Latest news with #DavidMorales
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Amherst firefighters hone their skills in collaborative training event
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Amherst firefighters are bracing the heat, the flames and smoke — all during an annual fire training drill that connects the fire companies in the Amherst community. 'Things like today are allowing us to get together, strengthen our camaraderie, hone our skills together so we're comfortable with the people next to us even if they're not from our home fire company,' said Getzville Fire Company Public Information Officer David Morales. Town wide day drills are held every month to help build connection between fire companies in the community. Once a year, they participate in a drill to help them practice responding to a call and putting out the flames together. 'When we get a fire, especially dayside when we don't have a lot of firefighters around, our fire departments like to work together, so when we work together like this we really get to know each other and know our skills and this just hones in our skills,' said Main Transit Fire Department Captain Jack Leising. 'These drills like this allow firefighters to come together that they might not be familiar with, working with a different officer or a different firefighter next to you so that way you get there and you know, 'oh, I've seen that guy before, I know they know what they're doing,'' said Morales. For anyone who is interested in becoming a volunteer firefighter, officials say they'll teach you the skills and provide the training. 'These are people who give their most valuable resource, which is their time,' said Morales. 'It's a very honorable thing, it a very beautiful thing, becoming a firefighter is one of the best things that I've ever done. I would recommend anybody to do it because they give you the skills.' 'It's a very good brotherhood that we've had throughout the years,' said Leising. 'Not to mention, just the sense of community that you get just by helping your community.' For more information on how to become a volunteer, click here. Hope Winter is a reporter and multimedia journalist who has been part of the News 4 team since 2021. See more of her work here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Boston Globe
2 days ago
- Politics
- Boston Globe
The R.I. Legislature has the power to help protect our immigrant community
This legislative session, alongside many advocates and policymakers, the Advertisement This small adjustment has a profound impact, it protects immigrant Rhode Islanders from unjust immigration detention, denial of relief, and deportation for minor offenses. Under federal immigration law, a one-year maximum sentence — even for minor offenses — can trigger devastating consequences for immigrants, including Get Rhode Map A weekday briefing from veteran Rhode Island reporters, focused on the things that matter most in the Ocean State. Enter Email Sign Up Take, for instance, a longtime legal permanent resident with a single misdemeanor shoplifting conviction. Even if the individual receives no jail time, just a small fine, they can still face the devastating consequence of deportation and permanent separation from their family. This is because under our current laws, the offense carries a potential sentence of one year, triggering harsh Advertisement Rhode Island wouldn't be the first to take this step — states like New York, Washington, Nevada, New Jersey, Illinois, and New Mexico have recognized the need to protect their residents; Rhode Island must do the same. For the fifth consecutive year, the Senate has prioritized protecting our immigrant neighbors and friends. Yet, it remains stalled in the House Judiciary Committee, waiting to be voted on the House floor. This modest one-day change would not shield individuals convicted of serious crimes, such as, violent offenses, domestic violence, or firearm-related charges which are already treated separately under federal immigration law. These offenses would remain deportable regardless of the sentence length. Just as crucially, this change would not alter the authority of judges or prosecutors. Judges would still retain full discretion to impose appropriate sentences and prosecutors would continue to make charging decisions based on the facts and circumstances of each case. As the 2025 legislative session draws to an end, the RIBLIA Caucus strongly urges the passage of House Bill 5502. Without action, immigrant Rhode Islanders, both documented and undocumented, will remain vulnerable to life-altering consequences for low-level, nonviolent offenses. Together, we have the power to uphold fairness, prevent unnecessary family separations, and protect the rights and dignity of all Rhode Islanders. The time for a floor vote is now. The time to act is now. State Representative David Morales represents District 7 in Providence's Mount Pleasant, Valley, and Elmhurst neighborhoods. State Representative Leonela Felix represents District 61 in Pawtucket. Advertisement
Boston Globe
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Rhode Island's need for bilingual teachers is urgent. This fund could help fix the pipeline, legislators say.
We must stop relying on long-term substitutes and temporary fixes. Our Get Rhode Map A weekday briefing from veteran Rhode Island reporters, focused on the things that matter most in the Ocean State. Enter Email Sign Up We recognize that a sustainable pipeline of certified bilingual educators — especially from multilingual communities — is the only way we will be able to support our multilingual students and expand dual language programs. At the same time, investing in underemployed multilingual adults and those with international backgrounds is a sound economic strategy. Multilingualism is an asset, which Rhode Island law already recognizes. Our schools should, too. Advertisement Dual language programs have been shown to help close achievement gaps not only for multilingual learners, but also for other historically underserved groups. With a Advertisement Under Rhode Island's new The Bilingual, Dual Language and World Language Teachers Investment Act builds on successful models, leveraging last-dollar tuition support to make certification accessible after FAFSA. It's a smart use of existing infrastructure and a strategic investment in the long-term health of our education system. The time for half-measures has passed. Rhode Island students deserve access to programs that view their language skills through an asset lens and offer real pathways to success. That begins with teachers. Let's pass this bill — and make bilingual education not just a mandate, but a movement. State Representative David Morales represents District 7 in Providence. State Senator Lammis Vargas represents District 28, which spans parts of Cranston and Providence.
Boston Globe
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
ICE use taser while detaining man in Providence, sending him to the hospital, advocates say
June Rose, chief of staff for the Providence City Council, confirmed to the Globe on Friday the man was detained in the city's West End neighborhood on Parade Street – adjacent to Dexter Training Ground – and that he was tased by ICE agents. Advertisement As a result, the man suffered a medical episode and firefighters brought him to the hospital, according to Rose. Get Rhode Island News Alerts Sign up to get breaking news and interesting stories from Rhode Island in your inbox each weekday. Enter Email Sign Up In an email, Josh Estrella, a spokesperson for Mayor Brett Smiley, said the Providence Fire Department 'responded to a call for service for an individual who had been tased but we're unaware of any details of the investigation by any federal agency.' 'The Providence Police Department responded to reports of a protest at RI Hospital,' Estrella said. 'We don't have any additional details at this moment.' The coalition did not identify the man who was allegedly apprehended, and did not provide details of the man's condition later Thursday night. The coalition said authorities blocked the man from speaking to an attorney while he was at the hospital. Advertisement An attorney who The incident drew a crowd of demonstrators outside the hospital on Thursday afternoon, the coalition said. 'This is a shameful example of ICE not only trying to circumvent legal and constitutional protections in their war against immigrants, but ignoring the will of the people,' Kate Hao, of the coalition, said in a statement. 'Because of the protest and community members who called in to [Department of Homeland Security] Enforcement and Removal Operations, ICE was forced to smuggle our community member out of the hospital through a side entrance.' On Friday morning, when contacted by the Globe for comment, a spokesperson for ICE said he was looking into the incident. In a statement, Democratic Lieutenant Governor Sabina Matos said she was 'closely monitoring reports that ICE agents may be refusing a Rhode Islander their right to due process by preventing them from speaking with their lawyer.' 'We are still learning all of the facts involved in today's events, and I cannot speak with certainty about every detail of this incident,' Matos said. 'However, there are no circumstances under which we can tolerate the erosion of the Constitution. If this man is being prevented from speaking with his attorney, then I call on ICE to immediately to allow him access to counsel.' State Representative David Morales, a Providence Democrat, posted a Advertisement 'In Providence, we show up and defend our immigrant community,' Morales wrote. In Providence, we show up and defend our immigrant community. Within minutes of an ICE sighting at RI Hospital, dozens of neighbors mobilized to keep our community safe. — RI State Rep. David Morales 🌹 (@DavidMoralesRI) Speaking on behalf of Providence City Council President Rachel Miller – who represents the ward where ICE detained the man on Thursday – Rose said the diversity of immigrants in neighborhoods such as Federal Hill and the West End has made them both a 'gem of our city.' 'The council president, as the counselor for this ward, absolutely stands with the community and against the federal administration who are disappearing our neighbors, our community members,' Rose said. 'It's a horrifying situation. I think it should scare all of us.' Christopher Gavin can be reached at
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Getzville Fire Company trains firefighters how to rescue one of their own
GETZVILLE, N.Y. (WIVB) — Firefighters from across Western New York learned how to save one of their own during the Getzville Fire Company's annual Rapid Intervention Training course, 'GRIT,' this weekend. The two-day course is designed to teach firefighters how to remain calm during a crisis to rescue a lost, injured or trapped firefighter. 'When you hear a mayday call go out in the real world, your heart stops and you are operating at high stress, you don't know what's going on,' Getzville Fire Company public information officer David Morales said. 'You need to be able to reset and go to your training and it's important you keep composure.' The course contains training scenarios inspired by real-life incidents that resulted in a firefighter death. Scenarios include fire development, search and rescue, collapse operations, self-rescue and emergency air procedures. 'We take our scenarios from incidents that have happened across the country,' co-training officer Steven Herberger said. 'Things where firefighters got in trouble in the past and we might be able to extract from that and recreate that entrapment or condition and then teach people how to overcome it.' 'When the conditions are so bad (that) firefighters need help getting rescued, you need to take specialized training for that,' Morales said. 'When you are a firefighter and your buddy that you've known for years has gotten injured or lost, that is a very difficult time mentally and physically. You are pushed to your limit.' Sarah Minkewicz is an Emmy-nominated reporter and Buffalo native who has been a part of the News 4 team since 2019. Follow Sarah on Twitter @SarahMinkewicz and click here to see more of her work. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
