Latest news with #DiMarco
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Butler ahead in Republican bid to replace retiring Schuylkill County sheriff
Shawn Butler, chief deputy to Sheriff Joseph G. Groody, leads in the Republican primary for Schuylkill County sheriff on Tuesday night, defeating Frank J. DiMarco, a veteran police officer. With all 125 precincts reporting, Butler earned 8,845 votes while DiMarco tallied 5,466. That count did not reflect all mail-in and absentee ballots as of 11:45 p.m. Groody, a Democrat, is not seeking re-election. He was first appointed sheriff in 2007 and elected in 2009. With more than a 2-to-1 edge in voter registration, it's likely that Butler will be elected sheriff in November. No Democrats are seeking their party's nomination in the primary, though it's possible a candidate could be selected on a write-in vote, including DiMarco. The sheriff's main duties are providing security for the courts, transporting prisoners, and issuing gun permits, but they do not have investigative powers. FURTHER READING: District Attorney Race Butler, 45, of Frackville, has 10 years of experience in the sheriff's office and formerly was an Army Reservist and a police officer for 20 years, rising to the rank of lieutenant in Butler Township. DiMarco, 53, of Walker Township, has 28 years of experience as a police officer in Saint Clair and Blythe Township, and he currently runs an auto repair shop near New Philadelphia. During the race, both candidates described themselves as true conservatives and second amendment supporters. On Tuesday night Butler said that he was excited by the early returns and thankful for all of the support he had received, including Groody's endorsement. 'It's overwhelming,' he said of the backing he's gotten from those who helped his campaign. He was happy that voter turnout seemed to have exceed expectations. DiMarco earlier in the evening spoke about his plans if elected. Among them was his intention to have the sheriff's department arrange for the county's able-bodied, non-violent prison inmates to help keep communities clean and maintained. He said that he would work with local officials to allow inmates to volunteer to collect trash along county roadways, streets, rivers, and in communities. Butler said that he is committed to collaborating with federal agencies to uphold law and order, ensuring that local enforcement aligns with national efforts to protect citizens. By strengthening partnerships and implementing effective policies, Butler said he aimed to do his part in ensuring communities are safe. Butler said that he embodied the values of Schuylkill County by being pro-Constitution, pro-family, and pro-freedom, and was committed to ensuring that law enforcement reflects the principles of integrity, accountability, and service. He said that he would modernize technology and enhance security measures in the sheriff's office to ensure that both courthouse staff and community members accessing services there would feel safe. Building strong relationships between law enforcement and the community was a priority of his, he said. Whether addressing the opioid crisis through drug prevention programs in schools, or educating residents about scams and elder abuse, he said he wanted every citizen to feel informed and protected. He also said that he would manage the budget responsibly while ensuring that law enforcement delivers the highest level of service to the community. DiMarco said his priority as sheriff would be to make the office more transparent and to be fiscally responsible by looking for additional revenue through grants to expand the department's capabilities without overburdening the taxpayers. Regarding illegal immigration, he said he would work collectively with local officials and have policies for assisting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Department of Homeland Security as requested by their agencies and as prescribed by the law. For improved courthouse and community safety, he wanted to acquire a canine specifically trained in the detection of firearms and explosives that would be available at the county building and also to assist local communities and law enforcement officers against threats to schools and other community events. DiMarco also wanted to create a system in which concealed gun permit holders would be notified 30 days before their permits expired that they were due for renewal. Check back later today for expanded coverage of the 2025 Schuylkill County Primary.
The Herald Scotland
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
'Deaf President Now!' peels back curtain on Deaf culture
That's about to change with new documentary "Deaf President Now!" (streaming now on Apple TV+, home of Oscar-winning film "CODA"). It chronicles the students at the world's only Deaf university, Gallaudet, in 1988, who fought back against the college's decision to hire a hearing president. In its 124-year history, there had only been hearing presidents. The students locked gates. Used buses to block the entrance. Went on national television to air their grievances. All in the name of their community. It's a story co-director Nyle DiMarco, Deaf actor and filmmaker, has wanted to tell for years. Initially, he and producer Jonathan King tried for a scripted version that didn't pan out. "The story of 'Deaf President Now!' was about so much more than just appointing a deaf president," DiMarco says. "It's more complex, more layered and contains much more nuance than what we would have been able to provide within a scripted format. And because it didn't lend itself to really telling the story the way that we needed to, we brought it to (co-director Davis Guggenheim), who immediately said, 'No, no, no, this has to be a doc.'" And so it became one - one that everyone, from Deaf people to hearing people to today's student protesters, ought to give a watch. 'They were able to overcome those internal conflict' Guggenheim, who is a hearing person, felt like he was pretty informed about the Deaf community when he signed on to the project. "Now, two years later, I feel even more ignorant than when I started," he says, "meaning it's a beautiful, complex world that I'm just a visitor in, and Nyle has been so generous to sort of invite me in." That collaboration will mean a unique viewing experience for the audience; for hearing people, that means they will appreciate sound like a deaf person might. By vibration, for example. "Growing up Deaf, a lot of people have this assumption that we have no relationship or interaction with sound whatsoever," DiMarco explains, "but that's not true. It's not entirely lacking in our world. We just experience it in a different way." Appreciating differences is a key throughline in the documentary. Watching the film, one can't help but compare it to other college campus protests, stretching from the Vietnam War to the current war between Israel and Gaza. "When we were editing the movie, on one screen would be our characters in 1988 and then on the TV over here was, protests at Columbia and UCLA and and it was a striking, striking contrast," Guggenheim says. The students profiled in the film, for example - Jerry Covell, Greg Hlibok, Bridgetta Bourne-Firl and Tim Rarus - didn't all get along. But they still managed to fight for a common goal. "They were able to overcome those internal conflicts and those differences of opinions and work together every day until they got what they wanted," DiMarco says. 'I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be': Nyle DiMarco talks Deaf, queer culture in 'Deaf Utopia' memoir 'I don't think there's any one right way to be Deaf' Not only did the protests lead to the resignation of the appointed president, Elisabeth Zinser, but also the stepping down of Jane Bassett Spilman, chair of the board of trustees of the university. Ultimately, the students do see their Deaf president in I. King Jordan, then a dean. But not before they grew angry at him for switching back and forth between siding with students, then the university. Jordan became deaf as a 21-year-old in an automobile accident. "He's sort of bordering between these two worlds. And there's a moment where, he says, 'I never really felt, you know, completely home in one place or the other.' And as I always say, I don't think there's any one right way to be Deaf," DiMarco says. 'I am not ashamed': Disability advocates, experts implore you to stop saying 'special needs' You're 'not powerless' What should people take away from the film? Well, a lot. The significance, for starters. "This protest alone gave rise to the passage of the ADA, major American federal legislation which serves to protect and provide rights to over 80% of the American population," DiMarco says. "So we are very big contributors to our history, you know, and I would hope that they would see that we're no longer second last class citizens." Gallaudet has had a Deaf president ever since. Guggenheim hopes people consider it in the context of today's divisive politics: "I think there are a lot of people right now who are seeing big, big changes to our political landscape, and they're feeling powerless. And I hope people watch this movie and realize that they're not powerless." And don't forget, there's strength in numbers. DiMarco adds, "I think you'll be surprised when you do start speaking up, just how many people you'll find in your corner behind you."
USA Today
17-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Chris DiMarco contending at senior major as son makes first Korn Ferry Tour cut
Chris DiMarco contending at senior major as son makes first Korn Ferry Tour cut Pro golf's "other" major is heading to the the weekend, just like the PGA Championship. The over-50 set is competing in the Regions Tradition in Birmingham, Alabama, at Greystone Golf & Country Club. But there's a third professional golf tournament going this weekend, the Korn Ferry Tour's AdventHealth Championship at Blue Hills Country Club in Kansas City. And that's the other one that Chris DiMarco, tied for third at the Regions, is trying to keep an eye on because that's where his son Christian is competing. "My son actually qualified for his first Korn Ferry event in Kansas City, so my wife and I are kind of watching his front nine and he was right down to the wire, he was even par. I'm on 18, I've got about a six-footer for birdie after playing really good on the back. I think I birdied five or six holes on the back with a little eight-footer, and my wife goes, 'He made birdie to make the cut!'," said DiMarco. "So obviously I was like pretty pumped. Motivation, you know. Obviously so proud of my son and proud of myself today. I hung in there today." DiMarco did more than hang in there. He opened with a bogey but made six birdies over his next eight holes and signed for a 65, the low round of the day. As for Christian DiMarco, he closed with a birdie to shoot a 1-under 71. He's at 1 under overall and made the cut by two. He is, however, 12 shots back of the lead. Who leads the 2025 Regions Tradition? Richard Green followed up his first-round 63 with a second-round 68 to take a one-shot lead over Steven Alker in the senior major. Former PGA champ Y.E. Yang is in a group of three golfers tied for third at 9 under along with Chris DiMarco and Alex Cejka. Green has made 63 starts on the senior circuit and is still seeking his first win. He has six runner-up finishes. "Good golf's been brewing for a little while so it was nice to be hitting good iron shots and setting up putting opportunities," Green said. "If I can keep doing that through the weekend I'll be happy." Alker has nine senior wins including a major. He won in March in Tucson at the Cologuard Classic, one of the many 54-hole events on the PGA Tour Champions. Is it different preparing for a 72-hole event? "It's just one more day. I think mentally you've got to go in thinking there's going to be one day that's just not quite right. You've just got to battle through it, scrap it out," he said. "If it's two scrappy days, then scrap it out even more. I think that's the difference. Three days, you've just got to keep the pedal down and keep going, but yeah, felt like kind of one of those scrappy days."
USA Today
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
The Deaf community's history is often overlooked. That's about to change.
The Deaf community's history is often overlooked. That's about to change. Show Caption Hide Caption 'Superman,' Mission: Impossible,' 'F1' and summer's must-see films USA TODAY film critic Brian Truitt releases his list of summer's must-see films. The highlights include "Superman" and "Mission: Impossible." More than three decades ago, a week-long protest on a college campus caught the attention of the whole country and led to resignations of university officials. But you probably don't know about it. That's about to change with new documentary "Deaf President Now!" (streaming now on Apple TV+, home of Oscar-winning film "CODA"). It chronicles the students at the world's only Deaf university, Gallaudet, in 1988, who fought back against the college's decision to hire a hearing president. In its 124-year history, there had only been hearing presidents. The students locked gates. Used buses to block the entrance. Went on national television to air their grievances. All in the name of their community. It's a story co-director Nyle DiMarco, Deaf actor and filmmaker, has wanted to tell for years. Initially, he and producer Jonathan King tried for a scripted version that didn't pan out. "The story of 'Deaf President Now!' was about so much more than just appointing a deaf president," DiMarco says. "It's more complex, more layered and contains much more nuance than what we would have been able to provide within a scripted format. And because it didn't lend itself to really telling the story the way that we needed to, we brought it to (co-director Davis Guggenheim), who immediately said, 'No, no, no, this has to be a doc.'" And so it became one – one that everyone, from Deaf people to hearing people to today's student protesters, ought to give a watch. 'They were able to overcome those internal conflict' Guggenheim, who is a hearing person, felt like he was pretty informed about the Deaf community when he signed on to the project. "Now, two years later, I feel even more ignorant than when I started," he says, "meaning it's a beautiful, complex world that I'm just a visitor in, and Nyle has been so generous to sort of invite me in." That collaboration will mean a unique viewing experience for the audience; for hearing people, that means they will appreciate sound like a deaf person might. By vibration, for example. "Growing up Deaf, a lot of people have this assumption that we have no relationship or interaction with sound whatsoever," DiMarco explains, "but that's not true. It's not entirely lacking in our world. We just experience it in a different way." Appreciating differences is a key throughline in the documentary. Watching the film, one can't help but compare it to other college campus protests, stretching from the Vietnam War to the current war between Israel and Gaza. "When we were editing the movie, on one screen would be our characters in 1988 and then on the TV over here was, protests at Columbia and UCLA and and it was a striking, striking contrast," Guggenheim says. The students profiled in the film, for example – Jerry Covell, Greg Hlibok, Bridgetta Bourne-Firl and Tim Rarus – didn't all get along. But they still managed to fight for a common goal. "They were able to overcome those internal conflicts and those differences of opinions and work together every day until they got what they wanted," DiMarco says. 'I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be': Nyle DiMarco talks Deaf, queer culture in 'Deaf Utopia' memoir 'I don't think there's any one right way to be Deaf' Not only did the protests lead to the resignation of the appointed president, Elisabeth Zinser, but also the stepping down of Jane Bassett Spilman, chair of the board of trustees of the university. Ultimately, the students do see their Deaf president in I. King Jordan, then a dean. But not before they grew angry at him for switching back and forth between siding with students, then the university. Jordan became deaf as a 21-year-old in an automobile accident. "He's sort of bordering between these two worlds. And there's a moment where, he says, 'I never really felt, you know, completely home in one place or the other.' And as I always say, I don't think there's any one right way to be Deaf," DiMarco says. 'I am not ashamed': Disability advocates, experts implore you to stop saying 'special needs' You're 'not powerless' What should people take away from the film? Well, a lot. The significance, for starters. "This protest alone gave rise to the passage of the ADA, major American federal legislation which serves to protect and provide rights to over 80% of the American population," DiMarco says. "So we are very big contributors to our history, you know, and I would hope that they would see that we're no longer second last class citizens." Gallaudet has had a Deaf president ever since. Guggenheim hopes people consider it in the context of today's divisive politics: "I think there are a lot of people right now who are seeing big, big changes to our political landscape, and they're feeling powerless. And I hope people watch this movie and realize that they're not powerless." And don't forget, there's strength in numbers. DiMarco adds, "I think you'll be surprised when you do start speaking up, just how many people you'll find in your corner behind you."
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'Deaf President Now!' amplifies the birth of a rights movement
The events depicted in 'Deaf President Now!' — a documentary revisiting the 1988 protest by students at Gallaudet University that led to the selection of the school's first deaf president in its 124-year history — may seem, in the scheme of things, like an incremental advancement for representation in the deaf community. But in this stirring telling by co-directors Nyle DiMarco, producer of the Oscar-nominated 2021 documentary short 'Audible,' and Davis Guggenheim, director of the Oscar-winning 2006 documentary feature 'An Inconvenient Truth,' the achievement lands with the force of the first salvo in a revolution. It feels like no exaggeration to compare the Deaf President Now protest, or DPN, as it became known, to Stonewall, the 1969 riots protesting a police raid on a Greenwich Village gay bar that marked the beginning of a new civil and human rights movement. DiMarco and Guggenheim use archival footage to re-create a ticktock of the week-long protest, which was sparked by the March 6, 1988, announcement that the school's board of trustees had chosen a new president: Elisabeth Zinser, vice chancellor of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Of the three finalists, who also included I. King Jordan, then dean of Gallaudet's College of Arts and Sciences, and Harvey Corson, superintendent of the Louisiana School for the Deaf, Zinser was the only hearing candidate. Students, who had sought one of their own at the top, exploded in anger. 'Deaf people are not ready to function in a hearing world,' Jane Bassett Spilman, chair of the board of trustees, was reported to have said on the night of Zinser's appointment. In an old interview, Spilman, who is hearing, argues that her comment — which she says she can't recall and of which there is no recording — was mistranslated into sign language by her interpreter in the chaos of the moment. In addition to conventional archival footage, the filmmakers use two innovative techniques to immerse viewers not just in the history but in the emotions of the moment. During interviews with the DPN Four, as the quartet of student protest leaders became known, the remarks of Bridgetta Bourne-Firl, Jerry Covell, Greg Hlibok and Tim Rarus are not translated into subtitles but rendered by four actors — Abigail Marlowe, Leland Orser, Paul Adelstein and Tim Blake Nelson — in voice-over. DiMarco and Guggenheim also deploy an experimental narrative technique they call Deaf Point of View, which uses expressionist photography and sound design — moments of silence or muffled audio, a flashing lightbulb to indicate an alarm or incoming phone call — that invites viewers into the world and perspective of the protest's participants. As with Guggenheim's 'Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie,' which blended standard interview footage, clips from Fox's filmography and staged re-creations using a body double of the actor, it's a radical kind of oral history, one delivered not solely by traditional documentary's talking heads but by the more expressive hands, bodies and faces. 'I usually sign right about here,' says a smiling Covell, tracing the edges of an expansive, invisible box with his hands that almost fills the camera frame to explain his somewhat dramatic way of signing. 'But I move a lot when I get emotional,' he adds by way of preemptive apology. At one point, Covell inadvertently knocks into the filmmakers' boom microphone during a particularly animated answer. It's part of what's great about this film. There are contrasting moments of near-tears and speechlessness as well — the kind brought on by powerful feeling, not an inability to articulate. The message of 'Deaf President Now!' comes across loud and clear: We will be heard. Rather, it is Gallaudet's paternalistic administration that seems slow to listen to the students' legitimate demands, among which, in addition to the hiring of a deaf president, were Spilman's resignation and the reformation of the board to incorporate more deaf trustees. There are echoes here of many other protests, including those that have recently roiled college campuses in the wake of Israel's response to the attacks by Hamas of Oct. 7, 2023. After the DPN protests began and the students locked down the Gallaudet campus, bringing classes to a standstill, Rarus, the fourth generation of a deaf family, recalls his grandfather phoning him on a TTY device — remember, this is before texting — to say, 'Please respect your elders.' Rarus's grandfather later retracted that advice, ultimately telling his grandson he was right to stand up in the face of unfairness. But it's a manifestation of what change makers all too often run into: ears that are metaphorically deaf to the obvious. TV-MA. Available on Apple TV+. Contains brief vulgarity. In English and American Sign Language, with simultaneous interpretation. 99 minutes.
