Latest news with #Coughenour
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Grassroots effort bringing new life to historic Somerset landmark
SOMERSET, Pa. – Dating back to 1875, the onetime Brinker Building is among the few surviving anchors of 19th-century uptown Somerset. It's a can't-miss mainstay on the borough's central 'Diamond,' often part of the backdrop in photos chronicling Somerset's festivals and celebrations, said Somerset Inc. Executive Director Regina Coughenour. It had also become a blight, sitting vacant and deteriorating in the heart of town. But that is changing, sometimes brick by brick, through 'do-it-yourself' dedication and several years' worth of volunteer labor, Somerset Inc. officials said. And now, a nearly $300,000 Main Street Matters grant awarded this month will enable the group to start preparing the site for new life, Coughenour said. It's part of a plan to redevelop 'Diamond Row' with a mix of uses, with a commercial space on pace to complete construction this winter. Often remembered as the Brinker Building or for its longstanding Army-Navy store, the site is actually a series of three connected buildings on West Main Street. The first, a three-story brick building designed in the Italianate style, was built in 1875, Coughenour said. The rest followed about 12 years later. Over more than 120 years, it hosted clothing retailers, a shoe shop and a music store. 'It's an important historic asset to this town, right in the center of town,' she said, adding that many of the surrounding structures from the era were destroyed by fire generations ago. Somerset Inc. officials hoped the building's history, location and unique – if attention-needy – charm would help them lure tenants to the site nearly a decade ago. They hosted contractors and prospective tenants. 'Pop-up shops' were staged to offer the community a glimpse inside, with the hope someone would be willing to breathe new life into the Brinker Building. But one time after another, the response was the same, she said. 'They saw the crumbling plaster ... and structural concerns,' Coughenour said, adding they were often told that it would cost several hundred thousand dollars just to stabilize the site. It got to the point Somerset Inc. officials realized they might be the building's only chance at revival, she said. They decided to take on the demolition and stabilization work – and reached out to the Somerset community for help. 'We knew we couldn't do this alone,' Coughenour said. Grassroots effort Funding through tax credit-eligible contributions from UPMC Health Plan, Somerset Trust Co. and Global/SFC Valve Corp. enabled the group to acquire the property in 2020 and get to work. Support for that work was possible through the Neighborhood Partnership Program, a tax incentive program that the City of Johnstown more recently joined in 2024. Somerset Inc. volunteer Morgan Simmons said one of the building's most pressing issues involved an exterior wall that was crumbling due to water damage. The mortar eroded to the point the other side of the wall was visible, he said, and one section needed to be completely replaced. The group recycled bricks to keep their costs down. Volunteers replaced the soffit above to protect the wall from future damage, said Simmons, who has an engineering background and is serving as Somerset Inc.'s lead on the project. Landmarks SGA, of Pittsburgh, is the project's architect. But inside the structure, it's been a team approach, Coughenour said. Volunteer employees from businesses such as Somerset Trust Co., Habitat for Humanity workers and teams of local gym members put in exercise by removing paneling, drop ceilings and other debris. And piles of coal. As it turned out, there were tons of it still sitting in a basement space that had to be carried out one load at a time, Coughenour said. 'It was found behind one of the walls, and we had to shovel it into buckets to remove it,' Coughenour said, adding that a local farmer hauled it from the site for reuse. They've filled seven dumpsters with layers of deteriorated building materials, most of it from renovations that altered the interior over the past 100 years. Other demolition work revealed hidden beauty, including the building's original hardwood transom and the basement's flagstone floor. A set of pocket doors likely covered for decades were also discovered in an upstairs apartment, Coughenour said. 'We've been saving everything we can,' she said, adding that teams pulled nails from salvageable hardwood planks that will eventually be reused. Well-worn pieces of tin ceiling are being removed and will be restored, she said. Coughenour credited a handful of local businesses for donating labor – and sometimes heavy-duty help. Servpro, Kinsmen Electric and Columbia Gas supported demolition efforts, she said. Paul Miller Masonry helped rebuild the wall, while Lincoln Contracting, of Somerset, and Riggs Industries donated heavy-duty equipment, including a crane. 'Labor of love' She said the project has been a true 'community' undertaking. 'We're so thankful for the way the community has come together,' Coughenour said. Somerset is 'scrappy,' she said, citing a willingness 'to get our hands dirty, and we're proud of that.' The project has, at times, been a slow-moving 'labor of love,' Coughenour added, but signs are present that the hard work is making a difference. Bare walls now reveal rich red brick. Brand-new stairs were built and new framework is in place for future interior walls. Plans for the project outline a commercial space on Diamond Row's main floor – perhaps a business incubator for start-ups – while a studio apartment and a grand two-story, multi-bedroom apartment are in the works, Coughenour said. The commercial space could be business-ready this winter, but the residential apartments are envisioned for completion as a secondary phase afterward, she added. The Main Street Matters grant will enable the group to install infrastructure this year for new utilities, including new plumbing and updated wiring; insulate the space; and continue interior rehabilitation work. She said Somerset Inc. plans to carry the project through to its completion – and will likely retain the building once it's back in use. 'We want to make sure it's here for the next 100 years,' Coughenour said.
Dubai Eye
20-02-2025
- Politics
- Dubai Eye
Court rejects Trump's emergency bid to curtail birthright citizenship
A US appeals court let stand an order blocking US President Donald Trump from curtailing automatic birthright citizenship nationwide as part of the Republican's hardline crackdown on immigration and illegal border crossings. The San Francisco-based 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the Trump administration request to pause the lower-court judge's order. It was the first time an appellate court had weighed in on Trump's executive order on birthright citizenship, whose fate may ultimately be decided by the US Supreme Court. Trump's Justice Department had asked the appellate court to issued an emergency stay that would largely pause that decision while it pursued an appeal, saying Seattle-based US District Judge John Coughenour went too far by issuing a nationwide injunction at the behest of four Democratic-led states. The executive order remains separately blocked by judges in Maryland, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. The Justice Department is pursuing appeals in the Maryland and Massachusetts cases as well. Trump's order, signed on his first day back in the White House on January 20, directed US agencies to refuse to recognise the citizenship of children born in the US after Tuesday if neither their mother nor father is a US citizen or lawful permanent resident. Lawsuits were quickly filed by Democratic state attorneys general, immigrant rights advocates and others, who argued the order violated the citizenship clause of the US Constitution's 14th Amendment, which has long been understood to recognise that virtually anyone born in the United States is a citizen. They say the US Supreme Court clearly ruled in 1898 in the case United States v. Wong Kim Ark that the 14th Amendment guarantees the right to birthright citizenship regardless of a child's parent's immigration status. Coughenour, an appointee of Republican former President Ronald Reagan, was the first judge to block the order, which he did by issuing a temporary restraining order on January 23. He later extended that into an indefinite preliminary injunction. Coughenour's decision came in a lawsuit by the Democratic-led states of Washington, Arizona, Illinois and Oregon and several pregnant women. He has called Trump's order "blatantly unconstitutional."
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Appeals court refuses to let Trump administration end birthright citizenship
Feb. 19 (UPI) -- A three-panel appeals court on Wednesday continued to block the Trump administration from ending birthright citizenship for children of immigrants, setting up a likely appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. The San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals declined an emergency motion from the Justice Department to lift the hold by Seattle District Judge John Coughenour blocking President Donald Trump's executive order. The panel found the Justice Department didn't make a "strong showing that they are likely to succeed on the merits of this appeal." Trump-appointed Judge Danielle Forrest took issue with the Justice Department's characterization of an emergency. "It is routine for both executive and legislative policies to be challenged in court, particularly where a new policy is a significant shift from prior understanding and practice," she writes. "And just because a district court grants preliminary relief halting a policy advanced by one of the political branches does not in and of itself an emergency make. A controversy, yes. Even an important controversy, yes. An emergency, not necessarily." The other panel judges were William Canby, appointed by President Jimmy Carter, and Milan Smith, by President George W. Bush. Coughenour's decision was issued three days after Jan. 20, Trump's first day back in office and the day he signed the executive order to end birthright citizenship. The suit was filed Jan. 21. "I have been on the bench for over four decades," Coughenour, who was appointed by President Ronald Reagan, said. "I can't remember another case where the case presented is as clear as it is here. This is a blatantly unconstitutional order." Coughenour approved the restraining order request from four Democratic-led states: Arizona, Illinois, Oregon and Washington. The Ninth Circuit serves western states. The 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution guarantees birthright citizenship. According to the U.S. National Archives, the 14th Amendment ratified in 1868 "extended liberties and rights granted by the Bill of Rights to formerly enslaved people." Section 1 of the 14th Amendment said: "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside." If children born in the United States to undocumented immigrants were denied constitutional birthright citizenship, they wouldn't be able to travel freely and re-enter the United States and could not get Social Security numbers. Justice Department lawyers defending Trump's order said the states lack legal standing to block the order. "A third party, including a state, has no legally cognizable interest in the recognition of citizenship by the federal government of a particular individual -- let alone economic benefits or burdens that are wholly collateral to citizenship status," Justice Department litigator Brad Rosenberg wrote. There have been three other birthright cases filed and appealed. On Jan. 21, 23 Democratic attorneys general filed legal challenges to defend birthright citizenship, arguing the president lacks legal authority to rewrite the Constitution or the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act. On Feb. 10, Judge Joseph Laplante in New Hampshire, appointed by President George W. Bush, ordered an injunction. His district is under the First Circuit. Also on Jan. 21, five plaintiffs of pregnant women not legally recognized immigrants and two nonprofits that work with migrants filed suit. On Feb. 5, U.S District Court Judge Deborah Boardman of Maryland blocked nationwide enforcement of the order. Her district is under the U.S. Fourth Circuit Court. On Feb. 1, 18 states filed suit in Massachusetts. On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Leo Sorokin, who was appointed by President Barack Obama, granted a preliminary injunction of the executive order. His district is in the First Circuit.
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
US appeals court rejects Trump's emergency bid to curtail birthright citizenship
By Nate Raymond (Reuters) -A U.S. appeals court on Wednesday let stand an order blocking President Donald Trump from curtailing automatic birthright citizenship nationwide as part of the Republican's hardline crackdown on immigration and illegal border crossings. The San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the Trump administration request to pause the lower-court judge's order. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. It was the first time an appellate court had weighed in on Trump's executive order on birthright citizenship, whose fate may ultimately be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court. Trump's Justice Department had asked the appellate court to issued an emergency stay that would largely pause that decision while it pursued an appeal, saying Seattle-based U.S. District Judge John Coughenour went too far by issuing a nationwide injunction at the behest of four Democratic-led states. The executive order remains separately blocked by judges in Maryland, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. The Justice Department is pursuing appeals in the Maryland and Massachusetts cases as well. Trump's order, signed on his first day back in the White House on January 20, directed U.S. agencies to refuse to recognize the citizenship of children born in the United States after Tuesday if neither their mother nor father is a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident. Lawsuits were quickly filed by Democratic state attorneys general, immigrant rights advocates and others, who argued the order violated the citizenship clause of the U.S. Constitution's 14th Amendment, which has long been understood to recognize that virtually anyone born in the United States is a citizen. They say the U.S. Supreme Court clearly ruled in 1898 in the case United States v. Wong Kim Ark that the 14th Amendment guarantees the right to birthright citizenship regardless of a child's parent's immigration status. Coughenour, an appointee of Republican former President Ronald Reagan, was the first judge to block the order, which he did by issuing a temporary restraining order on January 23. He later extended that into an indefinite preliminary injunction. Coughenour's decision came in a lawsuit by the Democratic-led states of Washington, Arizona, Illinois and Oregon and several pregnant women. He has called Trump's order "blatantly unconstitutional."
Reuters
20-02-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
US appeals court rejects Trump's emergency bid to curtail birthright citizenship
Feb 19 (Reuters) - A U.S. appeals court on Wednesday let stand an order blocking President Donald Trump, opens new tab from curtailing automatic birthright citizenship nationwide as part of the Republican's hardline crackdown on immigration and illegal border crossings. The San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the Trump administration request to pause the lower-court judge's order. It was the first time an appellate court had weighed in on Trump's executive order on birthright citizenship, whose fate may ultimately be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court. Trump's Justice Department had asked the appellate court to issued an emergency stay that would largely pause that decision while it pursued an appeal, saying Seattle-based U.S. District Judge John Coughenour went too far by issuing a nationwide injunction at the behest of four Democratic-led states. The executive order remains separately blocked by judges in Maryland, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. The Justice Department is pursuing appeals in the Maryland and Massachusetts cases as well. Trump's order, signed on his first day back in the White House on January 20, directed U.S. agencies to refuse to recognize the citizenship of children born in the United States after Tuesday if neither their mother nor father is a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident. Lawsuits were quickly filed by Democratic state attorneys general, immigrant rights advocates and others, who argued the order violated the citizenship clause of the U.S. Constitution's 14th Amendment, which has long been understood to recognize that virtually anyone born in the United States is a citizen. They say the U.S. Supreme Court clearly ruled in 1898 in the case United States v. Wong Kim Ark that the 14th Amendment guarantees the right to birthright citizenship regardless of a child's parent's immigration status. Coughenour, an appointee of Republican former President Ronald Reagan, was the first judge to block the order, which he did by issuing a temporary restraining order on January 23. He later extended that into an indefinite preliminary injunction. Coughenour's decision came in a lawsuit by the Democratic-led states of Washington, Arizona, Illinois and Oregon and several pregnant women. He has called Trump's order "blatantly unconstitutional."
