washingtontimes--2020-09-27--People with addictions face challenges in pandemic

FAIRMONT , W.Va. ( AP ) - Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic , many who live with substance use disorder have not been able to attend support groups they rely on for sobriety , social support and connection .
Ann Hammond , lead peer recovery coach for First Choice Services , said connecting with one ’ s peers can be one of the most pivotal factors in rehabilitation , so losing that support has made this pandemic especially difficult for people in recovery .
“ This whole experience has been very hard on the recovery community , ” Hammond said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lot on peer support and being in meetings .
So now this isolation has really been hard on people for sure.
” First Choice Services is a statewide organization that provides resources and support for people in emergency situations , mainly through phone lines and virtual guides .
Hammond said the availability of these phone lines to people in addiction recovery can be one of the most useful resources because when she first went into recovery almost 13 years ago , she did not know where to turn for help .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then as far as what was available for treatment and the process to get treatment , ” Hammond said .
“ That has definitely opened up ; there are so many new facilities and with the Help 4 WV line , there is easy access.
” The Help 4 WV line , 844-435-7498 , is First Choice Services ’ addiction help line , and Sheila Moran , director of communications and marketing for First Choice Services , said it just reached five years in operation this month .
Moran also said before this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people to find resources for recovery near them , even through an online search .
“ They couldn ’ t figure out where the treatment was or how to get into treatment , ” Moran said .
“ It was kind of a complicated process.
” According to Hammond , the difficulty in finding help is one of the biggest roadblocks for people who are in emergency situations with an addiction .
By taking down that road block , First Choice Services speeds up the time to get help .
“ With addiction @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be prepared to help somebody when they ’ re willing , ” Hammond said .
“ They key is just being available whenever that person is willing to go.
” Moran said the call center has received nearly 50,000 calls since it began in September 2015 , and while many calls were made by people in need of recovery , a lot were also made by friends or family members of people in need of aid .
“ A really significant amount of people who call us are actually friends and family members @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get this person help , ’ ” Moran said .
“ Other than that , a majority of our calls are the people themselves who are calling for help , and they ’ re usually at a point where they ’ re physically sick or desperately trying not to use drugs.
” This phone line also allows people to speak with another person about their troubles , Moran said , because sometimes they just need an outlet to tell their story .
This could also help the call center representative know what resource @ @ @ @ @ @ @ best get them to the right place .
“ We ’ re available 24/7 , call , text or chat , and when people call us , we get them immediately into some type of help , ” Moran said .
“ We have a whole range , we have over 1,000 resources .
Often people will say they want to go into detox , and if that ’ s what they need , we can usually get them in within 24 hours.
” Moran and Hammond also said First Choice Resources is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will provide resources relating to behavioral and mental health , rather than addiction aid .
“ Help 4 WV is currently working on an expansion that will include a children ’ s crisis component to it , ” Hammond said .
“ It will be a little different than the Help 4 WV line , in that there will be a bit less focus on substance use and more focus on behavioral and mental health.
” Although First Choice Services provides call lines for many different issues , Hammond said she doesn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intimidated by all the options , and that the Help 4 WV number serves different problems .
“ It will just be great for there to be a central number to call that can connect people with whatever resources they are needing , ” Hammond said .
“ It ’ s just an emotional strength line , so for anyone who is feeling down , depressed , stressed out , feels they need to talk to someone or that it may benefit them , they can call.
” As a recovering addict herself @ @ @ @ @ @ @ associate with the issue can also be a roadblock for people who want to seek help , but she has seen some progress over the years of that stigma going away .
She said the lessening of the stigma has coincided with the growth of recovery programs aimed at helping people through addiction , which makes the Help 4 WV line more helpful than ever .
“ I do think there is progress being made , and I think some people gained some understanding of it , ” Hammond said .
“ But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of those things that ’ s very hard to understand if they haven ’ t experienced it themselves .
“ But there ’ s a lot of things that haven ’ t changed , and that ’ s the disease of addiction and programs that have been around for a very long time .
”

FAIRMONT, W.Va. (AP) - Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, many who live with substance use disorder have not been able to attend support groups they rely on for sobriety, social support and connection.
Ann Hammond, lead peer recovery coach for First Choice Services, said connecting with one’s peers can be one of the most pivotal factors in rehabilitation, so losing that support has made this pandemic especially difficult for people in recovery.
“This whole experience has been very hard on the recovery community,” Hammond said. “Many people’s recovery depends a lot on peer support and being in meetings. So now this isolation has really been hard on people for sure.”
First Choice Services is a statewide organization that provides resources and support for people in emergency situations, mainly through phone lines and virtual guides. Hammond said the availability of these phone lines to people in addiction recovery can be one of the most useful resources because when she first went into recovery almost 13 years ago, she did not know where to turn for help.
“For me, things were much different then as far as what was available for treatment and the process to get treatment,” Hammond said. “That has definitely opened up; there are so many new facilities and with the Help 4 WV line, there is easy access.”
The Help 4 WV line, 844-435-7498, is First Choice Services’ addiction help line, and Sheila Moran, director of communications and marketing for First Choice Services, said it just reached five years in operation this month. Moran also said before this line, it could be difficult for people to find resources for recovery near them, even through an online search.
“They couldn’t figure out where the treatment was or how to get into treatment,” Moran said. “It was kind of a complicated process.”
According to Hammond, the difficulty in finding help is one of the biggest roadblocks for people who are in emergency situations with an addiction. By taking down that road block, First Choice Services speeds up the time to get help.
“With addiction, we find that we need to be prepared to help somebody when they’re willing,” Hammond said. “They key is just being available whenever that person is willing to go.”
Moran said the call center has received nearly 50,000 calls since it began in September 2015, and while many calls were made by people in need of recovery, a lot were also made by friends or family members of people in need of aid.
“A really significant amount of people who call us are actually friends and family members saying, ‘I really want to get this person help,’” Moran said. “Other than that, a majority of our calls are the people themselves who are calling for help, and they’re usually at a point where they’re physically sick or desperately trying not to use drugs.”
This phone line also allows people to speak with another person about their troubles, Moran said, because sometimes they just need an outlet to tell their story. This could also help the call center representative know what resource an individual needs, so they can best get them to the right place.
“We’re available 24/7, call, text or chat, and when people call us, we get them immediately into some type of help,” Moran said. “We have a whole range, we have over 1,000 resources. Often people will say they want to go into detox, and if that’s what they need, we can usually get them in within 24 hours.”
Moran and Hammond also said First Choice Resources is working on a hotline for youth that will provide resources relating to behavioral and mental health, rather than addiction aid.
“Help 4 WV is currently working on an expansion that will include a children’s crisis component to it,” Hammond said. “It will be a little different than the Help 4 WV line, in that there will be a bit less focus on substance use and more focus on behavioral and mental health.”
Although First Choice Services provides call lines for many different issues, Hammond said she doesn’t want people in need to be intimidated by all the options, and that the Help 4 WV number serves different problems.
“It will just be great for there to be a central number to call that can connect people with whatever resources they are needing,” Hammond said. “It’s just an emotional strength line, so for anyone who is feeling down, depressed, stressed out, feels they need to talk to someone or that it may benefit them, they can call.”
As a recovering addict herself, Hammond said the stigma some people associate with the issue can also be a roadblock for people who want to seek help, but she has seen some progress over the years of that stigma going away. She said the lessening of the stigma has coincided with the growth of recovery programs aimed at helping people through addiction, which makes the Help 4 WV line more helpful than ever.
“I do think there is progress being made, and I think some people gained some understanding of it,” Hammond said. “But it’s always going to be one of those things that’s very hard to understand if they haven’t experienced it themselves.
“But there’s a lot of things that haven’t changed, and that’s the disease of addiction and programs that have been around for a very long time.”


washingtontimes--2020-09-27--Peace Week 2020 to include new peace pole in Delaware

A pole close to the heart of Sussex County isn ’ t geographical but serves as a reminder of humankind ’ s long-held hope for a peaceful world .
The Georgetown Peace Pole stands outside Georgetown Presbyterian Church on North Bedford Street , the spot where marchers assembled last year and walked several blocks to The Circle to call for a commitment to peace .
The march was sponsored by Peace Week Delaware .
The peace pole was a gift to Georgetown Presbyterian from Malcolm Goekler , chairperson of the Unitarian Universalist Peace Ministry Network and a member of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is made of white metal and stands approximately 8 feet high .
On each of its four sides , the phrase “ Let Peace Prevail ” is written in different languages chosen by the Georgetown congregation : English , Spanish , Urdu and Haitian Creole .
There are now four poles in Sussex County , with a fifth one to be installed at Seaford ’ s Mount Calvary AME Church during Peace Week 2020 next month .
The other peace poles in Sussex County are at St. Peter ’ s Episcopal Church in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. 9 near Lewes and at Camp Rehoboth .
Wherever they are found , their meaning and purpose are the same : They stand as silent witnesses to the universal desire for peace and harmony .
“ It ’ s kind of nice because it ’ s a permanent thing , and as it says , it ’ s a silent witness , ” said Battle Robinson , Georgetown Presbyterian Church public relations spokeswoman .
“ I ’ ve learned an awful lot about peace poles .
I have the eye for them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as I read about them , I found that a lot of artists make these , so they are very creative.
” Each year , the Peace Week organization in Delaware arranges a series of seminars and programs promoting understanding among people .
Peace Week 2020 is scheduled for Oct. 3-11 .
Due to restrictions and health concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic , for the first time , Peace Week will be virtual .
There are more than 100 presentations that are easily available over the internet .
They range from a movie @ @ @ @ @ @ @ session on staying calm amid chaos .
An in-person march and gathering at The Circle is scheduled for Oct. 11 at 2:30 p.m. A complete listing of the programs and information about Peace Week can be found at peaceweekdelaware.org .
Peace poles are found all over the world .
They were initiated in 1955 in Japan by Masakisa Goi , an activist who thought this initiative would help promote peace and understanding among the people of the world .
Her initiative and movement spread , and peace poles , which have a variety @ @ @ @ @ @ @ organizations and individuals and can be found in different locations , including parks and churches , as well as at sites of destruction and tragedies .

GEORGETOWN, Del. (AP) - Generally speaking, poles stand as markers for distinct geographical points.
A pole close to the heart of Sussex County isn’t geographical but serves as a reminder of humankind’s long-held hope for a peaceful world.
The Georgetown Peace Pole stands outside Georgetown Presbyterian Church on North Bedford Street, the spot where marchers assembled last year and walked several blocks to The Circle to call for a commitment to peace.
The march was sponsored by Peace Week Delaware. The peace pole was a gift to Georgetown Presbyterian from Malcolm Goekler, chairperson of the Unitarian Universalist Peace Ministry Network and a member of the Peace Week planning group.
The pole is made of white metal and stands approximately 8 feet high. On each of its four sides, the phrase “Let Peace Prevail” is written in different languages chosen by the Georgetown congregation: English, Spanish, Urdu and Haitian Creole.
There are now four poles in Sussex County, with a fifth one to be installed at Seaford’s Mount Calvary AME Church during Peace Week 2020 next month.
The other peace poles in Sussex County are at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Lewes, at Universal Unitarian Church on U.S. 9 near Lewes and at Camp Rehoboth.
Wherever they are found, their meaning and purpose are the same: They stand as silent witnesses to the universal desire for peace and harmony.
“It’s kind of nice because it’s a permanent thing, and as it says, it’s a silent witness,” said Battle Robinson, Georgetown Presbyterian Church public relations spokeswoman. “I’ve learned an awful lot about peace poles. I have the eye for them anywhere I go now. Actually, as I read about them, I found that a lot of artists make these, so they are very creative.”
Each year, the Peace Week organization in Delaware arranges a series of seminars and programs promoting understanding among people.
Peace Week 2020 is scheduled for Oct. 3-11. Due to restrictions and health concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic, for the first time, Peace Week will be virtual. There are more than 100 presentations that are easily available over the internet. They range from a movie about the late John Lewis to a session on staying calm amid chaos.
An in-person march and gathering at The Circle is scheduled for Oct. 11 at 2:30 p.m.
A complete listing of the programs and information about Peace Week can be found at peaceweekdelaware.org.
Peace poles are found all over the world. They were initiated in 1955 in Japan by Masakisa Goi, an activist who thought this initiative would help promote peace and understanding among the people of the world.
Her initiative and movement spread, and peace poles, which have a variety of designs, are sponsored by numerous organizations and individuals and can be found in different locations, including parks and churches, as well as at sites of destruction and tragedies.


washingtontimes--2020-09-27--Baltimore company's mystery game surges in popularity

BALTIMORE ( AP ) - For a few hours each month , Katie Carlin , Olivia Curié and Sean Greening are no longer roommates persevering through a pandemic .
The arrival of a box on their Riverside doorstep transforms their house into a private detective agency , as the three sleuths scour the enclosed maps , letters , autopsy reports , crime-scene photos , items of clothing and other evidence for clues - and dodge red herrings - to solve an imaginary murder .
Carlin , Curié and Greening are among 100,000 people across the country who now subscribe to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of murder mysteries from a Baltimore-based company that players gradually unlock using physical clues that come in the mail each month .
“ The twists and turns of the plot are really fascinating , ” said Carlin , a 33-year-old neonatology fellow .
“ Even my friends who can always predict the end of a movie , they don ’ t always get it.
” For $ 25- $ 30 a month , depending on the subscription , Hunt A Killer creates an “ immersive experience , ” similar to an escape room @ @ @ @ @ @ @ homes .
Up to six players work through the evidence to determine each suspect ’ s means , motive and opportunity to commit the crime .
Co-founders Ryan Hogan and Derrick Smith have tweaked the game ’ s structure based on customer feedback since its 2016 launch .
But they know why it has become a favorite quarantine activity - and one of the United States ’ fastest-growing games , with $ 27.3 million in revenue in 2019 and a projected $ 55 million this year .
“ What people need right now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ environment where they can disconnect from the news cycle , the pandemic , ” said Hogan , who now lives in Seattle .
“ You get to explore a universe that feels real.
” The game is set up like a true-crime television series : Each murder case makes up a “ season , ” to be solved over the course of six monthly boxes or “ episodes.
” A new box each month supplies enough clues to accomplish more incremental objectives , such as identifying the murder weapon .
Impatient players can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them all at once , like a Netflix show .
“ Putting together an immersive story delivered episodically was always the goal , ” said Smith , who lives near Parkville .
“ Entertainment can always be a positive distraction , and it ’ s something a lot of us need at the moment.
” Coronavirus precautions have led some players to host monthly gatherings over conference calls or video chats , while others playing in-person with family and friends have set up “ murder boards ” on their living room walls , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ places , weapons and victims .
A book of cocktail recipes and Spotify playlists are available for each case to help players set the scene .
The game ’ s Facebook group doesn ’ t allow spoilers , but it serves as a resource where the 130,000 members can find a helpful nudge in the right direction to find the next clue if they get stuck .
Players typically divvy up roles based on their own strengths and weaknesses .
Carlin considers herself the leader of her group , although she ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who often are better at finding clues hidden in encoded letters or art , she said .
“ Between the three of us , we could solve the box in not too long of a period , ” Carlin said .
Heather Nicoll and her friend Nicole Beaudette like to pour drinks , set out snacks and clear their kids from the room for “ Mommy Time , ” as they ’ ve begun referring to Hunt A Killer .
“ You get to feed off of each other , ” said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Massachusetts .
“ I ’ m the code-cracker person , and she ’ ll read through everything .
We ’ ll take notes and compare theories.
” An antique cigarette holder , a lace glove , a vinyl record and a drumstick are among the items Nicoll has been impressed to unpack from the monthly boxes .
“ It really immerses you into their world when you get stuff like that , ” she said .
“ It ’ s kind of expensive , but you get what you pay for.
” Tracy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , moved into a new house in Towson three weeks ago .
“ One of the first things I unpacked was our Hunt A Killer boxes , ” said Funk , 37 .
She doesn ’ t “ expedite ” the boxes , but she likes to wait to open them until a whole season ’ s worth have arrived , so she won ’ t be left waiting a month on a cliffhanger .
“ We have a stockpile , ” she said .
“ I tend to save up an entire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at once.
” Gina Albers and her husband , Don , use a binder and a timeline to keep track of the various suspects , evidence and events with their friends Karen and Jay Sterner in Stewartstown , Pennsylvania .
“ It took all of our skills together to try to put all of these clues together , ” said Albers , 54 , who grew up in Dundalk .
“ It ’ s a way to keep us connected .
Life gets busy , and we ’ re worried about doing things @ @ @ @ @ @ @ date night .
”

BALTIMORE (AP) - For a few hours each month, Katie Carlin, Olivia Curié and Sean Greening are no longer roommates persevering through a pandemic.
The arrival of a box on their Riverside doorstep transforms their house into a private detective agency, as the three sleuths scour the enclosed maps, letters, autopsy reports, crime-scene photos, items of clothing and other evidence for clues - and dodge red herrings - to solve an imaginary murder.
Carlin, Curié and Greening are among 100,000 people across the country who now subscribe to Hunt A Killer, the fast-growing series of murder mysteries from a Baltimore-based company that players gradually unlock using physical clues that come in the mail each month.
“The twists and turns of the plot are really fascinating,” said Carlin, a 33-year-old neonatology fellow. “Even my friends who can always predict the end of a movie, they don’t always get it.”
For $25-$30 a month, depending on the subscription, Hunt A Killer creates an “immersive experience,” similar to an escape room, in the comfort of players’ homes. Up to six players work through the evidence to determine each suspect’s means, motive and opportunity to commit the crime.
Co-founders Ryan Hogan and Derrick Smith have tweaked the game’s structure based on customer feedback since its 2016 launch. But they know why it has become a favorite quarantine activity - and one of the United States’ fastest-growing games, with $27.3 million in revenue in 2019 and a projected $55 million this year.
“What people need right now is a place to escape, an environment where they can disconnect from the news cycle, the pandemic,” said Hogan, who now lives in Seattle. “You get to explore a universe that feels real.”
The game is set up like a true-crime television series: Each murder case makes up a “season,” to be solved over the course of six monthly boxes or “episodes.” A new box each month supplies enough clues to accomplish more incremental objectives, such as identifying the murder weapon.
Impatient players can “expedite” the boxes and binge them all at once, like a Netflix show.
“Putting together an immersive story delivered episodically was always the goal,” said Smith, who lives near Parkville. “Entertainment can always be a positive distraction, and it’s something a lot of us need at the moment.”
Coronavirus precautions have led some players to host monthly gatherings over conference calls or video chats, while others playing in-person with family and friends have set up “murder boards” on their living room walls, unspooling red yarn to connect suspects, places, weapons and victims.
A book of cocktail recipes and Spotify playlists are available for each case to help players set the scene. The game’s Facebook group doesn’t allow spoilers, but it serves as a resource where the 130,000 members can find a helpful nudge in the right direction to find the next clue if they get stuck.
Players typically divvy up roles based on their own strengths and weaknesses. Carlin considers herself the leader of her group, although she’s quick to lean on Curié and Greening, who often are better at finding clues hidden in encoded letters or art, she said.
“Between the three of us, we could solve the box in not too long of a period,” Carlin said.
Heather Nicoll and her friend Nicole Beaudette like to pour drinks, set out snacks and clear their kids from the room for “Mommy Time,” as they’ve begun referring to Hunt A Killer.
“You get to feed off of each other,” said Nicoll, 31, of Uxbridge, Massachusetts. “I’m the code-cracker person, and she’ll read through everything. We’ll take notes and compare theories.”
An antique cigarette holder, a lace glove, a vinyl record and a drumstick are among the items Nicoll has been impressed to unpack from the monthly boxes.
“It really immerses you into their world when you get stuff like that,” she said. “It’s kind of expensive, but you get what you pay for.”
Tracy Funk and her husband, Jonathan Prozzi, moved into a new house in Towson three weeks ago.
“One of the first things I unpacked was our Hunt A Killer boxes,” said Funk, 37.
She doesn’t “expedite” the boxes, but she likes to wait to open them until a whole season’s worth have arrived, so she won’t be left waiting a month on a cliffhanger.
“We have a stockpile,” she said. “I tend to save up an entire season and then go through it all at once.”
Gina Albers and her husband, Don, use a binder and a timeline to keep track of the various suspects, evidence and events with their friends Karen and Jay Sterner in Stewartstown, Pennsylvania.
“It took all of our skills together to try to put all of these clues together,” said Albers, 54, who grew up in Dundalk. “It’s a way to keep us connected. Life gets busy, and we’re worried about doing things. This was something that guaranteed a date night.”


washingtontimes--2020-09-27--Virus testing gives 'peace of mind' at Virginia school

FREDERICKSBURG , Va. ( AP ) - When a nasal swab went up his nose , Dick McGrady had all sorts of reactions .
First and foremost , he thought he was going to sneeze , and in his effort to keep that at bay , he started laughing .
Next , his eyes began to water ; as a big-time sufferer of seasonal allergies , anything in his nasal area causes a tickle .
Fortunately for him , the COVID-19 test lasted only a few seconds , so McGrady grabbed a few tissues and headed back to his class @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s an English teacher .
Adults at the private school went through their second round on in-house testing Thursday-not because the virus has entered the building , but in an attempt to keep it out .
Knock on wood , there hasn ’ t been a single positive case , said Karen Moschetto , head of school , and she hopes to keep it that way .
McGrady was glad to see the testing in combination with the return to class .
“ Anything we can put in place to make it work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” he said .
Since school reopened Aug. 19 with full in-person classes , Fredericksburg Academy has rearranged furniture to keep pupils apart , encouraged more teachers to take their classes outside and reinforced the daily mantra of mask-wearing , social distancing and plenty of hand washing .
A parent even built an outside hand-washing station-similar to what ’ s seen at petting farms-for students returning from outdoor classes because only one person is allowed in the bathroom at a time .
Students and staff alike are screened daily , and have their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
On Mondays , they ’ re asked if they traveled over the weekend .
Throughout the school days , students use the main exterior doors that lead outside to avoid passing others in the hallways , Moschetto said .
When Dr. Kyan Hood offered to bring COVID-19 testing to the school , Moschetto saw it as another way to keep staff and students safe .
Two weeks ago , adults who wanted to be tested could do so , at no cost , by entering an empty classroom in the Lower School @ @ @ @ @ @ @ each person ’ s medical history and gathering insurance information .
Hood , who owns Attain Medical Wellness Clinic , bills each person ’ s insurance and uses a lab in Texas , which provides results in less than 36 hours .
The lab bills the insurance providers .
Tests are covered under the CARES Act , and Hood said he ’ ll continue offering them to schools , businesses and other institutions until that changes .
He ’ s the only doctor in the Rappahannock Area Health District doing on-site testing , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made the choice to limit the voluntary tests to teachers and staff members at least for the foreseeable future , Moschetto said .
“ They are not likely to be the spreaders , they ’ re more likely to be the ones who get it , ” she said .
“ If they ’ re sick , that ’ s the house of cards that starts falling .
Because this virus is spread so frequently from those who are asymptomatic , it really helps us catch things before they become a cluster , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ faculty.
” Hood agreed , saying the early detection prevents one positive case “ from being three and three from being 10 ” and so on .
None of the 54 staff members tested in the first round had the virus , and Moschetto sees the negative results as positive reinforcement that protocols are working .
She can ’ t count the number of times she ’ s told staff and students to stay home , if they ’ ve got a cough , fever or any other symptoms .
Fredericksburg Academy has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ school seniors , and its enrollment is up slightly from the end of last year , Moschetto said .
A lot of parents inquired about enrolling their children there over the summer , but because of the 6-foot spacing between desks , the school “ really can ’ t add a whole lot more , ” she added .
As classes got back in session , teachers revised ways they did things and founded added benefits .
McGrady , for instance , teaches high-school English in a classroom that doesn ’ t have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , for 90 minutes at a time with a group of students with no ventilation in the midst of a pandemic didn ’ t sit well so he started moving the classes outside .
It ’ s worked out so well that he ’ s wondered : “ Why haven ’ t I gone outside with my kids more often ?
” On Thursday , band students sat outside the Arts & Sciences building and practiced their instruments while other classes met under shade trees on the lawn .
There were a few @ @ @ @ @ @ @ apart on the ground .
Sheila Wimble , who teaches physical education in the Lower School , said she was a little anxious about returning , but has been even more excited to see students .
She also adapted her games ; instead of using bowling balls to knock down pins , students kick soccer balls at them .
And she ’ s incorporated pool noodles into many games because they provide a colorful yard stick that reminds students how far to stay apart .
Wimble said the regular testing helps her feel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back at school .
People have to find a way to feel better in the midst of the global crisis , said Lauren Bock , a physician ’ s assistant who works with Hood .
“ We all want that reassurance right now , ” she said .

FREDERICKSBURG, Va. (AP) - When a nasal swab went up his nose, Dick McGrady had all sorts of reactions.
First and foremost, he thought he was going to sneeze, and in his effort to keep that at bay, he started laughing. Next, his eyes began to water; as a big-time sufferer of seasonal allergies, anything in his nasal area causes a tickle.
Fortunately for him, the COVID-19 test lasted only a few seconds, so McGrady grabbed a few tissues and headed back to his class at Fredericksburg Academy, where he’s an English teacher.
Adults at the private school went through their second round on in-house testing Thursday-not because the virus has entered the building, but in an attempt to keep it out. Knock on wood, there hasn’t been a single positive case, said Karen Moschetto, head of school, and she hopes to keep it that way.
McGrady was glad to see the testing in combination with the return to class.
“Anything we can put in place to make it work just gives me peace of mind,” he said.
Since school reopened Aug. 19 with full in-person classes, Fredericksburg Academy has rearranged furniture to keep pupils apart, encouraged more teachers to take their classes outside and reinforced the daily mantra of mask-wearing, social distancing and plenty of hand washing. A parent even built an outside hand-washing station-similar to what’s seen at petting farms-for students returning from outdoor classes because only one person is allowed in the bathroom at a time.
Students and staff alike are screened daily, and have their temperatures taken before they enter the building. On Mondays, they’re asked if they traveled over the weekend. Throughout the school days, students use the main exterior doors that lead outside to avoid passing others in the hallways, Moschetto said.
When Dr. Kyan Hood offered to bring COVID-19 testing to the school, Moschetto saw it as another way to keep staff and students safe. Two weeks ago, adults who wanted to be tested could do so, at no cost, by entering an empty classroom in the Lower School building.
The first go-round included screening each person’s medical history and gathering insurance information. Hood, who owns Attain Medical Wellness Clinic, bills each person’s insurance and uses a lab in Texas, which provides results in less than 36 hours. The lab bills the insurance providers.
Tests are covered under the CARES Act, and Hood said he’ll continue offering them to schools, businesses and other institutions until that changes. He’s the only doctor in the Rappahannock Area Health District doing on-site testing, according to public-health officials.
Fredericksburg Academy made the choice to limit the voluntary tests to teachers and staff members at least for the foreseeable future, Moschetto said.
“They are not likely to be the spreaders, they’re more likely to be the ones who get it,” she said. “If they’re sick, that’s the house of cards that starts falling. Because this virus is spread so frequently from those who are asymptomatic, it really helps us catch things before they become a cluster, and we want to be protecting our faculty.”
Hood agreed, saying the early detection prevents one positive case “from being three and three from being 10” and so on.
None of the 54 staff members tested in the first round had the virus, and Moschetto sees the negative results as positive reinforcement that protocols are working. She can’t count the number of times she’s told staff and students to stay home, if they’ve got a cough, fever or any other symptoms.
Fredericksburg Academy has about 360 students from 3-year-olds to high school seniors, and its enrollment is up slightly from the end of last year, Moschetto said. A lot of parents inquired about enrolling their children there over the summer, but because of the 6-foot spacing between desks, the school “really can’t add a whole lot more,” she added.
As classes got back in session, teachers revised ways they did things and founded added benefits. McGrady, for instance, teaches high-school English in a classroom that doesn’t have windows. The idea of being there, for 90 minutes at a time with a group of students with no ventilation in the midst of a pandemic didn’t sit well so he started moving the classes outside.
It’s worked out so well that he’s wondered: “Why haven’t I gone outside with my kids more often?”
On Thursday, band students sat outside the Arts & Sciences building and practiced their instruments while other classes met under shade trees on the lawn. There were a few students at picnic tables and others sitting apart on the ground.
Sheila Wimble, who teaches physical education in the Lower School, said she was a little anxious about returning, but has been even more excited to see students. She also adapted her games; instead of using bowling balls to knock down pins, students kick soccer balls at them. And she’s incorporated pool noodles into many games because they provide a colorful yard stick that reminds students how far to stay apart.
Wimble said the regular testing helps her feel “much more at ease” being back at school.
People have to find a way to feel better in the midst of the global crisis, said Lauren Bock, a physician’s assistant who works with Hood.
“We all want that reassurance right now,” she said.


washingtontimes--2020-09-27--Soldiers cleanup slave-era cemeteries in Virginia

HAMPTON , Va. ( AP ) - Ghana Smith got a call from Army Staff Sgt .
Israel Lopez a few weeks back , telling her he was bringing “ a group of people ” from Fort Eustis last weekend to help cut the grass at two overgrown historic cemeteries in Hampton .
Smith thought that meant “ five or 10″ soldiers would show up at the Bassette and Elmerton burial grounds - where grass up to four feet high covered the 1800s gravestones of African Americans , including many former slaves .
But when she arrived at the North @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of soldiers were already there , along with some other volunteers .
“ It was just so overwhelming when I turned the corner and I saw all the cars lined up , ” said Smith , who coordinates the cemetery cleanups for the Barrett-Peake Heritage Foundation .
“ I ’ m like , ‘ Oh my God ’ … This is bigger than what I imagined.
” Starting at 7 a.m. , the 75 or so soldiers - wearing camouflage pants and hats and their Fort Eustis command ’ s black T-shirts - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sickles and scythes to cut down the grasses .
Some of the soldiers had spouses and children with them , while Boy Scouts and other volunteers also on hand pushed the total to more than 100 .
Five hours later , just past noon , a huge pile of cut grass sat on the cemetery on the Bassette Cemetery side , while more than 200 bags of grass lined the North King Street curb .
There ’ s still more to do , but “ we made a big dent today , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ When you do something like this , you get you get instant gratification , ” Lopez added .
“ Because the results of your work are there for you to view.
” “ Man , it was perfect - it was awesome , ” said Whalan McDew , 57 , who runs ’ Do Gooders of Hampton Roads , ’ which also volunteers at the historic Hampton graveyards .
“ We knew he was gon na bring some volunteers .
We just didn ’ t know it was gon na be that many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so it was really special for me to see the Army guys come out to do that.
” Lt. Col. Boyce Buckner , the battalion commander for the 1-210th Aviation Regiment at Fort Eustis , was also on hand .
It all began in June , he explained , as an outreach effort from the Army base to the local community after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis .
At the time , he said , the Army was being “ perceived negatively ” in some circles around the nation .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get out into our community , and let ’ s share who we are , ’ ” Buckner said .
“ Let ’ s share what we do well .
Let ’ s just get all those good things out there and make a difference.
” Lopez , who initiated and spearheaded the cemetery idea after Buckner ’ s outreach challenge , said the number of soldiers who turned out - all of them volunteers - was more than he anticipated .
“ I was expecting maybe 30 or 40 people , something @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ But we obviously doubled that .
And then when you kind of know the history of the cemetery - and you realize what you ’ re getting the chance to pay tribute to , the heroes that are buried there - it ’ s a very humbling experience.
” The Bassette and Elmerton cemeteries - across from each other near the Hampton bus terminal near East Pembroke Avenue - are private graveyards with more than 600 plots .
Aside from the slaves buried there , Smith and McDew said that lots @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That includes Mary S. Peake , famous for teaching the children former slaves under the Emancipation Oak at Hampton Institute , and A.W.E .
Bassette , a respected community leader who died in 1941 .
A while back , Smith said , a grandmother , daughter and granddaughter came to help out at the cemetery , and found the great grandmother ’ s grave , too .
Maintaining the two cemeteries was a dying wish of Dr. Mary T. Christian , an educator , lawmaker and community leader who died last year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ growing up , Smith said , Christian and her family would mark the graves with flags and flowers on holidays .
Then she worked for decades on finding ways to maintain the cemeteries .
That quest took on an added urgency in recent years when the Hampton Sheriff ’ s Office stopped using jail inmates to maintain the burial grounds .
But McDew said Dr. Christian regretted not being able to attend a major cleanup event on Veterans Day 2019 .
That was the last time the cemeteries were fully cut .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ word that Christian wanted the ‘ Do Gooders ’ to help the Barrett-Peake Foundation - a non-profit Christian founded in 2013 preserve Black historical sites in Hampton - to maintain the cemeteries .
“ Of course I said yes , ” McDew said .
“ If you knew Dr. Christian , you knew that when she asked you do something , you come .
She had that spirit.
” But over the past year , McDew said , it hasn ’ t been easy to keep up with the ever-growing cemetery grass .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he said , there were setbacks due to the pandemic , and it was a struggle to always get enough volunteers and equipment .
HOW SOLDIERS GOT ON BOARD Back in June , following George Floyd ’ s death at the knee of a Minneapolis police officer , some began criticizing the Army for the National Guard ’ s role in quelling the civil unrest that followed .
Buckner said he found that negative perception disturbing .
The Army works against racial discrimination , he said , and “ we believe as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ understand and get it.
” “ I felt as though there ’ s some negative energy being directed in our direction , and perhaps people just don ’ t know about our programs or what we do - or how well we ’ ve done with it over time , ” Buckner said .
“ And so we felt like we needed to address it.
” In July , he launched an effort among soldiers in his command to both have the “ hard conversations ” about Floyd ’ s death and its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ positive message of unity within Fort Eustis .
Then Buckner urged his battalion of about 200 soldiers to spread that message outside the base , too .
“ I challenged them to consider how we can take this positive communication effort and transform it into an enduring , positive action that transcends beyond the walls of Fort Eustis , ” he said .
Staff Sgt .
Lopez - a 35-year-old helicopter repair instructor who ’ s been stationed at Fort Eustis for two years - began spearheading the effort locally .
Aside from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an Army “ Equal Opportunity Leader , ” a group of soldiers chosen to work on such issues as harassment , bullying and discrimination .
A colleague told Lopez about a Richmond non-profit that helped to maintain old cemeteries in that city .
Lopez called that group , and someone there suggested the Hampton organizations .
“ Once I met them , I pretty much knew they were the right group for us , ” Lopez said of the Do Gooders and Barrett-Peake Foundation .
Buckner , too , was immediately on board @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this , I was like , ‘ We ’ re in , ’ ” he said .
“ I don ’ t even need to hear anything else.
” He liked that the cemetery project is closely connected to Black history and is “ about the community trying to preserve its history and showing respect to those who have who have passed on.
” Lopez set a date for the event and began spreading word at the base for volunteers .
“ He really put his heart and soul into it , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a mark on the wall and said , ‘ Sir , I think this is the day that we go out.
’ ” Buckner was also able to use some military outreach funds to host a barbecue for all the volunteers .
“ That ’ s so folks could enjoy and break bread with us after we ’ ve worked hard for several hours , ” he said .
“ Because to me , nothing is better than opening your table to people you ’ ve just met , and hearing their story.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said , is to have the Fort Eustis soldiers come out to the cemeteries about once a month .
Smith , of Barrett-Peake , said her “ strategic plan ” is to have other volunteers come out in the next couple weeks to maintain what ’ s already been cut , then have the soldiers attack the taller areas in October .
McDew , for his part , said he ’ s happy that Dr. Christian is getting her wish .
“ It was her passion to make sure that these cemeteries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ didn ’ t want to disappoint , ” he said .
As the cleanup was underway that morning , Smith got a text message from Mary Christian ’ s daughter , Benita Taylor , who lives in Northern Virginia .
Taylor had seen a Facebook post about the massive cemetery cleanup , and sent Smith a note .
“ I know my mother is doing the Hallelujah dance up in heaven right now , ” Taylor wrote in the message .

HAMPTON, Va. (AP) - Ghana Smith got a call from Army Staff Sgt. Israel Lopez a few weeks back, telling her he was bringing “a group of people” from Fort Eustis last weekend to help cut the grass at two overgrown historic cemeteries in Hampton.
Smith thought that meant “five or 10″ soldiers would show up at the Bassette and Elmerton burial grounds - where grass up to four feet high covered the 1800s gravestones of African Americans, including many former slaves.
But when she arrived at the North King Street cemeteries that Saturday, scores of soldiers were already there, along with some other volunteers.
“It was just so overwhelming when I turned the corner and I saw all the cars lined up,” said Smith, who coordinates the cemetery cleanups for the Barrett-Peake Heritage Foundation. “I’m like, ‘Oh my God’ … This is bigger than what I imagined.”
Starting at 7 a.m., the 75 or so soldiers - wearing camouflage pants and hats and their Fort Eustis command’s black T-shirts - used lawn mowers, weed whackers, sickles and scythes to cut down the grasses.
Some of the soldiers had spouses and children with them, while Boy Scouts and other volunteers also on hand pushed the total to more than 100.
Five hours later, just past noon, a huge pile of cut grass sat on the cemetery on the Bassette Cemetery side, while more than 200 bags of grass lined the North King Street curb.
There’s still more to do, but “we made a big dent today,” Smith said after the event.
“When you do something like this, you get you get instant gratification,” Lopez added. “Because the results of your work are there for you to view.”
“Man, it was perfect - it was awesome,” said Whalan McDew, 57, who runs ’Do Gooders of Hampton Roads,’ which also volunteers at the historic Hampton graveyards. “We knew he was gonna bring some volunteers. We just didn’t know it was gonna be that many. And I’m ex-Army, so it was really special for me to see the Army guys come out to do that.”
Lt. Col. Boyce Buckner, the battalion commander for the 1-210th Aviation Regiment at Fort Eustis, was also on hand.
It all began in June, he explained, as an outreach effort from the Army base to the local community after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. At the time, he said, the Army was being “perceived negatively” in some circles around the nation.
“I said, ‘Let’s get out into our community, and let’s share who we are,’” Buckner said. “Let’s share what we do well. Let’s just get all those good things out there and make a difference.”
Lopez, who initiated and spearheaded the cemetery idea after Buckner’s outreach challenge, said the number of soldiers who turned out - all of them volunteers - was more than he anticipated.
“I was expecting maybe 30 or 40 people, something along those lines,” he said. “But we obviously doubled that. And then when you kind of know the history of the cemetery - and you realize what you’re getting the chance to pay tribute to, the heroes that are buried there - it’s a very humbling experience.”
HISTORIC HAMPTON CEMETERIES
The Bassette and Elmerton cemeteries - across from each other near the Hampton bus terminal near East Pembroke Avenue - are private graveyards with more than 600 plots.
Aside from the slaves buried there, Smith and McDew said that lots of prominent people are there, too. That includes Mary S. Peake, famous for teaching the children former slaves under the Emancipation Oak at Hampton Institute, and A.W.E. Bassette, a respected community leader who died in 1941.
A while back, Smith said, a grandmother, daughter and granddaughter came to help out at the cemetery, and found the great grandmother’s grave, too.
Maintaining the two cemeteries was a dying wish of Dr. Mary T. Christian, an educator, lawmaker and community leader who died last year at age 95.
As a girl growing up, Smith said, Christian and her family would mark the graves with flags and flowers on holidays. Then she worked for decades on finding ways to maintain the cemeteries. That quest took on an added urgency in recent years when the Hampton Sheriff’s Office stopped using jail inmates to maintain the burial grounds.
But McDew said Dr. Christian regretted not being able to attend a major cleanup event on Veterans Day 2019. That was the last time the cemeteries were fully cut.
That day, McDew said, he got word that Christian wanted the ‘Do Gooders’ to help the Barrett-Peake Foundation - a non-profit Christian founded in 2013 preserve Black historical sites in Hampton - to maintain the cemeteries.
“Of course I said yes,” McDew said. “If you knew Dr. Christian, you knew that when she asked you do something, you come. She had that spirit.”
Christian died that night.
But over the past year, McDew said, it hasn’t been easy to keep up with the ever-growing cemetery grass. Though the groups went out fairly regularly, he said, there were setbacks due to the pandemic, and it was a struggle to always get enough volunteers and equipment.
HOW SOLDIERS GOT ON BOARD
Enter the Fort Eustis soldiers.
Back in June, following George Floyd’s death at the knee of a Minneapolis police officer, some began criticizing the Army for the National Guard’s role in quelling the civil unrest that followed.
Buckner said he found that negative perception disturbing. The Army works against racial discrimination, he said, and “we believe as soldiers that we are folks who actually understand and get it.”
“I felt as though there’s some negative energy being directed in our direction, and perhaps people just don’t know about our programs or what we do - or how well we’ve done with it over time,” Buckner said. “And so we felt like we needed to address it.”
In July, he launched an effort among soldiers in his command to both have the “hard conversations” about Floyd’s death and its aftermath — as well as spread a positive message of unity within Fort Eustis.
Then Buckner urged his battalion of about 200 soldiers to spread that message outside the base, too. “I challenged them to consider how we can take this positive communication effort and transform it into an enduring, positive action that transcends beyond the walls of Fort Eustis,” he said.
Staff Sgt. Lopez - a 35-year-old helicopter repair instructor who’s been stationed at Fort Eustis for two years - began spearheading the effort locally. Aside from his normal duties, Lopez is also an Army “Equal Opportunity Leader,” a group of soldiers chosen to work on such issues as harassment, bullying and discrimination.
A colleague told Lopez about a Richmond non-profit that helped to maintain old cemeteries in that city. Lopez called that group, and someone there suggested the Hampton organizations.
“Once I met them, I pretty much knew they were the right group for us,” Lopez said of the Do Gooders and Barrett-Peake Foundation.
Buckner, too, was immediately on board. “The second I heard about this, I was like, ‘We’re in,’” he said. “I don’t even need to hear anything else.”
He liked that the cemetery project is closely connected to Black history and is “about the community trying to preserve its history and showing respect to those who have who have passed on.”
Lopez set a date for the event and began spreading word at the base for volunteers. “He really put his heart and soul into it,” Buckner said. “Then he put a mark on the wall and said, ‘Sir, I think this is the day that we go out.’”
Buckner was also able to use some military outreach funds to host a barbecue for all the volunteers.
“That’s so folks could enjoy and break bread with us after we’ve worked hard for several hours,” he said. “Because to me, nothing is better than opening your table to people you’ve just met, and hearing their story.”
‘DOING THE HALLELUJAH DANCE’
Lopez’s plan now, he said, is to have the Fort Eustis soldiers come out to the cemeteries about once a month.
Smith, of Barrett-Peake, said her “strategic plan” is to have other volunteers come out in the next couple weeks to maintain what’s already been cut, then have the soldiers attack the taller areas in October.
McDew, for his part, said he’s happy that Dr. Christian is getting her wish. “It was her passion to make sure that these cemeteries were taken care of, and we didn’t want to disappoint,” he said.
As the cleanup was underway that morning, Smith got a text message from Mary Christian’s daughter, Benita Taylor, who lives in Northern Virginia. Taylor had seen a Facebook post about the massive cemetery cleanup, and sent Smith a note.
“I know my mother is doing the Hallelujah dance up in heaven right now,” Taylor wrote in the message.


washingtontimes--2020-09-27--French hospitals delay operations to cope with COVID surge

PARIS ( AP ) - Hospitals in the Paris and Marseille regions are delaying some scheduled operations to free up space for COVID-19 patients as the French government tries to stem a rising tide of coronavirus infections , the health minister said Sunday .
As restaurants and bars in Marseille prepared to shut down Sunday night for a week as part of scattered new French virus restrictions , Health Minister Olivier Veran insisted that the country plans no new lockdowns .
Two Nobel Prize-winning economists proposed in Le Monde newspaper this weekend that France lock down its population for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allow families to get together safely for the end-of-year holidays and “ save Christmas.
” In response , Veran said on LCI television that “ we do not want to confine the country again .
Several countries around us made other choices .
We don ’ t want this.
” He urged the French to make an effort to slow the spread of the virus , after health authorities reported 14,000 new infections Saturday amid a mass testing effort .
France has reported 31,700 virus-related deaths , the third-highest toll in Europe after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 10 % of French intensive care beds are now occupied with COVID patients , Veran said they ’ re far from saturation .
Still , he said hospitals in the Paris and Marseille regions are delaying scheduled surgeries to free up space .
Hospitals temporarily suspended such operations when the virus swept through France in March and April , creating backlogs that still persist six months later , adding to the strain on patients and medical staff .
Marseille restaurant and bar owners and local officials have protested the government ’ s closure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Paris of singling out their rival Mediterranean city for punishment .
The government is imposing milder restrictions on Paris and several other cities , with gyms shut down , public gatherings of more than 10 people banned and bars ordered to close at 10 p.m. starting Monday night .

PARIS (AP) - Hospitals in the Paris and Marseille regions are delaying some scheduled operations to free up space for COVID-19 patients as the French government tries to stem a rising tide of coronavirus infections, the health minister said Sunday.
As restaurants and bars in Marseille prepared to shut down Sunday night for a week as part of scattered new French virus restrictions, Health Minister Olivier Veran insisted that the country plans no new lockdowns.
Two Nobel Prize-winning economists proposed in Le Monde newspaper this weekend that France lock down its population for the first three weeks of December, to allow families to get together safely for the end-of-year holidays and “save Christmas.”
In response, Veran said on LCI television that “we do not want to confine the country again. Several countries around us made other choices. We don’t want this.”
He urged the French to make an effort to slow the spread of the virus, after health authorities reported 14,000 new infections Saturday amid a mass testing effort. France has reported 31,700 virus-related deaths, the third-highest toll in Europe after Britain and Italy.
While at least 10% of French intensive care beds are now occupied with COVID patients, Veran said they’re far from saturation.
Still, he said hospitals in the Paris and Marseille regions are delaying scheduled surgeries to free up space. Hospitals temporarily suspended such operations when the virus swept through France in March and April, creating backlogs that still persist six months later, adding to the strain on patients and medical staff.
Marseille restaurant and bar owners and local officials have protested the government’s closure order, accusing the central government in Paris of singling out their rival Mediterranean city for punishment.
The government is imposing milder restrictions on Paris and several other cities, with gyms shut down, public gatherings of more than 10 people banned and bars ordered to close at 10 p.m. starting Monday night.
___
Follow AP’s pandemic coverage at http://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak


washingtontimes--2020-09-27--On guns, abortion, high court could become more conservative

WASHINGTON ( AP ) - If Congress confirms President Donald Trump ’ s nominee to succeed Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg , the Supreme Court would become more conservative , and also perhaps more ready to tackle certain hot-button issues like abortion and guns .
Chief Justice John Roberts would also likely become less able to steer the outcome in divisive cases .
Ginsburg , who died Sept. 18 at 87 , was the leader of the liberal wing of the court , which had been split 5-4 between conservatives and liberals .
Roberts had , on occasion , sided with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ginsburg ’ s seat , there will be six conservative justices , three of them appointed by him .
Here are several big issues that are poised to come before the justices where a more solidly conservative majority could make a difference : A week after the presidential election , the court will hear arguments in bid by the Trump administration and Republican-led states to overturn the Obama-era health care law .
In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic , coverage for more than 20 million people is at stake , along with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discrimination against Americans with pre-existing medical conditions .
A more conservative court might be seen as more sympathetic to striking down the Affordable Care Act , but the court might still choose not to .
The justices have less drastic options .
For example , the court could invalidate “ Obamacare ’ s ” now toothless requirement that most Americans carry health insurance , and leave in place core provisions such as subsidized health insurance , Medicaid expansion and protection for people with medical problems .
Now that former President Barack Obama ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years old , its many provisions are fully baked into the health care system .
Unwinding it would be a colossal undertaking , fraught with political risks .
Trump has said he wants Ginsburg ’ s replacement confirmed to the Supreme Court ahead of Election Day so that a full court can weigh in on any campaign-related litigation .
Speaking at the White House on Wednesday , Trump predicted the election “ will end up in the Supreme Court , adding , “ I think it ’ s important we have nine justices.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ only eight justices on the bench , however , after Republicans refused to hold hearings on President Barack Obama ’ s nominee to replace the late Justice Antonin Scalia .
It ’ s possible that an election-deciding case lands in the justices ’ laps , as one did in the 2000 election between Republican George W. Bush and Democrat Al Gore .
And liberals worry that a court with three Trump appointees would favor him in a dispute with Joe Biden .
But even if an election-deciding question doesn ’ t arrive at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ already weighed in on election changes states have made in response to the coronavirus pandemic .
And more pre-election challenges are likely coming .
So far this year the court has stopped other courts from altering election rules close to the election .
Abortion rights advocates would seem to face insurmountable odds winning at the Supreme Court without Ginsburg .
Earlier this year , a divided Supreme Court struck down a Louisiana law regulating abortion clinics , reasserting a commitment to abortion rights .
It was the first big abortion case of Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ turned on the vote of Roberts , who joined his four more liberal colleagues , including Ginsburg .
The court addressed a law requiring doctors who perform abortions to have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals .
The justices ruled that the law violates the rights established by Roe v. Wade , the 1973 decision that established a nationwide right to abortion .
But Roberts ’ vote had to do with following court precedent rather than support for abortion rights .
If a Trump nominee replaces Ginsburg , Roberts ’ vote on the issue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the addition of another conservative vote would likely spur states to test the boundaries of regulation .
Already , cases are headed to the court that would provide an opportunity to overturn or weaken Roe .
v Wade .
Those cases involve sweeping bans on abortions after six weeks or eight weeks of pregnancy .
The Supreme Court has for years been reluctant to take on new guns cases , but that could change under a more conservative court .
Last year , with two Trump justices aboard , the Supreme Court took @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in nearly a decade .
But the case ended with the justices sidestepping any major decision .
Gun rights advocates had hoped the court might use the case from New York City to expand on landmark decisions that established a right under the Second Amendment to keep a gun at home for self-defense .
Instead , the justices ultimately threw out the case , citing changes in city restrictions and state law .
Three members of the court dissented , however , expressing concern that lower federal courts are not properly applying the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decisions from 2008 and 2010 .
Justice Brett Kavanaugh , who was among the justices who agreed the case should be thrown out , shared that concern , saying the court should address the issue soon .
After the president started pulling America out of the Paris climate accord , more than a dozen mostly Democratic governors were among those taking up the fight against climate-changing fossil fuel emissions themselves A more conservative Supreme Court could doom those ongoing efforts , California Gov .
Gavin Newsom said this week .
Newsom said he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a 6-3 ideological majority on the court may mean to this conversation.
” But the outcome of the presidential election matters in this area too .
A Biden administration could undo many of the dozens of Trump administration rollbacks weakening or eliminating many protections for the air and water and for people and wildlife .
Federal courts so far have rejected many of the rollbacks .
Lawyers for environmental groups say if Trump were to win a second term and the makeup of the Supreme Court shifts significantly , they could be less @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there .
Associated Press writers Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar , David Crary , Ellen Knickmeyer and Mark Sherman contributed to this report

WASHINGTON (AP) - If Congress confirms President Donald Trump’s nominee to succeed Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the Supreme Court would become more conservative, and also perhaps more ready to tackle certain hot-button issues like abortion and guns. Chief Justice John Roberts would also likely become less able to steer the outcome in divisive cases.
Ginsburg, who died Sept. 18 at 87, was the leader of the liberal wing of the court, which had been split 5-4 between conservatives and liberals. Roberts had, on occasion, sided with the liberals. But if Trump fills Ginsburg’s seat, there will be six conservative justices, three of them appointed by him.
Here are several big issues that are poised to come before the justices where a more solidly conservative majority could make a difference:
HEALTHCARE
A week after the presidential election, the court will hear arguments in bid by the Trump administration and Republican-led states to overturn the Obama-era health care law. In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, coverage for more than 20 million people is at stake, along with the law’s ban on insurance discrimination against Americans with pre-existing medical conditions.
A more conservative court might be seen as more sympathetic to striking down the Affordable Care Act, but the court might still choose not to. The justices have less drastic options. For example, the court could invalidate “Obamacare’s” now toothless requirement that most Americans carry health insurance, and leave in place core provisions such as subsidized health insurance, Medicaid expansion and protection for people with medical problems.
Now that former President Barack Obama’s landmark law is more than 10 years old, its many provisions are fully baked into the health care system. Unwinding it would be a colossal undertaking, fraught with political risks.
President Donald Trump promised, but never delivered, a replacement.
___
ELECTIONS
Trump has said he wants Ginsburg’s replacement confirmed to the Supreme Court ahead of Election Day so that a full court can weigh in on any campaign-related litigation.
Speaking at the White House on Wednesday, Trump predicted the election “will end up in the Supreme Court, adding, “I think it’s important we have nine justices.” The 2016 election was conducted with only eight justices on the bench, however, after Republicans refused to hold hearings on President Barack Obama’s nominee to replace the late Justice Antonin Scalia.
It’s possible that an election-deciding case lands in the justices’ laps, as one did in the 2000 election between Republican George W. Bush and Democrat Al Gore. And liberals worry that a court with three Trump appointees would favor him in a dispute with Joe Biden.
But even if an election-deciding question doesn’t arrive at the justices’ doorstep, they have already weighed in on election changes states have made in response to the coronavirus pandemic. And more pre-election challenges are likely coming. So far this year the court has stopped other courts from altering election rules close to the election.
___
ABORTION
Abortion rights advocates would seem to face insurmountable odds winning at the Supreme Court without Ginsburg.
Earlier this year, a divided Supreme Court struck down a Louisiana law regulating abortion clinics, reasserting a commitment to abortion rights. It was the first big abortion case of Trump’s presidency.
The 5-4 outcome turned on the vote of Roberts, who joined his four more liberal colleagues, including Ginsburg. The court addressed a law requiring doctors who perform abortions to have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals. The justices ruled that the law violates the rights established by Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision that established a nationwide right to abortion.
But Roberts’ vote had to do with following court precedent rather than support for abortion rights. If a Trump nominee replaces Ginsburg, Roberts’ vote on the issue would likely become less decisive. And the addition of another conservative vote would likely spur states to test the boundaries of regulation.
Already, cases are headed to the court that would provide an opportunity to overturn or weaken Roe. v Wade. Those cases involve sweeping bans on abortions after six weeks or eight weeks of pregnancy.
___
GUNS
The Supreme Court has for years been reluctant to take on new guns cases, but that could change under a more conservative court.
Last year, with two Trump justices aboard, the Supreme Court took on its first major gun rights case in nearly a decade. But the case ended with the justices sidestepping any major decision.
Gun rights advocates had hoped the court might use the case from New York City to expand on landmark decisions that established a right under the Second Amendment to keep a gun at home for self-defense. Instead, the justices ultimately threw out the case, citing changes in city restrictions and state law.
Three members of the court dissented, however, expressing concern that lower federal courts are not properly applying the court’s two big gun rights decisions from 2008 and 2010. Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who was among the justices who agreed the case should be thrown out, shared that concern, saying the court should address the issue soon.
___
ENVIRONMENT
After the president started pulling America out of the Paris climate accord, more than a dozen mostly Democratic governors were among those taking up the fight against climate-changing fossil fuel emissions themselves
A more conservative Supreme Court could doom those ongoing efforts, California Gov. Gavin Newsom said this week. Newsom said he’s “deeply anxious about what a 6-3 ideological majority on the court may mean to this conversation.”
But the outcome of the presidential election matters in this area too. A Biden administration could undo many of the dozens of Trump administration rollbacks weakening or eliminating many protections for the air and water and for people and wildlife.
Federal courts so far have rejected many of the rollbacks. Lawyers for environmental groups say if Trump were to win a second term and the makeup of the Supreme Court shifts significantly, they could be less likely to win if cases ultimately land there.
____
Associated Press writers Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, David Crary, Ellen Knickmeyer and Mark Sherman contributed to this report


washingtontimes--2020-09-27--Romania's municipal election seen as test for December vote

BUCHAREST , Romania ( AP ) - Voters in Romania were casting ballots Sunday in municipal elections , which are being viewed as a test of how the next general election on Dec. 6 will unfold for the country ’ s minority-led government .
About 19 million registered voters were choosing local officials , council presidents and mayors to fill more than 43,000 positions across the European Union nation .
The election should reveal the strength of the center-right National Liberal Party , or NLP , which has controlled Romania ’ s minority government since the fall from power last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ known as PSD .
The left-leaning PSD remains the strongest party in Romania ’ s parliament , despite losing its governing majority .
It has been in power until last October when its government , led by Prime Minister Viorica Dancila , lost a confidence vote in the parliament amid massive popular protests at home and heavy criticism from Brussels over its attacks on the judiciary and widespread graft .
Next , in the country ’ s presidential election last November , Dancila suffered a crushing defeat to the NLP ’ s former @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the PSD has recently appeared to be winning back some of the lost popular support as the minority government has been struggling to contain the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic by curbing social spending .
Even before the pandemic , Romania has been plagued by widespread poverty with over 25 % of population living on less than $ 5.50 a day .
In August , its state budget deficit reached 4.7 % of gross domestic product compared to 1.71 % in the same period of last year .
Still , last week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the parliament a motion to raise all state pensions by 40 % , ignoring the warnings by the country ’ s central bank that it was unfeasible .
The most closely-watched race Sunday will be for the next mayor of the capital , Bucharest , between the incumbent , Gabriela Firea of the PSD , and NLP challenger Nicusor Dan .
After casting her ballot in the capital , Firea appeared to tout her party ’ s populist message .
“ We all need investment in infrastructure , in fighting pollution , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
For his part , upon voting , Dan implied Fiera was a part of the PSD ’ s corruption-prone network , or , as he said : “ the octopus of self-serving relatives , friends and friends of friends.
” “ They were unable to solve the hot water supply problems in Bucharest , not to even mention the problems with traffic congestion and pollution , ” he added .
In the town of Sulina , the easternmost point of the country about 360 kilometers ( 225 miles ) northeast of Bucharest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ see their community governed by a party that will put ordinary people ’ s interests first .
“ We vote for a better town , wishing for cleaner streets , no stray dogs , cows and horses in the street and no more garbage in town , ” Sulina resident Eugenia Radu said .
The picturesque town in the Danube Delta , whose once mighty fishing industry has almost collapsed in recent years , currently has a PSD mayor .
“ We are hoping for better and giving them a chance , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ If nothing good happens ( after the election ) , we will vote against them the next time.
” Like other countries in Europe , Romania has been registering a spike in the number of new coronavirus cases over the last couple of weeks .
To date , it has confirmed more than 122,500 virus cases , with over 4,700 deaths .

BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) - Exit polls published in Romania Sunday after voting ended in the country’s municipal elections indicated that the balance of power in European Union member state is unlikely to shift in the next general election set for Dec. 6.
About 19 million registered voters chose local officials, council presidents and mayors to fill more than 43,000 positions across the nation in elections seen as a preview of how the next general ballot will unfold.
Official results weren’t expected before Monday, but the center-right National Liberal party, or NLP, which has controlled Romania’s minority government since last October, sounded upbeat after exit polls by a number of local pollsters predicted victory for the candidate it backed in the race for mayor of the capital, Bucharest.
Prime Minister Ludovic Orban went a step further describing the election as “historic” and telling local media that the NLP had scored “a clear victory” against the left-leaning Social Democrat Party, known as PSD, for the first time in 30 years.
The PSD remains the strongest party in Romania’s parliament, despite losing its governing majority. It has been in power until last fall when its government, led by Prime Minister Viorica Dancila, lost a confidence vote in parliament amid massive popular protests and heavy criticism from Brussels over its attacks on the judiciary and widespread graft.
Next, in the country’s presidential election last November, Dancila suffered a crushing defeat to the NLP’s former leader, Klaus Iohannis.
However, PSD has recently appeared to be winning back some of the lost popular support as the minority government has been struggling to contain the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic by curbing social spending.
Even before the pandemic, Romania has been plagued by widespread poverty with over 25% of population living on less than $5.50 a day. In August, its state budget deficit reached 4.7% of gross domestic product compared to 1.71% in the same period of last year.
Still, last week, the PSD managed to push through the parliament a motion to raise all state pensions by 40%, ignoring the warnings by the country’s central bank that it was unfeasible.
The PSD leader Marcel Ciolacu all but conceded the election loss by its incumbent major of Bucharest, Gabriela Firea.
However, Ciolacu told local media that “vote count is the best exit poll,” insisting that the PSD “was doing well” elsewhere in the country.


washingtontimes--2020-09-27--Congress passes bill honoring airmen killed in 1962 crash

LIVINGSTON , Mont .
( AP ) - The B-47 Ridge Designation Act , a bill honoring four airmen killed in a 1962 crash on Emigrant Peak , passed the House of Representatives unanimously .
Lt. Fred Hixenbaugh , Capt .
Bill Faulconer , Lt. Lloyd Sawyers and Lt. David Sutton died July 23 , 1962 during a training mission from Dyess Air Force Base in Texas , when the B-47 bomber they were flying crashed into the side of Emigrant Peak .
Emigrant resident Bryan Wells , who has been a big part of raising awareness about the crash @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the bill ’ s passage is a great thing for the families of the airmen , and a part of the area ’ s local history .
“ I like the thought that Park County and Montana care about their veterans , ” Wells told the Livingston Enterprise .
The bill , which passed on Sept. 21 , names the ridge of the crash site “ B-47 Ridge ” and allows a memorial plaque to be placed at the site .
Wells said he ’ s especially happy for the victims ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ amazing people.
” Meeting the families and talking to them through this process made Wells realize the sacrifice families make when they lose a loved one .
“ It stays with them forever , ” Wells said .
Wells thanked Chico Hot Springs , the Park County Environmental Council , the Park County Sheriff ’ s officer , the Park County Commission the National Park Conservation Council , Veterans of Foreign Wars , the American Legion , and friends and neighbors for helping honor the fallen airmen .
“ It was a huge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Wells said .
Wells praised Montana ’ s legislators in Washington , D.C. , for working together to get the bill passed .
Wells said he first visited the crash site in 1969 , and wondered about it for a long time before receiving a call in 2015 asking for information about the wreck .
That prompted him to hike up to the site , and when he got there he thought there should be a plaque so visitors could learn what happened .
In 2016 , a memorial was held @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. Sen. Steve Daines was in attendance , and Wells said it seemed like the senator was really affected by the event , which was the start of the legislative push to honor the crash victims .
Daines and U.S. Sen. Jon Tester , as well as U.S. Rep. Greg Gianforte , commended the bill ’ s passage in a press release sent out by Gianforte ’ s office .
“ In 1962 , four brave airmen tragically lost their lives in service to our country , and today , we are one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Gianforte said .
“ After years of hard work , we ’ re now one step away from forever memorializing and honoring the four brave men who tragically died during a routine B-47 mission almost six decades ago in Montana , ” Daines said .
“ I ’ m glad to see that the House came together to pass this bipartisan bill ensuring that we honor the brave men whose lives were cut short on that tragic night years ago , ” Tester said .
Having already passed the Senate , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by President Donald Trump .
Wells said he wasn ’ t sure when that would be .

LIVINGSTON, Mont. (AP) - The B-47 Ridge Designation Act, a bill honoring four airmen killed in a 1962 crash on Emigrant Peak, passed the House of Representatives unanimously.
Lt. Fred Hixenbaugh, Capt. Bill Faulconer, Lt. Lloyd Sawyers and Lt. David Sutton died July 23, 1962 during a training mission from Dyess Air Force Base in Texas, when the B-47 bomber they were flying crashed into the side of Emigrant Peak.
Emigrant resident Bryan Wells, who has been a big part of raising awareness about the crash site and pushing the bill forward, said the bill’s passage is a great thing for the families of the airmen, and a part of the area’s local history.
“I like the thought that Park County and Montana care about their veterans,” Wells told the Livingston Enterprise.
The bill, which passed on Sept. 21, names the ridge of the crash site “B-47 Ridge” and allows a memorial plaque to be placed at the site.
Wells said he’s especially happy for the victims’ families, who are “wonderful and amazing people.”
Meeting the families and talking to them through this process made Wells realize the sacrifice families make when they lose a loved one.
“It stays with them forever,” Wells said.
Wells thanked Chico Hot Springs, the Park County Environmental Council, the Park County Sheriff’s officer, the Park County Commission the National Park Conservation Council, Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion, and friends and neighbors for helping honor the fallen airmen.
“It was a huge effort, a lot of people helped,” Wells said.
Wells praised Montana’s legislators in Washington, D.C., for working together to get the bill passed.
Wells said he first visited the crash site in 1969, and wondered about it for a long time before receiving a call in 2015 asking for information about the wreck. That prompted him to hike up to the site, and when he got there he thought there should be a plaque so visitors could learn what happened.
In 2016, a memorial was held in Chico for the four airmen. U.S. Sen. Steve Daines was in attendance, and Wells said it seemed like the senator was really affected by the event, which was the start of the legislative push to honor the crash victims.
Daines and U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, as well as U.S. Rep. Greg Gianforte, commended the bill’s passage in a press release sent out by Gianforte’s office.
“In 1962, four brave airmen tragically lost their lives in service to our country, and today, we are one step closer to honoring their legacy,” Gianforte said.
“After years of hard work, we’re now one step away from forever memorializing and honoring the four brave men who tragically died during a routine B-47 mission almost six decades ago in Montana,” Daines said.
“I’m glad to see that the House came together to pass this bipartisan bill ensuring that we honor the brave men whose lives were cut short on that tragic night years ago,” Tester said.
Having already passed the Senate, the bill must now be signed into law by President Donald Trump. Wells said he wasn’t sure when that would be.


washingtontimes--2020-09-27--Evidence technician runs police room holding grim history

OREM , Utah ( AP ) - For 11 years Tara Calancea has been caring for , recording and storing evidence from Orem ’ s crime scenes .
To her co-workers she is known as the evidence room czar - or better - Czarina .
While Calancea , Orem ’ s evidence technician , admits she is just shy of the formal education most in her career position are required to have , she has “ boots on the ground ” experience .
That means she has been seeing a lot of crime scenes .
“ It feels like I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Calancea said about crime scenes .
“ Every year there are more and more.
” Last year she said she had to gather evidence at 27 events for the entire year .
She was already at 25 events by the end of August this year .
“ There are more violent crimes happening more often , ” Calancea said .
She ’ s not a crime lab technician like an Abby Sciuto , from the CBS TV show “ NCIS.
” Calancea leaves that to the state crime lab .
But when Calancea @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she is taking photos , making videos , placing evidence location markers and then collecting the evidence .
Usually detectives cover homicides .
But she says she has been out there for that , too .
“ For me that ’ s just the beginning , ” Calancea said .
“ Then I have to do the computer work.
” Calancea said there are a lot of items in storage , and she has to catalog and record them all .
When it comes to homicides , the evidence is kept almost forever @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Gary Gilmore case , ” she said .
“ We ’ ll have to keep it for 100 years , long after I ’ m gone.
” For those who may not have heard , Gilmore murdered Max Jensen , an Orem gas station attendant on July 19 , 1976 .
The next night he murdered Bennie Bushnell , a Provo motel manager .
Both were Brigham Young University students with young families .
Gilmore was executed , at his request , by firing squad at the Utah State Prison in January @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be executed in the U.S. since the death penalty had been reinstated in 1976 .
That is probably the most notorious crime evidence in Calancea ’ s care , however , there are others that are interesting as well .
On misdemeanor cases , Calancea only has to keep evidence for one year and for felonies from two to five years , generally speaking , depending on the crime .
Homicides are in a completely different category , according to Calancea .
“ I love my job , particularly when we are working @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Calancea said .
“ It ’ s different every day .
There are so many things that keep us busy.
” The “ us ” would be Calancea , who works full time , and one part-time employee .
Calancea said there have been times when she has been involved in gathering “ quirky ” evidence at the scene .
“ At Cherry Hill Elementary ( in southwest Orem ) a little girl was walking to school in the snow .
A man stopped her and took her behind a dumpster and assaulted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There were footprints in the snow that showed there were little hearts on the soles of a shoe or boot .
We were able to make a silicone mold from the print in the snow.
” Calancea went on to say the perpetrator was found through DNA samples and because of the evidence that his shoes and her little boots with the hearts fit the molds that were made .
One of Calancea ’ s many duties is to go to court and describe evidence and the crime scenes , if necessary .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ I do a lot of lifting fingerprints and then send them to the crime lab , ” Calancea said .
For the most part this Czarina works normal hours , but in reality her position is a 24/7 on-call job .
Calancea is not a police officer and does not have Police Officer Standards and Training certification , but as a civilian employee she has received several certifications specifically for evidence collecting and handling .

OREM, Utah (AP) - For 11 years Tara Calancea has been caring for, recording and storing evidence from Orem’s crime scenes. To her co-workers she is known as the evidence room czar - or better - Czarina.
While Calancea, Orem’s evidence technician, admits she is just shy of the formal education most in her career position are required to have, she has “boots on the ground” experience.
That means she has been seeing a lot of crime scenes.
“It feels like I am going out more often,” Calancea said about crime scenes. “Every year there are more and more.”
Last year she said she had to gather evidence at 27 events for the entire year. She was already at 25 events by the end of August this year.
“There are more violent crimes happening more often,” Calancea said.
She’s not a crime lab technician like an Abby Sciuto, from the CBS TV show “NCIS.” Calancea leaves that to the state crime lab.
But when Calancea goes out on a crime scene, she is taking photos, making videos, placing evidence location markers and then collecting the evidence.
Usually detectives cover homicides. But she says she has been out there for that, too.
“For me that’s just the beginning,” Calancea said. “Then I have to do the computer work.”
Calancea said there are a lot of items in storage, and she has to catalog and record them all. When it comes to homicides, the evidence is kept almost forever.
“We have evidence still from the Gary Gilmore case,” she said. “We’ll have to keep it for 100 years, long after I’m gone.”
For those who may not have heard, Gilmore murdered Max Jensen, an Orem gas station attendant on July 19, 1976. The next night he murdered Bennie Bushnell, a Provo motel manager. Both were Brigham Young University students with young families.
Gilmore was executed, at his request, by firing squad at the Utah State Prison in January 1977. He was the first to be executed in the U.S. since the death penalty had been reinstated in 1976.
That is probably the most notorious crime evidence in Calancea’s care, however, there are others that are interesting as well.
On misdemeanor cases, Calancea only has to keep evidence for one year and for felonies from two to five years, generally speaking, depending on the crime. Homicides are in a completely different category, according to Calancea.
“I love my job, particularly when we are working with people and helping them,” Calancea said. “It’s different every day. There are so many things that keep us busy.”
The “us” would be Calancea, who works full time, and one part-time employee.
Calancea said there have been times when she has been involved in gathering “quirky” evidence at the scene.
“At Cherry Hill Elementary (in southwest Orem) a little girl was walking to school in the snow. A man stopped her and took her behind a dumpster and assaulted her,” Calancea said. “There were footprints in the snow that showed there were little hearts on the soles of a shoe or boot. We were able to make a silicone mold from the print in the snow.”
Calancea went on to say the perpetrator was found through DNA samples and because of the evidence that his shoes and her little boots with the hearts fit the molds that were made.
One of Calancea’s many duties is to go to court and describe evidence and the crime scenes, if necessary. She has even been through an autopsy.
“I do a lot of lifting fingerprints and then send them to the crime lab,” Calancea said.
For the most part this Czarina works normal hours, but in reality her position is a 24/7 on-call job.
Calancea is not a police officer and does not have Police Officer Standards and Training certification, but as a civilian employee she has received several certifications specifically for evidence collecting and handling.


washingtontimes--2020-09-27--UN: Yemen's warring sides to swap more than 1,000 prisoners

CAIRO ( AP ) - The United Nations said Yemen ’ s warring sides agreed Sunday to exchange more than 1,000 prisoners , marking the first phase of a release plan reached earlier this year .
The U.N. mission in Yemen said the internationally recognized government that was driven from the capital six years ago and the Houthi rebels agreed “ to immediately release a first group of 1,081 conflict-related detainees and prisoners , in accordance with the lists of agreed-upon names.
” The prisoner swap deal was seen as a breakthrough during 2018 peace talks in Sweden .
Both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including a cease-fire in the strategic port city of Hodeida .
Implementation of the tentative peace plan , however , stumbled amid ongoing military offensives and distrust between the two sides .
The conflict in the Arab world ’ s poorest country erupted in 2014 , when the Iran-allied Houthis seized the capital and much of the country ’ s north .
A Saudi-led coalition , determined to restore President Abed Rabu Mansour Hadi ’ s government , launched a military intervention months later .
“ Today is an important day for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to welcome back their loved ones hopefully very soon , ” said the U.N. Special Envoy for Yemen , Martin Griffiths .
Sunday ’ s deal came at the conclusion of a week-long meeting in Glion , Switzerland that was co-chaired by Griffiths ’ office and the International Committee of the Red Cross .
Representatives from the Saudi-led coalition also attended , the U.N. said .
The U.N. said the deal was built on a plan that both sides agreed on in February .
Griffiths urged both parties to “ move forward immediately @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effort in building upon this momentum to swiftly agree to releasing more detainees.
” Fabrizio Carboni , ICRC ’ s director for the Middle East , urged the parties to swiftly work to move the agreement “ from signatures on paper to reality on the ground.
” The war in Yemen has spawned the world ’ s worst humanitarian crisis , leaving millions suffering from food and medical shortages .
It has killed over 100,000 people , including fighters and civilians .

CAIRO (AP) - The United Nations said Yemen’s warring sides agreed Sunday to exchange more than 1,000 prisoners, marking the first phase of a prisoner-release plan reached earlier this year.
The U.N. mission in Yemen said the internationally recognized government that was driven from the capital six years ago and the Houthi rebels agreed “to immediately release a first group of 1,081 conflict-related detainees and prisoners, in accordance with the lists of agreed-upon names.”
The prisoner-swap deal was seen as a breakthrough during 2018 peace talks in Sweden. Both parties agreed then to several confidence-building measures, including a cease-fire in the strategic port city of Hodeida. Implementation of the tentative peace plan, however, stumbled amid ongoing military offensives and distrust between the two sides.
Occasional releases of dozens of prisoners over the past two years have served as gestures of good faith, stoking hopes the factions would implement what the U.N. has described as the war’s “first official large-scale” exchange. The two sides committed earlier this year to swap over 1,400 detainees.
The conflict in the Arab world’s poorest country erupted in 2014, when the Iran-allied Houthis seized the capital and much of the country’s north. A Saudi-led coalition, determined to restore President Abed Rabu Mansour Hadi’s government, launched a military intervention months later.
The war in Yemen has spawned the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, leaving millions suffering from food and medical shortages. It has killed over 100,000 people, including fighters and civilians.
“Today is an important day for over a thousand families who can expect to welcome back their loved ones hopefully very soon,” said the U.N. Special Envoy for Yemen, Martin Griffiths.
Sunday’s deal came at the conclusion of a week-long meeting in Glion, Switzerland that was co-chaired by Griffiths’ office and the International Committee of the Red Cross. Representatives from the Saudi-led coalition also attended, the U.N. said.
Yemen’s Foreign Minister Mohammed Abdullah al-Hadrami welcomed the deal on Twitter and called for its full implementation without delay. He said most of the prisoners the government wants released are “civilians, activists and forcibly disappeared,” in addition to four top officials detained since the beginning of the war.
Houthi officials said the deal includes the release of over 680 rebel prisoners in return for at least 400 from the government, including Saudi and Sudanese troops who were fighting on the side of the Saudi-led coalition. The officials said the swap would start on Oct. 15.
The Houthi officials spoke on condition of anonymity because there were not authorized to brief the media.
The U.N. said the deal was built on a plan both sides agreed to in February.
Griffiths urged both parties to “move forward immediately with the release and to spare no effort in building upon this momentum to swiftly agree to releasing more detainees.”
“We have no time to waste, releasing the 1,081 individuals would and indeed will represent the largest release operation during the history of the conflict in Yemen,” he said.
He said the two sides agreed to meet again to discuss more releases, including top government officials covered by a U.N. Security Council resolution.
Fabrizio Carboni, ICRC’s director for the Middle East, also urged the parties to swiftly work to move the agreement “from signatures on paper to reality on the ground.”
The deal came amid months of fighting between the two sides over oil-rich Marib province, which is held by the government. The Houthis want to seize control of Marib to strengthen their position in the U.N.-mediated peace talks.
The rebels have in recent months intensified missile and explosive-laden drone attacks on Saudi Arabia, with the coalition saying it intercepted and destroyed an explosive-laden drone on Sunday.
___
Al-Haj reported from Sanaa, Yemen.