Latest news with #MDC
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Missouri ash tree owners face choice: Treatment or removal
John Skinner, community forester, joined us to talk about the invasive emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis) that kills ash trees. According to the Missouri Department of Conservation, the larvae feed under the bark of ash trees, leaving S-shaped trails (below). The species was first discovered in 2002 in Michigan, and was later found in the southeastern part of Missouri in 2008. The dead trees they leave behind become dangerously brittle. Skinner says if about 30% of the tree is already dead, chemicals will not help, and the tree will need to be removed. He urges homeowners to either treat or remove infected ash trees to prevent hazards, since they can be a dangerous plant to keep around. Lastly, Skinner says it's important to distinguish ash trees (Fraxinus spp.) from other species with similar-looking leaves. MDC says all ash trees are susceptible to the nonnative emerald ash borer; the Green ash (F. pennsylvanica), a common species found across the state, is particularly vulnerable to borers. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Miami Herald
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Miami Herald
FIU has been co-opted by DeSantis' spoils system
Florida colleges In his first months as governor in 2019, Ron DeSantis attacked the process the trustees at Miami Dade College (MDC) used to appoint a replacement for Dr. Eduardo Padron. DeSantis replaced four trustees, then put forward his candidate, Madeline Pumariega. Another search was conducted but she was selected as the new president. This was, unquestionably, DeSantis' power grab of the largest college in the United States. In the past five years, the governor has selected six university presidents, including Jeanette Nuñez at FIU and Ben Sasse at UF. The latest is Manny Diaz, a former teacher, politician and private charter school executive. According to the May 29 Miami Herald article, DeSantis and the University System Board of Governors appointed a new slate of trustees. These appointments are the political plums of the spoils system now in place. A person choosing to accept the offer would have to follow a script DeSantis created that may contain alternative facts. Further, anything the person said in the past would likely have to be retracted to conform with the script. This is now our collective reality. And it's not just happening in education. Lee Jacobs, South Miami War on judges President Trump has declared war on the independent judiciary and the rule of law. Virtually every unfavorable comment he has made on the many rulings against his policies are attacks on the judges who issued the rulings and not on the rulings themselves. The president's rhetoric can be understood as a threat to the rule of law and encouragement to those who think it's okay to ignore or flout any rulings not in accord with their beliefs; that is, to take the law into their own hands. Physical attacks on independent judges are all too foreseeable. It's not a large step from such blatant disrespect of the courts to another Jan. 6 style-event, only this time, the president, as commander-in-chief, can order 'his' military to violently confront those who disagree with him and his minions. Trump's birthday parade, displaying our military might, sadly seems like a great setup for a violent confrontation. The tragedy of Americans spilling Americans' blood on the streets is a real possibility, yet again. Will it be time for an update of 'Four Dead in Ohio' by Neil Young? Leonard Fenn, Coral Gables Tell it straight The May 29 Miami Herald editorial, 'Marco Rubio betrayed Miami's Venezuelans on TPS,' was too gentle and too vanilla. Our U.S. Secretary of State, 'Little' Marco Rubio, is a gutless hypocrite with no backbone and very few principles. Marc A. Kuperman, Miami Animal feeding I've been involved in veterinary medicine for 52 years and have owned a veterinary hospital for 27 years. Our goal has always been to prevent suffering, have compassion, help those who have no voice and focus on the welfare of all animals. I was shocked and appalled at the ordinance that Miami-Dade County Commissioner Raquel Regalado tried to sponsor: a ban on feeding stray cats, dogs and other animals. Since when do politicians say who lives or dies? Starvation is inhumane and there are other solutions. As a resident of this county, I was deeply concerned about this ordinance. Animals such as dogs and cats were failed by human owners. There are other humane methods, such as Trap-Neuter-Return for cats. It works. Palmetto Bay once proposed an ordinance similar to Regalado's, which was withdrawn, and it was rejected due to the efforts of outraged citizens who fought against it. Her ordinance was cruelty to animals. This should not be a political issue and should not be considered or revisited. We do not need leaders like Regalado. Haydee Sanchez, Palmetto Bay High tech schools Re: the May 28 story, 'How Miami-Dade schools are leading 100,000 students into the AI future.' This is wonderful news to read that finally, school districts such as Miami-Dade County Public Schools are embracing technology and doing so in a pedagogically, professional manner. Don Deresz, Miami Be proud, America! On Memorial Day, I thought about a lyric in 'The Star Spangled Banner,' our national anthem, '...oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave...' In past years, I would think, America is strong, invincible! I felt differently on this year's holiday, however. America is polarized. On a recent visit to Washington, D.C., I took a lunch break in the U.S. Senate Office Building cafeteria. A group of diners, wearing MAGA caps, exclaimed somewhat loudly about how President Trump was going to make America great again. Meanwhile, some federal government workers who sat nearby, talked worriedly about the massive government cutbacks and their financial futures. The federal employees moved to another table, away from the MAGA diners, much the way non-smokers would move away from smokers. Both groups, however, fail to realize where America's future and strength lies. It isn't in the stability of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, pension plans or personal property values. Neither does it lie in the shining marble statuary and gleaming sculptures that make Washington beautiful. Our strength lies in the revitalization of the old fashioned values we were taught in school: compassion for one another, reverence for freedom of speech, pride in being American, willingness to be honest with one's self about what's right or wrong and being informed on current events and political views. This means not just going along with whatever wave of popular opinion comes along. There's no guarantee the 'Stars and Stripes' will last forever. There are cracks in the foundation, threatening the freedom of future generations to come. Let's make America proud again! Karin Stahl, North Miami Distorted America Re: the May 19 opinion by Isadora Rangel, 'I was fortunate to become a citizen. Does Trump want people like me in the U.S.?' President Trump has transformed the meaning of America to foreigners and Americans alike in a manner that makes it almost unrecognizable. We're witnessing in real time a president and his administration turn our nation's back on welcoming immigrants from every corner of the globe. From the almost complete suspension of the modern and wildly successful refugee program, revocation of visas for promising foreign students, denial of due process to those threatened with deportation, untimely termination of Temporary Protected Status for hundreds of thousands of immigrants living in this country who have fled conflict and natural disasters, to legal retribution against state and local officials (including a judge) suspected of not fully cooperating with federal immigration authorities. The president has simply exploited Americans' sympathy for tough immigration measures after years of record migration at the border, only to foster a nastiness and cruelty reserved for enemy combatants in wartime. Instead of swinging the pendulum to the absolute extreme in terms of enforcement priorities, why not recognize that immigrants have historically contributed to the vibrancy of this nation and become proud Americans. Anthony Arnaud, Laguna Niguel, CA Retire already Too many journalists and individuals live their careers and lives in the shadow of President Trump. The oversaturation of this highly controversial, banal president in the media is much, too much. I'm looking forward to the day when Trump's 15 minutes of fame are over. David Myles, Aventura Some day... President Trump said the war in Ukraine was not his, but Biden's and Zelenskyy's. If I am not mistaken, Biden and Zelenskyy did not invade Russia. Trump also said he would end the war in one day. He did not, however, specify what year. Mario Signorello, Port St Lucie
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Officials ID woman who died 48 hours after being booked into Bernalillo County jail
May 31—In November 2020, Estelle Quintero was cited for trying to steal $27 worth of shampoo from an Albertsons grocery store. When she missed a scheduled court appearance days later, a warrant was issued for her arrest. The 45-year-old woman died Wednesday morning at the Metropolitan Detention Center, 48 hours after being arrested on two warrants, both for missing court, tied to the petty misdemeanor and child support hearings. MDC spokeswoman Candace Hopkins on Saturday identified Quintero as the person who had died, her family having been notified. She said an autopsy will determine a cause of death. The incident is being investigated by MDC and the Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office. Hopkins said Quintero was booked into jail Monday at 6 a.m. She was "discovered unresponsive" Wednesday morning at 5:30 a.m. "MDC staff, alongside the (University of New Mexico) Hospital medical team, swiftly responded and began administering life-saving measures," Hopkins said. "Despite these efforts, Quintero was pronounced deceased at 5:48 a.m." Hopkins gave no other details. Katherine Loewe, who represents incarcerated people in MDC's reform settlement, said she was told by inmates that Quintero had been banging on her cell "asking for help" through the night. Loewe said the inmates told her an MDC corrections officer told Quintero to "be quiet and go to sleep." Court records show Quintero has been in and out of jail for decades on property and drug-related crimes. Loewe said she was placed on detox watch when she was booked into MDC on Monday, having been arrested by Albuquerque police. Quintero was the seventh person to die at MDC or die after being injured or falling ill at the facility in the past six months and the 36th such death since 2020. The majority of those who have died were detoxing at the time. The jail's daily population has been on the rise in recent months as several agencies — including Albuquerque police, the Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office and New Mexico State Police — conduct simultaneous crime operations, mainly focused on East Central, targeting people with warrants and open-air drug use. In January, 1,840 people were booked into MDC, and in April, there were 2,062 bookings, according to a dashboard on the MDC population. Currently, almost half of those behind bars at the jail are considered "transient." "We're in this time when the city is touting that they're rounding up everyone with warrants and making the city safer," Loewe said. "And in this case... they rounded up somebody with a five-year-old shoplifting warrant for less than $30 worth of soap, and took her to jail, where she died within 48 hours."
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Officials ID woman who died 48 hours after being booked into Bernalillo County jail
May 31—In November 2020, Estelle Quintero was cited for trying to steal $27 worth of shampoo from an Albertsons grocery store. When she missed a scheduled court appearance days later, a warrant was issued for her arrest. The 45-year-old woman died Wednesday morning at the Metropolitan Detention Center, 48 hours after being arrested on two warrants, both for missing court, tied to the petty misdemeanor and child support hearings. MDC spokeswoman Candace Hopkins on Saturday identified Quintero as the person who had died, her family having been notified. She said an autopsy will determine a cause of death. The incident is being investigated by MDC and the Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office. Hopkins said Quintero was booked into jail Monday at 6 a.m. She was "discovered unresponsive" Wednesday morning at 5:30 a.m. "MDC staff, alongside the (University of New Mexico) Hospital medical team, swiftly responded and began administering life-saving measures," Hopkins said. "Despite these efforts, Quintero was pronounced deceased at 5:48 a.m." Hopkins gave no other details. Katherine Loewe, who represents incarcerated people in MDC's reform settlement, said she was told by inmates that Quintero had been banging on her cell "asking for help" through the night. Loewe said the inmates told her an MDC corrections officer told Quintero to "be quiet and go to sleep." Court records show Quintero has been in and out of jail for decades on property and drug-related crimes. Loewe said she was placed on detox watch when she was booked into MDC on Monday, having been arrested by Albuquerque police. Quintero was the seventh person to die at MDC or die after being injured or falling ill at the facility in the past six months and the 36th such death since 2020. The majority of those who have died were detoxing at the time. The jail's daily population has been on the rise in recent months as several agencies — including Albuquerque police, the Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office and New Mexico State Police — conduct simultaneous crime operations, mainly focused on East Central, targeting people with warrants and open-air drug use. In January, 1,840 people were booked into MDC, and in April, there were 2,062 bookings, according to a dashboard on the MDC population. Currently, almost half of those behind bars at the jail are considered "transient." "We're in this time when the city is touting that they're rounding up everyone with warrants and making the city safer," Loewe said. "And in this case... they rounded up somebody with a five-year-old shoplifting warrant for less than $30 worth of soap, and took her to jail, where she died within 48 hours."
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
MDC invites young anglers to Kids' Fishing Day on June 7 near Branson
BRANSON, Mo. – In conjunction with Free Fishing Weekend, young anglers will have opportunities to go fishing at the Missouri Department of Conservation's (MDC) Kids' Fishing Day on June 7. The event will from 9 a.m. to noon at the Bella Donna Education Pond at MDC's Shepherd of the Hills Fish Hatchery near Branson. The event is open to anglers ages 15 and under. Sunfish and channel catfish will be what anglers will be trying to catch at the pond, which is east of the main hatchery complex. Signs will direct people to the event. A few loaner fishing poles will be available, but participants are encouraged to bring their own fishing equipment. MDC staff will provide worms for bait, but participants can bring their own, too. No registration is required for this event. For more information, call 417-334-4865, ext. 0. Shepherd of the Hills Hatchery is located at 483 Hatchery Road in Branson. This event is being held in conjunction with Free Fishing Weekend, the annual event in June through which fishing permits are not required at any state-managed fishing location. All other fishing regulations (length limits, possession limits, etc.) still apply for Free Fishing Weekend. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
