washingtontimes--2020-09-11--Regulators to examine pilot training for Boeing 737 Max jets

Aviation regulators and pilots from several countries will begin next week reviewing Boeing ’ s proposal for training pilots to fly the revamped 737 Max , a sign that the grounded plane is moving closer to returning to service .
The Federal Aviation Administration said Friday that the review will start Monday at London ’ s Gatwick Airport and last about nine days .
The review will include aviation officials and pilots from the United States , Canada , Brazil and the European Union .
The FAA said several other steps remain before the plane can resume flying , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s changes comply with safety regulations .
Boeing changed computers and flight software on the Max after an automated anti-stall system pushed down the noses of two jets before they crashed in Indonesia and Ethiopia , killing 346 people .
Max planes have been grounded worldwide since March 2019 .
U.S. safety investigators who reviewed the two crashes recommended that Boeing reconsider assumptions it made about how quickly pilots can respond during an emergency .
A spokesman for Chicago-based Boeing said the company expects to win regulatory approval to resume shipping new Max @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could take longer before airlines resume using the plane because of maintenance and pilot-training requirements .
Earlier Friday , Europe ’ s flight safety authority said the first flight tests for the Max were completed .
Separately , congressional scrutiny of FAA ’ s original approval of the Max is about to increase .
A Senate committee plans to vote next week on a bill that would impose new restrictions on the FAA ’ s use of employees of aircraft makers like Boeing to make safety certifications about their own planes .
Congressional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in effect at the time , it would have required FAA to examine the Max and its flight-control system more thoroughly by deeming it a new plane and not simply an update to the Boeing 737 , which began flying in the 1960s .

Aviation regulators and pilots from several countries will begin next week reviewing Boeing’s proposal for training pilots to fly the revamped 737 Max, a sign that the grounded plane is moving closer to returning to service.
The Federal Aviation Administration said Friday that the review will start Monday at London’s Gatwick Airport and last about nine days. The review will include aviation officials and pilots from the United States, Canada, Brazil and the European Union.
The FAA said several other steps remain before the plane can resume flying, including a review to make sure Boeing’s changes comply with safety regulations.
Boeing changed computers and flight software on the Max after an automated anti-stall system pushed down the noses of two jets before they crashed in Indonesia and Ethiopia, killing 346 people. Max planes have been grounded worldwide since March 2019.
U.S. safety investigators who reviewed the two crashes recommended that Boeing reconsider assumptions it made about how quickly pilots can respond during an emergency.
A spokesman for Chicago-based Boeing said the company expects to win regulatory approval to resume shipping new Max jets in the fourth quarter. It could take longer before airlines resume using the plane because of maintenance and pilot-training requirements.
Earlier Friday, Europe’s flight safety authority said the first flight tests for the Max were completed.
Separately, congressional scrutiny of FAA’s original approval of the Max is about to increase. A Senate committee plans to vote next week on a bill that would impose new restrictions on the FAA’s use of employees of aircraft makers like Boeing to make safety certifications about their own planes.
Congressional aides say if the measure had been in effect at the time, it would have required FAA to examine the Max and its flight-control system more thoroughly by deeming it a new plane and not simply an update to the Boeing 737, which began flying in the 1960s.


washingtontimes--2020-09-11--2 drivers dead, 4 children injured in southeast Alaska crash

JUNEAU , Alaska ( AP ) - Two drivers are dead and four children were injured following a vehicle collision @ @ @ @ @ s Prince of Wales Island , Alaska State Troopers said .
The troopers in an @ @ @ @ @ investigation indicated that one of the drivers , whom they identified as 35-year-old Jennifer Dietrick @ @ @ @ @ double-yellow line of Thorne Bay Road , causing a head-on collision .
The other vehicle @ @ @ @ @ , 33 , of Thorne Bay , troopers said .
Both drivers were pronounced dead @ @ @ @ @ investigation is ongoing .
Dietrick had a child in her vehicle and Hansen had three @ @ @ @ @ of whom were taken to receive medical treatment for what were reported to be serious @ @ @ @ @ .
None of the children were restrained at the time of the accident , the @ @ @ @ @ has been corrected to show the day of the crash was Friday , not Thursday @

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) - Two drivers are dead and four children were injured following a vehicle collision Friday on southeast Alaska’s Prince of Wales Island, Alaska State Troopers said.
The troopers in an online dispatch said a preliminary investigation indicated that one of the drivers, whom they identified as 35-year-old Jennifer Dietrick of Naukati, crossed the double-yellow line of Thorne Bay Road, causing a head-on collision. The other vehicle was driven by Kerri Hansen, 33, of Thorne Bay, troopers said. Both drivers were pronounced dead at the scene. The investigation is ongoing.
Dietrick had a child in her vehicle and Hansen had three children in hers, all of whom were taken to receive medical treatment for what were reported to be serious injuries, the troopers said. None of the children were restrained at the time of the accident, the troopers said.
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This story has been corrected to show the day of the crash was Friday, not Thursday.


washingtontimes--2020-09-11--Alabama Ex-House speaker reports to begin prison sentence

MONTGOMERY , Ala. ( AP ) - Former Alabama House Speaker Mike Hubbard , for years once of the state ’ s most influential politicians , reported to jail Friday to begin a prison sentence for his 2016 ethics conviction .
Hubbard reported to the Lee County Detention Center in Opelika , according to jail records , to begin his four-year sentence .
The Auburn Republican was for years one of the state ’ s most powerful politicians until the ethics conviction in a corruption case ended his political career .
Prosecutors accused Hubbard of leveraging his powerful public office @ @ @ @ @ @ @ businesses .
His defense lawyers maintained the transactions were all aboveboard .
“ Mike Hubbard is a strong Christian man and has accepted the current situation but firmly believes in his innocence and looks forward to exploring other options to clear his name , ” attorney Lance Bell said .
A jury in 2016 convicted Hubbard of 12 counts of violating the state ethics law , but six were overturned on appeal .
The Alabama Supreme Court last month refused to reconsider the case .
The Alabama attorney general ’ s office said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the jail to be processed and turned over to the Department of Corrections .
He had been free on appeal since his 2016 conviction as he unsuccessfully fought to completely overturn his conviction .
Attorney David McKnight said they are considering additional appeals or asking a judge to reduce his sentence since some counts have been overturned .
Hubbard , the architect of the GOP ’ s takeover of the Alabama Legislature in 2010 , was a legislator from Auburn and former chairman of the Alabama Republican Party .
He was elected House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of both legislative chambers .
Hubbard was automatically removed from office after his 2016 felony conviction .

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - Former Alabama House Speaker Mike Hubbard, for years once of the state’s most influential politicians, reported to jail Friday to begin a prison sentence for his 2016 ethics conviction.
Hubbard reported to the Lee County Detention Center in Opelika, according to jail records, to begin his four-year sentence. The Auburn Republican was for years one of the state’s most powerful politicians until the ethics conviction in a corruption case ended his political career.
Prosecutors accused Hubbard of leveraging his powerful public office to obtain clients and investments for his businesses. His defense lawyers maintained the transactions were all aboveboard.
“Mike Hubbard is a strong Christian man and has accepted the current situation but firmly believes in his innocence and looks forward to exploring other options to clear his name,” attorney Lance Bell said.
A jury in 2016 convicted Hubbard of 12 counts of violating the state ethics law, but six were overturned on appeal. The Alabama Supreme Court last month refused to reconsider the case.
The Alabama attorney general’s office said Hubbard had until Saturday to report to the jail to be processed and turned over to the Department of Corrections.
He had been free on appeal since his 2016 conviction as he unsuccessfully fought to completely overturn his conviction.
Attorney David McKnight said they are considering additional appeals or asking a judge to reduce his sentence since some counts have been overturned.
Hubbard, the architect of the GOP’s takeover of the Alabama Legislature in 2010, was a legislator from Auburn and former chairman of the Alabama Republican Party. He was elected House speaker soon after the Republicans won control of both legislative chambers.
Hubbard was automatically removed from office after his 2016 felony conviction.


washingtontimes--2020-09-11--About 8,800 unaccompanied children are expelled at US border

SAN FRANCISCO ( AP ) - About 8,800 unaccompanied children have been quickly expelled from the United States along the Mexico border under a pandemic-related measure that effectively ended asylum , authorities said Friday .
The Trump administration has expelled more than 159,000 people since the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention emergency order took effect in March , a figure that also includes more than 7,600 adults and children who crossed the border in families .
The figures on children were reported for the first time in a declaration by Raul Ortiz , the Border Patrol ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration ’ s appeal of an order to stop housing children in hotels .
The administration “ immediately ” expelled most children and families to Mexico but more than 2,200 unaccompanied children and 600 people who came in families were held until flights could be arranged to return home , Ortiz said .
The administration asked the 9th U.S .
Circuit Court of Appeals to overturn a ruling last week that found use of hotels skirted “ fundamental humanitarian protections.
” U.S. District Judge Dolly Gee in Los Angeles ruled that using hotels @ @ @ @ @ @ @ governing treatment of children in custody .
She ordered border agencies to stop placing children in hotels by Tuesday .
Justice Department attorneys argued that settlement doesn ’ t apply during the public health emergency and that hotels were appropriate .
“ While in these hotels , the government provides minors with supervision by specialists , recreation , amenities , and protective measures against COVID-19 , ” the attorneys wrote .
Before the pandemic , unaccompanied children were sent to state-licensed shelters operated by the Department of Health and Human Services and often @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - About 8,800 unaccompanied children have been quickly expelled from the United States along the Mexico border under a pandemic-related measure that effectively ended asylum, authorities said Friday.
The Trump administration has expelled more than 159,000 people since the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention emergency order took effect in March, a figure that also includes more than 7,600 adults and children who crossed the border in families.
The figures on children were reported for the first time in a declaration by Raul Ortiz, the Border Patrol’s deputy chief, as part of the administration’s appeal of an order to stop housing children in hotels.
The administration “immediately” expelled most children and families to Mexico but more than 2,200 unaccompanied children and 600 people who came in families were held until flights could be arranged to return home, Ortiz said.
The administration asked the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to overturn a ruling last week that found use of hotels skirted “fundamental humanitarian protections.”
U.S. District Judge Dolly Gee in Los Angeles ruled that using hotels for long-term detention violated a two-decade-old settlement governing treatment of children in custody. She ordered border agencies to stop placing children in hotels by Tuesday.
Justice Department attorneys argued that settlement doesn’t apply during the public health emergency and that hotels were appropriate.
“While in these hotels, the government provides minors with supervision by specialists, recreation, amenities, and protective measures against COVID-19,” the attorneys wrote.
Before the pandemic, unaccompanied children were sent to state-licensed shelters operated by the Department of Health and Human Services and often released to family members while seeking asylum.


washingtontimes--2020-09-11--Authorities defend response to toy gun seen in online class

COLORADO SPRINGS , Colo. ( AP ) - Authorities are defending their decision to send two school resource officers to a Colorado home where a 12-year-old Black boy pointed a gun that turned out to be a toy at a friend during an online class they were taking together .
Following criticism from the boy ’ s mother about how the school and El Paso County Sheriff ’ s Office handled the Aug. 27 situation , the sheriff ’ s office on Thursday released body camera video of the officers ’ visit as well as a quick clip showing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other as they appear to be horsing around .
In a statement , the sheriff ’ s office said the school contacted them out of concern for the welfare of the students and said the teacher did not know if the gun was real or not .
The body camera footage shows officers talking to the father of one of the boys , and then speaking with the boys .
The officer who mainly spoke said they were not going to charge the boys with the crime of interfering with a school but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would if it happened again .
He told the father that besides checking on whether the gun was real they wanted to the boys to know how serious the situation was .
“ The School Resource Officer took the appropriate action and was kind and respectful throughout the interaction .
His goal was to educate the involved parties , ” the office said .
In a Facebook video , the mother of the boy with the toy gun , Dani Elliott , said the school called the sheriff ’ s office after she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ toy .
When she later learned that the officers were going to her house , Elliott , who was not home , said she was afraid for her son ’ s safety and called him to tell him to put the gun on the counter and hide in the basement .
Elliott said she feared her son could face the same fate as Tamir Rice , a 12-year-old Black boy who was shot and killed by a police officer in Cleveland in 2014 while holding a toy gun .
Even now she thinks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , his first encounter with law enforcement officers .
“ This is going to have a lifelong impact on my son , ” she said .
In a statement to The Gazette , the Widefield School District # 3 said it was looking “ at the bigger picture ” and wanted to focus on working with the family .
“ We are focused on collaborative problem-solving and examining our current system and how it fits in the world today .
Our hope is to move forward as a district , as a community @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it said .

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) - Authorities are defending their decision to send two school resource officers to a Colorado home where a 12-year-old Black boy pointed a gun that turned out to be a toy at a friend during an online class they were taking together.
Following criticism from the boy’s mother about how the school and El Paso County Sheriff’s Office handled the Aug. 27 situation, the sheriff’s office on Thursday released body camera video of the officers’ visit as well as a quick clip showing the boy briefly aiming the gun at the other as they appear to be horsing around.
In a statement, the sheriff’s office said the school contacted them out of concern for the welfare of the students and said the teacher did not know if the gun was real or not.
The body camera footage shows officers talking to the father of one of the boys, and then speaking with the boys. The officer who mainly spoke said they were not going to charge the boys with the crime of interfering with a school but said they could and also said they would if it happened again. He told the father that besides checking on whether the gun was real they wanted to the boys to know how serious the situation was.
“The School Resource Officer took the appropriate action and was kind and respectful throughout the interaction. His goal was to educate the involved parties,” the office said.
In a Facebook video, the mother of the boy with the toy gun, Dani Elliott, said the school called the sheriff’s office after she told school officials that it was a toy. When she later learned that the officers were going to her house, Elliott, who was not home, said she was afraid for her son’s safety and called him to tell him to put the gun on the counter and hide in the basement.
Elliott said she feared her son could face the same fate as Tamir Rice, a 12-year-old Black boy who was shot and killed by a police officer in Cleveland in 2014 while holding a toy gun. Even now she thinks he will be scarred by the experience, his first encounter with law enforcement officers.
“This is going to have a lifelong impact on my son,” she said.
In a statement to The Gazette, the Widefield School District #3 said it was looking “at the bigger picture” and wanted to focus on working with the family.
“We are focused on collaborative problem-solving and examining our current system and how it fits in the world today. Our hope is to move forward as a district, as a community, and as a society,” it said.


washingtontimes--2020-09-11--Autopsy report: Naya Rivera called for help as she drowned

LOS ANGELES ( AP ) - An autopsy report released Friday says “ Glee ” actor Naya Rivera raised her arm and called for help as she accidentally drowned while boating with her 4-year-old son on a California lake .
Once his mother had helped him back on to the boat , the boy “ noticed the decedent put her arm up in the air and yelled ‘ help , ’ ” the report from the Ventura County Medical Examiner says .
“ The decedent then disappeared in to the water.
” Authorities had previously said that Rivera had drowned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hollis Dorsey , back on the boat at Lake Piru northwest of Los Angeles on July 8 , but had not mentioned her shouting for help .
Rivera “ knew how to swim well , ” the report said .
The man who rented her the pontoon boat said she declined a life vest , but he put one aboard anyway .
It revealed that the 33-year-old Rivera had previous problems with vertigo , had a recent sinus infection , and had a small amount of prescribed amphetamines in her system , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as factors in her death .
Toxicology tests also showed she had small , therapeutic amounts of the anti-anxiety drug diazepam and the appetite suppressant phentermine in her system .
Josey , Rivera ’ s son with her former husband , actor Ryan Dorsey , was found sleeping and alone on the drifting boat later that afternoon .
Five days later , her body was found floating in an area of the lake that is about 30 feet deep .
The Ventura County Sheriff ’ s Office said she was most likely trapped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before floating to the top .
Josey was immediately reunited with his father and other relatives .
The day before her death , Rivera tweeted a photo of the two of them that read , “ just the two of us.
” In her memoir , she called him “ my greatest success , and I will never do any better than him.
” Rivera ’ s death was the third of a major cast member of “ Glee , ” the Fox TV musical comedy that Rivera starred in from 2009 to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lesbian cheerleader .
Rivera ’ s body was found seven years to the day after co-star Cory Monteith died at 31 from a toxic mix of alcohol and heroin .
Another co-star , Mark Salling , who Rivera dated at one point , killed himself in 2018 at age 35 after pleading guilty to child pornography charges .

LOS ANGELES (AP) - An autopsy report released Friday says “Glee” actor Naya Rivera raised her arm and called for help as she accidentally drowned while boating with her 4-year-old son on a California lake.
Once his mother had helped him back on to the boat, the boy “noticed the decedent put her arm up in the air and yelled ‘help,’” the report from the Ventura County Medical Examiner says. “The decedent then disappeared in to the water.”
Authorities had previously said that Rivera had drowned accidentally after putting the boy, Josey Hollis Dorsey, back on the boat at Lake Piru northwest of Los Angeles on July 8, but had not mentioned her shouting for help.
Rivera “knew how to swim well,” the report said.
The man who rented her the pontoon boat said she declined a life vest, but he put one aboard anyway.
It revealed that the 33-year-old Rivera had previous problems with vertigo, had a recent sinus infection, and had a small amount of prescribed amphetamines in her system, but did not identify physical conditions or drugs as factors in her death.
Toxicology tests also showed she had small, therapeutic amounts of the anti-anxiety drug diazepam and the appetite suppressant phentermine in her system.
Josey, Rivera’s son with her former husband, actor Ryan Dorsey, was found sleeping and alone on the drifting boat later that afternoon.
Five days later, her body was found floating in an area of the lake that is about 30 feet deep. The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office said she was most likely trapped in thick vegetation underwater for several days before floating to the top.
Josey was immediately reunited with his father and other relatives.
The day before her death, Rivera tweeted a photo of the two of them that read, “just the two of us.” In her memoir, she called him “my greatest success, and I will never do any better than him.”
Rivera’s death was the third of a major cast member of “Glee,” the Fox TV musical comedy that Rivera starred in from 2009 to 2015, playing a singing and dancing lesbian cheerleader.
Rivera’s body was found seven years to the day after co-star Cory Monteith died at 31 from a toxic mix of alcohol and heroin.
Another co-star, Mark Salling, who Rivera dated at one point, killed himself in 2018 at age 35 after pleading guilty to child pornography charges.
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Follow AP Entertainment Writer Andrew Dalton on Twitter: https://twitter.com/andyjamesdalton.


washingtontimes--2020-09-11--Utah clears rape kit backlog, leaders expect further reform

TAYLORSVILLE , Utah ( AP ) - Officials in Utah announced that the state has eliminated its sexual assault kit backlog five years after reporting more than 2,000 were untested .
“ The whole entire nation ought to be paying attention to what ’ s happening right here in Utah today , ” Republican state Rep. Eric Hutchings said , “ because this is a big deal.
” Forensic nurse Julie Valentine joined state leaders Thursday outside the Utah crime lab in Taylorsville to make the announcement , The Salt Lake Tribune reported .
Valentine cautioned that residents should not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but instead the “ beginning of our continued pursuit for justice and eradicating sexual violence.
” More than 11,000 rape kits statewide have been tested since 2015 , according to data from the crime lab .
It has led to 5,025 forensic DNA profiles being entered into a national database and about 2,000 suspects being identified .
Utah Department of Public Safety Commissioner Jess Anderson said the turnaround time for testing sexual assault kits is now 90 days .
Previously , kits could sit for years .
Republican House Speaker Brad Wilson said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ help the lab further reduce its testing turnaround time and contribute to new technology to solve cold cases .
“ This is a human rights issue that we had to take care of , and we had to bring a voice to survivors of sexual assault , ” Democratic state Rep. Angela Romero said .
She sponsored a law passed in 2017 requiring that all kits be tested in Utah .
The bill mandated that law enforcement agencies submit kits to the crime lab within 30 days after collection , and it funded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also set up a tracking system that victims can access to see the status of their kit .

TAYLORSVILLE, Utah (AP) - Officials in Utah announced that the state has eliminated its sexual assault kit backlog five years after reporting more than 2,000 were untested.
“The whole entire nation ought to be paying attention to what’s happening right here in Utah today,” Republican state Rep. Eric Hutchings said, “because this is a big deal.”
Forensic nurse Julie Valentine joined state leaders Thursday outside the Utah crime lab in Taylorsville to make the announcement, The Salt Lake Tribune reported.
Valentine cautioned that residents should not consider it the end of the backlog but instead the “beginning of our continued pursuit for justice and eradicating sexual violence.”
More than 11,000 rape kits statewide have been tested since 2015, according to data from the crime lab. It has led to 5,025 forensic DNA profiles being entered into a national database and about 2,000 suspects being identified.
Utah Department of Public Safety Commissioner Jess Anderson said the turnaround time for testing sexual assault kits is now 90 days. Previously, kits could sit for years.
Republican House Speaker Brad Wilson said legislators recently allotted $1.6 million to help the lab further reduce its testing turnaround time and contribute to new technology to solve cold cases.
“This is a human rights issue that we had to take care of, and we had to bring a voice to survivors of sexual assault,” Democratic state Rep. Angela Romero said. She sponsored a law passed in 2017 requiring that all kits be tested in Utah.
The bill mandated that law enforcement agencies submit kits to the crime lab within 30 days after collection, and it funded trauma-sensitivity training for police officers. It also set up a tracking system that victims can access to see the status of their kit.


washingtontimes--2020-09-12--Southern Indiana town looks to redevelop historic building

GEORGETOWN , Ind .
( AP ) - A southern Indiana community is looking for a developer who can find @ @ @ @ @ historic building that formerly served as its town hall .
The Town of Georgetown has @ @ @ @ @ for the former Georgetown State Bank building that they believe can serve as an anchor @ @ @ @ @ downtown area .
Town Council President Chris Loop tells the News and Tribune that the @ @ @ @ @ charm , could be repurposed into a restaurant or a brewery .
An exterior rehabilitation @ @ @ @ @ completed .
A revitalization plan calls for some sort of anchor tenant that would draw @ @ @ @ @ .
The community acquired the building in 1981 and it served as the town hall @ @ @ @ @ support the town ’ s plans .
Laura Renwick , community preservation specialist for Indiana @ @ @ @ @ , says the building is one of the key structures in the Georgetown Historic District @ @ @ @ @ .

GEORGETOWN, Ind. (AP) - A southern Indiana community is looking for a developer who can find a new use for a historic building that formerly served as its town hall.
The Town of Georgetown has issued a request for proposals for the former Georgetown State Bank building that they believe can serve as an anchor for the community’s downtown area.
Town Council President Chris Loop tells the News and Tribune that the building, with its historic charm, could be repurposed into a restaurant or a brewery. An exterior rehabilitation of the building was recently completed.
A revitalization plan calls for some sort of anchor tenant that would draw people downtown, he said.
The community acquired the building in 1981 and it served as the town hall until 2009.
Local preservationists support the town’s plans. Laura Renwick, community preservation specialist for Indiana Landmarks’ Southern Regional Office, says the building is one of the key structures in the Georgetown Historic District listed in the National Register.


washingtontimes--2020-09-12--Dry summer brings blessed relief from biting insects

PORTLAND , Maine ( AP ) - Many folks have been spending more time outdoors during the pandemic , and fortunately there were fewer bugs around to bite them .
Dry conditions across parts of the Northeast led to a dramatic drop in bitty biters like mosquitoes and ticks this summer , officials said .
That ’ s leading to an anticipated reduction in bug-borne diseases .
In Maine , the preliminary number of cases of Lyme disease through Sept. 7 was 626 , which was tracking well below the record 2,167 cases recorded in 2019 .
There were similar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other tick-borne illnesses , anaplasmosis and babesiosis .
Ditto for mosquitoes .
The state reports fewer of them were caught in traps this summer .
“ We have more time to get out in the woods , and there are fewer things biting you , ” said Allison Kanoti , state entomologist .
“ For us , it surely is a nice break.
” Lyme disease is caused by a bacterium carried by infected deer ticks .
It ’ s often accompanied by a rash referred to as the “ bullseye ” because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , chills , headache , fatigue , and muscle and joint aches , officials said .
Early in the summer , there was a surge of ticks that made it seem as though it would be another bad year , but that changed as the weather became hot and dry , said Griffin Dill , tick lab coordinator at the University of Maine cooperative extension .
By late summer , workers who were actively looking for ticks weren ’ t finding them , he said .
The trend has carried through other parts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , saw a drop in ticks this spring , when it did its surveillance , and mosquitoes this summer .
Same for New Hampshire .
“ This year ’ s numbers are down about 42 % over last year ’ s numbers , ” said Patti Casey , of the Vermont Agency of Agriculture about mosquitoes .
Neither Maine nor Vermont have recorded any West Nile virus or Eastern equine encephalitis in mosquitoes so far this year .
“ It ’ s like the one good thing that 2020 is doing for us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , New Hampshire ’ s public health veterinarian , said she believes the numbers of deer ticks are down , as well as the mosquitoes that cause equine encephalitis .
The reason , she said , is a lack of moisture .
It was an exceptionally dry , hot summer , with much of northern Maine and New Hampshire experiencing significant drought .
The drought is either killing ticks or forcing them deeper into leaf litter , where it ’ s more humid .
The drop in equine encephalitis is a result of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ breed in .
And even West Nile , which is caused by mosquitoes that require less water to breed , has been down .
But the dearth of bugs , especially ticks , could be short-lived .
A rainy fall could cause another surge , but experts said numbers are unlikely to reach last year ’ s .
“ We still have time through this period until the ground is covered with snow that the ticks may be able to come out , ” Mathewson said .
“ If we get some drought @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these ticks coming out.
” Associated Press writers Lisa Rathke in Montpelier , Vermont , and Michael Casey in Boston contributed to this report .

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) - Many folks have been spending more time outdoors during the pandemic, and fortunately there were fewer bugs around to bite them.
Dry conditions across parts of the Northeast led to a dramatic drop in bitty biters like mosquitoes and ticks this summer, officials said. That’s leading to an anticipated reduction in bug-borne diseases.
In Maine, the preliminary number of cases of Lyme disease through Sept. 7 was 626, which was tracking well below the record 2,167 cases recorded in 2019. There were similar drops, so far, in two other tick-borne illnesses, anaplasmosis and babesiosis.
Ditto for mosquitoes. The state reports fewer of them were caught in traps this summer.
“We have more time to get out in the woods, and there are fewer things biting you,” said Allison Kanoti, state entomologist. “For us, it surely is a nice break.”
Lyme disease is caused by a bacterium carried by infected deer ticks. It’s often accompanied by a rash referred to as the “bullseye” because of its shape. Symptoms include fever, chills, headache, fatigue, and muscle and joint aches, officials said.
Early in the summer, there was a surge of ticks that made it seem as though it would be another bad year, but that changed as the weather became hot and dry, said Griffin Dill, tick lab coordinator at the University of Maine cooperative extension.
By late summer, workers who were actively looking for ticks weren’t finding them, he said.
The trend has carried through other parts of New England. Vermont, too, saw a drop in ticks this spring, when it did its surveillance, and mosquitoes this summer. Same for New Hampshire.
“This year’s numbers are down about 42% over last year’s numbers,” said Patti Casey, of the Vermont Agency of Agriculture about mosquitoes. Neither Maine nor Vermont have recorded any West Nile virus or Eastern equine encephalitis in mosquitoes so far this year.
“It’s like the one good thing that 2020 is doing for us,” Casey said.
Abigail Mathewson, New Hampshire’s public health veterinarian, said she believes the numbers of deer ticks are down, as well as the mosquitoes that cause equine encephalitis. The reason, she said, is a lack of moisture.
It was an exceptionally dry, hot summer, with much of northern Maine and New Hampshire experiencing significant drought. The drought is either killing ticks or forcing them deeper into leaf litter, where it’s more humid.
The drop in equine encephalitis is a result of fewer puddles and ponds for mosquitoes to breed in. And even West Nile, which is caused by mosquitoes that require less water to breed, has been down.
But the dearth of bugs, especially ticks, could be short-lived. A rainy fall could cause another surge, but experts said numbers are unlikely to reach last year’s.
“We still have time through this period until the ground is covered with snow that the ticks may be able to come out,” Mathewson said. “If we get some drought relief, we may see more of these ticks coming out.”
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Associated Press writers Lisa Rathke in Montpelier, Vermont, and Michael Casey in Boston contributed to this report.


washingtontimes--2020-09-12--NJ voters weigh putting pot legalization in constitution

TRENTON , N.J. ( AP ) - The presidential election and the coronavirus outbreak have largely overshadowed New Jersey ’ s highest-profile ballot question this year , but the state could be the latest to legalize recreational marijuana if voters say yes to a constitutional amendment .
Ballots are about to go out to all registered voters in New Jersey ’ s first-ever mostly vote-by-mail election .
In addition to voting for president , U.S. Senate and House , New Jerseyans will also decide whether to amend the state constitution to permit those 21 and older to use marijuana .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to set up a regulated market for the drug .
New Jersey would become the 12th state , along with the District of Columbia , to legalize recreational marijuana , if the question succeeds .
Supporters are optimistic , pointing to polls showing more than three-fifths of voters support legalization .
Opponents are nonetheless holding out hope they can persuade voters against adopting the change .
NJ Can 2020 is planning digital ads in support of the question .
The social welfare group is a coalition of organizations including the ACLU of New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Drug Policy Action and the New Jersey CannaBusiness Association , among others .
The group argues that legalization will boost the economy by creating jobs and bringing in tax revenue for the state .
They also point to the disparities in marijuana arrests , with Black residents facing arrest more than three times as much as white people in New Jersey , and say that legalization will right a social injustice .
“ New Jersey has a pivotal opportunity to advance racial justice and move the state forward through marijuana legalization this November @ @ @ @ @ @ @ executive director of the New Jersey ACLU .
Don ’ t Let NJ Go To Pot is opposing the question .
Gregg Edwards , the group ’ s executive director , said the racial justice argument is persuasive , but it doesn ’ t mean legalization is necessary .
“ The way to deal with that is to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana , ” he said .
Edwards also questioned whether an estimated $ 165 million in revenue would really help with a nearly $ 40 billion state budget .
He raised @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well .
New Jersey seemed on track to pass legislation legalizing cannabis last year , with support from Democratic Gov .
Phil Murphy and fellow Democrats Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin and Senate President Steve Sweeney .
But the effort went up in smoke when legislative leaders couldn ’ t wrangle enough support from lawmakers .
Instead , the Legislature voted in December to put the question to voters this year .
Legalizing marijuana was a prominent campaign promise of Murphy ’ s and was one of the biggest looming issue before New Jersey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that struck the state in March .
If the measure is approved , the state ’ s commission overseeing the medical marijuana program would be in charge of setting up the new recreational-use market .
Along with the age restriction , cannabis would be subject to the state ’ s 6.625 % sales tax .
The amendment also authorizes the Legislature to enact a law letting towns and cities to collect a tax on cannabis of up to 2 % .
It ’ s unclear , though , how soon after the amendment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Lawmakers are wrestling with whether to enact legislation before the public weighs in in order to speed up when the market can open .

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) - The presidential election and the coronavirus outbreak have largely overshadowed New Jersey’s highest-profile ballot question this year, but the state could be the latest to legalize recreational marijuana if voters say yes to a constitutional amendment.
Ballots are about to go out to all registered voters in New Jersey’s first-ever mostly vote-by-mail election.
In addition to voting for president, U.S. Senate and House, New Jerseyans will also decide whether to amend the state constitution to permit those 21 and older to use marijuana. The amendment also allows for the state to set up a regulated market for the drug.
New Jersey would become the 12th state, along with the District of Columbia, to legalize recreational marijuana, if the question succeeds.
Supporters are optimistic, pointing to polls showing more than three-fifths of voters support legalization. Opponents are nonetheless holding out hope they can persuade voters against adopting the change.
Both sides have launched campaigns.
NJ Can 2020 is planning digital ads in support of the question. The social welfare group is a coalition of organizations including the ACLU of New Jersey, the Latino Action Network, Drug Policy Action and the New Jersey CannaBusiness Association, among others.
The group argues that legalization will boost the economy by creating jobs and bringing in tax revenue for the state. They also point to the disparities in marijuana arrests, with Black residents facing arrest more than three times as much as white people in New Jersey, and say that legalization will right a social injustice.
“New Jersey has a pivotal opportunity to advance racial justice and move the state forward through marijuana legalization this November,” said Amol Sinha, the executive director of the New Jersey ACLU.
Don’t Let NJ Go To Pot is opposing the question. Gregg Edwards, the group’s executive director, said the racial justice argument is persuasive, but it doesn’t mean legalization is necessary.
“The way to deal with that is to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana,” he said.
Edwards also questioned whether an estimated $165 million in revenue would really help with a nearly $40 billion state budget. He raised concerns over the potency of marijuana as well.
New Jersey seemed on track to pass legislation legalizing cannabis last year, with support from Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy and fellow Democrats Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin and Senate President Steve Sweeney. But the effort went up in smoke when legislative leaders couldn’t wrangle enough support from lawmakers. Instead, the Legislature voted in December to put the question to voters this year.
Legalizing marijuana was a prominent campaign promise of Murphy’s and was one of the biggest looming issue before New Jersey became a hotspot of the coronavirus outbreak that struck the state in March.
If the measure is approved, the state’s commission overseeing the medical marijuana program would be in charge of setting up the new recreational-use market. Along with the age restriction, cannabis would be subject to the state’s 6.625% sales tax.
The amendment also authorizes the Legislature to enact a law letting towns and cities to collect a tax on cannabis of up to 2%.
It’s unclear, though, how soon after the amendment passes that marijuana could hit the market. Lawmakers are wrestling with whether to enact legislation before the public weighs in in order to speed up when the market can open.


washingtontimes--2020-09-12--Bowie State professors, students use data to fight virus

BOWIE , Md .
( AP ) - Bowie State University wants to be in front of how the coronavirus pandemic affects students ’ academic performance , housing , family , health and anxiety , and how the plunge into digitization caused by COVID-19 affects students ’ career prospects .
This summer was the first time business management major Cydni Gilliam used Tableau software , which allows researchers to turn data into graphics .
Along with other students and professors , they looked at the creation and destruction of businesses around the United States during the coronavirus pandemic .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ changed even more , assistant business professor Kavita Kapur said .
“ The digitization of the world is going to happen really fast because of COVID , ” Kapur said .
Understanding what factors allow businesses to survive and thrive during that growth and destruction will help fortify the students against similar turbulence in the years ahead .
The data analysis skills students learned this summer through the Data Science & Analytics Summer Undergraduate Research Institute will help them succeed in the rapidly digitized world , Kapur said .
Gilliam wants to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and while she came into the summer program having never worked with data , leaving she says thinks it will be critical to the success or failure of their future enterprise .
And it is more than helping themselves –– Gilliam says any business owner who reads their work will have a better chance of surviving future pandemics .
During the summer , computer science professor Sharad Sharma worked together with students to create a three-dimensional virtual reality environment which people can use to view COVID-19 data .
The goal is to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ experiencing higher rates of death .
Factors could include access to health care , pre-existing conditions and type of employment .
In Maryland , about 41 % of people who have died due to COVID-19 were Black , while the population overall is 31 % Black .
That equates to more than 360 deaths above what would be expected based on population demographics .
Sharma said they have created both immersive environments , in which a user would wear an Oculus or other technology to have the experience of being virtually inside the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , where a person would navigate the program as if it were a video game .
Seeing the data in a different format allows researchers to make connections they might not otherwise find , and view statistics from new angles .
The key ingredient is interaction , Sharma said .
Social work professor Emory Perkins is studying the pandemic ’ s effect on Bowie State students , and this summer sent out a survey asking students about their knowledge of the virus , how it has affected academic performance , their health and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ called the contagion effect .
“ What is the threat of COVID-19 to the student ?
Is it economic ?
Is it about housing ?
Is it about being essential worker ?
” Perkins said .
“ Other contagion threats may include family members .
A lot of African-American and minority families are at increased risk of COVID-19 because of the way in which we live.
” They are developing hypotheses now , and Perkins said they will ultimately make recommendations to the university around the way COVID-19 has affected students ’ lives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the project , which has been funded by the state , and Perkins is working with three other professors .
They are also getting demographic profiles of respondents , information like how many children they have , ethnic background and sexual orientation .
They will also looking at housing and intimate partner violence and involuntary relationships , Perkins said .
“ A lot of Black and brown families have been displaced because of COVID-19 , ” Perkins said .
Perkins , Sharma and Kapur all worked with students remotely this summer for their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the school year .
The new school year began Aug. 31 , with a combination of in-person and remote learning .

BOWIE, Md. (AP) - Bowie State University wants to be in front of how the coronavirus pandemic affects students’ academic performance, housing, family, health and anxiety, and how the plunge into digitization caused by COVID-19 affects students’ career prospects.
The key: data.
This summer was the first time business management major Cydni Gilliam used Tableau software, which allows researchers to turn data into graphics. Along with other students and professors, they looked at the creation and destruction of businesses around the United States during the coronavirus pandemic.
In a few months, things will have changed even more, assistant business professor Kavita Kapur said.
“The digitization of the world is going to happen really fast because of COVID,” Kapur said.
Understanding what factors allow businesses to survive and thrive during that growth and destruction will help fortify the students against similar turbulence in the years ahead. The data analysis skills students learned this summer through the Data Science & Analytics Summer Undergraduate Research Institute will help them succeed in the rapidly digitized world, Kapur said.
Gilliam wants to be an entrepreneur and eventually run a nonprofit, and while she came into the summer program having never worked with data, leaving she says thinks it will be critical to the success or failure of their future enterprise.
And it is more than helping themselves –– Gilliam says any business owner who reads their work will have a better chance of surviving future pandemics.
During the summer, computer science professor Sharad Sharma worked together with students to create a three-dimensional virtual reality environment which people can use to view COVID-19 data. The goal is to better understand why the Black community is experiencing higher rates of death. Factors could include access to health care, pre-existing conditions and type of employment.
In Maryland, about 41% of people who have died due to COVID-19 were Black, while the population overall is 31% Black. That equates to more than 360 deaths above what would be expected based on population demographics.
Sharma said they have created both immersive environments, in which a user would wear an Oculus or other technology to have the experience of being virtually inside the space, as well as non-immersive environments, where a person would navigate the program as if it were a video game.
Seeing the data in a different format allows researchers to make connections they might not otherwise find, and view statistics from new angles. The key ingredient is interaction, Sharma said.
Social work professor Emory Perkins is studying the pandemic’s effect on Bowie State students, and this summer sent out a survey asking students about their knowledge of the virus, how it has affected academic performance, their health and well-being, anxiety and a fifth factor called the contagion effect.
“What is the threat of COVID-19 to the student? Is it economic? Is it about housing? Is it about being essential worker?” Perkins said. “Other contagion threats may include family members. A lot of African-American and minority families are at increased risk of COVID-19 because of the way in which we live.”
They are developing hypotheses now, and Perkins said they will ultimately make recommendations to the university around the way COVID-19 has affected students’ lives. Seven undergraduate students are working on the project, which has been funded by the state, and Perkins is working with three other professors.
They are also getting demographic profiles of respondents, information like how many children they have, ethnic background and sexual orientation. They will also looking at housing and intimate partner violence and involuntary relationships, Perkins said.
“A lot of Black and brown families have been displaced because of COVID-19,” Perkins said.
Perkins, Sharma and Kapur all worked with students remotely this summer for their research, and are continuing their work in the school year. The new school year began Aug. 31, with a combination of in-person and remote learning.


washingtontimes--2020-09-12--Virginia couple finds freedom living in converted school bus

MCGAHEYSVILLE , Va. ( AP ) - Spinning in a circle , arms outstretched , your fingertips may easily brush against each corner of the Waldrops ’ kitchen .
The long and narrow living room is barely wider , but the driver ’ s seat up front at least offers additional seating .
Living in a retired bus comes at the cost of downsizing to tiny rooms and a toilet that cost $ 925 , but with calling a confined space home also comes limitless freedom .
Autonomy is a modern-day forbidden fruit .
Whether pining for the freedom to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one ’ s means , notions of living liberated from the brunt of financial strain are desires confined to idyllic daydreams for most people .
But not for the Waldrops .
Growing up on an Elkton farm and taking a solo cross country trip that enabled him to live out of his truck for nine months , Kyle Waldrop said he grew accustomed to minimalist living .
“ From traveling and road-tripping for climbing and living out of the back of my truck , it just kind of evolved from there , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ watching YouTube videos on school buses being transformed into tiny homes , referred to as skoolies , his partner , Sarah , was not as quickly convinced that the housing option was appealing .
“ I said no , ” Sarah Waldrop said .
“ Then , we saw 20 more ( videos ) , and I said OK.
It ’ s a way for us to live very cheaply and travel.
” Taking to Craigslist , the Waldrops found their future residence , a 1994 Blue Bird bus , for $ 2,800 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2017 with their hearts set on transforming the boxy , outdated vehicle into their perfect tiny home .
Before its second life as a home , the bus spent its earlier years supposedly driven by Big John , who scrawled his name on the bottom of the rearview mirror , transporting employees around a DuPont plant in North Carolina .
Aside from hiring someone to do the plumbing and insulation , all work in the bus was done entirely by friends and family .
The construction took over a year , but by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were moved into their new home .
Everything in the skoolie has a story , from the ceiling made of reclaimed , knotted wood floors donated by Sarah Waldrop ’ s parents to the kitchen counters designed and built by a friend .
“ We ’ ll be sitting here on the couch with our TV table watching Netflix on the computer , and I think ‘ Wow , we made this space ourselves , ’ ” Sarah Waldrop said .
“ I still don ’ t believe it , like it blows @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Kyle Waldrop ’ s childhood friend ’ s home , the couple pay $ 200 to access utilities , and the bus receives power from a 50-amp strip , but the couple hope to one day install solar panels .
In total , Sarah Waldrop said the couple have put nearly $ 20,000 into the skoolie , but nothing beats the feeling of living in a home they built .
At the front of the skoolie , a white board still lists all the plans and projects the couple have yet to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ list written in permanent marker on the wall serves as a reminder of their original list of completed chores .
Kyle Waldrop said that by living in a skoolie , the couple have harnessed the freedom to travel and go off the grid , securing the autonomy others longingly crave as their reality .
“ Feeling like my things don ’ t own me and because I live within my means , I can afford to go and do the things I want to do when I want to do them , generally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Named Luly , after a kindly , welcoming woman the couple met while staying in Mexico , the bus even has an Instagram account , @ ourlulybus , which has nearly 2,000 followers .
Since April 2017 , the Waldrops have documented their adventure with the bus online , from ripping out the interior to its first coat of paint until the floor plans took life off scraps of paper and became a furnished , livable space .
Outside of the bus and their day jobs , the Waldrops have cultivated a community @ @ @ @ @ @ @ climbing gym the couple set up in downtown Harrisonburg while working on the bus .
Kyle and Sarah Waldrop met through rock climbing and maintained their steadfast passion for the recreation by climbing on walls installed inside a barn Kyle Waldrop ’ s parents owned .
When his parents announced in February 2018 that they were moving , the couple were pushed to finish their bus and find a new place to climb before the summer .
“ We built the bus , built The Warehouse and planned the wedding all in one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Our relationship is super strong because we got through that.
” Not having failed them before , Sarah and Kyle Waldrop once more took to Craigslist to find the old warehouse .
Sarah Waldrop said the space has a varied history , previously serving as a feedbag repair place , a sand bag factory in World War II and more recently an online antique business .
Inside , The Warehouse serves primarily as a private climbing gym for friends , but it ’ s also a studio space , workshop , forge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Waldrops first moved into The Warehouse , the ceilings sagged and the roof visibly begged for repair .
Three years later , the space is lit up with strings of colored lights and walls are plastered with Sharpie graffiti from friends .
Sarah Waldrop ’ s oil paintings hang along the sides near her studio space across from a library with everything from Plato to children ’ s literature to animal encyclopedias .
James Madison University senior Liana Jackley-Angulo met the Waldrops through climbing her freshman year and climbed at the Elkton @ @ @ @ @ @ @ When the couple received news they had to move , Jackley-Angulo helped build the bus and prepare The Warehouse : sanding , staining , measuring , sawing , cleaning and painting .
She said The Warehouse is a home away from home for the climbers there , who have grown together as a second family .
“ Kyle and Sarah have a way of bringing people together with the energy they have , ” she said .
“ They ’ ve definitely provided an environment where I feel comfortable expressing myself .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we climb at , it ’ s a creative area.
” Sean Maguire is the gym ’ s head route setter and hold-maker who also uses the space to forge .
He described Sarah and Kyle as the “ mom and dad ” of the mismatched , makeshift gym family and said the private world they have carved for themselves is much bigger than the two of them .
“ That is kind of my place to get away and get out of the house , ” Maguire said .
“ Whether that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ me making holds in the workshop or me going and blacksmithing .
It gives me a place to have a creative outlet and stress relief.
” Kyle Waldrop said living out of the bus and operating the private climbing space have worked because he and his partner have a harmonious understanding of each other with similar spirits that prioritize freedom above all .
“ She ’ s my person , you know ?
We love each other , ” he said .
“ We love very similar things and have similar thought processes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ each other .
Having the ability to go and adventure , to go and do .
To have the freedom , for lack of a better word , to be able to do the things I want to do .
I don ’ t necessarily desire to have a lot of things .
I ’ d rather make a lot of memories .
”

MCGAHEYSVILLE, Va. (AP) - Spinning in a circle, arms outstretched, your fingertips may easily brush against each corner of the Waldrops’ kitchen. The long and narrow living room is barely wider, but the driver’s seat up front at least offers additional seating.
Living in a retired bus comes at the cost of downsizing to tiny rooms and a toilet that cost $925, but with calling a confined space home also comes limitless freedom.
Autonomy is a modern-day forbidden fruit. Whether pining for the freedom to explore faraway places or comfortably live within one’s means, notions of living liberated from the brunt of financial strain are desires confined to idyllic daydreams for most people. But not for the Waldrops.
Growing up on an Elkton farm and taking a solo cross country trip that enabled him to live out of his truck for nine months, Kyle Waldrop said he grew accustomed to minimalist living.
“From traveling and road-tripping for climbing and living out of the back of my truck, it just kind of evolved from there,” he said.
When Kyle Waldrop began watching YouTube videos on school buses being transformed into tiny homes, referred to as skoolies, his partner, Sarah, was not as quickly convinced that the housing option was appealing.
“I said no,” Sarah Waldrop said. “Then, we saw 20 more (videos), and I said OK. It’s a way for us to live very cheaply and travel.”
Taking to Craigslist, the Waldrops found their future residence, a 1994 Blue Bird bus, for $2,800 from a seller in Danville in March 2017 with their hearts set on transforming the boxy, outdated vehicle into their perfect tiny home.
Before its second life as a home, the bus spent its earlier years supposedly driven by Big John, who scrawled his name on the bottom of the rearview mirror, transporting employees around a DuPont plant in North Carolina.
Aside from hiring someone to do the plumbing and insulation, all work in the bus was done entirely by friends and family. The construction took over a year, but by July 1, 2018, the Waldrops were moved into their new home. Everything in the skoolie has a story, from the ceiling made of reclaimed, knotted wood floors donated by Sarah Waldrop’s parents to the kitchen counters designed and built by a friend.
“We’ll be sitting here on the couch with our TV table watching Netflix on the computer, and I think ‘Wow, we made this space ourselves,’” Sarah Waldrop said. “I still don’t believe it, like it blows my mind.”
Parked in the backyard of Kyle Waldrop’s childhood friend’s home, the couple pay $200 to access utilities, and the bus receives power from a 50-amp strip, but the couple hope to one day install solar panels. In total, Sarah Waldrop said the couple have put nearly $20,000 into the skoolie, but nothing beats the feeling of living in a home they built.
At the front of the skoolie, a white board still lists all the plans and projects the couple have yet to take on, but a much smaller list written in permanent marker on the wall serves as a reminder of their original list of completed chores.
Kyle Waldrop said that by living in a skoolie, the couple have harnessed the freedom to travel and go off the grid, securing the autonomy others longingly crave as their reality.
“Feeling like my things don’t own me and because I live within my means, I can afford to go and do the things I want to do when I want to do them, generally speaking,” Kyle Waldrop said.
Named Luly, after a kindly, welcoming woman the couple met while staying in Mexico, the bus even has an Instagram account, @ourlulybus, which has nearly 2,000 followers. Since April 2017, the Waldrops have documented their adventure with the bus online, from ripping out the interior to its first coat of paint until the floor plans took life off scraps of paper and became a furnished, livable space.
THE WAREHOUSE
Outside of the bus and their day jobs, the Waldrops have cultivated a community within The Warehouse, a private rock climbing gym the couple set up in downtown Harrisonburg while working on the bus.
Kyle and Sarah Waldrop met through rock climbing and maintained their steadfast passion for the recreation by climbing on walls installed inside a barn Kyle Waldrop’s parents owned. When his parents announced in February 2018 that they were moving, the couple were pushed to finish their bus and find a new place to climb before the summer.
“We built the bus, built The Warehouse and planned the wedding all in one year,” Sarah Waldrop said. “Our relationship is super strong because we got through that.”
Not having failed them before, Sarah and Kyle Waldrop once more took to Craigslist to find the old warehouse. Sarah Waldrop said the space has a varied history, previously serving as a feedbag repair place, a sand bag factory in World War II and more recently an online antique business.
Inside, The Warehouse serves primarily as a private climbing gym for friends, but it’s also a studio space, workshop, forge - practically an adult clubhouse.
When the Waldrops first moved into The Warehouse, the ceilings sagged and the roof visibly begged for repair.
Three years later, the space is lit up with strings of colored lights and walls are plastered with Sharpie graffiti from friends. Sarah Waldrop’s oil paintings hang along the sides near her studio space across from a library with everything from Plato to children’s literature to animal encyclopedias.
James Madison University senior Liana Jackley-Angulo met the Waldrops through climbing her freshman year and climbed at the Elkton barn before transitioning to The Warehouse. When the couple received news they had to move, Jackley-Angulo helped build the bus and prepare The Warehouse: sanding, staining, measuring, sawing, cleaning and painting.
She said The Warehouse is a home away from home for the climbers there, who have grown together as a second family.
“Kyle and Sarah have a way of bringing people together with the energy they have,” she said. “They’ve definitely provided an environment where I feel comfortable expressing myself. The Warehouse isn’t just a place we climb at, it’s a creative area.”
Sean Maguire is the gym’s head route setter and hold-maker who also uses the space to forge. He described Sarah and Kyle as the “mom and dad” of the mismatched, makeshift gym family and said the private world they have carved for themselves is much bigger than the two of them.
“That is kind of my place to get away and get out of the house,” Maguire said. “Whether that be me getting to go climb or me making holds in the workshop or me going and blacksmithing. It gives me a place to have a creative outlet and stress relief.”
Kyle Waldrop said living out of the bus and operating the private climbing space have worked because he and his partner have a harmonious understanding of each other with similar spirits that prioritize freedom above all.
“She’s my person, you know? We love each other,” he said. “We love very similar things and have similar thought processes and we work well together and complement each other. Having the ability to go and adventure, to go and do. To have the freedom, for lack of a better word, to be able to do the things I want to do. I don’t necessarily desire to have a lot of things. I’d rather make a lot of memories.”


washingtontimes--2020-09-12--Woman travels 8,600 miles to donate kidney in Virginia

NORFOLK , Va. ( AP ) - Lesley Jenkins sat at her kitchen table in the glow of her computer screen .
It was about midnight when she logged on to talk to a Sentara Healthcare medical team , which included a nutritionist , social worker and surgeon .
They spoke for an hour about the risks of surgery and how to take care of her health for the long haul .
There were medical history and consent forms to sort out .
Before the Zoom session ended , she gave them a tour , showing them a bit of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ view was spectacular for the team , not just because of where Jenkins was in the world but what it represented .
Despite the 8,600 miles between Jenkins and her brother , Steve Morrison , they were planning for her journey to him in July to donate her left kidney .
No donor has ever traveled that far for a transplant surgery in Norfolk .
The distance pushed Sentara to use telehealth technology in its preliminary intake process , a first for the hospital system .
The medical team says this could open @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the future .
Now any out-of-town , living donors can do evaluations remotely , potentially saving prohibitive travel costs .
The challenge alone - a surgery with a donor who comes from a different health care system on the other side of the world - made Morrison ’ s transplant extraordinary .
But in the age of the coronavirus , an infectious disease that has swept the globe , the siblings overcame countless other obstacles : lockdowns , travel restrictions , a surgery delay of 3 ½ months , multiple quarantines and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to come back all-clear .
“ I feel like I ’ ve been on this roller coaster for a few months , ” Jenkins said .
The coronavirus has had an unprecedented impact on organ transplants .
Leading up to the pandemic , about 370 deceased-donor kidneys were recovered in the United States weekly .
At the end of March , after the disease had sufficiently made landfall , there were about 200 , according to the United Network for Organ Sharing , a private nonprofit that manages the U.S. organ transplant system @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dramatic on transplants involving living donors .
Prior to COVID-19 , surgeons were conducting about 140 a week nationwide .
That dropped to about 10 , with essentially all transplant programs grinding to a halt in early April .
While hospitals reckoned with how to safely resume the surgeries , many would-be recipients were “ inactivated ” on organ waitlists , meaning program leaders believed their risk of getting the illness during and after surgery outweighed the urgency of their procedure .
Margaret Sullivan , Sentara ’ s director of transplant services , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ half-dozen living donor transplants this spring while they worked on new protocols .
That decision came around the same time Gov .
Ralph Northam issued an executive order postponing non-urgent medical procedures to free up bed space and resources .
The ban , however , wasn ’ t a factor because transplants weren ’ t restricted .
“ We pushed back living donors to keep them safe , ” she said .
“ They ’ re well people .
You don ’ t want to bring them in and make them sick.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Rehabilitation Sciences at Old Dominion University , that meant his surgery , scheduled for April 28 , was delayed .
His classes had been put on hold , too , because of the virus , but he couldn ’ t imagine that lasting for more than a couple of weeks .
As the outlook worsened for the pandemic , he started to get more nervous and felt time running out .
His kidney function was at about 12 % in July , he recalls .
He knew that when it got down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ refer patients to dialysis .
“ I had about three or four months left , if I declined at the same rate , ” he said .
“ That was a big concern .
I really didn ’ t want to go on dialysis , but I was just so exhausted.
” Morrison , 56 , didn ’ t know he had a health problem until he was playing soccer one day and accidentally got a whack on the back from another player .
That night , about a decade ago , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the hospital .
That ’ s when doctors discovered he had polycystic kidney disease .
About two years ago , he was verging on kidney failure , and doctors recommended he get on a transplant waitlist .
His wife , sister-in-law and friends had been considered as donors .
None was a match .
Morrison didn ’ t know how he was going to tell his then 86-year-old mother .
But when he asked Jenkins for advice , she offered something better .
“ What if I gave you a kidney ?
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were both A-positive .
In December , Jenkins , 61 , got her work-up to determine if she was a candidate and enroll her in the transplant program .
She saw a nephrologist and had tests conducted in her home country , which has a socialized health care system .
Normally , exams and labs would be free , but she opted to pay the equivalent of about $ 1,350 for certain services to ensure they happened quickly .
Roland French , a transplant coordinator who facilitated Morrison ’ s case from Norfolk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some of the foremost issues that stymie family members abroad from donating .
In addition to medical expenses , they ’ ve had to pay for travel back and forth for their preliminary screenings .
Then came travel costs for the surgery .
This year , as the virus hopped from one continent to another , some countries quickly threw up travel restrictions .
At one point , all flights were canceled out of New Zealand , a small island nation of about 5 million people that aggressively instituted infectious disease controls .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ recorded less than 1,400 cases of COVID-19 and 22 deaths .
The anxiety of not being able to get to Virginia was amplified when the transplant program tabled his surgery : When , then ?
Dr. Tom McCune , a Sentara nephrologist , said Morrison should have gotten a transplant immediately , but they feared his sister would be at risk of exposure traveling through airports and on airplanes .
Organ recipients also are at higher risk of dying of a coronavirus infection because of the immune system-suppressing drugs they take to prevent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the time , U.S. public health officials were struggling to even nail down accurate testing methods and getting results quickly enough to have an impact .
Meanwhile , Morrison and his wife , Denise , both health professionals , said they did all they could to avoid getting sick .
They wore masks in public and only visited with friends outdoors .
They wiped down groceries , washed their hands frequently and hoped that hand sanitizer could help fend off the bug .
When the surgery was rescheduled for Aug. 11 , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the one eyeing how Virginia was handling cases .
Hampton Roads was having a surge , with Northam restricting businesses more to try to curb the disease .
While nasal swab tests were coming back positive about 6 % of the time throughout the state , the Tidewater region was seeing higher rates of 9 % to 18 % .
But as long as flights were taking off , Jenkins resolved to be on one .
When she arrived in San Francisco on July 26 , she almost was denied entry .
Born @ @ @ @ @ @ @ British passport , which raised eyebrows at Customs .
When she explained she was donating a kidney to her brother , she said she was asked if she could show his passport .
After some back-and-forth and looking up her brother on the internet , she was cleared .
“ I told them , ‘ I am the package , ’ ” she said .
But perhaps the most nerve-wracking stop was in Atlanta , a busy international hub where people were nearly bumping and colliding as they rushed to their terminals .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ masks , she said .
When she reached Norfolk , she had one more in-person exam .
Doctors reviewed a CT scan of the arteries and veins connected to her kidneys .
Poor findings could have stopped the procedure from going forward .
Both Jenkins and Morrison underwent COVID-19 tests about 72 hours before the operation .
A positive result could have also been a roadblock .
Fortunately , they made it to Surgery Day , unscathed by the virus , but weary of the ride it had taken them on .
When @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down a kidney , and Morrison was up to three .
His two were left in place , sputtering along .
Three days later , Jenkins and Morrison were discharged .
Today , living-donor organ transplants are returning to pre-pandemic levels .
That has been the case at Norfolk General , which is one of seven transplant centers in Virginia .
After the public health crisis is in the rear-view mirror , some of the new transplant protocols may be here to stay , McCune said .
Doctors will likely be more upfront @ @ @ @ @ @ @ steps they should take to avoid getting infections before surgery , and short-term quarantines might become routine .
Jenkins touched down in the states just in the nick of time .
As she began her two-week , pre-op quarantine at Morrison ’ s house , New Zealand locked down again .
Officials have been trying to stop a small resurgence in Auckland , the country ’ s largest city .
For the siblings living on different hemispheres , separated by the Pacific Ocean and the breadth of the United States , recovery turned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reconnect .
They hadn ’ t lived together since college , when they shared a house with their older brother .
Morrison is a better roommate than in those days , Jenkins said .
Even on the brink of kidney failure , he does more dishes .
For a few weeks , they binged on “ Seinfeld ” and “ Umbrella Academy ” and took short daily walks around the block with Morrison ’ s two little dogs .
He watched his sister crush five 1,000-piece puzzles , all in the span of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over a peculiar side effect on their taste buds .
Jenkins noticed tea has become super sweet since surgery , and Morrison had found even bland foods to be flavorful .
“ Green beans , the most innocuous thing , just explode in my mouth , ” he said .
After a follow-up exam and another nasal swab test , Jenkins returned to New Zealand last week .
There she ’ s undergoing yet another 14-day quarantine in an isolation hotel paid for by her government .
Though she wishes she could heal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her work computer with her to stay busy .
She also plans to keep in close touch with her four children and nine grandchildren .
As for Morrison , he ’ s now the caretaker of the family kidney , which at the moment requires about 12 medications to help it function .
But having a pandemic transplant has been worth every bump in the road , he says .
He feels fortunate to have had a Kiwi sister who is also A-positive .
“ Probably the easiest ’ A ’ I ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

NORFOLK, Va. (AP) - Lesley Jenkins sat at her kitchen table in the glow of her computer screen.
It was about midnight when she logged on to talk to a Sentara Healthcare medical team, which included a nutritionist, social worker and surgeon. They spoke for an hour about the risks of surgery and how to take care of her health for the long haul. There were medical history and consent forms to sort out.
Before the Zoom session ended, she gave them a tour, showing them a bit of the Hibiscus Coast. The New Zealand view was spectacular for the team, not just because of where Jenkins was in the world but what it represented.
Despite the 8,600 miles between Jenkins and her brother, Steve Morrison, they were planning for her journey to him in July to donate her left kidney. No donor has ever traveled that far for a transplant surgery in Norfolk.
The distance pushed Sentara to use telehealth technology in its preliminary intake process, a first for the hospital system. The medical team says this could open the doors for easier long-distance organ matches in the future. Now any out-of-town, living donors can do evaluations remotely, potentially saving prohibitive travel costs.
The challenge alone - a surgery with a donor who comes from a different health care system on the other side of the world - made Morrison’s transplant extraordinary. But in the age of the coronavirus, an infectious disease that has swept the globe, the siblings overcame countless other obstacles: lockdowns, travel restrictions, a surgery delay of 3 ½ months, multiple quarantines and nail-biting days waiting for COVID-19 test results to come back all-clear.
“I feel like I’ve been on this roller coaster for a few months,” Jenkins said.
The coronavirus has had an unprecedented impact on organ transplants. Leading up to the pandemic, about 370 deceased-donor kidneys were recovered in the United States weekly. At the end of March, after the disease had sufficiently made landfall, there were about 200, according to the United Network for Organ Sharing, a private nonprofit that manages the U.S. organ transplant system.
But the effect was even more dramatic on transplants involving living donors. Prior to COVID-19, surgeons were conducting about 140 a week nationwide. That dropped to about 10, with essentially all transplant programs grinding to a halt in early April.
While hospitals reckoned with how to safely resume the surgeries, many would-be recipients were “inactivated” on organ waitlists, meaning program leaders believed their risk of getting the illness during and after surgery outweighed the urgency of their procedure.
Margaret Sullivan, Sentara’s director of transplant services, said Norfolk General Hospital delayed about a half-dozen living donor transplants this spring while they worked on new protocols. That decision came around the same time Gov. Ralph Northam issued an executive order postponing non-urgent medical procedures to free up bed space and resources. The ban, however, wasn’t a factor because transplants weren’t restricted.
“We pushed back living donors to keep them safe,” she said. “They’re well people. You don’t want to bring them in and make them sick.”
For Morrison, chair of the School of Rehabilitation Sciences at Old Dominion University, that meant his surgery, scheduled for April 28, was delayed. His classes had been put on hold, too, because of the virus, but he couldn’t imagine that lasting for more than a couple of weeks.
As the outlook worsened for the pandemic, he started to get more nervous and felt time running out. His kidney function was at about 12% in July, he recalls. He knew that when it got down to 8%, nephrologists tend to refer patients to dialysis.
“I had about three or four months left, if I declined at the same rate,” he said. “That was a big concern. I really didn’t want to go on dialysis, but I was just so exhausted.”
GETTING THE DIAGNOSIS
Morrison, 56, didn’t know he had a health problem until he was playing soccer one day and accidentally got a whack on the back from another player.
That night, about a decade ago, he passed a kidney stone and went to the hospital. That’s when doctors discovered he had polycystic kidney disease.
About two years ago, he was verging on kidney failure, and doctors recommended he get on a transplant waitlist. His wife, sister-in-law and friends had been considered as donors. None was a match.
Morrison didn’t know how he was going to tell his then 86-year-old mother. But when he asked Jenkins for advice, she offered something better.
“What if I gave you a kidney?” she asked, believing their blood types were both A-positive.
In December, Jenkins, 61, got her work-up to determine if she was a candidate and enroll her in the transplant program. She saw a nephrologist and had tests conducted in her home country, which has a socialized health care system. Normally, exams and labs would be free, but she opted to pay the equivalent of about $1,350 for certain services to ensure they happened quickly.
Roland French, a transplant coordinator who facilitated Morrison’s case from Norfolk, said costs and travel visas are some of the foremost issues that stymie family members abroad from donating. In addition to medical expenses, they’ve had to pay for travel back and forth for their preliminary screenings. Then came travel costs for the surgery.
This year, as the virus hopped from one continent to another, some countries quickly threw up travel restrictions. At one point, all flights were canceled out of New Zealand, a small island nation of about 5 million people that aggressively instituted infectious disease controls. Since the onset, New Zealand has recorded less than 1,400 cases of COVID-19 and 22 deaths.
The anxiety of not being able to get to Virginia was amplified when the transplant program tabled his surgery: When, then?
Dr. Tom McCune, a Sentara nephrologist, said Morrison should have gotten a transplant immediately, but they feared his sister would be at risk of exposure traveling through airports and on airplanes. Organ recipients also are at higher risk of dying of a coronavirus infection because of the immune system-suppressing drugs they take to prevent rejection of the donor organ. At the time, U.S. public health officials were struggling to even nail down accurate testing methods and getting results quickly enough to have an impact.
Meanwhile, Morrison and his wife, Denise, both health professionals, said they did all they could to avoid getting sick. They wore masks in public and only visited with friends outdoors. They wiped down groceries, washed their hands frequently and hoped that hand sanitizer could help fend off the bug.
When the surgery was rescheduled for Aug. 11, the tables had turned. Jenkins was now the one eyeing how Virginia was handling cases. Hampton Roads was having a surge, with Northam restricting businesses more to try to curb the disease. While nasal swab tests were coming back positive about 6% of the time throughout the state, the Tidewater region was seeing higher rates of 9% to 18%.
But as long as flights were taking off, Jenkins resolved to be on one.
When she arrived in San Francisco on July 26, she almost was denied entry. Born in Scotland, Jenkins travels on a British passport, which raised eyebrows at Customs. When she explained she was donating a kidney to her brother, she said she was asked if she could show his passport.
Huh?
After some back-and-forth and looking up her brother on the internet, she was cleared.
“I told them, ‘I am the package,’” she said.
But perhaps the most nerve-wracking stop was in Atlanta, a busy international hub where people were nearly bumping and colliding as they rushed to their terminals. Not a lot of people were wearing masks, she said.
When she reached Norfolk, she had one more in-person exam. Doctors reviewed a CT scan of the arteries and veins connected to her kidneys. Poor findings could have stopped the procedure from going forward.
Both Jenkins and Morrison underwent COVID-19 tests about 72 hours before the operation. A positive result could have also been a roadblock.
Fortunately, they made it to Surgery Day, unscathed by the virus, but weary of the ride it had taken them on.
When the surgery was done, Jenkins was down a kidney, and Morrison was up to three. His two were left in place, sputtering along.
Three days later, Jenkins and Morrison were discharged.
RECOVERING AND RECONNECTING
Today, living-donor organ transplants are returning to pre-pandemic levels. That has been the case at Norfolk General, which is one of seven transplant centers in Virginia.
After the public health crisis is in the rear-view mirror, some of the new transplant protocols may be here to stay, McCune said. Doctors will likely be more upfront about explaining to donors and recipients the steps they should take to avoid getting infections before surgery, and short-term quarantines might become routine.
Jenkins touched down in the states just in the nick of time. As she began her two-week, pre-op quarantine at Morrison’s house, New Zealand locked down again. Officials have been trying to stop a small resurgence in Auckland, the country’s largest city.
For the siblings living on different hemispheres, separated by the Pacific Ocean and the breadth of the United States, recovery turned out to be a rare chance to reconnect. They hadn’t lived together since college, when they shared a house with their older brother. Morrison is a better roommate than in those days, Jenkins said. Even on the brink of kidney failure, he does more dishes.
For a few weeks, they binged on “Seinfeld” and “Umbrella Academy” and took short daily walks around the block with Morrison’s two little dogs. He watched his sister crush five 1,000-piece puzzles, all in the span of their post-op quarantine.
They also bonded over a peculiar side effect on their taste buds. Jenkins noticed tea has become super sweet since surgery, and Morrison had found even bland foods to be flavorful.
“Green beans, the most innocuous thing, just explode in my mouth,” he said.
After a follow-up exam and another nasal swab test, Jenkins returned to New Zealand last week. There she’s undergoing yet another 14-day quarantine in an isolation hotel paid for by her government.
Though she wishes she could heal at home, she’ll have her work computer with her to stay busy. She also plans to keep in close touch with her four children and nine grandchildren.
As for Morrison, he’s now the caretaker of the family kidney, which at the moment requires about 12 medications to help it function.
But having a pandemic transplant has been worth every bump in the road, he says. He feels fortunate to have had a Kiwi sister who is also A-positive.
“Probably the easiest ’A’ I’ve ever gotten,” he said.


washingtontimes--2020-09-12--Virtual learning: Heavy lift for Delaware's working parents

CLAYTON , Del .
( AP ) - It ’ s a few days into the new school year , and already , Lisa Johannsen ’ s three children have decided they hate virtual school .
The three , ranging from second grade to eighth , miss their friends and getting to sit in a classroom .
Being stuck in the house together is wearing on their nerves .
And now that school is virtual for at least the first six weeks of the year , the Johannsen kids can add internet access to their list of stressors .
From @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s satellite internet has already booted the kids out of online learning sessions .
When Johannsen is working from home , four people online at once is too much for their server .
“ We ’ ve had many tears and meltdowns over the last 24 hours with virtual school , ” Johannsen said .
This week , thousands of Delaware students started the year learning through a computer , as most districts opted for a virtual start to the school year .
Over the coming weeks , those districts hope to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re-enter schools .
Across the state , first days were filled with tech troubleshooting , figuring out new learning platforms and where to find assignments , and simply meeting teachers and virtual classmates .
Teachers , students and parents report varying levels of success and frustration .
But while day one was focused primarily on introductions and logistics rather than academics , working parents still say that juggling work and making sure their kids stay on track is going to be a heavy lift over the next six weeks .
Some have little @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to hybrid learning as the year goes on .
“ I just don ’ t know where the end is , ” Johannsen said .
“ Do we get to go back to school this year at all before next September in some full-time capacity ?
Or are we like , OK , the whole 2020-2021 school year is virtual or hybrid to some extent ?
” Johannsen ’ s first day was spent helping her children navigate technology , like how to log into platforms like Google Classroom or Schoology .
How @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to do when the internet cut out .
All of which took time away from her own work .
Johannsen said she was only able to get work done during the kids ’ lunch break , and when they logged off in the afternoon .
Her younger children spent only about an hour on Zoom , and Johannsen is worried that Smyrna School District ’ s emphasis on independent learning time will be a detriment to their education .
“ I don ’ t know how him teaching himself , especially with an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Johannsen said of her middle son .
“ The younger ones , I just think that they ’ re not going to learn .
The burden is going to fall back on the parents to be the teacher.
” Her eighth grade daughter already feels like online learning isn ’ t as worthwhile as time in the classroom .
And Johannsen is worried she ’ ll eventually have to get tutoring for her younger children .
Engagement and whether kids will actually learn from online education has been a key concern for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it wasn ’ t unheard of for students to feel mentally checked out .
Their daily classes suddenly turned into sporadic Zoom sessions .
Little new material was being taught , and grades and attendance requirements came to a halt .
In some cases , teachers had a hard time tracking down students , a fear that remains .
For teachers , the summer was spent preparing to teach through a medium most had never worked with .
And most students have never learned entirely through a computer .
And unlike teachers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ summer of training to prepare for the months ahead .
Some students seem to be faring better than others - like Heather Cruz ’ s daughter , a third-grader at Providence Creek Academy .
Cruz said her daughter is self-sufficient enough to get through Zoom sessions on her own , and the school ’ s new online learning platform is easy enough for her to navigate when Cruz isn ’ t able to work from home .
“ When you have a kid , they ’ re supposed to go to school five @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how the world works , ” Cruz said .
“ None of us expected to be faced with this as a parent .
It ’ s not ideal .
But it can work.
” Virtual learning is a huge shift in mindset for all those involved .
Some parents are worried that no matter how much prep teachers have put in this summer , students who struggle with concentrating and paying attention are going to be left behind .
“ There ’ s only so much you can do with a computer screen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Already , I feel like there was a setback from missing out on the last marking period in the spring .
I feel like they ’ re having to catch up now.
” For online learning to work , teachers , parents and students all have to be involved and engaged , said Rachel Karchmer-Klein , an associate professor in the School of Education at the University of Delaware .
Students can ’ t be “ passive consumers of learning , ” she said .
And especially with younger learners , some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the day go by smoother .
For working parents , playing that active role during the day is easier said than done .
“ I think ( teachers ) just assume the kids are home with the parents , ” said Eola Harter .
Her first-grade son would normally be in class at Castle Hills Elementary School in Colonial School District .
Because of work , Harter had to make last-minute accommodations for him to do virtual school at the YMCA , after Colonial decided to go fully virtual for the start of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and other working parents a supervised place for their kids to learn during the day .
But she isn ’ t sure how much help they ’ re able to offer if he has technology issues , or trouble paying attention .
She said she worries about it all day .
“ It takes away from my work , because I ’ m always wondering , is he paying attention ?
Am I going to get a phone call one day saying he ’ s not doing his work ?
” Harter said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day one ?
Extreme boredom .
“ Most kids that age are not going to sit all day , ” Harter said .
“ I don ’ t see how they expect kids , especially the little ones , to learn like that .
How many of them are sitting there actually paying attention ?
”

CLAYTON, Del. (AP) - It’s a few days into the new school year, and already, Lisa Johannsen’s three children have decided they hate virtual school.
The three, ranging from second grade to eighth, miss their friends and getting to sit in a classroom. Being stuck in the house together is wearing on their nerves.
And now that school is virtual for at least the first six weeks of the year, the Johannsen kids can add internet access to their list of stressors.
From their home in Clayton, the family’s satellite internet has already booted the kids out of online learning sessions. When Johannsen is working from home, four people online at once is too much for their server.
“We’ve had many tears and meltdowns over the last 24 hours with virtual school,” Johannsen said.
This week, thousands of Delaware students started the year learning through a computer, as most districts opted for a virtual start to the school year. Over the coming weeks, those districts hope to solidify the logistics of how to safely re-enter schools.
Across the state, first days were filled with tech troubleshooting, figuring out new learning platforms and where to find assignments, and simply meeting teachers and virtual classmates.
Teachers, students and parents report varying levels of success and frustration.
But while day one was focused primarily on introductions and logistics rather than academics, working parents still say that juggling work and making sure their kids stay on track is going to be a heavy lift over the next six weeks.
Some have little faith their schools will make the transition to hybrid learning as the year goes on.
“I just don’t know where the end is,” Johannsen said. “Do we get to go back to school this year at all before next September in some full-time capacity? Or are we like, OK, the whole 2020-2021 school year is virtual or hybrid to some extent?”
Johannsen’s first day was spent helping her children navigate technology, like how to log into platforms like Google Classroom or Schoology. How to create Google Slides. Or what to do when the internet cut out.
All of which took time away from her own work. Johannsen said she was only able to get work done during the kids’ lunch break, and when they logged off in the afternoon.
Her younger children spent only about an hour on Zoom, and Johannsen is worried that Smyrna School District’s emphasis on independent learning time will be a detriment to their education.
“I don’t know how him teaching himself, especially with an IEP is going to help him,” Johannsen said of her middle son. “The younger ones, I just think that they’re not going to learn. The burden is going to fall back on the parents to be the teacher.”
Her eighth grade daughter already feels like online learning isn’t as worthwhile as time in the classroom. And Johannsen is worried she’ll eventually have to get tutoring for her younger children.
Engagement and whether kids will actually learn from online education has been a key concern for teachers and administrators.
In the spring, it wasn’t unheard of for students to feel mentally checked out. Their daily classes suddenly turned into sporadic Zoom sessions. Little new material was being taught, and grades and attendance requirements came to a halt.
In some cases, teachers had a hard time tracking down students, a fear that remains.
For teachers, the summer was spent preparing to teach through a medium most had never worked with.
And most students have never learned entirely through a computer. And unlike teachers, they haven’t had a summer of training to prepare for the months ahead.
Some students seem to be faring better than others - like Heather Cruz’s daughter, a third-grader at Providence Creek Academy. Cruz said her daughter is self-sufficient enough to get through Zoom sessions on her own, and the school’s new online learning platform is easy enough for her to navigate when Cruz isn’t able to work from home.
“When you have a kid, they’re supposed to go to school five days a week. That’s how the world works,” Cruz said. “None of us expected to be faced with this as a parent. It’s not ideal. But it can work.”
Virtual learning is a huge shift in mindset for all those involved. Some parents are worried that no matter how much prep teachers have put in this summer, students who struggle with concentrating and paying attention are going to be left behind.
“There’s only so much you can do with a computer screen,” said parent Nicole Donahue. “Already, I feel like there was a setback from missing out on the last marking period in the spring. I feel like they’re having to catch up now.”
For online learning to work, teachers, parents and students all have to be involved and engaged, said Rachel Karchmer-Klein, an associate professor in the School of Education at the University of Delaware.
Students can’t be “passive consumers of learning,” she said. And especially with younger learners, some level of family involvement at home helps the day go by smoother.
For working parents, playing that active role during the day is easier said than done.
“I think (teachers) just assume the kids are home with the parents,” said Eola Harter.
Her first-grade son would normally be in class at Castle Hills Elementary School in Colonial School District. Because of work, Harter had to make last-minute accommodations for him to do virtual school at the YMCA, after Colonial decided to go fully virtual for the start of the year.
The YMCA gives Harter and other working parents a supervised place for their kids to learn during the day. But she isn’t sure how much help they’re able to offer if he has technology issues, or trouble paying attention. She said she worries about it all day.
“It takes away from my work, because I’m always wondering, is he paying attention? Am I going to get a phone call one day saying he’s not doing his work?” Harter said.
Her son’s report after day one? Extreme boredom.
“Most kids that age are not going to sit all day,” Harter said. “I don’t see how they expect kids, especially the little ones, to learn like that. How many of them are sitting there actually paying attention?”