Latest news with #Riggin
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Yahoo
Fair Grove hires new police chief, the city's fifth in 5 years
Fair Grove has a new police chief, again. The newest man to be appointed to the job will be the fifth to serve in that role since 2020. Mayor Thomas Voorhis announced in a Facebook post that Mark Riggin has been hired as police chief. Riggin served as the chief of the Willard School Police Agency, establishing the K-12 school-based law enforcement program. He also holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology degree from Evangel University. Riggin graduated from the United States Army Military Police School in 1989. He served in the New Jersey and Missouri Army National Guard as a military policeman, according to the announcement. After his military service, Riggin joined the Springfield Police Department, where he served for more than 24 years. During his time at Willard School Police, he participated in developing policies and procedures that enhanced safety within the school environment. In his latest role as the school police program coordinator with the Missouri School Boards Association, Riggin worked on school safety initiatives, providing training and support to K-12 safety coordinators and law enforcement personnel across the state, according to the release. Riggin is filling a vacancy left by the departure in late January of the former chief, Roy Howell, which included a $32,800 severance. Prior to his resignation, Howell was placed on administrative leave. While the full circumstances behind the separation have not been disclosed, records obtained by the News-Leader previously pointed to a doorbell camera incident and the subsequent investigation that followed directed by Howell. Voorhis told the News-Leader the city received roughly 30 applications for the job posting. The top 10 applicants were interviewed by the city's Police Committee and the Personnel Committee. The base salary for the position was set at $70,000, compared to $58,500 Howell was making, according to previous News-Leader reporting. More: Fair Grove police chief resigns, receives $33,000 severance after administrative leave Howell was hired March 2024 after a shakeup at the Fair Grove Police Department at the end of 2023 that left the department with only one fully trained officer. He was able to rebuild the staff to only one vacancy. A staff exodus that occurred with previous chiefs' departures did not occur when Howell was placed on leave or after he resigned. Marta Mieze covers local government at the News-Leader. Have feedback, tips or story ideas? Contact her at mmieze@ This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Fair Grove hires Mark Riggin as police chief after years of turnover
Yahoo
29-03-2025
- Yahoo
Teen Died While Trying to Help Another Driver on a Wyoming Highway: 'He Would Do Anything for Anyone at Any Time'
A teen was killed while attempting to assist another driver on a highway in Wyoming, according to his obituary. Riggin Cole Schaffer, 18, was driving in Laramie on Sunday, March 23, when he stopped to help a driver who had been injured in a single-car collision. Another driver then crashed into the scene, killing Riggin, per the obituary, which was shared by Stevenson & Son Funeral Homes. Wyoming Highway Patrol confirmed that a fatal traffic incident occurred in Laramie on March 23, but did not provide any further details, including whether or not anyone was charged in the collision, according to local news outlet Cowboy State Daily. PEOPLE reached out to Wyoming Highway Patrol for comment on Saturday, March 29, but did not receive an immediate response. Related: Teen Dies in Crash on the Way Home from School, Just Over a Week After 17th Birthday Riggin was raised in Broadus, Mont., and was attending college in Laramie at WyoTech, according to his obituary. His family recalled in the obituary: 'From the beginning, Riggin lived life his own way and that never changed. While he grew and learned to navigate the world, he was true to himself, lived by his own code and never pretended to be something he wasn't." "Fiercely loyal to the people he loved, he was one of the kindest and most generous of friends," they continued. "He would do anything for anyone at any time (except if that thing was the dishes). He lived with true integrity and was willing to endure any hardship to preserve it.' Riggin loved cars and 'planned to eventually open his own restoration shop where he wanted to bring old muscle cars back to life,' the family said. The teen had recently bought a classic 1975 Chevrolet Camaro with his own money, and 'he couldn't wait to start fixing it up.' Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Riggin had also discovered a love of snowboarding while at WyoTech and spent 'every weekend on the slopes.' 'Riggin was truly coming into his own,' his family shared. A funeral will be held for Riggin on Friday, April 4, per the funeral home. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Baltimore paused Tesla purchases in September
In mid-September, Baltimore City paused a $5 million electric vehicle contract with Tesla, city officials said. The pause came at the direction of the mayor's office, just a few months after the city's Board of Estimates voted to approve the deal in June, said John Riggin, spokesman for the city's Department of General Services. The city 'decided to go in a different direction,' Riggin said. 'No Tesla units have been ordered, and none are in the City's fleet,' wrote John Riggin, spokesman for the city's Department of General Services. In September — the same month that Baltimore's Democratic Mayor Brandon Scott paused the contract — President Donald Trump announced that, if he were to be reelected, he would appoint his supporter, Tesla founder Elon Musk, to lead a 'government efficiency commission' to quickly eliminate 'fraud and improper payments.' Musk's Department of Government Efficiency has since spearheaded a slash-and-burn approach at the federal level, terminating thousands of probationary employees, nixing government contracts and promising additional cuts. Musk has drawn ire from Democrats along the way, but its unclear whether his political activities prompted Baltimore's reversal. Under Baltimore's contract, which runs until June 2027, the city is not obligated to spend $5 million for the vehicles from Tesla. 'The contract value sets a spending ceiling, not a commitment to spend the full amount or any portion of it,' Riggin said. Instead, the city department has purchased electric vehicles from Ford and General Motors, Riggin said, and continues to 'evaluate offerings from a variety of manufacturers.' The contract with Tesla hasn't been formally canceled, wrote city Comptroller Bill Henry in a statement. But the city is relying on previous contracts for electric vehicles, Henry said, and purchasing 'mostly Ford Mach-Es.' Karyl Leggio, professor of finance at Loyola University's Sellinger School of Business in Baltimore, said it's likely that Musk's political actions will have an impact on Tesla's economic outlook. 'You can't think of too many CEOs that are political, and there's a good reason, because politics are divisive. Half the country goes one way, half the country goes the other,' Leggio said. Musk's recent actions with DOGE have been particularly polarizing, spurring buyer's remorse for some Tesla drivers. Bumper stickers with slogans like 'I bought this before we knew Elon was crazy,' now appear on some Teslas. Some Musk opponents have also staged demonstrations at Tesla stores, including one in Owings Mils. County police investigated anti-Musk graffiti found on the store after the protest concluded. 'I've seen a lot of protests, and protests lead to cancellations,' Leggio said. Since reaching a peak in mid-December, Tesla's stock has plunged more than 40%. 'I would be a little skeptical about putting too much weight on that, but it's an early indicator that there should be some concern about the sales of the product,' Leggio said. Baltimore's contract with Tesla came in the wake of city policies encouraging electric vehicle use. In 2023, Scott signed a bill into law requiring all vehicle purchases for the city's administrative fleet to be zero-emission by 2030. Scott has also set a citywide goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2045. 'My administration knows the critical importance of ensuring our city is able to confront the climate crisis head-on and do everything in our power to ensure Baltimore is leading the way in sustainability and climate resilience,' Scott said at the time. Have a news tip? Contact The Baltimore Sun at newstips@ or 410-332-6100.
