'We're moving forward': Community building opening marks new chapter for Malden five years after fire
The $3.6 million facility includes a new library, food pantry with a walk-in freezer, and a community meeting room for events. Mayor Dan Harwood said the building's grand opening marked the beginning of a new future for Malden.
"We want to remember the past and honor the past, but we're moving forward," Harwood said.
Jim Jacobs, 93, was overcome with emotion over the new community building.
"It is hard to believe," he said. "I mean, the whole town was devastated. For a town of this size, it just kind of overwhelms you that we could have this after all that happened."
The home Jacobs and his late wife, Joy, built in the early 1990s was destroyed in the Babb Road fire. While he was among the first residents to have a new home built in Malden after the disaster, he still hopes to replicate what he can on his original lot.
"After Joy died, you could never make me leave Malden again," he said. "I've got half of her house rebuilt now, and soon as I get enough money, I'm going to try to restore as much as I could. I'm here to stay, and I intend to try to get as much of her legacy built up as I can."
There is much to be grateful for, Harwood said, despite the many challenges Malden has faced. No one died in the fire. Twenty-nine homes have been built out of the 67 that were destroyed. And the community has grown stronger through hardship.
"Our community church is still standing today," Harwood said. 'People who don't think there's a higher power out there, think about that. There was no time to get out of town, and yet everyone was safe. Everybody did their job, and it was truly amazing."
Chandelle Frick, director of the Pine Creek Community Restoration Long Term Recovery Organization, said she hopes the new community building will springboard Malden into increased economic development.
"This event marks an important milestone in the ongoing revitalization of our town," she said. "We are especially excited about the walk-in coolers and freezers for the food bank, the high-speed fiber access in the library, and the event space where large groups can gather."
The facility also has an outdoor amphitheater, playground and bathrooms with showers accessible from the outside. These amenities will assist visitors on the Malden Palouse-to-Cascades Trailhead, part of the Great American Rail-Trail that traverses the country, from Washington, D.C., to La Push, Washington.
The library opened in January ahead of the community center's grand opening. Librarian Vanessa Place said the library is a source of stability for children who may not remember life before the fire.
"Their house might be gone, or their neighbors, you know, might have been gone, but they still had the stability and the comfort of something they knew, and that is the library," Place said.
U.S. Rep. Michael Baumgartner said the residents of Malden "represent the best of America."
"When that catastrophic fire came through this community, the devastation that it caused would have made it easy just to kind of think that's the end of Malden," Baumgartner said.
"But that's not what you did. You had a lot of resolve, and you came together as a community. You put aside a lot of differences and brought out the best of each other, and today we celebrate this wonderful community center."
There is still more recovery needed.
Before the fire, the small village had 230 residents. As of 2025, that number is down to 140, according to the mayor. Three families who lost homes in the fire have been unable to rebuild and have been living in recreational vehicles the past five years.
"One of these families have three small children," Harwood said. "That's a wake-up call for us. That is something that needs to be changed, and it's up to everyone in this room to push that to happen."
Donations to the community can be made at pinecreekcommunityrestoration.org/givenow/.
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Miami Herald
11-06-2025
- Miami Herald
American Black Film Festival is in Miami. Here are some films to check out
As the pandemic forced a global shutdown halting businesses, communities and touching every aspect of how society functioned in 2020, a pivotal election was brewing across the U.S. — one that would have a major effect on southern states. And as that chaos brewed, Black Voters Matter decided to meet the moment. Their efforts to energize and register voters is chronicled in a new documentary, 'Love, Joy & Power: Tools For Liberation.' That story is one of several films screening at the American Black Film Festival when it rolls into town this week highlighting Black storytellers and providing resources for those in the filmmaking industry. Black Voters Matter co-founder Cliff Albright said the film is a story about overcoming, pointing out the significance of the film's debut close to Juneteenth. 'It's not just the story of 2020 or the story of Black Voters Matters, it's really a story of how we have historically overcome, including going back to just Juneteenth,' he told the Herald. 'It shows the work that we're doing, but it also shows what movement is really like.' The film's timing is not lost on Albright, who said the story is essential at a time when Black stories and how they are shared is either being banned or altered in schools and libraries. 'Liberation' is just one of the films ABFF attendees can see when it kicks of Wednesday. We've put together a few more for you all to check out: 'Love, Joy & Power: Tools For Liberation' In this documentary, readers are taken on a journey through the efforts of Black Voters Matter to turn Georgia 'purple' in the 2020 election through grassroots voting efforts across the South, including Florida. The film, directed by Daresha Kyi, will screen at 1:10 p.m. Thursday at O Cinema. 'The ReWrite.' What is an authentic Black voice? That's what screenwriter Elliot (Stephen Barrington) obsesses over after he is told by white executives how Black people should sound and act. He wrestles with this as he tries to find the balance between being authentic and making money. 'I just want to sell without selling out,' he says. The film, directed by Terry Dawson, debuts at ABFF at 2:15 p.m. Thursday at Miami Beach Convention Center in Screening Room #2. 'Wait Until Tomorrow' The intersection of race, wealth and opportunity take center stage in this documentary that follows the lives of various Black families in the United States. The stories drive home the realities behind data examining the search for economic mobility. Directed by Osato Dixon will show at 10:30 a.m. Thursday at O Cinema. 'Carnival: They Can't Steal Our Joy' The colors. The beads. The feathers. The sounds. These are some of the things that make up Caribbean Carnival. But Ian Mark Kimanje's film, 'Carnival: They Can't Steal Our Joy,' pulls back the layers of the festival's significance culturally and historically in Toronto and beyond. Making its U.S. premier, the film will screen at O Cinema at 10:30 a.m. Saturday.
Politico
10-06-2025
- Politico
Why the U.S. government is touting tourism in Afghanistan
Presented by Housing For US HAPPY TRAILS — If you haven't made summer plans yet, here's an idea: Have you considered Afghanistan? The State Department strongly advises against travel for Americans but the Department of Homeland Security has determined that conditions are on the upswing in the perennially war-torn country — and that even tourism is starting to come back. 'Tourists are sharing their experiences on social media, highlighting the peaceful countryside, welcoming locals, and the cultural heritage, according to some reports,' DHS said. The rosy observation appears in a recent DHS notification in the Federal Register, announcing the revocation of Temporary Protected Status for about 12,000 Afghans who have taken refuge in the U.S., part of the Trump administration's larger effort to dismantle refugee programs and remove non-citizens from the country. In a finding that has confounded experts and advocates, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem determined that there have been 'notable improvements' in the security and economy of Afghanistan such that refugees would not be in imminent danger upon their return. Afghanistan used to be a popular draw for foreign backpackers, part of the famed 'Hippy Trail.' That ended with the Soviet invasion in 1979, which ushered in nearly 40 years of conflict. By some measures, the country is indeed experiencing a period of relative calm compared to more recent years. That's because the U.S. is no longer at war with the Taliban thanks to a peace deal signed during President Donald Trump's first term and a chaotic American withdrawal completed under President Joe Biden. The White House still has a hostile view of the Taliban government, including Afghanistan on a list of 19 countries whose citizens are now banned or restricted from entering the U.S. under an executive order that took effect Monday. But in the federal register, DHS notes that attacks involving improvised explosive devices have declined by 72 percent over the past year; the number of people in need of humanitarian assistance has fallen to 23.7 million, down from 29 million a year earlier; and GDP rose 2.7 percent. DHS notes approvingly that tourism has increased a whopping 913 percent, reportedly with the encouragement of the ultraconservative Taliban, since the U.S. withdrawal – with about 7,000 people, primarily from China, visiting Afghanistan in 2023. DHS, however, seems to have been selective with its statistics. In the footnotes of its Federal Register notice, the agency three times cites a report from last year by the United States Institute of Peace – an independent organization that the Trump administration and DOGE moved to shut down (a judge has halted the effort but the organization still faces an uncertain future). USIP's report on the state of the country three years into Taliban rule is much less sanguine, concluding that Afghanistan has 'only a façade of domestic stability' and that humanitarian and human rights conditions are 'dire.' Since taking power, the Taliban has issued over 100 decrees restricting the rights of women and girls to education, employment, healthcare and mobility — even declaring that female voices cannot be heard outside the home, according to USIP. Hundreds of men and women have been subjected to public floggings. Authorities have carried out disappearances and extrajudicial killings. In any case, the report was not produced to make a case, one way or the other, for Afghan TPS, said Scott Worden, USIP's director of Afghanistan and Central Asia Programs. 'It's validating to see the US government crediting the quality of USIP's research enough to cite it in an important administrative determination,' Worden said. 'However, the information that is cited in the USIP report does not speak to the specific risks that Afghans who have received TPS face if they go back to a Taliban-run Afghanistan.' The fact that Chinese tourists find the country safe, he said, is not really relevant since their government supported the Taliban. 'That is a totally different circumstance from an Afghan who helped America, who worked closely with Americans will face if they return to Taliban rule and will be subject to persecution or even worse.' As for American tourists, it may be best to stick with the State Department advisory, which flatly recommends 'do not travel.' Welcome to POLITICO Nightly. Reach out with news, tips and ideas at nightly@ Or contact tonight's author at bfox@ or on X (formerly known as Twitter) at @ben_foxed. What'd I Miss? — California asks judge to 'immediately' block military from joining ICE raids: Gov. 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The restraining order request, however, is focused explicitly on a growing expectation among California officials that those troops will soon be sent on arrest missions alongside agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement — raising the likelihood of direct confrontations with L.A. residents. — Troops deployed to LA will cost $134M, Pentagon official says: President Donald Trump's decision to deploy troops to Los Angeles amid mass deportation protests will likely cost $134 million, the Pentagon's budget chief told lawmakers. Acting Pentagon comptroller Bryn MacDonnell, testifying at a House budget hearing today alongside Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, said the estimate covers costs such as travel, housing and food. — Trump administration weighs pulling education grants for California: The Trump administration is considering cutting federal education funds to California, according to people familiar with the administration's thinking. The discussion comes as Gov. Gavin Newsom and President Donald Trump feud over the president's deployment of the National Guard to Los Angeles to stop immigration protests. A Trump administration employee, who was not permitted to speak publicly about the administration's plans, told POLITICO the Education Department may stop the disbursement of 'formula funds,' which are awards based on a predetermined formula created by Congress. The administration has not yet reached a final decision, according to a separate person familiar with the discussions. But there is some uncertainty over the department's ability to pull funding that is not directly connected to California's state department of education. — Trump: Protests in DC will be met with 'very heavy force': President Donald Trump warned that any protests during this weekend's major military parade in Washington will be met with 'very heavy force.' 'If there's any protester who wants to come out, they will be met with very big force,' the president said today during an impromptu Oval Office press conference. 'I haven't even heard about a protest, but [there are] people that hate our country.' The comments come as the White House and Washington law enforcement officials are preparing for a military parade on Saturday, which coincides with the Army's 250th — and Trump's 79th — birthday. — Former Biden aides agree to testify on his mental acuity to House Oversight: Four senior Biden White House aides agreed to testify to the House Oversight Committee as part of its probe into former President Joe Biden's ailing health while in office, according to a committee aide. Chair James Comer had requested the aides' cooperation with his investigation in May, amid renewed scrutiny in Washington of the former president's mental acuity. 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This is why we have taken action now — to hold those responsible to account.' In response, Israel said: 'It is outrageous that elected representatives and members of the government are subjected to these kind of measures.' Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar said the Cabinet would meet next week to respond to what he called the 'unacceptable decision.' While the U.S. has continued to stand resolutely behind Israel as it wages war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip, other longtime allies — including the EU, Britain and Canada — have grown increasingly critical of Israel and its military tactics. Ben-Gvir and Smotrich have consistently been the most hard-line ministers in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government and are crucial allies keeping him in power. 'A DANGER TO US ALL' — The European Commission announced today its latest salvo of sanctions on Russia, taking aim at the Kremlin's energy exports, infrastructure and financial institutions. The measures, which are intended to pile pressure on Moscow to end its war in Ukraine, include proposals to lower the oil price cap from $60 to $45 per barrel and ban the use of the Nord Stream pipelines to funnel gas between Russia and Germany. A further 22 Russian banks will also be cut off from the SWIFT international banking system, with the current, partial prohibition on Russian financial institutions broadened to a 'full transaction ban,' Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said. Calling the sanctions 'robust' and 'hard-biting,' von der Leyen said the Russian economy was already buckling under the pressure of the EU's past measures and the new package would pummel it further. 'Russia continues to bring death and destruction to Ukraine,' she said at a joint press conference with the EU's top diplomat Kaja Kallas. 'Our message is clear: This war must end.' Kallas said it was 'clear that Russia does not want peace' and needed to pay the price for its 'outright illegal' war. 'Russia is cruel, aggressive and a danger to us all,' she added. Nightly Number RADAR SWEEP SPEED WINS — New research suggests that the speed at which you walk can reveal how your brain is functioning. And a precipitous decline in walking speed can predict other underlying health problems. It's normal to slow down your walking pace as you age. But people who can keep up a quick pace into their later years are more likely to have a brain that's functioning like that of a younger person than those whose average gait is much slower. The research can even predict survival — a study showed that men with the slowest walking speeds at age 75 had a 19% chance of living for 10 years, compared to men with the fastest walking speeds who had an 87% chance of survival. Jasmin Fox-Skelly reports for the BBC. Parting Image Did someone forward this email to you? Sign up here.
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Yahoo
THE BLACK WOMEN'S SUMMIT COMES TO OAKLAND ARENA ON AUGUST 2, 2025
AN UNFORGETTABLE DAY OF POWER, PURPOSE & SISTERHOOD Join U.S. Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett, Joy-Ann Reid, Yara Shahidi, Tamika D. Mallory, Angela Rye, Nikole Hannah-Jones, Jemele Hill, Ilyasah Shabazz, and Maryum Ali — with guest performer Theresa tha S.O.N.G.B.I.R.D. OAKLAND, Calif., June 3, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Black Promoters Collective proudly presents The Black Women's Summit, an all-day women's conference taking place Saturday, August 2, 2025, at the Oakland Arena in Oakland, California. This impactful event will bring together some of today's most influential voices across politics, media, activism, and the arts for a powerful day of inspiration, education, and collective celebration. This is more than a conference. It's a movement. A space created to reflect, rise, and reignite the extraordinary power of Black women across generations. Tickets go on sale Friday, June 6, 2025, at 10:00 AM local time via Presales begin Thursday, June 5 from 10:00 AM to 11:59 PM local time via the code BPC. Headlining the summit are dynamic speakers and trailblazing change-makers including: Jasmine Crockett - U.S. Congresswoman Joy-Ann Reid – Journalist, Author, documentary film producer and social & political Commentator Yara Shahidi – Award-winning actress, producer, & and the breakout star of ABC's Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated series black-ish Tamika D. Mallory – Bestselling author, award-winning social justice leader, and movement strategist Angela Rye – Award-winning host, social justice advocate, lawyer, commentator, and self-described empowermenteur Nikole Hannah-Jones – Author of the 1619 Project & Pulitzer Prize winner from the NY Times Jemele Hill – Emmy Award-Winning Journalist and Author Ilyasah Shabazz – Author, Activist, and Daughter of Malcolm X Maryum Ali – Author, Activist, and Daughter of Muhammad Ali Guest Performer, Theresa tha S.O.N.G.B.I.R.D Throughout the day, attendees will engage in transformative conversations centered around culture, policy, community, leadership, and the legacy of Black women. From personal truths to powerful calls to action, each session is designed to uplift, educate, and connect. "This isn't just a gathering. It's a celebration of Black women's empowerment. We are honoring the past, amplifying the present, and shaping the future together." — Lionel Bea, SVP, Black Promoters Collective For the latest updates and to purchase tickets, please visit About Black Promoters Collective (BPC) Since 2022, the Black Promoters Collective (BPC) has solidified its place as a powerhouse in live entertainment. As the only wholly Black-owned live music company on the Global Pollstar Top 100 Promoters list (#39) and ranked #3 on Pollstar's Global Top Urban Promoter/Producers list, BPC continues to transform the industry. Featured multiple times on the Billboard Power Players List, BPC remains committed to providing culturally relevant, world-class live entertainment experiences. Learn more at For press inquiries, interviews, or media credentials, please contact:TreMediaTresa Sanders – tresa@ Cole – daylan@ View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Black Promoters Collective Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
