Daily Archives: March 5, 2017

Refugee finds asylum at Detroit Freedom House – The South End

Posted: March 5, 2017 at 4:08 pm

Paul* fled East Africa with only the clothes on his back to come to the United States in June 2016.

Now a resident of Freedom House, Paul said he first arrived in Houston not being able to speak English but heard about Freedom House in Detroit through word-of-mouth.

The good thing about Americans is they like to share everything, he said.

For over two decades, asylum seekers--those fleeing from persecution based on their race, sexual orientation, nationality, political and religious beliefs--from all over the world have sought refuge in Detroits Freedom House because it provides shelter and legal service.

An exceptional 86 percent of Freedom House Detroit clients are able to achieve political asylum statusmuch higher than the national average, Ashley Veenstra, a representative from Freedom House, said.

Wayne States Medical Students and Asylum and Immigration Law Clinic are partners of Freedom House Detroit.

Rachel Settlage, the director of the Asylum and Immigration Law Clinic, said the clinic partnered with Freedom House because, [Freedom House] provides an invaluable service for asylum seekers.

In December 2016, the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development notified Freedom House their grant, would not be renewed due to shifting priorities, Veenstra said.

Freedom House is appealing the decision, but must find alternative sources of funding while the appeal moves forwardand in the event that the rejection still stands, she said.

Settlage said Freedom House is an essential because it provides transitional housing for asylum seekers while students in the clinic work on residents cases.

Asylum seekers come from all over the country to Detroit because of Freedom House, its one of the very, very few organizations like this in the country, Settlage said. Without [Freedom House] theres really no place asylum seekers can go.

Executive director of Freedom House, Deborah Drennan, said it is not uncommon for the residents at Freedom House to come with academic degrees and from prestigious careers in their home countries.

Paul said that when he fled from his home countrywhere he was a certified engineerhe left six children and his entire family behind. The familial environment of Freedom House helped Paul regain that emotional attachment during a troubling time in his life, he said.

My mother died in my country, but I have a new mom, Paul said.

The residents refer to Drennan as Mom Deb and she refers to them as her sons and daughters Drennan said.

They want to help, Paul said. They dont want to see anyone in bad condition.

Paul said he has benefited from many of the programs at Freedom House since arriving, including the physical and behavioral health services as well as the English as a second language courses.

Before coming [to Freedom House], everything was difficult because of communication, Paulwho is a native French speakersaid.

Paul is a member of the Residence Council, which is a group of residents who are nominated by their fellow residents to help the staff welcome newcomers and organize nightly dinners, Drennan said.

Paul said being on the council gives him something to do, its, good for me, [Im] not just eating and sleeping.

Paul said he wants to learn everything and fully immerse himself in American culture. The relationships he built at Freedom House gave him sense of permanence and emotional support in his new country.

Im at home, he said. This is family.

Paul hopes to someday bring his kids to the U.S. and get a job in mechanics, but he, [doesnt] want to go too far from Mom Deb.

*Name has been changed for safety reasons.

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Freedom Ride: Working to save canine lives – San Angelo Standard Times

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Yfat Yossifor , San Angelo Standard-Times 1:43 p.m. CT March 5, 2017

Tom Vaccarella, owner of S.A.F.E. K9 Transports, drives the truck with 58 dogs out of Lubbock en route to Washington. (Photo: Yfat Yossifor, San Angelo Standard-Times)Buy Photo

SAN ANGELO Tom Vaccarella pulled his truck into the Curry County Fairgrounds at about 6 p.m. It has been a long day of traveling, but the day is not over yet.

Vaccarella and his worker, Douglas Hardin, have special cargo in their truck 58 dogs that left Texas that morning en route to Washington.

Vaccarella is the owner of S.A.F.E. K9 Transports. His itinerary for Monday, Jan. 30, was to pick up the dogs for the second Freedom Ride of 2017; an effort to find homes for the dogs in other states.

I needed a job with meaning, something I could feel good about at the end of the day, he said.

Vaccarella was a diesel mechanic, and after 10 years on the job, he needed a change.

Ive always loved animals. I thought it would be good to help animals since they dont have a voice, they need us to help them, he said.

His day started at about 6 a.m. when he loaded up in his truck with freshly cleaned dog crates and headed out to his first stop.

At 10:30 a.m. he arrived at the Home Depot parking lot in San Angelo. Most of the dogs were waiting for him there with their foster parents from various rescue groups in the area.

At a stop along the drive, Vaccarella and Hardin checked on the dogs. They made sure the dogs were clean and healthy.

One of the dogs had gotten carsick. Vaccarella cleaned up the crate while gently talking to the dog.

Its going to be OK, youre going home, he told the dog.

He gave the dog a treat stuffed with medicine, and made sure to check of him frequently for the rest of the ride.

He made two more stops, one in Abilene, and another near Lubbock, to pick up the remaining dogs.

He has lived for 10 months in the shelter. We have taken him to every event, we fostered and have done all these things to try to get him adopted, said Donna Austin, president of Paws Pet Adoption in Plainview.

Plainview is such a hard place to adopt dogs out, so we have to ship him out, and I know he will get a home, she said. I know he will be happy, and that all that matters.

With his truck full, Vaccarellaheaded back on the highway toward Clovis, New Mexico.

The stop at the fairgrounds was to feed and walk the dogs before bedtime.

It takes a while but its all for their best interest. The dogs are happy and comfortable in there, Vaccarella said.

The truck is climate controlled,with a temperature gauge in the cab for Vaccarella to check while driving. At night, he sleeps in living quarters on the truck, so he is never far from the animals.

All the dogs ate before each dog had a chance to walk around the grassy area. Its a chance to stretch their legs, do their business and get one-on-one attention from the humans.

While Hardin walked a dog, Vaccarella sanitized the crate and replaced the pad on the bottom. When that dog was back in the crate, the duo moved on to the next dog.

Four hours later, the dogs were all settled back in their crates and Tom drove over to the nearest truck stop for the night.

The restaurant at the stop was already closed for the night. Without having dinner, Vaccarella and Hardin checked on the dogs one last time before all the occupants settled down for the night.

At 7 a.m. Vaccarella was already armed with coffee and a quick breakfast. He drove back over to the fairgrounds to use the grassy area for the dogs again.

He stood in the field with a fawn colored dog standing up its hind legs, hugging him. Vaccarella patted and scratched behind his ears.

You make each dog as happy as possible and treat them like they are your own, he said. At drop off, Ive had workers that tell me they want to take out a particular dog, say goodbye. Thats when you know you made a difference.

Like this guy, he just wants love and up there hopefully he will find it, Vaccarella said with his voice hitched with emotions.

Again, each dog was fed, walked and watered. The crates cleaned and the pads replaced.

58 dogs walks later, the truck pulled away and onto the highway to repeat the long day again.

To donate to Project Freedom Ride visit their fundraising page atwww.youcaring.com/projectfreedomride-763368

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‘People-first’ technology on the rise – Inquirer.net

Posted: at 4:07 pm

Technology for the people, by the people.

No, its not a reworked line from Abraham Lincolns Gettysburg Address, but the theme of Accentures 2017 Technology Vision (Tech Vision) report, the companys annual prediction of technology trends that will shape the future of companies in the next three years.

In 2017, were seeing that technology is really being shaped by people, for people, says JP Palpallatoc, Accenture digital group lead of the Philippines delivery center.

Basically, the theme is a call to action for business and technology leaders to actively design and direct technology to augment and amplify human capabilities.

To help companies respond to this call, Tech Vision lists down five emerging technology trends that companies should take note of to succeed in todays digital economy:

AI (artificial intelligence) is the new UI (user interface);

ecosystems as macrocosms;

workforce marketplace

design for humans;

the uncharted.

AI is getting simpler, making the interaction with customers and employees more intuitive, Palpallatoc says of the first trend, citing the Amazon Alexa, the virtual assistant created by the company.

For companies, AI could become their spokesperson, says Palpallatoc, citing how chat bots have already started taking on this role when it comes to customer service.

As more people interact with AI, were going to see how they could eventually represent brands and be the digital spokesperson, he says.

The second trend, Palpallatoc continues, is all about companies building an ecosystem of partners that will allow them to diversify their operationslike how General Motors invested $500 million in ride-hailing startup Lyft Inc. with plans of creating a network self-driving cars.

When we surveyed executives, 75 percent said that their competitive advantage does not solely rely on their strengths, but on the strengths of their partners and their ecosystem, says Palpallatoc. They can even have multiple ecosystems, so they need to create a strategy to know which partners, which ecosystem they can work with.

The next Tech Vision trend, according to Palpallatoc, is something that is very relevant to the country: workforce marketplace. With the rise of on-demand labor platforms such as freelancer.com and raket.ph, companies are given the opportunity to have a healthy talent mix by tapping into these external sources, aside from their direct hires. A very good example of this would be Procter & Gamble, which is experimenting by mixing borrowed resources from external talent marketplaces with their own internal recruits, he says. And the results have been very positive: projects have been developed with higher quality and faster pace. So companies need to redesign their contracts with people, to provide jobs that will allow [employees] to pursue their passions.

Closely related to the first trend is the fourth, which is designing technology for humans.

This entails understanding human behavior, says Palpallatoc, with the help of data analytics, which could be gathered using AI.

Every application, customer interaction generates data, [which allows one] to see peoples preferences, wants, needs. These can be used to tailor technology according to ones behavior, he adds.

Lastly, Palpallatoc emphasizes that companies should also keep in mind the unchartedinventing new industries and new technology standards. Sixty-eight percent of the executives which we surveyed said regulations, especially in the area of technology, had not kept pace with the changes, he says. Here in the Philippines, the most relevant experience weve had was the entry of Uber and Grab. So were seeing that technology leaders have also become pioneers, redefining standards in different industries.

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IBM, Maersk aim to speed up shipping with blockchain technology – ZDNet

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Credit: Mrsk Line

IBM and Maersk will partner to use blockchain technology to conduct, manage and track transactions in the shipping supply chain.

The companies said they collaborated on creating blockchain tools for cross-border transactions among shippers, freight forwarders, ocean carriers, ports and customs authorities.

According to Maersk and IBM, the blockchain effort, built on the Linux Foundation's open source Hyperledger platform, will aim to replace paper-heavy manual processes with blockchain to improve transparency and secure data sharing.

Related: IBM, Northern Trust partner on financial security blockchain tech | How to use blockchain to build a database solution | Disney, yes Disney, becomes blockchain's biggest proponent | How it works: Blockchain explained in 500 words | Stop overhyping blockchain

Maersk and IBM will work with the shipping supply chain to build a blockchain digital platform that will go into production later in 2017.

Blockchain has potential for supply chain applications because the private and secure transactions can digitize processes, cut fraud, bolster inventory management and save time and money.

Just improving visibility and workflow with trade documentation processing can save billions of dollars. Here's how the blockchain process will work in the context of shipping:

Maersk, which has a supply chain services unit, and IBM have run a few proof-of-concept pilot with Maersk Line container vessels, the Port of Rotterdam, Port of Newark and Customs Administration of the Netherlands. That pilot, conducted as part of a EU research project, also included U.S. agencies.

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The Small Technologies That Have Powered India Just Like Dams and the Railways Have – The Wire

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Featured Historians of South Asia have often examined large technologies but emerging research suggests that small technologies were equally important.

Cutting-edge technology does not necessarily have the largest impact. Credit: Nathan Oakley/Flickr, CC BY 2.0

Im just old enough to remember the click-clack of typewriters and the smell of Tippex that used to pervade office spaces, the sewing machines that were pressed into service in homes to darn and alter, and bikes that didnt look like they belonged in a velodrome (in college I rode what my friends called a doodhwala cycle). I havent been to a rice mill, but have eaten milled rice all my life. In his recent book Everyday Technology (2013), David Arnold traces the history of these four small-scale technolog[ies] that were central to the daily lives of Indians from the late nineteenth century to the early post-Independence period decades. He explores how Indians, including non-elite consumers, absorbed these (initially) imported machines, assigned new uses and cultural significance to them, and, in the process, renegotiated their own positions in society.

What makes Arnolds choice of subject important is that by and large, historians of South Asia have focused on large, highly visible technologies such as the railways and dams. That focus tells us much about the priorities and nature of the colonial state, and the thinking of Indian intellectuals. Arnolds work, on the other hand, aims to reconstruct the impact of more humble technologies on the lives of the masses. Through it a wider range of actors comes into view: not just the dam engineer and the industrial expert, but also the darzi, the roadside cycle-repair-wala, and the office secretary.

That these machines were mostly imported is not surprising given the imperial economic regime at the time. Yet, Arnold, argues, it is more interesting to study how these foreign machines were adopted and Indianised. At the end of the First World War, fewer than one in a hundred Indian homes had a sewing machine, but Singers and Pfaffs intersected with the lives of millions. Tailor shops invariably possessed one, and local servicing facilities sprang up in many places. The machines were visible not only in the cities, but also in the countryside, where they were carried by itinerant tailors.

In fact these foreign-made articles were often mobilised to promote the Swadeshi sentiment. Arnold shows that bicycles were not manufactured in India until the 1950s, but that did not stop swadeshi-minded entrepreneurs from setting up companies to assemble imported components or carving a niche for themselves in the sales networks that carried the bicycle across the subcontinent. Meanwhile, as the typewriter became more popular across India in government and other offices, an ancillary industry grew up [in India] supplying typewriter parts.

Typewriters were Indianised in other ways: by the 1910s, Remingtons with keyboards in various Indian-language scripts were available. Two decades later, Hindi typists had become a regular part of the government establishment in northern India. In 1955, Godrej and Boyce introduced their All-Indian typewriter.

This is not to say that small technologies were seen as an unalloyed good. If they were depicted as pleasant objects to use, easing the burdens of daily living, the factories that produced them were envisioned as healthier, safer environments for labour than the large, sooty, dangerous factories associated with textiles, railway workshops, or steel-making. Yet the reality was that many of these factories, such as rice mills, witnessed their fair share of accidents, fatal or otherwise they were often too small to be regulated effectively. While the ambiguous relationship of Gandhi and others with large-scale technologies is well known, Arnold argues that the critique of technological modernity extended to small machines, like the rice mill, and was not confined to large industrial undertakings and expensive objects, like automobiles and airplanes.

Everyday Technology is not a chronological, narrative history of the technologies in question, so the book, despite being clearly and elegantly written, is not easy to read at one go. Instead it is a book of ideas; an extended essay that wears its learning lightly, combining business-historical details (sales figures, the role of agents and sales representatives, advertising messages) with frequent references to contemporary literary fiction that illustrate how small technologies were viewed by different sections of Indian society.

One of the ideas emerging from Arnolds discussion is that technology is all around us, not just in laboratories, R&D centres and high-maintenance equipment. A related but distinct point was developed in the late 1990s and 2000s by the historian of technology David Edgerton, who argued persuasively that one needs to study technologies that are in wide use and are not necessarily so whizzy or so new. Cutting-edge technologies, in other words, are not necessarily the ones that have the largest impact.

What would a list of everyday technologies look like in todays India? We cannot ignore the mobile phone, certainly, but the bicycle continues to be ubiquitous. The automobile proliferates, but scooters are central to the lives of millions. Genetically modified crops take up column inches, but refrigeration alone would make a world of a difference to the average potato farmer. The gas stove, the pressure cooker, indoor plumbing, the rubber chappal, chalk and blackboard, ready-made clothes: these are part of the range of technologies that underpin life in this age of space missions and smart cities.

This is not necessarily a return to the appropriate technology argument of the 1970s, or a reiteration of the old trope that a country like India cannot afford research into basic science, aeronautics or semiconductor devices. It is merely a reminder that the canvas of technology is vast, and that humans have a say in which ones are developed and how. In other words, you cant take the political out of technology; and as Einstein is supposed to have said, politics is more difficult than physics.

Aparajith Ramnath is a historian of modern science, technology and business.

Categories: Featured, History, Tech

Tagged as: Aparajith Ramnath, bicycle, Boyce, clothes, David Arnold, Everyday Technologies, Godrej, Pfaff, plumbing, Remington, rice mill, technology, typewriter

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Why won’t Trump talk about technology? – Mashable

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Mashable
Why won't Trump talk about technology?
Mashable
Vice President Mike Pence's embarrassing use of an AOL email account is just another painful reminder of something that should be crystal clear to everyone: this administration doesn't understand or care a lick about technology. It's an especially ...

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New scan technology in use at FD airport – Fort Dodge Messenger

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Local News

Mar 5, 2017

-Messenger photo by Chad Thompson Rhonda Chambers, director of aviation, shows off the latest checkpoint screening technology at the Fort Dodge Regional Airport, recently.

The latest checkpoint screening technology is in use at the Fort Dodge Regional Airport, according to the Transportation Security Administration.

AIT-2 next-generation technology screens passengers for metallic and nonmetallic threats, including weapons, explosives and other objects concealed under layers of clothing.

AIT stands for Advanced Imaging Technology.

The screening is done without physical contact.

The TSA began using the technology in Fort Dodge about a week ago.

-Messenger photo by Chad Thompson Rhonda Chambers, director of aviation, demonstrates how the new screening technology at the Fort Dodge Regional Airport is used.

Fort Dodge was the first of the other six Iowa commercial service airports to have the new smaller AIT-2 units installed.

The Des Moines International Airport and the Eastern Iowa Airport in Cedar Rapids have the larger AIT-1 units.

In addition to software upgrades that enable the detection of smaller objects, AIT-2 systems take up less space than the original AIT-1 units.

Advanced imaging technology is an important tool in detecting current and evolving threats, David Dailey, TSAs federal security director for Iowa, said. We are pleased to offer this technology to passengers flying out of Fort Dodge.

All AIT units have automated target recognition software, designed to enhance privacy.

This is done by eliminating passenger-specific images, while streamlining the checkpoint screening process.

That means the system generates the same generic image for all passengers, regardless of gender, height or weight.

As a smaller commercial service airport, we are truly grateful to have this new technology installed at our airport, Rhonda Chambers, director of aviation, said. The AIT-2 will provide our passengers with an improved screening experience and reduce the need for pat down searches.

Advanced Imaging Technology is equipped with millimeter wave technology, which uses electromagnetic waves to perform a single scan.

The technology meets all known national and international health and safety standards.

The energy emitted by the millimeter wave technology is 1,000 times less than the international limits and guidelines, the TSA said.

A total of 735 AIT-1 systems and 85 AIT-2 systems have been deployed at 215 airports.

TSA began using Advanced Imaging Technology in 2008.

BADGER - A man is dead after the vehicle he was in rolled near Badger. The man's identity has not been released ...

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Jay Gruden encouraged by Josh Doctson’s progress, says WR has ‘long way to go’ – ESPN (blog)

Posted: at 4:07 pm

Washington Redskins coach Jay Gruden sounded hip -- or at least with it -- for a second.

Receiver Josh Doctson posted video of himself on Snapchat recently performing agility drills and catching passes. It was a good step for a player coming off a frustrating Achilles injury.

Now we see him doing things on Snapchat, Gruden told reporters at the scouting combine. Heck, I follow him.

Gruden saw it on Snapchat? Shows over, folks.

I dont even know what that is, Gruden admitted. But its good to see him out there running, doing football drills. Josh is really working hard, man. Thats half the battle. We fully anticipate him being healthy.

If youre possibly going to lose your top two receivers, you need the guy you drafted in the first round to be ready to step up. The Redskins still havent contacted Pierre Garcon to discuss a new contract, and the whispers surrounding DeSean Jackson link him more with Tampa Bay than the Redskins. But until they sign elsewhere, the Redskins could always swoop in with a last-minute generous offer. Barring that, the Redskins will need more from their current group of receivers -- especially Doctson, who was limited to two catches in two games his rookie season.

Thats why his progress this offseason is encouraging. If and when he's healthy, Doctson, who showed an ability in college to track the ball well down the field, would provide the Redskins a good-sized target at 6-foot-2.

His inability to return does not stem from a lack of love for the game, multiple sources have said throughout the last six months. Rather, the injury issue simply wouldnt go away without extended rest. As it continued, Doctson went from having a problem in just his right foot to both feet.

Those from him his past likely would remind anyone that this is the same kid who went from lightly recruited out of high school to Wyoming to TCU walk-on to a first-round pick. Thats part of what attracted the Redskins to him in the first place.

And they viewed him as a top-10 pick -- and the only receiver who would tempt them in the first round last April. After his early workouts with the team, mostly while facing rookies, the coaches were ecstatic. Then the injury occurred May 25 and Doctson was never a factor the rest of the year.

He will have a major impact on this offense once we get him healthy, Gruden said. Thats the biggest thing for him: Can you take the strides necessary to get healthy? We see him in the weight room all the time, working hard. Theyll get him right. Hell get himself right.

But Gruden knows that Doctson must show he can do these drills for an extended period without having the issue return. Both want the cross-your-finger optimism in March to translate into no worries by July. Thats when theyll know Doctson has escaped his issues.

Theres still a long way to go, Gruden said.

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Daily Progress announces several leadership changes – The Daily Progress

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Recent weeks have seen numerous personnel developments at The Daily Progress.

Lowell Miller, a 25-year newspaper veteran and advertising director for the Central Virginia Media Group since 2015, is returning to his native Nebraska to handle major accounts for the Omaha World-Herald, also part of the Berkshire Hathaway Media Group. Miller previously worked for the World-Herald.

The Central Virginia Media Group includes The Daily Progress, The (Waynesboro) News Virginian, the Orange County Review, the Greene County Record and the Madison County Eagle.

Miller, 40, of Crozet, is succeeded by Frank Dubec. Dubec, 41, of Charlottesville, has a wealth of experience serving creative solutions to advertisers in multiple formats, including print, digital and events. He is a former publisher of the C-VILLE Weekly and formerly ran the digital advertising agency Deep Soil. He will oversee the sales, service and design operations of the Central Virginia groups 30-person sales department and develop and implement strategies with Publisher Rob Jiranek.

Paul Wash has been named circulation director of the group. Wash, 55, of Waynesboro, is a newspaper circulation veteran who worked at the Richmond Times-Dispatch for more than 30 years. In 2007, he became circulation director of The News Virginian and late last year joined The Daily Progress as home delivery manager.

The demand for our product in both print and digital proves that we are No. 1 in providing the community with information, sports, entertainment and much more. Fulfilling that daily for our readers is what drives our department, Wash said.

Miguel Coradine replaces Wash as home delivery manager, responsible for home delivery and digital access for the group. Coradine, 37, of Charlottesville, previously worked as a newspaper circulation manager and has experience supervising carrier networks and managing customer service.

Brandon Barfield has been promoted to audience sales manager, responsible for sales and marketing for the newspaper group.

Barfield, 31, of Orange County, has a background in magazine publishing.

Managing the transition of print to digital readership is a fascination for me, he said, and developing stronger competency in making our content more conveniently available to our audience is what inspires us.

Aaron Richardson returns to The Daily Progress as an assistant city editor. Richardson, 29, of Charlottesville, was a reporter for the newspaper from 2011 to 2014. He has covered education, business and development for Daily Progress news partner Charlottesville Tomorrow for the past year.

In our lives, we might get one shot to make a newspaper truly great for its city. And while it may sound a little earnest, we feel a sense of destiny that now is our shot. Readers get ready: Were on a mission, and this newspaper is getting better, Jiranek said.

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Ruling on social media rights for sex offenders in progress – Jacksonville Daily News

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Amanda Thames AmandaThames

Its not vans with drivers promising free candy to kids that parents need to worry about today, officials say. Its social media.

Most of the sex offenders who prey on children who are strangers to them do their preying on Facebook, chat rooms, and mobile apps, said Maj. Chris Thomas with the Onslow County Sheriffs Office.

Conversations and requests from predators range between sending inappropriate photos, asking for a meeting, and asking for sexual favors, Thomas said.

It leads to a question: Should convicted sex offenders be allowed to have a Facebook page?

The Supreme Court is reviewing that question now. A North Carolina law that allowed prosecution against convicted sex offenders using social media pages was deemed unconstitutional in 2013.

Since that ruling (the statute) has not been enforced, Thomas said.

While Thomas believes its up to the courts to decide what is or is not constitutional, the whole objective is to protect children as much as you can, he said.

The Supreme Court began looking over a lawsuit Monday to make a ruling, the Associated Press reported.

It began with Lester Packingham Jr.

Packingham, 36, was forbidden by a 2008 North Carolina law from using commercial social networking sites like Facebook that children could join. Thats because hes a registered sex offender who was convicted of indecent liberties with a minor when he was 21. He served 10 months in prison.

After a trip to traffic court, Packingham announced on Facebook that his pending ticket was dismissed.

No fine. No Court costs. No nothing. Praise be to God. Wow. Thanks, Jesus, Packingham wrote in a 2010 post, which led to the lawsuit heard by the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday.

A Durham police officer investigated Packinghams post and determined he used an alias rather than his real name. Packingham was prosecuted, convicted of a felony and received a suspended prison sentence. His lawyers say no evidence pointed to Packingham using Facebook or his computer to communicate with minors or that he posted anything inappropriate or obscene.

Now the Supreme Courts task is deciding whether the law, meant to prevent communications between sex offenders and minors via social media, is so broad that it violates the Constitutions free-speech protections.

The case reaches the Supreme Court after it was upheld by North Carolinas highest court in a divided ruling. The law addressed websites that might allow sex offenders to gather information about minors, the state court said. But dissenting justices argued the ban extends further and could outlaw reading the New York Times and Food Network website.

The statute, N.C. 14-202.5, says, It is unlawful for a sex offender who is registered in accordance with Article 27A of Chapter 14 of the General Statutes to access a commercial social networking Web site where the sex offender knows that the site permits minor children to become members or to create or maintain personal Web pages on the commercial social networking Web site.

If the statute is ruled constitutional, Thomas said it would be used in Onslow County to some degree. People on the sex offender registry are watched and checked up on regularly to ensure theyre following guidelines, Thomas said, and if the statute comes back into play, it will be another way to check on them.

I think forbidding (sex offenders) from being on those sites is a good step to preventing future victims, Thomas said.

However, the best way to prevent these crimes is for parents to check in on their kids, Thomas said.

The biggest thing for parents is to know what their children are doing, especially when theyre online, he said.

Stay up-to-date on new phone apps and how they work, Thomas said. See what photos theyre taking and who theyre sending them to.

Once someone puts an image online, its gone forever, Thomas said. The receiver can screenshot or download the photo and send it wherever they want.

Set ground rules as well, according to a report from the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation.

Children should only use tablets, cell phones, and computers in public areas of the house so others can occasionally see whats on the screen, according to the SBI. Also keep an eye on games, as predators often use gaming chats to make initial contact with victims.

Communication with your child and talking with your child is probably the best preventative measure, Thomas said.

As of Friday no decision from the Supreme Court had been announced.

The Associated Press contributed to this story

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