Latest news with #Butts
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Whitefish works on upgrades to Armory Park
Jun. 2—Whitefish continues to chip away at a list of improvements planned for Armory Park. City Council on Monday will consider awarding a construction contract to Lipka Excavating for the fourth phase of improvements planned for the park. The contract is $153,880 for a foundation for a storage garage, grading and development of a new well. City Council meets at 7:10 p.m. at City Hall, 418 E. Second St. Armory Park is the city's largest park at 30 acres. The city Park Board updated the park's master plan in 2019 to identify phases of improvements for the park. The Parks and Recreation Department plans to complete, in fiscal year 2025, the installation of a small child playground and some identified park amenities. Completed engineering on drainage improvements around the Armory building, well development for the dog park and a storage garage foundation have been completed, notes Parks and Recreation Director Maria Butts. "We continue to work on engineering for the reconstruction of one softball field, the removal and associated drainage improvements to the second existing softball field, restrooms, playground paths and benches, and an additional south parking lot," Butts said in a memo to Council. Council is also expected to approve applying for Land and Water Conservation Fund assistance through the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks for the next phases of development of Armory Park. Changes have an estimated cost of $1.6 million. The city will seek about 45% funding for the cost of the project. AN UPDATE of the city's ordinance on snow and ice removal is on the agenda for Monday. Council will consider updating the ordinance to include additional commercial zones and adding bulb-outs to the list of areas cleared in the business district. The administrative fees for those not in compliance will be changed from 20% to a $60 minimum and $300 maximum. In addition, language in the ordinance will be revised to state that all sidewalks and paths be reasonably clear of accumulations of snow and ice and passable for pedestrians. The ordinance now says free and clear of all accumulations. "This revision is meant to address the feasibility of clearing snow and ice in Montana's climate and lessen the city's risk by creating a more reasonable and achievable expectation for property owners," Butts said in a memo to Council. The city's Parks and Recreation, Public Works and Planning and Building departments recently reviewed the ordinance to revise it, addressing any ongoing challenges associated with the ordinance. During a work session at 5:30 p.m., Council will hear an update on the 2045 Vision Whitefish Growth Policy. Deputy Editor Heidi Desch may be reached at 758-4421 or hdesch@
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
It's Showtime at Cosm, the Latest Immersive Entertainment in Inglewood
During the Great Depression, the federal government funded a massive, 240-foot-long terrazzo mural called 'History of Transportation' in Inglewood's Grevillea Art Park. Until recently, that monumental artwork was probably the closest thing to immersive entertainment this town of just over 100,000 residents enjoyed. Today, the revitalized city is home to some of the most innovative and lavish new pleasure palaces in Southern California. Following the loss of the Lakers, Kings and Hollywood Park racetrack, and after a downward economic spiral decades in the making, the 'City of Champions' bounced back in a big way after landing huge development deals just over 10 years ago. 'When I took office in 2011, we weren't going to make payroll. We were going to be bankrupt,' Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts, Jr. tells Los Angeles. 'What happened? I happened.' Inglewood mayor James T. Butts, courtesy City of Inglewood Butts, who has a background in both business and law enforcement, helped revitalize the city by turning around high crime and unemployment (35% of the jobs generated by the new developments are local hires), and balancing the budget. 'The city has evolved,' Butts says. 'And our brand is entertainment.' After a decade of construction that brought the stunning SoFi stadium and Intuit Dome to life, and restored the historic Forum (which hosts legends including Gladys Knight and Chaka Kahn this month), a new class of unique performance venues have arrived in the city. 'Let me put this very humbly,' Butts says. 'Everything that's new and everything that is cutting edge is coming to Inglewood.' The world's second-largest movie exhibitor, Mexico-based Cinépolis, built L.A.'s first dine-in IMAX with leather recliners inside their new luxury cinema on the site of the old racetrack. Showtimes haven't been announced yet, but screens like this were made for movies like the latest installment of Mission: Impossible, opening May 23. CineVita in InglewoodLina Lecaro A baroque Belgian tent houses CineVita, a theatrical concert experience launched at the end of last year. Their tribute to the films of Quentin Tarantino has been extended to the end of this month. Future shows will honor directors John Hughes, Baz Luhrmann and Martin Scorsese. Taylor Shechet, a musician and technical artist who spent four years working on the Sphere in Las Vegas, recently moved to Inglewood and was wowed by Cosm. The new 1,500-seat venue has a 180-degree, 87-foot diameter, 8K+ LED dome screen that recently debuted The Psychedelic Mixtape, a new show by DJ Chris Holmes. 'It's an immersive, multi-sensory experience,' Shechet says. 'It's basically a mini-Sphere. You sit there with your friends and anywhere you look, there are trippy visuals and all this cool stuff is happening.' The Experience at CosmPhoto courtesy Cosm Shechet says his parents were concerned about Inglewood's reputation when he bought his house. 'Historically, it's been a less well-to-do area,' he says. 'It's just now at a stage of gentrification where there's an opportunity to do cool things.' Equally enamored by Inglewood's small-scale charms, he loves the new Asteroid Vinyl Café, a record shop on La Brea Avenue. 'It's also immersive,' he says. 'You listen to records and look through them with your fingers while you drink the coffee. It's all the senses combined.
CBS News
04-05-2025
- CBS News
2 people wounded in shooting at Spartan College in Inglewood; suspect in custody
A suspect has been arrested in connection with a shooting at the Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology in Inglewood, California, Friday afternoon that left two people wounded. The shooting happened at around 3:40 p.m. Pacific Time on the school campus, which is located in the 8900 block of Aviation Boulevard, according to the Inglewood Police Department. Inglewood is part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. Firefighters arrived to find two victims suffering from wounds, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department. Both were taken to a nearby hospital with critical injuries. The victims were believed to be female employees of the college, Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts told CBS News Los Angeles. He said that the alleged gunman was possibly seen wearing a security uniform as the shooting happened. Police conducted a thorough search of the campus and no suspect was found, but they were able to determine his identity and the car he was driving. Just after 6 p.m., Butts reported that a suspect was arrested. He later identified the man was 40-year-old Jesse Figueroa. "It is our understanding that the suspect was a former employee of the college," Butts said. The male suspect was located near Berendo and Twelfth streets in Pico-Union after emergency dispatchers received a 911 call about the shooting that brought them to that location, police said. Police said the suspect's family made the 911 call in order to report that he had shot two women. They told officers that the gun he used was in the backseat of his car, where he was located and taken into custody without further incident, police said. Dozens of people, believed to be staff and students, were seen on the street outside of the school as the preliminary investigation began. There was also a large police presence, many of whom could be seen wearing tactical gear. L.A. County firefighters initially reported that there were three gunshot victims, but later clarified that number once details became more apparent.
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Harrisburg mayor candidate proposes building ‘Harrisburg International Aquarium'
HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) — During last night's Harrisburg Mayoral Debate, candidate Lewis Butts said he would build the 'Harrisburg International Aquarium' to get people from the suburbs to visit the city. Candidates were asked about the decreasing number of people traveling to Harrisburg from nearby suburbs and how they plan to increase tourism. Butts, who previously ran three times for Mayor of Harrisburg, announced he would spearhead the project to induce more revenue to the city. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now 'I would add to the post office on Market Street, I would create the Harrisburg International Aquarium, I would bring education to our area, I would bring tourism, as well as revenue [and] jobs,' Butts said. 'I would create a PennDOT Plaza down where we have the city homeless to create shops so the people in South Harrisburg would have places where they could work. It's all about creating revenue engines.' According to Butts' Facebook page, he is the owner, operator, and designer for Aquila Aquarium Designs. He graduated from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington with a degree in Marine Biology in 1988. 'We need solutions,' Butts said. 'I bring solutions.' To watch a complete replay of the Harrisburg Mayoral Debate, click here. Election Day is May 20. Download the abc27 News+ app on your Roku, Amazon Fire TV Stick, and Apple TV devices Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Yahoo
CT sex offender gets 20 years in connection with extortion plot involving missing juveniles
A sex offender living in Connecticut has been sentenced to 20 years in prison after falsely claiming he had kidnapped two juveniles who were missing from Colorado which led to an investigation that revealed he was in possession of child sexual abuse materials. Gregory Butts, 54, of Sprague was sentencing on Wednesday in federal court in Bridgeport where a judge ordered that his prison term will be followed by 15 years of supervised release, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Connecticut. The sentencing follows Butts — who has been in custody since March 2022 — taking a plea deal in January, pleading guilty to possession of child pornography. In November 2020, family and friends of two missing juveniles in Colorado posted information about them on social media platforms, which included a plea with the public asking for help and a phone number where anyone could call with information, according to federal authorities. After blocking his number, Butts reportedly called and spoke to a female friend of the missing juveniles. Authorities said he told the friend he was with the missing juveniles and claimed that he had had sexual contact with them, officials said. Butts also reportedly threatened to harm the juveniles if the friend recorded the call or contacted law enforcement and threatened her as well, according to authorities. He reportedly said he would return the missing juveniles if the friend agreed to have sex with him, officials said. Unbeknownst to Butts, the entire conversation was recorded, authorities said. The missing juveniles returned home shortly thereafter, having not been kidnapped or harmed. Authorities investigating the phone call found that it was made from a lightly populated area in Sprague where Butts, a registered sex offender, was living. Officials found that he was on probation after being convicted in state court in April 2016 on a charge of illegal sexual contact with a minor. A probation officer was able to identify Butts' voice on the recording before authorities searched his residence and another residence where he had been staying, officials said. Authorities seized storage devices, multiple cell phones, a computer and other items. A forensic analysis of the items found that they contained more than 10,000 images and videos of child sexual abuse, officials said. They also led to investigators finding conversations Butts had with minors on Snapchat and other social media platforms where he reportedly engaged in sexually explicit conversations, made numerous threats and demanded sexually explicit photos, according to officials.
