Latest news with #Metzger
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Berks' Best 2025 performing arts winner: Ariel Metzger aims to make waves with music
Ariel Metzger wants his music to resonate. The Conrad Weiser senior and 2025 Berks' Best winner for performing arts said he sees music not just as an outlet for self-expression, but a way to make an impact. 'In the music activities I participate in, I often find myself in a leadership role,' Metzger said. 'I strive to take this role seriously.' Whether it's by lending advice or simply leading by example, Metzger said he enjoys spreading the passion for music that has driven him to take up multiple instruments. 'The positive feelings and connections I've made with others through (music) have been a big factor (in my success),' Metzger said. Metzger has excelled in his area of focus — percussion — and is also a gifted pianist and singer, said Brent Behrenshausen, Metzger's private music teacher. A combination of natural talent and initiative have enabled Metzger, 17, to accumulate a resume of accolades that underscore his commitment to his craft. In addition to being accepted for the past two years into the West Chester University High School Honors Percussion Ensemble, Metzger has served as primary percussionist for the Reading Symphony Youth Orchestra, substitute percussionist for the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra, and was recently accepted into the All-Eastern Orchestra, where he will perform in Hartford, Conn., this year. Metzger also won the Reading Music Foundation's high school music competition and was awarded the Willis M. Rapp Percussion Fund Scholarship. His skill as a pianist has also earned Metzger success — for the past few years he's auditioned and been selected as piano accompanist for the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association's county, district and regional choir. Beyond the band rooms and orchestra halls, Metzger says his role as a leader in the local music community has enabled him to become what he calls 'a cross-clique ambassador.' By making friends across the spectrum of high school ingroups, Metzger said he hopes to shatter any lingering negative stereotypes about 'band kids.' 'In high school there are many different sects of people,' Metzger said. 'I have found myself a member of many of these sects through the friendships I have. I am fortunate to be in this position and try to use it to show others what a person from a different group is like. Hopefully this makes people more willing to spend time around people different from them.' In the long term, Metzger said he wants to continue imparting his passion for all types of music by becoming a college instructor and performing in orchestras and ensembles. 'I would love to be able to perform in a wide variety of settings and genres, rather than being confined to an ultraspecific field of music,' Metzger said. He said he's been accepted into multiple collegiate music programs, including those at Temple University, Indiana University Bloomington, New England Conservatory of Music, and Manhattan School of Music, but hasn't yet made a final decision.
New York Post
14-05-2025
- Science
- New York Post
First Great White Shark of season spotted gliding through clear Montauk waters: video
Here's quite a fish tale. A majestic Great White Shark was seen swimming along the shores of Montauk this week — a sighting that marks the beginning of the summer season. The viral drone footage showed the massive beast gliding close to the shores of Long Island's most eastern point around 8:30 a.m. on Monday, with nothing but clear green water surrounding it. The shark was seen swimming a few hundred feet off the coast of Montauk. Joanna L Steidle via Storyful The 'beauty' was seen just a few hundred feet from the coast and was moving at a leisurely 3.5 mph — just a fraction of its 35 mph capacity, according to the videographer. 'For me this was super exciting, as I have been flying these waters for 8 years and this is the earliest shark spotting I have had in a season and it is also the closest to shore I have spotted a great white,' Joanna L. Steidle wrote on X. The video quickly caught the attention of thousands — who were amazed at the incredible footage, and some who were concerned that the shark might have been swimming in popular wading waters earlier in the spring season than typical. But according to experts, the sighting is nothing short of 'absolutely normal.' The shark is likely an 8-foot-long juvenile. Joanna L Steidle via Storyful 'It is very, very expected this time of the year that the white sharks are moving through the Long Island waters,' Greg Metzger, the chief field coordinator of the South Fork Natural History Museum & Nature Center's Shark research program, told The Post. 'Nothing unusual, nothing strange. All just part of what they do every year for as long as we know they've been here.' The shark didn't appear to be hunting in the video, but the Montauk coast is a popular feeding ground for Great White Sharks, he explained. It's tough to tell from the short clip, but Metzger estimated that the shark was a juvenile and 8 feet in length. There are sharks in Long Island waters year-round, but spring is typically when marine life, including Great White populations, sees a boom. There has been an increase in sightings in recent years for a number of reasons, according to Metzger — one of which is the drone Steidle used to capture the incredible footage. 'That shark might've been swimming through Long Island waters for the last 15 years, but it just wasn't seen by a drone. We have more and more drone pilots out there, there's more people with cell phones. As soon as those pictures are taken, they're put on the internet and so there's a kind of a sense that there's a lot more sharks, but I think it's just because we have technology now that makes seeing and accessing sightings more,' explained Metzger. There has also been a surge in shark food populations, particularly the Atlantic menhaden, thanks to conservation efforts made in the last decade. Those fish tend to swim closer to shore, meaning more sharks are moving in for their meals. Plus, global warming has kicked Long Island summers off sooner and lasts longer, which has resulted in sharks spending more time in New York waters. Despite the increase, the risk of a shark encounter remains low 'This is very common. There's not anything to be alarmed of or about. It's just this time of the year,' he said.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Yahoo
Help or harm: Local police chief shares his own experience with mental health struggles
UCF Police Chief Carl Metzger walks through the halls and streets of the University of Central Florida campus proudly carrying a 'Crisis Intervention Training' certification pin. He says the training has made a tremendous impact across his agency. 'I'm proudest of the way we at the UCF Police Department handle these types of calls,' the Chief said. The journey hasn't been easy, however, and Chief Metzger has a unique perspective about mental health concerns. He lost his son, Daniel, in 2023 due to a mental illness. Even before that, though, the 28-year-old had many runs with law enforcement. 'We felt like we had gotten him into a good place, and unfortunately, things did not work out, and it's been a rough road for mom and dad,' Chief Metzger said. 'Daniel ultimately was Baker-acted eight times. And I saw those law enforcement officers who were CIT, Crisis Intervention Team, trained and those who weren't. And the difference between the response was stark.' There's a high volume of mental health crisis-related calls across our counties. In Sumter County, for example, the sheriff's office tracked 1,054 calls between 2023 and 2024. In Seminole County, the sheriff's office responded 3,351 just last year. In Orange County, that number jumped to 5,309 calls in the same time period. So far this year, Orange County has already responded to nearly 1,700 mental health-related calls - two of those calls ended with a person killed; one of them was Antonio Scippio, who called 911 himself. 'I am about to kill myself,' the 911 recording stated. Scippio's mother, Gail Reed, said the 33-year-old had mental illnesses for years. 'Schizophrenia, bipolar, paranoia. You name it,' she said. 'It's still very hard for me to step back into this house and every time I step I see him lying there in a pile of blood that was uncalled for.' The Sheriff told us, right after the shooting, that this outcome was unusual. 'He continues to walk toward the deputies with the knife, including refusing several commands,' Sheriff John Mina said on the evening of February 21st, 2024, when the shooting happened. The Orange County sheriff's office says their Behavioral Response Units – which includes a clinician and a deputy – do not directly respond to calls when the person is armed, which is why only deputies showed up at Antonio Scippio's home. Chief Metzger says law enforcement officers walk a thin line between protecting the person who's having a mental crisis and protecting themselves… and that's why Crisis Intervention Training is so important. 'We need to keep our officers sharp and their skills sharp and ready to go out there and save lives,' the Chief said. That's why mental health advocates with the National Alliance on Mental Illness say the state of Florida should require training for all law enforcement officers. 'I think all departments across the country are struggling to put officers on the street, and I think that it's a it's, you know, adding 40 hours of Academy time. You know, is taken away from officers being on the streets,' said Freddie Morello, executive director of NAMI. 'There are funding concerns. There are some departments that don't believe in the crisis intervention training.' NAMI partners with law enforcement agencies to help train its officers on how to best respond to calls involving a person experiencing a mental health crisis. Chief Metzger - who is now a board member at the organization - uses his own story to help others. 'Do you think the work you do right now is the legacy of your son?,' Channel 9's Geovany Dias asked. 'I do. We miss him, we love him, but we're going to continue to help others, and that helps u,' the chief said. NAMI said she trained more than 1,500 law enforcement officers just in the past two years across Orange, Osceola, Brevard, and Seminole counties. They are now pushing and hoping their training will become a requirement for all law enforcement agencies across the state. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
Time of India
30-04-2025
- Science
- Time of India
Where does gold come from? NASA has the answer
The Akshaya Tritiya , an annual Jain and Hindu spring festival, is almost here, and what's a more fitting occasion than this to dig deep about gold? Where did your gold earrings come from? Of course, from the store! But, before that? Where were they sourced from? Yes, gold mines. But how did it emerge there? How did they form on Earth? Well, NASA's data may have some clues to offer. What if we tell you that some of the gold in your jewellery or smartphone (yes, your phone has gold in it) might have been made in a magnetar explosion billions of years ago! Sounds wild, but it's possible. Where does gold come from ? We know that hydrogen, helium, and a scant amount of lithium have existed in the universe since the Big Bang. The heavier metals were formed later, as the stars fused lighter elements into heavier ones (up to iron) in their cores. However, how the first elements heavier than iron, such as gold, get created and distributed throughout the universe remained a mystery. A new study by researchers at the Flatiron Institute's Center for Computational Astrophysics in New York suggests some cosmic connection! Using 20-year-old archival data from NASA and European Space Agency telescopes, researchers have found evidence that powerful flares from magnetars could account for up to 10% of elements heavier than iron, including gold. The findings are published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters . The new study found that a single giant flare from a magnetar can produce the mass equivalent of 27 moons' worth of heavy elements, including gold, platinum, and other heavy elements. These elements, which include uranium and strontium, are produced in a set of nuclear reactions known as the rapid neutron-capture process, or r-process. 'This is really just the second time we've ever directly seen proof of where these elements form (the first being neutron star mergers) study co-author Brian Metzger, a senior research scientist at the CCA and a professor at Columbia University, said in a statement. 'It's a substantial leap in our understanding of heavy elements production.' The researchers have unraveled a puzzle dating back to December 2004, when a space telescope detected a bright burst of light from a magnetar. The initial giant flare was so intense that it released more energy in a few seconds than the sun does in a million years. Though the astronomers quickly identified the flare's origin, a smaller signal that appeared 10 minutes later remained unexplained until now. In 2024, Metzger and colleagues calculated that the giant flares could eject material from a magnetar's crust into space, where r-process elements could form. 'It's pretty incredible to think that some of the heavy elements all around us, like the precious metals in our phones and computers, are produced in these crazy extreme environments,' Anirudh Patel, a doctoral candidate at Columbia University and lead author on the new study, said. They found that giant flares from magnetars create unstable, heavy radioactive elements, which then break down into stable ones like gold. As this decay, they emit a glow of light and form new elements. In 2024, the group also calculated that this glow would appear as a burst of gamma rays, a form of highly energized light. When they shared this with gamma-ray astronomers, they discovered that a similar unexplained signal had been seen decades ago. As scientists studying magnetars and those studying element formation rarely work together, no one had previously suggested that the signal might be caused by new element creation. 'The event had kind of been forgotten over the years. But we very quickly realized that our model was a perfect fit for it,' Metzger says. 'The interesting thing about these giant flares is that they can occur really early in galactic history. Magnetar giant flares could be the solution to a problem we've had where there are more heavy elements seen in young galaxies than could be created from neutron star collisions alone,' Patel adds. 100 Days Of Trump: Tariff Tyranny, Zelensky Bashing, Iran Nuclear Threat | 3 Shocking Speeches The researchers are hoping to observe more such flares to understand the contribution of magnetars. NASA's Compton Spectrometer and Imager is expected to launch in 2027, and it could help capture these signals. 'Once a gamma-ray burst is detected, you have to point an ultraviolet telescope at the source within 10 to 15 minutes to see the signal's peak and confirm r-process elements are made there. It'll be a fun chase,' Metzger says. The next time you wear your gold jewellery, thank the universe!
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Yahoo
Controlled drug buys detailed in Metzger trial
Apr. 29—LIMA — Jurors in an Allen County courtroom heard about a series of controlled drug buys orchestrated by the West Central Ohio Crime Task Force and Northwest Ohio Safe Streets Task Force in the trial of Shawn Metzger. Metzger, 38, is charged with three counts of aggravated drug trafficking, each as second-degree felonies, and a single first-degree felony count of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity for his alleged role in the sale of suspected methamphetamine on Feb. 22 and Feb. 27, 2024. Over the course of two days in Allen County Common Pleas Court, lead investigator Derek Dennis described how the task force recruited confidential informants who orchestrated the sale of suspected methamphetamine from Metzger and two co-defendants at gas stations near Interstate 75 on Feb. 22, 2024. The informants include a woman who cooperated in exchange for consideration from prosecutors in Montgomery County, where the woman was discovered with a large quantity of suspected methamphetamine months earlier, and an informant paid by the task force for their cooperation. Jurors heard testimony from Dennis and the first informant when the trial began Monday afternoon. Dennis and the informant each testified Monday that the informant picked up co-defendant Mark Ruvoldt from Harrod to purchase two ounces of methamphetamine from Metzger in the parking lot of the Shawnee Fuel Stop on Feb. 22, where Metzger was waiting in a black pickup truck. Testimony continued Tuesday from Dennis, as well as task force members who surveilled the gas stations and a forensic analyst from the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation who tested drug samples for methamphetamine. Jurors witnessed photographs taken by task force members who surveilled the Feb. 22 sales, as well as screenshots from a Facebook messenger conversation exchanged between one of the confidential informants and co-defendant Paige Snider. The photographs depict the same black pickup truck at both the Shawnee Fuel Station and Marathon gas station. Task force members identified Metzger as the driver of the truck. Dennis testified Tuesday that a second confidential informant paid by the task force arranged the second controlled drug buy at the Marathon gas station on St. Johns Avenue and Hanthorn Road later the same day on Feb. 22, 2024. This time task force members observed Snider, who is expected to testify this week, exit the truck to sell half an ounce of suspected methamphetamine to the confidential informant parked at a neighboring fuel pump, according to testimony from several task force members. Dennis explained for jurors how the task force supervises controlled drug buys: officers track the serial numbers on cash provided to informants; they follow and search informants for contraband before and after each purchase; and equip informants with a wire or recording device to surveil conversations. Defense counsel Kenneth Rexford questioned the trustworthiness of those informants as he cross-examined Dennis both days, and questioned forensic analyst Kelsie Pestello at length Tuesday about her knowledge of the tests used to determine the presence of methamphetamine in evidence the task force submitted to the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation. Testimony will resume Wednesday in Allen County Common Pleas Court. Featured Local Savings
