Latest news with #McKnight
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
New York Naval Militia to conduct exercises on Niagara River, Lake Ontario
Thirty-five New York Naval Militia and New York Guard members will be conducting an emergency response exercise Thursday and Friday on the lower Niagara River and Lake Ontario, alongside the Coast Guard and local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies. The exercise named 'Empire Challenge,' will be centered on Coast Guard Station Niagara and Fort Niagara State Park. The joint training exercise scenario is built around supporting law enforcement authorities working to stop drug smuggling by boat from Canada to the U.S. The exercise participants will test their ability to communicate and respond to emergencies including a person in the water and a boat fire. The drill will involve testing a wide range of communication platforms. The New York Naval Militia will also be conducting drone operations during the training. Unmanned aerial systems, or drones, will be launched on reconnaissance missions. 'Exercise Empire Challenge, is primarily an emergency communications event,' said Capt. Don McKnight, the commander of the Naval Militia's Military Emergency Boat Service. 'The exercise allows us to test new capabilities and functions alongside our many law enforcement and first responder partners,' he added. The New York Naval Militia is a 3,200- member force of Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard reservists who also volunteer to serve in the state force. The Naval Milita operates a fleet of 11 patrol boats in the Military Emergency Boat Service. The New York Guard is a small totally volunteer state defense force whose members augment the New York National Guard during emergencies. Both the New York Naval Milita and the New York Guard are components of the New York Military Forces alongside the New York Army and Air National Guard. The training scenario allows the New York Naval Militia and the New York Guard to improve their ability to operate with the US Coast Guard, and state and local law enforcement agencies. The New York State Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Services is also involved in the joint training. 'Each year, we have improved our ability to respond to various contingencies, to work out the kinks in our systems, and plan for future opportunities,' McKnight said. In addition, a delegation from the Swedish Navy will be observing the exercise. The New York National Guard has a State Partnership Program training and exchange relationship with the Swedish military. 'We are especially delighted this year with our budding relationship with the Swedish Navy through the State Partnership Program,' McKnight said, adding, 'The Swedish Navy's participation in this exercise on the Niagara Frontier will further solidify that relationship.' 'Exercise Empire Challenge demonstrates the benefit of New York being the only state in the nation with the ability to activate U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard Reservists to State Active Duty in support of the New York National Guard,' said Rear Admiral Michael Perry, the commander of the New York Naval Militia.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
‘Joyous occasion': New archbishop for the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas welcomed in
LEAWOOD, Kan. — The fifth archbishop of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas is in place. Archbishop Shawn McKnight, , is eager and excited to be back serving in his home state of Kansas. Part of U.S. 69 closing overnight in Overland Park for ongoing project He replaces the retiring Archbishop Joseph Naumann after 20 years. 'My priority is getting to know the Archdiocese, the priests, the parishes, the various education centers, institutions that we have, catholic charities, and others that are serving the poor and other dimensions of our mission as a church,' he shared with FOX4 Tuesday. 'Following that, I will probably want to initiate some kind of process where we will listen to the people and the clergy about what their hopes and what their fears are for the Church and her future here in northeast Kansas.' Tuesday, at Church of the Nativity in Leawood, his Mass of Installation was held. Nearly 1,500 attendees, from the metro and beyond, gathered for the ceremony. McKnight was of this year and was one of the final U.S. bishops named by Pope Francis. 'I look to encourage the lay faithful and the clergy to develop a stronger sense of belonging to the church and stronger sense of communion and a sense mutual respect for the differing roles we all have,' he said. Father John Reilly, Chancellor of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas says representative from all 107 parishes were in attendance for the event, as well as interfaith leaders, McKnight's family and friends, as well as guests and priests from Jefferson City and Wichita. There were also three cardinals in town for the event. Download WDAF+ for Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV McKnight comes to the metro from Jefferson City, where he served as bishop since 2018. The Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas encompasses 12,500 square miles in the northeast quarter of Kansas and serves over 120,000 Catholics in 21 counties. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Dedicated to the village
May 23—Former Coal Grove mayor, council member McKnight dies COAL GROVE — The Village of Coal Grove has lost one of its most committed public servants. Bernard "Tom" McKnight, who served two stints as the village's mayor, as well as three years on council, died Saturday, May 17, at age 88. First elected in 1976, McKnight served as mayor for 19 years, serving from 1976-1991 and from 2000-04. Among his achievements as mayor was overseeing the rebuilding of the Coal Grove Village Hall, which was destroyed by fire prior to his election. McKnight also started the annual Family Fun Days festival in the village, led the building and naming of Paul Porter Park, secured money for the Coal Grove boat ramp, and secured more than $20 million for infrastructure. The village's present mayor, Andy Holmes, said "Tom was very important to our community" and that his motto was "to serve the people of Coal Grove." "And he truly did that, until the end," Holmes said. He said that, until recent months, McKnight could be seen in his retirement driving around the village, accompanies by his dog, checking on things. "He was always making the rounds and active," Holmes said. Council member Denise Paulus was McKnight's neighbor, both at home, and when she began her time on council. "He sat beside me at meetings," she said, stating he served as her mentor, when she was new on the body. "And I never learned more than during that time." Paulus said the village passed a resolution in 2020, when McKnight resigned to name the town hall after him. She said she recently came across it again, and realizing McKnight was ill, approached Holmes about revisiting the matter and making it happen. "That was in April," she said, crediting Holmes for quick action. "It was God's timing." A dedication ceremony took place on May 8, with McKnight and his wife, Linda, present, where a plaque was installed in his honor in the council chambers. Similar signage will be posted on the building's exterior. McKnight thanked the mayor and council for the honor and spent an hour speaking with the public and reminiscing about his time in office. Holmes spoke of McKnight's contributions at the ceremony. "He believed in the power of community, and in the strength of listening," Holmes said. "He knew that leadership wasn't about being the loudest voice, but the most compassionate heart. And he never asked for recognition, only for the opportunity to make a difference. His legacy isn't just in the roads paved or the policies passed — it's in the lives he touched, the kindness he showed, and the hope he brought to this village." McKnight, a lifelong resident of the village, was a member of Memorial Methodist Church of Coal Grove and was also a Little League coach in football, basketball and baseball. He is survived by his wife, to whom he was married for 66 years, as well as his daughters, Tomi Blankenship, of Coal Grove, Shelli, of Tampa, Florida; and son, Kyle McKnight, of Coal Grove. Visitation and funeral service for McKnight were Friday at the Memorial Methodist Church. Burial followed at Woodland Cemetery in Ironton. You Might Like Business Blast from the past Gallery Prom season 2025 — Vol. 5 Education Meet the Class: Mackenzie Wilds News Parade events kick off Thursday
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Tampa Bay seniors share worries after House passes bill cutting millions for Medicaid
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WFLA) — President Trump's signature legislative package cleared a big hurdle, narrowly passing the House early Thursday morning. The 'big, beautiful bill' makes changes to Medicaid, imposing work requirements for all able-bodied adults without dependents to stay on the program. Democrats oppose it, saying it will lead to millions losing health coverage. DeSantis signs bill to repeal mandating later school start times Seniors in Tampa Bay shared their concerns about the House passing a spending bill that reports say contains one of the largest Medicaid funding cuts in modern history. It's kept people like Freddie McKnight afloat. 'Medicaid has been great, taking care of my medical bills. [I] have no copay. And they have been right there for me when I needed them,' McKnight said. Eddie Lee Martin Sr. said he has grand mal seizures, and Medicaid helps pay for his medicine. 'It made it a whole lot more affordable for me,' Martin Sr. said. Now, they are imagining what life would be like without it. 'Dangerous, scared, bewildered,' said Gusto Pagan. Many Medicaid recipients can't work, and these seniors wonder if they will lose their benefits. Mary Wilson said she was dropped from Medicaid late last year and is still trying to recover. 'I was like really upset about it because like what am I going to do?' Wilson said. Holly Bullard with the Florida Policy Institute said more people could be in the same situation. 'If this were to pass in the Senate, Florida families will really feel that more than any other state because of the marketplace subsidies that we participate in,' Bullard said. She said, though the bill mentions cuts starting in December 2026, families who rely on the marketplace could see high premiums in January. 'That's a huge bulk of the number of people who will lose insurance because that family cannot afford a $20,000 increase in their health care premium. They're going to go without,' Bullard said. The White House said they are protecting Medicaid for American citizens who need it, by ending taxpayer funded benefits for the $1.4 million undocumented immigrants and requiring able bodied Americans to work if they receive benefits. These seniors agree with some of this. 'Half the people that are receiving the benefits don't need them. And that's what makes me angry,' Martin Sr. said. 'Why not check into the people that's getting the most benefits and see where it's going? Not the people that's getting the less amount. Check on the people taking money and spending it on things they don't need.' But they said they don't want to see their benefits cut in the process of cleaning up the program. 'I just have to just stay as healthy as I can and hope nothing really bad happens after that,' McKnight said. 'It's not justified, just to give billionaires the tax cut. I just hope that the Senate would do something. Trim it down like they always do. Do something advantageous to us people out here that need that type of benefit.' The bill does increase funding to the 10 states, including Florida, that declined to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. The bill now heads to the Senate where reports say it's likely to change before reaching President Trump's desk. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Parade events kick off Thursday
May 21—The Ironton-Lawrence County Memorial Day Parade is nearing and the first of its surrounding event will take place on Thursday. Here is a look at this week's schedule: Navy night Thursday 7 p.m. Thursday Ironton riverfront Keynote speaker: Lt. Col. Sean Dulaney Fireworks 10 p.m. Saturday Viewable from downtown, will be launched from riverfront. Woodland Cemetery service 2 p.m. Sunday at Veterans Hill in the cemetery Ironton-Lawrence County Memorial Day Parade —Stepoff is at 10 a.m. Monday Parade route will start on Center Street, the proceed to Third, Quincy, Sixth and Park streets. You Might Like News Coal Grove dedicates Village Hall to McKnight News Drivers should avoid U.S. 23 in Russell/Flatwoods area because of chemical leak News Profile 2025: Collecting memories (WITH GALLERY) News South Point man arrested for having 710 grams of methamphetamine
