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Letter: The Most Important Legislation Pending in Congress Arizona Daily StarLetter: The Most Important Legislation Pending in Congress - Arizona Daily Star
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Sunday, October 31, 2021
Letter: The Most Important Legislation Pending in Congress - Arizona Daily Star
Letter: The Most Important Legislation Pending in Congress - Arizona Daily Star
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Q&A: What to know about the pending approval of a COVID-19 vaccine for kids ages 5-11 - Press Herald
On Tuesday and Wednesday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices will meet to review data on COVID-19 vaccines for children ages 5-11.
If all goes as expected, U.S. CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky will then make a formal recommendation that would open eligibility to elementary school-age children.
Here’s what you need to know:
Q: Which vaccine will be offered to children?
A: The CDC is only considering the Pfizer vaccine for children at this time. Moderna and Johnson & Johnson have been studying the efficacy and safety of their vaccines for children but have not yet requested federal approval.
Q: Is Pfizer’s vaccine for children different than what has been offered to adults?
A: The Pfizer vaccine for 5-to-11-year-olds will still be a two-dose regimen, taken 21 days apart, but the children’s dose is smaller – about 10 micrograms, or one-third of the adult dose. Like adults, children will be considered fully vaccinated two weeks after their second shot.
Q: Is the vaccine safe for kids?
A: Overwhelmingly, yes. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s vaccine advisory committee voted 17-0 last week to recommend emergency use authorization, saying the benefits far outweigh any risks.
In clinical trials involving more than 3,000 children who received the vaccine, there were no serious adverse events. The most common reactions were similar to those associated with flu shots – pain at the injection site, fatigue and headaches – and those were mild.
Q: Why did it take so long?
A: Approving vaccines for smaller children was more challenging in part because Pfizer needed to find enough subjects for a robust clinical trial, one of the key steps in approving any vaccine. Additionally, getting the right size dose was the subject of much debate.
Q: If children are at low risk of developing serious symptoms from COVID-19, why is it important for them to be vaccinated?
A: It’s true that throughout the pandemic children who have gotten COVID-19 have generally had mild cases. But there are still risks, and still things we don’t know about the long-term effects of having COVID-19.
In the U.S., nearly 2 million children have been infected since the pandemic began, according to U.S. CDC data. Of those, 8,300 have been hospitalized and 94 have died. Although the number of deaths is small, it’s still in the top 10 causes of death for this age group.
The vaccine was found to be 91 percent effective in preventing symptomatic COVID-19 in 5-11-year-olds.
Beyond that, unvaccinated children can still be carriers and vectors of the virus, keeping it alive and risking infecting others in their family, including older relatives or those with immunodeficiencies. Vaccinations dramatically reduce the risk of transmitting the disease.
And from a practical standpoint, having children vaccinated will help normalize school. Vaccinated children do not need to be quarantined if they come into contact with someone who tests positive for COVID-19.
If enough children are vaccinated, mask mandates in schools could also be lifted.
Q: How soon will shots be available?
A: States, including Maine, have been preparing for months for the likelihood that child vaccines would be approved. Even though vaccines cannot be administered until the CDC authorizes them, states can start ordering doses. That means vaccinations could begin within a day of CDC authorization.
Q: Where can parents get their children vaccinated?
A: The primary vaccination sites for children are expected to be school-based clinics, pediatricians’ offices, and some retail pharmacies.
Health care providers already have partnered with schools to set up clinics, and the vaccine is going to be made available in smaller batches to deliver to doctors’ offices. Unlike the early rollout of the vaccine when Pfizer’s vaccine needed ultra-cold storage, the children’s dose can be stored in a refrigerator for 10 weeks.
Q: What will it cost?
A: As has been the case with vaccines for adults, there is no cost for parents to vaccinate their children and no insurance requirements.
Q: Will the COVID-19 vaccine be a requirement to attend school?
A: Currently, no, although it’s possible that could change. Maine law already requires public school students to complete a host of vaccinations, for things like chickenpox and measles, and also no longer allows parents to opt their children out of vaccinations for religious or philosophical reasons. An effort to overturn that law change failed overwhelmingly in a 2020 referendum.
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Q&A: What to know about the pending approval of a COVID-19 vaccine for kids ages 5-11 - Press Herald
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Saturday, October 30, 2021
County now in 'substantial transmission' of coronavirus, pending CDC confirmation - BethesdaMagazine.com
The state reported 108 positive cases of the coronavirus in Montgomery County on Saturday morning. Pending confirmation from local authorities and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, that means the county remains in “substantial transmission.”
That label is significant because senior officials said this week that the county’s indoor mask mandate would be reinstated if the county sees just one day of “substantial transmission.”
An indoor mask mandate was lifted at 12:01 a.m. Thursday, after the county reported seven straight days of “moderate transmission.”
But County Council Vice President Gabe Albornoz told Bethesda Beat Friday evening that he and his colleagues were waiting on an order from James Bridgers, the county’s acting health officer, which could propose an amendment to the Board of Health order that council members passed in early August, reinstating the mandate.
Albornoz said that amendment would likely ask council members to change the requirement for reinstating the mask mandate from one day of substantial transmission to seven straight days.
It’s unclear whether the mask mandate would be reinstated by that Tuesday meeting, if at all. Assistant Chief Administrative Officer Earl Stoddard told Bethesda Beat on Friday the mandate would likely not be reinstated over the weekend.
Stoddard did not immediately respond to a voicemail left on his cell phone Saturday morning.
Per CDC guidelines, “substantial transmission” is 50 to 99.99 new coronavirus cases per 100,000 people, over a seven-day period. “Moderate transmission” is defined as 10 to 49.99 new coronavirus cases per 100,000 people, over a seven-day period.
The county enters “substantial transmission” when it hits 50 cases or more per 100,000 people, calculated over a seven-day period. The county’s COVID-19 dashboard showed the county in “substantial transmission” as of Friday afternoon.
County Council Member Andrew Friedson wrote in a text message on Saturday that he had been working on proposing potential changes to the Board of Health order before the county entered substantial transmission on Friday.
Both he and Albornoz said the proposed changes to the Board of Health order are meant to avoid a “yo-yo effect” of the mask mandate being lifted and reinstated multiple times in a short time frame. Friedson said they were still waiting on Bridgers’ order as of Saturday morning.
County officials have previously said they need to confirm state and local data with CDC data before determining which state of transmission the county is in. If the CDC aligns with Saturday’s state data, the county will have experienced two straight days of “substantial transmission.”
According to the county’s COVID-19 dashboard, the county’s seven-day positivity rate was 1.4%, or “low transmission,” through Oct. 29.
Hospital bed utilization, intensive care unit bed utilization and COVID-related hospitalization were all in the “low utilization category,” according to the county’s dashboard as of Saturday morning.
According to the CDC, 91.1% of the county’s eligible population — those 12 years and older — are fully vaccinated, as of Saturday. Of the total population, 77.3% are fully vaccinated, and 85.8% had received at least one dose of a vaccine.
County now in 'substantial transmission' of coronavirus, pending CDC confirmation - BethesdaMagazine.com
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John Deere, UAW reach tentative agreement pending worker vote - KCRG
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WATERLOO, Iowa (KCRG) - Negotiators for John Deere and the United Auto Workers have reached a tentative agreement for a new labor contract, according to officials.
The tentative agreement will still need approval from UAW workers to go into effect. John Deere officials said that the agreement would last for six years for the union’s 10,100 employees.
Union officials also noted the tentative deal, though added that workers remain on strike until ratification is reached. The ratification vote is set for Tuesday, November 2.
Details of the proposed agreement were not released as of Saturday morning, but union officials said that it included “enhanced economic gains” and strong healthcare benefits.
“The negotiators focused on improving the areas of concern identified by our members during our last ratification process,” Chuck Browning, UAW vice president and director of the agricultural implement department, said, in a statement.
Deere workers at around 12 facilities have been on strike since Thursday, October 14, after the previous labor agreement with the UAW expired before a new deal was reached. A spokesperson with the UAW said employees were striking for the ability to earn what they call “a decent living, retire with dignity, and establish fair work rules.”
This is the second tentative agreement reached between the union and Deere. Workers rejected the previous agreement on October 10.
Copyright 2021 KCRG. All rights reserved.
John Deere, UAW reach tentative agreement pending worker vote - KCRG
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Man jailed pending trial in South Jersey shooting that killed 1, wounded another - NJ.com
A man charged in the shooting death of a Bridgeton resident and the wounding of a second man will remain jailed pending trial, a judge ruled Friday afternoon.
Derrell Martin, 19, of Bridgeton is charged in the Oct. 8 killing of 21-year-old Tyrese J. McNair.
Bridgeton Police responded to a home on Vine Street around 10:30 p.m. and found McNair dead of multiple gunshot wounds in the kitchen. Investigators found 12 shell casings near the victim, who was shot in the chest and arms, according to court documents.
Another 21-year-old was found near the scene with wounds to the abdomen and arm. He was take to Cooper University Hospital for treatment, authorities said.
Surveillance video shows Martin parking an SUV near the home, exiting the vehicle and walking in the direction of the residence, then running back and driving off after the shooting, Assistant Prosecutor Shari-Ann Sasu stated during the Friday hearing.
Gunshots were captured on surveillance video from the area.
Sasu described a passenger in the SUV, but that person’s role in the incident wasn’t clear from testimony offered Friday.
The wounded man reported that he was fired on by someone dressed all in black and wearing a mask, authorities said.
A resident who was upstairs in the home at the time told police that Martin came into the house and greeted her prior to the shooting, police said. The resident, who said McNair previously mentioned having problems with Martin, reported hearing six gunshots a short time later, officials said.
When someone came downstairs to investigate, the person found the house dark and that lightbulbs on the first floor had been removed, Sasu said.
Martin was arrested Oct. 22 at a residence in Cedarville, where police said he could be seen tossing a handgun from the rear of a residence into a wooded area prior to his arrest. A handgun with an extended magazine was recovered from the wooded area, Sasu noted, adding that ballistics tests are being conducted on that weapon.
Martin was charged with murder, two counts of attempted murder, two counts of aggravated assault and weapons offenses, and faces a potential life sentence if convicted on the murder charge.
Assistant Deputy Public Defender Christine Long said the home where the shooting occurred is a “known drug house” and noted that several occupants ran from the scene when the shooting began. Witnesses were uncooperative and at least one appeared highly intoxicated, according to her reviews of police body camera footage. She questioned the reliability of witness statements and asked how a positive identification could be made, since the shooter was described as wearing a face mask. Long also questioned why her client would enter the home and identify himself to another resident prior to committing the crime.
The attorney also expressed concerns about the adequacy of the investigation and securing of the crime scene. Long described the actions of an officer who can be heard complaining about having to wear a body camera and said she turned it off and on a few times while at the scene. “It’s unclear to my why you would be hiding your actions,” the attorney said. “That’s the exact opposite of the purpose of body worn cameras. It’s to increase accountability.”
Superior Court Judge Mary Beth Kramer found probable cause for the charges, citing the weight of the evidence offered by the prosecution.
In arguing for his pre-trial detention, Sasu pointed to Martin’s juvenile criminal history, which includes gun charges and resisting arrest, along with a resisting arrest conviction as an adult. He also has a record of failing to appear for hearings, she said.
In addition, Martin currently has cases pending in three counties, the prosecutor noted, and she argued that the severity of the charges in the murder case makes him a flight risk.
Long described her client as a lifelong local resident and a father of two kids who has plenty of family support in the area. She acknowledged his past record, but said he was “fully cooperative” with police when he was arrested in this case.
Kramer cited Martin’s “very concerning” juvenile record, his access to weapons and his failure to appear history as factors in ordering him jailed pending trial.
He remains in Cumberland County Jail and will next return to court for a pre-indictment conference.
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Matt Gray may be reached at mgray@njadvancemedia.com.
Man jailed pending trial in South Jersey shooting that killed 1, wounded another - NJ.com
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Friday, October 29, 2021
Pending town, state nods, ex-Wiscasset Primary School to be senior housing - Boothbay Register
Wiscasset Town Manager Dennis Simmons is announcing that the current owners of the primary school property on Gardiner Road, JSJ Holdings, have reached a Memorandum of Understanding withWiscasset Senior Living LLC to redevelop the school into senior housing.
Wiscasset Senior Living will be under the management of Everbrook Senior Living of Southampton, Massachusetts. Everbrook, the management arm of Optimus Senior Living, operates facilities in Bozrah, Hebron, Windsor Locks, Connecticut and Ware, Massachusetts. A facility of similar size to the proposed Wiscasset redevelopment is being constructed in Allenstown, New Hampshire and is expected to open in June 2022.
Optimus is proposing approximately 100 units of senior living at the Wiscasset site, consisting of a combination of independent living, assisted living and memory care units. Given the region’s increasingly older demographics, the development project meets a critical need for variable living options for seniors in the town, will support further economic, community and workforce development and contribute to the productive reuse of the property. The property has been unoccupied and the subject of numerous episodes of vandalism since closing in 2014.
To facilitate and promote the development of the facility, the selectboard will be seeking to form a Tax Increment Financing District (TIF) and enter into a Credit Enhancement Agreement with Optimus. Simmons has been working with Optimus, Bernstein Shur and the selectboard to finalize the terms. The agreement will require a public hearing and approval by Wiscasset voters, the planning board and Maine Department of Economic and Community Development.
View current Everbrook properties at https://everbrookseniorliving.com/
For more information on Tax Increment Financing, see https://www.maine.gov/decd/business-development/tax-incentives-credit/municipal-tax-increment-financing
Pending town, state nods, ex-Wiscasset Primary School to be senior housing - Boothbay Register
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Burnsville woman charged with murder in high-speed Easter crash; charges pending for her brother - TwinCities.com-Pioneer Press
A Burnsville woman charged with murder in a high-speed Easter crash that killed two, was cited twice more after that crash for speeding and driving with a revoked license.
Camille Lashay Dennis-Bond, 19, was charged via warrant in Dakota County District Court Thursday with two counts of third-degree murder, two counts of criminal vehicular homicide and one count of criminal vehicular operation resulting in great bodily harm for the April 4 crash. All are felony charges.
According to court documents, she and her brother, Leon Bond, were racing each other in Burnsville and were traveling up to 114 mph when one of the cars hit a Honda CRV, cutting it in half, killing both occupants.
She was cited in September for driving with a suspended license and October for driving 59 mph in a 35 mph zone, according to court records.
A delinquency petition and a petition for adult certification of Leon Bond has been filed, Dakota County Attorney Kathy Keena said Friday. Leon Bond was 17 at the time of the crash, so Minnesota law requires that he be prosecuted as a juvenile unless the court certifies him as an adult.
Dalton Lee Ford, 22, of Prescott, Wis., and Tayler Nicole Garza, 22, of River Falls, Wis. were both killed in the crash.
According to the criminal complaint, just before 10:30 a.m. April 4, a white Chrysler, driven by Leon Bond was traveling east on County Road 42 between Burnsville Parkway and Newton Avenue. Next to him was his sister, Camille Dennis-Bond, driving a Chevy Malibu. Each had a front-seat passenger with them.
They were travelling from Savage towards Dennis-Bond’s home in Burnsville. She and her brother stopped at a red light at Burnsville Parkway. While at the light, occupants of each car lowered the car windows and had a conversation about whose vehicle could accelerate the fastest, according to the charges.
Bond thought he would win. He told police it was his idea, charges say.
Throughout the investigation, the story each driver told to the police changed, according to the charges. Both said they were going about 65 mph. Bond said he only accelerated to get past the Honda that was turning across the road. He said the Honda cut in front of them and was traveling fast, charges say.
The surveillance footage told another story, police said.
The footage shows Ford, the driver of the Honda, slowly entering the left turn lane of westbound county road 42, and without stopping, turning left to head south across the road onto Newton Avenue.
Within two to three seconds, Bond’s Chrysler, traveling up a hill, t-boned the Honda. Dennis-Bond’s Malibu passed by, narrowly missing the Honda, the complaint states.
According to the Minnesota State Patrol’s reconstruction report, Bond’s Chrysler was traveling between 93 and 100 mph at the point of impact. Five seconds prior to the crash, he had reached 114 mph. The posted speed limit is 50 mph, the complaint states.
Several witnesses to the crash told police that it appeared that the Chrysler and the Malibu were “racing” and driving “incredibly fast,” according to the complaint. When the Chrysler struck the Honda, a witness said the Honda “basically turned into powder and split in half.” Another witness told police the cars were going “crazy” fast and that that there was no way they could have stopped for someone in the way, the complaint states.
Both Ford and Garza died at the scene as a result of the injuries.
The two were dating, according to their obituaries. They both graduated from Prescott High School in 2017 and worked at the same restaurant in Wisconsin. Ford received an associate’s degree in Automobile Technology from Dunwoody College and Garza was attending Chippewa Valley Technical College pursing a degree in nursing.
The passenger in Bond’s car suffered life-threatening injuries, including fractured vertebrae, a broken leg and internal injuries that required five surgeries.
Dennis-Bond has three prior speeding convictions and one pending speeding citation. When stopped for driving 58 mph in a 45 mph zone Dec. 10, 2020 in Apple Valley, the officer wrote that she immediately became defensive and said she had been pulled over because “her music was too loud and she was black.” When he gave her a citation “she crumpled it up and threw it.”
Just this month, Oct. 2, Dennis-Bond was cited by Burnsville police for driving 59 mph in a 35 mph zone. She told police she was speeding because “she was going downhill.”
She next appears in court in Hastings Nov. 24.
Burnsville woman charged with murder in high-speed Easter crash; charges pending for her brother - TwinCities.com-Pioneer Press
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Two Woodman's cases dismissed, another pending - The Press - The Press-Times
By Kevin Boneske
Staff Writer
HOWARD – Two legal cases which accused the Village of Howard of excessive taxation at Woodman’s, 2400 Duck Creek Parkway, were dismissed over the past two months in Brown County Circuit Court.
Another case, however, remains pending.
In the two dismissed cases, the latest in an order from Judge Marc Hammer filed Oct. 18 and the other in a Sept. 7 order from Judge Thomas Walsh, lawyers representing Woodman’s sought refunds for four years of property taxes, from 2017-20.
The parties participated in court-ordered mediation, but did not agree to settling the cases, which were dismissed prior to going to trial.
This month, Hammer ordered the case before him be “dismissed in its entirely upon its merits, with prejudice and without costs to any party.”
Mike Denor, who assesses properties for Howard and other area municipalities, said he based his assessment of Woodman’s on what it would cost to develop the property as it’s currently being used.
Denor said he is confident his assessment of the grocery store is not excessive.
According to Brown County land records, the 18.137 acres of property where Woodman’s is located is currently assessed for $12,649,900, based on $4,255,000 for the land and $8,394,900 for the improvements.
County records show Woodman’s paid more than $200,000 in property taxes annually since 2017, with $216,081 paid for 2020.
The case pending in circuit court before Judge Kendall Kelley makes similar arguments as the other cases, but pertains to only the 2021 assessment.
Based on a tax rate of around $17.09 per $1,000 of assessed value, Woodman’s lawyers with the Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren law firm argue the property taxes should be no higher than $80,706, and based on the assessment, the taxes imposed for 2021 may be excessive by at least $126,441.
The lawyers also claim the assessment violates the uniformity clause of the Wisconsin Constitution.
The village is contesting the claim of excessive taxation for 2021 and filed a response to the suit, which also seeks interest and litigation costs.
This is not the first time the village has been in a legal dispute with a retailer over a property tax assessment.
That was also the case with the Menards store, but the company dropped its lawsuit in 2017, when it didn’t reach a settlement for a lower assessment with the village.
Throughout the state, companies have sought to get their assessments lowered through what’s known as the dark store loophole.
The loophole involves commercial retailers and manufacturers challenging the assessed value of their properties by claiming they are worth the same, or close to, the lower assessed value of similar, but empty buildings.
Companies which challenged their assessments in court and won have been able to receive a refund with the affected municipalities having to make up the difference with that lost property tax revenue, with more of the tax burden then falling on homeowners.
Village Administrator Paul Evert said he expects Howard to prevail in the latest suit.
Evert said there have been instances in recent years where municipalities in the state faced cases involving the dark store loophole argument and won, such as when the valuation of Lowe’s stores was upheld.
Two Woodman's cases dismissed, another pending - The Press - The Press-Times
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Thursday, October 28, 2021
Fitch Maintains Watch Negative on Xilinx's 'A-' Ratings Pending Merger with AMD - Fitch Ratings
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Fitch Maintains Watch Negative on Xilinx's 'A-' Ratings Pending Merger with AMD Fitch RatingsFitch Maintains Watch Negative on Xilinx's 'A-' Ratings Pending Merger with AMD - Fitch Ratings
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Cook County prepares to roll out vaccine for kids pending federal approval - Chicago Tribune
Cook County is planning a major COVID-19 vaccine rollout for the community’s youngsters pending approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The Cook County Department of Public Health announced the plans Thursday as the country awaits full emergency authorization to vaccinate kids age 5 to 11.
The Pfizer vaccine for kids 5 to 11 is the same as what’s given to adults except the doses are smaller, along with the needles and vials. All COVID-19 vaccines are free and don’t require insurance or government ID.
“Vaccinating as many people as possible — including our children — is the only way to put this pandemic behind us,” Kiran Joshi, co-lead and senior medical officer at Cook County public health, said in a statement. “With the holiday season approaching, vaccinating children means we can safely celebrate with extended family and friends — something that wasn’t a safe option last year.”
The county’s public health department is working with school districts in suburban Cook County to provide outreach, education and on-site vaccination clinics. The department is also partnering with the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Illinois Emergency Management Agency to reach out to schools and provide information on creating on-site clinics.
Cook County is also working with the Illinois chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics to have more pediatricians providing vaccinations in their offices.
Almost 100,000 pediatric doses of the Pfizer vaccine are set to be delivered to Chicago and to be distributed among more than 125 locations across the city in the first week alone after federal approval, Dr. Allison Arwady, the city’s public health commissioner, said Tuesday. That means almost half of Chicago’s population of children ages 5 to 11 could get vaccinated soon after approval with more doses to come.
“Keeping our children safe is an important public health issue; during a pandemic, it takes on an even greater significance,” Dr. Jacqueline Korpics, pediatrician and medical director of the Cook County public health department’s COVID-19 response, said in a statement. “Measures such as social distancing and wearing a mask remain important but vaccinating as many children as possible keeps the students, staff and everyone in school protected and healthy. We urge parents to vaccinate their children, for the health and safety of all of us.”
Cook County prepares to roll out vaccine for kids pending federal approval - Chicago Tribune
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Man faces pending charges after leaving mobile home abandoned on highway near Republic - KY3
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NEAR REPUBLIC, Mo. (KY3) - We live in a crazy world these days. In a time where consideration and common sense are sometimes hard to find, here’s a new one for you.
Somebody left a mobile home in the middle of the highway.
The Greene County Sheriff’s Office says someone left a mobile home on Farm Road 168 and Farm Road 97 near Republic. The home sat on blocks of the road Wednesday for several hours.
After several community tips, the sheriff’s office arrested a man Thursday afternoon who they believe abandoned the mobile home. The suspect’s name has not yet been released, and charges are pending.
“I’ve talked to several deputies who’ve been here a lot longer than I have, and this is a once-in-a-lifetime thing that hasn’t happened before,” said Paige Rippee, the Greene County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer.
It happened less than a mile from the busy intersection of State Highway M and U.S. 60. As of Thursday, the mobile home was demolished by the Greene County Highway Department, and agencies properly disposed of it.
The intersection of Farm Road 168 and 97 is a less-traveled area near Republic where drivers don’t usually encounter a lot of problems.
“Cows get out. That’s about it,” said Barb Merckling, who lives near the intersection.
But Wednesday afternoon along that stretch somebody left a mobile home abandoned on the road blocking traffic.
“I left here about 2:10 p.m. When I came back, about 3 p.m., it was sitting there,” Merckling said.
She called her husband to warn him about finding a different way home.
“I had to explain it a little more because he wasn’t quite sure what I was talking about,” Merckling said with a laugh. “I said, ‘Well, there’s a mobile home and it’s abandoned, sitting on blocks and no one is around.’”
The Greene County Sheriff’s Office responded and found traffic backed up.
“All of the Republic high school, middle school, and elementary buses that travel in that area were stuck in that traffic jam,” Rippee said.
It took several hours to clear the road as crews worked into the evening to solve the conundrum, ultimately deciding that the mobile home was not in good enough condition to be towed away.
“They basically just tore it apart and put it in the dumpster,” Rippee explained. “It’s probably in the landfill by now.”
The Greene County Sheriff’s Office also posted the news on its Facebook page and the comment section quickly took a humorous turn with responses like:
“Did anyone knock to see if they’re home?”
“She got the kids, car, and the house.”
“This is what happens when the husband finds out the in-laws are coming to stay.”
“Why does this sound like the beginning of a country song?”
“So do you get a parking ticket or a building code violation?”
“Home is where you park it.”
“Wouldn’t fit through the drive-thru.”
“This is quite an impressive senior prank.”
“The Facebook post has reached 392,780 people,” Rippee said. “The ones where people say ‘I’m just here to see the comments are among my favorites because that means they’re interacting with us and maybe in the future they’ll see our hiring posts or other crime incidents we’ve posted about. They’ll be in the know of what’s happening in Greene County.”
On Thursday afternoon, the sheriff’s office arrested the man who they believe was responsible for abandoning the mobile home. His name has not been released yet because the charges are still pending, but Rippee did say he was a private operator, not affiliated with a company.
“The charges are property damage and abandonment of a vehicle,” she said. “That’s what we’re presenting to the prosecuting attorney’s office and they will take it from there. What he claimed was that he had a blow out. There were some mechanical issues going on with the tires on the trailer and there was no way he was going to get it removed from the road without contacting us. The thing he should have done was contact us immediately, but that did not happen which caused a series of domino-effect events.”
Her advice to others in the same situation?
“Well, if you’re wanting to have a mobile home removed from a park, you might want to contact a proper company with a proper vehicle to remove it,” Rippee answered.
And whatever you do, don’t leave it in the middle of the road.
To report a correction or typo, please email digitalnews@ky3.com
Copyright 2021 KY3. All rights reserved.
Man faces pending charges after leaving mobile home abandoned on highway near Republic - KY3
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Florida marijuana agency seeks to double workforce to handle pending boom - Florida Trend
The Florida Department of Health (DOH) is expected to issue up to 27 new medical marijuana treatment center (MMTCs) licenses by July 1, 2023, more than doubling the availability of legal cannabis products that already support a $1.3 billion industry in the Sunshine State.
In preliminary budget requests, DOH is seeking nearly $13 million to more than double the Office of Medical Marijuana Use’s (OMMU) current 80-person staff to 165 employees to handle what it anticipates will be a dramatic surge in state medical marijuana sales in the coming years.
DOH is requesting $4 million to publicize “accurate information” about medical marijuana and open three regional OMMU offices, and $2.15 million for litigation-related expenses.
Florida now has 22 licensed MMTCs. The 2017 law designed to carry out a 2016 constitutional amendment that legalized medical marijuana stipulated new licenses were to come online as patient numbers increased.
More than 620,000 Florida residents are now qualified' for medical pot prescriptions. By that 2017 law, there should be 41 MMTCs, not 22.
The DOC was holding off opening the MMTC application process until the Florida Supreme Court ruled in a lawsuit filed by Tampa-based Florigrown LLC, which challenged the vertical integration provision which requires operators to handle products from “seed-to-sale.” In May, the court upheld the 2017 law.
OMMU plans to issue 19 new licenses by July 1, 2022, and another eight by July 1, 2023. With an estimated 150 applications for each licensing cycle, the agency says it must double its workforce to handle a projected 900,000-plus patient base within two years.
Florida’s medical marijuana industry created nearly 15,000 jobs and generated nearly $1.23 billion in taxable sales in 2020, according to Arcview Market Research, which projects the industry could generate $6 billion in Florida sales by 2030.
The 2021 MJBizFactbook projects Florida medical marijuana sales will approach $1.3 billion in 2021 and nearly $2 billion annually by 2025.
One nettlesome state marijuana regulatory matter was resolved this week when Florida Administrative Law Judge Suzanne Van Wyk repealed DOH’s prohibition on MMTCs contracting with e-commerce companies to process orders.
Until February, Florida MMTCs could pay third-party online sites, such as Seattle-based Leafly Holdings, for marketing, advertising and ordering services on a subscription basis. DOH allowed such services as long as patients picked up and paid for items in person.
But in February, DOH determined such arrangements violate 2017’s “vertical integration” requirement.
“Contracting with Leafly.com, or any other third-party website, for services directly related to dispensing is a violation of this provision,” then-DOH Chief of Staff Courtney Coppola said in a memo that threatened to impose $5,000 fines on those who continued to use the sites.
Claiming it lost more than $300,000 in canceled subscription services provided to 277 Florida dispensaries within months of DOH’s ban, Leafly petitioned for an administrative law ruling declaring the prohibition an “unadopted and invalid rule.”
Leafly insisted it is not subject to the state’s vertical integration requirement since it is not “dispensing cannabis.” It does not accept payments from, nor send cannabis to, patients, the company argues.
Van Wyk agreed, ruling Monday that DOHs prohibition is, indeed, an “unadopted rule” and ordered it to “immediately discontinue reliance on its policy.”
Florida marijuana agency seeks to double workforce to handle pending boom - Florida Trend
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Pending home sales fell unexpectedly in September, likely due to higher mortgage rates - CNBC
A pending sale sign in front of a home in Miami.
Getty Images
Pending home sales, which are a measure of signed contracts to buy existing homes, fell an unexpected 2.3% in September compared with August, according to the National Association of Realtors.
Analysts were predicting a slight monthly gain. Sales were 8% lower compared with September 2020.
Pending sales are a forward-looking indicator of closed sales in one to two months.
Sales may have dropped due to higher mortgage rates. The average rate on 30-year fixed-rate mortgages fell below 3% in July and stayed there until the first week of September, according to Mortgage News Daily. Then it began rising and crossed over 3%, ending the month at 3.15%.
Buyers are also still contending with very high home prices. Price gains have been close to 20% year over year. There was a sign, however, in August that the market was cooling, with fewer bidding wars and slightly more supply coming up for sale.
"Contract transactions slowed a bit in September and are showing signs of a calmer home price trend, as the market is running comfortably ahead of pre-pandemic activity," said Lawrence Yun, NAR's chief economist. "It's worth noting that there will be less inventory until the end of the year compared to the summer months, which happens nearly every year."
Regionally, pending sales in the Northeast fell 3.2% month-over-month and were down 18.5% from a year ago. In the Midwest, sales dropped 3.5% for the month and 5.8% annually.
Sales transactions in the South decreased 1.8% for the month and 5.8% from September 2020. In the West sales fell 1.4% monthly and 7.2% from a year ago.
Pending home sales fell unexpectedly in September, likely due to higher mortgage rates - CNBC
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Johnson County to begin pediatric vaccines Nov. 4, pending CDC approval - UI The Daily Iowan
Johnson County Public Health Community Health Manager Sam Jarvis told the Johnson County Supervisors the supply of COVID-19 vaccines for children ages 5 to 11 should be in supply pending approval from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The Johnson County Health and Human Services building at 855 South Dubuque Street.
Johnson County Public Health is planning to have a good supply of COVID-19 vaccine for children ages five to 11, pending the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices approval.
An advisory panel to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration voted in favor of authorizing the COVID-19 Pfizer BioNTech for children ages five to 11 on Tuesday.
Sam Jarvis, Johnson County Department of Public Health community health manager, told the Johnson County Board of Supervisors Wednesday that health care providers in Johnson County are already planning ahead — in the case of approval — so clinics can start administering pediatric doses as soon as Nov. 4.
“Supply should be in good demand,” he said. “We shouldn’t be worrying that it’ll be similar to what the beginning of the vaccine campaign was where we were only getting a small allotment.”
Earlier this month, the CDC expanded the eligibility for COVID-19 booster shots for individuals vaccinated with Johnson and Johnson and Moderna vaccines in the first round of dosage.
Initially, only individuals vaccinated with Pfizer were approved.
Jay Portnoy, a member of the FDA panel, said in the FDA panel meeting’s livestream on Tuesday that he voted for approval to prevent children from being admitted to intensive care units because of COVID-19.
“Our hospital has been full for the last month or so,” Portnoy said in the livestream. “I’m looking forward to seeing my patients in the clinic because they’ve been terrified that their children are going to get COVID-19.”
Jarvis told the Supervisors that he wants the people in the county to know the FDA’s decision was based on the efficiency of the vaccine in test trials.
“We hope that the public notices and recognizes that there was a strong consensus about the safety and efficacy of this,” he told the Supervisors.
Jarvis said Johnson County Public Health has partners in the county’s school district to do offsite vaccine clinics.
The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices will meet on Nov. 2 and 3 on whether to recommend the vaccine to children.
Johnson County to begin pediatric vaccines Nov. 4, pending CDC approval - UI The Daily Iowan
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ULA worker suspended pending further investigation - WHNT News 19
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ULA worker suspended pending further investigation WHNT News 19ULA worker suspended pending further investigation - WHNT News 19
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Wednesday, October 27, 2021
What Boone County parents can expect with pending approval of COVID vaccine for kids - Columbia Missourian
Boone County parents can anticipate COVID-19 vaccines for their 5- to- 11-year-olds by early November, but there are several steps in the national and state approval process that must occur before needles enter the arms of Columbia elementary schoolers.
After a unanimous yes from the Food and Drug Administration’s advisory committee Tuesday, a final ruling could come from the FDA in a matter of days. From there, the baton will be passed to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention before it reaches state and county health departments and, finally, local administration.
“Of course, we have to wait for all those stamps of approval, but we anticipate, you know, we’re kind of ahead of the game here,” MU Health Care COVID-19 Vaccine Co-Chair Laura Morris said. “We are planning to receive our shipments next week after everything is received and good to go stamped from the CDC.”
Appointments will begin the day after shipment, Morris said. A similar timeline can be expected for other Missouri health groups and independent practitioners.
In a Zoom call with reporters Wednesday, Morris explained the decision process in more depth, recognizing its complexity.
She began with studies from Pfizer prior to application for FDA approval that accounted for the vaccine’s effectiveness and showed limited side effects similar to those of adults, including a sore arm and mild symptoms.
Myocarditis, a more concerning side effect which has been observed mostly in young men, was not seen at all in 5- to 11-year-olds, Morris said.
With positive test results from Pfizer, the FDA advisory committee agreed that the benefits outweigh any risks.
Of the committee’s 18 members, 17 voted yes, and one, Michael Kurilla, director of the division of clinical innovation at the National Institutes of Health, abstained.
With an overall strong yes from the advisers, the FDA’s final approval is expected any time. The CDC is so confident that it already announced a meeting for Tuesday and listed discussion of COVID-19 vaccines at the top of the agenda.
The meeting will be conducted by another panel of independent experts, entirely different from the FDA advisory panel, who will advise the CDC on how to use the vaccine and for whom it should be prioritized or most strongly recommended.
Morris said that she anticipated prioritizing children with a higher level of risk, including those with chronic lung or heart conditions as well as those with obesity. She noted potential recommendations for distribution locations, predicting that primary care offices will be suggested first to help create a more comfortable environment for children who are anxious about shots.
“We encourage parents to be thoughtful about where the best places to vaccinate their child are, depending on their age, and how they do in those health care settings,” she said.
From there, the CDC director will make an executive decision as the last act from the federal government.
Finally, decisions are in the hands of the state and county. They will amend their respective administrative orders, permitting doctors to legally administer the vaccine. They will also advise how best to distribute the vaccine.
Columbia-area distribution
Along with MU Health Care, other groups are keeping a close eye on the approval process and planning ahead.
Columbia Public Schools follows the directive of the county health department, and in-school clinics will begin when there are vaccines available, district spokesperson Michelle Baumstark said Monday.
When it does arrive in local pediatrician offices and clinics, the vaccine will come in a dose one-third the volume of the adult dosage to account for the additional strength of a young immune system and to decrease risk of side effects, Morris said.
She added that as a form of safety “checks and balances,” the vial will be color-coded orange to distinguish it from prior purple vials used with all vaccines for those 12 and older.
Sara Humm, public information specialist for Columbia/Boone County Public Health and Human Services, said in an email that the county will also prioritize finishing flu shot clinics in schools before revamping COVID-19 clinics. Flu shot clinics will end Nov. 11.
Medical professionals are emphasizing the importance of the flu shot this season, as its symptoms can be very similar to those of COVID-19.
“If you get your flu shot, that will help protect people, obviously, from getting the flu,” MU Health Care pediatrician Chris Wilhelm told the Missourian this week. “But it’s also easier to help us diagnose what’s going on with patients, because they got their flu shot and they’ve been protected from it.”
In addition to public schools, MU Health Care clinics and primary care offices, parents can expect vaccines to be available at local pharmacies for children 7 and older, Morris said.
In unison with many medical officials, both Morris and Wilhelm said that once the vaccine for kids is fully approved, they will recommend the 5- to 11-vaccine to their patients who meet qualification.
“I myself, you know, I’m a family physician, but I have a family, and I have a child in this age group,” Morris said. “And I plan to vaccinate him as soon as possible to make sure that he can be protected, as well as help to protect our loved ones here over the upcoming holiday season.”
For parents who have questions or concerns, she said now is a great opportunity to ask.
“It’s not a slam dunk that every single child in this age group needs to be vaccinated immediately or should,” Morris said, “but there are kids that are at high risk and will benefit a lot.”
Missourian reporter Jozie Crouch contributed to this article.
What Boone County parents can expect with pending approval of COVID vaccine for kids - Columbia Missourian
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Pending approval of kid's COVID vaccine has many families hoping for some normal life again - KUER 90.1
Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5 to 11 cleared its first regulatory hurdle Tuesday. A full emergency authorization is expected next week.
If that happens, children in Utah could start receiving their first dose as soon as Nov. 8, according to Dr. Andrew Pavia, the chief of pediatric infectious diseases at University of Utah Health. Kids are expected to have similar recommendations to adults, receiving two doses of the vaccine 21 days apart. The doses are smaller though.
Pavia said preliminary data on the vaccine for young kids found it was close to 91% effective at preventing symptomatic cases of COVID-19 and about 70% effective at preventing mild or asymptomatic cases. At a news conference Tuesday, he said no serious side effects were reported, though the sample size of roughly 3,200 kids is small.
Pavia said while serious cases of COVID-19 are rare in kids, it can happen. Nearly 600 kids in Utah have been hospitalized. Roughly 5-8% of those cases come with the lingering symptoms associated with “long COVID.” But he said the vaccine will protect kids from those serious complications and help reduce spread to older people.
“We do think that if we can get a substantial portion of kids in this age group vaccinated, it will help us get the pandemic under control,” he said. “If there was no benefit to children themselves, I think we'd be making different decisions. But there's a big benefit to children, as well as a benefit to the family, as well as a benefit to the community.”
There are approximately 365,000 Utah children between the ages of 5-11 who will be eligible for the vaccine, according to the Utah Department of Health. It’s unlikely all will take the vaccine, but Pavia said with more than 13,000 school-related COVID cases in students so far this year, he wouldn’t hesitate to get his kid vaccinated.
Paul Gibbs, a parent in the Granite School District, said the pending approval is the best news he’s heard in a long time. He has two healthy sons, aged two and five, but is on immunosuppressant medication after receiving a kidney transplant 12 years ago.
Gibbs said he’s kept his older son home from school and has limited their activities with others to protect his own health.
“It’s the most painful thing I’ve ever experienced,” he said. “Every day I question whether keeping me alive is worth it. I have to be reminded again and again that they need me.”
Gibbs said once his older son is vaccinated he’ll be able to go back to school in person. The family is looking forward to having a real birthday party when he turns six in January. It will be small, he said, but it’s a step towards a more normal life.
“He definitely misses being around other kids and being able to go more places, but I'm amazed by his maturity and compassion in the way he's handled it,” he said.
Pavia said there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to COVID. Everyone, even those who are vaccinated, must assess their own risk level based on individual circumstances and transmission levels in their community.
He said parents should feel comfortable allowing their vaccinated kids to attend class and visit older adults. But if a child has a medical condition that affects their immune system, such as cancer, he said he would be more cautious, as they face a higher risk of serious complications even with a vaccine.
Until community transmission levels go down, Pavia said it’s also wise for children to continue masking in high-risk situations, such as crowded, indoor spaces.
As for schools, he said safety precautions — while not as strict as last year’s measures — also shouldn’t change until case rates start going down.
Officials with the Utah Department of Health don’t anticipate changing guidance for schools, according to a spokesperson. It recommends eligible students get vaccinated, wear masks indoors and stay home if they have symptoms of COVID-19.
K-12 students are not required to get a COVID-19 vaccine to attend school, however, and only two districts have mask mandates.
Pending approval of kid's COVID vaccine has many families hoping for some normal life again - KUER 90.1
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Motorist suspected of fatally hitting priest in Rosemount is released pending investigation - TwinCities.com-Pioneer Press
The man arrested after fatally hitting a beloved priest with his car in Rosemount has been released pending further investigation, authorities said.
Dakota County Attorney Kathy Keena announced Wednesday that the case of Trejean Derrell Curry, 26, of Minneapolis, will be reviewed for potential charges, which will depend on a crash reconstruction report from the Minnesota State Patrol, among other things.
The Rev. Denny Dempsey, 73, was riding his bicycle on the shoulder of County Road 42 in Rosemount when he was struck by a vehicle driven by Curry on Monday afternoon, police said. He died of his injuries.
Curry was arrested following the crash and held at the Dakota County jail on suspicion of criminal vehicular homicide. He has nine prior convictions for driving without a license. His license is currently revoked, according to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety.
Curry’s most recent conviction was Sept. 21 for driving 100 mph in a 70-mph zone. His license had been revoked in July in Alexandria, Minn. At the time, he listed a Minneapolis address.
Dempsey was a new priest at the Church of the Risen Savior in Burnsville. Before that, he spent 15 years in Northfield.
“Our deepest sympathy is extended to the family, friends and the faith community of Dennis Dempsey for their great loss,” Keena said.
Motorist suspected of fatally hitting priest in Rosemount is released pending investigation - TwinCities.com-Pioneer Press
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Map of Pending Vaccine Sites for Children Ages 5-11 in NH | New Hampshire News | US News - U.S. News & World Report
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Map of Pending Vaccine Sites for Children Ages 5-11 in NH | New Hampshire News | US News U.S. News & World ReportMap of Pending Vaccine Sites for Children Ages 5-11 in NH | New Hampshire News | US News - U.S. News & World Report
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ECHL's Growlers suspended from Mile One Centre pending investigation - Coast Reporter
ST. JOHN'S, N.L. — The ECHL's Newfoundland Growlers have been suspended from playing home games at Mile One Centre pending a third-party investigation into allegations of "disrespectful workplace conduct."
In a news release issued Wednesday, the City of St. John's said Deacon Sports & Entertainment Limited, the parent company of the Growlers, has been informed of the suspension a little over a week before the ECHL team was scheduled to play in its home opener.
The city says it will not provide details of the allegations.
“Given the seriousness of the situation we have no choice but to take this action,” St. John's Mayor Danny Breen said in a statement. “While we know this is disappointing to hockey fans, the health and well-being of our employees is our top priority.”
The Growlers are the ECHL affiliate of the NHL's Toronto Maple Leafs. The team said it is looking to accommodate the Growlers at Toronto's Coca-Cola Coliseum, the home of the American Hockey League's Toronto Marlies, while the investigation in St. John's is ongoing.
“We’ve been made aware of the situation between the city of St. John’s and Deacon Sports and Entertainment," Laurence Gilman, Maple Leafs assistant general manager and senior vice-president of the Marlies, said in a statement emailed to The Canadian Press.
"Our organization will look to host the Growlers on a temporary basis at Coca-Cola Coliseum in Toronto until a resolution in this dispute is hopefully found between Deacon Sports and the city."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 27, 2021.
The Canadian Press
ECHL's Growlers suspended from Mile One Centre pending investigation - Coast Reporter
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Loads of Georgia voting lawsuits still pending after last 2020 cases dismissed - Atlanta Journal Constitution
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Loads of Georgia voting lawsuits still pending after last 2020 cases dismissed - Atlanta Journal Constitution
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