Latest news with #Yeager
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Nevada Legislature passes charter school raises, bill goes to Lombardo's desk
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — A key piece of legislation received final approval Thursday night in the Nevada Legislature, putting an end to a fight over education funding. Raises for charter school teachers, a missing component in the education budget, were approved as the Nevada Senate passed Assembly Bill 398 (AB398). Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo had threatened to veto the $12.4 billion education bill because it left out charter school teachers. He called those raises 'non-negotiable.' AB398 allocates nearly $38 million — $19.3 million annually — for the raises. The bill also includes $45 million to fund additional compensation for teachers across the state in 'hard-to-fill' positions, including Title I schools. The bill passed 20-0 in the Senate, a bipartisan display of the Legislature's commitment to treat charter school teachers the same as any other teacher employed by a Nevada school district. Education support professionals (ESPs) are included in the charter school plan. State report shows Nevada charter schools outperform public schools in test scores 'This is a major victory for Governor Lombardo, the legislature, and all Nevadans. For more than three sessions, I have worked on education reform and getting permanent teacher pay raises. I am honored that we got it done with bipartisan support,' Republican Assembly Minority Leader Gregory Hafen said in an emailed statement. Hafen and Democratic Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager sponsored the bill. In an interview this week with 8 News Now, Yeager said there's a reason for keeping charter school raises separate from the overall education funding. 'We segregate it out in a different bill because we want to make sure that that money actually goes to increase compensation both for teachers and education support professionals (ESPs) and it's not just supplanting other money,' Yeager said. 'It allows legislators to stay involved in the process over the next two years to make sure that happens. And then going into the next legislative session, we can decide whether we want to put it in the base budget or not,' he said. Charter schools will be required to provide the State Public Charter School Authority with certain basic information, including the number of teachers and ESPs employed as of October 1, 2024, and October 1, 2025. A plan to provide the salary increases is also required. Money for the raises will be allocated by the Legislature's Interim Finance Committee and distributed through the charter authority. Lawmakers have already dipped into the Education Stabilization Account, known as the rainy day account for schools, to meet spending outlined in the $12.4 billion budget. On May 8, lawmakers approved a $115.7 million withdrawal on top of $126.9 million allocated from the same fund on May 7. In total, lawmakers are drawing that account down by about a quarter-million dollars, leaving it with an estimated reserve of $639.6 million. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Politicians, scared of truly open primaries, offer ‘limited' alternative for nonpartisan voters
Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager (Photo: Richard Bednarski/Nevada Current) A ballot measure to establish an open-primary, ranked-choice voting system in Nevada may have been rejected by voters last November, but its underlying message of voter disenfranchisement clearly struck a chord with Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager. The Assembly's top Democrat, who opposed that ballot measure, said he suspects changes to Nevada's closed primary system are coming whether the political establishment wants it or not: 'The dam is going to break one way or another. The question is: Are we going to be part of the process?' To that end, Yeager is proposing Assembly Bill 597, which would allow nonpartisan voters to participate in either the Republican or Democratic primary. He introduced the bill as an emergency measure on Monday, a week before the end of the session, and presented it to the Senate and Assembly committees on legislative operations and elections during a joint meeting Thursday. Yeager described his bill as a 'pushing back' to Question 3, the election reform proposal approved by voters in 2022 but rejected by voters in 2024. That ballot measure, which needed to pass twice because it proposed amending the state constitution, was heavily funded by out-of-state election reform groups. Those groups viewed Nevada as 'a playground in which they can experiment,' Yeager said. 'We know they will continue to attempt to exploit this issue' of closed primaries 'to fool around with our elections.' AB 597 is 'much simpler' than Question 3. There would still be Republican and Democratic primaries. The only change would be that a registered nonpartisan voter could cast a ballot in one of them. (Question 3 proposed putting all candidates on the primary ballot regardless of political party, with the top five finishers appearing on the general election for voters to rank in order of preference.) Yeager described AB 597 as a common sense solution that addresses the growing number of nonpartisan voters in the state. As of April 2025, 34.9% of registered voters in Nevada are nonpartisan, 29% are Republican and 29% are Democrats, according to the Secretary of State's Office. The remaining 7% of registered voters are members of minor parties like the Independent American or Libertarian parties. That means nonpartisan and third-party voters are the biggest voting bloc in the state. Yet they are unable to participate in the primary elections their tax dollars pay for unless they agree to temporarily affiliate with a major political party. The Nevada State Democratic Party, which opposed Question 3, has not expressed support or opposition for AB 597. But Nevada Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar, a Democrat and the state's top election official, spoke in support of the bill. The Nevada State Republican Party is strongly opposed to AB 597, as they were to Question 3. Representatives from the state party and affiliated local party groups argued that allowing nonpartisans to participate in party primaries would dilute party values and invite interference from outsiders. Opponents also argued the bill is unnecessary because nonpartisan voters can already participate in a primary by temporarily registering to a political party. Nevada offers same-day voter registration, which means nonpartisan voters have that option all the way through election day. 'I think that practically that just doesn't happen,' Yeager countered. 'People are not going to change party registration and then change back. They're not partisan for a reason or not affiliated for a reason.' Some election advocates worry nonpartisan voters may similarly be turned off by the process laid out in AB 597. Yeager plans to introduce an amendment to require nonpartisan voters request a political party primary ballot by 'the 7th Monday before the election day.' (In real terms: That would have been April 23 for last year's June 11 primary.) Nonpartisans after that date would have to vote in person. Yeager's proposed amendment would also keep the state-run presidential preference primary closed. Doug Goodman, the founder of Nevadans for Election Reform, has pushed for fully open primaries for more than a decade. He took a neutral position on AB 597, saying the bill is 'far from ideal' and only 'a small start.' The bill doesn't address disenfranchisement of voters registered to minor parties, who still would be unable to participate in a major political party primary without leaving their preferred party. It also doesn't address the issue of voters not being able to cast ballots in the significant number of races decided in competitive primaries where the winner goes on to run unopposed in a general election. That is a particularly common occurrence in districts that lean heavily toward one party. Sondra Cosgrove, another outspoken advocate for election reform in Nevada, took a similar position as Goodman, though she described herself as 'reluctantly in support' of AB 597. 'In America elections belong to the people, not the political parties,' she said in a statement to the Current. 'So, I plan to run a ballot question in 2026 to adopt a fully open primary so that the people of Nevada can discuss how we would like our primary election to be managed. Many political commentators believe major election reform will only come to Nevada through a ballot measure backed by outsiders because the existing political establishment benefits from the current system. The Legislature must adjourn Monday, leaving lawmakers only a few days to pass Yeager's bill. If they do, it could still be vetoed by Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo, who has already vetoed one election bill this session.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Covington Catholic tennis standouts sweep singles, doubles at KHSAA state championships
The Kentucky High School Athletic Association's boys tennis state tournament again belonged to the Covington Catholic Colonels. A year removed from claiming the doubles title with a runner-up in the singles bracket, the Colonels claimed both titles in 2025. Kalei Christensen and Alex Yeager, who had won the last two doubles state championships, weren't together for a three-peat, but both took home gold. Kalei Christensen, Blake Hussey win the 2025 doubles title Despite his two-time state championship partner now in singles competition, Colonels senior Kalei Christensen still led a doubles team to another state championship. Advertisement Paired now with sophomore Blake Hussey, the pairing of Christensen and Hussey dropped just five total sets through the first four rounds of the tournament. The semifinal rounds began the final day of the state meet. There Christensen and Hussey faced their hardest test yet from Louisville St. Xavier's Jacob Ray and Logan Elliott. The CovCath duo took the match after a pair of 7-5 wins. Colonel sophomores William Tribble and Jacob Kramer played in the other championship semifinal, but an all-Covington Catholic final was prevented by a 6-4, 6-1 win from Louisville St. Xavier's Aditya Shah and Walker Bush. Advertisement In the state finals, Christensen and Hussey grabbed the first set 6-1, but needed a tiebreaker to win set two. Tied 6-6, the Colonels won the tiebreaker 7-1 to take the final set and the state championship 6-1, 7-6(7-1). Alex Yeager wins KHSAA singles gold Covington Catholic's Alex Yeager returns a shot by Christian Academy's Landon Ecarma in the boys KHSAA state singles tennis championship at the UK Hilary J. Boone/Downing Tennis Complex in Lexington, Kentucky, on May 29, 2025. Senior Alex Yeager completed the Covington Catholic sweep and won his third state title after battling through the final three rounds of the state tournament. Yeager swept his first two matches and won 6-2, 6-0 to advance to the quarterfinals. His final three matches would all need a third-set tiebreaker. The senior won his quarterfinal match over North Oldham's Samuel Gurevich 6-3, 2-6, 12-10 before a 6-2, 4-6, 10-3 win in the semis against Louisville Collegiate's Colby Berson. Advertisement Yeager needed to play from behind to win in the state finals. Christian Academy-Louisville senior Landon Ecarma beat Yeager 6-3 in the opening set and stormed back in set two to tie Yeager 6-6. In the second set tiebreaker, Yeager scored a 7-3 win to send the match to the final set. Up 11-10, Yeager secured his comeback victory and the singles state championship when Ecarma sent a shot long, giving Yeager a 3-6, 7-6(7-3), 12-10 finals win. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Covington Catholic boys tennis sweeps KHSAA singles and doubles titles
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Akron's speller moves to 3rd round of Scripps National Spelling Bee
OXON HILL, Maryland – Akron Beacon Journal Regional Spelling Bee champion Zach Yeager of Doylestown has moved on to the third round of the Scripps National Spelling Bee. The 14-year-old eighth grader from Chippewa Jr./Sr. High School in Doylestown correctly spelled his first word − QUONK. He then correctly selected the definition of his vocabulary word − BOISTEROUS − in the bee's second round. The definition was "full of exhuberant spirits." Yeager now will move on to the bee's third round, which involves a written test. Spellers will face 28 spelling words and 12 vocabulary words. Five words will not count toward the spellers' scores, but officials won't tell them which ones as they're taking the test. Bee officials said close to 100 spellers will move on to Round 4. Beginning with Route 3, spellers will face words they haven't studied. Spellers had a list of about 3,000 words to study for the first two rounds. There are 243 spellers in this year's bee. Yeager is representing The Akron Beacon Journal in the national bee, after winning its Regional Bee in March. It's Yeager's second consecutive trip to the event after also winning Akron's bee in 2024. The Beacon Journal itself has a featured role in the 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee. Its regional bee was named Scripps' Partner of the Year for 2025. Akron's spelling bee is the longest, continuously running partner in the national bee. This year is the Scripps National Spelling Bee's 100th birthday. Akron has had a speller in every bee since the very first, when nine students competed. This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Akron's speller Zach Yeager moves to 3rd round in Scripps spelling bee
25-05-2025
- General
Meet the border collies fending off wildlife at West Virginia's busiest airport
CHARLESTON, -- Hercules and Ned have quite the spacious office at West Virginia's busiest airport. The border collies and their handler make daily patrols along the milelong airfield to ensure birds and other wildlife stay away from planes and keep passengers and crew safe. Hercules is also the chief ambassador, soaking in affection from passengers inside the terminal while calming some nervously waiting to board a flight at West Virginia International Yeager Airport. Chris Keyser, the dogs' handler and the airport's wildlife specialist, said preventing a bird from hitting a plane 'can make a difference for someone's life.' Collisions between wildlife and planes are common at airports nationwide. With that in mind, Yeager management in 2018 bought Hercules at the recommendation of a wildlife biologist. Hercules spent the first 18 months of his life training to herd geese and sheep around his birthplace at Charlotte, North Carolina-based Flyaway Geese, which teaches border collies to help businesses address nuisance wildlife problems. When Hercules stepped onto Charleston's airfield for the first time, 'I held my breath,' Flyaway Geese owner Rebecca Gibson said. 'But boy, he took hold of the reins. It was his place. "He's done an amazing job and has just been a great dog for them. We're very proud of him.' Along the way, Hercules became a local celebrity. He has his own Instagram and TikTok accounts and regularly hosts groups of schoolchildren. Now 8, Hercules has some help. Ned was 2 when he was welcomed into the fold last year from another kennel where he trained to herd goats and geese. Ned has shadowed Hercules, following commands from Keyser and learning safety issues such as not venturing onto the runway. 'Ned's ready to go,' Keyser said. 'He's picked up on all that. He's doing fantastic, running birds off.' Inside the airport operations center, Hercules is laid back until he's told it's time to work, barking at the door in anticipation. Ned, on the other hand, is always moving. When not outside, he'll bring his blue bouncy ball to anyone willing to play fetch. Charleston's airport is on top of a mountain and has a menagerie of wildlife, including Canada geese, hawks, ducks, songbirds and bats. After it rains, worms come to the surface and cause an increase in bird activity, Keyser said. In addition to taking the dogs on their regular rounds, Keyser is in constant contact with the airport tower, which looks for birds on the field or relays reports from airplanes that see wildlife nearby. 'We get plenty of exercise,' Keyser said. 'You don't gain no weight in this job. It's an all-day job. You're always got your eyes on the field, you've got your ears open listening to the radio." Border collies are among the most energetic dog breeds. They've been used for decades to shoo Canada geese off golf courses. They've also scared away birds at other airports, military bases, and locks and dams. The dogs' instincts are to herd, not to kill. 'But in the mind of the bird, they're no different than a coyote or a fox, which is a natural predator for the bird,' Gibson said. About 19,000 strikes involving planes and wildlife occurred at U.S. airports in 2023, of which 95% involved birds, according to a Federal Aviation Administration database. From 1988 to 2023, wildlife collisions in the U.S. killed 76 people and destroyed 126 aircraft. Perhaps the most famous bird-plane strike occurred in January 2009 when a flight from New York's LaGuardia Airport almost immediately flew into a flock of Canada geese, knocking out both engines. Pilot Chesley 'Sully' Sullenberger guided the powerless jet into the frigid Hudson River. All 155 people on board survived the incident, which was captured in the 2016 movie 'Sully,' starring Tom Hanks. At the Charleston airport, wildlife-plane incidents vary each year from a few to a couple dozen. 'Anytime a plane hits a bird, it has to be inspected, and it causes a delay in the flight,' Keyser said. 'And sometimes you don't make your connecting flights. So that's how important it is to keep everything going smooth.' In 2022 alone, there were five airplane strikes at the airport involving bats. In December 2000, a plane collided with two deer after landing. The tip of the right engine propeller blade separated and punctured the plane's fuselage, seriously injuring a passenger, according to the FAA. Inside the terminal, Hercules wags his tail as he moves about greeting passengers. Among them was Janet Spry, a Scott Depot, West Virginia, resident waiting to board a flight to visit her daughter and grandchildren in San Antonio. Spry needed a bit of cheering up. In addition to having a fear of flying, Spry's 15-year-old cat was euthanized the previous day after being diagnosed with an inoperable condition. An impromptu visit from Hercules brought a smile — and more. Hercules placed a paw on Spry's arm and delivered plenty of wet kisses. 'He's making my day better,' Spry said. She also joked whether the airport might want to let Hercules stay with her a while longer. 'I think there was an empty seat on the plane beside me,' Spry said.
