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Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Coroner identifies father and son shot in Pontiac
PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — The Livingston County Coroner has announced a father and son were found shot to death in a Pontiac home Thursday. Joseph J. Martin, 59, and Braden Martin, 25, were found with gunshot wounds in a home near Oak and Prairie streets at 3:21 p.m. on June 5, Coroner Mike Renner said. The Pontiac Police Department said in a Facebook post at the time, the two were found unresponsive and were later declared dead. It was believed to be an isolated incident contained inside the home. No further information has been made available, and the incident is still under investigation. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Scotsman
30-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Edinburgh Festival Fringe performers to get married live on stage in 'first legal wedding' in 78 years
The pair are believed to be the first performers to have a legal wedding with a ticketed audience at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Sign up to our Arts and Culture newsletter, get the latest news and reviews from our specialist arts writers Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... A pair of Edinburgh Fringe performers are to get married live on stage in the 'first legal wedding' in the festival's 78-year history. Linus Karp and Joseph Martin, stars Of Gwyneth Goes Skiing and The Fit Prince, are to tie the knot on August 16 - hours before they return to the stage to perform their show. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Billed as a show on the Pleasance Grand stage, with tickets available through the usual Fringe channels, the event is dubbed 'Awkwardprods get married (but for real)'. The event will include a legal marriage ceremony conducted by a licensed officiant. Guest performers and musical elements are expected – with the final line-up to be confirmed. Linus Karp and Joseph Martin are to get married live on stage at this year's Fringe. | Linus Karp and Joseph Martin The couple, who co-founded Awkward Productions and have been together for ten years, said they believed this would be the first legal wedding with a paying audience in the Fringe's 78-year history, and likely the first LGBTQ+ wedding to be staged as part of the official programme. In a joint statement, Mr Karp and Mr Martin said: 'I do.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Their show, The Fit Prince (Who Gets Switched On The Square In The Frosty Castle The Night Before [Insert Public Holiday Here]), is a queer parody of the holiday movie genre. Their previously-run show, Diana: The Untold and Untrue Story, is meanwhile also returning to this year's Edinburgh Fringe for a short run, in which Linus plays Diana and Joseph voices Charles.
Associated Press
27-05-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Chumash Casino Resort Adopts Kinectify's Modern AML Technology to Elevate Compliance and Risk Management
Chumash Casino Resort strengthens its AML capabilities with Kinectify's modern technology designed for the gaming industry. LAS VEGAS, NV, UNITED STATES, May 27, 2025 / / -- Kinectify, the leading provider of AML compliance software and advisory services purpose-built for the gaming industry, today announced that Chumash Casino Resort has selected Kinectify's modern AML platform to enhance its compliance and risk management operations. Located in Santa Ynez, California, Chumash Casino Resort is one of the premier tribal gaming destinations in the state, known for delivering exceptional hospitality and entertainment experiences. As part of its ongoing commitment to operational excellence and regulatory integrity, Chumash Casino Resort has partnered with Kinectify to implement an advanced AML risk management system purpose-built for the gaming industry. 'We are proud to welcome Chumash Casino Resort to the Kinectify family,' said Joseph Martin, CEO of Kinectify. 'Their selection of our technology underscores a growing trend among tribal and commercial operators to modernize AML compliance with platforms designed specifically for the complexities of gaming. We are thrilled to support Chumash in strengthening their risk controls and achieving greater operational efficiency.' Kinectify's configurable platform will empower Chumash Casino Resort's compliance team with real-time risk insights, streamlined case management, and automated reporting capabilities. This adoption marks another milestone in Kinectify's mission to elevate the standard of AML compliance across the gaming industry. 'As one of California's leading tribal gaming properties, we are committed to implementing the best tools available to protect our guests, our team members, and our operations,' said Desiree Hooper, Executive Director of Policy and Controls at Chumash Casino Resort. 'Kinectify's intuitive platform and deep industry expertise make them the ideal partner for our compliance program.' Chumash Casino Resort joins a growing roster of tribal and commercial operators embracing Kinectify's industry-leading AML technology, reinforcing its position as the preferred provider for modern gaming compliance. About Kinectify Kinectify is an intelligence and risk management technology company serving gaming operators. Kinectify's modern AML platform empowers clients to efficiently manage risk with real-time intelligence so they can focus on growing their businesses instead of being bogged down by compliance. In addition, Kinectify's advisory services enhance gaming operators' capacity with industry experts who can design and test programs, meet compliance deadlines, and even provide outsource services for the day-to-day administration of compliance programs. For more information or to request a demo, visit About Chumash Casino Resort Located on Highway 246 in Santa Ynez, California, the Chumash Casino Resort is owned and operated by the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians. The casino's gaming floor is open 24/7 and features 2,300 slot machines, dozens of table games, bingo, poker, daily cash and prize giveaways, The Sports Bar at Chumash and Willows, a AAA Four Diamond-rated restaurant. For more information, visit For further information or to schedule a demo, please contact: Sean Topchi Kinectify +1 725-235-9964 email us here Visit us on social media: LinkedIn Facebook X Legal Disclaimer: EIN Presswire provides this news content 'as is' without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Democrats and Republicans again at odds over mining laws in Maine
Panasonic automotive lithium ion battieries are displayed at the Panasonic booth during CES 2018 at the Las Vegas Convention Center on January 9, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. () After changing Maine's mining law last year to pave the way for the extraction of a significant cache of lithium, a key component of low-emission energy technology, legislators are again trying to amend it. Democratic legislators want to add additional human and environmental health requirements, while Republicans are eyeing an exemption to sidestep the guardrails established last year. The Maine Department of Environmental Protection is opposed to doing either. Last session the Legislature took up a slate of bills to alter mining laws in the state, sparked by the discovery of one of the world's largest lithium deposits in western Maine, the news of which the Maine Monitor broke in 2021. A lightweight metal, lithium can hold significant amounts of energy, making it a key component of rechargeable batteries and thus the transition from reliance on fossil fuels to renewable energy. But, metallic mining is also one of the most polluting industrial activities. The Maine Metallic Mineral Mining Act is considered one of the strictest mining laws in the country. However, not anticipating the monumental discovery that would come, legislators didn't specify where lithium fell in these regulations, leading to several proposals last session, which saw mixed success. Republican legislators are looking to exempt pegmatite mining, which involves extracting lithium and other valuable minerals from large-grained igneous rocks, from a rule passed last year. That rule now allows for exempting extractions of certain metallic minerals from the state's mining regulations if a developer can prove the operation won't pollute the nearby environment. Conversely, Democratic legislators have put forth a bill to add more requirements to ensure both human and environmental health are protected. More than 80 people submitted testimony largely in support of the legislation. Several said there is a need for state-level assurances in light of the direction the federal government is headed, pointing to the executive order President Donald Trump signed last week invoking wartime powers to increase the production of critical minerals. Sen. Joseph Martin (R-Oxford) pointed to recreational mining when explaining why he wants the Legislature to exempt pegmatite mining activities from the Maine Metallic Mineral Mining Act. LD 795 would allow the Department of Environmental Protection to authorize a person to engage in this mining through a permit by rule, if the mining otherwise satisfies the requirements of the quarrying law and the mining area covers 20 acres or less in total. 'Pegmatite formations often contain beautiful and collectible minerals, like gemstones, feldspar, mica and lithium-bearing rocks,' Martin said. 'This bill recognizes that small-scale mining of these materials, especially on sites 20 acres or less, is fundamentally different from large-scale industrial mining and should be regulated accordingly.' Testifying in opposition to LD 795, Maine Bureau of Land Resources Director Rob Wood said the 20 acre excavation site seems substantial and questioned that the intent is limited to only recreational activities. Regardless, Wood said LD 795 would sidestep the rules the Department of Environmental Protection finally approved in 2024. The Maine Department of Environmental Protections worked with the Environmental and Natural Resources Committee to develop a process to exclude the extraction of metallic minerals from the requirements of the Mining Act when such extractions don't have the potential to endanger human or environmental health. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The Legislature ultimately directed the department to adopt major substantive rules that outline how to make this determination, which the department proposed to the Board of Environmental Protection in the fall of 2023. During the second-half of the last session, in 2024, the Legislature agreed to approve the rules but with several changes, including requiring that an excluded mining activity can only have a pit size up to five acres, following lengthy deliberations about where to set such a cap. Martin said on Monday he thinks 20 acres is a fair cap. 'I know it was put in last year by the people that want to mine commercially,' Martin said. 'I didn't think they put in enough, to be quite honest with you.' Several representatives of environmental groups who testified in opposition to the bill questioned the higher cap. 'If it's about hobby mining, I don't understand why we would need to move from five acres to 20 acres?' asked Eliza Townsend, Maine conservation policy director of the Appalachian Mountain Club. As far as extracting lithium-bearing deposits, Wood said the department's position is that it is appropriate for that activity to go through the new requirements to prove an extraction wouldn't cause harm, however the department would be open to discussing altering the five-acre limit. No one from the public testified in support of LD 795, but the environmental groups that testified in opposition argued the process established last session afforded needed safeguards and was set through thorough, careful deliberations. Townsend raised concern about LD 795 shifting to a permit by rule system, significantly reducing regulatory oversight. Under the bill, an operator would have to notify the DEP rather than seek approval, and the rules to implement the law would be routine technical, meaning they wouldn't be subject to legislative review. Francesca 'Ches' Gundrum, director of advocacy with Maine Audubon, said that while metallic minerals are critical for shifting from reliance on fossil fuels to renewable energies to reduce harmful emissions, the immediate environmental concerns of extraction shouldn't be overlooked for long-term gain. 'We strive to strike a balance between the need for metals in our lives with the protection of Maine's vital natural resources with particular expertise and attention,' Gundrum said. 'Permit by rule is designed for activities that have minimal environmental impact, while the full permitting process is required for more complex projects that could have significant environmental impacts and require detailed review, public input and site-specific mitigation.' Rep. Ambureen Rana (D-Bangor) told the committee on Monday that the idea that Maine boasts the nation's most environmentally protective metallic mining regulations is an untested one 'with significant vulnerability as it does not include clear public health warnings, guidelines and protections.' LD 1073 would significantly expand the scope of the Mining Act, including by requiring a comprehensive baseline health assessment for mining communities prior to initiation of mining operations, requiring adequate monitoring of toxic waste after closure and requiring insurance coverage for any pollution-related health event occurring in the community. Many of these requirements were initially in the bill that established the rule last year, but that bill language was struck late in session to provide a vehicle for the major substantive rule change instead. The reason for this bill, Rana said, is to prevent a disaster before it happens, not after the fact. Wood argued some aspects of the bill would result in redundancies and that the department is not well-equipped to absorb the additional responsibilities that would be required under this bill. The bill would also add smelting and refining under the activities restricted by the Mining Act, which Wood argued are already subject to stringent regulations under other rules. Additionally, Wood said the assessment would require modeling that isn't currently conducted for any other license applications and is beyond the department's expertise. He added that it would also require applicants to provide population health data that isn't publicly available, making it challenging for the department to verify. Wood reiterated, of the existing rules, 'We believe these are probably the most protective rules in the country, outside of an outright prohibition.' Some who testified in support disagreed, including Vassalboro resident David Nishizaki, who pointed to Wisconsin's 'Prove It First' law that requires demonstrating safe operation and closure before permitting. Nishizaki and others also argued Maine should place further restrictions on mining to safeguard health in light of changes likely to come from the federal government. 'The Trump and [Elon] Musk administration has clearly stated intentions to unabashedly pilfer all natural resources possible from all lands and waters in their pursuit of world domination through military force and their dystopian sci-fi dreams of AI dominance, self-driving cars and populating Mars,' said Sasha Nishizaki, also from Vassalboro. 'We have no reason to believe that this resource grab will be done with any care for the harm it will cause to the many communities and ecosystems in its wake.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bid to protect lobstering by extending Maine's maritime jurisdiction could be unconstitutional
Cliff House Beach in Cape Elizabeth, Maine. (AnnMarie Hilton/Maine Morning Star) Previous attempts to extend Maine's jurisdiction over coastal waters faced legal hurdles, but one lawmaker is trying again. Two bills from Sen. Joseph Martin (R-Oxford) that seek to assert state sovereignty and ownership up to 12 and 24 nautical miles off the state's coast are scheduled to have a public hearing Thursday before the Legislature's Marine Resources Committee. Just two years ago, similar legislation was brought forward and failed. At the time, both the Maine Department of Marine Resources and the Maine Lobstermen's Association raised concern that such a change is legally fraught and wouldn't result in the desired outcome of protecting lobster fisheries, leading both entities to oppose the bill. The new proposal to extend state sovereignty to 12 nautical miles off the coast, LD 553, includes an emergency preamble that would allow the legislation to take effect immediately upon passage, rather than waiting the typical 90 days after adjournment. The emergency language in the bill cites recent decisions from the National Marine Fisheries Service and New England Fishery Management Council to restrict herring fishing in the Gulf of Maine. Herring are commonly used as bait for commercial lobster fishing, so those decisions could have devastating consequences for Maine's lobster industry, the bill states. The 2025 herring fishing quota for the region is a fraction of what it was expected to be in an effort to reduce the risk of overfishing and help rebuild the population, explained Jamie Cournane, a senior fishery analyst with the New England Fishery Management Council. The decision to lower the limit was motivated by a stock assessment conducted last year that showed the herring population was not doing as well as a 2022 assessment predicted. However, Cournane said the council is continuing to assess new information about the herring population and could update its recommendations to the federal government. Prior legislation made similar arguments that state authority should be extended to protect Maine's lobster industry. The proposal to go as far as 24 miles, LD 687, was submitted as a concept draft and the complete language was not available as of Wednesday afternoon. As with the 2023 legislation, neither proposal seems to 'have legs' because federal laws and previous court decisions don't permit state authority that far off the coast, said Charles Norchi, director of the Center for Oceans and Coastal Law at the University of Maine School of Law. A 1975 U.S. Supreme Court case found that states on the Atlantic Coast only have jurisdiction up to three nautical miles from the low-water mark. Therefore, it would be unconstitutional for a state to assert jurisdiction beyond that, Norchi said. That decision was based on two 1953 federal laws, namely the Submerged Lands Act and the Outer Continental Shelf Land Act, that establish the three-mile boundary. In his testimony against the 2023 bill, Maine Department of Marine Resources Commissioner Patrick Keliher said a 1997 analysis from the Marine Law Institute of the University of Maine found that the state could not assert its sovereignty beyond the three-mile boundary because of the Submerged Lands Act. Nothing in the current proposals makes Norchi believe this attempt would garner different results than the previous attempt. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
