washingtontimes--2020-05-09--'It's gone haywire': When COVID-19 arrived in rural America

DAWSON , Ga. ( AP ) - The reverend approached the makeshift pulpit and asked the Lord to help him make some sense of the scene before him : two caskets , side by side , in a small-town cemetery busier now than ever before .
Rev .
Willard O. Weston had already eulogized other neighbors lost to COVID-19 , and he would do more .
But this one stood as a symbol to him of all they had lost .
The pair of caskets , one powder blue , one white and gold , contained a couple married 30 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at separate hospitals hours from each other , unaware of the other ’ s fate .
The day was dark .
There was no wind , not even a breeze .
It felt to some like the earth had paused for this .
As the world ’ s attention was fixated on the horrors in Italy and New York City , the per capita death rates in counties in the impoverished southwest corner of Georgia climbed to among the worst in the country .
The devastation here is a cautionary tale of what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that have for generations remained on the losing end of the nation ’ s most intractable inequalities : these counties are rural , mostly African American and poor .
This story was produced with the support of the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting .
More than a quarter of people in Terrell County live in poverty , the local hospital shuttered decades ago , and businesses have been closing for years , sending many young and able fleeing for cities .
Those left behind are sicker and more vulnerable ; even before the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ men here was six years shorter than the American average .
Rural people , African Americans and the poor are more likely to work in jobs not conducive to social distancing , like the food processing plant in nearby Mitchell County where four employees died of COVID-19 .
They have less access to health care and so more often delay treatment for chronic conditions ; in southwest Georgia , the diabetes rate of 16 percent is twice as high as in Atlanta .
Transportation alone can be a challenge , so that by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hospital , they ’ re harder to save .
At least 21 people have died from COVID-19 in this county , and dozens more in the neighboring rural communities .
For weeks , Weston ’ s phone would not stop ringing : another person in the hospital , another person dead .
An hour before this funeral , Weston ’ s phone rang again , and this time it was news that another had succumbed to the virus-his own first cousin , as close to him as a brother .
Some here had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but instead it made the pandemic particularly cruel .
In Terrell County , population 8,500 , everyone knows everyone and every death is personal .
As the mourners arrived at the cemetery , just the handful allowed , each knew others suffering and dying .
The couple ’ s son , Desmond Tolbert , sat stunned .
After caring for his parents , he ’ d also rushed his aunt , his mother ’ s sister , to a hospital an hour away , and there she remained on a ventilator .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ thinking that if her mother survived , she would have to find a way to tell her that her sister was dead and buried .
“ It ’ s just gone haywire , I mean haywire , ” thought Eddie Keith , a 65-year-old funeral home attendant standing in the back who was familiar with all the faces on the funeral programs piling up .
“ People dying left and right.
” Usually , on hard days like this , he would call his friend of 30 years , who was a pastor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ convince him that God would not give more than he could endure .
But a couple weeks earlier , that pastor had started coughing , too .
As Georgia and other states rush to reopen , some out-of-the way places might believe that the virus won ’ t find them .
Many here thought that , too .
But it arrived , quietly at first then with breathtaking savagery .
The cemetery on the edge of town staggered graveside services , one an hour , all day .
The county coroner typically works @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; they reached No .
41 by mid-April .
They ordered an emergency morgue .
Of the 10 counties with the highest death rate per capita in America , half are in rural southwest Georgia , where there are no packed skyscraper apartment buildings or subways .
Ambulances rush along country roads , just fields and farms in either direction , carrying COVID-19 patients to the nearest hospital , for some an hour away .
The small county seats are mostly quiet , the storefronts shuttered , some long ago because of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because owners are too afraid to reopen .
These counties circle the city of Albany , which is where authorities believe the outbreak began at a pair of funerals in February .
Albany is also home to the main hospital in the region , Phoebe Putney Memorial , which serves an area of 800,000 people spanning more than 50 miles in every direction , many of them with little other access to care .
The hospital saw its first known coronavirus patient on March 10 ; within a few days , it had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Two weeks later , patients began flooding in from farther-flung rural communities .
Helicopters buzzed from the top of the parking garage , flying patients to other hospitals that still had room to take them .
They burned through six months of masks and gowns in six days , said Phoebe Putney president Scott Steiner .
Then they were competing for supplies against wealthier , more politically powerful places ; they paid $ 1 each for surgical masks that typically cost a nickel and were losing about $ 1 million each day .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ died within hours .
Some died on the way , in the back of ambulances .
The region is predominantly black , but still African Americans died disproportionately , Steiner said .
African Americans accounted for about 80 % of the hospital ’ s deaths .
Black people have been dying at alarming rates across the country : the latest Associated Press analysis of available data shows that African Americans represent about 14 % of the population in the areas covered but nearly one-third of those who have died .
By nearly every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in rural Georgia than almost anywhere else in America , according to researchers at Emory University in Atlanta .
Although New York City had thousands more deaths , the per capita death rate in these Georgia counties is just as high .
“ They are vulnerable people living in vulnerable places , people who are marginalized on a variety of measures , whether we ’ re talking about race , whether we ’ re talking about education or employment , in places that have fewer resources , ” said Shivani Patel , an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : “ It ’ s like our worst nightmare coming true.
” Dr. James Black , the medical director of emergency services at Phoebe Putney , was born in this hospital , grew up in this region and is proud of how they ’ ve managed with the odds stacked against them .
He hasn ’ t had a day off in two months .
The question now , he believes , is whether society decides , in the wake of the virus , to continue neglecting its most vulnerable people and places @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to judge us not only on how well we prepared , it ’ s not going to just judge us on how well we responded , ” he said , “ but what we learned from it , and what we change.
” Georgia has lost seven rural hospitals in the last decade .
Nine counties in rural Georgia don ’ t even have a doctor , according to the Georgia Alliance of Community Hospitals ; 18 have no family practitioner , 60 have no pediatrician , 77 without a psychiatrist .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Terrell County ’ s NAACP , said health care is what has left him “ banging his head against a wall.
” At first Holley thought a virus would be one thing that did not discriminate .
He opened the newspaper , scanned the faces in the obituaries and knew every one of them .
“ Then I thought , why are low income people and people of color dying more than anyone else ?
This is the richest nation in the world , why doesn ’ t it have a level playing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tell me that.
” At first , Benjamin Tolbert just felt a malaise ; he had no appetite .
Within a couple days , he could barely stand .
His son , Desmond , took him to the hospital in Albany .
By then it was full , and he was sent to another hospital an hour south .
Benjamin ’ s wife , Nellie Mae , who everyone called Pollye Ann , got sick the next day .
She was routed from the Albany hospital to another an hour north .
Everyone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a hard worker .
He had worked for 28 years at a Tyson Foods plant , and yet he always found more work to do , washing his car , tending the lawn .
He and his wife had been together 30 years .
He was mild-mannered , but she found a joke in everything .
She was a minister , she played the organ , sang gospel and danced , wildly , joyfully .
“ Oh my goodness , she was a dancer , and the dances were so hilarious , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her dance and laugh at herself , ” said their niece , Latasha Taylor , whom they loved like a daughter .
Benjamin would hang back , but Pollye Ann would pull him up and he ’ d dance along with her .
Both were diabetic , Pollye Ann had had heart valve surgery , Benjamin had been on dialysis .
Pollye Ann ’ s sister , Katherine Taylor Peters , often got dialysis treatments with him .
They were a close-knit family : Peters lived just blocks away .
Shortly after the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ daughter and said she too had an incessant cough and was struggling to breathe .
Latasha was working hours away , so she called her cousin , Desmond , and asked him to check on her .
He put her in his car and drove her to another hospital an hour from home .
They soon sedated her and put her on a ventilator .
Much of the rest is a blur for Desmond and Latasha : calls from doctors and nurses , driving hours among three hospitals , begging to see their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ too dangerous .
“ I couldn ’ t see them , I couldn ’ t talk to them , ” said Desmond , 29 , who had lived with his parents all this life .
Suddenly he was alone .
And all around them , neighbors were getting sick .
“ So many people , it ’ s a feeling you can ’ t even explain .
It ’ s like a churning in your stomach , ” said Taylor .
“ People you ’ re normally waving at , speaking to in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re never going to see them again.
” Desmond was on the phone with a nurse as his mother took her last breath .
Two days later , the call came from his father ’ s caregivers .
Benjamin never knew that his wife got sick .
She didn ’ t know her husband was on his death bed .
They were apart , far from home , without their son at their sides .
The only solace he can find is imagining them meeting again on the other side , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other one .
Eddie Keith had known this couple all his life , he knew their phone number by heart , where they lived , where they worked , their mothers and fathers .
“ They knew me real well , ” he said , “ as well as I knew them.
” He has worked for the funeral home for 35 years , and part of his job is to pick up the bodies .
He got a call about Pollye Ann ’ s passing , and when a hometown person dies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ duty to bring them home to Dawson .
Sometimes he talks to them as he drives , sometimes he sings .
When the second call came about her husband , two days later , he wondered if what was happening in his city might be too much to bear .
He ’ s used to death .
But now people were dying one right after the next , too quickly to reckon with each in real time .
Keith is a deacon at a country church down a dirt road just outside of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Alfred Starling , always told him that God doesn ’ t make mistakes , and Keith wanted to be reminded of that now , because Dawson ’ s people kept dying , and Keith kept retrieving them .
But the next morning he was picking up a body in Tallahassee when the pastor ’ s wife called .
He ’ d gone to the hospital with a bad cough , and he hadn ’ t made it .
They ’ d known each other 30 years .
Once , years ago , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ necktie .
After that , every time the pastor bought himself a tie , he bought Keith one too .
It became a symbol of their love for each other .
“ He would always look out for me , ” he said .
Keith pulled off the road and sat there a half an hour .
“ Why God ?
Why God ?
Why God ?
” he thought , and he caught himself .
He was always taught not to question God , so he asked for forgiveness .
There were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he left just after to pick up his pastor ’ s body .
He talked to him : “ I didn ’ t think you ’ d leave me so early ; I thought we were going to grow old together.
” He thought of his pastor ’ s favorite spiritual .
“ Good news , good news , ” the pastor would sing and walk from behind the pulpit , a little strut in his step .
“ I ’ m going to lay down my burden , store up my cross @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to live with Jesus , ain ’ t that good news.
” He sang it to his pastor as he drove him home .
By time the Tolberts ’ funeral arrived , so many had been lost to COVID-19 that Rev .
Willard Weston had gotten used to delivering his eulogies through a mask .
Gloves .
Hand sanitizer .
Don ’ t touch , don ’ t embrace , no matter how much you want to .
“ At this pace , you don ’ t get a chance to really take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and then you ’ re getting a call about another , ” he said .
He ’ d found himself on his knees in his bathroom , trying to scream out the sadness so he could keep going .
He put on his suit and tie .
He walked outside , looked up to the sky and pleaded with God to find the strength to deliver a double funeral .
“ Lord , how can I go and do this ?
” In normal times , the Tolbert family ’ s funeral @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pollye Ann was a minister at Weston ’ s church .
She could deliver testimony like no one he ’ d ever seen : she was like a freight train , he recalled , slow at first then faster , faster , faster .
People were drawn to her .
Instead it was just him and a handful of mourners in the cemetery , staring at the two caskets .
He read from scripture and told their son , Desmond , that he ’ d never walk alone .
He worried his instinct @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his knowledge that he couldn ’ t , so he walked away and got in his car .
He felt guilty .
He prayed for God to take that guilt away .
Because there was more to do .
The next Saturday , he would have three funerals , back to back .
A couple weeks later , on a Friday afternoon , he was preparing to leave his empty church and head home for the weekend without a single funeral planned for the first time in weeks .
It felt hopeful .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Man , no .
Oh , wow , ” he said , and his shoulders slumped .
“ Some more bad news .
Somebody else has passed.
” There was some good news too .
Pollye Ann Tolbert ’ s sister survived weeks on a ventilator .
She still tested positive for coronavirus and remained in isolation , so her daughter Latasha could only talk to her by phone .
The first thing she asked when she woke was how her sister and brother-in-law were doing .
Latasha paused .
Her mother repeated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mail still arrived in the mailbox for them .
Their house was just as it was the day they left for the hospital .
She and her cousin had washed the linens and wiped the surfaces to rid it of virus , but were otherwise too paralyzed to move a thing .
“ I had to tell her that while she was sleeping , her sister and brother-in-law left us forever , ” Latasha said .
“ They ’ re already buried , they ’ re in the ground.
” Peters told her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was a doctor on the phone , telling her that her sister wasn ’ t going to make it .
She thought she would die too , if not from COVID-19 , then from grief .
She had hoped it was all a bad dream .
Then she woke up .

DAWSON, Ga. (AP) - The reverend approached the makeshift pulpit and asked the Lord to help him make some sense of the scene before him: two caskets, side by side, in a small-town cemetery busier now than ever before.
Rev. Willard O. Weston had already eulogized other neighbors lost to COVID-19, and he would do more. But this one stood as a symbol to him of all they had lost. The pair of caskets, one powder blue, one white and gold, contained a couple married 30 years who died two days apart, at separate hospitals hours from each other, unaware of the other’s fate.
The day was dark. There was no wind, not even a breeze. It felt to some like the earth had paused for this.
As the world’s attention was fixated on the horrors in Italy and New York City, the per capita death rates in counties in the impoverished southwest corner of Georgia climbed to among the worst in the country. The devastation here is a cautionary tale of what happens when the virus seeps into communities that have for generations remained on the losing end of the nation’s most intractable inequalities: these counties are rural, mostly African American and poor.
___
This story was produced with the support of the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting.
___
More than a quarter of people in Terrell County live in poverty, the local hospital shuttered decades ago, and businesses have been closing for years, sending many young and able fleeing for cities. Those left behind are sicker and more vulnerable; even before the virus arrived, the life expectancy for men here was six years shorter than the American average.
Rural people, African Americans and the poor are more likely to work in jobs not conducive to social distancing, like the food processing plant in nearby Mitchell County where four employees died of COVID-19. They have less access to health care and so more often delay treatment for chronic conditions; in southwest Georgia, the diabetes rate of 16 percent is twice as high as in Atlanta. Transportation alone can be a challenge, so that by the time they make it to the hospital, they’re harder to save.
At least 21 people have died from COVID-19 in this county, and dozens more in the neighboring rural communities. For weeks, Weston’s phone would not stop ringing: another person in the hospital, another person dead. An hour before this funeral, Weston’s phone rang again, and this time it was news that another had succumbed to the virus-his own first cousin, as close to him as a brother.
Some here had thought that their isolation might spare them, but instead it made the pandemic particularly cruel. In Terrell County, population 8,500, everyone knows everyone and every death is personal. As the mourners arrived at the cemetery, just the handful allowed, each knew others suffering and dying.
The couple’s son, Desmond Tolbert, sat stunned. After caring for his parents, he’d also rushed his aunt, his mother’s sister, to a hospital an hour away, and there she remained on a ventilator. Her daughter, Latasha Taylor, wept thinking that if her mother survived, she would have to find a way to tell her that her sister was dead and buried.
“It’s just gone haywire, I mean haywire,” thought Eddie Keith, a 65-year-old funeral home attendant standing in the back who was familiar with all the faces on the funeral programs piling up. “People dying left and right.”
Usually, on hard days like this, he would call his friend of 30 years, who was a pastor at a country church and could always convince him that God would not give more than he could endure.
But a couple weeks earlier, that pastor had started coughing, too.
___
As Georgia and other states rush to reopen, some out-of-the way places might believe that the virus won’t find them. Many here thought that, too. But it arrived, quietly at first then with breathtaking savagery.
The cemetery on the edge of town staggered graveside services, one an hour, all day. The county coroner typically works between 38 and 50 deaths a year; they reached No. 41 by mid-April. They ordered an emergency morgue.
Of the 10 counties with the highest death rate per capita in America, half are in rural southwest Georgia, where there are no packed skyscraper apartment buildings or subways. Ambulances rush along country roads, just fields and farms in either direction, carrying COVID-19 patients to the nearest hospital, for some an hour away. The small county seats are mostly quiet, the storefronts shuttered, some long ago because of the struggling economy, and some only now because owners are too afraid to reopen.
These counties circle the city of Albany, which is where authorities believe the outbreak began at a pair of funerals in February. Albany is also home to the main hospital in the region, Phoebe Putney Memorial, which serves an area of 800,000 people spanning more than 50 miles in every direction, many of them with little other access to care.
The hospital saw its first known coronavirus patient on March 10; within a few days, it had 60 and the ICU was full. Two weeks later, patients began flooding in from farther-flung rural communities. Helicopters buzzed from the top of the parking garage, flying patients to other hospitals that still had room to take them. They burned through six months of masks and gowns in six days, said Phoebe Putney president Scott Steiner. Then they were competing for supplies against wealthier, more politically powerful places; they paid $1 each for surgical masks that typically cost a nickel and were losing about $1 million each day.
The patients were very sick. Some died within hours. Some died on the way, in the back of ambulances. The region is predominantly black, but still African Americans died disproportionately, Steiner said. African Americans accounted for about 80% of the hospital’s deaths.
Black people have been dying at alarming rates across the country: the latest Associated Press analysis of available data shows that African Americans represent about 14% of the population in the areas covered but nearly one-third of those who have died.
By nearly every measure, coronavirus patients are faring worse in rural Georgia than almost anywhere else in America, according to researchers at Emory University in Atlanta. Although New York City had thousands more deaths, the per capita death rate in these Georgia counties is just as high.
“They are vulnerable people living in vulnerable places, people who are marginalized on a variety of measures, whether we’re talking about race, whether we’re talking about education or employment, in places that have fewer resources,” said Shivani Patel, an epidemiologist at Emory. Then COVID-19 arrived: “It’s like our worst nightmare coming true.”
Dr. James Black, the medical director of emergency services at Phoebe Putney, was born in this hospital, grew up in this region and is proud of how they’ve managed with the odds stacked against them. He hasn’t had a day off in two months. The question now, he believes, is whether society decides, in the wake of the virus, to continue neglecting its most vulnerable people and places.
“I think that history is going to judge us not only on how well we prepared, it’s not going to just judge us on how well we responded,” he said, “but what we learned from it, and what we change.”
Georgia has lost seven rural hospitals in the last decade. Nine counties in rural Georgia don’t even have a doctor, according to the Georgia Alliance of Community Hospitals; 18 have no family practitioner, 60 have no pediatrician, 77 without a psychiatrist.
Ezekiel Holley, the longtime leader of Terrell County’s NAACP, said health care is what has left him “banging his head against a wall.”
At first Holley thought a virus would be one thing that did not discriminate. He opened the newspaper, scanned the faces in the obituaries and knew every one of them.
“Then I thought, why are low income people and people of color dying more than anyone else? This is the richest nation in the world, why doesn’t it have a level playing field?” he said. “Tell me that.”
___
At first, Benjamin Tolbert just felt a malaise; he had no appetite. Within a couple days, he could barely stand.
His son, Desmond, took him to the hospital in Albany. By then it was full, and he was sent to another hospital an hour south. Benjamin’s wife, Nellie Mae, who everyone called Pollye Ann, got sick the next day. She was routed from the Albany hospital to another an hour north.
Everyone in town knew Benjamin, 58, as a hard worker. He had worked for 28 years at a Tyson Foods plant, and yet he always found more work to do, washing his car, tending the lawn. He and his wife had been together 30 years. He was mild-mannered, but she found a joke in everything. She was a minister, she played the organ, sang gospel and danced, wildly, joyfully.
“Oh my goodness, she was a dancer, and the dances were so hilarious, you would just fall out laughing watching her dance and laugh at herself,” said their niece, Latasha Taylor, whom they loved like a daughter. Benjamin would hang back, but Pollye Ann would pull him up and he’d dance along with her.
Both were diabetic, Pollye Ann had had heart valve surgery, Benjamin had been on dialysis. Pollye Ann’s sister, Katherine Taylor Peters, often got dialysis treatments with him. They were a close-knit family: Peters lived just blocks away.
Shortly after the Tolberts got sick, Peters called her daughter and said she too had an incessant cough and was struggling to breathe. Latasha was working hours away, so she called her cousin, Desmond, and asked him to check on her.
He put her in his car and drove her to another hospital an hour from home. They soon sedated her and put her on a ventilator.
Much of the rest is a blur for Desmond and Latasha: calls from doctors and nurses, driving hours among three hospitals, begging to see their parents but being told it was far too dangerous.
“I couldn’t see them, I couldn’t talk to them,” said Desmond, 29, who had lived with his parents all this life. Suddenly he was alone.
And all around them, neighbors were getting sick.
“So many people, it’s a feeling you can’t even explain. It’s like a churning in your stomach,” said Taylor. “People you’re normally waving at, speaking to in passing, at the pharmacy, you’re never going to see them again.”
Desmond was on the phone with a nurse as his mother took her last breath. Two days later, the call came from his father’s caregivers. Benjamin never knew that his wife got sick. She didn’t know her husband was on his death bed. They were apart, far from home, without their son at their sides.
The only solace he can find is imagining them meeting again on the other side, and that neither had to live without the other one.
___
Eddie Keith had known this couple all his life, he knew their phone number by heart, where they lived, where they worked, their mothers and fathers.
“They knew me real well,” he said, “as well as I knew them.”
He has worked for the funeral home for 35 years, and part of his job is to pick up the bodies. He got a call about Pollye Ann’s passing, and when a hometown person dies someplace else, he considers it his duty to bring them home to Dawson.
Sometimes he talks to them as he drives, sometimes he sings.
When the second call came about her husband, two days later, he wondered if what was happening in his city might be too much to bear. He’s used to death. But now people were dying one right after the next, too quickly to reckon with each in real time.
Keith is a deacon at a country church down a dirt road just outside of town. His pastor, Rev. Alfred Starling, always told him that God doesn’t make mistakes, and Keith wanted to be reminded of that now, because Dawson’s people kept dying, and Keith kept retrieving them. But the next morning he was picking up a body in Tallahassee when the pastor’s wife called. He’d gone to the hospital with a bad cough, and he hadn’t made it.
They’d known each other 30 years. Once, years ago, he’d complimented his pastor’s necktie. After that, every time the pastor bought himself a tie, he bought Keith one too. It became a symbol of their love for each other. “He would always look out for me,” he said.
Keith pulled off the road and sat there a half an hour.
“Why God? Why God? Why God?” he thought, and he caught himself. He was always taught not to question God, so he asked for forgiveness.
There were three funerals the next day, and he left just after to pick up his pastor’s body.
He talked to him: “I didn’t think you’d leave me so early; I thought we were going to grow old together.”
He thought of his pastor’s favorite spiritual. “Good news, good news,” the pastor would sing and walk from behind the pulpit, a little strut in his step. “I’m going to lay down my burden, store up my cross. And I’m going home to live with Jesus, ain’t that good news.”
He sang it to his pastor as he drove him home.
___
By time the Tolberts’ funeral arrived, so many had been lost to COVID-19 that Rev. Willard Weston had gotten used to delivering his eulogies through a mask. Gloves. Hand sanitizer. Don’t touch, don’t embrace, no matter how much you want to.
“At this pace, you don’t get a chance to really take a deep breath from the previous death, and then you’re getting a call about another,” he said. He’d found himself on his knees in his bathroom, trying to scream out the sadness so he could keep going.
He put on his suit and tie.
He walked outside, looked up to the sky and pleaded with God to find the strength to deliver a double funeral.
“Lord, how can I go and do this?”
In normal times, the Tolbert family’s funeral would have drawn a packed house. Pollye Ann was a minister at Weston’s church. She could deliver testimony like no one he’d ever seen: she was like a freight train, he recalled, slow at first then faster, faster, faster. People were drawn to her.
Instead it was just him and a handful of mourners in the cemetery, staring at the two caskets. He read from scripture and told their son, Desmond, that he’d never walk alone.
He worried his instinct to comfort with an embrace would overtake his knowledge that he couldn’t, so he walked away and got in his car. He felt guilty. He prayed for God to take that guilt away. Because there was more to do. The next Saturday, he would have three funerals, back to back.
A couple weeks later, on a Friday afternoon, he was preparing to leave his empty church and head home for the weekend without a single funeral planned for the first time in weeks. It felt hopeful. Then his phone rang again.
“Man, no. Oh, wow,” he said, and his shoulders slumped.
“Some more bad news. Somebody else has passed.”
___
There was some good news too.
Pollye Ann Tolbert’s sister survived weeks on a ventilator. She still tested positive for coronavirus and remained in isolation, so her daughter Latasha could only talk to her by phone.
The first thing she asked when she woke was how her sister and brother-in-law were doing. Latasha paused. Her mother repeated the question. It felt unreal. Mail still arrived in the mailbox for them. Their house was just as it was the day they left for the hospital. She and her cousin had washed the linens and wiped the surfaces to rid it of virus, but were otherwise too paralyzed to move a thing.
“I had to tell her that while she was sleeping, her sister and brother-in-law left us forever,” Latasha said. “They’re already buried, they’re in the ground.”
Peters told her daughter that the last thing she remembered was a doctor on the phone, telling her that her sister wasn’t going to make it. She thought she would die too, if not from COVID-19, then from grief.
She had hoped it was all a bad dream.
Then she woke up.
___
AP writer Katrease Stafford and data editor Meghan Hoyer contributed.


washingtontimes--2020-05-09--Rams still hoping for guests at SoFi Stadium opening party

LOS ANGELES ( AP ) - The Los Angeles Rams finally have a date and an opponent for the long-awaited opening of SoFi Stadium , the multibillion-dollar reason for their return to California over four years ago .
The Rams still don ’ t know for sure whether they ’ ll actually be able to have their big Sunday night against the Dallas Cowboys on Sept. 13 .
Even if it happens , they don ’ t know whether there will be fans in the stands of their palatial new home for its first football game .
The coronavirus pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this NFL franchise .
The unprecedented circumstances are dismaying to coach Sean McVay , but he hasn ’ t given up hope of a proper homecoming for the Rams .
When asked Friday on a video conference call about the likelihood of opening SoFi Stadium in four months without fans , McVay said : “ We certainly hope that that ’ s not the case.
” “ But we ’ re not going to speculate on any of that , ” he added .
“ It ’ s still so far away .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ has taken place even ( in the last ) two months that we ’ ve been in these quarantine positions , I think we ’ ll just let it play itself out .
It ’ s still going to be a football game , and we ’ re hopeful that it ’ ll be as normal as possible , but obviously the health and safety of everybody is the first and foremost consideration.
” Everybody involved with the NFL is spending this unusual spring conducting their offseason business through computer screens and remote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and McVay is virtually gathering his rookies together this weekend , including running back Cam Akers and receiver Van Jefferson .
McVay , whose passion for the methodology of teaching and leadership is well known , has also used this down time to learn .
He recently spent time speaking with Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta after being connected through the Kroenke family , which owns both teams .
“ He is really an impressive guy , ” McVay said of Arteta , the ex-Arsenal midfielder who became Pep Guardiola ’ s coaching @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in North London last December .
“ I think he ’ ll do a great job , and I ’ m certainly a fan of Arsenal and love following them , just through those relationships , through the Kroenke family .
But it was more than anything a chance for us to connect , kind of share some ideas .
But the upcoming season was thrust to the forefront of most teams ’ minds by the release of the schedule this week .
The Rams , Chargers and Raiders are all opening new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after Rams owner Stan Kroenke won the intense three-team competition for the lucrative right to return the NFL to Los Angeles .
Kroenke got his fellow owners ’ approval in large part because the billionaire married to a Walmart heir had a compelling , well-financed plan to build a flagship NFL stadium in the nation ’ s second-largest metropolitan area .
SoFi Stadium is rapidly nearing completion as workers push on amid the pandemic , and it will be a major venue for sports in the nation over the next decade and beyond @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it with no fans in the stands , with only their own shouts and cheers from the field and sideline .
When asked if he could imagine the reality of such a thing , McVay chuckled .
“ I can , because I coached in the UFL my second year in coaching , and it felt like we didn ’ t play in front of many fans in some of those situations , ” McVay said .
McVay was a 23-year-old receivers coach and offensive quality control coach for the Florida Tuskers of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ It feels very similar to practice , ” McVay said of that experience in the minor leagues .
“ I can probably yell across ( to ) the ( far ) sidelines for the other coaches to hear you .
If that ’ s what it is , we ’ ll just be thankful to be playing in any form or fashion , but certainly the fans bring an added dynamic that we can ’ t match.
” When asked if he ’ ll have to watch his language when television @ @ @ @ @ @ @ McVay chuckled again .
“ I think the cameras will have to bleep it out some more , ” he said .

LOS ANGELES (AP) - The Los Angeles Rams finally have a date and an opponent for the long-awaited opening of SoFi Stadium, the multibillion-dollar reason for their return to California over four years ago.
The Rams still don’t know for sure whether they’ll actually be able to have their big Sunday night against the Dallas Cowboys on Sept. 13. Even if it happens, they don’t know whether there will be fans in the stands of their palatial new home for its first football game.
The coronavirus pandemic is occurring during a historic year for this NFL franchise. The unprecedented circumstances are dismaying to coach Sean McVay, but he hasn’t given up hope of a proper homecoming for the Rams.
When asked Friday on a video conference call about the likelihood of opening SoFi Stadium in four months without fans, McVay said: “We certainly hope that that’s not the case.”
“But we’re not going to speculate on any of that,” he added. “It’s still so far away. I mean, think about how much has taken place even (in the last) two months that we’ve been in these quarantine positions, I think we’ll just let it play itself out. It’s still going to be a football game, and we’re hopeful that it’ll be as normal as possible, but obviously the health and safety of everybody is the first and foremost consideration.”
Everybody involved with the NFL is spending this unusual spring conducting their offseason business through computer screens and remote workouts. The Rams are no different, and McVay is virtually gathering his rookies together this weekend, including running back Cam Akers and receiver Van Jefferson.
McVay, whose passion for the methodology of teaching and leadership is well known, has also used this down time to learn. He recently spent time speaking with Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta after being connected through the Kroenke family, which owns both teams.
“He is really an impressive guy,” McVay said of Arteta, the ex-Arsenal midfielder who became Pep Guardiola’s coaching protege at Manchester City before taking over in North London last December. “I think he’ll do a great job, and I’m certainly a fan of Arsenal and love following them, just through those relationships, through the Kroenke family. But it was more than anything a chance for us to connect, kind of share some ideas.
But the upcoming season was thrust to the forefront of most teams’ minds by the release of the schedule this week. The Rams, Chargers and Raiders are all opening new stadiums this year, nearly a half-decade after Rams owner Stan Kroenke won the intense three-team competition for the lucrative right to return the NFL to Los Angeles.
Kroenke got his fellow owners’ approval in large part because the billionaire married to a Walmart heir had a compelling, well-financed plan to build a flagship NFL stadium in the nation’s second-largest metropolitan area. SoFi Stadium is rapidly nearing completion as workers push on amid the pandemic, and it will be a major venue for sports in the nation over the next decade and beyond.
But its foundational tenants might open it with no fans in the stands, with only their own shouts and cheers from the field and sideline.
When asked if he could imagine the reality of such a thing, McVay chuckled.
“I can, because I coached in the UFL my second year in coaching, and it felt like we didn’t play in front of many fans in some of those situations,” McVay said.
McVay was a 23-year-old receivers coach and offensive quality control coach for the Florida Tuskers of the defunct United Football League in 2009.
“It feels very similar to practice,” McVay said of that experience in the minor leagues. “I can probably yell across (to) the (far) sidelines for the other coaches to hear you. If that’s what it is, we’ll just be thankful to be playing in any form or fashion, but certainly the fans bring an added dynamic that we can’t match.”
When asked if he’ll have to watch his language when television microphones can hear his every word, McVay chuckled again.
“I think the cameras will have to bleep it out some more,” he said.
___
More AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL


washingtontimes--2020-05-09--Californians can hike, shop, golf as virus restrictions ease

LOS ANGELES ( AP ) - Hiking to the Hollywood sign and hitting the links is being allowed Saturday as the California county hardest hit by the coronavirus cautiously reopened some sites to recreation-starved stay-at-homers .
Los Angeles County permitted the reopening of trails and golf courses but with social distancing restrictions .
For those interested in retail therapy , there was even better news as Gov .
Gavin Newsom on Friday allowed tens of thousands of stores to reopen , including florist shops , just in time for Mother ’ s Day .
The city of Los Angeles announced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including sprawling Griffith Park , which includes popular paths to the Hollywood sign .
But mounted police and park rangers would be keeping hikers to small , distant groups wearing face coverings .
Mayor Eric Garcetti urged “ good judgment ” and said the city would rely on education and encouragement rather than heavy-handed enforcement .
It was “ not our vision to make this like a junior high school dance with people standing too close to each other , ” he said .
County beaches could reopen next week with restrictions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shore and possibly spreading COVID-19 .
“ We don ’ t want a stampede to the beaches , ” Nicole Mooradian , spokeswoman for the county Department of Beaches and Harbors , told the Los Angeles Times .
“ Right now we ’ re planning for Wednesday.
” Los Angeles County , the state ’ s largest with 10 million residents , has more than half California ’ s roughly 2,700 virus deaths and has seen dozens of new deaths daily .
Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer acknowledged the risk that easing restrictions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infections .
“ There is a lot at stake , ” Ferrer said .
“ Reopening our county , even slowly , only works if we ’ re all really committed to being careful.
” But pressure has been building to reopen the state , seven weeks after Newsom ’ s stay-at-home order shut down nonessential businesses and told 40 million residents to stay mainly in their homes .
More than 4 million people have filed for unemployment benefits .
The California Department of Finance is projecting an unemployment rate of 18 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ peak of the Great Recession a decade ago .
On Friday , Newsom eased the order and said roughly 70 % of the state ’ s businesses can open with restrictions .
Weekend shoppers can visit bookstores , as well as stores for jewelry , toys , clothing , shoes , home supplies and furnishing , sporting goods , antiques and music .
People can ’ t browse but must pick up purchases curbside .
Car dealerships also got the nod , with some showroom restrictions .
While San Francisco and six Bay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t ease their own retail restrictions for another week or longer , nearly two dozen counties - many of them small , rural populations with few coronavirus cases - want to move faster than called for under Newsom ’ s four-phase reopening plan .
The governor said the state will allow that under strict criteria based on the number of cases , deaths and tests .
But the state also sent a stern warning to three Northern California counties that have been defying his orders .
Leaders in Yuba , Sutter and Modoc @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are outside the scope of Newsom ’ s plan , including dine-in restaurants , hair and nail salons and shopping malls .
On Friday , California ’ s Office of Emergency Services told Yuba , Sutter and Modoc they could lose federal disaster aid if they continued exceeding the governor ’ s order .
The state Board of Barbering and Cosmetology , which issues permits for hair and nail services , similarly said it was warning violators they could lose licenses .
The Sutter County Board of Supervisors plans to vote Saturday on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health officer for the two counties attests they meet state criteria for broader reopening .
California is now in stage two of Newsom ’ s four-phase process .
The governor on Friday did provide a glimmer of hope that phase three , which would allow reopening of such businesses as nail salons , isn ’ t far off .
That phase would also allow for the reopening of churches , movie theaters and some hospitality services .
“ It ’ s not six months away , it ’ s not even three months @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than a month away , ” Newsom said .
“ We just want to make sure that we have a protocol in place to secure customer safety , employer safety , and allow the businesses to thrive in a way that is sustainable.
” To move more quickly to reopen restaurants , malls , office buildings , childcare facilities and services such as car washes and pet grooming , counties must demonstrate they ’ ve had zero deaths and just one case per 10,000 residents during a two-week stretch , as well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ability to house up to 15 % of the homeless .
“ This pandemic is going to be a long dance between safety and rapidly changing conditions on the ground , ” Knaus said .
Los Angeles County has no chance of being fast-tracked , said Ferrer , the public health director .
A Los Angeles Times analysis found that 95 % of Californians live in counties that don ’ t meet the standards .
“ This may apply much more easily for those very small counties that already have in fact seen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no deaths at all to date , ” she said .
“ But for the larger counties , we will only be able to apply for a variance under these conditions when the pandemic is over.
” Associated Press writers Kathleen Ronayne , Cunyet Dil , Don Thompson and Adam Beam in Sacramento , Amy Taxin in Westminster and John Antczak in Los Angeles contributed .

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Hiking to the Hollywood sign and hitting the links is being allowed Saturday as the California county hardest hit by the coronavirus cautiously reopened some sites to recreation-starved stay-at-homers.
Los Angeles County permitted the reopening of trails and golf courses but with social distancing restrictions. For those interested in retail therapy, there was even better news as Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday allowed tens of thousands of stores to reopen, including florist shops, just in time for Mother’s Day.
The city of Los Angeles announced it also was reopening some public spaces, including sprawling Griffith Park, which includes popular paths to the Hollywood sign.
But mounted police and park rangers would be keeping hikers to small, distant groups wearing face coverings. Mayor Eric Garcetti urged “good judgment” and said the city would rely on education and encouragement rather than heavy-handed enforcement.
It was “not our vision to make this like a junior high school dance with people standing too close to each other,” he said.
County beaches could reopen next week with restrictions designed to keep people from thronging the shore and possibly spreading COVID-19.
“We don’t want a stampede to the beaches,” Nicole Mooradian, spokeswoman for the county Department of Beaches and Harbors, told the Los Angeles Times. “Right now we’re planning for Wednesday.”
Los Angeles County, the state’s largest with 10 million residents, has more than half California’s roughly 2,700 virus deaths and has seen dozens of new deaths daily. Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer acknowledged the risk that easing restrictions could lead to a new spike in infections.
“There is a lot at stake,” Ferrer said. “Reopening our county, even slowly, only works if we’re all really committed to being careful.”
But pressure has been building to reopen the state, seven weeks after Newsom’s stay-at-home order shut down nonessential businesses and told 40 million residents to stay mainly in their homes.
More than 4 million people have filed for unemployment benefits. The California Department of Finance is projecting an unemployment rate of 18%, or 46% higher than the peak of the Great Recession a decade ago.
On Friday, Newsom eased the order and said roughly 70% of the state’s businesses can open with restrictions.
Weekend shoppers can visit bookstores, as well as stores for jewelry, toys, clothing, shoes, home supplies and furnishing, sporting goods, antiques and music. People can’t browse but must pick up purchases curbside. Car dealerships also got the nod, with some showroom restrictions.
“There’s a slow trickle of customers, nothing compared to pre-pandemic numbers but it’s a little something,” said Gigi Garcia, who began offering curbside shopping Friday in front of her kids clothing store It Takes A Village in Montrose, a foothill community 15 miles (24 kilometers) north of downtown Los Angeles.
She said business won’t pick up until people can dine in the restaurants surrounding her shop again.
“You have no idea how much business the restaurants bring in for us,” she said. “We all feed off each other.”
While San Francisco and six Bay Area counties have said they won’t ease their own retail restrictions for another week or longer, nearly two dozen counties - many of them small, rural populations with few coronavirus cases - want to move faster than called for under Newsom’s four-phase reopening plan.
The governor said the state will allow that under strict criteria based on the number of cases, deaths and tests.
But the state also sent a stern warning to three Northern California counties that have been defying his orders. Leaders in Yuba, Sutter and Modoc counties have allowed businesses to reopen that are outside the scope of Newsom’s plan, including dine-in restaurants, hair and nail salons and shopping malls.
On Friday, California’s Office of Emergency Services told Yuba, Sutter and Modoc they could lose federal disaster aid if they continued ignoring the governor’s order.
The state Board of Barbering and Cosmetology, which issues permits for hair and nail services, similarly said it was warning violators they could lose licenses.
The Sutter County Board of Supervisors voted Saturday to pass a proposal telling the state the public health officer for the two counties attests they meet state criteria for broader reopening, the Appeal Democrat reported.
California is now in stage two of Newsom’s four-phase process. The governor on Friday did provide a glimmer of hope that phase three, which would allow reopening of such businesses as nail salons, isn’t far off. That phase would also allow for the reopening of churches, movie theaters and some hospitality services.
“It’s not six months away, it’s not even three months away. It may not even be more than a month away,” Newsom said. “We just want to make sure that we have a protocol in place to secure customer safety, employer safety, and allow the businesses to thrive in a way that is sustainable.”
To move more quickly to reopen restaurants, malls, office buildings, childcare facilities and services such as car washes and pet grooming, counties must demonstrate they’ve had zero deaths and just one case per 10,000 residents during a two-week stretch, as well as robust testing and tracing and an ability to house up to 15% of the homeless.
Los Angeles County has no chance of being fast-tracked, said Ferrer, the public health director. A Los Angeles Times analysis found that 95% of Californians live in counties that don’t meet the standards.
“This may apply much more easily for those very small counties that already have in fact seen a significant decrease or may have had no deaths at all to date,” she said. “But for the larger counties, we will only be able to apply for a variance under these conditions when the pandemic is over.”
Meanwhile, a fifth inmate from the California Institution for Men in San Bernardino County died Saturday at an outside hospital from what appeared to be complications related to COVID-19, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said in a statement.
___
Associated Press writers Daisy Nguyen in San Francisco, Kathleen Ronayne, Cunyet Dil, Don Thompson and Adam Beam in Sacramento, Amy Taxin in Westminster and John Antczak in Los Angeles contributed.


washingtontimes--2020-05-09--Colorado reaches 967 coronavirus deaths, over 19,300 cases

DENVER ( AP ) - Colorado has reached 967 deaths from the coronavirus , and more than 19,300 people have tested positive for the illness , state health officials said .
The state Department of Public Health and Environment said Saturday more than 100,000 people have now been tested for COVID-19 .
State data show more than 3,600 people have been hospitalized since the outbreak .
Fewer than 600 people were in Colorado hospitals with symptoms of the illness as of Friday .
On Saturday , a host of Denver businesses - from clothing stores to hair salons - opened @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nearly two months as Mayor Michael Hancock ’ s stay-at-home order expired , The Denver Post reported .
Business owners who have been hard hit financially say it ’ s the only way to stay afloat as they try to recoup lost sales while giving their employees a much-needed paycheck .
But despite the go-ahead from city leaders , many business owners are choosing to keep their stores shut , at least for now .
Those who have made the choice not to resume walk-in business anytime soon say there is simply not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ customers back into their spaces is safe and won ’ t contribute to the spread of COVID-19 .
Steve Weil , president of Rockmount Ranch Wear , has been able to ship his Western apparel to stores around the world for the past two months .
But his family-owned business has still taken a hit .
“ It was not a hard decision , ” Weil said about reopening Saturday .
“ It ’ s essential to the well-being of our economy.
” Retail stores won ’ t be able to just resume @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a limited number of customers browsing , and shoppers must wear masks and stay 6 feet away from others .
For Abrean SophiaMarie , reopening her Bee Sweet hair business this weekend just feels too soon .
The co-owner plans to see how everything plays out over the next few weeks at other hair salons before deciding on an opening date .
The virus causes mild to moderate symptoms in most patients , and the vast majority recover .
But it is highly contagious and can cause severe illness and death in some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with underlying health conditions .

DENVER (AP) - Colorado has reached 967 deaths from the coronavirus, and more than 19,300 people have tested positive for the illness, state health officials said.
The state Department of Public Health and Environment said Saturday more than 100,000 people have now been tested for COVID-19.
State data show more than 3,600 people have been hospitalized since the outbreak. Fewer than 600 people were in Colorado hospitals with symptoms of the illness as of Friday.
On Saturday, a host of Denver businesses - from clothing stores to hair salons - opened their doors for the first time in nearly two months as Mayor Michael Hancock’s stay-at-home order expired, The Denver Post reported. Business owners who have been hard hit financially say it’s the only way to stay afloat as they try to recoup lost sales while giving their employees a much-needed paycheck.
But despite the go-ahead from city leaders, many business owners are choosing to keep their stores shut, at least for now. Those who have made the choice not to resume walk-in business anytime soon say there is simply not enough evidence yet that bringing workers and customers back into their spaces is safe and won’t contribute to the spread of COVID-19.
Steve Weil, president of Rockmount Ranch Wear, has been able to ship his Western apparel to stores around the world for the past two months. But his family-owned business has still taken a hit.
“It was not a hard decision,” Weil said about reopening Saturday. “It’s essential to the well-being of our economy.”
Retail stores won’t be able to just resume normal activity. Shops can only have a limited number of customers browsing, and shoppers must wear masks and stay 6 feet away from others.
For Abrean SophiaMarie, reopening her Bee Sweet hair business this weekend just feels too soon. The co-owner plans to see how everything plays out over the next few weeks at other hair salons before deciding on an opening date.
The virus causes mild to moderate symptoms in most patients, and the vast majority recover. But it is highly contagious and can cause severe illness and death in some patients, particularly the elderly and those with underlying health conditions.


washingtontimes--2020-05-09--Surfer killed in shark attack in Northern California

APTOS , Calif. ( AP ) - A surfer was killed in a shark attack off a Northern California beach @ @ @ @ @ Saturday .
The 26-year-old man was surfing off Manresa State Beach on the northern end @ @ @ @ @ p.m. when he was attacked by an unknown shark species , the California State Parks @ @ @ @ @ The victim ’ s name has not been released .
Santa Cruz Sheriff ’ s @ @ @ @ @ s family .
The water one mile north and south of the attack will be @ @ @ @ @ Signs were posted warning beachgoers about the attack .
The sign said the attack happened @ @ @ @ @ .
“ State Parks expresses its deepest sympathy to the family of the victim , @ @ @ @ @ The amount of surfing and swimming has been steady while local officials close the beach @ @ @ @ @ to 5 p.m. to deter a surge of visitors to the coastline during the coronavirus @ @

APTOS, Calif. (AP) - A surfer was killed in a shark attack off a Northern California beach, state park officials said Saturday.
The 26-year-old man was surfing off Manresa State Beach on the northern end of Monterey Bay around 1:30 p.m. when he was attacked by an unknown shark species, the California State Parks said in a statement.
The victim’s name has not been released. Santa Cruz Sheriff’s deputies notified the man’s family.
The water one mile north and south of the attack will be closed for five days. Signs were posted warning beachgoers about the attack. The sign said the attack happened within 100 yards off shore.
“State Parks expresses its deepest sympathy to the family of the victim,” the statement said.
The amount of surfing and swimming has been steady while local officials close the beach every day between 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. to deter a surge of visitors to the coastline during the coronavirus crisis.
Monterey Bay drone photographer Eric Mailander told KRON-TV has been observing dozens of great white sharks swimming near the shoreline in recent days. He said he counted 15 sharks while out on his boat Saturday morning.
None were showing signs of aggressive predatory behavior, Mailander told the TV station.


washingtontimes--2020-05-09--Texas man accused of online threat mentioning Walmart

HORIZON CITY , Texas ( AP ) - A 29-year-old Texas man has been arrested , accused of making online threats that included a photo of a weapon and a reference to Walmart , the FBI said Saturday .
The FBI said it received a tip on Thursday evening about a social media post with a picture of a weapon and text reading # watchoutwalmartimcoming # droplikeflys….
” Alex R. Barron , 29 , of Horizon City was identified as the owner of the account , the FBI said .
Barron was arrested Friday evening .
Horizon City is located @ @ @ @ @ @ @ southeast of El Paso , where a shooter on Aug. 3 , 2019 , opened fire at a Walmart .
Twenty-three people were killed in the attack targeting Latinos , including a man who died last month from his injuries .
The suspect in that shooting is awaiting trial .
Barron is expected to have an initial court appearance in El Paso before a U.S. magistrate judge on Monday .
“ Anyone who makes a social media post threatening be a potential active shooter should expect to be identified and prosecuted , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Quesada .
Barron was being held in El Paso County jail on Saturday .
Jail records did not list an attorney for him .

HORIZON CITY, Texas (AP) - A 29-year-old Texas man has been arrested, accused of making online threats that included a photo of a weapon and a reference to Walmart, the FBI said Saturday.
The FBI said it received a tip on Thursday evening about a social media post with a picture of a weapon and some of the text reading “#watchoutwalmartimcoming #droplikeflys.”
Alex R. Barron, 29, of Horizon City was identified as the owner of the account, the FBI said. Barron was arrested Friday evening.
Horizon City is located about 20 miles (32 kilometers) southeast of El Paso, where a shooter on Aug. 3, 2019, opened fire at a Walmart. Twenty-three people were killed in the attack targeting Latinos, including a man who died last month from his injuries. The suspect in that shooting is awaiting trial.
Barron is expected to have an initial court appearance in El Paso before a U.S. magistrate judge on Monday.
“Anyone who makes a social media post threatening be a potential active shooter should expect to be identified and prosecuted,” said Special Agent in Charge Luis M. Quesada.
Barron was being held in El Paso County jail on Saturday. Jail records did not list an attorney for him.


washingtontimes--2020-05-09--Beshear: Infant among Kentucky's new coronavirus cases

FRANKFORT , Ky. ( AP ) - A 1-year-old child is among Kentucky ’ s 158 new coronavirus cases , Gov .
Andy Beshear said Saturday .
The Democratic governor said the state ’ s caseload continues to plateau , but stressed during his daily news conference that people must continue following safety guidelines .
“ Summer ’ s coming , I know people want to do more , I just want to remind us that this is still out there , ” he said .
Beshear reported six additional virus deaths , bringing the state ’ s total fatalities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people have tested positive , he said .
The number of virus patients hospitalized in intensive care units rose to 226 , as it continued to climb in the past couple weeks .
“ That ’ s something to watch as we continue to move forward , ” Beshear said of the ICU patients .
The governor has said he plans to test residents and staffers at all nursing homes in the state in about two months .
Roughly half Kentucky ’ s virus deaths have been people who were at nursing homes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for factories and some businesses as part of Beshear ’ s plan to gradually restart the parts of Kentucky ’ s economy stalled by the pandemic .
The phase-in starting Monday includes a broad resumption of manufacturing and construction work , and applies to such businesses as car and boat dealerships , professional services and pet grooming and boarding .
The governor stressed that businesses have to follow “ healthy at work ” guidelines when reopening .
For most people , the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms , such as fever @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
For some , especially older adults and those with existing health problems , it can cause more severe illness , even death .
Follow AP coverage of the pandemic at https : //apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https : //apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak .

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - A 1-year-old child is among Kentucky’s 158 new coronavirus cases, Gov. Andy Beshear said Saturday.
The Democratic governor said the state’s caseload continues to plateau, but stressed during his daily news conference that people must continue following safety guidelines.
“Summer’s coming, I know people want to do more, I just want to remind us that this is still out there,” he said.
Beshear reported six additional virus deaths, bringing the state’s total fatalities to 304 people. At least 6,440 people have tested positive, he said. The number of virus patients hospitalized in intensive care units rose to 226, as it continued to climb in the past couple weeks.
“That’s something to watch as we continue to move forward,” Beshear said of the ICU patients.
The governor has said he plans to test residents and staffers at all nursing homes in the state in about two months. Roughly half Kentucky’s virus deaths have been people who were at nursing homes.
Next Monday will usher in reopenings for factories and some businesses as part of Beshear’s plan to gradually restart the parts of Kentucky’s economy stalled by the pandemic. The phase-in starting Monday includes a broad resumption of manufacturing and construction work, and applies to such businesses as car and boat dealerships, professional services and pet grooming and boarding.
The governor stressed that businesses have to follow “healthy at work” guidelines when reopening.
For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up within weeks. For some, especially older adults and those with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, even death.
___
Follow AP coverage of the pandemic at https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak.


washingtontimes--2020-05-09--NY priest on virus front lines with embattled congregation

NEW YORK ( AP ) - Raul Luis López never had the chance to say goodbye .
López was hospitalized for COVID-19 on April 3 before succumbing nearly three weeks later .
The 39-year-old native of Oaxaca , Mexico , suffered from diabetes which worsened his illness .
The day he left for treatment was the last time his wife , Sara Cruz , saw him .
Now López ’ s family , clad in surgical masks and gloves , was gathered in the widow ’ s living room in the Corona neighborhood of Queens , New York , around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A rendering of the Virgin of Guadalupe , patroness of Mexico and the Americas , watched over his ashes on a table beside flowers and prayer candles .
The Rev .
Fabian Arias , a Catholic priest from Buenos Aires , Argentina , is the pastor of Iglesia de Sion , a congregation with a mission relationship alongside Saint Peter ’ s Church in Manhattan , and has performed funeral services 14 times in the last two months .
Saturday ’ s service for López was the first he ’ s been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Ninety-nine percent of funeral homes are not receiving people for religious ceremonies ; they say ‘ no , ’ ” said Arias “ They will take your body and provide cremation.
” The financial costs of services , already difficult for working-class families to afford , are compounded by the historic death toll thrusting funeral homes across the city into overcapacity .
Most have ended traditional religious services and family gatherings , including cemetery burials .
“ People don ’ t have the ability to pay , ” said Arias .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a service , they abuse the community .
They say , ‘ You pay $ 10,000 , $ 15,000.
’ ” Taking pains to protect himself from the contagion with personal protective equipment and hand sanitizers , he is led into the house on a quiet street in the heavily Latino neighborhood .
Nearly a dozen family members inside wait to greet him , including López ’ s cousin Miguel Hernandez Gomez .
“ The funeral homes didn ’ t give us any choice , ” said Gomez .
“ If we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ done better for him.
” López , who worked in the delivery business , came to the United States 20 years ago and settled in New York nine years prior to his death .
Described as a kind man devoted to his fellow parishioners , his loss pains family beyond the city ’ s borders .
“ We ’ re planning to send him to Mexico but right now we don ’ t have international flights , ” said Gomez .
“ We ’ re trying to get him to our town , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who are still alive in Mexico .
He ’ s our family but he belongs to them , to his parents.
” Despite the risks , Arias is undaunted , trusting in God and taking great care to lessen transmission risks .
“ It ’ s very hard for our community , ” said Arias .
“ For all Latinos , when our people die , they receive a blessing .
We say the last goodbye and pray together .
It ’ s very important for us.
” When the service ended , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moved to the kitchen to eat a meal ; they spread out as much as possible .
“ After this service , I feel much , much better and relieved that the spirit of Raul is released into God ’ s hands , ” said Cruz .
“ Everybody is afraid , not only for ourselves , but for our community and especially Father Fabian and all the services he ’ s doing.
” “ It ’ s very dangerous for him .
But he ’ s here for us.
” Associated Press @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Endowment through the Religion News Foundation .
The AP is solely responsible for this content .

NEW YORK (AP) - Raul Luis López never had the chance to say goodbye.
López was hospitalized for COVID-19 on April 3 before succumbing nearly three weeks later. The 39-year-old native of Oaxaca, Mexico, suffered from diabetes which worsened his illness. The day he left for treatment was the last time his wife, Sara Cruz, saw him.
Now López’s family, clad in surgical masks and gloves, was gathered in the widow’s living room in the Corona neighborhood of Queens, New York, around a black box of his cremated remains. A rendering of the Virgin of Guadalupe, patroness of Mexico and the Americas, watched over his ashes on a table beside flowers and prayer candles.
The Rev. Fabian Arias, a Catholic priest from Buenos Aires, Argentina, is the pastor of Iglesia de Sion, a congregation with a mission relationship alongside Saint Peter’s Church in Manhattan, and has performed funeral services 14 times in the last two months. Saturday’s service for López was the first he’s been able to perform in a private residence.
“Ninety-nine percent of funeral homes are not receiving people for religious ceremonies; they say ‘no,’” said Arias “They will take your body and provide cremation.”
The financial costs of services, already difficult for working-class families to afford, are compounded by the historic death toll thrusting funeral homes across the city into overcapacity. Most have ended traditional religious services and family gatherings, including cemetery burials.
“People don’t have the ability to pay,” said Arias. “And when they have the opportunity for a service, they abuse the community. They say, ‘You pay $10,000, $15,000.’”
Taking pains to protect himself from the contagion with personal protective equipment and hand sanitizers, he is led into the house on a quiet street in the heavily Latino neighborhood. Nearly a dozen family members inside wait to greet him, including López’s cousin Miguel Hernandez Gomez.
“The funeral homes didn’t give us any choice,” said Gomez. “If we had more choice, we would have done better for him.”
López, who worked in the delivery business, came to the United States 20 years ago and settled in New York nine years prior to his death. Described as a kind man devoted to his fellow parishioners, his loss pains family beyond the city’s borders.
“We’re planning to send him to Mexico but right now we don’t have international flights,” said Gomez. “We’re trying to get him to our town, for his mom, his dad, who are still alive in Mexico. He’s our family but he belongs to them, to his parents.”
Despite the risks, Arias is undaunted, trusting in God and taking great care to lessen transmission risks.
“It’s very hard for our community,” said Arias. “For all Latinos, when our people die, they receive a blessing. We say the last goodbye and pray together. It’s very important for us.”
When the service ended, the family, still wearing masks, moved to the kitchen to eat a meal; they spread out as much as possible.
“After this service, I feel much, much better and relieved that the spirit of Raul is released into God’s hands,” said Cruz. “Everybody is afraid, not only for ourselves, but for our community and especially Father Fabian and all the services he’s doing.”
“It’s very dangerous for him. But he’s here for us.”
___
Associated Press religion coverage receives support from the Lilly Endowment through the Religion News Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for this content.


washingtontimes--2020-05-09--Las Vegas police release images of fatal shooting at complex

LAS VEGAS ( AP ) - Las Vegas police have released imagery showing an officer fatally shoot a sword-wielding man lunging toward an officer who had tried to calm down the man during an encounter in an apartment complex .
Assistant Sheriff Brett Zimmerman said during a news briefing Friday that police during previous encounters with Justin Charland had arranged for the 40-year-old man to receive mental health assistance .
The fatal encounter occurred Tuesday when two officers responded to a report of a man yelling and talking to himself .
Body-camera footage released during the briefing showed the man @ @ @ @ @ @ @ large sword at the top of his apartment ’ s exterior stairs and yelling loudly while Officer Vincen Segura asked to speak with Charland and to get him help .
The man after a few minutes bounded down the stairs while brandishing the sword despite Segura ’ s calls for him to put down the weapon .
As the officer and Charland both spoke loudly , Charland could be heard saying he was a ninja .
Zimmerman said Charland also said he was going to kill the officers .
The video showed Segura @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who then lunged forward with the sworn in front of him and toward the officers .
“ Don ’ t come at me with that … , ” Segura shouted to Charland before the man approached within a few yards of the officer .
Segura fired , fatally wounding Charland , whom Zimmerman said would have been arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and resisting with a deadly weapon if he had survived .
A police statement said a police team was investigating the officer ’ s use of force @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the Clark County District Attorney ’ s Office for review .
A different police team was examining the incident for a review focused on policy , tactics and training , the statement said .

LAS VEGAS (AP) - Las Vegas police have released imagery showing an officer fatally shoot a sword-wielding man lunging toward an officer who had tried to calm down the man during an encounter in an apartment complex.
Assistant Sheriff Brett Zimmerman said during a news briefing Friday that police during previous encounters with Justin Charland had arranged for the 40-year-old man to receive mental health assistance.
The fatal encounter occurred Tuesday when two officers responded to a report of a man yelling and talking to himself.
Body-camera footage released during the briefing showed the man identified by police as Charland holding a large sword at the top of his apartment’s exterior stairs and yelling loudly while Officer Vincen Segura asked to speak with Charland and to get him help.
The man after a few minutes bounded down the stairs while brandishing the sword despite Segura’s calls for him to put down the weapon. As the officer and Charland both spoke loudly, Charland could be heard saying he was a ninja. Zimmerman said Charland also said he was going to kill the officers.
The video showed Segura backing up away from the approaching man who then lunged forward with the sworn in front of him and toward the officers.
“Don’t come at me with that …,” Segura shouted to Charland before the man approached within a few yards of the officer.
Segura fired, fatally wounding Charland, whom Zimmerman said would have been arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and resisting with a deadly weapon if he had survived.
A police statement said a police team was investigating the officer’s use of force and that the findings would be forwarded to the Clark County District Attorney’s Office for review.
A different police team was examining the incident for a review focused on policy, tactics and training, the statement said.


washingtontimes--2020-05-09--Visitors flock to Smoky Mountains park on reopening day

GATLINBURG , Tenn. ( AP ) - The reopening of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park was a little too tempting of a draw Saturday as scores of nature lovers from dozens of states crowded trails and trekked into blocked-off areas , a spokeswoman said .
Even with some of the most popular trails closed , parking lots were packed and lines of cars snaked down tree-lined streets , in one case for about a mile leading up to a waterfall path , according to park spokeswoman Dana Soehn .
Many people did not wear masks .
“ It seemed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that they avoid crowded areas , ” said Soehn , adding that she counted license plates from 24 different states in one visitor center parking lot .
Visitors also walked past heavy barricades on one of the park ’ s most trafficked trails , Laurel Falls , which was closed off to heed federal social distancing guidelines , she said .
On the Tennessee-North Carolina border , the Great Smoky Mountains is the county ’ s most visited national park .
It was closed March 24 after officials said it was becoming too @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reopening was announced after park officials said they made sure the park was aligned with federal , state and local authorities and that employees had enough personal protective gear .
Authorities have stressed that visitors must also practice social distancing .
At the Smokies , officials have said rangers will monitor roads and emergency situations , but won ’ t be specifically policing people .
Instead , Soehn has said she hopes people will visit the park in a way that keeps staffers safe .
“ We ’ ll continue to push out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be responsible , ” Soehn said .
“ We would encourage them to make choices to keep themselves safe.
” President Donald Trump has prioritized reopening national parks as a sign of “ significant progress against the invisible enemy ” of the pandemic , even as cases rise in an outbreak that has devastated the U.S. economy .
Park officials said the first phase of restrictions will last at least two weeks .
Management will then decide whether to reopen secondary roads and campgrounds , and later , lift all restrictions .
Many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , though Bryce Canyon and Zion National Park in Utah and the Everglades National Park in Florida have also announced phased reopenings .
Federal authorities have yet to publicly announce timelines for other closed parks to reopen .

GATLINBURG, Tenn. (AP) - The reopening of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park was a little too tempting of a draw Saturday as scores of nature lovers from dozens of states crowded trails and trekked into blocked-off areas, a spokeswoman said.
Even with some of the most popular trails closed, parking lots were packed and lines of cars snaked down tree-lined streets, in one case for about a mile leading up to a waterfall path, according to park spokeswoman Dana Soehn. Many people did not wear masks.
“It seemed like people were not respecting our suggestion that they avoid crowded areas,” said Soehn, adding that she counted license plates from 24 different states in one visitor center parking lot.
Visitors also walked past heavy barricades on one of the park’s most trafficked trails, Laurel Falls, which was closed off to heed federal social distancing guidelines, she said.
On the Tennessee-North Carolina border, the Great Smoky Mountains is the county’s most visited national park. It was closed March 24 after officials said it was becoming too congested during the coronavirus pandemic.
The reopening was announced after park officials said they made sure the park was aligned with federal, state and local authorities and that employees had enough personal protective gear. Authorities have stressed that visitors must also practice social distancing.
At the Smokies, officials have said rangers will monitor roads and emergency situations, but won’t be specifically policing people. Instead, Soehn has said she hopes people will visit the park in a way that keeps staffers safe.
“We’ll continue to push out our messaging that we want them to be responsible,” Soehn said. “We would encourage them to make choices to keep themselves safe.”
President Donald Trump has prioritized reopening national parks as a sign of “significant progress against the invisible enemy” of the pandemic, even as cases rise in an outbreak that has devastated the U.S. economy.
Park officials said the first phase of restrictions will last at least two weeks. Management will then decide whether to reopen secondary roads and campgrounds, and later, lift all restrictions.
Many national parks remain fully or partially closed, though Bryce Canyon and Zion National Park in Utah and the Everglades National Park in Florida have also announced phased reopenings. Federal authorities have yet to publicly announce timelines for other closed parks to reopen.


washingtontimes--2020-05-09--Police: Man in law office killed after firing at officers

GREENVILLE , S.C. ( AP ) - Police in South Carolina fatally shot a 25-year-old man who fired at them @ @ @ @ @ .
W. Benjamin McClain III was one of two people police found in an office @ @ @ @ @ got numerous 911 reports of gunfire early Saturday , news outlets reported .
McClain ran @ @ @ @ @ at the officers from inside , Lt. Alia Paramore said in a statement .
One @ @ @ @ @ McClain , whose body was found by a robot .
Paramore said the second person @ @ @ @ @ was that of attorney W. Benjamin McClain Jr. , the Greenville News reported .
A @ @ @ @ @ law office Saturday afternoon declined to comment and told the newspaper ’ s reporter to @ @ @ @ @ The State Law Enforcement Division is investigating under standard protocol for shootings involving law enforcement @ @

GREENVILLE, S.C. (AP) - Police in South Carolina fatally shot a 25-year-old man who fired at them early Saturday, police said.
W. Benjamin McClain III was one of two people police found in an office parking lot after Greenville police got numerous 911 reports of gunfire early Saturday, news outlets reported.
McClain ran into the building and shot at the officers from inside, Lt. Alia Paramore said in a statement. One officer shot back and killed McClain, whose body was found by a robot. Paramore said the second person was detained.
The office was that of attorney W. Benjamin McClain Jr., the Greenville News reported. A man and woman in the law office Saturday afternoon declined to comment and told the newspaper’s reporter to leave the parking lot.
The State Law Enforcement Division is investigating under standard protocol for shootings involving law enforcement officers.


washingtontimes--2020-05-09--Arkansas revises virus limits on venues including arenas

LITTLE ROCK , Ark .
( AP ) - Gov .
Asa Hutchinson said Saturday he ’ ll allow large venues such as arenas and stadiums to fill to one-third capacity , with approval , in a revision of restrictions he announced earlier this week because of the coronavirus pandemic .
Hutchinson previously said he expected some adjustments to the restrictions on large venues to address “ some inequity ” on the capacity limits between casinos and other indoor venues .
On Monday , Hutchinson said venues such as arenas , stadiums , movie theaters and bowling alleys had to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when they reopened on May 18 .
Then , on Thursday , he said he would allow the state ’ s three casinos to reopen on May 18 at one-third of their capacity .
On Saturday , Hutchinson and Dr. Nathaniel Smith , the state ’ s health secretary , said that if one-third capacity is more than 50 people for large indoor and outdoor venues , the venue must submit a plan to be approved by the Arkansas Department of Health .
The venues can begin opening to that capacity on May @ @ @ @ @ @ @ promoting a concert drawing more than 200 people next week , despite restrictions placed on large gatherings .
Singer Travis McCready is scheduled to play at TempleLive in Fort Smith on May 15 , three days before such venues are allowed to open .
Arkansas did not issue a stay-at-home order but had imposed other limits on businesses and banned most large gatherings .
There ’ s no capacity limit for churches and other places of worship , which the state never closed because of the virus .
Hutchinson said Saturday that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus , making the state ’ s total 3,984 .
The number is likely higher because many people have not been tested and studies suggest people can be infected and not feel sick .
Two more people died of COVID-19 , bringing the state ’ s total number of deaths to 90 .
Smith said that of the 237 new cases , 173 were from testing being done at the federal prison in Forrest City .
For most people , the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms , such as fever and cough @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks .
For some , especially older adults and people with existing health problems , it can cause more severe illness , including pneumonia .

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) - Gov. Asa Hutchinson said Saturday he’ll allow large venues such as arenas and stadiums to fill to one-third capacity, with approval, in a revision of restrictions he announced earlier this week because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Hutchinson previously said he expected some adjustments to the restrictions on large venues to address “some inequity” on the capacity limits between casinos and other indoor venues.
On Monday, Hutchinson said venues such as arenas, stadiums, movie theaters and bowling alleys had to limit audiences to 50 or fewer people when they reopened on May 18. Then, on Thursday, he said he would allow the state’s three casinos to reopen on May 18 at one-third of their capacity.
On Saturday, Hutchinson and Dr. Nathaniel Smith, the state’s health secretary, said that if one-third capacity is more than 50 people for large indoor and outdoor venues, the venue must submit a plan to be approved by the Arkansas Department of Health. The venues can begin opening to that capacity on May 18.
One Arkansas venue has been promoting a concert drawing more than 200 people next week, despite restrictions placed on large gatherings. Singer Travis McCready is scheduled to play at TempleLive in Fort Smith on May 15, three days before such venues are allowed to open.
Arkansas did not issue a stay-at-home order but had imposed other limits on businesses and banned most large gatherings. There’s no capacity limit for churches and other places of worship, which the state never closed because of the virus.
Hutchinson said Saturday that the state had 237 new cases of the virus, making the state’s total 3,984. The number is likely higher because many people have not been tested and studies suggest people can be infected and not feel sick.
Two more people died of COVID-19, bringing the state’s total number of deaths to 90.
Smith said that of the 237 new cases, 173 were from testing being done at the federal prison in Forrest City.
For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.


washingtontimes--2020-05-09--Joseph Harroz Jr. named OU president after year as interim

NORMAN , Okla. ( AP ) - After serving as the interim president of the University of Oklahoma for the past year , Joseph Harroz Jr. has been named to the post permanently .
The university said its Board of Regents on Saturday voted unanimously to give the job to Harroz , effective immediately .
Harroz was dean of the OU College of Law before becoming interim president .
He was named to the interim spot in May 2019 following the sudden resignation of Jim Gallogly , who ’ d served less than a year in the role .
Gallogly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ included a sexual misconduct probe of its longtime former president , David Boren , and bitter student reaction to a racist incident on campus .
Earlier this year , Harroz led negotiations with students who were holding a sit-in outside the university ’ s administrative offices following two instances in which professors used racial slurs in their classrooms .
Regent Eric Stevenson praised Harroz ’ s connection with the student body , telling the Oklahoman : “ One thing I ’ ve seen over and over and over again is that the students @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ”

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) - After serving as the interim president of the University of Oklahoma for the past year, Joseph Harroz Jr. has been named to the post permanently.
The university said its Board of Regents on Saturday voted unanimously to give the job to Harroz, effective immediately.
Harroz was dean of the OU College of Law before becoming interim president. He was named to the interim spot in May 2019 following the sudden resignation of Jim Gallogly, who’d served less than a year in the role.
Gallogly’s short tenure at the university included a sexual misconduct probe of its longtime former president, David Boren, and bitter student reaction to a racist incident on campus.
Earlier this year, Harroz led negotiations with students who were holding a sit-in outside the university’s administrative offices following two instances in which professors used racial slurs in their classrooms.
Regent Eric Stevenson praised Harroz’s connection with the student body, telling the Oklahoman: “One thing I’ve seen over and over and over again is that the students respect, admire and like Joe.”


washingtontimes--2020-05-09--Third suspect in Iowa shooting death arrested in Texas

IOWA CITY , Iowa ( AP ) - A third suspect in an Iowa shooting death has been arrested in @ @ @ @ @ Iowa City officials said in a news release that the Lubbock County , Texas , @ @ @ @ @ Reginald Little into custody Friday .
He is awaiting extradition to Iowa to stand trial @ @ @ @ @ in the shooting death of Kejuan Winters in Iowa City .
Officers called to the @ @ @ @ @ shooting found Winters inside a home suffering from gunshot wounds .
He later died at @ @ @ @ @ .

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) - A third suspect in an Iowa shooting death has been arrested in Texas, authorities say.
Iowa City officials said in a news release that the Lubbock County, Texas, Sheriff’s Office took Reginald Little into custody Friday. He is awaiting extradition to Iowa to stand trial on charges of first-degree murder in the shooting death of Kejuan Winters in Iowa City.
Officers called to the scene of the April 20 shooting found Winters inside a home suffering from gunshot wounds. He later died at the scene from his injuries.


washingtontimes--2020-05-09--Virus outbreak prompts temporary closure at poultry plant

WILKESBORO , N.C. ( AP ) - A Tyson Foods poultry plant in North Carolina is closing temporarily for deep @ @ @ @ @ there .
News outlets report that one of two Tyson plants in Wilkesboro closed Saturday @ @ @ @ @ .
The plant is normally closed on Sundays anyway .
Tyson employs about 3,000 people @ @ @ @ @ .
A spokesman for the plant wouldn ’ t say how many employees had contracted @ @ @ @ @ Wilkes County said Friday that an outbreak at the plant is responsible for a majority @ @ @ @ @ 194 coronavirus cases .
Meat processing plants across the country have seen outbreaks of coronavirus @

WILKESBORO, N.C. (AP) - A Tyson Foods poultry plant in North Carolina is closing temporarily for deep cleaning after a coronavirus outbreak there.
News outlets report that one of two Tyson plants in Wilkesboro closed Saturday and will reopen on Tuesday. The plant is normally closed on Sundays anyway.
Tyson employs about 3,000 people at its two Wilkesboro plants.
A spokesman for the plant wouldn’t say how many employees had contracted COVID-19. But officials in Wilkes County said Friday that an outbreak at the plant is responsible for a majority of the county’s 194 coronavirus cases.
Meat processing plants across the country have seen outbreaks of coronavirus.


washingtontimes--2020-05-09--Officials: Inmate in isolation cell apparently killed self

COVINGTON , La .
( AP ) - An inmate being held in an isolation cell has apparently killed himself @ @ @ @ @ Sheriff ’ s office said .
The 45-year-old man ’ s body was found about @ @ @ @ @ he apparently had strangled himself , according to a news release emailed Saturday .
He @ @ @ @ @ and weapons charges since November 2018 , and his bond was set at $ 109,500 @ @ @ @ @ It said the body was sent to the parish coroner ’ s office , which @ @ @ @ @ official cause of death .
The sheriff ’ s office did not immediately respond to @ @ @ @ @ man was in isolation .
The coroner ’ s office did not immediately respond to @ @ @ @ @ information .
The man ’ s death is being investigated and more information will be @ @ @ @ @ , the sheriff ’ s office said .

COVINGTON, La. (AP) - An inmate being held in an isolation cell has apparently killed himself, the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s office said.
The 45-year-old man’s body was found about 3 a.m. Saturday, and he apparently had strangled himself, according to a news release emailed Saturday.
He had been held on drug and weapons charges since November 2018, and his bond was set at $109,500, the statement said.
It said the body was sent to the parish coroner’s office, which would release his name and official cause of death.
The sheriff’s office did not immediately respond to an email asking why the man was in isolation. The coroner’s office did not immediately respond to an emailed request for further information.
The man’s death is being investigated and more information will be provided as it becomes available, the sheriff’s office said.


washingtontimes--2020-05-09--Police: Man killed while detaining juveniles in hit-and-run

TEMPE , Ariz. ( AP ) - A 17-year-old youth involved in a hit-and-run collision was arrested in the fatal shooting of a 22-year-old man who witnessed the crash and then located and detained three other juveniles involved in the wreck , Tempe police said Saturday.. Joseph Delegge was shot Friday in a parking where he and the driver of a car involved in the nearby crash located three of five juveniles who had been in the other vehicle , a Police Department statement said .
Delegge was armed with a handgun which he displayed first to the three juveniles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ youth arrived in the parking lot , police said .
When Delegge turned his attention back to the three juveniles , the 17-year-old pulled a revolver from his pants pocket and shot Delegge once , police said .
The juveniles fled from the scene but officers located them and a discarded backpack containing the gun used to shoot Delegge , police said .
Police said the 17-year-old was arrested on suspicion of crimes that included second-degree murder and tampering with evidence .
The 17-year-old ; ’ s identity wasn ’ t released and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had an attorney who could speak on his behalf about the allegations .

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) - A 17-year-old youth involved in a hit-and-run collision was arrested in the fatal shooting of a 22-year-old man who witnessed the crash and then located and detained three other juveniles involved in the wreck, Tempe police said Saturday..
Joseph Delegge was shot Friday in a parking where he and the driver of a car involved in the nearby crash located three of five juveniles who had been in the other vehicle, a Police Department statement said.
Delegge was armed with a handgun which he displayed first to the three juveniles and then to the 17-year-old when that youth arrived in the parking lot, police said.
When Delegge turned his attention back to the three juveniles, the 17-year-old pulled a revolver from his pants pocket and shot Delegge once, police said.
The juveniles fled from the scene but officers located them and a discarded backpack containing the gun used to shoot Delegge, police said.
Police said the 17-year-old was arrested on suspicion of crimes that included second-degree murder and tampering with evidence.
The 17-year-old;’s identity wasn’t released and it wasn’t known whether he had an attorney who could speak on his behalf about the allegations.