After stopping the car in the parking lot I stepped into a world I was very familiar with.

There were whistles, sounds of cheering and an energy that brought back a lot of memories and a very welcome smile.

I was at Long County High School last week and the Blue Tide was going through the final paces of an hour-long practice in shorts. Head Coach JT Pollock and the assistant coaches barked orders as the team ran through plays hustling in first and second units on and off the field.

To my right the Lady Blue Tide was playing softball and the cheers and encouragement from the fans could be heard over the whistles of the football field.

It was comforting to know this Friday night the Blue Tide will be hosting Berrien in its first game of the season. In fact, it was almost apparent that the players on the squad knew they were getting closer to that first game.

The two teams in Bryan County, Richmond Hill High School and Bryan Countys Redskins are also getting ready for their first games this Friday night. The excitement of game week has been growing as those two teams get closer to that opening night against Camden County and Butler.

In Liberty County, the stadiums will be dark.

There will be no fans. There will be no whistles and the athletes in fall sports are feeling no excitement of opening night.

I keep coming back to the question why?

Why are our neighboring counties getting ready and already enjoying fall sports? Why are the hundreds of athletes in Liberty being deprived of this type of excitement and participation? And, more importantly, why are the athletes who had dreams of playing college sports, possibly on scholarship, being denied the opportunity?

The majority of the athletes affected wont play college sports, but they also are being deprived of that feeling of self-worth as well as being part of a team environment which is so critical to self-development.

Parents have been outraged at the decision to shut down Liberty County sports and how it appears the decision was made by a few people and not the majority.

Liberty Countys Covid-19 numbers are comparatively low to other Georgia counties, so again, the question is why?

Much like the states that are home to college sports teams in the Big 10 and Pac-12, those athletes have been deprived the opportunity to play sports which could and will hurt their earning power as they strive to move forward with a possible professional career.

The logic used by the Big 10 and Pac-12 was faulty at best, and now some are saying they conference may be rethinking their stance. That rethinking also might be because some of the football players are filing a lawsuit against the conference for denying them the opportunity to play and not fulfilling their scholarship agreement.

Its too late. The sports world has moved on without you Big 10 and Pac-12.

Liberty County schools are going to be left behind as well when its all said and done.

Georgias high schools are moving forward with fall sports and while there may be some bumps in the road at least the majority of the state has taken a step forward toward normalcy.

The buzz words of optics and risk factors can be thrown around as easily as any that we hear in todays world, but right now, the optics in Liberty County arent very good and Bryan County and Long County are going to come out the winners both on and off the field.

If you see me say Hey!

Dee McLelland is publisher for the Coastal Courier and Bryan County News. He can be reached at dmclelland@coastalcourier.com and at 912-876-0156.

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Why is Liberty missing the excitement? - Coastal Courier

Stephen Dunlop was finally able to thank Brandon Mitchell and Bob Parker

by: Stan Boney

LIBERTY, Ohio (WKBN) Tuesday during First News at 6 p.m., we introduced you to Libertys Stephen Dunlop, who was looking for the two men who helped saved his life after he had a heart attack and crashed his car. Right after the show aired, one of the men, Youngstowns Brandon Mitchell, called the station to get in touch with Dunlop.

Their reunion on Wednesday began with a seven second hug.

Mitchell then recalled the morning of Aug. 21, when he saw an accident scene at Gypsy Lane and Fifth Avenue, the result of Dunlop crashing his car after a heart attack.

I ran over to the drivers side to you. You had no pulse. You were, like, gargling for air, Mitchell said.

Mitchell is 28, in the Air Force Reserves and trained in CPR. He immediately started chest compressions and had another man do mouth to mouth.

I didnt think about his ethnicity. I didnt think about coronavirus. I just acted. I just saw a life. Better yet, I saw a life more abundantly and Im glad hes here today, Mitchell said.

Dunlop showed us the bruising from Mitchells chest compressions, then called up a Facebook message from someone stating that the second man who helped was named Bob Parker, who lived nearby.

We reunited them as well. Their reunion started with a handshake but switched to a hug and a kiss.

Glad I was there, Parker told Dunlop, who responded with, Me too.

The two sat on the porch, Parker recalling how he pulled up to the accident scene and how Mitchell directed him to give Dunlop mouth to mouth.

I feel great, I feel good. I want to cry but thats OK to cry because I did something, Parker said.

This was the second time Mitchell performed CPR on a heart attack victim. The first was nine years ago when he did it on his father, who died. This time, though, the man lived.

It filled a space. I dont think I would have ever been able to let it go to not meet him and thank him, Dunlop said.

More stories from WKBN.com:

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Liberty man reunited with two men who helped save his life after heart attack - WKBN.com

Devin Strange

At age 15, students like Devin Strange normally arent thinking about where they will attend college much less if any are interested in their athletic talent. That traditionally has come a year later when they are juniors.

But in recent years, schools have started offering football scholarships to sophomores, a testament to the competitive nature of major college recruiting. Strange is benefitting from that new model even before playing his first game at Liberty Christian School this fall after transferring from Marcus High School in Flower Mound.

In July, the University of Michigan and Southern Mississippi University told Strange they wanted him to play for them and in August, Virginia Tech did the same. Other schools showing interest include Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Ohio State, Auburn, Oregon and Colorado State.

When Devin came on board, our coaches went to work, said Liberty Head Coach Steven Greek. He shared he has a dream and a desire to not only play for Liberty but beyond that. Our coaches sent out some tape, video and pictures and through some of their connections when the college coaches saw him they said that kid is only a sophomore? Thats what happened with Michigan (Defensive Coordinator) Don Brown saw him and sent him an offer.

Its all been quite overwhelming to the naturally shy son of Kristin and Mike Strange. But those around him arent surprised the 6-foot, 3-inch, 215-pound defensive end/outside linebacker is getting noticed.

Were excited to have him, Greek said. What Im really thankful for is the way hes come in and immediately fit in with our kids, some of whom have been here since kindergarten.

Hes a humble young man. I think he wants to be challenged academically. I think he wants to be pushed on the field and coached hard. As a coach I appreciate that. He didnt come in and expect any favors. Hes just come in and rolled up his sleeves and gone to work.

Last year, Strange had 45 tackles, 31 quarterback pressures, 12 sacks and 7 tackles for loss for an undefeated Marcus freshman team.

He said he truly enjoyed his time at Marcus.

I liked the experience competing for my starting position and seeing how much the varsity players put in, Strange said.

He likely would have put up similar if not better numbers for one of the Marauders junior varsity teams this year which is among the reasons he decided to transfer to the much smaller Liberty where he will play on the varsity squad.

It was just a bigger opportunity for me, Strange said. They were going to use me more, not at just one position.

He also liked the smaller class sizes at Liberty which makes it easier to physically distance the desks between students.

His year at Marcus did earn him invitations to play with players from around the country in two special games. The first was last December at the Football University All-American Bowl in Naples, Florida, the other in June at Offense-Defense Showcase Summer Football Camp at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.

That was a great experience for me going against the top athletes from around the nation, Strange said.

Thats a long way from when he first played flag football at the age of 4. When he started tackle football in second grade, he played a little running back and offensive line but has primarily been a defensive end who uses his 4.9-5.0 speed in the 40-yard dash to his advantage.

After a few weeks of conditioning and weightlifting workouts without pads until after Labor Day, Strange is looking forward to the start of official practice in advance of playing Dallas Christian in the season opener Sept. 25. He already is feeling good about his decision.

I feel like I am a part of a family, said Strange, who wants to study mechanical engineering.

Theres no limit if Devin is willing to put in the work which I believe from our observations he will do so, get better and add value to the team, Greek said. I think individually and collectively were going to be stronger.

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Defensive lineman ready to make big impression at Liberty - The Cross Timbers Gazette

The Steamboat Institute just completed what may have been the nations only large in-person public policy conference of the summer or, as one of our speakers dubbed it, The near-miracle in Beaver Creek.

The12th annual Freedom Conferencetook place with 200 guests and speakers, attending in person, at the Park Hyatt Beaver Creek last weekend. With most large gatherings canceled, postponed or converted into virtual events, the Steamboat Institute was proud to set an example for how larger group gatherings may safely resume.

Thanks to our event, the Park Hyatt was able to bring many employees back from furlough. The direct economic impact of our Freedom Conference on Eagle County was approximately $350,000. Events like these provide a significant economic impact on local businesses, including hotels, A/V contractors, retail shops and restaurants. They also generate tax dollars the opposite of protests and riots, which drain public safety budgets and local resources.

Speakers for our conference included Kimberley Strassel of The Wall Street Journal editorial board and Heather MacDonald of the Manhattan Institute, as well as Iraq War veteran Rob Smith, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Director Aurelia Skipwith and numerous other national thought leaders. Discussions focused on pressing national problems and solutions, including the tradeoff between liberty and security, the growth of socialism, the best way to conduct environmental conservation and colleges failure to teach anything beyond political correctness.

The most pressing issue in the U.S. right now is the response to the Chinese coronavirus. Our conference covered this topic with a panel featuring U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner, economist Dr. Art Laffer and Scott Atlas, M.D., a member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force.

The Steamboat Institute experienced this political reaction to the coronavirus first-hand in struggling to navigate government edicts to stage our event successfully. For the first time ever, we held our annual Freedom Conference outside of Steamboat Springs due to its strict group size limits and physical distancing requirements.

Ultimately, Eagle County was more welcoming and offered a much larger venue. Yet despite complying with its strenuous health regulations, including three separate cohorts of guests in three different meeting rooms, physical distancing at and in between tables, masks, sanitizer and temperature checks, we did not receive final approval of our event plan until five days before our event kicked off.

Responding to public health threats is a legitimate government function, but public officials must resist the lure to exploit the virus to grow their power. As Dr. Scott Atlasnotedin his panel, the coronavirus infection fatality rate for people under 70 is 0.04%, which is less than or equal to seasonal influenza. The small risk of the virus must be weighed against the enormous reward of granting Americans the civil liberties that are our birthright.

OurStopping the Stampede on Civil Liberties campaignseeks to educate Americans about how elected officials are trampling on their fundamental rights in their response to this virus.

The First Amendment upholds the right of the people peaceably to assemble. The widespread restrictions on social gatherings are in direct violation of this right, and we believe that defending and exercising this right is at the core of what the Steamboat Institute stands for namely, individual liberty, limited government, personal responsibility and equal opportunity for all.

Our conference speakers made passionate arguments in support of these principles, and all conference attendees demonstrated by their actions that Americans are still willing to fight for their Constitutional rights.

Jennifer Schubert-Akin is the chairman, CEO and cofounder of The Steamboat Institute.

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Opinion: 12th annual Freedom Conference was victory for liberty - Steamboat Pilot and Today

Guy Parrish,

Muskogee

Imagine with me that the date is March 23, 1775. We are attending the Second Virginia Convention at St. Johns Church in Richmond, Virginia. Patrick Henry is speaking, reminiscent of an old fashion revival preacher, then he delivers his famous final line, Give me liberty or give me death! Unless there is a virus with a 99.9% recovery rate. In which case, strip me of my freedoms, my job, my constitutional rights, put me under house arrest, padlock the doors to my church and muzzle me with a mask!

We leave thinking, how pathetic! Well that is pretty much my sentiments today. Our fathers sacrificed their blood and even their lives on battlefields all over the world to secure our freedoms. And now this generation is willing to give them all up to the government if they promise to keep them safe from some nebulous virus. The fear is so great that it has created mask Nazis that will scream at you if you refuse to wear one. So, we are commanded to go around with a bacterial zoo on our faces. The motivation is not based on scientific data, but rather fear. Where disease has killed its thousands, fear has killed its tens of thousands. We have evolved into a nation of Adrian Monks. So what course will we take? For me, Give me liberty or give death! Because without liberty we are just the walking dead!

We are making critical coverage of the coronavirus available for free. Please consider subscribing so we can continue to bring you the latest news and information on this developing story.

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LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Reader says our liberty has been taken away - Muskogee Daily Phoenix

The path toward a more robust reverse mortgage industry which includes a broader pool of borrowers seeking out home equity conversion in order to expand their financial options in retirement runs directly through the ability for the industry to bolster its distribution infrastructure in the future. This can allow the industry to more flexibly respond to the needs of the growing retirement-aged population, and to answer any concerns they may have for funding their post-working lives.

This is according to Mike Kent, the president of Liberty Reverse Mortgage. In a wide-ranging discussion about expanding the market for home equity access, Kent details the different ways that his own company has explored expanding distribution, while also looking more broadly at the industry for ways that such infrastructure can be scaled to meet the needs of clients.

This is according to comments made by Kent during his keynote at RMDs event HEQ: The Future of Home Equity in Retirement which was held this week.

Earlier this year, Liberty Reverse Mortgage made some operational changes by both returning to its original name from its 2004 founding, and by becoming a division of PHH Mortgage which was acquired by parent company Ocwen in 2018. These changes were important in terms of streamlining some of the companys operational elements, but the consolidation also proved helpful by increasing the direct resources that Liberty now has access to, Kent explained.

[PHH Mortgage] is one of the largest non-depository servicers of forward mortgages in the space. They have over 1.6 million customers that they service loans for, Kent explains. And thats really where I think the opportunity lies in, what I call, expanding distribution of the reverse mortgage product. And I want to be clear because I think your conference is well-structured for this. This is really not just about reverse mortgages. Its about a seniors ability to tap their home equity to assist in having a better retirement outcome.

That outcome can include seniors goals for aging in place, paying for assisted care in the home, covering medical expenses or helping to send grandchildren to college, Kent says. Or, it can just come down to increasing the quality of retirement.

Having a better way to tap your assets to allow the duration of those assets to extend out is what this is about, he says.

As the conversation around the length of retirement has shifted from speaking in terms of years to speaking in terms of decades as people continue to live longer, part of the mission lies in making sure seniors are adequately informed about home equity options to meet those ever-expanding lengths of typical American retirement, he says.

When looking at the broader mortgage markets performance alongside the performance of the reverse mortgage market, a very clear distinction gets painted in terms of overall scale, Kent says.

Therere almost 600,000 forward MLOs in the United States, Kent explains. In 2020, theyre going to have a new origination market of about $1.9 trillion from those people. And right now, the size of that overall market is $11 trillion.And then if we look at reverse, I think the reverse industry has done an incredible job for what they have. But, what they dont have is enough scale to get enough of the message out to enough of the people.

In comparison, the reverse mortgage industry did $3.8 billion of new production through July 2020, compared to the $1.9 trillion observed on the forward side, Kent says. The general disparity between the industries is even larger based on other statistics.

78% of that new HECM production goes through 10 companies, he says. And then about 80 to 87 companies in total account for 96% of all all of the new HECM production annually. Thats what itll look like this year. So, you just dont have the depth and breadth of distribution to really expand that marketplace.

Expanding distribution on the reverse side is something that will be pivotally important to expanding the proverbial pie of the reverse mortgage industry, Kent says, and that can start by looking at potential paths toward utilizing pre-existing forward resources. PHH, for instance, has seen a lot of success in a correspondent forward lending program which was seeded with reverse mortgage customers. This is just one example.

When I think of expanding distribution, its not just about doing more reverse mortgages, Kent says. Its about showing more seniors that there are options available to them to have a better retirement outcome. Thats really what its about. [] There are a lot of different choices you have to make when you have a limited amount of assets that have to last you over a duration of time. If we can impact those decisions. If we can expand the duration of that asset depletion, then I think weve done something significant in our industry.

With additional collaboration between companies that have both forward and reverse resources can also come issues related to getting forward personnel up to speed so they can adequately work in the more consultative reverse side of the business, Kent says.

I think what will probably happen in 2021, well start looking at ways to kind of accelerate the sharing of leads between forward and reverse, Kent says. And then possibly [] starting with a pilot, where we try out a few of our loan officers to handle both forward and reverse leads, and see how that works, see if they can successfully make that transition.

While the technology exists to actually manage both types of leads, it can likely come down to more of an issue of education, and understanding the nuances which inform the different sides of the business sectors, he says.

The question would be from an educational perspective, he says. How do you educate towards that? And then from a process perspective, how do you [add in the reverse] piece? But its certainly the direction I believe that will move our retail lending environment.

Attendees of HEQ can view the full session with Mike Kent at the event website.

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HEQ: Liberty President on Growing the Reverse Mortgage Business by Expanding Distribution - Reverse Mortgage Daily

The Gazettes area volleyball Super 10 rankings, including matches played Tuesday, Sept. 1:

5-0 (0-0 Wamac East)

1-0 (1-0 MVC Valley)

1-0 (1-0 MVC Mississippi)

3-2 (1-1 MVC Mississippi)

4-0 (0-0 River Valley South)

4-2 (0-0 Wamac West)

0-0 (0-0 NICL East)

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ADVERTISEMENT

4-2 (0-0 Wamac East)

3-3 (0-0 Wamac East)

1-1 (0-0 Wamac East)

Class 5A 1. Iowa City Liberty (1-0), 2. Cedar Rapids Prairie (3-2), 3. Linn-Mar (1-0), 4. Cedar Rapids Kennedy (2-2), 5. Iowa City High (1-3)

Class 4A 1. Cedar Rapids Xavier (1-0), 2. Western Dubuque (3-2), 3. West Delaware (3-3), 4. Marion (1-1), 5. Clear Creek Amana (3-1)

Class 3A 1. Mount Vernon (5-0), 2. West Liberty (4-0), 3. Independence (4-2), 4. Union Community (0-0), 5. Williamsburg (4-3)

Class 2A 1. Dyersville Beckman (4-2), 2. Jesup (6-1), 3. West Branch (5-2), 4. Cascade (4-0), 5. North Cedar (1-3)

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Class 1A 1. Springville (2-1), 2. Belle Plaine (3-2), 3. West Central (1-1), 4. Edgewood-Colesburg (2-1), 5. Turkey Valley (1-1)

MVC MISSISSIPPI DIVISION Div. All

Cedar Falls 2-0 5-0

Linn-Mar 1-0 1-0

Iowa City Liberty 1-0 1-0

Cedar Rapids Prairie 1-1 3-2

Western Dubuque 1-1 3-2

Cedar Rapids Washington 0-0 0-0

Iowa City High 0-2 1-3

Dubuque Wahlert 0-2 0-2

MVC VALLEY DIVISION Div. All

Dubuque Hempstead 2-0 5-0

Cedar Rapids Xavier 1-0 1-0

Cedar Rapids Kennedy 1-0 2-2

Dubuque Senior 1-1 3-2

Cedar Rapids Jefferson 0-0 0-0

Waterloo East 0-1 1-3

Waterloo West 0-1 0-1

Iowa City West 0-2 1-4

WAMAC EAST DIVISION Div. All

Mount Vernon 0-0 5-0

Dyersville Beckman 0-0 4-2

Maquoketa 0-0 3-2

Marion 0-0 1-1

West Delaware 0-0 3-3

Solon 0-0 0-1

WAMAC WEST DIVISION Div. All

Clear Creek Amana 0-0 3-1

Independence 0-0 4-2

South Tama 0-0 3-2

Williamsburg 0-0 4-3

Center Point-Urbana 0-0 1-1

Vinton-Shellsburg 0-0 3-3

Benton Community 0-0 1-2

RIVER VALLEY NORTH DIVISION Div. All

Cascade 0-0 4-0

Anamosa 0-0 4-1

Bellevue 0-0 1-2

Monticello 0-0 1-2

Camanche 0-0 2-5

North Cedar 0-0 1-3

Northeast 0-0 0-2

RIVER VALLEY SOUTH DIVISION Div. All

Mid-Prairie 1-0 4-0

Wilton 0-0 7-0

West Liberty 0-0 4-0

West Branch 0-0 5-2

Iowa City Regina 0-0 2-2

Tipton 0-0 0-0

Durant 0-1 0-1

TRI-RIVERS EAST DIVISION Div. All

Lisbon 0-0 1-0

Clinton Prince of Peace 0-0 5-3

Easton Valley 0-0 1-2

Cedar Valley Christian 0-0 0-0

Bellevue Marquette 0-0 0-2

Midland 0-0 0-2

Calamus-Wheatland 0-0 0-3

TRI-RIVERS WEST DIVISION Div. All

Central City 0-0 2-1

Edgewood-Colesburg 0-0 2-1

Springville 0-0 2-1

Maquoketa Valley 0-0 1-1

Starmont 0-0 1-2

North Linn 0-0 2-4

Alburnett 0-0 1-6

East Buchanan 0-0 0-4

Comments: (319) 368-8857; jeff.linder@thegazette.com

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Gazette area volleyball Super 10: Xavier, Liberty climb to Nos. 2 and 3 - The Gazette

The Connecticut Sun had one of their ugliest 10 minutes during the second quarter of Tuesday night's game against the New York Liberty.

Really ugly.

The Sun shot an abysmal 17.6 percent in the second quarter as they were flummoxed by New York's zone defense. They trailed by three points at the halftime.

DeWanna Bonner, however,proved again in the second half that she could carry the offensive burden for her new team.

Bonner scored 21 of her game-high 27 points in the second half to help short-handed Connecticut pull out a much-needed 70-65 win over the last-placeLiberty at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla.

The Sun (8-9) are the closest they've been to .500 since their first game of the season. They also held on to seventh place in the overall WNBA standings with five games remaining.

The top eight teams qualify for the playoffs.

Bonner also had a game-high 12 rebounds for Connecticut, which shot a meager 32.9 percent.

"Our offense really struggled tonight," Sun head coach Curt Miller said. "We didn't make a lot of shots (23 of 70). I think we made (three) shots in the first half from outside the paint. Their zone bothered us. I think we went 0-for-8 the first eight possessions against their zone

"DeWanna wanted the ball. You eventually knew she was getting herself to the foul line. It was one of those games where we didn't have a lot going on offensively, so we started to play though her.

Bonner shot 7 of 23 from the floor. She did, however, get herself to the free throw line a bunch. She made 12 of 13 free throws, including 8 of 9 in the second half.

"The first half, their zone slowed us down," Bonner said. "I didn't shoot the ball like I wanted to shoot the ball, but I wanted to get to the free throw line; try to create a little bit."

Alyssa Thomas, named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week by league coaches on Monday, had 15 points, six rebounds, five steals and four assists for Connecticut. Natisha Hiedeman scored 10 off the bench.

Brionna Jones, who missed the Sun's last game to an ankle injury, had 10 rebounds.

Connecticut announced an hour before the game that starting point guard Jasmine Thomas was out with plantar fasciitis. She was wearing a walking boot on her right foot.

UConn's Kia Nurse scored 18 points and Jazmine Jones 15 for New York (2-14).

The Liberty shot 34.5 percent (19 of 65), the second straight game in which an opponent made under 20 field goals.

The Sun hadn't held an opponent to under 20 field goals in consecutive games since July 8 and 12, 2002, when they were the Orlando Miracle. The Phoenix Mercury were the last team to do that (2015).

The Sun made 8 of their first 18 shots (44.4 percent). Hiedeman's 3-pointer gave them their largest lead, 21-10, 50 seconds into the quarter.

But Connecticut's offense rapidly went into a downward spiral. It made just 2 of 14 shots the rest of the quarter and trailed at halftime, 32-29.

Bonner opened the second half with a layup and a three-point play to put Connecticut ahead, 34-32, just 1:19 into the third quarter.

Connecticut never trailed again.

The Sun led 65-57 with 1:39 left, but New York wouldn't go away.

Two free throws by Nurse and Kiah Stokes' putback cut the Liberty's deficit to 65-61 with 1:15 remaining.

Kylee Shook's steal led to Jones getting two free throws at the other end for New York with 1:00 remaining. She missed both.

Briann January drew a charge on Nurse in transition with 31.6 seconds left.

Bonner's jumper gave Connecticut breathing room, 67-61, with 16.7 seconds left.

"As clunky as our offense tonight, that was a huge win in terms of playoff implications," Miller said.

n.griffen@theday.com

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Bonner leads Sun to important 70-65 win over Liberty - theday.com

Bells comments echoed some of the political talking points that President Trump and others on the right have used to decry coronavirus restrictions. At a rally in New Hampshire on Friday night, for example, Trump lamented that Democrats dont believe law-abiding citizens can go to a church together. You cant go to church anymore.

The Aug. 7 wedding at which Bell officiated in East Millinocket has been linked to 123 coronavirus cases in Maine, the largest outbreak in the state, as well as to the death of Theresa Dentremont, an 83-year-old woman who did not attend the event. Many of the participants in the wedding, including the bride and groom, went silent as the fallout grew, switching their social media accounts to private.

But Bells sermon on Sunday, at his church 225 miles south of the scene of the wedding, was fiery and unrepentant, indicating just how politicized the coronavirus has become, even in communities that have been affected by it. At times, he seemed to delight in provocation, saying that he hoped media outlets would watch the service. He did not respond to a request from the Globe for comment.

Churches have been political battlegrounds during the coronavirus, as well as occasional hot spots, with more than 650 cases linked to houses of worship and religious events since the pandemic began, according to a New York Times database in early July.

On Sunday morning, a 15-person choir assembled onstage at Calvary Baptist, maskless, and sang hymns.

The state of Maine says cloth face coverings must be worn by all attendees when physical distancing is difficult to maintain at worship services and also that choirs are strongly discouraged. When asked by the Globe whether the Sanford church was violating state rules, the Maine CDC said only that there was an ongoing investigation into the outbreak.

Gib Parrish, an epidemiologist in Maine, said that, based on what the Globe described of the service, the Sunday gathering appeared to increase the risk of participants contracting the coronavirus.

If there are people who are likely to be positive in that group, then having an extended period of time together particularly if theyre close by, [and] theyre not doing anything in terms of physical distancing or wearing masks, if theyre singing or shouting or talking loudly those are activities that are known to facilitate transmission of the virus, Parrish said.

Bell said in the sermon that the church was discouraging people from coming if they were sick and advising them to quarantine at home.

The pastor also warned his congregants that a vaccine against the coronavirus would include aborted baby tissue, an issue that some religious and antiabortion groups have seized upon in recent months. A number of vaccines, including those against rubella, chickenpox, and shingles, were manufactured using fetal cells from elective abortions decades ago, but the cell lines that continue to grow the vaccines are now generations removed from fetal cells. In April, a group including committee chairmen from the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, urged the Food and Drug Administration not to develop a coronavirus vaccine using cell lines that originated from fetal cells.

Bell said that instead of trusting a vaccine, he would put his faith in God, the one that has the power to remove pestilences.

The CDC said on Saturday there were at least five confirmed cases involving people who attended the church, and that anyone who had attended services or vacation Bible school at Calvary was potentially exposed. Bell said on Sunday that all five people who had tested positive were out of quarantine and doing fairly well.

I officiated the wedding. It was a beautiful wedding, Bell told his congregation. Six families from our church went there. We never expected to get COVID. Nobody expected to experience the things that happened because you went to a beautiful wedding like that.

He situated his and the churchs response firmly on political ground, saying that he had told Dr. Nirav Shah, director of the Maine CDC, during a Zoom call on Friday that he was a liberty lover.

I want the people of God to enjoy liberty, Bell told the congregation. If they want to wear a mask, wear a mask . . . If you want to have the liberty to have done your own research that masks are kind of like trying to keep a mosquito out of a chain-link fence . . . if thats what they choose, Im a liberty lover.

(Theres a growing body of evidence that masks are effective at preventing the spread of the coronavirus.)

Its not surprising that political affiliations have become connected to coronavirus behaviors, said Martha Lincoln, a medical anthropologist at San Francisco State University.

Epidemics are particularly political, because unlike other kinds of health experiences in society, everyone is aware of them. By nature, theyre public events. Theyre often happening very quickly and creating a lot of anxieties that bring a lot of other social, political, and economic anxieties to the surface, Lincoln said.

Bell, in the videotaped sermon posted on YouTube, said he had received negative pushback for officiating at the wedding and used a story of hostile comments on social media to riff on Matthew 5:11-12: Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven.

Men have reviled me, the pastor told his congregation. Bell described someone on social media who had seen that he was flying to Oxford, Maine he is a pilot and commented that he was probably going to spread COVID at the casino there.

Be a good place to spread it, Bell said. A congregant cheered in the background.

Gambling has killed more people and ruined more homes and destroyed more things in our society almost than liquor or pot or pornography, Bell went on. Gambling is wicked.

Zoe Greenberg can be reached at zoe.greenberg@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @zoegberg.

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I want the people of God to enjoy liberty: Pastor at Maine super-spreader wedding gives defiant indoor sermon - The Boston Globe

The suspect, 55-year-old Felix Olverson, ran away but according to Liberty police, he was later caught

by: Nadine Grimley

LIBERTY TWP., Ohio (WKBN) One person is dead and another is behind bars after a shooting in Liberty Township Sunday night.

Liberty police got the call at 10:49 p.m. about an incident on Keefer Road. Thats where they found 31-year-old William Bryan Ross, II shot to death.

Police said 55-year-old Felix Olverson, Ross roommate, is the suspect.

The two had been arguing via text about finances and when Ross came home, Olverson shot him on the front porch, police said.

Olverson ran away with his dog, but police found him later in nearby woods and arrested him. They say a weapon was also recovered and believe it be the gun that killed Ross.

Investigators believe Olverson has a prior conviction, which would have prevented him from owning a firearm.

By his admission, he obtained it on the street a few days prior to this, said Capt. Ray Buhala.

Neighbor Cassidy Ouellette is shocked that the shooting happened so close to where she lives.

Its extremely scary. I dont even know how to feel. I think Im still in shock to be honest, she said.

Buhala said the neighborhood is fairly quiet, but officers have been called to that house before.

With the exception of this residence, we do not have many calls in that area. Over the course of the past year, I think we responded to seven different calls this residence, Buhala said.

Olverson was arraigned Monday in Girard Municipal court on murder charges. He is being held in the Trumbull County Jail.

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One man dead, another arrested following shooting in Liberty Township - WKBN.com

Construction at Liberty University in Lynchburg on Saturday, February 15, 2020.

Twenty-five students and five employees have tested positive for the coronavirus at Liberty University in Lynchburg, a school spokesman said.

On Thursday, when the Richmond Times-Dispatch surveyed the case counts at 41 colleges across the state, Liberty had not made its number of total positive cases public. On Friday, Liberty provided figures to The Times-Dispatch.

According to the spokesman, 16 Liberty students and staff have tested negative, 71 are awaiting the results of a test and 67 are currently in quarantine.

Approximately 8,000 students live on campus, 7,000 commute to campus for class, and there are roughly 5,000 faculty and staff. In-person classes resumed Monday.

Liberty is currently considering publishing updates on its website as many other schools in the state have done.

The spokesman couldn't say if Liberty required students to test negative before returning to campus housing, or if the school is continually testing a small segment of the student population, known as point prevalence testing, as other colleges have done.

At least 588 students, faculty and staff at four-year colleges in Virginia have tested positive for the coronavirus since the pandemic began.

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At Liberty, 30 students and staff have tested positive for coronavirus - Lynchburg News and Advance

SPRINGFIELD Springfields first recreational marijuana shop could open this month after receiving a provisional license from the state and a certificate of occupancy from the city.

Holistic Industries Inc. hopes to open before the end of September at 1300 Boston Road, according to a spokeswoman for Holistic as well as property owner Frank Colaccino.

The timing of the opening is tentative, and could be later in the year, said Sarah Stretchberry, vice president of expansion for Holistic Industries.

We still need to go through one more vote with the Cannabis Control Commission and we hope to be on the September agenda, Stretchberry said.

The shop, known as Liberty Springfield, is adjacent to Moes Southwest Grill, and is part of a plaza that also includes MedExpress and a Starbucks.

Holistic was granted a provisional license by the Cannabis Control Commission and the property was inspected, said Colaccino, president and CEO of Colvest Group in Springfield. The site is ready, just needing supplies, employees and final approval, Colaccino said.

There is one marijuana shop open in Springfield, but it is licensed only to provide medical marijuana, not recreational marijuana. The shop is operated by Insa on Cottage Street in East Springfield.

Holistic Industries is based in Washington, D.C., and has marijuana operations in Massachusetts, California, Maryland, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C.

In September 2019, the City Council approved special permits for three businesses to open recreational marijuana shops in Springfield, including Holistic. None of shops has opened yet.

One of the other businesses, 6 Bricks LLC, also has a provisional license from the state for its planned site at 250 Albany St. The opening is not yet scheduled, and 6 Bricks CEO Payton Shubrick said in June that this is a marathon, not a sprint.

A recreational shop is also planned at 311 Page Blvd. by a group involving former City Councilor Timothy Rooke.

Insa plans a recreational marijuana shop at the former Luxe Burger Bar on West Columbus Avenue. A Superior Court judge ruled in June that the City Council must allow the business to open there. Insa sued after its application was rejected last year.

See the article here:

Liberty Springfield aims to be citys 1st recreational marijuana shop - MassLive.com

Two Liberty companies are being rolled into one, bringing together the parent company of Alaskan telecom company GCI and Liberty Broadband, which holds a 25% stake in cable provider Charter Communications.

The stock-for-stock transaction will combine the two companies and values GCI Liberty at $8.7 billion; it is expected to close in the first half of 2021. As reported by MultiChannel News, the two companies are investment vehicles of billionaire and cable cowboy John Malone, who serves as chairman of the board of both companies. The transaction will simplify and reduce the costs of operating and administration as public companies, although the companies also noted that a potential benefit is [improved]flexibility for future strategic combinations.

Liberty Broadbands primary asset is its 25% stake in Charter and subsidiary Skyhook. GCI Libertys principal assets consist of GCI Holdings and non-controlling interests in Liberty Broadband, Charter Communications and LendingTree.

Greg Maffei, Liberty Broadband and GCI Liberty President and CEO, said the transaction is financially attractive and beneficial for both companies.

In related news, GCI Liberty reported its quarterly results and saw a 5% increase in revenue, including 6% year-over-year growth in wireless consumer revenues and a 10% jump in data service revenues, offset by falling voice and video revenues. GCI said that it has seen a substantial increase in network traffic since early March, with utilization stabilizing at approximately 25% greater than pre-COVID-19 levels and that its network continues to perform well. GCI began turning up 5G service in April and in June, began a 5G roaming relationship with T-Mobile US.

GCI continued to make substantial financial and operational progress during the quarter, said GCI CEO Ron Duncan in a statement. Despite the challenges of serving our customers in the midst of a pandemic, we added 3,700 consumer cable modem customers during the quarter. Our consumers responded to 5G service, faster speeds and improved coverage from our wireless network upgrades and we added 3,500 new consumer wireless subscribers sequentially.

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Liberty Broadband to merge with GCI Liberty - RCR Wireless News

The Executive Committee of Liberty Universitys Board of Trustees announced Friday that it "requested that Jerry Falwell Jr. take an indefinite leave of absence from his roles as president and chancellor of Liberty University, to which he has agreed, effective immediately."

The statement from the board said little more than that. But the board acted amid a growing scandal over a photograph that Falwell posted on his social media accounts and then removed.

The photograph showed him on vacation with his pants unzipped, holding a drink, and with his arm around a woman.

Late Friday, Jerry Prevo, chairman of the board, issued this statement: "In the 13 years that Jerry Falwell, Jr. has served as president of Liberty University, Liberty has experienced unprecedented success, not only academically and financially, with a world-class campus, but also spiritually. As we enter our 50th Anniversary year, we have been blessed to grow to a record 120,000 students, both residential and online, and continue to fulfill our founders mission to train champions for Christ across the world. Unfortunately, with this success and the burdens of leading a large and growing organization comes substantial pressure. Today, my colleagues and I on the Liberty University Board of Trustees and Jerry mutually agreed that it would be good for him to take an indefinite leave of absence. This was a decision that was not made lightly, and which factored the interests and concerns of everyone in the LU community, including students, parents, alumni, faculty, staff, leaders of the church, as well as the Falwell family. To support Jerry through this period, we ask that our entire community lift him up in prayer so he may be able to fulfill Gods purpose for him and for Liberty University."

A top Republican in the House of Representatives called for Falwell to leave his position.

Representative Mark Walker, the vice chair of the House Republican Conference and a former Liberty faculty member, said on Twitter, "Jerry Falwell Jrs ongoing behavior is appalling. As a Music Faculty Advisory Board Member and former instructor @LibertyU, Im convinced Falwell should step down. None of us are perfect, but students, faculty, alumni and @LUPraise deserve better."

In a radio interview (before Walker's comment), Falwell said the photo was taken at a costume party and was just in good fun.

Falwell has recently been involved a series of controversies -- while receiving praise from some Republicans for his close ties to President Trump.

In May, at least four black faculty and staff members at Liberty resigned in protest after Falwell tweeted an image of a face mask with a picture from Virginia governor Ralph Northams medical school yearbook that shows two men, one of whom may be Northam, wearing blackface and Ku Klux Klan robes, respectively. Falwell's comment: "If I am ordered to wear a mask, I will reluctantly comply, but only if this picture of Governor Blackface himself is on it!"

Last year, a dozen faculty members at Liberty's Rawlings School of Divinity learned they would not have their contracts renewed, representing significant cuts to the on-the-ground instructional work force of the Christian university in Lynchburg, Va.

At the beginning of President Trump's term in office, Falwell said he would be leading a White House task force on higher education. But no task force emerged.

Falwell is arguably the best known leader of an evangelical college, but has not always acted with them. Liberty is not a member of the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities. The CCCU has worked against the Trump administration's positions on immigration.

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Falwell on leave from Liberty presidency - Inside Higher Ed

Background

NORTH LIBERTY In April 2019, the city of North Liberty broke ground at the corner of Cherry and Main streets on a new station for the citys growing police department.

Police Chief Diane Venenga earlier told The Gazette that the department had completely outgrown its station at nearby 5 E. Cherry St., where it had been operating out of for about eight years.

That building wasnt actually designed to hold a police department. It was a farmhouse converted into a dental office that in turn served as city hall.

After the groundbreaking last year, officials told The Gazette the roughly $5.7 million police station would be finished by April 2020.

Like so many other projects, police stations are not immune to the impact of COVID-19.

The police department just started moving into the new station this past week, Venenga said.

We were on schedule to finish in April, then COVID hit and really delayed things, City Administrator Ryan Heiar said. Between contractors having to split shifts and reduce on-site employees to delays in shipping, the project really slowed down.

There are a few items left to complete, but a temporary occupancy has been obtained and police now are operating out of their first building actually designed to house a police department.

It feels great to be in the new facility, Venenga said. Its nice to have space to move around. And its also nice to have space that we can put everything in and be organized and just make it an efficient operation since it was designed for a police station.

Venenga previously told The Gazette that evidence was stored in a furnace room and meetings were held in the hallway at their previous station.

The new 16,000-foot facility addresses those issues, Venenga said. She lauded a training room that can host up to 50 people and can also be used as a public meeting room, as well as the laundry area and locker room. She said officers are already using the buildings workout area.

The building features a secure detention area where officers can safely detain suspects before transporting them to jail. A sally port will allow officers to secure and process vehicles. The new station also has its own forensics lab, which will cut down the amount of evidence the department sends to the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation crime lab.

We have room to grow in this facility up to 40 officers, Venenga said.

The department currently employs 24 sworn officers and two support staff members.

Moving into a facility big enough and designed for a police department is definitely a morale boost, Venenga said.

The officers are excited to come to work and use the facility, Venenga said, noting officers have an easier time doing things like entering evidence into a computer. Its quick and easy for them to take care of what they need to take care of.

The police station is part of what city leaders ultimately envision as a civic campus. Heiar said the nearby fire station was just repainted and new doors have been ordered.

These aesthetic and functional improvements will match the colors of the new police station and further enhance the whole civic campus concept, he said.

Heiar expects the City Council to discuss a new City Hall later this year.

Comments: (319) 339-3155; lee.hermiston@thegazette.com

See the article here:

North Liberty police move into new $5.7 million home - The Gazette

The New York Liberty have beat the Washington Mystics 74-66 from IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. The win is the Libertys first of the season, after starting the bubble season, 0-5. The Mystics fall to 3-3 this season. The win was head coach Walt Hopkins first as the New York Liberty head coach.

The Liberty were led by three players in double digits, center, Amanda Zahui B with, 14 points, guard Layisha Clarendon with 14 and guard Kia Nurse with 17. The win was punctuated by a late block by Zahui B on Messeman, for her 100thcareer block, also leading to some words between Mystics guard Hines Allen and Zahui B. About the words Zahui B, shed some light on what was said, They were just talking. and my teammates told me to just stay poised.

All this comes after a team meeting, trying to right the ship yesterday, after the 30 point loss for the Liberty at the hands of the Minnesota Lynx. Coach Walt Hopkins detailed the meeting saying that the entire team put all their emotions about being in the bubble out, and talked about their daily things that were in their control, whats your controllable todayeverybody controlled their controllable today.

Washington struggled only shooting 4 of 16 from beyond the arch, which Clarendon chalked up the defensive scheming by the Liberty. While the Liberty shot 12-32, good for 37.5% from three point range.

The New York Liberty are back in action on August 9thwhen they face the Las Vegas Aces. The Washington Mystics are back in action on August 9thagainst the Indiana Fever.

For more thoughts and opinions from Max, check out hisauthor page.

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New York Liberty beat the Washington Mystics 74-66 - Aug 9, 2020 - Sports Are From Venus

With every passing day and week, we get more and more football news from the various conferences and schools around the country. These ripple affects spread far and wide and many of them ultimately reach Liberty.

Just this past week the Flames were confirmed for the 3 ACC plus one games that were originally scheduled against Virginia Tech, Syracuse, and NC State. Liberty also lost two games this week as UConn canceled its season and the Mid American Conference did the same forcing the Flames to lose a scheduled game against Bowling Green.

As we enter a new week and Liberty returning to the practice field on Monday, the Flames currently have 9 games scheduled for the 2020 season with openings on Sept. 5, Sept. 12, Oct. 3, and Oct. 31.

Its likely Liberty will elect to keep the Sept. 5 date open and not attempt to schedule a game that weekend as most schools and conferences are starting no earlier than Sept. 12.

Liberty head coach Hugh Freeze just said Friday the Flames are looking to open the season on Sept. 12 against an FCS opponent yet to be determined. Its also likely the Flames will only look to schedule at most two games to get to 11 games on the schedule to keep at least one date open throughout the fall.

Heres a look at teams across the country, with a special focus placed on teams within driving distance of Lynchburg, who have openings on the same dates as Liberty.

With the NCAAs decision to allow FBS opponents to count up to 2 wins over FCS opponents towards bowl eligibility this season, Libertys desire is obviously to play 2 FCS teams in 2020. Western Carolina, as of now, is still scheduled to visit Lynchburg in November, and the Flames would like to add a home opener on Sept. 12 against an FCS opponent.

Elon is still attempting to play this fall despite the CAA and James Madison pushing their season to the spring. The Phoenix are expected to hit the practice field again on Monday. Could we see Elon added as Libertys season opener or will the Phoenix make the same decision as the Dukes and punt on a fall season?

The Big South is one of a small minority of FCS conferences that are still working towards a fall football season. Gardner-Webb, Kennesaw State, and Monmouth could all play on Sept. 12 without making any additional changes to their schedules.

Robert Morrisis still attempting to put together a full 2020 schedule and they were supposed to play at Bowling Green on Sept. 12 until the MACs decision this weekend.

Like the Big South, the Southern Conference is still planning on a fall season and Chattanooga, ETSU, and Samford could all play on Sept. 12.

If Liberty is unable to finalize a deal with an FCS team and options continuing to dwindle, the Flames could look to a number of FBS teams nearby with openings on Sept. 12 Navy, Charlotte, Old Dominion, Marshall, Coastal Carolina, and Appalachian State are all available that weekend.

Army has just 5 games on their schedule right now and they are open on October 3rd.

In addition to Sept. 12, Old Dominion is also available this weekend as they lost a game at UConn. Lynchburg is much closer than the trip to the northeast anyways.

Similarly, Appalachian State is also open on Oct. 3.

FBS Independents Army and BYU are both available on Halloween.

Middle Tennessee Stateis open this weekend as well.

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Liberty has 3 open dates on the 2020 schedule, here are a few rescheduling options - A Sea of Red

Gov. Jay Inslees statewide mask order that took effect June 26 has its fair share of detractors. For many, the requirement to wear a face mask in public as a preventative act against the COVID-19 pandemic is inconvenient and disruptive to daily routines. However, those claiming personal liberty as justification for ignoring or defying social distancing and face mask protocols only acknowledge half of what liberty means. This half acknowledgment can and will hurt their own case in the long run.

The COVID-19 response at both the state and federal levels is commonly framed as a public welfare vs. liberty argument by both sides of the mask debate. One side argues that requiring face mask use promotes the public welfare through preventing disease transmission in public spaces, while the other side argues that such requirements impinge on individual liberties, especially if fines or other punishments are levied against those refusing to wear a mask.

The arguments used by those opposing mandatory mask orders relies almost exclusively on an expression of short-term negative liberty, when an understanding of governments role in promoting positive liberty through collective coordinated action is necessary to best address the pandemic and reopen our communities sooner.

The difference between negative and positive liberty is most succinctly understood as a difference between freedom from and freedom to.

Negative liberty is often expressed as an individuals freedom from government constraint. The Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment, which prevents governmental interference in religious practices, is a clear example of a negative liberty. Positive liberty involves freedom to do something or the ability to make autonomous decisions about how ones life goes.

Rather than refraining from action, this view of freedom might require government to provide resources or act in other ways to solve problems involving public coordination. Public education is one such example of positive liberty, upholding the view that all members of society should be free to pursue education and to be free from the ill-effects of ignorance.

The two sides of liberty come in conflict on a regular basis, and in some cases negative liberties are suspended without any concern. Imagine a police officer taking the car keys from someone under the influence of alcohol before they have a chance to get behind the wheel. That individual might claim they have been deprived of a liberty to drive when they pleased. However, by infringing on that individuals immediate negative liberty, the officer protects the more important freedom we all have to drive safely on the road without fear of drunk drivers.

A similar argument can be made with regard to the statewide mask order in Washington. Requiring individuals to wear a face mask under penalty of fines does deprive them of a negative liberty, but it strengthens a greater liberty which can only be protected through coordinated public action; it creates conditions by which we can all safely access social services and businesses. Furthermore, any effect on negative liberty can and should be temporary provided widespread mask use is maintained until COVID-19 is brought under control.

It is fine to express annoyance and frustration at a statewide mask order, but choosing to defy such requirements based on a liberty-based argument ignores the long-term welfare and liberty harm that may be done. In situations such as the state response to COVID-19, wearing a mask in public spaces is an expression of liberty. It shows that we want freedom to access our communities and economy, and that we want freedom from disease.

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Local View: Wearing a mask is an expression of liberty - The Columbian

Quarterback Chris Ferguson prepares to unleash a pass Friday during the opening of Liberty's training camp.

Malik Willis looks for an open wide receiver during Friday's opening of training camp at Liberty's indoor football practice facility.

Johnathan Bennett goes back to deliver a pass during Friday's opening practice of training camp in Liberty's indoor football practice facility.

Hugh Freeze inherited a potent Liberty offense in 2019 that featured a three-year starter at quarterback in Buckshot Calvert. The signal caller was entrenched at the position, which didnt create much competition at all in training camp.

Calverts graduation following his illustrious career opened up competition at quarterback, which Freeze and his staff will take full advantage of during this training camp.

Malik Willis and Chris Ferguson are alternating reps with the No. 1 offensive unit in the first seven practices to give Freeze plenty of chances to see who will seize control of the position heading into the Sept. 12 season opener.

Johnathan Bennett ran with the third string in Fridays first practice, and Freeze said the redshirt freshman will have opportunities to get additional reps with the second string throughout camp.

Im really excited about the competition we have there. Just in Day 1 today, I thought it was very competitive, Freeze said after Fridays practice. Malik and Chris and JB all looked pretty, pretty good. I love competition in the rooms. Thats why we brought in the ones we did, and Im just excited to see it play out. I think weve got really good options there from one day of practice, but really excited about the competition there.

Willis, an Auburn transfer, entered training camp as the expected starter, and Ferguson, who transferred from Maine this past offseason, was a close second on the depth chart.

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Liberty football notes: Quarterbacks Willis, Ferguson splitting reps at first team, and more - Lynchburg News and Advance

Roger Pilon has already paid tribute in these columns to D.C. Circuit Judge Stephen F. Williams (19362020), arevered friend and inspirational figure to many of us here at Cato, and agiant of administrative law whose scholarly and writing interests extended to such farflung fields as preRevolutionary Russian history. Some other appreciations: Fredrick Kunkle/Washington Post, Jonathan Adler first and second, Ben Wittes (friendship began after Wittes wrote something unfair about the judge, who characteristically overlooked it), Aaron Nielson (noting that Williams was famous for the regularity with which his clerks went on to become respected legal academics), Notice and Comment multiple authors, Nathaniel Zelinsky.

In his post linked above Aaron Nielson hails Judge Williams as a man of courage who was not afraid to speak out to what he perceived as threats to liberty. Nielson cites Williamss2016 opinion in alabor relations case, HTH v. NLRB, which hinged in part on the circumstances under which the National Labor Relations Board can order managers of acompany that has violated labor law to read aloud to workers the terms of anotice drafted by the Board, reciting past violations and promising to sin no more. Williams cited the words of thenJudge Ruth Bader Ginsburg in an earlier (1983) D.C. Circuit case, Conair v. NLRB, objecting to apersonalized order requiring anamed executive to read such anotice (I would not single out the president [of the company] here, or any other named individual, hand him lines, and make him sing.) Alas, Ginsburgs view did not prevail in that case, and her words came in adissent. In the 2016 case, which raised similar issues, Williams wrote:

Its worth pausing to think briefly why so many of our distinguished predecessors have used the terms humiliating and degrading, ignominy, and confession of sins for amandatory readingespecially by anamed perpetratornot to mention why thenJudge Ginsburg acknowledged that an order of this sort would occasion no surprise in asystem in which those who offend against state regulation must confess and repent as ameans of selfcorrection, or to educate others. Id. at 1401. For those familiar with 20th century history, such an order conjures up the system of criticismselfcriticism devised by Stalin and adopted by Mao. Criticism generally took the form of an attack on the target by his or her peers at ameeting with fellow workers, spouting claims fed them by powerful members of the Communist party (on pain of themselves being tagged enemies of the people), and then regurgitated by the target (selfcriticism) in the hopes that full confession might avert dispatch to the gulag, torture or execution.

What is the subtext communicated by the sort of scene the Board would mandate? What is communicated to the assembled workers and the perpetrator himself? You see before you one of your managers, who normally has aresponsibility to make important choices as to your work. But who is he? Not merely is he alawbreaker, but he is apathetic creature who can be forced to spout lines some government officials have put in his mouth. He is not even aparrot, who can choose when to speak; he is apuppet who speaks on command words that he may well abominate. We have successfully turned him into apathetic semblance of ahuman being. Of course, one may say, here it is just that the mighty have fallen; he was alawbreaker. But fallen so low? Fallen to acondition that denies his autonomy? Cf. United States v. Gementera, 379F.3d 596, 611 (9th Cir. 2004) (Hawkins, J., dissenting) (saying that the sole purpose of asentence requiring aconvicted mail thief to stand outside apost office for eight hours wearing asandwich board stating, I stole mail. This is my punishment was to turn him into amodern day Hester Prynne).

Liberty was asafer thing with Judge Williams standing guard for it.

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Judge Stephen Williams On Forced Public Confessions - Cato Institute