Latest news with #LittlePeople
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Yahoo
Salem man arrested for alleged ‘series of explosions' targeting house
PORTLAND, Ore. () — A Salem man was arrested for his alleged involvement in multiple explosions set off targeting a house over the past week, authorities said. Jason Douglas Kiser was arrested on Tuesday and accused of causing the 'series of explosions' targeting a home in the 5700 block of Woodside Drive Southeast, Salem police said. Oregon home from 'Little People, Big World' for sale The first incident was reported on April 23 at 2:30 a.m. when a blast from an improvised explosive device damaged a vehicle in the driveway, police said. Another explosion happened at the same home on April 25 at 2 p.m., this time in the front yard. Then on April 28, just after 10 p.m., another improvised explosive device damaged a vehicle in the driveway yet again. 'The initial investigation by patrol officers and follow up done by the Bomb Squad identified the 38‑year‑old Kiser as the suspect. It was determined that Kiser and the homeowner are known to one another,' the Salem Police Department said in a press release. Portland police expect to see 'couple thousand' protesters on May Day Kiser was arrested on Tuesday afternoon after entering a business in the 5700 block of Commercial Street Southeast. When the Salem police bomb squad responded to the scene and searched Kiser's vehicle, they found another improvised explosive device, authorities said. Kiser was lodged at the Marion County Jail and faces charges that include three counts of reckless endangering and three counts of criminal mischief. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
‘Critical investments': Improved Washington Park Reservoir to be unveiled in June
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — This June, the Portland Water Bureau will be unveiling the restoration of the Washington Park Reservoir, a construction project that has taken nearly a decade to complete. The Washington Park Reservoir Improvement Project began in 2016 as a way to upgrade the old uncovered reservoirs and bring them up to modern seismic standards to ensure a safe water system. Oregon residence seen on TLC's 'Little People, Big World' hits the market On Wednesday, the Portland Water Bureau announced that on June 14, they will be unveiling the completed reservoir, which will supply water to 360,000 people in west Portland. The new and improved reservoir features two reflecting pools, a wildlife habitat area, public walking paths and other restored historic features, the water bureau says. During the opening ceremony on June 14th from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the officials said there will be a ribbon cutting ceremony, tours of the new site and booths from local vendors. 'This project helps cement Washington Park as one of the city's crown jewel destinations. The park's 3.5 million annual visitors from around the world will be able to experience the new public space,' said Deputy City Administrator for Public Works Priya Dhanapal. 'The reservoir is a prime example of thoughtful planning, deliberate placemaking, and critical investments in the future of Portland.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Portland police expect to see ‘couple thousand' protesters on May Day
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – May Day falls on a Thursday this year, but the Portland Police Bureau is still preparing for several protests in the city. The holiday, also known as International Workers Day, is a celebration of laborers and the working class. People around the world often protest for better pay and working conditions. Three Oregon hotels ranked among best in the country by TripAdvisor In Portland — a city — law enforcement expects to see a lot of people exercising their First Amendment rights. Assistant Chief of Operations Craig Dobson said there are at least three or four events planned in the area starting around 1 p.m. with a 'couple of thousand' people. 'We've got the right resources set up for those folks and anticipate that they'll have some marches in the downtown area, where we will be working with them to ensure that they are safe,' Dobson said. In recent months, Portland has seen several protests in support of the — 50 protests, 50 states, 1 movement — opposing the Trump Administration. Another rally is expected to take place on Thursday, May 1. The movement brought thousands of people to the streets in February, March and April. Protesters have gathered in Portland, Salem and Vancouver to march against what they say are anti-democratic and illegal actions in the White House. Oregon residence seen on TLC's 'Little People, Big World' hits the market PPB prepared for the protests, which stayed peaceful despite attracting thousands of people. 'We had, in the last few months, several big events that have all gone really well, and we appreciate the public for being out there and organizing these events and having really peaceful events where we have been able to work with the crowds and coordinate with them,' Dobson said. Portland police have not been in contact with federal law enforcement in preparation for these events. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Chicago Tribune
01-04-2025
- Health
- Chicago Tribune
Column: Aurora Lions Club taking critical ‘baby steps' in early vision screening
I can smile about it now. But back in the day when I was trying to keep glasses on an 18-month-old, there were times I was in tears. Like the already-hectic Christmas Eve spent tearing the house apart in search of tiny red wire rims, which later turned up inside a Fisher-Price 'Little People' garage. Or the Sunday afternoon at Brookfield Zoo when his eyewear was flung into one of the primate cages. Or that Thanksgiving road trip to my hometown when I sent his father into a burning vehicle to retrieve the toddler's glasses after the engine caught on fire. I can remember at least one tearful phone call to his pediatric ophthalmologist declaring 'I give up … I can't keep these darn glasses on his face.' I also recall his answer. 'Be patient. It will come. It is important that he wear them.' The doctor's last sentence pretty much sums up why people like Gabby Gaytan, parent educator at Family Focus, and Susan Koepke, past president of the Aurora Lions Club, are so passionate about the service organization's push to grow the preschool numbers of its Children's Vision Program. Awareness is definitely on the rise, both women insist, with Koepke describing the past few months in particular as 'exciting' in terms of community partnerships. Those not only include Aurora City Council members, several schools, Family Focus and the Aurora Public Library, where screenings for children are held monthly, but more recently Aurora University, which has supplied graduate interns to help with the website, flyers, letters and other outreach efforts; Midwestern University's Doctor of Optometry Program; and Companeros en Salud (Partners in Health). The goal is to increase the number of screenings in the 0-3 age group, which remains low in large part, Gaytan suggested, because it's tough to keep eyewear on children so small. 'The main challenge,' she said, 'is getting past the notion they are too young to wear glasses.' Plus, parents often don't understand the importance of early screening, or believe there is a vision problem with children so young, Gaytan continued. Adding to the issue, there are fewer doctors who do screenings on children younger than 4 because not only is that age group not covered by Medicaid, the little ones are harder to work with. All the more reason the Aurora Lions Club, which has historically been known for its focus on vision health for kids, continues to aggressively promote its 0-3 screening and follow-up program, especially targeting the community's immigrant Hispanic population. Over the past year that push includes creating the nonprofit Aurora Lions Club Foundation, which allows the group to accept sponsorships and donations, having access to the newest screening camera model and raising awareness about a Congressional bill targeting early detection of vision impairments for children. Studies indicate this screening is so critical because 80% of what we learn is through the eyes, and sight is the most imperfect sense at birth. Simply put, both women insist, if children are not able to see well, they will not learn and develop as they should. According to Gaytan, 'we are working to find more doctors to take those (younger than 4)' and are hoping that this campaign will not only see an uptick in screenings but awareness in general about the importance of testing for all ages of children. 'The hope is that families spread the word,' she said. In addition to community health screenings, the Aurora Lions Club, which will showcase this local program at the district convention this month, continues to focus on the elementary schools. But as Koepke pointed out, at a parent presentation in January only one mother showed up, and she did not speak English. Still, Koepke described it as a 'fabulous experience' because 'I learned as much' from this event as did the mother, whose child ended up needing glasses. In addition to now using split-screens, with English on one side, Spanish on the other, Koepke noted that using translators is critical. 'One child at a time,' said Koepke, who remains convinced that screenings and follow-up play vital roles in helping children succeed in school and in life. 'It is still baby steps,' she added, 'but we are making progress.'
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Little Girl Goes Viral After Mistaking Fisher-Price Toy for Her Grandpa (Exclusive)
A Michigan mom got a big laugh when she realized her daughter, Salem, thought a Fisher-Price toy looked just like her grandpa Olivia Brado tells PEOPLE she took a video of the moment after realizing the uncanny resemblance Now, the video has gone viral with nearly 500,000 views on TikTok When Olivia Brado's 2-year-old daughter Salem first started saying "Papa, papa," she assumed it was because the little girl wanted to go visit her grandpa. But after a closer look at the toy in her hand, she realized it was because Salem thought the toy was actually modeled after her grandpa. Brado, who lives in Michigan, tells PEOPLE that Salem had recently inherited a bag of hand-me-down toys from her cousins. In the bag were a number of Fisher-Price's popular "Little People" toys, a line of figures, vehicles and interactive playsets for toddlers. "We were at my mom's house and we dumped out the bag of toys and she started picking through them," Brado says. "Then I kept hearing her say, 'Papa, papa.' " Related: Mom Kept All of Her Kids' Childhood Toys. Now the Family Is Reorganizing Their Entire Collection (Exclusive) As Brado explains, she often takes Salem to visit her grandpa at his workplace after taking her to visit her grandma. "So when I heard, 'Papa' over and over, I thought she just wanted to see him." But then Brado and her mom noticed Salem was clutching one of the toys tightly in her fist. "My mom looked at it, and said, 'Does she think it's your dad?' " Brado says. "And I took a closer look and sure enough, it looks just like him. My mom and I looked at each other and just started dying laughing." Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Brado immediately got her phone out and took a video of the sweet moment, uploading it to TikTok with the caption: "My daughter looked at one of her toys and immediately thought it was my dad." She also sent the video to her dad, who replied, "LOL." "I replied and said, 'But, it's you.' and he said, 'I see that.' " Brado also dropped the video in the family group chat — her dad, David, is one of nine — and "every aunt, uncle and cousin was like, 'Oh that looks just like him.' " "The hands, the build, the face shape ... it all checks," Brado adds with a laugh. The video has already been viewed more than 420,000 times since it was uploaded on Feb. 11, 2025, and many commenters say it resonates. ! "I've had a lot of comments," Brado says. "One girl said every time her kid sees Wreck-It Ralph, she says it's her dad." Related: Millennial Mom Goes Viral Teaching Daughters How to Skip-It: 'My Body Just Knew What to Do' (Exclusive) Other commenters are urging Brado to get backups of the toy, just in case it ever gets lost. "I don't think it's made anymore. I've seen a lot of them on eBay," she adds. "And she does have a few favorite toys but that is certainly one of them." Still others say perhaps Brado should enlist the toy-maker in the conversation. "A lot of people are like, 'You better tag Fisher-Price. do they know they owe your dad royalties for using his likeness? ' " Brado jokes. Brado, a professional special effects makeup artist, certainly has ideas on how to keep the fun going, saying she hopes to convince her dad to dress up as the character — and bring him to life for her daughter — come Halloween. "I am begging him, 'Please, can we get you in pair of overalls?' " Read the original article on People
