Latest news with #Peluso
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Jacksonville city councilmembers want more inclusive tourism materials from Visit Jacksonville
Some Jacksonville City Council leaders are calling on Visit Jacksonville, the city's official tour guide agency, to be more inclusive in their selection of attractions. Councilman Jimmy Peluso had a meeting alongside Councilman Dr. Rahman Johnson and Councilwoman Ju'Coby Pittman to address what the members call gaps in historical and cultural sites featured in brochures. Visit Jacksonville CEO, Michael Corrigan, was in attendance. He said he always welcomes opportunities to talk about tourism in the city. 'Anytime you can get multiple elected officials to gather with you and talk about tourism - the good ... even some things that need help ... that's always good,' Corrigan said. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] Peluso, who represents parts of Northwest Jacksonville, said he'd like to see the inclusion of destinations like Edward Waters University, Florida's oldest historically black university, as well as James P. Small Park. 'We had Hank Aaron play in that field. That's something that people should want to do. We just want them to add more things to their brochure,' Peluso said. Johnson also drafted his list of recommendations for tourism materials. In the draft letter, the councilman mentions: The Ritz Theatre and Museum, a premier institution celebrating African American history in LaVilla and once known as the 'Harlem of the South,' is omitted from the 'Spots to Check Out' section despite its national cultural significance. Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing Park, located at the historic site of the Johnson brothers' family home, lacks clear visual and editorial prominence. This is the birthplace of the hymn known as the Black National Anthem—a song embedded in American history and reverence. The absence of Edward Waters University, Florida's oldest private institution and first HBCU, from the 'spots to check out' portion of the guide represents a significant cultural oversight. EWU is not only a center of academic excellence but also a historic institution instrumental in shaping Jacksonville's intellectual and civic landscape. The Clara White Mission, founded in 1904 by Dr. Eartha M.M. White, is similarly excluded. Located in the historic LaVilla neighborhood, the Mission houses a museum showcasing one of the country's foremost collections of African American artifacts and continues to serve the community with hot meals, transitional housing, and workforce development. Its cultural and humanitarian impact make it a vital site for heritage tourism. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Johnson also said the exclusion of the Jacksonville Public Library Special Collections and the absence of Latino and Filipino cultural narratives can be problematic for a city that wants to not only welcome tourism, but keep tourists coming back, too. That's why Johnson said he is pushing for more inclusive tourism materials. 'In doing so, Jacksonville moves closer to becoming not just a city worth visiting, but a city where every story finds a home,' he shared in his draft. Corrigan said the latest edition of the tourism brochure should come out around June or July. He said his team is excited to listen to their community and incorporate some of the council's feedback into the guides going forward. Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
Chicago Tribune
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Erika Watkins gets another term to Valparaiso School Board, this time representing the city
The Valparaiso City Council selected childcare center director Erika Watkins to have a second term appointed to the Valparaiso School Board, along with Valparaiso attorney John Peluso as the new school board appointment by the Center Township Board. Peluso, a speech and debate team coach at Valparaiso High School and his VHS English teacher wife Colleen have two children in the VCS schools. Peluso fills the four-year term vacated by Watkins, who joined the school board as the Center Township Board appointment in May 2021. Peluso's appointment was announced following the May 19 meeting of the Center Township Advisory Board. Democrat Watkins competed with finalists Brett Miller and Ron Donahue, both Republicans vying to fill the seat vacated by Robert Behrend, who did not seek another term. Behrend, a Valparaiso dentist, underwent questioning earlier this year about whether he had moved to Wisconsin and was therefore no longer eligible to serve on the school board. He had served two terms. The fourth finalist was Democrat Curtiss Strietelmeier, who was also a finalist, but unsuccessful, for an open Valparaiso School Board seat in 2023. All four faced questions from council members in the meeting chambers at Valparaiso City Hall on May 21 during the more than three-hour second-round interview session. Candidates addressed questions about effectiveness as a community liaison, sharing examples of implicating new programs, and charter schools. 'I am passionate about every child having the necessary tools to succeed,' Watkins said. 'I want to continue being a voice for students, teachers and parents. I bring dedication, experience and I have a heart of service. I believe in creating strong partnerships between the community and the school.' Peluso competed against fellow applicants Ruth Vance, Jerome 'Jerry' Ezell and Lisa Gonzales during the May 19 interviews held at the Porter County Administration Building in the commissioners' chambers. Each applicant was asked up to eight questions, most submitted by the public, and not provided to the applicants before the interviews. Following the interviews and time for public comment, board discussion preceded the vote on the appointment. Watkins, the previous appointment for the Center Township board seat, recalls the thorough interview process of Center Township Trustee Jesse Harper and his interview team. 'Attending school events and being an actively involved school board member is key,' Watkins said. 'Starting with the first week of the new school year, I'm there in person to greet teachers, staff and students to share the experience of the launch of the new academic year. All board members should be.' The rest of the Valparaiso School Board consists of Kaye Frataccia-Seibert, selected by the school board in December 2023 to complete the term of Jon Costas after he was elected mayor. Costas was appointed by the city council in 2022. Karl Cender was appointed by the city council in 2023 and Ashley Kruse was appointed by the city council in 2024. Valparaiso Community Schools is a K-12 public school district serving 6,500 students throughout Northwest Indiana and includes eight elementary schools, two middle schools, one alternative school and one high school.
San Francisco Chronicle
22-05-2025
- Health
- San Francisco Chronicle
36 people with long COVID tested a potential treatment. Here's what the study found
With COVID-19 subsiding and the public health emergency over, most people no longer dwell on the virus that so recently terrified the world. Yet millions are still forced to do so because of debilitating post-COVID symptoms, including persistent fatigue, pain or cognitive confusion. They hold out hope that science will solve the mystery of 'long COVID' and offer a cure. In 2023, 36 people with long COVID allowed UCSF researchers to inject them with monoclonal antibodies — lab-made proteins designed to attack the specific version of the coronavirus that had sickened them in the first place. Although 12 of those volunteers got a placebo, no one, not even the scientists, knew who received the real drug and who did not. Then everyone crossed their fingers. The hope was that the drug would kill any remaining bits of the virus that might be causing their symptoms — and that they would go away. On Friday, study leader Dr. Michael Peluso of UCSF revealed the results to fellow long COVID researchers. 'I'm sad to say we did not detect a significant difference' between those who got the drug and those who did not, said Peluso, who reported the disappointing outcome during a webinar sponsored by the PolyBio Research Foundation, which focuses on chronic post-viral diseases such as long COVID, Lyme disease and ME/CFS, often called chronic fatigue syndrome, and helped support the UCSF trial. Nevertheless, said Peluso, researchers learned much from the study — the first rigorous, placebo-controlled examination of monoclonal antibodies on long COVID — that can help propel new clinical trials in directions more likely to succeed. There is currently no treatment for long COVID, an insidious illness that can affect every organ system and rob people of the ability to think clearly, wake up refreshed, exercise or even breathe deeply. Even children are vulnerable. Of the 15 million to 20 million Americans diagnosed with long COVID, two-thirds have been women, according to multiple reports. The World Health Organization defines long COVID as 'the continuation or development of new symptoms three months after the initial SARS-CoV-2 (coronavirus) infection, with these symptoms lasting for at least two months with no other explanation.' Most long COVID researchers study causes rather than treatments, often because funders are reluctant to pour money into potential cures without data showing they are likely to succeed. That has been especially frustrating for patients. So when reports of improvement from monoclonal antibodies popped up in Florida and Texas a few years ago, patients and scientists alike perked up. 'But they had never really been tested in a controlled way,' Peluso told the Chronicle earlier this week. That's what the UCSF study did. 'The most important message for people to hear is that monoclonal antibodies are not likely to be of benefit for everyone with long COVID,' Peluso said in an interview. The researchers found that some people improved in both groups — the 24 who received the monoclonal antibodies and the 12 who did not. Others saw no improvement. 'Now we have to figure out why,' said Peluso, noting that the researchers feel 'disappointed but not discouraged. We knew this was never going to be an easy problem, and we're committed to figuring it out.' One lesson learned is that monoclonal antibodies are safe to take, he said. But their failure to vanquish the participants' symptoms could mean that 'viral persistence' — the ongoing presence of bits of the coronavirus — simply isn't causing them, Peluso said. Peluso and other researchers aren't convinced that that is true, and the current study did not prove that. Alternatively, Peluso said in his presentation, 'we think only a subset of people have viral persistence.' In future such studies, he said, researchers will need to confirm whether each participant has a biomarker of viral persistence. 'We cannot ignore this anymore,' Peluso told the audience. 'We need this for the field to move forward.' Another possibility in the current study is that the monoclonal antibodies had lost potency. Known as AER002, the drug was manufactured by Aerium Therapeutics in Boston and aimed at the version of the virus that attacked people before 2022, Peluso said. 'Or maybe a single dose just didn't work,' he said. 'Maybe multiple doses are needed.' The researchers 'unblinded' the study in February, meaning that everyone finally learned who got the real drug vs. the placebo. 'I was shocked,' said Shelley Hayden, the third person to be infused. 'I think I said swear words.' Hayden, a marketing executive from Oakland whose post-COVID symptoms forced her to stop working shortly after the pandemic began in 2020, had gotten a placebo. 'I was 100% sure I'd gotten the monoclonal,' she said, because she felt feverish afterward. Also, she improved over the next three months, feeling more energetic and having fewer stomach problems. Even her post-COVID eye twitch seemed to lessen. 'But nothing went away entirely,' said Hayden, 57. 'I'm not cured.' Neither is Michael Dahl of San Francisco, a retired computer professional and the first to be infused. Dahl, 69, got the real deal. 'But no,' he said. 'I didn't feel any benefit.' His symptoms are neurological. 'Headachy, nausea, dizziness and real fatigue,' he said. 'My body says, 'sleep, sleep sleep.' Since his infusion, 'I have gotten slightly worse. Maybe more than slightly,' said Dahl, adding that he knows of only one drug that definitely helps. 'Aspirin.' Far fewer people get COVID these days, based on wastewater evidence reported by the CDC. But among those who do get sick, a portion still get long COVID. 'It's probably less common than it was in the early days,' said Peluso, who estimates that the occurrence is down to about 2% or 3% of people with COVID. 'But that's still a lot of people' among everyone infected, he said. Other studies of potential long COVID treatments have also fallen short recently, including a pair out of Stanford and Yale that looked at whether Paxlovid, the drug that helps diminish acute COVID symptoms, is helpful. It isn't, though larger studies could still find otherwise, Peluso said. In 2020, Congress set aside $1.15 billion to study long COVID through the RECOVER initiative overseen by the National Institutes of Health. Studies are continuing throughout the country. Beyond viral persistence, two potential culprits are widely suspected of causing long COVID: ongoing inflammation caused by the coronavirus, and autoimmunity — when the body's own immune system turns on itself. At UCSF, Peluso and Dr. Steven Deeks are planning three new studies through their long COVID research program, LIINC, for 'Long-term Impact of Infection with Novel Coronavirus.' One study will look at whether the rheumatoid arthritis drug, Baricitinib, can help long COVID patients who have cognitive dysfunction. Another, funded by the Department of Defense, will test Bezisterim, under development for neurological conditions. The third will see whether boosting the immune system can ease long COVID. 'We're attacking this from multiple angles,' Peluso said. 'We're not giving up.'
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Jacksonville leaders optimistic permit renewal will help alleviate chemical plant odor issues
Neighbors plagued for years by bad odors they believe are coming from a local chemical manufacturer are getting an opportunity to weigh in on the plant's permit renewal pending before the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. 'It's an obnoxious smell. It smells like – the best I can describe – Pine Sol or turpentine," Murray Hill resident Michael Hammond said while speaking to Action News Jax about his concerns with International Flavor and Fragrances back in January. Last year, the City of Jacksonville received 42 validated odor complaints involving IFF. Since January 1, there have been only 13 validated odor complaints. But according to the city, IFF hasn't been cited for any of those complaints because it's working within the structure of its Voluntary Compliance Plan. 'It goes all the way through Murray Hill, Newtown, Durkeeville, all the way to Ortega, Riverside, Avondale. So, you're hitting a whole bunch of homes,' Jacksonville City Council Member Jimmy Peluso said. Peluso represents the area. RELATED: 'It's an obnoxious smell': Residents asked to sign forms regarding odor in local neighborhoods He told Action News Jax the odor issue was one of the biggest complaints he heard while running for office. 'Hey, why is it that we're in this working-class neighborhood, why is it we keep being the brunt of some of this stuff? It's not fair,' Peluso said. Now, the company is up for a permit renewal with the state, and Peluso is optimistic additional odor regulation compliance requirements contained in the new draft permit will add an extra layer of accountability to help alleviate the issues. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] 'DEP has taken city language and put it into their permit. Which is huge, cause now that means we'll have the state not only executing, but also enforcing some of the permit restrictions that we've placed on it from the city level,' Peluso said. In addition the Thursday town hall hosted by DEP, neighbors have until May 22 to submit their comments and concerns to the agency regarding the permit renewal. 'We want to make sure that both DEP and people, who hopefully will be there that represent IFF, are gonna hear loud and clear from the community. Right? You know, it's just been a long time coming,' Peluso said. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] The city tells us it's working to modify IFF's Voluntary Compliance Plan because more than five complaints have been received since the company installed the final piece of equipment required under that plan. In response to the DEP permit renewal meeting an IFF spokesperson sent us the following statement: 'IFF appreciates the chance to participate in the process related to renewing our Title V air permit. The State of Florida has some of the most stringent air permitting regulations in the country, and Title V permits ensure compliance with both state and federal environmental laws. IFF remains in full compliance with our Title V air permit. Throughout more than 20 years of operation at our Jacksonville facility, we have utilized best-in-class technology and robust monitoring processes to ensure that we are preventing air quality impacts and complying with all applicable laws. We look forward to continuing to work with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection throughout the permit renewal process.' Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Jacksonville Council Members express concerns about incoming leadership and the selection process
Three Jacksonville city council members are raising concerns about incoming council leadership and the process for selecting Council Presidents and Vice Presidents. Republican Councilmember Matt Carlucci (R-Group 4 At-Large) called the meeting to discuss his concerns about council leadership. Council members Michael Boylan (R-District 6) and Jimmy Peluso (D-District 7) answered the call and expressed their own concerns about the leadership selection process lacking enough competition during the public meeting Monday afternoon. 'Making sure we don't lose sight of the fact that my colleagues take a look at whose best, not their best friend, but who is best to serve in a leadership capacity going forward,' said Boylan. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] The three council members prefaced the discussion, stating they believe current Council President Randy White (R-District 12) has worked well with the mayor and has avoided partisan fights. But Peluso noted the council's next expected president, Kevin Carrico (R-District 4), and vice president, Nick Howland (R-Group 3 At-Large), have been at the center of what he characterized as partisan attacks on the mayor's office. 'The fact that they both have shown a real insistence on kind of a more partisanship sort of a way is distressing,' said Peluso. Carlucci told Action News Jax he simply wants to see more council members throw their name in the hat, as he believes the worsening breakdown between council and the mayor threatens to send the city backwards. 'Political posturing is short gain stuff, but it's not long-term gain for the good of the whole,' said Carlucci. Carrico has already secured 15 pledges to become the next Council President and Howland has secured 16 to become the next Vice President. A final vote will be taken to solidify their selections on May 27th, giving Carlucci just over two weeks to sway several of his colleagues to move in another direction. 'So, that could probably put me at risk, but I'd rather be at risk doing things the right way than be at risk doing things the wrong way,' said Carlucci. The mayor's office, Carrico and Howland all declined to weigh in on Carlucci's meeting. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
