Page 41 - Institutes News Today

NEWLAND — The Avery County Fire Commission addressed the state of the Elk Park Volunteer Fire Department building during its monthly meeting on Thursday, March 11, by appointing a committee to oversee its potential demolition and reconstruction. Chairman Bill Beuttell addressed those in attendance and informed them of the state of the fire department’s building. It has been previously reported that after an inspection, it was revealed that the Elk Park Fire Department building had bee...

By Emily Adams-Bentley Staff Writer Mar 16, 2021 Mar 16, 2021 CORBIN — Superintendent Dave Cox updated members of the Corbin Board of Education about the different projects going on around the school district during Thursday’s meeting. The update included projects with the Corbin Middle School concessions and a new restroom facility. Cox noted that bids have opened for those projects closed on Wednesday but no bids for the masonry work have come in as of Thursday evening, ...

LAGRANGE — Telling the commissioners Monday morning that people keep forgetting that the LaGrange County Office Building is more than 37 years old, Gary Mast, the county’s maintenance supervisor started outlining the upgrades he hopes to make in the structure. “It’s time to start thinking about a facelift, inside and out,” he told the commissioners. Mast made the comments during the commissioners’ regular meeting. He sought the commissioner’s approval to repla...

The Winston-Salem City Council could pass a non-discrimination ordinance as soon as Monday, March 22 that covers transgender people as well as gays and lesbians, but for now the ordinance will not apply to private businesses. The city’s general government committee voted unanimously on Tuesday to send a package of ordinances and resolutions for a vote at Monday’s 7 p.m. council meeting. In addition to sexual orientation and gender expression, ordinances would grant protections based o...

For years I’ve heard people say Wyoming lawmakers will never legalize marijuana, and if they do, we’ll be the last state to go down that road. I’ve generally agreed with that sentiment, primarily because voters who say they want the government to stay out of their lives keep electing legislators intent on doing the opposite. They pass laws taking away women’s reproductive freedom, sponsor anti-LGBTQ bills and zealously work to restrict people’s right to vote. To think t...

RILEY VETTERKIND The Wisconsin Legislature on Tuesday blocked proposed administrative rules that would ban so-called conversion therapy and address pollution from PFAS, also known as “forever chemicals.” The Republican-controlled Legislature also approved bipartisan bills that would: Allow dentists to administer COVID-19 vaccines. Write into state law protections for pre-existing conditions already in the Affordable Care Act. Create the first statutory guidelines for how t...

Gov. JB Pritzker plans to work on strengthening Illinois public health system as that system strains to deal with what may be the waning months of the COVID-19 pandemic. But the first-term Democratic governor, in a brief interview with The State Journal-Register this week, had no specifics on what needs to be done going forward other than continuing to stress mask-wearing, social distancing and acceptance of COVID-19 vaccines. "The time to write the playbook for the next pandemic is when we get...

ONTARIO Since its onset, COVID-19 has impacted so many things and forced everyone to do “what they do” totally different than the normal way of doing things. That was certainly true for the annual holiday fundraising event Festival of Trees. As with everyone else, the Festival of Trees Committee hoped to be able to hold its event, which was canceled. However, committee members were still able to have a success story for their 2020 fundraiser. “From the blessings of those who dona...

SHREVEPORT, La. --  Shreveport community members and activists organized a balloon release Monday afternoon in remembrance of Marquise Hudspeth, a Shreveport man who died 18 years ago in an officer-involved shooting. The shooting took place on March 15, 2003 near Hearne and Midway Avenue at what used to be the Circle K gas station. Community leaders who attended the event are working with police to prevent officer-involved confrontations. But also to address violent crime in the community.Â...

Tuesday’s Board of Education meeting was adjourned just moments after starting because a woman refused to wear her mask. Board President Tom Parrish began the meeting promptly at 6 p.m. before asking audience members to wear their masks. Jacqueline Anderson refused, claiming that she has a medical condition. A back-and-forth ensued before Parrish adjourned the meeting two minutes after it began. Audience members then began arguing with Parrish from across the room before things settled dow...