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  • NTSB chair slams House aviation bill as ‘watered-down’ after 67 deaths near Washington

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    The head of the National Transportation Safety Board said Thursday it’s misleading for members of the House to say their package of aviation safety reforms would address the recommendations that her agency made in January to prevent another midair collision like the one last year near Washington, D.C., that killed 67 people.NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy said the House bill’s “watered-down” requirements wouldn’t do enough to prevent a future tragedy, and wouldn’t be nearly as effective as a Senate bill that came up just one vote short of passing in the House earlier this week. The full NTSB followed up Thursday afternoon with a formal letter to two key House committees, saying that they can’t support the bill right now“We can have disagreements over policy all day. But when something is sold as these are the NTSB recommendations and that is not factually accurate, we have a problem with that. Because now you’re using the NTSB and you’re using people who lost loved ones in terrible tragedies,” Homendy said. “You’re using their pain to move your agenda forward.”The key concern of Homendy and the families of the people who died in the crash on Jan. 29, 2005, is that they believe all aircraft should be required to have key locator systems that the NTSB has been recommending since 2008, which would allow the pilots to know more precisely where the traffic around them is flying. The Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast Out systems that broadcast an aircraft’s location are already required around busy airports. It’s the ADS-B In systems that can receive data about the locations of other aircraft that isn’t yet standard.The House bill would ask the Federal Aviation Administration to draft a rule to require the best locator technology instead of just requiring ADS-B In, and even when it does suggest that technology should be required, the bill exempts business jets and small planes in certain parts of the airspace. Homendy said the bill is also weak in other areas, such as limits on when the military will be able to turn those locator systems off and the steps they must take to ensure those systems are working.House leaders defend their billThe leaders of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee declined to respond to Homendy’s criticism Thursday, but Reps. Sam Graves and Rick Larsen have said they believe the ALERT bill they crafted effectively addresses the 50 recommendations that NTSB made at the conclusion of their investigation into the collision between an American Airlines jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopter.They defended their bill and pledged to work with the families, the Senate and the industry to develop the best solution as soon as possible. The committee will likely markup the bill within the next few weeks.“From the beginning, we have stressed the importance of getting this right, and we are confident that we will achieve that goal,” Larsen and Graves said. House Speaker Mike Johnson also said he is committed to getting the bill done.Victims’ families say they can’t support the bill as writtenThe NTSB released a side-by-side comparison of its recommendations and the House bill to highlight all the ways the bill falls short of fully addressing the needed changes.Doug Lane, who lost his wife and son in the crash, and many of the other victims’ families said the House bill “is not really a serious attempt to address the NTSB recommendations.” He said the introduction of this bill just a few days before the vote on the ROTOR Act, which the Senate unanimously approved, seemed designed to “scuttle” that bill and send the ADS-B In recommendation into limbo to be considered in a lengthy rulemaking process.Matt Collins, who lost his younger brother Chris in the disaster, said that the bill must require ADS-B In to be acceptable to the families.“As far as the ALERT act — the way it’s written now, I can’t endorse the way its written now. It needs to include ADS-B In,” Collins said. “It’s non-negotiable for us as family members, extremely non-negotiable.”Missed warnings led to the crashThe NTSB cited systemic weaknesses and years of ignored warnings as the main causes of the crash, but Homendy has said that if both the plane and the Black Hawk had been equipped with ADS-B In and the systems had been turned on, the collision would have been prevented. The Army’s policy at the time of the crash mandated that its helicopters fly without that system on to conceal their locations, although the helicopter involved in this crash was on a training flight, not a sensitive mission.But Homendy said the House seemed to pick and choose what they wanted to include from the NTSB recommendations.“We were very explicit of what needed to occur,” Homendy said. “When we issue a recommendation, those recommendations are aimed at preventing a tragedy from happening again. And if you’re just going to give us half a loaf, it’s not going to do it. We’re not gonna save lives.”

    The head of the National Transportation Safety Board said Thursday it’s misleading for members of the House to say their package of aviation safety reforms would address the recommendations that her agency made in January to prevent another midair collision like the one last year near Washington, D.C., that killed 67 people.

    NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy said the House bill’s “watered-down” requirements wouldn’t do enough to prevent a future tragedy, and wouldn’t be nearly as effective as a Senate bill that came up just one vote short of passing in the House earlier this week. The full NTSB followed up Thursday afternoon with a formal letter to two key House committees, saying that they can’t support the bill right now

    “We can have disagreements over policy all day. But when something is sold as these are the NTSB recommendations and that is not factually accurate, we have a problem with that. Because now you’re using the NTSB and you’re using people who lost loved ones in terrible tragedies,” Homendy said. “You’re using their pain to move your agenda forward.”

    The key concern of Homendy and the families of the people who died in the crash on Jan. 29, 2005, is that they believe all aircraft should be required to have key locator systems that the NTSB has been recommending since 2008, which would allow the pilots to know more precisely where the traffic around them is flying. The Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast Out systems that broadcast an aircraft’s location are already required around busy airports. It’s the ADS-B In systems that can receive data about the locations of other aircraft that isn’t yet standard.

    The House bill would ask the Federal Aviation Administration to draft a rule to require the best locator technology instead of just requiring ADS-B In, and even when it does suggest that technology should be required, the bill exempts business jets and small planes in certain parts of the airspace. Homendy said the bill is also weak in other areas, such as limits on when the military will be able to turn those locator systems off and the steps they must take to ensure those systems are working.

    House leaders defend their bill

    The leaders of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee declined to respond to Homendy’s criticism Thursday, but Reps. Sam Graves and Rick Larsen have said they believe the ALERT bill they crafted effectively addresses the 50 recommendations that NTSB made at the conclusion of their investigation into the collision between an American Airlines jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopter.

    They defended their bill and pledged to work with the families, the Senate and the industry to develop the best solution as soon as possible. The committee will likely markup the bill within the next few weeks.

    “From the beginning, we have stressed the importance of getting this right, and we are confident that we will achieve that goal,” Larsen and Graves said. House Speaker Mike Johnson also said he is committed to getting the bill done.

    Victims’ families say they can’t support the bill as written

    The NTSB released a side-by-side comparison of its recommendations and the House bill to highlight all the ways the bill falls short of fully addressing the needed changes.

    Doug Lane, who lost his wife and son in the crash, and many of the other victims’ families said the House bill “is not really a serious attempt to address the NTSB recommendations.” He said the introduction of this bill just a few days before the vote on the ROTOR Act, which the Senate unanimously approved, seemed designed to “scuttle” that bill and send the ADS-B In recommendation into limbo to be considered in a lengthy rulemaking process.

    Matt Collins, who lost his younger brother Chris in the disaster, said that the bill must require ADS-B In to be acceptable to the families.

    “As far as the ALERT act — the way it’s written now, I can’t endorse the way its written now. It needs to include ADS-B In,” Collins said. “It’s non-negotiable for us as family members, extremely non-negotiable.”

    Missed warnings led to the crash

    The NTSB cited systemic weaknesses and years of ignored warnings as the main causes of the crash, but Homendy has said that if both the plane and the Black Hawk had been equipped with ADS-B In and the systems had been turned on, the collision would have been prevented. The Army’s policy at the time of the crash mandated that its helicopters fly without that system on to conceal their locations, although the helicopter involved in this crash was on a training flight, not a sensitive mission.

    But Homendy said the House seemed to pick and choose what they wanted to include from the NTSB recommendations.

    “We were very explicit of what needed to occur,” Homendy said. “When we issue a recommendation, those recommendations are aimed at preventing a tragedy from happening again. And if you’re just going to give us half a loaf, it’s not going to do it. We’re not gonna save lives.”

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  • A sprawling Culver City space will soon be home to Ikea

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    L.A.’s Westside is finally getting its first Ikea outpost.

    The furniture company known for its Swedish meatballs and blocky “Kallax” shelving units has found a home inside the old Helms Bakery complex in Culver City.

    The store, slated to open this spring, will be its 11th in California and is the company’s first “city-center” store in Los Angeles.

    It will occupy a roughly 40,000-square-foot portion of a lot formerly used by L.A. luxury furniture retailer HD Buttercup, which went out of business last year, said Wally Marks III, owner of the Helms complex.

    Ikea chose to open a location in Culver City because residents “spend a significant amount of time commuting and are increasingly impacted by affordability challenges,” spokesperson Briana Lehman said in a statement.

    “We’re bringing the IKEA experience closer to where people live, work, socialize, and shop—just in a smaller footprint,” Lehman said.

    The Helms building was chosen because it is a historic Los Angeles destination known for its restaurants and home furnishings businesses, Lehman said.

    The complex has other furniture stores, including a Scandinavian Designs store, The Rug Warehouse and Room and Board.

    The expansion is part of Ikea’s strategy of opening smaller stores targeting urban customers.

    Unlike the larger suburban stores in Burbank and Carson, this Ikea won’t have signature vibrant blue exterior walls. The exterior of the beloved Art Deco building won’t change, Marks said.

    There will, however, be showrooms with fully-furnished home kitchens and bathrooms tailored for a local L.A. audience.

    Meanwhile, unlike the tiny 9,000-square-foot Ikea store that opened in Arcadia’s Santa Anita Mall in 2024, the Culver City location will feature a food court.

    In 2023, Ikea opened an 85,000-square-foot location in downtown San Francisco.

    In 2025, Ikea U.S. reported $5.3 billion in sales, including $1.9 billion in e-commerce sales, according to a company statement.

    Ikea U.S. interim Chief Executive Rob Olson said in the statement that the company was able to grow in 2025 “despite a challenging external environment.”

    In 2026, the company plans to “build on this momentum, focusing on continued investment in the U.S.  to make IKEA more affordable, accessible and sustainable,” Olson said. The company has set a goal of opening 10 new stores during its 2026 fiscal year, which began in September.

    The 11-acre Helms complex is the former home of the Helms bakery, famous for the butter yellow trucks that once zoomed across Southern California delivering fresh bread and for being an official supplier for the 1932 Olympics – a distinction still proudly displayed on a rooftop sign.

    The bakery shut down in 1969 because the founder did not want his company to unionize, The Times once reported. The Marks family real estate firm bought the property in 1972 and turned it into a center for home furnishings and antiques.

    A new version of Helm’s Bakery opened inside the Helms Design District in November 2024 but closed in December due to lagging sales. That 14,000-square-foot lot has found its next tenant, Marks said.

    No extra parking is being built for Ikea, but patrons can use the existing Helms Bakery lots across Venice Boulevard, Marks said. The store is a short walk from the Culver City light rail station and bus lines, he said.

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    Iris Kwok

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  • 2 found dead inside Apopka general store Friday night, police say

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    A large police presence has been spotted on West Michael Gladden Boulevard in Apopka on Friday night. According to the Apopka Police Department, two people were found dead inside Griffin General Store at 262 W. Michael Gladden Boulevard at around 8:55 p.m.Police say it is unclear at this time whether the incident involves a homicide or a possible murder-suicide.The street has been blocked off between South Hawthorne Avenue and South Washington Street.There is no known ongoing threat to the public, but officers will maintain an increased presence in the area as a precaution to support the investigation.Identities are being withheld pending next-of-kin notification.Anyone with information that may assist detectives is encouraged to contact the Apopka Police Department at 407-703-1757 or submit an anonymous tip through Crimeline at 800-423-8477. >> This is a developing news story and will be updated as more information is released.

    APOPKA, Fla. —

    A large police presence has been spotted on West Michael Gladden Boulevard in Apopka on Friday night.

    According to the Apopka Police Department, two people were found dead inside Griffin General Store at 262 W. Michael Gladden Boulevard at around 8:55 p.m.

    Police say it is unclear at this time whether the incident involves a homicide or a possible murder-suicide.

    The street has been blocked off between South Hawthorne Avenue and South Washington Street.

    There is no known ongoing threat to the public, but officers will maintain an increased presence in the area as a precaution to support the investigation.

    Identities are being withheld pending next-of-kin notification.

    Anyone with information that may assist detectives is encouraged to contact the Apopka Police Department at 407-703-1757 or submit an anonymous tip through Crimeline at 800-423-8477.

    >> This is a developing news story and will be updated as more information is released.

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  • Trump says the US ‘needs’ Greenland for Arctic security. Here’s why

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    Location, location, location: Greenland’s key position above the Arctic Circle makes the world’s largest island a key part of security strategy in the High North. But for whom?Increasing international tensions, global warming and the changing world economy have put Greenland at the heart of the debate over global trade and security, and U.S. President Donald Trump wants to make sure his country controls this mineral-rich country that guards the Arctic and North Atlantic approaches to North America.Greenland is a self-governing territory of Denmark, a longtime U.S. ally that has rejected Trump’s overtures. Greenland’s own government also opposes U.S. designs on the island, saying the people of Greenland will decide their own future. The island, 80% of which lies above the Arctic Circle, is home to about 56,000 mostly Inuit people who until now have been largely ignored by the rest of the world.Here’s why Greenland is strategically important to Arctic security: Greenland sits off the northeastern coast of Canada, with more than two-thirds of its territory lying within the Arctic Circle. That has made it crucial to the defense of North America since World War II, when the U.S. occupied Greenland to ensure it didn’t fall into the hands of Nazi Germany and to protect crucial North Atlantic shipping lanes.Following the Cold War, the Arctic was largely an area of international cooperation. But climate change is thinning the Arctic ice, promising to create a northwest passage for international trade and reigniting competition with Russia, China and other countries over access to the region’s mineral resources.Video below: Stephen Miller says ‘obviously Greenland should be part of the United States’ Greenland is also a rich source of the so-called rare earth minerals that are a key component of mobile phones, computers, batteries and other gadgets that are expected to power the world’s economy in the coming decades.That has attracted the interest of the U.S. and other Western powers as they try to ease China’s dominance of the market for these critical minerals.Development of Greenland’s mineral resources is challenging because of the island’s harsh climate, while strict environmental controls have proved an additional bulwark against potential investors. The U.S. Department of Defense operates the remote Pituffik Space Base in northwestern Greenland, which was built after the U.S. and Denmark signed the Defense of Greenland Treaty in 1951. It supports missile warning, missile defense and space surveillance operations for the U.S. and NATO.Greenland also guards part of what is known as the GIUK (Greenland, Iceland, United Kingdom) Gap, where NATO monitors Russian naval movements in the North Atlantic. Denmark is moving to strengthen its military presence around Greenland and in the wider North Atlantic. Last year, the government announced a roughly 14.6 billion kroner ($2.3 billion) agreement with parties including the governments of Greenland and the Faroe Islands, another self-governing territory of Denmark, to “improve capabilities for surveillance and maintaining sovereignty in the region.” The plan includes three new Arctic naval vessels, two additional long-range surveillance drones and satellite capacity.Denmark’s Joint Arctic Command is headquartered in Greenland’s capital, Nuuk, and tasked with the “surveillance, assertion of sovereignty and military defense of Greenland and the Faroe Islands,” according to its website. It has smaller satellite stations across the island.The Sirius Dog Sled Patrol, an elite Danish naval unit that conducts long-range reconnaissance and enforces Danish sovereignty in the Arctic wilderness, is also stationed in Greenland. In 2018, China declared itself a “near-Arctic state” in an effort to gain more influence in the region. China has also announced plans to build a “Polar Silk Road” as part of its global Belt and Road Initiative, which has created economic links with countries around the world.Then-U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo rejected China’s move, saying: “Do we want the Arctic Ocean to transform into a new South China Sea, fraught with militarization and competing territorial claims?”Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said Russia is worried about NATO’s activities in the Arctic and will respond by strengthening its military capability in the polar region. European leaders’ concerns were heightened following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Stefanie Dazio in Berlin contributed to this report.

    Location, location, location: Greenland’s key position above the Arctic Circle makes the world’s largest island a key part of security strategy in the High North. But for whom?

    Increasing international tensions, global warming and the changing world economy have put Greenland at the heart of the debate over global trade and security, and U.S. President Donald Trump wants to make sure his country controls this mineral-rich country that guards the Arctic and North Atlantic approaches to North America.

    Greenland is a self-governing territory of Denmark, a longtime U.S. ally that has rejected Trump’s overtures. Greenland’s own government also opposes U.S. designs on the island, saying the people of Greenland will decide their own future.

    The island, 80% of which lies above the Arctic Circle, is home to about 56,000 mostly Inuit people who until now have been largely ignored by the rest of the world.

    Here’s why Greenland is strategically important to Arctic security:

    Greenland sits off the northeastern coast of Canada, with more than two-thirds of its territory lying within the Arctic Circle. That has made it crucial to the defense of North America since World War II, when the U.S. occupied Greenland to ensure it didn’t fall into the hands of Nazi Germany and to protect crucial North Atlantic shipping lanes.

    Following the Cold War, the Arctic was largely an area of international cooperation. But climate change is thinning the Arctic ice, promising to create a northwest passage for international trade and reigniting competition with Russia, China and other countries over access to the region’s mineral resources.

    Video below: Stephen Miller says ‘obviously Greenland should be part of the United States’


    Greenland is also a rich source of the so-called rare earth minerals that are a key component of mobile phones, computers, batteries and other gadgets that are expected to power the world’s economy in the coming decades.

    That has attracted the interest of the U.S. and other Western powers as they try to ease China’s dominance of the market for these critical minerals.

    Development of Greenland’s mineral resources is challenging because of the island’s harsh climate, while strict environmental controls have proved an additional bulwark against potential investors.

    The U.S. Department of Defense operates the remote Pituffik Space Base in northwestern Greenland, which was built after the U.S. and Denmark signed the Defense of Greenland Treaty in 1951. It supports missile warning, missile defense and space surveillance operations for the U.S. and NATO.

    Greenland also guards part of what is known as the GIUK (Greenland, Iceland, United Kingdom) Gap, where NATO monitors Russian naval movements in the North Atlantic.

    Denmark is moving to strengthen its military presence around Greenland and in the wider North Atlantic. Last year, the government announced a roughly 14.6 billion kroner ($2.3 billion) agreement with parties including the governments of Greenland and the Faroe Islands, another self-governing territory of Denmark, to “improve capabilities for surveillance and maintaining sovereignty in the region.”

    The plan includes three new Arctic naval vessels, two additional long-range surveillance drones and satellite capacity.

    Denmark’s Joint Arctic Command is headquartered in Greenland’s capital, Nuuk, and tasked with the “surveillance, assertion of sovereignty and military defense of Greenland and the Faroe Islands,” according to its website. It has smaller satellite stations across the island.

    The Sirius Dog Sled Patrol, an elite Danish naval unit that conducts long-range reconnaissance and enforces Danish sovereignty in the Arctic wilderness, is also stationed in Greenland.

    In 2018, China declared itself a “near-Arctic state” in an effort to gain more influence in the region. China has also announced plans to build a “Polar Silk Road” as part of its global Belt and Road Initiative, which has created economic links with countries around the world.

    Then-U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo rejected China’s move, saying: “Do we want the Arctic Ocean to transform into a new South China Sea, fraught with militarization and competing territorial claims?”

    Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said Russia is worried about NATO’s activities in the Arctic and will respond by strengthening its military capability in the polar region. European leaders’ concerns were heightened following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

    Stefanie Dazio in Berlin contributed to this report.

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  • Does Santa Monica need another Trader Joe’s?

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    Trader Joe’s has purchased a former drugstore in Santa Monica, paving the way for a fourth location in the seaside city for the popular grocer.

    The retailer paid $22 million this month for a shuttered Rite Aid at 1331 Wilshire Blvd., according to real estate data provider CoStar.

    The Monrovia-based grocery chain, known for its inventive original products and frozen meals, has been on an expansion spree across the country and opened a branch in Costa Mesa earlier this month.

    In October, a store opened in La Verne.

    “We see ourselves as your neighborhood grocery store,” the company said on its website, announcing its latest store openings. “Step inside and you’ll find unconventional and interesting products in the Trader Joe’s label like Mandarin Orange Chicken and Cold Brew Coffee Concentrate.”

    There are more than 600 Trader Joe’s nationwide and about 200 in California.

    Santa Monica locations include 2300 Wilshire Blvd., where Trader Joe’s occupies 2,130 square feet on the ground floor of an apartment building, according to CoStar.

    The former Rite Aid location a few blocks away is much larger at 17,800 square feet and comes with 125 surface parking stalls.

    It’s unclear whether Trader Joe’s will continue to operate both locations, but there is precedent in Los Angeles, where there are two TJ’s across the street from one another in Sherman Oaks.

    The initial plan was to close the Sherman Oaks location when the new branch was ready — both are off the 101 Freeway on Riverside Drive.

    But in the end, the company decided it might be “fun” to keep both open, the new store’s manager said last June. Both stores are expected to remain open, the company confirmed.

    Trader Joe’s did not immediately respond to a request for comment about when the new Santa Monica store will open.

    The company’s expansion comes as grocery stores across Southern California and the country compete to win over budget-conscious consumers.

    Inflation has driven up supermarket prices in recent years, causing average Americans to cut back on discretionary spending and seek out bargains.

    Trader Joe’s is privately held and owned by families who also own part of the Aldi supermarket chain, according to its website.

    Its first location opened in Pasadena in 1967.

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    Roger Vincent

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  • Man given plea deal in Orlando jogger attack failed to show for treatment, arrest warrant says

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    Tyler Feight, the man who attacked a jogger in College Park and took a plea deal that allowed him to avoid a formal conviction, is back in jail. The plea deal put Feight on probation and requires him to undergo “psychosexual evaluation and treatment,” for which he failed to show, according to a Florida Department of Corrections arrest warrant. The Orange County Jail shows Feight was booked on Monday under new charges. What happened?According to court documents, 26-year-old Feight was arrested on April 10. Police say Feight attacked a woman jogging just after 4 a.m. as she passed a home on Northumberland Avenue.The victim reported that Feight tried to get on top of her, but he fled after she kicked and screamed.Original charges The incident led to Feight being charged with battery (one prior battery) and attempted sexual battery of a person over the age of 12.In November, Feight was offered the plea deal and was released for time already served.He was also ordered to have no contact with the victim and maintain a three-block distance from the location of the attack.While Orlando police arrested him for attempted sexual battery, State Attorney Monique Worrell said there was insufficient evidence to prove to a jury beyond a reasonable doubt that he tried to sexually assault the jogger. Feight had been living with his grandparents, but his grandmother told police he had moved. She said she didn’t want him there because he was violent and his “current whereabouts is unknown.”

    Tyler Feight, the man who attacked a jogger in College Park and took a plea deal that allowed him to avoid a formal conviction, is back in jail.

    The plea deal put Feight on probation and requires him to undergo “psychosexual evaluation and treatment,” for which he failed to show, according to a Florida Department of Corrections arrest warrant.

    The Orange County Jail shows Feight was booked on Monday under new charges.

    What happened?

    According to court documents, 26-year-old Feight was arrested on April 10. Police say Feight attacked a woman jogging just after 4 a.m. as she passed a home on Northumberland Avenue.

    The victim reported that Feight tried to get on top of her, but he fled after she kicked and screamed.

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    Original charges

    The incident led to Feight being charged with battery (one prior battery) and attempted sexual battery of a person over the age of 12.

    In November, Feight was offered the plea deal and was released for time already served.

    He was also ordered to have no contact with the victim and maintain a three-block distance from the location of the attack.

    While Orlando police arrested him for attempted sexual battery, State Attorney Monique Worrell said there was insufficient evidence to prove to a jury beyond a reasonable doubt that he tried to sexually assault the jogger.

    Feight had been living with his grandparents, but his grandmother told police he had moved. She said she didn’t want him there because he was violent and his “current whereabouts is unknown.”

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  • Feds say they foiled New Year’s Eve terror plot in L.A., Southern California

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    A plan to attack several Los Angeles-area businesses on New Year’s Eve was detailed, dangerous and already in motion, authorities said.

    But as four people allegedly tied to an anti-government group gathered last week in the Mojave Desert to make and test several test bombs, FBI officials foiled the terror plot.

    “They had everything they needed to make an operational bomb at that location,” First Assistant U.S. Atty. Bill Essayli said at a news conference Monday morning. “We disrupted this terror plot before buildings were demolished or innocent people were killed.”

    The four people were arrested on suspicion of plotting an attack that Essayli called “organized, sophisticated and extremely violent.” They were all tied to a radical faction of the Turtle Island Liberation Front called Order of the Black Lotus, which FBI Assistant Director in Charge Akil Davis called “a violent homegrown anti-government group.”

    Officials wouldn’t say what buildings or businesses were planned to be targeted but Essayli said they were different “logistics centers” similar to ones that Amazon might have.

    Officials said they believe that everyone involved in the planned attack has been arrested, though the investigation into the plot remains ongoing.

    The four alleged conspirators, Audrey Carroll, Zachary Page, Dante Gaffield and Tina Lai, have been charged with conspiracy and possession of an unregistered destructive device, Essayli said.

    “The subjects arrested envisioned planting backpacks with improvised explosive devices to be detonated at multiple locations in Southern California, targeting U.S. companies,” Davis said.

    The plans the FBI uncovered also included follow-up attacks after the bombings, which included plans to target ICE agents and vehicles with pipe bombs, Essayli said.

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    Grace Toohey

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  • Man in custody after video shows him allegedly beating girlfriend in Daytona Beach

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    The Volusia Sheriff’s Office says a man wanted after a video showed him allegedly beating and dragging his girlfriend in Daytona Beach earlier this week is now in custody.That man, 31-year-old Scott Knowlton, was taken into custody outside a residence in Ormond Beach on Saturday. The sheriff’s office released video on Friday that allegedly shows Knowlton beating and then dragging his girlfriend outside a business in Daytona Beach on Thursday. VSO Chief Deputy Brian Henderson witnessed the incident on Thursday and stepped in to interrupt the attack.Detectives received an anonymous tip about Knowlton’s location, and after several hours of surveillance, they spotted him exiting the home. VSO said Knowlton ran back inside after he realized he was spotted, before he then jumped out of a rear window.Knowlton was then arrested in the backyard by deputies who had surrounded the house.This is not Knowlton’s first run-in with law enforcement. In 2023, Knowlton pleaded no contest to drug trafficking and grand theft auto charges stemming from a 2022 arrest.Knowlton is now facing charges including kidnapping, possession of a weapon by an in-state felon, obstructing an officer without violence and tampering with evidence as well as being in violation of his probation.

    VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. —

    The Volusia Sheriff’s Office says a man wanted after a video showed him allegedly beating and dragging his girlfriend in Daytona Beach earlier this week is now in custody.

    That man, 31-year-old Scott Knowlton, was taken into custody outside a residence in Ormond Beach on Saturday.

    The sheriff’s office released video on Friday that allegedly shows Knowlton beating and then dragging his girlfriend outside a business in Daytona Beach on Thursday.

    VSO Chief Deputy Brian Henderson witnessed the incident on Thursday and stepped in to interrupt the attack.

    Detectives received an anonymous tip about Knowlton’s location, and after several hours of surveillance, they spotted him exiting the home.

    VSO said Knowlton ran back inside after he realized he was spotted, before he then jumped out of a rear window.

    Knowlton was then arrested in the backyard by deputies who had surrounded the house.

    This is not Knowlton’s first run-in with law enforcement. In 2023, Knowlton pleaded no contest to drug trafficking and grand theft auto charges stemming from a 2022 arrest.

    Knowlton is now facing charges including kidnapping, possession of a weapon by an in-state felon, obstructing an officer without violence and tampering with evidence as well as being in violation of his probation.

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  • Frost advisories issued as freezing cold temps continue in Central Florida

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    Central Florida experienced some of the coldest air of the season so far, breaking records in several cities on Tuesday. This is the earliest we’ve experienced such a significant drop in temperatures since 1993. Highs on Tuesday are struggling to reach nearly 60 degrees. This weather is being described as Impact Weather due to the significant change in conditions.WednesdayCold weather and frost advisories are in place overnight into Wednesday for parts of the region. A light freeze is possible in Marion County.Looking aheadTemperatures are expected to slowly warm back to normal by the weekend.First Warning Weather Stay with WESH 2 online and on-air for the most accurate Central Florida weather forecast.RadarSevere Weather AlertsDownload the WESH 2 News app to get the most up-to-date weather alerts. The First Warning Weather team includes First Warning Chief Meteorologist Tony Mainolfi, Eric Burris, Marquise Meda and Cam Tran.What is Impact Weather?Impact Weather suggests weather conditions could be disruptive or a nuisance for travel and day-to-day activities.What is a Severe Weather Warning Day?A Severe Weather Warning Day suggests weather conditions that could potentially harm life or property.

    Central Florida experienced some of the coldest air of the season so far, breaking records in several cities on Tuesday.

    This is the earliest we’ve experienced such a significant drop in temperatures since 1993.

    Highs on Tuesday are struggling to reach nearly 60 degrees.

    This weather is being described as Impact Weather due to the significant change in conditions.

    Wednesday

    Cold weather and frost advisories are in place overnight into Wednesday for parts of the region. A light freeze is possible in Marion County.

    This content is imported from Twitter.
    You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

    Looking ahead

    Temperatures are expected to slowly warm back to normal by the weekend.

    This content is imported from Twitter.
    You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

    First Warning Weather

    Stay with WESH 2 online and on-air for the most accurate Central Florida weather forecast.

    Download the WESH 2 News app to get the most up-to-date weather alerts.

    The First Warning Weather team includes First Warning Chief Meteorologist Tony Mainolfi, Eric Burris, Marquise Meda and Cam Tran.

    What is Impact Weather?

    Impact Weather suggests weather conditions could be disruptive or a nuisance for travel and day-to-day activities.

    What is a Severe Weather Warning Day?

    A Severe Weather Warning Day suggests weather conditions that could potentially harm life or property.

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  • ‘No Kings’ protests against Trump planned across the nation today

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    Protesting the direction of the country under President Donald Trump, people gathered Saturday in the nation’s capital and communities across the U.S. for “ No Kings ” demonstrations — what the president’s Republican Party is calling “Hate America” rallies.They rallied with signs like “Nothing is more patriotic than protesting” or “Resist Fascism,” and in many places it looked more like a street party. There were marching bands, a huge banner with the U.S. Constitution’s “We The People,” preamble that people could sign, and protesters in frog costumes, which have emerged as a sign of resistance in Portland, Oregon.This is the third mass mobilization since Trump’s return to the White House and comes against the backdrop of a government shutdown that not only has closed federal programs and services, but is testing the core balance of power as an aggressive executive confronts Congress and the courts in ways that organizers warn are a slide toward American authoritarianism.Demonstrators packed places like New York City’s Times Square, the historic Boston Commons, Chicago’s Grant Park, Washington, D.C., and hundreds of smaller public spaces.Many protesters were especially angered by attacks on their motives. In Washington, Brian Reymann said being called a terrorist all week by Republicans was “pathetic.”“This is America. I disagree with their politics — but I don’t believe that they don’t love this country. I believe they are misguided. I think they are power hungry,” Reymann said, carrying a large American flag.Trump himself is spending the weekend at his Mar-a-Lago home in Florida.“They say they’re referring to me as a king. I’m not a king,” Trump said in a Fox News interview airing early Friday, before he departed for a $1 million-per-plate MAGA Inc. fundraiser at his club. Protests are expected nearby Saturday.Organizers hope to build opposition movementMore than 2,600 rallies are planned Saturday in cities large and small, organized by hundreds of coalition partners.“Big rallies like this give confidence to people who have been sitting on the sidelines but are ready to speak up,” Democratic U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy said in an interview with The Associated Press.While protests earlier this year — against Elon Musk’s cuts in the spring and Trump’s June military parade — drew crowds, organizers say this one is uniting the opposition. Top Democrats such as Senate Leader Chuck Schumer and Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders are joining in what organizers view as an antidote to Trump’s actions, from the administration’s clampdown on free speech to its military-style immigration raids.“There is no greater threat to an authoritarian regime than patriotic people-power,” said Ezra Levin, a co-founder of Indivisible, among the key organizers. In April, the national march against Trump and Elon Musk had 1,300 registered locations. In June, for the first “No Kings” day, there were 2,100 registered locations.Before noon, several thousand people had gathered in Times Square, chanting “Trump must go now,” and waving sometimes-profane signs with slogans insulting the president and condemning his immigration crackdown. Some people carried American flags.Retired family doctor Terence McCormally was heading to Arlington National Cemetery to join others walking across the Memorial Bridge that enters Washington directly in front of the Lincoln Memorial. He said the recent deployment of the National Guard made him more wary of police than in the past.“I really don’t like the crooks and conmen and religious zealots who are trying to use the country” for personal gain, McCormally said, “while they are killing and hurting millions of people with bombs.”Republicans denounce ‘Hate America’ ralliesRepublicans have sought to portray Saturday’s protesters as far outside the mainstream and a prime reason for the government shutdown, now in its 18th day.From the White House to Capitol Hill, GOP leaders disparaged the rallygoers as “communists” and “Marxists.” They say Democratic leaders, including Schumer, are beholden to the far-left flank and willing to keep the government shut down to appease those liberal forces.“I encourage you to watch — we call it the Hate America rally — that will happen Saturday,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.“Let’s see who shows up for that,” Johnson said, listing groups including “antifa types,” people who “hate capitalism” and “Marxists in full display.”Many demonstrators responded to such hyperbole with silliness in part because they say Trump leans heavily on theatrics — like claiming cities he sends troops to are war zones — said Glen Kalbaugh, a Washington protester.“So much of what we’ve seen from this administration has been so unserious and silly that we have to respond with the same energy,” said Kalbaugh, who wore a wizard hat and held a sign with a frog on it.Democrats try to regain their footingDemocrats have refused to vote on legislation that would reopen the government as they demand funding for health care. Republicans say they are willing to discuss the issue later, only after the government reopens.But for many Democrats, the government closure is also a way to stand up to Trump, and try to push the presidency back to its place in the U.S. system as a co-equal branch of government. It’s also a way to draw a moral line in the sand, said Murphy, the senator from Connecticut.“Trump does think that he’s a king,” Murphy said at the Washington rally, “and he thinks that he can act more corruptly when the government is shut down. But he cannot.”The situation is a potential turnaround from just six months ago, when Democrats and their allies were divided and despondent. Schumer in particular was berated by his party for allowing an earlier government funding bill to sail through the Senate without using it to challenge Trump.“What we are seeing from the Democrats is some spine,” said march organizer Levin. “The worst thing the Democrats could do right now is surrender.”___Associated Press writers Lisa Mascaro, Kevin Freking, and Chris Megerian in Washington, Jeffrey Collins in Columbia, South Carolina, and Safiya Riddle in Montgomery, Alabama, contributed to this report.

    WASHINGTON —

    Protesting the direction of the country under President Donald Trump, people gathered Saturday in the nation’s capital and communities across the U.S. for “ No Kings ” demonstrations — what the president’s Republican Party is calling “Hate America” rallies.

    They rallied with signs like “Nothing is more patriotic than protesting” or “Resist Fascism,” and in many places it looked more like a street party. There were marching bands, a huge banner with the U.S. Constitution’s “We The People,” preamble that people could sign, and protesters in frog costumes, which have emerged as a sign of resistance in Portland, Oregon.

    This is the third mass mobilization since Trump’s return to the White House and comes against the backdrop of a government shutdown that not only has closed federal programs and services, but is testing the core balance of power as an aggressive executive confronts Congress and the courts in ways that organizers warn are a slide toward American authoritarianism.

    Demonstrators packed places like New York City’s Times Square, the historic Boston Commons, Chicago’s Grant Park, Washington, D.C., and hundreds of smaller public spaces.

    Many protesters were especially angered by attacks on their motives. In Washington, Brian Reymann said being called a terrorist all week by Republicans was “pathetic.”

    “This is America. I disagree with their politics — but I don’t believe that they don’t love this country. I believe they are misguided. I think they are power hungry,” Reymann said, carrying a large American flag.

    Trump himself is spending the weekend at his Mar-a-Lago home in Florida.

    “They say they’re referring to me as a king. I’m not a king,” Trump said in a Fox News interview airing early Friday, before he departed for a $1 million-per-plate MAGA Inc. fundraiser at his club. Protests are expected nearby Saturday.

    Organizers hope to build opposition movement

    More than 2,600 rallies are planned Saturday in cities large and small, organized by hundreds of coalition partners.

    “Big rallies like this give confidence to people who have been sitting on the sidelines but are ready to speak up,” Democratic U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy said in an interview with The Associated Press.

    While protests earlier this year — against Elon Musk’s cuts in the spring and Trump’s June military parade — drew crowds, organizers say this one is uniting the opposition. Top Democrats such as Senate Leader Chuck Schumer and Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders are joining in what organizers view as an antidote to Trump’s actions, from the administration’s clampdown on free speech to its military-style immigration raids.

    “There is no greater threat to an authoritarian regime than patriotic people-power,” said Ezra Levin, a co-founder of Indivisible, among the key organizers. In April, the national march against Trump and Elon Musk had 1,300 registered locations. In June, for the first “No Kings” day, there were 2,100 registered locations.

    Before noon, several thousand people had gathered in Times Square, chanting “Trump must go now,” and waving sometimes-profane signs with slogans insulting the president and condemning his immigration crackdown. Some people carried American flags.

    Retired family doctor Terence McCormally was heading to Arlington National Cemetery to join others walking across the Memorial Bridge that enters Washington directly in front of the Lincoln Memorial. He said the recent deployment of the National Guard made him more wary of police than in the past.

    “I really don’t like the crooks and conmen and religious zealots who are trying to use the country” for personal gain, McCormally said, “while they are killing and hurting millions of people with bombs.”

    Republicans denounce ‘Hate America’ rallies

    Republicans have sought to portray Saturday’s protesters as far outside the mainstream and a prime reason for the government shutdown, now in its 18th day.

    From the White House to Capitol Hill, GOP leaders disparaged the rallygoers as “communists” and “Marxists.” They say Democratic leaders, including Schumer, are beholden to the far-left flank and willing to keep the government shut down to appease those liberal forces.

    “I encourage you to watch — we call it the Hate America rally — that will happen Saturday,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.

    “Let’s see who shows up for that,” Johnson said, listing groups including “antifa types,” people who “hate capitalism” and “Marxists in full display.”

    Many demonstrators responded to such hyperbole with silliness in part because they say Trump leans heavily on theatrics — like claiming cities he sends troops to are war zones — said Glen Kalbaugh, a Washington protester.

    “So much of what we’ve seen from this administration has been so unserious and silly that we have to respond with the same energy,” said Kalbaugh, who wore a wizard hat and held a sign with a frog on it.

    Democrats try to regain their footing

    Democrats have refused to vote on legislation that would reopen the government as they demand funding for health care. Republicans say they are willing to discuss the issue later, only after the government reopens.

    But for many Democrats, the government closure is also a way to stand up to Trump, and try to push the presidency back to its place in the U.S. system as a co-equal branch of government. It’s also a way to draw a moral line in the sand, said Murphy, the senator from Connecticut.

    “Trump does think that he’s a king,” Murphy said at the Washington rally, “and he thinks that he can act more corruptly when the government is shut down. But he cannot.”

    The situation is a potential turnaround from just six months ago, when Democrats and their allies were divided and despondent. Schumer in particular was berated by his party for allowing an earlier government funding bill to sail through the Senate without using it to challenge Trump.

    “What we are seeing from the Democrats is some spine,” said march organizer Levin. “The worst thing the Democrats could do right now is surrender.”

    ___

    Associated Press writers Lisa Mascaro, Kevin Freking, and Chris Megerian in Washington, Jeffrey Collins in Columbia, South Carolina, and Safiya Riddle in Montgomery, Alabama, contributed to this report.

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  • ‘No Kings’ protests against Trump planned across the nation today

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    Protesting the direction of the country under President Donald Trump, people will gather Saturday in the nation’s capital and communities across the U.S. for “No Kings” demonstrations — what the president’s Republican Party is calling “Hate America” rallies.This is the third mass mobilization since Trump’s return to the White House and it is expected to be the largest. It comes against the backdrop of a government shutdown that not only has closed federal programs and services, but is testing the core balance of power as an aggressive executive confronts Congress and the courts in ways that organizers warn are a slide toward American authoritarianism.Trump himself is away from Washington at his Mar-a-Lago home in Florida.“They say they’re referring to me as a king. I’m not a king,” Trump said in a Fox News interview airing early Friday. He later departed for a $1 million-per-plate MAGA Inc. super PAC fundraiser at Mar-a-Lago. Protests are expected nearby Saturday.While the earlier protests this year — against Elon Musk’s cuts in spring, then to counter Trump’s military parade in June — drew crowds, organizers say this one is building a more unified opposition movement. Top Democrats such as Senate Leader Chuck Schumer and Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders are joining in what organizers view as an antidote to Trump’s actions, from the administration’s clampdown on free speech to its military-style immigration raids.“There is no greater threat to an authoritarian regime than patriotic people-power,” said Ezra Levin, a co-founder of Indivisible, among the key organizers.As Republicans and the White House dismiss the protests as a rally of radicals, Levin said their own sign-up numbers are growing. More than 2,600 rallies are planned in cities large and small, organized by hundreds of coalition partners. They said rallies are being planned within a one-hour drive for most Americans.Overseas, a few hundred Americans already gathered in Madrid to chant slogans and hold signs at a protest organized by Democrats Abroad, with similar rallies planned in other major European cities.Republicans have sought to portray participants in Saturday’s rallies as far outside the mainstream of American politics, and a main reason for the prolonged government shutdown, now in its 18th day.From the White House to Capitol Hill, GOP leaders disparaged the rallygoers as “communists” and “Marxists.”They say Democratic leaders, including Schumer, are beholden to the far-left flank and willing to keep the government shut down to appease those liberal forces.“I encourage you to watch — we call it the Hate America rally — that will happen Saturday,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.“Let’s see who shows up for that,” Johnson said, listing groups including “antifa types,” people who “hate capitalism” and “Marxists in full display.”Democrats have refused to vote on legislation that would reopen the government as they demand funding for health care. Republicans say they are willing to discuss the issue later, only after the government reopens.But for many Democrats, the government closure is also a way to stand up to Trump, and try to push the presidency back to its place in the U.S. system as a co-equal branch of government.In a Facebook post, Sanders of Vermont, himself a former presidential contender, said, “It’s a love America rally.”“It’s a rally of millions of people all over this country who believe in our Constitution, who believe in American freedom and,” he said, pointing at the GOP leadership, “are not going to let you and Donald Trump turn this country into an authoritarian society.”The situation is a potential turnaround from just six months ago, when Democrats and their allies were divided and despondent, unsure about how best to respond to Trump’s return to the White House. Schumer in particular was berated by his party for allowing an earlier government funding bill to sail through the Senate without using it to challenge Trump.In April, the national march against Trump and Elon Musk had 1,300 registered locations. In June, for the first “No Kings” day, there were 2,100 registered locations. The march Saturday will have more than 2,600 registered locations, Levin said.“What we are seeing from the Democrats is some spine,” Levin said. “The worst thing the Democrats could do right now is surrender.”House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said he wasn’t sure if he would join the rallygoers Saturday, but he took issue with the Republicans’ characterization of the events.“What’s hateful is what happened on January 6th,” he said, referring to the 2021 Capitol attack, as Trump’s supporters stormed the building to protest Joe Biden’s election victory. “What you’ll see this weekend is what patriotism looks like, people showing up to express opposition to the extremism that Donald Trump has been unleashing on the American people.”Riddle reported from Montgomery, Alabama. Associated Press writer Chris Megerian contributed.

    WASHINGTON —

    Protesting the direction of the country under President Donald Trump, people will gather Saturday in the nation’s capital and communities across the U.S. for “No Kings” demonstrations — what the president’s Republican Party is calling “Hate America” rallies.

    This is the third mass mobilization since Trump’s return to the White House and it is expected to be the largest. It comes against the backdrop of a government shutdown that not only has closed federal programs and services, but is testing the core balance of power as an aggressive executive confronts Congress and the courts in ways that organizers warn are a slide toward American authoritarianism.

    Trump himself is away from Washington at his Mar-a-Lago home in Florida.

    “They say they’re referring to me as a king. I’m not a king,” Trump said in a Fox News interview airing early Friday. He later departed for a $1 million-per-plate MAGA Inc. super PAC fundraiser at Mar-a-Lago. Protests are expected nearby Saturday.

    While the earlier protests this year — against Elon Musk’s cuts in spring, then to counter Trump’s military parade in June — drew crowds, organizers say this one is building a more unified opposition movement. Top Democrats such as Senate Leader Chuck Schumer and Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders are joining in what organizers view as an antidote to Trump’s actions, from the administration’s clampdown on free speech to its military-style immigration raids.

    “There is no greater threat to an authoritarian regime than patriotic people-power,” said Ezra Levin, a co-founder of Indivisible, among the key organizers.

    As Republicans and the White House dismiss the protests as a rally of radicals, Levin said their own sign-up numbers are growing. More than 2,600 rallies are planned in cities large and small, organized by hundreds of coalition partners. They said rallies are being planned within a one-hour drive for most Americans.

    Overseas, a few hundred Americans already gathered in Madrid to chant slogans and hold signs at a protest organized by Democrats Abroad, with similar rallies planned in other major European cities.

    Republicans have sought to portray participants in Saturday’s rallies as far outside the mainstream of American politics, and a main reason for the prolonged government shutdown, now in its 18th day.

    From the White House to Capitol Hill, GOP leaders disparaged the rallygoers as “communists” and “Marxists.”

    They say Democratic leaders, including Schumer, are beholden to the far-left flank and willing to keep the government shut down to appease those liberal forces.

    “I encourage you to watch — we call it the Hate America rally — that will happen Saturday,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.

    “Let’s see who shows up for that,” Johnson said, listing groups including “antifa types,” people who “hate capitalism” and “Marxists in full display.”

    Democrats have refused to vote on legislation that would reopen the government as they demand funding for health care. Republicans say they are willing to discuss the issue later, only after the government reopens.

    But for many Democrats, the government closure is also a way to stand up to Trump, and try to push the presidency back to its place in the U.S. system as a co-equal branch of government.

    In a Facebook post, Sanders of Vermont, himself a former presidential contender, said, “It’s a love America rally.”

    “It’s a rally of millions of people all over this country who believe in our Constitution, who believe in American freedom and,” he said, pointing at the GOP leadership, “are not going to let you and Donald Trump turn this country into an authoritarian society.”

    The situation is a potential turnaround from just six months ago, when Democrats and their allies were divided and despondent, unsure about how best to respond to Trump’s return to the White House. Schumer in particular was berated by his party for allowing an earlier government funding bill to sail through the Senate without using it to challenge Trump.

    In April, the national march against Trump and Elon Musk had 1,300 registered locations. In June, for the first “No Kings” day, there were 2,100 registered locations. The march Saturday will have more than 2,600 registered locations, Levin said.

    “What we are seeing from the Democrats is some spine,” Levin said. “The worst thing the Democrats could do right now is surrender.”

    House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said he wasn’t sure if he would join the rallygoers Saturday, but he took issue with the Republicans’ characterization of the events.

    “What’s hateful is what happened on January 6th,” he said, referring to the 2021 Capitol attack, as Trump’s supporters stormed the building to protest Joe Biden’s election victory. “What you’ll see this weekend is what patriotism looks like, people showing up to express opposition to the extremism that Donald Trump has been unleashing on the American people.”

    Riddle reported from Montgomery, Alabama. Associated Press writer Chris Megerian contributed.

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  • Rite Aid has closed its final doors after 63 years in business

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    Rite Aid has closed its final doors after 63 years in business

    Updated: 10:47 AM PDT Oct 5, 2025

    Editorial Standards ⓘ

    Rite Aid, once one of America’s biggest pharmacy chains, shuttered its remaining 89 stores this week after filing for bankruptcy in May for the second time in less than two years.”All Rite Aid stores have now closed. We thank our loyal customers for their many years of support,” the company said in a statement on its website.The company’s website, which has since removed all of its services, remains available for former customers to request pharmaceutical records or locate another nearby pharmacy to fulfill prescriptions.The full-service pharmacy first opened in 1962 and became well-known for its cult-favorite ice cream brand, Thrifty, which has since been sold due to the store’s bankruptcy. Rite Aid first filed for bankruptcy in October 2023, largely because of competition from bigger chains and its debt pile, which topped $4 billion due to expensive legal battles for allegedly filling unlawful opioid prescriptions.Rite Aid emerged from that bankruptcy in September 2024, having slashed $2 billion in debt, securing $2.5 billion in funds to maintain operations and closing about 500 locations. In May, Rite Aid had about 1,250 remaining stores, cut by about half from its 2023 operations.The drugstore announced in May that it sold most of its US stores’ pharmacy services to rivals CVS Pharmacy, Walgreens, Albertsons and Kroger, which collectively claimed more than 1,000 locations.It’s a saving grace for former Rite Aid customers, who may have otherwise lost access to their nearest pharmacy. When drugstores permanently close, as has been the trend in recent years, patients often have to travel farther to get their medications, posing a larger risk to older adults.CVS announced in November 2021 that it would close 900 stores by 2024 after it had closed 244 stores between 2018 and 2020. Former Walgreens CEO Tim Wentworth had told the Wall Street Journal last year that about 25% of its stores aren’t profitable, and the company announced in October 2024 that it would close 1,200 stores.

    CNN —

    Rite Aid, once one of America’s biggest pharmacy chains, shuttered its remaining 89 stores this week after filing for bankruptcy in May for the second time in less than two years.

    “All Rite Aid stores have now closed. We thank our loyal customers for their many years of support,” the company said in a statement on its website.

    The company’s website, which has since removed all of its services, remains available for former customers to request pharmaceutical records or locate another nearby pharmacy to fulfill prescriptions.

    The full-service pharmacy first opened in 1962 and became well-known for its cult-favorite ice cream brand, Thrifty, which has since been sold due to the store’s bankruptcy. Rite Aid first filed for bankruptcy in October 2023, largely because of competition from bigger chains and its debt pile, which topped $4 billion due to expensive legal battles for allegedly filling unlawful opioid prescriptions.

    Rite Aid emerged from that bankruptcy in September 2024, having slashed $2 billion in debt, securing $2.5 billion in funds to maintain operations and closing about 500 locations. In May, Rite Aid had about 1,250 remaining stores, cut by about half from its 2023 operations.

    The drugstore announced in May that it sold most of its US stores’ pharmacy services to rivals CVS Pharmacy, Walgreens, Albertsons and Kroger, which collectively claimed more than 1,000 locations.

    It’s a saving grace for former Rite Aid customers, who may have otherwise lost access to their nearest pharmacy. When drugstores permanently close, as has been the trend in recent years, patients often have to travel farther to get their medications, posing a larger risk to older adults.

    CVS announced in November 2021 that it would close 900 stores by 2024 after it had closed 244 stores between 2018 and 2020. Former Walgreens CEO Tim Wentworth had told the Wall Street Journal last year that about 25% of its stores aren’t profitable, and the company announced in October 2024 that it would close 1,200 stores.

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  • Eggplant, giant peach sprouting controversy in Maryland town

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    An eggplant and a giant peach are sprouting controversy on the century-old Main Street in Ellicott City, Maryland. Business owners are being told the public art is too distracting for the historic area, but they feel the towering tributes to produce are fun and add character. Now, they’re fighting to keep the fruit.A massive Georgia peach sits outside Georgia Grace Cafe, where owner Paula Dwyer was happy to see it installed several months ago.”It was this big, beautiful orange peach. And, at first, honestly, I was like, ‘Wow, this is amazing. I’ve never seen anything like it,’” Dwyer said.Across the street sits an enormous eggplant known as the Aubergine. Both produce have been popularized over texting language as playful nods to body parts.David Carney, owner of The Wine Bin, said the Aubergine has brought in business for years.”I guess I don’t quite understand the innuendo because I have one of those body parts and it doesn’t look like that and it’s not purple, so I’m not sure really how that came about. It’s kind of weird. So, it’s kind of comical that people think that,” Carney said.Now, the merchants have since been told to take the art down. Both sculptures are supported through the Fund for Art in Ellicott City.Both pieces of art were also discussed at last week’s meeting of the Historic Preservation Commission, which expressed concern about the art “detracting from the historic buildings.””The Historic Preservation Commission approved the artwork of the aubergine for 12 months, as amended by the applicant. The peach was denied at the proposed location, but the applicant may submit an application for a different location. The established process allows for the petitioner to appeal the decision or propose an alternate location for the artwork,” officials said. “History is really important. So, this is great artwork, but I guess it’s not historic enough for them,” said Ken McNaughton, an Ellicott City resident.Don Reuwer, who manages numerous Main Street properties as president of the Waverly Real Estate Group, helped gather hundreds of signatures to keep the sculptures.”Unfortunately, the chairperson told me that they weren’t interested in the petitions that actually said that the merchants are only temporary, so they don’t matter. And frankly, that was just the straw that broke the camel’s back for me,” Reuwer said.People are far from giving up on the eye-catching produce. “I feel like they fit in with the town. I mean, everyone likes them. We’re a community of business owners and people, and all of them seem to like it. So, I feel like we are the town, also, not just the history. And we are now the history,” said Mark Johnston, an Ellicott City resident. Without approval, the statues must be taken down. Those in support of art plan to appeal the decision, and are even willing to take the issue to circuit court.

    An eggplant and a giant peach are sprouting controversy on the century-old Main Street in Ellicott City, Maryland.

    Business owners are being told the public art is too distracting for the historic area, but they feel the towering tributes to produce are fun and add character. Now, they’re fighting to keep the fruit.

    A massive Georgia peach sits outside Georgia Grace Cafe, where owner Paula Dwyer was happy to see it installed several months ago.

    “It was this big, beautiful orange peach. And, at first, honestly, I was like, ‘Wow, this is amazing. I’ve never seen anything like it,’” Dwyer said.

    Across the street sits an enormous eggplant known as the Aubergine. Both produce have been popularized over texting language as playful nods to body parts.

    David Carney, owner of The Wine Bin, said the Aubergine has brought in business for years.

    “I guess I don’t quite understand the innuendo because I have one of those body parts and it doesn’t look like that and it’s not purple, so I’m not sure really how that came about. It’s kind of weird. So, it’s kind of comical that people think that,” Carney said.

    Now, the merchants have since been told to take the art down. Both sculptures are supported through the Fund for Art in Ellicott City.

    Both pieces of art were also discussed at last week’s meeting of the Historic Preservation Commission, which expressed concern about the art “detracting from the historic buildings.”

    “The Historic Preservation Commission approved the artwork of the aubergine for 12 months, as amended by the applicant. The peach was denied at the proposed location, but the applicant may submit an application for a different location. The established process allows for the petitioner to appeal the decision or propose an alternate location for the artwork,” officials said.

    “History is really important. So, this is great artwork, but I guess it’s not historic enough for them,” said Ken McNaughton, an Ellicott City resident.

    “This is great artwork, but I guess it’s not historic enough for them.”

    Don Reuwer, who manages numerous Main Street properties as president of the Waverly Real Estate Group, helped gather hundreds of signatures to keep the sculptures.

    “Unfortunately, the chairperson told me that they weren’t interested in the petitions that actually said that the merchants are only temporary, so they don’t matter. And frankly, that was just the straw that broke the camel’s back for me,” Reuwer said.

    People are far from giving up on the eye-catching produce.

    “I feel like they fit in with the town. I mean, everyone likes them. We’re a community of business owners and people, and all of them seem to like it. So, I feel like we are the town, also, not just the history. And we are now the history,” said Mark Johnston, an Ellicott City resident.

    Without approval, the statues must be taken down. Those in support of art plan to appeal the decision, and are even willing to take the issue to circuit court.

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  • Supreme Court upholds ‘roving patrols’ for immigration arrests in Los Angeles

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    WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court ruled Monday for the Trump administration and agreed U.S. immigration agents may stop and detain anyone they suspect is in the U.S. illegally based on little more than working at a car wash, speaking Spanish or having brown skin.

    In a 6-3 vote, the justices granted an emergency appeal and lifted a Los Angeles judge’s order that barred “roving patrols” from snatching people off Southern California streets based on how they look, what language they speak, what work they do or where they happen to be.

    In a concurring opinion, Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh said federal law says “immigration officers ‘may briefly detain’ an individual ‘for questioning’ if they have ‘a reasonable suspicion, based on specific articulable facts, that the person being questioned … is an alien illegally in the United States’.”

    “Immigration stops based on reasonable suspicion of illegal presence have been an important component of U.S. immigration enforcement for decades, across several presidential administrations,” he said.

    The three liberal justices dissented.

    Justice Sonia Sotomayor called the decision “yet another grave misuse of our emergency docket. We should not have to live in a country where the Government can seize anyone who looks Latino, speaks Spanish, and appears to work a low wage job. Rather than stand idly by while our constitutional freedoms are lost, I dissent.”

    “The Government … has all but declared that all Latinos, U.S. citizens or not, who work low wage jobs are fair game to be seized at any time, taken away from work, and held until they provide proof of their legal status to the agents’ satisfaction,” Sotomayor wrote.

    Sotomayor also disagreed with Kavanaugh’s assertions.

    “Immigration agents are not conducting ‘brief stops for questioning,’ as the concurrence would like to believe. They are seizing people using firearms, physical violence, and warehouse detentions,” she wrote. “Nor are undocumented immigrants the only ones harmed by the Government’s conduct. United States citizens are also being seized, taken from their jobs, and prevented from working to support themselves and their families.”

    The decision is a significant victory for President Trump, clearing the way for his oft-promised “largest Mass Deportation Operation” in American history.

    Beginning in early June, Trump’s appointees targeted Los Angeles with aggressive street sweeps that ensnared longtime residents, legal immigrants and even U.S. citizens.

    A coalition of civil rights groups and local attorneys challenged the cases of three immigrants and two U.S. citizens caught up in the chaotic arrests, claiming they’d been grabbed without reasonable suspicion — a violation of the 4th Amendment’s ban on unreasonable searches and seizures.

    On July 11, U.S. District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong issued a temporary restraining order barring stops based solely on race or ethnicity, language, location or employment, either alone or in combination.

    On July 28, the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals agreed.

    The case remains in its early phases, with hearings set for a preliminary injunction this month. But the Department of Justice argued even a brief limit on mass arrests constituted a “irreparable injury” to the government.

    A few days later, Trump’s lawyers asked the Supreme Court to set aside Frimpong’s order. They said agents should be allowed to act on the assumption that Spanish-speaking Latinos who work as day laborers, at car washes or in landscaping and agriculture are likely to lack legal status.

    “Reasonable suspicion is a low bar — well below probable cause,” Solicitor Gen. D. John Sauer wrote in his appeal. Agents can consider “the totality of the circumstances” when making stops, he said, including that “illegal presence is widespread in the Central District [of California], where 1 in every 10 people is an illegal alien.”

    Both sides said the region’s diverse demographics support their view of the law. In an application to join the suit, Los Angeles and 20 other Southern California municipalities argued that “half the population of the Central District” now meet the government’s criteria for reasonable suspicion.

    Roughly 10 million Latinos live in the seven counties covered by the order, and almost as many speak a language other than English at home.

    Sauer also questioned whether the plaintiffs who sued had standing because they were not likely to be arrested again.

    That argument was the subject of sharp and extended questioning in the 9th Circuit, where a three-judge panel ultimately rejected it.

    “Agents have conducted many stops in the Los Angeles area within a matter of weeks, not years, some repeatedly in the same location,” the panel wrote in its July 28 opinion denying the stay.

    One plaintiff was stopped twice in the span of 10 days, evidence of a “real and immediate threat,” that he or any of the others could be stopped again, the 9th Circuit said.

    Days after that decision, heavily armed Border Patrol agents sprang from the back of a Penske moving truck, snatching workers from the parking lot of a Westlake Home Depot in apparent defiance of the courts.

    Immigrants rights advocates had urged the justices not to intervene.

    “The raids have followed an unconstitutional pattern that officials have vowed to continue,” they said. Ruling for Trump would authorize “an extraordinarily expansive dragnet, placing millions of law-abiding people at imminent risk of detention by federal agents.”

    The judge’s order had applied in an area that included Los Angeles and Orange counties as well as Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties.

    Savage reported from Washington, Sharp from Los Angeles.

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    David G. Savage, Sonja Sharp

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  • Two LAPD officers transported to hospital in Van Nuys

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    Two Los Angeles Police Department officers were transported to the hospital Saturday afternoon in Van Nuys, city police and fire officials said.

    Few details about what happened are available other than it occurred in a McDonald’s parking lot on the 7000 block of Van Nuys Boulevard at 4:12 p.m., according to a police spokesperson. Los Angeles Fire Department ambulances were called to the scene to transport officers to the hospital, a fire spokesperson said.

    Neither department had information on the officers’ condition, but by Saturday evening police said the situation was no longer an emergency and no further assistance was needed at the location.

    CBS News Los Angeles reported that a damaged minivan surrounded by crime scene tape was seen in the parking lot and nearby a person appeared to be handcuffed in an LAPD patrol car.

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    Liam Dillon

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  • Erewhon to open an exclusive tonic bar in New York City

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    The Southern California grocery brand that has become synonymous with luxury and wellness is taking its first steps into New York City.

    Erewhon said it plans to open a tonic bar within an exclusive West Village members’ club later this fall.

    The tonic bar will serve members at Kith Ivy, a lifestyle and fitness club from Ronnie Fieg, chief executive of the popular streetwear brand Kith.

    Kith Ivy will open to an “extremely limited” number of members this fall, the Kith website said.

    The miniature Erewhon will be tucked away near cold plunge pools and a sauna at 120 Leroy Street in New York City, according to blueprints Fieg posted on Instagram.

    The members’ club, which will also feature rooftop padel courts and dining from Cafe Mogador, reportedly comes with a hefty initiation fee of $36,000 and an annual fee of $7,000.

    The price and exclusivity of Kith Ivy aligns with Erewhon’s own high-end reputation. In Los Angeles, the grocer is known for expensive specialty goods and celebrity-inspired drinks, like the $20 Hailey Bieber strawberry smoothie.

    “Erewhon is going after those really premium customers,” said Jeff Wells, lead editor of the trade publication Grocery Dive. “If you’re succeeding in Southern California, New York would be the next logical place to go.”

    Erewhon’s new tonic bar will offer a limited selection of drinks and smoothies, a company spokesperson said Wednesday. Only Kith Ivy members will be able to order in-person, but other New Yorkers within a select radius of the club can order drinks for delivery through Postmates and Uber Eats.

    Erewhon has a loyal following in the Los Angeles area, where the company operates 11 locations and plans to open three more in West Hollywood, Glendale and Thousand Oaks. The company got its start in the 1960s as a health foods store in Boston before relocating to the West Coast.

    The grocer’s foray into New York comes as other supermarket chains have cut back on costs. Kroger, the parent company of Ralphs and Food 4 Less, is in the midst of closing locations and recently laid off nearly 1,000 corporate employees.

    Unlike Ralphs, Erewhon has established itself as a luxury destination that caters largely to wealthy customers.

    “Erewhon is all about being at the cutting edge of food and beverage, for a premium price,” Wells said. “Your average middle-class shopper can’t afford to shop there.”

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    Caroline Petrow-Cohen

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  • Polk County restaurant inspections: Moldy parmesan, medication next to salt

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    The following is a snapshot of the inspections conducted by the Polk County Health Department.

    Twice annually, licensed restaurants receive unannounced inspections that focus on food temperatures and preparation practices, worker hygiene, dishwashing and sanitizing, and equipment and facility cleanliness.

    Violations: Scores are based on a 100-point scale. Priority violations deduct 5 points, and priority foundation violations deduct 3 points. Violations recorded on consecutive inspections result in point deductions being doubled.

    Scoring: Scores of 70 or higher are considered compliant. Restaurants scoring below 70 must be reinspected within 30 days or face closure or other administrative action. Restaurants display a placard by the entrance to indicate whether they have passed their last inspection.

    The most recent inspections are here.

    The following are scores for semiannual restaurant inspections from July 8 to August 4.

    KFC/A&W

    Location: 444 S Pacific Highway, Monmouth

    Date: Aug. 4

    Score: 100

    No priority violations

    Bugles Espresso

    Location: 444 Pacific Highway S, Monmouth

    Date: Aug. 4

    Score: 100

    No priority violations

    Dairy Queen Monmouth

    Location: 320 Pacific Ave. S, Monmouth

    Date: Aug. 4

    Score: 95

    Priority violations: Potentially hazardous food is not maintained at proper hot or cold holding temperatures, specifically: Tomatoes in prep unit are 50 degrees, operator states they were prepared two hours prior. Product on bottom of unit is 40 degrees. Point deduction: 5

    Flame and Fork Grill

    Location: 1233 Riverbend Rd. NW, Salem

    Date: Aug. 4

    Score: 100

    No priority violations

    Checkpoint 221

    Location: 1233 Riverbend Rd. NW, Salem

    Date: Aug. 4

    Score: 100

    No priority violations

    Little Caesars West Salem

    Location: 1395 Edgewater St. NW, Suite 100, Salem

    Date: Aug. 4

    Score: 90

    Priority violations: The use of time as a public health control is not properly applied, specifically: No timers set for pizzas on two metal racks. Operators states pizzas were prepared two hours prior. Point deduction: 10

    Butter, Sugar, Coffee

    Location: 319 S 10th St., Independence

    Date: Aug. 1

    Score: 90

    Priority violations: Potentially hazardous food is not maintained at proper hot or cold holding temperatures, specifically: Several food items in glass reach-in are at 53 degrees (whipped cream cheese, half and half, sliced cheese. Thermometer in unit reads 49 degrees. Point deduction: 10

    The Inferno mobile unit

    Location: 915 N Main St., Independence

    Date: July 30

    Score: 97

    Priority violations: The operations and/or equipment are not an integral part of the mobile food unit, specifically: several outdoor cooking units : Large green smoker/grill on trailer located north of mobile unit approximately 115 feet, a smoker, and spigot roasters located approximately 65 feet north of mobile unit next metal storage container and two barrel shaped grills with ash in bottom located in close proximity, south of mobile unit. Point deduction: 3

    Food employees eat, drink or use tobacco in unapproved areas or use an inappropriate beverage container for drinking, specifically: Operator’s plastic cup of ice water and container of food with a fork is sitting next to a cutting board on the counter. Point deduction: 3

    Potentially hazardous food is not maintained at proper hot or cold holding temperatures, specifically: Ribs in a Cambro sitting on the counter are at 56 degrees. Point deduction: 10

    Medicines are improperly stored or labeled, specifically: A pill bottle and medications stored on top of a metal shelf next to salt. Point deduction: 5

    Pad Thai King

    Location: 955 Main St., Dallas

    Date: July 30

    Score: 97

    Priority violations: Incorrect methods are used to cool potentially hazardous foods, specifically: A container of sauce sitting out is 135 degrees. Operator states it was cooked four hours prior. Point deduction: 3

    Brooks & Terry’s Espresso

    Location: 100 Ellendale Ave., Dallas

    Date: July 30

    Score: 92

    Priority violations: Sewage and other liquid waste are not removed properly or at an approved location, specifically: Sub-pump contains wastewater/grease and is kept outside the unit. The pump and/or wastewater tank is producing odor which can attract pests. Point deduction: 3

    Potentially hazardous food is not maintained at proper hot or cold holding temperatures, specifically: The white reach-in fridge is holding food at 45 degrees. Operator states it has been opened frequently in the last four hours. Fridge is set to the warmest setting. Small black reach-in is holding milk at 54 degrees. Operator states all product has been in back fridge for over four hours. Point deduction: 5

    Kellis Cafe

    Location: 1089 Edgewater Ave. NW, Salem

    Date: July 29

    Score: 100

    No priority violations

    Starbucks Monmouth

    Location: 1505 Monmouth Independence Highway, Monmouth

    Date: July 29

    Score: 95

    Priority violations: Potentially hazardous food is not maintained at proper hot or cold holding temperatures, specifically: A carton of oat milk on the counter is 54 degrees. Operator states it has been out for less than four hours. Point deduction: 5

    Island Bietz

    Location: 154 S Main St., Independence

    Date: July 29

    Score: 100

    No priority violations

    Baobab

    Location: 154 S Main St., Independence

    Date: July 29

    Score: 95

    Priority violations: Food that is adulterated, contaminated, unsafe or from an unapproved source is not reconditioned or discarded, specifically: A container of parmesan cheese has black mold throughout product. Point deduction: 5

    Dairy Queen West Salem

    Location: 1141 Wallace Rd. NW, Salem

    Date: July 29

    Score: 100

    No priority violations

    Java Crew

    Location: 779 Wallace Rd., Salem

    Date: July 28

    Score: 97

    Priority violations: Handwashing sink is not accessible for employee use at all times, is used for purposes other than handwashing or is not operated properly, specifically: Back handwashing sink has a metal tub in the basin. Point deduction: 3

    Dutch Bros. Coffee Dallas

    Location: 515 Jefferson St., Dallas

    Date: July 28

    Score: 95

    Priority violations: Potentially hazardous food is not maintained at proper hot or cold holding temperatures, specifically: The freeze machine is cold holding mix at 46 degrees. Operator is unsure of what time freeze mix was put into the machine. Point deduction: 5

    Dairy Queen Dallas

    Location: 586 SE Jefferson St., Dallas

    Date: July 22

    Score: 100

    No priority violations

    Abby’s Legendary Pizza

    Location: 174 W Ellendale Ave., Dallas

    Date: July 22

    Score: 100

    No priority violations

    Bobablastic Dallas

    Location: 955 Main St., Dallas

    Date: July 21

    Score: 94

    Priority violations: Unauthorized personnel are on the premises or employees are not properly trained in food safety or food allergy awareness, specifically: Two small children are in the unit. Point deduction: 3

    The use of time as a public health control is not properly monitored, food is not properly marked or written procedures have not been developed, specifically: Container of tapioca pearls made one hour prior have not been date marked. Point deduction: 3

    Ugo’s Pizza Parlor

    Location: 967 Main St., Dallas

    Date: July 21

    Score: 100

    No priority violations

    Dreamies Creamery

    Location: 141 SW Court St., Dallas

    Date: July 21

    Score: 95

    Priority violations: Refrigerated, ready-to-eat, potentially hazardous food has not been consumed within the required period or is not properly date-marked, specifically: Open container of whipped cream is date-marked July 3, 18 days prior. Point deduction: 5

    West Valley Taphouse

    Location: 957 Main St., Dallas

    Date: July 21

    Score: 100

    No priority violations

    Domino’s Pizza Dallas

    Location: 772 Main St., Dallas

    Date: July 21

    Score: 100

    No priority violations

    The Tap Station

    Location: 87 S Main St., Independence

    Date: July 18

    Score: 100

    No priority violations

    Fro-zone Yogurt

    Location: 1389 Monmouth St., Independence

    Date: July 18

    Score: 95

    Priority violations: Potentially hazardous food is not maintained at proper hot or cold holding temperatures, specifically: Whipped dairy topping, butter, and fresh-cut strawberries in the fruit fridge are 63 degrees. Operator states strawberries were cut three hours prior and everything else was in fridge overnight. Point deduction: 5

    Rookie’s

    Location: 641 E Clay St., Monmouth

    Date: July 17

    Score: 100

    No priority violations

    Dutch Bros. Coffee Monmouth

    Location: 165 Pacific Ave., Monmouth

    Date: July 17

    Score: 92

    Priority violations: A handwashing sink is not accessible for employee use at all times, is used for purposes other than handwashing or is not operated properly, specifically: Operator rinsed two clear squirt bottles in the handwashing sink. Point deduction: 3

    Potentially hazardous food is not maintained at proper hot or cold holding temperatures, specifically: An aerosol can of whipped cream sitting on the counter is at 56 degrees. Point deduction: 5

    The Back Porch

    Location: 1142 NW Edgewater St., Salem

    Date: July 17

    Score: 90

    Priority violations: Raw or ready-to-eat food is not properly protected from cross-contamination, specifically: Raw ribs are above cheese in the white reach-in fridge. Point deduction: 5

    Chemical sanitizers are not approved, specifically: Quats in sanitizer buckets are over 400 parts per million. Point deduction: 5

    Subway Edgewater

    Location: 1554 Edgewater St. NW, Salem

    Date: July 17

    Score: 95

    Priority violations: Potentially hazardous food is not maintained at proper hot or cold holding temperatures, specifically: Meatballs are hot holding at 97 degrees in the warmer. Operator states they were microwaved and put in the warmer one hour prior. Point deduction: 5

    Taqueria Arandas

    Location: 1233 Riverbend Rd. NW, Salem

    Date: July 17

    Score: 100

    No priority violations

    Dreaming of Sushi

    Location: 1233 Riverbend Rd. NW, Salem

    Date: July 17

    Score: 100

    No priority violations

    Bobablastic West Salem

    Location: 1233 Riverbend Rd. NW, Salem

    Date: July 17

    Score: 100

    No priority violations

    Pastatastic

    Location: 233 Riverbend Rd. NW, Salem

    Date: July 17

    Score: 95

    Priority violations: Refrigerated, ready-to-eat, potentially hazardous food has not been consumed within the required period or is not properly date-marked, specifically: A container of garlic in oil is date-marked July 2, 15 days prior. Operator is unsure if this date is correct. Point deduction: 5

    Odd Moes Pizza

    Location: 1594 Edgewater St., Suite 160, Salem

    Date: July 17

    Score: 100

    No priority violations

    Burgerville USA

    Location: 615 E Main St., Monmouth

    Date: July 17

    Score: 100

    No priority violations

    Habanero’s

    Location: 601 Clay St. E, Monmouth

    Date: July 17

    Score: 100

    No priority violations

    Brew Coffee And Tap House

    Location: 211 S Main St., Independence

    Date: July 16

    Score: 100

    No priority violations

    Quesadilla Wizard

    Location: 240 Monmouth St., Independence

    Date: July 15

    Score: 100

    No priority violations

    Jersey Mikes

    Location: 555 Edgewater St. NW, Salem

    Date: July 14

    Score: 100

    No priority violations

    Domino’s Pizza West Salem

    Location: 590 Taggart Dr. NW, Salem

    Date: July 14

    Score: 100

    No priority violations

    Carl’s Jr

    Location: 555 Edgewater St. NW, Suite 150, Salem

    Date: July 14

    Score: 100

    No priority violations

    Pizza Hut West Salem

    Location: 560 Wallace Rd. NW, Salem

    Date: July 11

    Score: 100

    No priority violations

    Taco Bell 9507

    Location: 450 Wallace Rd. NW, Salem

    Date: July 11

    Score: 100

    No priority violations

    Jamba Juice 1149

    Location: 515 Taggart Dr. NW, Salem

    Date: July 11

    Score: 100

    No priority violations

    Baskin Robbins

    Location: 1124 Wallace Rd., Salem

    Date: July 11

    Score: 100

    No priority violations

    McDonald’s West Salem

    Location: 570 Wallace Rd. NW, Salem

    Date: July 11

    Score: 90

    Priority violations: Potentially hazardous food is not maintained at proper hot or cold holding temperatures, specifically: Two flats of raw eggs are sitting out at room temperature. Operator states they have been out for one hour. Point deduction: 5

    The use of time as a public health control is not properly applied, specifically: Two dispensers of sauce are marked for disposition 24 hours ago. Point deduction: 5

    Starbucks Coffee 9611

    Location: 1124 Wallace Rd. NW, Suite 105, Salem

    Date: July 11

    Score: 100

    No priority violations

    Panda Express

    Location: 655 Taggart Dr., Suite 150, Salem

    Date: July 11

    Score: 95

    Priority violations: Potentially hazardous food is not maintained at proper hot or cold holding temperatures, specifically: A container of chopped peppers and a container of sliced mushrooms are on top of other foods in the prep unit, not close enough to the cooling device in the prep unit. Peppers and mushrooms are 56 degrees and 62 degrees, respectively. Point deduction: 5

    Pizza Hut Dallas

    Location: 244 Main St., Dallas

    Date: July 10

    Score: 100

    No priority violations

    Subway Dallas

    Location: 242 Main St., Dallas

    Date: July 10

    Score: 97

    Priority violations: Hand towels or a hand drying device is not provided at the handwashing sink, specifically: Paper towels are not provided at the back handwashing sink. Point deduction: 3

    Starbucks Coffee 10170

    Location: 244 E Ellendale Ave., Dallas

    Date: July 10

    Score: 100

    No priority violations

    McDonald’s Independence

    Location: July 9

    Score: 100

    No priority violations

    Subway Independence

    Location: 1379 Monmouth St., Independence

    Date: July 9

    Score: 92

    Priority violations: Hand towels or a hand drying device is not provided at the handwashing sink, specifically: Handwashing sink in the back kitchen area is out of paper towels. The handwashing sink basin has an accumulation of debris and buildup. Point deduction: 3

    Potentially hazardous food is not maintained at proper hot or cold holding temperatures, specifically: Four metal containers of sliced deli meats are between 50-62 degrees. Operator states these have been out for 10-20 minutes. Point deduction: 5

    La Herradura Mexican Food

    Location: 994 Main St., Dallas

    Date: July 9

    Score: 100

    No priority violations

    Painted Pony Coffee & Cream

    Location: 226 S Main St., Suite A, Independence

    Date: July 9

    Score: 100

    No priority violations

    Main Street Ice Cream Parlor

    Location: 109 Main St. E, Monmouth

    Date: July 8

    Score: 100

    No priority violations

    Habebah Coffee & Cuisine

    Location: 110 Main St. W, Monmouth

    Date: July 8

    Score: 100

    No priority violations

    Yeasty Beasty

    Location: 167 Main St., Monmouth

    Date: July 8

    Score: 100

    No priority violations

    The Sippery

    Location: 169 W Main St., Monmouth

    Date: July 8

    Score: 100

    No priority violations

    This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Polk County restaurant inspections: Dutch Bros., Ugo’s Pizza, KFC

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  • Central Florida opens sandbag locations ahead of potential tropical weather

    Central Florida opens sandbag locations ahead of potential tropical weather

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    Central Florida is preparing for Milton’s potential impacts with sandbag distributions across different counties.Orange CountyCity of Winter Park Rollins Softball Field parking lot: 452 Harper St.Winter GardenWest Orange Recreation Center: 309 S West Crown Point RoadOrlandoBarnett Park: 4801 W. Colonial DriveDowney Park:10107 Flowers AvenueMeadow Woods Recreation Center: 1751 Rhode Island Woods CircleBithlo Community Park: 18501 Washington Avenue ApopkaClarcona Horse Park: 3535 Damon RoadPickup is available at these locations on Monday, Oct. 7, and Tuesday, Oct. 8, from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.Seminole CountyOviedo Location: 1725 Evans St.City of Oviedo sandbag operations will start Monday, Oct. 7, from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m.Volusia County City of EdgewaterCity officials announced that the city of Edgewater will have sand piles at two locations in the city as residents prepare for a possible heavy rain event. The locations are: • Hibiscus: 2616 Hibiscus Drive (in the parking lot of Edgewater Fire Rescue Association Fire Hall)• Mango Tree Lake: 901 Mango Tree DriveThe Mango Tree Lake location will be staffed from Oct. 5 to Oct. 9 from noon to 6 p.m.Both locations are accessible 24 hours a day, but only the Mango Tree Lake location will have staffed hours. Residents should bring their own shovels and bags to the Hibiscus location and the Mango Tree Lake location outside of staffed hours.Ten bags will be available per household with proof of Edgewater residency while supplies last.Port OrangeREC Center: 4655 City Center Circle Pickup is available Saturday from 2:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. and will reopen Sunday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. for Port Orange residents. More: See the latest maps, models and paths for MiltonOsceola CountyKissimmeeOsceola Heritage Park: 1211 Shakerag RoadPick-up is available from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, October 6, and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, October 7.>> This list will be updated as more pickup locations become available.

    Central Florida —

    Central Florida is preparing for Milton’s potential impacts with sandbag distributions across different counties.

    Orange County

    City of Winter Park

    • Rollins Softball Field parking lot: 452 Harper St.

    Winter Garden

    • West Orange Recreation Center: 309 S West Crown Point Road

    Orlando

    • Barnett Park: 4801 W. Colonial Drive
    • Downey Park:10107 Flowers Avenue
    • Meadow Woods Recreation Center: 1751 Rhode Island Woods Circle
    • Bithlo Community Park: 18501 Washington Avenue

    Apopka

    • Clarcona Horse Park: 3535 Damon Road

    Pickup is available at these locations on Monday, Oct. 7, and Tuesday, Oct. 8, from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.

    Seminole County

    Oviedo

    City of Oviedo sandbag operations will start Monday, Oct. 7, from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m.

    Volusia County

    City of Edgewater

    City officials announced that the city of Edgewater will have sand piles at two locations in the city as residents prepare for a possible heavy rain event.

    The locations are:

    • Hibiscus: 2616 Hibiscus Drive (in the parking lot of Edgewater Fire Rescue Association Fire Hall)

    • Mango Tree Lake: 901 Mango Tree Drive

    The Mango Tree Lake location will be staffed from Oct. 5 to Oct. 9 from noon to 6 p.m.

    Both locations are accessible 24 hours a day, but only the Mango Tree Lake location will have staffed hours. Residents should bring their own shovels and bags to the Hibiscus location and the Mango Tree Lake location outside of staffed hours.

    Ten bags will be available per household with proof of Edgewater residency while supplies last.

    Port Orange

    • REC Center: 4655 City Center Circle

    Pickup is available Saturday from 2:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. and will reopen Sunday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. for Port Orange residents.

    More: See the latest maps, models and paths for Milton

    Osceola County

    Kissimmee

    • Osceola Heritage Park: 1211 Shakerag Road

    Pick-up is available from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, October 6, and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, October 7.

    >> This list will be updated as more pickup locations become available.

    This content is imported from Twitter.
    You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

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  • Middle Brow Will Open a Second Location in Michigan

    Middle Brow Will Open a Second Location in Michigan

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    Middle Brow, the Chicago brewpub that earned a James Beard Award earlier this year as a semifinalist for Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program, is opening a second location in Michigan. Ownership is keeping the exact address a secret, but say they’ve signed a lease to take over a space off Red Arrow Highway in Sawyer, Michigan, about 50 miles west of Downtown Chicago. Sawyer is along Lake Michigan and is a popular tourist destination. Co-owner Pete Ternes says they’ll take over a one-acre plot where customers can enjoy the outdoors.

    “We’ve got the drawings done, and we’ve got a lot of the engineering work done,” Ternes says. “We’re putting out bids and getting permitting in place now. We think that by summer, we’ll be able to — you know, at the very least — throw some fun parties.”

    First established as a brewery in 2011, Middle Brow would open a brewpub in Logan Square, Bungalow by Middle Brow, and offer pastries, bread, and eventually Neapolitan pizzas, and those pies deployed farm fresh ingredients from Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Indiana. By relying on a farm where they’ll grow their own hops, barley, and other ingredients, the unnamed Michigan Middle Brow project takes a hyperlocal strategy to procure ingredients.

    With lighter lagers, saisons, and kolsches the brewery features the kind of brews that drinkers could enjoy while camping or by a lake, a kind of counterpoint to over-hopped beers that were once trendy. Middle Brow centers on yeast-forward beers and letting yeast ferment spontaneously: “It’s exciting and it’s weird and it’s risky, and it makes the beer taste like nothing else you’ve tasted,” Ternes says.

    Last year, Middle Brow expanded operations becoming Chicago’s first natural winery with refreshing wines that, again, shared the same commitment to using wild fermentation. Natural wine is made with minimal intervention that, in theory, better showcases the grapes from the region.

    Ternes promises the new location will contain elements of the Logan Square venue. There might be a small menu of fresh breads for the weekend, and doughnuts and ice cream. Middle Brow Logan Square offers Chicago-style tavern pizza on Tuesdays. Those pizzas won’t make their way to Michigan, but Middle Brow may offer Detroit-style squares as a limited special. Beyond bottles and cans of wine and beer, they’ll also have robust to-go offerings for travelers making a quick pit stop.

    Much of Middle Brow’s wines were made from grapes grown in Michigan with ownership often hauling tanks of juice back to Chicago in trucks filled with tanks. Middle Brow already has ties to the Mitten State. Ternes points out they buy hops from Hop Head Farms, which is about 50 miles south of Grand Rapids, Michigan. They also source fruit for various barrel-aging projects from nearby farms. Ternes recalls family vacations in Michigan City, Indiana; and Michiana, Michigan. The concept of farmhouse brewing, using hops and barley made on the same premises, was pioneered by companies like Allagash in Portland, Maine; and Jester King in Austin, Texas. Those breweries inspired Ternes and Middle Brow.

    Middle Brow searched for the right land but knew when they needed a record of success before investors and banks would fund their operations. Fourteen years later they’re in the position to open the way they intended.

    Middle Brow Sawyer, Michigan planned for a summer opening

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    Ashok Selvam

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  • Candlelite, Rogers Park’s Iconic Tavern-Style Pizzeria, Is Opening a Second Location

    Candlelite, Rogers Park’s Iconic Tavern-Style Pizzeria, Is Opening a Second Location

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    Lately, there’s been a rising tide of anger from so-called Chicago pizza purists who object to the term “tavern-style pizza.” The objections have coincided with the increased national popularity of the thin-crust pizza which is cut into squares and triangles. Even Pizza Hut has a Bizarro version.

    Through these civic shenanigans, a 74-year-old Rogers Park pizzeria is trying to adapt to the times. Candlelite, founded in 1950, has established itself as one of the city’s most beloved spots for thin-crust pies. Instantly recognizable along Western Avenue for its neon sign, it’s become a pillar of the Loyola University community and is Sister Jean-approved. They’ve been selling frozen pizzas via Gold Belly and briefly opened a stall inside the Time Out Chicago Market food hall.

    After looking at a few spots, the esteemed pizzeria is ready to open a second location this month, treading on rival DePaul University’s turf in Lincoln Park. Candlelite is partnering with the iO Theater, 1501 N. Kingsbury Street, taking over the comedy club’s food and drink service. Candlelite owner Pat Fowler says the theater’s co-owner, Larry Weiner, is a loyal customer in Rogers Park and floated the idea.

    “It’s like having two businesses in one building — two iconic Chicago businesses,” Fowler says.

    The bar will seat about 80 and be friendly to sports fans with games shown on TVs. A separate dining room — which will feel more like the original Candlelite — will seat an additional 100. They’ll also serve on two patios with 50- and 100-seat capacities. They’ve already redone the kitchens, bringing in conveyor-style pizza ovens, similar to the ones they have on Western.

    Pizzas will be available during shows with servers bringing them to tables. The tables are smaller than traditional dining room tables, so Fowler and staff had to find the appropriate pizza stands to hold full-size pies while allowing room for drinks.

    “What’s cool for us, from that standpoint, is iO is a destination, right?” Fowler says. “You know, people want to go to a show, and they’re willing to come from far away or nearby. So we’re able to draw from that.”

    Candlelite has changed hands several times over seven decades, and Fowler — a former pizza delivery man who started in 2008 — purchased the business in 2012.

    The original restaurant’s full menu — with burgers, sandwiches, and options for kids — will be available, and Fowler says they’re working on their beverage selections, hoping to potentially work with Off Color Brewing whose taproom is across the street. They’ll have some fun cocktails as Fowler reminds us that Candlelite’s famous neon sign features a martini. Speaking of the sign, crews in October will install a replica of the original outside the new restaurant. They’ve turned the sign into a logo, using it for their line of frozen pizzas.

    In Rogers Park, Candelite has become a community icon and part of the Loyola Rambler community. Fowler wants to enjoy a tight relationship with the Lincoln Park area, even if that means cavorting with Loyola’s rivals at DePaul.

    “I’ll either need Sister Jean’s permission or I’ll have to ask for forgiveness,” Fowler says with a laugh. “But we love supporting local so DePaul will definitely be something we want to incorporate openly with Sister Jean’s permission.”

    Candlelite Lincoln Park, 1501 N. Kingsbury, planned for a mid-September opening.

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    Ashok Selvam

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