Category Archives: Sealand

A former prison guard who admitted to smuggling 200 strips of prescription opioid medicine into the Airway Heights Correction Center last July has been sentenced to two months in prison, far less than the five-year minimum term prescribed in federal law.

The written arguments that swayed U.S. District Court Judge Rosanna Malouf Peterson to hand down the exceptional sentence have been filed under seal. Michael Matterns co-conspirators received sentences of 56 and 30 months, respectively, which were also below the five-year minimum.

The felony conviction does not automatically disqualify Mattern, 46, from serving a future role with the Department of Corrections.

Mattern, an employee of the state prison for nearly 20 years, was found with 200 strips of Suboxone, the prescription medication used to treat opioid addiction that can also be abused. Investigators also found him in possession of 14.6 grams of methamphetamine and 2.9 grams of heroin at the prison. The drugs were hidden in a tobacco tin inside Matterns lunch box, according to court records.

Mattern resigned from the department the same day a criminal complaint was filed in federal court.

An investigation by the FBI and the Washington Department of Corrections revealed that an inmate, 34-year-old Joseph Burnett, called from a phone in the prison to request drugs be smuggled into the prison while he was serving a sentence on theft and robbery charges. The phone calls began in March 2020, after COVID-19 lockdown procedures limited visits at the prison.

The drugs were supplied by Brandy Lorentzen, 46, who met with Mattern to provide the drugs and payment for smuggling, according to a sworn statement from FBI Special Agent David DiBartolo based on surveillance of Matterns car. The FBI and DOC received tips from unnamed inmates in the prison that drugs were being smuggled into Matterns unit of the corrections facility. Lorentzen knew Burnett before his incarceration and had previously spent time in federal prison on a heroin distribution charge.

Mattern pleaded guilty in January to a single count of conspiracy to distribute drugs, but contended in court documents that he was only aware of the Suboxone, which Burnett said sold for $250 a strip in the prison during the lockdown, according to court records. He said he didnt know the tin also included meth and heroin. The charge carries a five-year minimum sentence under federal law, but judges have discretion about whether to follow those guidelines based on the arguments of attorneys.

Those written arguments have been kept from public review and scrutiny in Matterns case.

A document known as a sentencing memorandum is prepared in most federal cases, making arguments for a departure from the guideline in a specific case by both the prosecution and defense. Those records may be filed under seal, preventing public inspection for a number of reasons.

Matterns sentencing memoranda were filed under seal, and his defense attorney, Richard Mount, declined to discuss the sentence Wednesday, citing confidential details in the sentencing reports. The U.S. Attorneys Office also declined comment beyond what was in the public court filings.

Public minutes of the sentencing proceedings show that multiple members of Matterns family spoke on his behalf at his sentencing, and the courtroom also included members of the group Narcotics Anonymous that Mattern had been attending. Mattern was permitted to attend a softball game sponsored by Narcotics Anonymous in Coeur dAlene while his criminal matter was pending, according to court records.

Lorentzen and Burnett pleaded guilty to the same conspiracy count, a felony. Lorentzen received a 30-month prison sentence, while Burnett received 56 months.

Kurtis Robinson, executive director of the group I Did the Time that advocates for reforms to assist previously incarcerated people and first vice president of the Spokane chapter of the NAACP, said the publicly available information about Matterns sentencing was very concerning.

We see that play out time and time again, where law enforcement, for similar offenses, are treated unequally, are held inequitably accountable, Robinson said. Thats a problem. That undermines public trust.

Jeffry Finer, who represented Lorentzen, said the prison term agreed to by Peterson was a just resolution in her case.

I dont know the reason for Mr. Matterns sentence, Finer said, adding that judges have a lot of discretion in what to seal and unseal, and that he was happy with the inclusion of drug treatment programming for his client while she is incarcerated.

Burnetts attorney, Jeff Niesen, said he didnt know the reasoning behind Matterns sentence but that he was dumbfounded when he read it.

Richard is a good lawyer. Hes a smart lawyer, theres no two ways about it, Niesen said.

Burnetts sentencing memorandum was filed publicly with the court, and disputes Matterns claim that he was bribed into participating in the smuggling.

His addiction has been the source of his problems with law enforcement and limited his involvement with his children, the memorandum reads.

Niesen said he believed his clients lengthier sentence had to do with his criminal history.

Burnett was listed in custody of the Spokane County Jail on Thursday. Lorentzen and Mattern were permitted to surrender on their own to the U.S. Marshals. Neither were listed in federal custody Thursday.

Department of Corrections policy does not automatically disqualify employment based on a felony conviction, agency spokeswoman Jacque Coe wrote in an email.

Washington State Department of Corrections policy requires all applicants for employment to disclose felony convictions and, while not precluded from employment, prior conviction information is definitely considered as it relates to the specific role and job performance, she wrote.

Mattern will remain on supervised release for life, according to the terms of his sentence. He must complete 300 hours of community service and will face up to six months of home confinement after release.

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Airway Heights prison guard gets 2 months for smuggling drugs inside. Prisoner who received the drugs? He got 56 months. - The Spokesman-Review

The chief mate of an international shipping vessel aboard which federal authorities at the Port of Philadelphia seized a record-breaking 20 tons of cocaine in 2019 expected to be paid more than $1 million for overseeing the smuggling effort, federal prosecutors said.

That disclosure a rare glimpse of the economics behind what customs officials have described as one of the largest drug busts in U.S. history came Thursday as a federal judge sentenced Bosko Markovic to seven years in prison instead.

Markovic, 39, of Montenegro, was the most senior crewman aboard the MSC Gayane arrested by federal authorities after an investigation that has spanned from the Packer Avenue Marine Terminal to the Balkans, the South American coast, and mainland Europe. He pleaded guilty to drug-trafficking conspiracy charges last year.

And while some of the seven other charged crewmen, many of whom Markovic recruited into the conspiracy while the Gayane was at sea, have since disclosed how much money they expected to be paid by the Balkan drug traffickers financing the illicit shipment, all of the amounts cited in court filings roughly $50,000 to $60,000 per participant have been significantly less than the payday Markovic had been offered.

His role was necessary, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jerome Maiatico said. A smuggling scheme of this magnitude would likely not have been possible without the [Gayanes] chief officer in on the scheme.

Still, as prosecutors portrayed it in court Thursday, the sizable windfall Markovic hoped to receive was nothing compared with the estimated $1 billion that U.S. authorities say the traffickers behind the effort could have made had their cocaine reached its intended destination: the streets of Europe.

READ MORE: Eight crewmen have pleaded guilty as probe continues into a record 20-ton cocaine bust on a Philly ship

Addressing U.S. District Judge Harvey Bartle III in court, Markovic and his attorney, Benjamin Brait Cooper, laid out a tale similar to those shared by the other members of the Gayanes crew who have been sentenced so far to prison terms ranging from two to six years.

Like them, he had grown up in a coastal Montenegrin community known for two primary industries the thousands of crewmen it provides to international shipping companies and the violent narcotics gangs that oversee smuggling routes to much of Europe.

Like four of the others, he said he was approached in the Balkans, before the Gayane had even embarked on its 2019 voyage by the traffickers looking to recruit him. The $1 million-plus price tag they were offering far surpassed his annual salary of roughly $108,000 a year.

And as the ships chief mate responsible for, as his attorney described it, overseeing pretty much everything to do with the Gayanes daily operations Markovic was in a key position to ensure that the loading of the drugs in secret went off as planned and that the illicit cargo went undetected as the Gayane made its way from port to port.

READ MORE: Just how much is 20 tons of cocaine?

Using phones he had been given in advance, he coordinated with the cocaines suppliers in South America to secretly load the duffel bags filled with white bricks from the speedboats that approached the Gayane under the cover of darkness at several points during its journey between Panama and the Peruvian coast.

He recruited other crew members to hide the drugs in shipping containers carrying cargo like wine, vegetable extract, Chilean dried nuts, scrap metal, and other legitimate goods bound for Europe, Africa, and Asia.

But when U.S. authorities intercepted the ship as it pulled into Philadelphia on its way to Rotterdam, the Netherlands, it was Markovic and his fellow crewmates who were left to pay the price.

Although Mr. Markovic was the chief officer, his role in the offense was rather similar to everyone else who participated in this, said Cooper. He was recruited.

Neither Cooper nor prosecutors specifically identified by whom.

Though federal authorities have said the investigation into the suppliers and financiers behind the smuggling effort continues, the details of that probe remain tightly guarded.

Up until earlier this year, the cases against many of the Gayane crewmen remained under court seal. And one of the men Vladimir Penda, 28, who is serving a six-year sentence for his involvement maintained at his sentencing in April that he only agreed to participate for fear of what the Balkan gangs that recruited him might do to him or his family if he refused.

When a Montenegrin newspaper inaccurately reported last year that Penda had agreed to cooperate with the U.S. investigation, his family fled their home fearing retribution from the traffickers, Pendas attorney said at the time.

Markovic made no mention, either, of the organization that hired him when it came time Thursday for him to address the judge.

Instead, speaking in a deep, thickly accented English, he said he regretted his involvement and dreamed of returning to Montenegro once his prison term was complete.

The only thing I have left is hope, he said. Hope that I can look into the future and see my own family soon and start a family of my own.

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Seven years in prison for chief mate of cargo vessel where Philly feds found record 20 tons of cocaine - The Philadelphia Inquirer

This weekend will see theBassmasterClassic come to Lake Ray Roberts. You can watch the boats go out return to the Texas State Park at Pilot Point. Thats about all you will see as the rest is at the Fort Worth Stockyards.

This is the Classic and while you might have seen a couple of major tournaments on Texoma, you are in for a surprise in Fort Worth. Some of you might have gone to the Classic in Tulsa some years back. It was my first and I worked it forTFORods andBlakemoreRoad Runner.

Tulsa was where I met GerryLoomisand we became friends before it was over. That Tulsa show also was where I met Bill Dance on a break. He had been at another show that we both were working. We were in the Tulsa break room, he kept looking at me and then said: "I know you but whats your name?"

After two shows we worked together, Jimmy Houston became a friend. He had been cold toward me at the other shows but after he saw that I was also serious about my work we became friends. Ray Scott was another friend I made at that Oklahoma City Tackle Show.

At another show later I was working with BillyMurrey, Ray came up behind me and got me in a headlock, dont know why but they were all laughing. It helped to know them all when I was into serious fishing.

Fast forward until this weekend. You just cant believe what you will see and can do. If you go with your family make sure your boy or girl has a new cap. They might get some famous fishing names on it. Friday will also be Military Appreciation Day. Saturday is FirstResponderAppreciation Day. There will be a load of things to do at the Outdoors Expo at the Will Rogers Memorial Center.

Friday from 4-10 p.m. will see the kickoff party. It starts with the Cattle Drive. Live music at 6 p.m. will include country star Jimmie Allen before he goes to play at Billy Bob's. The Squeeze Box Bandits will take over the rest of the time.

Tournament weigh-in each day will be atDickiesArena. There is a slew of great restaurants there also. Most of the entertainment is free.

Wednesday saw Charlie finally come out of hiding and we went fishing. Texoma continues to look like a bass fishermans dream. We were in Charlie's boat so I got to sit in the back and let him run the boat. After fishing our cove with no results, I had him head for the boathouses.

Using the newBooyahConvert SeriesSpinnerbaitI had talked about last week, I made a cast across the end of a boathouse and had the rod nearly jerked out of my hand as a hefty bass clobbered it. I put it in the boat; Charlie said I could count it.

Not long after, Charlie was throwing one of the olderBooyahSpinnerbaitsbut lost a fish. We went to the back of Little Mineral; we fished a long stretch of good-looking water and at one point I caught a nice bass on mySpinnerbait. While fishing was slow, the buck brush was biting as we had to go into it several times to get our lures back.

Moving over to another bank, Charlie's rod bent double it was a bigstriper; didnt count. Moved on up to another cove. We were fishing along and Charlie caught and lost another fish. Later he caught and got in another fish. It was silver; didnt count.

Giving myBooyahConvert SeriesSpinnerbaita rest, I tossed a YUM Breaking Shad Jerk Bait and was working it over a big limb in the water when a nice Kentucky crashed it. We heard a splashing and back down the bank a big school ofstripersorsandbasswere working over a school of shad.

By the time we decided to go back and try them they were gone. I got one more bass on the YUM Breaking Shad. It was getting hot so we decided to go in. I like to catch at least five fish before I write about them. I had to count Charlie's two to get to five.

Im at loggers end trying to figure out where the bass are. My most consistent bass structure continues to be boathouses with the newBooyahSpinnerbait. Crappie are slow and when I catch one it is in deeper water in or around brush. Even people fishing with minnows arent catching very many. Catfish will be spawning now and the lake has a lot of jug lines floating everywhere.

The rocks and black holes down towardEisenhowerMarina close to the bank are good places to look for the kitties. Look where you are running if you wrap one off those jug lines around your prop get it off quick as you can. Dont and it can melt your prop seal and possibly cost you a lower unit.

Stripers and sandbass are definitely your best bet for catching now. Live bait seems to be best now but some lures are also getting limits. Finding a place to park at our ramp is getting hard to do. Highport is running some people off with their new launch system and they are coming over here only to find no place to park.

Your best bets for finding launch parking will likely be the Lighthouse or Little Mineral Marina.

Have a great weekend and a trip to Fort Worth would be fun.

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J.B. Webb Bassmaster Classic will be one to remember - Sherman Denison Herald Democrat

Locatedin international waters, on themilitary fortress ofRoughsTower, Sealand is the smallest country in the world.

The countrys national motto is E Mare, Libertas (From the Sea, Freedom), reflecting itsenduringstruggle for liberty through the years. Sealand has been an independent sovereignStatesince 1967. The Bates family governs the small stateas hereditary royal rulers, each member with his, or her,own royal title. Sealandupholdsits own constitution, composed of a preamble and seven articles. Upon thedeclarationofindependence, the founding Bates family raised the Sealand flag,pledgingfreedom and justiceto all that lived under it.

Following this, Sealand issued passports to its nationals, minted official currency and commissioned its own stamps.

Show your support for Sealandindependence for the years to come,by registering for aNoble Title and becoming a Lord or a Lady. Sealand also offersID cards,and the chance to owna piece ofourterritory. Other official Sealand products are also available for sale on this website.See shop

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Principality of Sealand - Become A Lord Or Lady With Sealand

In the early 60s, Roy Bates, a Major in the British army, established a radio station, situated offshore on an abandoned ex naval fort named Knock John. The theory behind this location was an attempt to bypass the draconian broadcasting restrictions of the time, which permitted little more than formal broadcasting by the BBC. Roys station, Radio Essex, and others like it, were known affectionately by the media as Pirate radio stations, and were much loved by the British public, as they supplied everything that the BBC did not at the time, Pop music and amusing presenters.

In the years than ensued, Roy fought an unsuccessful legal battle with the UK government, which questioned the legality of his occupation of said fort. It was ruled that Knock John fell under UK jurisdiction. Smarting from his setback, Roy weighed his options. Another abandoned fortress, Roughs Tower, identical in construction to the Knock John existed further offshore, and crucially, outside of the three mile limit to which the UK jurisdiction extended. Roy proceeded to occupy Roughs Tower, on Christmas eve 1966, with the intention of revitalising his dormant radio station. This was until he conjured a different plan entirely. After consulting his lawyers, Roy decided to declare this fortress island the independent state of Sealand, Claiming Jus Gentium (Law of Nations) over a part of the globe that was Terra Nullius (Nobodys Land).

On the 2nd of September 1967, accompanied by his wife Joan on her birthday, his son Michael (14), daughter Penelope (16) and several friends and followers, Roy declared the Principality of Sealand. The founding of this country was marked by the raising of a newly designed flag, and in an extremely romantic birthday gesture, the bestowing of a new title on his beloved wife, to be know from that moment on as Princess Joan.

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About Sealand | The Principality Of Sealand | Sealand History

SHANGHAI and HONG KONG , June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Antengene Corporation Limited ("Antengene", SEHK: 6996.HK), a leading innovative biopharmaceutical company dedicated to discovering, developing and commercializing global first-in-class and/or best-in-class therapeutics in hematology and oncology, announced that fifteen studies and results of selinexor, the world's first approved oral selective inhibitor of nuclear export (SINE), will be presented at the 2021 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, taking place in a virtual format on June 4 to 8 .

Selected Abstracts:

Effects of weekly selinexor, bortezomib, dexamethasone (XVd) versus standard twice weekly bortezomib and dexamethasone (Vd) on RAS-mutated previously treated multiple myeloma (MM).

Abstract #: 8027

Effects of refractory status to lenalidomide on safety and efficacy of selinexor, bortezomib, and dexamethasone (XVd) versus bortezomib and dexamethasone (Vd) in patients with previously treated multiple myeloma.

Abstract #: 8024

Survival among older patients with previously treated multiple myeloma treated with selinexor, bortezomib, and dexamethasone (XVd) in the BOSTON study.

Abstract #: 8019

Updated overall survival of eltanexor for the treatment of patients with hypomethylating agent refractory myelodysplastic syndrome.

Abstract #: e19037

Results of the phase 2 MARCH Study: Oral ATG-010 (Selinexor) plus low dosedexamethasone in Chinese patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM) previously treated with an immunomodulatory agent (IMiD) and a proteasome inhibitor (PI).

Abstract #: e20002

Oral selinexor, pomalidomide, and dexamethasone (XPd) at recommended phase 2 dose in relapsed refractory multiple myeloma (MM).

Abstract #: 8018

SIENDO/ENGOT-EN5/GOG-3055: A randomized phase 3 trial of maintenance selinexor versus placebo after combination platinum-based chemotherapy in advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer.

Abstract #: TPS5610

Open-label phase 1 study evaluating the tolerability and anti-tumor activity of selinexor and pembrolizumab in colorectal cancer.

Abstract #: e15579

A phase 1/2 study of selinexor in combination with standard of care therapy for newly diagnosed or recurrent glioblastoma.

Abstract #: TPS2071

A phase Ib/II study of selinexor in combination with imatinib in patients with advanced gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST): SeliGIST/GEIS-41 trial.

Abstract #: 11534

Selinexor in combination with weekly paclitaxel in patients with advanced or metastatic solid tumors: Results of an open label, single-center, multiarm phase 1b study.

Abstract #: 5565

Once weekly selinexor, carfilzomib, and dexamethasone (XKd) in carfilzomib nonrefractory multiple myeloma (MM) patients.

Abstract #: 8038

A randomized, open-label, phase 3 study of low-dose selinexor and lenalidomide (Len) versus len maintenance post autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) for newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (NDMM): ALLG MM23, Sealand.

Abstract #: TPS8055

Molecular predictors of response to selinexor in advanced unresectable de-differentiated liposarcoma (DDLS).

Abstract #: 11509

Selinexor containing regimens in patients with multiple myeloma (MM) previously treated with anti-CD38 monoclonal antibodies (aCD38 mAbs).

Abstract #: e20020

About Antengene

Antengene Corporation Limited ("Antengene", SEHK: 6996.HK) is a leading clinical-stage R&D driven biopharmaceutical company focused on innovative medicines for oncology and other life-threatening diseases. Antengene aims to provide the most advanced anti-cancer drugs to patients in the Asia Pacific Region and around the world. Since its establishment in 2017, Antengene has built a broad and expanding pipeline of clinical and pre-clinical stage assets through partnerships as well as in-house drug discovery, and obtained 15 investigational new drug (IND) approvals and submitted 5 new drug applications (NDAs) in multiple markets in Asia Pacific . Antengene's vision is to " Treat Patients Beyond Borders ". Antengene is focused on and committed to addressing significant unmet medical needs by discovering, developing and commercializing first-in-class/best-in-class therapeutics.

View original content to download multimedia: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/antengene-announces-fifteen-clinical-studies-and-results-of-selinexor-to-be-presented-at-asco-2021-301303108.html

SOURCE Antengene Corporation Limited

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Antengene Announces Fifteen Clinical Studies and Results of Selinexor to be Presented at ASCO 2021 - Stockhouse

Notice of Public Hearing of the Amherst County Board of Supervisors The Amherst County Board of Supervisors will conduct a public hearing commencing at 7:00 pm on Tuesday, June 15, 2021, in the Amherst County Administration Building, 153 Washington St., Amherst, VA 24521, to consider adoption of Ordinance 2021-0003 amending Sections 15-121, 15-128, 15-129, and 15-131 of Article IV of Chapter 15 of the Amherst County Code to promote economic development in the County and facilitate operations and administration of Amherst County Service Authority, as follows: Sec. 15-121. - Definitions. The following words, terms, and phrases, when used in this Article, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this Section, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning: Availability charge fee means a one-time charge paid prior to connection to the water or sewer facilities of the Service Authority based on the system capacity estimated average daily water volume to be used by the connection. Executive Director of public utilities means the administrative officer of the Service Authority designated by its governing body, the Amherst County Service Board of Directors. Priority Service Area means the area encompassed within two hundred fifty feet (250') of any public sanitary sewer designed to flow by gravity, or public water main, owned by Amherst County Service Authority and installed within a public easement or right-of-way. Sec. 15-128. Sewer Connection fees. (a) Whenever any sewer line designed to flow by gravity, owned by the Amherst County Service Authority, runs or is installed within an easement or right-of-way, but not more than two hundred fifty (250) feet from any premises, that property is within the priority service area of the Service Authority as determined by the Director of Public Utilities. Any such determination that is disputed by the property owner may be appealed, in writing, to the Service Authority Board of Directors. (b) (a) Any premises constructed after the availability of a public sanitary sewer and/or public water main, or any premises the use of which is changed, within the priority service area Priority Service Area must connect to the Service Authority's public sanitary sewerage system and/or public water system, for the fee(s) specified in this Section. (c) (b) Any premises within the priority service area Priority Service Area that has a malfunctioning private wastewater treatment system or private water well system may connect to the Service Authority's public sanitary sewerage system or public water system, for the fee specified in this Section. (d) (c) All other premises within the priority service area Priority Service Area may connect to the Service Authority's public sanitary sewerage system or public water system for the fee(s) specified in this Section. No premises within the priority service area Priority Service Area and receiving public sanitary sewer service may disconnect from the Service Authority public sanitary sewerage system in favor of a septic tank, privy, or lagoon. No premises within the Priority Service Area and receiving public water service may disconnect from the Service Authority public water system in favor of a private water well or other potable water supply. (e) (d) The sanitary sewer connection fee shall be one thousand five hundred dollars ($1,500.00) for a four inch connection. Larger connections shall be actual cost, but not less than the four inch connection fee. Dual highway connections of any size shall be actual cost, but not less than the four inch connection fee. (e) The water service connection fee shall be one thousand five hundred dollars ($1,500.00) for a five-eighths inch connection. Larger connections shall be actual cost, but not less than the five-eighths inch connection fee. Dual highway connections of any size shall be actual cost, but not less than the five-eighths inch connection fee. (f) Sewer Connection charges fee(s) and the determination of properties to be within the priority service area Priority Service Area of the Service Authority public sanitary sewerage system or public water system are governed by this chapter, notwithstanding any conditions, fees, or agreements made pursuant to the line extension policy maintained by the Service Authority, as that may be amended from time to time. Sec. 15-129. - Availability charges fees. (a) Any person or entity applying for connection of any existing premises or any planned premises to the Service Authority public sanitary sewer system and/or public water system shall be charged a water and/or sanitary sewer availability charge fee(s). Upon application for service, the charge fee(s) is are due and payable. No connection shall be activated unless availability charges fee(s) are paid in full; provided in the case of dwellings existing at the time of line availability, in cases of demonstrated hardship, as determined by the Service Authority Executive Director of Public Utilities, the applicant may be permitted to pay the availability charge fee(s) balance in twelve (12) bimonthly installments over a twenty-four-month period, or for such longer period as the Executive Director of Public Utilities may establish. The addition of any building, facility, plant, or unit to an existing facility or land served by the Service Authority public water and/or sewer lines shall constitute the creation of separate premises. Water and/or sewer service(s) may be supplied to such separate premises upon the filing of an application and payment of the applicable availability fee(s). (1) Water availability charge fee: For residential premises, the water availability charge fee shall be three thousand dollars ($3,000.00) per dwelling unit, based on an assumed average water usage of two hundred seventy five gallons per day (275 gpd). For other nonresidential premises, availability charges fees shall be based on: Table 1, or three thousand dollars ($3,000.00) times the quotient of the estimated flow, which calculations shall be provided on the letterhead of an engineer or architect bearing their professional seal, based on an assumed usage of two hundred seventy-five gallons per day (275 gpd). If the availability charges are determined using both Table 1 and estimated flows, the Service Authority Director of Public Utilities shall select the lower of the two (2) charges determined. In no instance shall the water availability charge be less than three thousand dollars ($3,000.00) for each connection to the system. Section 15-124, Table 1; or Estimated average daily water usage submitted by the project engineer or architect under his/her seal and signature and on his/her letterhead, in gallons per day, divided by 275 gpd and multiplied by $3,000.00. The estimated average daily water usage should be based on the following: (1) engineering calculations, and/or (2) plumbing fixture counts, and/or (3) documented water usage at a similar site, as acceptable by the Executive Director. The Executive Director will determine the possible availability fees based on all information submitted and assess the lowest calculated availability fee that meets this Section; however, in no instance shall the water availability fee by less than $3,000.00. (2) Sanitary sewer availability charge fee: For residential premises, the sewer availability charge fee shall be four thousand five hundred dollars ($4,500.00) per dwelling unit. For other non-residential premises, availability charges fees shall be based on: Table 2 or four thousand five hundred ($4,500.00) times the quotient of the estimated flow, which calculations shall be provided on the letterhead of an engineer or architect bearing their professional seal, based on an assumed usage of two hundred seventy-five gallons per day (275 gpd). If the availability charges are determined using both Table 2 and estimated flows, the Service Authority Director of Public Utilities shall select the lower of the two (2) charges determined. In no instance shall the water availability charge be less than four thousand five hundred dollars ($4,500.00) for each connection to the system Section 15-124, Table 2; or Estimated average daily water usage submitted by the project engineer or architect under his/her seal and signature and on his/her letterhead, in gallons per day, divided by 275 gpd and multiplied by $4,500.00. The estimated average daily water usage should be based on the following: (1) engineering calculations, and/or (2) plumbing fixture counts, and/or (3) documented water usage at a similar site, as acceptable by the Executive Director. The Executive Director will determine the possible availability fees based on all information submitted and assess the lowest calculated availability fee that meets this Section; however, in no instance shall the water availability fee by less than $4,500.00. (b) For any nonresidential premises having a utilized private sewage treatment system, the sewer availability charge shall be based on Table 2 or be the fee specified in Section 15-129(a)(2) times the quotient of the flow estimate, which calculations shall be provided on the letterhead of an engineer or architect, bearing their professional seal, and two hundred seventy-five gallons per day (275 gpd), but in no instance shall the sewer availability charge be less than the fee specified in Section 15-129(a)(2), provided connection into the Service Authority's sewer system is made within the first twelve (12) months following availability of the public sewer line. If the availability charges are determined using both Table 2 and estimated flow, the Service Authority Director of Public Utilities shall select the lower of the two (2) charges determined. (b) For nonresidential premises already connected to the Service Authority sanitary sewer and/or water system(s), with availability fee(s) for the property having been previously paid, that experience a site expansion, change in site use, or other change resulting in increased sewage discharge or water use, additional availability fee(s) may be assessed, at the discretion of the Service Authority Executive Director. In such cases, availability fee(s) will be determined in accordance with Section 15-129(a), previously paid availability fees will be deducted, and the result assessed for payment. (c) For any residential premises having a utilized private sewage treatment system that is disconnected from the private system and connected to the Service Authority sanitary sewer system, the sanitary sewer availability charge fee shall be forty (40) percent of the amount specified in this Section per dwelling unit, provided connection into the Service Authority sewer system is made within the first twelve (12) months following availability of the public sanitary sewer line. After the first twelve (12) months following line availability, the charge fee shall be four thousand five hundred dollars ($4,500.00) per unit, for all premises having a utilized private sewage treatment system. (d) For multiple-unit residential premises connecting to a of fewer than four (4) units, constructed after the availability of the public sanitary sewer and/or public water line, the sewer availability charge shall be four thousand five hundred dollars ($4,500.00) per dwelling unit refer to Section 15-124, Tables 1 and 2, for availability fee(s) reductions for more than three (3) units. (e) For other premises constructed after the availability of the public sewer line, the sewer availability charge shall be based on Table 2 or four thousand five hundred dollars ($4,500.00) times the quotient of the flow estimated, which calculations shall be provided on the letterhead of an engineer or architect, bearing their professional seal, based on an assumed usage of two hundred seventy-five gallons per day (275 gpd), but in not instance shall the sewer availability charge be less than four thousand five hundred dollars ($4,500.00). Sec. 15-131. - Miscellaneous charges. The following charges shall be made as specified in this Section: (1) Residential customer deposit: $45.00 A refundable security fee of forty-five one hundred dollars ($45.00 $100.00) per service is payable upon application for either water and/or sewer service and refunded or credited to the customer upon closing the account. This deposit constitutes payment in advance. It may be withheld in part or in its entirety if the account is not paid in full when closed. Ordinance 2021-0003 will take effect upon adoption by the Board of Supervisors. Ordinance 2021-0003 is available for review Monday to Friday, from 8:30 am to 5:00 PM in the County Administrator's office at the above address and at the Amherst County Service Authority Water Office, 113 Phelps Road, Madison Heights, VA 24572. Accommodations for disabled persons may be made by calling 434-946-9400 at least five (5) days prior to the public hearing date. Dean C. Rodgers Robert A. Hopkins, PE, Executive Director Amherst County Administrator Amherst County Service Authority

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Notice of Public Hearing | Legal Announcements | newsadvance.com - Lynchburg News and Advance

CAPE COD, Mass., May 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ --Beachgoers will spot new signs across Cape Cod beaches this summer, a lesson in human-animal coexistence facilitated by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), whose international operations center is located in Yarmouth Port, MA.

A total of 100 signs have been distributed to 14 towns and the Cape Cod National Seashore. Through greater awareness of seal behavior and habitat, the initiative aims to inspire community conversations around coexistence rather than conflict, understanding how to live harmoniously with wildlife in a human-dominated world.

"As tourism begins to increase here on Cape Cod and on other New England beaches this month, it's also a perfect time to acknowledge the busy season for harbor seal-pups,"says IFAW animal rescue officer Misty Niemeyer. "In most cases, a seal laying on the beach is displaying completely normal behavior, and interacting with them can be detrimental to their health."

The new signs contain quick and helpful information for beachgoers, including the federally mandated Marine Mammal Protection Act recommendation to stay 150 feet away from the animal - for your safety and the animal's - and an immediate link to IFAW's stranding hotline and resource information. Here IFAW provides tips to help understand seal and seal pup behaviors, possible signs of distress, and how to help.

"Seals like to sunbathe just like people do. They come ashore to thermoregulate, digest a meal, and to rest. They are semi-aquatic animals and do not need to be wet,"confirms Niemeyer. "While they move quite awkwardly on land and are much more adept in the water, they can and do move far up the shore and are able to return to the water when they are ready," she adds.

The idea for the signs came through in a series of workshops IFAW attended alongside Cape Cod National Seashore staff, regional network members and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Seals areanintegral part of the coastalecosystem, and with more than 100 seal awareness signs now appearing at beaches across the region,the importanceofhealthycoexistence with these animalsisclear.

"Observing seals resting on beaches and sandbars is a wonderful wildlife viewing opportunity. These compelling signs provide a reminder to watch from a respectful distance, helping to ensure visitor safety and preservation of wildlife values,"saysBrian Carlstrom, Superintendentat the Cape Cod National Seashore.

Most people who approach seals on the beach are trying to be helpful, but keeping seals and their pups safe can be as easy as giving them space and calling the experts from a stranding network.

IFAW's Marine Mammal Rescue & Research team is available seven days a week to respond to reports of seals, dolphins or whales in distress, and the team is supported byarobustnetworkof more than 220 trained volunteers across the region.

Photo editors: High resolution images available HERE

About the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW)

The International Fund for Animal Welfare is a global non-profit helping animal and people thrive together. We are experts and everyday people, working across seas, oceans and in more than 40 countries around the world. We rescue, rehabilitate and release animals, and we restore and protect their natural habitats. The problems we're up against are urgent and complicated. To solve them, we match fresh thinking with bold action. We partner with local communities, governments, non-governmental organizations and businesses. Together, we pioneer new and innovative ways to help all species flourish. See how at ifaw.org

Press Contact:

North AmericaStacey HedmanCommunications ManagerYarmouth Port, MAm: +1 508 737 2558e: [emailprotected]

SOURCE International Fund for Animal Welfare

http://www.ifaw.org

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New initiative inspires coexistence with seals on Cape Cod beaches - PRNewswire

26 May 2021, 18:11

Aretha Franklin was one of the world's most respected singers of all time, with her brand of powerful and moving soul music resonating with millions around the world.

Now the subject of a new biopic drama starring Jennifer Hudson as the Queen of Soul in Respect, the film will show Aretha's rise to fame in the 1960s despite some tough challenges.

Aretha had a difficult childhood, particularly as she gave birth to her first child aged just 12 years old. But how many kids did Aretha have and where are they now?

Aretha first became pregnant at the age of 12, and gave birth to her first child, named Clarence after her father, American Baptist minister CL Franklin, in 1955.

According to biographer David Ritz, the father of her oldest son Clarence was believed to be Donald Burke, a boy from school.

However, it was later reported in one of her handwritten wills, discovered in 2019, that Clarence's father was actually Edward Jordan - whom she went on to have son Edward with in 1957.

Not much is known about Clarence's life, but he is said to have had the least musical interest of her four sons. However, he is believed to have written a number of songs, including some recorded by his mother.

It was revealed in her handwritten wills that she had made "special provisions" for Clarence, now in his 60s, who has undisclosed special needs.

In 1957, aged 14, Aretha had a second child named Edward after his father Edward Jordan.

While Aretha was pursuing her career, her grandmother Rachel and sister Erma took turns raising the children.

Now in his 60s, Edward is also a singer. He performed several duets with his mother and even sang at his mother's funeral in 2018.

Her third child, Ted White Jr, was born in 1964 and is known professionally as Teddy Richards. Aretha was 25 at the time of Teddy's birth.

Aretha married her first husband Ted White aged 19. Aretha and Ted Sr divorced in 1969.

Now in his 50s, Teddy has released several albums and played at many of his mother's concerts. He also performed as the opening act for artists such as Seal and INXS.

Aretha's youngest son, Kecalf, was born in 1970 and is the child of her road manager Ken Cunningham.

Now in his 50s, Kecalf is a Christian rapper. He also performed with his mother, with their most famous performance coming at a 2008 concert at the Radio City Music Hall.

His name is an acronym of both his father and mothers full names.

In March 2021, it was reported that Teddy and Clarence had filed a fourth will that they claim will split their late mothers $80 million estate among all four children.

After three conflicting handwritten wills were found in Aretha's Detroit home, a fourth one has now been filed.

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How many children did Aretha Franklin have and where are they now? - Smooth Radio

Cristhian Bahena Rivera's defense attorneys made their opening statement and began calling witnesses Tuesday afterprosecutors rested their case Mondayafter four days of witnesses and testimony.

Bahena Rivera, 26, is charged with first-degree murder in the death of 20-year-old Mollie Tibbetts, a University of Iowa student whose disappearance in July 2018 sparked a massive monthlong manhunt around her hometown of Brooklyn, Iowa, before her body was found concealed in a cornfield in southeast Poweshiek County.

His attorneys, Chad and Jennifer Frese, elected to defer their opening statement until after the state finished its case. Court records show they have subpoenaed a number of potential witnesses, including Tibbetts' boyfriend, Dalton Jack, and a woman with whom he allegedly had an affair. Throughout the trial, they have consistently hinted that Jack or several other men investigators considered might be the actual perpetrator.

Monday recap: After questioning investigators, state medical examiner, prosecutors rest their case

2:48 p.m.: Judge Joel Yates dismissed the jury for the day. Jurors were instructed toreturn to the courtroom at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday.

1:20 p.m.: The defense called Dalton Jack, Tibbetts boyfriend at the time she went missing, back to the stand. Defense attorney Chad Frese asked Jack plainly: Were you involved in Tibbetts death?

"I wouldn't harm her or any innocent person," he responded.

Jack said the couplewanted to get married, and that he told her he planned to propose to her during a planned vacation.

Asked about his actions after learning of Tibbetts disappearance, Jack said he tried to reach her repeatedly, but Frese saidphone records show he only called her once after she went missing.

"I don't know why I would only call her once," Jack said.

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Frese asked several questions regarding Jacks fidelity to Tibbetts, most of which were alleged text message and Snapchat conversationsand in-person encounters in 2017 and 2018 that Jack said he did not recall.

Frese also asked Jack whether he had a temper, and whether he told Tibbetts that he had anger issues. As Jack repeatedly said, he did not recall the specific conversations Frese was referencing, the defense attorney handed him phone records to review throughout the questioning.

After a 10-minute recess, Frese asked Jack if he has any memory impairment. Jack said he has had multiple concussions, but no such diagnosis.

In the prosecution's cross-examination, Jack said he turned over his truck for police to search, and denied having any connection with a black Chevy Malibu with chrome features that the defendant drives. He was excused from the courtroomat 2:46 p.m.

From 2019: Cristhian Bahena Rivera's attorneys explain the choice to represent him in Mollie Tibbetts' death

Anna Young, a criminalist with the state's crime lab, answers questions from the witness stand during Cristhian Bahena Rivera's trial on Tuesday, May 25, 2021, at the Scott County Courthouse in Davenport, Iowa. Bahena Rivera is on trial after being charged with first-degree murder in the death of Mollie Tibbetts in July 2018.(Photo: Pool / Kelsey Kremer / Des Moines Register)

1p.m.: Anna Young, a crime lab analyst with the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation who analyzed items from the defendants truck for fingerprints, said she found latent prints on an ice scraper and a plastic box of fishing tackle butcouldn't identify those on the scraper, and two prints on the tackle box didn't match Bahena Rivera.

Young told prosecutor Scott Brown duringcross-examination that Tibbetts was not in a condition where I was able to get any known prints from her and said her prints had not been collected in any existing system for comparison.

Young said the unknown prints could've been placed weeks or months before. If not disturbed by elements such as weather, a print could remain on an item "indefinitely," she said.

"Is it very possible that Mollie Tibbetts touched those items while she was in the trunk and you just have nothing to compare it to?" Brown asked.

"It's possible," Young said.

11:00 a.m.:Judge Joel D. Yates dismissed the jury for an early lunch break. The trial will resume at 1 p.m.

Iris Monarrez Gamboa answers questions from the witness stand during Cristhian Bahena Rivera's trial on Tuesday, May 25, 2021, in the Scott County Courthouse in Davenport, Iowa. Bahena Rivera is on trial after being charged with first-degree murder in the death of Mollie Tibbetts in July 2018.(Photo: Pool / Kelsey Kremer / Des Moines Register)

10:40 a.m.: Iris Monarrez Gamboa, the mother of Bahena Rivers daughter, said she met him at aquinceaera party. The two began dating and eventually moved in together, she said.

"He was a really good father," Gamboa said. "He was responsibleand he would always look after his daughter." The two had an agreement, after ending their relationship, that Bahena Rivera would pay about $500 per month for his daughters care, she said.

During cross-examination by prosecutor Bart Klaver, Gamboa confirmed Bahena Rivera drove a black Chevy Malibu, and said the defendant mentioned his contact with law enforcement prior to his arrest as investigators were searching for Tibbetts.

Alejandra Cervantes Valle, a relative of Cristhian Bahena Rivera, answers questions from the witness stand during Bahena Rivera's trial on Tuesday, May 25, 2021, in the Scott County Courthouse in Davenport, Iowa. Bahena Rivera is on trial after being charged with first-degree murder in the death of Mollie Tibbetts in July 2018.(Photo: Pool / Kelsey Kremer / Des Moines Register)

10:05 a.m.: Alejandra Cervantes Valle, the defendants aunt by marriage, testified through a Spanish-speaking interpreter. She said the defendant's parents still live in Mexico, but that he has uncles, including her husband, in Iowa.

She said he is playful and funny around family, but shy and quietaround people he doesn't know. She said he was never violent, never fought in her presence and "all the children loved him."

Cervantes Valle went to the Poweshiek County Sheriffs Office at about 8:30 p.m. on Aug. 20, 2018, while Bahena Riverawas being questioned by police. She said she and her brother-in-law were there until 1:30 a.m. on Aug. 21, but were never admitted past the building entrance. She said she called Bahena Riveras phone throughout the night of the interrogation, but he never answered.

They spoke with the police interviewer Pamela Romero in the building entrance for less than five minutes that night, she said, and were never offered a chance to see their nephew.

Dr. Michael Spence, an expert in forensic DNA, answers questions from the witness stand during Cristhian Bahena Rivera's trial on Tuesday, May 25, 2021, in the Scott County Courthouse in Davenport, Iowa. Bahena Rivera is on trial after being charged with first-degree murder in the death of Mollie Tibbetts in July 2018.(Photo: Pool / Kelsey Kremer / Des Moines Register)

8:55 a.m.: Dr. Michael Spence, a DNA expert formerly of the Indiana state crime lab, was the first witness called by the defense.He said he has reviewed more than 90 cases in more than 30 states and served as an expert witness in nearly 150 trials. He generally finds issues or questions of interpretation in about 15% of cases, he said.

Spence said the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation followed all procedures correctly to analyze DNA from blood samples, but said its results were "a little bit oversimplified" and that there are places where he disagrees with some of its interpretations.

Talking about blood stains in the fabric trunk liner, where the state found a mixture of DNA including Tibbetts, Spence said there were also additional unidentified DNA contributors that do not match either Tibbetts or Bahena Rivera.

Last week, DCI criminalist Tara Scott similarly testified that many stains found in the trunk or recovered from the cornfield contained DNA from multiple people or were too weak and contaminated to conclusively include or exclude anyone as a match.

During cross-examination by prosecutor Scott Brown, Spence confirmed the blood stain that investigators found on the trunk seal is Tibbetts' DNA. "How it got there, the DNA can't tell you that, only that it's there, and it's a single source," he said. He said it is a "very reasonable, logical assumption" to conclude that Tibbetts was injured while inside the defendants trunk.

Defense attorney Jennifer Frese gives an opening statement while presenting Cristhian Bahena Rivera's case on Tuesday, May 25, 2021, in the Scott County Courthouse in Davenport, Iowa. Bahena Rivera is on trial after being charged with first-degree murder in the death of Mollie Tibbetts in July 2018.(Photo: Pool / Kelsey Kremer / Des Moines Register)

8:40 a.m.: Attorney Jennifer Frese began opening statements for the defense Tuesday morning by promising to bring the jurywitnesses who will testify to the defendants life and family, his character as a "yes man," and the police interrogation that the defense claims was excessively long and held while the defendant was exhausted and dozing off during breaks.

"What you will see is there is no dispute my client worked a 12-hour day ... and at the end of that day, he was brought" to the PoweshiekCounty Sheriffs Office, Frese said.

"What the evidence has shown you and what the evidence will show you is there was a systematic confrontation with my client and the confrontation continued until it was put in my client's head, (that) perhaps he blacked out."

More from Monday: Politics complicated investigation into Mollie Tibbetts' death, agent says

Starting Wednesday, prosecutors took a methodical approach to laying out their evidence against Bahena Rivera.

Jurors heard from a Brooklyn woman believed to be the last to see Tibbetts alive, jogging just outside town, and from the local man whose home surveillance video provided what proved to be the crucial break in the case. Investigators recounted how they identified a distinctive black Chevy Malibu circling near Tibbetts' route, and how they identified Bahena Rivera as the driver.

In a lengthy overnight interview, officers testified, Bahena Rivera admitted he saw Tibbetts jogging, found her attractive, and followed her by car and on foot; that she threatened to call police on him; and that he grew angry and fought with her.

Prosecutors could not share evidence from much of the interview after the judge ruled Bahena Rivera had not been properly informed of his legal rights, but they could recount admissions he made after leading police to the field where Tibbetts' remains were found.That included telling officers that he "blacked out" and the next thing he remembered, he was back in his car, and Tibbetts' bloodied body was in his trunk.

Forensics experts testified that blood found in the rubber seal and fabric liner of Bahena Rivera's trunk matched Tibbetts' DNA, and the state medical examiner described at least nine separate stab wounds found on her body, including one to the side of her head that penetrated her skull and another to the neck that left marks on several of her vertebrae.

After the state rested its case Monday, Bahena Rivera's attorneys moved for a judgment of acquittal, arguing that the state had failed to provide any evidence for the necessary premeditation or specific intent to kill needed to sustain a conviction for first-degree murder. Judge Joel Yates rejected the motion, ruling the state had presented sufficient evidence to take the case before the jury.

William Morris covers courts for the Des Moines Register. He can be contacted at wrmorris2@registermedia.com, 715-573-8166 or on Twitter at @DMRMorris.

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Mollie Tibbetts case recap: 'I wouldn't harm her,' boyfriend testifies in Cristhian Bahena Rivera's trial - Des Moines Register