Crystal Bridges Hosts Naturalization Ceremony https://digitalarkansasnews.com/crystal-bridges-hosts-naturalization-ceremony/
BENTONVILLE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) – The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and the U.S. District Court Western District of Arkansas welcomed nearly 100 new citizens during a naturalization ceremony Monday at the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Christy Comstock administered the Oath of Allegiance. Congratulatory remarks were provided by numerous members of the community, including previously naturalized citizens.
A total of 98 people from 32 countries are now U.S citizens. Crystal Bridges hosted the ceremony as part of its “We The People: The Radical Notion of Democracy” exhibit.
“We tried to think of ways we could engage the community in civic values and freedom. We couldn’t think of a more appropriate ceremony than this one today,” said Chief Learning and Engagement Officer for Crystal Bridges, Marissa Reyes.
Reyes is originally from the Philippines. She went through the naturalization process herself. Her ceremony was held in a Chicago courthouse. She said she was grateful so many were able to make this life-changing memory at Crystal Bridges.
“We couldn’t be more excited. We’ve been working towards this for several years,” said Reyes.
One newly inducted citizen, Tala Alsharif, is a new U.S citizen originally from Jordan. She is currently going to college at the University of Arkansas – Fort Smith. She’s been in the U.S. for 6 years and will be graduating in December.
Some of her goals include: becoming a nurse, eventually become an instructor in heart education and make a change in the nursing field. She’s also excited at the opportunity to vote.
“It does make a difference. It really does, and I’m excited to start voting and make a change,” said Alsharif.
Garrett Dolan, a Senior Manager for Tyson Foods, said there are roughly 35,000 Tyson team members who are immigrants. Tyson has an immigration program that supports those team members by paying for schooling, paying fees, offering legal assistance and helping achieve citizenship.
According to Dolan, it is a long process to become a citizen. It takes team members about 2 to 3 months to find out about the program and 6 to 12 months for the government to approve the application process.
“We coach them and help navigate them throughout the entire program,” said Dolan.
Taofeek Muhammed is a project manager at Tyson. He came to the U.S. as an Arkansas Tech student, got a masters degree and started a family. On Monday, he finally became a U.S. citizen after about five years of going through the process.
“The immigration process is very tiresome, but I feel like it’s worth it at the end of the day because we finally get to be a part of the greatest country in the world,” said Muhammed.
On Sept. 17, the nation observes Constitution Day and Citizenship Day as part of Constitution Week (Sept. 17 to 23). The commemoration honors both the signing of the U.S. Constitution on Sept. 17, 1787, and an observance that began in 1940 as “I Am an American Day.” Citizenship Day began in 1952, based on a law signed by President Harry Truman, and in 1955, President Dwight Eisenhower proclaimed the first Constitution Week.
Find out more about Crystal Bridges’ new
“We The People: The Radical Notion of Democracy” exhibit here.
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UA Little Rock Lands $1 Million Grant For Doctoral Studies Talk Business & Politics
UA Little Rock Lands $1 Million Grant For Doctoral Studies – Talk Business & Politics https://digitalarkansasnews.com/ua-little-rock-lands-1-million-grant-for-doctoral-studies-talk-business-politics/
The University of Arkansas at Little Rock has received a $1.215 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to help disadvantaged college students gain opportunities for future doctoral studies.
The five-year grant will provide $243,041 a year for the Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program. The McNair program is one of eight federal TRIO programs targeted to serve and assist low-income individuals, first-generation college students, and individuals with disabilities to progress through the academic pipeline from middle school to post-baccalaureate programs.
The UA Little Rock McNair Scholars Program provides research and student success opportunities for juniors and seniors who plan to advance their education and skills through competitive graduate programs.
“When we look at U.S. students studying to become our future physicians, professors, scientists and other crucial professionals requiring graduate degrees, many demographic groups are underrepresented, including first-generation college students and those from low-income families,” said Nasser Paydar, assistant secretary, Office of Postsecondary Education. “McNair grants fund projects at universities and colleges that help underrepresented students to access doctoral programs.”
UA Little Rock supports 26 McNair Scholars every year to participate in the university’s enriching Research Internship Program. In their first year, McNair Scholars participate in the Summer Research Internship. Afterwards, students complete a McNair required-research experience where they work with a faculty mentor to conduct an independent research project and write a paper on the results.
“In this undergraduate research program, we offer research opportunities for students to prepare them for graduate school,” said Ashia Muhammad, director of the McNair Scholars Program at UA Little Rock. “We have workshops on getting ready for graduate school and presenting research at a conference as well as attending graduate school fairs and cultural events. Each student is paired with a faculty mentor to complete independent research projects that will prepare them for research requirements of graduate school. The ultimate goal is for our scholars to receive a Ph.D. 10 years after they have graduated from UA Little Rock.”
The program also provides intensive support for scholars who apply for external research opportunities and for graduate school programs. These services include Graduate Record Examination (GRE) preparation and advising, tutoring, academic counseling, financial aid counseling, assistance with securing financial support for graduate school, and advising on how to apply for and successfully complete graduate school.
“Our university has a strong track record of McNair Scholars not only successfully moving on to doctoral programs, but also thriving in their careers with a commitment to inspire others,” said Dr. David Montague, associate vice chancellor for academic affairs–student success.
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Opinion | Hey QAnon! Republicans Are Playing Your Song.
Opinion | Hey QAnon! Republicans Are Playing Your Song. https://digitalarkansasnews.com/opinion-hey-qanon-republicans-are-playing-your-song/
At a Trump rally in Ohio on Saturday, the former president closed his speech to the strains of a melody widely associated with the QAnon conspiracy movement, which holds that the government is run by a secret cabal of satanic pedophiles.
En masse, audience members fully extended their right arms and pointed their index fingers as Trump proclaimed them to be “one movement,” apparently echoing the name of the song they were hearing, “WWG1WGA” — an abbreviation of the QAnon slogan “where we go one, we go all.”
Trump had used the same theme song earlier at a rally in Pennsylvania, and in a campaign video. He reposted an image of himself on his social media site in which he wore a “Q” lapel pin under the QAnon slogan, “The Storm is Coming” — one of dozens of QAnon-themed posts he has done lately.
He’s continuing to do this despite clear evidence that the paranoid madness (the QAnon fantasy ends in Trump’s opponents being executed) inspires violence. In Michigan this month, a man allegedly shot and killed his wife and dog and injured his daughter. Another daughter told the Detroit News that her father’s mental health had deteriorated as he fell deeper into “crazy ideas,” including QAnon, since the 2020 election.
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In Pennsylvania a few days later, a man wearing a clown wig took a loaded gun into a Dairy Queen, then told police he was armed to “kill Democrats and liberals” and “restore Trump to president king.” A Facebook account that apparently belongs to the man was steeped in QAnon craziness.
Trump’s spokesperson asserted that the rally melody (the one that prompted the one-finger salutes) wasn’t the QAnon anthem “WWG1WGA” — but rather a totally different song that just happens to sound exactly like it.
Right.
In a sense it doesn’t matter what melody Trump uses. He’s singing the QAnon lyrics — and MAGA Republicans are backing him up in four-part harmony.
Verse One:
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, once thought by some to offer a Republican alternative to Trumpism, is heading to Arizona next month to campaign for GOP gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake, one of the most flamboyant election deniers in the country. As Politico’s Alex Isenstadt reported, Lake will be the “most MAGA-aligned candidate Youngkin has campaigned for.” Lake, in addition to referring to the 2020 election as the “big steal,” has associated her campaign with leading QAnon figures and has called for jailing her opponent.
Verse Two:
A new survey by The Post finds that in the 19 most closely watched senatorial and gubernatorial races this year, 12 of the Republican candidates (including Lake) have declined to say whether they will accept the election results. This shows that refusing to accept the will of the people is now a feature, not a bug, of the MAGA GOP.
Verse Three:
After failing to generate headlines by sending busloads of migrants to Washington’s Union Station, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott raised the level of cruelty by dumping the baffled migrants in a residential neighborhood of D.C., near the vice president’s residence. Abbott’s fellow Republican, Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, raised the inhumanity still further, taking migrants who escaped political repression and economic desperation in Venezuela and flying them to Martha’s Vineyard — where DeSantis knew no safety net awaited them.
Fox News’s Tucker Carlson celebrated the migrants’ humiliation in a racist rant about “sweaty Third World campesinos” in “dirty work pants” who would have “an outdoor goat barbecue” on the island.
Verse Four:
DeSantis isn’t limiting his disdain to refugees from Venezuela’s dictatorship. He ran a campaign ad this month that featured Pastor Larry Jinks, who, as the Jewish publication Forward reported, posted earlier this year that “it’s a shame that the Jews, who should know better, reject their own Messiah.” Jinks objected to peace and unity among religions, saying Jesus taught Christians “to be at odds with any religion that does not acknowledge Jesus.”
Not to be outdone, Doug Mastriano, the Republican nominee for governor of Pennsylvania, held a rally with Texas evangelical leader Lance Wallnau, a self-proclaimed Christian nationalist who has voiced pro-Putin conspiracy beliefs.
Chorus:
Trump, even before the QAnon melody and salute at his rally Saturday, treated his fans to a full range of delusionary conspiracy notions.
“The FBI colluded with Russia.”
“We have a president who is cognitively impaired.”
“We won the election by a lot.”
“They spy on my campaign.”
Positively everybody was conspiring in the “persecution of the MAGA movement.” The “deep state.” “Racist” (that is, Black) prosecutors. “Menacing forces.” The “enemy-of-the-people” media. FBI agents who “break into” his home.
“A vile group of corrupt, power-hungry globalists, socialists and liberal extremists in Washington has been waging war on the hardworking people of Ohio,” Trump told them. “… Our biggest threat remains the sick, sinister and evil people from within our country.”
QAnon, he’s playing your song.
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Good Afternoon News: Trumpers Interfere With Oregon Elections Wealthy Nimbys Vs. The Homeless And Judge Orders Release Of Serial's Adnan Syed
Good Afternoon, News: Trumpers Interfere With Oregon Elections, Wealthy Nimbys Vs. The Homeless, And Judge Orders Release Of Serial's Adnan Syed https://digitalarkansasnews.com/good-afternoon-news-trumpers-interfere-with-oregon-elections-wealthy-nimbys-vs-the-homeless-and-judge-orders-release-of-serials-adnan-syed/
The Mercury provides news and fun every single day—but your help is essential. If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism and arts coverage, please consider making a small monthly contribution, because without you, there is no us. Thanks for your support!
GOOD AFTERNOON, PORTLAND! Oh, you thought summer was over? Well put away that pumpkin spice, losers, because today and tomorrow will reach a sunny-funny 85 degrees. Now let’s warm up even more with some NEWS.
IN LOCAL NEWS:
• Don’t miss this illuminating deep dive from the O‘s Catalina Gaitán, who looks at how small town Gladstone, Oregon is dealing with the same internal political divisions as Portland… and perhaps worse? The unfortunate truth is that the Trump misinformation and racist/homophobic virus has deeply infected almost every community in the nation.
• RELATED: Oregon’s Secretary of State is reporting that many election offices around the state are being inundated with bullshit record requests from—ummmm, let’s say unsavory sources… okay fine, Trumpers, who are using the “Big Lie” to once again disrupt the fair election process.
Angry residents in Portland’s swanky Laurelhurst neighborhood have hired a lawyer in bid to make the city stop allowing allowing homeless camp. https://t.co/fRjeHmyqCZ
— OPB (@OPB) September 19, 2022
• Everybody from Gov. Kate Brown to the U of O’s athletic director is apologizing for the “vulgar, anti-Mormon chant” that came from the student section during Sunday’s football game against BYU.
• Curious about charter reform and what it entails? Here’s a pretty good primer explaining what’s in the charter reform ballot measure, and how different aspects of it have worked in other cities.
• Good news: While they experienced a rough start, Oregon—with help from community organizations—have almost bridged the COVID vaccination gap between Latinos and white Oregonians.
• Calling all trash lovers! It’s time for the latest TRASH REPORT from Elinor Jones! This week: cat financial advisors, Pink Martini’s *very* expensive hoodie, and our newest feature, “What Does Grimes Have to Say?”
• Shaking the Tree’s Fucking A—a riff on Nathanial Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, with abortion substituted for adultery—is shaping up to be one of the most exciting theatrical productions of the year. (And, why yes! It is part of the Mercury‘s Fall Arts Guide!)
Following a soul-crushing pandemic, the ever-resilient Portland art scene is finding its footing—and is more entertaining and relevant than before. Find out what you can expect this season with the Mercury’s FALL ARTS GUIDE 2022.https://t.co/bzKvXTL5Mr pic.twitter.com/vv5eOAMLiM
— Portland Mercury (@portlandmercury) September 19, 2022
IN NATIONAL/WORLD NEWS:
• Heavy rainfall and floods from Hurricane Fiona continue to wreak havoc on Puerto Rico, knocking out power on the entire island as rescue operations continue. To make matters worse, the island is still reeling from the effects of Hurricane Maria which killed 3,000 people in 2017.
President Biden’s statement that the “pandemic is over” caught his team by surprise and led GOP to call for an end to covid policies.
Federal officials sought to clarify: covid fight isn’t done.
TONY FAUCI: “I’m not comfortable with 400 deaths per day.”https://t.co/ltwwkgaOKS
— Dan Diamond (@ddiamond) September 19, 2022
• Following a historic, lavish funeral, Queen Elizabeth II has been buried after days where thousands of mourners dutifully filed past her casket.
• Calling all fans of the podcast Serial:
BREAKING NEWS: Judge throws out Adnan Syed conviction and orders him to be released. https://t.co/knpChgBwkx
— The Baltimore Banner (@BaltimoreBanner) September 19, 2022
• According to their lawyers, the migrants who were shipped to Martha’s Vineyard by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis say they were tricked by brochures given to them by the state promising they’d receive housing, cash assistance, and jobs. Sounds like a pretty clear lawsuit to me!
• Today in “everyday fascism”: “More than 1,600 books banned during 2021-22 school year, report finds.”
• And finally… everybody, especially pranksters, needs an encouraging mom like this.
I am LAUGHING pic.twitter.com/Qt3XG227z2
— Youtube: Zoe LDN (@ZoeLDN) September 17, 2022
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Even Before Fiona Puerto Ricos Power Grid Was Poised For Failure
Even Before Fiona, Puerto Rico’s Power Grid Was Poised For Failure https://digitalarkansasnews.com/even-before-fiona-puerto-ricos-power-grid-was-poised-for-failure/
The hurricane winds that knocked out power to the entire island of Puerto Rico over the weekend encountered an electrical grid that experts liken to a house of cards: a fragile, decrepit, patchwork system running on old equipment that has failed to substantially modernize since the U.S. territory’s deadliest storm, Hurricane Maria, swept through five years before.
The state-run utility that is responsible for electricity generation is bankrupt and mediation to restructure its $9 billion debt to bondholders ended without a deal last week. Luma Energy, the private consortium that was hired in 2020 to handle transmission, has failed to satisfy critics, as power outages have increased in duration this year even apart from destructive storms, according to a report last month by the Puerto Rico Energy Bureau.
And a major plan to modernize the island’s electricity system, funded with billions from the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency as a response to Hurricane Maria — which killed about 3,000 people and left some residents out of power for nearly a year — has been slow to get started.
“Given all that, it shouldn’t be surprising that we are where we are,” Sergio Marxuach, policy director at the Center for a New Economy, a Puerto Rico-based think tank, said by phone from his home on the island’s north coast, which was running on generator power.
“What we’re seeing right now is a direct consequence of that failure to act” since Hurricane Maria, he said.
Fiona made landfall on Sunday afternoon with 80 mph winds and quickly knocked out power to more than 3 million people — or the entire population of Puerto Rico. Luma Energy officials on Monday said power has been restored to just more than 100,000 people by Monday afternoon, including in the San Juan metropolitan area, at the city’s main hospital campus and the island’s largest airport, but the company had yet to offer a detailed assessment of the damage.
The extent of Fiona’s destruction remains unclear. The storm’s outer bands continue to drop copious amounts of rain and threaten to swell waterways already breaching their banks and causing landslides in the mountains. Some areas of Puerto Rico’s big island and its eastern islands are not yet accessible, officials said. Gov. Pedro Pierluisi said at least two people have died.
Puerto Rico National Guard adjutant Gen. Jose Reyes said Monday that his troops have performed more than 30 search-and-rescue operations in 25 municipalities across the island. More than 1,000 people had to be rescued from flooded homes, particularly along the southern coast in the town of Salinas, where one of the largest operations brought 400 people to safety.
In Yabucoa, Mayor Rafael Surillo Ruiz said he had never seen flooding like what his community experienced in the last 24 hours. Roads and bridges that had recently been repaved were swept away by engorged rivers. At least two barrios saw waters rise several feet, and municipal workers spent all night and morning rescuing trapped vulnerable residents, including carrying the bedridden elderly from their soaked beds, he said.
“It’s painful that we are here again,” Surillo Ruiz said. “Now we are in not one but two recovery processes: what was left over from Maria, where we haven’t made much progress, and now we have to add everything that happened with this hurricane.”
President Biden approved an emergency disaster declaration Monday, and top officials at the Federal Emergency Management Agency pledged a more effective response than five years ago, when the agency acknowledged systemic failures in the aftermath of Maria.
Fiona sent generators buzzing throughout the island, as residents defaulted into the routines they learned during Maria. Days before forecasters detailed Fiona’s path, anxiety levels rose and the rush to prepare began. Instead of heading into a weekend of rest and relaxation, thousands filled up their gas tanks, shopped for essentials and steeled their nerves against the trauma that would undoubtedly be triggered by the storm.
“Even a hurricane that’s a lot smaller in comparison brings back those dark memories and those feelings of stress,” said Mariana Ferré, a 23-year-old medical student from San Juan. “The messages I’m getting from all my friends is, ‘I have PTSD.’ ”
Maria’s ravaging winds severely weakened Puerto Rico’s already outdated energy infrastructure when it struck the island in September 2017. Since then, habitual outages, which can often extend into weeks, have instead become the norm.
“That’s how sad it is,” Ferré said. “It’s so normalized, and it shouldn’t be. It shouldn’t be normal for people to lose power all the time. People literally depend on electricity to live.”
Puerto Rico’s fragile power grid has been at the center of recriminations from protesters, customers and utility union members who have called on Pierluisi to cancel the government’s contract with Luma Energy. In recent weeks, Pierluisi levied his first public remarks critical of the company, echoing what for months has been the cry of critics bemoaning the company’s performance.
The U.S.-Canadian power consortium has struggled more than a year after taking over operations of Puerto Rico’s transmission and distribution lines with public perception, frequent brownouts and at least one total blackout. Protests outside their San Juan offices are regular weekly events and the “fuera Luma,” or “out with Luma,” are as ubiquitous in Puerto Rico as the chant of the coqui, the island’s famous frog.
Luma spokesman Hugo Sorrentini said the company’s crews have been hampered by extensive flooding across the island but that some 1,500 utility workers are “ready to respond” to the outages. Helicopters haven’t been able to access some of the areas where power lines are down in the mountains as heavy rains persist, he said. Customers who have been restored so far mostly rely on underground power lines.
“There’s roadblocks, there’s flooding, there’s rivers that just overflowed,” he said. “It’s a very difficult situation, and it’s very complicated, especially with access. But for the next couple of days, we’re going to keep working on and assessing and restoring as best we can.”
One of the major vulnerabilities to Puerto Rico’s electrical system is the cross-country transmission system. Power generation takes place primarily in the southern coast of the island, where giant aging power plants send electricity through transmission lines that run across the mountainous interior. The towers stand atop steep hillsides, looking over ravines and continue to the populous north to where most of the energy is consumed. During storms, those lines regularly fail.
After Fiona, winds knocked out power to at least four of the island’s major transmission lines. Luma has said it put 200 utility workers in place ahead of the storm and called up 70 more through a support brigade to respond to the outages.
The problems with Puerto Rico’s electrical grid go back decades and are a source of ongoing agony for many residents. Prices are high and electricity is still predominantly supplied by fossil fuels, including oil and diesel, even though local laws mandate a transition to renewable energy in coming years.
Eduardo Bhatia, who was president of Puerto Rico’s senate until last year, said the widespread blackouts from Hurricane Fiona makes it clear once again that Puerto Rico’s Electric Power Authority, known as PREPA, failed for decades to invest in modernizing the grid, running on infrastructure he compared to “cars from Cuba — equipment that is 40, 50 years old.”
“How they used the money is a great mystery, but they did not do the investments to strengthen the grid,” he said.
Bhatia added that the storm also showed how desperately the island needs an overhauled energy grid. Since 2020, Congress has appropriated some $12 billion for the project — the largest allocation of FEMA funds in the agency’s history. But bureaucratic delays have hobbled the work of modernizing the grid.
“They have to speed it up,” Bhatia said.
Luma Energy officials say the fragile power grid has long been mismanaged and neglected by PREPA, creating unprecedented challenges for its workforce. But the 3,000-employee company, a consortium between North American companies Atco and Quanta Services, insists that the system is in better shape than ever and that it’s set to spend billions in federal funds to rebuild and harden the grid.
“The system has been declining for decades. The system itself was already in very bad shape,” Mario Hurtado, Luma’s chief regulatory officer, said in an interview days before Hurricane Fiona. “PREPA was the worst performing utility in America, far and away.”
The corruption, unreliability and failures of PREPA are well-documented in congressional hearings, expert testimony and personal experiences. The public utility, which still controls power generation in Puerto Rico, is in bankruptcy and helped drive the U.S. territory’s decade-long financial crisis. Negotiations to restructure $9 billion in debt faltered yet again last week.
In 2016, a federally appointed fiscal oversight board took control of Puerto Rico’s finances and the long-held desire of local politicians to privatize the power grid began to take shape. But lax regulation, an overly generous contract and self-dealing plagued the privatization process from the start, critics say.
Luma Energy took over Puerto Rico’s transmission and distribution system in June 2021 after a year of studying one of the most complicated power grids in the country.
Thousands of PREPA workers took jobs with Luma, but hundreds of experienced, unionized line workers refused job offers after learning they would lose hard-fought benefits. Luma set up a training and apprenticeship program to fill up t...
Mosquito Fire: Foresthill Other Placer County Communities Can Begin Returning Home
Mosquito Fire: Foresthill, Other Placer County Communities Can Begin Returning Home https://digitalarkansasnews.com/mosquito-fire-foresthill-other-placer-county-communities-can-begin-returning-home/
Residents of the town of Foresthill in Placer County can begin returning home as evacuation orders were downgraded to warnings for the Mosquito Fire, officials said Monday afternoon. The Foothills area saw some light rain in the area, which crews took advantage of in getting a better handle on the wildfire. With evacuation warnings, residents are recommended to be ready to evacuate at a moment’s notice in case wildfire activity becomes threatening, but it also allows for already evacuated residents to return home. The reduction from order to warning is a big contrast from nearly a week ago when the wind-driven Mosquito Fire flared up and nearly tore through Foresthill.Several other communities in Placer County were also given the green light to begin repopulating as well, allowing for a total of 2,128 residents to return to 983 homes.Residents will have to show identification at the following traffic control points.Mosquito Ridge Road at Foresthill RoadSoap Street at Lowe StreetMichigan Bluff Road at Chicken Hawk RoadAs of Monday morning, the fire has burned 76,290 acres and is 39% contained. Containment is a measure of the perimeter crews have established to prevent the spread of a wildfire. Thousands of people were allowed to go home on Sunday as more evacuation orders were downgraded in Placer County. At least 78 structures have been destroyed, and 13 structures damaged.Battling the BlazeIn its Monday morning incident update, Cal Fire said that containment on the Mosquito Fire almost doubled within the last 36 hours. “This increase in containment can be attributed to the hard work of firefighters who have been working around the clock to strengthen and secure containment lines in and around the communities,” Cal Fire said.Communities have also been able to repopulate some areas following the increase in containment and wet weather. However, several evacuation warnings and orders remain in place. Rain helped fight the fire Sunday, but Cal Fire said that added precipitation makes the landscape “more treacherous” due to muddy and slippery terrain. A flash flood watch is also in place for the fire area due to potential ash and debris flow from forecast thunderstorms in the burn scar. Some evacuation orders reducedOn Monday, the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office reduced evacuation orders for the Volcanoville and Quintette areas to evacuation warnings. This reduction in orders also includes the area east of the intersection of Wentworth Springs Road and Wolfridge Road, west of Stumpy Meadows Lake, south of the El Dorado-Placer county line and north of Wentworth Springs Road.Evacuation warnings were also lifted for the Canyon Creek, Bottle Hill and Grey Eagle areas.On Sunday morning, some evacuation orders in Placer County were reduced to warnings and people could start to go home. Zones 7B, 8, 9, 10, 11A, 12, 15 and 26 all on the west side of the fire are the ones that were downgraded. At least 3,701 people are able to return home, according to the Placer County Sheriff’s Office on Sunday. For those returning home to spoiled food, there are dumpsters available in the parking lot at the LDS Church on Todd Valley Road, authorities said. Some orders in El Dorado County were also downgraded on Sunday.The communities allowed to return home include Cannon Creek, Bottle Hill and Grey Eagle. The warnings in Cool, Garden Valley, Georgetown Proper and Swansboro were lifted. On Saturday evening, evacuation orders were reduced to warnings for Zone 12 in Placer County and some people along Foresthill Road, among others, will be allowed to go home. However, authorities warn people there is no gas available in Foresthill and Worton’s Market remains closed. Some residents in the community of Georgetown in El Dorado County were allowed to return home on Friday. The El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office reduced the evacuation order, a lawful mandate to leave immediately, to an evacuation warning, which is a recommendation to be ready to leave in case wildfire activity becomes threatening. For evacuated residents, a drop from order to warning is also a green light for them to begin repopulating. Evacuation orders were reduced for the area west of Wentworth Springs Road at Citabria Lane, north of Greenwood Road and Graybar Mine Road. Also included is east of Highway 193 at Sliger Mine Road, and south of Bottle Hill Road and Snow Cap Road. The reduced orders do not include Sliger Mine Road north of Loriel Drive and Spanish Dry Diggins Road north of Odyssey Falls Drive.Georgetown is about 18 miles north of Placerville and about 19 miles east of Auburn. See all evacuation orders and warnings below. App users, click here.Evacuation centersPlacer CountySierra College — 5100 Sierra College Blvd, Rocklin, CA 95677 (Parking in Lot B, the shelter will be in the Building J cafeteria)El Dorado CountyCameron Park Services District — 2502 Country Club Drive, Cameron Park, CA 95682. Overnight shelter, meals, showers, limited health services and parking for trailers will be provided. Animals in crates and carriers will also be accepted.Green Valley Community Church — 3500 Missouri Flat Road, Placerville, CA. This location with accept human and small domestic animals on leashes or in creates. No Large animal and no birds. Limited RV parking and no hookups.Animal evacuation centersPlacer County Gold Country Fairgrounds — 209 Fairgate Road, Auburn, CaliforniaPeople can start to pick up their animals starting at 8 a.m. on SundayDiamond Springs Shelter (small animals only) — 6435 Capitol Avenue, Diamond Springs, CA 95619Rancho Murieta Equestrian Center (equines only) — Call for information: 916-985-7334Flying M Ranch (large animals only) — 5421 Buck Mountain Road, Placerville, CA 95667Road ClosuresThe Placer County Sheriff’s Office said hard road closures are in place on Foresthill Road and Lincoln Way in Auburn. There are also closures at the Old Foresthill Road at the Confluence.The eastbound Interstate 80 offramp to Foresthill Road is closed due to the fire.(Click through the gallery below for a glimpse at the firefight.) Foresthill students take classes in AuburnHigh school is tough enough without students having to worry about their town or school burning in a massive wildfire.Yet, for 200 Foresthill High School students, they are now taking classes at Placer High in Auburn while the town of Foresthill remains under an evacuation order because of the Mosquito Fire.”The first few days, I wasn’t able to focus because the fire kept getting closer and closer to our town,” said Foresthill sophomore Bryce Dowling. Full story here. Foresthill resident who didn’t evacuate recalls terrifying flare-upMitch Griffith has lived in the town of Foresthill in Placer County for the last 22 years.He is also one of the residents who chose to stay put when mandatory evacuations were issued for his home when the Mosquito Fire began threatening that area.“Tuesday morning was a great morning,” Griffith said. “It was beautiful. Everything was great, and then this fire jumped up.” Full story here.El Dorado County and Placer County residents can check if their home is destroyedResidents in El Dorado and Placer counties can check if their homes have been damaged, destroyed, or still intact.The sheriff’s offices for both counties released their own respective interactive maps that let you click on homes that are color-coded based on the amount of damage. Damaged or destroyed homes will also include pictures showing what the house looks like. Homes without damage will not have their pictures posted.View the El Dorado County map below. App users, click here.View the Placer County map below. App users, click here.State of emergency declared Placer County issued a local emergency due to the blaze.“A local emergency proclamation asserts continuing risk to life and property and that the response is beyond the capabilities of local resources,” a release from the county said. “Placer’s proclamation requests state and federal assistance, but neither a state nor a federal disaster has yet been declared that would authorize individual disaster assistance for residents and businesses.” Gov. Gavin Newsom also declared a state of emergency in Placer and El Dorado counties due to the fires. With the state of emergency declared, that opens up federal resources to assist in combating the fire. PG&E files incident report to CPUCIt’s still unclear how the Mosquito Fire started. However, PG&E filed a report with the state’s public utility commission for a pole near where the fire started. The U.S. Forest Service had placed “caution tape around the base of a PG&E transmission pole” the report said on Thursday. “Thus far, PG&E has observed no damage or abnormal conditions to the pole or our facilities near Oxbow Reservoir, has not observed down conductor in the area or any vegetation related issues.”PG&E is investigating. Here’s a look at the current air quality in Northern CaliforniaSmoke from the Mosquito Fire burning in Placer and El Dorado counties will continue to impact areas across the Sacramento region, according to Spare the Air. The Sacramento Metropolitan, El Dorado, Feather River, Placer and Yolo-Solano air districts forecast unhealthy air quality for sensitive groups in the region.
Residents of the town of Foresthill in Placer County can begin returning home as evacuation orders were downgraded to warnings for the Mosquito Fire, officials said Monday afternoon. The Foothills area saw some light rain in the area, which crews took advantage of in getting a better handle on the wildfire.
With evacuation warnings, residents are recommended to be ready to evacuate at a moment’s notice in case wildfire activity becomes threatening, but it also allows for already evacuated residents to return...
Dr. Raymond Cammack https://digitalarkansasnews.com/dr-raymond-cammack/
Dr. Raymond Cammack, 79, of Magnolia died Tuesday, September 6, 2022 at the Claiborne Memorial Medical Center in Homer, LA.
Dr. Cammack spent his life in the ministry and teaching. He received a doctor of education in mathematics. He was a professor of mathematics at Southern Arkansas University for 34 years.
He served in the Arkansas United Methodist Church Conference, Columbia Charge for 21 years as senior pastor to Unity, Philadelphia, and Harmony United Methodist churches in Columbia County.
He was preceded in death by his parents; brother, James Cammack; and sister and brother-in-law, Mary Jo and Gordon Ward.
Dr. Cammack is survived by his wife of 52 years, Sharon Cammack of Magnolia; daughter, Mitzi Bagwell and husband Jimmy of Coppell, TX; grandchildren, Cameron Bagwell and wife Claudia of Rogers and Elizabeth Buchannan and husband John of Midlothian, TX; and great-grandchildren, Stetson Bagwell, Carter Weldon Buchannan and Conway Jane Buchannan.
A memorial service will be held 10 a.m. Wednesday, September 28, 2022 at First United Methodist Church Chapel with the Rev. Larry Kelso officiating. Cremation services were provided by Lewis Funeral Home, Inc., in Magnolia.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the First United Methodist Church, 320 West Main, Magnolia, AR 71753 or Columbia County Animal Protection Society (CCAPS), P.O. Box 2003, Magnolia, AR 71754.
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Wall Street Ends Choppy Session Higher With Focus Firmly On Fed
Wall Street Ends Choppy Session Higher With Focus Firmly On Fed https://digitalarkansasnews.com/wall-street-ends-choppy-session-higher-with-focus-firmly-on-fed/
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All eyes on Fed policy decision on Wednesday
Traders price in small chance of 100 bps rate hike
Take Two’s GTA VI gameplay footage leaked online
Knowbe4 jumps on take-private offer
Indexes up: Dow 0.64%, S&P 0.69%, Nasdaq 0.76%
Sept 19 (Reuters) – Wall Street’s main indexes ended a seesaw session higher on Monday, as investors turned their attention to this week’s policy meeting at the Federal Reserve and how aggressively it will hike interest rates.
Even more so than the Ukraine war or corporate earnings, the actions of the U.S. central bank are driving market sentiment as traders try to position themselves for a rising interest rate environment.
The S&P 500 (.SPX) and the Nasdaq (.IXIC) rebounded from logging their worst weekly percentage drop since June on Friday, as markets fully priced in at least a 75 basis point rise in rates at the end of Fed’s Sept. 20-21 policy meeting, with Fed funds futures showing a 15% chance of a whopping 100 bps increase.
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Unexpectedly hot August inflation data last week also raised bets on increased rate hikes down the road, with the terminal rate for U.S. fed funds now at 4.46%.
“This is all about what’s going to happen on Wednesday, and what comes out of the Fed’s hands on Wednesday, so I think people are just going to wait and see until then,” said Josh Markman, partner at Bel Air Investment Advisors.
“We had a poor print when the CPI came in, so the Fed – who is behind the 8-ball – is now trying to get ahead of the curve and curb inflation, and that (awareness) is driving equity markets.”
Reflecting the caution for new bets ahead of the Fed meeting, just 9.58 million shares traded on U.S. exchanges on Monday, the sixth lightest day for trading volume this year.
Focus will also be on new economic projections, due to be published alongside the Fed’s policy statement at 2 p.m. ET (1800 GMT) on Wednesday. read more
A trader stands beneath a screen on the trading floor displaying the Dow Jones Industrial Average at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., September 13, 2022. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly
Worries of Fed tightening have dragged the S&P 500 down 18.2% this year, with a recent dire earnings report from delivery firm FedEx Corp (FDX.N), an inverted U.S. Treasury yield curve and warnings from the World Bank and the IMF about an impending global economic slowdown adding to the woes. read more
Goldman Sachs cut its forecast for 2023 U.S. GDP late on Friday as it projects a more aggressive Fed and sees that pushing the jobless rate higher than it previously expected.
“The Fed will continue to plough along, we’ll get 75 (bps) on Wednesday, but what comes next and whether they are going to pause or not after Wednesday, that is going to be the interesting part,” said Bel Air’s Markman.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average (.DJI) rose 197.26 points, or 0.64%, to 31,019.68, the S&P 500 (.SPX) gained 26.56 points, or 0.69%, to 3,899.89 and the Nasdaq Composite (.IXIC) added 86.62 points, or 0.76%, to 11,535.02.
A majority of the 11 S&P 500 sectors rose. One exception was healthcare (.SPXHC), down 0.6% as it was weighed by a fall in shares of vaccine maker Moderna Inc (MRNA.O) a day after President Joe Biden said in a CBS interview that “the pandemic is over”. read more
Industrial stocks (.SPLRCI) rebounded 1.4% after a sharp drop on Friday, while banks (.SPXBK) gained 1.9%. Tech heavyweights Apple Inc (AAPL.O) and Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) rose 2.5% and 1.9%, respectively, to provide the biggest boost to the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq.
Take-Two Interactive Software Inc (TTWO.O) closed up 0.7%, having recovered from a slump earlier in the day caused by confirmation that a hacker had leaked the early footage of Grand Theft Auto VI, the next installment of the best-selling videogame. read more
Meanwhile, Knowbe4 Inc (KNBE.O) jumped 28.2% to $22.17, its highest close since May 4, after the cybersecurity firm said that Vista Equity Partners had offered to take it private for $24 per share, valuing the company at $4.22 billion. read more
The S&P 500 posted one new 52-week high and 28 new lows; the Nasdaq Composite recorded 29 new highs and 378 new lows.
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Reporting by Devik Jain and Shreyashi Sanyal in Bengaluru and David French in New York; Editing by Shounak Dasgupta, Anil D’Silva and Lisa Shumaker
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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Construction Crews Begin Demolition Of I-30 River Crossing Bridge
Construction Crews Begin Demolition Of I-30 River Crossing Bridge https://digitalarkansasnews.com/construction-crews-begin-demolition-of-i-30-river-crossing-bridge/
Crews have now begun demolition on the I-30 river crossing project, and though it has been a long time coming, progress is being made.
NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — The banks along the Arkansas river are typically quiet, and tranquil—but if you were to look up, that may no longer be the case.
“During the daytime hours, we’re going to be making a little bit of noise,” Dave Parker, spokesperson for the Arkansas Department of Transportation, said.
Those noises that have been happening, are the sounds of jackhammers and piledrivers, and though they are loud, they also mean that progress is being made.
“The first part of taking down that bridge is going to be demolishing that upper part, the deck, the concrete,” he explained.
If you’ve driven near the I-30 crossing area during the recent months, then you’ve most likely seen construction crews making progress on a new bridge next to the old one— and as of last weekend, people were finally able to drive on it.
“Getting the east side of the bridge, or getting the one bridge open was a big undertaking, we’re happy for that,” Parker said. “You know, we still got some other things to take care of, but yeah, so far so good.”
Parker said that though progress has been continually moving along, there’s still a ways to go. He also added that they’re about 40% done with the project, and it is expected to wrap up in 2025.
“I think the people have overall accepted the fact that this is going to be a major area of construction for a good while, for good reason,” he said.
Now that demolition has begun, crews have already started to take off the top layer on the old bridge, and after that, they’ll cut away the old frame.
Once they are finished doing that, they’ll get rid of the piers above the water, then it will get really loud— when they blast the parts underneath the water.
“So we’re trying to be, you know, as environmentally safe and sound as possible, while also getting the bridge demolished in a quick and safe way,” Parker described.
He also said that though the demolition may be a little louder, and traffic may move a little slower, the end result will be worth the wait.
“Two new bridges, 12 lanes, two years from now,” he said. “I know two years may seem like a long time, but, you know, it takes a while to build things like this.”
For more information on the project, please click here.
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49ers Sign LB Greenlaw To Two-Year Extension https://digitalarkansasnews.com/49ers-sign-lb-greenlaw-to-two-year-extension/
The San Francisco 49ers announced that the team has signed LB Dre Greenlaw to a two-year extension through the 2024 season.
Greenlaw (6-0, 230) was originally selected by the 49ers in the fifth round (148th overall) of the 2019 NFL Draft. Over the past four seasons (2019-22), he has appeared in 33 games (25 starts) and registered 196 tackles, four passes defensed, 2.0 sacks, and two interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown. He has also started six postseason contests and added 18 tackles, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. Greenlaw was named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team and awarded the Thomas Herrion Memorial Award in 2019, which is given annually to the rookie or first-year player who has taken advantage of every opportunity, turned it into a positive situation and made their dream turn into a reality.
In 2021, Greenlaw appeared in three games (two starts) and registered 21 tackles and one interception, which he returned for a touchdown. He also started all three postseason games where he registered 14 tackles and one fumble recovery.
A 25-year-old native of Fayetteville, AR, Greenlaw attended the University of Arkansas where he appeared in 42 games (39 starts) in his four-year career (2015-18) with the Razorbacks, recording 299 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, 4.0 sacks, three interceptions, three forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries.
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Private Jets At Fort Smith Regional Airport Receiving Software Fix Talk Business & Politics
Private Jets At Fort Smith Regional Airport Receiving Software Fix – Talk Business & Politics https://digitalarkansasnews.com/private-jets-at-fort-smith-regional-airport-receiving-software-fix-talk-business-politics/
The Gulfstream private jets coming and going from the Fort Smith Regional Airport since Sept. 12 are part of a flight control software fix required by the Federal Aviation Administration and European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to address a flight control problem.
According to an FAA directive issued Sept. 8, the fix is for Gulfstream G-500 and G-600 jets following incidents on Feb. 6, 2020, and April 4, 2022, in which “the angle of attack (AOA) protection function (alpha limiter) of the FCC engaged and overrode the pilot pitch control inputs which the flight control law erroneously predicted would exceed the stall AOA.”
“This condition, if not addressed, could limit pilot pitch authority during a critical phase of flight near the ground, and result in a high rate of descent landing with possible consequent loss of control of the airplane,” noted the FAA in the directive authorizing the software fix.
The FAA estimates that work on each plane of U.S. registry will require about six work hours and cost $510. The total cost for the 120 Gulfstream G-500 and G-600 planes requiring the patch is estimated at $61,200. It’s a small cost for planes that can cost as much as $58 million each. There is an estimated 50 planes registered overseas also requiring the work. The FAA set an April 30, 2023, deadline to complete the software fix.
In addition to its nine global service centers, Savannah, Ga.-based Gulfstream set up “stand-up facilities” in Fort Smith, Basel, Switzerland and Singapore for the software work.
Fort Smith Regional Airport Director Michael Griffin said Gulfstream was familiar with Fort Smith after using the field in September 2017 to protect more than 12 planes ahead of Hurricane Irma, which resulted in more than $77 billion in damage along the U.S. East Coast.
“One, we’ve worked well with them in the past, and two, we’re really centrally located in the U.S., so it’s kind of a natural place to do this,” Griffin said when asked why Gulfstream selected Fort Smith as a software fix location. “It’s good for the airport. It’s busy. You have these planes out here buying gas and people here doing this work.”
Gulfstream declined to disclose how many jets would be serviced in Fort Smith but did provide this statement to Talk Business & Politics.
“On Monday, Sept. 12, Gulfstream received FAA certification of the updated Gulfstream G500 and Gulfstream G600 flight-control validation and revised aircraft flight manual, removing all limitations placed on the aircraft. In anticipation, Gulfstream pre-stationed Gulfstream support teams at three regional customer fly-in centers for rapid deployment of the installation in Fort Smith, Arkansas, and at Jet Aviation facilities in Basel, Switzerland, and Singapore. We anticipate the majority of the G500 and G600 fleet receiving the software update by the end of this month, and we’ve already completed the installation for and returned to service nearly half the fleet. We appreciate the support from our customers and the continued partnership with the FAA as we developed and robustly tested the upgrade during these past months.”
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Georgia Senate Candidate Herschel Walker Admits Hes not That Smart In Effort To Lower Debate Expectations Against Sen. Raphael Warnock
Georgia Senate Candidate Herschel Walker Admits He’s ‘not That Smart’ In Effort To Lower Debate Expectations Against Sen. Raphael Warnock https://digitalarkansasnews.com/georgia-senate-candidate-herschel-walker-admits-hes-not-that-smart-in-effort-to-lower-debate-expectations-against-sen-raphael-warnock/
ATLANTA — Former NFL great Herschel Walker admits he’s “not that smart” as he seeks to downplay expectations for his upcoming Georgia Senate debate with Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga.
The Republican retired football great claimed he’s just a bumpkin who wouldn’t have a chance of out-talking the erudite Warnock when they spar face to face on Oct. 14.
“I’m a country boy. … He’s a preacher,” Walker said. “(Warnock) is smart and wears these nice suits.”
Walker, who starred for the University of Georgia and in the National Football League, warned supporters not to expect much from him when the pair face off.
“He is going to show up and embarrass me at the debate,” Walker said. “I’m just waiting to show up, and I will do my best.”
Walker has run a rocky campaign and has faced attacks over his previous violent threats against his ex-wife.
He suggested climate change couldn’t be real. He also admitted failing to acknowledge three children from former relationships, even though he often speaks about the importance of Black men being responsible fathers.
Walker, who grew up in rural Wrightsville, Georgia, is down in most polls to Warnock, who also is the pastor of Atlanta’s iconic Ebenezer Baptist Church, where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once preached.
The November race is likely to be close as the two parties are evenly matched in the Peach State.
It will help determine control of the Senate, with Democrats favored to hold onto their razor-thin edge.
Warnock and Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., who is not up for reelection, won their seats last year, becoming the first Democrats in decades to win statewide office. President Joe Biden also narrowly beat former President Donald Trump in 2020 in an election that cemented Georgia’s status as a battleground state.
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Jury Selection Of Trump Adviser Thomas J. Barrack Jr. In New York
Jury Selection Of Trump Adviser Thomas J. Barrack Jr. In New York https://digitalarkansasnews.com/jury-selection-of-trump-adviser-thomas-j-barrack-jr-in-new-york/
JANE ROSENBERG
Sep 19, 2022
Sep 19, 2022 Updated 25 min ago
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Tom Barrack watches as an interviewed prospective juror states that her least favorite person on earth is Donald Trump, during jury selection in a courtroom sketch in New York City, U.S. September 19, 2022. Tom Barrack, a private equity executive and onetime fundraiser for former President Donald Trump is charged with acting as a foreign agent without notifying the U.S. government as required. REUTERS/Jane Rosenberg
JANE ROSENBERG
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Fact Check: False Claim That King Charles III Said Trump Won The Election
Fact Check: False Claim That King Charles III Said Trump Won The Election https://digitalarkansasnews.com/fact-check-false-claim-that-king-charles-iii-said-trump-won-the-election-2/
The claim: King Charles III signed a proclamation saying Trump won the 2020 presidential election
Queen Elizabeth II passed away on Sept. 8 at the age of 96, ending her 70-year reign. Her son, King Charles III, was officially proclaimed the country’s monarch on Sept. 10.
Social media users are claiming the king has begun using his newfound power to weigh in on U.S. politics.
“King Charles III signs a proclamation stating that Donald Trump won the 2020 Presidential election and is the rightful President by Law,” a Sept. 11 Instagram post reads. “Warns Biden and Kamala to vacate the premises within 48 hours or a state of war will exist between America and England.”
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The post features a picture of the king signing a document and garnered more than 200 likes within a day. A now-deleted Facebook post amassed more than 400 likes within a day. Similar viral iterations have been shared on Instagram and Twitter.
There is no evidence to suggest the king signed such a proclamation. During his accession ceremony, he signed an oath solidifying the security of the Church of Scotland.
USA TODAY reached out to the user who shared the post for comment.
King didn’t proclaim Trump won the election
The photo featured in the post shows Charles signing a document during his accession ceremony at St. James’s Palace, where he was formally proclaimed as monarch of the U.K. The document is an oath vowing to uphold the security of the Church of Scotland, according to the royal family’s website.
The ceremony was filmed for the first time in history. At no point during the event did the king make any proclamation regarding former President Donald Trump or the 2020 presidential election.
It is also the responsibility of the Prime Minister, not the monarch, to declare war.
“In the event of a declaration of war or the commitment of British forces to military action, constitutional convention requires that authorisation is given by the Prime Minister, on behalf of the Crown,” says a 2018 briefing paper published by the House of Commons. “Decisions on military action are taken within the Cabinet with advice from, among others, the National Security Council and the Chief of the Defence Staff.”
Though it is not a legal requirement that Parliament be consulted before declaring war, it has been common practice in the past, according to the briefing paper.
Fact check: Queen Elizabeth II died in Scotland, contrary to false claims citing US locations
USA TODAY has previously debunked the claim that the 2020 presidential election was rigged. Election audits, lawsuits and recounts prove the election results were legitimate.
Our rating: False
Based on our research, we rate FALSE the claim that the king signed a proclamation saying Trump won the 2020 presidential election. There’s no evidence the king signed such a proclamation. During his accession ceremony, Charles signed an oath solidifying the security of the Church of Scotland.
Our fact-check sources:
USA TODAY, Sept. 8, Special edition: Queen Elizabeth II dies at 96
USA TODAY, Sept. 10, Queen Elizabeth updates: King Charles III formally proclaimed, funeral date set, family gathers
The Washington Post, Sept. 10, Charles formally proclaimed king as princes William and Harry reunite
The Royal Household, Sept. 10, The Accession Council and Principal Proclamation
YouTube, Sept. 10, The Royal Family
The House of Commons, May 8, 2018, Parliamentary approval for military action
USA TODAY, Jan. 6, Fact check: How we know the 2020 election results were legitimate, not ‘rigged’ as Donald Trump claims
Thank you for supporting our journalism. You can subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or electronic newspaper replica here.
Our fact-check work is supported in part by a grant from Facebook.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fact check: False claim that King Charles III said Trump won in 2020
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Hurricane Fiona Slams Dominican Republic After Knocking Out Power In Puerto Rico And Causing
Hurricane Fiona Slams Dominican Republic After Knocking Out Power In Puerto Rico And Causing https://digitalarkansasnews.com/hurricane-fiona-slams-dominican-republic-after-knocking-out-power-in-puerto-rico-and-causing/
Hurricane Fiona roared over the Dominican Republic on Monday after knocking out power across all of Puerto Rico, causing damage the governor said was “catastrophic.” Many people were left without water service.
Authorities reported one death from the hurricane — a man swept away by a flooded river in the inland town of Comerio. Authorities in the U.S. territory said it was too early to know the full scope of damage from an expansive storm that was still forecast to unleash torrential rain across Puerto Rico on Monday.
One death was associated with the blackout — a 70-year-old man who was burned to death after he tried to fill his generator with gasoline while it was running, officials said.
The island’s National Weather Service office said flash flooding was occurring in south-central parts of Puerto Rico and tweeted, “MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND IMMEDIATELY!”
A flooded road is seen during the passage of hurricane Fiona in Villa Blanca, Puerto Rico, on September 18, 2022. JOSE RODRIGUEZ/AFP via Getty Images
Up to 22 inches of rain had fallen in some areas of Puerto Rico and forecasters said another 4 to 8 inches could fall – perhaps up to 15 inches in some places – even as the storm moves away.
As much as 15 inches were projected for the eastern Dominican Republic, where authorities told most people to stay home from work, closed ports and banned use of beaches.
“It’s important people understand that this is not over,” said Ernesto Morales, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in San Juan.
He said flooding reached “historic levels,” with authorities evacuating or rescuing hundreds of people across the island.
“The damages that we are seeing are catastrophic,” said Gov. Pedro Pierluisi.
The National Hurricane Center said late Monday morning that the center of the storm was near the northern coast of the Dominican Republic and “catastrophic and life-threatening flooding” continued across the majority of Puerto Rico.
A man stands amidst debris on the seashore in the aftermath of Hurricane Fiona in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, September 19, 2022. RICARDO ROJAS / REUTERS
The territory’s water agency reported that it had cut domestic service to many areas because of turbulent water or lack of power.
Before dawn on Monday, authorities in a boat navigated the flooded streets of the north coast town of Catano and used a megaphone to alert people that the pumps had collapsed, urging them to evacuate as soon as possible.
Authorities said at least 1,300 people spent the night in shelters across the island.
Brown water rushed through streets, into homes and consumed a runway airport in southern Puerto Rico.
Deanne Criswell, director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said in a statement to CBS News Sunday night that the agency was “actively supporting” Puerto Rico and “immediately deployed hundreds of FEMA personnel before the storm made landfall.”
“Our focus right now is on life-saving efforts and response to immediate needs such as power restoration,” Criswell said.
A Biden administration official told CBS News on Monday that more than 300 FEMA and federal personnel were already in Puerto Rico. That included power restoration experts from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, along with FEMA Urban Search and Rescue teams.
More federal responders were set to arrive in the coming days, the official said. FEMA is working with Puerto Rico power distribution company Luma to restore power to the island, and has also brought in generators.
On Monday afternoon, President Biden shared a photo of himself speaking by phone with Puerto Rico Gov. Pedro Pierluisi.
“Today, I spoke with @GovPierluisi to address the immediate needs of Puerto Rico in the wake of Hurricane Fiona,” the president said. “We discussed federal personnel working to assist the island’s recovery, and I assured the Governor that we’ll increase support substantially in the coming days.”
Fiona also ripped asphalt from roads and washed away a bridge in the central mountain town of Utuado that police said was installed by the National Guard after Hurricane Maria hit in 2017 as a Category 4 storm.
The storm also tore the roofs off homes, including that of Nelson Cirino in the northern coastal town of Loiza.
“I was sleeping and saw when the corrugated metal flew off,” he said as he watched rain drench his belongings and wind whip his colorful curtains into the air.
Fiona was centered about 10 miles (15 kilometers) southeast of Samana in the Dominican Republic, with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph (140 kph) on Monday morning, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center. It was moving to the northwest at 8 mph (13 kph).
Tropical storm-force winds extended out for 140 miles (220 kilometers) from the center.
Forecasters said the storm’s was expected to emerge over the Atlantic in the afternoon and pass close to the Turks and Caicos islands on Tuesday. It could near Bermuda as a major hurricane late Thursday or on Friday.
Fiona hit Puerto Rico on the anniversary of Hurricane Hugo, which slammed into the island in 1989 as a Category 3 storm, and two days before the anniversary of 2017’s devastating Hurricane Maria – from which the territory has yet to fully recover.
That hurricane caused nearly 3,000 deaths and destroyed the power grid. Five years later, more than 3,000 homes still have only a blue tarp as a roof.
Authorities announced Monday that power had been returned to 100,000 customers on an island of 3.2 million people, but Luma said it could take days to fully restore service.
Mr. Biden had already declared a state of emergency in the U.S. territory as the eye of the storm approached the island’s southwest corner.
Puerto Rico’s health centers were running on generators – and some of those had failed. Health Secretary Carlos Mellado said crews rushed to repair generators at the Comprehensive Cancer Center, where several patients had to be evacuated.
Fiona previously battered the eastern Caribbean, killing one man in the French territory of Guadeloupe when floods washed his home away, officials said.
In:
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House Eyes Vote On A New Bipartisan Bill To Prevent Another Jan. 6
House Eyes Vote On A New Bipartisan Bill To Prevent Another Jan. 6 https://digitalarkansasnews.com/house-eyes-vote-on-a-new-bipartisan-bill-to-prevent-another-jan-6/
WASHINGTON — A bipartisan duo on the Jan. 6 committee on Monday rolled out legislation aimed at preventing future attempts to overturn elections, and House leaders are eyeing a vote as early as this week.
The Presidential Election Reform Act, unveiled by Reps. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., and Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., centers on overhauling the Electoral Count Act, an archaic law that governs the counting of electoral votes, which former President Donald Trump and his allies sought to exploit to stay in power after he lost the 2020 election.
The 38-page bill would make clear the vice president’s role in counting votes is simply ministerial and raise the threshold for objecting to electors from one member of the House and Senate to one-third of each chamber. It would require governors and states to send electors to Congress for candidates who won the election based on state law prior to Election Day, according to an official summary, meaning states couldn’t change their election rules retroactively after an election.
The legislation is expected to be reviewed by the Rules Committee on Tuesday. Last week, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., notified members that the full House might consider the bill this week, which could occur as soon as Wednesday.
“Our proposal is intended to preserve the rule of law for all future presidential elections by ensuring that self-interested politicians cannot steal from the people the guarantee that our government derives its power from the consent of the governed,” Cheney and Lofgren wrote in an opinion piece for The Wall Street Journal. “We look forward to working with our colleagues in the House and the Senate toward this goal.”
The measure takes a different approach than the Senate’s version, which is the product of months of bipartisan negotiations and scheduled for a committee markup later this month. For instance, the Senate bill would require one-fifth of each chamber to force a vote to object to electors.
The Senate is moving toward voting on its bill in the lame-duck session between the Nov. 8 election and the seating of the new Congress on Jan. 3. Unlike the House, which needs only a simple majority to pass a bill, the Senate requires 60 to overcome a filibuster, meaning Democrats would need at least 10 Republican votes to send any bill to President Joe Biden’s desk for enactment.
Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said Monday that he hadn’t reviewed the Cheney-Lofgren bill, but endorsed the cause of overhauling election laws.
“We should do this in a timely fashion. The sooner the better,” he told NBC News, adding that the lame-duck session is “realistic, at least from a Senate perspective,” as a timeframe to vote.
Last week, another bipartisan pair of lawmakers — Reps. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., and Fred Upton, R-Mich. — rolled out a separate election reform bill that mirrored the Senate proposal, which was written by Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Susan Collins, R-Maine.
But in bringing the Cheney-Lofgren bill to the floor this week, House Democratic leaders are sending a clear signal about where their caucus stands on the issue. Democrats are expected to be unified behind the measure, which will also attract some Republican votes, although it’s unclear how many.
“I support any legislation that will prevent another Jan. 6 and strengthen election integrity and protections in our great country,” Gottheimer told NBC News on Monday. “The key is getting this done.”
Sahil Kapur is a senior national political reporter for NBC News.
Haley Talbot
Haley Talbot is an associate producer in the NBC News Washington bureau.
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We Could Be Lining Up For A 'face-Ripper' Rally Here Says Ritholtz's Josh Brown
We Could Be Lining Up For A 'face-Ripper' Rally Here, Says Ritholtz's Josh Brown https://digitalarkansasnews.com/we-could-be-lining-up-for-a-face-ripper-rally-here-says-ritholtzs-josh-brown/
We could be lining up for a ‘face-ripper’ rally here, says Ritholtz’s Josh Brown CNBC Television
Looking for a short-term trade? This ETF carries risk — but outperforms when volatility spikes CNBC
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Fact Check: False Claim That King Charles III Said Trump Won The Election
Fact Check: False Claim That King Charles III Said Trump Won The Election https://digitalarkansasnews.com/fact-check-false-claim-that-king-charles-iii-said-trump-won-the-election/
The claim: King Charles III signed a proclamation saying Trump won the 2020 presidential election
Queen Elizabeth II passed away on Sept. 8 at the age of 96, ending her 70-year reign. Her son, King Charles III, was officially proclaimed the country’s monarch on Sept. 10.
Social media users are claiming the king has begun using his newfound power to weigh in on U.S. politics.
“King Charles III signs a proclamation stating that Donald Trump won the 2020 Presidential election and is the rightful President by Law,” a Sept. 11 Instagram post reads. “Warns Biden and Kamala to vacate the premises within 48 hours or a state of war will exist between America and England.”
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The post features a picture of the king signing a document and garnered more than 200 likes within a day. A now-deleted Facebook post amassed more than 400 likes within a day. Similar viral iterations have been shared on Instagram and Twitter.
There is no evidence to suggest the king signed such a proclamation. During his accession ceremony, he signed an oath solidifying the security of the Church of Scotland.
USA TODAY reached out to the user who shared the post for comment.
King didn’t proclaim Trump won the election
The photo featured in the post shows Charles signing a document during his accession ceremony at St. James’s Palace, where he was formally proclaimed as monarch of the U.K. The document is an oath vowing to uphold the security of the Church of Scotland, according to the royal family’s website.
The ceremony was filmed for the first time in history. At no point during the event did the king make any proclamation regarding former President Donald Trump or the 2020 presidential election.
It is also the responsibility of the Prime Minister, not the monarch, to declare war.
“In the event of a declaration of war or the commitment of British forces to military action, constitutional convention requires that authorisation is given by the Prime Minister, on behalf of the Crown,” says a 2018 briefing paper published by the House of Commons. “Decisions on military action are taken within the Cabinet with advice from, among others, the National Security Council and the Chief of the Defence Staff.”
Though it is not a legal requirement that Parliament be consulted before declaring war, it has been common practice in the past, according to the briefing paper.
Fact check: Queen Elizabeth II died in Scotland, contrary to false claims citing US locations
USA TODAY has previously debunked the claim that the 2020 presidential election was rigged. Election audits, lawsuits and recounts prove the election results were legitimate.
Our rating: False
Based on our research, we rate FALSE the claim that the king signed a proclamation saying Trump won the 2020 presidential election. There’s no evidence the king signed such a proclamation. During his accession ceremony, Charles signed an oath solidifying the security of the Church of Scotland.
Our fact-check sources:
USA TODAY, Sept. 8, Special edition: Queen Elizabeth II dies at 96
USA TODAY, Sept. 10, Queen Elizabeth updates: King Charles III formally proclaimed, funeral date set, family gathers
The Washington Post, Sept. 10, Charles formally proclaimed king as princes William and Harry reunite
The Royal Household, Sept. 10, The Accession Council and Principal Proclamation
YouTube, Sept. 10, The Royal Family
The House of Commons, May 8, 2018, Parliamentary approval for military action
USA TODAY, Jan. 6, Fact check: How we know the 2020 election results were legitimate, not ‘rigged’ as Donald Trump claims
Thank you for supporting our journalism. You can subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or electronic newspaper replica here.
Our fact-check work is supported in part by a grant from Facebook.
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Rally In Ohio Features One-Finger Salute Music Similar To QAnon Song
Rally In Ohio Features One-Finger Salute, Music Similar To QAnon Song https://digitalarkansasnews.com/rally-in-ohio-features-one-finger-salute-music-similar-to-qanon-song/
Former President Donald Trump appeared at a rally on Saturday in Youngstown, Ohio, which featured music similar to the anthem of QAnon and supporters giving a one-finger salute.
USA Today, The New York Times and Business Insider reported that Trump was at the rally to support Ohio Senate candidate J.D. Vance. As Trump spoke, people reportedly raised an arm with their index finger pointed as they cheered.
The background music, The New York Times reported, sounded similar to a QAnon song called “Wwg1wga,” which stands for “where we go one, we go all.”
The salute, however, was a different story.
While The Washington Post and British newspaper The Guardian reported that some political observers pointed out the one-finger salute resembled another salute that the Nazis used, NBC News reporter Ben Collins and The New York Times reported that the salute was probably in reference to the QAnon song.
The salute did prompt New York State Senator Anna Kaplan to issue a statement condemning it.
“Supporters were urged to hold up their right hands in a unified salute that should shock the conscience of every American for its remarkable similarity to the “Heil Hitler” salute used by the Nazis,” Kaplan said. “I talk a lot about the importance of learning the history of the Holocaust — so that we don’t repeat history’s darkest chapter ever again — and the horrifying images from these events remind us that we have a lot more work to do yet.”
Copyright 2022 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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'Scandalous': Trump Spokesperson Says White House Not 'leaking' Enough National Security Secrets
'Scandalous': Trump Spokesperson Says White House Not 'leaking' Enough National Security Secrets https://digitalarkansasnews.com/scandalous-trump-spokesperson-says-white-house-not-leaking-enough-national-security-secrets/
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Obituaries In Fort Smith, AR | Times Record https://digitalarkansasnews.com/obituaries-in-fort-smith-ar-times-record-31/
Berniece Coates
Berniece Coates, 97, of Fort Smith, Arkansas, passed away on August 15, 2022.
Berniece was born on March 4, 1925 to Roger and Eva (Brecher) Wagoner in Pekin, Illinois. She graduated from Pekin Community High School in 1943.
She met the love of her life, Robert L. Coates, on December 8, 1945. She always said, “I knew the moment I met him, he was the one for me.” They were married on February 3, 1946. He passed away in 2007 and she never remarried.
They had 3 children, Patricia Owens and her husband, Owen, David Coates (deceased 1949), Lois Fisher (deceased 2017) and her husband, Curtis Fisher and step-daughter, Juanita Schleder (deceased 2005). They have 4 grandchildren, Robert Hanson and his wife, Wendy, Beth Schieferstine and her husband, Barry, Joanne Hanson, and Shannon Edwards and her husband, Darryl. Berniece had 3 step-grandchildren that she considered her own; Jacque Smith and her husband, Terry, Dennis Eeten and his wife, Karen, and Shelley McGinnis. They have 4 great grandchildren, Lauren Sanford and her husband, Jonathan, Erin Rhodes, Sierra Hanson, and Cody Schieferstine. They have 3 great-great grandchildren, Ryan and Ella Sanford and Barrett Rhodes.
Berniece loved to bowl and play golf and she enjoyed playing bingo and Rumikub with friends.
Visitation will be October 2, 2022, from 1-3 PM at the Lewis Funeral Chapel. Private burial will take place at the National Cemetery, with her late husband, on October 3, 2022.
Posted online on September 19, 2022
Published in Southwest Times Record
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Obituaries In Fort Smith, AR | Times Record https://digitalarkansasnews.com/obituaries-in-fort-smith-ar-times-record-30/
Bob Rice
Bob J. Rice, 80, of Fort Smith, passed away on Saturday, September 17, 2022. He was born on November 15, 1941. He is preceded in death by parents, V.W. Rice and Faye Rice Collier; brother-in-law, George Aven and a son-in-law, Chris Wandrey. Survived by wife of 59 years, Phyllis R. Rice. Daughters Jenny Rice Finney (Clayton) of Houston, TX and Amy Rice Wandrey of Fayetteville, AR; grandchildren Liam and Claire Finney; sister Judy Aven, niece René Smith (Michael), and nephew Bruce Aven (Lisa), all of Bartlett, TN.
Bob was a longtime member of First Baptist Church of Fort Smith, serving as a deacon and was in Tom Bull’s Sunday School class. He was a former group leader in Bible Study Fellowship for many years. A man of faith, Bob was secure in his salvation and his place in eternity with the Lord.
In Bob’s early life, his parents owned the V.W. Rice Grocery and Market which featured a service station on Midland Blvd. A 1959 graduate of Fort Smith High School, he earned a business degree from the University of Arkansas in 1965. After graduation, Bob joined Gerber Baby Food and spent his career in purchasing, retiring from there in 1999.
In retirement, he enjoyed going to breakfast every Wednesday morning with close friends in the ROMEO (Retired Old Men Eating Out) group. When Bob liked you, he likely had a clever, but endearing nickname for you that he might use to greet you (Hello, Navin!). He loved to tease and liked to surprise unsuspecting kids around him by making Donald Duck sounds. Bob was well liked and had many friends.
Bob thrived on the thrill of the hunt for a good deal and his hobby in retirement was selling unique antiques on eBay. A sports enthusiast, he was an avid Razorback fan and had been known to dominate the racquetball court. He enjoyed listening to music from the 50s and 60s including Elvis, Roy Orbison, and Roger Miller. He loved food, was fond of various hot sauces, discovering new restaurants, and revisiting old favorites with friends. He even had a custom order at Diamond Head restaurant on Midland Blvd called the Bob Rice Special.
A devoted husband, a loving father, grandfather and true friend, Bob will be missed by all.
Family will greet friends from 5:00pm to 7:00pm Tuesday at Edwards Funeral Home. Funeral Service will be 2:00pm Wednesday at First Baptist Church, with the interment to follow at Woodlawn Memorial Park.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to First Baptist Church Pre-School and Children’s Ministry, P.O. Box 609, Fort Smith, AR 72902.
To view the online guestbook, please go to www.edwardsfuneralhome.com
Posted online on September 19, 2022
Published in Southwest Times Record
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GOP's Election-Year Standing With Independents At Risk
GOP's Election-Year Standing With Independents At Risk https://digitalarkansasnews.com/gops-election-year-standing-with-independents-at-risk/
By THOMAS BEAUMONT
Associated Press
COLUMBUS, Wis. (AP) — Sarah Motiff has voted for Sen. Ron Johnson every time his name appeared on the ballot, starting in 2010 when the Wisconsin Republican was first elected as part of the tea party wave. Fond of his tough views on spending, she began the year planning to support his reelection again.
She became skeptical this summer as the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection reported his office discussed giving then-Vice President Mike Pence certificates with fake presidential electors for Donald Trump from Wisconsin and Michigan, part of a broader push to overturn Joe Biden’s victory. Johnson has downplayed the effort and the certificates were never given to Pence, but Motiff, a political independent, wasn’t convinced.
“I’m not going to lie when I say I’ve had some concerns about some of the reports that have come out,” the 52-year-old nonpartisan city councilwoman from Columbus, Wisconsin, said. “It just put a bad taste in my mouth.”
Nudged further by the June U.S. Supreme Court decision invalidating a woman’s constitutional right to an abortion, Motiff is opposing Johnson and supports his Democratic challenger, Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, in one of the most fiercely-contested Senate races this year.
“Which was really a hard decision for me because I do think he’s done good things in the past,” Motiff said of Johnson. “But this is pretty damaging.”
Motiff’s evolution represents the challenge for Republicans emerging from a tumultuous summer, defined by the court decision, high-profile hearings on former President Donald Trump’s actions during the insurrection and intensifying legal scrutiny of his handling of classified information and efforts to overturn the election. Now, a midterm campaign that the GOP hoped would be a referendum on President Joe Biden and the economy is at risk of becoming a comparison of the two parties, putting Republicans in an unexpectedly defensive position.
In politically-divided Wisconsin where recent elections have been decided by a few thousand votes, the outcome could hinge on self-described independent voters like Motiff.
“Having former President Trump so prominently in the news in so many ways makes it easier for Democrats to frame the midterm as a choice between two competing futures as opposed to a referendum on the Democrat governance,” said Republican pollster Whit Ayres. “That’s hurting Republicans. It’s distracting from the referendum message and allowing more of a focus on a choice of two different parties.”
That tension is playing out in Columbia County, Wisconsin, a constellation of tidy small towns surrounded by rolling dairy farm country, all within commuting distance of Madison.
Statewide, top-of-the-ticket candidates have won by barely a percentage point in the past three elections. Trump won Columbia County by a little more than 500 votes out of 33,000 cast in 2020.
In interviews with more than a dozen independent voters here over two days last week, many were rethinking their support of the GOP this fall.
Steve Gray, a self-described Republican-leaning independent “but never a Trump fan,” opposed the June court decision, because he backs abortion rights. But the 61-year-old school maintenance manager also resented what he saw as an unwelcome political power play by out-of-power Republicans.
“Trump stacked the Supreme Court. We all knew he wanted to overturn Roe,” said Gray, of small-town Rio, where Trump won by two votes in 2020. “That decision was a partisan hand grenade Trump threw into this election.”
The court decision “upended the physics of midterm elections,” said Jesse Stinebring, a pollster advising several Democratic campaigns.
It gave voters the rare opportunity to judge a policy advance backed by the minority party, distracting them from a pure up-or-down vote on majority Democrats, he said.
“The backlash from a political perspective isn’t directed at the traditional party in power, but is actually reframed in terms of this Republican control of the Supreme Court,” Stinebring said.
The decision made Dilaine Noel’s vote automatic.
The 29-year-old data analytics director for a Madison-area business said she had never affiliated with either party.
Despite her grievances about Democrats’ warring moderate and liberal wings, her support for abortion rights gave her no choice than to vote for the party’s candidates this fall.
“By default, I have to move in that direction,” said Noel, from small-town Poynette in the Wisconsin River valley. “I’m being forced to.”
Mary Percifield is a lifelong independent voter who says the abortion decision motivated her to vote Democratic because she worries the court might overturn other rights.
“A right has been taken away from us,” the 68-year-old customer service representative from Pardeeville, said. “I question if a woman’s right to vote will be taken away. A woman’s right for birth control.”
Independent voters who lean neither Democrat nor Republican nationally preferred Biden over Trump, 52% to 37% in 2020, and preferred Democrats over Republicans in U.S. House races by a similar margin in the 2018 midterms, according to AP VoteCast. Independents who lean neither Democrat nor Republican made up 5% of the 2020 electorate and 12% in 2018.
Independents had moved toward Republicans by early this year, seeking answers on the economy, said Republican pollster David Winston, a senior adviser to House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy. But they have drifted back toward Democrats as efforts by GOP leaders to focus on the economy have clashed with Republican attacks on the Justice Department and Trump’s continuing complaints about the 2020 election.
“Everything is suddenly back in the context of Trump,” Winston said in light of Trump’s prominent endorsement of Senate candidates and protests of the federal investigation into classified documents recovered from his Florida home. “It’s not that Democrats are gaining. It’s that Republicans over the summer were off talking about a variety of things. And independents are thinking, ‘If you’re not talking specifically about the problems that I’m concerned about, why am I listening?’”
Republicans remain optimistic about their chances in November, particularly about netting the handful of seats they need to regain the U.S. House majority. Inflation remains high and, despite a recent uptick, approval of Biden is still low for a party hoping to maintain its hold on power.
The economy remains the most effective message and one that breaks through others, GOP campaign officials say.
“Prices and things are so front-of-mind to people,” said Calvin Moore, the communications director for Congressional Leadership Fund, a superPAC supporting Republican U.S. House candidates. “It’s not just something that’s on the news. It’s something they are experiencing every day in their daily life. It’s something they face themselves every day when they go to the grocery store.”
A shift by independents is particularly meaningful in Wisconsin, as Republicans work to overtake Democrats’ one-seat majority in the Senate.
Johnson, among the most vulnerable Republicans running for reelection this fall, is locked in a tight race with Barnes, Wisconsin’s lieutenant governor. Of the most competitive Senate seats this year, his is the only one held by a Republican.
Though Johnson dismissed testimony about fake electors as staff work which never reached him, it reminded Christian Wood, an independent voter from Lodi, of Johnson’s opposition to certifying the election before Jan. 6. Johnson reversed course after the riot.
“It’s absolutely scary,” said Wood, who has often voted Republican. “To me that’s the most existential threat to our democracy. And to think he was even considering it makes him a non-starter.”
There’s time for an economic message to win out, but it will require news about Trump fading, GOP pollster Ayres said.
Meanwhile, Trump has a full schedule of fall campaign travel for candidates he has endorsed.
“Any distraction from that focus undermines the best Republican message,” he said.
___
Associated Press writer Hannah Fingerhut in Washington contributed to this report.
___
Follow AP for full coverage of the midterms at https://apnews.com/hub/2022-midterm-elections and on Twitter, https://twitter.com/ap_politics
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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Hurricane Fiona Caused Widespread Devastation In Puerto Rico. Now It Has Its Sights Set On Bermuda
Hurricane Fiona Caused Widespread Devastation In Puerto Rico. Now It Has Its Sights Set On Bermuda https://digitalarkansasnews.com/hurricane-fiona-caused-widespread-devastation-in-puerto-rico-now-it-has-its-sights-set-on-bermuda/
Hurricane Fiona pummeled Puerto Rico and made landfall Monday morning in the Dominican Republic. It will continue to strengthen as it moves towards the Turks and Caicos islands and Bermuda.Hurricane Fiona made landfall as a category 1 storm very early Monday morning. As of 10 a.m., the center of Fiona was 135 miles southeast of Grand Turk Island. Sustained winds are still at 90 mph and it will continue to strengthen as it moves to the northwest at 9 mph.Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 30 miles from the center of Fiona. Tropical-storm-force winds extend out around 140 miles.Fiona lashed at Puerto Rico, knocking out power entirely and causing catastrophic flooding. It then moved over the eastern half of the Dominican Republic Monday morning, and is headed northwest into warmer water. It will pass just east of the eastern Turks and Caicos islands tomorrow. It will likely be a Category 2 hurricane with sustained winds of 105 mph by that time. It will continue to move north and could be a major hurricane, category 3, by Tuesday night/Wednesday morning as it passes to the east of the Bahamas with winds of 115 mph. Forecast winds in the Atlantic are as high as 125 mph. It will likely still be this strong when it gets close to Bermuda.By next weekend, it could impact portions of eastern/Atlantic Canada. Fiona does not look like a threat to the continental United States, with the exception of bringing high surf to the East Coast.There are now two areas we are watching in the Tropics, and both have a low chance of development in the next five days. Disorganized showers and thunderstorms are associated with an area of low pressure over the central subtropical Atlantic. The system could develop over the next few days, but formation chances are only at 30%. The system will move generally northward while remaining over open water.Another tropical wave just west of the Windward Islands has been identified by the NHC for possible development later in the week. Chances are low at 20%, but this wave needs to be monitored with a keen eye as some forecast data show the potential for development after it enters the Caribbean and takes a possible track WNW that would take aim at the Yucatan Channel.So far this year, we have had six named storms, three of which became hurricanes. Normally by now, we would have nine named storms, four hurricanes and one to two major hurricanes. Dry air, Saharan dust and wind shear have played a major role in preventing tropical development and intensification this season. Stay tuned to WDSU Weather for the latest updates.
Hurricane Fiona pummeled Puerto Rico and made landfall Monday morning in the Dominican Republic. It will continue to strengthen as it moves towards the Turks and Caicos islands and Bermuda.
Hurricane Fiona made landfall as a category 1 storm very early Monday morning. As of 10 a.m., the center of Fiona was 135 miles southeast of Grand Turk Island. Sustained winds are still at 90 mph and it will continue to strengthen as it moves to the northwest at 9 mph.
Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 30 miles from the center of Fiona. Tropical-storm-force winds extend out around 140 miles.
Fiona lashed at Puerto Rico, knocking out power entirely and causing catastrophic flooding. It then moved over the eastern half of the Dominican Republic Monday morning, and is headed northwest into warmer water. It will pass just east of the eastern Turks and Caicos islands tomorrow. It will likely be a Category 2 hurricane with sustained winds of 105 mph by that time.
It will continue to move north and could be a major hurricane, category 3, by Tuesday night/Wednesday morning as it passes to the east of the Bahamas with winds of 115 mph. Forecast winds in the Atlantic are as high as 125 mph. It will likely still be this strong when it gets close to Bermuda.
By next weekend, it could impact portions of eastern/Atlantic Canada. Fiona does not look like a threat to the continental United States, with the exception of bringing high surf to the East Coast.
There are now two areas we are watching in the Tropics, and both have a low chance of development in the next five days. Disorganized showers and thunderstorms are associated with an area of low pressure over the central subtropical Atlantic. The system could develop over the next few days, but formation chances are only at 30%. The system will move generally northward while remaining over open water.
Another tropical wave just west of the Windward Islands has been identified by the NHC for possible development later in the week. Chances are low at 20%, but this wave needs to be monitored with a keen eye as some forecast data show the potential for development after it enters the Caribbean and takes a possible track WNW that would take aim at the Yucatan Channel.
So far this year, we have had six named storms, three of which became hurricanes. Normally by now, we would have nine named storms, four hurricanes and one to two major hurricanes. Dry air, Saharan dust and wind shear have played a major role in preventing tropical development and intensification this season.
Stay tuned to WDSU Weather for the latest updates.
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Voting Laws Are Changing. Here's How They Look In Your State
Voting Laws Are Changing. Here's How They Look In Your State https://digitalarkansasnews.com/voting-laws-are-changing-heres-how-they-look-in-your-state-2/
(NewsNation) — As the November midterm election draws near, voters in several states will be subjected to new laws dictating who, where, and how people may cast their ballots.
Proposed voting legislation took off after the most recent presidential election, following former President Donald Trump’s false claims of a stolen election and widespread voter fraud.
Below is a look at voting practices in each state and how today’s political climate is shaping election laws.
Vote-by-mail
Thirty-five states and Washington, D.C., allow voters to cast absentee mail-in ballots without an excuse.
Eight states automatically mail a ballot to every eligible voter even if it isn’t requested, although there may still be an option to vote in person.
In the early days of American democracy, people would cast their votes out loud on the courthouse steps, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Paper ballots didn’t become commonplace until the late 19th century.
The use of mail-in ballots came under fire during the 2020 presidential election, after the former president claimed an “unprecedented massive amount of unsolicited ballots” would mean the election results “may never be accurately determined.”
Voter fraud has proved exceedingly rare. The Brennan Center for Justice in 2017 ranked the risk of ballot fraud at 0.00004% to 0.0009%, based on studies of past elections.
Last year, a federal judge struck down portions of a Florida election law that the judge said suppressed Black voters.
The law tightened rules on mailed ballots, drop boxes and other popular election methods, changes that made it more difficult for Black voters who, overall, have more socioeconomic disadvantages than white voters, the judge said in his ruling.
Ballot drop-off box
Some states provide ballot drop boxes where voters can submit a sealed and signed envelope with their ballot, a practice that became more common in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Twenty-three states have specific laws regulating drop-box locations, how many are in each county, hours of operation and security measures. Additionally, 31 states allow someone to return an absentee or mail ballot on behalf of a voter.
Those practices were recently challenged in Wisconsin, where a conservative-controlled Supreme Court ruled in July that absentee ballot drop boxes may be placed only in election offices and that no one other than the voter can return a ballot in person.
Republicans have argued that practice — known as ballot harvesting — is rife with fraud, although there has been no evidence of that happening in Wisconsin. Democrats and others argue that many voters, particularly the elderly and disabled, have difficulty returning their ballots without the assistance of others.
Supporters argue drop boxes are a better option than mailing ballots because they go directly to the clerks and can’t be lost or delayed in transit.
Voter registration
In the U.S., all but one state require citizens to register to vote. North Dakota is the only one without a requirement and instead allows eligible citizens to vote with proper identification.
In Wisconsin, a conservative law firm is challenging the use of a federal voter registration form, saying it doesn’t meet the requirements laid out by state law.
The Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty recently filed a lawsuit asking a judge to declare the National Mail Voter Registration Application illegal in the state and order the Wisconsin Election Commission to withdraw its approval for the form because it doesn’t include places to fill in information including whether a voter has been convicted of a felony and how long they have lived in their district.
Many states are required by federal law to use the form, which is provided by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, but Wisconsin isn’t subject to such an obligation because the state allows voters to register at the polls on Election Day.
Residents can also register online, at their municipal clerk’s office or by mail with a state form, which is available in English, Spanish and Hmong on the election commission’s website.
Photo Identification
Eighteen states had voter photo identification laws in effect as of this spring, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures and 19 states had identification laws that accepted proof other than photos.
Wisconsin, Indiana, Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi and Georgia have some of the most strict photo ID requirements.
In Missouri, two groups are challenging a new election law requiring a photo ID to vote. The Missouri League of Women Voters and the Missouri NAACP are suing the state, claiming the law restricts voting rights, NewsNation’s local affiliate KOLR reported.
The Missouri law allows people without a government-issued ID (not a voter registration card or student ID) to cast a provisional ballot. That ballot would be counted if they return to the polling location later that day to show a photo ID or an election official can verify the voter’s signature.
Those opposed to the requirement have said getting a state photo ID isn’t always easy and cited concerns about voters’ provisional ballots being deemed insufficient. They also argue the new law is a barrier that disproportionately affects voters of color, seniors, voters with disabilities, young voters, and low-wage workers.
Proponents of the measure say it helps prevent in-person voter impersonation and increases public confidence in the election process. Opponents say there is little fraud of this kind, and the burden on voters unduly restricts the right to vote and imposes unnecessary costs and administrative burdens on elections administrators.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Smith Wins LIV Golf In Second Start With Rival League
Smith Wins LIV Golf In Second Start With Rival League https://digitalarkansasnews.com/smith-wins-liv-golf-in-second-start-with-rival-league/
Cameron Smith hits his approach shot to the 18th green during Sunday’s final round of the LIV Golf Invitational-Chicago in Sugar Hill, Ill. (Associated Press)
SUGAR GROVE, Ill. — British Open champion Cameron Smith made his decision to leave the PGA Tour for LIV Golf pay off Sunday when he closed with a 3-under 69 for a three-shot victory in the LIV Golf Invitational-Chicago.
Smith was only briefly threatened in the third and final round. One of the key moments was a 10-foot par putt on the 13th hole, and neither Dustin Johnson nor Peter Uihlein could do enough to catch him.
Smith won $4 million from the $20 million purse for individual play.
“I think I had to prove to myself and other people that I’m still a great player, I’m still out here to win golf tournaments,” Smith said. “I didn’t have my best stuff, but I stuck tough and made some putts.”
Johnson (70) and Uihlein (69) each made birdie on the par-5 18th hole at Rich Harvest Farms and tied for second, each earning $1,812,500.
Johnson’s birdie enabled his team to win for the fourth straight time, which was worth an additional $750,000 for Johnson, Talor Gooch, Patrick Reed and Pat Perez. In the five events Johnson has played, he now has made just over $12.5 million.
Uihlein’s team — Brooks Koepka is the captain — finished second, which was worth $375,00 for each team member. With the runner-up finish as an individual and team, Uihlein picked up nearly $2.2 million on Sunday.
Smith let his short game do most of the damage. He made enough birdies on the front nine to stay in front, and hit a flop shop to a foot on the par-5 11th for another birdie.
Uihlein made birdie on the 13th and looked as though he might be able to trim the deficit to one shot until Smith made his clutch par.
Smith left no doubt at the end, hitting his approach over the water to 4 feet on the 17th to take a three-shot lead to the par-5 finish, and then holing an 18-foot birdie putt that gave his team a tie for third with Phil Mickelson’s team.
Mickelson had his best round since joining Saudi-funded LIV Golf with a 66 and tied for eighth, his first top-10 finish in five events.
Johnson is the only player from the 48-man field to have finished in the top 10 at every LIV Golf event. He was coming off a playoff victory two weeks ago outside Boston.
Smith was No. 2 in the world when the 29-year-old Australian signed up with LIV Golf after the PGA Tour season ended, the highest-ranked player to join.
Johnson remains one of the most significant players to sign up, a two-time major champion who was No. 1 in the world longer than any player since Tiger Woods.
“He’s probably the one who you look at it feeling he’s going to be at the top of the leaderboard every week,” Smith said. “I hope he thinks the same of me, and hopefully, we can keep it going.”
Sergio Garcia, criticized last week for withdrawing from the BMW PGA Championship after one round and showing up on the sideline of the Alabama-Texas football game, had a 67 and tied for fourth with Joaquin Niemann (68).
The next LIV Golf event is in three weeks in Bangkok.
The series does not return to America until the final team event at Trump Doral near Miami the last weekend in October.
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More Than Shelters Are Needed To Support Queer And Trans Southerners At Risk For Homelessnessheres What Four Nonprofits Are Doing To Help | Xtra Magazine
More Than Shelters Are Needed To Support Queer And Trans Southerners At Risk For Homelessness—here’s What Four Nonprofits Are Doing To Help | Xtra Magazine https://digitalarkansasnews.com/more-than-shelters-are-needed-to-support-queer-and-trans-southerners-at-risk-for-homelessness-heres-what-four-nonprofits-are-doing-to-help-xtra-magazine/
Southern-based nonprofits are creating community-based solutions to LGBTQ2S+ homelessness
After her apartment burned down several years ago, Angela Johnson had nowhere to go. As a Black trans woman living in Birmingham, Alabama, resources available in her situation were very few. However, once she found a community of peers at TAKE Birmingham, an advocacy and support centre for the local trans community, she was able to find housing, receive substance abuse treatment and, perhaps most important, feel safe and understood throughout the process. “It’s given me hope to go on to the next level of my life,” she says of her experience.
Situations like Johnson’s are not unique in the United States. According to True Colors United, a nonprofit combating homelessness among queer and trans youth, LGBTQ2S+ young people are 120 percent more likely to experience homelessness compared to straight, cisgender youth.
Although this is a nationwide issue, it looks a bit different for folks in the South. Colloquially known as the “Bible Belt,” the abundance of homophobic rhetoric and conservative politics like the slew of recent “Don’t Say Gay” bills and anti-trans legislation in this region can amplify these risks. It isn’t uncommon for queer and trans people to be fired by a conservative employer: either the company itself, or a right-wing boss, leading to financial instability. For youth, specifically, alienation within families and even disownment is a huge risk factor for homelessness. In a region that often prides itself on “Southern hospitality,” the circumstances for queer and trans people can be anything but welcoming.
“It’s sweet home Alabama. But it’s not so sweet when it comes to Black trans youth,” says Daroneshia Duncan-Boyd, founder of TAKE Birmingham. In Alabama, medical transition is legally banned for minors. Noncompliant parents may be accused of neglect, and doctors can lose their licences. In schools, K-12 grades are policing bathrooms, which can lead to bullying and dropouts. “You’re saying people don’t deserve an education if they’re not the norm. If they really care, they wouldn’t be afraid to centre Black trans folks,” says Duncan-Boyd.
When white middle- and upper-class people are placed in the spotlight, it creates an incomplete picture of the issue. Meanwhile, many LGBTQ2S+ people of colour from low-income backgrounds lack the same freedoms as their more privileged counterparts, especially freedom of mobility.
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X Freelon, executive director of Lucie’s Place, a housing collective in Little Rock, Arkansas, adds, “We have young queer and trans adults who move out of Arkansas to metropolitan cities and get to experience living among a queer and trans-friendlier environment … they happen to oftentimes be white and educated, middle-class adjacent and/or wealthy. But those are not the people we serve.” Sandra Whitley, founder and director of Thrive Youth Center, a nonprofit serving queer and trans youth experiencing homelessness in San Antonio, Texas, also emphasizes the intersection between homelessness and socio-economic status: “A deeper root cause of becoming homeless is almost always generational poverty. It’s a systemic failure—exposing the areas of our society that are creating and reinforcing barriers to safety for all residents.”
Those left behind in the South consequently receive less housing protection. In Arkansas, landlords can legally evict renters “at will,” meaning living safely is dependent on, as Freelon puts it, “how any one landlord feels about you, how you look at any given time and how it triggers others’ biases.” The policies are similar in Tennessee. Phillis Lewis, CEO of Love Doesn’t Hurt, a Memphis-based nonprofit serving queer and trans victims of crime, says her home state is one of 10 (most of which are Southern) that lacks any protection for housing on the basis of sexuality and gender. With 85 percent of her clients being trans women of colour, especially those who have had past contact with law enforcement, structural protections are even more scarce. In understanding the nature of homelessness among LGBTQ2S+ folks, intersectionality is key. Those doing ground-level work recognize that a “one size fits all” approach to social issues is ineffective. Instead, a common theme among each of these organizations’ solutions is the importance of community-based approaches that centre its members, rather than themselves as saviours.
Duncan-Boyd specifies, “TAKE has been the blueprint for quite a few organizations throughout the South for being community-driven. I tell people all the time—continue to pour into Black trans communities, and don’t be afraid to name it.” Diamond Atkins, one of the women staying at Gloria’s Safe Haven, one of TAKE’s programs that provides housing for trans youth experiencing homelessness, says of the community: “You have to build some kind of sisterhood to make the best of a situation.” She described drag battles that she and the other residents throw, as well as her nail business that she provides to the other girls. In a similar vein, Whitley also speaks to the impact of a community-based model at Thrive: “We have seen how being in community helps our youth. Several of our alumni have joined the community’s Youth Action Board on Homelessness Policy. Two of our alumni just got married—and one of them is coming back to work at Thrive and continue supporting our work.”
These community-based approaches are a stark contrast to the typical homeless-shelter model, where there is a distinct hierarchy between staff and those receiving services. Rigid rules like curfews (not realistic for many people’s job schedules), kickout times and restrictions on pets and children make them sterile, unwelcoming places. “We don’t need any more shelters,” Freelon says. “What we need is a collective intent on engineering and reminding us that we are a collective and our needs are intertwined.”
Lucie’s Place has recently shifted their programming to better align with this vision. Moving away from the original transitional housing model, they are now a housing collective that primarily serves people of colour, ages 18 to 25, many of whom have come from families that have been disenfranchised for generations. For Freelon, this transition to a mutual housing collective model required imagining a different kind of future for Little Rock. When the spaces don’t exist, they have to dream about what a safe neighbourhood for people like them might look like.
Within a community-based framework, how do these organizations address issues surrounding homelessness? The resounding answer is that it happens holistically. Unlike the shelter model that attempts to solve problems based mainly on the provision of physical needs, these organizations focus on the whole person. “We’re coming from a place of trauma, and you’re never healed in one day—you’re healed in a lifetime,” Duncan-Boyd says. “We’re not just providing services like food, but being able to heal with the person’s wholeness, and find ways that bring joy.”
After beginning almost 10 years ago as a peer support group, TAKE is now a “one-stop shop” for supportive services and holistic healing, led by trans women of colour. At TAKE, staff are available 24 hours a day and show up as role models and peer support. Lucie’s Place has also adopted a holistic healing model. Their community aides work in assistance with folks at the centre to develop goal-management accountability systems. Freelon describes this as a “learning community” that encourages participants to work through their shame and challenges with adequate support.
Thrive has implemented a similar, trauma-informed approach. Beyond offering an emergency shelter and rapid rehousing, the organization also offers mental healthcare. Sandra explains that over half of the youth at their service become homeless due to an unsafe family home environment or familial rejection. “This creates a lot of difficult, hard work through trauma for our youth—and that compounds with the trauma experienced during bouts of homelessness.” In part, this is why their outreach work aims to prevent the trauma of homelessness to begin with, noting that it takes less than 48 hours on the streets before a young person experiences violence or is forced into criminal activity.
At Love Doesn’t Hurt, holistic healing involves working with businesses that are welcoming and affirming in their policies for their clients to apply for employment. Lewis also collaborates with Dress for Success, a global nonprofit supplying business attire for low-income women, to provide clothing, and she sets up job fairs. “I’ve seen clients who didn’t have anything to their name—an ID, social security card, clothes—and now they have their own secure housing, employment, and have continued along their journey and transitioning and are thriving. It’s a collective effort!” In each of these models, it’s not it’s not only about access to physical needs, but also psychological needs such as the need for autonomy—especially crucial when it’s been structurally denied.
In these organizations’ work, the most salient limitation often comes from elected officials in their states. In Southern states with mostly conservative politics, solutions often require working against existing policies, rather than collaboratively with them. In response, Freelon believes policy-makers should decolonize their mindset and instead work collaboratively with existing organizations at the local level. Fo...
Jonathan Davenport Wins A Thriller At Lucas Oil Late Model Knoxville Nationals
Jonathan Davenport Wins A Thriller At Lucas Oil Late Model Knoxville Nationals https://digitalarkansasnews.com/jonathan-davenport-wins-a-thriller-at-lucas-oil-late-model-knoxville-nationals/
KNOXVILLE — Blairsville, Georgia’s Jonathan Davenport was faithful to the high side and it paid off as he made a late race pass to cash in the $50,000 to win 18th Lucas Oil Late Model Knoxville Nationals at Knoxville Raceway Sunday. It was his fourth career win here, and his first Late Model Nationals victory. Jesse Sobbing won the Bob Maschman Memorial for the Malvern Bank Super Late Models in companion action.
It was a bit of a wait for fans in Knoxville, who saw a rain out on Saturday night. After lengthy track preparation, things were in place for great racing.
Davenport led from outside row one in the 50-lap feature, ahead of pole-sitter Bobby Pierce, Tyler Bruening, Earl Pearson Jr. and Ricky Thornton Jr. Thornton moved by Bruening to take fourth on lap two. Davenport entered lapped traffic by the eighth circuit. With most of it hanging low, he tried the high side, only to have Pierce shoot under him to take the point on lap nine.
Justin Zeitner stopped to bring caution at that point. Bruening hit the high side on the restart, challenging the leaders and taking the second spot in the process. Shortly after, Pierce succumbed to possible ignition issues, and Hunter O’Neal slapped the turn one wall, retiring from the event.
Bruening assumed the lead at that point, setting a good pace. He was back into lappers by lap nineteen, but a slowing Ryan Gustin opened up the track for him again. Pearson and Davenport put on a great battle behind the leader, with both ranging high and low on the half-mile.
The leaders were back in traffic with 16 to go. Davenport utilized a slide job in turns three and four with seven to go to capture second from Pearson, while Thornton followed him into third with four to go.
Davenport slowly reeled in Bruening and slid by him with two laps to go in turn one to execute the winning pass. Davenport and Bruening were followed by Brandon Sheppard, who closed late to take third on the final lap. Thornton, Pearson, Ricky Weiss, Shane Clanton, Spencer Hughes, Brandon Overton and Kyle Strickler completed the top ten. Tyler Erb won the B main.
“I just had to go up there (top groove),” said Davenport in Victory Lane. “I didn’t know if there was anything up there. I just had to go up there and clean it off. I kept inching further and further up before I found a little moisture and not crumbs. I made a mistake in lapped traffic early, and I made a mistake picking the wrong line on a restart. I could have fell back to fourth pretty easy. I just got up on the wheel, and we did everything we could. It just feels special to finally come to Knoxville and get one here.”
“I just got beat by the best in the world,” said Bruening of his near miss and $25,000 second place finish. “Just one too many laps. It’s a tough one to get beat, but the car was really good. I didn’t see my guys pointing to the top until it was too late, and I just didn’t know how high to get. I’m a small town boy from Iowa, and we’re racing with the big dogs. I hope we put on a hell of a race for the fans. It was fun up front for the while I was leading it there.”
Bob Maschman Memorial
Kyle Berck led early in the 22-lap Bob Maschman Memorial for the Malvern Bank Super Late Model Series invitational over Jeff Aikey, Jesse Sobbing, Tad Pospisil and Jason Hahne. Hahne quickly moved by Pospisil for fourth. Sobbing used the high side to gain second from Aikey on lap four.
Berck was into lapped traffic by the tenth circuit, but the caution flew for Chad Holladay, who stopped in turn four. Berck looked unstoppable after the restart, but with six laps to go, lost a tire and hit the turn two wall violently. He was uninjured.
Sobbing assumed the lead and was never headed in his quest for $4,000. It was his first win in a late model at Knoxville, adding that to a victory he struck with a sport mod here in 2011. Aikey was second, ahead of Hahne, Leighton and Andy Eckrich. Dave Eckrich, Pospisil, Todd Cooney, Brian Kosiski and Curt Schroeder completed the top ten. Berck and Aikey set quick time over their respective groups.
“I didn’t have anything for Kyle,” said Sobbing in Victory Lane. “It was unfortunate for him to wreck his car like that. I’d say that clean air was huge for how my car handled. I wish somebody was here to celebrate with me, but it’s just me. This is my first win with these guys this year. It’s unfortunate Kyle wrecked. You don’t like to get it like that. It’s huge to win at Knoxville. We have to thank the Maschman family for stepping up with all the money for this race.”
For more information on the Knoxville Raceway, visit the website at www.KnoxvilleRaceway.com or on Facebook and Twitter.
18th Lucas Oil Late Model Knoxville Nationals Results
B main (started), 12 Laps, 4:19.0: 1. 1T, Tyler Erb, New Waverly, TX (3); 2. 22H, Daniel Hilsabeck, Earlham, IA (2); 3. 7, Ross Robinson, Georgetown, DE (1); 4. 15, Justin Duty, Molalia, OR (5); 5. 18D, Daulton Wilson, Fayetteville, NC (4); 6. 51, Matt Furman, Iowa City, IA (7) / 7. 53, Andrew Kosiski, La Vista, NE (9); 8. 93, Chad Simpson, Mt. Vernon, IA (11); 9. 6H, Al Humphrey, Giltner, NE (13); 10. 14w, Dustin Walker, Polk, MO (10); 11. 10, Junior Coover, Norfolk, NE (12); 12. 22, Charlie McKenna, Ames, IA (6) DNS – 42, Johnathan Huston, Columbus Junction, IA; 44, Chris Madden, Gaffney, SC; 2s, Stormy Scott, Las Cruces, NM; 99JR, Frank Heckenast Jr., Frankfurt, IL; 56, Chris Spieker, Massena, IA; 18s, Jesse Sobbing, Glenwood, IA; 21, Billy Moyer, Batesville, AR; 33, Nick Marolf, Moscow, IA; 40B, Kyle Bronson, Brandon, FL; 1st, Johnny Scott, Las Cruces, NM
A main, 50 laps, NT: 1. 49, Jonathan Davenport, Blairsville, GA (2); 2. 16, Tyler Bruening, Decorah, IA (3); 3. 1, Brandon Sheppard, New Berlin, IL (11); 4. 20RT, Ricky Thornton Jr., Chandler, AZ (4); 5. 46, Earl Pearson Jr., Jacksonville, FL (5); 6. 7w, Ricky Weiss, Headingley, MB, Can. (14); 7. 25c, Shane Clanton, Zebulon, GA (7); 8. 11, Spencer Hughes, Meridian, MS (15); 9. 76, Brandon Overton, Evans, GA (8); 10. 8, Kyle Strickler, Mooresville, NC (12); 11. 58, Garrett Alberson, Las Cruces, NM (21); 12. 3s, Brian Shirley, Chatham, IL (20); 13. Tyler Erb (25); 14. 18J, Chase Junghans, Manhattan, KS (19); 15. 04, Tad Pospisil, Norfolk, NE (17); 16. Daulton Wilson (29); 17. Daniel Hilsabeck (26); 18. Ross Robinson (27); 19. Justin Duty (28); 20. 32s, Chris Simpson, Oxford, IA (6); 21. 157, Mike Marlar, Winfield, TN (22); 22. 19R, Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, IA (16); 23. 1x, Aaron Marrant, Richmond, MO (18); 24. 29D, Spencer Diercks, Davenport, IA (24); 25. 39, Tim McCreadie, Watertown, NY (9); 26. 32, Bobby Pierce, Oakwood, IL (1); 27. 71, Hudson O’Neal, Martinsville, IN (13); 28. Matt Furman (30); 29. 62, Justin Zeitner, Malvern, IA (23); 30. 20, Jimmy Owens, Newport, TN (10). Lap Leaders: Davenport 1-8, Pierce 9, Bruening 10-47, Davenport 48-50. Hard-charger: Wilson.
Malvern Bank Super Late Model Series Bob Maschman Memorial Results
Time Trials Group 1 (Qualifying Order), 2 laps: 1. 76H, Jason Hahne, Webster City, IA (3), 18.986; 2. 14, Kyle Berck, Marquette, NE (10), 19.029; 3. 25, Brad Perdue, Council Bluffs, IA (11), 19.526; 4. 58, Dave Eckrich, Oxford, IA (8), 19.604; 5. 24, Bill Leighton Jr., La Vista, NE (1), 19.648; 6. 1, Jake Neal, Omaha, NE (7), 19.735; 7. 26JR, Corey Zeitner, Omaha, NE (5), 19.777; 8. 32C, Chad Holladay, Muscatine, IA (2), 20.018; 9. 53, Andrew Kosiski, La Vista, NE (12), 20.131; 10. 07, Matt Ryan, Davenport, IA (9), 20.426; 11. 14D, Logan Duffy, Independence, IA (6), 20.476; 12. 99D, Darrel DeFrance, Marshalltown, IA (4), 20.763
Time Trials Group 2 (Qualifying Order), 2 laps: 1. 77, Jeff Aikey, Waterloo, IA (6), 18.627; 2. 99, Jesse Sobbing, Glenwood, IA (7), 18.821; 3. 04, Tad Pospisil, Papillion, NE (8), 19.04; 4. 56, Andy Eckrich, Iowa City, IA (9), 19.055; 5. 22, Charlie McKenna, Clear Lake, IA (5), 19.136; 6. 43, Derrick Stewart, Ainsworth, IA (1), 19.714; 7. 30, Todd Cooney, Des Moines, IA (2), 19.985; 8. 52, Brian Kosiski, Papillion, NE (11), 20.023; 9. 32, Curtis Glover, Knoxville, IA (3), 20.239; 10. 15C, Curt Schroeder, Ames, IA (10), 20.506; 11. 5S, Jeff Segebart, Westside, IA (4), 21.231
A main, 22 Laps, NT: 1. Jesse Sobbing (4); 2. Jeff Aikey (2); 3. Jason Hahne (5); 4. Bill Leighton Jr. (9); 5. Andy Eckrich (8); 6. Dave Eckrich (7); 7. Tad Pospisil (6); 8. Todd Cooney (14); 9. Brian Kosiski (16); 10. Curt Schroeder (20); 11. Darrel DeFrance (23); 12. Matt Ryan (19); 13. Jeff Segebart (22); 14. Derrick Stewart (12); 15. Andrew Kosiski (17); 16. Curtis Glover (18); 17. Charlie McKenna (10); 18. Logan Duffy (21); 19. Kyle Berck (1); 20. Jake Neal (11); 21. Corey Zeitner (13); 22. Brad Perdue (3); 23. Chad Holladay (15). Lap Leaders: Berck 1-16, Sobbing 17-22. Hard-charger: DeFrance.
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