Daily Archives: May 15, 2022

An image that was uploaded on Rhee Keuns YouTube channel after his arrival in Ukraine on May 10. (Rhee Keuns YouTube channel)

According to ROKSEAL (Rhee Reuns YouTube channel) on Sunday, Rhee, also known as Ken Rhee, was injured while leading a special reconnaissance mission.

LT Ken Rhee recently incurred injuries while leading a special reconnaissance mission behind enemy lines. He has been transferred to a military hospital. We will keep you posted, the online post said.

Many rumors and speculations about the Navy SEAL-turned-YouTuber had erupted in the past few weeks. Among the rumors were that he had been killed in Ukraine and that he was staying at a hotel near the Ukrainian border with Poland. There were speculations that his motivation for joining the war was to shoot YouTube videos.

Rhee rejected the claims in a YouTube post Thursday, arguing that spreading fake news and rumors was a serious crime.

Criticizing and insulting soldiers fighting on the front line in war situations and spreading false information about them is a serious crime, considered an act of propaganda or spying, he wrote on his YouTube channel.

Rhee, who rose to stardom as one of the trainers in the YouTube military series Fake Men, announced his arrival in Ukraine via social media on March 7.

By Lee Si-jin (sj_lee@heraldcorp.com)

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Ex-Navy SEAL and YouTuber Rhee Keun injured in Ukraine - The Korea Herald

BOSTON (WWLP) The Massachusetts State flag and motto are seen as controversial and in need of change by some residents.

The State Commissions tasked with reviewing the Massachusetts seal and motto met Tuesday to discuss what the future of the flag looks like. The 19-person commission includes state lawmakers, Massachusetts tribe members, representatives for the state commission on Indian affairs, and other agencies.

Currently, the Commonwealths seal and motto shows a controversial image of an indigenous man standing over an arm wielding a sword with the Latin motto, By the sword we seek peace, but peace only under liberty.

Elizabeth Solomon, Special Commission on the Official Seal and Motto of the Commonwealth, said, This is just imbued with multiple instances of disrespect, racism, and colonialism.

During the commissions meeting, members stressed the need to fully understand and represent the history of the Bay State, while also respecting the indigenous people of Massachusetts.

The Commission was originally given an October 2021 deadline, but that has since been extended. Massachusetts would not be the first state to change its seal. Just last year, Mississippi, changed its flag to remove the confederate battle cross.

The rest is here:

Debate continues on changing Massachusetts seal and motto - WWLP.com

Thousands of runners will descend on the city centre this weekend for what will be the 40th anniversary of the Essar Chester Half Marathon. The hugely-popular road race starts from Chester Racecourse at 9am on Sunday, May 15.

Runners will then head through the city taking in Watergate Street, the Rows and Chester Cathedral before venturing out into the countryside via Northgate Street. Organisers are inviting both competitors and spectators to join them in celebrating the landmark event, which will have two very special guests.

"There will be a cake with 40 candles on it on race day," said joint race organiser Chris Hulse. "And we are hoping the 4,000 runners at the starting line and the oodles of spectators will share our celebratory mood!"

READ MORE: Chester city centre road closures as Northgate development nears completion

"We are honoured to have the race started by Dr Basil Thompson who was one of the organisers of the very first Chester Half Marathon back in 1982. He will be accompanied by British Marathon Champion Jonathan Mellor.

"Our award-winning half marathon attracts runners from far and wide, joining an impressive local contingent. We have a fantastic finish area outside the Town Hall which will produce a lively party atmosphere, giving much appreciated support to the runners heading down Northgate Street with all the spectators undoubtedly sharing in their triumph at completing the 13.1-mile challenge."

It is expected that the runners will raise over 500,000 for charity. Claire House Hospice is the official race charity, but a myriad of other great causes will be supported by the participants. Chris said: "As part of the anniversary celebrations we will be offering runners mini cakes and special birthday giveaways to 40 lucky winners at the finish, kindly donated by sponsors and local Chester businesses, in addition to the commemorative t shirt and goody bag. Its going to be a memorable event!"

Here are the all important details you need to know:

Event times

The actual race starts at 9am, but the Chester Racecourse car park opens at 6.30am - 4 cash charge per vehicle - along with the helpdesk. The car park closes at 7.30am and won't reopen until 10am. The baggage store opens at 7.30am and will be in operation until 1pm. Prize presentations will start at around 11am.

The route

The race starts at Chester Racecourse, heading up Watergate Street, through the Walls and the historic centre of Chester. Runners will leave the city via the Garden Quarter before heading out into the countryside on Parkgate Road.

Just after Little Mollington Hall, runners will turn onto the Roman road into the villages of Mollington and Lea by Backford. The route then continues up Parkgate Road and turns left to loop around part of Saughall village. Returning on Parkgate Road, runners will then pass Chester University and run towards the finish line via the Garden Quarter. The finish line is outside the Town Hall and Cathedral.

Road closures

Access to the city centre will always be available via Sealand Road and New Crane street, except for a short period between the race start. This section of road will be shut from 8.55am for around 20 to 30 minutes. If you are travelling into the city, use Liverpool Road, Hoole Way, the A51 and Grosvenor Road routes to avoid the closed roads.

If you live in the Garden Quarter or Blacon, then Cheyney Road, Stadium Way, Bouverie Street, Raymond Street, Canal Street and Garden Lane are closed until 1pm. Cars parked on West Lorne Street, Chichester Street or roads connecting these will be able to drive to the George & Dragon to exit. There will be no exit for cars parked in the Garden Lane car park as runners will be on the road.

Cars parked west of the canal will be able to exit via Sealand Road up to the A550 and Two Mills. Access from Chester towards Blacon will not be available via Sealand Road between 7.30-10am.

If you live in Mollington, then Parkgate Road through the village will be closed from 8.30am to 1pm, while roads in Mollington will be shut from 8.30am to 12pm. Well Lane and Station Road will be closed from 8.30am to 11am. Organisers will endeavour to provide residents access to the A41 after 10.10am.

If you live in Saughall, between 8.30am and 1pm Parkgate Road will be closed. Access and exit via Sealand Road to North Wales and the Wirral is available at all times. Access via Sealand Road from Saughall into Chester will be available, except for a twenty to thirty minute period from 8.55am, while the runners leave Chester Racecourse. Access from Chester towards Saughall, via Sealand Road, will be restricted between 7.30-10am.

For access to and from Ellesmere Port and the Wirral, use Liverpool Road and the A41. After 10am it will also be possible to use Sealand Road and the A550 to get to Two Mills junction and continue north from there. Road closures do not apply to pedestrians. If you are on the run route please take care as there will be race vehicles on the route.

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Chester Half Marathon: Details of road closures ahead of 40th anniversary race - Cheshire Live

The 2022 Wings and Wheels event, initially planned for July 10 has been cancelled due to a busy summer of construction at the City of Campbell River Airport.

Significant improvements to airport lighting, visual aids and taxiways will be made in 2022, through a $4.5 million Infrastructure Renewal program investment. The city partnered with Transport Canada as part of the Airport Capital Assistance Program, who will contribute over 80 per cent of the project costs. Private investments, including new hangar construction in leased areas, are also scheduled. These necessary long-term investment projects pose challenges to hosting the annual Wings and Wheels event in 2022.

The city proudly supports the tremendous celebration of community spirit that is the annual Wings and Wheels Event, says Mayor Andy Adams. Although we cannot facilitate the event in 2022, the community can look forward to its return in 2023, when necessary airport improvements are complete.

While the City was looking forward to hosting the first Wings and Wheels event since 2019, needed improvements to airport infrastructure limit our ability to provide on-site parking and other accommodations, says Airport Manager, Dennis Brodie. With construction at a peak in July, it is not possible to provide an accessible environment to host this event in 2022.

The annual Wings and Wheels event has been hosted by Sealand Aviation in partnership with the city since 2013, with the exception of the 2020 and 2021 events, which were put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The cty has provided an annual contribution of $15,000 towards the event.

The Campbell River Airport has been a wonderful host of past events, says Bill Alder, President of Sealand Aviation. With significant improvements coming to the airport in this summer, we simply dont have the space needed to put on the type of show that weve become accustomed to. We thank North Island Cruisers, City Council and City staff for their continued support of the event, and will return in 2023 with an event worth waiting for.

To stay up to date on the Airport Lighting, Visual Aids and Taxiway Rehabilitation project, visit http://www.campbellriver.ca/airport-rehabilitation.

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Wings and Wheels event postponed - Campbell River Mirror

Photo captions:

Coil from Hierophany & Hedge, at 19 W. Pike St. Hours are updated daily.

Augur and Coil in their shop, and then receiving thethe Authenti-CITY Award on Monday from Mayor Joe Meyer at Covington Yard. (That's Augur holding the certificate.)

Magic shopa veritable portal to the Old World

(EDITORS NOTE: This is thethirdof 5 articles naming the winners of the 2022 Authenti-CITY awards given by the City of Covington at a ceremony Monday to mark National Economic Development Week. More about the awards can be found at the bottom of this article.)

COVINGTON, Ky. Never in Covingtons 200-year history(not that we know of, anyway),has a local business thanked the City fortaking arcane civil defense against malign sorcery seriously.

In full disclosure, we were completely unaware of protective powers of the Solomons Seal and Cinquefoil we placed in the planters along Pike Street. But Hierophany & Hedges proprietors, Augur and Coil, see magic where the rest of us see the mundane. Its one of the many things we love about them.

As for the other reasons, well

When weary of the vagaries of this world,HIEROPHANY & HEDGEoffers otherworldly charm, eloquence, magic, and a sense of style and bespoke accoutrement.

Beyond its sophisticated faade, this little shop is a veritable portal to another place and time, where wizards, witchery, and magic prevail. Its shelves are an apothecary of herbs, talismans, wands, crystals, candles, chalk sigils, and books of spells. And its Facebook page is creative beyond measure.

Its Old World aesthetic belies its youth: the shop celebrated its first anniversary in The Cov in April. How quickly we were smitten. And, it seems, so are they.

Augur and Coil said they chose The Cov because the city thrums with supernatural energy.

But thats not all:

Surveilled by the great catfish at the roots of the Roebling, guarded by the spirits of the Mutter Gottes lions, and only lightly menaced by the countrys largest colony of Oubliettes, a magic shop couldnt exist in a more perfect spot, Augur said. The decision to locate our magic shop in Covington was thus less a choice for us, than an inevitability.

(And we love their way with words).

They just plaingetus, here in The Cov:

Covington is a community that realizes the health of a modern city is not measured in cold statistics like the density of fast-food eateries, but in the existence of a unique culture that provides a spirit of place, Coil explained. America and the world are increasingly flat places in which cultural homogeneity is the norm. Covington stands out by celebrating the unique and embracing the authentic.

Bottom line: Hierophany & Hedge encourages us to find our own magic. What a siren song. Were entirely under their spell.

About the awards:The first-annual Authenti-CITY awards were unveiled by Covingtons fun and irreverent Economic Development team in 2021 to celebrate National Economic Development Week in an off-the-wall way.

There were no rules and no criteria just staffers getting together after hours (maybe over a few drinks, maybe not) and debating fiercely about what businesses, places, events, people and organizations most kept it real in The Cov. The fervor had to do with this: Narrowing down the massive list (because, you know, Covington is such a cool place).

# # #

Read the rest here:

KEEPIN' IT REAL in THE COV: Hierophany & Hedge - Covington, KY (.gov)

The new United States Marine Corps' Amphibious Combat Vehicle (ACV) is now operational and preparing to deploy from U.S. Navy big-deck amphibious warships from miles off-shore into hostile territory. This represents the fulfillment of a long-anticipated capability that is expected to give U.S. military commanders an unprecedented ability to both travel from ship to shore and extend penetrating land attacks deep into enemy territory.

The Corps is going to deploy its new BAE Systems-built ACV as a way to bring new, innovative assault tactics into the modern era. The new amphibious attack ship-to-shore combat vehicle is intended to significantly expand the mission length for amphibious assaults well beyond the current Amphibious Assault Vehicle (AAV).

The Marine Corps' new configuration is aligned with an emerging Navy-Marine Corps amphibious assault strategy which, among other things, sees a need for extended penetration into land defenses after an initial beachhead is established.

The new vehicle is designed for long-range, sea-land combat operations; it uses ocean water to cool its engine so as to enable it to carry up to 200 gallons of fuelenough for a 365-mile mission. While the new ACV can travel roughly 13 miles through water, at about six knots from ship to shore, it can hit speeds of 60mph on land to travel hundreds of miles inland.

Unlike existing tracked AAVs, the new ACVs are 8X8 wheeled vehicles engineered for greater speed, maneuverability, and survivability on land. By removing the need for torsion bars, a wheeled vehicle such as the ACV can build a v-shaped hull for additional protection, speed, and combat durability, BAE Systems developers said.

The new vehicle weighs 30 tons and has a digitized driver's instrument panel. The existing new ACVs are armed with .50-caliber machine guns, and engineered with an unmanned turret that can integrate a 30mm gun, should the Corps request it. It also makes use of a stronger 700hp engine, compared to the AAVs 400hp engine.

The introduction of the new ACV into the fleet aligns with the Navy and Marine Corps's emerging strategic approach to amphibious attack aimed at leveraging fifth-generation air support; launching more dispersed, disaggregated yet "networked" assaults; and using smaller unmanned vessels to perform reconnaissance, countermine, and attack missions. A more dispersed amphibious attack force not only reduces its vulnerability to enemy fire but can also use advanced Command, Control, Communications, Computers (C4) Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) and networking to better identify key points of attack across a wider area. This amphibious approach is consistent with the Marine Corps vision outlined in the services' recently published Force Design 2030.

The emerging ACVs will launch from big-deck amphibious ships, called landing helicopter assault (LHAs) ships, and amphibious transport docks (called LPDs). With one of the upcoming LHA America-class amphibious ships bringing back the well-deck, the Corps plans to emphasize ship-to-shore water-launched combat vehicles. At the same time, Navy leaders emphasize that the first two America-class vessels, LHAs 6 and 7, are built with an aviation emphasis to, among other things, capitalize upon the F-35B Joint Strike Fighter and other air-launched elements of amphibious attack. These aviation-centric big-deck amphibious ships are intended to pave the way toward the upcoming LHA 8.

The entire strategic and conceptual shift is also informed by an increased "sea-basing" focus. Smaller multi-mission vessels, according to this emerging strategy, will be fortified by larger amphibious ships operating as sovereign entities at safer distances. Corps leaders explain that these big-deck amphibious ships would operate as "seaports, hospitals, logistics warehouses and sea-bases for maneuver forces."

Additional land-attack firepower and survivability seem aligned with the Corps' newer, more "dispersed" amphibious assault strategy; if amphibious incursions occur in narrow, more spread-apart scenarios, landing forces will potentially need to engage in more land-fighting without large numbers of forces nearby. They will likely rely more upon air support; long-range fires; and "networked" intelligence from other ISR nodes, command and control ships, or elements of the forceto find and exploit landing areas most advantageous to the attacking force.

Kris Osborn is the defense editor for the National Interest. Osborn previously served at the Pentagon as a Highly Qualified Expert with the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the ArmyAcquisition, Logistics & Technology. Osborn has also worked as an anchor and on-air military specialist at national TV networks. He has appeared as a guest military expert on Fox News, MSNBC, The Military Channel, and The History Channel. He also has a Master's Degree in Comparative Literature from Columbia University.

Image: Reuters.

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The New Amphibious Combat Vehicle Is Ready to Fight China on Land and Sea - The National Interest Online