Category Archives: Freedom

What has Happened to the Adults in City Hall?

But first let me say, I hope all the citizens are coping with this Coronavirus pandemic.

To the heroes, the front line workers, the store clerks and others, you need a heartfelt thanks and our support for the courage that puts you in harms way daily during this pandemic the city is blessed to have you as neighbours.

I want to thank The Moose Jaw Express/MooseJawToday.com team that continues to put out a paper to let us know whats going on in our city, thank you.

Now heres thebut; not all the citizens are happy with TheMoose Jaw Express/MooseJawToday.com because of the coverage that isnt always flattering to some at city hall.Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms

Fundamental Freedoms

Marginal note:

Fundamental freedoms

2. Everyone has the following fundamental freedoms:

(a) freedom of conscience and religion;(b) freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication;(c) freedom of peaceful assembly; and(d) freedom of association.

For those on council or senior managers who think trying to muzzle the press is acceptable, the answer is no, it is a fundamental right.For the councillors and senior managers that think the council chamber belongs to them, let me remind you the citizens of Moose Jaw own all assets of the city.The citizens trust and expect that the mayor and council are holding all senior managers accountable, including the actions of all city employees. If not, they are replaced.As a citizen of Moose Jaw, I too have an opinion and Ive expressed it thanks to The Moose Jaw Express/MooseJawToday.com, allowing my editorials to be published in their publications. -- Carter Currie

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of this publication.

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Letter to the Editor: City Hall wake up there is Freedom of the Press - moosejawtoday.com

Srinagar: Terming new media policy for Jammu and Kashmir as an attempt to throttle freedom of speech and expression, Communist Party of India (M) leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami said it has spread unease amongst the journalists working in the region.

Mr. Tarigami lashed out at the J-K administration, saying that their ideas of democratic governance are very different from what the Constitution of India promises.

The framers of this policy have given a clear picture that they dont want journalists answerable to their readers and editors, but to bureaucrats and security officials, who will have the powers to decide which news item is fake, unethical, plagiarized or anti-national, he said. The policy has been framed with an aim to give the government a free hand to muzzle freedom of press.

He further added that this is the first time that a government has come up with a policy that authorizes its own officers to decide on what is fake news and proceed against journalists and media organizations.

Overtly and covertly media persons have been pressurized in Kashmir for long, said Mr. Tarigami. But since August 5 last year, attempts to muzzle the freedom of press by the authorities have been on rise.

Demanding to roll-back of the policy, he added that the government must immediately stop intimidation of journalists in Jammu and Kashmir. A free media can help the government take the right actions more effectively than sunshine stories, he said.

now, more than ever to give a voice to the voiceless. The press in Kashmir has operated under tremendous pressures of reporting from a conflict zone but since August 2019 we find ourselves in unchartered territory. The Kashmir Walla is among the oldest independent media outlets in Kashmir and has withstood successive lockdowns as well as attempts to suppress us, fighting back with authoritative ground reports based on facts.

We need your solidarity to keep our journalism going. Your contribution will empower us to keep you informed on stories that matter from Kashmir. Show your solidarity by joining our community. Kashmir thanks you.

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Media policy aimed to give govt free hand to muzzle press freedom in Kashmir: CPI (M) - The Kashmir Walla

The widespread attacks by law enforcement against peaceful First Amendment demonstrators in the wake of George Floyds murder are deeply concerning as a matter of core constitutional law principles. But the fact that many officers spread across Washington, D.C., and other places lacked legibleinsigniaindicating who they were and whom they work for borders on the bizarre.

Attorney General William BarrBill BarrMilley discussed resigning from post after Trump photo-op: report OVERNIGHT DEFENSE: Joint Chiefs chairman says he regrets participating in Trump photo-op | GOP senators back Joint Chiefs chairman who voiced regret over Trump photo-op | Senate panel approves 0B defense policy bill Trump finalizing executive order calling on police to use 'force with compassion' MOREexplained,In the federal system, we dont wear badges with our name I mean the agents dont wear badges and their names and stuff like that, which many civilian police ... agencies do. Like all of Trumps closest cadre, recent history has shown that Barrs words cannot always be trusted as accurate. So, arefederal officers legally required to wear badges and, if not, should they be?

Somewhat astonishingly, there is no federal law requiring federal law enforcement to identify themselves to the public when they are conspicuously acting in their official law enforcement capacities. Weve all heard ofplain-clothes or undercover copswho routinely pose as private citizens for crime prevention and detection. The practice is legal, so long as the officer does not induce a person to commit a crime that the person wouldnt have otherwise committed. That would be entrapment, which is illegal.

But thedisplayof brute force in riot gear and no badges for purposes of intimidating First Amendment demonstrations is a different matter. The very presence of police officers dressed as police officers in the public square hinders the full exercise of certain constitutional rights such as the right to free speech, free assembly and freedom of movement. People might alter legal behavior to conform to the police presence.

To take a simple example, a family visiting Washington, D.C., will likely stop in its tracks if it sees armed men blocking the steps to the Lincoln Memorial. If the family walks to the White House and finds droves of black-clothed officers with large, military-grade weapons slung over their shoulders, the same family might leave the city altogether foregoing their rights to speech, assembly and freedom of movement in downtown Washington, D.C. The familys reaction would be particularly swift if as was the case with the George Floyd protests they know that the government recentlyemployedtear gas, batons, low-flying helicopters and rubber bullets on innocent civilians and members of the press who happened to be in an area that President TrumpDonald John TrumpSenate advances public lands bill in late-night vote Warren, Democrats urge Trump to back down from veto threat over changing Confederate-named bases Esper orders 'After Action Review' of National Guard's role in protests MORE wanted cleared to enable hisphoto-opin front of a nearby church.

The D.C. coderequiresthat local police display enhanced identification when policing First Amendment assemblies, but federal officers arent bound by it. Federalregulationsdo allow Barr to deputize people to perform the functions of a Deputy U.S. Marshal, including [s]elected officers or employees of the Department of Justice and [o]ther persons he designates. The officialwebsiteof the U.S. Marshal Service explains the importance of badge credentials as representing official notice of agency powers and true authorization to perform assigned duties.

Although Barr is not legally bound to publicly identify each member of his riot forces, he is ethically and normatively bound. Thestandardsfor the police published by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights include wear[ing] clearly visible identity badges to facilitate accurate reporting of human rights violations by the government. It doesnt take a policing expert to understand why.

America is a representative democracy in which people exercise self-governance. We do this by holding elected officials accountable at the polls and in the courts. Unlike private individuals, law enforcement officials have tremendous power over life, liberty and property. Regular people cant put their adversaries in jail that would be kidnapping.

Because itshuman natureto abuse power, we have courts that hear cases of police brutality and elections that properly place responsibility in the hands of elected officials ultimately charged with policing the police. But if we do not know the identity or employer of someone who is exercising police power, it becomes exceedingly difficult to hold that person and their elected bosses accountable.

Even worse, anonymous gun-wielding police invite vigilante copycats. Prior to the George Floyd murder, the nation was transfixed on the mounting deaths due to COVID-19 and the satellite protests over state stay-at-home orders, some byarmed private militiamembers. Barr and President Trump irresponsibly pointed the finger at amoebicanti-fascist groupsfor the unrest, but the Department of Justice, thus far, has brought no cases against linked defendants. But more to the point, by threatening protesters with badgeless, federal-looking bullies, Barr is stoking the militant flame not quelling it.

Keep in mind that the First Amendment binds all holders of government power from the president down to a local town official. Under theSupreme Courts constructionof the Constitution, the state cannot punish speech in connection with public demonstrations unless the speech has gotten so out of control that it is about to cause injury. Strong emotions, political protest and the risk of violence are not enough.

History will not look kindly at the response by Trump and Barr to the First Amendment demonstrations in Lafayette Square; the efforts turned violent at their direction and with no documented escalation by the people both men swore to serve. The fact that Congress has never passed legislation requiring that the injured know who is at the other end of a federal gun barrel merely suggests that Trump once again has gone beyond where any White House occupant has gone before.

Congress needs to enactpending legislationthats aimed at remedying this true blind spot in federal law enforcement standards. It should do it immediately so that the next time Trump jousts with the First Amendment through police violence, the people are better protected.

Kimberly Wehle is a visiting professor of Law at American Universitys Washington College of Law, and author of the book "How to Read the Constitutionand Why." Follow her on Twitter @kim_wehle.

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Anonymous police threaten people's freedom to assemble | TheHill - The Hill

The sign at 1420 Key Drive is 32 square feet, which exceeds the citys maximum of 22 square feet for signs on residential properties. Homeowner Brett Melvin appealed the violation for his sign because he thinks the decision was politically motivated. Photo contributed

The Alexandria Board of Zoning Appeals has rejected a request from an Alexandria homeowner to display a 4-foot-by-8-foot sign declaring his opposition to the controversial Seminary Road diet. The homeowner, Brett Melvin, said that the display was not actually a sign at all, arguing that the zoning ordinance should not apply because he said the exhibit should be considered art. He lost that argument in a vote of 5-to-1.

I have begun gathering information on the logical next steps, said Melvin, adding that he isnt ruling out a lawsuit against the city. I first must make certain that I have exhausted all the avenues available with the city appeals process. I will weigh all my options to decide on the best path forward.

The debate over the sign reignites a simmering controversy over the Seminary Road diet, which City Council members narrowly approved in a four-to-three vote last September. The vote reduced two traffic lanes and installed a new turn lane, adding bike lanes along a stretch of road that connects the Virginia Theological Seminary to INOVA Alexandria Hospital. The next month, Melvin posted a sign that read Take Back Seminary Road #JustinsTrafficJam, employing a hashtag used on social media by people discussing the controversy. During the holiday season, the sign was festooned with festive lights.

My daughter sings the hashtag every time we drive past, joked Mayor Justin Wilson on Facebook after the vote. I like the sign. I always wanted my name up in lights.

Nobody is saying you cant say whats on the sign. Were just saying you cant say it at 32 square feet.

Lawrence Altenburg, chairman, Board of Zoning Appeals

Five days after he installed the sign in November, Melvin received a notice of violation from the city. That was prompted by an anonymous complaint to the citys Call, Click Connect system, which was logged on Nov. 29 at 8:51 am. The anonymous person who lodged the complaint specifically cited Article 9, Section 104 of the citys Zoning Ordinance, which regulates signs, marquees and awnings.

Would you investigate and handle expeditiously? asked the anonymous tipster.

City officials say enforcement of zoning is driven by complaints through systems like Call, Click, Connect, which has since been replaced by a new system called Alex311. After receiving the complaint, zoning officials investigated the situation on Key Drive. They determined that the sign was larger than the 22 square feet maximum, concluding that it was in violation of the zoning ordinance.

We have two zoning inspectors, said Tony LaColla, chief of the Land-Use Services Division. We do not have the number of staff to proactively go out and site violations, so we rely on a complaint-based system.

Melvin argued that many other signs in Alexandria are larger than 22 square feet, and he worries political motivations may have been behind the complaint and the citys response to it. He tried to argue that his First Amendment rights were being violated by selective enforcement. But city officials responded that they took action based on the size of the sign, which was in violation of the ordinance, rather than language on the sign.

Nobody is saying you cant say whats on the sign, said Lawrence Altenburg, chairman of the Board of Zoning Appeals. Were just saying you cant say it at 32 square feet.

The citys zoning ordinance defines a sign as something that is used to attract attention to an institution, organization, business, product, service, event or location. Melvin argued that his sign did not do any of those things and, therefore, should not be considered a sign, although he called it a sign in papers he filed with the city. Ultimately, board members had to figure out how to make a content-neutral determination about the sign while also determining whether it drew attention to an institution, business, product, service, event or location.

I think in this case, the ordinance is flawed, ultimately that results in the inability for it to be enforced appropriately, said Michael Yoo, the lone vote in favor of Melvins appeal. You could put up a sign of any size and I think that is fraught with real problems.

The future of the sign, which has now been up for seven months, is now in doubt.

It stayed up this long only because of the coronavirus pandemic or the Wuhan flu, whatever you want to call it, Melvin told members of the Board of Zoning Appeals.

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Freedom of Speech or Zoning Violation in Alexandria? - Virginia Connection Newspapers

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- Another elected official is putting his support behind the effort to award Hershel "Woody" Williams with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

According to a tweet by U.S. Representative Alex Mooney, Mooney sent a letter to President Donald Trump requesting Williams be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award in the United States.

Mooney's letter adds to letters from four U.S. senators who also asked for Williams to receive the Medal of Freedom for his work honoring Gold Star families.

Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., Roger Wicker, R-Miss., Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., and Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., sent the letter with the request to President Donald Trump in May .

Williams, a Cabell County resident, made a name for himself as a U.S. Marine in World War II for his bravery in battle.

A U.S. Navy ship was commissioned in Williams' honor in March.

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More support to award Woody Williams with Presidential Medal of Freedom - WSAZ-TV

(RNS) The racial justice protests sweeping the country have brought into the open an inner conflict that I've been struggling with for several years: how to feel about Sikhs serving as police officers and military personnel.

Some Sikhs believe that serving in military or law enforcement is an important part of their identity as devout Sikhs, cohering with the teaching that every Sikh should live as a sant-sipahi (saint-soldier) or aligning with glorified histories of Sikhs fighting for justice.

Other Sikhs see the imperialistic nature of U.S. foreign policy and the racist histories of law enforcement as antithetical to what the faith teaches about ethics and justice. They might have trouble squaring cultures of unequal and inhumane treatment with a worldview that advocates for equality and justice for all.

Still others see these institutions as imperfect but valuable vehicles for social and professional growth careers that are accessible, stable and service-oriented.

RELATED: Sikh deputy Sandeep Dhaliwal: a life of service on the front lines of change

It's worth noting that Sikhs haven't always been allowed or encouraged to choose law enforcement and military careers. Government institutions like our military and law enforcement agencies sometimes discriminate against Sikhs because of their beards or their turbans, which in turn sends the message to private employers that they can do the same without consequence. This is changing the U.S. Military Academy at West Point will graduate its first observant Sikh this weekend but it's wrong. All people should have the right to serve or receive employment, no matter what religious tradition they follow.

But here's the conundrum: On the one hand, one could make the argument that opening up these doors is an important step toward achieving equal treatment under the law. On the other hand, one could reasonably counter that the very nature of these institutions would preclude us from ever realizing justice and that working within these systems only exacerbates social inequities.

Reconciling these two points of tension has always been exceedingly difficult. How can I as a person of color and a person of faith ignore the disproportionate and unmerited violence inflicted upon already vulnerable communities? How can I change them if I refuse to engage with them?

The tension feels particularly pointed in our current moment: the countless murders of unarmed black men. Drone strikes killing civilians in Muslim-majority countries. The over-policing and surveillance in communities of color. Our military and law enforcement inflict immense harm on so many innocent people. The murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor are just the tip of the racist iceberg. There may well be a role for police within an ideally functioning government, but we are far removed from that ideal right now.

What might it look like to negotiate this tension?

Sikhi teaches me that we must stand up for the basic human rights of others, even when we do not benefit personally and even when we do not agree with how those rights are exercised. In 1675, Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth guru of Sikhi, gave his life fighting for the rights of Kashmiri Hindus with whom he deeply disagreed about religious doctrine and social practice to practice their own religion freely.

An early 19th century mural depicting Guru Nanak at the Gurdwara Baba Atal in Amritsar, India. Image courtesy of Creative Commons

This image is available for web publication. For questions, contact Sally Morrow.

His beautiful example is a reminder of our responsibility to ensure basic human rights, including the freedom of religion.

More than a century earlier, Guru Nanak, Sikhi's founding guru, persistently sought to challenge, overturn and reimagine discriminatory structures such as India's caste system. Were he alive today, he might well have argued that we must fight hard to substantively reimagine our police and military forces, institutions that have shown time and again how much harm and trauma they inflict on us all especially on communities of color, and most especially on our black siblings. They require systemic reform, if not outright abolition.

Guru Nanak modeled what it looks like to stand firmly against dehumanizing institutions and to replace them with alternative, more equitable structures.

What we see from the Sikh gurus is the ability to hold these two approaches together: We can seek people's right to practice their faith freely, while also standing up against morally bankrupt institutions.

My sense is that the two approaches are not mutually exclusive. We can work from outside these institutions to push for meaningful change, partner with them to lead unconscious bias and cultural awareness trainings, challenge and hold them accountable when they fail to file hate crime charges when appropriate. I will protest them so long as they keep destroying the lives of innocent black Americans; I will work to create meaningful change with how we police in this country, whether through reform or abolition; and all the while, I will work to ensure they do not discriminate against religious minorities in their employment.

This week, I had the opportunity to address Mayor Bill De Blasio directly on these topics. I could have confronted him with a list of grievances, or I could have ingratiated myself with a powerful political leader; I chose to do neither.

RELATED: Why cops attack racial justice protesters

Instead, I appealed to his inner humanity, describing the police brutality I witnessed during the protests last week as a microcosm for how police officers have zero accountability and infinite power. I implored him to see it as a justice issue and told him that cutting a billion dollars from his police department's budget was just a start.

I also asked him to implement a few immediate changes, such as establishing a uniform force of standards, issuing guidance on the standards within 90 days and restricting the NYPD from giving officers who have used force "cooling off" periods before they have to answer for their actions. I also encouraged him to institute a database on officer misconduct, as well as a duty to intervene policy, where officers who witness a colleague engaged in brutality or excessive force are contractually obligated to intervene.

Each of us will not have the same approach, or role, or skill set, or theory of change and its important for us to recognize that this is okay. I will not judge a fellow Sikh if they join the military or police force as long as they recognize they too must be an agent for change. Movement building requires deep engagement from a diversity of angles. That the injustices and inequities we have to overcome in this country are so deeply embedded demands that we take multi-faceted approaches in addressing them.

In a moment when so much is at stake, it feels critical that we make space for diverse approaches that move us in the right direction. When we can do that together, then we really have a chance to make the substantive change in our policing that so many of us deem to be critical.

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Sikhs and policing the tension between freedom and justice - Religion News Service

Though the official Oakboro 4th of July Celebration has been canceled due to COVID-19 and the statewide safety restrictions put in place due to the virus, a Facebook group has been created to raise support for a freedom ride through the town.

Created by Locust resident Zach Helms, the event, which is called Oakboro Freedom Convoy, would be at 9 a.m. July 4 along Main Street in Oakboro. Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Helms encourages all people who want to be involved to wear masks and maintain proper social distance.

We want to follow all rules and regulations for the convoy, Helms said, which he calls a peaceful ride through town. He also said the event wont impede traffic.

This is our way of celebrating our freedom and independence, Helms wrote on Facebook about the event. It will take effort from each and every one of you but I believe we can come together and make this happen. Unity and peace are what this country needs and is what our soldiers have fought and died for. Dont live in fear you have freedoms, just get out and exercise them.

As of Friday, more than 700 people have already joined the group, which was created Thursday after news broke that the towns 4th of July celebration was canceled.

Helms later said he felt we need to encourage patriotism and freedom right now during these tough times.

Helms said he is working on the logistics of the event and more details still have to be worked out.

Oakboro Police Chief T.J. Smith, who has talked with Helms, said there is no permission needed for people to simply drive through town as long as they are following the rules. In order for people to be as safe as possible, Smith encourages people to wear masks and stay six feet apart.

Helms has spoken to a town official but would not disclose who it was nor what the conversation was about. I can tell you that they support this but do not want to be involved to stay neutral which is best for their political reasons, he said.

The parade will simply be a ride through town with flags flying, he said.

Helms acknowledged the event is also a way to honor the people who organize the traditional 4th of July event each summer.

They put it on for us for so long, he said. This is our way of giving back and saying hey you couldnt do it and well do it for you this year.

Originally posted here:

Freedom ride planned after Oakboro celebration gets canceled - The Stanly News & Press - Stanly News & Press

DETROIT - NASCAR banned the Confederate flag from its races. If you've been looking for signs that our conversation about racism might finally be changing, this is one of them.

Especially when you consider the geography and political leanings of the most ardent part of NASCAR's fan base. The sport's governing body issued the rule knowing it would annoy, alienate and downright anger a portion of its customers.

In a vacuum, that may be bad business. But then the sport's fan base already was dwindling, if you judge declining ratings and shrinking attendance. So, in a sense, you might ask: What did NASCAR have to lose?

More money, for one. Cultural identity, for another, symbolized by the Confederate flag. For while it varies from track to track and region to region, the flag was about as ubiquitous as blown tires and funnel cakes.

No, I think NASCAR listened to its only black driver, Bubba Wallace, who had asked it to ban the flag. It looked around the country the past few weeks and decided ... enough. We've been privately embarrassed by its presence at our races for years. It's time to take a stand.

"The presence of the Confederate flag at NASCAR events runs contrary to our commitment to providing a welcoming and inclusive environment for all fans, our competitors and our industry," NASCAR said in a statement. "Bringing people together around a love for racing and the community that it creates is what makes our fans and sport special."

Ray Ciccarelli didn't agree. The truck series driver announced he was packing up his Chevrolet Silverado and quitting after the season because of the flag ban.

"I don't believe in kneeling during Anthem nor taken ppl right to fly what ever flag they love," he posted on Facebook. "I could care less about the Confederate Flag, but there are ppl that do and it doesn't make them a racist all you are doing is (expletive) one group to cater to another and i ain't spend the money we are to participate in any political BS!! So everything is for SALE!!"

Ciccarelli won't be the only one who feels this way. Because the Confederate flag was, if you'll excuse the expression, sewn into the fabric of the sport. A rough-edged representation of the American outlaw, living off the grid, barreling down the straightaway at 200 mph, mufflers and ear buds be damned.

It was flown as a middle finger to the establishment, backed by a kind of rebel-yell pride. This is, of course, a narrow and sanitized view of the Confederate flag. But then that's what it takes to look at the flag and feel pride - blinders.

Because history tells us something different. That the Confederate flag represents 13 states that wanted a separate country in order to keep buying and selling human beings.

The flag doesn't represent states' rights - unless it was the right to own slaves. It doesn't represent Zora Neale Hurston or B.B. King or slow-cooked green beans with fatback.

It's not about Alabama football, or sweet tea, or polite chatter in a slow-moving grocery store line.

The South is about all of those things and much, much more. And you know what represents those things? The American flag. That's where we can meet and have a conversation.

Not the Confederate flag. It was created as a symbol for a movement to protect slavery. You might as well fly a KKK hood, though at least no one is trying to whitewash the meaning of that.

Imagine Germans flying the swastika at soccer games and then proudly saying it represents the country's heritage.

The Confederate flag is no different. NASCAR knows that. Has always known that. And while it's late to the conversation, at least it finally jumped in.

As Wallace said: "Bravo. Props to NASCAR and everybody involved. This has been a stressful couple of weeks."

Now, before you use this week's ban to take a broad swipe at the South, don't. Racism infects every corner of this country. That's why the protests fill so many of our streets.

Besides, as a region, I love the South. I've lived a fair part of my life in it. My sons were born in Alabama. Its pace, if not its heat, suits my throttled-back nature. I enjoy eye contact (mostly) and basic human acknowledgement out in public. (No, folks aren't there to get in your way ... what's the big hurry anyway?)

I enjoy NASCAR, too. The speed, the roar, the physics, the visceral thrill of all that power, the pride of American muscle. None of that needs the Confederate flag. Fly the Stars and Stripes instead. And if you want to learn about the symbols of our darkest hour, visit a museum.

That's where the flag belongs.

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Shawn Windsor: The Confederate flag is a middle finger to freedom - Newsbug.info

An online platform that facilitates online requests under Nova Scotias Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIPOP) is still in the works, the province confirmed to Global News this week.

We still anticipate having the new system go live this year, said Krista Higdon, in an email.

The province once had a similar system in place but it was pulled after it was revealed that a data breach on the website had exposed 7,000 documents containing personal information such as social insurance numbers, personal addresses, child custody documents, medical information and proprietary business information.

Friday marks the 800th day since the online platform was taken down.

READ MORE: After more than 650 days, province says Nova Scotians will be able to file FOI requests online again

The new site is supposed to allow Nova Scotians to safely and securely submit requests under the provinces access to information act.

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Those requests are a useful tool for journalists and are routinely employed by academics, businesses and activists to obtain government information that is normally withheld from the public.

The province partially restored itsonline FOIPOP system on Sept. 5, 2019, allowing Nova Scotians to once again download previously completed FOI requests.

However, since the website was pulled down FOIPOP, requests have had to be filed the old-fashioned way by pen, paper and Canada Post mail.

In a statement, Nova Scotias privacy commissioner said there is no requirement under the provinces access to information law to provide an electronic avenue to submit requests.

We do encourage the use of technology that makes access to information easier but only if it properly protects the personal information it contains pursuant to the rules under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, said Tricia Ralph.

The data breach of the original FOIPOP website was first detected by a worker at the Nova Scotia archives.

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In an email sent on the evening of April 4, 2018, the employee attempted to re-enter a URL that linked to a released and redacted document he had previously accessed through the FOIPOP portal but mistyped the address.

Rather than going to another redacted, released document, I ended up seeing an incoming FOIPOP request It seems that rather than being inside the government system, which in itself is a bit of a shaky practice, the materials are out there, seemingly unprotected, on the web, the employee said.

READ MORE: Nova Scotia re-launches FOIPOP website after 152 days of being offline

Provincial officials quickly jumped into action, scrambling through April 5 to find a solution.

One official wrote that the government should shut down the website until we get a grip on things.

With no immediate solution available, the government yanked down the website at 8:15 a.m. and it remained offline until it was partially restored 152 days later.

Reports from a pair of oversight bodies would later take the departments that oversee Nova Scotias IT infrastructure to task after determining poor overall project management and a serious failure of due diligence helped cause the data breach.

The new website, developed by AINS Imc., was meant to go live this spring, but a date on when it will be up and running has not been provided by the provincial government.

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The province said that COVID-19 has affected their ability to bring the website online.

Nearly 2,000 requests are filed annually in Nova Scotia.

2020 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

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Nova Scotians have been unable to file freedom of information requests online for 800 days - Globalnews.ca

Tommy Shaw, of Styx, performs on stage at Verizon Wireless Amphitheater on Saturday, June 16, 2018, in Alpharetta, Ga. (Photo by Paul R. Giunta/Invision/AP)

OFallons Heritage & Freedom Fest 2.0 will take place Sept. 6 with classic rock band Styx and country singer Dylan Scott. The event will be one day. Typically, the festival is a three-day event taking place over the July 4 weekend.

The regular event was canceled due to COVID-19.

Mayor Bill Hennessy announced during the June 11 City Council meeting the event would take place on Sept. 6 instead in its new 2.0 version.

The event will take place at the Ozzie Smith Sports Complex, 900 T.R. Hughes Boulevard and starts 11 a.m. with free concerts and family activities. There will be a fireworks display at 10:30 p.m.

Other performers are Steve Ewing, Dazed and Confused, That 80s Band and Whiskey Morning and Wildfire.

The O'Fallon, Mo., mayor said in a statement: We are very excited to offer this free event to our residents and neighbors. Weve all had a difficult and stressful year, and we are looking forward to providing a day of fun for this amazing community on Labor Day Weekend.

Get more information at heritageandfreedomfest.com, which includes a Corvette Club display, a gaming truck, Monster Mural, oversized yard games, a petting zoo, Circus Kaput.

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O'Fallon's Heritage & Freedom Fest 2.0 will take place in September with Styx - STLtoday.com