Latest news with #LCDC
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Court gives ruling on vacant Commissioner's seat
SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU)— A decision on how to proceed with filling the Lackawanna County Commissioner Vacancy was announced in a ruling. In that ruling, the judges voted 2-1 in favor of siding with the Lackawanna County Democratic Committee that the vacancy of the County Commissioner seat should be filled in line with the Home Rule Charter instead of Pennsylvania Rule of Judicial Administration 1908, proposed by Commissioner Gaughan. The Home Rule Charter states that Court of Common Pleas of Lackawanna County shall choose from the three names submitted by the Lackawanna County Democratic Committee (LCDC). The Pennsylvania Rule of Judicial Administration 1908 states that when a court is filling vacancies to an elected official under a statutory duty, The Court shall receive applications from any interested candidates prior to the deadline established. The LCDC will now proceed with taking applications and choosing the best three and passing them onto the Court of common Pleas to make a final decision on the candidates. Commissioner Gaughan provided a brief statement saying: ''We have just received the opinions. We're reviewing them and will decide soon how to proceed.' The Court also ruled unanimously to take Lackawanna County off Commissioner Gaughan's lawsuit, meaning the county would not have to pay for it with taxpayer's money. Commissioner Chermak released a statement stating: 'I am pleased with the unanimous decision by the Lackawanna County judges to remove Lackawanna County and the County Solicitor from Commissioner Gaughan's lawsuit. I fought to have the county removed from this suit because the taxpayers of Lackawanna County should not be responsible for paying for a fight between Bill Gaughan and the Democrat Party of Lackawanna County. First and foremost, I will always fight for the taxpayers of Lackawanna County. This why I strongly opposed the 33% tax increase and continue to monitor the ongoing reassessment to make sure it is fair, accurate and transparent. This ruling protects taxpayer funds, and I remain dedicated to advocating for fiscal responsibility in our county. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Irish Independent
13-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
Council sets out the key role festivals and events will play in Sligo over the next five years
This follows a wide stakeholder engagement process and is the culmination of a review that examined the broad spectrum of festivals and events taking place in the county all year round and best practice elsewhere. It acknowledges the key role that festivals and events play in the tourism offering in county Sligo and facilitates the delivery of a planned and coordinated approach to supporting festivals and events. Cllr Declan Bree, Cathaoirleach of Sligo County Council, welcomed the strategy saying: 'This strategy values the huge commitment from the community as well as the business and creative sectors and I want to extend appreciation to all the festivals and event organisers, and organisations with a role in festival delivery, who have contributed to the development of the strategy and the stakeholder engagement process. 'You have helped shape this document by your insights and experiences from a practical and lived perspective.' The strategy, in setting out an implementation plan for the next five years, looks at a range of important issues in addition to funding such as marketing, capacity building and training, programme development as well as governance. The Chair of the Sligo Local Community Development Committee, Cllr Donal Gilroy, said:'It is significant that the LCDC could approve LEADER funding to help fund the development of the strategy and the success of the strategy will be enhanced by inter–agency and cross community collaboration.' This strategy, setting out a hierarchy of festivals, sits within the transformative Fáilte Ireland WAW marketing campaign and the County Sligo Destination and Experience Development Plan, as well as the Sligo 2030 vision. Chief Executive of Sligo County Council, Martin Lydon commented that 'Festivals and Events are a huge driver for the economic, community and social fabric of our society. 'We are fortunate in Sligo to have an outstanding array of festival and events which complement and animate new public realm and tourism infrastructural projects delivered by the Council'.
Yahoo
10-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Dan Helmer sues for $15 million over sexual assault allegations
Del. Dan Helmer, D-Fairfax, in May 2024. (Photo courtesy of Dan Helmer campaign) Del. Dan Helmer, D-Fairfax, is hitting back. Months after facing sexual assault allegations that surfaced just days before his congressional primary, Helmer has filed a $15 million defamation lawsuit, claiming the accusations were politically motivated and knowingly false. Helmer, who came in second in a crowded nomination contest to represent Virginia's 10th District last June, was accused of groping a woman six years ago — allegations first reported by NOTUS and linked to members of the Loudoun County Democratic Committee (LCDC). The report suggested that the claims led the local party to implement a sexual harassment policy. At the time, Helmer dismissed the allegations as 'baseless' and 'with no specific details.' 'They have been made for the first time a week before an election by people who have endorsed my opponents,' Helmer told NOTUS last summer. 'I'm proud of my record standing up against harassment.' Now, Helmer is taking legal action. His suit names Lissa Savaglio, the former LCDC chair, as the woman referenced in last summer's allegations. Also named in the suit are Avram Fechter, a former LCDC member, lawyer Charles King, who represented Savaglio, and two unnamed defendants listed as John and Jane Doe — all of whom Helmer claims conspired to harm his reputation. The suit accuses the defendants of publishing 'known falsehoods' about Helmer for a mix of 'personal, political and financial motivations.' It claims that in early May 2024, Savaglio reached out to Helmer to warn him that a 'grassroots activist' had asked her about rumors of sexual misconduct involving the two. According to the suit, she gave no further details but allegedly admitted the rumors weren't true, likening them 'typical Republican tactics.' As evidence, the lawsuit includes a screenshot of text messages purportedly between Helmer and Savaglio, as well as an image of Savaglio at a different event on the night of the alleged incident — suggesting that she wasn't with Helmer when the misconduct allegedly took place. The suit also alleges that Fechter, who publicly backed Savaglio's claims, contributed to a political action committee that funded attack ads against Helmer over the accusations. Additionally, it points out that both Fechter and Savaglio had supported a state Senate candidate who could have benefited politically if Helmer's primary rival, Suhas Subramanyam, had won the congressional seat. A staff member for Helmer declined to comment on the pending litigation, which was filed in Fairfax County Circuit Court. The campaign also did not provide further details about the unnamed individuals listed in the lawsuit. The other defendants in the suit did not respond for comment by the time of this publication. With Helmer now taking the battle to court, the fight over these allegations – and their political fallout — is far from over. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
