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Tag: local

  • CoCT to hold back on eviciting homeless people living in CBD – Medical Marijuana Program Connection

    CoCT to hold back on eviciting homeless people living in CBD – Medical Marijuana Program Connection

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    The Socio -Economic Rights Institute of South Africa is in opposition with the City of Cape Town on evicting homeless people.

    FILE: A man walks past homeless people sleeping outside a shop. Picture: EWN

    CAPE TOWN – The City of Cape Town will have to hold back on issuing eviction notices to homeless people living in the inner city.

    This follows a court hearing on Wednesday.

    The city’s application to evict homeless people from the streets of Cape Town has been opposed by the Socio-Economic Rights Institute of South Africa.

    The court was scheduled to grant the final eviction order on Wednesday – but the city has to wait until 9 October 2023 for another hearing.

    Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis expressed disappointment: “It [the case] is now on the court roll for October only, meaning another six-month delay to this case. It’s greatly disappointing but, nevertheless, we are very confident that we have done everything exactly, correctly to offer much greater dignity and care to all of those living on the streets.”

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  • Columbia, Boone County propose sales taxes on recreational marijuana | Elections – Medical Marijuana Program Connection

    Columbia, Boone County propose sales taxes on recreational marijuana | Elections – Medical Marijuana Program Connection

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    Both the Columbia City Council and the Boone County Commission have proposed taxes of 3% on sales of recreational marijuana products. The measures will appear on Tuesday’s ballot.

    A key question is whether the taxes are “stackable” if both measures are approved. If so, that would result in a 6% tax on recreational marijuana sales within Columbia city limits, which would be on top of a 6% state sales tax on the products.

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  • Recreational marijuana goes on sale in Palmer Lake Saturday | Business – Medical Marijuana Program Connection

    Recreational marijuana goes on sale in Palmer Lake Saturday | Business – Medical Marijuana Program Connection

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    Two existing marijuana dispensaries in Palmer Lake are set to open for recreational sales on Saturday, officially making the municipality just the second to do so in El Paso County.

    The grand reopenings come after voters last November passed a ballot measure 55% to 45% allowing the two dispensaries, Alpine Essentials and Dead Flowers, to transition to adult-use recreational sales. Palmer Lake voters have previously rejected recreational sales a handful of times since 2014, but did pass a measure establishing a 5% sales tax on recreational marijuana and related products in 2016.

    The dispensaries, both located off Colorado 105 just west of Monument, plan to open at 9 a.m. for recreational sales, a shift several local officials believe will bring a sizable revenue boost to a town heavily reliant on property taxes.

    Karen Stuth, a former Palmer Lake trustee and current president of the town’s Economic Development Group, described herself as one of the “foremost proponents” of retail…

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  • Bond denied for DeKalb man accused of fatally shooting man 13 times over alleged marijuana deal – Shaw Local – Medical Marijuana Program Connection

    Bond denied for DeKalb man accused of fatally shooting man 13 times over alleged marijuana deal – Shaw Local – Medical Marijuana Program Connection

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    DeKALB – A DeKalb man was denied bond Friday by a DeKalb County judge as he faces murder charges in the shooting death of 33-year-old Carl Austin, who prosecutors allege Romel A. Hollingsworth Jr. shot 13 times after a marijuana deal went bad.

    The shooting occurred midday March 19 near the entrance of a University Village apartment building in the 800 block of Normal Road, DeKalb, records show.

    Hollingsworth, 20, of the 800 block of Russell Road in DeKalb, was charged with first-degree murder in Austin’s death, according to DeKalb County court records. Records allege that the shooting came after a drug deal between the two involving marijuana about 1:30 p.m. March 19.

    Prosecutors allege that Hollingsworth fired about two dozen rounds during the shooting. Austin died from multiple gunshot wounds, including 13 gunshot wounds he suffered during the incident causing 20 bullet holes in his body, court records show.

    “[The] defendant also admitted that he probably emptied his clip before the victim even hit the ground,” prosecutors wrote in court documents presented Friday.

    Austin suffered wounds to his heart, lungs, head and colon, and had internal hemorrhaging, prosecutors said.

    If convicted, Hollingsworth could face a life sentence in jail.

    Hollingsworth’s initial defense attorney, Chip Criswell of the DeKalb County Public Defender’s Office, was dismissed from the case Thursday. Hollingsworth appeared in five hearings this week as court proceedings were shuffled around…

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  • Awakening into the Sun offers a decade of peace in St. Pete

    Awakening into the Sun offers a decade of peace in St. Pete

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    ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Fred Johnson tells a story every time he touches an instrument.

    What You Need To Know

    • 10th Anniversary Awakening Festival

    • Saturday, March 11th, 10 a.m. – 7 p.m  & Sunday March 12th, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

    • North Straub Park, St. Petersburg

    • Artist Village, performers, indie market, yoga 

    His music is a language. The message is for healing through art.

    “We go to a different space in our being when we create. We create from a space and an energy of possibility, right?” said Johnson. “‘I’m imagining and discovering. So that’s a whole other opportunity that can be powerful and meaningful.”

    Johnson will take the stage on Saturday at the Awakening Festival. He creates west African beats on a Box drum.

    Slaves used boxes for percussion when stripped of their possessions. So, for Johnson, the drum itself is a symbol of resilience and continuity.

    “So you can’t take the tradition away,” explained Johnson, demonstrating the same beat from the box drum on his body. Johnson uses these unstoppable beats to change people’s perspective.

    “Good for your soul. They say the longest distance traveled is between the head and the heart,” said Johnson. “And if we look at the world today, it feels like a lot of people are way up here, and we’ve forgotten about our hearts. And the beauty of the rhythm of the drum is that it brings vou right into the heart.”

    For our weary hearts, Johnson offers his healing beats.

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    Virginia Johnson

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  • Sample local honey, sip some mead: Lola-Bee-Looza in Terra Ceia

    Sample local honey, sip some mead: Lola-Bee-Looza in Terra Ceia

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    TERRA CEIA, Fla. — Each frame of a bee box hosts a tableau of events unfolding simultaneously.

    What You Need To Know

    • Noble Nectar Apiaries removes bees and re-homes them

    • The inaugural Lolla-Bee-Looza Festival will be held Saturday

    • The festival will help raise funds for donation-based removals, as well as outreach for the next generation of potential pollinator protectors

    • More On the Town with Virginia Johnson

    Each is a little civilization and Matt Davis is checking on them. 

    “They are a big part of making sure our ecosystem thrives,” said Davis.

    These wild honeybees are his rescue animals.

    He and his wife’s company Noble Nectar Apiaries removes bees and re-homes them. It’s an alternative to exterminating infestations. One of their new bee home spaces is under a massive oak tree behind a horse and a stable on Terra Ceia.

    It’s going to be the site of their first ever Lolla-Bee-Looza. The festival all about our bee friends.

    Matt Davis of Noble Nectar Apiaries showing frames of bees from a bee box. (Virginia Johnson/Spectrum Bay News 9)

    But before Davis gets close-up, he needs to suit up. Then smoke up with a bee smoker.

    It’s a stainless-steel container with a little air pump. Davis lights up pine needles and closes up the smoker, pumps the bellow and smoke shoots out of a top nozzle.

    Smoke is a pheromone blocker for bees.

    “Basically, what it does is it kind of interferes with their ability to talk to each other,” said Davis.

    It also stirs the bee’s appetites for honey. “Which helps them not be so grumpy,” Davis said, smiling.

    It’s important the bees be “calm-ish” so Davis can check the hives.

    “Make sure we had a queen that’s actively laying in eggs. We look for pollen and nectar, and we also look for signs of mite infestations and just the overall health of the bees,” he said.

    Even more important to Davis: helping people remove bees even with financial difficulties with their new non-profit organization “The Bee Musketeers.”

    “So it’s a win-win for everyone,” said Allison Davis. “The person who needs it gets it done and the beekeeper still gets paid, and then we started to working alongside some of the people in the city to get the houses repaired afterward.”

    The festival will help raise funds for donation-based removals, as well as outreach for the next generation of potential pollinator protectors.

    “It feels good to help young people to live alongside bees and other pollinators, and not consider them a danger or a pest,” said Davis. “It’s important for our food and for the ecosystem in general.”

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    Virginia Johnson

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  • New thrill ride nicknamed ‘Screamin’ Swing’ at Busch Gardens

    New thrill ride nicknamed ‘Screamin’ Swing’ at Busch Gardens

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    TAMPA, Fla. —They don’t call it the “screamin’ swing” for nothing.

    What You Need To Know

    • Serengeti Flyer opens Febraury 27

    • Annual pass holders get weekend preview

    • Nicknamed Screamin’ Swing

    • 90-second ride goes 135 feet high and 68 miles per hour

    “Think about a swing set you rode as a kid, and someone gave you a big push. This is the ultimate push,” said Neal Thurman, president of Busch Gardens.

    The new Serengeti Flyer at Busch Gardens is taller than any swing of its kind.

    Thurman calls it a “really smooth” experience with unbelievable views, swinging visitors 135 high at 68 miles per hour.

    Members of the media joined members of the local chapter of the American Coaster Enthusiasts for a preview to the Feb. 27 opening.

    Kalin Profitt said he took 30 or 35 turns on the 90-second ride. “I think it’s kind of a fun experience being able to float up on your seat like an astronaut,” said Profitt about the multiple moments of weightlessness.

    “It’s exciting. You don’t get that on a flat ride like that. I think it’s unique.” There are two swings holding ten people in the front and back. Forty people in all swish back and forth. The first time the swing goes backward, you can feel the power behind the pendulum motion.

    Riders see the heavens on the upswing and then the earth below on the downswing. But you are also weightless, so you think maybe for a second you pulled your parachute chord, it did not engage, and you are hurtling to your doom.

    The theme park has nearly a dozen thrill rides to its name, but also likes to emphasize its animal encounters and conservancy mission.

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    Virginia Johnson

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  • Medical marijuana grant for Cumberland PD | Local News – Medical Marijuana Program Connection

    Medical marijuana grant for Cumberland PD | Local News – Medical Marijuana Program Connection

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    A $25,000 state grant will provide Cumberland Township Police Department with training and equipment related to law enforcement challenges arising from medical marijuana, according to a police department release.

    The funds are to allow each officer to attend a workshop to learn about Pennsylvania’s medical marijuana law, provide training for one officer in Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE), send one officer to attend the Pennsylvania DUI Association conference in 2023 and 2024, and purchase portable breath test (PBT) devices to rule out alcohol impairment.

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  • Honey & Arts Festival to debut in Lealman as community grows

    Honey & Arts Festival to debut in Lealman as community grows

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    LEALMAN, Fla. — Hopes of community redevelopment is bringing new festivals to St. Petersburg.

    The Pinellas County Housing Authority is working with engagement committees and a long list of sponsors to bring the first Lealman Honey and Arts Festival to the Tampa Bay area.

    What You Need To Know

    • The Lealman Honey and Arts Festival is set for Saturday, Feb. 18

    • Dozens of local sponsors are supporting the event

    • A visiting artisan shares his story

    “I’m very excited,” said Kym Solitaire, a St. Petersburg resident. “As a retired schoolteacher of Pinellas County, this area represents schools I’ve taught at. It’s a historically underserved area. This is a deserving acknowledgment of the community, the hard-working parents and great students that live here.”

    Raymond H. Neri Community Park will be hosting the inaugural festival on Saturday, Feb. 18. There will be several events such as local honey and beekeepers selling their wares, craft vendors, food trucks and chainsaw art. Local radio personality Monika from 102.5 The Bone will be broadcasting live. Local bands The Black Honkeys, La Lucha and Pink Streets will also be in attendance delivering live performances. 

    “Coming together to celebrate the rich history of Lealman has been a dream of mine,” said Pinellas County Commissioner Charlie Justice. “The Honey and Arts Festival represents the dedication of many in the community working together to transform Lealman into a vibrant destination, a place where people can live, work and play.” 

    People from all over the nation are coming to support the festival, like chainsaw art cultivator, Alex Bieniecki. He traveled from New Hampshire to perform at the festival on Saturday.

    “I’ve been a tattoo artist for 22 years,” said Bieniecki. “Right out of high school, I was doing that so artistically. That was my training in the art world, all the different things they liked to do rounded me out as an artist.”

    Bieniecki said he’s been a woodsman for over a decade.

    “Normally, I work with white pine,” he said. “It’s light compared to other species of wood. This stuff has more sap in it, more than any I’ve worked with before.”

    Bieniecki was carving an image of a woman with Florida sand pine Wednesday.

    “I drove up to West Palm Beach for this wood. I cut the tree down from their yard for this,” said Bieniecki. “Some of these pieces take more than 40 hours to complete. I started this on Monday of last week and I worked on it every day until Thursday. 10-hour days, 10 hours of sanding,” said Bieniecki.

    What was once a hobby for Bieniecki, turned into a stream of income.

    “People love wood carvings. My whole world opened up to people I would have never tattooed. I have a lot of fun doing them because it’s like drawing and painting and carving. It’s two-dimensional but also three-dimensional and you get to paint it, so I really enjoy,” he said.

    For more on Lealman’s Honey and Arts Festival, view its Facebook page.

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  • Tampa Bay first Black Curator of History joins the exhibit

    Tampa Bay first Black Curator of History joins the exhibit

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    TAMPA BAY, Fla — Fred Hearns isn’t just the first Curator of Black History in Tampa. He’s the first Curator there to end up in an upcoming exhibition.

    What You Need To Know

    • February 15: Talk on historically Black neighborhoods in Tampa

    • February 24: Reception and sneak peek at summer exhibition

    • February 25: Talk on Roger’s Park Golf Course

    Hearns is working on the summer exhibition– “Travails and Triumphs,” about people of African descent in the Tampa Bay area.

    One of the donated pieces in the exhibition is a 1960s yearbook for Middleton High School—where Hearns went to school himself. He pointed out his picture in the marching band—he played clarinet—and his individual school picture as a sophomore.

    “We focus on the black high schools,” said Hearns, “Segregation from kindergarten all the way through high school. That’s the Tampa I grew up with in the 1960s.”

    A curator at the History Center now for nearly two years, it was nearly two months before Hearns realized his own history in his office hallway.

    “These are the blueprints for the colored high school in Hillsborough County, 1935,” said Hearns, reading off the titles on the framed piece of history. Again–it’s Middleton High School A high school which burned down three times by 1968.

    Their newer campus– built in 2002 –sits three blocks from the original site on North 22nd Street in Tampa. The former high school is now home to another. Hearns leads us from downtown Tampa to the campus for a look.

    “This is a wonderful dream come true because the Alumni Association fought for 10 long years to get Middleton High School rebuilt,” Hearns explained, walking under the shade of oak trees in the school’s courtyard.

    For his part in the fight for the school—Hearns’ name is on it. “The ‘Fred Hearns Pavilion’ that’s right outside the cafeteria,” said Hearns, walking by it. “The alumni, the community paid me this honor. I’m still humbled by it.”

    And now his work bringing the Tampa Bay community together continues–fitting for the retired head of the Community Affairs for the City of Tampa. Different career, same goal.

    “It’s history. American history made by black people, and everybody needs to know more of it,” said Hearns.

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    Virginia Johnson

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  • Youth Changemakers Nationwide Answer the 2023 Call for Kindness

    Youth Changemakers Nationwide Answer the 2023 Call for Kindness

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    Annual program provides funding and innovative leadership development opportunities for young people to tackle some of society’s most pressing problems.

    Press Release
    –

    Jan 18, 2023


    NEW YORK, January 18, 2023 (Newswire.com)
    –
    Riley’s Way Foundation opened their Call For Kindness program today, calling on young changemakers (13-22 years old) from across the country to submit their ideas for projects rooted in kindness, empathy, and inclusivity. The Call For Kindness, now in its fifth year, offers youth the chance to participate in a dynamic Leadership Development Fellowship and win up to $3,000 to fund a project that strengthens their local, national, or global communities.

    “It’s been incredibly inspiring to see the range of projects young people are leading in their schools and communities,” remarked Dr. Christine O’Connell, Executive Director of Riley’s Way Foundation. “Their passion, resolve, and leadership remind us that the hope for the future lies in great part with the ideas and actions of today’s youth.”

    Young people (13-22) are invited to submit a new or existing idea, managing everything from prevailing social justice issues to pressing community-based needs. As many as 36 youth-led projects will receive awards. This year, a separate category will consider 10 projects focused on environmental justice, as the climate crisis and other environmental problems require critical attention. 

    Additionally, Riley’s Way will continue to support a dance and arts category, the Yuriko Kikuchi Arigato Award, in honor of Yuriko, the pioneering dancer, and choreographer. 

    “Becoming a Riley’s Way Call For Kindness Fellow has meant that even if things get hard, I’m not alone, and have all these resources if I need anything,” shared 2022 Call For Kindness Fellow Ryan Syed, founder of SAYA’s Project Loving Me.

    Past projects have addressed the mental health and well-being of vulnerable communities, promoted education equity, bridged the tech industry’s demographic gap, supported those experiencing homelessness, combatted food insecurity, and much more. The complete list of Call For Kindness projects can be found here.

    “The future belongs to a new generation of leaders, who with unshakable determination and a clear sense of purpose, will blaze a trail of innovation and progress to tackle society’s toughest challenges,” shared Ian Sandler, Co-Founder, Board Chair of Riley’s Way. “I am honored to be a part of their journey and will tirelessly work to empower them with the tools and resources they need to make their boldest visions a reality.” 

    Visit CallForKindness.org to learn more and read about past Fellows.

    About Riley’s Way Foundation 

    Riley’s Way Foundation is a national nonprofit organization that empowers a youth-led kindness movement, providing young people with the programs, support, and inclusive community they need to thrive as changemakers. Their programs provide young leaders with the tools and resources to envision and achieve change. Riley’s Way is committed to supporting these young leaders to build a better world that values kindness, empathy, connection, and the voices of all youth. Mackenzie and Ian Sandler established Riley’s Way in 2014 in memory of their daughter Riley Hannah Sandler.

    Source: Riley’s Way Foundation

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  • Aurelius girl who called 911 for her father honored by Cayuga County sheriff

    Aurelius girl who called 911 for her father honored by Cayuga County sheriff

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    SENNETT — A 6-year-old girl may have saved her father’s life last month with a 911 call.

    Alivia Schroeder was acknowledged by the Cayuga County Sheriff’s Office Thursday after she called county 911 dispatchers when her father Maison Schroeder had a seizure Nov. 17. She was greeted by officials and personnel at the county public safety building in Sennett, accompanied by Maison, her sister, Layla, and her grandparents, Stephen and Kathy Gould.

    Cayuga County Sheriff Brian Schenck named Alivia a junior deputy and gave her a certificate. 

    “You’re my hero,” Schenck told her.

    Denise Spingler, the county 911 administrator, reading from a different certificate, said “In recognition of your heroic actions in calling 911, you remained calm and provided the dispatcher with all of the appropriate information to help your dad. Your call amazed us and we are all so very proud of you.”

    People are also reading…

    Alivia’s eyes lit up like fireworks when Spingler gave her a red balloon that said “911” on it and a bag that included a Squishmallow stuffed animal, a coloring book and crayons. The girl later spoke with Deputy Nikki Loveless, who responded to the scene, Denise Cornelius, communications training officer with the county 911 center, and McKenna Loerzel, a dispatcher who is training at the 911 center. Cornelius and Loerzel, who took Alivia’s call, lauded the girl’s calm composure.

    Alivia Schroeder, 6, is recognized by Cayuga County Sheriff Brian Schenck and then Denise Spingler, the county’s 911 administrator, for making a 911 call for her father Maison Schroeder, when he was having a medical emergency in November.



    After Alivia had her picture taken with the different personnel, she and her family were brought to the 911 center, where she was introduced to other 911 dispatchers, as Schenck again called her a hero. Aliva was also able to sit in a dispatcher’s chair. Later, Alivia, holding onto the balloon tightly, and her family chatted with the sheriff, Spingler, Cornelius, Loveless and Loerzel. 

    When Loveless was told around 11 a.m. Nov. 17 that a 6-year-old was on the line calling on behalf of her unresponsive father, her heart sank, she said. Emergency medical personnel were on the scene when Loveless arrived, and after Maison was transported by ambulance, she stayed with Alivia and Layla until Stephen and Kathy arrived, as Maison and his daughters had been staying with them. Loveless lauded Alivia’s response to the situation.

    “Imagine being 6 years old and being calm and collected. They said she was giving good information, but you still want to get there (to the scene),” Loveless said. 

    At one point, Alivia was asked who taught her how to call 911. She said it was her mom, Sara Green. Maison said he started having seizures in adulthood and they became worse over the last year. He was laying in a recliner at Stephen and Kathy’s home in Aurelius when this seizure happened and blacked out. In a soft voice, Alivia explained when her father began seizing, she found her dad’s cell phone plugged into a charger next to him.

    When Cornelius and Loerzel received Alivia’s call, she told them that her was father was drooling and shaking. They asked if he was breathing, and Alivia said yes. Since he was in a recliner, the girl hit a button which made the chair recline, opening Maison’s airway. Cornelius and Loerzel noted they could hear Maison breathing on the call. He began waking up as responders arrived. Loerzel, who began with the center in September, and Cornelius said Alivia gave relevant information, such as her name, her father’s name and said they were at her grandparents’ house and gave her grandfather’s name.

    “You were super, super strong, you knew exactly what to do and you do it,” Spingler said to Alivia.

    Maison said Alivia told her friends about the situation at school the next day. He praised his daughter’s intelligence and said he’s “thankful every night” for Alivia possibly saving his life.

    Cornelius said she was impressed by how Alivia and Loerzel handled the situation, and talked about the importance of educating children about emergency calls, including giving dispatchers the address of where the emergency they are calling about is occurring.

    “It just shows that people should educate their kids about 911,” Cornelius said.

    Staff writer Kelly Rocheleau can be reached at (315) 282-2243 or kelly.rocheleau@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @KellyRocheleau.

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  • 8-year-old boy dies after 3-vehicle crash on feeder road along Beltway 8 in Missouri City, family says

    8-year-old boy dies after 3-vehicle crash on feeder road along Beltway 8 in Missouri City, family says

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    HOUSTON – A 8-year-old boy is dead and at least four people were left injured after a major crash on the feeder road along Beltway 8 in Missouri City, the family confirmed with KPRC 2.

    The three-vehicle crash was reported at 3:43 p.m. in the 9900 Block of the South Houston Tollway feeder road.

    Missouri City police said two people, a woman and child, were flown by Life Flight and three other people were taken by ambulance to the hospital. Their conditions are unknown at this time.

    The child, identified by family as 8-year-old Kadryth Howard, was pronounced dead on Friday afternoon. They said he was declared brain dead shortly after the crash. Howard played football for Alief Elite Football and attended Huffman Elementary.

    Howard’s mother is still in critical condition at Memorial Hermann in the Texas Medical Center, according to family members.

    The cause of the crash is under investigation.

    The two-vehicle crash was reported at 3:43 p.m. on Beltway 8-West Southbound at US-90 Alternate and S. Main Street. (Copyright 2022 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.)

    Copyright 2022 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.

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  • Police identify Vermillion Co. deputy, who they say accidentally shot a South Vermillion student

    Police identify Vermillion Co. deputy, who they say accidentally shot a South Vermillion student

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    Officials say a police officer accidentally fired his gun in a South Vermillion High School, injuring student



    VERMILLION COUNTY, Ind. (WTHI) – An investigation is underway after an officer accidentally fired a gun and hit a student at South Vermillion High School.

    According to police, the shooting happened just after 9:30 Thursday morning.

    There was a class teaching students how to be officers. Participants in the classroom were doing a drill about a scenario with a so-called “bad guy.”.








    Eight to ten students were in the class.

    Indiana State Police identified the deputy as Tim DisPennett, a 19-year veteran with the Vermillion County Sheriff’s Office.







    Tim Dispennett

    Tim Dispennett (WTHI File)



    Police say a DisPennett accidentally fired his service weapon and hit a student. The student went to a Terre Haute hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

    “We will be talking to every student that was inside of the classroom. We will also be speaking with the deputy that was instructing the class and we have crime scene investigators that will be going through the classroom taking all the evidence,” Sgt. Matt Ames from Indiana State Police said. 

    The school principal notified his parents with the following letter:







    South Vermillion



    “This morning at South Vermillion High School, there was an isolated incident in one of our vocational classrooms. The incident was an accidental discharge of a firearm by a law enforcement officer during a drill. One student was injured without life-threatening injuries and has been taken to the hospital. Only SVHS is currently on lockdown, due to the abundance of emergency personnel in the building.”

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  • Baby alligators are being sold in Michigan, dumped or killed when they get too big

    Baby alligators are being sold in Michigan, dumped or killed when they get too big

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    There is a thriving market for pet alligators in Michigan and many of the reptiles are killed or abandoned when they start to get too big.

    Local 4 investigated and found alligators for sale at an expo in Kalamazoo, among other locations.

    The Critchlow Alligator Sanctuary has 200 alligators under their care that had been abandoned. They are a rescue facility for unwanted reptiles.

    “One particular alligator was locked in a dog crate for seven years. He was never able to touch water or swim or touch the ground,” Lina Kelly said. “Some have come in really horrible situations where their mouths have been taped shut and I’ve had wounds all over their faces. So, some of them are locked away in closets and misshapen their spines.”

    Kelly said most people don’t realize how big alligators can get. They can reach up to 15 feet long and live for 60 to 70 years.

    Previous: Going undercover to expose why abandoned alligators are being found around Metro Detroit

    What happens when alligators get to big?

    Local 4 went in undercover with cameras rolling to a Mt. Pleasant home where alligators are being sold.

    “How big are they gonna get?” Local 4 asked.

    “They can get up to 15 feet. I mean, so, they can get pretty big,” Mike Morningstar said. “Obviously, a 15-foot gator — it’ll kill ya.”

    Alligators can grow to be absolutely massive, but that doesn’t stop Mike and Raquel Morningstar from selling young alligators for $200 each. The couple admits the animals they sell usually wind up discarded.

    ‘They either keep them, or they eat them, or turn them into boots’

    “What do people do when they get really big?” Local 4 asked.

    “They either keep them, or they eat them, or turn them into boots,” Raquel Morningstar said.

    Raquel actually suggested people could eat their alligators when they get too big to handle.

    Baby alligators are also listed for sale online with ads that say they “won’t last long.” Who’s buying them? Mike Morningstar said random people.

    The Morningstars are licensed to sell alligators. They said they buy them from a breeder in Florida. They resell the animals and mail them around the country.

    “We started out with like six and then we had 10 and had an order of 18 and we had 12 more after that and they’ve gone quick,” Raquel Morningstar said.

    Mike Morningstar said that there are no legal issues in Michigan and that they can own and sell them. That it’s “not a big deal.”

    That isn’t completely true though. While there aren’t any state laws against alligator sales, some Michigan cities have banned them.

    The Morningstars told our undercover producer that this is the end of alligator season — but it’s not the end of the issue.

    Local 4 spoke with health officials in Detroit and they confirmed they are getting calls for alligators in the city.

    The sanctuary Local 4 visited said they have 200 alligators right now and worry more could be dumping off their pets as winter sets in and the gators continue to grow.

    Have something you’d like us to look into? Reach the Local 4 investigative team at 313-962-9348, or email Karen Drew at kdrew@wdiv.com.

    Previous coverage on alligators and crocodiles found in Michigan:

    Copyright 2022 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit – All rights reserved.

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  • Mower Co. crash turns fatal after deer goes through windshield

    Mower Co. crash turns fatal after deer goes through windshield

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    MOWER COUNTY, Minn. – A 58-year-old Austin woman has died after a two-vehicle crash involving a deer on Thursday night.

    The Mower Co. Sheriff’s Office said it happened at 5:09 p.m. at 555th Ave. just south of 235th St. in rural Austin.

    A southbound vehicle struck a deer and it flew into the windshield of a northbound vehicle.

    The woman who died was in the passenger seat of the northbound vehicle.

    “The victim was transported to Mayo Clinic St Mary’s Hospital in Rochester via Mayo One for her injuries. The victim was later pronounced deceased at the hospital despite all lifesaving efforts,” the sheriff’s office said. “As a reminder to everyone as they travel the roads please slow down and stay aware for deer and other road hazards as our seasons change.”

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  • Indianapolis police purchase billboard enticing better pay to lure officers from Detroit

    Indianapolis police purchase billboard enticing better pay to lure officers from Detroit

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    DETROIT – The city has long faced an uphill battle to recruit and retain police officers, which is why a proposed pay raise is awaiting the city council’s approval.

    But, not even that would make the Detroit Police Department wages competitive with officers in other cities, including one that made a bold move to poach officers from Detroit.

    “I saw it,” said Detroit police Chief James White. “I know that our officers are the best in the country, and I know that they get highly recruited in-state and out-of-state.”

    The bold billboard in Detroit suggests officers could have a starting salary of $72,000. If Detroit City Council approves, pay raises for Detroit police would have a starting salary of $53,000.

    “I am not surprised,” White said. “I’m a little bit disappointed that someone would post something like that in our community, but I also know that our officers are highly recruited.

    A police union leader went to the city council urging the council to approve the pay raises, or the department would continue to lose officers.

    Read: Police union pleads to city council for promised raises in Downtown Detroit

    “From my conversations with council members, everybody believes that we are way overdue in supporting our DPD men and women,” said Detroit City Council President Mary Sheffield. “I’m looking for unanimous support coming next Tuesday.”

    “I sent letters to chiefs across the country saying, ‘Please, don’t hire our people,’” said former Detroit police Chief Ike McKinnon. “They looked at me and laughed.”

    Mckinnon says Detroit can’t compete with a $72,000 starting salary.

    “You can’t compete with someone whose making or paying $70,000 to start,” McKinnon said. “They’re making as much as some of our command officers are.”

    Shawn Ley: “Did you happen to call Indy by chance?”

    White: “We won’t get into those conversations.”

    So far, 290 Detroit police officers have left the department for other jobs.

    The mayor and Detroit’s police union agreed on a new contract on Sept. 30. But so far, those raises have yet to become a reality, and officers are leaving the force for other departments and better pay. (WDIV)

    Copyright 2022 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit – All rights reserved.

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  • Texarkana doctor convicted of over-prescribing pain pills

    Texarkana doctor convicted of over-prescribing pain pills

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    TEXARKANA, Ark. –  A federal jury convicted a Texarkana physician on Friday on two counts of distributing pain medications without a prescription.

    Dr. Lonnie Joseph Parker, 58, of Texarkana, Ark., was an over-prescriber of controlled substances in a two-year period, according to an investigation initiated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Little Rock District Office (LRDO).

    The two-year investigation was launched after complaints to local law enforcement about a suspected pill mill and the possible overdose death of a patient were reported.

    According to the analyzed prescription drug monitoring data, in two years Parker over-prescribed controlled substances of opioid pain medications, including oxycodone, hydrocodone and fentanyl to approximately 1,508 patients.

    Additionally, Parker prescribed promethazine with codeine cough syrup.

    Some prescriptions were narcotics written in combination with sedatives which create a high risk of addiction and overdose.

    Parker’s sentencing will be at a later date, and he faces up to 20 years in prison. In addition, Parker faces monetary penalties and a supervised release.

    The organizations involved in the investigation included the DEA, Little Rock District Office (LRDO), Tactical Diversion and Diversion Group, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Texarkana Police Department, and the United States Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS).

    Assistant United States Attorney Anne Gardner and Assistant United States Attorney Graham Jones prosecuted the case for the United States.

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  • Pets of the Week: Kia and Chevy

    Pets of the Week: Kia and Chevy

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    This adorable sister and brother were born at a tire shop where they were fed and well socialized by the employees. They are now with the SPCA of the Triad, ready for loving forever homes, hopefully together. Both Kia (female) and Chevy (male) are very affectionate and enjoy being petted and held. The staff and volunteers call Chevy a “lovebug.” Of course, being young kittens, they also have a playful side and do well with the other kittens at the center. Kia is a little shy, but quick to warm up and an endless bundle of energy. Chevy is friendly and energetic and loves cuddling once he is tired. The kittens are $85 each or $150 together. For information, visit www.triadspca.org.

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  • Gopackup Just Launched 6 of the World’s Most Wonderful & Weird Tours

    Gopackup Just Launched 6 of the World’s Most Wonderful & Weird Tours

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    Press Release
    –


    updated: Sep 18, 2017


    SANTA CLARA, California, September 18, 2017 (Newswire.com)
    –
    The world is beautiful because of all its differences: different people, different cultures, different religions, different foods and lifestyles, different colors. The more one travels; the more beauty, one will discover. This has always been the mission that Gopackup holds, by encouraging people to travel to bring more understanding to the world among different people at different places.

    Here are 6 of the world’s most wonderful and weird experiences:

    1. Communist Moscow

    For more than 70 years, Moscow was the capital of the huge Soviet Empire. The streets of the city are still full of remnants of the communist regime and the Cold War, and the fearsome Soviet strongholds still guard the young democracy in Russia.

    Take the Communist Moscow tour to experience this period of history and see the infamous headquarters of KGB on Lubyanka and Moscow Militia on Petrovka, the museum of the Gulag concentration camp system, and other important Soviet sights in the center of the city.

    2. Perfume Workshop Singapore

    Everyone likes to be different with a unique style and even smell. This interesting workshop in Singapore explores perfume and how one creates and matches a perfume to an individual.

    Through this workshop, people can create their own Signature Scent or make a perfect gift for a loved one. Participants will take a personality test and match their ingredients, to make a perfume that matches the best. During this workshop, participants will make 10ml x 3 travel size + 75ml hand polished crystal bottle to take home. The smell will be a reminder of a perfect trip even after being home. Do not miss it!

    3. Venice Rowing Lessons

    Parts of Venice are renowned for the beauty of their settings, their architecture, and artwork. The lagoon and a part of the city are listed as a World Heritage Site. Venice has been known as the “City of Water”.

    During this tour,  row the Venetian way, see Venice from the water, experience an ancient tradition, and see Venice off the beaten track.  A gondolier is a Venetian boatman who propels a gondola, which has become an important part of Venice scenery. Take a lesson with a professional rower in a regular rowing boat. To actually be able to row the gondola is a unique experience.

    Venetian rowing uses a very special technique, which calls to mind the image of a graceful and elegant gondolier. Experience the magic of sitting blissfully on the city’s waterways and becoming an active part of Venetian culture.

    This tour allows participants to enjoy the beauty of Venice from a different perspective by taking part in the city’s age-old traditions, but also participants will be able to build a greater awareness of the Venetian atmosphere and heritage. 

    4. Zhouzhuang Water Town Tour

    Besides Venice, China has several water cities, and Zhouzhuang is one of them. If travelers would like to explore Zhouzhuang, one of China’s prettiest water towns, participants will experience a much different lifestyle. Experience a private day trip through this city’s historic streets and sinuous bridges before participants ride a rickshaw around Suzhou’s historic Pingjiang Road quarter. See what gained this historic city the title ‘Venice of the East’.

    The Chinese value Zhouzhuang for its cultural heritage, ancient residential buildings, elegant watery views, and colorful local traditions and customs. Enjoy dazzling views of antique stone houses reflected in tranquil waters as participants stroll its historic streets with participants’ guide, and capture shots of vistas including the Twin Bridges, Shide and Yongan.

    After returning to Suzhou, participants will visit Pingjiang Road, which is beside a narrow canal. Accompanied by a local guide, enjoy a rickshaw tour of the quarter that surrounds it. Participants will pass through a vegetable market, historic streets, and traditional buildings and see locals going about their business as participants’ guide explains the role that canals played in Suzhou’s history.

    5. Low Head Penguin Tour

    The penguins found in Tasmania are the smallest of the penguin species, the noisiest, and also the only penguins with blue and white feathers (all others are black and white). Because of this, they have several names, the Little Penguin, the Blue Penguin, but the most common name they are called is the Fairy Penguin.

    Low Head Penguin Tours offer a unique nature experience to get up close and personal with these penguins as they return from the pristine waters of Bass Straight to nest in their burrows within the Low Head Coastal Reserve. This Reserve has the largest penguin rookery in Tasmania, and there are penguins returning every night throughout the year. Watch them swim to the surface, stand up and preen themselves before waddling up the beach.

    6. Hilarious Rave Reviewed Drag Queen Comedy Tour 

    Why travelers love this tour: It is a comedy show, a pub crawl, and a walking tour (parody)! It is hosted by Drag Queen Glace Chase.  Some people who attended before claimed that “It’s like a cross between ‘This American Life’ and ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show,’ staged as a meandering, somewhat drunken walking tour”; someone also said that it is “One of the most hilarious experiences of my entire life”.

    Trek the wild Greenwich Village streets with Glace and celebrate the larger than life personalities- both gay and straight- that paved the way for today’s liberation. This rave reviewed tour will make participants laughing hysterically one moment and then crying the next in “the most unique tour travelers will ever go on.” Meet in a bar for a pre-tour drink and then just…FOLLOW THE SHOE!

    Explore more fun and interesting tours/experiences at Gopackup.com

    Source: https://gopackup.com/

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