Latest news with #TalkoftheTown
Herald Sun
26-06-2025
- Herald Sun
Ash Gordon murder: Teen who kicked doctor shared bragging video on social media
Don't miss out on the headlines from Police & Courts. Followed categories will be added to My News. A teen thug who kicked Melbourne doctor Ash Gordon in the face as he lay dying on the ground after his friend had stabbed him bragged on social media about being released from custody. The Herald Sun can reveal details about the boy's involvement in the killing of the 33-year-old Box Hill GP after his 17-year-old co-offender was found guilty of murder on Wednesday. Originally charged with murder himself, the teen, who cannot be named due to his age, pleaded guilty to lesser offences including assisting an offender, aggravated burglary, common assault and car theft. He spent fewer than 18 months in youth detention before being released this year. In March, he celebrated his new-found freedom with a video posted on social media showing him being escorted out of a youth justice centre by staff. In the footage, the teen grins as he ducks under a garage door, carrying two plastic bags, believed to hold his clothes, while a staffer warns the person filming to stop. The clip is soundtracked by the rap song Talk of the Town, which includes the lyrics: 'Man's way too lit to be walkin' around, talk of the country, not talk of the town. Get the drop on an opp, stalkin' 'em down.' The Herald Sun was barred from linking the released teen to Dr Gordon's murder until after a verdict to avoid prejudicing his co-offender's trial. He and his co-offender had been attending a house party a few doors down when they broke into Dr Gordon's Doncaster home in the early hours of January 13 last year, having earlier spotted his black Mercedes AMG in the garage. They stole several items, including Nike shoes, laptops, headphones, necklaces and a wallet, before returning to the party boasting about their loot. Just before 5am, the pair and two others returned to Dr Gordon's home intending to steal his car. The intruders woke Dr Gordon, whose bedroom was on the ground floor. 'Hello, boys,' he said, prompting the group to bolt. The doctor gave chase in his car, finding three of the teens hiding in a nearby driveway in Eildon St. 'There's no point running, the cops are on their way,' he told them. The released teen and another boy jumped a fence. But the co-offender – now convicted of murder – stayed behind and stabbed Dr Gordon six times during a scuffle. After the stabbing, the released teen returned and kicked the injured doctor in the face with such force Dr Gordon's eyes rolled into the back of his head before he and his co-offender fled. The released teen later burnt their clothes, while his co-offender filmed. 'We're done for, done for, psych, no we're not. Where's the evidence, cuz? Where's the evidence?' the teen says in the clip, as his friend laughs. The pair also discussed fleeing to the Gold Coast then Papua New Guinea, though the plan never eventuated. The teen's co-offender remains in custody and will face a pre-sentence hearing in October.
Yahoo
19-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
More local governments in Pennsylvania would be able to tax more to cover fire, EMS costs under new bill
This story was produced by the State College regional bureau of Spotlight PA, an independent, nonpartisan newsroom dedicated to investigative and public-service journalism for Pennsylvania. Sign up for Talk of the Town, a weekly newsletter of local stories that dig deep, events, and more from north-central PA, at STATE COLLEGE — Hundreds of local governments in Pennsylvania would gain expanded taxing power to fund their cash-strapped fire departments and emergency medical services under a bill advancing in the legislature. Last year, the state legislature gave some local governments the ability to levy higher property taxes to fund fire companies and EMS providers. Now, a bill that would expand that opportunity to over 1,400 more municipalities has passed the Democratic-controlled state House. Local governments in Pennsylvania decide how to fund these emergency services for their communities. Governing boards can pay for these costs out of their main account, usually called the general fund, or they can set money aside using a special real estate tax and restrict that income to only fire or EMS services. David Greene, executive director of the Pennsylvania Local Government Commission, a legislative agency, described such a dedicated property tax as a 'lock box mechanism.' It 'gives the public an understanding that that portion of their tax bill is going [to] and is guaranteed for that specific purpose,' he told Spotlight PA. But for decades, state law has imposed an upper limit on how much local governments can tax property owners for these purposes: no more than 3 mills for a fire tax, and no more than half a mill for an EMS tax. These kinds of limits have been criticized by some as arbitrary. But that changed — to a small extent — last year when state lawmakers approved Act 54, which raised the fire tax limit to 10 mills and the EMS tax cap to 5 mills for about 150 boroughs and townships in Bucks, Delaware, and Montgomery Counties, according to a count compiled by the Pennsylvania Local Government Commission. In Bucks County's Northampton Township, the board of supervisors decided it was 'absolutely critical' to fund a full-time fire department that is on call every hour of the day, Township Manager Robert Pellegrino told Spotlight PA. The trouble was that the township was already charging property owners the maximum rate of a fire tax it could under state law: $3 for every $1,000 of the assessed value of a property — or 3 mills. That translates to about $1.8 million, which is less than one-third of the township fire department's budget, Pellegrino said. Before the tax cap increase, Northampton Township had limited options to make up the difference. It could transfer money from its general fund, which could put severe strain on other services like police, or it could raise its taxing limits through a voter referendum, which Pellegrino said is an 'unsustainable model.' Pellegrino said his township worked with state legislators on behalf of the measure. Northampton Township was one of the three local governments (all in Bucks County) that have exercised this new, higher taxing authority so far. 'It's a huge relief and a very big help,' Pellegrino told Spotlight PA. Northampton Township is able to almost entirely fund its fire department with the new tax. At least 855 of the state's 2,558 municipalities impose some form of fire tax, according to a database maintained by the Department of Community and Economic Development, which includes tax information submitted by about 80% of local governments. The same dataset showed 224 local governments reported having a tax for ambulance, rescue, and emergency services. A Spotlight PA analysis of state data found that among municipalities that have a form of fire tax, about 7.5% have reached or exceeded the cap. For those with an EMS tax, 62% have met or gone beyond half a mill. The increases allowed by Act 54 were 'a step in the right direction,' state Rep. Chris Pielli (D., Chester), prime sponsor for House Bill 393, wrote in a memo seeking support from his colleagues. His proposal would allow second-class townships in Pennsylvania — where a majority of commonwealth residents live — the same 10-mill limit for a fire tax and 5-mill cap for an EMS tax. Pielli, a former township supervisor, told Spotlight PA that his proposal has the support of local fire and EMS agencies. He said that funding is only one aspect of the crisis facing public safety services and that additional actions in Harrisburg, like tax breaks for first responders, should be considered. 'This is a problem that requires a multipronged approach,' Pielli said. Nearly 90% of the state's 1,770 registered fire departments are entirely staffed by volunteers, according to the U.S. Fire Administration. A 2021 survey of Pennsylvania's 744 certified EMS agencies found more than half of them had experienced a budget deficit, according to the Center for Rural Pennsylvania, a legislative agency. Many local fire companies and EMS providers have sounded the alarm on funding and operational challenges. 'EMS systems are collapsing under the weight of outdated reimbursement models [and] the lack of funding to maintain 24/7 readiness and workforce attrition,' Janette Swade, executive director for the independent Pennsylvania Emergency Health Services Council, told Spotlight PA in an email. Swade's organization doesn't take positions on legislation, including Pielli's. But she said raising municipal EMS taxes, increasing mutual aid among agencies, and establishing EMS authorities are some solutions the council supports. David Sanko, executive director of the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors, told Spotlight PA that the higher taxing limits proposed in Pielli's bill would enable better local decision-making. Arden Knapp, chair of the Pleasant Township Board of Supervisors in Warren County, told Spotlight PA the proposed measure is 'really necessary.' Knapp's rural township now taxes the maximum rates for both fire and EMS services, but revenue continues to be strained, because a third of the township's land mass is public forest that does not generate tax income. The township is 'taking every bit of that EMS tax' as well as additional monies from the general fund to ensure ambulance services for residents, he said. Part of the cost goes to hiring a private, nighttime ambulance, because staffing has been a struggle. Knapp said he believes residents will support a potential increase because they realize the financial reality of fire and ambulance services — something Pellegrino, Sanko, and Pielli told Spotlight PA they have observed. 'When you're dealing with municipalities, I think for the most part, they try to be as responsible as possible and set the rates precisely [as] what they believe is the reasonable amount of revenue that they need,' Greene, of the Local Government Commission, said. The commission tracks which municipalities take advantage of Act 54 and studies the impacts. Some key questions Greene and his agency will study include why municipalities opt to levy these special real estate taxes, how the increased funding is spent, and whether higher fire and EMS taxes alleviate fundraising pressures. The commission's assistant director, Kristopher Gazsi, said the study will hopefully inform future bills. and help us reinvigorate local news in north-central Pennsylvania at Spotlight PA is funded by foundations and readers like you who are committed to accountability and public-service journalism that gets results. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Federal budget bill could strip 300K Pennsylvanians of Medicaid coverage, push rural hospitals to the brink
This story was produced by the State College regional bureau of Spotlight PA, an independent, nonpartisan newsroom dedicated to investigative and public-service journalism for Pennsylvania. Sign up for Talk of the Town, a weekly newsletter of local stories that dig deep, events, and more from north-central PA, at HARRISBURG — President Donald Trump's 'big, beautiful' budget bill could have a disastrous effect on the health of rural Pennsylvanians and the operations of the hospitals and other medical centers that care for them. The federal budget proposal, which passed the U.S. House by a one-vote margin in May, calls for nearly $800 billion in Medicaid cuts over the next decade. It also includes a new 80-hour-per-month work or service requirement for Medicaid recipients between the ages of 19 and 64 who aren't caregivers or who have disabilities. Among other changes, the bill would require verification of coverage eligibility every six months rather than annually. While supporters of the budget bill argue that it will slow spending and safeguard government programs, critics say the cuts and new requirements will create more paperwork for states and make it harder to access essential care. Opponents also argue the changes would push struggling rural hospitals and other providers to the brink, and force them to scale back services or close entirely. More than 3 million people in Pennsylvania — 23% — are covered by Medicaid, according to data from the state Department of Human Services, which administers the program. The agency estimates that more than 300,000 would lose Medicaid coverage under the proposal. Val Arkoosh, secretary of the department, said the bill would not only hurt those losing coverage but 'all of us who would face the real-life consequences of crowded emergency departments, increases in the cost of health insurance, and the catastrophic effects on economies and health systems in rural areas.' More than 737,000 Medicaid recipients live in rural counties, where residents are typically older and more reliant on government-funded insurance programs. Such programs reimburse at lower rates compared to private insurance companies and haven't kept up with inflation. Cameron County Commissioner James Moate, a Republican, said the Medicaid reimbursement rate should have never been less than 100%. 'That's why we have struggling hospitals,' he told Spotlight PA. On average, Pennsylvania hospitals absorb a loss of 18 cents on the dollar for care provided to Medicaid patients, said Nicole Stallings, president and CEO of the Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania, which represents more than 230 hospitals statewide. In rural communities, the average loss is 26 cents on the dollar, she added in a May statement. 'Medicaid plays a vital role in the health of rural residents, and it is important to preserve this funding so that families can continue to access the care they need for healthier lives,' said Douglas Winner, chief financial officer for Penn Highlands Healthcare, a nonprofit system with nine hospitals in rural counties. Penn Highlands President and CEO Steve Fontaine has told lawmakers that consolidating with other health systems and expanding into new areas has helped facilities survive. This strategy, which has helped Penn Highlands diversify its patient and insurance bases, is why the system expanded into Centre County, where resident numbers are expected to grow, he told lawmakers last year. Still, the health system has shuttered services and reported operating losses over the past year. Winner said Penn Highlands is 'greatly concerned' about the proposed Medicaid cuts. 'Rural hospitals have experienced substantial cost increases for labor, drugs, and supplies,' he said in a statement. 'Coupled with decreasing volumes, inadequate reimbursement rates, and ongoing staffing shortages — recruitment and retention — we are struggling financially.' Advocates worry the cuts in the federal budget will force rural hospitals to slash services even more or close altogether. And once facilities end a service or shut down, they rarely reopen, Stallings told Spotlight PA. Community health centers could also be strained. These facilities, also known as federally qualified health centers, provide services regardless of someone's ability to pay and primarily see patients who use Medicaid and PENNIE, the state's Affordable Care Act marketplace. More uninsured people will likely lead to an increase in uncompensated care, said Eric Kiehl, director of policy and partnership for the Pennsylvania Association of Community Health Centers. And these facilities are already strapped for resources, he told Spotlight PA. A surge in demand could cause these health centers to shutter core services — such as medical, dental, or behavioral health — reduce hours, or close, Kiehl said. Pennsylvania's U.S. House delegation voted along party lines on the federal budget bill, with Republicans supporting and Democrats opposing the proposal. Medicaid spending totaled roughly $44 billion in fiscal year 2023. The federal government provided almost $28 billion of those dollars. Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro has said the state won't be able to make up those dollars to support the Medicaid program. In a statement, Shapiro said he hopes 'common sense and a concern for the people of Pennsylvania' will prevail in the U.S. Senate, where Democratic U.S. Sen. John Fetterman and Republican U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick disagree on aspects of the bill. McCormick did not respond to a request for comment for this story. He has expressed support for the budget bill, which he says will reduce and slow government spending. During a Fox News forum, McCormick said he isn't advocating for taking benefits from 'vulnerable people' but is trying to ensure 'people for whom the program was designed' benefit. Fetterman called the plan 'a bad bill,' telling Spotlight PA in a statement: 'Republicans want to put more money in the pockets of the ultra-rich at the expense of hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians who will lose access to Medicaid if this disastrous bill is passed.' and help us reinvigorate local news in north-central Pennsylvania at Spotlight PA is funded by foundations and readers like you who are committed to accountability and public-service journalism that gets results. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Penn State trustees agree to legal training, improved transparency in settlement with Spotlight PA
This story was produced by the State College regional bureau of Spotlight PA, an independent, nonpartisan newsroom dedicated to investigative and public-service journalism for Pennsylvania. Sign up for Talk of the Town, a weekly newsletter of local stories that dig deep, events, and more from north-central PA, at Penn State University's Board of Trustees will complete a training on the state's open meetings law and disclose more information about its closed-door gatherings as part of a settlement with Spotlight PA. The agreement, signed last week, ends a case the newsroom, in partnership with the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, brought against the board in December 2023 for alleged violations of the Sunshine Act, the state law mandating transparency from governing bodies. 'The settlement ensures that one of Pennsylvania's most influential institutions will conduct its business with the transparency that taxpayers, students, faculty, and staff deserve,' said Christopher Baxter, CEO and president of Spotlight PA. 'The university's most recent decision to close seven campuses — and the effect it will have on communities across the state — underscores the need for these important reforms.' Neither Penn State nor board leadership responded to a request for comment for this story. Spotlight PA has documented the board's decadelong use of private meetings and practices that may have run afoul of the state's transparency law, including that university leadership met privately with trustees to discuss Penn State's multimillion-dollar budget deficit and to consider naming the football field after former coach Joe Paterno. Internal board communications, previously obtained by the newsroom, revealed that board leadership directed trustees to ask questions during a private session rather than at a public meeting, a request a media law attorney described as a 'gigantic red flag.' Penn State has already altered some of its practices to increase transparency. In October, a committee of top university officials held its first public meeting since 2011. Under the new settlement agreement, every meeting of the executive committee must be publicized on the board's website, and the board must continue to publish the group's meeting agendas. Additionally, according to the settlement, the board will hold a Sunshine Act training for trustees and publicly report which members completed the session. The Pennsylvania Office of Open Records is scheduled to provide the training on Sept. 11, according to the agency's calendar. Incoming trustees will be offered the training starting in 2026. Liz Wagenseller, executive director of the Office of Open Records, said in a statement that the state's open meetings law 'plays a vital role in ensuring the public can see how tax dollars are spent and how government entities operate. The Office of Open Records values every invitation to assist agencies and others subject to the law in better understanding their obligations regarding public meetings. We look forward to working with the Penn State Board of Trustees to help uphold the transparency and accountability the Act is designed to promote.' For years, the Penn State board has met behind closed doors with university officials in 'conference,' a practice allowed under the law for 'any training program or seminar, or any session arranged by State or Federal agencies for local agencies, organized and conducted for the sole purpose of providing information to agency members on matters directly related to their official responsibilities.' The public had limited insight into these gatherings. Under the agreement, the board will disclose the person providing the training and the topic. Similarly, when the trustees hold an executive session, the board will publicly say the reason why and cite the legal exemption that allows for the private meeting. The terms of the settlement will last for five years. Read the full agreement here. 'This is such an important win for transparency in the Commonwealth,' said Paula Knudsen Burke, the Pennsylvania attorney for the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press who represented Spotlight PA in the case. 'The university and its board of trustees are ultimately accountable to the people of Pennsylvania, and their business is the public's business. This agreement, which explicitly includes Sunshine Act compliance training, sets a clear expectation that they can no longer hide behind closed doors and executive sessions.' The settlement ends more than 18 months of legal arguments in local court. In October 2023, Spotlight PA and the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press sent the board a letter requesting the trustees 'immediately cease holding improper executive sessions and conferences, advertise and record meeting minutes for all public meetings, and halt the practice of deliberating in secret.' The university's vice president and general counsel, Tabitha Oman, responded that she was 'confident that the Board has taken its official actions and conducted its deliberations in compliance' with the law. During the board's November 2023 meetings in University Park, Spotlight PA witnessed what it believed were potential violations of the open meetings law, prompting the lawsuit in Centre County Court of Common Pleas. After the board's February and May 2024 meetings, the lawsuit was amended to include additional allegations. Throughout the legal process, Penn State argued its trustees followed the law. 'Penn State is a more transparent institution than it was a year and a half ago thanks to Spotlight PA and the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press,' said Sarah Rafacz, managing editor of Spotlight PA's State College bureau. 'With this agreement in place, we will see more public disclosures about the business of the trustees than ever before. Our push for transparency will also continue through our tenacious accountability reporting on the university.' In September, Commonwealth Court will tentatively hear arguments in an ongoing case between Penn State and the state Department of Education against Spotlight PA to decide whether university documents the Office of Open Records previously deemed public should be turned over to the newsroom. and help us reinvigorate local news in north-central Pennsylvania at Spotlight PA is funded by foundations and readers like you who are committed to accountability and public-service journalism that gets results. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Axios
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Axios
Illustrator Tom Bachtell's ideal day in Chicago
Many Chicagoans know Tom Bachtell for his two decades (until 2018) of iconic illustrations for the New Yorker magazine's "Talk of the Town" column. Today, the acclaimed artist creates his distinctive brush and ink illustrations for magazines, album covers and books while also finding time to dance and perform chamber music around town. What's up: We recently caught up with Bachtell as he accepted a posthumous Studs Terkel Award for his longtime partner and arts reporter Andrew Patner. We asked the Chicagoan of four decades to describe his ideal day in the city. ☕️ Breakfast: " Pastore's, a cheerful and bustling breakfast place in my Lincoln Square neighborhood. The owner is from Guanajuato in central Mexico. "I always order oatmeal and traditional café de olla, and just soak in the atmosphere." 🕺🏽 Morning Activity:"I like to burst out of the gate by Zoom swing dancing and improvising with my hooping, dancing friend Denise E Williams." "✍️ Then I take the el train (along with a stop at my neighborhood farmers market) to my studio office in the Monadnock Building and draw and draw and draw." 🥙 Lunch: "I go to the Oasis Cafe in the back of a jewelry mart at 21 N. Wabash, and order an eggplant sandwich. Or to the Walnut Room (yes!) at Macy's and order chicken pot pie. 🖼️ Afternoon Activity: " A stroll in the Loop, back to my studio in the Monadnock Building — to get back to my drawing pad." "If there's time at the end of the afternoon, I'll head over to the Art Institute or go for a quick workout at LA Fitness." 🥡 Dinner: "It's an easy subway ride to Chinatown to grab a Cantonese seafood dinner at the Golden Bull, but not eat too much, because I plan to go swing dancing afterwards." 💃🏼 Evening Activity: "In my dream world, I head to the Green Mill every night to pretend I'm Fred Astaire, and dance every number during the Cellar Boys ' first set from 8 to 9pm."
