Latest news with #Prunty
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘Not a random operation': Residents, officials alarmed after possible ICE activity in Rockford
ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — Rockford's southwest side is quiet Friday, a day after personnel from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security were confirmed in the area. 'People were confused about some things. From my understanding, that it may have been in a residential area or near a park, all of it is, with the social media posts, and not from official sources,' said 6th Ward Alderwoman Aprel Prunty (D). Prunty said she heard from residents of her ward that DHS personnel near Liberty Park. While officials if agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) were present, the City of Rockford released a statement saying, 'It is important to note that ICE is a federal agency operating under the Department of Homeland Security.' 'This was scary for a lot of people. And, especially if it were near a park, we know that children were probably there. I have heard that, since then, that maybe children did witness it,' Prunty said. Fernando Lopez, the station manager at Rockford's Latino radio station La Bamba Radio, said he was made aware of two individuals who were targeted due to active deportation orders against them. 'It's not a random operation of ICE. It was targeting specific people. As far as we know, they pick specific people with deportation proceedings. That's what this is. No massive raids, no random stuff,' Lopez said. According to ICE, those arrested in its operations nationwide had criminal histories, including sexual assault, robbery, drug and weapons charges, and domestic violence. In Illinois, the TRUST Act, signed by former Gov. Bruce Rauner (R) in 2017, prevents state law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration authorities. According to the 2023 Way Forward Act Compliance Report, 88.5% of requests from federal immigration authorities were rejected statewide. City officials did not have further updates. Earlier this year, Rockford Police Chief Carla Redd on the department's policy, saying, 'The enforcement of civil immigration laws is the primary responsibility of federal agencies, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The Rockford Police Department does not participate in civil immigration-related investigations or actions.' Winnebago County Sheriff Gary Caruana said in a , 'Local law enforcement agencies are prohibited from honoring ICE detainers or acting on an individual's immigration status without a judicial warrant. These legal restrictions limit the ability of local law enforcement to collaborate with federal partners, including ICE, in addressing certain public safety concerns.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Flathead County seeks to expand landfill for future needs
Jun. 8—Flathead County is looking to expand its landfill operations in the future, which is expected to allow it to accept waste for another eight decades beyond its current capacity. The landfill is looking to add 121 acres south of facility located off of U.S. 93 north of Kalispell. Of that acreage 74 acres are planned for refuse disposal. The Montana Department of Environmental Quality is reviewing the county's application for a license to expand. The state agency is taking comments on a draft environmental assessment of the plan through June 15. Flathead County Public Works Director Dave Prunty said the current landfill disposal area is expected to serve the county for another 40 years, but the county is looking to obtain its license now to allow for expansion when the time comes. "Because the community is growing, we need to secure disposal space for as long as possible," Prunty said. "It's critical for the landfill to secure that disposal space now." The landfill was built in 1971. The expansion is designed to serve the county after the current portion of the active landfill reaches capacity. The same disposal area on the north end of the landfill has been used since it was opened and is expected to be full in roughly the next five years. Then disposal would move to a more southern area, which should last the county for another roughly two to three decades, according to Prunty, before it would move into the proposed expansion area. The expansion would increase the refuse disposal area to 225 acres. Operations now dispose of 460 tons of waste per day. The expansion would allow for the proper disposal of about 33.7 million tons of waste, according to the Department of Environmental Quality assessment. About 92,000 tons of waste was disposed of at the landfill in 2022 and last year the landfill saw 163,000 tons. Prunty said disposal rates ebb and flow with the economy, but about 2% growth every year is expected. "The amount we take in is compounded every year," he said. "This is about controlling our own destiny at the landfill. We want to make sure that we have the capacity so that we don't have to pay to take it somewhere else." The Department of Environmental Quality's assessment found that the expansion meets the requirements of the state Solid Waste Management Act and rules regulating solid waste disposal. And adherence to a facility plan approved by the state agency would mitigate the potential for harmful impacts to human health and the environment. Public comment closes June 15, and comments can be submitted electronically via email to deqswprogram@ or by mail at DEQ Solid Waste Program, PO Box 200901, Helena, MT, 59620. To view the draft assessment, visit Deputy Editor Heidi Desch may be reached at 758-4421 or hdesch@
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
A candidate has withdrawn his name from Rockford's City Council election. Here's why
U.S. Postal Service letter carrier Lawrence Steward ended his campaign for alderman of the Sixth Ward before the polls opened. Rockford Board of Elections Executive Director Jorge Parades said he received notice on Monday — a day before the Democratic Primary — that Steward had withdrawn. Steward would not be considered an active candidate on the ballot, Parades said in an email to the Rockford Register Star, and any votes cast for him during Tuesday's primary would not be reported on official totals. Steward planned to challenge Ald. Aprel Prunty, D-6, who is seeking a second term. Steward did not immediately respond to a text message seeking comment. A 1939 law prohibits federal employees from participating in partisan elections. That means Steward, a U.S. Postal Service employee, could have risked his job by continuing as a candidate. A lawyer for the Rockford Board of Elections had said it was his opinion that Steward's candidacy "likely violates federal law." But officials said it wasn't up to the election board to enforce the Hatch Act. Instead, they said his participating in the race risked his federal employment. Steward previously said that he believed his run for City Council in a Democratic primary in which there was no opposing party should not be considered "partisan." Steward, 41, of Rockford, emerged as a community leader when his friend and colleague Jay Larson was killed during a March 27 spree of violence last year that left four dead and seven wounded in a Rockford neighborhood. Letter carriers turned to Steward for guidance as president of the National Association of Letter Carriers Local 245. His withdrawal paves the way for Prunty to win a second term. Without a Republican challenger, Prunty, a 55-year-old Rockford Public Schools teacher, is expected to appear on the April 1 Consolidated Election ballot unopposed. Jeff Kolkey writes about government, economic development and other issues for the Rockford Register Star. He can be reached via email at jkolkey@ and on X @jeffkolkey. This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Rockford City Council candidate ends campaign day before election
