Latest news with #Keck
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Marysville school board member arrested after fight with bar owner
MARYSVILLE, Ohio (WCMH) — A Marysville school board member was arrested over the Memorial Day weekend after an argument with the owner of a bar, according to police. Jermaine Ferguson, 34, was arrested early Saturday when he reportedly got into a fight with the owner of Stephens Lounge on Main Street after he was removed, according to an incident report. Ferguson 'appeared heavily intoxicated,' police said. As an officer was trying to separate the two, Ferguson allegedly pulled away from the officer multiple times and continued to argue with the owner. Decades-old Mexican restaurant at Easton Town Center quietly shuts down Police said Ferguson then wrestled with the officer before he was eventually taken to the ground. Ferguson told the officer that he was at the bar talking to a woman that he knew, when her brother punched him in the face, according to the incident report. The officer noted that Ferguson had dried blood on his lips. The officer asked Ferguson if he wanted to call someone to pick him up from the police department, but he said he didn't want to call his wife, according to police. Why South-Western City Schools parents are considering leaving the district In a statement to NBC4, board president Bill Keck said the board is aware of the arrest, calling it a 'personal legal matter.' Keck directed all questions to law enforcement. 'Our focus remains on serving students, families, and staff with integrity, transparency, and a strong commitment to educational excellence,' Keck said. Ferguson was charged with obstructing official business and has pleaded not guilty. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Saturn's Moon Titan Is Surprisingly Earth-Like, the Only Other Place with Weather Like Ours
We tend to think of the weather as mundane, the sort of boring things you talk about when you have nothing else to say, but in the scope of the solar system, it's one of the most interesting things going on. There are eight known planets, five known dwarf planets, and hundreds of known moons in our solar system, but only two of them have weather: Earth and Titan. Saturn's moon Titan is almost featureless when seen in visible light, thanks to a thick blanket of atmospheric fog. But when astronomers look at it in infrared light, they suddenly see lakes and rivers, dunes and valleys, and a complex liquid cycle. Recently, astronomers peered at Titan using the JWST and Keck observatories, revealing new insight into Titan's bizarrely Earth-like weather. While the crew of The Ark (streaming now on Peacock) made their way across light-years of space to visit Proxima centauri b, they might have had a better shot setting up closer to home. Titan isn't exactly habitable by human standards (it's way too cold and we couldn't breathe the air) but it's remarkably similar in many ways. It has an atmosphere made of mostly nitrogen, just like on Earth, with an atmospheric pressure about 1.5 times that of Earth. Inside that atmosphere you'll find running rivers, lakes, seas, and weather with clouds and rain. The surface temperatures on Titan are so cold (about -290 Fahrenheit) that water exists as solid stone and, possibly, liquid water oceans deep underground. Instead of water, Titan's surface liquid cycle centers on methane. It evaporates from methane lakes and seas, creates methane clouds in the atmosphere, and rains back down again. 'Titan is the only other place in our solar system that has weather like Earth, in the sense that it has clouds and rainfall onto a surface,' explained astronomer Conor Nixon of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, in a statement. Astronomers used the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and Keck observatories during two observation windows, one in November 2022 and another in July 2023, to investigate the weather cycle on Titan. In those observations, they identified two bright areas of methane cloud cover in the mid and high northern latitudes. It's the first time astronomers have seen evidence of convection in the northern parts of Titan. That's where most of the moon's methane lakes and seas are, covering an area roughly equivalent to the North American Great Lakes. That's where Titan's weather cycle starts, as methane evaporates from the rivers and lakes on the surface, creating clouds. Keck and JWST investigated the layers of Titan's atmosphere to estimate the altitude of clouds and track their movement over time. In observations taken days apart, astronomers watched clouds rise to higher altitudes, where methane gets broken down by sunlight or energetic electrons from Saturn's magnetosphere. As methane breaks down, it creates methyl radicals like CH3 which combine to create other molecules like ethane. Finally, they condense and fall from the alien sky as rain, returning to the surface and completing the cycle. Titan may not be the most comfortable place in the universe, but it's about as close to home as any place we've found. Visit alien worlds on The Ark, .
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Somerset proposes increase to Occupational Tax rate
City Council Pictured are Somerset City Clerk Nick Bradley, left, Mayor Alan Keck, center, and City Attorney John Adams, right. Should Somerset City Council approve, the city's Occupational Tax rate will be going up. The council held the first reading Monday on an ordinance that would see the Occupational Tax go up in increments to 1.2%. The current rate is 0.6%. Mayor Alan Keck's proposal is to have the rate go up 0.9% on July 1, then up to 1.2% on January 1, 2026. That means anyone who is employed at a business located within the city limits will see the Occupational Tax rate increase. Keck said the January 1 date is also when the state Income Tax rate is set to be lowered from 4% to 3.5%, meaning that the impact of the Occupational Tax raise should be minimal. The reason for the Occupational Tax increase is that, as was stated in the ordinance itself, 'historical inflation has caused the need for the city to increase revenue to ensure future budgets that are beneficial to the city and preserve the level of public services produced by the city.' When discussing the city's budget for the 2025-2026 fiscal year, Keck noted that the proposed budget is around $8 million lower than that of the current fiscal year. 'Some of that is a reduction in major infrastructure projects, but I think it shows another signal that when we can, we're going to cut and we're going to get lean in certain departments,' Keck said. The issue is that, with cost of living increases for City employees, along with a 12% increase in health insurance and more increases in workers compensation rates, the city's 'cost of doing business is just increasing,' Keck said. He told the council, 'In the last six years, due to wage inflation – and some of that I'm proud of because we're taking care of our employees in a better way, some of that perhaps is regrettable because of inflation nationally – our payroll is up over $6.4 million. And when I say payroll, that includes benefits and retirement. That's a huge number. But that number is with fewer total people, and with more first responders. We are quite literally accomplishing more with fewer people. '...The reality is, that $6.4 million-and-growing has to come from somewhere.' Keck then said that the reason he chose increasing Occupational Tax over Property Tax was that he felt collecting more taxes on property unfairly hit elderly property owners and those on a fixed income. He also read a list of cities that Somerset 'competes with' and their current Occupational Tax rates. Cities like Richmond, Ashland, Bowling Green and Berea all have a 2% tax, and Danville's is 1.9%. In addition to the Occupational Tax increase, the ordinance would raise the Net Profits License Fee of all Somerset-based businesses from 0.6% to 1.2%. A second reading and vote will take place at the council's next meeting, which is scheduled for Thursday, May 29. The meeting was moved from its regular Monday schedule due to Monday being Memorial Day. As part of this week's meeting, council held the first reading of the city's proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year. Revenues and expenditures for the 2025-2026 budget are: –General Fund: $33,090,900 –Sanitation: $8,323,200 –Water: $15,126,300 –Gas: $13,472,700 –Wastewater: $16,655,900 –Waterpark: $3,095,000 –Fuel Center: $1,169,850 –Tourism: $383,450 –EMS: $10,372,400 –The Virginia: $961,700 – MAP Funds: $295,642 –Horse Soldier Tax Incremental Financial (TIF) District: $21,050 Total: $102,968,092 Like the tax ordinance, a second reading and vote is set for the next council meeting. Keck and firefighters Mayor Alan Keck, left, swears in new firefighters for the Somerset Fire Department. Those firefighters were, from left: Brett England, Joey Vaughn, Byron Gregory, Morgan Quick, and Tucker Robinson. Also at Monday's meeting: – Alan Keck conducted the swearing in of five incoming firefighters: Brett England, Joey Vaughn, Byron Gregory, Morgan Quick, and Tucker Robinson. – Jody McRoberts with Pulaski County Strong Towns informed the public that the next Strong Towns meeting will be held this Thursday in the City Council Chambers at the Energy Center. The public is invited to attend, and it will feature special guest speaker Michael Huston, who is an urban planner from Lexington. Roberts said that Huston will be leading attendees on a walk around downtown Somerset and giving his insights on what he sees in terms of city planning. A light lunch will be served at 11:45 a.m., with the meeting beginning at noon. – Council approved the dedication of streets within the SPEDA Commerce Park into the city street department. Those roads are Innovation Avenue, United Drive and Progress Lane. – Council also voted to approve a zone change for property located at 100 Mardis Street from an Industrial-2 zone to a Residential-3 (multi-family units).
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Yahoo
SPD scores high marks in KLC Safety and Liability Review
The Kentucky League of Cities is giving high praise to the Somerset Police Department, as well as high marks in a 'report card' that measures the department's safety. John Clark, law enforcement consultant for KLC, presented SPD Chief Josh Wesley with a plaque in commemoration of the department scoring 100% during a Safety and Liability Review of the department. The presentation took place during Monday's City Council meeting. Clark told the council that the review examines 60 areas for SPD personnel, such as driving, firearms training, response to resistance, and keeping track of evidence. 'That is a comprehensive look at an agency's leadership, training, policies, and best practices for law enforcement to see how they're doing. It's almost kind of like a report card that goes back to the League of Cities,' Clark said. The areas looked at are related to situations that could either get officers hurt or get the department sued—both of which could cause insurance premiums to rise. And because the city is insured through KLC, there is an incentive for both the city and KLC to measure law enforcement liability. A high score during this review translates into lower insurance premiums, Clark said, which means the city spends less money to insure the department. 'KLC, as you can imagine, has extremely high standards when it comes to these reviews,' Clark said. 'But the Somerset Police Department has demonstrated a 100% score in all of those areas. And that doesn't happen very often. They exceed professional standards in every area that we measured. '… This is an accomplishment for the police department, but it's also an accomplishment for the city and for you all,' he said to council members, 'because as you all are well aware, these things are not cheap. These things are not just put forth by effort, but many times they have to come to you all, and you have to fund the very things that keep them on the cutting edge of what keeps law enforcement and your community safe.' Somerset Mayor Alan Keck said that he believed this was only the second time the city has received this distinction. 'Chief Wesley, we're grateful for you and your team for your continued hard work,' Keck said. Also, at Monday's meeting, the council approved an ordinance that would update the city's tourism tax requirements to include short-term rental operators, such as Airbnb and Vrbo, to pay the same 4% transient tax that hotels and motels pay. Keck explained in a previous meeting – and City Attorney John Adams reiterated for the second reading – that when the original ordinance was passed in 2013, brand-name house rental services weren't as prevalent in the market as they are now. Therefore, short-term rentals weren't covered in the language used in that 2013 ordinance. The new ordinance will also place short-term rental operators in a category for membership in the local Tourism Commission. Council members also heard the first reading for two new ordinances. One would bring three new streets into the city street system: Innovation Avenue, United Drive, and Progress Lane. These three streets are part of the SPEDA Commerce Park industrial development area, located in the Barnesburg area. The second first reading was for a potential zone change for 100 Mardis St. The owner has requested a change from an industrial designation to Residential-3, or a multi-family residential area. Both items will receive a second reading and vote at a later date.
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Kansans share personal insight into meaning of Medicaid cuts contemplated by Congress
Jacob Perron and Kathy Keck, with a photograph of Perron and his late sister, Mireya Keck, take part Monday in a forum dedicated to explaining the benefit of Medicaid to people with disabilities, the elderly and low-income children who might be adversely impacted if Congress adopts massive funding cuts to the Medicaid program serving 425,000 people in Kansas. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector) TOPEKA — Kathy Keck and Jacob Perron carried with them one large photograph and many memories of the late Mireya Keck, a child adopted into the family after suffering a brain injury when aggressively shaken at 7 weeks of age. Keck spoke of Mireya while her sibling, Perron, held an image capturing a moment when brother and sister shared a laugh. The occasion was made possible, in large measure, by Mireya's eligibility for Medicaid benefits that provided nursing services so she could live a life not available to her in an institutional hospital, Keck said. She died Jan. 30 2024, in hospice at home south of Topeka. 'Without Medicaid,' Keck said, 'we wouldn't have been able to keep Mireya living in a home where she was loved. She knew love and she knew great joy.' Keck and Perron, who suffered a brain injury at birth that led to cerebral palsy and other disabilities, took part Monday evening in Medicaid forum with a couple dozen other people at the Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library. The event provided a forum to share thoughts about the value of Medicaid to people with disabilities, seniors in nursing homes or who get care at home, pregnant women or low-income youth in Kansas. The event offered folks with personal insight into Medicaid the opportunity to speak to others with knowledge of how the national health program influenced quality of life. But the ultimate audience was limited to six individuals — U.S. Reps. Sharice Davids, Traci Mann, Ron Estes and Derek Schmidt and U.S. Sens. Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall of Kansas. These elected politicians working in the U.S. Capitol could eventually be asked to vote on federal legislation — details aren't publicly available — that slashed federal Medicaid spending over the next 10 years. 'This is not right or left. This is truly a human right,' Keck said. 'Yes, we want to get rid of fraud. People using the support, that's not fraud. That's called helping people live their best life in the most respectful and dignified way possible.' Medicaid is a joint federal and state program serving about 72 million Americans and 425,000 Kansans with limited income and resources. Forty states and the District of Columbia, but not Kansas, expanded eligibility for Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act to include lower-income adults. In Washington, a U.S. House committee with oversight of Medicaid has been assigned the task of finding $880 billion in savings over the next decade. Medicaid funding flows directly to states, so reductions in federal appropriations for Medicaid would take the form of cuts to state budgets. Ben Sommers, professor of health care economics at Harvard University and a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, said during an online briefing for reporters that most federal lawmakers, whether Republican or Democrat, were worried about how deep cuts to Medicaid would resonate among their constituents. He said profound reductions could negatively impact hospitals reliant on Medicaid funding and other health care providers engaged in delivering Medicaid services. Eight rural hospitals in Kansas shut down in-patient services since 2015, Medicaid advocates said, and Kansas had more rural hospitals at risk of closing than any state of comparable size. 'Right now, we have big numbers to target,' Sommers said the $880 billion, 10-year objective. 'We don't have a lot of explanation of where that money comes from. That's all kind of behind closed doors.' Political rhetoric from House and Senate members keen to cut federal spending was often linked to the goal of addressing government waste, fraud and abuse. 'There is simply no way to get to a number that big through waste, fraud and abuse. There isn't enough fat to cut from Medicaid to get there,' he said. Sommers said it was important to acknowledge motivation to gut spending on Medicaid was to sustain tax breaks endorsed by President Donald Trump and 'heavily skewed towards higher-income individuals.' Adrianna McIntyre, assistant professor of health policy and politics at Harvard's School of Public Health, said during the briefing there was genuine appetite among conservative Republicans in Congress to shrink spending on Medicaid. Implications of Medicaid adjustments for governors on both sides of the partisan aisle could be profound, she said. 'There are definite concerns among governors about sudden changes in Medicaid funding and what it could mean to hospitals and other providers for many low-income people to suddenly find themselves uninsured,' she said. 'Generally speaking, if you're saving money, it's coming from fewer people having benefits.' If federal aid was withdrawn, she said, state lawmakers would have the option of reducing the number of people enrolled in Medicaid or to fill the funding gap by raising taxes or slashing spending elsewhere. Lisa Collette, mother of a nonverbal child who qualified for Medicaid, took the opportunity to share her thoughts during the forum hosted by the Alliance for a Healthy Kansas. Collette said it would be wrong to carve away an essential health programs because of the high human cost inherent in those budget decisions. Her daughter has a rare syndrome often linked to deafness and blindness, and she receives home nursing care through Medicaid. 'I strongly oppose these cuts because they affect the most vulnerable in our society — the elderly, low-income children and those with disabilities,' Collette said. 'As a taxpayer, it's frustrating to see that programs that benefit the most vulnerable are always No. 1 on the chopping block.' Julie Avard, of Topeka, said her experience with dementia illustrated the value of Medicaid to families otherwise faced with personal economic ruin or uprooting of their work lives to care for someone no longer capable of doing that alone. 'Who is taking care of a loved one who has dementia or who is aging?' she said. 'It gets harder and harder to take care of or to keep the person safe. Without Medicaid, we would be up the proverbial creek without a paddle.' Rebecca Schultz, a former special education teacher from Leawood, said the electric wheelchair she relied on to be active and to participate in volunteer work or public advocacy cost $25,000. She's not enrolled in Medicaid, but she said there was no avoiding the harmful outcomes if Congress reduced investment in Medicaid so people with disabilities have fewer support services. 'I'm fortunate. I've had a lot of supports in my life,' she said. 'For the people that need it, let's be human beings.' The debate about Medicaid cuts were disturbing, said Topekan Elvera Johnson, who lives on Social Security income with her husband. 'This is not the time to recklessly cut Medicaid,' said Johnson, who suggested politicians look the example of others. 'All people should have access to good medical care. It should be a given. Jesus helped people who needed help. He was a healer.'
