Latest news with #LanceWalker
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Environmental groups appeal judge's approval of construction for controversial power corridor
May 29—Environmental groups are appealing a federal judge's decision to allow the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Department of Energy to continue construction of the New England Clean Energy Connect corridor — a controversial 145-mile electricity transmission line through western Maine. Chief U.S. District Judge Lance Walker ruled in favor of the federal agencies last month after the groups sued them for not thoroughly assessing the environmental impacts of the transmission line, which will span 53 miles of forest to bring power from hydroelectric dams in Quebec through Lewiston. The project will bring 1,200 megawatts to the New England electrical grid, and is expected to be completed by the end of the year. The Army Corps previously determined that the $1.5 billion project had "no significant impact" on the environment. The Appalachian Mountain Club, Natural Resources Council of Maine and the Sierra Club-Maine Chapter asked the judge to revoke the permits because they say the agency failed to comprehensively analyze how the line could impact the aquatic ecosystem. But Walker ultimately decided the corps' assessment was fair and thorough. The groups filed a notice of appeal to the U.S. District Court on Wednesday. The project is organized under Avangrid Inc., the parent company of Central Maine Power Co. and a subsidiary of Iberdrola, a Spanish multinational energy company. Maine voters had opposed construction of the power line in a 2021 ballot referendum, but construction resumed a few years later after a Cumberland County jury found, in a separate lawsuit, that the developer had "vested rights" to continue the project. This story will be updated. Copy the Story Link
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Meet the candidates for Chambersburg school board, Region 4: Amy Weibley and Gary Piper
The Region 4 seat on Chambersburg Area school board will have a new representative when the board reorganizes in December. Candidates Amy Weibley and Gary Piper will seek party nominations for the seat in the primary election on Tuesday, May 20. Lance Walker, who was initially appointed to the board in November 2020, is not running for a second term. Both Weibley and Piper are running for the Republican nomination. Weibley is also running as a Democratic candidate. School board candidates may cross-file and seek the nomination from both parties. In this case, Piper and Weibley could with the Republican and Democratic nominations, respectively, compete again in the general election in November, or Weibley could win both primaries and be the only candidate for Region 4 in November. Those scenarios could change if there is a write-in campaign. Region 4 covers the voting districts Chambersburg 5-1 (votes at Chambersburg Bible Church) and Guilford 1 (votes at Grace Brethren Church). Other school board seats up for election in 2025 are Region 1, Region 3 and Region 6. In Region 1, one-term incumbent Faye Gaugler is being challenged by John J. Patterson in the Democratic primary. Sherian Diller is running unchallenged for a second term in Region 3, and no one filed to run against Edward Norcross as he seeks a fourth term representing Region 6. School board members are elected to four-year terms. On Election Day on May 20, polls are open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mail-in and absentee ballots must be received by the Voter Registration Office at the Franklin County Administration Building (272 N. Second St., Chambersburg) by 8 p.m. May 20. Check out our Q&A with the Region 4 candidates below. The responses were reviewed but not edited. Age: 36 Town: Chambersburg Education: MS, Organizational Development and Leadership, Shippensburg University and BA, Communications, Hope College Professional Experience: For the past three years I have been running my own small business full-time. Prior to that I worked for 12 years in nonprofit communications, event planning, and development. I've also had the pleasure of serving on boards and committees such as the Franklin County Career Tech Early Childhood Education Advisory Committee, Franklin County Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee, Hope from the Start (early childhood education taskforce), and Franklin County Visitors Bureau Board, to name a few. Currently, I serve on the boards of the Cumberland Valley School of Music and the Franklin County Coalition for Progress. I'm also a Leadership Franklin County graduate (Class of 2015) and former mentor for the program. Why are you the best candidate for this seat? As a mother, small business owner, and active community volunteer, I bring a well-rounded and grounded perspective to the CASD School Board. I have two children, one currently in the district and another starting kindergarten this fall, so I'm personally invested in the decisions the board makes and how they impact families like mine. Beyond my role as a parent, I bring strong leadership experience and communication skills. I will listen carefully, ask thoughtful questions, and work with the administration to continue to improve our district. As a business owner, I understand budgets and the importance of managing spending wisely. I'm especially committed to improving transparency and strengthening the connection between the district and the community it serves. At the end of the day, my goal is simple: to make well-informed, balanced decisions that are in the best interest of our students, teachers, and families. What do you believe are the top three issues relevant to CASD? 1. Every Kid Reading by 3rd GradeReading by 3rd grade is a critical milestone. Studies show that children who are not reading at grade level by the end of 3rd grade are four times more likely to struggle academically and face long-term challenges, including a higher risk of dropping out. As of March, CASD reported that roughly half of students are on track to read by the end of 3rd grade. We must do better by prioritizing early literacy to give every child a solid foundation for success. 2. Meeting Student Needs and Well-beingStudents can't learn if they don't feel safe, supported, and seen. CASD must continue improving upon ways to support the whole child through student behavior, mental health resources, social-emotional learning programs, English learner programs, and interventions for neurodivergent students. Addressing bullying, food insecurity, and absenteeism are some of the ways we can create an environment where all students can thrive. 3. Facility Expansion with Fiscal ResponsibilityAs enrollment grows by 1% each year (about 100 students), our buildings must evolve too. CASD needs to expand and upgrade facilities to support learning. At the same time, it's crucial to manage this growth responsibly. That means transparent budgeting, exploring cost-effective solutions, and ensuring any capital improvements are aligned with long-term needs without placing an undue burden on taxpayers. Is the district on the right track with the plan? Please elaborate. I believe strategic planning like this is essential to moving our district forward. While I don't agree with every proposal so far, such as the idea of having no school every other Friday, I appreciate the district's efforts to think long-term and engage the community in the process. One of the reasons I decided to run is to ensure parent perspectives are part of these important decisions at the board level. So far, I've been encouraged by the opportunities for community input. If that level of transparency and collaboration continues, I believe the final plan can truly benefit both our students, teachers, and the broader community. 'Tall order': CASD about halfway to having all students read and comprehend by 3rd grade Cyber charter tuition: CASD announces $53K in savings so far in update on cyber charter tuition audit Age: 66 Town: Guilford Township Education: Big Spring High School; B.S. in Health and Physical Education, West Chester State College; in Physical Education, The Citadel Professional Experience: Hospital based Health and Fitness Educator. Hospital Department Manager in Cardiac Rehabilitation and Medical offices for most of my career. Why are you the best candidate for this seat? I believe that a School Board member works with the team to provide the best educational opportunities possible while also being accountable to students, parents and taxpayers of the district. I worked with a variety of professionals in our hospital system to meet departmental goals. It was essential in my profession to provide a caring environment that encouraged and motivated others to overcome challenges. I was named the first employee satisfaction team leader for a 4000 employee system, a high performing organization with both employees and patients. I believe that a school district who cares about the health and well-being of its employees and students will impact a whole community. I maintained a connection with youth throughout my life by volunteering as a Big Brother for years and I am still active as a high school Sunday school teacher. I established community relationships in the Chambersburg area through being a volunteer driver at Network Ministries for a couple years and working at rabbittransit for six years. I have experienced the public school system as a parent and now a grandparent. What do you believe are the top three issues relevant to CASD? As a district, we need to provide an opportunity for each student, guided by parents and teachers, to choose a path that is best suited for their career direction. The Career Magnet option is currently not available to all students who want to go in this direction. It is essential that the student is engaged in a tract that is motivational and has high perceived value. Classrooms are needed for special needs students which are close to home. This is a challenge with the increased number of special needs students over the years and requires constant evaluation. Every teacher and support staff needs to feel valued. We need to provide a positive school culture and primarily assign staff in a way that uses their skills at the highest and preferred level, to help maintain high job satisfaction. Is the district on the right track with the plan? Mr. Bigger's presentations and comments state that the 2030 plan is a way forward to help standardize and enhance the educational process while maintaining minimal tax increases. I understand that changes involving school closures and building projects can be controversial, specifically when it impacts set schedules and expectations of parents. The deployment would not happen without considerable communication and time for parents to plan. Without changes in the delivery of the district K-12 educational programming, the financial impact will be beyond the tolerance for the majority of our local taxpayers. Expenses such as health care costs, greater levels of support staff for student needs and further attention needed to upgrade aging schools are driving the need for change. I believe that it is important to include community feedback in all major district decisions. Amber South can be reached at asouth@ This article originally appeared on Chambersburg Public Opinion: Meet CASD school board, Region 4 candidates: Gary Piper, Amy Weibley
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Judge denies AG's request to reinstate Maine's 72-hour law on gun purchases pending appeal
Mar. 12—A federal judge in Maine has denied the state's request to temporarily restore a 72-hour waiting period on gun purchases while it waits for a federal appeals court to decide if the law is constitutional. Maine lawmakers enacted the 72-hour law along with several other gun safety reforms following the October 2023 mass shooting in Lewiston that killed 18 people and wounded more than a dozen others. It required any gun seller who violated the waiting period to pay fines of $200 to $1,000, depending on the nature of the violation. Chief U.S. District Judge Lance Walker sided with a group of gun rights advocates who sued the state over the law in November, asking Walker to immediately pause it. The Office of the Maine Attorney General quickly appealed Walker's decision to the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston, which has yet to take up the case. Aaron Frey's office had also asked Walker to hold off on halting the 72-hour waiting period, arguing that his decision contradicts orders in other states, and that the law saves lives by "meaningfully reducing both suicides and homicides." Walker wrote Wednesday that he was not swayed by either argument and that he still feels the plaintiffs' rights under the Second Amendment would be irreparably harmed if the 1st Circuit decides to overturn the law. "If the Act is unconstitutional — which it likely is — it will curtail the exercise of rights preserved under the Second Amendment ... on a regular, steady, and ongoing daily basis (measured by nearly every firearm sale in Maine during the pendency of this litigation)," Walker wrote. But his decision to pause the law, he said, "may or may not result in a loss of life that could have been avoided by the enforcement of the Act." While the state's "loss of life" arguments were "indeed potentially weighty," Walker wrote, he felt that the attorney general's arguments ignored a 2022 United States Supreme Court decision that struck down a New York law requiring people to demonstrate a particular need for carrying a gun in order to get a license to carry a concealed gun in public. Before that ruling, "the alleged lifesaving benefits of a three-day waiting period may have been relevant to the merits of a constitutional challenge ... but that has not been the law of the land for nearly three years," he said. "This is an unsubtle point that nevertheless appears lost in the shuffle, apparently to persuade me of the wisdom of the law to compensate for its potential constitutional shortcomings," wrote Walker. Copy the Story Link
CNN
13-02-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Judge sides with gun advocates and pauses Maine gun law enacted in the wake of the Lewiston mass shooting
Portland, Maine (AP) — A federal judge on Thursday put a hold on a new three-day waiting period for gun purchases in Maine after reviewing a lawsuit filed against the rule by gun rights groups. Maine's new gun rule took effect in August and was one of several gun control measures the state's Democratic-controlled Legislature passed after an Army reservist killed 18 people in Lewiston in October 2023 in the deadliest shooting in state history. Gun rights advocates challenged the waiting period law and asked for it to be paused pending the outcome of their case. The gun advocates contend the law violates their 2nd Amendment rights. Federal judge Lance Walker wrote that the act 'employs no standard at all to justify disarming individuals,' and that the plaintiffs are likely to succeed. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of a group of individuals who contend it is illegal to require a person who passed a background check to wait 72 hours before completing a gun purchase. Maine's attorney general has said he intends to defend the law and that waiting periods have been upheld in other parts of the country. Similar laws exist in about a dozen other states. Gun control advocates in Maine trumpeted the law as way to provide a cooling-off period for people intending to use a gun to do harm to others or themselves.
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Judge sides with gun advocates and pauses Maine gun law enacted in the wake of the Lewiston mass shooting
Portland, Maine (AP) — A federal judge on Thursday put a hold on a new three-day waiting period for gun purchases in Maine after reviewing a lawsuit filed against the rule by gun rights groups. Maine's new gun rule took effect in August and was one of several gun control measures the state's Democratic-controlled Legislature passed after an Army reservist killed 18 people in Lewiston in October 2023 in the deadliest shooting in state history. Gun rights advocates challenged the waiting period law and asked for it to be paused pending the outcome of their case. The gun advocates contend the law violates their 2nd Amendment rights. Federal judge Lance Walker wrote that the act 'employs no standard at all to justify disarming individuals,' and that the plaintiffs are likely to succeed. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of a group of individuals who contend it is illegal to require a person who passed a background check to wait 72 hours before completing a gun purchase. Maine's attorney general has said he intends to defend the law and that waiting periods have been upheld in other parts of the country. Similar laws exist in about a dozen other states. Gun control advocates in Maine trumpeted the law as way to provide a cooling-off period for people intending to use a gun to do harm to others or themselves.
