usatoday--2020-08-02--Airbnb cracks down on New Jersey 'party houses' as COVID-19 spreads among young people

Thirty-five Airbnb listings across New Jersey were suspended or removed from the website following complaints of house parties that flout restrictions on gatherings in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic .
Many of the suspensions announced Friday came directly from complaints of neighbors , who called into Airbnb 's 24/7 Neighborhood Support Hotline , the company said .
The “ vast majority ” of Airbnb hosts “ take important steps to prevent unauthorized parties , ” the company said .
“ We stand with Gov .
( Phil ) Murphy , and we support his call to action to stop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public ’ s health , ” said Chris Lehane , Airbnb senior vice president of global policy and communications .
“ We ban party houses and will not tolerate irresponsible behavior on our platform .
“ We know that there is still more work to be done , we ask that neighbors contact us as soon as possible through our Neighborhood Support Hotline , to directly communicate any concerns , which will help us continue to effectively enforce our party house ban.
” Within the last few weeks , large indoor house parties @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases , especially among young people .
More than 180,000 cases of the novel coronavirus have been reported in New Jersey , including nearly 16,000 deaths .
The events fly in the face of restrictions on gatherings that Murphy instituted in mid-March , as the novel coronavirus began spreading across New Jersey .
While the limits on gatherings have easedoverthe last two months — 100 people indoors , or 25 % of a room 's capacity , whichever is lower , or 500 people outside — health officials still encourage gatherings to occur @ @ @ @ @ @ @ possible .
At least 65 cases of the novel coronavirus have been linked to a house party in Middletown and , on Long Beach Island , 35 lifeguards were taken off the beach after they tested positive .
In Sussex County , six teenagers tested positive for COVID-19 after attending a graduation party .
And the entire Rutgers University football team was quarantined last week after 15 players tested positive for coronavirus , which state Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli said was linked to a party .
On Tuesday , the Jackson Township Council @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a home rented on Airbnb was the site of “ mansion party ” that brought an estimated 700 guests and took police nearly five hours to disperse .
Videos from the party show massive crowds without masks or any social distancing whatsoever .
`` We strongly condemn the reported behavior , which represents both a clear violation of Airbnb 's community policies and a particularly serious abuse during this public health crisis , '' Airbnb spokesman Samuel Randall said Thursday of the Jackson situation .
COVID-19 in NJ : Murphy pleads for end @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Airbnb has removed `` event-friendly '' search filters and `` parties and events allowed '' as an option for listings .
Last year , the company began manually screening potentially high-risk reservations in order to “ stop unauthorized parties before they start , ” the company said .
The website also placed restrictions on guests younger than 25 years old from booking an entire house in their area .
Mike Davis has spent the last decade covering New Jersey local news , marijuana legalization , transportation and basically whatever else is going on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at mdavis @ gannettnj.com or @ byMikeDavis on Twitter .

Airbnb cracks down on New Jersey 'party houses' as COVID-19 spreads among young people
Show Caption Hide Caption Aftermath of Jackson house party that drew 700 people Karen Levine describes the scene as over 700 people arrived on Mill Pond Road in Jackson Township late Sunday night for a house party. Thomas P. Costello, Asbury Park Press
Thirty-five Airbnb listings across New Jersey were suspended or removed from the website following complaints of house parties that flout restrictions on gatherings in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Many of the suspensions announced Friday came directly from complaints of neighbors, who called into Airbnb's 24/7 Neighborhood Support Hotline, the company said. The “vast majority” of Airbnb hosts “take important steps to prevent unauthorized parties,” the company said.
“We stand with Gov. (Phil) Murphy, and we support his call to action to stop parties and promote behavior that respects the public’s health,” said Chris Lehane, Airbnb senior vice president of global policy and communications. “We ban party houses and will not tolerate irresponsible behavior on our platform.
“We know that there is still more work to be done, we ask that neighbors contact us as soon as possible through our Neighborhood Support Hotline, to directly communicate any concerns, which will help us continue to effectively enforce our party house ban.”
Within the last few weeks, large indoor house parties have been connected with spikes in COVID-19 cases, especially among young people. More than 180,000 cases of the novel coronavirus have been reported in New Jersey, including nearly 16,000 deaths.
The events fly in the face of restrictions on gatherings that Murphy instituted in mid-March, as the novel coronavirus began spreading across New Jersey. While the limits on gatherings have eased over the last two months — 100 people indoors, or 25% of a room's capacity, whichever is lower, or 500 people outside — health officials still encourage gatherings to occur outside and with attendees wearing masks whenever possible.
At least 65 cases of the novel coronavirus have been linked to a house party in Middletown and, on Long Beach Island, 35 lifeguards were taken off the beach after they tested positive.
Party foul: Middletown partygoers not helping contact tracers
In Sussex County, six teenagers tested positive for COVID-19 after attending a graduation party.
And the entire Rutgers University football team was quarantined last week after 15 players tested positive for coronavirus, which state Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli said was linked to a party.
On Tuesday, the Jackson Township Council introduced an ordinance banning short-term rentals after a home rented on Airbnb was the site of “mansion party” that brought an estimated 700 guests and took police nearly five hours to disperse. Videos from the party show massive crowds without masks or any social distancing whatsoever.
BEHIND THE SCENES Mansion party footage in Jackson NJ🔥🔥 (share) pic.twitter.com/gbX8g5ZU7I — Shy (@Shyshytv) July 28, 2020
"We strongly condemn the reported behavior, which represents both a clear violation of Airbnb's community policies and a particularly serious abuse during this public health crisis," Airbnb spokesman Samuel Randall said Thursday of the Jackson situation.
Brick house party: Brooklyn man faces additional charges from Manasquan police
COVID-19 in NJ: Murphy pleads for end of house parties
In recent months, Airbnb has removed "event-friendly" search filters and "parties and events allowed" as an option for listings. Last year, the company began manually screening potentially high-risk reservations in order to “stop unauthorized parties before they start,” the company said.
The website also placed restrictions on guests younger than 25 years old from booking an entire house in their area.
Mike Davis has spent the last decade covering New Jersey local news, marijuana legalization, transportation and basically whatever else is going on at any given moment. Contact him at mdavis@gannettnj.com or @byMikeDavis on Twitter.


usatoday--2020-08-02--Yoenis Cespedes, a no-show for Mets game, decides to opt out of season

New York Mets outfielder Yoenis Cespedes did not report to the ballpark Sunday as his teammates began an afternoon game @ @ @ @ @ , leading the team to issue a statement that created panic that the slugger may @ @ @ @ @ several hours of speculation , general manager Brodie Van Wagenen confirmed that Cespedes has decided @ @ @ @ @ this season , citing reasons related to COVID-19 .
`` We will support him in @ @ @ @ @ Wagenen told reporters after the game .
`` It was surprising , without question .
@ @ @ @ @ did n't find out about Cespedes ' decision until Sunday 's game had already began @ @ @ @ @ to Cespedes ' hotel room , only to find that he was n't there and @ @ @ @ @ The Cuban-born Cespedes did not play at all last season due to a broken ankle @ @ @ @ @ eight of the Mets ' first nine games this season – all as a designated @ @ @ @ @ two home runs and four RBI .

Yoenis Cespedes, a no-show for Mets game, decides to opt out of season
New York Mets outfielder Yoenis Cespedes did not report to the ballpark Sunday as his teammates began an afternoon game at Truist Park in Atlanta, leading the team to issue a statement that created panic that the slugger may be in danger.
After several hours of speculation, general manager Brodie Van Wagenen confirmed that Cespedes has decided to opt out of playing this season, citing reasons related to COVID-19.
"We will support him in that decision," Van Wagenen told reporters after the game. "It was surprising, without question."
Van Wagenen said the didn't find out about Cespedes' decision until Sunday's game had already began. The team sent security to Cespedes' hotel room, only to find that he wasn't there and his belongings were gone.
Luis Rojas said he knew Yoenis Céspedes wasn't around. He texted and called Céspedes. No response. Rojas was concerned, then after the game found out Céspedes opted out. — Justin Toscano (@JustinCToscano) August 2, 2020
The Cuban-born Cespedes did not play at all last season due to a broken ankle. He had played in eight of the Mets' first nine games this season – all as a designated hitter – batting .161 with two home runs and four RBI.


usatoday--2020-08-02--Rep. Raúl Grijalva tests positive for COVID-19, is symptom-free

PHOENIX – Rep. Raúl Grijalva has tested positive for COVID-19 after a week in Washington , D.C. , that included a hearing with Rep. Louie Gohmert , who also tested positive in recent days .
Grijalva , D-Ariz. , is asymptomatic and in self-quarantine at his residence in the Washington area , his spokesman , Geoff Nolan , said .
He is the first known member of Arizona 's congressional delegation to have tested positive after at least several close calls .
It is n't clear how Grijalva contracted the virus , but the hearing with Gohmert , R-Texas , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the dean of Arizona 's delegation , presided over a hearing of the House Natural Resources Committee that included Gohmert , who is a member of the committee , along with two other members of Arizona 's congressional delegation .
The hearing was Tuesday ; Gohmert tested positive Wednesday .
The same day , Gohmert also attended a hearing of the House Judiciary Committee , which includes three other members of Congress from Arizona .
The members of Arizona 's delegation in both hearings were not immediately available to comment on whether @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told his congressional staff in person that he had tested positive for the disease linked to the coronavirus .
Grijalva went into self-quarantine and was tested as a precaution , Nolan said .
On Friday , the attending physician of the Capitol told Grijalva he was positive , too .
`` While I can not blame anyone directly for this , this week has shown that there are some Members of Congress who fail to take this crisis seriously , '' Grijalva said in a written statement Saturday .
`` Numerous Republican members @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mask to selfishly make a political statement at the expense of their colleagues , staff , and their families , '' Grijalva continued .
`` I ’ m pleased that ( House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ) has mandated the use of masks at the Capitol to keep members and staff safe from those looking to score quick political points .
Stopping the spread of a deadly virus should not be a partisan issue . ''
“ I urge all of us to recognize the severity of this virus and follow the CDC guidance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and loved ones safe .
We can all play a part in stopping the spread of COVID-19 in our communities.
” Grijalva added : `` I currently have no symptoms , feel fine , and hope to make a quick and speedy recovery . ''
The issue of managing the new coronavirus crisis has taken on a partisan dimension .
The GOP has pressed for quickly reopening society , and some Republican members , such as Gohmert , have had staffers working in Washington as usual .
Others , such as Grijalva , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for months .
Others in Arizona 's delegation have had brushes with the potentially deadly virus , but not reported testing positive .
On March 8 , Rep. Paul Gosar , R-Ariz. , announced he and several staff members had gone into self-quarantine after an extended conversation with a man who later revealed he had contracted COVID-19 .
The contact came at a conservative conference in the Washington area .
Later in March , Rep. David Schweikert , R-Ariz. , also went into self-quarantine after one of his staff members tested positive for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In June , Rep. Debbie Lesko , R-Ariz. , attended President Donald Trump 's campaign rally in Tulsa , Oklahoma .
At least a half-dozen campaign workers preparing the event and two members of the Secret Service tested positive for the coronavirus , and the city later faced a swell of cases that local health officials said was likely connected to the event .
In July , Rep. Andy Biggs , R-Ariz. , attended a news conference with the House Freedom Caucus that he leads that included Rep. Morgan Griffith , R-Va. , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rep. Ruben Gallego , D-Ariz. , are also members of the Natural Resources Committee and attended the same hearing as Grijalva and Gohmert .
Biggs , Lesko and Rep. Greg Stanton , D-Ariz. , attended the Judiciary Committee hearing that included Gohmert .
Both hearings pressed in part for details about the crowd dispersal at Lafayette Square near the White House , which was followed by Trump 's walk to an adjacent church , where he was photographed clutching a Bible .

Rep. Raúl Grijalva tests positive for COVID-19, is symptom-free
Show Caption Hide Caption Coronavirus vaccine study begins in New Orleans Ochsner Health in New Orleans is one of two sites in Louisiana and among 120 across the globe participating in a COVID-19 vaccine study conducted by Pfzer Inc. and BioNTech SE. (July 31) AP
PHOENIX – Rep. Raúl Grijalva has tested positive for COVID-19 after a week in Washington, D.C., that included a hearing with Rep. Louie Gohmert, who also tested positive in recent days.
Grijalva, D-Ariz., is asymptomatic and in self-quarantine at his residence in the Washington area, his spokesman, Geoff Nolan, said. He is the first known member of Arizona's congressional delegation to have tested positive after at least several close calls.
It isn't clear how Grijalva contracted the virus, but the hearing with Gohmert, R-Texas, is a possibility.
Grijalva, who is the dean of Arizona's delegation, presided over a hearing of the House Natural Resources Committee that included Gohmert, who is a member of the committee, along with two other members of Arizona's congressional delegation. The hearing was Tuesday; Gohmert tested positive Wednesday.
Coronavirus: AG Barr tests negative after encounter with Rep. Louie Gohmert
COVID-19: Speaker Pelosi mandates wearing masks on House floor after Rep. Gohmert tests positive
The same day, Gohmert also attended a hearing of the House Judiciary Committee, which includes three other members of Congress from Arizona.
The members of Arizona's delegation in both hearings were not immediately available to comment on whether they had been tested.
Gohmert later told his congressional staff in person that he had tested positive for the disease linked to the coronavirus.
Grijalva went into self-quarantine and was tested as a precaution, Nolan said. On Friday, the attending physician of the Capitol told Grijalva he was positive, too.
"While I cannot blame anyone directly for this, this week has shown that there are some Members of Congress who fail to take this crisis seriously," Grijalva said in a written statement Saturday.
"Numerous Republican members routinely strut around the Capitol without a mask to selfishly make a political statement at the expense of their colleagues, staff, and their families," Grijalva continued. "I’m pleased that (House Speaker Nancy Pelosi) has mandated the use of masks at the Capitol to keep members and staff safe from those looking to score quick political points. Stopping the spread of a deadly virus should not be a partisan issue."
“I urge all of us to recognize the severity of this virus and follow the CDC guidance to keep our family, friends, and loved ones safe. We can all play a part in stopping the spread of COVID-19 in our communities.”
Grijalva added: "I currently have no symptoms, feel fine, and hope to make a quick and speedy recovery."
The issue of managing the new coronavirus crisis has taken on a partisan dimension. The GOP has pressed for quickly reopening society, and some Republican members, such as Gohmert, have had staffers working in Washington as usual. Others, such as Grijalva, have had staff largely working from home for months.
Others in Arizona's delegation have had brushes with the potentially deadly virus, but not reported testing positive.
On March 8, Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., announced he and several staff members had gone into self-quarantine after an extended conversation with a man who later revealed he had contracted COVID-19. The contact came at a conservative conference in the Washington area.
Later in March, Rep. David Schweikert, R-Ariz., also went into self-quarantine after one of his staff members tested positive for the coronavirus. The staffer recovered.
In June, Rep. Debbie Lesko, R-Ariz., attended President Donald Trump's campaign rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma. At least a half-dozen campaign workers preparing the event and two members of the Secret Service tested positive for the coronavirus, and the city later faced a swell of cases that local health officials said was likely connected to the event.
In July, Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., attended a news conference with the House Freedom Caucus that he leads that included Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-Va., who later tested positive.
Gosar and Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., are also members of the Natural Resources Committee and attended the same hearing as Grijalva and Gohmert.
Biggs, Lesko and Rep. Greg Stanton, D-Ariz., attended the Judiciary Committee hearing that included Gohmert.
Both hearings pressed in part for details about the crowd dispersal at Lafayette Square near the White House, which was followed by Trump's walk to an adjacent church, where he was photographed clutching a Bible.
Follow Ronald J. Hansen on Twitter @ronaldjhansen.


usatoday--2020-08-03--El Paso mourns 23 lives lost in racist Walmart mass shooting

Tito Anchondo Tuesday , July 28 , at the El Paso Strong mural off of Cotton street in El Paso .
Anchondo lost his brother Andre and his sister-in-law Jordan Anchondo Aug. 3 , 2019 when a gunman opened fire at a Walmart .
The mural was created in central El Paso by Gabe Vasquez and co-created by Justin Martinez .
BRIANA SANCHEZ , MARK LAMBIE AND ALBERT SILVA/EL PASO TIMES Yolanda Tinajero found herself returning again and again to the makeshift memorial that sprung up to honor the victims of the Walmart massacre last year .
After her brother @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an alleged white supremacist on Aug. 3 , 2019 , she found comfort in the collection of glass-cased candles , rosaries , flowers and placards that grew by the day .
There was solace , she said , in the outpouring of grief among strangers , a collateral love to counter the hate that stole 23 lives .
El Paso now faces the first anniversary of the deadliest attack on Hispanics in modern U.S. history amid a pandemic that has made such physical solidarity impossible .
What should be a time for collective @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the divisions forced by the coronavirus – restrictions on gatherings of friends and family , a border largely closed to binational traditions .
This week there will be no spontaneous embraces between strangers , no gathering close to hear a corrida written for lives lost .
There will be drive-through and socially distant memorials .
There will be calls for a reckoning with the country 's unresolved struggle with racism , highlighted by this mass shooting on the U.S.-Mexico border .
As Aug. 3 approached , Tinajero remembered a sorely needed healing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Saturday morning attack .
`` When we would go and visit the memorial they had behind Walmart '' – she paused as her voice broke in emotion – `` there were strangers .
There was a particular old lady there and she said , ‘ I hope they give this man the death penalty.
’ '' Tinajero recognized the anger in the woman 's voice .
She had felt that rage herself .
Her brother – a retired city bus driver and decorated veteran of the U.S. Army who also served in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down , allegedly by a 21-year-old white man with an AK-47 and a mission to kill `` Mexicans . ''
The woman turned around as Tinajero approached .
`` I asked if I could hug her , '' Tinajero said .
`` She didn ’ t say anything , '' she said .
`` She just nodded yes . ''
The hate-fueled attack scarred the community on both sides of the border .
Yet the year has been marked not by calls for vengeance but by acts of kindness .
Even under the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is squarely on community healing .
The star on the Franklin Mountains – perpetually lit and long a beacon for El Paso and Juárez – will blink 23 times on the night of Aug. 3 .
Parks across the city will honor the dead with light and color .
There will be a drive-through path of luminarias at Ascarate Park – a Borderland tradition in which tea-light candles are tucked inside paper bags grounded with sand .
The city is asking people to decorate their cars to show El Paso pride .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Square Park and give people a chance to tie orange ribbons against gun violence at a memorial in Ponder Park .
Public art along Interstate 10 will glow orange .
There will be social media hashtags : # elpasostrong and # atimetoremember .
The El Paso Museum of History will display memorabilia of the impromptu memorial on its outdoor `` digital wall '' downtown .
Inside , the museum will have a permanent exhibit using some of the objects from the makeshift memorial .
The COVID-19 pandemic has created enormous obstacles to traditional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , cutting deeply into the social fabric that makes the region so unique .
Eight Mexican nationals were killed in the attack .
Because of coronavirus-related restrictions , the U.S.-Mexico border is closed to most Mexican nationals – including many of those who lost a loved one in the shooting .
They ca n't cross to participate in the El Paso memorials .
Some families divided by the border have gone months without seeing each other .
Even gatherings in El Paso among extended families are off-limits , as the county continues to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The suspected killer told police he came from outside to attack El Paso families – mothers and fathers , children and their abuelos – and it 's in family that El Pasoans have sought refuge to heal .
Bernadette Falcon , who took the first 911 call from Walmart the morning of the shooting , said the agony of what was unfolding over the phone hit her when she realized `` somebody had come to attack my community , my family . ''
`` That 's not OK , '' she said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tears .
As the pandemic began sweeping the region in March and stay-at-home orders , now lifted , went into effect , County Judge Ricardo Samaniego worried about the effects on a community still trying to heal from trauma .
`` We still have a heavy heart due to the third of August , this tragedy .
We know how hard it is on our community , '' Samaniego said in April .
`` We were called to unite .
And now we ’ re called to be individuals in this battle .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ separated from each other , I ’ m holding on to the hope that we come out of this not fragmented . ''
The year has been relentless with its reminders : fresh tragedy , enduring anguish , moments of healing .
The last El Paso victim of the massacre died in April after a nearly nine-month battle for his life .
Across the border , a father who was shot as he bear-hugged his wife and daughter to protect them remains hospitalized in Mexico .
Girls soccer coach Guillermo `` Memo '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him as `` Tank , '' was shot three times in the back as he protected his young players at their fundraising stand outside the superstore .
The 36-year-old father of two was mourned a hero at a funeral attended by hundreds donning face masks and keeping their distance .
`` He held on as long as he could to bless us just a little more and he did it out of pure love , '' his wife , Jessica Garcia , had said in a statement .
The girls he led on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ face of so much – the horror of that day , the loss of their beloved coach , said Benny McGuire , the team 's assistant coach and a father to one of the players .
But the sound of fireworks at an El Paso Locomotive soccer game where they were honored , the first home game after the shooting , set them off .
The girls screamed at the popping sound , terrified .
`` There was nowhere to run and hide , ” he said .
There were an estimated 3,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to police .
The shooter wounded more than two dozen people .
Hundreds more witnessed the carnage .
Recovering from the physical wounds and psychological scars could take a lifetime .
The De Alba family lived a life that epitomized the region 's cross-border customs – upended by the Aug. 3 attack and now hampered by the coronavirus pandemic .
They live in Chihuahua City , four hours south of El Paso and would vacation in the U.S. Before Aug. 3 , they often shopped and visited family in El Paso @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and young daughter during the Walmart shooting but has n't recovered from the bullet that struck him in the back and perforated his intestinal tract .
Confined to a hospital bed in Chihuahua , he is still unable to eat and must be fed intravenously .
He dreams of being home with his family , of returning to his workshop where he repairs appliances , of carne asada grillouts on the patio .
`` I want to live and be all right , with my daughter , my wife , '' he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ irrefutably about white supremacy and racism .
It was an early sign of the racism the country would soon confront again as COVID-19 killed tens of thousands nationwide and people protested deadly police abuse – both of which have disproportionately claimed Black and Latino lives .
The pandemic has made it hard to grieve together but has provided opportunity for reflection , said Daniel Chacon , author and professor in the prestigious bilingual writing program at the University of Texas at El Paso .
The conclusion Chacon has drawn is that the suspected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's handling of the coronavirus pandemic are related .
`` I don ’ t think we can help but connect what was happening – the racism and the official sanction of racist ideas and racist acts – and what ’ s happening during the pandemic , '' he said .
The death rates for Black and brown people in the U.S. from COVID-19 are starkly higher than for whites : a reflection of pervasive economic and social disparities that affect health outcomes .
It 's as if Black and brown people are `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he said .
When the accused shooter posted a tirade to an online message board notorious for white supremacy , just minutes before the attack , he echoed language used by President Donald Trump on social media .
The president publicly denounced the shooting .
`` Today 's shooting in El Paso , Texas , was not only tragic , it was an act of cowardice .
I know that I stand with everyone in this Country to condemn today 's hateful act .
There are no reasons or excuses that will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said on Twitter a day after the mass shooting .
A year on , the president is using federal agents to put down Black Lives Matter protests and has struggled to calm racial tensions flaring across the country .
Eighty-three percent of El Pasoans identify as Hispanic or Latino , according to the U.S. Census , and most trace their roots to Mexico .
The Walmart shooting targeting Hispanics shattered the sense of safety many residents felt in their community .
Chacon is the father of a 16-month-old daughter .
`` When @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the neighborhood , I understand that if I was in a different place , I know I could be a target , '' he said .
`` All you have to do is speak Spanish somewhere and someone could go off on you .
`` We are people of color here .
If not immigrants ourselves , we are one step away .
I think our leaders have the opportunity to emerge out of this and do some positive influencing . ''
For all the desire to recover from the pandemic and go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ El Pasoans know the problems that the shooting and coronavirus have laid bare ca n't be ignored .
El Paso poet Ben Saenz , born and raised in the Borderland , sees how demographic change is provoking inevitable – and much-needed – upheaval to outdated ways of thinking .
`` This country is going to change and is changing , and we have to come to grips with our own history – all of the things we ’ ve done at the expense at other people .
Japanese internment camps .
The disrespect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t own up to that , '' he said .
`` There has got to be a reckoning , '' he said .
`` My question isn ’ t , 'Why are we tearing down all these monuments ? '
My question is , 'Why did we put them up to begin with ? '
`` El Pasoans showed their true heart in the minutes and days and months after the attack .
Hundreds of El Pasoans lined up to give blood to the wounded that very day .
Others brought pizza @ @ @ @ @ @ @ waited hours to donate .
Antonio Basco lost his only family when his wife , 63-year-old Margie Reckard , was gunned down .
He invited El Pasoans to her funeral , and they did n't let him grieve alone .
About 500 people packed the La Paz Faith Center church , with another 1,500 showing their support outside .
Willeta Corbett , a self-identifying Black woman and retired English teacher , simply went out to share her grief , her blanket , her hand .
`` Now I ’ m an introvert by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ email to the El Paso Times .
`` But I stepped out the next day to attend the Ponder Park Memorial near the site , endured finding a parking space , the heat , the crowds , and sat on the grass with a 19-year-old Hispanic young man named Joshua , who shared my blanket .
( We ) held hands and cried for my violated city .
I was crushed beyond measure . ''
If there was anger , it never spilled over into vengeance .
El Pasoans watched the suspected shooter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to more than 90 charges for murder and hate crimes – in disgust but with deference to the rule of law , a belief that justice would be served .
El Paso 's Beto O'Rourke was running for the Democratic nomination for president at the time of the shooting .
He spoke out against gun violence and in favor of more restrictive gun laws , especially a ban on high-powered `` weapons of war '' like the AK-47 used by the shooter .
At the time , he made his rounds of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the survivors .
Now at home full time , O'Rourke recently visited Rosemary Vega , who survived being shot .
It was her birthday .
He drove by her house .
They could n't hug .
He brought her cookies , his `` house specialty '' : triple chocolate chip .
`` I ’ ve kept in touch with some of the families , '' he said .
`` It ’ s very important that they know that we are all still thinking about them .
That they are all still so important @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is going to give up on the justice they deserve and that we as a community deserve .
`` We have a solemn responsibility to remember this and act on it . ''
Back at the makeshift memorial behind Walmart , Tinajero embraced the woman calling for the killer 's death and held her close .
`` I hugged her with everything I had because I felt she needed it as much as I did , '' Tinajero said .
Her brother , Benavides , was thoughtful , kind and always there for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
She thought about what he would want , if he was still here .
`` We all have to forgive , '' she said .
`` No matter how hard it is .
My brother would n't want us to carry ugly feelings . ''
That forgiveness should n't come at the expense of justice , she said .
Those who loved her brother want justice for him and all the other victims , she said , all of the people whose lives will be forever marked by the terror of that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anger anymore , '' she said .
`` I just feel for all the families . ''
Bret Bloomquist contributed to this report and can be reached at bbloomquist @ elpasotimes.com .
Veronica Martinez contributed to this report and can be reached at vmartinezjacobo @ elpasotimes.com .
Lauren Villagran can be reached at lvillagran @ elpasotimes.com .

Tito Anchondo Tuesday, July 28, at the El Paso Strong mural off of Cotton street in El Paso. Anchondo lost his brother Andre and his sister-in-law Jordan Anchondo Aug. 3, 2019 when a gunman opened fire at a Walmart. The mural was created in central El Paso by Gabe Vasquez and co-created by Justin Martinez. BRIANA SANCHEZ, MARK LAMBIE AND ALBERT SILVA/EL PASO TIMES
Yolanda Tinajero found herself returning again and again to the makeshift memorial that sprung up to honor the victims of the Walmart massacre last year.
After her brother, Arturo Benavides, was shot by an alleged white supremacist on Aug. 3, 2019, she found comfort in the collection of glass-cased candles, rosaries, flowers and placards that grew by the day.
There was solace, she said, in the outpouring of grief among strangers, a collateral love to counter the hate that stole 23 lives.
El Paso now faces the first anniversary of the deadliest attack on Hispanics in modern U.S. history amid a pandemic that has made such physical solidarity impossible. What should be a time for collective healing is, for many, marred by the divisions forced by the coronavirus – restrictions on gatherings of friends and family, a border largely closed to binational traditions.
Walmart employees comfort one another after a shooter opened fire at the Walmart near Cielo Vista Mall in El Paso on Saturday, Aug. 3, 2019. Mark Lambie/El Paso Times
This week there will be no spontaneous embraces between strangers, no gathering close to hear a corrida written for lives lost. There will be drive-through and socially distant memorials. There will be calls for a reckoning with the country's unresolved struggle with racism, highlighted by this mass shooting on the U.S.-Mexico border.
As Aug. 3 approached, Tinajero remembered a sorely needed healing moment the days that followed the early Saturday morning attack.
"When we would go and visit the memorial they had behind Walmart" – she paused as her voice broke in emotion – "there were strangers. There was a particular old lady there and she said, ‘I hope they give this man the death penalty.’"
Tinajero recognized the anger in the woman's voice. She had felt that rage herself.
Her brother – a retired city bus driver and decorated veteran of the U.S. Army who also served in the Texas Army National Guard – was gunned down, allegedly by a 21-year-old white man with an AK-47 and a mission to kill "Mexicans."
The woman turned around as Tinajero approached.
"I asked if I could hug her," Tinajero said.
"She didn’t say anything," she said. "She just nodded yes."
The hate-fueled attack scarred the community on both sides of the border. Yet the year has been marked not by calls for vengeance but by acts of kindness. Even under the gray cloud of coronavirus, the focus is squarely on community healing.
These are the 23 U.S., Mexico and German citizens who died in the attack. Jordan Anchondo
Maribel Campos
Arturo Benavidez
Andre Pablo Anchondo
Javier Amir Rodriguez
David Alvah Johnson
Sara Ester Regalado Moriel
Angelina Silva Englisbee
Adolfo Cerros Hernandez
Juan de Dios Veláquez Chairez
Gloria Irma Márquez
Maria Flores
Maria Eugencia Legarreta Roth
Raul Flores
Jorge Calvillo Garcia
Alexander Gerhard Hoffman
Elsa Mendoza de la Mora
Luis Alfonzo Juarez
Ivan Filiberto Manzano
Margie Reckard
Leonardo Campos Jr.
Teresa Sanchez
Guillermo "Memo" Garcia
Healing in the time of the coronavirus
The star on the Franklin Mountains – perpetually lit and long a beacon for El Paso and Juárez – will blink 23 times on the night of Aug. 3.
Parks across the city will honor the dead with light and color.
There will be a drive-through path of luminarias at Ascarate Park – a Borderland tradition in which tea-light candles are tucked inside paper bags grounded with sand. The city is asking people to decorate their cars to show El Paso pride.
The city will light 23 luminarias at Cleveland Square Park and give people a chance to tie orange ribbons against gun violence at a memorial in Ponder Park. Public art along Interstate 10 will glow orange.
El Pasoan Roxana Jaquez lights a candle at a makeshift memorial on Monday, August, 5, 2019, outside the Walmart in El Paso, Texas. The racism-fueled mass shooting of Aug. 3, 2019, would become the deadliest attack on Hispanics in modern U.S. history, ultimately taking 23 lives. Mark Lambie / El Paso Times
There will be social media hashtags: #elpasostrong and #atimetoremember.
The El Paso Museum of History will display memorabilia of the impromptu memorial on its outdoor "digital wall" downtown. Inside, the museum will have a permanent exhibit using some of the objects from the makeshift memorial.
The COVID-19 pandemic has created enormous obstacles to traditional ways of collective grieving in the Borderland, cutting deeply into the social fabric that makes the region so unique.
Eight Mexican nationals were killed in the attack. Because of coronavirus-related restrictions, the U.S.-Mexico border is closed to most Mexican nationals – including many of those who lost a loved one in the shooting. They can't cross to participate in the El Paso memorials.
Some families divided by the border have gone months without seeing each other. Even gatherings in El Paso among extended families are off-limits, as the county continues to prohibit events involving more than 10 people.
A Mexican family who survived the El Paso shooting is still struggling a year later A Mexican family who survived the El Paso Walmart shooting is still feeling the physical and financial toll a year later. USA TODAY
The suspected killer told police he came from outside to attack El Paso families – mothers and fathers, children and their abuelos – and it's in family that El Pasoans have sought refuge to heal.
Bernadette Falcon, who took the first 911 call from Walmart the morning of the shooting, said the agony of what was unfolding over the phone hit her when she realized "somebody had come to attack my community, my family."
"That's not OK," she said, taking a breath to hold back tears.
As the pandemic began sweeping the region in March and stay-at-home orders, now lifted, went into effect, County Judge Ricardo Samaniego worried about the effects on a community still trying to heal from trauma.
Copy text Copy this quote's text The quote has been copied Tweet Facebook LinkedIn Share this article on LinkedIn Reddit Share this article on Reddit Email Email this story Share Share this story County Judge Ricardo Samaniego We still have a heavy heart due to the third of August, this tragedy. We know how hard it is on our community. We were called to unite. And now we’re called to be individuals in this battle. As we get used to being separated from each other, I’m holding on to the hope that we come out of this not fragmented. Quote icon
"We still have a heavy heart due to the third of August, this tragedy. We know how hard it is on our community," Samaniego said in April. "We were called to unite. And now we’re called to be individuals in this battle.
"As we get used to being separated from each other, I’m holding on to the hope that we come out of this not fragmented."
One more hero lost, another fighting to survive
The year has been relentless with its reminders: fresh tragedy, enduring anguish, moments of healing.
The last El Paso victim of the massacre died in April after a nearly nine-month battle for his life. Across the border, a father who was shot as he bear-hugged his wife and daughter to protect them remains hospitalized in Mexico.
Girls soccer coach Guillermo "Memo" Garcia, known to those who loved him as "Tank," was shot three times in the back as he protected his young players at their fundraising stand outside the superstore.
The 36-year-old father of two was mourned a hero at a funeral attended by hundreds donning face masks and keeping their distance.
El Pasoans hug at a drive-through prayer vigil for Guillermo "Memo" Garcia on Monday, April 27, at Del Sol Medical Center in El Paso. Garcia died on Saturday after being hospitalized at Del Sol Medical Center for nearly nine months. He was shot on Aug. 3 in what federal prosecutors have described as a domestic terror attack. BRIANA SANCHEZ/EL PASO TIMES
"He held on as long as he could to bless us just a little more and he did it out of pure love," his wife, Jessica Garcia, had said in a statement.
The girls he led on the field have been resilient in the face of so much – the horror of that day, the loss of their beloved coach, said Benny McGuire, the team's assistant coach and a father to one of the players.
But the sound of fireworks at an El Paso Locomotive soccer game where they were honored, the first home game after the shooting, set them off. The girls screamed at the popping sound, terrified.
"There was nowhere to run and hide,” he said.
There were an estimated 3,000 people inside the Walmart during the attack, according to police. The shooter wounded more than two dozen people. Hundreds more witnessed the carnage.
Texas remains the state with most mass shooting deaths. What happens now? Read
Recovering from the physical wounds and psychological scars could take a lifetime.
The De Alba family lived a life that epitomized the region's cross-border customs – upended by the Aug. 3 attack and now hampered by the coronavirus pandemic.
They live in Chihuahua City, four hours south of El Paso and would vacation in the U.S. Before Aug. 3, they often shopped and visited family in El Paso.
Mario De Alba saved his wife and young daughter during the Walmart shooting but hasn't recovered from the bullet that struck him in the back and perforated his intestinal tract.
Confined to a hospital bed in Chihuahua, he is still unable to eat and must be fed intravenously. He dreams of being home with his family, of returning to his workshop where he repairs appliances, of carne asada grillouts on the patio.
"I want to live and be all right, with my daughter, my wife," he said.
'We are people of color here'
The El Paso mass shooting was irrefutably about white supremacy and racism. It was an early sign of the racism the country would soon confront again as COVID-19 killed tens of thousands nationwide and people protested deadly police abuse – both of which have disproportionately claimed Black and Latino lives.
The pandemic has made it hard to grieve together but has provided opportunity for reflection, said Daniel Chacon, author and professor in the prestigious bilingual writing program at the University of Texas at El Paso.
El Pasoans sang and prayed at a vigil in 2019 at Ponder Park for the victims and families of a mass shooting at an El Paso Walmart on Aug. 3, 2019. The shooter's racism-fueled rampage would ultimately take 23 lives. Aaron Montes/El Paso Times
The conclusion Chacon has drawn is that the suspected killer's racist rampage and the country's handling of the coronavirus pandemic are related.
"I don’t think we can help but connect what was happening – the racism and the official sanction of racist ideas and racist acts – and what’s happening during the pandemic," he said.
The death rates for Black and brown people in the U.S. from COVID-19 are starkly higher than for whites: a reflection of pervasive economic and social disparities that affect health outcomes.
It's as if Black and brown people are "disposable" to the country's leadership, he said.
When the accused shooter posted a tirade to an online message board notorious for white supremacy, just minutes before the attack, he echoed language used by President Donald Trump on social media. The president publicly denounced the shooting.
"Today's shooting in El Paso, Texas, was not only tragic, it was an act of cowardice. I know that I stand with everyone in this Country to condemn today's hateful act. There are no reasons or excuses that will ever justify killing innocent people," he said on Twitter a day after the mass shooting.
Family and friends of Andre Anchondo prepare to leave St. Patrick Cathedral in El Paso, Texas, following the funeral Mass for the father, who was killed in a racism-fueled attack at Walmart on Aug. 3, 2019. Mark Lambie/El Paso Times
A year on, the president is using federal agents to put down Black Lives Matter protests and has struggled to calm racial tensions flaring across the country.
Eighty-three percent of El Pasoans identify as Hispanic or Latino, according to the U.S. Census, and most trace their roots to Mexico. The Walmart shooting targeting Hispanics shattered the sense of safety many residents felt in their community.
Chacon is the father of a 16-month-old daughter.
"When I’m pushing her stroller through the neighborhood, I understand that if I was in a different place, I know I could be a target," he said. "All you have to do is speak Spanish somewhere and someone could go off on you.
Copy text Copy this quote's text The quote has been copied Tweet Facebook LinkedIn Share this article on LinkedIn Reddit Share this article on Reddit Email Email this story Share Share this story Daniel Chacon, author and professor in the prestigious bilingual writing program at the University of Texas at El Paso When I’m pushing her stroller through the neighborhood, I understand that if I was in a different place, I know I could be a target. All you have to do is speak Spanish somewhere and someone could go off on you. Quote icon
"We are people of color here. If not immigrants ourselves, we are one step away. I think our leaders have the opportunity to emerge out of this and do some positive influencing."
For all the desire to recover from the pandemic and go back to "normal" life, El Pasoans know the problems that the shooting and coronavirus have laid bare can't be ignored.
El Paso poet Ben Saenz, born and raised in the Borderland, sees how demographic change is provoking inevitable – and much-needed – upheaval to outdated ways of thinking.
"This country is going to change and is changing, and we have to come to grips with our own history – all of the things we’ve done at the expense at other people. Japanese internment camps. The disrespect of Native American treaties. We don’t own up to that," he said.
"There has got to be a reckoning," he said. "My question isn’t, 'Why are we tearing down all these monuments?' My question is, 'Why did we put them up to begin with?' "
El Paso shooting victims: Know their names, learn their stories Read
Broken hearts, 'violated city'
El Pasoans showed their true heart in the minutes and days and months after the attack.
Hundreds of El Pasoans lined up to give blood to the wounded that very day. Others brought pizza and Gatorade to the lines as people waited hours to donate.
Antonio Basco lost his only family when his wife, 63-year-old Margie Reckard, was gunned down. He invited El Pasoans to her funeral, and they didn't let him grieve alone. About 500 people packed the La Paz Faith Center church, with another 1,500 showing their support outside.
Antonio Basco greets some of the thousands in line to attend his wife Margie Reckard’s prayer service at La Paz Faith Center in El Paso, Texas, on Friday, Aug. 16, 2019. Without family in town, Basco invited the public to his wife’s funeral services and El Pasoans showed up in droves. Twenty-three people were killed in the Walmart mass shooting on Aug. 3, 2019. Mark Lambie/El Paso Times
Willeta Corbett, a self-identifying Black woman and retired English teacher, simply went out to share her grief, her blanket, her hand.
"Now I’m an introvert by nature," Corbett said in an email to the El Paso Times. "But I stepped out the next day to attend the Ponder Park Memorial near the site, endured finding a parking space, the heat, the crowds, and sat on the grass with a 19-year-old Hispanic young man named Joshua, who shared my blanket. (We) held hands and cried for my violated city. I was crushed beyond measure."
If there was anger, it never spilled over into vengeance. El Pasoans watched the suspected shooter's arraignment – he pleaded not guilty to more than 90 charges for murder and hate crimes – in disgust but with deference to the rule of law, a belief that justice would be served.
El Paso's Beto O'Rourke was running for the Democratic nomination for president at the time of the shooting. He spoke out against gun violence and in favor of more restrictive gun laws, especially a ban on high-powered "weapons of war" like the AK-47 used by the shooter.
$11.8M El Paso mass shooting fund makes last 2 payouts, audit still to be done Read
At the time, he made his rounds of the hospitals and got to know some of the survivors. Now at home full time, O'Rourke recently visited Rosemary Vega, who survived being shot. It was her birthday.
He drove by her house. They couldn't hug. He brought her cookies, his "house specialty": triple chocolate chip.
"I’ve kept in touch with some of the families," he said. "It’s very important that they know that we are all still thinking about them. That they are all still so important to us. That none of us is going to give up on the justice they deserve and that we as a community deserve.
"We have a solemn responsibility to remember this and act on it."
Letting go of those 'ugly feelings'
Back at the makeshift memorial behind Walmart, Tinajero embraced the woman calling for the killer's death and held her close.
"I hugged her with everything I had because I felt she needed it as much as I did," Tinajero said.
Her brother, Benavides, was thoughtful, kind and always there for anyone in the family who needed him. She thought about what he would want, if he was still here.
Tinajero spoke into the woman's ear.
Family and friends of Arturo Benavides gather Tuesday, Aug. 13, to pay their respects at Fort Bliss National Cemetery. Benavides was a decorated U.S. Army Veteran. BRIANA SANCHEZ/EL PASO TIMES
"We all have to forgive," she said. "No matter how hard it is. My brother wouldn't want us to carry ugly feelings."
That forgiveness shouldn't come at the expense of justice, she said. Those who loved her brother want justice for him and all the other victims, she said, all of the people whose lives will be forever marked by the terror of that morning.
"I don't feel anger anymore," she said. "I just feel for all the families."
Bret Bloomquist contributed to this report and can be reached at bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com.
Veronica Martinez contributed to this report and can be reached at vmartinezjacobo@elpasotimes.com.
Lauren Villagran can be reached at lvillagran@elpasotimes.com.


usatoday--2020-08-03--Why did my electric bill go up? Summer's here and we're in our houses more than ever

Daniel Modell 's electricity bills are higher than ever .
In March , both he and his partner were forced to work remotely after COVID-19 lockdowns began .
The creative consultant lost income after his job made salary cuts across all employees due to pandemic-related budget cuts .
Meanwhile , the couple 's power bill grew higher with each month that passed .
In June and July , it was up almost $ 150 over the same time last year .
`` You 're not in your apartment during the day when you 're at work so there 's no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Modell 's said .
`` But suddenly you 're in your own apartment for 24 hours a day and the electricity bills that you get are just absolutely astronomical . ''
Americans are navigating many pandemic-related financial issues during the recession : job losses , restrictive rental agreements and slashed 401 ( k ) contributions to name a few .
Making matters worse , data suggests many are also seeing significant rises in their utility and electric bills each month due to remote work .
LG Velvet review : The smartphone is sexy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ camera could be improved Beating high energy costs : Tech can help trim your utility bills , which may be on the rise amid coronavirus shutdown It should come as little surprise that most of the additional cost is because people are spending more time at home , experts say .
The pandemic is compelling energy customers to stay indoors more than normal during some of the hottest months of the year , which could drive up energy costs , according to Katie Allen , a savings expert at Pacific Gas and Electric @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more families at home this summer , and it looks there might be more at home going into the school year with remote learning , '' she added .
Fluctuations in electricity bills are usually the result of changes in outdoor temperatures .
Electric bills are typically lowest during the milder spring and fall months when you do n't have to run air conditioners or heaters .
But with people spending more time at home , one-third of U.S. households should see electricity bills climb 10 % to 15 % higher this summer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ energy technology firm Arcadia .
Households in metro areas will spend the most , between $ 2 and $ 37 more on utility bills this summer , Arcadia found .
Joe Toscano 's electricity bills are up about $ 20 per month since he 's been working from home in Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania and is using the AC more often .
His wife is also using more power to work from home .
So is his daughter who shifted to remote learning in March .
`` I 'm using my computer nine to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my wife and so is my daughter , '' Toscano said .
`` That 's something that we were n't doing before . ''
If your electrify bills are mounting , there are things you can do to curb costs , but your approach should depend on where you live , experts say .
People who live in deregulated energy states like Texas , Rhode Island , Pennsylvania and Ohio have a few more savings options than others , according to Ben Kurland , Cofounder of the billl negotiating service BillFixers .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shop around to find the cheapest rate offered to them , '' Kurland said .
`` The default rate that you 're paying is probably not the lowest rate that 's available . ''
After seeing what 's out there , you can either switch to a new company or use that knowledge as leverage to negotiate with your current electricity provider , Kurland added .
People who live in gas regulated states like Mississippi , Alabama and Nevada do n't have the freedom to go into the open energy market , since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
If you live in a power regulated state , you should call your electricity provider to ask about specials or deals you might qualify for , Kurland said .
`` They wo n't apply the discount you qualify for unless you get in touch with them , '' Kurland said .
If you 're unsure whether your state is regulated or deregulated , Arcadia published a full list you can refer to .
You can also ask to pay your bill in installments , which most electricity companies allow , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which negotiates rates with service providers to get better prices for clients .
Beyond contacting your electrical company , there are other places to find energy bill relief .
The government offers a Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program meant for people who need temporary help with their heating and cooling energy costs .
There are also various other COVID-19-related relief efforts to help families that run into financial trouble .
For example , Solix Inc. is working with states to ensure people have access to critical services including electricity .
Energy-efficient light @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other appliances could save you money over time , experts say .
You can also reduce the brightness on your television , turn down the temperature in your refrigerator and unplug appliances that are n't in use .
Many plug-in electronics use what experts call `` Vampire Power , '' or leech energy even when they are shut off .
`` If you 've got a million little electronics plugged in , they 're all just sitting there doing nothing but chugging power , '' Kurland said .
`` And you 're spending @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them every month . ''
Allen of PG & E says people should use window shades so that ACs do n't have to run as hard .
Air conditioning costs make up 40 % of your electrical bill , she said .
`` Closing the shades in the afternoon to keep that extreme heat from coming into your home can help , '' Allen said .
She also said people should try to limit how often they open the fridge because it uses more power to cool down after you let the cold @ @ @

Why did my electric bill go up? Summer's here and we're in our houses more than ever
Show Caption Hide Caption How to reduce energy costs while working from home Now that many people are working from home, a lot of households are using more electricity than ever before. Here are some tips to keep costs down. unbranded - Lifestyle, unbranded - Lifestyle
Daniel Modell's electricity bills are higher than ever.
In March, both he and his partner were forced to work remotely after COVID-19 lockdowns began. Modell, a creative director, lost income after his job made salary cuts due to pandemic-related budget cuts. Meanwhile, the couple's power bill grew higher with each month that passed.
In June and July, it was up almost $150 from the same time last year.
"You're not in your apartment during the day when you're at work, so there's no need to leave anything running," Modell said. "But suddenly you're in your own apartment for 24 hours a day and the electricity bills that you get are just absolutely astronomical."
Americans are navigating many pandemic-related financial issues during the recession: job losses, restrictive rental agreements and slashed 401(k) contributions to name a few. Making matters worse, data suggests many are also seeing significant increases in their utility and electric bills due to remote work.
LG Velvet review: The smartphone is sexy, the tech is cool, the camera could be improved
Beating high energy costs: Tech can help trim your utility bills, which may be on the rise amid coronavirus shutdown
It should come as little surprise that most of the additional cost is because people are spending more time at home, experts say.
The pandemic is compelling energy customers to stay indoors more than usual during some of the hottest months of the year, which could drive up energy costs, according to Katie Allen, a savings expert at Pacific Gas and Electric Company in California.
"There are more families at home this summer, and it looks there might be more at home going into the school year with remote learning," she added.
Fluctuations in electricity bills are usually the result of changes in outdoor temperatures. Electric bills are typically lowest during the milder spring and fall months, when you don't have to run air conditioners or heaters.
But with people spending more time at home, one-third of U.S. households will likely see electricity bills climb 10% to 15% higher this summer, according to data from the clean energy technology firm Arcadia.
Households in metro areas will spend the most, between $2 and $37 more on utility bills this summer, Arcadia found.
Joe Toscano's electricity bills are up about $20 per month since he's been working from home in Pittsburgh and is using the AC more often. His wife is also using more power to work from home. So is his daughter, who shifted to remote learning in March.
"I'm using my computer nine to 10 hours a day; so is my wife and so is my daughter," Toscano said. "That's something that we weren't doing before."
Ways to lower your electric bill
If your electricity bills are mounting, there are things you can do to curb costs, but your approach should depend on where you live, experts say.
People who live in deregulated energy states like Texas, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania and Ohio have a more savings options than others, according to Ben Kurland, Cofounder of the billl negotiating service BillFixers.
"Those who live in deregulated markets should shop around to find the cheapest rate offered to them," Kurland said. "The default rate that you're paying is probably not the lowest rate that's available."
Shop around and negotiate
After seeing what's out there, you can either switch to a new company, or use that knowledge as leverage to negotiate with your current power provider, Kurland added.
People who live in gas-regulated states like Mississippi, Alabama and Nevada don't have the freedom to go into the open energy market, since those states choose energy providers for them. If you live in a power-regulated state, you should call your electricity provider to ask about specials or deals you might qualify for, Kurland said.
"They won't apply the discount you qualify for unless you get in touch with them," Kurland said.
If you're unsure whether your state is regulated or deregulated, Arcadia published a full list that you can refer to.
Use installment plans or bill relief programs
You can also ask to pay your bill in installments, which most electricity companies allow, according to Barry Gross, CEO of BillCutterz, which negotiates rates with service providers to get better prices for clients.
Beyond contacting your electrical company, there are other places to find energy bill relief.
The government offers a Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program meant for people who need temporary help with their heating and cooling energy costs. There are also other COVID-19-related relief efforts designed to help families that run into financial trouble. For example, Solix Inc. is working with states to ensure people have access to critical services including electricity.
Energy-efficient light bulbs, ACs, smart thermostats and other appliances could save you money over time, experts say.
You can also reduce the brightness on your television, turn down the temperature in your refrigerator and unplug appliances that aren't in use. Many plug-in electronics use what experts call "vampire power," or leech energy even when they are shut off.
"If you've got a million little electronics plugged in, they're all just sitting there doing nothing but chugging power," Kurland said. "And you're spending a couple of bucks on each of them every month."
Allen of PG&E says people should use window shades so that ACs don't have to run as hard. Air conditioning costs make up 40% of your electrical bill, she said.
"Closing the shades in the afternoon to keep that extreme heat from coming into your home can help," Allen said. She also said people should try to limit how often they open the fridge because it uses more power to cool down after you let the cold air out.
Follow Dalvin Brown on Twitter: @Dalvin_Brown.


usatoday--2020-08-03--Apple Fire grows in Southern California: 20,500 acres scorched, 7,800 ordered to evacuate

PALM SPRINGS , Calif. – More than a thousand Southern California firefighters and multiple aircraft were working Sunday to battle the Apple Fire near Beaumont , California , which has spread to more than 20,000 acres , sent smoke drifting to Arizona and threatens thousands of homes in Riverside and San Bernardino counties .
The massive blaze , which began Friday evening as two smaller fires that eventually merged , has continued to grow , fed by low humidity , a slight breeze , thick vegetation and triple-digit temperatures .
By midday Sunday , the Apple Fire had scorched 20,516 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — destroyed three structures and was 5 % contained by 8 p.m. Sunday night .
About 1,360 firefighters and multiple aircraft were battling the blaze and dropping water and fire retardant from the air .
Earlier Sunday , some official reports had said the fire was 12 % contained , though Cal Fire Capt .
Fernando Herrera confirmed there has never been any containment .
About 7,800 people from 2,600 residences have been ordered to evacuate , officials said late Saturday .
No injuries have been reported .
Smoke from the fire has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Globe , Arizona , roughly 400 miles away , according to the National Weather Service 's Phoenix office .
The main body of smoke is visible across the south-central and southwest regions of the state .
Fire officials say the cause remains under investigation .
Herrera said the fire is burning on two sides .
The western edge is in the Forest Falls area in San Bernardino County ; the eastern flank has headed toward the Morongo Band of Mission Indians ' reservation in Riverside County .
As of Sunday morning , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an evacuation order , while other sections fell under a warning .
Morongo Casino Resort & Spa , located slightly to the south , has not been affected by evacuation notices .
Throughout Saturday night , Herrera said , firefighters and bulldozers built fire lines in anticipation of continued aerial attacks .
`` It is steep terrain , rugged terrain , '' he said .
`` Access is limited .
We ca n't really get to it on foot .
We rely a lot on the aircraft to do the work during the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to 10 mph were forecast in the fire area Sunday night ; these winds are closest to the ground and most likely to affect the fire 's behavior .
Overnight , those winds were forecast to drop to 3 to 5 mph , said James Brotherton , a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in San Diego .
Westerly winds forecast for Monday will be more concerning , Brotherton said .
Daytime winds on Monday are expected to be around 10 mph but could get up to 25 mph around the ridges , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
By Monday night , those winds could pick up to 30 mph .
“ The nearby ridges , we are always concerned about how strong those winds are because they could affect the fire area , ” he said .
If the wind pushes the fire east toward the San Gorgonio pass – even at just 10 to 15 mph – that could change the outlook of the fire , because the pass already is a natural wind tunnel .
As of Saturday night , the only structures lost were a single-family @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Cherry Valley .
Herrera said an assessment team will be looking for any other damaged structures where the fire had burned .
`` It 's so hot and it 's so intense in some of these areas that have n't been mopped up that it 's hard to get in to make an assessment , '' he said .
Officials said that in addition to the blaze , they are mindful of protecting evacuees from the coronavirus pandemic .
An evacuation center is being used as more of a check-in point rather @ @ @ @ @ @ @ night , 31 people checked in and seven families were placed in hotel rooms , according to John Medina , shelter supervisor with the American Red Cross .
Banning resident Martin Yedwalsky , 50 , and his family spent the night at a Redlands Super 8 motel after evacuating Saturday afternoon .
He would have preferred staying home but decided to flee out of concern for his 89-year-old father , who is in a wheelchair .
They were joined by Yedwalsky ’ s 20- and 18-year-old sons , whom he praised for calmly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Los Angeles Lakers game , but Yedwalsky 's elderly father made it clear he wanted to return home as they watched the fire burn from afar .
“ You could see the actual fire from Redlands .
That ’ s 25 miles away , ” Yedwalsky said .
“ I ’ m worried , but what can you do ?
I got my loved ones with me .
Everything else can be replaced.
” Previous reporting by Desert Sun reporters Maria Sestito and Brian Blueskye contributed to this report .
City News @ @ @ @ @ @ @

Shane Newell, Brian Blueskye and Maria Sestito, Palm Springs Desert Sun

Apple Fire grows in Southern California: 20,500 acres scorched, 7,800 ordered to evacuate
Show Caption Hide Caption Apple Fire in Southern California leads thousands to be evacuated Firefighters continue to battle the Apple Fire in Southern California as thousands are evacuated. Storyful
PALM SPRINGS, Calif. – More than a thousand Southern California firefighters and multiple aircraft were working Sunday to battle the Apple Fire near Beaumont, California, which has spread to more than 20,000 acres, sent smoke drifting to Arizona and threatens thousands of homes in Riverside and San Bernardino counties.
The massive blaze, which began Friday evening as two smaller fires that eventually merged, has continued to grow, fed by low humidity, a slight breeze, thick vegetation and triple-digit temperatures.
By midday Sunday, the Apple Fire had scorched 20,516 acres — more than 32 square miles — destroyed three structures and was 5% contained by 8 p.m. Sunday night. About 1,360 firefighters and multiple aircraft were battling the blaze and dropping water and fire retardant from the air. Earlier Sunday, some official reports had said the fire was 12% contained, though Cal Fire Capt. Fernando Herrera confirmed there has never been any containment.
About 7,800 people from 2,600 residences have been ordered to evacuate, officials said late Saturday. No injuries have been reported.
Smoke from the fire has drifted as far away as the city of Globe, Arizona, roughly 400 miles away, according to the National Weather Service's Phoenix office. The main body of smoke is visible across the south-central and southwest regions of the state.
Fire officials say the cause remains under investigation.
Herrera said the fire is burning on two sides. The western edge is in the Forest Falls area in San Bernardino County; the eastern flank has headed toward the Morongo Band of Mission Indians' reservation in Riverside County.
As of Sunday morning, a portion of the reservation remained under an evacuation order, while other sections fell under a warning. Morongo Casino Resort & Spa, located slightly to the south, has not been affected by evacuation notices.
Throughout Saturday night, Herrera said, firefighters and bulldozers built fire lines in anticipation of continued aerial attacks.
"It is steep terrain, rugged terrain," he said. "Access is limited. We can't really get to it on foot. We rely a lot on the aircraft to do the work during the day."
Started the day assisting RSO with the #AppleFire. Personnel from Emergency Ops assisting with planning and evacs of Oak Glen. View from top of Oak Glen pic.twitter.com/Vxe5NK8E0x — Lt. James Mahan (@SBCSDLtMahan) August 2, 2020
Eye-level northwesterly winds up to 10 mph were forecast in the fire area Sunday night; these winds are closest to the ground and most likely to affect the fire's behavior. Overnight, those winds were forecast to drop to 3 to 5 mph, said James Brotherton, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in San Diego.
Westerly winds forecast for Monday will be more concerning, Brotherton said. Daytime winds on Monday are expected to be around 10 mph but could get up to 25 mph around the ridges, the higher elevations in the fire area. By Monday night, those winds could pick up to 30 mph.
“The nearby ridges, we are always concerned about how strong those winds are because they could affect the fire area,” he said.
If the wind pushes the fire east toward the San Gorgonio pass – even at just 10 to 15 mph – that could change the outlook of the fire, because the pass already is a natural wind tunnel.
As of Saturday night, the only structures lost were a single-family home and two outbuildings near Avenida Miravilla in Cherry Valley.
Herrera said an assessment team will be looking for any other damaged structures where the fire had burned.
"It's so hot and it's so intense in some of these areas that haven't been mopped up that it's hard to get in to make an assessment," he said.
Evacuations during a pandemic
Officials said that in addition to the blaze, they are mindful of protecting evacuees from the coronavirus pandemic. An evacuation center is being used as more of a check-in point rather than an actual shelter.
On Friday night, 31 people checked in and seven families were placed in hotel rooms, according to John Medina, shelter supervisor with the American Red Cross.
Banning resident Martin Yedwalsky, 50, and his family spent the night at a Redlands Super 8 motel after evacuating Saturday afternoon. He would have preferred staying home but decided to flee out of concern for his 89-year-old father, who is in a wheelchair.
They were joined by Yedwalsky’s 20- and 18-year-old sons, whom he praised for calmly evacuating. They spent the night watching a Los Angeles Lakers game, but Yedwalsky's elderly father made it clear he wanted to return home as they watched the fire burn from afar.
“You could see the actual fire from Redlands. That’s 25 miles away,” Yedwalsky said. “I’m worried, but what can you do? I got my loved ones with me. Everything else can be replaced.”
Previous reporting by Desert Sun reporters Maria Sestito and Brian Blueskye contributed to this report. City News Service also contributed to this report.
Reach reporters Shane Newell (@journoshane), Maria Sestito (@RiaSestito), and Brian Blueskye (brian.blueskye@desertsun.com)


usatoday--2020-08-03--Michigan football 'stopped recruiting' five-star in-state prospect. His father has no idea why

Bewilderment is detected in his voice .
Disappointment is heard , too .
Over the phone , Damon Payne Sr. recalled how the Michigan football program he has always rooted for suddenly stopped recruiting his son , the gifted five-star defensive tackle and newly minted Alabama commitment , Damon Jr. “ I don ’ t know what happened .
I have no idea , ” he said .
“ If you can dig and investigate and find out why , let me know.
” Answers have been hard to come by , he continued .
Not since the threat of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in early March has he heard a peep from the Wolverines .
The line of communication went silent .
The mailers stopped .
The bespoke graphic images created for other recruits were never designed and sent to his kid .
Contact with Michigan defensive line coach , Shaun Nua — whom Payne Sr. called the “ truth ” and “ the real deal ” — ended abruptly .
It all seemed so bizarre to a man who describes himself as a Michigan Man and a die-hard supporter who reads Wolverines fan sites and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the next time he sees his favorite college team play in person .
To outsiders , it made even less sense .
Here was the No .
1 prospect in the state of Michigan being dropped by the big-time program in the area while a national power from the South pursued him consistently .
ATHLETES ARE PAYING ATTENTION : They do n't like what they hear in push to start college football TENSION : Washington State player says head coach threatened his status over Pac-12 unity group “ It sounds weird .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ As a parent , me and my wife and my son haven ’ t heard from them .
I can ’ t go into detail and say why.
” He just simply doesn ’ t have an explanation .
But Payne Sr. wondered if it may have had something to do with the tense relationship that has developed between his son ’ s coach at Belleville High School , Jermain Crowell , and Michigan .
Based on his own experience , Payne said Crowell never tried to steer him away from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us or any other kids , ‘ Don ’ t go to Michigan.
, ’ ” Payne Sr. said .
“ I haven ’ t witnessed ill-will toward Michigan from him.
” But on the Wolverines message boards Payne frequented , speculation mushroomed about Crowell ’ s influence and a perceived anti-Michigan bias he wielded .
Entire threads are dedicated to Crowell , who has become a prominent figure in the state ’ s high school sports scene after transforming Belleville from a mediocre outfit into a program that has gone 34-3 the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stop on the recruiting trail for major college programs .
Instead of focusing on Crowell ’ s accomplishments during his six-year tenure at Belleville , anonymous users grumble about the coach ’ s perceived slights toward the Wolverines .
In May , after liking a couple of tweets that took oblique shots at Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh ’ s performance , Crowell was again targeted by the keyboard mob .
The attacks once bothered Crowell , but he no longer seems concerned being viewed as a heel by supporters of a school he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Detroit Cass Tech .
“ You ’ re going to Michigan , ” he once repeated to the program ’ s best players .
The words came naturally to him back then .
Like many who grew up in Detroit , Crowell was a Michigan fan and his boss at Cass Tech was none other than Thomas Wilcher , the magnet school ’ s longtime head coach who once took handoffs from Harbaugh on fall Saturdays in Ann Arbor .
Over the years , some of Crowell ’ s top players went on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including defensive backs Jourdan Lewis and Lavert Hill .
He also had forged strong relationships with former Wolverines staffer Chris Singletary and assistant coach Tyrone Wheatley , two natives of metro Detroit .
But Crowell also was reluctant to cut Michigan any slack .
When Harbaugh succeeded Brady Hoke in December 2014 , Crowell was quoted in the Free Press saying the Wolverines had become complacent with local recruiting and they had assumed a certain level of loyalty based on their traditional standing as the top program in the state .
“ He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wants more out of Michigan , ” Wilcher said of his former protégé .
“ He knows what Michigan can produce .
He knows the things Michigan can do .
And he feels it ’ s his home state .
Why not put a fence around Michigan ?
And why not make our kids the No .
1 kids in the country ?
You have the facilities and you have the tools to do it , so that ’ s what he feels .
… He expects more.
” But after the Harbaugh @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what he saw .
Singletary and Wheatley had both exited the program by the start of Harbaugh ’ s third season with the Wolverines .
Then Hill , his former player , drew criticism from assistant Mike Zordich , who questioned the cornerback ’ s toughness in 2018 as he missed time during spring practice because of an injury .
All the while , Harbaugh didn ’ t prioritize Belleville , even though the Tigers have produced at least one of the state ’ s 10-best prospects each of the last four recruiting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has visited the school only once when the Wolverines were in pursuit of Devontae Dobbs , the highly touted guard who ended up at Michigan State .
Given that Belleville sits roughly 18 miles from Michigan ’ s campus , it all seemed peculiar .
But Crowell isn ’ t begging the Wolverines coach to stop by again .
“ Harbaugh is good in Ann Arbor and Crowell is good in Belleville , ” he said .
It was a telling comment , hinting at the gulf that exists between the two men @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I don ’ t have a problem with Michigan.
” He pointed to his burgeoning relationship with Nua , Payne ’ s primary recruiter , and noted that former Belleville cornerback Andre Seldon landed at Michigan this past winter .
Former Belleville standout Myles Rowser , a member of the 2022 class , was also ticketed for Ann Arbor before he backed out of his commitment in late April .
Even inside Schembechler Hall , the notion that there may be bad blood between Crowell and Michigan isn ’ t evident to everyone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Free Press he felt the team would be well-positioned to land a Belleville player in the future .
“ They are always going to be a recruiting power in the entire country , ” Crowell said of Michigan .
“ And they are always going to have a presence in their state .
Harbaugh is considered by a lot to be one of the top college coaches in America .
And I would believe that indicates the man should be able to recruit anywhere .
He was successful at Stanford .
He was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Coach Harbaugh could go wherever he wants and pull whatever player he wants if he really puts his mind to it.
” To emphasize that point , he conflated two infamous Harbaugh recruiting episodes — the tree-climbing bit to woo David Long and that viral sleepover anecdote involving Quinn Nordin .
But some , including Lewis , who now plays for the Dallas Cowboys , have questioned whether Harbaugh is willing to put forth that level of effort toward mining the Wolverines ' backyard for talent even though the program just swiped three-star @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are in contention for several other top in-state prospects .
“ Recruit the state of Michigan better , ” the former Wolverines cornerback wrote on Twitter in April during a 48-hour window when Penn State secured three commitments from the Detroit area — safety Jaylen Reed , cornerback Kalen King and inside linebacker Kobe King .
Months later , the Nittany Lions snagged Jamari Buddin of Belleville , giving Penn State just as many 2021 prospects from Michigan as the Wolverines have in their current portfolio of recruits .
“ If I had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have the tools to keep these players in state and I have the potential to make my team better with keeping my players in state , I am going to do that , ” Wilcher said .
“ I am going to find out what does it take because I think that is the basis of developing a great team .
There is no place better than for a kid to go to school in his home state.
” Instead , Payne is headed 771 miles due south to Tuscaloosa because Alabama has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on a consistent basis even when the 6-foot-4 , 297-pound recruit hasn ’ t always been responsive .
Since February , Payne has only posted three messages on his Twitter account and Crowell posited that his star player 's reticent nature had been a `` turnoff '' for programs like Michigan .
Still , Payne 's father said that in the last few months , as the Wolverines disappeared from the defensive tackle 's orbit , the Belleville product received texts from a Tide assistant and had a video call with Nick Saban @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Crimson Tide ’ s interest was notable considering the SEC heavyweight does its due diligence with evaluations and places tremendous value on players at Payne ’ s position ; in the last five NFL drafts , an Alabama defensive tackle has been selected in the first two rounds .
That was why it was so curious to Payne ’ s father that Michigan “ gave us zero communication.
” “ They pretty much backed off recruiting him , ” he added .
But he ’ s not about to blame his son @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into the narrative that has been spun about Crowell in message-board threads from anonymous souls on the Internet .
“ I know it wasn ’ t Crowell , ” Payne Sr. said .
“ I know it had nothing to do with him .
When you look at my mailbox , it ’ s filled with other schools .
Michigan didn ’ t contact us .
That ’ s just the way it is , whether they want to believe it or not .
They didn ’ t contact us .
They didn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t sent a text message , a letter , nothing .
We haven ’ t heard from them .
That ’ s what it comes down to .
“ I am a Michigan fan and they stopped recruiting us.
” Contact Rainer Sabin at rsabin @ freepress.com .
Follow him on Twitter @ RainerSabin .
Read more on the Michigan Wolverines , Michigan State Spartans and sign up for our Big Ten newsletter .

Michigan football 'stopped recruiting' five-star in-state prospect. His father has no idea why
Show Caption Hide Caption Michigan's Jim Harbaugh on playing football in 2020, COVID-19 school safety Michigan's Jim Harbaugh answers questions from reporters on a Zoom call about playing football in 2020, COVID-19 and more, Wednesday, July 8, 2020. Michigan football
Bewilderment is detected in his voice. Disappointment is heard, too. Over the phone, Damon Payne Sr. recalled how the Michigan football program he has always rooted for suddenly stopped recruiting his son, the gifted five-star defensive tackle and newly minted Alabama commitment, Damon Jr.
“I don’t know what happened. I have no idea,” he said. “If you can dig and investigate and find out why, let me know.”
Answers have been hard to come by, he continued. Not since the threat of COVID-19 began to reverberate in this country in early March has he heard a peep from the Wolverines. The line of communication went silent. The mailers stopped. The bespoke graphic images created for other recruits were never designed and sent to his kid. Contact with Michigan defensive line coach, Shaun Nua — whom Payne Sr. called the “truth” and “the real deal” — ended abruptly.
It all seemed so bizarre to a man who describes himself as a Michigan Man and a die-hard supporter who reads Wolverines fan sites and still plans to wear Maize and Blue the next time he sees his favorite college team play in person.
To outsiders, it made even less sense. Here was the No. 1 prospect in the state of Michigan being dropped by the big-time program in the area while a national power from the South pursued him consistently.
ATHLETES ARE PAYING ATTENTION: They don't like what they hear in push to start college football
TENSION: Washington State player says head coach threatened his status over Pac-12 unity group
“It sounds weird. I totally get it,” he said. “As a parent, me and my wife and my son haven’t heard from them. I can’t go into detail and say why.”
He just simply doesn’t have an explanation. But Payne Sr. wondered if it may have had something to do with the tense relationship that has developed between his son’s coach at Belleville High School, Jermain Crowell, and Michigan. Based on his own experience, Payne said Crowell never tried to steer him away from the Wolverines.
“He never discouraged us or any other kids, ‘Don’t go to Michigan.,’” Payne Sr. said. “I haven’t witnessed ill-will toward Michigan from him.”
But on the Wolverines message boards Payne frequented, speculation mushroomed about Crowell’s influence and a perceived anti-Michigan bias he wielded. Entire threads are dedicated to Crowell, who has become a prominent figure in the state’s high school sports scene after transforming Belleville from a mediocre outfit into a program that has gone 34-3 the last three seasons and become a required stop on the recruiting trail for major college programs. Instead of focusing on Crowell’s accomplishments during his six-year tenure at Belleville, anonymous users grumble about the coach’s perceived slights toward the Wolverines. In May, after liking a couple of tweets that took oblique shots at Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh’s performance, Crowell was again targeted by the keyboard mob.
The attacks once bothered Crowell, but he no longer seems concerned being viewed as a heel by supporters of a school he once championed as the defensive coordinator at Detroit Cass Tech. “You’re going to Michigan,” he once repeated to the program’s best players.
The words came naturally to him back then. Like many who grew up in Detroit, Crowell was a Michigan fan and his boss at Cass Tech was none other than Thomas Wilcher, the magnet school’s longtime head coach who once took handoffs from Harbaugh on fall Saturdays in Ann Arbor.
Over the years, some of Crowell’s top players went on to sport the famous winged helmet, including defensive backs Jourdan Lewis and Lavert Hill.
He also had forged strong relationships with former Wolverines staffer Chris Singletary and assistant coach Tyrone Wheatley, two natives of metro Detroit.
But Crowell also was reluctant to cut Michigan any slack.
When Harbaugh succeeded Brady Hoke in December 2014, Crowell was quoted in the Free Press saying the Wolverines had become complacent with local recruiting and they had assumed a certain level of loyalty based on their traditional standing as the top program in the state.
“He puts a higher market on Michigan and wants more out of Michigan,” Wilcher said of his former protégé. “He knows what Michigan can produce. He knows the things Michigan can do. And he feels it’s his home state. Why not put a fence around Michigan? And why not make our kids the No. 1 kids in the country? You have the facilities and you have the tools to do it, so that’s what he feels. … He expects more.”
But after the Harbaugh Era launched, Crowell became disappointed by what he saw. Singletary and Wheatley had both exited the program by the start of Harbaugh’s third season with the Wolverines. Then Hill, his former player, drew criticism from assistant Mike Zordich, who questioned the cornerback’s toughness in 2018 as he missed time during spring practice because of an injury.
All the while, Harbaugh didn’t prioritize Belleville, even though the Tigers have produced at least one of the state’s 10-best prospects each of the last four recruiting cycles. According to Crowell, Harbaugh has visited the school only once when the Wolverines were in pursuit of Devontae Dobbs, the highly touted guard who ended up at Michigan State.
Given that Belleville sits roughly 18 miles from Michigan’s campus, it all seemed peculiar.
But Crowell isn’t begging the Wolverines coach to stop by again.
“Harbaugh is good in Ann Arbor and Crowell is good in Belleville,” he said.
It was a telling comment, hinting at the gulf that exists between the two men.
Still, Crowell insisted, “I don’t have a problem with Michigan.”
He pointed to his burgeoning relationship with Nua, Payne’s primary recruiter, and noted that former Belleville cornerback Andre Seldon landed at Michigan this past winter. Former Belleville standout Myles Rowser, a member of the 2022 class, was also ticketed for Ann Arbor before he backed out of his commitment in late April. Even inside Schembechler Hall, the notion that there may be bad blood between Crowell and Michigan isn’t evident to everyone, and one Wolverines staffer told the Free Press he felt the team would be well-positioned to land a Belleville player in the future.
“They are always going to be a recruiting power in the entire country,” Crowell said of Michigan. “And they are always going to have a presence in their state. Harbaugh is considered by a lot to be one of the top college coaches in America. And I would believe that indicates the man should be able to recruit anywhere. He was successful at Stanford. He was successful with the 49ers. I think Coach Harbaugh could go wherever he wants and pull whatever player he wants if he really puts his mind to it.”
To emphasize that point, he conflated two infamous Harbaugh recruiting episodes — the tree-climbing bit to woo David Long and that viral sleepover anecdote involving Quinn Nordin.
But some, including Lewis, who now plays for the Dallas Cowboys, have questioned whether Harbaugh is willing to put forth that level of effort toward mining the Wolverines' backyard for talent even though the program just swiped three-star receiver Andrel Anthony from East Lansing and are in contention for several other top in-state prospects.
“Recruit the state of Michigan better,” the former Wolverines cornerback wrote on Twitter in April during a 48-hour window when Penn State secured three commitments from the Detroit area — safety Jaylen Reed, cornerback Kalen King and inside linebacker Kobe King. Months later, the Nittany Lions snagged Jamari Buddin of Belleville, giving Penn State just as many 2021 prospects from Michigan as the Wolverines have in their current portfolio of recruits.
Recruit the State of Michigan better. — Jourdan Lewis (@JourdanJD) April 10, 2020
“If I had all the tools and I know I have the tools to keep these players in state and I have the potential to make my team better with keeping my players in state, I am going to do that,” Wilcher said. “I am going to find out what does it take because I think that is the basis of developing a great team. There is no place better than for a kid to go to school in his home state.”
Instead, Payne is headed 771 miles due south to Tuscaloosa because Alabama has wanted him for years, reaching out on a consistent basis even when the 6-foot-4, 297-pound recruit hasn’t always been responsive. Since February, Payne has only posted three messages on his Twitter account and Crowell posited that his star player's reticent nature had been a "turnoff" for programs like Michigan.
Still, Payne's father said that in the last few months, as the Wolverines disappeared from the defensive tackle's orbit, the Belleville product received texts from a Tide assistant and had a video call with Nick Saban, Alabama’s championship coach. The Crimson Tide’s interest was notable considering the SEC heavyweight does its due diligence with evaluations and places tremendous value on players at Payne’s position; in the last five NFL drafts, an Alabama defensive tackle has been selected in the first two rounds.
That was why it was so curious to Payne’s father that Michigan “gave us zero communication.”
“They pretty much backed off recruiting him,” he added.
But he’s not about to blame his son’s high school coach or buy into the narrative that has been spun about Crowell in message-board threads from anonymous souls on the Internet.
“I know it wasn’t Crowell,” Payne Sr. said. “I know it had nothing to do with him. When you look at my mailbox, it’s filled with other schools. Michigan didn’t contact us. That’s just the way it is, whether they want to believe it or not. They didn’t contact us. They didn’t reach out. They haven’t sent a text message, a letter, nothing. We haven’t heard from them. That’s what it comes down to.
“I am a Michigan fan and they stopped recruiting us.”
Contact Rainer Sabin at rsabin@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @RainerSabin. Read more on the Michigan Wolverines, Michigan State Spartans and sign up for our Big Ten newsletter.


usatoday--2020-08-03--'Glee' alum Jenna Ushkowitz is engaged to David Stanley: 'Yes, a million times, yes'

`` Glee '' alum Jenna Ushkowitz has something to celebrate : She and boyfriend David Stanley are engaged .
The actress and singer , 34 , shared the news Sunday night , showing off a sparkling diamond ring with a gold band in a selfie with Stanley and their French Bulldog , Bear .
`` Yes , a million times , yes , '' she wrote in the Instagram post .
Ushkowitz and Stanley have been dating since 2018 and their engagement comes about a month after the couple celebrated their two-year anniversary .
`` 2 years of getting to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Ushkowitz wrote in an Instagram post June 29 alongside a selfie of the two of them and Bear on the beach .
`` 2 years of growth , learning about each other , ourselves , our love and 2 years of creating our little family .
Ca n't wait for all the days , months , years to come . ''
The happy news comes after a difficult month for Ushkowitz : She and the rest of her former `` Glee '' castmates mourned the death of Naya Rivera , who drowned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after disappearing from a boat she rented with her 4-year-old son , Josey , who was found safe .
`` Naya , you were a force and everyone who got to be around you knew it and felt the light and joy you exuded when you walked into a room , '' she wrote .
`` You shined on stage and screen and radiated with love behind closed doors .
I was lucky enough to share so many laughs , martinis and secrets with you .
I can not believe I took for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Our friendship went in waves as life happens and we grow , so I will not look back and regret but know I love you and promise to help the legacy of your talent , humor , light and loyalty live on . ''
She also paid tribute to fellow `` Waitress : The Musical '' alum Nick Cordero , who died at 41 after a months-long battle with coronavirus complications .
`` Rest easy friend , `` she wrote in a July 5 post with a black and white photo of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fight of your life .
The world lost one of the greats .
Your laugh , light , smile , positivity radiated through this world .
Love you .
❤ wear a mask .
So sorry to everyone who feels the loss and had the chance to encounter Nick in their life .
ALL my love to Amanda , Elvis and their families . ''

'Glee' alum Jenna Ushkowitz is engaged to David Stanley: 'Yes, a million times, yes'
Show Caption Hide Caption Demi Lovato, Max Ehrich announce engagement in sweet Instagram post Demi Lovato's 2020 has included new music, a Grammy performance and now, a proposal! The singer announced that she's engaged to actor Max Ehrich. Entertain This!, USA TODAY
"Glee" alum Jenna Ushkowitz has something to celebrate: She and boyfriend David Stanley are engaged.
The actress and singer, 34, shared the news Sunday night, showing off a sparkling diamond ring with a gold band in a selfie with Stanley and their French Bulldog, Bear.
"Yes, a million times, yes," she wrote in the Instagram post.
Ushkowitz and Stanley have been dating since 2018 and their engagement comes about a month after the couple celebrated their two-year anniversary.
"2 years of getting to know you, traveling, laughing," Ushkowitz wrote in an Instagram post June 29 alongside a selfie of the two of them and Bear on the beach.
"2 years of growth, learning about each other, ourselves, our love and 2 years of creating our little family. Can't wait for all the days, months, years to come."
The happy news comes after a difficult month for Ushkowitz: She and the rest of her former "Glee" castmates mourned the death of Naya Rivera, who drowned July 8 in a Southern California lake after disappearing from a boat she rented with her 4-year-old son, Josey, who was found safe.
"Naya, you were a force and everyone who got to be around you knew it and felt the light and joy you exuded when you walked into a room," she wrote. "You shined on stage and screen and radiated with love behind closed doors. I was lucky enough to share so many laughs, martinis and secrets with you. I can not believe I took for granted that you'd always be here. Our friendship went in waves as life happens and we grow, so I will not look back and regret but know I love you and promise to help the legacy of your talent, humor, light and loyalty live on."
She also paid tribute to fellow "Waitress: The Musical" alum Nick Cordero, who died at 41 after a months-long battle with coronavirus complications.
"Rest easy friend, "she wrote in a July 5 post with a black and white photo of Cordero dancing. "You put up the fight of your life. The world lost one of the greats. Your laugh, light, smile, positivity radiated through this world. Love you. ❤ wear a mask. So sorry to everyone who feels the loss and had the chance to encounter Nick in their life. ALL my love to Amanda, Elvis and their families."