Fort Worth Star Telegram | Mansfield Legacy - Frisco Liberty girls basketball playoff recap - Feb ... Fort Worth Star Telegram The Mansfield Legacy Broncos succumbed to Frisco Liberty's clutch play in the final minute to lose 50-44 in a Class 5A regional semifinal. It was the Broncos' ... On to the next one: Liberty escapes past Mansfield Legacy for trip to ... |
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I have been getting my hair braided at Okapi braiding salon in East Liberty for seven years. Despite the salons success, it recently moved to its fourth location.From fifth grade to my senior year, I have watched Okapi, which was opened by a Congolese woman, grow. It is troubling to watch it shrink after all the effort thats been put into maintaining it.
Okapi isnt to blame for its constant movement. Many black women need their hair braided, and hair-braiding options are scarce in Pittsburgh. The problem has never been a shortage of clients or growing competition. The problem is gentrification.
Gentrification is a system in which a seemingly uninhabited or run-down neighborhood is renovated and developed by newer, wealthier, outside businesses, restaurants and residents. I have watched my neighborhood gentrify block by block.
While this may be seen as positive for some, I have firsthand knowledge that its not. The problem with this system is that when new people come in, the old people are forced out. Renovation comes at the cost of lower-income people. Gentrification is why Okapi, a thriving black-owned business, is in its fourth location on the outskirts of the neighborhood it was created in.
The same was true for the Shadow Lounge, a neighborhood venue for people of all ages that hosted open mic events and concerts for internationally recognized artists. The former community hub is now the Livermore, a hipster bar that Im not even old enough to enjoy. We lost Cut and Sew Studio, the place where I learned to sew. We lost Abay, the best Ethiopian cuisine in Pittsburgh, which had a full house every night. We lost Royal Caribbean and its sweet cocoa bread. Affordable, popular businesses were snuffed out and replaced with things that appeal to an entirely new demographic. We even lost our name. Now a sign reads East Side, because East Liberty sounds too old and too different and too black.
Gentrification is controversial because new people often see only its benefits. Growing up in a middle-class family, Ive experienced these benefits. Ive eaten at new restaurants, and Ive never worried about being forced out of my home.I could live a life of privilege in ignorant bliss, seeing only the positives of gentrification, but I wont. I still get my hair braided at Okapi salon, and its displacement still affects me. The small businesses that have existed in East Liberty since before it was gentrified should still be there.
Gentrification functions under the misconceived notion that an uninhabited neighborhood needs renovation when the reality is that these neighborhoods arent uninhabited. Historically, East Liberty was diverse and flourishing; it had a plethora of cultures, people and perspectives.
Living in East Liberty affects me deeply because of the culture and diversity that existed before gentrification, and because of the ways Ive witnessed that diversity be erased.
As long as those with power deem neighborhoods like East Liberty as uninhabited or run-down, our names will be lost, and the people who make Pittsburghs culture so vibrant will be forced further into the margins.
Ua Hayes is a high school student who lives in East Liberty.
Continued here:
First Person: The East Liberty I know - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
New York Times | Fearing for Miss Liberty New York Times But if the authorities want to charge her with something, they probably can. She constantly stands in one location, so she could possibly be charged with vagrancy. Her only possessions seem to be a torch and a tablet. Her name is Liberty. I fear for ... |
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Religious freedom is a core American value not left or right; liberal, or conservative. It is a founding ideal of our nation.
Unfortunately, some misguided Americans are rallying under the flag of religious liberty in a tragic attempt to divide our nation rather than unite and to give preferential treatment to Christians, whether abroad or here in the U.S.
True religious liberty does not favor any religion and must not be used to discriminate. We stand with all of our Christians neighbors and defend their right to worship and congregate as their faith calls them to do. That right is enshrined in the First Amendment, and we hold that right to be sacred.
However, religious liberty does not extend to treating others in an unjust, unkind and discriminatory way.
Three communities are currently at particular risk for unjust treatment under the cloak of a narrow definition of religious liberty.
Muslims in the United States are finding themselves set up for a separate standard of suspicion for violence, and targets of surveillance, bans and potential registries all in clear violation of the religious liberty afforded to all. This stands in sharp contrast to the kind of pass that has too often been afforded to white Christian nationalists who use race and religion to promote bigotry and violence.
Another community that is clearly a target under the so-called religious liberty mantle are LGBT people, who must be afforded the same basic rights, human dignity and respect for their families as others.
Religious liberty laws promoted by some Christians seek to protect or withhold services to conservative Christians under the guise of religious liberty, when in fact this has nothing to do with religious liberty and everything to do with oppression.
The other group that is at risk with an abuse of the religious liberty principle are women who wish to exercise their own conscience in the area of reproductive health.
A too-little known fact is that the Southern Baptist Convention signed an amicus brief to the original Roe v. Wade Supreme Court case because they felt that if someone could dictate the conscience of a woman on her right an abortion or contraception, they could also dictate in the area of religious conviction. Today that wisdom is at risk of being lost.
There are two crucial tests of religious liberty at play right now.
The first involves the rights of congregations to declare themselves sanctuary spaces to protect those most vulnerable to draconian immigration policies currently mandated by the White House.
The second clear religious liberty issue at stake is the rights of the people of the Sioux Tribe for protecting against the the violation of their sacred land against commercial interests. Religious liberty is at stake in both of these communities and we support these communities in their struggle to live out their faith in the world today.
The protection of religious liberty offers the freedom for all people to live their lives, worship as they choose and to make moral decisions. Religious liberty is not about privileging and protecting one group, in this case, conservative Christians who attempt to dictate their preferences over and against their neighbors.
Rev. Dr. Katharine R. Henderson is the president of Auburn Seminary. Rev. Paul Raushenbush is the senior vice president of Auburn Seminary.
The views of contributors are their own and not the views of The Hill.
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Real 'religious liberty' is not used to discriminate - The Hill (blog)
New York Times | At Ontario Underground Railroad Sites, Farming and Liberty New York Times The British North American provinces, or Canada, were among the most storied termini of the Underground Railroad. At least 30,000 African-American men, women and children fugitive slaves fled the American South and made their way to Canada. |
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At Ontario Underground Railroad Sites, Farming and Liberty - New York Times
Published: Fri, February 24, 2017 @ 7:33 p.m.
A summary of recent criminal activity in Hubbard, Liberty and Girard:
HUBBARD
Feb. 17
Arrest: A traffic stop on West Liberty Street led to the arrest of Dache C. Dawkins, 25, of Ashford Street, Hartford, who was wanted on a Youngstown Municipal Court bench warrant charging failure to appear in court.
Feb. 18
Child endangerment: Officers received a complaint that a 4-year-old girl had been walking alone on Stewart Avenue with no coat in 35-degree weather.
Feb. 19
Domestic violence: Vanessa L. Kolbrick, 46, of Creed Avenue, Hubbard, was charged with domestic violence and assault after a woman alleged an intoxicated Kolbrick had ripped out a clump of her hair during an argument that apparently had started over a pair of shoes.
Theft: A Girard man alleged his estranged wife had taken a pay stub from the accuser when he lived on Moore Street.
Feb. 20
Criminal damaging: Someone near state Route 304 used a sharp-tipped object to scratch a vehicles drivers-side doors and do an estimated $500 in damage.
Theft: A Moore Street man reported his wifes purse stolen after she had patronized a business in the 300 block of West Liberty Street.
LIBERTY
Feb. 18
Arrest: Suspicious activity in the 3900 block of Belmont Avenue caught officers attention before they took Kevin L. Johnson, 25, into custody. Johnson, of Holly Drive, Liberty, was wanted on a township warrant charging burglary.
Breaking and entering: Someone pried open a rear door and broke into Craft Automotive Repair LLC, 4506 Belmont Ave., before stealing a 2005 Chevrolet Monte Carlo. Other property that was missing included miscellaneous tools, three sets of tires and rims, a hard drive for video surveillance cameras and a scanning tool, for an estimated $66,583 loss.
Recovered property: A 2015 Chrysler vehicle was in an accident in Youngstown after an East Liberty Street man had reported the car stolen.
Feb. 19
Arrest: Weathersfield Township police handed to Liberty authorities Julius Jordan, 36, of Union Street, Warren, who was accused of failing to appear in court.
Criminal damaging: A car in the 2000 block of Pleasant Valley Road was found with two smashed windows. Damage came to about $1,000.
Criminal damaging: Someone in the 500 block of Murray Hill Drive evidently had used BBs or pellets to damage a vehicles windshield and place dents on its body and rear quarter panel.
Assault/theft: A Holly Drive woman alleged a Girard man, 36, had punched her during an argument between them near Belmont Avenue. Afterward, he fled and took a set of keys with him, she further reported.
Feb. 20
Arrest: Authorities were dispatched to the Mahoning County jail to pick up Kevin M. Sabo, 39, of Gordon Street, Campbell. He was wanted on a probation-violation charge related to a theft count.
Theft: A woman in her 70s reportedly stole $73 worth of groceries that included cat food from Giant Eagle, 4700 Belmont Ave.
Possible drug overdose: Police responded to a possible overdose at a Motor Inn Drive motel, where a woman reported having found a man unconscious on a restroom floor. He was given one dose of Narcan to reverse or block the effects of opioids, then taken to St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital.
Arrest: Authorities conducting a traffic stop near Colonial Drive arrested Jakwan L. Rudolph, 23, of Southern Boulevard, Boardman, who was wanted on a warrant. Rudolph also was charged with obstructing a police officer when, they alleged, he provided a false name.
Feb. 21
Arrest: After pulling him over in the 1000 block of Gypsy Lane, police took Jujuan L. Pinkard, 23, into custody. Pinkard, of Locust Avenue, Boardman, was wanted on a Weathersfield Township warrant charging failure to appear in court.
Identity theft: A Shannon Road woman discovered her missing bank card had been used to make $359 worth of fraudulent activity that originated in Chicago.
Citation: Marcus Chaney, 29, of Mansell Drive, Liberty, was cited on a charge of violating a township ordinance regarding confining and restraining dogs after police said they got a complaint that a dog had been running loose in the neighborhood.
Feb. 22
Menacing: An Anderson-Morris Road man said hes received text messages and calls in which he was threatened with bodily harm, apparently regarding money owed.
Arrest: Police responded to possible drug activity in the 100 block of Laurel Avenue, where they arrested Willie A. Key, 30, of Halleck Street, Youngstown. He was wanted on a township warrant.
GIRARD
Feb. 20
Criminal mischief: A woman told officers that another woman had dumped a can of soda on her vehicle during an argument between the accuser and the other womans boyfriend at a West Liberty Street apartment building.
False alarm: Police and firefighters responded to a report of a house fire in the 1000 block of Patricia Drive, which proved to be unfounded. The homeowner told authorities she was asleep and didnt know who had made the call, a report said.
Theft: An Illinois Avenue man reported about 15 feet of wooden fence planks had been removed from his backyard.
Feb. 21
Criminal mischief: A North Avenue woman noticed various decorations had been removed from her apartment door.
Identity fraud: A Wellman Avenue woman found out someone without consent had tried to buy an airline ticket with her personal information, and that a $150 unauthorized charge was made to her credit card.
Burglary: To a residence in the 300 block of Mosier Road. Stolen was more than $10,000 worth of merchandise that included mainly various collectible items.
Theft: A woman reported a Sony PlayStation 4 console and related accessories missing from her South Elruth Court apartment.
Menacing: A Gordon Street woman said a neighbor had threatened to harm her grandchildren.
Feb. 22
Trespassing: Six boys age 15 and 16 reportedly were caught trespassing on property that belongs to the Ohio Central Railroad Co. off Byers Street.
Feb. 23
Theft: A woman discovered a package containing nine types of medication missing after it had been delivered to her North Avenue residence.
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Summary of recent criminal activity in Hubbard, Liberty and Girard - Youngstown Vindicator
Gov. Nathan Deal was unequivocal in his opposition to a revived religious liberty measure on Thursday, signaling he would veto the bill if it made it to his desk.
I didnt want there to be any confusion about where I stand on the RFRA bill: I have no desire or appetite to entertain that legislation, Deal said.
He was referring to a one-page proposal introduced this week by state Sen. Marty Harbin that brought the debate over the legislation back to the forefront. Harbins measure would require the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 to apply in Georgia.
The governor on Wednesday said the state must take an extremely cautious approach to the measure but also said it was only fair that we give it due consideration. A day later, though, Deals position had hardened as he criticized Harbins proposal in unsparing terms.
Our state is doing exceptionally well and weve seen rather disastrous consequences from other states who have made a departure on that issue, he said. I see no reason or justification for us to do anything further.
An uphill climb
Harbins measure is significantly scaled down from the eight-page bill that Deal vetoed last year, in part to make it harder for the governor to oppose. Deal, while a member of Congress, voted for the federal version of the legislation that Harbins measure addresses.
Even though it has about 20 Republican co-sponsors, the legislation faces an arduous climb in the statehouse.
Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle and House Speaker David Ralston backed last years version of the proposal but moved this year to try to put the contentious debate behind them. Both have repeatedly said it should be up to federal lawmakers and not state ones to tackle the debate thats divided the Legislature for more than three years.
In a clear sign that he is still queasy with the measure, Cagle assigned Harbins proposal, Senate Bill 233, to a committee on Wednesday that gives him and his allies more control over whether the bill moves forward.
The legislation has taken on various forms over time, but supporters typically want Georgia to join the 21 other states that have similar laws they say will protect people of faith from government intrusion, as well as strengthen legal protections for opponents of gay marriage.
Harbin and other supporters say that, at the very minimum, Georgia should commit to upholding the 1993 RFRA legislation supported by a bipartisan group of lawmakers and signed into law by Democratic President Bill Clinton.
That statute requires the government to prove a compelling governmental interest before it interferes with a persons exercise of religion. A 1997 U.S. Supreme Court ruling concluded that the law doesnt apply to the states, and dozens of legislatures have since passed their own versions to cover actions by state governments.
State Sen. Josh McKoon, one of the most outspoken advocates for the legislation, said Republican lawmakers owe it to their constituents to vote on the measure.
Almost every Republican legislator I know of with a contested election last year campaigned on religious freedom legislation, McKoon said. Can anyone credibly say if a Democratic governor was threatening a veto of SB 233 that there would be any hesitation among Republican legislators moving forward? Of course not.
Not part of my agenda
The opponents, including powerful business boosters and gay rights groups, warn the measure amounts to legalized discrimination and point to executives from dozens of big-name companies, including Apple, Disney and Time Warner, who called on the governor to veto the bill.
And theyve been quick to cite Indiana and North Carolina as cautionary tales. Indiana still faces economic aftershocks after passing similar legislation in 2015, while North Carolina has been at the center of a raging national debate and the loss of high-profile sports and cultural events after adopting a much broader measure involving transgenders using bathrooms.
Deal, too, invoked the struggles in both those states when pressed on his stance for this years legislative proposal. In two separate interviews, he tacked to his veto message from last year, in which he said religious liberty legislation threatens to undercut Georgias pro-business environment and its welcoming image.
This is not something that is part of my agenda, he said, and its something I do not view as being beneficial to the state.
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Georgia governor opposes new 'religious liberty' bill - MyAJC
Activists took to one of Americas most enduring icons to publicly fight the anti-immigration doctrines introduced by the Trump administration during its first month in office.
Accessing the public observation deck at the top of the statues base, protestors hung a 20-foot by 3-foot banner off the decks edge which read simply REFUGEES WELCOME.
A group known as Alt Lady Liberty has taken credit for the act and posted this tweet:
The group also emailed out the following statement:
"Almost all Americans have descendants from somewhere else. Immigrants and refugees make this country great. And turning away refugees, like we did to Anne Frank, does not make us great. Refugees are welcome here, Muslims are welcome here and immigrants are welcome here.
And it's not just our ancestors. Every American knows an immigrant or a refugee. We wanted to send a reminder about America when we're at our best -- the country that's a beacon of freedom to the world, built by immigrants. Walling off countries or entire religions is against our values. That's what the Statue of Liberty stands for."
The act is illegal, as hanging anything off the landmark is strictly prohibited, but that didnt keep like-minded tourists from snapping selfies that prominently displayed a sentiment near to their hearts. Shortly after the banner was hung it was removed by Park Rangers who oversee the attraction.
Authorities have stated that an investigation is underway to ascertain the identities of those behind the act.
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A 'Refugees Welcome' Banner Was Just Unfurled On The Statue Of ... - GOOD Magazine
KHOU.com staff , KHOU 4:25 PM. CST February 23, 2017
Liberty County Precinct 1 Constable Justin Johnston (Photo: LinkedIn profile)
LIBERTY COUNTY - A Liberty County constable badly hurt in a traffic accident last week has taken a turn for the worse, relatives say.
Justin Johnston was critically injured when he was hit by a pickup truck while directing traffic on Highway 146 in Dayton.
He was moved out of ICU at Memorial Hermann Hospital over the weekend, He was removed from a ventilator and even took his first steps since the accident.
But Johnstons aunt sent the following update Thursday to the Liberty County Sheriffs Office.
Justin Johnston was critically injured when he was hit by a pickup while directing traffic in Dayton. (Air 11)
It's not been a good day. He is mostly unresponsive. We are able to wake him but only for very brief moments. The ironic part is that he was well on his way of having the best 24 hours he'd had since one week ago tonight.
We have learned that things change very quickly. But, God does not. We have learned that in moments of complete desperation, we are completely held by God. He whispers in Justin's ear that He will never leave him or turn His back on him.
As always, I am so thankful for the men and women of the Liberty County Sheriffs Department and the Constables who stay with him every minute. There's no way that Julie, Brent and I would be able to function without them.
Continue to pray that he will be completely restored. Thanks! Tomorrow will be a better day.
Friends of Johnston have established a benefit fund to help his family as he recovers. Anyone who wishes to make a donation to the Johnston family can do so at any Prosperity Bank in the account name of "Justin Johnston Benefit Fund."
( 2017 KHOU)
KHOU
Liberty Co. constable improving, out of ICU after being hit directing traffic
KHOU
Prayer service scheduled for Constable in critical condition after crash
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Family: Liberty County constable now 'unresponsive' | khou.com - KHOU.com
Lewis Hamilton wants new F1 owners Liberty to give the drivers freedom to reach the public by social media on race weekends, without issues over broadcasting rights making their lives difficult.
In the Bernie Ecclestone era, drivers were subject to the same tight restrictions on streaming video from the paddock that have apply to everyone. That led to drivers getting into trouble if any content was deemed to have broken the rules.
I dont have all the answers, I mean that is not my expertise, Hamilton said Thursday. But if you look at football, social media is so much greater, they utilize social media a lot better in football, in the NBA, in the NFL. In F1 every time for example I would have posted a picture or a video I would have got a warning from the FIA, or notice telling you to take it down.
This year I am hoping that they will change that rule, and allow social media for all of us because social media obviously an incredible medium for the world to communicate with. And for the sport to be able to grow, it is a super easy free tool to grow for the sport, for us to use to share it, to engage with other people.
There are people who are following me, some of whom are on right now, who have not been F1 fans for a long, long time, but one of their friends who happens to follow me or one of the other drivers has said to follow, and has since started to watch the races. I am sure it is one of the fastest and its the new way, the new way forwards.
Meanwhile, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff agreed with Hamilton on the role of social media, and believes Liberty will be able to implement changes to the sport sooner rather than later. Wolff says that improvements to the show could be seen this season.
Of course you are always limited by contracts and also part of the success of F1 was long-term contracts that give F1 stability, said Wolff. But that also means that probably you might not be able change everything at once.
But I think there will be quite some short-term changes, things that are possible to be implemented. At least what we have heard, in terms of enhancing the show at the track, giving access to the paddock, giving teams and the media more rights, and the drivers more rights. So I think there are quite some things that are going to happen pretty quickly.
Wolff also acknowledged the contribution of Bernie Ecclestone over he decades, but stressed that Liberty brings new specialist knowledge to the table.
Bernie has invented the sport from a couple of racing driver and racing teams meeting each other to the most successful global port in the world, generating $1.5 billion in EBITDA [earning before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization]. Thats a serious company. And I think there are areas where there is nobody better than him. I havent met any more skilled deal maker [a] Machiavelli and that is part of F1, and has made it what it is.
Now with the new shareholders coming in, they have great expertise in the TV market, TV rights, sports rights. The USA is much more advanced in monetizing sports rights through either free TV, pay TV, digital channels, and I think it provides opportunity.
There is a certain risk that we might miss the deal making ability of Bernie, and there is a certain opportunity with Liberty coming in with know-how that we didnt have previously. My message is the most important thing is to recognize what the DNA and USP of F1 is, and to keep that, and develop it from there.
Wolff confirmed that various members of the team have been in contact with Ross Brawn and the sports other new bosses.
We have spoken to each other a couple of occasions, a few times over the last weeks. As a team, various team members in their fields, we had a very regular exchange, with Ross, with Chase Carey, and with Sean [Bratches]. And they are interested in hearing our opinions, and hearing where we see deficits, and where we see opportunity. It was a very pro-active approach. I think just the way it should be.
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Lewis Hamilton hopes Liberty will relax F1's social media rules - FOXSports.com
Andy Zimmerman, Special to the Statesman Journal 9:07 p.m. PT Feb. 23, 2017
Cinnamon Bear was a fixture of the holiday at Lipmans in downtown Salem. His furry embrace and yummy Cinnamon Bear cookies greeted scores of youngsters who visited the department store over the years.(Photo: Statesman Journal file)Buy Photo
It went from being an eye opener to an eye sore; it was a sign of growth and a tale of downtown decay.
When Lipman, Wolfe & Co. announced on April 21, 1953, it was going to build a store in Salem, it was part of a department store boon. Five weeks earlier, Meier & Frank told of its plans for a downtown Salem store. And later in the decade, Sears constructed a store in the new Capitol Shopping Center.
When completed, the $3 million Lipman store would be the largest department store in Oregon, outside of Portland, store officials told the Oregon Statesman. The new store, at the southwest corner of Chemeketa and Liberty streets NE, was once the site of a home known as A.N. Gilbert house, which was torn down in 1930. The family still owned the property at the time it was leased to Lipmans, the newspaper reported.
Before the Dec. 29, 1953, groundbreaking, a luncheon was held at the Marion Hotel, where Salem Mayor Al Loucks presented the ceremonial keys to the city to Harold Wendel of Lipman, Wolfe & Co. of Portland in connection with the pouring of the first cement for the store.
Among the guests was Agnes Schucking, who was born 70 years earlier on the store site at Liberty and Chemeketa.
Lipmans, which might be best remembered for the Cinnamon Bear radio story character that was part of its Christmas advertising, opened its Salem store on Sept. 9, 1954. Oregon Gov. Paul Patterson cut a foot-wide pink-satin ribbon across the Liberty Street entrance. The store had four floors, with a tea room (the Cherry Room), lunch counter (The Chocolate Bar), a beauty salon and a fourth-floor terrace.
Focal point of interest inside the Liberty Street entrance on opening day will be an antique sled filled with 30 dozen roses, the Capital Journal reported on Sept. 8, 1954. The sled, of hand carved wood, once belonged to a duchess in the court of Queen Marie Antionette, according to Lipmans interior decorators.
MORE: Find pastTime Capsules.
Tea for nearly 200 guests would be served daily in Lipmans elegant Cherry Room, the Oregon Statesman said.
Tea at Lipmans will become as much a Salem tradition as picnics in Bushs Pasture and concerts in Willson Park, store officials told the Oregon Statesman.
In 1979, the store closed for two days and re-emerged with a new owner, Marshall Field, and a new name, Frederick & Nelson.
The store closed abruptly on Oct. 2, 1986. Forty employees lost their jobs, according to a story in the Oct. 3, 1986, Statesman Journal. The stores windows were boarded up shortly thereafter.
Outside of a few events held inside the otherwise empty store, the building stood empty for nearly nine years. A new owner in 1991 did little to the property.
The city was in the process of condemning the property when it was sold in June 1995 to another developer, who remodeled the building.
The newly named Liberty Plaza opened the following year, with LaBelle Fleur opening its doors on Oct. 14, 1996, as the first store.
Andy Zimmerman is a former Statesman Journal copy editor who writes a column about local history twice per month. You can contact him with comments or suggestions for future stories at SJTimeCapsule@gmail.com.
Time capsule: Meier & Frank ushered new era
Heritage: Teens learn about female mill worker from early 1900s
One store led to Lancaster Mall
Do you know of an iconic Salem event, location or business that has been lost to history and should be remembered? Send suggestions to SJTimeCapsule@gmail.com.
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Heritage: Liberty Plaza used to be fancy Lipman's - Statesman Journal
UPDATE: The attempt to shield the bill from changes failed on a 18-34 vote on the floor.
ORIGINAL POST:Georgias latest religious liberty billmay have only been introduced Wednesday in the state Senate, but the chamber has quickly signaled it will be met with a fight.
Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, who presides over the chamber, assignedSenate Bill 233 to the powerful Rules Committee, a move that gives leadership broad rein over the bill and whether it advances in the chamber. Under normal circumstances, the bill would have likely been assigned to the Senate Judiciary Committee, but thats not what happened.
The bills sponsor, state Sen. Marty Harbin, R-Tyrone, immediately countered Cagle by calling for the bill to be engrossed and protected from any changes he essentially wants to bar the Rules Committee from touching the bill.
Its an extremely unusual move. No one including Cagle (whos a former state senator) said they could remember a bill being engrossed upon introduction. The chamber is now expected to debate the merits of the request and, to a degree, the bill today on the floor.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution will again have Georgias largest team covering the Legislature. Get complete daily coverage during the legislative session atmyAJC.com/georgialegislature. http://www.accessatlanta.com
Harbin was adamant thatthe bill shouldnt be changed, telling a reporter that while he knew this has never been done before, I want Georgians to have the same protection thats in federal law with no tinkering with the proposed wording.
SB 233 stops far short of the wide-ranging religious liberty bill that Gov. Nathan Deal vetoed last year, saying it would damage the states reputation of tolerance and inclusion.
In contrast,Harbins bill says simply that the language in the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act would also apply in Georgia. The federal law requires the government to prove a compelling governmental interest before it interferes with a persons exercise of religion.
To read more about the fight over religious liberty in Georgia and the history of the debate in the state Legislature,click here to read our premium story.
Original post:
High school basketball coaches have enough nightmares, especially when the playoffs arrive, thinking about opposing defenses, wondering if players will step up or whether calls will go their way.
So when a dream comes true, its a treat.
For Liberty first-year boys basketball coach Jeff Hicks, his treat Wednesday came via a career night for senior Okenna Clement, who scored a career-high 15 points off the bench to help the host Patriots to a 74-68 win over Fresno-Sunnyside in the first round of the Central Section Division I playoffs.
Wow, O gave us the boost we needed off the bench, Hicks said. He finished tough baskets underneath against guys six inches taller than him. He was everything we needed.
Those are the efforts teams need in the playoffs, and Clement knew that going in.
Anything could happen, Clement said. I was talking to the younger guys, and I was like, this probably (could) be my final game. Play as hard as you can.
One of those younger guys was sophomore Isaiah Hill, playing in his first high school playoff game after sitting out last season as an intra-district transfer.
Hill, who scored 17 points, said he had nerves coming into the game.
There was a little bit, Hill said.
But being a basketball player, youve got to go show out in these games.
Hill did just that early on. He scored five points as Liberty built a 9-2 lead in the first three minutes before Sunnyside tied the game 13-13 late in the first.
Liberty had a 12-point lead at the half as Anieus Medrano scored two of his game-high 19 points on a layup just before the buzzer for a 38-26 advantage.
But Sunnyside (15-15) battled back.
C.J. Ayers hit two 3-pointers, and 6-foot-8 junior Amari Stroud scored seven of his team-high 17 points during an 18-3 run for the Wildcats, cutting Libertys lead to 49-48.
Thats playoff basketball, Hicks said.
Sumeer Gill hit three free throws after being fouled beyond the arc to start an 9-0 run, and Liberty led 58-50 after three quarters.
Then Clement, all 6-foot-1 of him, stepped up in the fourth quarter with rebounds over Stroud and 6-foot-6 Josh Woods (11 points, 17 rebounds) and hit a key layup to give Liberty a 69-62 lead with 1:19 to play.
Its just about being physical, Clement said.
Every practice we are all physical. I think its about us being physical and us wanting this more.
Liberty will host Clovis North on Friday in the quarterfinals after the Broncos beat Clovis 67-42 on Wednesday.
Ultimately you want to play at home, Hicks said. We shoot on these hoops every day, and this is where we want to be. We put ourselves in a situation in the season to be here.
Gill finished with 16 points for Liberty, including three 3-pointers.
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Clement's big night off bench leads Liberty - The Bakersfield Californian
In 1920, George Truett, pastor of Dallas First Baptist Church, preached a message on the steps of the U.S. Capitol to a crowd of about 15,000. It was a message calling for religious liberty.
It is the natural and fundamental and indefeasible right of every human being to worship God or not, according to the dictates of his conscience, and, as long as he does not infringe upon the rights of others, he is to be held accountable alone to God for all religious beliefs and practices.
Lest anyone misconstrue his words as a call for mere toleration, Truett added, Toleration is a matter of expediency, while liberty is a matter of principle. Toleration is a gift from man, while liberty is a gift from God. God wants free worshipers and no other kind.
Governments, however, have been much more likely to infringe upon that liberty, instead of protecting every persons religious liberty as is their proper role. In many Muslim countries, women are required by law to don the hijab (headscarves) in public, while in some other places, such as France, the hajib is banned.
One would suspect that Truett, whose descendants own the highly successful Chick-fil-A restaurants, would have disapproved of either position, but would commend the action taken by Nazi (her first name, which means gentle, and is pronounced Nah-Zee, not the shortened form of National Socialist, the party of Hitler) Paikidze-Barnes, the reigning U.S. womens chess champion.
The World Womens Chess Championship is being held in Tehran, Iran, but Paikidze is not there, because the theocratic Iranian government has made it a requirement that all participants (Muslim or non-Muslim) in the tournament wear the hajib.
She announced her decision in an Instagram post. Some consider a hijab part of culture. But, I know that a lot of Iranian women are bravely protesting this forced law daily and risking a lot by doing so. Thats why I will NOT wear a hijab and support womens oppression. She was unsuccessful in getting the World Chess Federation (FIDE) to move the championship out of Iran. However, Iran was the only nation to submit a bid to host the event.
A spokesman for FIDE said that they were not requiring participants to wear a hajib, but they do require players to respect local traditions, customs, laws and religions at all times and be aware of your actions to ensure that do not offend. (Emphasis added.)
Ironically, the game of chess is believed to have originated in the Persian Empire (basically Iran) in the sixth century. The familiar check, which announces an attack on the opposing king, is a variation of the Persian word for king shah. The actual capture of the opposing king is checkmate, or shah-mate, which translates roughly as the king is helpless.
One would expect that feminists and their allies in the media to be supportive of Paikidzes courageous stand for womens rights, if they cannot support the concept of religious liberty, but she has received very little encouragement from either. In fact, Azadeh Moaveni, writing in an op-ed for the the New York Times, was quite critical of her, writing, This kind of protest outsiders who think they know best is exactly the opposite of what most Iranian women want, and is at the heart of whats worst about policing how Muslim women dress. (Liberty is not something that should be up to what most want, but rather what an individual wants).
How exactly forcing women especially non-Muslim women such as Paikidze, who are not even Iranians to wear a headscarf as part of a religious practice they do not believe in, is somehow policing how Muslim women dress is not stated. But policing in Iran is done by the Iranian government, which actually patrols the streets to ensure that all women wear the hajib.
Mitra Hejazipour, a woman grandmaster, and the 2015 Asian womens champion, also disagreed with Paikidzes decision to opt out of the tournament in Iran, rather than wear the hajib. Hejazipour told the Guardian that Paikidzes boycott would be detrimental to Iranian female chess players. This is going to be the biggest sporting event women in Iran have ever seen; we havent been able to host any world championship in other sporting fields for women in the past, Hejazipour said. Its not right to call for a boycott. These games are important for women in Iran.
Paikidze responded, I am not anti-Islam or any other religion. I stand for freedom of religion and choice. Im protesting FIDEs decision not because of Irans religion or people, but for the governments laws that are restricting my rights.
Born in 1993 in Russia, Paikidzes father, a mechanical engineer, taught her how to play chess when she was four years old. They moved to Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, where she attended elementary school. Chess was part of the curriculum, which soon became her favorite class. Her chess teacher believed she had exceptional talent, and recommended she consider a professional chess career.
At age nine, she won her first international tournament, taking the title of European youth chess champion (in the category for girls under ten). Russian grandmaster Vladimir Belov began coaching her when she was 14, and she achieved the title of woman grandmaster in 2010, and finally, international master (which includes males, as well) in 2012.
Over the years, Paikidze won multiple tournaments and championships, before moving to the United States to attend the University of Maryland, which had a well-known powerful college chess team. Soon, she changed her FIDE affiliation to the United States, and married American engineer Greg Barnes. They make their home in Las Vegas, and Paikidze makes her living as a chess professional.
Passing on the world womens championship tournament in Iran is a financial sacrifice for her, as she could have won $100,000. But that would have required her to follow others religious beliefs, not her own. I will NOT wear a hijab and support womens oppression, she explained, even if it means missing one of the most important competitions of my career.
She added, By participating, I would be forced to submit to forms of oppression designed specifically for women. It sets the wrong example, particularly for young girls interested in chess. She insisted that her decision is not intended as an insult to the people of Iran. I have received the most support and gratitude from the people of Iran, who are facing this situation every day.
When government proceeds to infringe upon religious liberty, by forcing a person to wear something for religious reasons, when they do not wish to do so; or to write words on a cake antithetical to their religious beliefs; or to require Catholic nuns to pay for contraceptives in contradiction to their religious liberty; then that government has acted in an opposite way from what is the proper role of government.
When George Truett said he was for absolute liberty in religion back in 1920, most Americans would have nodded in agreement. It was a principle enshrined in our founding documents, and enunciated by the founder of Rhode Island colony, Roger Williams, when he said, Forced worship stinks in Gods nostrils. Were it so today, the country's inhabitants would be better off.
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Woman Chess Player Makes Move for Religious Liberty - The New American
Immigration activists unfurled a sign that read "Refugees Welcome" from the observation deck of the Statue of Liberty on Tuesday.
The 20-foot by 3-foot red and white banner was hung near the statue's base soon after the Department of Homeland Security announceda host of immigration enforcement changes ordered by President Donald Trump, including expediting deportations of "criminal illegal immigrants" and the hiring of 15,000 immigration enforcement officials.
The groupAlt Lady Liberty claimed responsibility for the banner, sayingthe act was a "reminder" that welcoming immigrants and refugees is integral to America's core values, according to CNN.
The message of the Statue of Liberty is unmistakable.
This banner ought to make it clear 2 @realDonaldTrump #RefugeesWelcome#NoBanNoWall pic.twitter.com/ZSpg4uB9Qg
Alt Lady Liberty (@AltStatLiberty) February 21, 2017
Ingraham: Trump Is Fulfilling His Promise to Crack Down on Illegal Immigration
Rove: DHS 'Makes It Clear' They Will Prioritize Deportations Based on Crime
'Angel Mom': 'Nobody Gets Sanctuary From the Law'
The sign was removed by park authorities after about an hour, which allowed photos to circulate online -- sparking a social media firestorm for and against the protest.
I believe the Statue of Liberty actually has a plaque on it that says refugees are welcome. https://t.co/xZl0y9KJY8
Kat Godspell (@KatGodspell) February 22, 2017
The statue has always sybolized hope for immigrants 'Refugees Welcome' banner hung on Lady Liberty https://t.co/l4BkbvYvaZ #SUsocialwork
Alexandra Young (@ayoungsowk17) February 22, 2017
CLUELESS LIBERALS HANG Refugees Welcome Sign On Statue Of LibertyHeres Why Theyre All Wrong [Video] https://t.co/8Ug4VQ1hZV pic.twitter.com/ObfOIB6GvD
Fayber Miller (@suppfortrump) February 22, 2017
'Refugees Welcome' banner illegally placed on Statue of Liberty, who does that happen? Immigrats were legally here https://t.co/PtmBWyWFJS
The TRUMP Effect (@Truth_Lost13) February 22, 2017
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Immigration Activists Hang 'Refugees Welcome' Sign on Statue of Liberty - Fox News Insider
WEST LIBERTY, Iowa (KWQC) A social media experiment in a small Iowa town is reaching across the globe.
Its kind of crazy how many people have seen that post already, said West Liberty parent Sandee Buysse-Baker.
West Liberty, Iowa is home to around four thousand people. The community is surprised to see how far one social media post, meant to be a lesson for local students, is reaching.
I had to shut my phone off, said Chief Kary Kinmonth, the mastermind behind the lesson. My phone was just going crazy.
The idea sparked as a way to localize in West Liberty the reality of social media use.
Were talking to kids about social media stuff and we wanted to show them how quickly once you put something out there you dont get it back, Chief Kinmonth said.
He said the experiment is exceeding expectations.
Mission accomplished as far as Im concerned, Chief Kinmonth said.
Since publishing this post around 7:30 a.m. Tuesday millions have seen it.
As of [Tuesday afternoon] I think we have almost 1.2 million people that have seen it and its been shared thousands of times, he said. Its been commented on I think over six thousand times now.
West Liberty teen Maya Morales said it is great to see her little town getting lots of attention.
Its pretty cool how one little thing can become a big thing, she said.
But Morales also recognizes the dangers the reach of this post represents.
Like it could be bad at times but it really depends on what you did, she said.
But parents like Sandee Buysse-Baker feel the post also represents the positive and responsible side of social media.
As parents and as users of social media if we can use it in responsible ways and in positive ways then that kind of helps to reinforce the message to our kids too, she said.
No matter the take-away from this social media experiment, Chief Kinmonth said this lesson hits a personal note for the tight-knit community.
It humanizes it and it also kind of validates it in our eyes too, he said.
This post has made its way across the globe, seen by people from New Zealand, Australia and Mexico to name a few.
West Liberty Police are taking everything they have learned from this post and putting together a presentation. They plan to share it with students next week.
Excerpt from:
Members of our community may have information to assist in this investigation. We are making a direct appeal to members of this community who may have information but are unaware or unsure of its significance or assume law enforcement may already have the information.
Often someone in the community will unknowingly be associated with the individual or individuals who committed the crime and may be in a position to observe behavioral changes in that person. They will recognize the changes, and may even question the person about it, but may not connect the changes to that persons involvement in the crime.
On Monday, February 13, the individual or individuals responsible for these crimes may have been absent from work, missed or cancelled appointments or social engagements, or been unavailable or unresponsive during the afternoon period. They may have been a no-show or offered a plausible excuse for their absence or tardiness such as, illness, death in the family, car trouble, etc.
Since that time, the individual or individuals may have exhibited some of the following:
It is important to know that the exhibition of one or more of these behavioral changes alone are not indicative of ones involvement in a crime. These behavioral characteristics or changes are being shared so that the public may be sensitive to them and may bring forth possible helpful information. If you have any information that you feel may be of use in this investigation, please contact us the tip line at (844) 459-5786 or via e-mail to abbyandlibbytip@cacoshrf.com.
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Construction crews had doused minor fires on the Liberty Bridge twice in the previous three days before a major fire on Sept. 2 closed the bridge for 24 days, according to documents obtained from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
The 155 pages of documents, obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, show that hours before the major fire occurred, a safety official for Joseph B. Fay Co. removed an employee assigned to watch for fire in the area where the major blaze occurred. Safety officials also failed to report the previous fires to their supervisors or to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, which is paying for the $80 million bridge rehabilitation project.
Safety experts said the minor fires never would have happened if Fay had followed proper safety procedures, and after they happened, the company should have taken steps to improve procedures to avoid the major fire that almost caused the bridge to collapse.
What this says to me is the safety hierarchy there wasnt working in a collaborative manner, said Frank Burg, a registered professional safety engineer and certified safety professional in Woodstock, Ill. Mr. Burg spent 18 years as an OSHA inspector and has operated a private firm, Accident Prevention Corp., for 22 years.
If they arent reporting these near misses, theres a problem in their safety procedures.
Fay has paid a reduced fine of $7,500 for what OSHA termed a serious safety violation, not protecting flammable material, and has adjusted its fire safety procedures. The bridge rehabilitation project is expected to resume in earnest in March once permanent repairs are made.
According to a statement he filed with OSHA, Les Carpenter, senior superintendent with Fay, said he was not aware of previous fires that had occurred on Aug. 30 and Sept. 1. In those incidents, hot slag from a metal-cutting operation on the top deck fell onto a tarp surrounding a construction deck two levels below and caused minor fires that employees put out with hoses at the site.
After the first minor fire, safety officials assigned an employee to the lower deck to watch for fires. On Sept. 2, hours before the major fire was discovered at 12:55 p.m., Mr. Carpenter said he reassigned the fire watch from the lower level to other duties.
Mr. Carpenter said the immediate supervisor never explained why he wanted a fire watch on the lower platform and he didnt ask. He reassigned the employee because through three earlier phases of the project an employee assigned to fire watch duties on the upper deck was responsible for watching the lower decks as well.
Fay safety coordinator Zachery Reefer, who said he was at the job site one to three days a week, and safety director Dave Maloney, who oversees safety at all Fay job sites, also didnt know the minor fires had occurred.
That [minor fire] is a pretty serious incident, Mr. Burg said. There has to be reporting on that to top management.
Jim Foringer, PennDOTs assistant district executive for construction, said Fay didnt report the minor fires to PennDOT, either, because they were quickly handled by employees at the site. PennDOT conducted a safety review immediately after the major fire, he said, but Fay changed its procedures to have fire safety responsibilities assigned to a foreman at the site before PennDOT made its recommendations.
PennDOT is satisfied with that change and will review safety procedures as normal before construction resumes, Mr. Foringer said.
All three men said the companys normal practice was to remove flammable material from areas below a metal-cutting operation because of openings in the bridge deck that could allow hot slag to fall below. Crews placed plywood on the deck to try to cover holes but also were supposed to cover with Kevlar any flammable material below that couldnt be removed.
Plastic ventilation pipe on the lower deck was left uncovered on Sept. 2 and ignited in a major fire 30 to 45 minutes after crews had quit a metal-cutting operation. The fire burned so hot that it buckled a key 30-foot steel chord that supports a large portion of the bridges weight.
David Gardner, a Pittsburgh-based civil engineering expert who specializes in construction safety for Robson Forensic in Lancaster, Pa., said fires should not occur even when crews are working with live flames if companies follow safety procedures established by OSHA and the National Fire Protection Association. When he worked on a similar project on the Fort Pitt Bridge in 2002-03, he said, the only fire that occurred was an arson set near the Fort Pitt Tunnel.
Im going to say that should not happen minor fires should not occur occasionally, Mr. Gardner said. I would think in a job as confining as the Liberty Bridge that the safety measures to make sure there are no fires would be really strong.
Fay officials werent available to be interviewed about the OSHA documents but issued this statement:
Individual OSHA interviews are a portion of an investigation and need to be taken in context with all the findings. The final determination was based on the entirety of information collected and verified by the compliance officer.
The OSHA investigation is closed. The bridge was reopened and safe to traffic months ago and not one person was injured during the entire incident. Modifications have been made to procedures to assure no future situations occur.
OSHA initially fined Fay $11,224, nearly the maximum for a serious incident, but regional director Christopher Robinson said that was cut to $7,500 based on Fays cooperation and previously strong safety record. He said despite working with open flames, construction fires shouldnt occur.
There was a finding of a lack of a real strong violation history, so the fine was reduced, Mr. Robinson said. Ideally, [these types of fires] shouldnt happen. Its certainly not something we like to hear.
Ed Blazina: eblazina@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1470.
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The banner, approximately 3 feet by 20 feet, was up for over an hour before being removed. USA TODAY
An aerial view of the Statue of Liberty in New York.(Photo: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
Activistscaled the Statue of Libertyand unfurled a red and white "Refugees Welcome" banner on Tuesday, just hours after theDepartment of Homeland Securityunveiled its sweeping plan to deport undocumented immigrants across the U.S.
The banner, which measured 3 feet by 20 feet in length, was unrolled and dangled from the statue's observation deck, the National Park Service said.
The sign was removed more than an hour laterafter it surfaced, the Associated Press reported, but not before images spread like wildfire on social media:
According to CNN, an activist group called Alt Lady Liberty claimed responsibility for the banner. "Almost all Americans have descendants from somewhere else," the group told CNN. "Immigrants and refugees make this country great. And turning away refugees, like we did to Anne Frank, does not make us great."
Alt Lady Liberty posted several images of the banner on its Twitter account, with one caption reading: "The message of the Statue of Liberty is unmistakable."
Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/2m65VqZ
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'Refugees Welcome' banner draped on Lady Liberty - USA TODAY
A banner reading Refugees Welcome was hung from the Statue of Liberty on Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2017.
CBS New York
NEW YORK --The National Park Service is trying to figure out who unfurled a giant banner at the Statue of Liberty saying Refugees Welcome.
Park Service spokesman Jerry Willis says the 3-by-20-foot banner was hung from the public observation deck at the top of the statues pedestal Tuesday afternoon.
Park rangers determined it could be removed without damaging the statute and began the process of taking it down, CBS New York reports. The banner was taken down more than an hour later.
Affixing a banner to the national monument is strictly prohibited, and an investigation is underway by the United States Park Police to identify suspects, the agency said in a statement.
Its not illegal to bring a banner onto Liberty Island, but it is against the law to hang anything from the monument.
The stunt happened the day the Department of Homeland Security announced expanded immigration enforcement policies.
2017 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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"Refugees welcome" banner hung on Statue of Liberty - CBS News