Latest news with #Nordquist
Axios
9 hours ago
- Business
- Axios
What Cycle Brewing's closure says about the craft beer industry
Once upon a time, busloads of beer lovers descended on Cycle Brewing 's annual Barrel-Aged Day to taste brewmaster Doug Dozark's latest creation. It was the pre-pandemic heyday of craft beer, when new breweries were popping up everywhere and enthusiasts collected limited releases like trading cards. Why it matters: Cycle, St. Pete's first brewery, closed last month after 12 years — and its demise says a lot about the state of craft beer in Tampa Bay and beyond. What they're saying: "There's been no future for craft beer, at least the way we do craft beer," Dozark told St. Pete Catalyst. "The writing's been on the wall for years now." "People just aren't there for the beer," he added. "And if you look at our space, all we had to offer was beer." State of play: It's true that "it's not enough anymore to make good beer," Tampa Bay Brewers Alliance executive director Sean Nordquist told Axios. With more breweries comes more competition, and consumers have changed. Owners have to get creative with their offerings to draw more customers and keep their tabs open. Think food, trivia, live music and game nights — "that's the sort of thing that not only attracts but keeps people there," Nordquist said. Branching into more drink options, too, can help. 3 Daughters now offers craft cocktails along with beer and cider. At a time when more people are going booze-free, breweries like Golden Isles carry nonalcoholic beverages. The big picture: Nationwide, the craft beer market is struggling, Axios Denver's John Frank reports. The industry recorded its third consecutive year of negative growth in 2024, with experts pointing to shifting consumer demand and a maturing industry. Tariffs on essentials like grain and aluminum cans are only throwing more uncertainty into the market, Nordquist said. Yes, but: Florida's scene is hanging in there, despite national trends and what Nordquist called the state's "archaic" distribution laws. The Sunshine State entered the market a little later than many states, and the majority of Florida breweries produce fewer than 1,500 barrels a year. That small size keeps operations lean, he said. What's next: Nordquist predicts that a successful modern brewery is going to be on the smaller side — it's too expensive, and the margins too thin, to build out a large brewery with statewide distribution like Coppertail or Tampa Bay Brewing Co., he said. It will have some kind of food component, he said, and it will tap into the culture of its surrounding community, whether that's partnering with organizations for events or acting as a "third place" for locals.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Prosecutors and defense dispute trial procedures in Nordquist case
ONTARIO COUNTY, NEW YORK (WROC) — In court Thursday: the seven suspects charged in the case of Sam Nordquist, a Black transgender man from Minnesota who was found dead in the Finger Lakes earlier this year. Thursday's court date was for a motions hearing, intended to hash out some of the technicalities and complexities behind this case. And, establish how future court proceedings will look for each of the defendants. The seven suspects are accused of torturing and killing Nordquist. Each suspect pleaded not guilty to all of their charges back in March. Thursday was considered a motions hearing where both the prosecution and defense attorneys moved towards how their respective cases will proceed once they go to trial. While the defense attorneys argued that each case should be tried separately, Ontario County Assistant District Attorney Victoria Porter said the request for this is premature. 'We have to determine first if we can use the statements that were elicited by the defendants and then determine if and how we would sever the case,' Porter said. All seven suspects face charges including first degree murder, kidnapping, conspiracy and endangering the welfare of a child. All suspects, except Thomas Eaves, have been charged with concealment of a human corpse. A major discussion inside the courtroom revolved around Discovery Laws, which are the procedures prosecutors are expected to follow to present their evidence to the defense in a timely fashion. Porter said this evidence is being handed over as soon as its able to. 'The discovery in this case is voluminous, there's many things outstanding. This is an active police investigation, there are things that are being created even as we speak that have yet to be turned over to the defense attorney,' Porter said. 'Realistically though, there may be discovery coming far past the hearing dates. There's still material being tested at the lab for example, and things that need to be tested.' The legal team for Arzuaga requested a change in venue in respect to the fairness of her future trial. The prosecution countered, saying due to this case making national headlines, it isn't necessary. Porter also addressed the legal challenges ahead and the emotional toll this has had on Nordquist's family and friends. 'I know that this is a difficult process and its slow and its painful and they don't have a lot of the information that we all get,' Porter said. We learned all seven suspects will be due back in court in early September — where the court is expected to proceed on some of the motions raised Thursday. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Caregivers rally, urge Nebraskans in Congress to protect Medicaid
Jeremy Nordquist, president of the Nebraska Hospital Association, at podium, leads a rally urging Medicaid to be protected during ongoing federal budget negotiations. March 17, 2025. (Courtesy of Nebraska Hospital Association) LINCOLN — The Nebraska Hospital Association and nearly 10 other organizations rallied Monday in defense of Medicaid ahead of federal budget negotiations. Jeremy Nordquist, a former state senator and president of the Nebraska Hospital Association, led the rally on the west side of the Nebraska State Capitol on Monday. It came after the U.S. House last month passed a budget blueprint directing the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee, which oversees Medicaid, to reduce $880 billion in spending over the next 10 years. 'Medicaid is under threat, and that means Nebraska and Nebraska patients are under threat,' Nordquist said. The resolution doesn't mention 'Medicaid' by name, but the caregivers and outside observers have said that with a budget goal that high, Medicaid spending would have to be reduced. The Congressional Budget Office, in a March 5 letter replying to U.S. Reps. Brendan Boyle, D-Pa., and Frank Pallone, Jr., D-N.J., essentially confirmed that there isn't enough non-Medicaid or Medicare spending to reach the targeted amount of cuts. Medicaid costs over the next 10 years, estimated at $8.2 trillion, would account for about 93% of all spending under the House committee's jurisdiction, excluding Medicare, which it estimated would account for $8.8 trillion over the same span. Monday's rally sought to highlight the potential Medicaid cuts that Nordquist said would touch all Nebraskans, even those who have commercial health coverage and might think, 'I'm fine.' 'The reality is, without Medicaid covering care for vulnerable citizens and low-income workers, very little of that care would be paid for, and therefore those services would no longer be sustainable in communities across our state,' Nordquist said. Nordquist and others asked Nebraska's all-Republican congressional delegation — U.S. Reps. Mike Flood, Don Bacon and Adrian Smith and U.S. Sens. Deb Fischer and Pete Ricketts — to be 'leaders' and 'stand up to the efforts to jeopardize health care in our rural state.' 'We know our delegation understands these issues and how vulnerable access to care is across Nebraska,' Nordquist said. 'Now it's time for them to use that knowledge and push back against these proposed cuts.' Bacon has voiced some concerns about potential Medicaid cuts but said he was assured by GOP leadership 'that the final bill will not affect the quality of healthcare covered by Medicaid.' 'They all said the final numbers will be more moderate,' Bacon said in a Feb. 25 statement after his vote for the resolution. 'We'll have a chance to vote on these two more times to get it right. Therefore, I am supporting the budget reconciliation because I want to secure the border, expand our energy production, improve our military and extend the tax cuts.' National and local Democrats have targeted Republicans, including Bacon, for the vote and vowed to use it in the 2026 election cycle. Bacon has fended off challengers in each of his past four election cycles. 'Don Bacon can spread all the falsehoods he wants, but there is no escaping the fact that the House Republican budget will result in massive cuts to Medicaid and hurt millions of families. Another fact: Their terrible, unpopular budget will cost Bacon his seat next year,' Justin Chermol, a spokesperson for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said in a recent statement. Among other organizations in attendance at the rally or supporting the call to action: Nebraska Medical Association. Nebraska Nurses Association. LeadingAge Nebraska. Health Center Association of Nebraska. Nebraska Association of Behavioral Health Organizations. Nebraska Rural Health Association. Nebraska Nurse Practitioners. Nebraska Pharmacists Association. Nebraska Home Care Association. Dr. Robert Wergin, a family physician from Seward and president-elect of the Nebraska Medical Association, said physicians can't 'sit idly by' without making clear what is at stake. 'Cuts will hurt the entire health care system in Nebraska, and cuts will ultimately hurt all Nebraskans by decreasing access, increasing costs of health care and hurting our communities,' Wergin said. Linda Hardy, a registered nurse for more than 48 years and president of the Nebraska Nurses Association, said 79 million Americans rely on Medicaid for health care. This includes preventive care for chronic diseases and prenatal or postpartum care. Wergin said the 'safety net' helps roughly 350,000 Nebraskans, including 180,000 children, and helps pay for care ranging from immunizations and dental care to speech and physical therapies. Should Medicaid be cut, Wergin and others said it would lead to an elimination of services, exacerbating maternal health care deserts in Nebraska and would increase the burden on Nebraska's already strained state budget. In a given year, Medicaid contributes $3 billion to the state economy, Wergin said. Jed Hansen, executive director of the Nebraska Rural Health Association, said the cuts 'aren't just numbers on a budget sheet' and that in rural health care, it's a 'numbers game' where one cut could be the 'final blow.' Amy Behnke, chief executive officer of the Health Center Association of Nebraska, supporting seven community health centers, said Medicaid is integral to patient health and well-being. Medicaid cuts would eat into services, Behnke said, leading to widespread reductions. Hansen said that when many services are eliminated they don't come back. 'These cuts translate into real-life consequences: closed hospitals, shuttered clinics and rural families left without access to care that they need,' Hansen said. Roger Reamer, chief executive officer of Memorial Health Care System in Seward, and Tami Lewis-Ahrendt, chief operating officer of the Lincoln-based nonprofit CenterPointe, also spoke of Medicaid's importance. Lewis-Ahrendt said the state's voter-approved Medicaid expansion in 2018 has helped the nonprofit provide critical care to 700 more people each month than in 2019. She said many Nebraskans were unable to access care before the expansion, with some delaying care until a crisis arose. She said it's not just 'numbers on a report' but the 'real people,' such as a mother accessing treatment for postpartum depression, a young adult getting support and medication for schizophrenia or an individual in recovery who finally has access to outpatient services. 'Access to Medicaid means more families can find hope in knowing that their loved ones are getting the care they desperately need,' Lewis-Ahrendt said. Kierstin Reed, chief executive officer of LeadingAge Nebraska, said Medicaid cuts could be detrimental for nursing homes, assisted living facilities, home and community-based services and other post-acute programs. Reed noted about half of Nebraskans enrolled in Medicaid live in rural communities that have been hit most by the state's loss of 17% of nursing homes and 11% of assisted living facilities in recent years. 'Families will be forced to shoulder the burden of care for their older family members, which may lead to financial ruin for multiple generations,' Reed said. Reed and Lewis-Ahrendt said Medicaid 'isn't just about policy.' 'It's about giving Nebraskans the chance to heal, to thrive, to live in recovery and to contribute fully to our society,' Lewis-Ahrendt said. 'That is something worth protecting.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
NBC News
15-03-2025
- NBC News
Law enforcement was called 8 times to the hotel where Sam Nordquist was held captive and killed, records show
Law enforcement officers were called to the hotel where authorities say Sam Nordquist was tortured to death at least eight times throughout his captivity, sheriff's office call records obtained by NBC News show. Deputies from the Ontario County Sheriff's Office went to Patty's Lodge in Canandaigua, New York, in January to perform two welfare checks at the hotel, respond to three instances of 'family trouble,' address a 'neighbor dispute,' complete a probation check and issue a warrant for an unnamed individual's arrest, according to the call records. However, none of those calls specifically referenced Room 22, where Nordquist, 24, was allegedly held captive from Jan. 1 to Feb. 2., Ontario County Sheriff David J. Cirencione told NBC News shortly after this story was published. Nordquist was beaten, sexually assaulted and starved by seven people in Room 22 before he died from his injuries, prosecutors said last week. The call records do not indicate which rooms authorities visited, and it's unclear whether anyone heard anything. But anyone on the property would be within several dozen feet of Room 22; the hotel is on a small lot of land with about two dozen rooms grouped by four one-story buildings. Patty's Lodge could not immediately be reached for comment. In recent weeks, the gruesome killing of the 24-year-old transgender Black man has garnered national attention and prompted outrage from LGBTQ advocates across the country. Prosecutors have said there appears to be no indication that witnesses heard any of the abuse in Room 22, though it went on for weeks and involved multiple people. No one reported any suspicious activity at the hotel, officials said. The Ontario County District Attorney's Office did not immediately return a request for comment regarding the call logs. Nordquist's family, who live in Oakdale, Minnesota, requested a wellness check to Room 22 while Nordquist was still alive in October. New York State Police Troop E confirmed that they completed the wellness check, adding that 'Sam told the Trooper he was fine and did not need any medical or law enforcement help.' The family again requested a welfare check to Patty's Lodge on Feb. 9 and reported him missing to their local Oakdale police on Feb. 10, the family said. His body was found three days later in a field not far from Patty's Lodge, wrapped in plastic bags, prosecutors said last week. Prosecutors detailed last week that seven people — including Nordquist's girlfriend — are accused of kicking, punching, starving and sexually assaulting him, and forcing him to consume feces, urine and tobacco juice. Two young children were also coerced to join in, according to the indictment. The seven were arrested and charged with first-degree murder and face life in prison without parole if convicted. On Tuesday, they all pleaded not guilty to the charges.
NBC News
14-03-2025
- NBC News
Police were called 8 times to the hotel where Sam Nordquist was held captive and killed, records show
Law enforcement officers were called to the hotel where authorities say Sam Nordquist was tortured to death at least eight times throughout his captivity, sheriff's office call records obtained by NBC News show. Deputies from the Ontario County Sheriff's Office went to Patty's Lodge in Canandaigua, New York, in January to perform two welfare checks at the hotel, respond to three instances of 'family trouble,' address a 'neighbor dispute,' complete a probation check and issue a warrant for an unnamed individual's arrest, according to the call records. It's not clear if the authorities were ever directed to Room 22, where they say Nordquist, 24, was held captive from Jan. 1 to Feb. 2. There, he was beaten, sexually assaulted and starved by seven people before he died from his injuries, prosecutors said last week. The call records do not indicate which rooms authorities visited, and it's unclear whether anyone heard anything. But anyone on the property would be within several dozen feet of Room 22; the hotel is on a small lot of land with about two dozen rooms grouped by four one-story buildings. The Ontario County Sheriff's Office declined to comment and referred NBC News to its public records office. Patty's Lodge could not immediately be reached for comment. In recent weeks, the gruesome killing of the 24-year-old transgender Black man has garnered national attention and prompted outrage from LGBTQ advocates across the country. Prosecutors have said there appears to be no indication that witnesses heard any of the abuse in Room 22, though it went on for weeks and involved multiple people. No one reported any suspicious activity at the hotel, officials said. The Ontario County District Attorney's Office did not immediately return a request for comment regarding the call logs. Nordquist's family, who live in Oakdale, Minnesota, requested a wellness check to Room 22 while Nordquist was still alive in October. New York State Police Troop E confirmed that they completed the wellness check, adding that 'Sam told the Trooper he was fine and did not need any medical or law enforcement help.' The family again requested a welfare check to Patty's Lodge on Feb. 9 and reported him missing to their local Oakdale police on Feb. 10, the family said. His body was found three days later in a field not far from Patty's Lodge, wrapped in plastic bags, prosecutors said last week. Prosecutors detailed last week that seven people — including Nordquist's girlfriend — are accused of kicking, punching, starving and sexually assaulting him, and forcing him to consume feces, urine and tobacco juice. Two young children were also coerced to join in, according to the indictment. The seven were arrested and charged with first-degree murder and face life in prison without parole if convicted. On Tuesday, they all pleaded not guilty to the charges.
