecting the mayor's proposal if it clears the city council, but if at least eight city council members vote in favor of the tax hike, that will seal the deal. The other bodies' votes wouldn't be powerful enough to override.
McKim also said general income growth in the city — through higher wages and more jobs — has produced “terrific revenue growth” for the city, county, Ellettsville and Stinesville.
As the income tax is paid by every county resident who earns an income, the tax revenue increases every time an employee gets a raise or a retiree gets a cost-of-living increase from the Social Security Administration. In addition, the tax revenue goes up every time the city gains a new resident who earns an income, such as when a local employer adds jobs and hires someone who lives in or moves to Monroe County.
And the success of Bloomington’s employers has produced significant dividends for local governments. For example, drug maker Catalent added 1,000 jobs last year and raised wages twice. Medical device maker Cook also raised wages, as did many restaurants and shops who struggled to compete for workers during the pandemic.
Those additional employees and raises produce more income tax for Monroe County and its municipal governments. For example, Bloomington’s economic development director said recently the 1,000 additional jobs Catalent will add in the next few years will boost city income tax revenue by nearly $500,000 annually — without any changes to the income tax rate.
Expansion:Catalent commits to investing $350M in Bloomington facility
Over the past decade, income tax collections in the city and county have expanded much faster than inflation.
According to Gateway Indiana, a government finance portal, the city in 2011 collected $6.6 million in income taxes. If income tax revenue since then had simply kept up with inflation, the city would in 2021 have collected $8.1 million. Instead, it collected $21.3 million. That’s an average annual increase of 22.4% in the past decade, or about 10 times the level of inflation during that period.
The comparison to a decade ago is skewed because of the public safety income tax adopted in 2016. That tax last year provided the city with an additional $7 million. That's an income stream the city didn't have a decade ago.
Underwood said the 2010 income tax collections were negatively affected by the last recession, and the average annual growth of the local income tax between 2010 and 2022 was 3.57% — though that calculation excludes the public safety tax that local officials added in 2016. The average annual growth of property tax collections during that same period increased 3.31%.
“So the growth between the two was similar,” Underwood said.
In addition, he said, the state keeps an income tax reserve for every county, as a backstop in case of an economic downturn. When that reserve exceeds a certain amount, governmental units get an additional distribution. That, too, can skew the numbers.
But even since 2017, when the public safety tax first generated additional income for the various local governmental entities, income tax revenues have risen faster than inflation: Gateway Indiana shows the city collected $15.3 million in income taxes in 2017, and about $21.3 million in 2021. That's an annual increase of 10%, or nearly four times the rate of inflation during that period.
Underwood said the 2021 number was artificially inflated because the state delayed tax returns. A fairer comparison would take average the income tax collections for 2021 and 2022.
That calculation for the years from 2017 to 2021 produces an average annual income tax growth of 8.7%, still more than three times the rate of inflation.
On top of that, local governments’ largest income stream, property taxes, also has been rising faster than inflation: Local governments were allowed to collect 4.2% more in property taxes last year and will collect 4.3% more this year. For the city, that means it will collect about $2.6 million more in property taxes this year than two years ago.
Underwood said that property taxes increase at the same rate for every government across the state, regardless of local economics. On the other hand, income taxes rise primarily on the strength of local economics, which makes it the only “major home rule revenue stream” for local governments.
“It’s an important part of what we have available to us and allows us to fill gaps in funding,” he said.
Both the city and the county also each had a roughly $3 million surplus in their general funds last year, which means at the end of the year, they had $3 million left after meeting all of their spending obligations. Both the city and county also have healthy spending reserves.
Underwood said the budget process also generally prevents local governments from acting quickly, but having healthy reserves during an unexpected downturn or pandemic can enable a quick pivot. The city, for example, provided low interest loans to businesses to keep them afloat during the public health crisis and funded jobs programs.
Underwood said he was proud that the city was able to do that fairly quickly.
The city and county last year also were allotted a combined $50 million in federal pandemic relief dollars. To put that in perspective: The city’s share, $22 million, could pay for the expenditures that come out of the city’s general fund — its main operating fund that pays for departments including police and fire — for six months.
Income tax hike proposal:Here's how much it would cost you.
McKim said he understands the philosophy behind restricting how much more in property taxes governmental units can collect from one year to the next. That approach allows governments to increase spending to adjust for rising costs without increasing the burden on local residents.
While that enables governments to essentially "tread water" on their obligations, it does pose challenges for cities, counties and towns in some areas, especially those where costs are rising faster than inflation. Problems governments historically have failed to address effectively — or neglected to address at all — also increase costs.
For example, McKim said the pandemic showed that governments for years have underinvested in the public health sector. The opioid crisis, too, presented challenges for governments that they did not have to deal with before.
Governments are asked to address an increasing number of problems, McKim said, and that sometimes requires additional dollars beyond the usual increases that rigid taxing mechanisms provide.
Underwood said that during the pandemic, some city departments also saw sharp revenue declines. For example, the parks department could not offer some programming and the transit department saw fewer riders. And as people worked from home — or not at all — they drove their vehicles less, which reduced parking revenue and gas tax collections, which primarily funds the street department.
And now that the planet is emerging from its two-year slumber, materials and worker shortages are causing sharp price increases. Underwood said that while overall inflation is near 7%, the city is seeing the costs of some materials, such as mulch, spike by more than 20%. Construction materials cost between 10% and 25% more, he said.
While the city can postpone purchases of some items, he said it does not have a lot of flexibility when it comes to materials such as asphalt and fuel.
And shortages in both materials and workers are happening as demand is spiking.
“It’s a bad combination,” he said.
Boris Ladwig is the city government reporter for The Herald-Times. Contact him at bladwig@heraldt.com.
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Volunteer Bloomington: Celebrate local volunteers, help with WonderLab, Reality Store
The City of Bloomington Volunteer Network is your source for information about volunteering locally. For a complete listing, visit BloomingtonVolunteerNetwork.org or call 812-349-3433. The inclusion of an organization in this list does not imply city endorsement or support of the organization’s activities or policies.
Information and registration information for the following opportunities can be found online at BloomingtonVolunteerNetwork.org.
Be More Awards interactive exhibit
Join the Bloomington Volunteer Network for the 2022 Be More Awards reception, 5-8 p.m. on Friday, May 6, in the lower gallery space at the John Waldron Arts Center. The reception will be an interactive display and celebration that recognizes the extraordinary individuals, organizations and businesses who have made impactful contributions through service in our community. The spotlight will shine on those who lend their hands, voice, support, influence and passion to create the change they want to see in the community. You won't want to miss this inspiring interactive display! No registration is required. The reception will be a part of the May Bloomington Gallery Walk and is free and open to the public. The Be More Awards are proudly sponsored by the city of Bloomington, the United Way of Monroe County, the Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County, the IU Credit Union, and WTIU Public Television. Read more at BloomingtonVolunteerNetwork.org/bemore.
WonderLab new volunteer orientation
Volunteers play an essential role in determining the quality of each visitor's experience at WonderLab Museum of Science, Health & Technology. Volunteers have the opportunity to learn new skills and/or mentor other volunteers during their time at the museum. WonderLab's volunteer team includes teens, college students, scientists, educators, business people, parents and retirees. Families and groups are welcome to volunteer together on certain projects. Come learn more about all of the opportunities for involvement at one of their upcoming new volunteer orientations 5-7:30 p.m. May. 5. Prior registration is required. Teens who wish to become museum volunteers must be at least Grade 7. View more about volunteering at WonderLab at http://wonderlab.org/volunteer/. Please RSVP and send questions to volunteer@wonderlab.org
Edgewood Junior High Reality Store
The Reality Store is a fun simulation presented by the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce's Success School that helps seventh and eighth graders connect academic achievement with the kind of lifestyle they envision for themselves after graduation. Students are assigned salaries based on their actual GPA. Then, they proceed from table to table (staffed by volunteers) to buy housing, transportation, groceries, insurance, furniture, clothing, electronics, vacations, utilizes, child care, pets, electronics and other real life elements. Volunteering for a Reality Store is a fun way to interact with students and teach them important lessons. Approximately 50 volunteers are needed for two shifts on May 20 at Edgewood Junior High School. Shifts are available from 7:30 to 10:50 a.m. (breakfast provided) or 10:50 a.m. to 2:20 p.m. (lunch provided). Grab one or more shifts to be apart of this fun and educational event. Minimum age is 18. Please contact Mary Lechner at mlechner@chamberbloomington.org or register at https://tinyurl.com/EdgewoodMay20RealityStore.
Community Wish List Spotlight
NEW LEAF-NEW LIFE
New Leaf-New Life operates a Transition Support Center. Many people are released from jail with nothing but the clothes they were wearing when arrested. New Leaf-New Life works together with clients to develop and reach their goals and make a successful transition. Please call ahead before delivering donations. Contact Stacy Flynn at 812-355-6842 or stacy@newleafnewlife.org
Featured wishes: Office supplies, men's clothing, tennis shoes, adult-size jeans, work shoes/boots, hygiene items, such as soap, shampoo, toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant and razors. View the full wish list online.
You can find current in-kind, material needs on the year-round Community Wish List at BloomingtonVolunteerNetwork.org/communitywishlist.
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Panel approves radar on Satellite Beach conservation land, raising ire of environmentalists
A radar in Satellite Beach and a road in Osceola County have cut through the heart of Florida's land conservation promises, environmental activists say.
A panel that governs how certain state conservation lands can be used signed off Wednesday on a new radar system at Hightower Beach Preservation Area that will better "see" those lost at sea, oil spills, algae and other ocean-surface happenings. Its approval came despite the concerns of some environmentalists who fear the thin antennas, cables and other equipment will harm the endangered sea turtle nesting area and surrounding seagrapes.
Then the same panel voted to allow a major road through prime wildlife habitat in Osceola.
Last week, the Florida Communities Trust voted to allow the radar system, proposed by a Florida of Institute Technology meteorology professor. The radar, which will include 16 seven-foot-high antennas, would expand the long-wavelength reach of coastal radar to provide better "eyes" for what regional waves are doing, to improve search-and-rescue capabilities, predictions of rip currents, algae blooms, oil spills and erosion.
But some environmentalist fear FCT's approval of the radar, as well as the controversial road project in Osceola County marks yet two more stark examples of what they see as "open season" on state conservation lands.
"Everybody's in absolute shock," Sandra Sullivan, a candidate for Brevard County Commission, and South Patrick Shores resident, said the day after Wednesday's votes. Sullivan, who attended the FCT meeting in Tallahassee, said the decisions defy the intent of the state conservation lands program. "This is rippling across Florida right now. These conservation lands are no longer protected in Florida."
The radar in Brevard and the road project in Osceola required FCT approval because they were purchased with state conservation grant money.
Proponents say sea turtles, seagrapes safe
Satellite Beach City Council unanimously approved the radar project at Hightower in January 2021, despite council members concerns, including potential vandalism to the radar infrastructure, and impacts to sea turtle nesting and other marine life. A day earlier, the Indian River County Commission approved a similar radar site at Treasure Shores Park in Indian River County.
But some in Satellite Beach have questioned whether radar is appropriate on land set aside for preservation. A change.org petition lists 839 signatures against the radar.
Steven Lazarus, a meteorology professor at FIT, assures the project won't harm protected sea turtles or seagrapes along the dunes. He said he's not aware of any documented evidence regarding impact of the coastal radar frequencies on sea turtle nesting or hatchlings.
"I did run across an article that indicated that the frequency range for turtle hearing is well outside of that of the radar (which is a good thing)," Lazarus wrote in an email to FLORIDA TODAY, adding that the federal permitting process addresses the issue as part of a required environmental assessment. "As part of that work/process, we looked at nesting at FDEP sites that also had a radar. In looking at the pre/post radar installation nesting numbers we and didn’t see any changes. However – hatchlings continue to have issues with coastal development and lighting…"
Lazarus said a radar he just installed at Treasure Shores — which has more seagrapes than Hightower — showed no damage to the plants. While Hightower has a cluster of seagrapes at the main crossover, he added, the area where he proposed to put the antenna south of the crossover, has almost no seagrapes.
Florida law prohibits damaging vegetation growing on sand dunes.
The 16 seven-foot-tall antennas would be two inches in diameter and include cabling.
"As such, the impact to the preserve area would be very minimal," Satellite Beach City Manager Courtney Barker wrote in a March 8 letter to the FCT.
Other sites within "the target area" for the radar either had vegetation that was too high (Patrick Space Force Base) or was another FCT site (Pelican Beach Park), Barker wrote. The installation is expected to begin in November, the letter says.
Is radar tower OK for beach preserve? Satellite Beach approves FIT radar plan
The proposed radar system in Satellite Beach would go at Hightower Beach Park, working in sync with the other at Treasure Shores Park.
There won't be any domes, just radar antennas on the seven-foot-tall, thin poles, usually painted to blend in.
But if all required environmental permits come through, once installed, the radar arrays would close a glaring gap in an integrated system that monitors ocean conditions.
The $500,000 five-year project (not including the cost of the radar) is funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration as part of its so-called Integrated Ocean Observing System. That network of radars, underwater and above-water monitoring buoys aims to help forecast red tides, fish spawning patterns and other changes in the ocean.
For the local version of the system, Florida Tech would provide near-real-time access to the wave and current data via a web interface — data of interest to fishermen and surfers, as well as scientists.
The radar is very low power, 40 watts, the fraction of a lightbulb, Lazarus has said, so no risk to people or wildlife. And at a frequency of 13.5 megahertz, the radar would be orders of magnitude lower than the frequencies of most cellphones.
Cables connect the receiver poles and transmit antenna to the electronics and can be buried about a foot down to reduce visibility to beachgoers.
Conservationists fear FCT allowing more infrastructure on lands it helped buy also could set a precedent for a proposed hotel across from the Hightower preserve. A Tennessee developer has plans to build a complex called “The Vue” featuring a four-star hotel, single family homes and three condominium buildings at the former Satellite Shores subdivision at the northwest corner of State Road A1A and Shearwater Parkway.
Another line drawn through Florida conservation land
What also raised the ire of environmentalists at Wednesday's meeting was FCT's approval of another controversial project proposed by the Central Florida Expressway Authority, to allow construction of the Osceola Parkway Extension through the Split Oak Forest Wildlife and Environmental Area in Osceola County.
Audubon Florida wrote a letter to FCT in opposition of the project. An alternative route to avoid that Split Oak conservation area would have cost an estimated $100 million more to construct the extended expressway.
Environmentalist say FCT's decisions on both Hightower and Split Oak broke the public trust on why state money was spent to preserve them.
"Both these sites are funded with public bonds," Sullivan said.
Jim Waymer is an environment reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Waymer at 321-261-5903 or jwaymer@floridatoday.com. Or find him on Twitter: @JWayEnviro or on Facebook: www.facebook.com/jim.waymer
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https://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/local/environment/2022/04/26/state-panel-approves-high-frequency-radar-satellite-beach/7369233001/
| 2022-04-26T17:06:18
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SpaceX plan for industrial wastewater plant at Kennedy Space Center sparks Indian River Lagoon worries
SpaceX plans for an industrial wastewater treatment plant at Hangar X — a facility at property the company leases from Kennedy Space Center, where it processes Falcon 9 first-stage boosters — have some conservationists worried what the wastewater might do to the Indian River Lagoon.
It's not just the relatively small daily volume of freshwater discharge from the plant, they say, but the cumulative effect along the water basin that needs to be considered. Concerned citizens and local governments learned more, about and weighed in, on the project Monday during a public meeting at Cape Canaveral Library.
Brevard County Commissioner Kristine Zonka wrote a Feb. 25 letter to DEP on behalf of the Commission, asking for a public meeting on the permit,
"due to the level of nutrient impairment of the lagoon, the recent and ongoing loss of seagrass habitat, the associated mortality of manatees and loss of marine life abundance, as well as local responsibility to reduce excess nutrient loads, and significant community concerns regarding the draft permit."
The Hangar X Roberts Road facility — located just north of the visitor's center at the northwest corner of Roberts Road and Kennedy Parkway North — would discharge 3,000 gallons per day of industrial wastewater to Oyster Prong, an arm of the Indian River Lagoon.
"Brevard County and its citizens are working tirelessly to clean up this river," Nathan Slusher, a candidate for Titusville City Council, wrote in a letter to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, requesting a public hearing on the permit. "The citizens of Brevard are the ones who are fed up with the destruction of our lagoon due to discharge, spills, stormwater runoff, etc.," Slusher wrote. "The citizens are the power and the citizens of Brevard have the right to say what will or will not occur in the waterways of Brevard that no one is allowed to own."
NASA, SpaceX Crew-4 set for early morning launch to ISS in season of busy space traffic
According to the draft DEP permit, the facility will consist of a 68,563 square-foot hangar and a 109,139 square-foot office building; two detention ponds on the western side of the site; and three cooling towers for the air-conditioning unit to keep the hangar at proper temperatures for operation. Two cooling towers will service the facility, while a third will provide redundancy.
A mechanical cooling system for the hangar will operate using a fluid cooler, "which operates as a heat exchanger, to reject heat through evaporative cooling," the draft permit notes. Municipal water will be cycled over the heat exchanger coils multiple times before discharge into the on-site stormwater ponds. "During this process there is not an exchange between the municipal make up water and the process water .. The non-contact, non-process cooling water will not be chemically conditioned."
The wastewater will be filtered using a ProMoss filter. The filter uses the natural properties of Sphagnum moss to improve water quality during cycling. The
filter lessens corrosion and prevents build-up of scale without need for chemical additives, the draft permit states. The filter also will absorb positively charged ions such as iron, manganese, calcium and zinc and stabilizes the pH of the water. The cooling water from the cooling towers will be discharged into the northernmost two-acre stormwater pond.
During peak rains, the pond could discharge into a 2.5 mile long canal that flows to Oyster Prong, part of the lagoon.
Laurilee Thompson, co-owner of Dixie Crossroads Seafood Restaurant in Titusville, laments the drastic declines in fish populations since her family opened the restaurant almost four decades ago.
"We can't even get mullet from the Indian River Lagoon," Thompson said in her letter to DEP. "How can you justify adding even more freshwater to this imperiled estuary of national significance?"
SpaceX's permit application for an industrial wastewater plant at Hangar X
The permit application (DEP File No. FL0A00032-001-IW7D) and related application information are available at https://prodenv.dep.state.fl.us/DepNexus/public/electronic-documents/FL0A00032/facility!search
For information about the SpaceX Hangar project permit application, contact Katrina.Kasemir@FloridaDEP.gov or call (407) 897-4119.
Jim Waymer is an environment reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Waymer at 321-261-5903 or jwaymer@floridatoday.com. Or find him on Twitter: @JWayEnviro or on Facebook: www.facebook.com/jim.waymer
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https://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/local/environment/lagoon/2022/04/26/elon-musks-spacex-plans-industrial-wastewater-plant-nasas-kennedy-space-center/7438305001/
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10 safety tips to keep you and your family safe while at the pool
Makenzie Boucher
Shreveport Times
It is that time of year when the hot sun calls for some fun in the water, with that fun comes safety tips to keep you and your family safe.
Here are 10 safety tips:
- Watch your children when they are near or in the pool.
- Teach your children basic water safety tips.
- Keep your children away from pool drains, pipes and other entrapments.
- Fit your child with an appropriate personal floatation device, do not rely on noodles for child safety protection.
- Keep your phone, first aid kit, floatation device and scissors that can be used in case of an entrapment incident.
- If you can not locate a child, check the pool or spa first.
- Share safety instructions with family, friends and neighbors.
- Learn how to swim as the adult and teach your children.
- Learn how to perform CPR and other life saving skills.
- If you own a pool or spa place a fence around the area with a lock.
More:Shreveport woman drowned while saving her child
Makenzie Boucher is a reporter with the Shreveport Times. Contact her at mboucher@gannett.com.
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https://www.shreveporttimes.com/story/news/local/2022/04/26/10-safety-tips-keep-you-and-your-family-safe-while-pool/7439586001/
| 2022-04-26T17:06:26
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New York City Mayor Eric Adams is expected to release his Fiscal Year 2023 Executive Budget and discuss his first 100 days in office on Tuesday, as well as outline his vision for the city’s continued recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Adams will also discuss other key investments.
The mayor's first 100 days have been marred by a number of challenges including an increase in homelessness, rising violent crimes and gun violence throughout the city, and attempts of an economic recovery following fallout from the coronavirus pandemic.
PUBLIC SAFETY
Public safety has taken center stage since Adams has made it a key piece of his agenda.
However, the NYPD revealed the city's crime statistics for the month of March, announcing an overall crime index increase of 36.5% compared to the same time last year, but a dip in homicides.
While overall crime has increased, NYPD Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell said last month that certain initiatives have proven successful.
News
In March, the NYPD said that the first three months of 2022 have been defined by "successful takedowns of violent subjects and the seizure of caches of illegal guns – including traditional weapons and newly emerging firearms known as “ghost guns” that can be 3-D printed at home." The police department also began selecting in January 2022 more than 400 officers for the NYPD’s new Neighborhood Safety Teams.
Sewell also stressed that the murder clearance rate is the highest rate of any final year-end clearance rate in the modern compstat era.
Despite statistics revealing murders are down, New Yorkers are still upset over the killings of innocent bystanders, including the recent the recent death of a 61-year-old woman who was walking down a Fordham Heights street when she unexpectedly was caught in crossfire between two groups on her way home from work. Juana Esperanza Soriano De-Perdomo died after being hit in the back with a bullet.
Last month, a 12-year-old boy died after being shot while eating in a car with family members in Brooklyn. The killing of both, the 12-year-old boy and the 61-year-old grandmother, has led to many calls for change.
The Adams administration also put into place in February a public safety initiative for the city's subway system, which has been plagued by crime and aggressive behavior over the last few months -- reaching a climax on April 12 when at least 10 Brooklyn subway riders were shot by a man wearing a gas mask and a construction vest who tossed two smoke canisters in the train car to distract the rush hour crowd before opening fire.
HOMELESSNESS IN NYC
Additionally, Adams has also focused on addressing the homelessness issue across the city, including by removing hundreds of encampments. The Democrat's initiative mirrors similar overhauls in other liberal metropolises that had previously tolerated the encampments.
Advocates for the homeless have denounced the mayor’s move as heartless and were frustrated that Adams has taken action without releasing a comprehensive — and compassionate — plan to tackle the issues contributing to homelessness.
The mayor has continued to defend his plan, while asking critics join him going to homeless sites in-person before judging the city's effort.
He has previously said that he wants to clean up parts of the city that are “dirty” and “unsafe.”
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/nyc-mayor-eric-adams-to-release-2023-budget-address-first-100-days-in-office/3661745/
| 2022-04-26T17:36:55
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TEXAS, USA — On Monday, two days before she was scheduled to be executed, Texas death row inmate Melissa Lucio was granted a stay of execution by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals.
The court reviewed nine claims in Lucio's habeas application and accepted four of the claims as reason to go to trial court for review. Those claims include that the state used false testimony, that scientific evidence that could have proven her innocence wasn't available at the time, that she is actually innocent and that the state suppressed evidence that her young daughter's death 15 years ago was actually an accident.
Although Lucio will not be executed on Wednesday, April 27, her legal battle is far from over. Here's a look at what's next.
What's next for Melissa Lucio?
According to Lucio's attorneys, the stay of execution put a halt on her execution indefinitely so that she and her legal team can go back to the trial court and have hearings on the "new evidence of her innocence." Lucio does, however, remain on death row at this time.
Her attorneys say that the trial court in Brownsville, Texas, will hold proceedings to hear the evidence of her innocence. The court will then make a recommendation to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, which will ultimately decide whether she should receive a new trial.
Along the way, Lucio's lawyers said they will be speaking with the Cameron County district attorney, urging him to give due consideration to the new evidence of her innocence that he hasn't had an opportunity "to really evaluate and to judge for himself."
"There's still a long way to go in Melissa's case, and there's much more that stands in the way of Melissa and an exoneration," said Vanessa Potkin, director of special litigation at The Innocence Project, whose attorneys are also working on Lucio's case.
"But today's stay and remand to have hearings on new evidence of her innocence really opens the door to the potential of a new trial in her case and, ultimately, complete vindication," Potkin said in a statement on April 25.
Lucio's attorneys said they do not know how long the future court proceedings will take.
"We certainly want Melissa to get her hearing as quickly as possible while marshaling all of the evidence of her innocence so that she gets a fair hearing and a full hearing," said Tivon Schardl, one of Lucio's lawyers. "So, we can't say exactly how long, but we certainly don't want her to spend one day longer in prison than is absolutely necessary."
As for clemency for Lucio, the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles declined to make a clemency recommendation in her case, citing the stay of execution.
Background on the Texas mother's case
Lucio was sentenced to death after she was convicted of killing her 2-year-old daughter in 2007 in Harlingen. Her case has since received national attention after supporters raised questions about the facts of the case and how it was handled at the time.
Lucio's supporters say her daughter's death was an accident after she fell down the stairs. Prior to the stay of execution, five of the jurors who convicted Lucio had asked the state parole board and Gov. Greg Abbott to stop her execution, saying they were not aware of all the facts at the time and that they would not have sentenced her to death had they known then what they know now.
The Hulu documentary “The State of Texas vs. Melissa” detailed how Lucio might be innocent, and John Oliver has discussed Lucio's case twice on his HBO show "Last Week Tonight," once during an episode focused on wrongful convictions and briefly again in an episode focused on police interrogations.
Kim Kardashian also expressed her support for Lucio, signing a petition urging Abbott to stop Lucio's execution. When Lucio was granted the stay of execution, Kardashian tweeted it was the "best news ever!"
A bipartisan group of Texas House lawmakers had also urged state leaders to intervene and stop Lucio's execution, as has a group of more than 20 state senators who sent a letter to the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles recommending that Lucio either get her sentence commuted or that she get a reprieve.
Britny Eubank on social media: Twitter
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https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/texas/melissa-lucio-texas-execution-stay-next/269-4b982c7f-88bd-4ef4-9b8c-a2396f5decc2
| 2022-04-26T17:49:09
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Alliance Area Domestic Violence Shelter director resigns after 17 years
ALLIANCE – Kim Stanley, executive director of the Alliance Area Domestic Violence Shelter, has resigned.
She will be leaving the agency to become director of the victim/witness division at the Stark County Prosecutor’s Office. Her resignation will be effective May 13.
Stanley has been with the Alliance Area Domestic Violence Shelter for 17 years.
"The Alliance community is just amazing," she said. "It is filled with people who truly care about the well-being of the community and want to see everyone in the community succeed. So I'll definitely miss being a part of that."
More:Domestic violence agencies share resources at Alliance YWCA event
Stanley said it was a "difficult decision." She has enjoyed working with survivors, staff members and the shelter's board of directors.
In a news release, the agency's Board of Directors called Stanley "a fierce advocate for survivors' rights."
"The shelter has flourished under Ms. Stanley’s skillful leadership as manager, grant writer, fund raiser, and community collaborator," the release said.
Stanley joined the AADVS staff in 2004. She worked as a case manager and as education services coordinator before she was named executive director in 2006. Under her leadership, the AADVS served 846 adults and 1,044 children in the emergency shelter and answered nearly 40,000 calls to the crisis hotline.
She was recognized with a “Twenty Under 40” award in 2015 and received the Sebring McKinley High School Distinguished Alumni Award in that same year. She earned the Athena Leadership Award in 2018 from the Alliance Area Chamber of Commerce and Greater Alliance Foundation.
The news release said that Stanley's "successful grant writing, careful stewardship and diligent work" enabled the shelter to maintain full services amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Stanley said she enjoyed working directly with survivors.
"There's very few faces that I will forget," she said. "There's a lot of names that I might not remember, but the faces and the stories will stay with me forever."
She looks forward to her new position with the Stark County Prosecutor's Office because it will allow her to use the knowledge and experience she has gained in the field, she said.
Stanley also said she is excited to continue working with advocates with whom she already has relationships, "just in a different capacity."
The board "views this as an opportunity for future growth; given our shared history we anticipate additional opportunities for collaboration with Kim through her work in the Prosecutor’s Office," the news release said.
The board named Sarah MacLennan as interim director.
MacLennan is a Mount Union graduate. She worked at the shelter as a college student and later became education services coordinator. She left the Alliance area in 2013 but returned in 2019 and was hired as community engagement coordinator.
The board appointed Mount Union's Kelly Stout and Michelle Collins-Sibley to lead the search for a new director.
The committee expects to fill the vacancy by August.
Anyone interested in the position may send their questions to the co-chairs at aadvs.employment@gmail.com.
Reach Paige at 330-580-8577 or pmbennett@gannett.com, or on Twitter at @paigembenn.
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https://www.cantonrep.com/story/news/local/alliance/2022/04/26/alliance-area-domestic-violence-shelter-executive-director-resigns/9540344002/
| 2022-04-26T19:25:41
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WASHINGTON — A man who died after setting himself on fire outside the U.S. Supreme Court building on April 22 - Earth Day - was described as an environmental activist by a friend, according to 9News in Denver.
Emergency medical crews were called to the Supreme Court around 6:30 p.m. on Earth Day after a man set himself on fire outside the building. Police said Saturday that the man, Wynn Bruce, 50, of Boulder, Colorado, had died.
On Twitter, a woman who said she was a friend of Bruce's who works at the Environmental Defense Fund said, "This act is not suicide. This is a deeply fearless act of compassion to bring attention to climate crisis."
On Bruce's Facebook page, he recently edited one of his posts related to climate change to include a fire emoji and the date April 22, 2022 – the day he set himself on fire.
Chris King was Bruce's next-door neighbor for about 20 years and said he saw Bruce almost every day.
"He was a very quiet person, kept to himself, lived alone, had a cat. He was, you know, a sweet guy," King said. "He was a head-injury survivor from an accident he had when he was a teenager."
King said he dropped off Bruce at the bus last Wednesday while heading to Denver to meet with his meditation group. It was the last time he saw his neighbor.
In 20 years, Bruce never talked to him about his passion for environmental issues and never mentioned any plans to end his life, King said.
"I was stunned. One hell of a way to go," he said.
In a written statement released Monday, the leaders of the Rocky Mountain Ecodharma Retreat Center in Boulder, which Bruce attended, said they were grieving his loss and that they had no prior knowledge of his plans to set himself on fire.
Areas around the Supreme Court building were closed for hours after the incident, which Supreme Court Police said happened on the plaza in front of the building at One First Street NE. U.S. Capitol Police tweeted that a medical helicopter landed for an emergency that was "not a public safety issue."
Supreme Court Police, U.S. Capitol Police and D.C. police responded, and Supreme Court spokesperson Patricia McCabe said no one else was injured.
Parts of First Street and East Capitol streets were closed for the airlift and McCabe said the area was closed for further investigation.
Self-immolation, the act of setting oneself on fire and burning to death, can be a form of protest and has been used to make political statements in the nation's capital in the past.
In May 2019, a man died after setting himself on fire near the White House. Authorities said 33-year-old Arnav Gupta of Bethesda was seen by passersby on the Ellipse, engulfed in flames. No motive was uncovered in that incident, but Gupta was reported missing by his family just hours before and they expressed concerns for his physical and emotional welfare. Officials extinguished Gupta and took him to a hospital for treatment, but he died from his injuries.
In April of that same year, the Secret Service reported a man in an electric wheelchair lit his jacket on fire while sitting along Pennsylvania Avenue, outside the north fence line of the White House. Officials said they immediately responded and put out the fire.
In November 2004, a Yemeni national named Mohamed Alanssi set himself on fire outside a White House gate. He had worked as an FBI informant, previous reporting shows, and was upset because he could not travel to Yemen to visit his ailing wife, who had stomach cancer. He also said the FBI had not kept promises it made to him to secure his assistance. Alanssi had severe burns over 30% of his body, the Washington Post reported at the time.
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https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/person-sets-self-on-fire-outside-us-supreme-court-building-steps-airlifted-hospital-self-immolation-incident/65-497afffb-c139-43c8-b65d-2623bff6e926
| 2022-04-26T19:37:42
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AUSTIN, Texas — Harris County leaders are sounding the alarm on fake paper license plates, citing a new report that says crimes involving temporary tags have increased over 300 percent in the last six years.
County Judge Lina Hidalgo and Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia said the fake plates have also cost Harris County an estimated $80 million in lost revenue over the same period.
The report by the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles said a total of 6.7 million temporary tags were printed in Harris County between 2016 to 2021. But only 3.2 million legit title and registration transactions were processed over those six years.
Hidalgo said they already knew the counterfeit tags were causing problems, but the report offers "disturbing proof" of just how bad the problem is.
Harris County launched a "Tag, You're It" enforcement initiative a few months that led to several arrests.
A new bill passed by the state in June also authorizes the DMV to limit the number of paper tags a dealership can print.
Hidalgo said more needs to be done at the state level to close the remaining Texas Department of Motor Vehicles loopholes that allow fake dealerships to print and sell the fake tags.
"The key message here is a local solution is not enough; we need statewide support over and above what has already been done to solve this statewide problem," Hidalgo said.
Texas lawmakers search for solutions
More help from the state could be just around the corner. Texas lawmakers on Tuesday began hearing arguments on paper license plates aimed at stopping scammers.
The Texas House Transportation Committee is scheduled to tackle the issue first with the Senate expected to hold additional hearings in the coming weeks.
The head of Texas Department of Motor Vehicles in February resigned amid pressure on the agency to address security vulnerabilities that have allowed criminals to create and sell hundreds of thousands of fake paper license plates.
Whitney Brewster announced her resignation at the time but did not directly address the issue surrounding the sale of fake license plates.
“I understand the frustrations of our stakeholders to the problems and evolving situations we are working daily to resolve,” Brewster said in a statement on Feb. 7. “Often the hardest thing to do as a public servant leader is to step back and accept that you have done everything you can, and that it might be time to allow new leadership to take the reins.”
DMV cracks down on dealers
The Texas DMV has acted against dealers it said are abusing the system.
Records obtained by KHOU 11 News show that the agency revoked the license to print tags from 34 Texas dealers from the start of 2021 through the last week of February. Many of them were in Houston.
According to HPD’s Auto Theft Task Force, the DMV has put new limits on the number of tags a single dealer can print each month and made it easier to quickly shut down dealers for fraud.
'Lone Star State called 'laughingstock of paper plates'
“Texas is the laughingstock of paper plates in the United States,” Vidor Police Capt. Edward Martin said.
Capt. Martin, who is also an executive board member of the Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas, said he’s been following this issue for years.
"These people have direct access to the Texas DMV e-licensing system. It's the same tag. It's just issued illegally,” Capt. Martin.
Capt. Martin said there is not a vetting process in place.
“I can go in and put last name Smith first name John from Timbuktu, United States. They'll take it. They don't vet you. They don't want to know if you're a living human being,” he said.
Local and state leaders hope changes in the law will help put the brakes on these tag dealers.
The Texas Tribune contributed to this report.
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| 2022-04-26T19:37:48
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PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A man previously convicted as a sex offender was found guilty on Wednesday after he allegedly abused a minor sexually, the Washington County District Attorney’s Office announced.
David Propp was found guilty of three counts of using a child in display of sexually explicit conduct, four counts of luring a minor, four counts of second-degree sexual abuse, two counts of third-degree sexual abuse and tampering with a witness.
On Aug 14, 2019, Hillsboro police reportedly found a vehicle parked in a field. When they approached the SUV, authorities said the officers saw Propps and the victim putting their clothes back on.
According to officials, the victim told police he and Propp had engaged in sexual activity and later revealed a similar event happened before.
The 51-year-old and the victim messaged each other thousands of times, according to investigators. Further, officials said Propp asked for and received multiple “compromising” pictures of the victim.
Propp will remain in custody until his sentencing hearing on June 16.
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https://www.koin.com/local/washington-county/convicted-sex-offender-found-guilty-in-sex-abuse-case/
| 2022-04-26T19:44:07
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PORTLAND, Ore. — A new report by Portland State University researchers gave high marks to the Portland Street Response (PSR) team in its first year on the ground, concluding that the unit "demonstrated success" in meeting the needs it was created to address.
PSR was created under the umbrella of Portland Fire & Rescue’s Community Health Division and designed to provide an unarmed response to non-violent behavioral and mental health calls — dispatching a small team that includes crisis counselors and paramedics instead of police.
Portland Fire commissioned PSU's Homelessness Research & Action Collaborative to evaluate the program for its overall effectiveness while providing suggestions for ways that it could be improved and expanded citywide.
"Portland Street Response has come so far in a very short amount of time — from a small pilot program in one neighborhood to a citywide movement that has fundamentally changed Portland’s first response system," said Dr. Greg Townley, co-founder of the PSU collaborative and lead researcher on the report. "Portland Street Response provides a model for the nation to follow, and we look forward to continuing to monitor its progress and impact as it expands citywide.”
Throughout the year, according to the PSU report, the street response team accounted for a roughly 4% reduction in total calls traditionally responded to by police for areas in which it operated, or a total of 903 calls. This meant a 27% reduction in police responses for non-emergency welfare checks and "unwanted persons" calls.
Whether or not those numbers appear statistically significant, it's worth noting that, at its largest extent during the latter months of 2021, PSR had just eight members covering the entire area of Portland east of I-205 and south of I-84.
RELATED: Multnomah County's Behavioral Health Resource Center set to open in downtown Portland this year
Only 3.2% of all calls handled by PSR ended with a client being brought to a hospital and none of them resulted in an arrest. The clients interviewed by PSU researchers also gave the street response staff a perfect score, five on a scale of one to five — generally describing them as kind and helpful.
Despite recommending the program's expansion citywide, the PSU report noted that it faced headwinds. The researchers found that many people in underserved communities registered significant concerns about calling 911, which is currently the way that the PSR team is dispatched, or they had difficulty reaching a dispatcher when they tried.
"It remains important to consider alternative methods for community members to access PSR, such as 311, 988, or a direct line to PSR at the 911 operating center," the PSU researchers noted.
At the same time, the report noted that dispatchers might not be fully aware of which calls should be routed to PSR rather than police or fire. Many people in the community that researchers spoke with were also unaware of PSR, particularly in communities of color, though awareness did grow over time.
While PSR showed effectiveness in meeting the immediate needs of clients during a call, the report also noted gaping holes in the continuity of care so that clients could continue getting what they needed.
"Gaps in the local system of care, especially permanent housing, sub-acute mental health care and sobering centers, make it difficult for PSR staff to assist clients beyond their initial response," the report noted. "These gaps are also a point of vocal frustration among community members, some of whom unfairly equate the continued visible presence of homelessness and mental health crisis as a failure of Portland Street Response."
In talking with police and firefighters, the PSU researchers noted that there was widespread desire for the PSR program to be expanded so that the new teams could pick up more calls.
On the other hand, there were some conundrums that may not be solved by simply expanding PSR's scope. Firefighters in particular noted a significant number of calls that were ambiguous, where it was not immediately clear if they were medical or mental health-related until after one or the other responded.
Both police and PSR staff also expressed some frustrations with the fundamental limits on the kind of calls that the team could take. PSR is not allowed to respond to calls inside private residences, calls that involve suicide or calls where the client is standing in the street.
PSU's report strongly recommended that the PSR program not only be expanded throughout the city and through all hours of the day, but to include a wider array of calls involving serious mental health crises.
"This recommendation is based on analysis of call data as well as feedback from each stakeholder group we interviewed," the report noted. "It is also imperative to expand call criteria to allow the team to respond inside residences, to be dispatched on calls involving suicide, and to respond to some calls involving higher levels of acuity."
When the first four-person PSR team deployed in February of 2021, it was tasked exclusively with serving the Lents neighborhood in Southeast Portland — a proving ground for expansion of the program. It grew to include the greater Lents area a few months later, followed by the entirety of the Portland Police Bureau's East Precinct in November when PSR added a second team.
City officials announced at the end of last month that the PSR program would be expanded to cover the entire city, which agrees with the primary recommendation of PSU's report.
The PSR program was championed by Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty, who faces two major challengers for her seat on the city council in the coming May election. In a statement on the program released this week, Hardesty said that she'd submitted a budget request to fund the full-time, citywide expansion of PSR.
"With the independent evaluation showing the PSR pilot has been a resounding success, I’m optimistic that together this Council will prioritize this funding request to further expand Portland Street Response so it can be a 24/7 response option in all neighborhoods across Portland," Hardesty said.
The results of the PSU researchers' study were presented to Portland City Council in a 9:30 a.m. work session on Tuesday.
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https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/homeless/portland-street-response-success-psu-report-expansion/283-4aed376f-c0c1-492c-88b8-d59f6e12be44
| 2022-04-26T19:50:08
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WASHINGTON — A coach who crosses himself before a game. A math teacher reads the Bible aloud before the bell rings. A coach who hosts an after-school Christian group in their home.
Supreme Court justices discussed all those hypothetical scenarios Monday while hearing arguments about Joe Kennedy, a former public high school football coach from Washington state, who wanted to kneel and pray on the field after games.
The justices were wrestling with how to balance the religious and free speech rights of teachers and coaches with the rights of students not to feel pressured into participating.
“This doesn't seem like a new problem,” Justice Stephen Breyer said at one point during arguments at the high court that lasted nearly two hours, despite being scheduled for just one.
Justices at various points brought up other actions a teacher or coach might take like wearing ashes on Ash Wednesday, kneeling during the national anthem to oppose racism and putting political lawn signs in their yard. Former NFL player Tim Tebow, who was known for kneeling in prayer on the field, and Egyptian soccer star Mohamed Salah, a Muslim who kneels and touches his forehead to the ground after a goal, also came up.
The case before the justices on Monday involved Kennedy, a Christian and former football coach at Bremerton High School. For years, the coach would kneel at the center of the field following games and lead students in prayer. The school district eventually learned what he was doing and asked him to stop.
Kennedy stopped leading students in prayer but wanted to continue praying, with students free to join. His lawyers say the Constitution's freedom of speech and freedom of religion guarantees should allow that practice.
But the school district has said Kennedy's religious speech interfered with students' own religious freedom rights and could have the effect of pressuring students to pray and opened the district itself to lawsuits. The school district says it tried to work out a solution so Kennedy could pray privately before or after the game, including on the field after students left, but Kennedy's lawsuit followed.
Several clergy members from the Bremerton area traveled to Washington, D.C., to be outside the Supreme Court building during arguments Monday morning.
"I stand with the Bremerton School District," said Reverend Greg Reffner, with the Brownsville United Methodist Church.
Reffner said he knows some will be surprised that people who support praying would oppose the coach's actions. Reffner said while the coach did not mean to, his actions forced players to choose between being a part of the team and "adhering to their faith commitments."
"I believe that in our country, everyone has the right to choose what they believe and how they believe as long as it doesn't harm another,” said Reffner.
The case comes to the court at a time when conservative justices make up a majority of the court and have been sympathetic to the concerns of religious individuals and groups, such as groups that brought challenges to coronavirus restrictions that applied to houses of worship.
But cases involving religion can also unite the court. Last year, for example, the court unanimously sided with a Catholic foster care agency that said its religious views prevent it from working with same-sex couples. Already this term, in an 8-1 decision, the justices ruled for a Texas death row inmate who sought to have his pastor pray aloud and touch him while his execution was carried out.
The case from Bremerton, meanwhile, has already caught the justices' attention. In 2019 the justices declined to get involved in the case at an earlier stage. But four justices were critical of lower court rulings for the school district, writing that an appeals court's “understanding of the free speech rights of public school teachers is troubling.”
Kennedy started working at Bremerton High School in 2008, and it was his practice at the end of games — after the players and coaches from both teams would meet at midfield to shake hands — to pause and kneel to pray. Kennedy said he wanted to give thanks for what his players had accomplished and for their safety, among other things.
Kennedy initially prayed alone on the 50-yard line at the end of games, but students started joining him, and over time he began to deliver a short, inspirational talk with religious references. Kennedy said he never required players to join or asked any student to pray. He also led the team in prayer in the locker room before games, a practice that predated him.
The school district didn't learn of Kennedy's practice until 2015. It told him then that he needed to stop praying with students or engaging in overtly religious activity while still “on duty” as a coach. After Kennedy continued to pray on the field, he was placed on paid leave. His contract expired, and he didn't reapply to coach the following year, the school says.
A decision is expected before the court begins its summer recess. The case is Kennedy v. Bremerton School District, 21-418.
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https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/joe-kennedy-bremerton-high-school-praying-supreme-court/281-5a0e9910-3d28-4673-bc4f-436e8dcad586
| 2022-04-26T19:50:14
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New $11 million ArtCenter Manatee building to break ground in Bradenton this year
Plans for construction of a new $11 million ArtCenter Manatee facility will bring expanded arts programming to Bradenton.
The two-story 28,000 square foot building will be built adjacent to the existing facility at the intersection of 9th Street W and 3rd Avenue W. Construction is estimated to begin late this year and be completed by the end of 2024.
"We're really excited about it," Development Coordinator Cathy Mijou said. "Even though we are ArtCenter Manatee, we serve a much larger area, including a lot of people from Sarasota and Pinellas counties. I think it will be a huge addition to the arts offerings in our community."
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The new facility will double the amount of space available at the center's current building and will include a covered interior courtyard, nine classrooms, a large gallery, office and storage space, as well as updated technology and utilities.
"We will be adding things like stone carving and woodworking," Mijou said. "In the summer, when we have our kids' art programming, we can't have adult programming at the same time because all of our classrooms are taken. So it will allow us to really expand our programming."
Once construction on the new facility is complete the existing building will be razed, and a new sculpture garden and community park will be built at the site.
The new facility will be named the Herrig Center for the Arts in honor of the Steve and Natalee Herrig Family Foundation, which donated $2 million to the cause.
“A gift of this level will help to move the Center’s campaign forward and will allow us to continue to impact lives through our classes, exhibits, and other programming,” Executive Director Carla Nierman said in a press release.
The effort will be paid for entirely by donations, and the capital raising campaign is ongoing.
"We're really excited to be at this point in the fundraising, we're really glad to be able to move forward with it," Mijou said. "We are still accepting donations, and we will until we break ground at the end of this year. We are at $7.5 million. We're getting there."
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https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/local/manatee/2022/04/26/artcenter-manatee-new-facility-expected-begin-construction-year/7451273001/
| 2022-04-26T19:57:20
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Sarasota County votes to increase bed tax from 5% to 6%
Newly rated as a "high-impact" tourism area, Sarasota County will have a new 6% tax on short-term stays to accompany the status.
The County Commission voted Tuesday to raise the county’s tourism development tax from 5% to 6% as state law allows for the high-impact tourism areas.
In March, the Florida Department of Revenue certified Sarasota County with the designation. Only high-impact tourism areas are allowed to charge the maximum percentage fixed in state law.
“We are thrilled with the commission vote and what it will mean for the community and tourism,” Visit Sarasota County president Virginia Haley said in a text message to the Herald-Tribune. “We can now use the power of tourism spending to benefit all of us with new facilities, keeping our beaches clean etc.”
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The tourism development tax is a tax on short-term lodging stays. The tax money generated is used to fund various elements of the local tourism industry.
Sarasota County gained the high-impact designation because short-term lodging businesses in the county surpassed the threshold of $600 million in taxable sales in 2021. These businesses, in total, made nearly $683 million in taxable sales last year.
Commissioner Nancy Detert noted on Tuesday that the Tourism Development Council supported levying the additional 1% tax. The council voted 9-0 in favor of it in March.
In her presentation to the Tourist Development Council, Kim Radtke, director of the county's Office of Financial Management, said that the additional percentage of bed tax revenue would be divvied up to fund beach maintenance and renourishment as well as major capital projects on publicly owned property.
The main argument against increasing the rate centered on whether it could discourage people from visiting altogether, or push them to a neighboring county with a potentially lower hotel rate. But Haley told the TDC that studies have concluded that an increase as small as 1% is not a deterrent.
Sarasota County has been adding a tax to short-term lodging stays since 1988, starting at 2% of the total cost of a stay and increasing by a percentage point each in 1997 and 2007. It hit the 5% threshold in 2011.
Beach maintenance gets 24% of annual collections, followed by beach renourishment at 10%, marketing and promotions through Visit Sarasota County 20-25%, the Nathan Benderson Park Conservancy 10%, spring training sports stadiums between 16% and 21% and arts and cultural organizations 10%. A remaining 5% is set aside for sports tourism, according to Visit Sarasota County.
In fiscal year 2021, Sarasota County collected just over $31 million in tourist tax revenue, an increase of nearly $10 million over the previous fiscal year of 2020, according to the latest report from the Sarasota County Tax Collector's office.
This article includes reporting by Staff Writer Laura Finaldi.
Anne Snabes covers city and county government for the Herald-Tribune. You can contact her at asnabes@gannett.com and follow her on Twitter at @a_snabes.
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| 2022-04-26T19:57:26
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Brockton Kids Road Races are off and running again, returning April 30 at D.W. Field Park
BROCKTON — Once again, young runners will pin numbers to their shirts and line up at the starting point for the annual Kids Road Races at D.W. Field Park.
April 30 will mark the start of the spring season of the races, which are in their 45th season.
Races are held in the spring and fall each year at D.W. Field Park.
The 2020 fall and spring races and the 2021 spring races were canceled due to COVID-19. It was the first time in 44 years kids weren’t able to run the 2.2-mile race through D.W. Field Park on Saturday mornings.
Race organizer Dave Gorman said it was the first time in the long history of the Kid Road Races that an entire season had been canceled.
Gorman said he didn't have as many kids as usual attend the 2021 fall series, but he's hoping to have a bigger attendance this spring.
The races are sanctioned by the United States of America Track and Field.
The 2.2-mile races are held for eight consecutive Saturdays and are open to children 14 years old and younger. There are 10 total divisions for boys and girls — 6 years old and under, 7- and 8-year-olds, 9- and 10-year-olds, 11- and 12-year-olds and 13- and 14-year-olds. The races are sanctioned by the United States of America Track and Field.
The dates of the fall races are April 30 and May 7, 14, 21, 28, June 4, 11, and 18.
Fall 2021 road races series kicks off:44th annual Brockton Kids Road Races kicks off at D.W. Field Park
Thousands of children have run the Brockton Kids Road Races over the years.
The races started decades ago as a school program, but were dropped due to funding cuts. That’s when Gorman stepped in.
Dave Gorman and his wife, Judy, have organized the races for decades. Gorman estimates that he and his wife have held more than 700 road races over the years.
“It’s an affordable activity for parents to do with their kids because it’s only $1 a race." It’s probably the lowest costing sporting event you can sign your kids up for," Gorman said.
The road races survive on donations from community organizations, businesses and individuals.
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Gorman said volunteers are needed to help record races times and track the results of each runner.
Children who run at least five weeks in a season receive a T-shirt and a trophy at the end of the year.
Every week, the first three runners in each category receive a ribbon. The program runs eight weeks each spring and fall.
Parents are encouraged to pre-register children by emailing Dave Gorman at irishdaveg@aol.com, but can also just show up on the day of a race. Parents are also welcome to run the race with their kids.
Registration begins at 9:30 a.m. at the Pentangle parking lot, which is just past Tower Hill. The race begins at 10 a.m.
Races will operate in accordance with the state and local guidelines regarding the COVID-19 pandemic.
The races are sponsored by the Plymouth County district attorney’s office, Signature Healthcare, Frank’s restaurant, Brockton Firefighters Local IAFF 144, the Mark Creedon Memorial Race, and Plymouth County Sheriff Joseph D. McDonald Jr.
For more information, email Gorman at irishdaveg@aol.com.
Staff writer Kathy Bossa can be reached by email at kbossa@enterprisenews.com. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Enterprise today.
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https://www.enterprisenews.com/story/news/local/2022/04/26/brockton-kids-road-races-spring-races-april-30-d-w-field-park/7413095001/
| 2022-04-26T20:10:16
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Lisa Hawkins, owner of Room to Room Furniture, and Ellen Kennedy, a volunteer over Dream Home ticket sales with St. Jude, talk after the groundbreaking ceremony of the St. Jude Dream Home in the Dogwood Creek neighborhood in Saltillo on April 26, 2022.
St. Jude volunteers, sponsors and supporters join builder Mark Simpson of Legacy Construction in breaking ground on the next St. Jude Dream Home on April 26, 2022, in Saltillo. Ticket sales — the proceeds from which will benefit the Memphis-based nonprofit children's hospital — will open in August. The home will be given away in November.
St. Jude volunteers, sponsors and supporters join builder Mark Simpson of Legacy Construction in breaking ground on the next St. Jude Dream Home on April 26, 2022, in Saltillo. Ticket sales — the proceeds from which will benefit the Memphis-based nonprofit children's hospital — will open in August. The home will be given away in November.
Adam Robison | DAILY JOURNAL
Lot 1 in the Dogwood Creek neighborhood is the location of the next St. Jude Dream Home in Saltillo.
TUPELO • Every dream has a beginning; for some lucky person, that dream began Tuesday.
St. Jude supporters broke ground for the 2022 St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway late Tuesday morning. Once finished, the roughly 29,000-square-foot home will stand on a 2-acre lot at 102 Dogwood Creek Lane, Saltillo. Legacy Construction will build the home.
Legacy Construction will break dirt next week, according to the company's owner, Mark Simpson. The sprawling home — a modified farmhouse style known as French country — will feature four bedrooms and three baths.
This will be Legacy Construction’s sixth dream home since the company became involved with St. Jude in 2017. Simpson said the partnership has been fruitful and rewarding for both parties.
“It just helps the families and the kids at St. Jude, and just glad to be a part of it,” Simpson said of the long-running fundraiser for the Memphis-based children's hospital. “It’s just neat to see the community come together and rally behind it and sell it out.”
The St. Jude fundraising team tentatively plans to open ticket sales on Aug. 18. Each ticket is $100, the proceeds from which benefit St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
The early bird deadline is in September. The giveaway typically offers additional prizes alongside the grand prize winner.
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The fundraising team hopes to have an open house by late October or early November.
The giveaway winner will be announced mid to late November.
Last year, the fundraising team sold 12,000 tickets — raising $1.2 million in funds — in just five days. It's the fastest in campaign history, said Lauren Stanford, the Development Specialist for the American Lebanese Syrian Associated Charities (ALSAC).
This year's goal is to sell an even greater number of tickets.
The St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway is one of the largest single-event fundraisers for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, nationwide. The nonprofit hospital provides free-of-charge treatment to children facing cancer and other pediatric diseases.
Most of St. Jude's funding comes from individual contributions, which ensure families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, housing or food.
As it has for years, Turner Patton Homes LLC has provided the property on which this year's dream home will sit. Local sponsors include media partners and local businesses such as Room to Room and others. National sponsors include Brizo, Shaw Floors, Trane, Bosch, and Kichler.
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https://www.djournal.com/news/local/st-jude-dream-home-giveaway-saltillo-mississippi/article_528f19fd-c964-5818-96dd-87d94b511345.html
| 2022-04-26T20:56:49
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NEW YORK (AP) — Poetry magazine, one of the country’s oldest and most prominent literary publications, will for the first time have a Black editor. Adrian Matejka, an educator, former state laureate of Indiana and prize-winning poet, begins his new job May 16.
“I couldn’t be more humbled or excited to be the new editor of Poetry,” Matejka, 50, said in a statement. “The 19-year-old version of me, thumbing through the magazine’s pages with wonder, would have never imagined that he would one day be part of such a vital literary institution.”
Matejka, whose 2013 collection “The Big Smoke” was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award, added that he was “committed to re-imagining Poetry not only as a venue for poetics, but more importantly, as one that is in service of poets and treats writers as the gifts that they are.”
Matejka’s hiring was announced Tuesday by the Poetry Foundation, a Chicago-based organization that oversees Poetry. The foundation was established in 2003 after Ruth Lilly, an heir to the Eli Lilly pharmaceutical fortune, donated $100 million to the magazine. Poetry, founded in 1912, has published T.S. Eliot, Marianne Moore, John Ashbery and many other leading writers. Several Matejka poems have run in the magazine.
“As an accomplished poet, educator, and past poet laureate, Adrian brings invaluable talent and experience. We look forward to his leadership and collaboration with the team to share new poets and poetry with the world,” Michelle T. Boone, who in 2021 became the foundation’s first Black president, said in a statement.
Matejka, who grew up in Indianapolis, is also the author of the poetry collections “The Devil’s Garden,” “Map to the Stars” and “Somebody Else Sold the World” and an upcoming graphic novel, “Last On His Feet.” In what he calls “strange serendipity,” he is the Ruth Lilly Professor of Poetry at Indiana University Bloomington.
The president of Cave Canem, a leading supporter of Black poets, praised Tuesday’s announcement. Tyehimba Jess said in a statement that “Adrian’s vision of building literary community through excellence and diversity in publication is a critical step forward for Poetry. Through his work on the page and his activism as poet laureate of Indiana, Adrian has a track record of service to history and the fullness of each reader and poet’s humanity.”
Like numerous literary institutions, the Poetry Foundation has been addressing criticisms over diversity and social awareness. Two years ago, in the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd, the president and board chairman resigned amid criticism over a foundation statement expressing “solidarity with the Black community” and declaring faith in “the strength and power of poetry to uplift in times of despair.”
More than 1,500 poets, subscribers and teachers among others published an open letter denouncing the statement as vague and dispassionate. The letter’s endorsers called on the foundation and Poetry magazine, which support and organize a wide range of workshops, grants and awards, to provide “a significantly greater allocation of financial resources toward work which is explicitly anti-racist in nature and, specifically, fighting to protect and enrich Black lives, in and outside of Chicago.“
The foundation responded with “An Open Letter of Commitment to Our Community,” in which it acknowledged its predominantly white leadership and vowed to “better serve the poets who entrust us with their work, creative or otherwise, and serve audiences who find solace, joy, insight, catalysts for change, and more in poetry.”
Poetry has not had a permanent editor since the summer of 2020, when Don Share resigned after the magazine was criticized for publishing a poem which Share himself described as “insidious” and “particularly oppressive to Black, Pacific Islander, and Asian people.” The foundation called his departure part of the “ongoing changes and conversations” outlined in its open letter.
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| 2022-04-26T21:17:37
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NEW YORK (AP) — Carnegie Hall plans a return to a relatively full schedule next season for the first time since 2018-19, presenting about 150 events that include Kirill Petrenko’s first New York appearances as music director of the Berlin Philharmonic.
Carnegie announced a 2022-23 schedule Tuesday that includes about 70 events in 2,800-seat Stern Auditorium. Petrenko, who succeeded Simon Rattle as Berlin’s chief conductor for the 2019-20 season, leads three performances from Nov. 10-12.
Among the concerts are Britain’s City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra with Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla (Oct. 22) and the Los Angeles Philharmonic with Gustavo Dudamel (Oct. 25-26). The Los Angeles Philharmonic has not been at Carnegie since 1990 and the Birmingham orchestra since 1992.
Carnegie’s schedule also includes the Cleveland Orchestra with Franz Welser-Möst (Jan. 18), the Vienna Philharmonic with conductor Christian Thielemann (March 3-5), France’s Ensemble Intercontemporain with conductor Matthias Pintscher (March 25), Washington’s National Symphony Orchestra with Gianandrea Noseda (April 18) and the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra with Susanna Mälkki (May 9).
Carnegie presented about 170 events in 2018-19, including 76 in Stern, and a similar schedule was announced for the following season before the coronavirus pandemic caused the Hall’s closure on March 13, 2020, and cut the schedule to 100 events.
The Hall reopened last Oct. 6 and will present about 115 events this season, including 58 in Stern. There were few large-scale orchestra concerts in the autumn as Carnegie held off a full schedule while evaluating the public-health situation. London’s Royal Philharmonic in late January and the Vienna Philharmonic in late February were the only large-scale European symphony orchestras to visit.
Next season opens Sept. 29 with Yannick Nézet-Séguin leading the Philadelphia Orchestra and pianist Daniil Trifonov.
Soprano Renée Fleming makes a return to Verdi with the fourth act of “Otello” with tenor Russell Thomas and Nézet-Séguin leading the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra (June 22).
The Lviv National Philharmonic Orchestra of Ukraine will perform on Feb. 15 with conductor Theodore Kuchar and pianist Stanislav Khristenko, both Ukrainian-Americans.
Perspectives series will be curated by pianist Mitsuko Uchida and singer-songwriter Rhiannon Giddens. Flutist Claire Chase will be the Hall’s creative chair.
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| 2022-04-26T21:17:44
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LONDON (AP) — During a long weekend of royal pageantry devoted to Queen Elizabeth II’s 70 years on the throne, the British people will take center stage in at least one event.
More than 10,000 performers, including schoolchildren, community groups and military bands, are expecting to troop to Buckingham Palace on June 5 to cap four days of celebrations marking the queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
The event on the Mall, the tree-lined road that leads to the palace, will feature pop star Ed Sheeran, dancers, acrobats, vintage cars and depictions of the queen’s favorite corgis and horses in performances highlighting the changes in British society during Elizabeth’s long reign.
“It will be all about how, through the recollections and stories and experiences we share, we can see how we are all connected through time to each other, and to the queen,” the show’s director, David Zolkwer, said Tuesday.
Elizabeth, the longest-ruling monarch in British history, assumed the throne when she was 25 years old. In the next seven decades, the U.K. navigated the end of its empire, the Cold War, the economic tensions of the 1980s and the challenges of an increasingly multicultural society.
Now 96, the queen who was a constant presence through it all remains a symbol of stability.
The jubilee pageant seeks to celebrate that legacy with a spectacle that will begin with the ringing of Westminster Abbey’s bells, just like on Elizabeth’s coronation day.
The first of four “acts” will be a parade featuring military bands and service personnel from the U.K. and Commonwealth nations including Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Pakistan, Ghana, Belize, Jamaica and Sri Lanka.
Some 2,500 volunteers are expected to take part in the second act, which will be devoted to creativity, dance, fashion and music during the queen’s reign.
This part of the program will also feature 150 “national treasures’’ who have shaped British culture over the past 70 years, including singer Cliff Richard, chef Heston Blumenthal and figure skating gold medalists Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean.
The third section will celebrate the queen’s reign and personal interests with quirky British humor. The acts include a 20-foot-tall puppet of a young woman, surrounded by a pack of mischievous corgi puppets.
The event will end in front of Buckingham Palace, where Sheeran will perform and the public will be asked to join in singing “God Save the Queen.’’
Organizers declined to comment on whether or not the monarch might be persuaded to appear on the palace balcony.
The U.K. is marking the queen’s jubilee June 2-June 5.
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https://www.cbs42.com/local/corgis-and-cars-queens-pageant-to-be-parade-of-the-people/
| 2022-04-26T21:17:53
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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kim Kardashian testified Tuesday that she had no memory of making any attempt to kill the reality show that starred her brother Rob Kardashian and his former fiancée Blac Chyna. But she acknowledged demanding that Chyna be kept off of “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” after hearing Chyna had abused her brother.
“I will not go into a toxic work environment,” Kardashian said of her refusal to work with Chyna. “On my own show, I have the power to do that.”
Kardashian took the stand for an hour in a Los Angeles courtroom in a civil trial in which Chyna alleges that Kardashian and three other members of her family defamed Chyna and convinced producers and the E! network to cancel the spinoff show, “Rob & Chyna.”
Her testimony was mostly unremarkable — she spent much of it saying “I don’t remember” — but as the biggest star by far to testify in a trial full of stars, she caused a stir when she walked from the gallery to the witness stand wearing a dark gray pinstriped suit with white sneakers. The moment she stepped down, several reporters dashed from the courtroom to file stories.
Chyna’s attorney Lynne Ciani showed Kardashian a series of text messages from late 2016 and early 2017 with Kardashian’s name attached.
In every case, Kardashian said she had no memory of sending them, though she didn’t deny their likely legitimacy.
“I don’t remember text messages that I sent this morning,” Kardashian said.
In response to viewing one text exchange, a long conversation with a producer from production company Bunim Murray, which produced both shows, Kardashian acknowledged “this definitely sounds like something I would say.”
In it, she expressed anger that Chyna might still be filmed for “Keeping Up With the Kardashians,” which Chyna occasionally appeared on along with her own show.
“I think we all need to take a break from filming at this point until we figure out what’s going on. She is not going to be on our show,” the text read. “So if you guys are going to film with Rob and Chyna, and then you are going to lose the Kardashians and Jenners.”
The text exchange includes several seemingly damning demands surrounding Chyna being filmed for “her” show, but Kardashian insisted that was a quirk of technology.
“This is clearly voice dictated, as is everything I text that’s so long, and it’s sometimes rendering ‘our’ as ‘her,” Kardashian testified. “I would never refer to her show as ‘her’ show, I would say ‘Rob’s show’ since it’s a spin-off of ‘Keeping Up With the Kardashians.’ ”
She added that the recipient, Amanda Weinstein, did not work on “Rob & Chyna.”
Kim Kardashian said the text exchange showed that she and her family had no power over what the producers and the network ultimately decided about the shows.
“No one listens to us, no one respects us,” one text message reads.
What they could do was withhold their own participation in the case of “Keeping Up With the Kardashians.”
“I have a right as a cast member to say we really need a break,” Kardashian testified.
Much of the trial now in its seventh day, including the testimony of Kardashian’s mother,Kris Jenner, andsister Kylie Jenner, has focused on a fight between Chyna and Rob Kardashian on Dec. 15, 2016, which led to the couple’s eventual breakup and their show’s cancellation.
Ciani asked Kardashian if she saw any injuries on her brother that day.
“I just remember in that moment him being super emotional, and it’s really all such a blur, Kardashian said. ”I remember him being really red, but I don’t remember anything very specific, just him looking puffy and red.”
Asked whether and how she had told the shows’ producers or anyone from the E! network about Chyna attacking her brother, she said she doesn’t remember, but she acknowledged that it likely came up in meetings about “Keeping Up With the Kardashians.”
“Typically it would be every family member saying what they felt and what they were going through, and saying if we had photo shoots or things we wanted to schedule for filming,” she said. “I would want to be honest in my concern for my brother. But I’m not very sure on where or when and how that would have occurred.”
Repeatedly asked whether she directed her sisters to tell executives and producers about the attack, which the lawsuit alleges, Kardashian said she had no recollection of doing that, eventually growing mildly angry with Ciani but remaining composed.
“I know you want my answer to change,” Kardashian said. “You’ve asked the same question like four times, I wish I had a better answer for you, but I just don’t remember.”
Asked specifically if she had directed Kylie Jenner to send an email on the issue, Kardashian replied, “I do not control my sisters’ lives, and I do not have conversations with them before they send emails.”
The Kardashians’ attorney, David G. Rhodes, declined to cross-examine her, but he intends to put her back on the stand when he presents the defense case, as he plans to do with all the Kardashian witnesses.
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Follow AP Entertainment Writer Andrew Dalton on Twitter: https://twitter.com/andyjamesdalton
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NEW YORK (AP) — Dean Baquet, outgoing executive editor of The New York Times, will lead a fellowship program focusing on local investigative journalism projects at the Times.
Baquet and a group of veteran investigative editors will guide journalists producing the efforts, which The Times will let news organizations in the affected areas co-publish or broadcast at no cost, the newspaper said on Tuesday.
Details on how many journalism fellows will be part of the program have yet to be announced.
The Times said last week that Baquet will be stepping down in June as he has reached 65, the age at which the newspaper’s leadership tenure traditionally ends. He’ll be replaced by his top deputy, Joseph Kahn.
The fellowship will help fill a need at a time when local and state journalism is declining for economic reasons. A.G. Sulzberger, the Times’ chairman and publisher, called it a “national tragedy.”
“I care deeply about investigative reporting,” Baquet said. “And I fear a future where there’s less of it as more and more news organizations have to cut back. I would love to have the chance to help train a new generation of investigators.”
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| 2022-04-26T21:18:07
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FALLS CHURCH, Va. (AP) — A forensic psychologist testified Tuesday that actor Amber Heard suffers from borderline personality disorder and histrionic personality disorder, as the civil lawsuit between her and ex-husband Johnny Depp continues to wallow in the couple’s personal issues.
Depp is suing Heard for libel in Fairfax County Circuit Court after she wrote an op-ed piece in The Washington Post referring to herself as “a public figure representing domestic abuse.” The article doesn’t mention Depp by name, but his lawyers say the article contains ”defamation by implication” because it clearly refers to allegations of domestic abuse made by heard when she filed for divorce in 2016.
The psychologist, Shannon Curry, was hired by Depp’s legal team. She said she reached her diagnosis during 12 hours of interviews with Heard, as well as from reviewing her mental-health records.
Curry also testified that Heard does not suffer post-traumatic stress disorder from her relationship with Depp, as Heard has claimed.
Depp’s team hopes Curry’s testimony bolsters their contention that Heard was the aggressor in the couple’s troubled relationship. Depp just concluded four days on the witness stand and testified about Heard’s “need for conflict” and her tendency to hound and pursue him during arguments when he tried to walk away and disengage.
The two personality disorders are similar, Curry said. Borderline personality is a disease of instability, she said “driven by an underlying fear of abandonment.” She said people with the disorder “will make desperate attempts to prevent that from happening.”
Evidence introduced earlier at the trial includes audio clips of Heard begging Depp not to leave, and to stay with her after he indicated a desire to break up or separate.
She also said that borderline personality disorder “seems to be a predictive factor for women who implement violence against their partner.” Depp has said he is the one who was a victim of domestic violence, and that Heard hit him on multiple occasions and threw items like paint cans and vodka bottles at him.
Histrionic personality disorder, Curry said, is associated with “drama and shallowness,” and a need to be the center of attention.
She said there’s a correlation in the disorder with people who are physically attractive and “utilize their looks to get that attention.”
On cross-examination, Heard’s lawyers questioned Curry for potential bias, noting that she had dinner and drinks with Depp and his lawyers at Depp’s house before she was hired. Curry said it was just part of the interview process.
And Heard’s lawyers called attention to evidence that Heard reported abuse contemporaneously to her therapist and to the couple’s marriage counselor.
While the libel lawsuit is supposed to center on whether Depp was defamed in the article, most of the trial has focused on ugly details of the couple’s brief marriage. Depp has denied ever striking Heard. Heard’s attorneys say Depp physically and sexually abused her and that Depp’s denials lack merit because he was often drunk and high to the point of blacking out.
Earlier Tuesday, jurors heard testimony from Tara Roberts, who managed Depp’s private island in the Bahamas. She testified that she never saw Heard with any kind of bruises. Her testimony also provided another window into some of the extravagances of Depp’s lifestyle.
She said she was paid $120,000 to manage the island, where Depp tooled around on a John Deere utility vehicle. The island had a four-person staff, including Roberts, though Depp was only there a few times a year. One section of shoreline on the island was dubbed Brando Beach, for the actor with whom Depp had collaborated in the past.
Roberts also testified about an incident that occurred when Depp and his family had a final excursion on a yacht before it was to be sold to author J.K. Rowling. On cross-examination, Roberts acknowledged that Depp passed out face-first in the sand, and that she arranged for a helicopter to take some passengers away after the yacht trip turned unpleasant.
Earlier testimony has centered on activities that occurred in the five penthouses Depp owned atop the Eastern Columbia Building in Los Angeles.
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| 2022-04-26T21:18:13
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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Actor Reese Witherspoon and Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry have joined the ownership group of Major League Soccer’s Nashville team ahead of the opening Sunday of Geodis Park, its 30,000-seat stadium.
Witherspoon’s husband, agent and investor Jim Toth, also has joined the ownership group, the team said Tuesday.
The soccer team started play in 2020 at Nissan Stadium, home of the Titans, and played its first eight league games on the road this season before it opens the new venue with a game against Philadelphia.
Witherspoon grew up in the Nashville area.
“As a Tennessee native, it is thrilling to see how much growth and development has come to our home state,” she said in a statement. “The opportunity to go as a family and watch a world-class team compete has been such an incredible experience.”
Henry has been with the Titans since 2016. He joins Mark Ingram (D.C.), Patrick Mahomes (Kansas City) and Russell Wilson (Seattle) as NFL players who have become MLS part owners.
Actors who are owners include Drew Carey (Seattle), Matthew McConaughey (Austin) and Will Ferrell (Los Angeles FC).
___
More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
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| 2022-04-26T21:18:21
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NEW YORK (AP) — Sonia Sanchez has received the Jackson Poetry Prize, an $80,000 award that continues a recent wave of lifetime achievement honors for the 87-year-old poet, educator and activist.
Her award was announced Tuesday by Poets & Writers ( https://www.pw.org ), the publisher of Poets & Writers magazine.
“Over her 7-decade career, Sonia Sanchez has distinguished herself as a major figure in American letters,” the judges’ citation reads in part. “Her vast and commanding oeuvre of published poetry invokes the power and revolutionary properties of language itself — intoning the struggles and joys of entire communities while reinvigorating traditional forms.”
Since 2018, Sanchez has also received the Wallace Stevens Award, the Anisfield-Wolf Lifetime Achievement Award, the Dorothy & Lillian Gish Prize and the Edward MacDowell Medal.
Sanchez was a founding member of the Black Arts Movement in the late 1960s and is widely regarded as a pioneering teacher of Black studies. Her poetry collections include “Homecoming,” “Love Poems” and “Shake Loose My Skin.”
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https://www.cbs42.com/local/sonia-sanchez-wins-80000-jackson-poetry-prize/
| 2022-04-26T21:18:27
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MADRID (AP) — The Spanish government passed a decree Tuesday aimed at boosting transparency in a monarchy still reeling from scandals involving King Felipe VI’s father, former King Juan Carlos I.
The government described the decree, approved at its weekly Cabinet meeting, as a step toward modernizing Spain’s royal house. The move comes a day after Felipe made public his personal assets of 2.6 million euros ($2.8 million) for the first time.
The decree will subject the accounts of the royal household to the scrutiny of Spain’s national Court of Auditors and require members of the royal family to declare any gifts they receive.
Félix Bolaños, who serves as Spain’s minister of the presidency and relations with parliament, said the decree was “an advance in transparency, accountability, exemplarity and efficiency that is aligned to the highest standards with other European royal houses.”
In recent years, allegations of financial wrongdoing involving Juan Carlos tarnished the reputation of Spain’s royal family. The most recent involved investigations into millions of dollars in foreign accounts and prompted the former king to leave Spain for the United Arab Emirates in 2020.
The palace said Monday that the unprecedented disclosure of Felipe’s estate was part of a wider push to make the monarchy “worthy of the respect and trust of its citizens.”
The palace said the king’s wealth was made up of around 2.3 million euros in savings, current accounts and securities. The rest is in art, antiques and jewelry.
The king does not have any real estate or any financial dealings abroad, a palace official said.
Felipe’s wealth stems from his earnings as king and those he received as heir-in-waiting to Juan Carlos, who abdicated in 2014. The palace said Felipe paid taxes on all of his earnings.
In 2020, Felipe renounced his personal inheritance from his father following the allegations of financial wrongdoings. Spanish and Swiss prosecutors have since shelved their investigations of Juan Carlos’ finances.
Juan Carlos, who helped steer Spain back to democracy following the death of dictator Gen. Francisco Franco in 1975, was once Spain’s most respected public figures. Scandals of one type or another involving the family began to mount in the later years of his reign.
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https://www.cbs42.com/local/spains-king-unveils-assets-amid-push-for-more-transparency/
| 2022-04-26T21:18:34
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NEW YORK (AP) — The quirky dance-pop outfit The B-52s are hitting the road one last time for a final tour this summer that will roam from coast to coast.
“No one likes to throw a party more than we do, but after almost a half-century on the road, it’s time for one last blow-out,” said Fred Schneider, co-founder and singer for the Athens, Georgia-based band, in a statement.
The band burst onto the New Wave scene in 1979 with songs like “Rock Lobster” and cracked the pop charts in the late ’80s with the party classics “Love Shack” and “Roam.”
Their North American farewell tour will visit 10 cities across the U.S., kicking off Aug. 22 in Seattle and ending Nov. 11 in Atlanta. Stops include Boston, Chicago, New York, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington D.C. Supporting the band will be The Tubes or KC & The Sunshine Band.
Tickets are available at The B-52s.com.
“Who knew what started as a way to have some fun and play music for our friends’ at house parties in Athens in 1977 would evolve into over 45 years of making music and touring the world. It’s been cosmic,” said co-founder Kate Pierson in a statement.
While the band may be saying goodbye from the road, the members are the subject of a documentary to be released in 2023 directed by Craig Johnson and produced by Fred Armisen.
___
Mark Kennedy is at http://twitter.com/KennedyTwits
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| 2022-04-26T21:18:41
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A year after starring in the Cannes Film Festival Palme d’Or winner “Titane,” French actor Vincent Lindon will preside over the jury deciding the top prize at this year’s festival.
The Cannes Film Festival announced Tuesday that Lindon will be jury president at next month’s festival in the south of France. Lindon won best actor at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival for his performance in “The Measure of a Man” and received raves at the 2021 edition for his performance in Julia Ducournau’s body horror thriller Palme-winning “Titane.”
The other jury members are: Rebecca Hall, the British actor and filmmaker; India star Deepika Padukone; Swedish actor Noomi Rapace; Italian actor-director Jasmine Trinca; the Oscar-winning Iranian filmmaker Asghar Farhadi; French director Ladj Ly; American filmmaker Jeff Nichols; and Norwegian director Joachim Trier, whose “The Worst Person in the World” was also a prize winner at last year’s Cannes.
The 75th Cannes Film Festival begins May 17 and culminates with presentation of the Palme d’Or on May 28.
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https://www.cbs42.com/local/titane-actor-vincent-lindon-to-lead-cannes-jury/
| 2022-04-26T21:18:48
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DALLAS — A North Texas police officer is currently being investigated after being accused of sexual assault while on the job, according to the Dallas Police Department.
On Saturday, April 23, a Dallas police officer was accused of sexual assault while on duty. The officer has been placed on administrative leave and the incident is under investigation.
An adult female is alleging that she was sexually assaulted by a Dallas Police officer when she requested a courtesy ride home, according to a police source.
The victim reportedly refused EMS after she called 911. The Dallas Fire Department did not transport her, a police source says.
The alleged assault happened in the 1100 block of Cesar Chavez.
The officer has not been arrested. The Dallas Police Department's public integrity unit is investigating.
Note: This story will continue to be updated as more information is released.
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FORT WORTH, Texas — Fort Worth describes itself as where the west begins, but after Tuesday, the city will also mark a new beginning as the first U.S. city to mine Bitcoin.
City council members passed a resolution Tuesday afternoon to accept three S9 Bitcoin mining machines from the Texas Blockchain Council, which the City said will run 24/7 mining the digital currency in the Information Technology Solutions Department Data Center at Fort Worth City Hall on a private network.
“With blockchain technology and cryptocurrency revolutionizing the financial landscape, we want to transform Fort Worth into a tech-friendly city," said Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker.
“Today, with the support and partnership of Texas Blockchain Council, we’re stepping into that world on a small scale while sending a big message – Fort Worth is where the future begins,” the Mayor added. “These small but powerful machines mark Fort Worth’s larger commitment to becoming a leading hub for technology and innovation.”
The passed resolution states the three machines were a conditional donation for the city to demonstrate its support of the cryptocurrency industry through a limited pilot program, and that the city desires to be a jurisdiction of choice to the industry.
The machines have a total approximate value of $2,100, the resolution adds, and they are condition upon the city using the machines for mining Bitcoin. Should the city permanently terminate the use of the machines, it would automatically revert to the Texas Blockchain Council.
“Texas is increasingly being recognized as the global leader in Bitcoin and blockchain, and Fort Worth will have a seat at that table,” Fort Worth Economic Development Director Robert Sturns said. “The pioneering spirit is alive and well in Fort Worth, and with this program we will attract dynamic companies that share in this vision for the future.”
With only three machines being used, the City said it will be able to responsibly assess and use a city Bitcoin mining program at a manageable scale and will further evaluate the program after six months.
Each machine will consume about the same amount of energy as a household vacuum cleaner, the City added, with the needed energy expected to be offset by the value of mined Bitcoin.
Bitcoin mining is how new bitcoins are entered into circulation, the City stated. Complex hardware solves an extremely large computational math problem, with the first computer to find the solution receiving the next block of bitcoins. Then, rinse and repeat.
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| 2022-04-26T21:20:26
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DALLAS — Editor's note: The above video is from a story that previously aired. Be sure to watch 'Banking Below 30' tonight on WFAA at 10.
For Mekeyas Newaye, the cost of buying a first home always seemed a little too far out of reach.
“When you're in ministry and your wife's a teacher and you have kids, you're like, ‘How am I going to be able to afford this?’” he said.
But then, he and his wife found a place called The Bottom. Located east of Interstate 35 and just south of the Trinity River levee, it was first settled in 1845 as a community for newly-freed slaves. Today, it's a housing development. About 100 new homes will rise from the empty lot, with 51 of them set aside as affordable housing for families with a max income of $71,200.
“Every month you're witnessing growth, you're witnessing resurrection,” Newaye said. “You're almost drawn to saying, ‘Oh, wow, I'm a part of something.’”
In our Banking Below 30 series, we've shown you how many banks avoid lending money in Dallas' Black and Hispanic neighborhoods – blocking minority families from building wealth.
Then we heard about banks lending money in The Bottom. We wondered, what would convince a risk-averse bank to lend money in a high-minority, low-income neighborhood with crumbling infrastructure where hardly anything's been built in more than 50 years?
“I see hope,” Effie Dennison, director of community development and corporate responsibility at Texas Capital Bank said. “I see a dream coming to fruition.”
In a previous story, we reported that Texas Capital participates with other banks to lend hundreds of millions of dollars to high-cost lenders that, critics say, prey on minority neighborhoods.
But here in The Bottom, Texas Capital was the first to make a loan. Though the amount is undisclosed – Dennison describes it as a line of credit in "the millions" that funds construction of new homes – Dennison says banks have an obligation to look for these kinds of deals in the minority neighborhoods below I-30 in Southern Dallas.
“You cannot do that sitting in your desk and think it's going to just come and fall in your lap,” she said.
Dennison said one reason the bank felt comfortable lending here is the city of Dallas made it attractive by pouring in its own money: $2.4 million given to developers to buy up lots and make neighborhood improvements; and $5.25 million spent on digging new sewer lines, paving roads and installing street lights.
“This investment is one that we see as good business, not a charity,” Dennison said. “This loan had to underwrite just like any other, but we knew that we had to look at it from a different lens.”
Does that mean that the bank will accept making less money in The Bottom compared to an investment in Prosper or Plano, for instance?
“We're really looking at the overall impact of what we're doing,” Dennison said. “This is our legacy, too.”
They're building about 10 houses a year in The Bottom and they are being built by small Black builders, like Calvin Berry. In his career, he’s built about 300 homes, but even someone as experienced as him struggles to find a bank willing to make construction loans.
“We have to go take a mortgage out on our home,” he said. “You mortgage your own home to go build a home … because the bank is not going to give you the money.”
Berry doesn't need a bank on this job because he's been hired as a contractor. Collecting a paycheck is much less profitable for him, but he hopes his work here will lead to better banking relationships – so he can get his own loans to build his own houses in other parts of town.
“You can't get anywhere without the opportunity,” Berry said. “Even if I have got to work a little harder… it affords me some connections that I might not have had, you know, but I'm here again."
For Newaye, it wasn't just the affordable selling price that enabled him to buy his home in The Bottom. It was also Bank of America.
Previously, we reported about how few loans some banks make in the neighborhoods surrounding their Southern Dallas branches. That includes Bank of America. Near Fair Park, it made 19 home loans over the course of two years. However, in a similarly-sized area in Dallas’ Lakewood neighborhood above I-30, it made 143 loans in that same time.
But Newaye had a different experience. For his loan, Bank of America gave him cash to meet his down payment and a discount on his closing fees.
Bank of America said this is part of an initiative to help 60,000 low- to moderate-income families buy homes by 2025, and strengthen neighborhoods.
Being able to go from renter to homeowner is life changing, Newaye said.
“I think homeowners, especially for a family, it's something deeper,” he said. “You get to say, ‘Every little bit of this home is mine, and I don't have to worry about, are we going to … move to another apartment?’”
City leaders say there is an urgent need for 20,000 units of affordable housing in Dallas. When it is built, it’s mostly apartments. But it's home ownership that truly impacts lives – sending ripples of confidence out into a community. And that kind of change doesn't happen without a bank that's willing to lend.
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| 2022-04-26T21:20:33
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DECATUR, Texas — Imagine this: You're sitting on the couch, watching the Dallas Mavericks play against the Utah Jazz in the NBA Playoffs and you leave your spot for 10 minutes to eat some some pizza.
When you come back, there's a coiled-up rattlesnake on the very couch you were just sitting on.
And it's not just staring back at you. It's rattling, too.
Jacob Gamble of Decatur, Texas, knows this experience firsthand. And he shared to social media the harrowing video that showed his encounter with a highly venomous snake, which claimed his family couch during Game 3 of the Mavericks-Jazz series last Thursday night.
Decatur is located northwest of Fort Worth.
"Do not get close to that thing!" Gamble's daughter can be heard saying to him in the video as the snake rattled its tail upon his approach. "Oh my God, dad! Stop!"
Gamble posted the video of the rattlesnake in a popular private North Texas Facebook group titled "What kind of snake is this? North Texas Educational Group" and it quickly went viral from there.
Wrote Gamble in his post: "Decatur, TX east of town off 380. We were sitting there 10 min earlier watching the Mavs and went inside to grab some pizza. When I came back out it politely warned me that that was it's spot now."
WFAA spoke with Gamble over the phone on Tuesday after he sent us the video. Gamble said he and his family have lived in Decatur for about three years -- and they have never had an experience like this.
Gamble said he was watching the game outdoors, sitting on the couch in his family's open back patio area, when his daughter came home at around 8:30 p.m. after picking up pizza from a local spot called Joe's Pizza & Pasta.
At that point, the Gamble family all went inside to eat. When they finished, Gamble said, they came back outside to the patio to find the rattle snake sitting in their place.
The humor isn't lost on Gamble that the snake appeared in front of a couch bearing the words "Live the life you imagined."
Alas, the snake's life ended shortly after the recording stopped, according to Gamble, who said he shot and killed the venomous rattlesnake before disposing of its body later in the night.
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| 2022-04-26T21:20:39
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Salina Symphony brings in fifth candidate for conductor; pianist Lorraine Min featured
Pianist Lorraine Min featured
It took “Just One Look” for Vlad Vizireanu to know that conducting was in his future.
When this Romanian native was about 3 years old, his parents bought a vinyl record for him, a recording of popular American singer Linda Ronstadt’s rendition of the song “Just One Look.”
“My parents put headphones on me that were three times the size of my head, and I played that record nonstop, basically bobbing my head back and forth to the music,” Vizireanu said. “It was my first experience as a conductor. Music has always been a very physical process for me.”
Vizireanu is the fifth and final candidate auditioning for the position of conductor and music director of the Salina Symphony. His concert, “Symphonic Dances,” will begin at 4 p.m. May 1 at the Stiefel Theatre for the Performing Arts.
The program will include a performance of Rachmaninoff’s dynamic “Symphonic Dances,” a contemporary composition entitled “Mothership” by composer Mason Bates, and Tchaikovsky’s passionate “Piano Concerto No. 1,” featuring guest pianist Lorraine Min.
Vizireanu and Min will give a pre-concert talk at 3 p.m. May 1 in the Stiefel Theatre’s Watson Room. Doors open at 2:30 p.m.
Choosing the right conductor
After Vizireanu’s concert comes the most difficult part of the Salina Symphony’s 2021-2022 season: deciding which of the five finalists – Devin Patrick Hughes, Melisse Brunet, Yaniv Segal, Yaniv Attar or Vlad Vizireanu – will be the Symphony’s permanent conductor and music director.
Adrienne Allen, executive director of the Salina Symphony, expects the decision to be made in early May.
“The search season and the privilege of working with each of our talented finalists has been an incredible experience for our staff, musicians and audience,” she said. “We are thrilled to be nearing the end of the process and look forward to the next era under our new artistic leader.”
Vizireanu shares skills
Although he has conducted professional orchestras worldwide, Vizireanu said he was ready to settle down in one location and “make an orchestra my own.”
“It was great to travel on a plane all the time and conduct without any responsibility,” he said. “But I’m getting to the point where I want to share my experience and skills with a group of people that I enjoy making music with. That was the impression I got with the Salina Symphony, that it seemed like a close-knit group of people who enjoy the process of making music together.”
Vizireanu hopes to make a memorable impression both with Salina Symphony musicians and audience members during his time here.
“I definitely feel like I’m anything but boring when I’m on the podium,” he said. “I think I’m going to be able to get some amazing sounds from the orchestra. For me, there’s nothing greater than going into a coffee house and have people come up and say, ‘that was a great concert last night.’”
While researching the Salina Symphony, Vizireanu said he also was impressed by the organization’s commitment to their youth orchestras and to the development of young musicians.
“There’s no bigger priority than getting youth involved and making music a major part of their lives,” he said. “It’s something you have to advocate for.”
A brighter future
Vizireanu was born in Romania and moved to the United States as a child with his mother in 1990.
“After the Soviet Union fell, it wasn’t the safest place to be anymore or the best place for a kid to have a brighter future,” he said. “So we moved to Los Angeles.”
Envisioning music as a career, Vizireanu, who also is a pianist and singer, received a master’s degree in conducting from Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music and a doctorate from Arizona State University. He also studied musicology and piano performance at the University of California Los Angeles.
A regular presence on the conducting competition circuit, Vizireanu came to international attention after winning second prize in the 2013 Cadaques Conducting Competition in a televised concert in Barcelona. He made his conducting debut with the London Symphony Orchestra as second prize winner in the 2016 Donatella Flick Competition.
Vizireanu also was invited to be one of 14 conductors, out of 400 applicants worldwide, to participate in the renowned Mahler Conducting Competition with the Bamberg Symphony.
Now a regular guest conductor in the U.S. and Europe, Vizireanu recently was appointed principal guest conductor of the Ploiesti Philharmonic in Romania. He also served as music director of the Knox Galesburg Symphony in Illinois and the North Shore Symphony in New York.
An advocate of new music, Vizireanu is founder and executive director of Impulse New Music Festival, which brings together young composers and instrumentalists to study and perform new compositions.
While working with such diverse orchestras and music ensembles has been an exhilarating experience for Vizireanu, he said it also puts a lot of pressure on a young conductor.
“Fully professional orchestras have some of the best players in the world who can do anything you ask of them, but because they’re at such a high level, they know they’re good,” he said with a laugh. “It demands a lot of a young conductor.”
Guest pianist, Lorraine Min
Working with acclaimed pianist Lorraine Min as a soloist on the Tchaikovsky piano concerto is a special treat for Vizireanu, who missed a previous opportunity to work with her while guest conducting an orchestra in March 2020.
“We know what happened then,” he said. “It got shut down, and I figured that was it.”
Born in Victoria and raised in Vancouver, Canada, Min studied on full scholarship at the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University. She received her master’s and doctoral degrees from the Juilliard School in New York City.
Min was the top-ranked Canadian pianist at age 19 in the Harveys Leeds and Busoni International Competitions, and laureate in the Van Cliburn Competition. She has performed extensively throughout the U.S. and Canada, as well as Germany, France, Italy, Switzerland, Australia, India, South America and the United Kingdom.
Being able to collaborate with Min on the Tchaikovsky piano concerto, Vizireanu said, was “one of the best pieces of news I received” when planning his Salina concert.
More than a luxury
Vizireanu said it is exhilarating to conduct again after so many live music events were canceled because of the COVID pandemic, and he hopes audiences will return to support dedicated orchestras like the Salina Symphony.
“The arts are more than a luxury,” he said. “They’re a crucial part of your life, even if you may not know it. I’m thrilled to be able to express myself as a musician again and to work with the Salina Symphony.”
Tickets for the May 1 concert may be purchased at the Stiefel Theatre box office at 785-827-1998 or online at www.salinasymphony.org. Single admission tickets are $29 or $39 for adults and $19 for students.
The Stiefel Theatre currently has suspended its COVID-19 vaccine/mask mandate for attendance.
For more information, contact the Salina Symphony office at 785-823-8309 or visit salinasymphony.org.
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https://www.salina.com/story/entertainment/local/2022/04/26/vlad-vizireanu-conducts-salina-symphony-orchestra-and-pianist-lorraine-min/7417205001/
| 2022-04-26T21:51:35
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https://www.salina.com/story/entertainment/local/2022/04/26/vlad-vizireanu-conducts-salina-symphony-orchestra-and-pianist-lorraine-min/7417205001/
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Mahoning County library cardholders can now check out iPads for free
SEBRING – Library cardholders can now borrow iPads for free.
The Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County recently rolled out a program that allows patrons to rent the devices for a three-week period.
The program aims to provide technology access to underserved members of the community.
"We saw that there was an incredible need for internet access and devices in our communities right now, and we saw that need growing over the course of the pandemic," said Maggie Henderson, strategic communications officer for the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County.
Alliance:Better late than never: Mount Union College alum returns library books from 1975
The library started a program in 2016 that enabled patrons to check out mobile Wi-Fi hotspots and use them to access the internet at home.
The mobile hotspots have been popular among patrons, Henderson said, and were the library's most checked out item in 2021.
"Since we launched that program, we noticed there was an increasingly long waitlist for these devices," she said.
Amid the pandemic, the library received roughly $171,000 in grant funding through a program created by the Federal Communications Commission to help cover the costs of laptops, tablets and other technology-related purchases.
Henderson said the library used the money to buy 50 new mobile Wi-Fi hotspots, 150 iPads and to offset the cost of the existing 144 hotspots.
The devices can be used "for school, for work, to pay bills, to connect you with family and friends or just for entertainment," she said.
The iPad rentals started about six weeks ago. Henderson said the program has been "a little bit slow going" and the library hopes to work with community partners to make more patrons aware of the opportunity.
Cindy Christani, supervisor at Sebring Public Library, said the village's branch permanently houses three iPads.
"They've been going out. Once the word has gotten out, the circulation has increased," she said.
One perk of the program, Christani said, is that patrons can take out iPads and mobile hotspots simultaneously.
Like library books, the tablets can be transferred between branches to meet the needs of different areas, Henderson said.
"They are in every branch," she said. "And if they are not currently in that branch, we can get one to that branch."
Reach Paige at 330-580-8577 or pmbennett@gannett.com, or on Twitter at @paigembenn.
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https://www.cantonrep.com/story/news/local/alliance/2022/04/26/public-library-youngstown-and-mahoning-county-offers-ipad-rentals/7386173001/
| 2022-04-26T21:58:03
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https://www.cantonrep.com/story/news/local/alliance/2022/04/26/public-library-youngstown-and-mahoning-county-offers-ipad-rentals/7386173001/
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Five police officers were injured on Long Island over the weekend when three New Jersey teenagers rammed their police vehicles with a stolen car, authorities said Tuesday.
Some of the officers may have suffered career-ending injuries during the confrontation on Sunday, Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder said at a news conference. All five officers were placed on medical leave because of their injuries, Ryder said.
Authorities said three teenagers, all from Newark, were arrested on charges including assault, grand larceny and criminal possession of a weapon, Newsday reported.
Officials said four police vehicles were damaged when the teens crashed a stolen car into them, and two of those vehicles were totaled. Police recovered a pistol and 15 rounds of ammunition from a Mercedes GLS 450 that had been reported stolen on Saturday, the officials said.
“They are hired guns by the gangs in Newark, New Jersey, they are loading them up, they are driving out here, they are committing crimes, they are reckless, they are dangerous, they are damaging our vehicles, they are hurting our cops,” Ryder said.
Two of the suspects are 16 years old and the third is 17 years old. It wasn’t clear if they had attorneys who could comment on the charges against them.
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/police-nj-teens-ram-car-into-ny-cop-cars-injuring-officers/3664486/
| 2022-04-26T22:10:52
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/police-nj-teens-ram-car-into-ny-cop-cars-injuring-officers/3664486/
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Body camera video captured a "rage-filled" retired police officer attacking one of the outnumbered police officers trying to hold off a mob of rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol, a federal prosecutor told jurors Tuesday.
But a defense attorney said another video from a different angle shows that former New York City police officer Thomas Webster acted in self-defense after a Metropolitan Police Department officer punched him first.
Jurors saw both videos at the start of Webster's trial, the first among dozens of cases in which a defendant is charged with assaulting police at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Hava Mirell also showed jurors a photo of Webster holding a U.S. Marine Corps flag on a metal pole in front of the Washington monument before the riot erupted.
“He is smiling in that photo, but that smile would soon turn to rage,” she said during the trial’s opening statements.
The prosecutor told jurors they will hear testimony from Noah Rathbun, the officer whom Webster is charged with assaulting with the flag pole.
Webster shoved a bike rack at Rathbun before swinging the flag pole at the officer in a downward chopping motion, striking a metal barricade in front of the officer, according to Mirell. After Rathbun grabbed the broken pole and retreated, Webster “hunkered down,” charged at the officer and tackled him to the ground, where Rathbun began to choke from the chin strap on his gas mask, the prosecutor said.
Defense attorney James Monroe accused Rathbun of using excessive force and provoking Webster by punching him in the face.
“The government didn't tell you about that,” Monroe told jurors.
Mirell said Rathbun stuck out an open palm to create space between him and Webster.
“But the defendant kept getting angrier and angrier,” she added.
U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta, who is presiding over Webster’s trial, said during a bond hearing last June that he didn't see Webster getting punched in the face on a video. The judge described Webster as an instigator.
“It was his conduct that sort of broke the dam, at least in that area,” Mehta said, according to a transcript.
Webster, now a self-employed landscaper, retired from the NYPD in 2011 after 20 years of service. He served in the Marine Corps in 1985, from 1989 before joining the NYPD in 1991. His department service included a stint on then-Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s private security detail.
Webster brought a gun when he traveled alone to Washington from his home in Florida, New York, a village in Orange County about 70 miles northwest of New York City. He wore his NYPD-issued bulletproof vest but says he left the pistol in his hotel room when he headed to the Jan. 6 rally where Trump spoke.
Webster faces six counts, including assaulting, resisting or impeding an officer using a dangerous weapon. He isn’t accused of entering the Capitol on Jan. 6.
“In his mind, this is a protest. He's not taking over any Capitol,” Monroe said. “He's there to have his voice heard.”
Monroe also has argued that Webster was exercising his First Amendment free speech rights when he shouted profanities at police that day. The defense lawyer suggested that Webster became upset because he saw others in the crowd who were injured and bleeding.
Webster's trial in the fourth before a jury and the sixth overall. The first three Capitol riot defendants to get a jury trial were convicted of all charges in their respective indictments.
In a pair of bench trials, a different federal judge heard testimony without a jury before acquitting one defendant and partially acquitting another.
More than 780 people have been charged with riot-related federal crimes. The Justice Department says over 245 of them have been charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. More than 250 riot defendants have pleaded guilty, mostly to nonviolent misdemeanors.
Jurors convicted two rioters of interfering with officers. One of the rioters, Thomas Robertson, was an off-duty police officer from Rocky Mount, Virginia. The other, Texas resident Guy Wesley Reffitt, also was convicted of storming the Capitol with a holstered handgun.
The third Capitol rioter to be convicted by a jury was Dustin Byron Thompson, an Ohio man who said he was following then-President Donald Trump’s orders.
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/trial-opens-for-rage-filled-former-nypd-officer-charged-in-capitol-riot/3664538/
| 2022-04-26T22:10:59
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/trial-opens-for-rage-filled-former-nypd-officer-charged-in-capitol-riot/3664538/
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Two people aboard a medical helicopter were killed Tuesday when the aircraft crashed in western New York, according to state police.
The Mercy Flight helicopter went down in the Genesee County town of Elba while on a training flight at about 1 p.m., Maj. Eugene Staniszewski said at a news conference.
The victims were believed to be the only people in the helicopter when it crashed. No patients were on board, authorities said.
A photo on the website of The Daily News of Batavia showed smoke rising from wreckage in a field.
Mercy Flight, based in Buffalo, transports patients to area hospitals in a Bell 429 helicopter, according to the not-for-profit company’s website. The twin-engine aircraft is housed at the Genesee County Airport.
That’s a little less than 3 miles (5 kilometers) from the crash site.
Staniszewski said the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board would investigate the cause of the accident. Weather did not appear to be a factor.
News
Downed power lines were visible near the wreckage but are not believed to have contributed, Staniszewski said.
“I don’t believe the lines caused the crash but the aircraft may have struck the lines on the way down,” he said.
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/two-killed-when-medical-helicopter-crashes-in-new-york/3664532/
| 2022-04-26T22:11:06
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/two-killed-when-medical-helicopter-crashes-in-new-york/3664532/
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PAINTED POST, N.Y. (WETM) – Local law enforcement is offering tips on how to keep your money, records, and most importantly, yourself safe during National Crime Victims Week.
The Painted Post Police Department and local Crime Victim advocate Elizabeth Covert announced that April 24-30 is National Crime Victims Week and offered a list of tips to protect online information, bank accounts and to help ensure your physical safety. In a statement, Covert and Painted Post Officer in Charge Shawn Copp said, “We have witnessed firsthand the tragic effects of crime and how heartbreaking it can be to see members of our community try to adjust and put their lives back together following a traumatic event, no matter how drastic or minimal they might be for the individuals involved.”
The PPPD gave the following list of tips to help prevent yourself from falling victim to various crimes:
- Keep personal information private
- Protect passwords, PINS, Usernames
- Be watchful of bank accounts and bank statements
- Buy a paper shredder
- Keep doors and windows locked; don’t answer the door for strangers
- Inform family and friends if you’ll be out of town
- Travel in groups, pay attention to your surroundings, and stay in well-lit, populated areas
- Have your keys ready when getting into your vehicle or house
- Don’t put your purse or wallet in your shopping cart
- Don’t carry extra cash
The Painted Post Police Department also said to be mindful of who falls victim to crimes most often. Adults in “deprived areas” are more likely to fall victim to crime in general. Young men around 20 years old are more likely to be victims of violent crime, according to police, and women are most likely to be victims of domestic violence.
National Crime Victims Week was established in 1981 and aims to “honor survivors and to promote crime victims’ rights and services,” according to the U.S. Department of Justice. The National Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) provides resources for crime victims to raise awareness about victims’ rights and protections.
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https://www.binghamtonhomepage.com/local/tips-to-prevent-falling-victim-to-money-violent-crime/
| 2022-04-26T22:23:37
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https://www.binghamtonhomepage.com/local/tips-to-prevent-falling-victim-to-money-violent-crime/
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The West Texas Food Bank on Tuesday received 4,960 pounds of apples from United Supermarkets and Market Street's Take a Bite Out of Hunger program.
The donation was part of a larger donation of more than 50,000 pounds of apples across Texas and New Mexico, according to a press release.
In the first 11 years of the Take a Bite Out of Hunger program, United Family stores have donated more than 500,000 pounds of apples and fed more than 167,000 families. Now in the 12th year, the company continues to add to that total.
"We are so proud to continue the tradition of the Take a Bite Out of Hunger donations to food banks across our communities," said Joseph Bunting, produce business director for the United Family. "Now in our 12th year of this program, we understand just how much these donations mean to the food banks and the families they serve."
Food Banks Receiving Donations:
West Texas Food Bank – Odessa/Midland
South Plains Food Bank – Lubbock
High Plains Food Bank – Amarillo
Food Bank of West Central Texas – Abilene
Minnies Food Pantry – Dallas
Concho Valley Regional Food Bank – San Angelo
Rust Street Ministries – San Angelo
Wichita Falls Area Food Bank – Wichita Falls
Food Bank of Eastern New Mexico – Clovis, New Mexico
Roadrunner Food Bank – Albuquerque, New Mexico
Storehouse Food Bank of NM – Albuquerque, New Mexico
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https://www.mrt.com/news/local/article/WTFB-receives-4K-pound-apple-donation-17128626.php
| 2022-04-26T22:29:00
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https://www.mrt.com/news/local/article/WTFB-receives-4K-pound-apple-donation-17128626.php
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DALLAS — If it feels like Mavs Jalen Brunson is playing at another level in this year's playoffs, it's because he actually is from a historical perspective.
The 25-year-old guard has 119 points and only two turnovers in his last four games. This is the most points over any four-game span with two or fewer turnovers in NBA playoff history, according to the Mavs.
The previous record was set by former Mavericks forward Shawn Marion, who had 114 points in a four-game span with only two turnovers when he was with the Phoenix Suns in the 2006 postseason.
Jalen Brunson is one of seven Mavericks all-time to have five straight games with at least 20 points in the playoffs. The other six players include:
- Luka Doncic
- Dirk Nowitzki
- Mark Aguirre
- Rolando Blackman
- Josh Howard
- Monta Ellis
Brunson also joins Mark Aguirre as the only Mavericks player to have at least 20 points in each of their first five career playoff starts, according to Elias Sports Bureau.
The Mavs currently lead the Utah Jazz 3-2 in a best-of-seven series after winning Game 5 102-77. The two teams will play Game 6 at the Vivint Arena in Utah on Thursday. The tipoff is at 9 p.m.
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https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/dallas-mavs-jalen-brunson-sets-nba-four-game-playoff-record/287-a69175fb-686a-46a7-8b20-68aea6f2131c
| 2022-04-26T23:04:09
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https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/dallas-mavs-jalen-brunson-sets-nba-four-game-playoff-record/287-a69175fb-686a-46a7-8b20-68aea6f2131c
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IRVING, Texas — Investigators are trying to determine what led to the overnight shooting and killing of a North Texas man, according to the Irving Police Department.
On Sunday around 4 a.m., Irving officers responded to an accident in the 10200 block of N. MacArthur Blvd. This is south of E. Belt Line Road and west of President George Bush Turnpike S.
When officers got to the scene, they found 19-year-old Devirea Smith lying outside his vehicle, a blue Hyundai Elantra, bleeding from a gunshot wound.
The Irving Fire Department took Smith to Baylor Grapevine where he was pronounced dead.
This investigation is in the early stages, and the Irving Police Department is asking anyone with information to contact them at 972-273-1010 and reference the above case number. People can also submit tips to ipdcrimetips@cityofirving.org.
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https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/irving-police-shooting-killing-19-year-old-man/287-6de5e3f7-96fc-46a8-be33-3429c2570a27
| 2022-04-26T23:04:15
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https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/irving-police-shooting-killing-19-year-old-man/287-6de5e3f7-96fc-46a8-be33-3429c2570a27
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WARSAW, Poland — Two parents from Prosper, which is north of Dallas, are going on their third week unable to leave Warsaw, Poland. They are geographic casualties of the war in Ukraine, whose two adopted sons were counting on starting their new lives by now in North Texas.
"We're exhausted," Lisa Mills admitted in a Monday morning Zoom call from their hotel in Warsaw.
"We try to just keep going day by day," said her husband Brad Mills.
Their exhaustion stemming from the bureaucratic limbo they're in from an adoption process they started two years ago.
Among the Ukrainian war refugees in Poland are two boys named Artem and Max. The Mills began the adoption process back in 2020. The COVID pandemic had a hand in slowing that process down.
But with the boys evacuated from their orphanage in Vinnytsia, Ukraine and transferred safely to a refugee camp in Poland, the Mills, believing they had all of the necessary documents signed and approved, traveled to Warsaw to pick up the boys. They were scheduled to fly back to Texas on April 14.
"We're stuck in Poland," Lisa Mills told WFAA. "We have no end in sight at when we can bring our boys home."
Ukrainian officials are demanding one final "transfer of custody" document be signed before they can leave. And, by law, that document is supposed to be signed by the orphanage director, a social worker and the Mills at the orphanage back in Vinnytsia. They said officials are demanding they sign the document in person at that location to finalize the adoption.
"To ask us to come back into a war zone with the kids doesn't seem the right thing to be doing at this point," Brad Mills said. "There's been no movement on that side to try to get this done in some other way with a war going on."
"They just want to go home. They ask us every day, 'When can we go home? Did they sign the paper today,'" Lisa Mills said of Artem, 14, and Max, 13, who are with them at their hotel in Warsaw. "They've been through enough!"
The Mills said they had a meeting with the visa chief from the U.S. Embassy in Warsaw and the Ukrainian Consulate on April 14. They were told the Ukrainian Consulate would ask the Ministry of Social Policy in Ukraine if they could sign the document at the Ukrainian Consulate in Warsaw. They still don't have an answer.
"Let's get them home," Lisa Mills said. "They have parents now. They have a family."
The Mills have three boys of their own at home in Prosper -- who bonded with Artem and Max when they visited Texas back in 2017. But now, stuck in bureaucratic limbo in Poland, the Mills and their two newest sons are desperate for a solution. The Mills said they were threatened with arrest if they tried to take the boys out of the country without that final document being signed.
"They're our boys. We're ready to get them home to be part of our family," said Brad Mills.
"We're just hoping someone somewhere can make a decision to just release us. We have every legal document we need. These are our boys granted to us by a court, legal and binding. All we need is this transfer of custody of document signed. Just one signature and we can bring these boys home," added Lisa Mills.
The Mills said the U.S. Department of State has reached out on their behalf to the Ukrainian Embassy. A GoFundMe page is helping with the hotel bills that keep piling up. But the exhausting and emotional wait continues.
"We just need someone to say yes and release these boys so they can go home," said Lisa Mills.
Home, in Texas, just one signature away.
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https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/north-texans-in-poland-waiting-for-adoption-approval-as-ukraine-russia-war-continues/287-aa5b1dbf-721e-4fe2-b2c4-6abf9549ebd3
| 2022-04-26T23:04:21
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https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/north-texans-in-poland-waiting-for-adoption-approval-as-ukraine-russia-war-continues/287-aa5b1dbf-721e-4fe2-b2c4-6abf9549ebd3
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PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Three-time Grammy Award-winning band Maroon 5 will stop in the Rose City this summer.
According to the Rose Quarter’s website, the tour will hit cities throughout Canada and North America. The band is known for songs such as, “Payphone,” “Moves Like Jagger” and “Cold.”
Adam Levine, the band’s lead singer, has also appeared as a judge on the undiscovered talent show called, “The Voice.”
According to the website, a special Maroon 5 fan club pre-sale launches at 10 a.m. on April 26, while Spotify and LiveNation presales start on April 27 at 10 a.m., followed by presales on April 28 at 10 a.m.
Tickets for the newly added shows go on sale to the public this Friday, April 29 at 10 a.m. The concert is set for Saturday, July 30 at the Moda Center in Portland.
You can find more information on tickets here.
Another popular artist, Lizzo, will also make a stop in Portland this year.
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https://www.koin.com/local/multnomah-county/maroon-5-heads-to-portland-for-2022-world-tour/
| 2022-04-26T23:16:55
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https://www.koin.com/local/multnomah-county/maroon-5-heads-to-portland-for-2022-world-tour/
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PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — After nearly a year of driver shortages, TriMet has announced the agency will raise starting pay and increase hiring bonuses for newly hired bus operators beginning April 22.
As of Tuesday, the public transit agency said it will bump up the starting pay for new drivers to $25.24 per hour, and raise the sign-on bonus to $7,500 — a $4,000 increase from the amount previously offered by TriMet.
The increased financial incentives are part of an ongoing effort by TriMet to onboard new drivers, following continued staff shortages and subsequent route adjustments amid the pandemic.
“TriMet must hire more than 300 operators to bring staffing levels back to where they were before the COVID-19 pandemic,” TriMet stated in a release Tuesday. “Recent incentives have resulted in more applications coming in, but it hasn’t been enough to reverse the most severe staffing shortage in agency history.”
The announcement comes less than a month after TriMet increased the hiring bonus to $3,500 on March 28. At that time, the starting pay was listed at $21.84, nearly $4 less per hour than what the agency is currently offering new operators.
Along with the bump in pay, the agency said it will continue to offer new operators a fully paid, seven-week training course, during which the prospective drivers will work 40-hours a week at the new starting rate and will have the opportunity to earn their Commercial Driver License (CDL) certification.
In addition to helping the agency bounce back from labor market challenges, TriMet said hiring more operators will be necessary to restore service for the many locals who rely on the public transit system.
“In January, we temporarily reduced bus service by about 9% as a direct result of the operator shortage. That’s on top of the 10% service cut due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” TriMet said. “Bringing more operators on board is critical, not only to restore TriMet service to pre-pandemic levels but also to service expansion opportunities in the future. We are currently in a phase of continuous hiring, with recruitment efforts extending beyond our tri-county service area to include Washington, California, Arizona, and Nevada.”
According to TriMet, higher pay and bonuses are just the beginning, as the agency also offers a comprehensive benefits package, including low and no-cost health, life, and disability insurance, as well as paid vacation and sick time, and a retirement account.
While TriMet does not require prior experience to apply, potential new operators must have a high school diploma or GED equivalent, a valid driver’s license for at least three years, and a three-year clean driving record to be eligible.
“TriMet relies and depends on our people,” the agency said. “As we look to add back service that was reduced during the pandemic and due to the operator shortage, we’re committed to rebuilding the team that’s kept the Portland metro region moving for more than 50 years.”
For more details regarding applications, role requirements and incentives, click here.
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https://www.koin.com/local/multnomah-county/trimet-ups-new-driver-pay-sign-on-bonus-amid-severe-staff-shortage/
| 2022-04-26T23:17:01
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Bossier City mayor names new police chief
On a bright sunny Tuesday afternoon Bossier City Mayor met with the public outside the Bossier City Police headquarters to announce the new police chief.
"Today is a great day in the city of Bossier City," Mayor Tommy Chandler said.
Chandler named Chris Estess as the Bossier City Police Chief.
Former Bossier City Police Chief Shane McWilliams retired after 29 years of service on Jan. 3.
On July 6, 2021, Chandler designated Sgt. Chris Estess as director of police operations.
Estess has been serving as Substitute Chief of Police since McWilliams was placed on paid administrative leave on July 6, pending an internal affairs investigation.
More:Former Bossier City Chief of Police Shane McWilliams placed on administrative leave
"I'm eternally grateful for this opportunity to serve our community. I've been with Bossier City Police Department since April 13 1998. During that time, I've had various assignments. Some of those had been patrol, street crimes, canine, internal affairs and a member of the SWAT team for a period of 10 years. I'm honored today to have been pinned by my mentor and boss who gave me a shot April 13, 1998," Estess said.
Makenzie Boucher is a reporter with the Shreveport Times. Contact her at mboucher@gannett.com.
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https://www.shreveporttimes.com/story/news/local/2022/04/26/bossier-city-mayor-names-new-police-chief/7449865001/
| 2022-04-26T23:37:50
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https://www.shreveporttimes.com/story/news/local/2022/04/26/bossier-city-mayor-names-new-police-chief/7449865001/
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A Brooklyn man was arrested and charged in connection to a shooting that temporarily shut down the American Dream Mall in New Jersey earlier in April
New Jersey State Police said that 20-year-old Anwar Stuart shot a man during an attempted robbery inside the East Rutherford megamall during the evening of April 7. A preliminary investigation determined the shooting occurred on the second floor of the mall, state police said previously.
Troopers who arrived at the scene, one man was found with a gunshot wound. The 37-year-old victim was taken to a nearby hospital with serious injuries.
The American Dream Mall was placed on lockdown temporarily and led to a significant police response, but was reopened for shoppers on Friday.
Detectives determined that the shooting stemmed from an attempted robbery. Stuart was arrested Monday at his home in Brooklyn by officers from the NJ State Police, NYPD and U.S. Marshalls Service/NJ Regional Fugitive Task Force.
Stuart was charged with attempted murder, attempted robbery, conspiracy and weapon possession charges. He was held at Rikers Island before being extradited to New Jersey.
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An investigation remains ongoing.
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/suspect-in-american-dream-mall-shooting-arrested-faces-attempted-murder-charge/3664677/
| 2022-04-26T23:42:09
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/suspect-in-american-dream-mall-shooting-arrested-faces-attempted-murder-charge/3664677/
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Visitors walk through the new Bel-Air Center and Pro Shop following a ribbon cutting ceremony to officially open the two new facilities on April 26, 2022. Planning for the new facility began more than three years ago.
Tupelo Mayor Todd Jordan thanks past mayors and city council members for the new Bel-Air center and pro shop that he got to officially open Tuesday afternoon.
This photo shows the front of the new Bel-Air Center.
Thomas Wells | Daily Journal
Visitors walk through the new Bel-Air Center and Pro Shop following a ribbon cutting ceremony to officially open the two new facilities on April 26, 2022. Planning for the new facility began more than three years ago.
Thomas Wells | Daily Journal
Tupelo Mayor Todd Jordan thanks past mayors and city council members for the new Bel-Air center and pro shop that he got to officially open Tuesday afternoon.
Thomas Wells | Daily Journal
Tupelo council woman Janet Gatson walks through the Bel-Air Center before its official ribbon cutting ceremony Tuesday afternoon.
TUPELO • After a year of construction and three years of total work, the Tupelo officials have officially cut the ribbon the new Bel-Air Center and Pro Shop.
A crowd of more than 50 residents and city officials gathered at the Bel-Air Center on Country Club Road on Tuesday to celebrate the grand re-opening of the buildings. Tupelo Parks and Recreation Director Alex Farned said he was happy to see the project completed after three years of groundwork.
“I could not be more pleased with the turnout today,” he said. “This is probably one of the best projects I’ve ever been a part of.”
With the construction completed, Farned the city will open the center to the community for rent, including a bridge club, line dance group and “therapeutic events” using the space in the coming weeks.
Tupelo Mayor Todd Jordan and Farned both thanked the previous administration for their effort to get the ball rolling on the project.
“They were the ones that really wanted to see this project completed,” Jordan said. “ Today is the day we can all come together appreciate (the center).”
Ward 1 Councilman Chad Mims, who grew up near the golf course, said he was excited to see the project completed and is ready to see it being used.
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“To think we could be standing next to a facility like this is a dream,” he said. “I think it is going to be something that will be utilized.”
Mims has advocated for renovations to the Bel-Air Golf Course since he began campaigning for his seat on the city board. He said he would continue to focus on seeing the nine-hole course revitalized in the coming months.
Affixed to the back patio of the Pro Shop is a plaque memorializing former Ward 1 Councilman Richard “Dick” Hill. Farned said Hill aided the city in designing the new facility, but died in 2019.
“When we first drew (the plans), make it so you can look out at this ninth green because that is what makes this place,” Farned said, pointing to the fairway. “What better way to honor him than this. This, right here, is where he wanted to be.”
With the Bel-Air Center project complete, Farned said he would set his sights on securing funds for renovations to Ballard Park Skate Park. That project stalled after the council rejected two bids that came in over the city’s budget.
“I am going to be at the council’s will now except for trying to get the skate park,” Farned said. “July and August, we will probably start having discussions about future projects.”
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https://www.djournal.com/news/local/tupelo-officials-cut-ribbon-on-bel-air-center-golf-shop/article_d516767a-ddc7-5d86-b9d0-5e0a89ce1248.html
| 2022-04-26T23:59:33
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https://www.djournal.com/news/local/tupelo-officials-cut-ribbon-on-bel-air-center-golf-shop/article_d516767a-ddc7-5d86-b9d0-5e0a89ce1248.html
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Former Crystal Geyser bottling plant project's EIR overturned in a win for tribe, activists
An environmental group and Native American tribe are celebrating after a recent court ruling that reversed the approval of the environmental impact report for a water bottling project in Mount Shasta that was abandoned a year ago.
The Crystal Geyser Water bottling plant was sold in March to a San Francisco Bay Area group for $7.15 million and the deed states the property can’t be used for manufacturing, distribution and sale of water bottling products.
The sale came about a year after Crystal Geyser said it would not move forward with the controversial project.
Still, opponents of the defunct project said it was important that the legal case against the project’s EIR continue to ensure it would not remain valid.
Raven Stevens of We Advocate Thorough Environmental Review (W.A.T.E.R) pointed out that the deed also gives Crystal Geyser the first right to purchase the property back should the new owners decide to turn around and sell it.
“They could turn around and be back in business, so with the win in court, they are not back in business,” Stevens said.
The state's 3rd District Court of Appeal agreed with W.A.T.E.R. and the Winnemem Wintu Tribe that the environmental review done by Siskiyou County was inadequate under the California Environmental Quality Act.
“We agree that the County defined the project’s objectives in an overly narrow manner. Second, we also agree that the County’s process for evaluating the project’s impacts to climate change was flawed,” the court’s decision read in part.
The court noted that Siskiyou County officials initially said that the bottling plant project would result in greenhouse gas emissions of a certain amount, but after the public comment period ended, the county “disclosed that the project would actually result in emissions nearly double what it initially estimated.”
Because of this, the county should have allowed the public more opportunity to comment on the project, the court said in its decision to reverse the EIR approval.
The two groups also challenged the city of Mount Shasta's approval of the wastewater permit for the project.
"The City should have made certain findings under CEQA before issuing the wastewater permit," the court stated in reversing the city's approval.
“This kind of project sets the wrong precedence in our area,” said Stevens, who has lived in greater Mount Shasta since 2006.
These kinds of industrial projects that extract resources from the area to operate are “dinosaurs,” she added.
Mark Miyoshi, tribal historic preservation officer for the Winnemem Wintu Tribe, agreed it was important to invalidate the EIR.
“That EIR would have actually been very valuable because that EIR could have been passed on to a new owner,” said Miyoshi, who lives in Mount Shasta.
Meanwhile, Shasta LLC, the new owner, has not announced its plans for the former water bottling plant building and surrounding properties.
John Troughton, of Kennedy Wilson, who helped broker the sale, has said the new owners will lease it out, marketing it for distribution and manufacturing.
“We are keeping our tabs on it and trying to meet with the new owners, or at least their agents,” Miyoshi said.
“I know that the public will be watching very closely,” Stevens said.
David Benda covers business, development and anything else that comes up for the USA TODAY Network in Redding. He also writes the weekly "Buzz on the Street" column. He’s part of a team of dedicated reporters that investigate wrongdoing, cover breaking news and tell other stories about your community. Reach him on Twitter @DavidBenda_RS or by phone at 1-530-225-8219. To support and sustain this work, please subscribe today.
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https://www.redding.com/story/news/local/2022/04/26/crystal-geyser-plant-eir-mount-shasta-overturned-court/7445847001/
| 2022-04-27T00:09:10
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State announces $3.4 million to renovate Renkert Building, will become a Marriott hotel
CANTON – Gov. Mike DeWine visited Canton Tuesday to announce a $3.4 million grant for the Renkert Building renovation.
The money is part of the first $60 million awarded from the new Ohio Brownfield Remediation Program. Canton's portion will be used to remove asbestos from the Renkert Building, which will become the Century Plaza Hotel and operate under the Marriott brand.
"The money that the legislature has passed, and that we work with them on, is going to be used throughout the state of Ohio," DeWine said. "Asbestos removal is certainly very expensive and really, in this case, put a stop to an ambitious plan to save the vacant building and develop it."
According to the Ohio Department of Development, a brownfield is "an abandoned, idled, or under-used industrial, commercial, or institutional property where expansion or redevelopment is complicated by known or potential releases of hazardous substances or petroleum."
The most recent grant brings the total state funding to $12.6 million — with previous awards of $4.2 million from the Transformational Mixed-Use Development Program and $5 million in historic preservation tax credits.
It's expected to cost a total of $42 million to renovate the city's first skyscraper into a 92-room extended stay hotel with a restaurant and event space.
Canton's Renkert Building to become a Marriott hotel
Developers Steve Coon, of Coon Restoration & Sealants, and David Crisafi, of Ceres Enterprises, announced that the hotel would be a Marriott at the press conference. They joined state legislators and local officials in Centennial Plaza, which is across the street from the Renkert Building.
"When our city smiles it looks great, but our front tooth was missing," Coon said. "And that front tooth is right behind us."
Mayor Thomas Bernabei called the day "another important step in our redevelopment of the Renkert Building." He said the city has been working with developers for three years after the Downtown Canton Land Bank purchased the building at auction in 2018.
"The redevelopment of the Renkert Building is very very important to downtown Canton, particularly because it is immediately right across the street from Centennial Plaza, which is our preeminent downtown space in Canton," he said. "We are slowly but surely accruing public funds to assist in the redevelopment."
Jeff Dafler, president of the Downtown Canton Land Bank, said the project does not yet have a timeline for completion. Overall, it's an example of how partnerships between public, private and nonprofit entities can propel development.
"We use this as a model and we continue to move forward," he said.
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https://www.cantonrep.com/story/news/local/canton/2022/04/26/gov-mike-dewine-announces-3-4-million-renovate-renkert-building/7445047001/
| 2022-04-27T00:17:23
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PORTLAND, Ore. — April 26 is the last day to register to vote or update your party affiliation before Oregon's May primary election. Choosing a party affiliation is particularly important if voters want to vote in partisan primary races.
Oregon has closed primaries, meaning only registered Democrats can vote in the Democratic primary and only registered Republicans can vote in the Republican primary.
Unaffiliated voters and those registered to another party receive ballots without those party-specific races. All primary ballots contain nonpartisan races, like judges and local measures.
Elections are run by individual states, and Oregon is one of only nine states in the country that still have completely closed primaries — meaning you must be a member of a political party to vote in one, no exceptions.
What's the thinking behind this? There are arguments for and against closed primaries. Some say closed primaries prevent "crossover voting" — for example, a Republican voter voting against a Democrat they don't like in the primary to try to keep them off the general election ballot. Others argue it forces candidates to take more extreme positions to cater to the fringe voters in their own party, which keeps more moderate candidates from advancing to the general election.
A group called Oregon Open Primaries is trying to get an initiative on the November 2022 ballot which would amend the state constitution and allow open primaries for statewide and federal offices. The group is still collecting signatures and needs almost 150,000 for the measure to make it onto the ballot.
Oregon voters rejected similar ballot measures in 2014 and 2008.
Voters receiving their primary ballots may wonder why they don't see one particular candidate, Betsy Johnson. Johnson, who served in the Oregon Senate as a Democrat, is running for governor as an unaffiliated candidate, which means she will appear on the general election ballot but does not participate in a primary.
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https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/the-story/oregons-closed-primaries/283-92c30fff-0dad-4c56-a47c-8a9611e53f43
| 2022-04-27T00:21:58
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See you later: Palm Coast gator gets new home after showing up at apartment door
An alligator has a new home after it showed up uninvited at the front door of an apartment complex in Town Center in Palm Coast.
While this is mating season for the reptiles, there’s no telling whether this was an amorous alligator lost while looking for a date.
The approximately 6-foot alligator was reported shortly before 10 p.m. at 121 Brookhaven Court S. in the Reserve at Brookhaven apartment complex in Town Center, according to dispatch notes from the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.
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The size of the gator was initially reported as 3 feet, but it turned out to be about twice that long, according to the dispatch notes.
The caller originally reported the gator was in the driveway, but the animal made its way up the driveway at some point and was hanging around the front door of the residence, according to video released by the sheriff’s office.
The Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission was notified and the gator was captured and released in a lake off Town Center Boulevard, the notes indicated.
Alligator courtship begins in early April and mating occurs in May or June, according to an email from FWC spokesman Chad Weber.
But the greater visibility of alligators in the spring is due to warmer weather, which raises the reptiles’ metabolism and they start looking for food, Weber wrote.
“Only in rare circumstances are alligator mating and nesting associated with human/alligator conflict,” Weber wrote.
Safety tips from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
If you come across an alligator that you believe is a threat to people, pets or property, call the Nuisance Alligator Hotline at 866-392-4286 or 866-FWC-GATOR.
Be aware that alligators may be in or near fresh or brackish water. Pay attention to your surroundings when working or playing in or near water.
Swim only in designated swimming areas during daylight hours and without your pet. Alligators are most active between dusk and dawn so avoid swimming at night.
Dogs and cats are similar in size to alligators’ natural prey, so keep pets away from waters that may contain alligators.
State law prohibits killing, harassing or possessing alligators. Handling even a small alligator can result in an injury.
It is illegal and dangerous to feed alligators.
The FWC receives nearly 16,000 alligator-related complaints per year, mostly about alligators showing up in backyard ponds and canals or entering garages, swimming pools or ponds in golf courses. About 7,000 nuisance alligators are killed each year.
Florida has averaged about five cases involving alligators biting people without provocation per year since 1948 with the total since then at a little more than 300 such bites. Of those cases, 22 resulted in deaths.
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https://www.news-journalonline.com/story/news/local/flagler/2022/04/26/palm-coast-alligator-gets-new-home-after-showing-up-apartment-door/9543111002/
| 2022-04-27T00:31:31
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Mayor Jorge Elorza unveils Providence budget proposal with 4% increase in tax levy
PROVIDENCE — Mayor Jorge Elorza on Tuesday unveiled his budget for fiscal year 2023, with a plan to collect nearly 4% more in property taxes.
As the Chief Financial Officer Lawrence Mancini explained, this year properties will be revalued throughout the city, with most likely to increase in value. So although the residential tax rate will decrease by nearly 25%, to $18.50 per $1,000 of valuation, the city will collect more in taxes.
Owner-occupied properties will receive a 45% homestead exemption, up from 40% this year.
City officials did not immediately explain how many residents would be impacted, but the city is aiming to collect between $13 million and $14 million to go into its $567.3-million budget, a total spending increase of more than 5% over the current year.
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Public safety is the biggest spending category at $201 million, roughly divided between the Police Department, which would receive about $100.3 million, and the Fire Department, which would receive about $87.8 million.
'It's a gamble':Providence mayoral contenders weigh Elorza's plan to fix pension crisis
The police budget has been boosted by roughly 9%, though funding for its 71st training academy has been set at about $1.5 million – slightly more than half of last year’s proposal – to be spent on salaries, uniforms and testing expenses for 50 recruits. The class is expected to begin in either fall or winter.
Though Elorza touted the size of the Police Department, nothing that by the year's end, there will be about 480 officers on the force, he contended that crime is actually not very high.
"While there is a perception that crime is the worst it has ever been, the reality is that violent crime, as a whole, is down to some of the lowest levels in modern history," the mayor said, adding that residents' "risk of being the victim of a random crime is lower today than it has perhaps ever been."
Elorza is also planning to allocate about $721,000 on a crisis-response program, a city initiative to develop a specialized team complete with clinicians to handle 911 calls related to behavioral health. A request for proposals from organizations interested in participating recently closed on April 11, and the winning bid has yet to be announced.
The city additionally plans to invest heavily in infrastructure, with $30 million for a new Department of Public Works building that the mayor described as "long overdue." The budget allocates another $5 million to the Upper South Providence/Trinity Square Complex, $4 million to Kennedy Plaza and $3 million to Roger Williams Park. Broadly, the funds will be used for investments such as repairs, design and construction.
The city plans to contribute more than $130 million to the Providence Public School District, which Elorza acknowledged has “struggled” but has “some bright spots” such as its public charter schools expansion. The city is already investing $160 million in school construction with funds that have already been approved.
The full budget will be posted on the city's website, and is subject to City Council approval.
Notably, this marked the final budget address of Elorza's mayoral term, which included sentimental and reflective remarks interspersed with loud cheers from the crowd in the council chamber.
“As I sign off from this platform for the last time, I want to make two emphatic points," Elorza said. "First, I pledge to bring the same intensity and dedication to my job over these last eight months as I have brought for seven full years; we’re going to sprint to the finish line. And second, I state unequivocally that the state of our city is strong and it’s poised for even more greatness in the years ahead.”
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https://www.providencejournal.com/story/news/local/2022/04/26/providence-ri-budget-proposal-4-percent-tax-revenue-boost-mayor-jorge-elorza/9542631002/
| 2022-04-27T00:35:51
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Evictions loom: Rally at the State House calling for help as RI seasonal housing aid ends
NEWPORT – Khy Jones will put his belongings in storage this week as he prepares to leave the room at Motel 6 that has long been his home. He plans to sleep from house to house with friends after he leaves Friday – that is, until he lands an apartment he can afford.
Jones’s room is one of 11 that will be vacated by May 15 following eviction proceedings Monday in District Court. He and the other households have been staying at the Motel 6 since December as part of a temporary, seasonal program to house folks experiencing homelessness through an agreement between Newport Mental Health and the hotel. The deal expired earlier this month.
Jones has decided to leave before mid-May.
“I just chose to get out of there. I didn’t want to stay there and get re-comfortable,” Jones, 49, said. He’s hoping to find a landlord who believes in second chances, given his felony record.
“It hurts me bad, because if they don’t do a background check, they do a credit check,” said Jones, who works in construction to help support his 5-year-old son.
Winter shelter help ending
Advocates for Jones and others who will face likely homelessness or housing insecurity in the coming weeks as funding runs out for 525 hotel and emergency winter shelter beds rallied at the State House on Tuesday, demanding that Gov. Dan McKee and state lawmakers do more to provide housing for vulnerable Rhode Islanders.
They are calling on McKee to immediately order temporary emergency shelters with 500 beds and find sites for them, including a space for House of Hope’s ECHO Village, a collection of tiny homes for the state's unsheltered population.
“We appreciate the governor’s action in creating emergency shelter during last winter. He must now ensure that the hundreds of people, individuals and families, in those beds are not forced outside again,” said Eric Hirsch, a professor at Providence College who serves as co-chair of the state’s Homeless Management Information System Steering Committee. “If they are, the costs to them and to the state as a whole will be unprecedented. We have more than enough American Rescue Plan funds to provide these shelter beds and permanent housing.”
According to the state’s Homeless Management Information System, over the two weeks ending April 16, 255 people have been reported as living outside in Rhode Island – a number Hirsch and others warn will increase as people are forced to leave winter shelter.
There are 932 people on waiting lists for individual and family shelter, including 117 families with children.
Jennifer McGee, a spokeswoman for Rhode Island Commerce, said in an email that the administration has taken steps to prioritize making “safe, high-quality housing available for Rhode Islanders in both the short- and long-term.” The efforts include a phased plan to accelerate rapid rehousing of individuals and families transitioning from the non-congregate shelter programs paid for with FEMA money that is anticipated to end on June 30.
McGee urged state lawmakers to support the governor’s FY2023 budget, which proposes a $250-million investment in housing and would support “programs that will increase overall supply of housing at all levels.”
The proposal includes $21.5 million to assist individuals and families experiencing homelessness or housing instability, $5 million to increase shelter capacity and $90 million to create and preserve 1,500 affordable housing units for households that earn up to 80% of the area's median income. It would also provide a $25-million grant program to acquire properties to redevelop into affordable and supportive housing, plus $20 million to support new moderate-income housing, McGee said.
“Thanks to the governor’s leadership, and the hard work of the Office of Housing and Community Development, the administration has dedicated a record amount of funding towards supports for housing and homelessness assistance this year in order to address the unprecedented housing challenges facing Rhode Island,” she said.
When a hotel is home:RI's costly option to reunite families amid housing crisis
Steve Conti, who represents the owner of Newport’s Motel 6, NPRI Enterprises Inc., said he tried to help Jones and others by reaching out to Rent Relief RI and other agencies to no avail. NPRI agreed to waive hotel fees for the 11 rooms through May 15, he said.
“The landlord just wanted his money. He didn’t want to kick them out,” Conti said.
Some of the tenants who have made the hotel home owe more than $15,000 in back rent, court records show. The landlord isn’t expecting them to pay up, despite stipulations reached in court.
“There will be no payments because no one has any money,” Conti said.
Christine Hunsinger, the assistant deputy director of external affairs at Rhode Island Housing, which oversees Rent Relief RI, said the people living at Motel 6 were not eligible for that program because they were receiving alternate federal assistance through FEMA.
Goodbye rooms, hello apartments:Crossroads RI to replace old residential 'Tower'
Those protesting Tuesday emphasized that hundreds of millions of dollars remain available through the American Rescue Plan to help pay for much-needed housing.
“It’s time to spend these funds to address the most urgent crisis that has been created by the Covid-19 pandemic,” organizers Rhode Island Homeless Advocacy Project, Housing Opportunities for People Everywhere and Direct Action for Rights and Equality said in a statement.
Jones plans to try to keep his head up as he looks for an apartment he can afford – a tough prospect in the Newport area, particularly in the summer.
“I just accept what is and roll with the punches,” Jones said.
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https://www.providencejournal.com/story/news/local/2022/04/26/ri-winter-housing-help-ends-tenants-seek-lasting-aid-from-state/9541488002/
| 2022-04-27T00:35:57
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The parents of an 8-year-old Bronx boy who was allegedly starved and beaten before his death have been charged with murder and manslaughter in the heart-wrenching case.
Sharay Barney and Michael Ransom were arraigned Tuesday on the second-degree charges at Bronx Supreme Court, District Attorney Darcel Clark said, in connection to the death of Joseph Barney in June 2021.
"These defendants allegedly starved and beat an 8-year-old autistic child. The boy was severely malnourished and had marks and scars all over his body. The defendants allegedly did not seek medical attention for the boy. They have now been charged with murder and manslaughter," Clark said. "We will seek justice for the little boy, whose life was cut short so tragically."
Little Joseph Barney was discovered by his mother unconscious at their Bronx apartment, officials said previously. His mother brought him, unresponsive, to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The hospital emergency room was the one to report the child's case to police.
Barney's death was ruled a homicide earlier in 2022, with the city medical examiner determining the cause of death to be battered child syndrome. Shortly after, Joseph's mother and stepfather, 29-year-old Sharay Barney and 33-year-old Ransom, were arrested and charged.
The pair were the sole caretakers for Joseph, who prosecutors said had autism and was non-verbal, and admitted that they did not seek medical attention even when they knew the child was not eating and had difficulty breathing about a day before his death.
According to the investigation, Joseph's body was covered in wounds, both new and ones he was recovering from, that were consistent with blunt force trauma. He also had ligature marks to the wrists, which suggested that he was at one point restrained, and had other injuries that would indicate child abuse, prosecutors said.
Joseph appeared severely malnourished, measuring just over four feet tall and weighing just 40 pounds — more than 25 pounds below the average weight for a boy his age.
It wasn't immediately clear if Ransom or Barney had attorneys who could comment on their behalf.
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/parents-indicted-on-murder-manslaughter-charges-in-alleged-starvation-death-of-nyc-boy/3664857/
| 2022-04-27T01:13:20
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/parents-indicted-on-murder-manslaughter-charges-in-alleged-starvation-death-of-nyc-boy/3664857/
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DALLAS — The family of a man shot and killed while shopping at a Dallas Costco wants the 16-year-old accused of killing him tried as an adult.
Ali Elbanna a father of five was gunned down last November.
Four teenagers were arrested in his robbery and murder.
Police say the person who pulled the trigger is a 16-year-old male.
Now the victim's family wants him remanded to adult court.
"I feel like any judge who's looking into this case and sees that, you know my dad wasn't there buying drugs," Mary Elbanna, the victim's daughter said. "My dad wasn't doing anything that anyone else wouldn't be doing. That's perfectly normal and he lost his life and somebody took his life. And we ask the judge considers that very basic fact and sees that justice is done in this case."
They held a protest Tuesday afternoon at the Henry Wade Justice Center.
"It's a call to action that we have an active role to keeping our community safe, because right now that idea it can happen at all says we are not," said Elbanna.
Elbanna was doing what many of us do every day: shopping for groceries.
Police say the beloved father of four daughters and a son was shot and killed in broad daylight.
Four suspects were arrested.
Police say on the day Ali was killed the suspects had robbed other people. They say the shooter was a 16-year-old male.
"Justice is knowing what happened to him isn't acceptable and that being reflected in the court system, and also knowing that this whole thing doesn't happen to someone else's mother or father," said Stephanie Elbanna, daughter.
The juvenile suspect was supposed to have a hearing Tuesday for a judge to determine if he would be tried as an adult, but the hearing was postponed.
"We are worried that, just because he's a juvenile, the crime won't carry the same weight just because he's young," said Stephanie Elbanna.
So, Ali's daughters want the judge to have the 16-year-old remanded to adult court.
"You know you are supposed to help keep us safe. So do what you can do to make sure that this person that shot and killed an innocent person for something as simple as money, we ask you help to make the world a safer place where something like this can't happen," said Stephanie Elbanna.
Ali was a pillar in his community. A humble man who spent his life giving food and money to help others.
"My dad worked every single day of his life. He wore khakis from Walmart. He drove a car that could barely start because he took everything that he made and gave it to other people," said Mary Elbanna.
The family says their father deserves justice.
They are also upset because the three other suspects in this case had their bonds cut in half, and they fear they will all be back on the streets.
So, Ali's daughters vow to fight for him.
"He was a person that gave his life to everyone else. He deserved the right to rest and to enjoy the rest of his life and be in peace. So, this is all we have left," said Stephanie Elbanna.
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https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/family-man-murdered-costco-parking-lot-want-juvenile-suspect-tried-adult/287-9785cdb6-7a65-42c3-b158-cbc890968fdf
| 2022-04-27T02:23:15
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https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/family-man-murdered-costco-parking-lot-want-juvenile-suspect-tried-adult/287-9785cdb6-7a65-42c3-b158-cbc890968fdf
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AUSTIN, Texas — On Tuesday, the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ordered district court Judge Robert Pitman to dismiss challenges to the Texas Heartbeat Act, effectively ending the primary lawsuit over the relatively new state law.
The suit involves the case of Whole Woman's Health v. Jackson. The last step is now for Pitman to dismiss.
According to the group Texas Right to Life, critics of the law have filed 22 lawsuits trying to stop its enforcement, 14 of which were against Texas Right to Life itself. The law has also won arguments in the Texas Supreme Court three times.
The federal court's order directs the lower court to dismiss all challenges to private enforcement provisions of the statute and to consider whether the plaintiffs have standing to even challenge the law to begin with.
Texas Values, another group rallying in support of the law, called Tuesday's news a victory.
"This final federal court decision for life leaves no doubt that the Texas Heartbeat Act is the law of the land in the Lone Star State. We are grateful to the federal courts for upholding this groundbreaking law and protecting pre-born babies," said President Jonathan Saenz.
Gov. Greg Abbott called it "another legal loss" for those challenging the law, which he says is "saving babies every day."
Whole Woman's Health declined to comment when reached on Tuesday.
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https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/texas/federal-court-orders-judge-to-dismiss-lawsuit-over-texas-heartbeat-act/269-99463772-21be-4ac2-86f5-a9b7c403adb2
| 2022-04-27T02:23:21
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https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/texas/federal-court-orders-judge-to-dismiss-lawsuit-over-texas-heartbeat-act/269-99463772-21be-4ac2-86f5-a9b7c403adb2
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AUSTIN, Texas — The office of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is now asking the public for donations to help pay for charter buses transporting migrants to Washington, D.C.
After the Biden administration announced its decision to end Title 42 expulsions, Gov. Abbott directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management to charter buses to the nation's capital.
Donations are now live on the Office of the Governor's website, including options for payment by mail.
According to the governor's office, as of April 22, a total of 10 buses have made their way to D.C. from Texas. The buses have included voluntary migrants from Angola, Brazil, Colombia, Congo, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Panama, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela.
"Thanks to the State of Texas, President Biden will be able to immediately meet the needs of migrants he is allowing to cross our border by busing them to his backyard," said Gov. Abbott last week. "The Biden administration's failed efforts to secure the border are appalling. By busing migrants to Washington, D.C., Texas is sending a clear message: we should not have to bear the burden of the federal government's inaction to secure the border, and the Lone Star State will do whatever it takes to keep Texans safe."
Title 42 allowed the government to expel migrants at the border illegally without offering them opportunity to request asylum or other humanitarian protections.
On Tuesday, a federal judge in Louisiana said he would temporarily block the administration from ending the policy. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced earlier this month that the Trump-era pandemic restriction would be lifted on May 23.
PEOPLE ARE ALSO READING:
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https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/texas/texas-asking-for-donations-migrant-buses/269-1a907a80-7fe9-4d24-bef9-7235e1bb6a85
| 2022-04-27T02:23:27
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https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/texas/texas-asking-for-donations-migrant-buses/269-1a907a80-7fe9-4d24-bef9-7235e1bb6a85
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David Ruwadi, parks and recreation superintendent in Jackson Township, set to retire
staff
Jackson Township trustees
Tuesday meeting
ACTION: Accepted the resignation of David Ruwadi as parks and recreation superintendent.
DISCUSSION: Ruwadi has been with the township for 30 years and played a key role in helping the park system grow and to develop the recreation program.
"He became the face of our parks system," Fiscal Agent Randy Gonzalez said, praising Ruwadi for his dedication. Ruwadi's last day will be May 20. Trustees discussed filling the position during an executive session.
OTHER ACTION:
- Awarded a contract worth $199,111 to T.R. Snyder Construction, based in Wooster, for a curbing replacement project.
- Rejected bids submitted on April 12 for street resurfacing projects and agreed to advertise for new bids. The previous bids were higher than the township's initial estimates for the projects.
- Approved a contract with the Ohio High School Athletic Association for boys tennis tournament play in North Park on May 10, May 12 and May 14.
- Paid bills totaling $915,003.
- Conducted work sessions to review and plan for programs and concerts this summer at the amphitheater in North Park.
UP NEXT: Trustees will meet in general session at 5 p.m. May 10, with work session or executive session beginning at 4 p.m., in Township Hall.
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https://www.cantonrep.com/story/news/local/2022/04/26/jackson-township-seeks-parks-superintendent-david-ruwadi-retires/9546708002/
| 2022-04-27T02:28:00
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https://www.cantonrep.com/story/news/local/2022/04/26/jackson-township-seeks-parks-superintendent-david-ruwadi-retires/9546708002/
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PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — The popular Portland-based brewpub, Kells Irish Brewery, has filed a $2 million federal lawsuit against the Continental Western Insurance Company for allegedly refusing to pay for business losses caused by COVID-19 shutdowns.
According to the complaint filed April 20, Kells Inc. and Kells Brewpub LLC are jointly suing Continental Western for $2,050,000, after accusing the insurance company of denying coverage and willfully declining to pay benefits for COVID-related financial losses – which they claim should have been covered by their policy.
Federal court documents suggest Kells paid “high premiums” for a commercial property insurance policy with Continental, with the promise that the company would cover any unexpected losses at their Portland establishments from May 15, 2019, until May 15, 2020.
By March of 2020, after the COVID-19 outbreak reached Oregon and Governor Brown issued an executive order prohibiting restaurants from offering indoor dining or beverage services, Kells closed its doors and suspended operations to bring its businesses in accordance with the public orders and limit health risks.
“Thereafter Kells began to incur substantial business income and other losses as a result of its suspension of operations,” the complaint states. “The presence of the dangerous and potentially fatal Covid-19 virus in and on property, including in indoor air, on surfaces, and on objects, renders the property lost, unsafe and unfit for its normal usage.”
According to the complaint, the presence of COVID-19 rendered the Kells property incapable of being used for its intended purpose and caused the company, which was famous for its large sporting and St. Patrick’s Day events, significant financial loss.
The lawsuit claimed the “suspension of operations could not have come at a worse time,” as Kells had just purchased additional food and drinks, hired more staff, and paid entertainers to perform at the upcoming three-day St. Patrick’s weekend celebration, prior to the shutdown.
“Because of the timing of the suspension of operations Plaintiffs had to pay for all of these expenses, despite not being able to realize revenue from their business operations during this critical period,” the suit stated. “Revenue from St. Patrick’s Day events has always played an enormous part in sustaining Plaintiffs’ businesses throughout the year. The loss of most of that revenue in 2020 due to the suspension of operations was catastrophic.”
Court documents reveal it was around this time in mid-March when Kells filed a claim with Continental for the business income losses, however, the lawsuit alleges the Iowa-based insurance company denied the claim without an investigation or any further analysis of the potential for coverage under their policy, in accordance with Oregon law.
Kells accused Continental of being intentionally vague in its definition of the phrase “direct physical loss of or damage to property,” stating the company would later project their own interpretation of the term in a way which favored and benefited only the insurance company.
While the lawsuit acknowledged the “widespread usage of a virus exclusion” within the insurance industry, in order to remove the burden of accountability regarding disease-related losses from insurance companies, it alleged the policy between Kells and Continental did not include a virus exclusion or any other similar clause.
Because Continental intentionally chose not to include a virus-exclusion within the policy – which would exempt the company from having to pay for any virus-resulting loss or damage, the federal lawsuit claims the insurance company is obligated to cover the pandemic-driven financial losses.
The claim states Kells was “forced to lay off or furlough employees, cancel orders from suppliers, incur expenses to mitigate loss, and take other actions with a significant impact on their businesses, business partners and their community, as a result of the suspension of their operations and Defendant’s failure to pay losses covered under the Policy.”
According to the suit, Kells has alleged the combined amount of business, income, and other losses covered by the policy during the time the brewery was shut down for COVID totaled $2 million.
The lawsuit also revealed Kells is seeking an additional amount of $50,000 from Continental, after accusing the company of breaching the “covenant of good faith and fair dealing,” obligated by their policy, and further claimed Continental’s refusal to pay was without cause and unreasonable.
“On information and belief, Defendant has a custom and practice of denying all of its insureds’ claims based upon the same unreasonable and self-favoring interpretation of its property insurance policies,” The claim stated. “and specifically adopting an interpretation of the phrase “direct physical loss or damage” as not applying to the presence or suspected presence of the Covid-19 virus, the incidence of COVID-19, or governmental closure orders.”
The complaint continued, “In taking the actions alleged above, Defendant showed a reckless and outrageous indifference to a highly unreasonable risk of harm to its insured, and Defendant acted with a conscious indifference to the interests and welfare of its insured.”
The case was moved from the Multnomah County Circuit Court to the federal court system and was assigned to Judge Michael W. Mosman on April 20, 2022.
KOIN 6 News reached out to both Kells and Continental for a comment on the pending litigation but did not receive an immediate response.
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https://www.koin.com/local/multnomah-county/kells-files-2m-lawsuit-over-covid-losses/
| 2022-04-27T02:36:54
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https://www.koin.com/local/multnomah-county/kells-files-2m-lawsuit-over-covid-losses/
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After a one-year hiatus, the Louie's Awards returned Sunday night at Prochnow Auditorium as the Northern Arizona's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee hosted the annual year-end award show celebrating the department's best of the best of the 2021-22 academic year.
The award considerations were for the fall 2021 and winter 2022 seasons, while the men's and women's tennis, golf, and men's and women's outdoor track and field seasons were from the spring of 2021.
Taking home the male and female athlete of the year awards for the eighth installment of the celebration were distance runners Abdihamid Nur and Jessa Hanson. Nur has had a sensational 2021-22 year highlighted by becoming the second Lumberjacks male to be named USTFCCCA National Men's Track Athlete of the Year. He became the first men's double national champion in school history during the indoor season, winning the 3K and 5K titles and helping lead Northern Arizona to a podium finish for the first time in school history. Nur also earned All-American honors at the NCAA Cross Country Championships in the fall, guiding the Lumberjacks to their fifth all-time national title.
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Meanwhile, Hanson earned her first-ever NCAA championship bid last spring in the 10K during the 2021 outdoor track and field season. Clinching the final national qualifying spot at the West Regional meet, she proceeded to place 11th at the NCAA Outdoor Championships to earn All-American Second Team honors.
The male and female recipients were basketball's Jalen Cone and diver Alyssa Jones.
It was just one of two awards for Cone, who also was voted the male newcomer of the year after a high-scoring debut season with the Lumberjacks on the hardwood. The newcomer of the year on the women's side was Ekaterina Malakhova, who was honored for her performance last spring as a freshman.
The five-time national champion men's cross country team was selected as the male team of the year, while the swimming and diving team earned the nod following their ninth consecutive WAC championship. The swimming and diving team also claimed the Sharp Axe Award with the highest team GPA in the department.
Full list of award winners
Male Newcomer of the Year: Jalen Cone, Men's Basketball
Female Newcomer of the Year: Ekaterina Malakhova, Golf
Male Athlete of the Year: Abdihamid Nur, Cross Country/Track and Field
Female Athlete of the Year: Jessa Hanson, Track and Field
Guiding Axe Award: Jessica Lopez, Associate AD/Academics
Coach of the Year: Mike Smith, Director of Cross Country and Track and Field
True Blue Award: Lorel Hayward, Golf
Inspiration Award: Lauren Orndoff, Women's Basketball
Sharp Axe Award: Swimming & Diving
Record Breaking Performance: Men's Cross Country
The Lumberjack: Jalen Cone, Men's Basketball; Alyssa Jones, Swimming and Diving
Male Team of the Year: Men's Cross Country
Female Team of the Year: Swimming and Diving
Canned Food Drive: Soccer
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https://azdailysun.com/sports/local/nau-roundup-louies-awards-for-2021-22-season-on-tap/article_0a995e9c-c594-11ec-b95f-133b9e66f21b.html
| 2022-04-27T02:41:21
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https://azdailysun.com/sports/local/nau-roundup-louies-awards-for-2021-22-season-on-tap/article_0a995e9c-c594-11ec-b95f-133b9e66f21b.html
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LITTLE ELM, Texas — The Lewisville Fire Department says it responded to three possible drownings, including one that ended in a woman's death Tuesday.
Around 4:30 p.m., Lewisville Fire Department was called to assist the Little Elm Fire Department with a possible drowning at Little Elm Park on Lewisville Lake.
Little Elm Fire Department confirmed the body of a 43-year-old woman was pulled from the water shortly after 6 p.m. Tuesday.
The victim’s name has not been released at this time.
Lewisville Fire Department said crews also responded to a call that involved a man in his 20's just after 7:40 p.m. Tuesday evening. The department said the man was near a boat ramp in the popular Sneaky Pete's area when he was pulled from the water. He was transported to a local hospital. There's no word on his condition.
A dive team also responded to a reported drowning at Trinity River, just north of 380 around 1 p.m. Tuesday. Crews said the current was too rough to get into the water, and a body has not been recovered at this time.
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https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/drowning-calls-womans-body-pulled-from-lewisville-lake/287-5218c073-f5ce-4557-a324-003f6c8732ec
| 2022-04-27T03:57:47
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https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/drowning-calls-womans-body-pulled-from-lewisville-lake/287-5218c073-f5ce-4557-a324-003f6c8732ec
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FORT WORTH, Texas — The book ban controversy has been talked about so much lately it can, ironically enough, fill shelves of a library.
WFAA sat down with Texas Library Association President-Elect Mary Woodard, who has three decades of library experience. The Texas Library Association (TLA) held its annual convention in Fort Worth this week, and 4,400 librarians from public and private schools were in attendance.
"There is frustration and anger," Woodard said. "A parent called 9-1-1 and police came storming into a school library. We're very concerned about that."
Woodard did confirm to WFAA that the 9-1-1 incident did occur at a school in North Texas. Woodard stresses that every district has a process to challenge books. But many are unaware of the process by which books are approved.
The school board sets the guidelines for appropriateness, and the librarians use that guideline to review books.
"We have parents that are wanting to dictate what everyone's child reads," said Woodard.
Woodard told WFAA that librarians are charged with finding material that is best suited for the district and school they serve.
"They're mostly concerned about serving the kids in front of them," she said.
The state, or Texas Education Agency, has no direct role on the library book review process. But the Texas Education Agency did offer recommendations in April.
RELATED: Texas Education Agency’s new school library standards push for more scrutiny and parental input
In the recommendations, TEA reminds districts that carrying material deemed inappropriate can be criminal. In this case, Texas Penal Code 43.24, which is the sale, distribution or display of harmful material to a minor.
The TEA also recommends districts install a committee when a parent files a book challenge.
TLA has established Texans for the Right to Read, which is a grassroots coalition meant to give voice to librarians during this censorship debate.
"A school board is not supposed to be partisan but we are seeing a shift in that in some locations," said Woodard.
RELATED: These were the 10 most challenged books in 2021, according to the American Library Association
And dozens of books are being challenged in North Texas.
In the end, it becomes a question of intellectual freedom versus obscenity.
House Representative Jared Patterson has led the charge on sexually explicit books.
"I'm not blaming any specific librarian or teacher. I think the book vendors need to be held accountable for selling this trash," Patterson told WFAA last week.
Patterson told WFAA he and his staff have sent letters asking Texas school districts to pledge not to do business with certain book vendors. Thirty districts have signed the pledge.
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https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/texas-library-association-holds-convention-in-fort-worth-discusses-book-bans/287-a79e4926-bc20-4f13-9946-e0eb1eba352d
| 2022-04-27T03:57:53
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https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/texas-library-association-holds-convention-in-fort-worth-discusses-book-bans/287-a79e4926-bc20-4f13-9946-e0eb1eba352d
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Charter Review Commission now considering county-wide elections for Brevard Public Schools
The Brevard Public School Board should be elected by voters across the entire county rather than in five single-district seats, according to a proposal put forward to the Charter Review Commission.
Public Defender Blaise Trettis' proposal is his second directed at the Brevard school board. Trettis' earlier recommendation would allow for the recall of school board members.
The Charter Review Commission is made up of 15 members, three are appointed by each commissioner. The body meets every six years and decides on proposals to change the county's charter. Recommendations are sent for approval to a three-attorney panel before going to the county commission and eventually to the voters in November.
Recalling school board members? Charter Review Commission to consider it
Does recall plan violate the law? Legal expert: Brevard School Board member recall plan violates state law and Constitution
The proposals around the school board have become contentious, with parties on opposing sides making impassioned speeches before the Charter Review Commission.
Proponents of the measure to enable school board members to be recalled point to the mask mandate as a reason. Opponents argue the public already has a tool for recalling elected officials — the next election.
According to the commission agenda report, Trettis suggests eliminating Article 8 and Section 8.1 of the charter indicating that school board members be elected by single member districts. School board members have been elected in single-member districts since 1998 when the measure was included as part of the charter. The public voted in favor of it 58% to 41%.
Trettis argues however, that the amendment allowing for single-member districts was inconsistent with existing state law when it was approved back in 1998. At that time, state statute stated that “The election of members of the school board shall be by vote of the qualified electors of the entire district,” according to materials Trettis provided the committee.
The school district is county-wide, so school board members should be elected by the entire county.
There are only two conditions that allow for single-member district elections: if the school district adopts a formal resolution calling for it and that's approved by ballot, or if the public proposes it by petition.
Neither was done in Brevard County to allow for that.
“Florida statutes have never authorized charter counties to create single-member school board elections by residence area by amendment of the county charter,” Trettis wrote.
Brevard County Charter Review Commission talks:School board member recall dominates Brevard County Charter Review Commission talks
And:Charter Review Commission also looking to process for amending charter
Trettis also argues the state has preempted the issue because it has already outlined the two ways that a school may host single-member district elections.
Charter Commission counsel Paul Gougelman supports Trettis’ position, declaring that single-member districts are inconsistent with state law.
How are Brevard School Board members elected?
Changing the rules would allow the voters in the entire county to elect board members to Brevard Public Schools. That creates a much different dynamic. Republicans currently fill every countywide seat in Brevard. Countywide, there are 191,689 registered Republicans compared to 130,925 registered Democrats. Those not affiliated with any party count 118,694, according to data on the Supervisor of Elections site.
School board elections are non-partisan but school boards have increasingly found themselves at the front line of polarizing issues. So party leaders are paying close attention and focusing energy on these races. For example, Governor Ron DeSantis has said he plans to play a role in school board races this election cycle.
Christopher Muro, an assistant professor of political science at Eastern Florida State College, thinks the motivation for the change is part of the current culture war taking place in schools around the nation.
“It seems to me from reading all the text surrounding the proposal, all the commentary that went along with it, it seems pretty clear the goals here were to stop the woke agenda, stop critical race theory, gender ideology, and all these issues that are now front and center, in the renewed culture war,” he said.
He also cautions that turning a single-district seat into a countywide seat can lesson accountability.
“As the pool of voters grow, the value of the individual vote diminishes,” Muro said. “That means the accountability of the elected official also diminishes.”
That could allow the candidate to disengage with a portion of the electorate with different views, Muro said. There's also an increase cost to running in a countywide race.
“Brevard is a pretty large county,” Muro said. “It is going to cost three, four, five times as much to run a successful campaign.”
As candidates’ financing needs increase, it makes it less likely to operate a campaign based on donations from individual donors. They will have to rely more on organizations and special interest groups to help with bankrolling their campaigns, Muro said.
Reaction for the proposal appears mixed.
“When you can elect each school board member countywide, there’s more cooperation on the board and less politics,” said Sara Mirsky, who attended the meeting and spoke during public comments. “This current school board, there’s way too many political divides on this current school board, and they really need to function to work together.”
Brevard County Chair Pamela Castellana disagrees.
“You are going to have the only people that run for school board are the people that have money and means, who generally don’t live in the more rural areas of our county,” she said. “Those areas won’t be served.”
Ralph Chapoco is government and politics watchdog reporter. You can reach Chapoco at rchapoco@floridatoday.com and follow him on Twitter @rchapoco.
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https://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/local/2022/04/26/brevard-charter-review-commission-proposal-change-school-board-elections/9537627002/
| 2022-04-27T04:11:41
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https://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/local/2022/04/26/brevard-charter-review-commission-proposal-change-school-board-elections/9537627002/
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SALEM, Ore. — New micro-shelters are coming to Salem as part of a citywide effort to get people off the streets and into stable housing.
The shelters are on city-owned property and give people a sense of safety and normalcy that they otherwise wouldn’t have.
“I have the stability of being more permanent,” said Kay Carey, who moved to the shelter community last April. She’d been living in a tent for six years prior. She said these shelters give her more freedom.
“We’re not looking over our shoulder because the cops are going to come in and tell us to move.”
Carey is also able to stay with her dogs and family, something other shelters don’t allow.
“That was one major thing,” she said. “Me and my husband can be together other shelters would separate us.”
It’s more than just a place to call home. There are case managers onsite to help with medical care, job applications and apartment searches.
“So, they’re getting connected to all the resources just on one site without even having to leave,” said Josh Erickson who runs Church at the Park. He said 400 people are on a waitlist for one of the shelters, and they’re focusing on bringing in more women.
“Salem has a large population of unsheltered women and so how do we support the most vulnerable in our community.”
Church at the Park partnered with Edomo to build the shelters. CEO and President Sonya Wheeler said it’s a huge accomplishment to take people off the streets, give them transitional housing and help them into an apartment.
“To see the beds in them the sheets on the beds the coverings on the windows it’s really neat,” she added.
“This is the first step out of a tent a lot of times and into an actual roof over your head,” said Salem city councilor Chris Hoy.
The number of chronically homeless people in the area, meaning those who have been without housing for three or more years, is double the national average. Hoy believes micro-shelters play a critical role in their response to this crisis.
“It’s not just a Salem issue, it's not an Oregon issue, it’s a nationwide issue,” he said.
“A sense of security it’s still stressful it really is because I really want I to my own place it’s been too long,” said Carey.
Those at the Church at the Park plan to fill each one of these new shelters on Wednesday.
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https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/homeless/salem-builds-more-micro-shelters/283-8eeb2914-2359-4ca0-b17e-64e09170fea6
| 2022-04-27T04:14:57
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https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/homeless/salem-builds-more-micro-shelters/283-8eeb2914-2359-4ca0-b17e-64e09170fea6
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A Queens woman was sentenced to 30 years in prison for distributing drugs that led to the overdose deaths of four men at motels in 2019, according to court documents.
Angelina Barini, 43, was sentenced Tuesday after she pleaded guilty in Aug. 2021 to two counts of distributing the narcotics that led to multiple deaths, as well as a count of distributing methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine. She also admitted to conspiring to distribute gamma-butyrolactone (GBL), more commonly known as a "date rape" drug.
According to a criminal complaint, agents with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations and other law enforcement members had been investigating several lethal drug overdoses in New York City hotel rooms between July and Aug. 2019. Barini was linked to four cases.
"The defendant drugged and killed multiple people for a few quick dollars. She stole their personal belongings while they lay unconscious dying from the lethal drugs she gave them. The defendant’s substantial prison sentence is warranted by her shocking disregard for human life," stated U.S. Attorney Breon Peace. "Hopefully, today’s sentence will bring some solace to the victims’ families and serve as a warning to future perpetrators that there are significant consequences to these horrific crimes."
A previous criminal complaint did not name the men, referring to each of them only as John Doe.
On July 4, 2019, Barini — a sex worker at the time — met with a victim at a motel in Astoria and gave him fentanyl-laced drugs, according to court filings and statements from court hearings; that man was found dead later that same day. Another man was found dead a week later, on July 11, at a motel in Woodside after he was also give fentanyl-laced drugs by Barini earlier in the day, prosecutors said.
Barini met with another victim, a 60-year-old man, on Aug. 5 in College Point and provided the fentanyl that led to his overdose death as well, court documents state.
Another case to which Barini was connected involved a body discovered at the Kamway Lodge in Elmhurst on Aug. 21, the same place and day where a once-missing Grand Central head chef was found dead.
A criminal complaint described "John Doe 3" as a man who had been reported missing, which Andrea Zamperoni had been days earlier. Barini opened the door when investigators knocked on the door at Kamway Lodge that day; she quickly shut it, but the complaint says officers smelled a scent consistent with a dead body, along with burning incense, and questioned her.
According to the complaint, law enforcement authorities saw what appeared to be a garbage can with bed linens stuffed inside and a bare human foot sticking out.
Barini allegedly told officers she "didn't do it, her pimp made her do it and it was not her," according to the complaint. The victim in that case was a 33-year-old man from Italy, the same age and origin as Zamperoni.
Cellphones, clothing, a glass pipe commonly used to smoke drugs and an American Express credit card bearing John Doe 3's name were found in the room, the complaint said. Also found: bottles of bleach and bleach-covered towels, electronics, a power saw and an empty suitcase, the complaint stated.
Barini told authorities she had met the man from Italy three days earlier and they went to the lodge, where he paid her for sex; she said he didn't wake up and was bleeding from the nose and mouth, telling authorities her pimp wouldn't let her call authorities, the complaint says. She also allegedly told investigators the body was wrapped in a garbage bag and her alleged associates, who would sometimes take property of victims once they were drugged, came into the room to talk about whether to cut up the body.
While she initially denied that she gave John Doe 3 drugs, the complaint says she later admitted one of her alleged co-conspirators gave him "liquid ecstasy." She also allegedly confessed to giving clients drugs, supplied by her alleged co-conspirators, on occasion, according to the federal complaint.
Barini was arrested by Department of Homeland Security agents and the NYPD on Aug. 25, 2019, after being linked to the deaths in the two months prior, court papers stated.
"Displaying complete disregard for human life, Barini peddled fentanyl-laced drugs to her victims who tragically lost their lives to temporary highs...This case is a painful reminder that there are people like Barini who prey on addicts, turning deadly fentanyl cocktails into quick profits," said HSI Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Ricky Patel.
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/queens-sex-worker-sentenced-to-30-years-for-distributing-drugs-that-led-to-4-deadly-ods/3664910/
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/queens-sex-worker-sentenced-to-30-years-for-distributing-drugs-that-led-to-4-deadly-ods/3664910/
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