At just 13 years old, Kevin Tang is establishing himself in the world of science and senior care − all with the goal of keeping his grandma safe.
The Southern California eighth grader just won $25,000 and the title of “America’s Top Young Scientist” for his fall detection invention, a monitoring device for seniors. It’s different from Life Alert and other brands that offer devices seniors wear around their necks, in their pockets or on their wrists. Kevin’s invention, FallGuard, is a camera monitoring system with an algorithm he programmed to identify falls and alert caregivers.
Kevin’s device isn’t wearable. Instead, users set up FallGuard cameras around their home that connect to a small computer to monitor for falls.
He’s working to keep his device free, or at least on the cheaper side, for anyone who needs it.
Kevin is always inventing and making “strange stuff at home,” his father, Yang Tang, told USA TODAY. He didn’t know his son was working on this project at first but knew it was a good idea when Kevin showed it to him.
Tang thought about his other friends who are worried about their aging parents. Whether Kevin won the award or not, his father told him, “we definitely will make this product to help them all.”
‘It was really scary’: Grandma’s fall inspires middle schooler’s invention
Kevin said his grandmother, who lives with his family, fell at home about five years ago.
“Nobody noticed immediately, and by the time we found her and called 911, she was left with permanent brain damages,” he said. “It was really scary.”
A few years later, Kevin said his friend’s grandfather fell, too. That’s when he realized how common − and dangerous − falls can be.
Falls are the leading cause of injury for adults 65 and older, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than 14 million, or 1 in 4 older adults, report falling every year, and there are about 1 million fall-related hospitalizations each year among older adults. Falls are the most common cause of traumatic brain injuries.
Kevin said it took a while to develop his fall detection algorithm. Once he became a finalist in the 3M Young Scientist Challenge and was paired with a mentor, Mark Gilbertson, he worked to ensure the device could function at nighttime.
“He’s detecting your shoulder position, your elbow joint using some AI algorithms, and then built his own algorithm on top of that to determine when you fall over,” Gilbertson explained.
Kevin’s device doesn’t require a subscription like other fall detection systems, he said. And it “works all the time.”
“You don’t have to remember to wear it,” Kevin said. His friend’s grandfather, who fell, had a watch with fall detection technology. “But since he forgot to charge it the day before, he fell and no one knew until the next day.”
It costs about $90 in materials to make one device, Kevin said, but he’s trying to bring it down to $30 by using a different computer. Since he won the national science fair competition, he said at least one security camera company has shown interest, and many individuals have told him they want a device to keep their families safe.
The Tangs have FallGuard set up in their home now, and another family is using the device, too. Kevin has more than 10 other families on a waiting list and hopes to help many more families soon.
Madeline Mitchell’s role covering women and the caregiving economy at USA TODAY is supported by a partnership with Pivotal and Journalism Funding Partners. Funders do not provide editorial input.
Kevin Tang, an eighth grade student at Cedarlane Academy in Hacienda Heights, California, was crowned the winner of the 2025 Young Scientist Challenge on Oct. 14 at the 3M Innovation Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. This competition is designed for middle school students in grades 5 to 8 and organized by 3M in partnership with Discovery Education.
The assignment was simple: Identify an everyday problem and come up with a workable solution.
Nearly a dozen finalists from across the country participated in the challenge, creating a unique project with assistance from a 3M-afiliated mentor over the summer, according to the company’s news release.
What was this year’s winning project?
With help from mentor Mark Gilbertson, a 3M senior robotics and automation engineer, Tang created “FallGuard,” a fall detection system that can “accelerate emergency responses to falls among older adults at home, even in the dark.”
With an algorithm that analyzes video input, Tang’s device identifies falls and alerts loved ones using a smartphone app. FallGuard can also detect irregular walking movements, which could be a symptom of a stroke.
Tang’s “new solution advances current offerings on the market through the ability to capture imagery at night and provide around-the-clock monitoring,” 3M said in an Oct. 14 statement.
In addition to the title of “America’s Top Young Scientist” and corresponding trophy, Tang will receive $25,000 and a “unique destination trip.”
However, many of the participants go on to start their own companies after the challenge, with some reaching “30 under 30” level fame, Torie Clarke, 3M’s EVP and chief public affairs officer, previously told USA TODAY.
3M’s ‘Young Scientist’ finalists, their projects
While Tang may have taken the competition’s top prize, 3M and Discovery Education also recognized first runner-up Amaira Srivastava of Gilbert, Arizona, and second runner-up Anirudh Rao of Lone Tree, Colorado, at the awards ceremony.
All 10 of 3M’s “Young Scientist” finalists, including the Top 3, who formed part of this summer’s mentorship program cohort, also earned a $1,000 cash prize for their participation.
Here’s a look at the full list of 3M’s “Young Scientist” finalists:
Amaira Srivastava – Created FlavoPeel Cups, biodegradable cups infused with fruit peels to fight plastic waste, reduce food waste, and deliver natural nutrients through water. Srivastava worked with her mentor, Rohit Gupta, a product development specialist in M3’s Automotive and Aerospace Division.
Anirudh Rao – Created a moisture-powered nano-generator, which was developed to provide “clean, affordable electricity for health and environmental sensors in areas without reliable access to power.” Rao worked with his mentor, Aditya Banerji, a research specialist with 3M.
Shrey Arora – Arora created FreshMate, a smart fridge device that tracks food expiration dates to help reduce waste and save money. Arora worked with his mentor, Lalitha Ganapatibhotla, an advanced product development specialist with 3M.
Divyam Desai – Developed a smart irrigation system, which monitors the moisture level in soil around a building’s foundation and delivers water to each zone as needed. The system’s purpose is to prevent structural tilt and conserve water in clay-rich areas. Desai worked with his mentor, Caitlin Race, a research specialist with 3M.
Kiyara Gunawardena – Gunawardena developed Continuous Observation and Research for Aquatic Life (CORAL), a low-cost underwater robot that captures water data and 360-degree footage, helping scientists “monitor ocean health without needing divers.” Gunawardena worked with her mentor Ann Gilman, an advanced research specialist with 3M.
Isha Marla – Marla developed AlginaFAB, a fabric made from seaweed and other natural materials designed to replicate the “strength and flexibility of traditional textiles while also breaking down easily in the environment.” Marla worked with her mentor, Rodrigo Marmol, a global portfolio manager with 3M.
Reanna Bhuyan Patel – Patel created Infini-TE, a device that captures “versatile electricity from surrounding heat using thermoelectric principles.” The device provides communities “afflicted by energy waste” with an accessible energy source, subsequently reducing dependency on nonrenewable resources. Patel worked with her mentor, Stephanie Owen, an expanded beam optics laboratory manager and advanced product development specialist with 3M.
Sheyna Patel – Patel developed a hydrogel that captures and breaks down microplastics with an efficiency of over 93%. The gel is nontoxic and can be used as a tool to help protect aquatic ecosystems. Patel worked with her mentor, Deborah Isabelle, a product engineering specialist with 3M.
Aniket Sarkar – Sarkar designed a low-cost moisture-capturing system that pulls water from dry air to “help farmers grow crops in increasingly arid regions of the American Midwest and West.” Sarkar worked with his mentor, Timothy Hebrink, a senior staff scientist with 3M Corporate Research Lab.
What is 3M’s ‘Young Scientist Challenge’?
Middle school students from across the country enter for a chance to compete and later win 3M’s “Young Scientist Challenge,” the nation’s top-tiered middle school science competition.
According to a 3M news release, the challenge tasks the nation’s best and brightest with developing an original, unique solution to an everyday problem.
Students can submit proposals under any of the following categories: robotics, home improvement, automotive, safety, AR/VR and climate technology.
“At 3M, we are all about finding amazing people who bring innovation and creativity to producing products that really change lives, tackling hard problems and changing and improving people’s lives,” Clarke said. “This competition is the epitome of it.”
How do you enter the challenge?
To enter the challenge for next year, middle school students must submit a short presentation about an everyday problem and their proposed solution. Video entries should be between one and two minutes long.
According to 3M, a panel of experts then judges the entry based on the following metrics:
Creativity
Scientific knowledge
Persuasiveness and effective communication
Overall presentation
Students interested in participating in this year’s “Young Scientist Challenge” had from Jan. 8 to May 1 to submit their video entries. The “Top 10 finalists” were contacted in early June, while all State Merit Winners were contacted in mid-June.
Julia is a Trending reporter for USA TODAY and covers scientific studies and trending news. Connect with her on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and TikTok: @juliamariegz, or email her at jgomez@gannett.com
FGL House had “Southern style cuisine with a California flair” in downtown Nashville. Luke Bryan, Jason Aldean & Miranda Lambert also have restaurants in that area.
Florida Georgia Line was founded in 2010 by Brian Kelley of Ormond Beach, Florida, and Tyler Hubbard of Monroe, Georgia.
Florida Georgia Line’s Brian Kelley and Tyler Hubbard had a viral Instagram incident after the 2020 election with Joe Biden & Donald Trump.
Florida Georgia Line fans, another venture by the “bro-country” duo has come to an end: The band’s restaurant, FGL House in Nashville, has permanently closed.
When the Southern-style restaurant with a California flair opened in summer 2017, Florida Georgia Line bandmates Brian Kelley and Tyler Hubbard reflected on why they chose FGL House for Nashville, Tennessee, and not in Florida or Georgia in a Tennessean story. Said Hubbard: “It was a cool opportunity in our hometown here in Nashville that we love — a place we could call our own and gather with our friends, our family and our fans and create a cool environment where people can make great memories.”
“What excites Tyler (Hubbard) and I the most is always staying creative,” Kelley said in a statement to the Tennessean when FGL House opened in downtown Nashville. “We love seeing what fresh things we can come up with to take our music to a new level and turn our dreams into reality.”
Here’s what we know about the band and the closing of the restaurant founded by former Florida Georgia Line bandmates Tyler Hubbard of Monroe, Georgia, and Brian Kelley of Ormond Beach, Florida.
What is Florida Georgia Line?
Florida Georgia Line, consisting of bandmates Tyler Hubbard of Georgia and Brian Kelley of Florida, had a “bro-country” music style with elements of rock and hip-hop.
The band was founded in 2010 in Nashville and its debut single “Cruise” in 2012 had more than 7 million downloads and spent 24 weeks at No. 1 on Billboard‘s Hot Country Songs chart.
Did country music band Florida Georgia Line win any awards? Did Florida Georgia Line win a Grammy?
In addition to breaking records, over the years, Florida Georgia Line were recognized with wins and nominations for several Academy of Country Music Awards. The band also was nominated multiple times for “vocal duo of the year” for Country Music Association Awards during its time together.
Other notable awards include:
In 2018, when Florida Georgia Line was nominated for an MTV Video Music Award for Best Collaboration with Bebe Rexha
The band was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2019 for Best Country Duo/Group Performance for “Meant to Be.”
What was Florida Georgia Line’s most popular song? What are Florida Georgia Line’s albums?
With more than 7 million downloads after its initial release, “Cruise” remains Florida Georgia Line’s most popular song.
Florida Georgia Line produced five albums between 2012 and 2021 before each member embarked on solo careers aka “breaking up” in 2022:
“Anything Goes” in 2014
“Dig Your Roots” in 2016″
“Can’t Say I Ain’t Country” in 2019
“Life Rolls On” in 2021
Florida Georgia Line Greatest Hits in 2022
Why did Florida Georgia Line break up? What happened to country music’s Brian Kelley and Tyler Hubbard?
Florida Georgia Line fans experienced turmoil when bandmates Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley had disagreements during the 2020 presidential election between Donald Trump and Joe Biden. Hubbard unfollowed Kelley on Instagram after Biden defeated Trump for the presidency. Hubbard supported Biden, while Kelley supported Trump.
The public reaction to the social media unfollow incident − which included their wives − led to speculation that the band would break up in January 2021. Kelley’s father, Ed Kelley, told The Daytona Beach News-Journal that while Hubbard and his son Brian Kelley were working on other projects, Florida Georgia Line was committed to a Live Nation tour.
Kelley did release a solo album in June 2021 called “Sunshine State of Mind,” and Tyler Hubbard released a solo song “5 Foot 9” in May 2022.
The band’s last performance together was Aug. 31, 2022, at the Minnesota State Fair.
Brian Kelley released a single called “Kiss My Boots” in March 2024.
What was the Florida Georgia Line restaurant? Where was FGL House?
In a May 2017 story from the Tennessean, Florida Georgia Line announced a summer 2017 opening for its FGL House restaurant, bar and entertainment venue in downtown Nashville.
FGL House occupied a four-story, 22,000-square-foot building.
FGL House, 102 3rd Ave. South, Nashville, Tennessee, was the former site of the restaurant that boasted a “Southern style cuisine with a California flair” in the Lower Broadway area in downtown Nashville. Other famous country music stars also opened restaurants and bars there: Luke Bryan’s Luke’s 32 Bridge (casual home cooking), Jason Aldean’s Kitchen and Rooftop Bar (Southern food), and Miranda Lambert’s Casa Rosa (Tex-Mex).
What food did FGL House, Florida Georgia Line restaurant, serve? Was there live music at FGL House in Nashville?
When FGL House opened, the multi-platinum duo Florida Georgia Line joined Alan Jackson, Dierks Bentley and John Rich as country stars expanding their brands through bars and other venues on Lower Broadway in downtown Nashville.
FGL House featured live music daily and amazing views of the downtown skyline. The kitchen offered Southern-style cuisine with a California flair while bars on each of the four floors served local craft beers and mixed cocktails — many featuring the duo’s own Old Camp Whiskey.
A basement-level lounge with a baby grand piano previously offered a cocktail menu inspired by ‘90s pop culture and specialty martinis. A large video wall showcased music videos by Florida Georgia Line and other country stars along with sporting events.
What will replace FGL House, Florida Georgia Line restaurant in downtown Nashville?
“I’ve always wanted to create a destination for all my fans to visit and create new memories at, in the heart of country-music city,” Wilson said in a statement. “So, to have a permanent destination in Nashville, is such a dream come true. I can’t wait for all my “Wild Horses” to get to experience my home away from home.”
Spanning 27,000-square-feet, the three-story venue will include a western disco-themed rooftop, two stages and four bars. Elements of Wilson’s bar will also call back to her home state of Louisiana, including menu items like her favorite salads, crawfish, shrimp boils and boudin.
The “Heart Like a Truck” singer has been a rising star over the last few years, and now, she’s cementing her place at the center of Music City. The project is in partnership with TC Restaurant Group, which also operates Luke Bryan’s 32 Bridge, Jason Aldean’s Kitchen and Rooftop Bar, Miranda Lambert’s Casa Rosa and Morgan Wallen’s This Bar & Tennessee Kitchen.
Wilson joins Lambert as the second female country star with a venue near the Broadway thoroughfare.
Named after Wilson’s fourth studio album Bell Bottom Country, the bar will take over the space of the former FGL House, 120 S. 3rd Ave. South, Nashville, Tennessee.
The Florida Georgia Line bar, which was also a TC Restaurant Group project, remained open for almost two years following its namesake band’s breakup back in 2022. Country music fans speculated about the bar’s potential closure for months after the duo split, and it ultimately closed in the first week of May.
“We are honored that Lainey has trusted us to deliver a venue that is faithful to her story, fans and love for country music,” TC Restaurant Group Vice President of Operations Grant Burlingame said, in a statement. “Fans gravitate to Lainey because of her authentic, down-to-earth personality, and Bell Bottoms Up will be a representation of her character and legacy. Lainey Wilson is one of the biggest names in country music, and we’re proud to partner with her on a venue that celebrates her genuine mark on the industry and brings another female artist to the forefront of Nashville’s Entertainment District.”
An improperly discarded cigarette was responsible for a house fire in Daytona Beach on Saturday, according to fire officials.
Daytona Beach firefighters executed a quick attack on the fire and extinguished it, containing it to the area where it started, the Daytona Beach Fire Department said.
No injuries were reported.
“The cause was determined to be from an improperly discarded cigarette,” a fire department Facebook post said.
Daytona Beach fire officials said smoking caused 7,800 fires in 2021. Smoking-related house fires killed 275 people and injured 750 others. Losses were $361,500,000, officials said.
Cigarette users should ensure cigarettes are completely out when getting rid of them, stay alert, never smoke in bed, and dispose of cigarettes in ashtrays or sand buckets, fire officials said.
Saturday is April 20, or 4/20, a time (4:20 p.m.) associated with smoking marijuana which evolved into an unofficial holiday in which to do so. (There’s even a cannabis smoking lounge in California with that name.)
April 20, however, is also a day to see what the laws are in New York regarding marijuana.
About the day
HPC, a California-based cannabis dispensary, citing a Time article, says “420” refers to a time of day when in 1971, a group of San Rafael High School teens would congregate to smoke pot. At 4:20 p.m., school was over for the day and afterschool activities would be done. The teens would say “420” to each other as a code for marijuana.
One of the teens in that group, Dave Reddix, later worked as a roadie for the Grateful Dead band. In 1990, a group of Deadheads in Oakland, California handed out flyers inviting people to smoke “420” the following April 20 at 4:20 p.m.
One of those flyers wound up with High Times magazine, which not only reprinted it, but continued the use of the number as a reference to pot.
“They wanted people all over the world to get together on one day each year and collectively smoke pot at the same time,” said Steve Bloom, a former High Times reporter, in a blog post crediting the unknown people who wrote the flyer. “They birthed the idea of a stoner holiday, which April 20 has become.”
DAYTONA BEACH — Hinson Middle School students recently learned about the dangers of tobacco and vaping during an anti-tobacco pep rally April 1.
Hosted by the school’s Parent Teacher Student Association, the goal was to educate students and their parents about the harmful effects of smoking and vaping while empowering them to stay tobacco free.
At the assembly, school board member Carl Persis noted just how “popular” vaping is in Volusia County Schools, telling the audience that the district has sent at least one person to the hospital each week this school year for vaping.
“I know it sounds like, ‘Oh, that could never happen to me,’” Persis said. “Well, the person that went to the hospital thought it could never happen to him or her either. So take it seriously. And, of course, watch out for yourselves, but I’m asking you, as middle school students, to watch out for your friends.”
Radio station HOT 94.1’s DJ Jay Love emceed the event and students listened to guest speakers and participated in basketball scrimmages with players from Bethune-Cookman University’s women’s basketball team.
Hinson Middle’s PTSA funded this event with grant money awarded from the National PTA.
“Vaping has become very popular with the middle school and high school age groups and we want to use this opportunity to not only educate on the dangers to our parents and students, but also to as many as we can,” said Amy Annon, Hinson Middle PTSA board member, in an email.
Guest speaker Walker McKnight echoed Persis’ advice and shared how vaping as a teen landed him in the hospital in need of three organ transplants.
McKnight, now 24, said he started vaping in high school as an 18-year-old. Within three months, he said, he was on life support.
After graduating from Winter Park High School, McKnight went to Florida Atlantic University to compete as a cheerleader and volleyball player at the collegiate level. However, at the start of his first year, he came home sick, visited the doctor, and learned he had an infection in his left lung.
McKnight’s dad, David McKnight, said that if his son didn’t have a double lung and kidney transplant, he would not have survived.
“My hope and prayer for all of you is that you realize that there’s dangers involved with doing drugs at all times, especially ones that have not been thoroughly tested and approved,” David McKnight said at the pep rally. “And your body is precious. Your mind is sensitive. And your heart is fragile, so take care of it. Good health is better than all the riches and fame the world has to offer because without your good health, you guys risk losing the life that is yours right now.”
McKnight reinforced his father’s message, assuring students that “vaping really is just no joke.”
“There’s no get back, and … the most important thing is you want to have a healthy body,” he said. “The only reason I survived is because of how healthy I was.”
Local stakeholders also weigh in about the dangers of smoking, vaping
Ormond Beach Mayor Bill Partington referred to smoking as a “dirty habit” and told students that “it’s not cool,” that “it’s one of the worst things you can possibly do,” and that people who smoke generally do not perform as well in the corporate world.
“One of the leading things that smoking causes: you can’t perform well,” Partington said. “We need you to perform well and stay healthy.”
Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood warned students of the “unseen dangers” of vaping and said it can lead to drug addiction and impaired decision-making.
“You really, really have to think about what you’re doing,” Chitwood said. “Is it really, really worth it destroying your future for that? … Just say no. You don’t need it, you don’t need the effects that come with it later in life.”
Construction is underway on a PopStroke miniature golf/family entertainment center along the east side of Cornerstone Boulevard at the Tomoka Town Center shopping center next to Interstate-95 Exit 265 in Daytona Beach on Tuesday, April 2, 2024. The chain’s owners include PGA golf legend Tiger Woods and golf equipment maker TaylorMade Golf. The center is expected to open in the fourth quarter of this year.
Clayton Park/News-Journal
Construction is underway on a PopStroke miniature golf/family entertainment center along the east side of Cornerstone Boulevard at the Tomoka Town Center shopping center next to Interstate-95 Exit 265 in Daytona Beach on Tuesday, April 2, 2024. The chain’s owners include PGA golf legend Tiger Woods and golf equipment maker TaylorMade Golf. The center is expected to open in the fourth quarter of this year.
Clayton Park/News-Journal
Construction is underway on a PopStroke miniature golf/family entertainment center along the east side of Cornerstone Boulevard at the Tomoka Town Center shopping center next to Interstate-95 Exit 265 in Daytona Beach on Tuesday, April 2, 2024. The chain’s owners include PGA golf legend Tiger Woods and golf equipment maker TaylorMade Golf. The center is expected to open in the fourth quarter of this year.
Clayton Park/News-Journal
This is a screenshot of an announcement posted by Daytona Beach Mayor Derrick Henry on Monday night, April 1, 2024, about construction finally getting underway on a PopStroke mini-golf/family entertainment facility at Tomoka Town Center. It will be the newest location for a chain co-owned by PGA golf legend Tiger Woods.
Clayton Park/News-Journal
PopStroke Palm Beach, scheduled to open at the end of 2024, will include a rooftop pool.
Rendering Provided By PopStroke
PopStroke Palm Beach will offer a full-service restaurant, sushi bar and club.
Rendering Provided By PopStroke Palm Beach
PopStroke Palm Beach will feature a two-story modern restaurant and lounge overlooking two 18-hole putting greens with views of Palm Beach International Airport.
Rendering Provided By PopStroke
Officials rolled out renderings of West Palm’s new PopStroke miniature golf course, which features an elevated and innovative design. It will include a two-story restaurant and lounge overlooking two 18-hole putting greens with views of Palm Beach International Airport.
Rendering Provided By PopStroke
An outside rendering of PopStroke Palm Beach, a technology-infused golf-entertainment concept featuring two 18-hole putting courses as well as food and beverage. It is expected to open at the end of 2024.
Rendering Provided By PopStroke
Tiger Woods, a Jupiter Island resident, is now a partner with PopStroke golf in Tradition.
DeLand is considering whether to ban smoking and vaping in public parks, but unfiltered cigars, thanks to state law, will still be permitted.
The DeLand City Commission will consider an ordinance that would prohibit smoking and vaping in nearly all public parks owned by the city. The item already passed a first reading and is expected to have a final hearing before the City Commission on Monday. The meeting will begin at 7 p.m.
DeLand Mayor Chris Cloudman and Parks and Recreation Director Rick Hall said the city sometimes has problems with people smoking at parks, including during Little League events. They said the city wants to keep children and other people from being exposed to smoke.
Just asking people to stop smoking hasn’t been effective.
“It’s kind of amazing to me in 2024 that we’re having to, you know, put teeth behind asking people not to smoke around other families,” Cloudman said.
Hall said if the ordinance is enacted the city will post signs at parks to warn people of the change. Cloudman said the city’s intent isn’t to start “fining people left and right” but to educate them.
The city plans to craft penalties once the ordinance is adopted, city spokesman Chris Graham said.
The law won’t apply to unfiltered cigars because that is preempted by state law, officials said.
The city’s parks include, among other sites, the Chipper Jones Family Little League Complex at 260 West Walts Ave., Bill Dreggors Park at 230 N. Stone St., Earl Brown Park in the 600 Block of S. Alabama Ave. and Painter’s Pond at the corner of South Alabama and East Wisconsin avenues.
Pioneer Park, which is in the heart of downtown near bars, would not be included.
Peggy Whitmore said she is opposed to the proposed ban. Whitemore owns the E-Cig Source vape shop at the Walmart plaza at 955 S. Woodland Blvd.
She said she believes the ban would hurt business and would lead to more restrictions. She said her business only sells vapes, and she said vapes help people quit smoking and are much safer than regular cigarettes.
“People should have choices,” she said. “Adults have choices.”
“E-cigarette aerosol generally contains fewer toxic chemicals than the deadly mix of 7,000 chemicals in smoke from regular cigarettes,’ according to the CDC. “However, e-cigarette aerosol is not harmless. It can contain harmful and potentially harmful substances, including nicotine, heavy metals like lead, volatile organic compounds, and cancer-causing agents.
Studies on whether e-cigarettes can help people quit smoking have had mixed results, according to the CDC. The studies didn’t provide enough evidence to recommend using e-cigarettes as a tool to quit smoking.
― Reporter Brenno Carillo contributed to this report.
If this is your idea of flipping a property, you should probably stay out of real estate.
It was about 3½ years ago when T.J. Puchyr, co-owner of Spire Motorsports, used a surprise Daytona victory to express his frustration at rumors his group was only in the ownership game to make an easy buck.
They’d purchased a NASCAR team charter the previous year from departing Furniture Row Racing, and were suddenly batting down rumors of a charter flip — with some noticeable irritation, in fact. The timing was unfortunate — Puchyr’s rebuttal was part of a post-victory press conference following Justin Haley’s win in the rain-shortened Coke Zero Sugar 400.
Instead of cashing in by cashing out, Puchyr and partner Jeff Dickerson began building, a process culminating — for now — in massive expansion last fall and through the offseason.
“It’s just being an entrepreneur. This is what we know,” Puchyr says. “This is the business we’re in. We believe in the sport; we’ve bet everything we own on it.
“This is how we eat. We don’t have a separate business. We have to be disciplined in the process. We don’t have rich relatives or another business to pull from to fund this.”
Spire moved from its former home — the old Alan Kulwicki shop — into the former (and massive) Kyle Busch Motorsports headquarters late last year. The team now employs well over 100 people, fields three Truck Series teams and, after adding another charter, three full-time Cup Series teams with drivers Corey LaJoie, Zane Smith and Carson Hocevar.
On the side, Spire manages the Rev Racing Truck Series team that carried Nick Sanchez to Friday night’s win at Daytona.
Doug Duchardt adds executive know-how to Spire
No new hire or acquisition, Puchyr says, was more important than bringing in veteran team executive Doug Duchardt as team president.
“People can talk about us adding a charter this year. They can talk about us moving into a new building,” Puchyr says. “But the biggest thing we did was get Doug Duchardt. That is the biggest feather in our cap from the offseason.”
Duchardt had spent much of the past two decades in upper-management with Hendrick Motorsports and Chip Ganassi Racing.
“Jeff has known him for 20 years. I’ve known him for 15. He’s been a mentor for us,” Puchyr says. “For him to want to take on a challenge like this, it says something about him, too. He’s not done yet.”
The (inflated) price of doing business in NASCAR
The team’s third Cup charter, purchased from B.J. McLeod’s Live Fast Motorsports, was rumored to cost Spire $40 million. Has the price of poker gone up that much in NASCAR?
The $40 million has to be an exaggeration, right?
“I’d say it’s in a very close neighborhood,” Puchyr confirms.
In his very next breath, Puchyr insists, “I think they’re still undervalued.”
“This platform is a great platform,” he says of NASCAR’s sports-entertainment opportunities. “There is no better market for a sponsor to come in here and do something for their people.”
Spire Motorsports was originally a spinoff of Spire Sports + Entertainment. Puchyr and Dickerson built their racing careers representing drivers and facilitating sponsor/team relations. It was only natural to consider they might be in it to turn a fast profit, and three-plus years removed, Puchyr says, yes, there were some entreaties.
“You gotta listen to every conversation,” he says. “That’s who Jeff and I are and how we got here. We’ve been around this garage for 20 years, managing drivers and doing sponsorship deals.
“That’s been our political capital. Those relationships. Managing those relationships and trusting people to handle it the right way.”
Corey LaJoie now dealing with some expectations
LaJoie enters the Daytona 500 as Spire’s elder statesman among the three-driver lineup. This is his fourth season with Spire, but probably his first with a dose of expectations mixed among the hope.
Especially at Daytona, where he’s posted four of his eight career top 10s.
“The bar has been very low,” he says. “We keep creeping that bar up every year. We know how to put ourselves in position to be in the hunt in these races. I think we’re gonna do an even better job of that this year.”
Like all Cup Series racers, LaJoie filled plenty of trophy cases as a youngster coming through the ranks. NASCAR in general, the Cup Series in particular, is a different animal, however.
“Pressure is different than expectations,” LaJoie says. “You want to win. You want to run good. I’ve been successful and won at everything in my life. Then you get here. Adding trophies to trophy cases has really slowed down the last five years.
“Now, it’s just having more potential to do that. The team has more resources coming in. The pressure is no different but the expectations are what you have to manage. That’s what can bog a team down.”
Puchyr is on that same page.
“That’s the biggest thing, after buying Kyle Busch Motosports, is managing our own expectations,” he says. “When I say that, I don’t necessarily mean Jeff and I. I mean all of the 130 people who work there.”
SOUTH MILWAUKEE – Assembly Speaker Robin Vos on Monday announced a bill creating a medical marijuana program and state-run dispensaries in Wisconsin, marking the first time an effort to legalize cannabis has been pushed by at least one leader of the Republican-controlled state Legislature.
Wisconsin is one of 12 states where recreational or medical marijuana is not available. Democratic lawmakers and Gov. Tony Evers have for years called for the legalization of marijuana for recreational and medical use but have been blocked so far by GOP legislative leaders.
Now, Republican lawmakers are growing warmer to the idea of allowing marijuana use for medicinal purposes, but the bill released Monday would not allow users to smoke cannabis, nor would it pave the way for private dispensaries in Wisconsin.
“The people of Wisconsin have said they want us to try to find solutions for the problems that vex our society,” Vos said. “There are very few Republicans that I know, and I would say most employers and even an awful lot of citizens, that do not want to see this become an end-around to get us toward recreational marijuana.”
Evers told reporters last week he would sign a bill that creates a medical marijuana program, even if it is restrictive — unless Republicans include a “poison pill” like cuts to taxes or diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives that he opposes.
Vos said the bill has the support of at least 50 Republicans in the Assembly, which would be enough to pass the…
It’s not just gin and juice anymore for Snoop Dogg. The rapper and entrepreneur is launching a new line of THC and CBD beverages.
The Do It Fluid drinks includes four flavors: Blood Orange, Blue Razz, Cherry Limeade and Peaches N’ Honies – each available in CBD-only versions ($4.99 per can) and versions with CBD and hemp-derived Delta-9 THC ($5.99 per can). They are available now online on the Death Row Cannabis and Hill Beverage websites.
Hill Beverage Co. was launched earlier this year by Snoop Dogg and CEO Jake Hill, who has started multiple cannabis companies including Grow Automations, which helps growers get the most from their pot-growing enterprises. Death Row Cannabis uses Grow Automations’ technology and led to the drinks venture.
“As I take the next step forward in my smoking evolution, Hill Beverage Co.’s vision for cannabis beverages was the perfect transition,” said Snoop Dogg in a statement accompany the product announcement. “What we’ve created is an all-natural and delicious alternative that doesn’t sacrifice the high, while providing fans with the perfect option for day or night.”
The rapper isn’t a newcomer to the cannabis business, either. He previously founded his own marijuana brand Leafs By Snoop in 2015. But since buying Death Row Records in 2022, he shelved that brand for the new Death Row Cannabis brand, which became available in California earlier this year and has…
Thomas Suddes is a former legislative reporter with The Plain Dealer in Cleveland and writes from Ohio University. tsuddes@gmail.com
The circus – doing business as the Ohio General Assembly – left the Statehouse last week, aiming to stay home until sometime in 2024. Given that Ohio’s primary election will he held March 19 – two-and-a-half months into the New Year – don’t expect Capitol Square boat-rocking before then.
Many if not most contests for (gerrymandered) state Senate and Ohio House of Representatives seats are filled in the primary. The last things any incumbent General Assembly member wants just before a primary election are tough Statehouse votes on controversial statewide issues.
Will Ohio’s marijuana law change before 2024?
For those Ohioans who keep an eye on the Statehouse, many are interested in how and when the legislature will mess with Issue 2, the November ballot measure in which 57% of the Ohioans voting voted to legalize adult-use recreational marijuana.
The law took effect earlier this month – with some ifs and buts. (Ohio had already legalized medical marijuana in 2016 in a bill whose prime sponsor was then-Rep. Steve Huffman, a suburban Dayton Republican, now a senator, who is a physician.)
Voter-passed Issue 2 allows Ohioans to possess up to six marijuana plants per person (and no more than 12 per household). Initially, the Senate’s GOP buzz-killers had the politically suicidal impulse to forbid home-grown plants altogether. The…
Thomas Suddes is a former legislative reporter with The Plain Dealer in Cleveland and writes from Ohio University. tsuddes@gmail.com
[Thursday 3:42 PM] Robinson, Amelia
Almost 2.2 million Ohio voters passed a law last month legalizing marijuana in their state — or what’s supposed to be their state. But some of the 26 Republicans in Ohio’s Senate actually considered telling those millions of Ohioans to go pound salt by crimping marijuana legalization.
Still, the underlying theme was that the people can’t be trusted to govern themselves, can they? Better that a mostly white, mostly male, and often small-town clique of Senate Republicans, think for voters, yes?
Ohio votes to legalize recreational marijuana
Ohio voters vote to join 23 other states as the latest to legalize recreational marijuana.
Were there ever a more brazen example of Statehouse arrogance, it’s hard to recall what was, because public opinion is crystal-clear on the subject of marijuana legalization.
Now, in fairness, had the 2.2 million Ohioans who voted for legalization instead sent plump checks to the Statehouse’s caucus campaign committees, and hired properly connected wire-pullers (lobbyists), legalization might not be such a … challenge … for certain legislators.
On Capitol Square, for example, if you spend $60 million to pass House Bill 6, the sweetheart deal for FirstEnergy Corp., you’re talking…
The ballot measure, known as Issue 2, passed in the Nov. 7 election with 57% of the vote, according to unofficial results. And Ohio Republicans who oppose marijuana started talking almost immediately about how they want to change it.
Gov. Mike DeWine and legislative leaders aren’t pushing for a repeal, but they do plan to make tweaks − and could do so before the end of the year.
“I can’t believe in 2023 we’re actually talking about elected officials not respecting the will of the voters and not respecting the outcome of an election,” Tom Haren, a spokesman for the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol, said on election night. “I expect, I think that every single voter in Ohio has a right to expect, that elected officials will implement and respect the will of voters.”
Why can the Ohio Legislature change the marijuana law?
Unlike the abortion rights measure that passed on Nov. 7, Issue 2 was not a constitutional amendment. It was an initiated statute.
This process allows Ohio citizens to propose laws for the Ohio Revised Code. Petitioners gather signatures to place the measure before the Legislature, which then has four months to act. If lawmakers don’t consider it, groups can collect a second round of signatures to put their proposed statute on the ballot.
The Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol got Issue 2 on the November ballot after Republican leaders declined to take…
Recreational marijuana is essentially marijuana used for enjoyment, rather than for health benefits. Merriam-Webster says recreational drugs are often “used without medical justification” for their effects.
Recreational marijuana will be sold at dispensaries to adults 21 and older. They will be able to sell an array of products, including but not limited to flower, seeds, edibles, vapes, tinctures, oils, beverages, pills and lotions.
Within nine months the state must issue the first round of licenses to dispensaries, growers and processors. The licenses will go to existing medical pot businesses and those who qualify under a social equity program, which helps business owners who have disproportionately been affected by marijuana laws. That might be due to their race, gender, ethnicity or economic status.
Additionally, adults in that age range can grow up to six plants individually and no more than 12 in a household with multiple adults.
It will be legal to possess up to 2.5 ounces of cannabis and 15 grams of extracts.
Ohio is the 24th state to pass a recreational marijuana law.
Voters across Oakland County will tackle ballot issues from ranked choice voting to recreational marijuana sales while those in Southfield will pick a new clerk to replace the one who resigned over tampering with voting procedures.
Longtime Southfield resident and Medicare agent Gabi Grossbard, 50, is facing Oakland County Commissioner Janet Jackson for the local clerk’s position.
In Royal Oak, voters are set to decide whether they support ranked choice voting, a system in which voters can rank any and all candidates for a given office on their ballot as opposed to selecting only one. Ranked choice voting is also on the ballot Tuesday in East Lansing and Kalamazoo.
Oakland County is piloting the state’s new early voting option this week, which allows residents to cast their ballots in person before Election Day in 26 jurisdictions. The pilot program has already begun and voters can cast their ballot at their designated regional site or the county’s general site through Sunday. Rochester is also participating in the state’s pilot early voting program, separate from the county.
Marijuana is an issue in Rochester, Birmingham and Keego Harbor, where voters will decide whether to permit local marijuana retailers.
In Birmingham, a proposal to lift the ban on marijuana sales and allow one medical marijuana facility and one recreational facility is on the ballot. Another measure in Keego Harbor would allow the City Council to regulate up to one marijuana retailer and prohibit all…
A Detroit woman is accused of having drug-laced gummy bears on school grounds while working as a teacher last summer, officials said.
Darla Spinner, 48, is scheduled to be formally charged Thursday through 31st District Court in Hamtramck with possession of marijuana on school property, a felony, the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office said.
Officials said police arrested Spinner on Friday. She was given an interim $2,000 bond during a hearing last week.
If convicted, she faces up to four years in prison.
According to authorities, Spinner was working as a teacher at the Wayne County Juvenile Detention Facility in Hamtramck over the summer.
On July 12, she allegedly brought marijuana gummies with her into the facility at about 8 a.m.
The Prosecutor’s Office authorized an arrest warrant for Spinner and charged her with the crime on July 27, officials said.
But Ohio’s General Assembly, as gerrymandered by the GOP, doesn’t represent voters. Instead, it represents party-line Republicans, some of whom call to mind H.L. Mencken’s definition of Puritanism: “The haunting fear that someone, somewhere, may be happy.”
And the marijuana ballot issue proposes a state law, not a state constitutional amendment.
Will lawmaker go against the will of Ohioans on marijuana?
Changing a constitutional amendment would require another statewide vote. But the General Assembly, as with any other state law, can change a petition-proposed law — and that’s what the marijuana legislation issue, if OK’d by voters, would be: a law, not a constitutional amendment.
The instinctive response is that it would be politically mad for the GOP-run General Assembly to mess with voters over the marijuana initiative by weakening any pro-user features.
Lloyd Hopkins remembers what it felt like to not be seen.
He blended into the background of his class — not performing well enough to be noticed, or poorly enough to need a helping hand. Back then, he said, he was the kind of kid who could fall between the cracks.
Hopkins said his teachers didn’t necessarily have the resources to nurture him in the way they may have liked. Now 44, he’s working to get educators the support they need to be the role models he never had.
Hopkins created the Million Dollar Teacher Project in 2016 to create support systems for teachers in the Valley. The organization focuses its attention on school supply drives, teacher appreciation events and a program offering classroom aides. Million Dollar Teacher Project aims to help keep teachers doing the work they love, Hopkins said. After receiving $540,000 in COVID-19 relief funding in 2021 from the Arizona Department of Education, Hopkins said he hopes the organization will expand statewide.
“It’s not a luxury to support teachers — it’s mandatory,” he said.
Hopkins said he knew he wanted to work in education since he was in high school. He was determined to become a positive example for younger people.
He started at the Alhambra Elementary School District as a teaching assistant. But after six years, Hopkins said, long days left him drained. Hopkins eventually made the decision to leave teaching, something that weighed heavily on him.
He said it was difficult for him to see his classes move on after investing so much time into them. Hopkins eventually left the profession after one cohort he had worked with for years graduated. He said he realized he wanted to invest his time in work that focused on the big picture. That desire later lead him to create Million Dollar Teacher Project.
After stepping away from the classroom, Hopkins worked with dropout prevention programs and youth centers. It took several more years for Hopkins to eventually find his niche in the education sector.
‘The lowest point in my life’: From losing a job to starting an organization
For Hopkins, the beginnings of the Million Dollar Teacher Project blossomed from a moment of self-doubt. After being let go from his job, Hopkins found himself unemployed for the first time since he was 16.
Faced with the unknown, he called his younger brother searching for advice.
“Great — you lost your job, now find your life,” he remembers his brother saying to him.
Hopkins describes that call as completely changing the trajectory of his life. From there, he explored his newfound freedom. He tried out scuba diving and wrote a book, titled word-for-word after the advice his brother gave him.
Hopkins applied for jobs for a while without success. But the day he published his book, he got a call from Maricopa County about what ended up being his new job, working to help young people transition from juvenile corrections. This new chapter led to him getting his undergraduate degree in nonprofit leadership and management. That’s when he began planning the start of the Million Dollar Teacher Project.
“I created this organization out of fire and brimstone — out of what was really the lowest point in my life,” he said.
While in school, Hopkins renewed his love for education reform. He said he recognized that limited school funding affects marginalized communities the most.
“When systems are not operating properly, it hits Black and Brown communities the hardest,” he said.
Supporting teachers to support students
The Million Dollar Teacher Project uses three primary strategies to improve teacher retention: recognition, compensation and support. The organization’s existing projects include the Million Dollar Teacher Tree, which is a supply drive for teachers, and classroom support teams that enlist the help of paid interns and volunteers to free up time for educators.
Ultimately, Hopkins’ goal for the Million Dollar Teacher Project’s teacher retention efforts is to help students thrive by having dedicated, appreciated educators.
With the organization’s considerable increase in funding, the organization will be able to expand beyond metro Phoenix more rapidly. Right now, the Million Dollar Teacher Project has events scheduled through March 2024 at six schools in Tempe and Phoenix, according to the organization’s website.
The COVID-19 relief funding will go toward supporting activities at 15 new schools in 12 new districts — 90 teachers in total, Hopkins said. He said the expansion will not be about one program alone, but rather targeting the needs of each school.
“I find it all important,” Hopkins said. “Because we’re a culture change organization.”
On July 14, the organization hosted its second annual “Adult Field Trip” event. Guests scaled the metal and wooden playscape at the Children’s Museum of Phoenix as they were invited to “act like a kid again.”
This year, Nicole Marrs of the Madrid Neighborhood School was honored in front of nearly 200 guests for her commitment to teaching. Madrid, in west Phoenix, is part of the Alhambra Elementary School District.
“It means everything to me,” she said of the event honoring educators. “You don’t see this as often as you might like.”
Last school year, a Million Dollar Teacher Project classroom support team provided her with assistance in setting up craft supplies and organizing the classroom. She said having the team meant that she was able to return home after work without additional tasks to finish.
The classroom support team is one of Rhonda Bowman’s favorite parts of the Million Dollar Teacher Project, she said. Bowman has recently taken over as vice chair of the Million Dollar Teacher Project governing board. She said she wants her work to highlight the impact of teaching.
“It touches everybody … and everything,” Bowman said.
Bowman teaches special education within the Alhambra School District. She’s taught for around 11 years. She says she has always felt supported by her district, but knows that’s not the case for everyone. She’s proud to be a part of the work Hopkins started, she said, and is looking forward to the group’s planned expansion.
For Hopkins, he said he’s proud to see the impact of his organization. With the expansion of the program, Hopkins said even more teachers — and students — will benefit.
“Our future is literally in today’s classroom,” he said.
Helen Rummel is a Pulliam Fellow for The Arizona Republic. She can be reached at hrummel@gannett.com or on Twitter @helenrummel.
