Latest news with #HAWK
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Modesto now has HAWKs watching out for pedestrian safety in crosswalks
To launch crosswalk beacons aimed at enhancing pedestrian safety, Modesto chose an area of heavy foot traffic: 16th Street at H and I streets, on both ends of the Modesto Certified Farmers Market. In April, the city installed High Intensity Activated Crosswalk beacons, traffic signal devices to help drivers and pedestrians avoid collisions. Though the acronym doesn't match the name, they're called HAWK beacons. The devices have the same features as a typical crosswalk beacon, which include a push button to walk, a green display of a stick figure when it's clear to do so, and a timer counting down to a red warning hand. However, drivers should notice a big difference: The signal lights are dark until activated by a pedestrian. There are three different light configurations: a flashing yellow light, a solid yellow light, and a solid double and flashing red lights. When someone is about to use the crosswalk, a flashing yellow light will alert drivers to slow down. A solid yellow will then be shown, to prepare for a stop. Once the traffic light turns into a solid double red, drivers must stop to let pedestrians safely cross the street. When the solid red lights begin to flash, drivers may again proceed if no pedestrians are in the crosswalk. According to California Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System data, provided by UC Berkeley's Transportation Injury Mapping System, the city recorded 113 pedestrian fatalities and injuries in each of the last two years. 'The city is creating safer streets for everyone,' Mayor Sue Zwahlen said in a news release. 'The HAWK beacon will be instrumental in reducing pedestrian incidents in our community.' Public Works Director Bill Sandhu said the city began talks about the crosswalk beacons last year when his department evaluated its traffic system. The two intersections were among the areas with a high volume of pedestrians entering, he said. Additionally, the department took a road's width and the amount of traffic in a specific area as possible factors to consider for its implementation. Sandhu says the city has three other locations in mind for HAWKs but didn't specify where. He expects them to be installed within the next year. According to Federal Highway Administration data provided by Sandhu the crosswalks helped reduce total crashes by 29% and pedestrian crashes by 69% in Tucson, AZ. Sandhu said Modesto's crosswalk beacons were installed by Public Works and cost under $400,000. They were funded through Measure L, which focuses on improving streets and roads in Stanislaus County through a 25-year Transportation Ordinance and Expenditure Plan and sales tax of a half cent. A month into the crosswalk beacons' implementation, Modesto Certified Farmers Market shoppers have noticed a significant difference when it comes to safety. Farmers Market Manager Shiela Burch said the devices make clear that pedestrians have priority. 'It is more obvious that they need to stop traffic in order for people to cross,' Burch said. Before the beacons, when the intersections had only painted crosswalks, drivers 'had to be acutely aware of people and look around, and that was not happening.' Citlalic Marquez, a Ceres resident, has been visiting the farmers market for more than three years. She remembers having to run across the street to beat oncoming traffic. She said she believes the crosswalk beacons will helps anyone wherever they're installed. 'I think it's good addition to [the farmers market] and hopefully they implement in other areas,' Marquez said
Express Tribune
21-05-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
Haliey Welch breaks silence on failed Hawk Tuah crypto coin and FBI investigation
Haliey Welch, best known as the viral 'Hawk Tuah Girl,' has broken her silence about the failed launch of her namesake cryptocurrency, $HAWK, saying she had no knowledge of crypto and was misled into promoting the coin. In a recent episode of her Talking Tuah podcast, Welch said, 'I couldn't tell you how crypto worked the day that coin launched… I got talked into it and trusted the wrong people.' Finally Sharing my Side Tune in tomorrow at 12 PM CST — Hailey Welch (@Hay_welcch) May 20, 2025 The Solana-based meme coin briefly skyrocketed to a $500 million market cap after launching in December 2024 but quickly became worthless, prompting investigations by the FBI and the Securities and Exchange Commission. Welch explained that during this time, her legal team advised her to stop broadcasting and cooperate with authorities. 'They interrogated me… They went through my phone. So they cleared me,' she said, confirming she was never named in the ongoing class action lawsuit. Welch emphasized that she earned only a marketing fee and made no profit from the coin's rise and fall. 'All the money I got went to PR, lawyers—everything. I came out with nothing,' she added. She also expressed remorse for fans who lost money, saying, 'It makes me feel really bad that they trusted me.' Following the coin's crash, Welch received threats and even had FBI agents show up at her grandmother's house. Despite the trauma, she said she has been fully cleared and is ready to move forward. 'It was definitely scary… but legally, I wasn't in any trouble. It was just a big mess.'
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Hawk Tuah Girl Opens Up About FBI Investigation Over Crypto Scandal (Exclusive)
Haliey Welch, known as 'Hawk Tuah Girl' after last summer's viral video, is sharing new details about the aftermath of her recent cryptocurrency scandal, as seen in footage exclusive to The Hollywood Reporter. In the new episode of her podcast Talk Tuah, Welch chats with longtime friend Chelsea Bradford about the crypto crash in December of her meme coin $HAWK, which led investors to file a lawsuit in New York against its creators. Welch became an overnight social media sensation last summer after her on-the-street interview with Tim & Dee TV in which she described a supposedly foolproof way to excite a man in the bedroom. More from The Hollywood Reporter Hawk Tuah Girl Addresses Crypto Scandal: "It Really Hurt My Feelings" Why Top Auteurs Like Sean Baker Worship Charles Burnett's "Killer of Sheep" Joe Rogan Scolded by Own Guest for Pushing Conspiracy Theories Welch shares that the FBI knocked on her grandmother's door in the aftermath of the controversy. 'They wanted to see my phone, so I was like, 'OK, well, that's not a problem,'' Welch says in the podcast episode. She adds about what she went through in the process: 'Interrogating me, asking me questions and everything else related to crypto. They went through my phone, so they cleared me. I was good to go.' She continues, 'And then the SEC picked it up. They didn't want to talk with me, but they wanted my phone. So I sent my phone off to them for two or three days, and then I guess they cloned my phone, copied it, something. But they went through my phone, I was cleared from them, and I wasn't named on the lawsuit, either.' During the conversation, Welch acknowledges that it 'makes me throw up' that her fans trusted her to have lent her likeness to a meme coin about which she didn't have full knowledge. She adds that this experience has taught her important lessons regarding who to trust. She also discusses the amount of money that was allegedly lost by the coin's investors. According to Welch, the amount of lost money was initially claimed to be $1.2 million but was actually closer to $180,000. 'I don't have anything to hide,' Welch notes. She adds, 'I wish we knew then what we know now.' Best of The Hollywood Reporter How the Warner Brothers Got Their Film Business Started Meet the World Builders: Hollywood's Top Physical Production Executives of 2023 Men in Blazers, Hollywood's Favorite Soccer Podcast, Aims for a Global Empire
CBS News
18-04-2025
- Automotive
- CBS News
City of Modesto installs new HAWK beacon crosswalks to improve pedestrian safety
MODESTO — A first-of-its-kind traffic system is hitting Modesto streets. This week, the city implemented two HAWK (High Intensity Activated Crosswalk) beacon crosswalks on I and H streets along 16th Street as a way to protect pedestrians. But it might cause some confusion for drivers. Every Thursday, the downtown farmers market takes place in that same area. It's a learning curve for the farmers market's manager, Sheila Burch, as she adapts to the new crosswalks, which make for a pedestrian walkway with lights. "It'll be nice to have it slow down and have people be more conscious," Burch said. On the pedestrian side of things, not much has changed. The new HAWK beacon crosswalks act like traditional crosswalks, which means you hit the button and wait for the signal to walk. But the triangle of lights could cause confusion for drivers. Flashing yellow means slow down. Solid yellow signals drivers to prepare to stop. Alternating red lights mean stop first and then proceed. "Then it'll go solid red for vehicles to fully stop and allow pedestrians to cross," said city engineer Max Navarro, who is the head of the HAWK beacon project. Farmers market vendor Cheree Hill says she's already noticed a difference since the crosswalks were installed on Tuesday. "It's just one less thing parents have to worry about," she said. Unlike a traffic light, HAWK only works when that button is pushed. The city says this project costs between $400,000 to $500,000.
Express Tribune
07-02-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
Hawk Tuah girl Haliey Welch breaks down in tears addressing cryptocurrency scam allegations
Haliey Welch, widely known as the 'Hawk Tuah girl,' has addressed the controversy surrounding her involvement in an alleged cryptocurrency scam. During a leaked podcast episode with YouTuber FaZe Banks, Welch became emotional while discussing the situation, which has left many investors claiming significant financial losses. — ۟ (@rebootjays) haWelch gained viral fame in June 2024 following a street interview where she coined the phrase "hawk tuah spit on that thang." Her popularity led to a collaboration with a group of crypto developers to launch her own meme coin, '$HAWK token.' However, on December 4, the token's value plummeted by nearly $450 million in under 20 minutes, with some investors alleging that they lost their life savings. Critics have accused Welch and her team of a "rug pull," a term describing when cryptocurrency creators sell off large amounts of their holdings, causing the price to crash while investors are left with devalued assets. Reports indicate that '$HAWK token' dropped from a high of $490 million to just $41 million, losing over 95% of its value in a single day. In the leaked podcast, Welch expressed gratitude to her fans and stated that efforts were being made to 'figure everything out and make things right.' She claimed that the project was initially intended to be a 'long-term coin' and that she regretted how it unfolded. While Welch expressed regret and a desire to fix the situation, FaZe Banks took a different approach, blaming her team for mismanagement and insider trading. He alleged that Welch's team mishandled the situation, leaked information, and failed to protect her from the fallout. Welch has not issued an official statement, and her representatives have yet to respond to media inquiries.
