Environmentalists' lawsuit to halt 'Alligator Alcatraz' filed in wrong court, Florida official says
Even though the property is owned by Miami-Dade County, Florida's southern district is the wrong venue for the lawsuit since the detention center is located in neighboring Collier County, which is in the state's middle district. Decisions about the facility also were made in Tallahassee and Washington, Kevin Guthrie, executive director for the Florida Division of Emergency Management, said in a court filing.
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Yahoo
4 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Constable Resigns Over 'Money Grab' Speed Camera Program That Issued 4000 Tickets in 2 Weeks
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." Citizens often complain that speed traps are little more than a cash grab from the government. Often, it's unclear just how true that is, but in West Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, we now have evidence of it. In fact, the man behind a speed enforcement plot admitted it was intended just to raise evidence for his organization in his own resignation letter. That man is now-former Ward 2 constable Ron Tetzel. In October of 2024, he began running a budget speed camera enforcement zone near a local school, according to WBRZ ABC 2 news. In this case, Tetzel had people with a radar gun-based camera system hide out and photograph alleged speeders as they drove by the school. In just two weeks, he issued over 4000 citations to drivers, each one valued at $150. That's roughly $600,000 in revenue, which was meant to have been split between the constable's office, the speed camera company, and the school district. There was a problem, though: the constable's office had no authority to issue the citations, as the constable had not established a cooperative endeavor agreement with the school board as required by law, according to WBRZ. By late November, the local police department was putting out Facebook statements telling citizens not to pay the tickets. Louisiana state senator, Caleb Kleinpeter then responded to that post saying, "I just got off of the phone with Attorney General Murrill who has told me to inform all DO NOT PAY this civil violation. If you did we are working to see how you can be reimbursed." Within just a couple of days, the senator had gone as far as to call the ticketing method illegal. "I am a huge supporter of law enforcement, but this is nothing but a money grab," he said to WBRZ. More surprising: Tetzel admitted that himself when resigning. In a letter dated March 12, 2025 but only recently uncovered, Tetzel wrote, "In an effort to evolve this office and position from a half-baked "Mayberry" operation into a functioning service entity that actually serves the community, the Ward 2 Justice of the Peace and I engaged with multiple entities... to conduct traffic photo enforcement in an unincorporated school zone within the parish." He complained that as a constable, his monthly stipend was just $380 and that he had to use his personal vehicle, weapon, and protective equipment, and said wanted the money to fund a full-time office, to procure items for the job, and to fund other projects. "I never expected or intended to get rich doing this service, but I equally did not expect to have to dedicate so many personal resources to my own safety or ability to do this job," Tetzel said. In addition, in his resignation letter, Tetzel claimed that the state attorney general's office knew about the plan and approved it, and called Kleinpeter and AG Liz Murrill "self-important, unaccountable, soundbite-obsessed officials." At least now none of them have to work together. You Might Also Like You Need a Torque Wrench in Your Toolbox Tested: Best Car Interior Cleaners The Man Who Signs Every Car
Yahoo
4 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Fishing groups push to postpone protections for endangered right whale to 2035
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — A Maine congressman and several commercial fishing groups are getting behind a push to delay rules designed to protect a vanishing species of whale for 10 years. The North Atlantic right whale numbers only about 370 and has declined over the last 15 years. They have been the subject of proposed federal fishing laws that are backed by conservation groups because the whales are threatened by lethal entanglement in commercial fishing gear. The federal government is in the midst of a pause on federal right whale rules until 2028. Democratic Rep. Jared Golden of Maine and a coalition of fishing organizations said in letters to congressional officials that they want to extend that moratorium out to 2035. Golden, who played a role in the initial moratorium, said extending the pause would give the government the time it needs to craft regulations that reflect science. He also said it would protect Maine's lifesblood lobster fishing industry, which is one of the fishing sectors that would have to comply with rules intended to protect right whales. 'Maine's lobster fishery has most recently been valued at more than half a billion dollars — and that's just the value of the catch. It also supports tens of thousands of jobs. It is an iconic part of our state's economy, heritage and appeal to visitors,' Golden said in a July 22 letter to a subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee. The extension of the moratorium was originally proposed by Alaska Republican Nick Begich. It's one of several changes to the federal Marine Mammal Protection Act proposed by Begich, who like Golden represents a state with a large commercial fishing industry. The changes have drawn condemnation from environmental organizations and praise from commercial fishing groups. A group of fishing organizations including the Maine Lobstermen's Association said in a July 21 letter to the subcommittee that 'heavy regulation comes at a heavy cost.' The whales were once numerous off the East Coast, but they were decimated during the era of commercial whaling and have been slow to recover. They are also threatened by collisions with large ships. The population of the whales fell about 25% from 2010 to 2020. Solve the daily Crossword
Hamilton Spectator
6 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
‘Starved, bombed, killed, displaced': Hamilton man pleads with feds to help his family leave Gaza
Rani Hemaid' s 12-year-old nephew fell twice last week, weak from malnutrition. Displaced from their home, the Palestinian Canadian's sister, brother-in-law and their five children live in a building in the north of Gaza in 'unimaginable' conditions and constant fear. 'Every day they wake up, they are just looking how to survive this day,' the Hamilton man said. Sometimes they wish for the quick death of a bomb over starvation, he said. It's been more than 18 months since the federal government announced special measures to help displaced Palestinians, including temporary resident permits for Gazans with relatives in Canada. Hemaid's family applied soon after, and consented to Canada enlisting another country's help to facilitate evacuation. Hamilton's Rani Hemaid speaking at a news conference on Parliament Hill on Dec. 4, 2023, urging the federal government to expand the eligibility of extended family members of Canadian citizens who can be evacuated from war-torn Gaza. But his family is still in Gaza, fighting for their lives, he said. 'It's just continuous, continuous bombing,' Hemaid said. 'No Canadian and no human being should be hanging waiting for a text message or news to know that their families are dead.' Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) said it's 'deeply concerned' about the situation in Gaza. Gazans applying for visas under the special measures must meet requirements, including security screening, which are conducted once people leave, spokesperson Jeffrey MacDonald said in an email. Rani Hemaid's family in Gaza. Screenings are conducted by external agencies and processing times vary, he said. 'Movement out of Gaza remains the biggest challenge affecting how quickly we can help Gazans reunite with their family in Canada,' MacDonald wrote. As of July 8, more than 1,750 people have passed security screenings and 864 have arrived in Canada. The government reached the 5,000-application cap on March 6, and have closed intake, he said. The IRCC says it can't comment on individual cases, citing privacy legislation. 'We continue working closely with local authorities — at every level — to advocate for the exit of people in Gaza, however we do not ultimately decide who can leave,' MacDonald wrote. At a mid-July protest in front of the Sir Isaac Brock federal building on Bay Street North, Hemaid stood in a crowd of about 35 people holding a photo of his sister's family and a message condemning the government's 'broken promise.' Rani Hemaid family on vacation. He is among those across the country asking Canada to expedite visas. Meanwhile, Hemaid's parents' one-year visa has expired, and they've since travelled to Cairo to see his sick grandfather. Their visa was single entry, so they can't return to Canada, he said. In war, time is of the essence. Food and medical supplies are scarce and hospitals have been bombed and burned . Hemaid said his youngest niece was treated for burns without anesthesia and, earlier in the war, his 11-year-old nephew's broken leg was stabilized with only a piece of wood and tape. He slipped and fell while out looking for wood to burn for cooking. When Hemaid spoke with his sister on Friday morning, they'd been five days without water to cook or wash. The World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Sunday of 'alarming' rates of malnutrition. Rani Hemaid with his daughter Alma, 3, and wife Cynthia Wang in 2021. Of the 74 malnutrition-related deaths this year, 63 were in July, the health agency said in a release. Twenty-five were children. 'Our families are being starved, bombed, killed, displaced with everything unimaginable happening to them,' Hemaid said. 'It's frustrating, it's upsetting, we are angry.' Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
