Latest news with #Levenson
Scotsman
2 days ago
- Scotsman
Pensioner caught spying on woman in McDonald's toilets at Cameron Toll shopping centre
A pensioner has been caught spying on a woman while she used a toilet at a McDonald's takeaway - just four months after he was sentenced for a similar offence. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, 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... David Levenson was spotted peering over the cubicle and watching the victim urinating at the fast food outlet at Cameron Toll Shopping Centre in Edinburgh in August last year. The disgusted woman was said to have looked up and seen 'a flash of white hair' as the sleazy 73-year-old attempted to conceal himself within the cubicle. Levenson, from the city's Broughton area, fled the area but was quickly identified by cops after he was caught on the restaurant's CCTV system. The OAP has now been warned he faces a jail sentence after pleading guilty to concealing himself within the McDonald's toilets and watching the woman urinate when he appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Thursday. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Prosecutor Gillian Koren told the court the victim attended the McDonald's outlet at the capital's Cameron Toll Shopping Centre with her children at around 12.30pm on August 11 last year. Ms Koren said while waiting on her family's food order to be prepared the woman used the toilet facilities. The fiscal said: 'When [the woman] was using the toilet she became aware of shadows on the floor coming from above her and she saw the accused's head shoot down and saw a flash of white hair. David Levenson outside Edinburgh Sheriff Court | Alexander Lawrie 'She was shaken and appalled by the incident and she immediately left the cubicle area. The accused was seen, after being discovered by [the woman], to quickly leave the toilet area. The witness spoke to staff and the police were contacted immediately.' Officers attended at the restaurant and soon identified Levenson after viewing CCTV footage of him fleeing the scene. Solicitor Kirsty Harper asked the court to grant her client bail due to him being the carer for his 'frail' long term partner and remanding him in custody would be 'a punitive measure on her'. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Sheriff John Cook said: 'This is a particularly serious matter having regard to the fact you have an analogous previous conviction for it. A custodial sentence is very much at the forefront of the court's mind in light of that.' Sheriff Cook noted Levenson was already subject to the requirements of the sex offenders register and said his name would again be added for this conviction. Sentence was deferred to next month. Levenson gave the middle finger sign and swore at the waiting press as he left the court building following his guilty plea. The OAP was caught carrying out a similar act at a McDonald's in the capital's city centre in August 2023 and handed himself into police following a public appeal. He admitted the offence when he appeared in court last March and was sentenced four weeks later - just four months before carrying out his latest offence. On that occasion Levenson was placed on the sex offenders register for 12 months and ordered to carry out 135 hours of unpaid work.
Daily Record
2 days ago
- Daily Record
Pervert pensioner spied on woman in Edinburgh McDonald's
David Levenson was spotted peering over the cubicle and watching the victim urinating at the fast food outlet at Cameron Toll Shopping Centre in Edinburgh in August last year. A pervert pensioner has been caught spying on a woman while she used a toilet at a McDonald's takeaway - just four months after he was sentenced for a similar offence. David Levenson was spotted peering over the cubicle and watching the victim urinating at the fast food outlet at Cameron Toll Shopping Centre in Edinburgh in August last year. The disgusted woman was said to have looked up and seen "a flash of white hair" as the sleazy 73-year-old attempted to conceal himself within the cubicle. Levenson, from the city's Broughton area, fled the area but was quickly identified by cops after he was caught on the restaurant's CCTV system. The OAP has now been warned he faces a jail sentence after pleading guilty to concealing himself within the McDonald's toilets and watching the woman urinate when he appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Thursday. Prosecutor Gillian Koren told the court the victim attended the McDonald's outlet at the capital's Cameron Toll Shopping Centre with her children at around 12.30pm on August 11 last year. Ms Koren said while waiting on her family's food order to be prepared the woman used the toilet facilities. The fiscal said: "When [the woman] was using the toilet she became aware of shadows on the floor coming from above her and she saw the accused's head shoot down and saw a flash of white hair. "She was shaken and appalled by the incident and she immediately left the cubicle area. "The accused was seen, after being discovered by [the woman], to quickly leave the toilet area. "The witness spoke to staff and the police were contacted immediately." Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Officers attended at the restaurant and soon identified Levenson after viewing CCTV footage of him fleeing the scene. Solicitor Kirsty Harper asked the court to grant her client bail due to him being the carer for his "frail" long term partner and remanding him in custody would be"a punitive measure on her". Sheriff John Cook said: "This is a particularly serious matter having regard to the fact you have an analogous previous conviction for it. "A custodial sentence is very much at the forefront of the court's mind in light of that." Sheriff Cook noted Levenson was already subject to the requirements of the sex offenders register and said his name would again be added for this conviction. Sentence was deferred to next month. Levenson gave the middle finger sign and swore at the waiting press as he left the court building following his guilty plea. The OAP was caught carrying out a similar act at a McDonald's in the capital's city centre in August 2023 and handed himself into police following a public appeal. He admitted the offence when he appeared in court last March and was sentenced four weeks later - just four months before carrying out his latest offence. On that occasion Levenson was placed on the sex offenders register for 12 months and ordered to carry out 135 hours of unpaid work.
Edinburgh Live
3 days ago
- Edinburgh Live
Twisted Edinburgh man caught spying on woman while she used toilet at McDonald's
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info A pervert pensioner has been caught spying on a woman while she used a toilet at a McDonald's takeaway - just four months after he was sentenced for a similar offence. David Levenson was spotted peering over the cubicle and watching the victim urinating at the fast food outlet at Cameron Toll Shopping Centre in Edinburgh in August last year. The disgusted woman was said to have looked up and seen 'a flash of white hair' as the sleazy 73-year-old attempted to conceal himself within the cubicle. Levenson, from the city's Broughton area, fled the area but was quickly identified by cops after he was caught on the restaurant's CCTV system. The OAP has now been warned he faces a jail sentence after pleading guilty to concealing himself within the McDonald's toilets and watching the woman urinate when he appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Thursday. Prosecutor Gillian Koren told the court the victim attended the McDonald's outlet at the capital's Cameron Toll Shopping Centre with her children at around 12.30pm on August 11 last year. Ms Koren said while waiting on her family's food order to be prepared the woman used the toilet facilities. The fiscal said: 'When [the woman] was using the toilet she became aware of shadows on the floor coming from above her and she saw the accused's head shoot down and saw a flash of white hair. 'She was shaken and appalled by the incident and she immediately left the cubicle area. The accused was seen, after being discovered by [the woman], to quickly leave the toilet area. The witness spoke to staff and the police were contacted immediately.' Officers attended at the restaurant and soon identified Levenson after viewing CCTV footage of him fleeing the scene. Solicitor Kirsty Harper asked the court to grant her client bail due to him being the carer for his 'frail' long term partner and remanding him in custody would be 'a punitive measure on her'. Join Edinburgh Live's Whatsapp Community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages Sheriff John Cook said: 'This is a particularly serious matter having regard to the fact you have an analogous previous conviction for it. A custodial sentence is very much at the forefront of the court's mind in light of that.' Sheriff Cook noted Levenson was already subject to the requirements of the sex offenders register and said his name would again be added for this conviction. Sentence was deferred to next month. Levenson gave the middle finger sign and swore at the waiting press as he left the court building following his guilty plea. The OAP was caught carrying out a similar act at a McDonald's in the capital's city centre in August 2023 and handed himself into police following a public appeal. He admitted the offence when he appeared in court last March and was sentenced four weeks later - just four months before carrying out his latest offence. On that occasion Levenson was placed on the sex offenders register for 12 months and ordered to carry out 135 hours of unpaid work.
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Advocates, scientists ask lawmakers for $1 million to stop toxic algal blooms on Willamette River
A large green algal bloom covers the Ross Island Lagoon on the Willamette River in August 2021. (Photo courtesy of the Human Access Project) Just about every summer in recent years, a stretch of the Willamette River south of downtown Portland at Ross Island turns green from a thick layer of toxin-producing algae that grows rapidly in the hot and stagnant waters of the Ross Island Lagoon. As the thick algal blooms are carried out by winds and tides to the mainstem of the river, it can become, for days on end, unhealthy for humans, pets and aquatic life. There's an easy fix that's been years in the making, according to Willie Levenson, founder of the Portland-based nonprofit Human Access Project. Standing in the way is the last $1 million he and river engineers at Oregon State University need to finish designing it. House Bill 3314, sponsored by state Reps. Rob Nosse and Mark Gamba, Democrats from Portland and Milwuakie, would direct about $1 million to Oregon State University to finish designing a channel that would cut through Ross Island. The channel would restore the river's natural flow through what were multiple islands a century ago and flush out harmful cyanobacteria and algae forming in the lagoon. The bill will have its first public hearing Wednesday morning at the House Committee on Agriculture, Land Use, Natural Resources and Water. 'This is a small investment that will solve a significant problem,' Levenson said. The Human Access Project, which aims to get people in closer contact with the river, has been working with Oregon State University scientists to collect data and determine solutions for six years. Levenson spent about two years fundraising about $500,000 through grants from nonprofits and local tribal governments, enough for the first 30% of the planning process. The rest of the plan hinges on getting money from the Legislature. 'We're concerned that without the money to finish the planning soon, the momentum to do this will stall out,' Levenson said. Ross Island used to be one of a complex of four islands. In the 1920s, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers moved the earth on two of the islands around to create an embankment connecting them to divert water and make a deeper shipping channel in the river, as well as to make it more accessible to industry. The two islands combined created the U-shaped Ross Island, but the new embankment stopped the natural flow of the river between the islands and the lagoon became a '140-acre pond inside a river,' according to Levenson. In 1926, the Ross Island Sand and Gravel Co. established itself on the island and started excavating millions of tons of gravel from the river to make cement, creating a large hole in the river until 2001. The combination of the gravel excavation, the man-made lagoon around it, hot summers and pollution from nearby cities has led to the perfect conditions for cyanobacteria and algal blooms to grow in the area. By cutting through the embankment that the Army Corps built in 1926 and letting the river flow between the islands again, the bacteria and algae will be flushed out of the area, Oregon State Scientists found. Once planning is finished in the next two years, Levenson said he and Oregon State will seek up to $8 million to carry it out. He said there are a few different funding streams they'll pursue, including potentially asking the Legislature to foot some of the bill. The Ross Island Sand and Gravel Co. though no longer operational, is under orders from the Department of State Lands to undertake reclamation work to refill the hole the company left in the river from decades of excavation. As part of that, it's possible the company could offer to pay for some of the channeling work. Randall Steed, general manager of the company, did not respond to a call or email requesting comment. Officials in charge of the billion-dollar Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund, made up of revenue from a 1% tax on large retail businesses in the city, declined to fund project planning and implementation because it was not reducing carbon dioxide emissions, according to Levenson. Annual algal blooms are not just an environmental and public health issue, he said, but an economic issue that will drive people, events and businesses away from Portland in the summer. 'If the Willamette keeps turning green every summer, it will be an anchor around the neck of downtown's recovery,' Levenson said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
UC president calls 'biological' bathroom signs error as students, faculty protest
When lawyer and University of Cincinnati graduate Scott Knox heard about the "biological" men and women bathroom signs going up at his alma mater, it was just more disappointment. "To be so enthusiastically quick," Knox said. "They've been great on diversity in the past, which makes this so hugely disappointing." The bathroom signs went viral this week as students protested against the university's rollback of diversity initiatives to comply with a presidential executive order. To an impassioned group of students at the trustees meeting Tuesday, President Neville Pinto said the signs were an "error." It is unclear when or if the signs will be changed back. More: University of Cincinnati ends DEI, sparking 2nd day of student protests Knox holds two degrees from UC, has donated to the university since he graduated and has spoken numerous times about diversity at foundation functions and other events. He said he understands that funding is at risk, but he's infuriated that the university didn't take more time to consider what they were doing. Knox said the school should have been looking for lawsuits to join to fight the state and federal measures instead of changing bathroom signs. It's been less than two months since President Donald Trump signed a bevy of executive orders targeting transgender people along with diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. Ohio's "Bathroom Bill" requiring signage at public schools and universities went into effect Tuesday. Knox said that due to the vague nature of the law and the possibility for pending litigation both at the federal and state level, the university would have been safe in waiting for more clarity. He added that the bathroom law is nearly impossible to enforce. "Is there going to be a genital checker at the door? Why are they making a rule that can't be enforced?" Knox asked. "Beyond the cruelty of it, it's so poorly thought out." Ohio ACLU Legal Director Freda Levenson echoed Knox's concerns. She said her organization is extremely opposed to the bill and is monitoring what happens for potential litigation. Levenson said signage issue shows the absurdity of the whole law and problems it creates for schools and universities. "The obscurity is a detail compared to the cruelty ... of the whole thing," Levenson said. Michelle Minette is a group facilitator at Transform, a Cincinnati-based nonprofit that hosts support groups for trans youth and their families. She said these sorts measures are harmful to a community that is already at risk. According to the Trevor Project, 78% of transgender youth report being harassed in schools, 38% report being physically assaulted and 50% have serious suicidal ideation. "We expect these numbers to increase when we have legally and socially sanctioned spaces for segregation and discrimination," Minette said. Minette said research institutions, like UC, have shown in their research that there is a huge variety in gender and sex variability. She said the idea of binary sexes has been "debunked," and finds it ironic that an institution that might have contributed to this science is now trying to enforce such a thing. However, she said, people should remember that the University of Cincinnati was on the "forefront of DEI" until now. She said for UC it could come down to how many marginalized people can be helped by fighting the regulations versus how many can be helped by complying with them and maintaining full funding. But the university's reasoning was not clear, as UC did not respond to The Enquirer's request for comment Tuesday. "I don't think that UC is the enemy here. It's the state," Minette said. "How do I keep supporting people while flying under the radar of those trying to stop that support?" Ohio Rep. Adam Bird, R-New Richmond, co-sponsored Senate Bill 104, which has been dubbed the "Bathroom Bill." He told The Enquirer that UC's signs comply with the law, but said other schools may not need to use the specific "biological" language. "They are doing the best that they can to comply with the letter of the law," Bird said. "That language is the actual law language. It is not necessary, but if a school needs to be that specific, then they should do what is best for their university." This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: UC president calls 'biological' bathroom signs error amid protests
