Latest news with #Cardwell
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Lynchburg community celebrates life of Rev. Dr. Owen Cardwell Jr.
LYNCHBURG, Va. (WFXR) — Hundreds gathered at Diamond Hill Baptist Church in Lynchburg on Saturday to celebrate the life of pastor, professor, and civil rights activist Dr. Owen Cardwell Jr. He died on May 12, at the age of 78. 'There was an ordinary man who became an extraordinary person in the hands of an extraordinary god,' said Cardwell's wife of 38 years, Flora Cardwell during the eulogy for her late husband. She delivered the eulogy at the same pulpit Cardwell preached from on Sundays as pastor of Diamond Hill Baptist church, a role he took over in 2021. Cardwell made a name for himself in the Hill City in 1962 at just 14 years old, when he became one of the first two African American students to enroll at E.C. Glass High School, beginning the integration of public schools in Lynchburg. 'He didn't look for fame,' said Flora Cardwell after the service on Saturday. 'He wasn't looking for recognition. His father just told him what he needed to do, and he was following his father's directions.' Later in 1962, Cardwell met Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who inspired him to participate in the civil rights movement. Cardwell worked as an activist throughout his life, seeking to bring communities together by building people up. He did so everywhere he went, including in his hometown of Lynchburg. 'He was a civil rights leader not just in title, but in truth,' said Lynchburg Chief of Police Ryan Zuidema. 'His words echoed through the halls of schools, church sanctuaries, and even our police department.' Cardwell's friends say he set an example for others in hopes they would draw inspiration from it. 'He gave all he had on the front side, with the expectation that you would take it and run with it,' said Cardwell's 'spiritual son,' and close friend, Jason Boswell. Cardwell's family and friends say that in the wake of his passing, the best way to honor him is by continuing his life's mission. 'I know for me, I'm going to continue to teach and preach because he taught me,' said Flora Cardwell. 'He was my mentor. Though he was my husband, he was still my teacher, my mentor, and my friend.' 'This is a great day,' said Boswell. 'It's etched in stone on my mind, and I will carry on that legacy.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Yahoo
Attorney: Officer violated man's rights in traffic stop shooting; settlement talks underway
A man is demanding justice after a traffic stop ended with him being shot in the leg by a Jacksonville police officer, not with her weapon, but with his legally-owned firearm. The officer involved, Mindy Cardwell, has since been fired, and newly surfaced video from her internal affairs interview is revealing how a routine traffic stop spiraled into what the victim's attorney said was a major violation of his rights. Jason Arrington was pulled over in December near North Main Street and 27th Street in Brentwood. He had reportedly run a red light, but denied this. During the stop, he told officers he had a legally owned gun on his waist. Officers instructed him to step out of the vehicle so they could retrieve it. In a recorded interview with internal affairs, Cardwell described her attempt to remove the firearm. RELATED: Jacksonville officer who shot man in leg during traffic stop terminated 'I tried to pull the metal clip, holster, and gun from his waistband. It was not coming out. I put my hand on the handle of the gun to get leverage, and the gun went off,' Cardwell said. Arrington was shot in the leg. His attorney, Kay Harper Williams, said the shooting caused lasting physical damage — and that Arrington now walks with a cane and suffers ongoing pain. Williams is currently in settlement negotiations with the City of Jacksonville. She said what happened during the incident is a violation of Arrington's Fourth Amendment rights. RELATED: Man shot with his own gun during traffic stop with Jacksonville officer speaks The Fourth Amendment protects people from unreasonable searches and seizures by the government, according to 'What we are accusing them of is a clear Fourth Amendment violation when the officer made the decision to seize Mr. Arrington's firearm and initiate this unlawful removal from his waist,' Williams said. The case has drawn national attention, recently featured on the True Crime News YouTube channel, which has more than 5 million subscribers. The video includes clips from the body camera footage and the internal affairs interview, along with commentary from Arrington and his legal team. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] At one point in the interview, Cardwell admitted she initially wasn't sure how the firearm discharged, but later concluded her own mistake played a role. 'I think I set myself up for failure by transitioning from my dominant hand to my not dominant hand,' she said. JSO cited incompetence when terminating Cardwell's employment. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Williams said if the city does not agree to a settlement, her next step is filing a federal lawsuit. 'We have not yet filed a lawsuit. However, we are in the settlement negotiations with the city. If that breaks down, then we absolutely will move forward and bring this case to federal court right here in Jacksonville,' Williams said. She also said this case highlights the urgent need for more detailed officer training when it comes to safely handling firearms and respecting the rights of law-abiding gun owners. Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Richardson ISD student-run coffee shop brews authentic learning
The Brief The students at Richardson ISD's MST Magnet have been running their own coffee shop on campus to learn real-world lessons. In addition to learning how to make coffee, the students conducted market research, took out a small business loan, purchased equipment and supplies, and adjusted their prices and marketing strategies to be able to pay off their loan. They named their business Brew-tiful Minds and came up with the slogan, "Fueling futures one cup at a time." RICHARDSON, Texas - Students at an elementary school in Richardson ISD are gaining real-world experience by running their own coffee shop on campus. It will also help to raise money for the school's PTA. Brew-tiful Minds What we know Throughout the year, the fifth and sixth graders at Richardson ISD's Math, Science, and Technology Magnet have been learning how to start a business from the ground up. Teacher Cassie Cardwell first proposed the idea as a way to bring her reading and social studies curriculum to life. Student CFO Georgia Roberts first conducted market research. "I created the financial plan based off of a survey our team sent out to all the teachers in our school," she said. Students Davy Cass, the CEO, and Ellie Bready, the marketing director, helped to come up with the name Brew-tiful Minds. They secured a small business loan of $800 from their PTA to purchase supplies, milk frothers, and espresso machines. They also developed a marketing strategy that led to adjusted prices, a punch card system, and even gift cards that families can give teachers for birthdays and special occasions. Now, Principal Dr. Lauren Bolack is one of their many regular customers. "I take advantage of the Google Form and order in advance. So, every morning, there is a chamomile tea with a nice message on my desk," she said. What they're saying Cardwell said her students didn't really think she was serious at first. "It wasn't until after their first day of business and they closed, they turned around and were like, 'We made real money,'" she said. She's enjoyed watching how the project has helped her students grow. "The most spectacular light bulbs are the shy kids that find their voice, the kids that step into leadership roles. I don't have to hold these kids accountable for anything. They 100% do that on their own. They've learned teamwork, collaboration," Cardwell said. Richardson ISD Advanced Learning Director Kelsey Karcher called it authentic learning. "I'm sure we can all remember times in school where we've thought to ourselves, 'Why do I need to know this?' I doubt they've ever asked that while running their own business," she said. "I think the lessons they've learned, not only just about making coffee, which is an important life skill, but just to know that sometimes you have to rework your plans. Your original idea might not be the one that is the best idea." What's next The students paid off their small business loan this past Friday. That means they can now start funding their mission. "We are also donating money back to the PTA to like improve teacher appreciation and other things around the campus," Bready said. They are also working to pass the baton to their fifth-grade teammates who have been working in the shop this year. Those students will be able to apply for executive leadership positions next year. The Source FOX 4's Lori Brown gathered details for this story while visiting Richardson ISD's Math, Science, and Technology Magnet.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
FOIA Friday: Judge sets trial date in Richmond transparency case, news editor wins plate reader case
(Photo by Getty Images) One of the less noticed features of the Virginia Way is the long-running tendency of the commonwealth's leaders to conduct their decision-making behind closed doors. While the Virginia Freedom of Information Act presumes all government business is by default public and requires officials to justify why exceptions should be made, too many Virginia leaders in practice take the opposite stance, acting as if records are by default private and the public must prove they should be handled otherwise. In this feature, we aim to highlight the frequency with which officials around Virginia are resisting public access to records on issues large and small — and note instances when the release of information under FOIA gave the public insight into how government bodies are operating. The Mercury's efforts to track FOIA and other transparency cases in Virginia are indebted to the work of the Virginia Coalition for Open Government, a nonprofit alliance dedicated to expanding access to government records, meetings and other state and local proceedings. A trial date has been scheduled for Sept. 23 in a transparency case involving the city of Richmond's former Freedom of Information Act officer, who said she was fired in retaliation for refusing to flout FOIA laws and raising concerns about possible FOIA violations during her tenure. Connie Clay, the former Richmond FOIA officer, also said in her lawsuit against the city that her former supervisor, then-city director Petula Burks, instructed Clay to withhold information requested under the Act. Burks, who resigned from her role with the city last summer, is also named in the suit filed in March 2024. On Tuesday, Judge Claire G. Cardwell set the discovery process to begin on May 27 at 11 a.m. The three-day jury trial is to start on Sept. 23. The judge asked both sides to fully cooperate in the process. 'I understand strong advocacy,' Cardwell told attorneys on Tuesday, as quoted by the Richmonder. 'But without pointing fingers in either direction, I would like counsel to start anew.' 'To the extent you can work together on administrative matters, please do so,' she added. Richmond attempted to dismiss the case in January, but was denied by Cardwell, according to a report by VPM. 'Although Plaintiff's Complaint does not explicitly connect her good faith disclosures of suspected wrongdoing to defendants' retaliation and discrimination toward her, the Court may reasonably infer this alleged conduct flowed from her disclosures of suspected FOIA violations,' Cardwell wrote in her Feb. 5 order. A Roanoke Circuit Court judge recently ruled that the city of Roanoke violated the Freedom of Information Act and is required to fulfill a renewed request for traffic camera footage of Cardinal News Executive Editor Jeff Schwaner's vehicle, Cardinal News reported. Schwaner requested information from Flock Safety's License Plate Reader, which was footage of his car from Roanoke police, on Feb. 21. He filed the same request for 15 other law enforcement agencies. Flock Safety provides the license plate reading hardware and maintains the data. In response, the city and the Botetourt County Sheriff's Office filed a motion in the Roanoke City Circuit Court asking the court to decide whether it was obligated to provide the footage under FOIA. Another issue raised during the court proceedings is that camera data automatically erases after 30 days. As a result, the data Schwaner sought in February did not exist, the city said. Judge Leisa Ciaffone 'did not find that the city 'willfully and knowingly' denied the request in a way that would make it subject to additional penalties that can be assessed when FOIA is violated,' Cardinal News reported. However, she dismissed all the city's arguments for not fulfilling the FOIA request. She also ruled that the FOIA law outweighed local policies and contracts that localities may have with third parties like Flock Safety. 'The court finds that Mr. Schwaner has substantially prevailed on the merits and grants his reasonable attorney's fees and costs associated with this action,' the judge wrote. John Koehler, Schwaner's attorney, told Cardinal News that they are pleased with the court's ruling that the city must release the data. 'Transparency in government gathering of data about the public is necessary to assure that the benefit that can be derived from the effort is worth both the expense and the impact on the community,' Koehler said. Schwaner added that at the core of this request was a single idea: 'that the public has as much a right to know what's going on in public as anybody.' WDBJ7 did reach out to the city of Roanoke for comment on the case, but the city declined to comment out of deference to the circuit court. Gov. Glenn Youngkin is considering legislation that would put restrictions on the use and data retention of license plate readers and exempt system data from disclosure. Youngkin has until Friday to rule on the proposal. Congressman Gerry Connolly, D-Va., is requesting information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention regarding why the agency's public records staff was placed on administrative leave until their jobs are eliminated June 2. The CDC layoffs come after hundreds of federal workers including health agency workers were fired amid President Donald Trump's administration's restructuring of the federal government. The letter, which was published by NPR and directed to CDC's acting director Dr. Susan Monarez, states FOIA ensures that the public has a 'right' to access federal agency information. Since its enactment in 1967, it has been crucial to ensuring government transparency and accountability. 'As a result, there are currently zero personnel available to process FOIA requests received by CDC,' Connolly wrote in his April 24 letter. 'The elimination of staff responsible for facilitating FOIA strongly implies an effort by the administration to prevent the public from obtaining information about their government that they are entitled to request.' Connolly requested a response by May 8. He announced earlier this week his plans to retire. Richmond water remains safe to drink after the recent installation of a new pump increased fluoridation levels at its treatment plant, the city announced on Monday. The announcement, made roughly three months after Richmond faced a debilitating water crisis as state lawmakers returned to begin the 2025 General Assembly session in January, leaving thousands without drinking water. On April 23, the city discovered the fluoride levels did increase, but at no point did samples collected in the distribution system indicate the fluoridation level exceeded the Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) of 4.0 mg/L within the region, which is the highest level allowed in drinking water by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The city said the optimal target is 0.7 mg/L. Hanover County said in a statement it was 'disappointed by the lack of communication' from the city, and that they didn't learn of the incident until four days later. The locality said the Virginia Department of Emergency Management notified its officials about the fluoride leak on the evening of April 27. In response, Hanover determined through its own testing that its system was well within the MCL with 1.6 ppm. Mayor Danny Avula, who took office at the start of the year, said in a statement that he was disappointed that the city's Department of Public Utilities did not notify the Department of Health within the required 24-hour period. The city said the Department of Public Utilities is creating new state standard operating procedures for the water treatment plant. 'I'm disappointed with our failure to communicate,' Avula said. 'This incident damages the work we're doing to rebuild trust — not only with the residents of Richmond, but our communities, and our regional partners, including Henrico, Chesterfield, and Hanover. We must do better.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Metro
22-04-2025
- Metro
Man bit stepdad's nose off in brandy-fuelled Christmas Day attack
A man who bit his stepdad's nose off and spat it out on the floor during a drunken Christmas Day argument has been jailed. Joseph Cardwell, 23, had been drinking brandy from 10am before going to his grandparents' home in Liverpool for dinner in 2023. Cardwell's stepdad of two-and-a-half years, William Darwin, was also set to be at the dinner table. After he remarked on his stepson's girlfriend attending a gym, a scuffle broke out in the conservatory, and Darwin put Cardwell in a bear hug. But Cardwell, of Ambleside Drive in Kirkby, broke free from Darwin's grip and sank his teeth into his stepdad's nose, a court heard. Darwin, who became engaged to Cardwell's mother the month before the attack, suffered injuries so severe that he needed eight rounds of surgery. His assailant claimed he acted out of 'self-defence', alleging that the complainant 'snapped', pinned him by the throat against the door and nearly caused him to fall unconscious. 'This was a very unusual incident which appears to have come out of, quite frankly, nothing at all,' Sarah Holt, defending, told the court of her 'regretful' client. 'While alcohol appears to have been taken, it does not appear to be the reason for his offending behaviour.' She added to Liverpool Crown Court that the pair had no history and, overall, seemed to like one another. Cardwell was cleared of wounding with intent by a jury but convicted of inflicting grievous bodily harm. He was jailed for 21 months and handed a five-year restraining order. Judge Denis Watson said: 'Until this particular incident, the two of you had got on extremely well, it seems. 'An incident, it seems, arose out of a remark which was not intended to be insulting or cause upset, but it seems that it did. More Trending 'You overreacted to it. That, I am satisfied, is down to the fact that you had been drinking. You chose to confront Mr Darwin and you became a bit like a dog with a bone. You were not prepared to let it go. 'The ripples that have spread out from this have caused an impact to all sorts of individuals. It really has impacted on his confidence, and the memories of this are never far from his mind. He has no control over whether they return and in what shape or form.' Detective Inspector Darren Hankin said: 'This was a vicious and shocking display of violence by Joseph Cardwell and today he has been punished in the courts and is now behind bars. 'I hope Cardwell now uses the time in jail to reflect on his behaviour, and the significant impact it has had on the victim,' he added. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: New league table to reveal where foreign criminals come from and what they did MORE: Woman who claimed to be Madeleine McCann denies stalking her family MORE: Hunt for dine and dash couple who fled family-run Chinese restaurant without paying
