Latest news with #Rouse
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Virginia's Democratic lieutenant governor candidates discuss taking on Trump, federal cuts
A field of six candidates is competing to be the Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor in Virginia's June 17 primary election. It's a job that, at first blush, doesn't appear to have as many responsibilities as other elected offices. The lieutenant governor is first in the line of succession for the governor, and shall assume the position if the governor is not able to complete his or her job duties, according to the Constitution of Virginia. But the office also presides over the Virginia Senate, and casts tiebreaking votes. It's a distinct possibility in the chamber, which currently has a 21-19 Democratic advantage. Additionally, several former lieutenant governors, such as Doug Wilder, Tim Kaine and Ralph Northam, have used the office as a springboard to successfully run for governor. This year, retired attorney Alex Bastani, state Sen. Ghazala Hashmi, Prince William County School Board Chair Babur Lateef, state Sen. Aaron Rouse, former prosecutor Victor Salgado and former Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney are Democratic primary. The winner will face Republican nominee and former talk radio host John Reid in the November general election. At least by campaign fundraising amounts and endorsements, the candidates can be divided into two groups: three longtime Virginia Democrats with years of governing experience and three relative newcomers to politics. Leading the money race this year is Stoney with about $1.4 million raisedas of March 31, Rouse with $1.2 million and Hashmi with $1.1 million , according to the Virginia Public Access Project. During the same time period, Lateef has raised about $970,000, Salgado has raised $204,000 and Bastani $134,000. In cash donations of less than $100 — a metric campaigns often tout as an indication of grassroots support — Hashmi leads with 1,721 donations as of March 31, followed by Rouse with 994 donations, Lateef with 374, Stoney with 210, Salgado with 117 and Bastani with 14. In the endorsement game, Stoney has the backing of former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg and former Gov. Terry McAuliffe. Rouse has endorsements from U.S. Rep. Bobby Scott and state Sen. Louise Lucas. Hashmi has endorsements from Rep. Ro Khanna of California and the Sierra Club. Lateef has been endorsed by the Move Chamber, a Muslim chamber of commerce, and the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades District Council 51. The list is compiled through campaign announcements and websites and is not definitive. Several candidates say their government experience helps them stand out, while others touted their outsider status. Rouse, a former professional football player and Virginia Beach City Council member, touted his experience in local government and the Virginia Senate. He noted his track record of moves such as sponsoring a bill to revise a property tax exemption program for seniors and winning a seat previously held by a Republican in a 2023 special election that helped safeguard against a GOP effort to enact a 15-week abortion ban. That bill however, was defeated in committee and Rouse did not vote on the legislation. 757 Votes: The Virginian-Pilot and Daily Press 2025 primary election guide 6 Virginia Democrats run for election in crowded lieutenant governor primary Democrats running for attorney general say Virginia needs to challenge Trump Rouse, who was raised in Norfolk and later Virginia Beach by a single mother, said he would continue to showcase the values the region taught him. 'I look forward to making my hometown proud,' he said. Hashmi is the first Muslim elected to the Virginia Senate and spent 30 years as a college professor. She took office in 2020 and touted her experience in the state legislature. She serves as chair of the of the Senate Education and Health Committee. 'I think it's really important to have someone in this position that's ready on day one to start taking on the critical areas that are impacting Virginia,' she said. Stoney, who was Richmond mayor for eight years and secretary of the commonwealth under McAuliffe, touted his experience as well. 'For eight years, I've had to make bold, consequential decisions in the daily lives of Virginians,' Stoney said. During his time as mayor, Stoney decided to remove over a dozen Confederate monuments after 2020 protests triggered by the police killing of George Floyd. However, he faced criticism over the police tear gassing of peaceful protestors, unrealized development projects and supporting two failed casino referendum votes. Lateef is a is an ophthalmologist and has served as chair of the Prince William County School Board since 2018. He touted student improvement during his time on the school board, and said he would focus on kitchen table issues like the economic prosperity for all Virginians. He also said he would advocate for using the state's recent revenue surpluses to invest in Virginia school capital improvement projects. Salgado, a former federal prosecutor with the Justice Department's Public Integrity Section, said he had anticipated the federal government's incursion into states' rights and would help advise the governor and attorney general on how to fight back against the Trump administration. He's also made campaign finance reform a central pillar of his campaign, saying he would withhold votes in the Virginia Senate if a campaign finance bill was not passed by lawmakers. Salgado is pushing for limits on personal and corporate campaign contributions, to forbid conduit contributions — where a straw donor is used to hide the identity of the actual donor — and to create a watchdog agency to investigate violations. Bastani, a former U.S. Labor Department lawyer, is presenting himself as the progressive choice for the office by supporting universal health care and repealing the state's right-to-work law, which lets workers choose whether or not to pay union dues. All six candidates say they would like to repeal the measure, but Democratic gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger told a Richmond TV station she would not sign a repeal. Bastani said his potential win would signal that voters want to repeal the law and put additional pressure on Spanberger to sign a bill. He also believed universal health care could be implemented at the state level, saying studies have shown the program could save billions if implemented in the entire country. The candidates also offered differing solutions to standing up to President Donald Trump's cuts to federal jobs, grants and services like Medicaid. Hashmi said she would move for Virginia to quickly rejoin the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, saying it could provide millions of dollars in climate program funding to plug holes from federal cuts. Gov. Glenn Youngkin directed Virginia to leave the 12-state carbon emissions reduction program in 2022. A federal judge ruled the move was unlawful in November, but the state is appealing the ruling. Rouse said he would attempt to not only push back but work together with federal officials to try and reverse the cuts. Stoney said he would continue to speak out about the cuts, and called out Youngkin and current Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, the GOP candidate for governor, for not doing more to resist the federal actions. Salgado said the state must be ready to combat Trump's bill in court immediately once it is signed into law. Additionally, he called for looking into whether state funding sources could be used as stopgap measures. Lateef also supported taking the Trump administration to court, and advocated for civil disobedience if the administration did not comply with court orders. Bastani also advocated with working together with federal lawmakers to reverse the cuts, and said he supported raising Virginia's corporate tax rate to create more revenue to support affected communities. Trevor Metcalfe, 757-222-5345,
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Yahoo
Leander ISD student-teacher arrested for improper relationship with student
The Brief Darian Rogers charged with second-degree felony improper relationship between educator and student Rogers was a student-teacher at Rouse High School in Leander ISD She has been accused of having sex with a 17-year-old student who was also her co-worker at H-E-B WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Texas - A student-teacher with Leander ISD has been arrested for allegedly having sex with a student. 22-year-old Darian Christine Rogers of Austin has been charged with second-degree felony improper relationship between an educator and a student. Rogers was booked into the Williamson County Jail on May 16 and released on a $20,000 bond on May 17. What we know Court paperwork says that the investigation into Rogers started with a report by a Rouse High School student to another teacher in April. The student told the teacher she had "personal knowledge" of a Rouse teacher being involved in a sexual relationship with a student. An administrator at the school told police that the student, who was also an employee at a Cedar Park H-E-B, reported to them that her work supervisor, who was also a student teacher at Rouse, was "engaging in sexual relationships with several of her co-workers from H-E-B who were also Leander ISD students," says the paperwork. The student also provided administration a voicemail from the student teacher, identified by police as Rogers, in which she admitted to sending explicit photos to a 17-year-old male student. The 17-year-old student was interviewed by police in which he initially denied the relationship and allowed police to view his texts with her. Detectives found messages between Rogers and the student discussing the Plan B contraceptive pill. When confronted with this, the student then admitted the relationship. During an interview with police, Rogers initially denied having a relationship and described her relationship with the student as that of a "big sister and little brother." When confronted with the text evidence, Rogers then admitted she had had sex with the student "one time" in his truck in a parking lot near the H-E-B where they both worked, says the affidavit. Rogers also gave consent for police to make a forensic copy of and search her phone, in which they found a text to the student dated before Rogers began teaching at Rouse, asking him to avoid any "inappropriate comments" in front of school staff as she was interviewing for a position there. Detectives also found Rogers sent a video of her taking the Plan B pill and a screenshot of the receipt to the student. Detectives also found a text thread between Rogers and a friend describing a previous sexual relationship with another male subordinate, who was also 17 and a Leander ISD student at the time. What they're saying Rouse High School principal Vincent Hawkins sent a letter on May 16 to families about the arrest: Dear Rouse High School families, At Rouse High School, our students' safety and well-being are always our top priority. I'd like to share information with you that may impact our school community. On Wednesday, April 9, Leander ISD was informed that authorities had received a report of an inappropriate relationship involving a student and a student-teacher. While this individual briefly completed student-teaching hours on our campus earlier this spring, we want to be clear: the alleged misconduct did not occur at school, during school hours, or at any school-sponsored event. The individual was not a Leander ISD or Rouse High School employee and was immediately removed from campus once the district was made aware of the situation. District administration promptly notified both the individual's university program and the Texas Education Agency (TEA) and has fully cooperated with law enforcement throughout the investigation. Following the investigation, the Leander Police Department issued an arrest warrant and charges were filed against Darian Rogers. Because Rouse High School was mentioned in the police report, we felt it was important to address the situation directly with our school community. Any accusations of misconduct did not happen on our campus, during school hours, or at any school-sponsored event. We hold all individuals working with our students to high standards of conduct and accountability. If you have questions or concerns, please contact me. Thank you for your continued support of Rouse High School. Vincent HawkinsPrincipal, Rouse High School Dig deeper The arrest affidavit says Leander ISD clarified to them Rogers' status as a student teacher in an email. According to Leander ISD, the position of student teacher is the last step in the college requirements to become a certified teacher. Student teachers are assigned to a campus at the beginning of the semester. Rogers had been assigned to Rouse High School for the second semester of the 2024-25 school year and started her position in January 2025. Rogers was required to be on campus five days a week and was assigned to a cooperating teacher who observed and evaluated her performance, says the affidavit. Student teachers are expected to be on campus the same hours as the cooperating teacher and "are required to complete all LISD compliance videos as well as review the staff handbook." The district also provided a highlighted portion of the handbook which articulates the restrictions on student-teacher relationships. Student teachers who complete their program are also eligible to receive a payment of $1,250 from Leander ISD as compensation. What we don't know It is currently unknown which college or university Rogers was attending to earn her teaching certification. The Source Information in this report comes from arrest paperwork, Williamson County jail records and Leander ISD.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Yahoo
Amber Alert issued for missing 14-year-old boy last seen in OKC
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — The Oklahoma Highway Patrol has issued an Amber Alert for missing 14-year-old Wesley Rouse, who was last seen in Oklahoma City. According to OHP, Rouse was last seen in Oklahoma City with his step-father, 40-year-old Timothy Ross, on Tuesday, May 13. Rouse is described as 5 feet 3 inches tall and weighs 96 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a turquoise shirt, blue jeans, and blue Nikes. He is said to be developmentally delayed. Ross is described as 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighs 135 pounds with brown hair and blue eyes. OHP says he was last seen wearing blue jeans and a black t-shirt. Rouse and Ross were last seen at around midnight on Tuesday near NE 23rd and Air Depot Road in Midwest City. Officials say they were seen in a 2009 green Hyundai Santa Fe with license plate QSH-696. That vehicle has since been found abandoned. Anyone with information is asked to call 911. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBS News
14-05-2025
- CBS News
Woman charged with giving THC candy to kids at Wheeling, Illinois, park
A woman was charged after police said she gave four children, she did not know, THC-infused chocolate at a park in Wheeling on Sunday. Dagmara Rouse, 48, has been charged with 12 misdemeanors, including delivery of cannabis to a minor and endangering the life or health of a child. Wheeling police said officers were called to Pleasant Run Park after four kids, ages 2 to 9, became tired and lethargic after eating the candy Rouse gave them. The kids were taken to a local hospital, where at least one of the kids tested positive for THC. Police believe they were given Mojo THC milk chocolate that was found at the park. Police said the woman charged did not know the kids.
Business Journals
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Journals
Duck Entertainment: The all-claw machine arcade with a modern Asian twist
Unlike dimly lit old-school arcades, walking into Duck Entertainment feels fresh, bright and happy. Decked out in yellow lights and cute duck mascot logos, this new-school arcade located along Diffley Road in Eagan has drawn huge crowds since its grand opening on New Year's Day. So, what makes this place so unique? It specializes in just one beloved arcade game – the claw machine. Inspired by so-called 'clawcades' popular in Japan, China and Thailand, owner Zhengui 'Z' Lin, 24, decided to open one in Minnesota. This young entrepreneur turned to Sunrise Banks to turn his first business idea into what has become a huge hit for visitors of all ages. Being the boss Lin first caught the entrepreneurial bug during the Covid-19 pandemic when he started reselling items on Amazon. 'I enjoyed working for myself and working when I wanted to,' he said. 'I liked being my own boss.' For his first small business, Lin wanted to do something unexpected. That's when he turned to the idea of the clawcade. 'There's nothing like this in the whole Midwest,' said Lin. 'There are some smaller ones, but they're not as big and they don't have a theme. We wanted to build it around a theme like similar places in Asia. Our theme is the duck mascot with bright yellow lights everywhere, yellow everywhere.' expand A row of claw machines at Duck Entertainment in Eagan. Amanda Theisen/Sunrise Banks How the clawcade works Lin filled Duck Entertainment with 100 modern claw machines, stocked with various plushies, toys, snacks and accessories. Visitors buy tokens, then use them to play the machines. They can then keep the prizes they've won or trade them for credits to get other popular prizes, like Pokémon, Labubu figurines or 'blind boxes' – boxes with a mystery prize inside. Lin said it's fun to see people of all ages testing their luck. 'People thought it was going to be more for kids than adults visiting,' he said. 'But there are actually more adults that show up.' Duck also sells assorted Asian-inspired refreshments, including bubble tea and Korean shaved ice. Funding the concept Lin said securing both funding and a location were challenging in the beginning. 'There wasn't really a way to test this concept because it was so new,' he said. 'So, it was really hard to get a loan.' After a recommendation from another bank, Lin met with April Rouse, a commercial lending officer at Sunrise Banks. ''Z' had a solid business plan and projections when he came to Sunrise Banks, along with the drive to open the business,' said Rouse. 'I was very impressed with his entrepreneurial skills, and at such a young age. Z is such a go-getter!' Rouse set Lin up with both an SBA loan and SBA line of credit to get Duck up and running. 'April reassured me that our application and business plan looked good and that we'd get approved,' Lin said. Lin said it also took a while to find a location because landlords didn't fully grasp the concept. 'They thought we were going to use super-old claw machines,' he explained. 'They were like, 'You're going to put 100 of those in one building?'' Eventually, he found a prime site in Eagan, close to businesses and three schools. Lin said many kids come after school or on weekends to play the machines. Keeping up with demand A long line of customers greeted Lin on New Year's Day, when Duck Entertainment first opened its doors. That's thanks, in part, to hype on social media. 'There were people that lined up at 5-6 a.m. and the line went around the building,' he said. 'I was not expecting that.' Lin even had to close Duck temporarily because he ran out of prizes – he went through about two months' worth of inventory in just three weeks. Getting new prizes from overseas took a few weeks, due to Lunar New Year and other shipping delays, but he was able to re-open in mid-February with minimal impact to his bottom line. Eventually, Lin would like to turn Duck Entertainment into a franchise opportunity. Right now, he's focused on keeping the momentum going. 'Sunrise Banks loves the opportunity to help businesses grow and to build relationships,' said Rouse. ''Z' is the perfect example of this.' Want to learn more about financing your small business? Visit to get started. Member FDIC. Sunrise Banks is a socially responsible community bank with locations in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, and Sioux Falls, South Dakota. We're a B corporation focused on creating financial empowerment for all. Learn more about our mission and history of community impact at Amanda Theisen is the communications manager for Sunrise Banks.
